We all know that there are obvious differences in the tack (equipment used to ride, such as saddles and bridles,) but when I was taught to ride, we weren’t taught why the tack was different, and how different the two types of riding really are. I was always mesmerized by the beautiful Western horses with their fancy headstalls and breastplates and the riders with their chaps and cowboy hats walking in the parades, but other than that, I didn’t really see a lot of Western style riders growing up, except for on television. During my research I have discovered that English riding is initially more difficult to learn, and it is easier to switch from English to Western than vice versa. I am not going to focus too much on English riding today, and will pretty much just explain the fundamentals of Western riding. I will go much more in depth on English riding in a future article.

I guess the first place I should start is at the beginning… the very beginning. Western riding can first be traced back to about 400 B.C. when it is widely accepted that Xenophon, a Greek solider and historian, founded modern horsemanship. Although any breed of horse can be used for Western riding, the most popular breeds are Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas.

Western riding basically evolved on cattle ranches in the American West The Western rider uses their non-dominant hand to handle the reins, and uses neck reining to control the horse. When neck reining, you push your horse gently into the direction that you want your horse to go instead of pulling in the same direction. For example, if you want your horse to move to the right, you would touch the left rein to your horse’s neck. Western trained horses are trained to listen to your commands without much mouth contact. You might be wondering why you would use your non-dominant hand to hold the reins – the reason for using the non dominant hand for the reins is so that the rider can use their dominant hand for roping cattle, etc. Even if you aren’t into roping cattle, there are many other events you can find pleasure in with Western riding! They include barrel racing, pleasure riding, roping, Gymkhana, and endurance riding.

Western saddles are heavier, and have a horn in front which is to assist with herding cattle. The saddle is also larger and deeper and can be more comfortable for a horse who has to spend long periods of time actively working. It is also comfortable for the rider, and distributes the weight more evenly on the horse’s back. The bottom of the stirrups should hit the rider’s ankle bone for proper fit.

The rider should be relaxed but sit straight with good posture, and move with the horse. Subtle cues with your hips and seat give steering signals to your horse. Your horse will rely on you to correctly shift your weight and carry your body correctly to interpret your commands.

In Western riding it is not unusual for the rider to use noise signals to change speeds. Some Western trained horses can speed up and slow down just by hearing their rider’s signals. Many riders use the “kiss and click method,” in which you click your tongue to ask for a jog and you smack your lips together to ask for a lope. A jog is the same as a trot, and a lope is the same as a canter in English riding. Some horses might recognize voice commands, it all depends on how your horse is trained. Most horses know the voice command “Whoa” to stop, as you sit deeply into your seat.

This just touches on the basics of Western riding, and in future articles I will go more in depth. If there are any topics that you would like me to cover relative to horses and riding, please comment below or feel free to contact me, and I would be happy to write about it! Until then, happy trails…

You need wood for your building project, and you’ve settled on cedar. You might think the buying process would be simple from here on out-go down to the building supply store and grab some cedar, right? Not so fast, friend. There’s actually more to cedar than you might realize.

Western Red Cedar and Inland Red Cedar are two similar but not identical wood products on the market. So if you’re a cedar beginner, here’s a Cedar 101 crash course for you.

1. Know your background

The scientific name for Western Red Cedar is Thuja plicata. It’s a variety of softwood that grows in the western U.S. and Canada, known for its extreme durability, natural preservatives, and of course, untreated beauty. The innate characteristics of Western Red Cedar make it well-suited for the best-quality cedar siding, decking, shakes and shingles.

Even once you’ve made up your mind that Thuja plicata is what you need for your building project, there are still a few things you should know. Most Western Red Cedar comes from British Columbia, western Washington and western Oregon. However, some Western Red Cedar also grows further inland. You’ll find it on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, in Idaho, Montana, as well as parts of Alberta and eastern British Columbia.

The cedars from the more eastern, higher-elevation forests are still Thuja plicata – the same botanical species as the cedars that grow to the west – but there are differences in the wood. In fact, the two varieties are sometimes processed, graded, and even labeled differently: the wood from trees grown in the coastal forests as “Western Red Cedar,” the wood from trees grown further east as “Inland Red Cedar.”

Now that you know the background on these woodland wonders, here are things to consider when you’re trying to determine which type to purchase.

2. Take a closer look

Paul Mackie is the western area manager of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, but he also answers to “Mr. Cedar” for his ability to answer cedar questions.

Mackie said that while botanists may not make a scientific distinction between the trees grown inland and trees grown on the coast, you will see a visual difference if you examine both types side by side.

“The inland fiber is different from the coastal materials,” he said. “The inland fiber will be lighter, striped in appearance, and the percentage of clear is much less.”

Cedar decking and siding specialists who look for the highest-grade products source their Western Red Cedar from trees grown in the coastal climate. These coastal trees are giants, growing up to 200 feet tall and more than 10 feet in diameter. Their native habitat is anywhere from sea level to about 4,000 or 5,000 feet in altitude, and in warmer, wetter conditions than the cedars grown on the other side of the mountains. They also offer a more diverse appearance.

“In the coastal fiber, you’ll see a wide range of color occurring in the tree,” said Mackie. “You’ll have everything from a dark chocolate to a light straw color, and all those colors might occur within the same piece.”

3. Does size matter?

The larger coastal cedars also tend to have a higher percentage of “clear” grade material that the best quality cedar siding, cedar shakes, and large beams are made from. In the higher altitude and drier climate regions, Inland Red Cedar just doesn’t get as big. If you need large-diameter beams or timbers, they’re going to have to come from Western Red Cedar that was grown in the coastal forests.

The smaller inland trees are better suited for different products than coastal trees, Mackie said. Split-rail fencing or smaller pieces of lumber are two common uses for Inland Red Cedar.

“There’s not nearly as wide of a product range for inland cedar,” Mackie said.

4. Making the grade

The two types of cedar are also processed and graded differently. Cedar is usually sorted into “clear” and “knotty” grades. “Clear” is the most visually perfect wood, while “knotty” is what it sounds like-it’s quality wood that’s structurally sound, but it has some knots or other visual imperfections. Within the “clear” designation, lumber is further sorted in grades from A through D, with “A and better clears” the highest grade, and “D” the lowest.

According to Mackie, Inland Red Cedar has a lower percentage of clear lumber – so small that most producers of Inland Red Cedar don’t even sell A-grade materials. “D and better clears” is usually the highest grade available for Inland Red Cedar. This is still quality wood, but it’s not as knot- and blemish-free as the “A” or better. Western Red Cedar producers have enough volume to offer a wide range of clear grades, all the way up to the very highest grades of clear vertical-grain heart.

What’s more, two different pieces of wood could be labeled similarly even though they were actually graded by different standards. According to Mackie, different lumber producers grade by different rules. Producers of Western Red Cedar grown in the coastal regions grade by cedar-specific rules-inland mills don’t.

“Many of the coastal mills only process cedar,” Mackie said. “The inland mills might do a run of ponderosa pine, then of white pine, then of cedar.”

Because cedar is just one of many products inland mills offer, they don’t go by the cedar-specific rules. Mackie said that in the “knotty” grades, inland cedar is often graded according to Ponderosa Pine grade rules. It all depends on where the wood was milled and what set of standards that particular producer was using.

5. Making the choice

So, just because two pieces of wood both look like cedar, smell like cedar, and may even be botanical brothers, doesn’t mean that they are identical. If you’re looking for a smaller piece of cedar where durability matters but appearance isn’t as crucial, Inland Red Cedar might fit your needs. If you’re looking for a really large beam or timber, and you need the highest-quality cedar available, Western Red Cedar is your best option.

Know your source, consider your project needs, and you’ll be sure of getting the kind of cedar that’s right for you.

The bat which makes up about 25% of all mammals is the only true flying mammal. There are 42 species in the US. Bats are one of our most misunderstood and feared animals but it is probably the most beneficial of the animals to humans

The Western Long-eared bat is approximately 3.4 to 3.9 inches in length with a body weight of .18 to .28 ounces and a wingspan average of 9.4 inches. The western Long-eared is located from Western Canada, Western United States and parts of the Baja. Lives in a variety of areas, but mostly in the forested areas, both dry forest and subalpine forest . It can also be found in semiarid shrublands, sage and agricultural areas. Daytime roosts include abandoned buildings, loose slabs of bark, caves, mines cliff fissures and sink holes. In the winter, as with most bats, they tend to hibernate in caves and old mines.

The Western Long-eared is insectivorous and feeds on moths, beetles, net-winged insects and true bugs. The flight of this bat is slow and very maneuverable. This enables the Little Big-eared to glean insects from leaves as well as in the air. They will feed over small bodies of water and this particular bat can turn off its echolocation and “listen for insects”. It enables them to sneak up on prey and catch them before they can get away. This bat uses tremendous amounts of energy because of its slow flights, however this particular bat can hunt all night long and eats tremendous amounts of insects.

This is another fairly long lived mammal. The longest recorded is 22 years, although the average is much less. This bats maternity group may be from 5-30 individuals . The enemies of this bat include possible chipmunks and bears as well as other small animal predators. Removal of old forest and intrusions into caves and mines used for roosts has a detrimental effect also. The western Long-eared changes roosts often to limit the amount of scent that can build up. As with other bats, this species has an effect on insects control.

As with all my articles if you have a specific question, I will do my best to answer it through my email address.

When it comes to top fly fishing rivers, it is very hard to compete with the many rivers that the western part of the United States has to offer. Compiling a list of the great fly fishing rivers in the western part of the United States would take forever, as nearly every river in the west is chalk full of fish that are just waiting to pounce on a perfectly thrown fly.

However, there are some western rivers that seem to be just a bit better than others. These rivers have seen many records setting fish pulled out of them and for a fly fishing enthusiast, there simply is no substitute. Here are some of the top fishing rivers in the west:

• Ogden River: The Ogden River in Ogden, Utah is one that is filled with every type of fly fishing favorite such as tiger trout and salmon. The river is a constant breeding ground for fish and there is rarely a bad day of fishing in the Ogden River.

• Clearwater River: The Clearwater River in Lewiston, Idaho is another western river that should get top billing. This river is one of the best in the state of Idaho for those who like a good fighting fish. The steelhead is a mainstay in the river and the size of the ‘steelies’ in the Clearwater River will have you think you are fighting a wild stallion.

• Snake River: The Snake River is unique in that it stretches through the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This amazing river ‘snakes’ an astounding 50 miles through the three states and offers amazing fishing no matter which state you find yourself fishing it. It is a definite for any fisherman.

• Rock Creek River: Located in the ‘Big Sky’ part of the country, this Missoula, Montana river is where the ‘locals’ go when they fish for brown trout. For nine out of twelve months, this is the river in Montana for fly fishing, which is saying a lot considering all the wonderful fishing rivers in the great state.

• Gallatin River: Another stunning Montana river worthy of mention is the Gallatin River located in Bozeman, Montana. If you are into fly fishing or even drift boat fishing, this is a must fish river. No matter what part you fish, you are sure to pull out some big ones.

• Truckee River: The Truckee River, located near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, is a river that may require a hike to reach the sweetest spots, but it will be a hike that will be worthwhile. Here you will find many ‘feeder’ creeks that will offer up some spectacular fly fishing with some of the clearest waters you will ever feast your eyes on.

Really, you can’t go wrong with a fly fishing trip out west. However, you can increase your odds of not just landing fish, but huge fish, when you visit any of these top western fly fishing rivers. One warning here, make sure your vacation is a long one because you will likely want to hit more than one of these western fishing locations while you are on your next fly fishing adventure.

What is a wedding anniversary and why do we celebrate them as part of western culture? This is simply a celebration of the date that a person’s wedding took place. Traditionally these have been given names to indicate the length of marriage, such as the golden centenary to celebrate 50 years of marital union.

The Official Recognition

Important wedding anniversary milestones now receive official recognition by a number of governments and heads of state. This not only shows the respect for long lasting marriages that still exists to this day, but also allows the celebratory couple to enjoy their moment in the limelight with something a little special.

Official Recognition in the British Commonwealth

The monarch on the throne at the time of a person’s 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversary can issue a private message to the couple wishing them a happy centenary. However, this message will only be sent if an application is submitted to Buckingham Palace in the UK or the relevant Governor-General’s office in other Commonwealth countries. Any subsequent centenary after the 70th will automatically receive a message from the monarch if a request is again submitted.

In Australia and Canada the Governor-General will also issue a congratulatory note of his own on the occasion of a 50th centenary.

Official Recognition in the United States of America

In the USA a couple enjoying their 50th or any subsequent anniversary can receive personal wishes from the office of the President.

Official Recognition from the Papal State

Roman Catholic couples can receive a Papal blessing via their diocese for milestone wedding anniversaries such as their 25th, 50th, 60th and 70th centenaries. These Papal blessings have to be applied for before the time and will be approved by the Vatican in the Papal State.

Traditional Gifts

The names of traditional wedding anniversaries provide a rough guideline for the types of traditional gifts that spouses are supposed to exchange on a wedding day. Below is a list of some of the more important wedding anniversaries and the corresponding gifts:

The first wedding anniversary is the Paper Anniversary

The fifth wedding anniversary is the Wooden Anniversary

The tenth wedding anniversary is the Tin Anniversary

The fifteenth anniversary is the Crystal Anniversary

The twentieth anniversary is the China Anniversary

The twenty-fifth anniversary is the Silver Anniversary

Two of the most important centenary celebrations are the 50th and 60th which are the Golden and Diamond centenaries respectively. These traditional centenary gifts are believed to have originated in Germany, but it must be noted that the gifts and centenary symbols have started to change over time with the diamond now a well-known British symbol for a 75th centenary.