StarHorsePax

As usual more stuff is in the works.  Lots of horses, including a Selle Francais. Some delay in posting but I have uploaded a bunch new to Zazzle and Greeting card universe to finish.  There are some technical problems: I'm trying to shift files from my beloved imac to a pc, as the imac doesn't have full access to some websites anymore.  But the pc doesn't like the files, though they are standard formats.  I feel like I'm living in the mac commercial as the outdated mac does things easily the newer pc is having problems with...You are not giving me a good intro Windows...

Well at long last new products are up for the new year.

Valentine and Easter products are up on the holiday page. For the horse lovers, check out the cool pinto saddlebred with heart markings.  Or go for the cute appaloosa foal with a yellow lab-the foal has heart shaped spots and the graphic says 'be my pal."

Looking for cute and cuddly? The Bichon Frise and teddy bear up are posted in a special valentine version. So is the pug. A new yellow lab puppy joins the field, available in both easter and valentine versions. More dogs coming soon, including a german shepherd pup, golden retriever pup, and more. A Cairn terrier with heart is availbale at our zazzle shop but not yet posted on the main holiday page.

Or for a more tradional holiday look try the cupid teddy bear greeting card and mug. He's ready, aiming and set to fire on your sweetheart.

More horse images are in the works of course, including a bay trotting colt.

Dog images in progress include a Westie , sheepdog, and a Corgi. More dogs-and pups will come available as I find reference material for experimenting!

And to all the horse lovers out there: stay tuned to the wild horse debate and calico roundup protests are still going on. I'll likely post more on that in my other blog at wordpress.

New!     Pug lovers-it's here.  Our first ever Pug.  This fun smooshed face dog is cuddled by the teddy bear.  Some versions say "Can I keep it?" (Is this the bear wanting the pug or the pug wanting the teddy? You decide!)  This version is a golden tan, but should soon be offered in other variations.

    Don't forget for cute to check out that clown teddy bear.

    Check out the dragons, the latest is an awesome red/white/gray one modified for different colors. There is also a unicorn.

    These awesome designs are available on mugs, t-shirts, binders, tote bags and even stamps and matching greeting cards.  For more fun pick your holiday.  You'll find a variation of the pug and bear available in christmas, valentine's day and easter versions. 

    So hurry in and look around for your favorite person's christmas gifts.  More added all the time.

Designs are done in color pencil, marker and photoshop, modified for different products and seasons.

New!  I've added more new holiday products to the website, so now all the new Zazzle and Greeting Card Universe offerings are together.  So far there is a new shire colt, a new friesian colt and my first ever dog offering.  An adorable white Bichon Frise cuddles with a teddy bear.  Look for them on cards, scrapbooks, mugs-even stamps!.  The dog is also available on apparel, and I plan to do the horses on some shirts too-soon.  Stay tuned.

Remember Zazzle products can be customized so if you like the picture and want it on another shirt, mug, etc. it will probably be available.  Greeting card Universe cards can be customized inside.

Some of these adorable illustrations have been or will be adapted for other holidays too.  I'm not ready to post for Valtentine's Day on this site yet, but both the Bichon Frise and the Friesian are already being offered.

So check out the Holiday Products Page and start Christmas Shopping!

    Three: items of note for my website.  First: I guess I have to add my new product news here instead of myspace. Myspace has very rudely, with no warning, decided my aging browser is not good enough.  And I can’t upgrade.  I am very angry at those behind these internet concerns who think everyone can upgrade and the heck with loyal customers that can’t.  I’m sure in this down economy I’m not the only one with the problem.  Yet perhaps because they are working specifically in the computer industry they can’t relate to those of us who don’t have access.  What to do but e-mail and object?

My Facebook Page   is here, I may start posting there instead.

Second.  My zazzle offerings have expanded and now include dragons.  Keep in mind the zazzle stuff is customizable.  You can add someone’s name or change the style of item it’s on.  If I haven’t gotten around to making it fit, let me know and I’ll see if I can  get it too.  The Appaloosa’s are going, up, one saddlebred is going up and I have some paint horses in progress.  This all depends of course on being allowed to continue without interference by those who could lock out my browser.  I’ve even done some stamps-but like the greeting card universe offerings expect a wait before they are posted.  I don’t foresee any issues getting approval.

Paint horses are in progress.  The Dragons look terrific on steins and mugs. It may take awhile to resize them for all items as I didn't do them with that in mind.  There is a lovely appaloosa binder, perfect for any horse lover and lots of new teddy bears.

Third. My non item info is probably going to move to my wordpress blog due to sheer necessity.   Look there for more horse stories, inspirations and wild horse info.

Starhorsepax on Wordpress

 

    Tips for People/Animal Encounters
    1. Horses and other animals are clueless about Halloween costumes.  They don’t see a costume kid, they see a goblin.  So keep your distance from strange animals.  Scared pets may bite,kick or scratch.  
    2. Think before you trick.  Leaving the gate open or the like could result in an injured animal.  This holiday is supposed to be fun, not a tragedy.  Keep the death symbols on the decorations.  Don’t risk a real one.
    3. Be careful what you do with the treats.  Chocolate makes dogs sick.  Scarfing down wrappers isn’t good for them either.
    4.  Keep lit candles and pumpkins with them out of reach of pets.  Don’t risk a fire.
    
    Tips for animal care takers
    5. If you have a pet, know how it reacts.  Keep it safely tucked away if it’s scared of strangers or weird stuff.
    6.  If your easy going pet is going trick or treating or partying with you watch what it eats.  If sick people will poison kid treats, they’ll do it to a pet too.
    7  If your pet gets a costume, be careful it won’t hang up on anything and isn’t flammable.  Make sure any  make up, glitter, or tint that you might use on the fur is non toxic and washes out easy.
    8.  Make sure they’re labeled!  Any pet who gets loose on halloween is in for a wild night  Make sure that if an accident happens or a trick goes wrong they can find their way home!

*Note: Link takes you off site to the museum.*  All onsite text @T.A.Paxton

The Roy Rogers Museum is closing. I grieve at the thought I?ll never get to visit. Today, it seems a thing of the distant past. But what horse lover hasn?t heard of Trigger? I only knew him thanks to the magic marvelous invention called a vcr and a few books.
Modern movies have complicated heroes. They have obvious flaws, tempers , drug problems, marital problems and more. Sometimes its hard to know who the hero of a movie or show is, they shift across the lines so easily. In contrast the old western seems innocent, childlike. The good guys wore white hats, only shoot the bad guy?s guns out of their hands and are faithful and kind. At most they ignore a no trespassing sign, tell a white lie or break jail-the charges being false, of course! Every once in a while its refreshing to look at the old stuff. It gives the brain a break from sorting things out. The actors themselves are usually predicable. It?s rare to see Roy Rogers as the villain.
Old westerns are a great place for the horse lover to visit. Especially if the horse is as famous and heroic as his rider. But as an animal lover, no-one should doubt Roy. In one episode Trigger kills a man in self defense. With no witnesses, he is labeled a ?killer stallion? and sentenced to death. Roy steps up, lies and claims he killed the man by accident, not his horse. He ends up in jail on a chain gang. How many people love their horses enough for that? Naturally a whole dastardly plot must be exposed by the end, Trigger and Roy cleared. That?s just one example. Mind you, from the biographies it seems clear that the movie cowboy and the real man were of one mind in the animal department. He may not have been perfect but compassion was something he believed in, toward man and beast.
The day I read Roy Rogers died, I imagined Trigger running up to him and saying in horse ?come on partner. Let?s go to our real home. There are people waiting for you!? I?m sorry the museum is closing. What will become of the relics now? To anyone out there who loves horses, don?t dismiss the old movies. You?ll miss out on fabulous horses and great values. If you dismiss them because they are in black and white-in more ways than one-you?ll never know what you?re missing.

Humans have always been considered smarter. But are we really? We have governments, fancy machines, engineering marvel and amazing achievements. We think the world is ours. We chop down trees to make room for farms, then shove aside farms for suburbia and apartments. The animals that lived there invade and we complain. We kill the predators and complain when the prey population explodes, leading to traffic accidents and ruined gardens. But are we really smarter?
Wild horses find food and shelter in tough places in winter. Wolves, and wild cats hunt without guns. Many animals know how to keep cool or warm without fire or air conditioning. But how many of us can still light a fire without a match? Kill to eat without a gun? Find forage without a grocery store?
Animals outsmart people all the time. Horses loose gates and lead ropes. Dogs escape yards and walk their owner and decide whether they can hang out or have to go home with an unruly pet. A rider leans forward and yanks on the reins. He means stop but says go too. The horse figures out he needs to ignore the person, they don?t know what they are doing! The human tries to force the horse, untrained, in the trailer. The horse figures out the trailer is an awful place! The dog jumps on the owner and gets attention. The human yells no but pets and cuddles. The dog figures all is well. In fact the animals are right. They know what we are saying better than we do.
It may be a trade off. We look ahead and plan for the future. But in doing so, we focus on us. We take our mind off the present. And we with all our planning there are side effects to our decisions we could never dream of. We may be aware what we say with our mouth, but even then we don?t always mean it. Our body language is what the animals notice, and we are usually unaware of it. We don?t think about whether we are acting like predator or prey, leader or follower.
Animals are honest. Friends, family and neighbors often do-intentional or not, white lies or self serving ones. Animals. are a mirror, a certain indicator of who we are. They live in the present and have no motive to lie. Perhaps we are smarter. But are we truly wiser?

Teddy bears and horses are distantly, oddly, connected. They are connected through the battle between money, greed and honor. The honor was in at the beginning of the bear. The greed and money battle even now for the mustangs. The choice is always available in the USA.
The connection comes from Teddy Roosevelt, president, hunter and true sportsman. When he couldn?t scare up any game on a hunting trip, one of his companions found a bear cub. He caught the cub and offered it to the President on a leash. Roosevelt, a true sportsman, refused. There is no fairness, no sport in killing a tied up bear cub! The report made it?s way to cartoonist Clifford Berryman. And so we have the teddy bear.
The President could?ve shot the bear, taken a pelt, and lied about it. People have been known to poach even endgangered species, even killing them in cages. Just for those pelts and a cheap trophy, unearned by sweat or skill. But he showed honor. Our country is founded on such, and at far higher a price.
The United States was founded by those who suffered. They not only fought, bled and died. They went home from the Revolution to find debts piled up. Ungrateful businesses didn?t praise their courage. They wanted money more than they cared about the freedom they?d won from England. They threw veterans in jail and took there property. They hadn?t been home to tend to their affairs. Promised payment for their service to their country was on hold. The congress that offered it had no money and no power to tax. Justifiably outraged they went to General Washington and offered to help him become the American King.
Washington refused. They?d fought for freedom from Kings. He marched to congress and resigned his commission. Did this mean he didn?t care about his men?s suffering? Hardly. But he would not betray the trust he?d been given by the people. Even if some of those people reaped the benefits without being willing to pay the cost.
The soldiers were not the only ones to suffer. Some signers of the Declaration of Independance, famed in history books, died in poverty. There property and livelihoods were destroyed by the war.
The decision was made at the beginning. Some things are more important than money. Some things are worth suffering for.
The same hardy spirit settled the West. People set aside familiar things, jobs, families and homes to go settle. They weren?t perfect. Some got that far and turned to greed and fear, leading to the battle with native americans. Meanwhile President Lincoln refused to heed the Southern States insistance that slavery was important to their economy. Perhaps that wasn?t the only reason for war. Certainly many confederates fought honorably just because the south was their home. But the basic principle: is money more important than doing what?s right? Lincoln won. His repayment? Assassination. But America lived free of slavery?s shadow.
During this time as the west was settled the mustang was there. He carried the message with the pony express rider. It went out each time a new state was formed. Slave or free? It went out when Lincoln was reelected. The horses were used in exploration, they gave new, if temporary freedom to the natives, they herded cattle and filled the west with untamed beauty.
Even now, the bloodlines of these wild horses go back to the founding of America. They reach back to war horses and conquistadors. But there were those who did not and do not appreciate the horse for beauty or history. They only see the profit. In 1971 Velma Johnson, an ardent mustang supporter won a crusade to gain federal protection. These horses deserved respect and honor. Enough people agreed that the legislators were bombarded. Not only America, but the world cheered the victory.
But was it a victory? The same Bureau of Land Managment that had allowed the mustangs to be rounded up for slaughter were put in charge. They periodically removed horses for adoption, thinning herds so the land wouldn?t be overgrazed. But overtime a new, insidious situation has emerged. Land supposively overgrazed was then leased to the cattlemen. So the land is too overgrazed for horses, yet some how has enough for cattle. Other land apparently is used for drilling. A few years ago a senator snuck a rider onto an appropriations bill. It allowed the mustangs not adopted to be sold to the highest bidder, even if it was a slaughter house. The BLM claimed it had too many horses and not enough money to support them.
Outraged horse lovers reacted. Congress bombarded by complaints, investigated. The numbers didn?t add up. The science didn?t add up. The BLM?s answers made them appear either ignorant, incompetant, or guilty. Yet in spite of the demands of congress they went ahead with a round up of the Pryor mountain herd, famed for the PBS star Cloud. Some of the horses rounded up were well passed adoptable age.
This information has been gathered from various news sources all over the internet, as well as congressional documents availale for public view. The BLM may be stocked in some areas and some levels with good people. But the policies of it?s leaders have led to war. Now the Mustangs are on the Hill, their humans battling in the spirit of Velma Johnson.
But what it comes down too is not a horse. It?s heart. It?s the spirit of the USA that drove the founding fathers and soldiers to suffer and die against those who bear the spirit that would cast the soldiers in jail for bills unpaid, rather than extending credit out of gratitued. It?s the spirit that says money shouldn?t decide what?s right and what?s wrong. That history?s artifacts-even living ones-shouldn?t be destroyed for convenience.
Sometimes a horse is just a horse. But sometimes it?s not. Sometimes it?s a man whose job has been shipped overseas because it?s cheaper. It?s a child suffering because mom is sick and can?t afford to the doctor. Sometimes it?s the question are we willing to suffer in the present to preserve hope for the future? Are we going to let money buy out our honor?
Yes, times are hard. But look outside. In America their are beautiful spaces, creatures, and causes worth fighting for. Now look farther. Our poor look rich to those far off. They have less than nothing. No food, shelter, doctor or medicine. The laws are in flux, non-existent or created by the powerful to abuse the helpless. The police are to be feared, not turned to for help. The news all supports the government, even if it?s lies. Who makes the law here?
So don?t quit on the mustangs. There is an ancient saying of horse that most of us know but take for granted.
    For Want of a Nail a Shoe was lost.
    For Want of a Shoe the horse was lost.
    For Want of a Horse the message was lost.
    For Want of a Message the battle was lost.
    For Want of a Battle the War was lost.
    And all for the Want of a Horseshoe Nail!

He is small, shaggy and living wild. He isn?t touted in the show ring or winning trophy?s en masse. But he isn?t useless either. He?s just living free. Just like that teddy?s bear. And isn?t that what we are? Not so famous, not so popular, mostly average but just wanting to live free. If he is worthless than what are we? Who do we WANT to be?

*Note: links take you off site not related to Starhorsepax* All onsite text @T.A.Paxton 2009

When humans suffer hard times horses suffer too. Sometimes it's due to overall mismanagement-the BLM mustang round ups were so controversial congress stepped in. The report ended with the BLM being ordered to stop the Pryor Mountain roundup, where the famous Cloud and his family live. They lost members of the herd in the round up. The BLM went ahead with this round up, apparently against a congressional order. The Cloud Foundation is actively challenging the BLM on the hill.

Check out TheCloudFoundation for more information on how you can help.

On September 28, Arlington, VA and 29th they plan meeting on capitol hill to encourage passage of the ROAM act to save the american wild horses.

Some horses are in trouble due to natural money trouble. The rescue operations are in danger of going under due to insufficient donations. This is a sad thing. Here is a link to the latest story. http://bit.ly/OT6RX

For more horse rescue operations, check our links page. They all need help, be it money, supplies or just spreading the word.