I'm thinking as an end of the year gift idea, the large coffee mug filled with candy would be a nice thank you present. It's great for holding pens and pencils as well, as a book shelf ornament, even as a vase for a small bouquet. It is sharp looking.

The wall clock looked great against a wooden wall though I ended up putting it on a white wall by my desk. This is not particularly pricey. It's black rim is plastic, yet it's quite sharp looking - the logo fits nicely.

Books

I don't recommend books I've not yet read or reviewed but almost (but not quite) am tempted to break my own rule here.

One of my very favorite books is "Dances with Horses" by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, the great European trainer. Hempfling has written a follow-up titled "What Horses Reveal" focusing on equine personalities and what specific training methods are best suited to each personality type. The book is supplemented by his "Coming Together" DVD in which Hempfling demonstrates how you can use body language to best communicate with your horse.

Catalogs

While we focus primarily, though not totally, on on-line shopping, it's still fun to leaf through the various gift catalogs that come out this time of year. I particularly enjoy the catalogs I get in the mail from Sheplers and Back in the Saddle. As far as Christmas shopping is concerned, Back in the Saddle has about the most comprehensive selection of gift ideas that I've seen. Items for the "whole herd" as they like to say. I suggest you these web sites out and get on their catalog mailing list.

Magazines

Just a reminder. Many of the major horse magazines have pages dedicated to Holiday gift ideas in their end of their October through December issues. Western Horseman and Horse Illustrated usually have a few pages of good ideas. Might check them out on your next visit to the newsstand.

This is a repeat of one of my first published articles, still one of my favorites. The number of Nose to the Ground subscribers was quite small at the time , but I'm re-publishing it, with a small bit of editing, as it remains one of my favorites. I hope you will like it as well.

Article: The Beagle, the Weathervane, and Whistlejacket

A six-foot long steel sculpture of men on horseback graces a wall in our breakfast nook. The silhouette of the horsemen stands out an inch or so from the wall and the shadows produced by sunlight gives a particularly dramatic effect.

The weathervane had been up for several weeks before Boo saw it. The hair on the back of her neck bristled and she began to stalk the weathervane from across the yard. "Woof - woof- woof", not too loud and definitely not the beagle yelp; just a soft but continuous "woof - woof - woof". Eventually Boo figured she couldn't get to the strange black beagle, and it didn't seem to interested in coming to her so she lost interest.

We don't always know how animals will respond to something which resembles them. Generally they seem to ignore it.

Stubbs was a scientist and expert in anatomy in addition to being an artist and a lover of horses. His study of the anatomy of the horse brought equestrian painting to a new level.

Much of the art preceding Stubb's time appears almost primitive when compared to his works. While most consider Brood Mares and Foals to be his masterpiece, many also consider Whistlejacket a contender for that honor.

Whistlejacket was a racing Thoroughbred of some fame and Stubbs was comissioned by the owner to do a painting of the animal. The painting demonstrates Stubb's knowledge of equine anatomy and the subject is particularly striking against the plain background, standard for most of Stubbs' work.

The original life-sized painting would certainly be a treat to see as it measures approximately 8 by 10 feet.

The story goes that as the painting was near completion, Stubb's was working on it out of doors, adding final touches. At Stubb's request, a groom walked Whistlejacket near the artist. Whistlejacket suddenly saw himself in all of his glory on canvas, snorted, and charged the canvas, intent of inflicting serious damage to the "intruder". It was only after a supreme effort that the groom and Stubbs were able to keep Whistlejacket at bay and save the painting.

The moral of this story is to keep pictures of horses away from your horses ( especially life size pictures). Weathervanes, on the other hand, are generally safe from attacking beagles.

Since this article was originally published we commissioned our artist friend to fashion a steel image of our logo (as seen on our gift shop items) which measures approximately four feet square and adds a very beautiful touch to the side of our house.

Have a great Holiday Season.

Bill Savage

Goose Bay Ranch

Rollins, Montana