Virtual Brush Box

Academy in the outside world. The Backyard Horse Blog: I’d Like To Thank The Academy.

~~~

Mainly a reference post. Now that I’ve worked out the numbers & the links, I want to store them somewhere.

No saddle seat lesson last week, barn at a show. How do I feel about not showing? Well, my reasons have not changed. Limited growth potential. Nice horses who do not motivate me to metaphorically get up off the couch. So I both hate it and am the one making the decision. [Why Horse Show? & Leaning Into Lessons]

I’d like to say that I’m happy to be missing shows in the heat. Let’s be real. We all know that I would be out there in a heartbeat with the right horse. With, of course, proper attention to horse care. Studies before the Atlanta Olympics showed us that you can compete in the heat, carefully.

Anyway.

When I say, been there, bought the t-shirt, this is what I mean.

Fourteen Years of Academy

2012. Start. One show. Winter Tournament. Not technically Academy, but rode a lesson horse. [My First Show, Sorta]

2013-2018. Academy Division in American Saddlebred Horse Association of Alabama (ASHAA), six years. Many shows. Many posts. [Show Report: ASAC, Clemson, SC start]

2019. Concentrating on home team. ASB mixed bag. [Looking Back, Horses of 2019 & Changing Of The Guard, ASHAA Banquet]

2020-2021. One show, non-ASB. [Back In The Ring & Recap Day 2021]

ASB lesson hiatus. From 12 March 2020 to 28 January 2022. [From Changing of the Guard, Horse Edition to Back In The Saddle, Saddle Seat Style, also One Year Later, records this as last lesson before lockdown]

During these years, trips to Stepping Stone Farm where for schooling the home team.

2022-2025. Fun shows, four years. [from The Crux to Back in the Bling]

2022. Three ASHAA shows. One big show, two fun shows. [Dinner and Ribbons, ASHAA Banquet for the 2022 Show Year]

2023. Three ASHAA shows. Two of four fun shows, one big show. [Saddlebreds of 2023, list of shows & Achievement Unlocked, ASHAA Banquet for the 2023 Show Year, showing theory]

2024. Four ASHAA shows, all summer fun shows. [The Red Queen Rides, and Drives, Again, ASHAA Banquet for 2024]

2025. Three ASHAA shows, three fun, one big. [Back in the Bling, ASHAA Banquet for 2025]

By calendar, from 2012 to 2025 was 14 years of showing ASB. However, 2012 was not Academy & 2020-2021 had no ASB shows. By time spent, it was 11 years of Academy. Either way, it’s a lot.

Winter Tournament

While I’m counting, the Winter Tournament list. WT is run separately from the ASHAA shows.

2012/2013 to 2018/2019, seven seasons. Many shows. Many posts.

2019/2020 did not show. [Sitting Out Winter Tournament]

2020/2021 & 2021/2022. Did not show. Hadn’t restarted lessons.

2022/2023. Did not show. Not sure what my reason was. I’m sure I had one. “What I remember is the photos from last year. Looking at the chilly people and being glad I wasn’t doing that anymore.” [Academy Represent! December 2023]

2023/2024. Big year. [Celebrating The Series, AWTA 2023-2024 Banquet]

2024/2025. Two divisions, two of three shows. [Winter Blues Banquet, AWTA 2024-2025]

2025/2026. Did not show. For reasons above. Actually, I faded mid-2025. Went to Regionals bc of new ride, who is now doing suit. [Bling]

Barn Shows

For the sake of completeness, there were also Stepping Stone Farm in-house shows. I undoubtedly did them all when I was showing heavily. Recently, less so.

2022, October [Finishing Out The Year With A Blue, Show Report, SSF Fun Show 2022]

2023, March. [Bringing in the Year with Blues, Show Report, Spring Fun Show]

2024, the spring show was ASHAA. [Hey Kids, Let’s Put On A Show, ASHAA Fun Show]

In Other News

“Maybe next year.” Posted 29 Jan 2020 referring to the upcoming 2020 show season. We had no idea. I know the thought is simplistic & I’ve said it before, but that’s what hits me when I read old posts. We had no idea. [Changing]

Onwards!
Katherine

More horses of the outside world. The Tevis Cup. If you have been involved with horse associations – in any discipline – this will feel familiar. According to one of the livestream announcers this year, the Haggin Cup is not recognized by the AERC due to the judging criteria used at the Tevis Cup. This 2014 President’s Message gives the history. Let me get this straight. The most coveted best conditioned award in the sport is not recognized as such by the governing body. Gotta love the horse world.

~~~

No lessons this week. Storms on one day, ridiculous heat on the other. Seriously, it was 95% humidity during a morning walk last week. No, thanks. Sure, if I were training for something – lets say the American Eventing Championships at the end of the month, to pick an example at random – I would find a way. Get up early. Ride short. Whatever. For general remember-how-to-ride lessons? Pass.

Too hot for riding? Good day for ice cream.

Did you know that Baskin Robbins has a Cookie Monster flavor? “Sweet Cream Ice Cream stuffed with Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Pieces, Chocolate Chip Cookie Pieces & Cookie Dough Batter flavored Swirls.” BR: Flavors > Cookie Monster

No idea what was in it when I ordered. I really didn’t have a choice. Also, no improvement in my selfie skills. [Puttering Around The Park]

Blog now boasts half a dozen Cookie Monster posts. [Wishing You A Cookie Christmas Eve, with list of previous posts]

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. The Tevis Cup last weekend. The lone Thoroughbred made it to 50 miles. No Saddlebred. One NSH. No Standardbred. Of the 105 Preliminary Entrants, 41 mares, 64 geldings. In the top ten, 7 mares, 3 geldings, all Arabians.

~~~

{Backstory. Each morning, people & horses go on team walk. Current iteration is one-mile, unmounted, & off-lead. Route is back and forth five times along one side of the pasture.}

The routine is the same day to day, but the pattern gradually changes over time. Here’s where we are now. [Rodney’s Position in The Parade & Milton’s Position in The Parade February & March 2025]

Start

Other Barn Minion sends them out of the barn to where I am waiting with cookies. Then, I start Milton off first, so that he doesn’t take a bite out of Rodney on the way by. [Find Your Header]

Heading Out

Milton leads. If I am walking next to him, I will often rest my hand on his crest. Some days he’s cool with it. Some days he will step to the side. Other days, he lags just enough to let me know he wants me to take point. Rodney follows us.

Turnaround I

We reach the corner. I feed cookies. They turn easily. We are working on a hand & arm gesture to send them on their way. This where my pine cones live. [Counting with Pine Cones]

Interestingly on the fifth lap, the last one, Rodney is quick to have his cookie and turn back. Can horses count?

Heading Back

Rodney usually makes the turn ahead of Milton. He hangs back a bit on the approach – see teeth above – and moves more quickly, so that when he turns he is mildly in the lead. For awhile he has been pausing somewhere along the way to let Milton take the lead. Recently, he has been marching on. It varies. Either way, I bring up the rear.

Turnaround II

Arrive. Get cookies from Other Barn Minion. Then, they have to be lead through the turn. They are reluctant to leave the fount of all cookies.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. My new earworm. Might get me back to country music. The Cowgays: Been Done Did That. Content warning. I do not know your politics. Please note the band title before clicking.

~~~

Speaking as the one who bought the feed, this is a ridiculous amount & variety of feed for two horses.

Equine Senior for Milton
Grain for Rodney, two bags bc we go thru it fast
Beet pulp for both, ditto
Outlast & Alfalfa Pellets for Milton

White salt block. The previous pair got the mineral salt block. These two prefer the white and will ignore the mineral. We eventually stopped serving it.

Nothing new. We’ve bought all of this before. On this particular trip to the feed store, everything had run out at the same time, so we got to see the size of the pile. [Feed Split]

Onwards!
Katherine

Art of the outside world. Art in Context: Famous Acrylic Paintings – Some of the Best Acrylic Artworks, Littleton, 2022/2023.

~~~

#4 in the series Don’t Quit Your Day Job. I call this – Goodbye Monetizing; Hello Hobby.

Class #4
Acrylic Painting with Anthony Best
Shelby County Arts Council
30 July 2026

Is it a sunset or sunrise? Pourqui pas los dos? [Sunrise Sunset Cartoon]

Tables at start.

Tables at finish.

Screenshot of description for the next set of classes. I assume the middle row is how my seascape & sunset were supposed to look. I am divided on the use of exemplars. On one hand, it gives you a clear destination. OTOH, it sets you up for failure. Your painting will never be as good as the instructor’s.

Previous Posts
[Landscape, Acrylic Painting Class #1, Art]
[Seascape, Acrylic Painting Class #2, Art]
[Floral Still Life, Acrylic Painting Class #3, Art]

Onwards!
Katherine

Customer: Is this the magic store?

Clerk: No sir. This is the paper store.

Customer: Yeah, but you sell magic paper that corrects what you write.

Clerk: No, sir. That would be your laptop screen. May I show you our selection of handmade papers? Not magic, but quite nice.

Customer: Oh, I get it. This is a test. To see if I’m worthy.

Clerk: No, sir. No tests required. Only cash, credit card, or a phone app. We take do a check, if you want to go old school. Stationery is at the front of the store. Custom printing at the rear.

Customer (wanders around, returns to counter): Come on. I know it came from here. It was a green notebook with blue bits stuck into the cover. I saw a buddy of mine using it. The words changed after he wrote them.

Clerk: Sounds like pretty good slight of hand, sir. Our notebooks and journals are down this aisle. Pens down that aisle. We have a nice selection of green notebooks and pens with green ink.

Customer (picks out items, winks at clerk): I get it. This will look like a perfectly normal notebook, but will help me out just when I need it.

Clerk: Yes sir. As long as what you need is a way to take notes.

Customer brings items to counter.

Clerk: (rings up purchase, bags & hands over): Have a nice day, sir.

Customer leaves.

Clerk watches customer through the window until he is out of sight.

Clerk (yells toward rear of store): Who bought a Worrall codex with green cover and blue inlay?

Inaudible voice from back of store.

Clerk: Well, they are cut off for a year. They’ve been careless.

Afterword

The Hitchhiker’s Wiki: Perfectly Normal Beasts

I would have preferred to make the customer gender neutral. I could not come up with a substitute that had the same combination of distance & formality, particularly in a retail setting.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. John Downer Productions: Spy creatures go undercover into the animal world! Wildlife spy cams, with videos. Hat tip to M.

~~~

The effect of border color on image. Colors sampled from photo.

Green from the eye. [Eyes on the Cat Pause]

Black from around the eye.

Brown from fur above the eye.

Side-by-side comparison.

Update. Surprised at the effect of screen size on this post. The difference between the photos is more noticeable on my desktop. They kinda blend together on my phone. Note on how the sausage is made. Draft on desktop. Proof on desktop. Don’t see the post on a phone screen until after it goes up. There is a way to proof a phone screen. My posts are not usually so visually dependent that I need to incorporate this extra step. But I digress. Check the post out on a large screen, if you have not.

Onwards!
Katherine