Riding – Page 27 – Virtual Brush Box

Boot Camp Battle

Saturday was the last boot camp lesson before Nationals. I was assigned Lola. Back in the spring, Lola and I showed to good effect [Report & below]. However, that was a class of four horses in huge ring. Boot camp is twice as many horses in half the space. Lola does not appreciate crowds. SheContinue reading “Boot Camp Battle”

Helmets at Shows, Postscript

I have said this before but it bears repeating: the saddleseat world has been totally cool with my helmet. Helmets are not traditional saddleseat wear. Performance classes wear derbies or top hats, academy riders wear nothing. I, OTOH, wear an ASTM helmet with harness. I am nigh-on always in the minority, for both lessons andContinue reading “Helmets at Shows, Postscript”

Foto Friday: Greetings From Stepping Stone Farm

Photo by Courtney Huguley (Must. Do. Sit-ups.)

Don’t Look At Your Blades

The sport changes, the advice doesn’t. In crew, rowers are told not to look at their blades. Your fingers should tell you what your oars are doing. Similarly, don’t look at the boat. It’s right there under your ass. No reason to check for it. Look straight ahead. Hands instead of eyes. Don’t look down.Continue reading “Don’t Look At Your Blades”

Boot Camp Moment II

[Explanation of saddleseat boot camp here.] A standard saddleseat ride is short but intense. In lessons and show classes, they go out, do the needful, and come home. The boot camp lessons are more like the lessons of my past: walk breaks, standing around for instruction, demos, exercises, and so forth. We are in theContinue reading “Boot Camp Moment II”

Boot Camp Bucks

[Explanation of saddleseat Boot Camp here.] This week’s Boot Camp lesson was on lanes. Lane 1 is on the rail. Lane 2 is a few feet in. Lane 3 a few more feet in. And so on to the center of the ring. At the top of the ring, a rider picks a lane andContinue reading “Boot Camp Bucks”

Boot Camp Moment

[Explanation of saddleseat Boot Camp here.] First lesson, me and four munchkins. I am closer in age to their grandmothers than to their mothers. Still, I am as new to this as they were. Once we got going, I didn’t feel out of place. True, one hopes that I will be better at grasping conceptsContinue reading “Boot Camp Moment”