Horses & Other Interests
Awareness of the outside world. We took a position on a local issue. Within two days our sign had been taken. Putting up a lawn sign is hardly the cutting edge of political activism. How does stealing that sign aid the counterpositon?
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Taking a Break
Razzy
Hunt seat lesson
The Hunter Place
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. European Society of Cardiology: Beta-blockers did not reduce cardiovascular events in selected heart attack patients in the REBOOT trial, 30 Aug 2025. Biological sex affects medical results. Imagine that. OTOH Beta-Blockers still work before. ESC: Beta-blockers reduced cardiovascular events in selected heart attack patients without heart failure in the BETAMI-DANBLOCK trials. 30 Aug 2025
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A small thing to make our lives slightly easier.
Photo reposted from yesterday. [The Foot Extravaganza]
Milton’s abscess has healed to the point of soundness and waiting for the hole on the bottom of his sole to fill in. We all know how fast horse hoof grows. To keep the area clean, his hoof gets wrapped with a baby diaper, stretch bandage, & duct tape.
This is our most recent roll of flex bandage.
First, peep the pink and the flamingos. If you need this product, something has probably gone wrong, You might as well have fun with it.
Second, check out the small black square-ish bit near the top. This is a piece of material than lies under the start of the roll, both marking the beginning of the roll and making the roll easier to start. I hereby decree this should be a feature on all rolled products in all applications.
I’m assuming these, TSC: SyrFlex Cohesive Horse Bandage, Flamingo. Inside of tube says Neogen & Ideal Instruments, but flamingos are not an option on their website.
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. NPR: This Labor Day, here are some lessons from 3 pivotal moments in workers’ history, Diaz 2022. Content warning, a photo I would have been happy not to see.
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Really?
Really?!?
Rodney decided to join in the foot festival that is Summer 2025. [The Year of the Foot]
In the bottom image, you are looking at Milton’s left hind covered with padding to keep the healing abscess dry and open. Rodney is wearing a bootie on his left front while waiting for the blacksmith to replace the shoe he pulled. A shoe that was tight and smooth the last time we looked at it.
They’re fine. Minor foot problems do not get in the way of processing hay and grain.
Onwards!
Katherine
Art of the outside world. Interlace: A journal of mathematics and fiber arts. Nothing yet. Watch that space.
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My non-entry for the 2025 Graceful Envelope Contest run by the The Washington Calligraphers Guild. Theme: Go Fourth. My concept, four seasons with seasonally relevant stamps. I did not send in an envelope back in March. I was not sufficiently enchanted with my idea that I wanted to spend the time drawing it on an envelope. Winning is not an option. I know when I’m taking a cart horse into a class with Thoroughbreds. If I’m doing it for giggles, it needs to be fun.
Process Notes
Drawn digitally for this post. While there is a way to shape text into a space. I admit I used brute force to squish each letter into place rather than struggling with a new skill. The joy of learning for its own sake ran into the desire to get it done and move on.
Links
WCG: 2025 Graceful Envelope Winners
WCG: Themes & Winning Envelopes, from 2025 back to 2001
The Postman’s Knock: The 2025 Graceful Envelope Contest + Tips for Success
Previous Posts
[Let The Good Times Roll Down The River, The Graceful Envelope 2024]
[Fan Mail, The Graceful Envelope Contest 2023]
[The Graceful Envelope Contest 2022]
Invitation
Why not give it a try?
The theme for 2026 is Great Beginnings. Deadline 31 March. Categories by age for kids. Note new mailing rules. Graceful Envelope Contest.
Onwards!
Katherine
Fiction of the outside world. “My uncle Jake, reclusive billionaire owner of the third-largest chain of parking structures in North America … Uncle Jake had given people a place to park a car. CNBC solved this lack-of-drama problem by bringing on a reporter from Parking Magazine, the trade rag of the National Parking Association—and yes, both of those things are real.” Tor/Forge Blog: Excerpt Reveal: Starter Villain by John Scalzi, 2023.
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In which I once again learn from failure. [When Fact Is More Interesting Than Fiction]
The plan was to do a Faces in the Crowd exercise in a parking lot. [Faces In The Crowd]
What I learned is that parking lots are narratively barren places.
Parking lots are transitory, at least for people. Cars hang out for hours on end. People come and go as fast as feasible. Drive in. Get out. Leave parking lot. Reverse process to leave.
About the only recurring action that I could envision was loading groceries. Unloading takes place back home. Otherwise, not much happens.
Sure, you could place an action in a parking lot, a joyful reunion, a shady deal, an alien landing. I have a memory of hanging around a parking garage as a kid while a friend was involved with – in hindsight – possibly a felony, but certainly a misdemeanor. I, of course, was clueless. But I digress. A parking lot is big open space that could be repurposed as a stage. But the normal usage is not to have people in it. The one I was in was not gated therefore no guards.
Parking lots are ubiquitous IRL and as a social metaphor. [Put Up A Parking Lot]
Because of their prevalence, I had not stopped to consider in detail how they are used. I had not realized that parking lots are inert spaces.
🚗🚗🚗
If cars talked to each other.
1st car. I think I’m due for oil change. My light hasn’t come on but I feel sluggish in my lines.
2md car. Speaking of feel. Have you noticed that gas feel different in different states?
3rd car. Gas? Gas?! Don’t talk to me about gas. I can’t get used to how much the road surface changes at the state line. You’re zooming along, then suddenly, whoosh it’s a whole different road. Like we’re not supposed to notice?
🚗🚗🚗
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. Girl Scout Brownies. I was one, briefly. The website lists six levels: Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors. Is this new, or was I not in the program long enough to learn about them?
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Brownie from Michelle’s Chocolate Lab.
A near miss. Included because I don’t hate it. With a more suitable camera and set-up, I could see this working.
My set-up.
Process Notes
Phone camera.
Previous food photo post [Grub Gets a Glamour Shot]
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. One Bud Wiser: So You Want to Horse Show in Canada August 2025. Old hat to some folks. I found it fascinating.
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Stopped by an Interscholastic Equestrian Association last week. High school & grade school riders, horses by draw, and way too many kids with the exact same outfit. The hunter world needs to lighten up. When the dressage world is sportier than you are, it’s time to examine your underlying premises.
On the upside, I haven’t been around that many helmets in a long time.
OTOH, their ribbon game is excellent. Check out how the side color on one ribbon becomes the main color on the next ribbon.
When you got attitude, put a bow on it.
No riding. Strictly spectating. Coach Deana, of Razzy fame, coaches one of the teams. [Setting A Jump Record, Sorta most recent lesson]
When Last We Came This Way
Both horses have been to this facility.
Milton [Milton’s Dressage in December} & [Instagram October 2017, above]
Rodney. [Doctor Whooves Plays In The Pony Ring, Show Report, Lachlan Farm Hunter Show 2022]
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 