Virtual Brush Box

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. Alabama Charity Horse Show had a cute fundraiser for St. Jude. Pay $5 before the class. If you win, they play your chosen song during your victory pass. I would have so done this. The show itself benefited Special Equestrians.

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No ASB lesson last week. Barn at show, see above. Same place as in the spring. For the last time. Facility is closing. Hartselle Enquirer: No more horsing around: Celebration Arena in Priceville has been sold, Fleischauer, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. 😦

Speaking of the Spring show. Back in May, one of the barn moms took our pictures while I was waiting to ride. [Switching Gears, Show Report, Mid-South Spring Premiere 2022]

Photos by Pam Cofield.

Not the worst photos ever taken of us.

Onwards!
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. Was watching a track meet and got to wondering. News article, The Oregonian: You thought your air travel was bad? Try flying with pole vault poles, Greif, 2016. Athletes weigh in, MV Rocket: How do pole vaulters transport their poles? 2014.

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Lesson with Dakota at Silver Lining Equestrian Center. Coach Hanna was out of town, so I had a lesson with head trainer Stephanie Counts.

Was concerned. Years ago, I was on a course walk with Amy Tryon at Rolex. The crowd walked up to an enormous pile of lumber. She made a comment along the lines of ‘Just kick over this’ and walked on. Eventers are an enthusiastic lot. I was concerned that Coach Stephanie would be cheerful, confident, and not take into account my extreme weenieness.

Naturally, the lesson went great.

Helped that we stayed with flat work. My brain knows the jumps in the ring are small. My stress system completely shuts down at the sight of them.

Also, helped that Dakota is a large, comfy horse, who thinks we need to go stand over there so that I can talk with my instructor some more.

Coach Stephanie is big on biomechanics, which I have always believed in. Fixing the rider fixes the horse. In other words, 75 to 90% of riding is staying out of the horse’s way and letting him get on with it.

Talking Points

Discussing my arm position. Photo by Stephanie James Counts.

These were my take-aways from the lesson. There were more, but these were the two I decided to concentrate on remembering.

One. Keep your helmet level when you post. Instead of standing up and sitting down, think of moving your belt buckle toward the front of the horse. I’m not sure how this works, given the fulcrums involved. I’d need to be better at visualizing. However, if I say these words to myself, I post lower and more in rhythm with the horse.

Two. Hands belong to the horse; elbows belong to you. I’ve heard this, or variations, before. This time the explanation hit just the right way.

Move the hands forward. Bring the elbows back to the seam of the shirt. Of course, moving your hands one way and your elbows the other way is physiologically impossible. Balancing the two forces is where riding happens.

—–> Throwing the hands forward to the horse. This is my go-to move. Positive. Ineffective.

<—– Pulling the hands back. You will have an effect on the horse, it will not be a good one. Negative. Effective.

<—— effective & positive——>

At least, this is how I understood what what said. All errors mine.

Breeds

It occurs to me that I need to start keeping track of the breeds of my valiant mounts. At Stepping Stone, it’s easy, everyone is an American Saddlebred, except Snippy who was a National Show Horse (Arab x ASB). Furls brow to think if I missed anyone. Greg drove Wilco, a Fresian. [Photo]

Silver Lining horses so far.

Tuesday is a Thoroughbred. [Chestnut Mare Fanfare]

Freddie is a Holsteiner. (Egad, a Warmblood!) [Freddie Reintroduces Me To The Concept Of A Course]

Dakota is a pinto of unknown heritage. Observation would suggest parentage other than straight-up Quarter Horse. A touch of Gypsy Vanner maybe?

New Barn, New Barn Cats

Onwards!
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. A gracious way to accept an award. She raises good points. YLE: National Academies Award. Oct 13, 2022.

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Purchases for the horse trailer.

New breakaway cable & box.

New tongues for the safety cable clips.

An unexciting post with the intention of having unexciting trailering.

No one wants exciting trailering.

Onwards!
Katherine

Images

Awareness of the outside world. Same event; different fan bases. From the stamp folks. Linn’s Stamp News: Austrian stamp celebrates Lego 90th anniversary, Bigalke, Sep 28, 2022. From the LEGO folks. Brick Fanatics: Special LEGO 90th anniversary stamp issued by Austrian Post, Yeo, 27/08/2022. Hat tip to D for the article.

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Process Notes

This was the original design I posted. [Art Deco Logo]

First redo. Everyone agreed that the first R was a better choice. Changed the second R. Changed others to be in line with the R.

Letters that were changed.

While the 1st redo had a pleasant look, the letters were simply variations on a shape. The result was more of an intellectual exercise than an aesthetic one.

So, for the redo above, I did what looked good instead of following the dictates of the grid. For example, the arms of the gold V are wider than the arms of the U. You can see how the center space is narrower in the V. However, the weighting of the letters is closer this way.

Onwards!
Katherine

Words

Speaker 1: Well, that’s enough for today.

Speaker 2: I hear that. This will be a good place to start again tomorrow. So, where do you want to go for Sunset? The building has a hall upstairs.

Speaker 1: Eh. Sunset at work makes me feel rushed. It’s hard to be in the moment.

Speaker 2: A commercial hall? A place that sells food?

Speaker 1: I could eat. But it’s tourist season. You know how crowded they will be.

Speaker 2: A sanctuary?

Speaker 1: Oooh. Great idea. I always say I should go more often.

Speaker 1: There’s one on my way to work that looks lovely.

Speaker 2: Excellent. Let’s go.

~~~ Curtain ~~~

Images

Awareness of the outside world. NASA: NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid’s Motion in Space, Oct 11, 2022.

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This intent was for this to be a study of lunar photography with my big camera.

However.

During the three days of the full moon, we were busy with horse things, 2 or 3 times each day. Worked both horses, then double session with Milton, or a lesson at SLEC. This is excellent. This also means that by moonrise it was bedtime and my learning curve was flat.

I’ll have another chance next month.

However.

I am trying to avoid posting about what I am not doing. [Thoughts]

So, here are a few items.

Big camera. In researching lunar photography, I found out that digital cameras have a base ISO. I had no idea. Makes sense. If a variable has a range, it can have parts of the range that work better than others. For my camera, 100 ISO is the happy place.

The whole idea of ISO being adjustable is still odd to us film dinosaurs.

Phone camera. A few days ago, I posted a photo showing the pretty blue sky, below. Snapped with phone. In the close-up, above, you can see the moon. From a phone camera. That’s how good they have gotten. That’s why the big cameras gather dust.

If you want speed, or low light, or artistic technique, you need the gear.

If you are a professional, you absolutely need to have and know how to use the gear.

If you are cataloging the passing moment – or making blog posts – phones are fine.

[Weather Report]

Onwards!
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. Washington Post: How we expunged a racist, sexist slur from hundreds of public lands, Deb Haaland, September 28, 2022. Appears many other places if WaPo has put it behind a paywall.

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Rode Rodney for the first time in multiple weeks. [Tennessee Travels]

Hey. Speaking of the home team, have I mentioned lately how much fun it is to be doing the work to take care of two horses at home & still have to go somewhere and pay someone in order to ride a horse?

For example, I rode several horses before riding my own horse with my new helmet, above.

But I digress.

Milton. Tried double sessions on Saturday to help with fitness. Logistics were fine. More of a workout for horse than currently required, as much mentally as physically. Probably don’t need to do doubles unless/until he is headed for an activity that requires significantly increased endurance.

Rodney was introduced to ground-driven walks. Put on driving saddle (think lunging surcingle) with long lines. Asked him to walk to the corner, which he has done hundreds of times. Confusion reigned.

Rodney: I am wearing circle gear. I must circle.
Walker/driver: Go straight.
Rodney: Must. Circle.

I tell you, his long legs are hard to keep up with when he gets to marching.

Took me several attempts to frame a photo while holding the phone behind my head. Rodney wanted to know what I was up to back there.

Onwards!
Katherine