Virtual Brush Box

Riding, Or Not

Awareness of the outside world. My consolation prize for the weekend is ordering The Illustrated Etymologicon by the Inky Fool. * * *
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Historically, this has not been a good weekend for containing my inner brat. [Stomping My Feet]

This year is no exception. I’ve even added more to be grumpy about.

I am not here. FCHP Schooling Show, Dressage, CT, 3-Phase to Novice. Emphasis mine.

I am not here. Alabama Hunter Jumper Association Year End Show.

I am not here. The National Academy Championship Horse Show [Where I Am Not & Nationals I Have Known]

I am not here. Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K. [Proof of Concept]

I am not here. The above run (walk) would be part of a vacation/family visit. [When?]

Yeah, I’m gonna be a boundless wellspring of joy this weekend.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. Nutrena: Feed It Forward™.
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We have switched Rodney to Nutrena SafeChoice Senior. He is doing well. Shiny. Happy. Maybe adding a bit more weight. Image from website.

The problem is the feed bag. Again. [Arguing With My Feed Bag]

When I see the word SafeChoice, I hear the jingle from the Safelite AutoGlass(R) commercial

🎵 Safelite repair. 🎵
🎵 Safelite replace. 🎵

… of course, I hear it as …

🎵 SafeChoice repair. 🎵
🎵 SafeChoice replace. 🎵

Open bags are stored upright in a can. I only see the top. So, this doesn’t happen every time I feed. It only happens when I move a new bag. Just long enough between for the music to die down.

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For a nonmusical person, I have a problem with earworms.

“Go to your Skiiippy place.” [An Abundance of Attitude]

“Everything is awesome!” LEGO movie [Rodney Is Awesome!

Rocky Horror Picture Show [My Confidence Has Increased]

“Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets … ” from Damn Yankees & “Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl …” from Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”. [Lunching With Lola]

There’s a hoof in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza.
There’s a hoof in the bucket, dear Liza, a hoof. [Hoof Meet Bucket]

John Mellencamp. [It Hurts So Good, Courses For Horses followup]

That makes two commercials, two movies, three pop songs, and a folk song.

Maybe it’s genetic. I can still hear my grandmother complaining about, “Sooner or Later You’ll Own Generals.”

Do you get earworms?

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. “The first artificial leg was patented by Benjamin Franklin Palmer of Meredith, New Hampshire.” Today I Found Out: November 4. More info, Nineteenth-Century Disability: Cultures and Contexts: The Palmer Patent Leg.
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Set alfalfa cubes to soak. Use hot water to speed up process. [Feed Change II]

Wait.

👣

To barn.

Put Rodney in stall. Originally he was only up for grain. Now he stays in stall for entire meal. Milton does not share well with others.

Serve alfalfa stew/soup and regular hay.

👣

To house.

Let them eat for a while.

👣

To barn.

Serve grain.

👣

To house.

Wait.

👣

To barn.

Turn out … oh, are you napping. I’ll come back. [Nah, I’m Good]

👣

To house.

👣

Back to barn.

Turn Rodney out.

👣

Back to house.

Question life choices.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. I got nothing. The news seems both horrible and boring.
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You know you are a horsey family when this is the text your send your husband while he is at work … and he is happy to get it.

No Hunter Barn lesson last week. Milton decide to have a lukewarm attitude toward his morning treats. [Feet Change]

Cue panic.

Walking. Banamine. Alert the vet. Clear the decks. As one does.

If it even was colic.

He never stopped eating. He was just less enthused than usual. Given his Sharknado tendencies toward food, that a) dropped him back down to the realm of normal and b) was cause for concern.

He never stopped pooping.

Gut sounds galore.

If it was colic, it was the world’s most minor case. (Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.)

Still, I can’t help see but see colic as a management disease. Did we feed him too much of this? Not enough of that? Worming? Water? Work?

Or maybe it was just a moment. If it had happened three hours earlier or three hours later, we might never have known about it. Who knows what our horses get up to when we are not around.

Rodney came with us on our walks. I think they can sense a disturbance in the Force.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. “75 percent of eligible Americans have received at least one shot, and 70 percent support mask mandates in schools … a strong majority of Americans support requiring proof of vaccination to travel by airplane … parents who plan on vaccinating their kids has climbed to nearly 70 percent.” Press Run: Sorry Chuck Todd, America is not hopelessly “divided” over Covid. Boehlert Sep 8. Article is mainly about journalism practices. Wanted to take note. Not obvious from where I live or from reading the news.
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Stirrups have been yanked up.

I had dropped them down to make it easy on my knees during the long, leisurely rides for the Virtual Tevis. [Tortoise Power]

When I went to raise them, I figured I might as well get it over with all at once. Why mess with successive approximation? Previously I had been riding with moderate dressage length stirrups. Zipped right past that. Stirrups are now at proper hunter/jumper level. For the first time in who knows how long.

Frederico Caprilli may have invented a more effective jumping position. No one said anything about it being a more comfortable position. Practical Horseman: Jim Wofford: A Tribute to Caprilli, May 1, 2019

Various body parts are taking turns voicing their opinion on the change.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. The ears! The stripey knees! The cuteness! Marwell Zoo: Marwell Zoo visitors treated to the birth of a rare Grevy’s zebra foal. YouTube video. Hat tip to Equine Ink: Grevy’s Zebra Foal Born in UK Zoo, who keeps coming up with good stuff and who I should probably put on retainer.
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I have signed up for No Stirrup November through Equisarte Shows.

“The main goal of the challenge is to complete the 10 rides without using stirrups for a portion or all of the ride.” Equisarte: No Stirrup November

While I can ride without stirrups, this one is not a gimme. My mounts right now are Rodney and new-to-me horses at Hunter Barn. Neither option shouts, ‘Yes, lets do weird sh*t together.’ Previous Horse? Sure. Equitation exercises at SSF? Been there, done that. [Leg Lessons]

Speaking of lesson, dropping my stirrups during lesson #2 was probably what put the idea into my head. Or more accurately, had the idea at the front of my brain when I saw the ad for the challenge. [Return of School Horse]

No Stirrup November has been around for years, but the timing never seemed right. This year it does. As with all virtual challenges, I could certainly do this on my own. It’s fun to have an external metric.

I am setting the bar super, super low. Ten rides will mean 10 times were I drop my stirrups at a halt. I will try for more than 10. I will try to do more than stand. However, 10 no-stirrup halts will qualify as mission success.

Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a start.

Did I do this for self improvement? To have something to blog about? For the finisher ribbon? These objectives are not mutually exclusive.

Onwards!

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Images

Awareness of the outside world. AL.com: What is the difference between All Saints Day, All Souls Day and Halloween? Garrison, Oct. 29, 2021.
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Process notes. Inkscape. Top. Widen stroke color. Middle. Swap. Bottom. Tiles. Pleased with effect of diagonal stripe using tiles. Fiddled with getting rid of faint vertical line. Finally gave up in the new spirit of time management. Background & border as box in Inkscape. GIMP to change file type.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine