Virtual Brush Box

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. Dear Black Son, a portrait project.
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Did you notice Milton’s hoof in the photo yesterday? [Rodney & Milton Visit the Vet]

Curling his front leg is Milton’s go to stress move in-hand. Of course, his stress move under saddle is to hop around like a wind-up toy. But I digress.

The leg curl is what he does when the universe does not meet his requirements. Usually he picks up the left, but could be either.

He’s not kicking. He’s not striking. He’s not pawing. He picks the leg up and holds it in the air. It’s closer to a nervous fidget than anything else.

Dinner time? Curl.

Don’t like the sound of the air compressor filling the trailer tire? Curl.

Don’t like the vet clinic? Curl. Curl. Curl.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. “Do it for the immunocompromised. Do it for the kids. Do it for the elderly.” Your Local Epidemiologist: Be angry. But do it with a mask on. Some FAQ answered…, Jetelina. In case I haven’t done so before, assist to the friend who recommended YLE.
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In Which We Visit The Veterinarian

Instead of having the vet come to us, we took the horses to the vet. First time we’ve done that for routine work, i.e. shots, Coggins, teeth, etc.

Advantages
Money. Save on farm call.

Scheduling. A farm visit can take weeks. A clinic visit is a matter of days.

Disadvantages
Time. Trailering to clinic.

Subjective Evaluation
Both humans thought it was great. We agreed that a clinic visit felt easier, despite taking longer. Trailering? Yeah well, we trailer a lot. We’re used to it. The clinic is a few miles from one of the places we ship to on the regular.

The vetting part was smooth and quick. No going back to the truck for supplies. No searching for water. Everything the vet needed was to hand. An efficient vet is a happy vet.

The Rest of The Story

At least, that’s the human POV. Rodney & Milton had a different opinion of the proceedings. They were gentlemen, but there as a fair amount of internal dialogue. For background, this the place Milton had his surgery. Rodney had never been there. [Milton’s Medical Update]

Milton. (looks out of trailer) … hm, not one of our usually places … where are … waaaaaait a minute … nope … nope … nope … nope … nope … (unloads, paces around) … nope … nope … nope … nope … nope … (glues self to Rodney for support) … nope … nope … nope … (walks into clinic) … nope … nope … nope-ity … nope … (is asked to walk on scale) … nope … nope … nope … (heads out of clinic) … trailer … trailer … trailer … (self loads, waits on trailer while I pay) … go … go … go … go … go … go … go …

Rodney. (looks out of trailer) … hm, not one of our usually places … where are we? … (unloads) … oh look, other horses … (hangs with Milton) … (hums quietly to self) … (walks into clinic) … um, yeah, no, Imma just gonna turn around and head on back outside … no big deal, I’ll just meet you out there, k, thanks, bye … (tries to back into aisle fan that’s as big as he is) … really, I’m cool, I’ll just be cool outside, s’all the same to you … (shots, scale, leaves building) … okay, we good …

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Guest post by Contact. Welcome.

Update. At the risk of creating an infinite loop, the link to this page, including a photo of the author and friend at a sparkling show trot, Contact: When worlds collide.
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I have been asked to do a post comparing the saddlebred show industry (or saddlehorse world which would include Morgans and Arabians as well), and the dressage industry.

I have experience in both, but certainly am no expert. So take my comments with a grain of salt.

I thought the best way to compare and contrast the two, would be to go just go from the front of the horse to the back. Going to break this up into multiple posts. Buckle up, here we go!

Mouth

• Saddlehorses: Pretty much any bit is legal (including mule bits, twisted wires, bicycle chains). The curb (Weymouth) shanks are usually significantly longer. Does your horse get his tongue over the bit? Not a problem, most people just tie the tongue down.If there is blood in the mouth in the show ring, the horse may or may not be penalized.  But I have never seen one eliminated. Which is a USEF rule.* Officials “turn the other way.” However, even with these rough looking bits you almost always see very soft hands. You will not see rolkur, overbending, or cranking and spanking. Interesting enough, a single snaffle is often PROHIBITED in many of the saddleseat divisions (along with martingales under saddle and tie downs. But that’s about it. ha)
• Dressage: Specific rules on which bits are legal both USDF and FEI. Length and port limits to snaffles and weymouths. No tongue ties allowed. Blood in the mouth (or anywhere on the horse for the most part) is elimination. “Kinder” bits in dressage, but I witness much worse riding. Harsh hands, cranking, yanking, rolkur, excessive overbending, hanging on the horse’s mouth, open mouths, tongue problems. Dressage horses learn more finesse with the rein aids. Flexion, bend, half halt, direct rein, indirect rein, etc. Where as the saddlehorses just have Stop and Go and Turn (maybe).

Poll and neck

• Saddlehorses: Most horses shown in saddleseat tack are naturally up-headed and have no issue keeping their poll at the highest point. You want flexion at the poll, too. Often achieved with your curb rein. A steady contact is usually rewarded, and above the bit and overflexed is usually penalized. Tossing the head, “fighting the bit” excessive opening of the mouth are frowned upon. Flexion and bend is irrelevant. Tension in the poll and neck is fine and accepted.
• Dressage: Poll position is a gradual development with leniency allowed at the lower levels and where the horse is in development. Often breeds who are not naturally uphill can develop a more uphill balance and compete at the upper levels. Poll and neck position comes from gymnastizing the horse and working his back and hindquarters. (ideally). Bend and flexion is emphasized within movements of the test. Saddlehorse people put the head and neck first. Dressage people put the hind quarters first (and the training scale) and let the poll and neck develop.

 *The majority, but not all saddlebred shows are run under USEF jurisdiction. There has been some discussion and controversy about this industry breaking away from USEF for various reasons including their rules and Safe Sport. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

Link. USEF: American Saddlebred.

Next time: Back/hindquarters and the feet!

Riding Journal

Awareness of the outside world. I can’t bitch about gatherings and then give the groups I like a pass. So, I did wonder if this was the best choice of activities at the moment. The ride itself was outside and social distant by default. The travel? The hotels? No masks anywhere, but then, outside. No mention of Covid or vaccine/testing protocols. If there was, I missed it. The big concern was the smoke from wildfires. I don’t have any answers, but ignoring the questions is not the way forward.
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Virtually following the IRL Tevis.
IRL riding the virtual Tevis.

Tevis Tidbits

Card for the IRL ride. Tevis: PDF

The Western States Trail Ride began at 5:15 am PDT, Saturday, July 24, 2021.

Treasured Moments (Treasure) & Reynolds, Jeremy stopped the timers at 10:03 pm. Tevis: rider page

Ozark Kaolena SWA (Lena) ridden by Jeanette Mero won the Haggin Cup for best conditioned. Tevis: rider page

Tevis has two finish lines. The official finish is up in dark where your time stops. Then you mosey down to McCann Stadium, cross the second finish line, and – most importantly – go to the final vet check. Yes, you can do 100 miles and not complete if your horse isn’t judged Fit To Continue. That has to be a bummer.

Video. Eventual winner walks into stadium leading horse. Picks up jog; horse trots. Vaults onto horse. Trots off to toward finish banner. Vaults. Onto horse. After riding 100 miles. I can’t even.

Me, watching another rider finish: You’re done. You can stop trotting.
Husband, overhearing: Maybe they can’t.

Award for most adorable goes to Piece of Perfection (Flash), a 11.2 hand Hackney pony ridden by the 13 yo Kyla Law. The pair was escorted by Kyla’s mom, Natalie, on Mo Motion Jack (Brave), an American Saddlebred! They finished 36th at 4:33 am. Tevis: rider page

And with that, I am officially tired of watching other people do things. Lexington, Tour de France, BreyerFest, Olympics, Central States, Tevis, more Olympics. Onwards!

Tevis home
Results
The Horse: Jeremy Reynolds Wins Fourth Tevis Cup, Hayes

Virtual Tevis 2021

Card for our virtual ride

Slow start.

After getting their annual shots on Friday, they boarded the Pitiful Train to Woeville, Population 2. Saturday was reclining on couches and mopping brows.

On Sunday, we were considering a short ride to help them loosened up. What’s that I hear? The thunder of hooves in the field? Okay then, saddle up.

Two days of walking. Footing still soggy.

Data dump

Sat, July 24, IRL Tevis – 0 miles.

Sun, July 25 – 1.9 miles. 51 minutes.

Mon, July 26 – 2.1 miles. 52 minutes

Total 4 miles.

Approximate speed, 2.2 mph. Update, actually 2.3 mph. At our speed, one wants to count every tenth.

Approximate time to go one mile, 25 minutes.

[VT Archives]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

The Horse World

Awareness of the outside world. Speaking of sports. ESPN: Cleveland changing name from Indians to Guardians after 2021 season. In addition to doing what’s right, such matters are of mild personal interest. My college dropped their Indian symbol six years before I showed up on campus. Decades later, we still don’t have a mascot. Go, Big Green!
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Helmets!

Olympics

Helmet for the jog in dressage. Screenshot of British Dressage Instagram.

For those of you not on constant helmet watch. Back when folks were squeaking about helmets in upper level dressage, Dujardin showed up at the Olympics in a helmet. Won gold. Boom. [Olympic Legacy].

“Team reserves, Naima Moreira Laliberté of Outremont, QC, and Statesman were accepted at the horse inspection for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo Credit – MacMillan Photography & Media Services. Photographs may be published with articles relating to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and must include photo credit.” Equestrian Canada: Canadian Dressage Team Set to Compete at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

I have not seen an explanation for helmets in the jog. It could be for safety when one’s Olympic-fit horse starts flying around like a kite? It might be part of British formal presentation? A vet working cross-country at the London Olympics wore a helmet. I believe foxhound handlers present with a hunt cap. Will post an update if I find out more. [New Occasion For Helmet]

Speaking of Olympics, does anyone else get choked up by the cheesy commercials? “You don’t need to be amazing to start, but you need to start to be amazing.” Toyota ad, probably based on a quote by Zig Ziglar (goodreads). Blinks furiously.

Saddle Seat

23 Walk/Trot Saddleseat Equitation 12 & Under
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Central States Benefit Horse Show
July 21-24, 2021
Hale Arena – American Royal Complex
Kansas City, MO

Screenshot of livestream by Seehorse Video. Seahorse heads for privacy. Number blurred. Assist for pointing me toward the Seehorse livestream goes to Jenny Wright, my guide to all things Midwestern saddle seat. [Jenny’s Jodhpurs, Instagram July 2017]

Three helmets out of eight riders in the class.

They stood together in the line up. All from the same barn?

One rider placed 5th. The rest did not place. Which means the helmets were three of the bottom four.

I thought the rider who placed 5th could have placed higher. A policy statement by the judge or riding merit? We’ll never know. I smell a whiff of judicial prejudice, but I would, wouldn’t I? When helmets are so unusual, the bias may not even be conscious. It doesn’t “look” right and that causes the observer to be a shade harsher without realizing it. My $0.02.

Show was not in my area. I have no further details other than what I saw on screen. Had tuned in to see Jenny’s horse in an earlier class.

Update. The three riders were from three different barns.

Reports From Elsewhere
What is the progress of helmets where you are?

Helmets in suit are not happening near me. The only helmet in non-Academy driving was on one of ours. [Safety Doesn’t Have to Be Ugly]

The last time I looked in at Western around here, there were a few on young kids, none on older kids nor adults. This could have changed since then. It could be different in other western disciplines around here. I doubt it. [Not From Around These Parts, Schooling Report, Southern Sunday Barrel Association]

Links

The top hat was designed specifically as a crash helmet for the hunting field. Tall and stiffened by impregnating laminated twill and calico with shellac, the topper provided a degree of shock absorption in the event of a fall.

Norm Fine, Foxhunting Life quoted Equine Ink: The Historic Top Hat

I may have brought up this topic a time or two before. [Archives]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Images

Awareness of the outside world. Christo and Jeanne-Claude, L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Livestream.
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Process notes. MathJax_Script & Padauk Book fonts in Inkscape. Finished with GIMP.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Dear Laura:

Well, I’ve experienced my first Landing Day here on the moon. It was intense.

It’s a much bigger deal up here than it is down there, as you can imagine. Does anyone on earth even bother to remember what happened on July 20, 1969?

We do. I can tell you. At 20:17 UTC, the whole place stops. Doesn’t matter who you are, or what you’re doing. If you are on the moon at that moment, you pause to think about what we, as humans, have accomplished.

The Tranquility Base History Center stages a live landing of the Apollo Lunar Module. Crowds gather in the indoor viewing areas. A tricked-out hopper flies in. The loudspeaker plays the radio communication.

In the normal course of things, when I when see the mock-up of the LM inside the History Center, it reminds me of a line from an old movie. ‘You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought.’

Then you see a very convincing repro dropping out of the sky. It’s hard not to be awed.

We copy you down, Eagle. I get chills.

Houston, Tranquility Base here. I’m not crying; you’re crying

The Eagle has landed. The crowd roars.

Go ahead, read this and tell me you are not amazed, NASA: Apollo Expeditions to the Moon, CHAPTER 11.4

One thing you might not expect, up here, we are really big on celebrating Collins. You know the guy who DIDN’T get to walk on the moon. He made the trip and then got to stay in orbit.

Life on the moon is impossible without teamwork. You rely on other people to keep you alive. Every component of a team is important. We also serve who sit and circle.

“In his autobiography he wrote ‘this venture has been structured for three men, and I consider my third to be as necessary as either of the other two’ “. Wiki: Michael Collins (astronaut)

Rock on, Dude!

Yours from the Lunar Landing site,
Liz

[Archive]
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