Virtual Brush Box

Riding Journal

Awareness of the outside world. Dentist today. Been expecting this. Managed to hold off a good long while. Tooth finally cracked two weeks ago. In other news, within the last week, I’ve had vaccination, show, and dentist. That’s a lot of people-ing for someone who doesn’t get out much. [Same, Same, Not Happening]
~~~

FCHP Schooling Show
Full Circle Horse Park
Pell City, Alabama
Saturday, April 17, 2021

Doctor Whooves

Class 14: USEA TOC. Beginner Novice Test B. 1st of 1. Score 29%. Hi-score, 8 for halt, movement 16.

Class 23: Cross Rails. no placings, completion ribbon. For the record, time was 2:27. Other times 1:47, 1:48, & 2:07.

10q to FCHP.

DRESSAGE

What I thought would happen
Would break into a trot on the left canter. Left circle is a work in progress. Would picking up a canter instead of a trot for transition at M. Yes, he will canter when I want him to trot and trot when I want him to canter. Meh. The resulting gaits are calm and smooth. It’s more about him doing what he finds easier at the moment.

What happened
Nailed both. Go us. Came around the turn for the walk across the diagonal. Got excited to show off Rodney’s walk. Punched it. Got trot steps. My bad.

What I thought he would look at
The judge’s booth. Because they all do. I even made a point of feeding him a treat from the ledge of the booth in the morning before the show.

What he looked at
Cars belonging to the judge and scribe, parked outside of the ring. I think we inverted the C-to-M corner every time, see comment on movement 6. He wasn’t spooking. More like, ‘Oh look, cars.’ Traffic fascinates him. [Where Are We Now?]

What I did
Finished my corners and arcs. One of my circles was too big, instead of a shrunken diamond, movement 7. [Finish]

What I didn’t do
Keep my mouth shut. I know I asked him if he was ready to canter, both directions. Ground crew says there were at least three instances. Judge was kind enough to leave room for doubt. There is no doubt. I talk to my horse.

I blame saddleseat.

I blame driving.

After schooling in these disciplines, we now actively use voice commands to communicate with both horses. They also appear find it soothing to have their rider maintain a steady stream of chat. If I don’t say anything, Rodney assumes the worst.

Called it. Check out the judge’s comments in the collective marks. [Why Wup?]

To read the fine print, Beginner Novice Test B, download.

Covid Compliance
Our understanding of the rules was ‘Masks on unless mounted.’ We interpreted that to mean not on a horse and not hanging out at the trailer. We treated our work space as an extension of our bubble. As soon as we ventured forth, we donned masks. We were not alone in mask wearing, but it was not universal.

I see three reasons for a lack of mask. 1) Outside. 1a) Outside with natural social distance. Mostly one is nodding and chatting with folks en passant. 2) Vaccinated. When I was standing around – at a social distance – with friends, it turned out all four of us had gotten our vaccinations. 3) Red state.

JUMPING

So what about the jumping?
Tomorrow. Yes, I’m spreading out the posts. First horse show in 18 months. I’ll probably go on about it for the rest of the week. If not longer.

Update. Show name added. After posting, realized I forgot to note Rodney’s show name or even which horse was showing. Not so much an oversight on my part as too obvious to mention. [Doctor Whooves]

Update II, Show Links
[Conversations With My Horse, Jump Class, FCHP Schooling Show, April 2021]
[Pre-show Thoughts, FCHP Schooling Show, April 2021]
[My Horses Are Weird, Separation Anxiety Version]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Non-Riding Journal

Awareness of the outside world. Atlanta. Boulder. Indianapolis. We use to have time to be horrified after each horror. Now I can’t even keep track. CNN: The US has reported at least 45 mass shootings in the last month, by Holcombe, April 16. 2021.
~~~

Rain confined all of us to the round pen …

… they worked together …

… Rodney worked while Milton watched …

… Milton worked while Rodney watched.

• 

• 

We interrupt this work to bring you a frolic.

Something new and different. I don’t know that any lessons were learned this day, but variety has value in its own right.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Images

~~~
Inspired by the image of a teddy bear made from masks in the Covid Art Museum, here. Artist, Sebastien Limet, @seblorigmi.

Annoyingly, Instagram seems to have closed off the ability to look without logging in. Apologies to those without an Instagram account.

Dose #2 done.

Down The Rabbit Hole
Logos are big biz. Pfizer: Our Visual Identity. History of the Pfizer logo & theory behind the new one.

Links
Dose #1. Similar response. Stiffness. Tiredness. Relief. [My Vaccination] 

Pandemic Posts [archive]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Words

Props to Jan Priddy of blog & shawl fame. Response to a comment from last week grew into this this narrative device. While it is still exposition, at least it’s fictional exposition. Imperfect Patience, [Wearable Art], [Lasso The Moon]

Caveat: Moon Rats fiction is an deductive thought experiment, extrapolating from the idea that Terran behavior patterns would be maladaptive for that environment. I explore details that seem reasonable, or amusing. At some point, I will need to do a whole passel of reading and research to bolster the science. Recommendations welcome. [Archive]
~~~
Laura:

I’ve been up here for two weeks now. We are doing fascinating science. I am learning to move in one-sixth gravity. I AM LIVING ON THE FREAKING MOON!

Does anyone ask me about any of that? No. Everyone from Earth has the same questions. Have I met any Moon Rats? Do they really wear all black, all the time? How weird are they?

To which my response is, Yes, Yes, and You have no idea.

Initially, of course, you don’t register much of anything. Everything is overwhelming. Launch. Transit. Landing. Checking-in. Misjudging the heft of everything because your eyes are calibrated to operate where mass equals weight. I mean, they tell you this. You train for this. You think you are ready. Then you drop your dinner and watch it float gently to the ground.

The first place most of us meet a Moon Rat is on the potty. You don’t realize how much of a role gravity plays in pooping until you poop in 1/6G. An attendant helps you through the process, weighs the result, and enters the data into your record. I know why they do it, but ick, what a job.

Once you are done with the material, the attendant carefully stores it for compost. I’m always reminded of Douglas Adams and the planet Bethselamin, “Every time you go to the lavatory there it is vitally important to get a receipt.”

They really do wear black all the time. Thick sweaters. Long pants. Sunglasses. Hats. Some people have started to dress that way as a fashion statement. You can always tell the Moon Rats from the posers.

I’m told Moon Rat tunnels are really hot. And dim. And quiet. It all has to do with life support, which they are obsessed with. I mean, I’m as fond of breathing as the next person. Up here, we are all invested in water quality and ventilation and the 101 things that can suddenly go wrong when you live next to vacuum. But they take it to the next level.

They speak quietly, or not at all, so they can hear nearby machines and listen for alarms. They get impatient with people who speaking loudly or excessively.

Their music is so soft and atonal that it makes Brain Eno sound like a heavy metal rocker. See, I do listen when you yammer on about musical ancient history. Again, they do this to keep the noise down.

If they ask you what you’ve had to eat lately, you better have a long, detailed answer. They will say it’s to monitor your digestive process. I think it’s more that they want to know what’s going into their compost.

The smallest thing can set them off. I heard about a lab mission that almost ended because someone found a tiny screw on the floor.

I haven’t even gotten to their attitude toward things made out of wood. Easy up, Dude. It’s only wainscoting.

Lunar Base. Two populations with two vastly different sets of values.

Yours from above,
Liz

~~~ curtain ~~~

Fit To Ride

Walking

Awareness of the outside world. National Math Festival. No idea. Sounds interesting. Online. Hope to check it out this weekend.
~~~

Weekly Walk
Chelsea Recreational Park
April 1, 2021
Distance – 3.14
Time – 46:37 min
Mileage [LEJOG, this date]

What makes the ideal walk?
Having sampled a fair selection of parks and walking trails in the area, I’m deciding what I like in a walk.

Ideal. A stroll down Broadway. Things to look at. People to watch. Stores to peer into. The chance of discovering a fantastic a cup of hot chocolate.

Location I – How far do I have to drive?
Lake Cosby was lovely. Yet, I hesitate to drive an hour there and hour back just to walk in circles when I can walk in circles around the pasture at zero cost and zero carbon. [LEJOG, Nov 11, 2020]

Ideal. Not too far from home, or related to errands of the day.

Location II – What is there to look at?

Sports Fields. Inevitable, see top. A walking track is so easy to add around the outside. So boring. If I’m just circling sporting greenery, I might as well be on a track. [Not Quite Pi]

Woods. Good in small doses. Too many trees start looking alike to me. [Disc Stroll]

Office Buildings. Concrete version of trees. Interesting in small doses. Repetitive in large doses. [Another Lakeside Stroll]

Water Features. Creeks. Rivers. Lakes. Water is almost always present, creek on left above. I suspect drainage issues. Otherwise, the land would be houses. [Cahaba River Walk]

Tracks. Speaking of tracks, that’s one thing I haven’t tried. This has been a pandemic project, so indoor tracks were out. Outdoor tracks are usually related to schools, with consequent visitor restrictions that I have not even ventured to explore. So, no tracks.

Ideal. Variety. Little of this. Little of that. [Montevallo Greenway]

Footing – What am I walking on?

Paved. Hard on the knees. [LEJOG, Feb 19, 2021]

New gravel. Ankle twisters. [Lee Springs]

Dirt. No objection to dirt footing per se. Tends to come with exposed roots, rutted trails, and hiking.

Water. Getting shoes wet in a puddle I can live with. [Pi]. Wading through water is out. [Skirting The Swamp]

Ideal, physically. Packed gravel.

Ideal, mentally. Domesticated space. The purpose is to move my feet without too much supervision from my brain.

What goes down must go up.

Terrain, What is the shape of the land?

Flat. Easier

Hills. Effort. Dirt hills tend to be washed out, which makes for more difficult footing. Paved hills are just hard work

Ideal. Mildly rolling hills, feeling virtuous without excessive work.

Amenities – What is available?

Bench. Have been know to sit on a bench to take notes. Not a deal breaker if none.

Signs. Similar, will read. Does tend to indicate a more tended space.

Stores. Hasn’t been an option.

Restrooms. Mostly closed these days.

Ideal. No strong feelings one way or the other re the standard park amenities.

Outro

What do you look for in an exercise facility?

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine

Jumping Journal

Awareness of the outside world . “The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with substantial reductions in encounters for respiratory diseases.” JHM: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Changes in …, Antoon et al. March 8, 2021. If masks protect from more than Covid, will you wear one? LGM: The Future of Masking, Loomis, April 11, 2021.
~~~

No new media. Prior photo for context. [Rodney’s Recap]

Rodney
Jumping at liberty in the round pen. Allows one to sort out one’s reactions without alarming the rider.

When Rodney gets confused/overwhelmed/perturbed by a fence, he levitates straight up in the air while looking down at the jump. He makes an inverted u-shape with his head/neck/body and his jumping arc is tight, inverted u-shape as he goes up, across, and, down. [Recent Jumps]

It is startling to ride.

Let me be clear. I am thrilled that continuing forward is his response to adversity. I am hoping to reduce the number of occasions where he feels this extreme response is called for.

So, we went over to the round pen at SSF.

We gradually raised the jump, praising him extravagantly along the way.

Some jumps were good; some were less good. All well within the learning curve.

He jumped 2′ 9″ sweet as you please.

Then he went sproing over a crossrail.

Warm-down jumps. It’s a thing. Rodney lives in dread of the work getting too hard for him. So, once he is done jumping whatever counts as big for the day, we go back to easy exercises to ensure that we have reestablished calmness and confidence.

We have a plan. We will work the plan. We’ll see what Rodney thinks of the plan.

Milton
Jumped 2’6″.

Found his spots better than Rodney does.

Picture-perfect knees.

Classical bascule.

Who is this horse?

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine