Barn Hack, Hose Reminder

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have a horse.

 

 
Put an elastic bracelet around your pump handle/hose faucet/whatever. When you turn on the hose, put the bracelet on your wrist. When you turn off the hose, return bracelet to handle/faucet. If the bracelet is still on your wrist, you have forgotten to turn off the water.

I have been doing this since I read about it and found a suitable wristlet. Brilliant. Credit to Darlene Flanagan, posted on the Facebook group Ingenious Horse Care Tips from Seasoned Horse People.

The original post used an plastic coil, which is nice because it is weatherproof. The fabric elastic above is not ideal, but it’s what I had. A rubberband might work but would have to be the right size not to fall off or be too tight. I’ve also been surprise how quickly the rubber rots over time. YMMV.
~~~
Shout out for a special day.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

So Many Questions, A Plot Fragment

Random Words

Writing & Writing About Writing

 
“So, what do you think of Larry?”

As he said this, my boss handed me a sparkly blue stone. I held it in my hand, palm up so we both could see the stone. I could feel the vibration. Okay then, he wanted the truth.

“He’s a horrible human being.” I said.

Boss: We are all God’s children, but yes.

Me: He’s rude. He makes sexist jokes.

Boss: Yup.

Me: He eats other people’s lunch from the refrigerator.

Boss: Yup.

I paused, “I am having trouble appreciating his role in the office.” The stone in my hand dimmed. I tried again. “How the hell does he keep his job?”

Boss: When you need Larry, you will be very, very glad he’s there.
~~~
Questions. So many questions. What agency are they in? What does Larry do? What sort of Armageddon-level crisis would he been needed for? For that matter, why is this conversation even taking place?

Truth stone. Cheap ones are easy to come by. They tell whether the words spoken are true or not. However, one can lie outrageously while still technically telling the truth: though omission, thorough selective word choice, and so on. The expensive truth stones judge the speaker’s intention. You can tell the high-end ones by the fainting humming &/or vibration when you hold them.
~~~
The conversation about Larry came to me while I was reading an urban fantasy novel with an FBI-style department of weirdness. No idea where the truth stone came from.

More Banquet Thoughts, Where To Sit

Adventures in Saddle Seat

Enjoy the ride.

 

I stood in the middle of the room, attempting to look sauve, while madly casting my eyes hither and yon. I was looking for a place to sit at the annual awards banquet [AHSHAA]. If I recognized a person, the table was full. If the table had unclaimed places, the people were from other barns.

When I’m in extrovert mode, I have no problem plonking myself down at a table of strangers and introducing myself. However, the night was about celebrating with your own people. Not about making small talk with an orphan of the storm.

There was one spot. It was up front, so I would have a good view of the awards presentation. The faces at the table were all from my barn. The faces were all ones I knew well. Faces I could put a name to in every case.

It was the kids’ table.

I did another circuit of the room, under the pretext of taking another look at the silent auction.

Nope. No room at the inn.

Hmmm. Years ago, at an extended-family reunion, I was relegated to the kids’ table for the first time in my life. I was 16. I was appalled. I had a blast.

Well, why not? I don’t see any other options.

We talked about horses. We talked about shows. We compared notes about the effect of being coached from the side of the ring. I compete at the same level they do. I ride the same horses. I had a blast. The kids didn’t seem to mind the intrusion of grey hair and wrinkles into the middle of their party, or at least they were kind enough not to let on.

In hindsight, it’s not really surprising. I have more in common with the kids, who compete, than with their parents, who don’t ride.

What can I say. I am … ageless. Yeah, let’s go with that. Ageless.

Thank you for reading.
Katherine Walcott

What Riding Means To Me by Lizzy Plaia, Guest Post

Adventures in Saddle Seat

Enjoy the ride.

 
Every year, the ASHAA gives Outstanding Youth Awards. The application includes academics, extra-curricular activities, community service/volunteerism, and an essay (ASHAA > Forms > Outstanding Youth Application). The Junior winner ( 12 & under) this year was a rider from Stepping Stone Farm. She has agreed to let me run her winning essay as a guest post. Welcome Lizzy.

Previous Essay Winners
[What Riding Means To Me: Christopher Wamble]
[Why I Ride by Rachel Wamble]
[Why I Ride by Katie Wood]
~~~
What Riding Means To Me
by Mary Elizabeth “Lizzy” Plaia.

Before riding I was afraid, anxious and scared. My doctor recommended riding so I went for it. Due to my illness I had little endurance or exercise tolerance. I couldn’t even ride my own bike before I started riding saddle seat.

When I first rode a horse, I was scared and nervous like what if it’s going to kick me off. As I took lessons, I started to get used to it and I wasn’t as afraid. I knew it was still going to hurt, but I could tell that my joints were going to feel better. Now I don’t have to worry about my joints hurting because they are normal. Riding now is fun and I don’t have to worry about my pain because it’s not as bad as it used to be. 

I also met so many new people because of riding. I made new friends pretty easy. All I had to do was to say “hi” and they became friends with me. I feel free with my friends  I like to hang out with my barn friends at competitions or just hang out at the barn. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my sweet horse who loves me so.

Saddle seat riding makes me feel stronger, free, and courageous. Which is not what I felt like before I got on that first horse.

Lizzy and Transformer on a victory pass.
Proud Mom Photography

Changing Of The Guard, ASHAA Banquet

Adventures in Saddle Seat

Enjoy the ride.

 

 
American Saddlebred Horse Association of Alabama Banquet
Stone Bridge Farms
Cullman AL USA
Saturday, January 25, 2020

Year-End Awards for 2019 Show Season
Academy WTC Adult Equitation: 3rd of 5
Academy WTC Adult Showmanship: 4rd of 5
 

 
For the first time in seven years, the length of time I have been showing Saddlebreds, I was not the Champion in my Adult divisions, nor the Adult Academy Highpoint. I handled it better than you might think, given my competitiveness and my oft-stated infatiation with show satin.

First off, I had to see it coming. I went to four ASHAA shows last year. This is not the schedule of which champions are made.

Second, the titles were won by a rider from Stepping Stone Farm. So I could happily cheer them on. Go Team!

Finally. I really want to be showing my own horses over in the jumping side of the world. Last year, Milton and Rodney and I took our first steps in that direction. This cut into my time to go gallivanting with the Saddlebreds. Ideally, I would have compensated for the decrease in year-end ribbons from the saddle seat folks with an increase in year-end ribbons from hunter/jumpers &/or eventers. Maybe next year.
 

 
Saddlebred? Alabama [back]? There are times I wonder about the turns my life has taken.

Update
What Riding Means To Me by Lizzy Plaia, Guest Post
More Banquet Thoughts, Where To Sit
Association Lettering

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Why Rodney Will Never Be An Outstanding Obstacle Horse

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have a horse.

 
We figured out why Rodney doesn’t like to be touched on the side. Well, my genius in-house diagnostician figured it out. I agree with him.

Years ago, long before he came to us, Rodney was gouged in the side by a doorlatch. The resulting scar is gnarly-looking, but there are no lumps, no adhesions, no stiffness, nada. The incident left no lingering physical effects, as far I can determine. [Remnant of Rodney’s Past]

Flash forward to our attempt to get Rodney to walk through pool noodles. He doesn’t like it. Oh well. He’s brave about some things, spooky about others. I file this under obstacles to work on and don’t think more about it. It’s normal to have reservations about walking through a press. That’s why it is on an Obstacle Challenge course. [ It Touched Me!, In The Ring]

Then, a while back, we stood Rodney between the shafts of the cart, as we have been doing with Milton [Holiday Rides]. Rodney will never be a driving horse. He would not tolerate all of the straps involved. I figured he’d be okay with this exercise as he would not be bound in any way. No reason to feel claustrophobic. If he started to get upset, I’d simply walk him forward out from between the shafts.

As the shafts came down on either side of him, I remembered that he doesn’t like to be touched by weird stuff on his side. I said as much. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, one shaft gently bopped him. Eeeeep. He jumped straight up in the air with all four feet.

When I lay it out like this, the conclusion is obvious. He has a strong, visceral memory of something reaching out to bite him on the side. He’s fine with hand, brush, leg, or saddle. He doesn’t tolerate odd, unexpected solid objects. It is not location specific. It is anywhere on either flank. Since the injury does not affect him functionally, I tend to forget about it. Rodney does not.

Duh.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott