Travels With Milton, Successfully Going Nowhere

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have a horse.

 
Milton took his first step towards being given freedom of the pasture when left alone. Rodney has had this privilege for a while. He has much less separation anxiety than Milton does. [Rodney’s Semi-Permanent Gold Star]

For this adventure, Rodney was loaded up and driven around the block. It went so well, we extended the experience by a second lap. Probably 20 minutes all told. I stood by, armed with a grain bucket and cookies.

Things Milton Did Not Do
Trot up and down the fenceline.

Repeatedly scream his fool head off.

Gallop around the field like an idiot.

Wind himself ever tighter.

Require me to throw myself in front of him with a rattling grain bucket in order to moor the runaway zeppelin.

Eat any of the three hay piles left for him in the stall, run-in shed, or pasture.

Things Milton Did
Some light fenceline stalking.

A bit of trotting.

2-3 amazingly loud screams.

One pass around the field at a gallop. I swear he was running down to cow corner to see if Rodney was there. [Cow TV]

Lots of walking and standing.

He stared at the driveway. He walked into the stall to look out of the window and stare at the driveway.

Lots of treats. I knew I should let him process on his own, but it’s hard not to jump in to calm the situation with a cookie.

Toward the end, I could see him gradually unwinding. Not so much that he was relaxed as that he didn’t want to put the energy into being hysterical [The Canadian Horse & The Red Queen detour for background]. It was a shallow vector, but pointed in the right direction.

Verdict
High pass. Wasn’t perfect, but excellent for a first step. We will have to practice a few more times before we can wander off and leave him to his own devices. Next step, less cookie-dispensing on my part, more hay eating on his part.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Travels With Rodney, Old Arena

Training Journal

If you’re riding a horse, you’ve already won.

 

 
The covered arena at Stepping Stone Farm. This is where we go when we need a contained space.
 

 
This is where I had my first ASB lesson. [Ears, Sam I Am]
 

 
This is where I first sat on Milton. [I Ride Milton!]

This is where we retreated when Rodney suffered a trotting relapse. [Libations]

It is a useful ring. It is covered, so the footing is good on muddy days. It has walls, which my two horses seem to appreciate. It has sturdy walls, which I appreciate. It is small to ride in. My 17-hand horse finds the circle a wee bit tight. It is a great size for lunging or ground work. Rodney has been doing liberty work there, pictured. I need to do a post about this.

So, a ring built to similar specs would be useful, location irrelevant. However, I think there is an added bonus to this particular ring, in this particular place.

For over seven years, I have been riding in this ring. For my first lesson. For the first lesson with a new horse. For leg lessons, when the goal is to concentrate on form rather than on steering.

It’s not just me.

Since September 2012, I have see the same thing with other riders. First time on a horse? Round pen. Feisty horse? Round pen. Having issues? Retreat to the round pen.

Each time the round pen is chosen over the big ring, the message gets reinforced: the round pen is a protected space. It still may not go well, but you have a better chance there.

This message has seeped into my subconscious. I am a weenie conservative rider. I am a slightly braver weenie conservative rider in this space.

Another reason why we continue hang out at a saddle seat barn. [Where Everybody Knows Our Name]

In case you were wondering about the design scheme. Photo borders: green for Rodney, red for Milton and dark blue for SSF.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Travels With Rodney, New Arena

Training Journal

If you’re riding a horse, you’ve already won.

 

 
Rodney checked out a new work space over the weekend, D&D Arena. That makes six, including home. The other four are Stepping Stone Farm, Falcon Hill Farm, Full Circle Horse Park, & Inanda Stables. While facilities in the backyard would be convenient, this forces us to get out and about.

At D&D we had the arena to ourselves, so we turned him out for half an hour to explore at his own pace. He stood. He looked. He walked. He looked. At one point the cows next door mooed. Ears to full alert [Cow TV]. Fortunately, the doors on that side were closed and the cows stayed quiet after that one statement.

I think Rodney got a lot out of being at liberty in the arena. Even walking him on the loosest of leadropes would have brought my influence into the mix. He needs to build up trust in his own decisions, both for himself and as an amateur’s horse [Fifth Leg Training].

For riding, we walked a bunch and did some light trotting. Flying colors.
 

 
While D&D offers boarding, their main revenue stream appears to be arena rental. For more information.

D&D Arena
7330 Highway 62
Vincent AL, USA
35178
Angelina Deramus
970/306-1097

Note I. Photo from their Facebook page.

Note II. For GPS we had to use County Road 62. Otherwise, it tried as hard as it could to send us to Arizona. Frustrating.
 

 
Does anyone else think of something completely different when we discuss a D&D arena?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Rodney’s Diet Secret, Cow TV

Horsekeeping

Lucky enough to have a horse.

 

 
This is why Rodney has lost weight that his senior self cannot spare. He spends ALL DAY in this corner staring at cows. He hates to miss a moment in the ongoing cow soap opera. What is the brown cow doing now? Will the black cow continue to eat from the hay roll? Stay tuned!

All of that is time he does not spend grazing. We give him as much hard feed as we dare at mealtimes. I put him up in the afternoon for a teatime hay snack. We are s-l-o-w-l-y packing the pounds back on.

Judging by his waistline, Milton seems to have a healthier relationship with the cow entertainment. He is able to balance his viewing habits with appropriate self-care.

Days of Our Cows

As the Cow Turns

General Cow-spital

Cows of Our Lives

Previous Cow TV
[The Endless Fascination Of Cow Radio]
[WCOW]

Previous Cow Interference
“Rodney isn’t focusing at home because he is fascinated by the cows next door.”
[Rodney’s Holiday Rides]

“The third side (of the warm-up ring) was a cow field.”
[The Canadian Horse & The Red Queen Take Second]

“Then, the cows next door stampeded.”
[Milton Gets Hitched]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Let It Go, January Contest Entries

Random Words

Writing & Writing About Writing

 

 
Contest Past
#GWstorieseverywhere – Let It Go
Entry 1

My morning ritual. No more chasing. I am awake. No more yelling. I am real. No more packing. I am safe. Let it go. #GWstorieseverywhere

Entry 2

Tree farm motto, let it grow.
Meteorology motto, let it blow & snow
Plumbing motto, let it flow
Lightbulb factory motto, let it glow.
#GWstorieseverywhere

Entry 3

We have outsourced our computer department. We let IT go. #GWstorieseverywhere

Process Notes
Didja notice the like on the IT department tweet? That was nice.

External validation, moi? [What Does Success Mean To You]

Anyway.

Although I used the full word count in the first two, I failed to do so in the third entry. Only 11 words. I left 14 on the table. More than enough to develop a storyline that ended with the same punchline. I couldn’t see it. The end of month approached, so I went with what I had. #failureofimagination

Procedure
“Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter.” #GWSE
Winner, January
Gotham Writers

Contest Present
Submitted my entry to NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge. Waiting to hear if I pass to the next round. Since they take 5 of 30, I am doubtful. My story had cute bits, but failed in many important aspects. It read more like a collection of Saturday fragments than an actual story with plot and characters and whatnot.

Whatever happens to my entry, proud of self for submitting. Even if I get bounced after round one, I crossed the finish line, I trotted into line-up, I halted at X.

I will post it once I am out or the contest is over.

Contest Future
The state you’re in
#GWSE, February
Requirements: 25 words, posted on Twitter, end of the month, free
Gotham Writers

Mistakes Were Made
“The year 2020 reminds us of the phrase: Hindsight is 20/20. So we invite you to look back on your life and tell us about something that, in hindsight, you would have done differently.” Mistakes Were Made
Requirements: 20 words, March 1, 2020, free
Gotham Writers

Previous Post
[Overstayed Welcome, December Contest Entries]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott