Horses & Other Interests
My short fiction, “You Had Me At Blue Hair.” has been published by Bending Genres.
The above is a screenshot. For the cover to issue 11, click here. For the story, click here.
Previous Posts
[A Ring On The Table, A Fiction Sketch]
[Accepted!]
Crossposted [Will Write For Feed]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Update
Does a horse have feet or hooves? Both. A deer has two hooves on each foot, so hoof and foot are slightly different things. “Some odd-toed ungulates (equids) have one hoof on each foot.” Wiki: Hoof
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
A while back a friend expressed interest in CDE driving; they expressed concern about all the equipment. I wanted to be encouraging, but they were right. Harness. Carts. And the vehicles to move said equipment.
After the show [Report], we brought home two of the three carts Stepping Stone Farm had taken to the show, which were two show carts for Academy Driving and the bike for the road pony. Coach Courtney often brings a jog cart for training (pictured below).
Neither of these are our personal carts. That’s right, carts, plural. We own four, in various stages of utility. They seem to multiply when one is not looking. This caused me reflect on the moving of carts over the years.
Heading to ProAm 2017 [Showing Without My Security Blanket II], image from my previous Instagram account [rodneyssaga] 4/4/17.
Not pictured, coming home from Kentucky [CAA] with a marathon cart in the bed of the truck (our future four-wheel cart, pictured below) & pulling a box trailer carrying Coach Kate’s fancy, antique, pleasure driving carriage [CAA Photos].
Picking up our second cart [New Equipment: Intro Cart].
Not pictured. Driving the long way to Memphis to pick up the cart we used. “Heading out. 1st stop Franklin to drop off carriage. Driving is an exercise in cart logistics.” [Show Tweets: Nashoba Carriage Classic 2017]
#3 [New Equipment: Carriage].
#4 [Scoring Serious Wife/Navigator Points].
For Winter Tournament, we show in the jog cart [A Wordless Story].
For the record. 1) Ten carts are pictured/mentioned here, nine of which have been in/behind our truck. We have yet to haul the new road pony bike [Them]. Give it time. 2) Our first cart was the one Mathilda destroyed many years ago [Driving Miss M].
~~~
Previous [Downside of Driving]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
104. Academy Showmanship WTC — Adult Amateur, 3rd of 4
105. Academy Equitation WTC — Adult Amateur, 2nd of 4
108. Academy WTC — Any Age Rider Championship, 6th of 12, 3rd highest placing adult.
After the drama of the driving class [Taking The Reins], I was so happy to get on Sam. It was the least nervous I’ve been about a horse show class in years. It was wonderful.
I give myself high marks for ringmanship [Virtue]. I had a plan. It wasn’t alway the best plan, but at least I was decisive. Part of the problem with traffic management is the lack of concrete answers. You have to weigh the variables on the fly. In one class, I came down from the trot in a timely fashion but ended up in an awkward spot for the canter. Fortunately, Sam will canter from anywhere. In the Championship class, I trotted to a good spot, but there were more people in the class than I am used to and I could tell I was taking too long even as I did it. Unfortunately there is no way to practice game-time decisions. You just have to keep playing the game.
I scored less well in remembering to equitate or to fire up the horse, which sound like separate tasks, but aren’t really. Sitting back would have made it easier for me to remind Sam to stay elevated. If Sam had been moving in his best possible frame, I would have had an easier time sitting fancy and gotten less argument about making zippy turns. It’s all tied together.
The winner of the adult classes also won the championship and has been nigh on unbeatable all year. I wasn’t getting the better of them, not with Mr. Anti-Sparkle. I heart Sam, but he doesn’t wow the judges. Or, I should say that the judges don’t see his inherent wowness. The adult rider who finished ahead of me in two of the three class is also from Stepping Stone Farm. So, yeah team! All of which is a long-winded way of saying, ya can’t win em all.
BTW, the green ribbon measures 41 inches from crown to tip.
~~~
Previous shows. Mainly for me, because I wonder about these things.
[Show Report: Alabama Charity Championship, Decatur AL] 2013, Alvin
[Show Report: Alabama Charity 2014] Lola
[Show Report: Alabama Charity Championship 2015] Eddie, Big, Wilco
“When she discovers boys, she’ll lose interest in horses.” [Photos]
[Show Report, Alabama Charity Championship 2016], [Photos] Iggie & Alvin
[Show Report: Alabama Charity Championship 2017], [Photos] Dottie & Snippy
2018 Did not attend [This Is Why You Can’t Do It All], [For This I Cleaned My Tack?]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
100. Academy Driving — Any Age Driver, 2nd of 4
With Joe Somebody. Thank you to Emily Hillhouse.
104. Academy Showmanship WTC — Adult Amateur, 3rd of 4
105. Academy Equitation WTC — Adult Amateur, 2nd of 4
108. Academy WTC — Any Age Rider Championship, 6th of 12
With Sultan’s Miracle Man, aka Sam. Thank you to Courtney Huguley.
Results, Horse Show Time
Photographer, Terry Young
I was so worried before the driving class. I obsessed over one bad moment from our introductory lesson [Will I Ever Learn? ] when I wanted Joe to go one way and he kept going the other and we were getting closer to the rail and eventhough were many feet away at a walk and nothing really went wrong, I kept imagining what could go wrong and I’d pull harder and Joe would resist more and what if I did this in the ring and what if it all went pear-shaped and … My brain would not let go.
I thought about not doing the class. I thought about being home instead of at a horse show. That many be a first. I thought about how Coach Courtney would not have asked me to do this class with this horse if she did not have faith in my ability. She has never steered me wrong. To which a small, treacherous voice would add – yet.
Finally Coach Courtney said me that if I didn’t like how the drive was going I could always stop. Oh. Okay. All I have to do is get in the cart and try. I can do that. Yes, we are each in control of our own destiny. I had the power to said no at any moment. I was under no pressure other than my own. Still, it’s nice to be given explicit permission.
It was also a reminder to take it one step at a time. Could I get in the cart and warm-up? Yes. Concentrate on that. Years ago, the student of a friend of mine was about to go in a jumper class that she did not like the looks of. I asked her if she could do the first fence. She said yes. The second? Yes. And so on. She went in. She got around. It was like that.
As we hitched, Assistant Coach/horse owner Emily asked if I wanted her to take Joe for a spin first. Yes, please. He was perfectly civilized. She brought the cart over. I got in, mostly by reflex.
I manage to make my hands behave. I reminded myself that the rein aids in saddle seat are much lighter than in hunter/jumper/eventing/dressage. I kept telling myself to keep a hold but make it very, very light. Joe seemed to approve.
I’m proud of how I drove. I kept a constant, light, soft, moving, sympathetic contact. Most of the time. I grabbed him once. He dove to the side. I stopped grabbing. He stopped diving. Joe is very dramatic with his feelings. Fortunately he is equally quick to forgive and move on. By the second direction, I was able to relax and enjoy myself. A least a bit.
We took second to an adorable fluffball. No beating that.
Photo Lesson
Captured in photo format, the results of my tendency to let go of the horse.
We have just been asked for an extended trot. I fling the reins at Joe. Note the droop in the reins. Joe wants to know what in the name of horse training I am going on about. Note the ears back on the horse.
For the side of the ring, Miss Emily reminds me not to drop the reins. I regather myself. Note the straighter line of the reins. Joe is much happier now that I have show some signs of knowing how to drive. Note the ears forward.
Hold to go faster. This is so counter-intuitive.
Update
[Virtue Out Of Necessity, Or At Least Out Of Inevitability, Pre-show Report, Alabama Charity 2019]
Taking The Reins, Show Report, Alabama Charity 2019, Driving
[Putting The Show In Showmanship, Show Report, Alabama Charity 2019, Riding]
[Transportation, The Downside of Driving II]
[Canter Collage, Show Photos, Alabama Charity 2019]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Optimus’ dance card was filling up. Would I mind riding Sam at the next show?
Sigh.
If I must.
This is me, nobly taking one for the team.
Ahem.
Since I seem to be destined to ride Sam as long as the universe and Sam will let me, we have been concentrating on showmanship, learning those little tweeks that elevate a round from good to great. This is best done on a horse that the rider knows and feels comfortable with.
Takeaway – Horse
Always be asking for the horse to come together more. Every stride. It is sooo easy for both horse and rider to have a sparkling moment and then sliiiide gradually into doing less work over the next 2-3 strides. It is the rider’s job to be asking for the horse to stay uppp, stay uppp, stay uppp (insert Monty Python sketch). Saddle seat showing is about maximum compression for a short amount of time.
This doesn’t mean pushing the horse beyond his capacity. It means knowing what your horse can do at and asking for him to work and stay with you at each moment. The horse may be a 22-year-old lesson horse, but he can be the best 22yo lesson horse he can be. Credit for the assist to SSF Instructor Emily for helping me clarify this [Learning From Youth].
Takeaway – Rider
The rider has no excuse. My 22yo lesson horse is unlikely to carry his head up and back in the classic chesspiece outline of a Louisville victory pass. I, on the other hand, should be riding as if he will do so in the next stride. I am sitting up and back because my horse is just that level of fabulous.
Have a plan. Be deliberate. Ride every line, every corner, with intent. No sitting on the rail looking pretty in a perfect position. Take that perfect position off the rail and show your horse.
I’m exhausted just typing this.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Is it good? No.
Is it cute? Possibly.
Is it art? Maybe.
Was it fun? Yes.
[Inktober Horse]
Inktober
#inktober
#inktober2019
Pen: Black Prismacolor Premier brush tip marker
Paper: Canson Mix Media, spiral bound, 98 lb
Digitization: cell phone camera
Post-production: resized, border, & watermark in GIMP
Retouching: None. (B/c I don’t know how.)
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 