Me: I get caught in a loop of thinking I need to be reporting our progress. No. This is not a training journal. This is for amusement, yours and mine. Training is part of it. So are random images. I shall endeavor to remember that.
I often find myself sliding into a mindset that stresses over not being comprehensive in my recounting of how Rodney and Milton are progressing day-to-day. Their most recent rides. What they are eating now. Schooling plans are for the next few days. Minor health issues.
Meh. Boring to write. Boring to read.
I only need to hit the highlights. You’re smart. You can connect the dots. If I say I’ve been to a horse show, I don’t have to detail every practice ride leading up to it. Unless the practice is part of the story, for example, boot camp at Stepping Stone Farm [Third & Final Progress Report].
You can assume they are eating. I don’t have to document every change in amount or additives. Hint, we keep our horses at home. We are *always* tinkering with amounts and additives. Unless, again, the food is part of the story, for example experimenting with a possible soy allergy [Feed Adventures]. BTW, results inconclusive & assumed to be negative. Back on regular feed [What’s In The Feed Scoop].
And so on.
There is no mandate. There is no editor expecting a certain word count, no House Style that I need to match, no expectations for this content or that. Clearly, creating demands where none exist is a recurring issue for me [Attitude Check 2015]. I am free to record whatever amuses me, whatever interests me. The hope is that what amuses & interests me will amuse & interest you. The big moments. The small moments. The interesting moments. Each entry is part of a mosaic that makes the whole picture. What is the whole picture? I have no idea. We will find out together.
Fun to write. Fun to read.
I have incorporated Training Journal and Random Images into my subhead roster to remind me of this.
We have cantered before. Technically. In the past, work with Rodney meant – metaphorically – holding my breath and hoping we got to the other side. On this day, these were simple, organized, quiet canters. The sort of canter thousands of horses do every day. The sort of canter I used to do on Previous Horse without thinking.
How did we get here? What changed?
Who knows! Who cares! We cantered!
Obviously, I have thoughts. If this continues. If this is a one-off. Either way, I will undoubtedly dissect the entire process at great length. For now, I am basking.
I was at the show where the group photo was taken [Saddlebros], possibly even on the grounds. Since we shipped Milton in for the day, we were hanging out in a shady corner of the parking lot rather than cluttering up the barn aisle and getting in the way.
I had been invited to be part of the ad. I would have loved to see Milton in the magazine. A gray TB in hunt seat tack would have been eye-catching in a magazine full of chestnut ASBs in saddle seat tack. Alas, the opportunity came when I was reeling from one of those exciting expense experiences that whacks you upside the head when you pay, and then returns for another go when you pay the credit card. The bill clotheslined me when I first heard about the ad. Then resurfaced like a bad meal right at the deadline when it was time to give the final word. So, no PR for Milton. Sniff.
1 Academy Caveletti I, Adult – 3rd of 3
2 Academy Cavaletti II, Adult – 2nd of 4
3 Academy Beginning Hunter I – 6th of 8
4 Academy Beginning Hunter II – no ribbon of 9
Many Ups, One Down
So many things went better at this show. We were able to improve our momentum from one class to the next. We cantered in the open field that we didn’t like last time we were here [A Huntering We Will Go]. I asked for the canter in the ring. Didn’t always get it, but I asked, each time. We cantered jumplets.
And yet.
We struggle to maintain a canter in a simple pattern once around the ring over four tiny crossrails. I have no idea why I-he-we find this so hard.
Warm-Up
Milton takes awhile to loosen up in body and mind. We gave him lots of time. Better to have a happy first class and run low on gas later than a bad first class that we spend the day recovering from.
Milton also does well with the occasional stand break in the middle of work. It’s as if he thinks about things, settles, & then is better when work resumes [Report, Hello Mr. Hyde].
First Class
Trotted two sets of poles. He looked at them, but I was ready with moral support. Spooked at a jump waiting at the far end of the ring. Trotted the second line.
I looked at the 2″ jumps in the center of the ring, set up for later classes. Low. Simple. Not happening today. Milton has not demonstrated an ability to handle surprise. If I want to jump 2″ at a show, we had better be larking over 2’3″ in our lessons.
Second Class
Ground crew said I looked tentative in the first class, especially in the second line. Note to self, if *anything* happens, a circle, a turn, a spook, Milton has probably lost momentum.
Okay. I can fix that. I had not felt tentative. More a matter of setting the cruise control too low. Went in. Thundered around, as much as one thunders in a trot poles class. Remembered to encourage speed around the far end of the ring. He trotted so big into the 3rd set that he had trouble with the pony-strided distances. Trotted out over the last crossrail. Circle. Halt. Reinback. Not so good. Leave.
Third Class
I had a choice. Trot into the lines and possibly canter out, or pick up a canter at the start. Coach Molly later told me that cantering would place higher. Yes, cantering *well* would place higher than trotting. I knew we would exude more style and grace if we trotted. Oh well, cantering was what we were there to practice. The goal is to move up, not win the trot poles class.
Went in. Picked up canter. Rough, but we got it. Go us. I completely biffed the first crossrail. Boo. Milton landed heading off on the diagonal away from the jump. Swung back. Cantered the second in the line. Better jump. Trot. Ask. No canter. Trot line. Forgot closing circle.
Fourth Class
Picked up canter. Better transition. Thought we had it. Milton broke to trot in front of the first jump. Still don’t know why. Can’t recall if we trotted or cantered out of the line. Ask. Nope. Trotted second line. Circle. Halt. Reinback. Still not doing it well. I thought he knew them better that that. Leave.
Overall
As I said above, lots of good points, lots of progress. And yet, I feel completely correct in not taking a test run in a bigger class. Physically, before I can ask him to canter around a course, he has to be willing to canter around the ring, right?
Mentally, this was not a horse saying, ‘This is fun. Let’s do more.’ or even, ‘I got this.’ This was a horse say, ‘Pole!’ or ‘Person at the side of the ring where they shouldn’t be!’ (It was a schooling show so we waited until the person was done plugging in a cord and had left.) or ‘What’s that!?’ He is still easily overwhelmed by a show environment. We know how well he handles overwhelm.
Nor does he rise to a challenge. The organizers blocked off the far entrance to the arena with a standards and poles set up as a jump. I thought it would be cool to jump in/out of the ring. Not now. Not with this horse. As a general concept. Milton thought it was the weirdest thing he had ever seen and wanted nothing, I say nothing, to do with it. Not boding well for a future event/CDE horse. OTOH, cross-country is quickly approaching an outside hunter course, so perhaps we will meet in the middle.
But I digress.
Milton does a lots of things right. He ships well. He works hard. Not as hard he he thinks he does, but he puts the effort in. He just needs make progress at his own pace, regardless of how ridiculously slow I think that pace is.
Most importantly, all feet stayed where they belonged. After the last show [Report], some of my concerns from Mid-South [Report] came crawling back. He looked at this or that. He spooked at that or this. But, his brain stayed in his head.
The ASHAA, the state Saddlebred Association, has a series of three summer fun shows. Last year, Milton did walk-trot at all three [1,2,3]. This year, I had considered taking him to the two local shows and skipping the out-of-town one, scheduled for last weekend. No problem. I had a conflict with that show anyway. The AHJA, the hunter/jumper folks, had a show the same day. That worked out well.
They changed the schedule! I missed the first local ASB show. Plus, the judge was Gayle Lampe. I would have loved to ride in front of her [Saddle Seat Celebrity, Ringcraft]. I missed it because Milton and I were wrapping up our personal trot poles/crossrails series [1,2].
I know. I know. Too many horse shows is the exact opposite of a problem. I want it allllllllllll.
Another round-about way of saying, Show Report tomorrow.
St Georgia Beach (?) on the way to Key West Touch of Key West Gallery
Giclee print. Frame is wood from lobster traps. The artist trades with lobster fishermen, swapping new wood for old.
I am considering commissioning a Mash-up Portrait of Milton from Carly Strickland Art as a companion to Rodney as Dr. Whooves [The Reveal]. Now I need to decide what classic painting, nerdy costume, or prop best fits him.
Snaps to Michelle [Archives] for prying my butt off the farm.
Update
I also bought a cat coloring book. It was a gift, so I did not include it here until after delivery.
Virtual Brush Box 