It Touched Me! It Touched Me!

Overcoming Obstacles in Our Way

 

 
This clever design uses string instead of dowels to attach the pool noodles to the standard. No dowels, no potential pointy sticks to skewer horse or rider.


 

Under saddle, we are walking through the wider version.

In hand, we are learning about the narrower version. The standards are moved together so that edges of the loops are less than a horse-width across. Rodney is not at all sure about pushing the noodle loops aside with his chest. Nor is he at all pleased when he passes thru and the loops impinge upon his person. He does it, but he scoots.

Upon reflection, we will be cutting the loops in half so that they stick straight out. The lovely, curving design could catch a rider’s toe. Wouldn’t that be fun. Not. Obstacle design requires imagination, ingenuity, and an obsession with safety.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Driving Into Spring

View From The Back Seat

 

Day 1 of Milton’s Ride & Drive Weekend


 
Milton stepping out on a beautiful spring day – finally! – with Coach Courtney at Stepping Stone Farm.

Second drive with new cart [First]. Even better. Adjusted harness & cart balance per directions by Coach Kate. While I’m still a bit twitchy on the whole idea, Milton was so calm during hitching that he calmed me down. Had brief moments of brilliance with both drivers.

What a star.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Milton SitRep, Saddle & Supplements & Success


 
Saddle
Friends have kindly loaned me a second Wintec while we shop for Milton’s fancy saddle. It fits him, he goes well in it, and I feel more comfortable riding him in a narrower saddle, at least for n=1. The photo was my first time aboard Milton since the dressage show two weeks earlier. Between the abscess and his driving revival, I didn’t really miss too many riding opportunities even if I’d had a saddle. #horsesharing

Supplements
We have bumped up his Cimetidine [Feed Scoop] to the therapeutic dose of 12 pills. At some point, he will go down to a maintenance dose. We have also added Cosequin. Previous Horse was on it for years. Mathilda never thought much of it.

So far, so good. Milton is moving well and doesn’t hate being brushed quite as much. I think it’s the Cimetidine; my co-feeder thinks the Cosequin. While we disagree on the cause, we agree that Milton seems happier in his body.

Success
This was the second day of a ride & drive weekend for Milton. He kept stopping to tell me how hard he had worked the day before. I bought into the performance. He had a valid point.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Rodney SitRep, Saddle & Soreness

Rodney’s saddle situation is not as dire as I had first thought [Evil Twin]. Things seldom are.

We switched to the second & third girth straps instead of the first and third. This changes the balance of the saddle enough that the wither clearance is just on the correct side of acceptable, instead of just under.

First and third straps are traditional. Then you have the middle one to use in case either of the other breaks while you are out foxhunting. In most saddles, the three straps come from the same attachment. Switching doesn’t make that much difference. On the Wintec, the first strap comes from a more forward attachment.


 
We had been using the 2-3 configuration with this saddle and the narrower gullet plate. It is also what the saddle fitter had recommended [Finding One That Fits]. I thought the new bar might change the saddle dynamics. Nope.

Now that it is wide enough for his back, it doesn’t fit as well along his completely underdeveloped topline. Homeboy needs him some fitness. I tried my nice, fuzzy, deluxe sheepskin half-pad. Previous Horse used it to great effect. Rodney didn’t like it any more than Milton did [Hop]. We stopped much earlier in the complaint process. It has been demoted (promoted) to a cat pad.

And finally, we have not be able to test these various theories because Rodney went lame shortly after we adjusted to the wider saddle. Blacksmith has now seen the foot and thinks Rodney hit himself on something or someone.

It’s been an impressive lameness. Maybe 0.5 on the lameness scale. Just enough change in his gait to put him on injured reserve without causing inconvenience to himself.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Logo Study, Descending Capitals

On My Mind, Miscellaneous Visuals

 

 
After rereading/reskimming* Pretty Much Everything by Draplin, I was inspired to take another stab at a blog logo [Letter Art: Logo]. It would be cool to have personalized t-shirts or stickers. If only for myself. If I come up with something I really like. Color from book blurb on the DDC website.

*What is the word when you look through a book for the artwork?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Photo Round-Up Of Recent Activity, March 2019

View From The Back Seat

 

 
Milton’s inaugural drive with the new cart [Scoring]! It’s been 8 months since Milton hitched. Horse was probably the least nervous among us. All of the long-lining and riding has helped the driving. I thought it would, but nice to see.
~~~

(Proto) Jumping Diary

 


 
Second lesson on a Falcon Hill Farm horse. This time with Zoom, a 18yo Thoroughbred. No jumps, never even got to poles. Way of going is totally different & I have completely forgotten how to h/j canter. Spent the first half the lesson at walk and timid trot, but I did it, including cantering in both directions. Am simultaneously appalled and pleased with myself.
~~~

Horsekeeping

 

 
Lest you think it is all lessons and lollipops around here. Rodney got jealous of the attention Milton was getting with his abscess, so developed foot trouble of his own. Couldn’t quite manage a full-blown abscess. Had to content himself with swelling & probable bruise on the outside of his coronet band.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott