So It Begins, Show Photos, Dressage at Full Circle Horse Park, Summer 2018

Jeremy Villar Photography

Dressage, CT, 3-Phase
Full Circle Horse Park
Pell City AL
August 25, 2018
[Show Report, Maintaining Our Firm Grip On Last Place And That’s Okay]

2015 USDF Intro A

Our first centerline. I know it’s looks as if I am pulling his mouth open. I’m not, see below. I have many sins, but riding with heavy hands is not one of them.

Horse is being a twink. Rider is clearly amused by this. Circle at A(?).

Our best scoring move. 7 for the halt.

2015 USDF Intro B

A passing moment of pleasant. Circle at E(?).

Loose reins, mouth still open. Milton likes to talk. Circle at B(?).

Joint relief at surviving our first dressage show!

More photos in gallery. Jeremy Villar Photography > online store > Full Circle Horse Park – August 25th > enter email > 286.

In many of the gallery photos, I look as if I am talking to Milton. I actually did pretty well at keeping my voice commands to myself [Into Each Life A Little Dressage Must Fall]. I think I am forcibly exhaling, which I do to keep all the hamsters in my head scampering in the same direction.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Braid Shade

Home Team

 

Under Milton’s mane, the coat is solid gray. As if the spots are a result of sun. Any coat color experts out there?
~~~

Yes, I braided for a small schooling show [Show Report].

It occupied my time while we waited. Turns out Milton needs practice in standing still to be braided and in having his neck hairs tied in knots. Better that he get used to it now rather than springing it on him for a big occasion.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

N is for National Velvet

Graphic Design: AlphaBooks

 

National Velvet
by Enid Bagnold
1935 Morrow 1949
Bought from Robin Bledsoe
Inkscape lines & cutouts
Gimp colors & finish work

Confession One. I chose the design because it was interesting challenge. It has nothing to do with the plot or the period of the book. Jessica Hische I am not, Penguin Drop Caps.

Confession Two. Major SPOILER. (Seriously, does anyone not know the plot of this book/movie?) I have not read National Velvet, nor am I likely to. Hearing about a person denied their dream due to gender? No, thank you. Not an appealing way to spend an afternoon. As I have said elsewhere, if I want harsh truth, I’ll watch the news [You Say Escapism Like It’s A Bad Thing].

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Horse Show Hack – Ice

Horsekeeping

 

The best way to keep drinks cold is good old-fashioned solid water.

We used to put our drinks in the refrigerator the night before and then use rechargeable freezer packs. This meant being organized enough to remember the drinks the night before and having enough room in the fridge. More importantly, this kept the drinks cool, but not cold.

Now, we fill the cooler with drinks, then dump one or two bags of party ice from the nearest gas station/convenience store. If it is a one-day show, we stop with Milton or do an ice run before we load. If it is a multi-day show, ice is our first order of business in the morning.

It’s not logistically convenient to buy ice each time, the semi-melted ice can be a pain afterwards, and we have had trouble with the cheap can’t-bring-ourselves-to-buy-a-Yeti cooler sweating all over everything.

However.

Having ice-cold drinks to hand has made all the difference in surviving sweltering summer horse shows.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Low Key Photo Challenge: Labor

Photography

 

Theme: Labor

Procedure
1) I post a photo on a given theme.
2) You comment below with a link to your photo on that theme.
3) We all click over to see what you have.

That’s it. No prizes. No rules. No submissions. For more explanation, see [Inaugural Edition].

Progress Notes
Another phone shot. Dragged the big camera out. Tried to be artistic. It was crap. I’m not being coy. Sometimes you can tell as soon as you press the button that nothing is there. I was aiming for gorgeous golden hour light wafting gently over a still life of muck bucket and fork, contrasting the sublime and the mundane. Ah well, insert Ira Glass quote, Advice for Beginners, beautifully illustrated by Zen Pencils. Still, I technically took pictures with my Nikon, so points for that.

Theme Commentary
“We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”
John Gardner
Excellence
PBS: John Gardner, Writings

Hold the phone. I have been reading this quote wrong for years. I had only seen the second half, starting with ” The society that scorns … ” I took it to mean that we should not scorn plumbing as a humble activity. No. Gardner is saying that plumbing IS a humble activity but we should recognize excellence in it anyway.

Hmmmmf.

So, why is plumbing humble & philosophy exalted? I know which one I’d rather have working in my house.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

One Step Forward, Two Steps Sideways

Home Team

 

I finally, finally convinced Rodney to walk quietly around his own pasture. The result is … frustrating.

On the plus side, Rodney is relaxed. He carries his head down & out. He moseys along. The reins lie on his neck. I have one hand on the buckle. If needed, I pick up one rein or the other to steer. Occasionally, I pick up both reins for a moment to get his head back in the game.

So what is the problem?

Rodney may be chill, but he is a chill corkscrew. Walking away from the barn, he tries to turn back. Walking toward the barn, he bends his shoulder toward the barn as if magnetically attracted. At all times, he plays The Path Is Lava. Walk to the left. Steer. Walk to the right. Steer.

He does this at a) super-slow speed 🙂 b) & constantly 😦 .

I understand resistance. Rider asks horse to do X, which is hard. Horse suggests Y, which is easier. Depending on the situation, rider either insists or adjusts. In this case, I am asking Rodney to walk quietly, in a straight line, along paths he walks every day of his life. What he choses to do is harder.

Rodney is actively working to make life more difficult for himself.

Gaaaaa.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Dressage Versus Saddle Seat, The Night Before

Home Team vs. Adventures in Saddle Seat

 

The night before the show last weekend [Report], I was much less nervous. I was glad to be headed into a dressage ring.

Well, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d utter.

Dressage ain’t never been my fave, but it’s closer to what I understand than saddle seat is.

Dwelling on the Differences
In the dressage ring, there is no traffic.
In a saddle seat arena, I have to make game-time decisions about transitions and lines in order to avoid other horses.

In the dressage ring, I don’t have to wonder if the judge is watching. The judge is always watching.
In a saddle seat arena, the judge only sees me for a few seconds. I never know which few seconds.

In the dressage ring, I know exactly when to do what.
In a saddle seat arena, my fate is at the whim of the announcer.

In the dressage ring, I can finally, thankfully go back to riding off my lower leg. My horse will not go airborne if I squeeze him like a tube of toothpaste.
In a saddle seat arena, my strongest aid is taken away. As for the airborne, it has happened. I have witnesses.

In the dressage ring, I know where the points are to be gained. When halting through the walk, to show several walk steps. Hold the halt. Make a distinction between a circle and a corner. And so on.
In a saddle seat arena, I am baffled. Sometimes I ride well and win. Sometimes I do – or think I do – exactly same thing, and land in the doghouse.

In the dressage ring, I’m not fighting everything I’ve learned over decades of riding.
In a saddle seat arena, it’s all about style, and I will always be riding with an accent.

Reality Check
In a saddle seat arena when I’m actually on a horse, I’m not this bad. I know more about showmanship than I did six years ago. When my partner is one who (whom?) I can leave to get on with his job (*cough*Sam*cough*), I can be flashy (‘I’ve never seen Sam overtake anyone.’). It’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten to finish my pass.

In the dressage ring when I’m actually on a horse, I’m not that good. I can discuss the nuances of dressage. I have been paid to write about the nuances of dressage. I cannot produce said nuances at will. My tests tend more toward rallying the troops, aiming for the letters, and realizing that my communication with my horse is not as prompt as I thought it was.

In reality, the achievement level is about the same. The anticipation is totally different.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott