Graphic Design
Not Quite A Horsewoman
by Caroline Akrill
Illustrated by Anne Pilgrim
Allen 1982, 2009
Read. Non-fiction.
Inkscape. Grid & triangles.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Boosting The Signal, Book Reviewers Wanted
Want to read a book?
I have no desire to read books for review. I have more than enough to read. Nor do I wish to turn this into a review site. Plenty of other places on the Internet talk about books. However, from time to time, there are books I would like to promote. First up is a book written by a fellow horse blogger, Saddle Seeks Horse: a lifestyle blog for the everyday equestrian.
Horses Adored and Men Endured
Susan Friedland-Smith
Saddle Seeks Horse Press 2018
“When I was 10 I wanted to marry a horse. When I was in my mid-30’s I thought I would have to marry my horse. I had such a heck of a time dating for the duration of my single years. Can you relate a little? Horses Adored and Men Endured explores the age-old question of whether or not horses are God’s apology for men.” Horses Adored and Men Endured My Equestrian Memoir is Now Available!
What I Don’t Want
Negativity. If it’s that bad, we’ll all just move on with our lives.
Reviews that are a summary of the plot. Anyone can get that from the blurb.
Spoilers.
Commentary that boils down to “I liked it.”
What That Leaves
Reactions to the book, with explanation. “I liked it because …”
Personal anecdotes that the book calls up. “The same thing happened to me …”
Similar books a reader might enjoy. Other Service to Reader possibilities.
Pretty much anything that isn’t one of the above. Got an idea for an avant garde approach? Go for it. Astound & amaze me.
Rules & Regulations – or lack thereof
As I said when I talked about guest posts in general [Invitation & Rules], I’m easy on content, style, deadline, etc. Also, no $$.
I supply you with the book. You supply me with the review. Dead tree books open to US residents. Ebooks available to anywhere I can send the file. In this case, the book is available in print & ebook formats.
If this particular book doesn’t send you, but you like the idea in general, LMK. There are bound to be more books.
I’d like two to five readers. I don’t predict a stampede. If so, priority will be given to new contributors. Don’t worry, I will find something for anyone who wishes to create text that I don’t have to type.
Talk to me. Review the books. Entertain me.
Update. Should have included earlier. No inside pool. Bought the books like an ordinary muggle. Unless there was a pingback, the author may not know I am doing this. (I’ll tell her when there is actual content to report.) Why do it? Because everyone deserves a chance to follow their weird.
Thank you for reading … and reviewing,
Katherine Walcott
Foto Friday, Fun with Fur
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Rain Games in the Pasture
While I was walking the dog, the horses came over to say hello. Given my resolution to spend more non-riding time with Milton [We Interrupt], I deliberately stopped what I was doing and stood with them for as long as they were interested.
… this appears to be the equine version of the slap game. They put their noses together, then see who is the first to bite the other …
From time to time, Rodney would trot back over to me. I swear he checking that I was still watching.
‘Didja see me? Didja?’
‘Yes, Rodney, I saw you.’
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Lesson Styles, Go Big or Go Over What You Know
Adventures in Saddle Seat
There are two philosophical approaches to my saddle seat lessons.
The Upward Trajectory. Ride the fiery steeds. Try new things. Learn from every horse. Get outside of my comfort zone. Well, a little bit. This is me. I’m not suddenly going to develop four-star nerve.
The Comfortable Shoe. Ride a sensible, familiar lesson horse. Remember what it is like to walk, trot, and canter without drama. Remind myself that I know how to ride. Work on refining the details. Have fun. I spend enough time wearing out my big girl panties dealing with the home team.
These are not mutually exclusive. Riding Sam is the latter. Learning to drive is the former.
Yesterday’s choice was a deep theory lesson on Sam. That’s when Coach Courtney and I talk about the mechanics of riding a lot and Sam stands a lot. He likes those.
Sam grazes afterwards. Once again, I got caught up in the ride and I forgot to take a mounted photo.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Beanie Bulletin
This was supposed to be a new equipment post, since our shipping beanie broke during a recent trailer training session. Material fatigue, not an incident. As it turns out, the one we bought is too small. It pinches Rodney’s ears. Never had this problem. Didn’t know it was possible. Despite being a giraffe, Rodney’s head is a fairly standard size. Well, if not this one, then another.
Rodney wears a head bumper for shipping. Milton does not. Topological intersection of the beanie, the halter, and Milton’s head causes Milton to pull off his halter when he is wearing the beanie. Odd.
Previous Shipping Beanie Experience
My first three horses wore a head bumper for trailering. Mathilda did not.
Mathilda’s owner remembers that she would pull her halter off, a la Milton. My recollection is that it caused her to panic. Once Mathilda put her hoof down, it was not happening. Either way, she shipped without a beanie but with halter fuzzies over the poll, alongside the nose & over the snoot.
Caesar could not wear the halter fuzzies. They reminded him of the shadow roll he often wore over fences. You can’t load a horse who thinks he’s in a jump-off.
I haven’t revisited the idea of halter fuzzies for this pair. It just seems like one more thing to keep clean, particularly since neither one wears a fancy shipping halter. Rodney doesn’t like leather [Here We Stand]; Milton breaks his [The Halter of Shame].
Addition. I feel I must clarify. Milton has only broken his halter once. However, Previous Horse broke his show halter all the d*mn time – including three times at one show – so we are twitchy on the subject of expensive show halters.
Photo from Rodney Recap.
Your shipping beanie/halter fuzzy experiences?
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
We Interrupt This Training Regimen For A Weather Report
Rain. More rain. Build-an-ark levels of rain. There was a time when I was a hardy eventer who laughed at the rain and rode through the mud. That time may come again. Now is not that time.
No riding. No hand walks. No body work on wet horses. Fortunately, both horses have rainy day activities on their schedule.
Rodney has been practicing loading on the trailer. At the moment, progress is a two-person task. Either we need one person at the head and one person at the hip to help him arrange his over-sized carcass in a slant load or Rodney needs his village with him for reassurance. Or both.
My goal for Milton this winter is to understand him. Be jumpy at a show. Fine. Be bitey at dinner. Fine. Be chill, when? He never seems to hang out and be a horse, at least not when people are around. So, I sit with him, or stand next to him with a hand on his side. No activities. No grooming. No treats. We’ll see.
~~~
Border color is Benjamin Moore Delray Gray.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 