When Life Gives You Rain

Jumping Diary

 

 
You make an impromptu, introductory water jump.

 
Puddle. Puddle with pole in front. Puddle with pole in middle. Milton never refused. He did skirt the edge of the water once or twice. More in the manner of, ‘Hey Boss, did you know we can get around this?’ When he got the idea that straight through was the way to go, I got a distinct impression of, ‘These people are weird.’ With much wandering at his own pace, much sniffing of water, and lots of praise, Milton progressed. I think he liked learning a lesson and liked being good at something.

I, on the other hand, see only my flaws on the video, i.e. drawing my leg back to kick, piano hands expert enough to qualify as a Steinway. Override much? I am tugging the right rein to keep Milton from veering off to the barn, which you can see in the distance.

Once again [Cantering This Way and That], no actual jumps, but a first step.

Blogging note: I had to add a Cross-Country tag. Woo-hoo.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Which Way Should I Go? Trailering Poll

On the trip to Stepping Stone Farm there are two turns I hate. Deal with or avoid? Overall, the trip is easy. It is less than 20 miles on low-traveled, country back roads. There is one stoplight.

The first turn I hate is at a T-intersection on the way to the barn. Traffic from the right is on a curve. Not a bad curve nor a blind curve, but a curve none the less. A driver at a moderate speed and/or a driver paying attention would have no trouble seeing me pull out.

At the stop sign. I stop. I look. I roll down the passenger window to listen for oncoming traffic. This works when I am driving the truck by itself. With the trailer, it takes so long to get moving off the slight hill, that a car has time to come around the turn. At which point, I either keep going and hope they stop OR stop in the middle of the intersection and hope any traffic from the left can stop in time. Neither is a good option. The alternative is to go down the road to turn at a nice, open 4-way stop. The detour is 1.3 miles.

The second turn is into our driveway. We have to swing wide to avoid putting trailer wheel in the roadside ditch. This puts the truck and trailer in the oncoming lane briefly. As above, there is a moderate curve. To avoid this, I go around the block so that I can turn left into the driveway. This way, the turn is already wide. The traffic behind you knows about you. The traffic in front can see you. The detour is 2.5 miles.

Although the mileage is short, the detours feel long because I have left the direct path. Am I being a weenie? OTOH, what is a few minutes to avoid an accident? Then again, if I go a few miles/minutes for a better route, what is the limit? 5 miles? 10? 20? There may come a time when I can’t avoid a tricky bit of driving. Should I learn to cope now?

 
Thank you for reading & advising,
Katherine Walcott

Cold Weather Riding Is Like Dating

On My Mind, Miscellaneous Thoughts

 

 
As I get older, I am less amused by riding in extreme conditions, such as pouring rain, freezing cold, or after two hours of sleep. I CAN. I just don’t WANT to. I don’t think aging brings limits as much as it brings an increasing list of things up with which I will not put.

So, I have been trying to decide my lower limit for cold weather riding. Half my age is still extreme. I’m 56 years old. I’m not riding at 28 degrees. Who am I kidding.

Yes, yes, it’s cold where you live. You are laughing at me as you trudge to the barn, in the snow, uphill both ways. I’ve lived in cold places. I’ve ridden in lessons where the instructor disappears under a pile of coats as we shed them. In those climates, the buildings, the barns, the clothes, the footing, all the necessities and amenities of life are designed for unfriendly temperatures. I’m sure my numbers would be different if I lived in a state that didn’t freak out at the sight of the first snowflake. But I digress.

Dating rules – so I hear – place a lower limit at half your age plus seven. That works. That means riding at 35 degrees and above. No longer freezing. With a sunny day and low wind, I might get in a nice hack before my toes file a protest.

What is your lower limit, either for riding or dating?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

A Wordless Story, Show Photos, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3

Pleasure Driving
Photo by Deb Kesecker

You’ve met Meg [posts]. Now meet Deb. (Waves hi.) Deb Kesecker is Meg’s student in a photojournalism class. Meg sent Deb to the horse show [Show Report] on Saturday with the assignment to take pictures that tell a story. By chance, I was one of the people Deb met at the show. I graciously threw myself in front of her camera allowed myself to be used as a test subject. Here is Deb’s photo story of my driving class with Chappie [Cuteness On The Hoof]. Welcome Deb.

Photo by Deb Kesecker
Photo by Deb Kesecker
Photo by Deb Kesecker
Photo by Deb Kesecker
Photo by Deb Kesecker
Photo by Deb Kesecker
Photo by Deb Kesecker

Update. More photos from Deb. [A Wordless Short, More Show Photos, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Cuteness On The Hoof, Show Report, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3, Driving

Pleasure Driving

 

Introducing: Chappie the Haflinger


 
Alabama Winter Tournament 2018-2019
Heathermoor Farm Riding Academy
Moody AL, USA
Saturday, January 12, 2019
[Show Report]

26. Academy Driving – 1st of 1
Thank you to Reagan Upton for absolutely adorable Chappie.


 
Previous Show [Once More Into The Cart, Show Report, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #1, Driving]
All Winter Tournament Shows [Winter Tournament Posts]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Riding Vs Showing, Show Report, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3, Riding

Adventures in Saddle Seat

 
Alabama Winter Tournament 2018-2019
Heathermoor Farm Riding Academy
Moody AL, USA
Saturday, January 12, 2019

1. Advance Horsemanship WTC Adult – 4th of 6
2. Advanced Equitation WTC Adult (Pattern) – 1st of 4
7. Pleasure Horse or Pony WTC Adult – 2nd of 5
All riding classes with Sultan’s Miracle Man.
Thank you to Courtney Huguley for always awesome Sam.

Prologue: The Riding/Showing Scale
At one end of the scale, you are on a green horse. With the best will in the world, a green horse will be inconsistent in tempo, behavior, direction, and so on. You have to be ready for that. Green horses can misbehave. You have to be ready for that as well. At the other end of the scale is the highly trained show horse. You work just as hard, but the aids are subtler and the goal is to refine a brilliant performance.

First Class: Forgetting Where I Am
I knew I wasn’t riding as well as I had in my most recent lesson, but I couldn’t figure out why. Well, now that I have my truck back [We Got Wheels yay!], I can travel. In the week before the show, I took a saddle seat lesson on Wednesday and took Milton over on Friday [Cantering This Way and That]. Should have done it the other way around. Note to self, don’t have a hunter/jumper lesson on a green horse the day before an ASB show. I was riding rather than showing.

Second Class: Equitation Victory
In brief break between classes, my ground crew reminded me that I did not have to keep checking in with Sam. I know what Sam is going to do. It helped that I am comfortable with patterns and that Sam is the pattern king.

Third Class: Show Your Horse
I kept my mental act together and remembered to engage the fine tuning that one is supposed to employ in the show ring. I am proud of the second. Winter Tournament is not Academy. Advanced is open to suit riders on fancy horses.

Post-show: Meet-up In A Hotel Room
After the show, I scampered off to have my show vest [New Clothes] and pants [Show Report: It Takes a Village] given the once over. Becker Brothers had rented a meeting room in a nearby hotel to act as temporary fitting room. I had planned to buy new, longer pants. Turns out the ones I have were a) nicer than the ones on offer, b) originally from BB, and therefore c) could be altered. Three cheers for serendipity. I still have no idea when I will be showing, but I’ll look slick when I do.

Previous Show [Once More Into the Fray, Show Report, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #1, Riding]
All Winter Tournament Shows [Winter Tournament Posts]

Update
[Cuteness On The Hoof, Show Report, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3, Driving]
[A Wordless Story, Show Photos, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3]
[A Wordless Short, More Show Photos, Winter Tournament 2018-19 #3]
[I don’t have a blog post & that’s a good thing.] Photo

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott