Our First Blue, But … Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #2 2018, Stepping Stone Farm, Hunt Seat

Home Team

 

… we were alone.

ASHAA Fun Show
Stepping Stone Farm
Chelsea AL, USA
Sunday, August 12, 2018

30a Academy Open Hunter Pleasure Walk and Trot, 1 of 1
31a Academy Open Hunter Equitation Walk and Trot, 1 of 1

Milton’s attitude was a huge improvement from last time [The Canadian Horse & The Red Queen Take Second, Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #1 2018, ERA Stables]. I wish I could credit our brilliant horse training. The truth is better living through chemistry. Milton is now on cimetidine to slow down the progress of his bumps. It has the side effect of taking away a low-grade irritation that was making him jumpy and nervous. Apparently.

He still has his moments. Last weekend, Milton ran back to barn twice when we introduced cantering on the long lines. While dramatic to watch, it was within the parameters of a green, excitable horse making his feelings known. He’s lost the element of psycho horse.

Except.

Since we were unsure what the new model would do at a show, we stuck with our original plan of going early to school in the SSF ring, the way we did to settle him for camp [The Canadian Horse]. I’m hacking about. Husband Greg says, ‘Trailer coming. Why don’t you get off.’ I did, but I wasn’t sure why. At which point, Milton threw a technicolor, hissy fit: whirling, staring, gnashing the bit, trotting in place, the works. I had forgotten that Milton has a thing about other trailers [NEGA Milton, NEGA US].

What can you do? Everyone has that one thing that presses their buttons. The important point was this his objection was limited to the single issue of moving trailers. The hysteria didn’t leak out to slosh around the rest of his brain. Once the trailers stopped moving, he was fine with them, to the extent of trying to steal a bite of hay from one. Well, he was fine with them until they pulled out to go home.

The rest of the day he was great. He stood. He ate hay. He grazed. I got on. We walked. He looked at this or that. He thought the cars parked near the ring were weird, but that’s normal for a horse at a home show [Sam 2015, Natalie 2014, Trump-the-Horse 2013].

Although, Milton wasn’t quite as chill as he was letting on. He was walking so well, that wanted to see if he was overtracking. When I leaned over his shoulder to look, he gave a little hop to the side that said, What? What are you doing up there? So we went back to calm walking.

Since the classes were solo trips, they were short. Trot this way. Trot that way. Line up. In the second one, I asked him to move out a bit and practiced with different contacts. The rein adjustments didn’t make any difference, but at least I felt able to try.

So much difference.

Update, show report posts
Our First Blue, But … Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #2 2018, Stepping Stone Farm, Hunt Seat
Getting The Band Back Together, Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #2 2018, Stepping Stone Farm, Saddle Seat
The Nice Way To Be Taken For a Ride, Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #2 2018, Stepping Stone Farm, Driving
It Takes a Barn, Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #2 2018, Stepping Stone Farm, Acknowledgements Page

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Kitten Report, No Toe Games

Home Team

Show report coming soon. Meanwhile, a baker’s dozen of kitten pix. Photos in chronological order, not necessarily bearing any relation to the surrounding text.

First Photo

The four kittens continue to be tiny but mighty.

The Ride Home
More Ride Home

They are three times the size they were when they came three weeks ago [Our New Four-In-Hand]. They add the equivalent of an Original Kitten each week, mostly lengthwise. They still have tiny heads & paws.

They were so small to start with, tripling in size is still wee. I can pick them up with one hand, but kitten drips out on either side. I keep thinking how big they have gotten, then I look at our adult cats & realize how much farther the kittens have to go.

In bed, I make a point of keeping my toes absolutely immobile. They pounce, then wander away bored. I would be amused by random attacks on my toes in the middle of the night. Other toe owners, not so much.

Much as I would love them to bond with me, I am deliberately letting them play amongst themselves so that they bond with each other.

No particular allegiances as far as I can tell. Play or nap with whoever is available when they want to play/nap.

They play all the time. Fun to watch but I wonder about their socialization. All they do is attack each other or sleep. They never sit quietly together or grooming each other. (Is this something kittens do?) It makes them hard to snuggle. They play with/attack my fingers.

The tails are weird. The stubbies have squishy flesh surrounding the stumps. As if the skin was available to cover a full-size tail, but the bone never grew.

Two weeks & two days

They are remarkable silent felines. They made no sound on the initial ride home. I’ve had cats who would have screamed for the entire two hours. I hear squeaks on two occasions. One, when they are on the losing end of a wrestling match. It’s less crying Uncle and more, Oh, I’m so gonna get you for this. They will also squeak if one has misplaced the other three. Where did everybody go?

Not the boots!
Postprandial Kitten

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Equines of Edinburgh, Guest Post

Random Snaps

 

My friend Amy Vanderryn went to Edinburgh. I asked for blog pictures. She delivered magnificently. Welcome Amy.
~~~

A unicorn paired with a lion at the entrance to the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. Virtual tour – The entrance. Artist Phyllis Mary Bone.

Delgatie Castle, Undiscovered Scotland: Delgatie Castle

Fyvie Castle

Photos were taken only where permitted. Amy explains, “Most of the castles don’t allow pictures inside for security reasons. One didn’t allow since Royals stay there, another one explained that they had problems with theft after allowing pictures, so various reasons. Some are on display when the residents are not there. I would hate that. But then again, they cost a lot in upkeep so I can understand it.”

“Ceiling ones are from various family crests from those that lived/married in. The round thing was in the back of a chair that was out, just thought it was cool. The oil painting is funny – the person who restored the place, one of the laird/earl/whatevers, wanted to put art relating to the people that had to do with the castle. That one ended up just being a random one that wasn’t but it ended up staying.”

Previous guest photo post by Amy was from NYC [Crystal Horses, Guest Photo Shoot]. By now, my friends and family are used to humoring my requests for photos. I’m glad. I feel as if I have done a tiny bit of armchair traveling.
~~~
Milepost #2400. Nope. #2331. Forgot to reset counter after break.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

The Return of Milton, Show This Weekend

Home Team

 

Milton & I head back into the show ring. (Cross fingers.) Two walk-trot, hunt-seat classes at a local ASB show, same as last time [The Canadian Horse & The Red Queen].

I had hoped to canter at this show. However, we are still consolidating our walk & trot. Since we only started riding at the beginning of the year, I’m trying to be happy with where we are. Note, if it takes another three years before we are cantering & jumping, I’m likely to get a mite cranky.

Wish us luck dealing with pre-show jitters (rider) and pre-show madhouse (horse).

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Hangry, Hangry Hippo

Horsekeeping

 

Milton had a very mild colic over the weekend.

Horse: No thank you. I don’t want a carrot.
Owner: Okay, have some Banamine instead.
Horse: All better.
Owner: That’s great. (Gets up every two hours to check for poop.)

Milton was PISSED.

We called the vet when we started treatment, i.e. walking & Banamine, by way of warning. Fortunately, a barn call was not needed. Our vet clinic believes in leaving the horse in a barren stall after such an incident.

Owner: In you go. No dinner, no hay for you.
Horse: Whaaaaaat?!??!

During night checks – why do they always seem to colic at 7:30 pm on a Sunday? – there was poop, starting around midnight, as well as screaming and attitude, constantly. Rodney had wandered off to eat. Milton was alone! Milton had no food! Milton was not pleased!

Of course, you wonder why. Feed/supplement change? We are always fiddling with their diet. Work? Nothing different lately. Heat? For unrelated reasons, we had checked Milton’s temp before & after his short, late afternoon long-line session. We knew for a fact that he hadn’t overheated – up half a degree, despite sweating by all parties. The vet said the clinic had several tummyache calls that weekend and that colic calls had been up lately. So, something in the air?

Milton was better in minutes. He was hangry for hours.

Why I Am Not A Saddle Seat Genius, And Probably Won’t Be

Adventures in Saddle Seat

 

Haven’t had a lesson in a while, so I took a look back. This year, 2018, marks my seventh year in saddle seat, including five show-heavy years from 2013 to 2017 [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017]. You’d think I’d understand how to ride an American Saddlebred.

I’m not fishing for pats on the back. I’ve had some great times and some great rides. As for truly grokking the sport? Mostly I’ve learned what I don’t know. While I have street cred for my skills at the introductory level, I don’t grasp the first thing about piloting a horse on the green shavings [Why Green?].

Jumper Analogy. I have been jumping crossrails on school horses. I have been to Crossrails Nationals. I haven’t a clue how to ride a 1.2 meter class (or 3′ 11″, the lowest level for Amateur-Owner Jumpers).

Dressage Analogy. First level. First-Level Nationals. FEI levels remain a mystery. I’m told dressage is actually interesting once one climbs out of the basement.

I’ve been introduced to the show bridle, the saddle seat term for a double bridle [Different Versions of the Same Thing]. While I have ridden and shown with it, I am still in the Do No Harm phase. I don’t actually know how to use the the daft thing to influence the horse.

Tack Analogy. Wear spurs. Try not to poke holes in your horse. Wear spurs. Send subtle and complex message to your horse – so I hear.

Pleasure Driving. I am only just starting to be more than a happy passenger.

Jumping Analogy. Grab mane. Hang on. Versus. Follow over the fence with a sympathetic hand. Turn in the air. Land in position to adjust for the next fence.

A handful of nice horses have carted me around at a rack [Let ‘Em Rack]. And, of course, those times the horse racked when we weren’t supposed to [Trump-the-Horse, Robert]. Getting & keeping it on command, under pressure? Not a prayer.

Dressage Analogy. You know counter-canter. You learn tempi changes. Your horse throws a lead change when you want counter-canter, or counter-canter when you want a lead change. Eventually, you sort it all out.

I bring this on myself. My lack of familiarity with fancy saddle seating starts with my stubborn refusal to move up to performance classes. [Suiting Up]

Life Analogy. I am stuck in an eternal Academy limbo. At least I have eternal Academy limbo to be stuck in. [Show Report]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott