Virtual Brush Box

Foto Friday: Where in the World is Spotted? Guest Post

Photos by Michelle Duplichien. Scroll over for answers. Welcome, Michelle.

Michelle has a sister to Spotted, also named Spotted, making this the toy horse version of the clones on Orphan Black, which I have not seen but sounds interesting on the commercials, although Tatiana Maslany is one person playing many roles while the Spotteds are two horses playing one role. Started well, that sentence.

Hyracotherium, Guest Post

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Which Way Did He Go

Driving Thursday

At our most recent marathon practice, Coach Kate suggested that I was over-navigating. I had deliberately kept up a stream of directions and reminders, often saying the same thing three times in the manner of NASCAR spotters who repeat themselves to insure they are heard over the track noise. She thought that perhaps my talking was keeping Greg from focusing far enough ahead.

Fair enough. We tried again. I shifted my weight, but didn’t say a word. We did the exact same pattern we had just done twice.

He went off course.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Getting a Grip, Proof of Concept

Saddle Seat Wednesday

The situation is not as dire as I thought. Big surprise. It’s not that I don’t know how to ride the front end of a horse [Getting a Grip, or Not]. It’s that I forget.

I finally had a saddle seat lesson, after several weeks of schedule mis-match. When I kept my concentration, I found that I could feel – and fix! – when the horse dropped out of gear. I think I have been letting this happen way too often, which is a) bad riding and b) upsets the ASBs because they are not used to it. As a side benefit, thinking about keeping the horse in the correct position kept me in the correct position.

I was riding Sam, so it was a soft test. Still, it was nice to see that I could accomplish what I had been pondering.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Maiden Voyage!

The non-video version
Step 1: Courtney drove while Melissa led.

Step 2: Courtney drove.

Step 3: Greg Drove while Melissa led.

Step 4: Greg drove.

Praise and gratitude to Courtney Huguley and Melissa Croxton for their help.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Rodney’s Feet

Right hind – still has remnants of puffiness above his fetlock from the trailer kerfuffle two weeks ago [Dubious Future]. Rodney’s tell for pain is acting scared of people, for example getting more headshy. In this case, the front end never registered a problem in the back end. So, I never worried unduly. (Worrying about getting him on a trailer again, that’s a whole different anxiety attack. But I digress.)

Left front – Lost shoe Friday. Shod Monday. Barefoot for Three. Whole. Days. Oh noes! Soaking foot, coating sole with turpentine, and crossing fingers against an abscess. In the photo, the schmutz on his leg is sweat from a hard day’s grazing. After this, I rinsed him off & hosed his other leg.