This Is Why I Am Paranoid Around The Barn

Saddle Seat Wednesday

P is for a healthy concern for safety, not an obsession, not at all. If you are joining me from Blogging A To Z, welcome! Since the blog is already daily, with topics for each day [About: Schedule], there is no specific A To Z theme. I may even skip a few letters. Gasp. Clutch the pearls. The goal for this year is less crazy, more visiting. [Ze State of Ze Blog 2014]
~~~

A while back, I was at Stepping Stone, getting ready for my lesson. The grooming stall is full of SSF brushes and material, so I leave my brush box just outside, in the aisle. (Yes, I bring my own brushes. Your point?) As I was about to reach down to get a brush, I saw a horse being led up the aisle.

From an excess of caution, I stood up & stepped back, waiting for the horse pass by. As he got level with me, the horse suddenly kicked out with both hind feet. I was looking at the bottom of a set of hooves from about a foot away. At least, it felt like 12 inches. Probably was more. I was perfectly safe where I was.

What if I had been a step closer, bent over? Shudder.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Milton’s Overtime

O is for Overtime. If you are joining me from Blogging A To Z, welcome! Since the blog is already daily, with topics for each day [About: Schedule], there is no specific A To Z theme. I may even skip a few letters. Gasp. Clutch the pearls. The goal for this year is less crazy, more visiting. [Ze State of Ze Blog 2014]

~~~

Milton values his alone time [Naptime].

On more than one occasion, I have opened the stall door to zero response on the part of the occupant. Sometimes he’s eating. Sometimes he’s chilling. In neither case does he make any effort toward the door. [Daily Routine – Morning]

If I have time, I close the door and let him bake a while longer. Usually, he comes out on the second attempt. OTOH, there are days when I try three times and finally have to chase him out or use a halter to drag him out.

At the same time, I have to prevent Rodney from running into the stall [Inner Brat]. Rodney is learning to stand in an assigned, out-of-the-way spot while I decant Milton. He’s good about it, but if I take too long, he breaks the sit-stay.

I never doubted Milton values his naps [Update]. Now we have further proof.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

The Bratitude Increases

N is for Not Again. If you are joining me from Blogging A To Z, welcome! Since the blog is already daily, with topics for each day [About: Schedule], there is no specific A To Z theme. I may even skip a few letters. Gasp. Clutch the pearls. The goal for this year is less crazy, more visiting. [Ze State of Ze Blog 2014]

~~~
As the confidence increases, so does the back talk. Remember when Rodney mutinied going up the hill [Rodney’s Hillwork]? and then about standing [Rodney Channels]? The rot has spread to the ring.

I got on. We started walking. Rodney became fascinated with a stand of trees at the edge of the pasture.

Who’s there?
(Dramatic Reenactment)

I booted him in the side and told him to keep his eyes in the boat.

This is huge.

We were having a conversation under saddle. Okay, the conversation concerned what a brat Rodney was being, but one must to start somewhere. He wasn’t putting his hooves over his ears and waiting for the world to stop bothering him.

I say “not again,” but really I’m tickled. I can cope with attitude much better than with a fragile flower.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Update: One reader said that the annoyed came thru more clearly than the tickled in this post. I was annoyed. Rodney was being a twit. He was being a bog-standard, work-avoiding, exasperating horse. The fact that we had reached a level of normality where I COULD get after him for being annoying, THAT has me tickled.

Letter Art: Wallpapering with Light

The Immersion Room at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum has the neatest interactive table. Although the word “interactive” gets tossed about, this one really is. You use a stylus to draw on a screen. The result is displayed as a repeating pattern on the walls. Too cool.

Since my life is a blog post, I asked my friends to design Rodney’s Saga wallpaper. Voila!

Letter design & photography courtesy of the A Squad.

 

List of NYC Posts

nyc-2016-immersion-room-pose-1
~~~
No SketchBox lettering for April. It was pencils, which I have always hated for their messiness and impermanence. I tried, but not even the pretty colors and fancy holder could not overcome my loathing. The other item was a self-filling sepia pen that I could never get to work. #artfail

March: [Watercolor]
~~~
Lettering 2017

[Winter Tournament Letters]
[Watercolor]
[Daylight Savings]
[Connect The Dots]
[Pen & Pastels]
[NYC 2016]

Previous Lettering
[2016] [2015] [2014] [2013]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

USDF Interview: Willy Arts, Trainer, Breeder, and Breed Official

“Behind The Scenes: Willy Arts, Trainer, Breeder, and Breed Official”
USDF Connection
April 2017
United States Dressage Federation

 

A short interview with a breed association board member.

©2017 United States Dressage Federation. Used by permission. Reproduction prohibited without prior written permission of the publisher.

Previous Posts [Behind The Scenes]

Also by me in the same issue, “Amateur Hour: Top Guns”. A profile of 2016 Dover Medal winner Ruth Shirkey.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Show Report: Driving at ProAm 2017, or Showing Without My Security Blanket II

Driving Thursday

Pro-Am Benefit Classic Horse Show of Georgia
April 5-8, 2017
Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter
Perry, GA, USA

120 Academy Showmanship Driving, 1st of 2
121 Academy Reinsmanship Driving, 2nd of 2
Both classes with HB Whizbang (Snippy. Or Mr. Snippy, we think he may prefer a more formal mode of address. Or perhaps even Mr. Whizbang. But I digress.) Thank you to the Alvis family.

As we came into the first class, I thought Snippy was looking around. He was. He wanted to make sure everyone saw his mighty marvelousness. We had a nice extended trot but not the dirt-flying, power-skids-in-the-corner trot that I was looking for.

In the second class, the competition had a better round &/or we had a little less energy that led to a little more wiggle.

Good drives, but not bulletproof.

As Sam is my security blanket under saddle [Report I], so Alvin is with the cart [Show Report, Photo]. Pro-Am last year was some of the best driving I have done [Team Awesome]. The thought bubble over Alvin’s head is so easy to read. Mainly he’s checking to see how much the rider or driver can handle [Report: Second Class]. If he is convinced you are ready, then it’s Luke in the X-wing saying, “Hang on back there.” I have not yet found those dials with Mr. Whizbang.

And yes, I was concerned – say 10% – that stomping too hard on the gas pedal would stir up the misbehaviors of our last lesson [Lots]. So, I was fractionally defensive, but not as bad as in my riding classes. Who woulda thought that one day I’d have a better time driving than riding?

Pro-Am links [list]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott