Milton’s Remediation

Milton & I set out for a walk around the pasture.
He stops, ‘I don’t wanna.’
I make him walk on.
He stops again.
I make him walk on.
He doesn’t move, ‘I gotta poop.’
Me, ‘Don’t care. Shoulda thought that the first time you stopped.’

Milton is not pleased.
Halfway around, he is still pissed.
Just as I’m thinking how annoyed he looks,
… he spooks spooks violently away from the woods outside the fence …
… bangs into me, causes me to
stumble,
lose my glasses (!),
and let him go.

Take two.
We reunite at the barn.
Let’s try that again.
Nose chain the first time.
This time, I add a motivator.
A nice long one that reaches his side from my left hand.

I explain acceptable horse behavior.
I explain how acceptable horse behavior applies to him.
Milton gives me the stink-eye.
Milton gives me the stink-eye so badly I wonder if I ought to be wearing a helmet.
I double down on the obedience.

In short order,
‘Yes, Ma’am.’
We finish the walk attentive, if alarmed.
Granted, any horse can get you.
Milton is not as tough as he thinks he is.
~~~
Gratuitous Cat

Redneck Siamese
Redneck Siamese
Time to mow the tractor.
Time to mow the tractor.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Rodney’s Rehab

Bring out & set up equipment [Zap].
Rodney displays signs of approval fore and aft.
Put on patches.
Back therapy today, so crank up the number.
Leave horse in corner with fan.
Set up folding chair in other corner with better reading light.
A few minutes later, Rodney wanders over to have his face rubbed and generally get loved on. This is the view from my chair.

snoot 16 6 10

He’d sit in my lap if he could.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Letter Art: ASL

Alphabet
ASLU: Fingerspelling Introduction

Missing Possessive

In general I do not use the possessive “S” to establish possession in ASL … it is done by adding a slight inward twist to an “S-hand.”

ASLU: Possession

Process Notes
I’m trying to get better about dragging out the big camera for pictures [Clothes]. Some days I wimp out, e.g. for a simple snapshot [More Poles, ground poles. (Both pictures actually, but the between-the-ears photo had to be cell. No way was I risking dropping the slr from horseback. I was pretty proud of myself that I could multi-task on Rodney to the extent I did. But I digress.)]

For today, I had to use the cellphone. No way could I take selfies of my right hand using my left hand on the Nikon. This was hard enough. The letter G was particularly problematic.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Foto Friday: New Clothes

shirt & vest 2016

Ideally, I prefer Foto Friday to be about art & expanding my photo skills. However, I couldn’t wait to show off my new saddle seat Academy outfit. Isn’t it beautiful? Custom from Becker Brothers with intense shopping guidance from Reagan Upton, Stepping Stone Farm’s show ring style guru. As reigning National Equitation Champion (also ASHA 2015 Adult Eq High Point), Reagan knows a thing or two about looking good on a horse.

Speaking of photo skills, I had trouble adapting to the light and ended up blue-shifted. IRL, the outfit is on the border between red and blue. We could have gone with a red vest. It was pretty, but I was afraid I’d look like a car valet.

Your preference, bottom button undone for luck or done for neatness? Or perhaps undone for other, more esoteric reasons: Gq UK, Why do we always leave the last button of a waistcoat undone?, July 2012.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Becker Brothers card

Time Management, Or Not

I hate the screamy voices in my head.

When I am idle, they take me to task for sloth [A Look Inside]. When I’m busy, they yell at me for being busy with the wrong things.

Now that I have the delightful task of juggling three barns and three disciplines, I have been doing very little else. No fire calls. No zoo volunteer work. No LEGO club meetings. Some is for reasons; nothing mysterious, mostly pondering my utility. Some is endurance; a 30-minute lesson takes me out for the rest of the day. Some is distance; because of where we choose to live, a two-hour shift at the zoo ties up a disproportionately larger chunk of time.

I’ve said that the voices can be helpful:

That screaming voice in your head is the only thing keeping you from making an even bigger idiot of yourself than you already do. [The Upside Of Negativity].

That’s still true, but my voices have a tendency to go beyond their remit. ‘Is this your life now? Poncing about playing with ponies? Where is the community service? Where is the dedication to a cause larger than yourself? How do you justify the space you take up on the planet?’

Why are we so mean to ourselves? I would never address a fellow human in such terms.
~~~
Gratuitous Cat

Percy hangs out with the laundry.
Percy hangs out with the laundry.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Show Report: Fun Show 2016 #1

Saddle Seat Wednesday

ASHAA Summer Fun Show 2016 #1
Heathermoor Farm
Leeds, Alabama
June 4, 2016

Driving
Alvin: CONES!
Me: Wheeee!

Our recent displays of style and verve [Team Awesome] have left us long on panache but short on precision. After stomping a cone and threatening the jump crew, I asked for a mulligan. On the second try, I made it through all the gates with only one ball drop, but still channeling a fantasy life wherein I was jumping-off in the Dixon oval at Devon.

We swapped drivers. Greg had long, straight lines and smooth turns. It’s not clear how to judge a Combined Saddlebred Driving Pleasure class. Knockdowns? Reinsmanship? At the Arab show [Report], I looked better, but Greg had fewer penalties. This time, Greg won either way.

I was grinning like an fool the entire time. Alvin, of course, was a star [Alvin’s induction into the ASHAA Hall of Fame: Awards].

All set to invade the Saddlebred world.
All set to invade the Saddlebred world.

Riding, The Mental Game
The idea of riding a horse, any horse, fills me with dread to the point of tears. Alas, Sam does not appreciate when I am hopped up on mega-doses of caffeine [MSSP]. Therefore, I could not take my lovely, lovely, anti-anxiety pills [Physiology of Nerves]. I had to make do with standard doses of soda & a Starbuck’s chocolate chip cookie. It was not enough. When I sought moral support, both husband and coach laughed at me. I can’t figure out if this is annoying or exactly what I need.

Show Details
Katherine
Academy Driving (modified), 2nd of 2 with Alvin
Academy Showmanship WTC Adult, 2nd of 3 with Sam
Academy Equitation WTC Adult, 1st of 3 with Sam

Greg
Academy Driving (modified), 1st of 2 with Alvin

Family Ribbons
Family Ribbons

Brag pics from the Trader Joe’s parking lot. I didn’t even make it home before I started texting.

Thank you to the Wamble Family and Courtney Huguley for, once again, letting us drive/ride your wonderful horses.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott