Taking Reference Photos, Driving Version

Greg found last week’s photos to be helpful [Announcement]. For the next lesson, I skipped the attempts at art [Panning Practice] and concentrated on information: 285 variations on Study of Horse and Driver.

Occasionally, it looked like this.

Harmony
Harmony

Once or twice, it looked liked this.

Dude! Watch the hands!
Dude! Watch the hands!

Most of the time, it was somewhere in the middle. This was his fifth combined driving lesson and only a year since his first-ever driving lesson [Driving On]. #wifebrag

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Put Down the Hammer, Pick up The Paintbrush

Saddle Seat Wednesday

Chicken or egg? I’m good with the technical details of riding because I’m intrigued by the technical details. I’m intrigued by the technical details of riding because I’m good with the technical details.

Either way, I can spend quite a bit of time pondering the effect that raising the hands has on the rest of the body. Or how the rest of the body affects raising the hands. And so on. Unfortunately, there is a point of diminishing returns. I have ridden in 11 Academy classes so far this year:

3 blues, including a super solid win in the Championship at ProAm [Show Report]
2 reds
2 yellows
1 white
3 thank you for playing. (Yeah, I “won” at ProAm, but only b/c the other person had a worse day. Not my finest hour. Would have been toast in a larger class.)

Ribbons are lovely. I will take them and say thank you. However, the classes are small enough that one usually walks away with a ribbon of some color. In 3 of the 4 shows, my Adult division classes had four entries or fewer. Overall, I left the ring empty-handed only once, to date.

That’s a win rate of just over 25%. I want better. I try to improve by even tighter attention to detail. Where exactly do my hands need to be. How far out do I need to turn my heels. It’s not working. And it’s making me nuts.

When one is building a bookcase, one needs to hammer the parts together. Once the shelves are connected, it does no good to keep hammering on nails that are flush with the surface. One needs to pick up the filling caulk, the sander, etc, and finally the paintbrush.

I can do the riding. I need to work on the overall picture, the pizzazz, the pleasant.

Door prize from a recent barn party.
Door prize from a recent barn party.

In figure skating terms, I need to dial back on the technical merit and work on artistic impression.

In therapeutic terms, I need to relax – to the extent I am able.

In equitation terms, I need flair. [Clinic report]

In sport psychology terms, I need to ride with confidence.

In mechanical terms, I need to loosen the parts of the mechanism that are over-tight, mainly the inside of my head.

In scientific terms, I need to synthesize the data in a workable whole.

In Dionysian terms, I need to have more fun. If that is too frivolous, I need to ride with more joy.

New clothes.
New saddle.
New attitude.

I got this.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

The Downs & Ups

Down
In the past, our horses never had reactions to shots. This year, both Rodney and Milton objected to their vaccinations. A few days of feeling punk. Heat and swelling at the injection sites. We opted for butt shots since Rodney’s neck was tender from being dekinked [Zap].

Drama Queen Milton felt his agony deeply and chose to demonstrate cantering on three legs. I would not have said this was possible. (If you are wondering, imagine the hop during a bad lead change.) Since he was cantering towards dinner with his ears up, I attributed this to TB drama rather than to an alert-the-vet injury. Still, nothing I ever need to see again.

A little Bute. A few days off. Everyone’s fine. I know this because …

Up
Rodney and Milton have start to play: neck biting, hopping, feinting, running about, and other frolicsome behaviors.

We’ve never had much cavorting in the pasture. Previous Horse and Mathilda had a love/hate arranged marriage. The few times they were spotted being affectionate, they broke apart hastily, with guilty looks.

Mathilda wanted to play with Rodney. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Rodney wanted her to go away.

Until now, Milton has been hostile during mealtimes and attempted friendliness at other times. Rodney generally jumped like a startled bunny whenever Milton looked his way, regardless of intention.

Rodney is feeling better and therefore bumptious? Milton’s naps have paid off? Who knows. I hope it continues. Sure, herd-bound horses will make riding (Ha!) problematic, but they were having so much fun.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Rodney, then Roscoe, as a youngster [right]. Photo courtesy of prior owners.
Rodney, then Roscoe, as a youngster [right].
Photo courtesy of prior owners.

New (to me) Saddle!

Mine!
Mine!

Since I have proven to be such a special snowflake about my saddle seat saddles [Show Report: Tack Change], I have been pondering getting my own. (BTW, husband says I have been a princess and the pea about what I ride in for as long as he has know me. Any claim I make about saddle tolerance is a result of selective memory.)

Stepping Stone always provides a quality saddle for my lesson or show, but it is not always the same saddle. I get cranky even if is the same model, but not the same saddle that I usually use. As I said, special snowflake.

I looked at new prices online. I hemmed. I looked at used tack Facebook groups. I hawed. Finally, Coach Courtney texted me with one that was less than half the new price and two-thirds the standard used price. Right model. Right size. Good condition. Great price. Put up or shut up.

Gulp!
Gulp!

With prodding support from the husband, I gave a string of numbers to the nice man at Show Horse Tack. I got this in return. Lovely!

Then I had to buy the accoutrements from Winner’s Circle: the white patent girth that ASBs use, special calfskin stirrups leathers so as not to scratch the saddle, stirrups of a weight and size to hang just so, a dust cover. These were actually harder for me to buy. The amount was high but graspable. Over a certain amount, the brain shorts out.

I shall report back once the pieces have arrived and I have taken the little dear for a spin.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Guest Post: Call Her George, The Mares Meet

Coach Kate [Lesson] bought a new horse. She sent us a photo series of the introductions among the three mares. I immediately asked if I could abscond with the pictures and commentary. Yes, to know me is to become blog material. Welcome Kate.

Jewel [center], holding her breath (and me holding my breath) that her new friends would accept her into the Cool Kids Club.
Jewel [center], holding her breath (and me holding my breath) that her new friends would accept her into the Cool Kids Club.
Lyricc [left] lost interest in the newcomer in a nanosecond, but Bliss was pretty enamored.
Lyricc [left] lost interest in the newcomer in a nanosecond, but Bliss was pretty enamored.
“I’m going to hug her and pet her and squeeze her, and call her ‘George’.”
“I’m going to hug her and pet her and squeeze her, and call her ‘George’.”
Bliss [right] has found her bliss. Meet the two-headed, eight-legged monster, "Jewel 'n Bliss".
Bliss [right] has found her bliss. Meet the two-headed, eight-legged monster, “Jewel ‘n Bliss”.

~~~
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott