Rodney’s Reaction

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I have written two posts about Rodney’s Happy Meter [Progress, Taste Vs. Authenticity has commentary on the photo in Doctor Whooves]. Each time, I get a host of anecdotal agreement. Horses who enjoy grooming. Horses who embarrass their owners in front of children. I wonder if these events are more common that I realize, only we don’t hear about it because we don’t talk about such subjects in polite company. After all, I don’t see ‘Does Your Gelding Display?’ as cover story for Practical Horseman.

Also, is this behavior more typical of geldings than of stallions?

Previous Horse was gelded late, possibly as old as four or five. He may have been used as a tease stallion. He had a host of stallion behaviors including assertiveness, screaming to announce himself, and showing off for mares. OTOH, he was never one to let it all hang out for nonbusiness purposes. As far as I know, Rodney was gelded at about one year, a standard time for domestic horses.

From this extensive data sample, I could make an argument for neoteny, i.e. “the retention by adults of traits previously seen only in the young.” Wiki. Previous Horse went through the full development cycle. He exhibited adult stallion behaviors. Rodney > early gelding > lack of testosterone > retention of foal behaviors. Or am I flailing about in an unscientific haze?

Any foal/stallion/gelding experts care to weigh in?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Milton’s Menu

Grain first, then hay.

This is the order of the meal.

The order of the meal shall not be f*cked with.

meal April 2016

Milton has European tastes. He eats his salad after, thank you. At mealtime, we feed grain first. While they are eating, the server arranges the hay. Since the horses are at pasture, they have the constant option of filling their bellies. Therefore, feeding hay first is not as important as it would be otherwise.

If the grain is late – for whatever reason – Milton will mill and fuss and demand to be fed. He has no desire to eat hay while he is waiting. That is not how it is done! Don’t you people know this?!

Rodney prefers grain, obviously, but he will tuck into whatever is in front of him. Ditto Previous Horse. Mathilda felt the way Milton does about salad apres. [Fear! Fire! Foes! Nevermind.]

Your horse(s): rigid eater(s) or opportunistic vacuum(s)?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

a

Letter Art: G is for Ghost Gallery

ghost letter

Our cat, Ghost, disappeared in the spring of last year. 😦 The time has come to take him off the critter page [Cast]. I didn’t want him to vanish without comment. The gallery records Ghost’s blog appearances over the years. Click on any photo for a slide show.

Ghost gets in touch with his inner leopard.
Ghost
Ghost
Ghost
Ghost (black & white, in rear) & Blue
When you have lots of cats, it’s good to have lots of laundry.
First Contact
Ghost Kitty snuggles up to a pile of warm dog.

Ghost was adopted by the three Siamese boys.
k2 trio II

He got his name because we rarely saw him at the beginning. Even after several years, he remained semi-feral. We could pat him, occasionally, at night, when the house was quiet.

GKP Ghost 4

He was a cat’s cat.

Ghost Blue chair Feb 9 14

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

2016 Alphabet

Link to 2015 Alphabet

Tweet Storage as of April 2016

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I have wandered away from Twitter, for the time being. It never spoke to me. Blog: Rodney’s Saga, Facebook: Rodney’s Saga, Instagram: Rodney’s Saga, yes. Twitter: Rodney’s Saga, not so much. Therefore, I am archiving my last tweets. At least until Twitter speaks to me again.

Previous: Tweet Storage as of Dec 18, 2015

RS Twitter Header
RS Twitter Header

Nerves Update, April 2016

I can stop questioning my nerves. They won’t get better until I ride or come to terms with Rodney &/or Milton. As long as those two remain gorgeous and useless, I will feel like a failure, which will erode my confidence, which will increase my anxiety. Simple as that.

Nerves – at least my nerves – compound themselves. Granted horses can always be dangerous. Hence the helmet. Given that, why am I such a mess before lessons and shows? I am doing three simple gaits on a reliable school horse in a contained environment. Why am I so damn nervous? What can I do to stop being so damn nervous? When does it get easier?

I have tried to fix the nerves with books [Show Report], self talk [Banishing the F-word, Embrace the Day], and professional help [And So We Leave Behind the Sports Psychology Adventure]. I have pondered the problem [too many links to list].

Despite all this, nerves are not getting better. If anything, they are gradually getting worse. At the last show [Report], I was so wound up before my classes that someone seriously suggested I look into anti-anxiety medicine. (I did. Only treats symptoms.) OTOH, I am usually in the first few classes. Waiting until the middle of the afternoon gave me way too much time to stew.

Then, at my most recent lesson, I was a stellar mess beforehand and – more troubling – I did not settle down once I started riding. Usually, I am okay once I get going [ibid]. OTOH, I rode a horse I have not ridden in a while, using a different saddle, in a group lesson. Each of these factors stresses my comfort level, so the combination of the three may have been a one-off in terms of nerves.

Although they rear their ugly, pointy heads there, I think my nerves have nothing to do with the kind horses and the nice people at the Saddlebred barn.

Why am I so damn nervous? Because of the home team.
What can I do to stop being so damn nervous? Fix the home team.
When does it get easier? When the home team gets fixed.

I’m not saying this is a healthy outlook, just the one I have to work with.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Milton’s Progress, April 2016

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

Other than the fact that I am not riding and that Milton has hysterics when he wears a saddle, he is doing very well.

Grooming 🙂 😦 ?
The ground tie is still a work in progress [Milton 2.0]. He doesn’t leave, but he doesn’t stand still. He’ll shift his weight. He’ll move one hoof. He’ll refuse to move the hoof back. The attitude is, ‘I’ll do it, but don’t expect me to like it.’

The attitude extends to brushing. When I approach him with a brush, he’ll flinch and shift his weight away from me, see above, as if he dislikes being touched. Then, he’ll relax and sigh and yawn. The time from I-hate-it to I-love-it is getting shorter.

He continues to pin his ears and chew at the same time. Deeply strange. We think his forehead hair whorls [Swirls] get rotating in different directions, creating consternation in the brain beneath.

Tire 🙂 !
Milton took another step toward a driving horse career [What Are You Driving At?]. We attached a tire to set of training traces. Greg walked at the head, I held a rope arranged so that the tire would slip off at the first sign of distress. Milton was a star. We stopped and started a few times. He thought it was weird. It was. Greg remember that both Coach Courtney and Coach Kate advise always going forward in a cart. As long as the horse is moving, problems can be addressed. So, Greg walked Milton straight across the ring on the second go. Milton had a tiny hump in his back. I prepared to let loose the tire. We reached the rail in peace. After that, meh, no big deal. Pulled the tire. Turned a corner. Had the traces touch him on the hocks. Walked around the ring. Old pro. He could have been excused for taking five training sessions to get as far as he did in five minutes. Milton learns fast and is very accepting about doing his job. Other than that one time …

Pictures when he has done it more than once.

Saddle 😦
It had been a while, so Greg lunged Milton with saddle. Walk. Fine. Trot. Fine. Canter? Engage hissy fit. Objectively, it wasn’t severe. He’s done worse [Universe, Boomerang]. I’ve ridden worse. Anyone with the ability – or inclination – to sit a buck would manage. Subjectively? No, thank you. My bulletproof vest is in the wash. We remain on the truck -> cowboy trajectory. [Back at the Ranch]

Outlook on Life 🙂
Despite all the ear and ‘tude [Moods], Milton makes it clear that he wants to be loved on.
~~~
Gratuitous Dog Cartoon

PLUMDOG BLOG

Plum posts a weekly, illustrated online diary. Dog antics with beautiful watercolors.

The assist goes to Picture Book Theology: Theological Statements for Young Children #6 for introducing me to Plum.
~~~
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Leg Lessons

Saddle Seat Wednesday

To punish us for sins in a previous life, Stepping Stone Farm gives leg lessons. An amenable schoolhorse trots the inner perimeter of the small covered ring while the rider posts without stirrups, reaches arms overhead, assumes the Flying Angel of Death (a modified, hands-free two-point), and so on. Instructor stands in the middle, encouraging the horse to keep moving as needed. They are called leg lessons because many of the exercises focus on leg strength. They are essentially lunge-line lessons without the lunge line.

Leg Lesson Type A
A is for analysis. These are the lessons when we deconstruct my position. Why do I do that funky thing with my right hand? Because my weight is twisted to the left. Why do I tighten my shoulders when I rise to post? Because I am still subconsciously half-assing my posting [Back to Basics]. Why can I keep my form at the canter but not at the trot? And so on.

Position problems do not happen in isolation. Correcting a minor equitation flaw usually has a larger impact elsewhere. For example, drawing my shoulders back presents a better picture, but more importantly sinks the weight into my knees. I like these lessons. Lots of talking and thinking. Horses like these lessons. Lots of talking while they stand around playing couch.

Leg Lesson Type B
B is for boo hiss. Analysis is a useful skill. Too much analysis is not. To work on my ability to ride from instinct, I don’t talk during these sessions. I do the same exercises, minus the pondering. From the time I get on to the time I dismount, I say nothing. No questions. No snide comments. Nothing. Aaaaaagggggg.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

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