Both sides.
Stem to stern.
Back to belly.
Close-up showing the extensive trowel work.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
a
Revised Show Plan
Saddle Seat Wednesday
I had a plan. It was a good plan.
The plan was to show less than last year. This year was to be for learning, for letting my budget recover, and for bonding with the home team. [To Show or Not To Show]
The plan did not survive the first horse show.
A long way of saying I am at a show today. To the surprise of no one but me. [ibid]
So, new plan. Last year, ten big shows; this year, five. One more show this month, skip two in April, one in May. Then two in the fall. Plus the summer fun shows. Really, it’s hardly a compromise at all.
We’ll see what happens the first time the trailer heads down the driveway without me.
Combined Driving March 2016
I drove my first marathon obstacle!
We walked the easy line and the fast line. Then trotted both. Apparently marathon is like billiards. You are always thinking about how to set yourself up for the next gate. If B is over here, you go though A on this line. If B is over there, you take A at that angle. Sometimes you use such approaches in jumpers, but usually for a fence or two, this involved the entire obstacle from crossing the start line to aiming for the finish. A marathon obstacle is basically a maze wherein you pass through labeled openings, called “gates”, in a specific order. Description by the American Driving Society, Combined Driving.
I kept forgetting that I had a turning radius. Except for our combined driving lesson last month [Lesson], all of my driving has been in two-wheeled carts. These carts move as a one long unit from back of the wheels to tip of the horse’s nose, think delivery van. A four-wheeled cart has a swivel at the front wheels, allowing the cart and horse to head off in different directions, think semitruck with trailer. This means a tighter turn. I kept planning wide sweeping turns and then remembering, Oh right, I can just turn around.
I was also reminded how much of a driver I am not. I’ve the good fortune to do a fair amount of driving lately. Well, I’ve had the good fortune to sit in a lot of carts lately. Alvin [ASAC] and Big [Georgia Fall Classic] and Natalie have all had a high level of auto-pilot. Not that I did all that much steering here. By the time I got in the cart, Lyricc knew the course. We’d come through B and she’d be turning back for C.
Yes, Greg also drove.
It was mostly his lesson. He was as happy doing the necessary evil dressage as the rest of us are. On the marathon obstacle, he looked awesome. I could so see him doing this. Second lesson, nailed it. In my opinion.
July 2015
Queen Bee Cottage Creations Photography by Shannon Slemmons
Greg’s second time with saddle seat driving [Show Photos], looking at ease and in charge. Also showing the difference in carts.
Many thanks to Lyricc, Bliss, and Kate Bushman of Franklin, TN.
n
Hillwork
With renewed commitment and the return of spring, we have restarted walking up and down hills. The goal is to eventually trot them in hand. Even if I were riding (sigh), I would still be doing these as groundwork. Walking and running hills is good for me. The horses aren’t the only ones who can use fitness training.
Rodney needs to strengthen his back, so he is on the short hill. He finds this to be a lot of work. After a microscopically short session, I liberally coat his back and butt muscles with liniment gel. Laugh if you must. Rodney feels things deeply. Taking his concerns seriously helps us make progress.
Milton, being fitter, is on the longer, steeper hill. He be like, ‘Meh, hillwork.’ However, he doesn’t object to the liniment rubdowns.
~~~
Gratuitous Dog Link
My friend Amy has updated her page, Rijn Aussies. Nice layout, gorgeous pictures, lovely dogs.
Amy on RS
Crystal Horses, Guest Photo Shoot
Amy and I go way back. I knew her before she had her first dog. She knew me before I leased my first horse. That was a while ago in both cases.
Letter Art: Easter 2016
State of the Blog: Reading Blogs
End-of-the-month commentary on blogging. [Previous Posts: State of the Blog]
Help me out here.
The Internet stumps me on a regular basis. I see people staring at their phones for hours. What are they reading? I know a vast wealth of information lurks beneath my fingertips, but I don’t know where to start. I’m a data junkie. I should be all over this. But I’m not. I’ll do a quick tour of my standard treadmill: The Devil’s Panties, Whatever, Fat Cyclist and a handful of horse blogs. After that, I stare at my screen thinking, Now what?
Finding readable blogs is never-ending. Favored blogs either don’t post often enough. I’m looking at you Writing From the Right Side of the Stall. Or they will get caught up in writing more books (Yay!) and slow down the posting frequency (Boo!) – Inky Fool. Or the blog will end suddenly under forboding circumstances – Literary Horse: Plagues and Curses Upon the House of Hudson. Or the blog will have ended before even I found it – Ballroom Junkie.
I’ve never been a newshound. International news is dire. National news is parties slinging mud at each other. What ever happened to the ideas of loyal opposition and civilized discourse? Local news is a list of highway fatalities. None of this is conducive to my being able to sleep at night.
What do you read online, equine or otherwise? Do you read single blogs or composite, for example Eventing Nation or Horse Collaborative? How do you find new blogs to read?
Foto Friday: Meet Meg
Photographer Meg McKinney has agreed to be my photo guru.
I’ve been claiming for years that I will improve my photography [Texture, 2012]. I’ve tried downloads [Foto Freebie, 2013] I’ve tried books [Recommitment, 2014]. No dice.
I’ve had good luck with other gurus: Saddle Seat [Value of a Coach], Combined Driving [Driving Forward, Lesson] & horse shopping [Mail Order Horse]. (I may have let the side down re Milton, but Fairy Godmother did her part fabulously.) Perhaps with a person holding my toes to the fire, I will finally get my camera off automatic.
Meg has appeared on the blog before [California Girl becomes a Southern Belle, guest post with photos]. She has generously allowed me to post her photos [Show Photos by McKinney, Vulcan & Fireworks].
I’ve talked about her skills as a photographer, “This is what happens when you give a weak camera to a strong photographer. Result, a picture of myself that I can almost stand.” [Barn Christmas Party]
I’ve even whined about her, “Hopeless despair brought on by professional envy … Last weekend, she took photos at the show … The choice of subjects. The timing. The focus. The composition. The color. The … everything.” [Foto Friday: Or Not]
After she agreed to take me on, Meg checked out my camera [Story]. She snapped a quick shot of me & Bingo using my settings (auto minus flash).
(A ‘What Not To Do’ teachable moment. )
Then she fiddled with knobs to show me the difference when the photo was done right. (I look like a dork, but Bingo no longer looks like a blurry devil horse.)
Exactly! Now teach me how to do that.
Meg’s links
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Virtual Brush Box 