Horses & Other Interests
2016 Alphabet
Apple
2015 Alphabet
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Design notes
First use of a Bezier curve. Go me. Used to draw the acute angle between the two bowls. Everything else was the ellipse tool. On one hand, the curves could be better balanced (looks like a bad job with scissors) & I didn’t venture into handles. OTOH, I learned about the letter B, more than I would have thought possible.
Resuming my end-of-the-month pontifications on writing & blogging. I appear to have left off back in June of last year [Y’All Connect]. I stopped due to some compelling theory that escapes me at this time. I am starting back up as part of my effort to improve the blog, i.e. “the same, but better” [Hello 2016!]. List of previous SotB.
I use a comment policy that I have suffered under in writing classes. The current victim student brings in copies of a work in progress. Work is read aloud. Student sits down & shuts up. Class dissects, praises, attacks the work for a set number of minutes. Student is not allowed to speak while this is happening. At the end, the student is given a handful of minutes to defend, explain, rebut.
So that is what I do. I post. Having said my piece, I sit back. I allow you, the reader, time to comment, condemn, extol. Even if there is a question, I do not leap in with an answer. Perhaps another reader has a better, different, alternate answer to the one I would give. This happened as recently as last Thursday [SitRep]. I was tempted to respond after Amy posted. Instead, I waited. Anonymous rallied with a valiant defense of me & Milton. 🙂
Of course, should the comment thread be subject to displays of poor sportsmanship, I would wade in with my troll basher. Fortunately, that has yet to be an issue. Y’all have been universally entertaining, informative, & delightful.
Once the dust has settled, usually the next day, I return to sum up. This hasn’t always been my policy. I’ve wrestled with different methods. However, for the last few months, I have been making an effort be sure that I comment at the end of each post.
On an administrative note, the comments close automatically after 30 days. I would prefer to leave them open in perpetuity. However, closing the comments has dramatically cut down on spam. OTOH, the improvement might be due to an unrelated anti-spam measure by WordPress. The world may never know.
If you blog, what works for you? As a blog reader, what do you like?
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Gratuitous Cat: Reason
The boys continue to do nothing useful from the human point-of-view. From a horse perspective, their schedules are packed: taking mud baths, sleeping in the sun – when available, and eating huge amounts of hay. It’s winter. It’s a good time to do these things.
In some ways Milton has not changed with the new barn routine [Naptime]. He objects to being groomed. He beats up on Rodney [Reference Photos]. He is insanely protective of his meals. This is our second OTTB to be obsessed with food. Perhaps a remnant of time in the joint?
In other ways, Milton is hugely different. The bitterness is gone. He is friendlier. He moves better. We’ve gone from Why is he here? to Wow, check out that horse! We are likely to be amused by his antics rather than annoyed. Recently, we’ve both been known to sit in the barn and watch them, for no reason other than the joy of looking at two lovely horses.
Significantly, I have stopped crying every time I see him. Seriously. For the past year, I’d walk into the barn. I’d look at Milton. I’d cry. It’s been a happy little haven around here. I figured I hated myself for – oh, pick one – letting a good horse go to waste, being unmotivated, being useless, being a weenie, wasting the short number of days alloted to me, doing everything wrong, and on and on.
As soon as Milton’s naps started, my tears stopped.
I still kick myself in frustration, this wasn’t a miracle cure, but I haven’t cried in the barn since Milton started talking naps. I mentioned this phenomenon earlier [Positives]. Turns out that was a temporary reprieve while we had him on Bute. Drugs stopped; waterworks recommenced. Go figure. I haven’t a clue.
Onwards!
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Gratuitous Cat: Percy
For the third year in a row, ASHAA High Point Academy Rider.
Technically, this year I was High Point ADULT Academy Rider. They split off the kids. Yay. Always happy to not beat up on children. This year, I was the only adult academy rider. However, I most likely would have bested all comers anyway. I show more than the average academy student and am the only one with points from both riding and driving.
As I’ve said before, it’s more of perseverance award than one recognizing my dazzling merit. I’ll take it.
Results: Me
Champion WTC Adult Showmanship
Champion WTC Adult Equitation
Reserve Champion Academy Driving
High Point Adult Academy Rider
I had a bit of a moment. They announced the first adult winner. Wasn’t me. Hmm, Well, I guess that person slipped past me at the shows. Then second. Not me either. What?! WFT? This is outrageous! This is … Oh. Adult Walk TROT. Ahem. Nevermind.
Greg was third in Academy Driving.
Results: Stepping Stone Farm
High Point Adult Academy
High Point Junior
High Point Amateur
High Point Academy Barn
High Point Performance Barn
Plus innumerable division awards in Academy & Performance.
Go Team!
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2015 banquet for 2014 show year
Banquet Photos
Why I Ride by Katie Wood
Recursive Photography
2014 banquet for 2013 show year
Awards
Spotted at the Banquet
Silent Auction
I have had my second sports psych appointment.
Much of the content was the same. Being nervous means you care. Record daily ups and downs to track progress over time. Be in the now.
The approach was different. The new person (I forgot to ask how much this person wants to be outed), was less interested in hearing the specifics of my situation. (It’s a complicated one, even for those who know the horse world. Two horses at home but riding elsewhere in an unrelated discipline? That’s weird. But I digress.) She got right to telling me the theories. This was less fun for me. Who doesn’t like talking about themselves? OTOH, I can see the merit. Sports change, human nature doesn’t. It hardly matters if I am a gymnast, a baseball player, or a rider. Performance anxiety is the same. In my case the “performance” is the act of getting on the horse, even discussing it in the office made my stomach hurt. Once mounted, I tend to get on with it (touch wood).
My take-away this time is what I have named the So What? theory. Knowing the why behind a behavior is important. Obsessing about the why can be detrimental. Learn to manage the behavior first. For example, I am standing next to the mounting block:
Me: Why am I so damn nervous?
Peevish Inner Voice: Because you are useless, fucking moron who does not deserve to ride a dime-store pony.
Me, citing new theory: Okay, let’s assume this is true. How does it change what I DO?
PIV: …
It’s not often my peevish inner voice is at a loss for words.
As always, this is my interpretation of what was said. It may have little bearing on proper sports psychology methodology.
Onwards!
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Gratuitous Dog: Lady
Lady photobombs my TDO picture of a rock.
The entire pasture to chose from, and she must lie right there.
Rodney and Milton had a pre-dinner scuffle over precedence. Rodney whacked his forehead, scraped the skin, and left a tuft of hair on the post. The barn opening is one of two and over 10 feet wide. This was a matter of poor planning on Rodney’s part. He’s fine. Hair loss, swelling, and much pitifulness, but no blood nor damage to significant bits.
Using my ever-present phone, I snapped pictures from various angles. This way we would be able to judge the progress of the swelling, have a reference if consequences developed, and use it as a comparison for similar injuries.
Meanwhile Milton stood around looking angelic. ‘Who me? Nothing to do with me, Boss. Nothing at all’
I have two questions. Why didn’t I think of this before? Does anyone else do this as a matter of routine?
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Gratuitous Cat: Arthur
Virtual Brush Box 