The sky is blue.
The clouds are white.
The grass is green.
The air is warm.
The doors are wide.
The air flows in.
My shirt has short sleeves.
The horse sheds on the barn floor.
The dog and I walk the edge of the field.
The dog runs.
I mull.
~~~
Dedication: To Sunflower, for the encouragement.
~~~
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Foto Friday: The Daily Object, February & March 2016
Photo project from my Instagram feed, @rodneyssaga. [Previous, January 2016]
Specific: March was hat month.
General: Started Instagram as a blog tie-in [Rodney’s Instagram]. Did this instead. A single object each day. Nothing to do with the blog. Occasionally to do with horses. Published here for archival purposes.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
The Joys of Owning a Gray
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.
Virtual Brush Box 