Other Writing, USDF: Jill Waterman, Dressage Extensions
“Behind The Scenes: Jill Waterman, Dressage Extensions
USDF Connection
October 2015
United States Dressage Federation
A short interview with a retailer.
© 2015 United States Dressage Federation. Used by permission. Reproduction prohibited without prior written permission of the publisher.
Previous Behind The Scenes
Foto Friday: The Daily Object, September 2015
Photo project from my Instagram feed, @rodneyssaga.
Started Instagram as a blog tie-in. Did this instead. A single object each day. Nothing to do with the blog. Occasionally to do with horses.
A Trip Around The Sun
Central Time Zone, USA
When I started this project, I thought the resulting photo sets would represent the rhythm of the year. Not so much. The individual entries were kinda cool. I find the aggregate to be less that a sum of its parts. Oh well. Don’t know until you try.
Winter Solstice
Vernal Equinox
Summer Solstice
Autumnal Equinox
New Equipment: Clickers
Milton & I have a new project.
As soon as I ordered a set from clickertraining.com, I found my stash of old, box-style clickers.
The new design has a quieter click, “for classes or sound sensitive animals.” The new shape, “is always in a clickable position no matter how you hold it.” (ibid). I like the fact that you can’t hold it backwards, but am having trouble getting used to smaller click. Milton hears it just fine.
Yes, I’ve tried clicker training before, both dogs and horses. They’ve done great. I’ve been a mess. Having read Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot the Dog [S&S 1984, revised Bantam 1999] and Lads before the Wind [Harper & Row 1975, expanded edition Sunshine 2000] multiple times, I had theories playing bumper cars in my head. What if I reward the wrong thing? What if I reward the right thing at the wrong time? Should I be shaping? What if …?
Enough.
This time, no books, no DVDs. Just a pile of carrots, a clicker, and a horse. What is the worst that could happen? I turn him into a carrot mooch? He already is. I derail his show career? He doesn’t have one. We spend time together? As long as he gets treats out of it, Milton’s happy.
Allons-y!
Autumnal Equinox in the Pasture
September 23, 2015
Central Daylight Time, USA
Sunrise: 6:36 am
Sunset: 6:43 pm
timeanddate.com
Truth in advertising:
6 am was taken the next day. I forgot to set an alarm.
SSF photos taken at Stepping Stone Farm.
Take A Seat
On Boot Camp 2015, Progress Report 1, Joan made the following comment:
“Remember your alignment (of your spine), get your ribs out of your waist, shoulders back and down, put them in your back pockets, ground yourself on your sitz bones, move with your breath, inhale up, exhale down, shoulders over your hips, hips over your knees, knees over your feet. Hold a neutral position, relax into it. Breath into it…
Sounds like every riding lesson you’ve ever had, right? These are directives from her chair yoga class. I guess body control is the same whether one is sitting on a horse or in a chair. Thank you, Joan.
Joan on RS: Something Completely Different
What advice from other places have you heard that mirrors riding advice?
Virtual Brush Box 