Goldisnoot

Milton pasture 2 10 15

On the few days a year that the weather threatens to seal over the water trough, we – I am employing the barn “we” here – bring buckets of hot water to the barn. Obviously, this wouldn’t be possible if we had real winter, or a large number of horses. As is, the project is just enough of a P in the A to make us feel virtuous without being impossible to execute.

Mathilda would wait for her tea to cool to a drinkable temperature. Rodney plunges his nose right in and slurps down half a bucket. Milton gets pissed.

The trough is still open but the water is too cold. The water in the buckets is too hot. Milton will advance just the tip of his nose near the water to check the temperature. Nope, this one is hot. Nope, this one is hot also. He’ll go along the row, from bucket to bucket, hoping to find one that pleases his Highness. Then he curls one front foot, in the manner of a prancing statue. This is his mannerism when he wishes to express his dismay with the arrangement of the universe. Then he starts whacking at the buckets. Yes, we laugh at him. We also bring him a bucket of warm water.

It’s good to be one of our horses.

Show Report & Tweets: Winter Tournament 2015 #3, B&W Stables

WT3 2015 sign

Winter Tournament 3
B & W Farm
Hartselle, AL
February 14, 2015
Riding & driving with Natalie
Thank you to Ann Stanton and Nicole Hardy

Photo by G
Photo by G

2. Advanced Horsemanship WTC Adult, 3rd of 9
3. Advanced Equitation WTC Adult with Pattern, 2nd of 3
8. Pleasure Horse or Pony WTC Adult, 2nd of 7 (estimated)
24. Academy Driving, 2nd of 2

It’s amazing how differently one can feel about three ribbons of the same color.

My second class was the equitation class with a pattern. That class is mine to lose. However, we were uninspiring in our rail work and vague in our pattern. The winner might have beaten me anyway, but I didn’t have to make it easy for her. Note to self, spending time pondering the proper use of the hands is pointless if you fail to promote power from the engine. Phooey.

For my third, the pleasure class, I asked Natalie to move out. While she is a Saddlebred, she tends toward pretty rather than pizazz. She stepped it up beautifully. In the line-up, I told her that I didn’t care what place we got, she had earned her peppermints. Second in the company of suit riders & trainers is pretty darn good for a lesson rider and lesson horse.

In the driving class, second was a foregone conclusion. I worked on keeping my concentration on our form and keeping up the momentum. A nice trip for us, building on the previous show [Report, Heathermoor]. We even dug up a bit of extended trot.

The first class? That was bumper cars. Nine horses in small ring, first thing in the morning, on a beautiful day. More than one horse objected to ringside fairies lurking under chairs or perched on tree branches. Then the in-gate blew over, causing previously calm horses, including Natalie, to decide the sky was falling. At one point, I ducked left to avoid a horse having a snit, ran out of space, and nearly flattened the judge. We placed third. I have no idea what other folks got up to.

Saddlebred. Typing in parking lot = sun glare.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL

~~~

Photo by G
Photo by G
In warm-up. Does anyone else see the saddle seat leaking out and the hunt seat creeping back in?

Rodney Gets A Gold Star

Show report delayed one day because I am so pleased with Rodney.

We walked bareback for a handful of minutes on Sunday. The walk lacked sufficient animation for dressage. The pace was even too slow for western. Exactly as requested. We lapped the pen a few times. He slowed from my seat on the small downslope. We ambled a small circle. We strolled along the jumping chute with the cavaletti and poles set at the lowest level. Through it all, he maintained a quiet, relaxed attitude.

I posed very simple problems to him. I could not be more happy with his reponses.

So, here’s the important question. You leap up gracefully from the mounting block to the back of your 17-hand horse. You do not have enough momentum. You fail to stick the landing. Your horse shifts his weight. You slide to the ground. Does this count as a fall?

$700 Giveaway

Free ecopy of this book to one lucky commenter:

Broadhurst cov 2nd KindleFurther Adventures of the $700 Pony
$700 Pony Chronicles Book 2
Kindle Edition
by Ellen Broadhurst
Half Halt Press 2008, Kindle 2015

Giveaway of first book and discussion by the author: Have You Met the $700 Pony? A Guest Plug

First book excerpt: The $700 Pony Goes To the Vet

Buy now: Amazon link

Open to anyone with an email address and an accessible Kindle account. Amazon says it can reach 100 countries. If you win and live abroad, I’ll give it a try. Using Kindle (Free 3G) if You Live Outside the United States

Same rules as last time [Guest Plug]. Comment below. One straight-up, simple comment allowed per person. Additional comments, thus additional chances, will be permitted IF the additional comment contains an amusing anecdote, heartwarming story, or compelling reason why you deserve the book the mostest. Multiple additional entries allowed per person, provided each new comment (after the first) offers a new anecdote, story, reason. When the dust has settled, I will use a random number generator to pick a winner. To recap, everyone can enter once easily. More entries require more work. Amuse me!

Update 2/27 – I forgot the disclosure: no hidden arrangements. Clicked the books from Amazon same as everyone else. (I’m a sucker for book shopping, see New Year’s resolutions: book buying as entertainment [8th].) The author knew in advance, but then, I tend to warn everyone, all the time, about everything.

Show Today: Winter Tournament 2015 #3, B&W Stables

Say what you will about my pursuit of ribbons, but a show this weekend and the potential for series awards later was the only thing that got me back to my lesson this week.

After my annoying lesson the previous week [Skills Gap], I had yet more dental work on the tooth that took over my life: Hi There, Is It Safe To Crawl Out From Under My Rock Yet?:Monday, Weekend Plans:Monday, Regular Programming:Dentist, Foto Friday: Gratutious Sunset, Antibiotics as Mood Elevator. You thought I was kidding when I said it took over?

This appointment was for the final crown. Snap it on the implanted post. Easy-peasey, right? Ha. No one warned me about torquing the socket, or relearning how to chew on that side, or the rest of my teeth objecting to the interloper. It wasn’t pain. It was the pressure of tooth and bone readjusting. Anyone who has had braces tightened knows the feeling.

Anyway.

Capitalizing on my self-pity and frustration, all my demons came out to play. Why was I doing this to myself? I had zero desire to get on a horse. Why was I confining my life to endless circles in dusty rings for no discernible purpose? I considered giving up riding for Lent: actually with the Saddlebreds and attempting with my own. Not forever, just for a few weeks.

It might not be the worst thing for me to discover the world outside of the barn. However, it would be a bad idea to do so for the wrong reasons. Spiritual pursuit should be moving towards, not hiding from.

So, I went to my lesson. I climbed aboard. Natalie met me halfway. In return, I rode her as herself rather than as a clone of Sam. Peace reigned.

The show must go on.
~~~
Gratuitous Rafter Cat

Blue rafters 12 27 14