Virtual Brush Box

Stepping Stone Farm Fun Show
October 25, 2014
Chelsea, AL
Pleasure with Natalie (3rd of 3, 2nd of 4)
Equitation with Sam (1st of 3)
Driving with Alvin (2nd of 2)
Thank you to Ann Stanton and Nicole Hardy, the Donovan family, & the Wamble family for their wonderful horses.

Hands up. Back straight. Need to bring elbows in & open my chest. Alvin, of course, is being stellar. He is very good with student drivers.

Show Report
In a rare twist of sanity, I am not worried about placing last in two of the four classes. Historically, I do not ride well at at home shows [Summer 2013, Summer 2014]. This appears to be unrelated to whether I ride well or badly at the next big show [August 2013 – awesome, September 2014 – suck pond water].

In the first class, I learned the concept of hiding from the judge – mostly because I didn’t. In hunter/jumper, eventing, dressage, etc., the judge sits outside the ring or next to the jump, surveying the entire field of play. The rider is always under the judge’s eye. In saddle seat, the judge is in the center, usually looking only at one side of the ring.

In my first class, Natalie objected to cars being where they shouldn’t. As soon as she started to hop and fuss, I figured I’d blow the class. I felt free to reprimand her. Loudly. If I had schooled her quietly, the judge told me she would have missed the whole thing. Lesson learned.

In my checkered riding past, I have done many, many patterns, also know as dressage tests. I may not be able to style them, but the idea of them doesn’t upset me. Most saddle seat riders are not used to being alone in the ring. I’m not used to having company. So, my big problem with riding a pattern is not to get overconfident. No point in being tricksy if I blow the basics.

Overall, good warm up for next week.

Onwards!

Show Tweets

Mathilda’s owner saw the class. He noted that I get along with this chunky, black mare as well as I got along with his chunky, black mare.

Placed second to the barn’s equitation star on her new suit horse. No shame in that.

The spectator parking that offended Natalie. (Process note: a second version of this photo was in better focus but the horse & I looked worse. Guess where my loyalties lie.)

[Previous end-of-the-month SotB posts here]

Is the blog soaking up life energy that could better directed elsewhere or is it keeping me from climbing the walls?

If you could shift some of that focus from outward goals … you might find a change in attitude toward your life and your goals, one that brings less frustration and more peace. [Sine Die, Louise]

If I did not blog …

Would I pursue inner peace?
Would I focus outward but in a more harmonious direction toward the improvement of the planet and of the life thereon?
Would I channel an upswelling of creative force into The Great American Novel?

Or would I use the unoccupied space in my life to rewatch Sherlock DVDs, this time with captions to catch the jokes I missed because of the British accents?
Or would I write nothing, avoid my office entirely, and run past the doorway to avoid the sucking vortex of guilt within?
Or would I wallow in dark rooms, binge-eating cookie dough?

Also the ASBs. Does time spent in the wrong discipline dilute my riding efforts or keep me sane? If I didn’t ride saddle seat …

Would I address my issues with Milton?
Would I find friendly barn with fabulous school horses and a first-rate instructor – who taught jumping?
Would I pursue the goal of riding Prelim with such intensity that I would finally give up sodas, eat right, & get fit?

Or would I stand at the pasture fence staring at my lawn ornaments wondering what evil fairy I inadvertently insulted to arrive at this position?
Or would I clear my browser of any horse-related bookmarks, sell all of my horse books, and forbid the use of the h-word in my presence?
Or would I wallow in dark rooms, binge-eating cookie dough?

My money is on the cookie dough option. In every case.
~~~
Gratuitous Horse Photo