Saddle Seat Sidesaddle

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Reading this page,

Saddle Seat Equitation by Helen Crabtree [Western 1970, rev 1982, reprint 1999] p254.
Saddle Seat Equitation by Helen Crabtree [Western 1970, rev 1982, reprint 1999] p254.

I realized that sidesaddle IS saddle seat. Hunt seat sidesaddle is a retrofit.

Historically
Back in the 19th century, Frederico Caprilli had not been born and there was no forward seat. What we now call saddle seat was just plain riding.

Positionally
Many years ago, I had the good fortune to show sidesaddle.

Photo by Kathie Mautner
Photo by Kathie Mautner

This is hunt seat sidesaddle. Saddle seat tack/attire would have a different bridle, a derby instead of a bowler, shorter boots, and longer jacket & skirt. The horse is George. Bless his stodgy self.

To maintain a hunt seat position, I had to fight to keep my weight centered in the saddle. The whole construction invited me to put my butt on the cantle. Exactly were my saddle seat instructors keep telling me to sit. Note, this does not mean “in the back seat” nor behind the motion but physically toward the rear of the saddle. The rider is still in balance, just farther back.

When riding in a side-saddle, my hands had to be up because my knee was in the way. I had to work to keep my hands down to follow the mouth of a Thoroughbred going in a long, low, hunter frame.

Metaphorically
I mentally unwrap my leg from around the pommel, drop it down alongside the horse, and voila – saddle seat.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
List of my A to Z posts

Interlude – Text Art: Radiotelephony

atoz [2014] - BANNER - 910

To continue the A to Z theme, I will render the blog title in various alphabets over the four Sundays in April

International Radiotelephone Spelling Alphabet

Romeo
Oscar
Delta
November
Echo
Yankee
Sierra

Sierra
Alfa
Golf
Alfa

Courtesy of the International Civil Aviation Organization website. I had always thought of this as the NATO phonetic alphabet. According to Wiki, it is neither:

“Spelling alphabets are unassociated with such phonetic transcription systems as the International Phonetic Alphabet; instead, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet so assigned code words acrophonically to the letters of the English alphabet that critical combinations of letters and numbers can be pronounced and understood despite language barriers or transmission static.

“A common name for this spelling alphabet, “NATO phonetic alphabet,” exists because it appears in Allied Tactical Publication ATP-1, Volume II: Allied Maritime Signal and Maneuvering Book used by all allied navies of NATO, which adopted a modified form of the International Code of Signals. Because the latter allows messages to be spelled via flags or Morse code, it naturally named the code words used to spell out messages by voice its “phonetic alphabet”.

Wiki: NATO phonetic alphabet

Other Spelling Alphabets
scphillips.com: Phonetic Alphabets
NATO, British (historic & current), NY Police, French, German, Italian, & Spanish

osric.com:Phonetic Alphabet Tables
NATO, Western Union

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
List of my A to Z posts

Quietude

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Or Qompeting against the Qids

The barn is at a show this weekend. I am much less stressed than the last time. [Show Pix]

Due to the byzantine nature of the points system [The Point Is], this show would garner the lowest, non-zero number of points, regardless of how well I did. If I can’t go to them all, this is a good one to skip. (Of course, I WANT to go to them all. Time, money, and common sense have prevailed.)

Plus, I have taken an unreasonable dislike to this show. In a flat class, an arena is an arena. Given a minimum standard of facilities, there is no logical reason to prefer one show over another. Yet I do. Perhaps it’s the atmosphere. Perhaps it’s the route to the show. It requires travel on an Interstate to which I have also taken an unreasonable dislike: long, boring, isolated, yawn.

Plus, plus, there is only one set of Walk/Trot/Canter classes for all ages. I’ve said previously that I don’t mind competing against kids [Show Report Chattanooga]. Turns out, that holds true for Championship classes when all the divisions are lumped together. I get squicky when I think about taking regular-class ribbons from munchkins. I’ll do it [Show Report: ProAm], and fight like demon to win, but part of me doesn’t like it [Programming]. Also, the feeling has increased now that I am cantering. More on this once I figure out why.

Of course, I am making the condescending assumption that the ribbons mean more to the munchkin than to me. For all I know she – usually it’s she – is a jaded show veteran who has been showing in Academy since she was 5, is moving to suit at the next show, and is just as happy to let the old lady have a few moments of glory before they prying the reins from her arthritic paws.

Still, given the choice, I’ll pick shows that have Adult-only WTC.

Photo by Courtney Huguley
Photo by Courtney Huguley

Names

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I will not remember your name.

I will vaguely remember your face, in an I-really-ought-know-this-person sense. If were in politics or sales, I would live or die by my Farley File. This is not unusual. Many people have trouble with names.

hello badge

However. I will remember the name of your pet. First time you tell me and forever after, particularly if said pet is a horse or a cat.

In high school, I made a new friend at the barn. I could not for the life of me retain her name, even though it was the same name as my father’s live-in girlfriend (No issues here!). Instead, I called her by her horse’s stable name. Normally, this would not bother a horse person. Unfortunately, her horse was a stoutly-built Quarter Horse. For the first few months, I called her “Tubs”.

Inspired by Whatever: A Series of Tweets Regarding My Own Personal Sexism, in which the author talks about his tendency to remember attractive women more so than others. Nope. Not I. Male. Female. Attractive. Unattractive. I am an equal-opportunity forgetter.

(Base image from the online catalogue of Staples, my favorite of the office supply stores. Yes, I have a favorite office supply store. Pens, paper, boxes, mmmmmm.) (Later, the store I like is Office Depot. Know where it is; forgot which one it was. KTW)

Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2014
List of my A to Z posts