Virtual Brush Box

Slow Starter

Even after a year, I get a little anxious about getting on the Saddlebreds.* I’m better than I was, but my stomach still twinges when I march up the mounting block. Partly, I only ride once (or twice) a week and don’t ride any one horse regularly. Partly, I take after Pratchett’s Bursar, “widely accounted as a neurovore i.e. someone living on his own nerves”. Mostly, it’s a complete lack of Quarter Horse start on my part.

*Except for Sam. My anxiety detector has decreed that Sam can Do No Wrong. Even when Sam misbehaves, he has a special dispensation that allows me to simply tell him to get over himself. Previous Horse had the same dispensation. Mathilda could lift her head to look into the woods and I would get all over her case. Previous Horse could canter sideways with me across the pasture and I’d just laugh at him.

In jumpers, one has a first round to see the course. In eventing, one has dressage before cross-country. In riding at home, I believe in easing into the project. Get on. Walk about. Trot on the buckle. Canter ditto, if possible. Walk again. Do a few circles. Get the kinks out. I refer to this as allowing the horse to have coffee and read email before getting to work.

No so with saddleseat. The idea is to enter trotting and ramp it up from there. Oh, there might be some walking up and down the barn aisle if needed, or a slower trot to start out, but the overall idea is up and at ’em from the get go. This is way more work** than I am ready for straight out of the box.

**update: per comment below, immediate focus is my problem more so than immediate work. Squirrel!
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Gratuitous Cat Picture

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VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE
Accessing Jedi mind control.
Go here: Haynet. (No need to join to vote but you might wish to consider. Nice place)
Click this icon on the sidebar:
Vote. (In the interest of fairness, nominees listed here. If you vote from there, use the “HERE” link not the “VOTE” link lower down.)
OR use this link directly: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z9JTZCD.
You can go about your business.
Move along.
Releasing Jedi mind control.
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Text Art: We Know Who We Are

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VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE
Accessing Jedi mind control.
Go here: Haynet. (No need to join to vote but you might wish to consider. Nice place)
Click this icon on the sidebar:
Vote. (In the interest of fairness, nominees listed here. If you vote from there, use the “HERE” link not the “VOTE” link lower down.)
OR use this link directly: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z9JTZCD.
You can go about your business.
Move along.
Releasing Jedi mind control.
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They Said It Couldn’t Be Done. Horse Show Version

The shock! The horror!

The barn is at a horse show without me. When I said I wasn’t going to this show, no one – not husband, not friend, not instructor – believed me. As this is the first show I have missed since starting saddleseat, I understand their dubiousity. However, I was always pretty sure that I wouldn’t be going.

Back in the summer, I figured missing this one show would be a token gesture of restraint. I was planning a full-on push for Nationals. It would only be fair to stay home and show my face around the house, at least once in a while. I would be heartbroken to see them go off without me but I would bravely endure.

Post-Nationals, not so much with the heartbreak. After putting on my show clothes five times in three days (removed between sessions for cleanliness), I’m ready to give the vest & tie a rest for a few months.

I am not done with showing. Not in the slightest. The first Winter Tournament is coming up in December. As with last year [My First Show, Sorta], I will use the winter shows to acclimate to a new division. Cantering here I come. For giggles, I will be moving directly into Advanced WTC Adult. It is the only level that asks for patterns. Last year, competitors in these classes also showed in suit classes, so I may be outclassed from the get go. Reduces the pressure. Plus, I get to ride in a sweater and schooling jods. After a few months of low(ish)-key showing, I will be ready to move back up to the big shows come spring.

I’m not burned out on horse shows. Just a little crispy around the edges.

Good luck to all! Go Team Stepping Stone!

Title updated because, apparently, I like this title: They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, April of 2012
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VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE
Accessing Jedi mind control.
Go here: Haynet. (No need to join to vote but you might wish to consider. Nice place)
Click this icon on the sidebar:
Vote. (In the interest of fairness, nominees listed here. If you vote from there, use the “HERE” link not the “VOTE” link lower down.)
OR use this link directly: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z9JTZCD.
You can go about your business.
Move along.
Releasing Jedi mind control.
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Foto Friday: Spotted at Sunset

Roaring: Yeah or Nay?

I have been full of requests for advice & calls to action this week, haven’t I? Opinions on progress, blogging votes, prying into your wish lists, and now roaring.

A horse for sale is advertised as “does roar”. He has been scoped and it hasn’t been a problem for him in his current life. OTOH, the horse hasn’t done a huge amount of work, so perhaps the limits of the problem have not been tested.

Previous Horse had a respiratory issue from his racetrack days. The exact nature escapes me at the moment, but we carried a vet’s letter in the trailer in case it ever came up. It never did. Bottom line, I have no experience with roaring in horses.

What think you:

Bravely run away?
OR
Minor problem unless I am trying to get around an Advanced cross-country course?

No advice on your part will be held accountable for any subsequent action on my part.
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Gratuitous Tree Picture

My Go Mighty 10

Over on Go Mighty, folks post their life lists and other folks sponsor them. I have no idea why a corporation would want to give me money. However, should the question come up, I want to be ready. Here goes, 10 Goals, in no particular order.

(Of course, my first tasks would be to pray for world peace and volunteer for a month for Doctors Without Borders. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

+ Attend a fancy, evening performance of the Spanish Riding School at their Winter Riding School in Vienna. Funding would have to cover airfare, accommodations, and a dress. I’ll buy the Sacher-Torte.

+ Be a VIP guest at the Quarter Horse Congress, or Louisville, or any big show really. See how the other half rolls. I’d probably need new clothes for this one as well. The idea came from the Victory Pass Raffle held by American Saddlebred Museum in Lexington KY.

Win an all-expense paid week at the 2013 World’s Championship Horse Show!
A week’s stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Louisville
$500 Food Voucher for the Crowne Plaza Restaurant
4 Lower Level Box Seats for every performance
A VIP Parking Pass for the week

+ Present ribbons at all three Fall Indoor shows in one year.

+ Tour a ribbon-making factory (are you sensing a theme? I heart me some ribbons.)

+ Take a mule trek down the Grand Canyon. When one combines American and equine, this is as iconic as it gets.

+ Attend a USEA event in Hawaii and in Alaska, Areas VI and VII respectively. Eventing is so land and resource dependent, it would be interesting to see how the land use varies and how such isolated places cope with horse ownership & competition. A schooling show for the Alaska Dressage Association was “Cancelled due to lingering winter“. One can only imagine.

+ Decide on a charity to get behind the way Fat Cyclist does with World Bicycle Relief. See, Just Look at What You’ve Done. There are blogs & sites that support equine rescues. People are doing wonderful work for animal welfare. My office visitor, right, is the result of a donation to either Friends of the Wild Horse or WWF. As yet, I haven’t found the one that grabs me and makes me say, Yes, this one. This is the one to yap on about.

+ Take dressage lesson in Germany. I maintain that German dressage riders have an advantage over American dressage riders because Germany has lesson horses schooled to Second Level. Whereas in the US, people with their own horse and private lessons might never get out of First. (Waves hand). I should go see what I am talking about.

+ Provide transportation and accommodations to guests and speakers for a Rodney’s Saga meet-up at a major horse happening in North America. Then have another one in Europe.

+ ??? That interesting idea of which I haven’t even thought. The world is far vaster and weirder than I can conceive. All I need are cash, instructions, and the injunction to Go Have Fun.

You many notice a lack of reference to Rolex. I have attended. I have volunteered. The only thing left is to ride. That is long past wishlist & solidly into holodeck, fantasy territory. Ditto WEG and the Olympics.

Where would you Go Mighty? If you need help with your list, see the Life List Tutorial, particularly:

2. Relax.
Don’t get hung up on what your list says about you. This isn’t about how intellectual, or sexy, or morally fit you are. It’s about listing some stuff that would make you happier. Just admit you want to be a backup dancer for Lady Gaga. Who cares? Lady Gaga is rad, and pants are overrated. If you put too much weight on what other people think, you’re doing a different exercise. An exercise you should consider doing with an expensive therapist instead.

Related posts Bucket List & Bucket List – Accomplished

Nominated! Please Vote.

Remember how I promised to be all grown-up and mature about my blog metrics [Back]? Pffffffft!

Happy dance!! Kermit arms!!

… ahem …

Rodney’s Saga is one of 10 nominated for:

Prizes are both physical and digital:
“The winner will receive some Haynet goodies and a link to their blog or profile on the front page of Haynet for a whole year.”

~~I’m happy just to be nominated. I want to thank the Academy …~~
Me. Me. Me. Pick Meeeeeeee!!

… ahem …

Haynet’s main site.
Announcement with links to nominees.

If you are not a member of Haynet, you will need to join to vote, I believe, and have the membership approved (Nope, see below). If you’ve gotten this far, I figure you like horse blogs, so think of it as a perk for voting rather than a hoop through which you must jump.

Thank you.
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Update from Haynet:

“There has been a change in the link for the voting as this will only allow you to vote only once from a PC, tablet or phone to make sure that this is fairer! Please use this link and apologies for any inconvenience:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z9JTZCD

Previous voting will though be taken into account. So may the best blogger win!”
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Update the Second:

TPTB at Haynet say you don’t have to join to vote, but welcome if you do decide to join.