Strapless is here!

My body quality Strapless arrived today. I was of course very excited, seeing as I only paid for the cheapest parcel post possible and she was shipped on Friday. I don't have any photos yet, but I hope to have some tomorrow.

Riding today was great. The tack shop just got a new test ride Salem from Beval, and I got to be the first person to ride in it. If I like it it can be mine. We rode in it today and I really liked it. The leather in the Salem is much nicer than in the Stamford and I prefer the seat. I have to use a riser with both, but the Salem is better.
The one I rode in was, as I said, new, so I had difficulty keeping my legs in the right place and my heels down. Debbie said that should go away when it gets broken in, and I certainly hope so. It's a lovely saddle. I think I'll ride in it again on Thursday. I'll probably have my camera so we'll have some relevant photos.

That's all for the moment (what a sad, short little post) because I have homework.

Now, all posts should have a photo: Jones's eye, because you so wanted to see it.

Horse Info

For the benefit of the non-horsey people (Sara!) reading this blog, I've decided to add a little thing at the end of all my posts about some horsey term--so maybe I won't get as many questions from my friends about what the heck something means.

To start us off, I'll say that I ride English and focus on Hunt Seat equitation. This means that I favor a more forward position that allows me to jump effectively. I use shorter stirrups than a Dressage rider would, and ride in a saddle with a shallower seat and more forward flaps than a Dressage saddle. See stock images below for a reference.

Dressage saddle: long, straight flap and deep seat

Jumping saddle: shallow seat, forward flaps

Hunt seat equitation: Forward with short stirrups (it's a horrible picture of me, but I think it's one of the few on the flat I have available right now).

I don't have any pictures of dressage riders but they use longer stirrups and don't ride in a way specifically designed for them to be able to jump. They do only flat in competitions. Hunt seat riders can do Jumpers, Hunters over fences, and Hunters on the flat.

And that's our little lesson for the day. I'm sure other people could explain it better but that's what I can do for now.

Tomorrow I'll be out to ride Jones. Most likely we'll be doing a "torture day"--AKA working without stirrups on equitation. Oh, and for the non-horsey--equitation means how the rider rides. So far I've just been trotting without stirrups but Debbie says we'll be doing cantering and jumping eventually. Of course, at my old barn I trotted without stirrups every day. Now I haven't been doing that and my leg is dying a horrible death. Hence I'll probably try to ride bareback sometimes to help with that.

Now for writing about... writing.

Sara has been trying to convince me to do NaNoWriMo next year. She's already planning a plot for her novel. I have tried time and time again to write even a chapter of a novel but so far nothing has turned out. However, since I've never really planned exactly what I want to write. Sara suggested a murder mystery involving horses and the horse industry, which seems like a great idea. I'll just have to work on developing a plot before NaNoWriMo rolls around once more.

Another point we've talked about is keeping lists of vocabulary we want to use or don't know. I usually keep lists of phrases but I think vocabulary lists are a really good idea. I just have to find a good book to read that has a lot of obscure vocabulary. Several of the novels around to day have little exiguous particles of words that make up the entire book... or they talk about death, "hot" boys, yellow eyes, and sparkling. (Guess which series I'm pointing at, hmm?)

I think that concludes our little post for the day. I'm off to look at the BCS blog and drool over all the lovely model tack. Care to join me?

Why hello again.

What a weekend this has been. I decorated the entire pretty-new-tool-shed section of the tractor barn at the lake house with Christmas lights and it looks amazing if I may say so. It's all draped, wrapped, and hung just so--and it took a while. But it was fun.

On the horsey side, Rusty and Pepper at the neighbors' place seem to be doing all right. Neither of them show many signs of care other than being well-fed. Rusty, with his much shorter coat, looks great. Pepper... is another story. He has long fluffy hair and it looks like no one has groomed him in ages. Maybe a quick once-over in the saddle area, if that. His rear is so full of dust that if you touch it your hand comes away gross and his front end is just horrendous. He has these little lump things if you run your hand over and if you move all the fur aside and take a look--they're ticks. Not all of them are ticks: some are little clumps of yellow stuff that looks like dried pus. But very, very many are ticks. It is disgusting. Isabel and I were planning to get some brushes and combs to get some of it out but we had to come back into town before we could. Next time I see him he's going to get one serious grooming.

Here are some pictures of them from a while ago.
Rusty:

 Pepper:

They're so cute.

I just deleted 10 posts. I'm not sure it was the best thing to do, but it's done now. The blog is going to be about horses, model tack, and writing.