Friday, July 4, 2014
8000 views?
Wow. I feel like I should have a party, or a give away, or something. Alas, all I have to give away is horse poop or the ribbons from the local club that are so old the glue is disintegrating. 8000 is small for some people, but it feels like a milestone.
So, I shall give you a pic I somehow haven't shared yet. Naners and I schooling XC after watermelon. The pro photographer, a friend of mine, was willing to stick around long enough to get this.
It's now one of my favorite pictures. It's hard to see, but the desert is just full of wildflowers. And speaking of pro photographer friend, I'm going to be her second shooter at Colorado Horse Park in August. The person she had arranged backed out and she was at the point she was going to have to fly someone in and was then like, "Wait. Pam understands light and proper timing" and she gave me a call to see if I was available. I've never been to CHP, so I'm very excited.
Banana's leg is still not healed. It was well enough we took the wrap off and it was leaking something. The vet thinks she must have nicked her joint capsule when she got the puncture and was leaking synovial fluid! So, the wrap is back on. Good thing I had no plans this summer other than trail riding, and fortunately there's always spare horses to trail ride. I just wish my mare would heal though.
So, I shall give you a pic I somehow haven't shared yet. Naners and I schooling XC after watermelon. The pro photographer, a friend of mine, was willing to stick around long enough to get this.
It's now one of my favorite pictures. It's hard to see, but the desert is just full of wildflowers. And speaking of pro photographer friend, I'm going to be her second shooter at Colorado Horse Park in August. The person she had arranged backed out and she was at the point she was going to have to fly someone in and was then like, "Wait. Pam understands light and proper timing" and she gave me a call to see if I was available. I've never been to CHP, so I'm very excited.
Banana's leg is still not healed. It was well enough we took the wrap off and it was leaking something. The vet thinks she must have nicked her joint capsule when she got the puncture and was leaking synovial fluid! So, the wrap is back on. Good thing I had no plans this summer other than trail riding, and fortunately there's always spare horses to trail ride. I just wish my mare would heal though.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
School year wrapping up
The school year is winding down, my last assignment is in. There's a week or two of discussion and then I'm done till September. Yippee!
I find myself in an odd place. I'm applying for Special Circumstances for that crappy paper I wrote. Why? My therapist reminded me I used to be able to write, I was able to do the other assignments, but when I was stressed and the essay was long that didn't go so well. My brain is damaged. This way they will take into account that my brain is damaged during the review board in August. Who is the review board you ask? In some ways I'm still not quite sure, but it seems to be a group of people who decide if the grades you got are what they should be and if you deserve to move onwards in the program. The plus side is that they may choose, with this new information, to give me a couple of extra points for that assignment. Just one point will bring my class grade to higher than 50 (remember, UK grading is different than US) and then I'm good.
I'm also going to be applying for student disability. That feels really weird to write. I don't think of myself as disabled, but as above, my brain is damaged. This will allow me to 1) Ask for my assignments in a more coherent form if I'm having issues understanding 2) Have the bigger essays broken up into specific sections so I don't get lost in the mass of words.
As I said, feels weird. I forget my brain doesn't work.
I find myself in an odd place. I'm applying for Special Circumstances for that crappy paper I wrote. Why? My therapist reminded me I used to be able to write, I was able to do the other assignments, but when I was stressed and the essay was long that didn't go so well. My brain is damaged. This way they will take into account that my brain is damaged during the review board in August. Who is the review board you ask? In some ways I'm still not quite sure, but it seems to be a group of people who decide if the grades you got are what they should be and if you deserve to move onwards in the program. The plus side is that they may choose, with this new information, to give me a couple of extra points for that assignment. Just one point will bring my class grade to higher than 50 (remember, UK grading is different than US) and then I'm good.
I'm also going to be applying for student disability. That feels really weird to write. I don't think of myself as disabled, but as above, my brain is damaged. This will allow me to 1) Ask for my assignments in a more coherent form if I'm having issues understanding 2) Have the bigger essays broken up into specific sections so I don't get lost in the mass of words.
As I said, feels weird. I forget my brain doesn't work.
Gorgeous ride at Beaver Meadows
There's a group of ladies that goes trail riding most Fridays. I've been trying to get out with them for months and months. Finally, last friday I could go. But, my horse is hurt, so I had to borrow one.
The day was perfect and the wildflowers were awesome.
The day was perfect and the wildflowers were awesome.
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| Me and my mount, Chingy |
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| Picnic |
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| Lots of fallen trees, probably from the crazy winds and rain last fall. |
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| Elk or deer |
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| Wild violets |
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| Glacier Lily |
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| Larkspur and dandelions |
Saturday, June 14, 2014
I'm a horrible horse mommy
Well, I've had an interesting time as of late. I was sicker than I've ever been in my life. I was teaching horse parts at Pony Club, handed a sticker to a kid and said, "And now I'm going to go puke in this bush."
I didn't make it to the bush.
The forty minute drive home was hell. I had to pull over multiple times. And, every time I vomited it was putting pressure on a nerve so I had shooting pains down my legs and up my back.
So, there I was, on all fours in the gravel on the side of the road. It was horrible. I got home and alternated between almost crying because my back hurt and almost passing out while my intestines tried to exit my body through my stomach. After 45 minutes of that, texting with a friend who's a doctor, I decided I couldn't take it anymore and had hubby drive me to the ER. I'm so glad I did that. Some fluids, anti-nausea meds and pain killers for the back made life much better. I felt crappy for the next couple of days, going out to the barn just enough to feed everyone, but didn't puke again after the ER.
I was puking Thursday night. Sunday evening this is what I found on Banana's leg:
That's just above the back of the left fore fetlock. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Fortunately, J the vet was on call, so she finished her dinner and came up. It looks particularly gruesome there as it was covered in wound crud. J thinks it was about 48 hours old there. Too late to stitch it, and it probably needed to be.
Naners had to be locked up. She was not thrilled about that, though Ollie is quite happy to have her with him all the time.
Bandage change on Tuesday had pus. So, she was started on antibiotics.
This is the wound on Thurs:
Not healed as much as we would like it to be. But then, there was today's (Sat)
Now we're looking better. There's crud on it because it was dust storming and that stuff stuck between when I got the bandage off and picked up the camera (it was very windy.) I'm liking that it's not so raw looking. Pic sent to the vet, but she seems to be incommunicado (a good thing).
I can't believe I missed that wound for multiple days, but as you could tell above, I was sicker than I think I've ever been in my life. She hasn't been off at all. I have no idea how she did it, there are uncountable ways and the wound doesn't indicate any one over the others, though it definitely isn't a wire wound (too deep)
I didn't make it to the bush.
The forty minute drive home was hell. I had to pull over multiple times. And, every time I vomited it was putting pressure on a nerve so I had shooting pains down my legs and up my back.
So, there I was, on all fours in the gravel on the side of the road. It was horrible. I got home and alternated between almost crying because my back hurt and almost passing out while my intestines tried to exit my body through my stomach. After 45 minutes of that, texting with a friend who's a doctor, I decided I couldn't take it anymore and had hubby drive me to the ER. I'm so glad I did that. Some fluids, anti-nausea meds and pain killers for the back made life much better. I felt crappy for the next couple of days, going out to the barn just enough to feed everyone, but didn't puke again after the ER.
I was puking Thursday night. Sunday evening this is what I found on Banana's leg:
That's just above the back of the left fore fetlock. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Fortunately, J the vet was on call, so she finished her dinner and came up. It looks particularly gruesome there as it was covered in wound crud. J thinks it was about 48 hours old there. Too late to stitch it, and it probably needed to be.
Naners had to be locked up. She was not thrilled about that, though Ollie is quite happy to have her with him all the time.
Bandage change on Tuesday had pus. So, she was started on antibiotics.
This is the wound on Thurs:
Not healed as much as we would like it to be. But then, there was today's (Sat)
Now we're looking better. There's crud on it because it was dust storming and that stuff stuck between when I got the bandage off and picked up the camera (it was very windy.) I'm liking that it's not so raw looking. Pic sent to the vet, but she seems to be incommunicado (a good thing).
I can't believe I missed that wound for multiple days, but as you could tell above, I was sicker than I think I've ever been in my life. She hasn't been off at all. I have no idea how she did it, there are uncountable ways and the wound doesn't indicate any one over the others, though it definitely isn't a wire wound (too deep)
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Crash Test Doggies
One of the most wrong things I've seen so far is people transporting their miniature horses in SUVs and minivans. As cute as transporting a mini in a minivan might be every time people posted pictures of this I cringed. Come on people, physics!
Yesterday I found the Center for Pet Safety and their videos testing dog restraint devices with a doggie crash test dummy. The videos are a bit disturbing, but if a 55 lb dog can break the back of your seat, imagine what a 300 lb mini could do. I posted it to the mini group, expecting a shit storm to come of it. Shockingly, no shit storm. I suspect because, well, you really can't defend transporting your mini that way when you see those videos. Unfortunately, I'm now going to be worried about transporting the dogs around in my Outback.
Center for Pet Safety
Yesterday I found the Center for Pet Safety and their videos testing dog restraint devices with a doggie crash test dummy. The videos are a bit disturbing, but if a 55 lb dog can break the back of your seat, imagine what a 300 lb mini could do. I posted it to the mini group, expecting a shit storm to come of it. Shockingly, no shit storm. I suspect because, well, you really can't defend transporting your mini that way when you see those videos. Unfortunately, I'm now going to be worried about transporting the dogs around in my Outback.
Center for Pet Safety
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Saturday, May 31, 2014
More Fox Photos (because you know you want to see them)
This morning there were four wee ones and Split Ear.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Are you feeling neglected?
Its been a busy couple of weeks. Let's go back in time:
A couple of weeks ago was a local show and OOTT was in town as well. Flat lesson Friday, show Saturday, jumping lesson Sunday. Good thing my horse is ridiculously fit.
The show was good. We jumped all the things! I did Pile of Poles and X-Rails at an absolutely glacial trot pace. Sure, I was in theory showing, but I could have given a crap about the judge's assessment. The whole time all I thought about was, "Look up, sit up, look up, sit up." So, when Naners was thinking about not jumping a scary jump with flowers I looked up and kicked on. And, she went over it. We placed decently: 2nd of two in Pile of Poles Hunter, 1st of one in Pile of Poles Eq, 5th of 7 in WTC Hunter Under Saddle, 3rd of five in WTC Eq on the flat, 4th of 5 in Cross Rails Hunter, 1st of four in Cross Rails Eq. As you can probably tell, we did much better in Eq than Hunters, so I guess my Eq isn't as bad as I thought it had become. The cool thing is I won every color ribbon but green. As the Keeper of the Ribbons I have to decide if I want the dark ones or the light ones:
(God I love ordering ribbons. It's one of my favorite perks of my volunteer job. And no one else wants to do it anyway. And since we're almost out of blue ribbons again I get to order more!)
With a looming due date as soon as the show was over I was in essay writing mode. This time I got to talk about some type of equine training device or technique. I went with head restraint devices and techniques. Long story short? It's a short cut, horses find bit pressure aversive, and they don't actually learn from them anyway (there has to be a release of pressure (reward) when the horse is doing it right. Most of them don't allow a release of pressure.) When I was about 48 hours out from due time I was really slogging, but for some reason I turned on itunes and my inappropriate songs playlist. Inappropriate for who you ask? Probably just small children and religious people. They were not in my going to an event playlist for awhile as a tween girl was with us, but now that she's in High School I figure she's hearing worse. Anyway...
Pam's Inappropriate Songs Playlist
The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang
I Touch Myself by the Divinyls
The Clap and Inside of You by Infant Sorrow
I Think I Farted by Taryn Southern
Big Bottom by Spinal Tap
If you want to really laugh, go watch the Taryn Southern Video. No, wait, I'll embed it.
I also highly recommend her song Where Is My Goat? as well.
Another fun thing from my paper was discovering that Horse and Rider magazine is full of advice that has nothing to do with equine learning theory. The more I learn about learning theory the more I think every horse person I know should take a class in it. Oh are so many people getting it so wrong. Because seriously, "pull up on your horse's mouth to bring up the shoulders to get him on the bit." So contrary to everything dressage teaches, though I'm also learning dressage doesn't have it quite right either. Equitation Science is pretty cool though. There may very well be a day that cameras will be scoring dressage tests. Imagine it: a camera that will be able to say, "oh hey, that horse is so many degrees behind the vertical, so it should get this score because of that." Anyway, more on Equitation Science at the ISES website
On top of all this, we got a new puppy. When she was surrendered the owners said she was a Golden Retriever/German Shepherd mix. there is no GSD in this dog. However, we think it's very likely she could be a Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix. She's almost 8 months old and was surrendered because she was "chewing on things." An activity that puppies like to do and if you don't give them appropriate chewing articles they'll find things. She's totally getting that toys and chewy bones are for chewing, shoes are not. She's mostly a pretty good girl and has been a nice addition to the family.
A couple of weeks ago was a local show and OOTT was in town as well. Flat lesson Friday, show Saturday, jumping lesson Sunday. Good thing my horse is ridiculously fit.
The show was good. We jumped all the things! I did Pile of Poles and X-Rails at an absolutely glacial trot pace. Sure, I was in theory showing, but I could have given a crap about the judge's assessment. The whole time all I thought about was, "Look up, sit up, look up, sit up." So, when Naners was thinking about not jumping a scary jump with flowers I looked up and kicked on. And, she went over it. We placed decently: 2nd of two in Pile of Poles Hunter, 1st of one in Pile of Poles Eq, 5th of 7 in WTC Hunter Under Saddle, 3rd of five in WTC Eq on the flat, 4th of 5 in Cross Rails Hunter, 1st of four in Cross Rails Eq. As you can probably tell, we did much better in Eq than Hunters, so I guess my Eq isn't as bad as I thought it had become. The cool thing is I won every color ribbon but green. As the Keeper of the Ribbons I have to decide if I want the dark ones or the light ones:
(God I love ordering ribbons. It's one of my favorite perks of my volunteer job. And no one else wants to do it anyway. And since we're almost out of blue ribbons again I get to order more!)
With a looming due date as soon as the show was over I was in essay writing mode. This time I got to talk about some type of equine training device or technique. I went with head restraint devices and techniques. Long story short? It's a short cut, horses find bit pressure aversive, and they don't actually learn from them anyway (there has to be a release of pressure (reward) when the horse is doing it right. Most of them don't allow a release of pressure.) When I was about 48 hours out from due time I was really slogging, but for some reason I turned on itunes and my inappropriate songs playlist. Inappropriate for who you ask? Probably just small children and religious people. They were not in my going to an event playlist for awhile as a tween girl was with us, but now that she's in High School I figure she's hearing worse. Anyway...
Pam's Inappropriate Songs Playlist
The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang
I Touch Myself by the Divinyls
The Clap and Inside of You by Infant Sorrow
I Think I Farted by Taryn Southern
Big Bottom by Spinal Tap
If you want to really laugh, go watch the Taryn Southern Video. No, wait, I'll embed it.
I also highly recommend her song Where Is My Goat? as well.
Another fun thing from my paper was discovering that Horse and Rider magazine is full of advice that has nothing to do with equine learning theory. The more I learn about learning theory the more I think every horse person I know should take a class in it. Oh are so many people getting it so wrong. Because seriously, "pull up on your horse's mouth to bring up the shoulders to get him on the bit." So contrary to everything dressage teaches, though I'm also learning dressage doesn't have it quite right either. Equitation Science is pretty cool though. There may very well be a day that cameras will be scoring dressage tests. Imagine it: a camera that will be able to say, "oh hey, that horse is so many degrees behind the vertical, so it should get this score because of that." Anyway, more on Equitation Science at the ISES website
On top of all this, we got a new puppy. When she was surrendered the owners said she was a Golden Retriever/German Shepherd mix. there is no GSD in this dog. However, we think it's very likely she could be a Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix. She's almost 8 months old and was surrendered because she was "chewing on things." An activity that puppies like to do and if you don't give them appropriate chewing articles they'll find things. She's totally getting that toys and chewy bones are for chewing, shoes are not. She's mostly a pretty good girl and has been a nice addition to the family.
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