Time for my weekly update. Why Thursdays? I dunno. My weekends are rather busy bustling with horses and activity. This update is rather bloated with pictures, but I owe you some right? Of course. Anyways that picture of the ponies running in about 12 inches of snow is one of the best from our wintery mix 2 weeks ago. I have some videos that will be uploaded on facebook I think. Now I have accumulated a few books that I wish to read here soon (before march ends) followed by some seedling pictures, and finally of course my Sigg bottle.

Books:




Steven Pinker's discussion of how language isn't a manifestation of the mind, however, the conversation of personal manner. Really Interesting read thus far.






The next was assigned for extra credit in my ethics class. Haven't made it far mostly because I just can't get pumped. End of Food by Paul Roberts is a diatribe on the food industry.





Lastly, in this binging of investigators and weird topics of nonfiction there is the all so popular Michael Pollan's " The Omnivore's Dilemma" which was bolstered yet again due to the movie Food Inc. Which him and Paul Roberts were both very active within.
Haven't started.




Plants:
These are just baby pictures.

These are cucumbers and others. :D

The young ones. Mostly lettuces here.

MY SIGG. Really proud of this for a silly reason.


That silly reason is simply that I no longer have to drink Commerce water at school nor have to buy plastic bottles that cost at least $1.50. The water there in Commerce has failed test numerous times and while that normally doesn't bother me...It even taste horrible. This is a pretty bottle that is an 1 L for my work and school that require a lot of liquid to be available. Plus, it is my ecological and minimizing my impact I did a few weeks ago.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Ride Hard, Ride Long

Refine
Influence
Define
Evaluate

I rode. I rode a lot for what Ia m used to this past weekend. Friday I worked Akeem nicely (see his first lesson) then move forward to Saturday where I rode DJ without stirrups even mounted without them. Keeper I just did circles and work without spurs though so my legs were dead.

On Sunday, here is the fun stuff. Kim was there, so woosh, jumping occurs. Keeper is first. Keeper is an older man that loves to jump and that is about as much as he wants to do anyways. He is really sweet in the sense that he allows one to regulate his pace easily and jumps quite readily. I haven't jumped in probably two months besides little tings here or there. Warm-up is over a small hay bale oxer that is nicely placed for causing the rider to make small circles over it...well Keeper isn't a fan of bending. Anyways we do that and all is good I am feeling pretty good cause I haven't really screwed up much. I wasn't giving enough direction early on but that was quickly amended. Then Kim points at the jump that is probably 3'3 or 3'6 vertical with a quick turn after it.
I did it. Poorly. I threw my body and long released him. It was bad. Next one was pretty phenomenal, not perfect but I had my bend in, released nicely, and landed with directions. What I did wrong? I was too quick, not rushing, but quick. Fixed, but I took my distance in a hunter length not as the base like I should know to do. 4th try....I get it. Felt great.
The reason I was to turn quick was because this was a long two or short three. I need to work on slow and meaningful, I was to make the vertical to a square oxer 3'6" high and wide. It was incredible. I think that was truly the largest due to width and the that when I took it as a three he launched, launched launched, launched, there goes the moon, what a pretty blueberry, landed.
My legs swept back , my body momentarily weightless, and my thumbs jammed securely into the neck of Keeper. Landing was a surge of swift speed, and me still thinking about the jump, not my leads. I landed on the left not the right and didn't switch till late. Did it again, and again, both times I felt my weightless body. Second time I concentrated on my legs staying forward, and third I truly felt as if I was soaring. We were done after that.
I flew later too but for a different reason, she is fast, and she sees that jump and is like "WOOHOOO JUMPS" -- I didn't do much besides attempting to break her anticipation habitat. It was fun but geesus How do I fix that?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Akeem's First Lesson

I will get stills and stuff from his video but he did a lot better than I could have ever hoped. Originally, since this is the first time I have had a riding lesson with this instructor, I wanted to bring a horse that showed me riding my best without the distraction of the horse that I could be fixed. But no, wait, I wanted dressage lessons to improve my skills in order to better work Akeem. It makes more sense then to bring him than my older pros.

This poor pony is really mistreated in some ways. Less than 50 rides probably somewhere close to 30 that he has had, not worked in about a month(due to inclement weather), and then driven nearly 2 hours to do a lesson. The boy was just set up for a train wreck.

He showed the "ill" behaviors that he has well without overdoing them. Some bucking and kicking, a lot of head tossing, and his inability to do straight lines. It was really quite wonderful. Since he was doing his normal falling in sprinkled with a little less attention span than normal, we really got to work on rebalancing him. Making him stop falling into the right is tricky since it is a sneaky thing he does. It isn't the standard "I will pull you into the right lane" that I am used to with the more expressive horses. No, no he is a smart fellow.

To help him rebalance himself, I was to ensure that he used the rail or made a straight line at all times. Something that he has extreme difficulty with. For such a green horse though he quickly got over that with more aptly timed cues from my calf muscles, and rein aides. He head tossed quite a bit which i was advised to drive him through and that ironically seemed to have relaxed him. The more I rode, the more he seemed to just start relaxing his entire body. His head stopped curling, his tail became quiet and his short back lengthen a hair.

Once we graduated off of a small 15m square we progressed to 30 then of course the entire arena. By the time we were doing the entire arena he was being asked to flex his neck both in and out of the arena gently while maintaining the cadence and rhythm in the corners.

He did it. Not always and sometimes he did really squirrely things but for the most part he did it all to his best.

HW: work on straightness, FIND LINES AND DO THEM. He needs to be rebalanced to so work on making things the right shape and think about guiding his legs more.

Planted another tray of 72 seeds mostly lettuces, some other herbs and radishes this evening. Also, I got my little do-dad that will allow me to reuse old newspaper to make pots. :D

Friday, February 19, 2010

Weeks In Brief

Week 1 Jan 1-9
My mother and I plotted the garden seeds necessary for our seasonal eating plan that we started.
I worked on developing a training schedule for my ponies. :D Also, started my father's birthday scarf.

Week 2 Jan 10-16
Mother and I switched to just goat soap. Rather nice and leaves the skin ohhhh so nice feeling. Read a little thing on the judging practices in the hunter derby ring and how it keeps calling my name.

Week 3 Jan 17-23
Ordered my seeds! I am excited can't wait for them to get in and started looking around at different water bottles to take to school and work. Knitted some mean rows on my socks too. I really need to finish my scarf though.

Week 4 Jan 24-30
Do you have any idea how many water bottles are on the market? This journey went from simply looking at a few to realize there is a lot more to know about bottles. I really love some of these but they are not quite as "earth friendly" due to their paints and well I look forward to aluminum over than food grade steel. My seeds got in :D Already planted some chamomile, sage, and marigolds. Marigolds are true heirlooms from my grandmother - little nervous as to whether they will actually grow. lol. dad's scarf is about 2/3 of the way done and his birthday was Jan. 25!

Week 5 Jan 31- Feb 6
This was a lovely week. Went back to work and worked with the horses and rode A LOT. ORDERED MY BOTTLE TOO! Found a Sigg on ebay that was just screaming "YOU NEED ME" and I figured it was probably right. Been so busy I haven't knitted really at all. Shame on me!
Received my seeds and planted. I now have Soyu Long cukes down, Curiosity Nigella, and Lemon balm.

Week 6 Feb 7-13
Great weekend. A lot of fun, limited riding but I did go and check out a barn to improve my dressage. It is rather promising but more expensive than I was hoping. I just don't see how anyone's time is $75/45minutes. Eh, very little knitting again.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Mission 20X

This year is a goal oriented year. Why? Simply because it is the beginning of the third decade of my life...yes I turned 20 this year. What next though how am I going to make sure that the next decade is as good or better as the last one?
Going to make goals.
Long term ones.
Last decade there were some not very original such as get through college, do well at my sport, and enjoy life to it's fullest. There were trials one of which I am glad I got out of my system for the last decade not this one. It bled into this decade but I am not going to dwell on it. I will grow from the process of healing and learning. Learned why I should avoid toxic people which is great and valuable thing to know.

Enough of the past. I am a 'look-on-the-brightside-person.' TO THE FUTURE!

This decade I will reduce my impact on the earth, knit more, learn to crochet better, ride to my fullest ability, garden, get my degree(s), get married to my love, and travel. Evolve a lifestyle that I can live with.

This year I will start off right by starting all those goals. Maintaining my fitness or increase my lifestyle through belly dance, pilates, yoga, swimming, and muscle work; long muscles are the goal. I will reduce my waste and impact on the earth by using more natural products and other means. I will ride, ride, ride - event, hunters, jumpers, race use all my horses and professionals' knowledge to learn. Knit more, I have a list of items and will post it later mostly socks, tunics, and other stuff. Love most.
Once a week I will learn a new exercise for riding.
Once a week I will find a weird way of exercise.
Once a week I will find a way to reduce my impact.
Once a week I will knit at least 4 inches.
Daily I will put aside time to love.
---I will probably add things but no, no subtractions.

Thursday, February 11, 2010