Speak, Memory

I think I mentioned that I recently moved Doc to a new facility. It has a grass 1/4 mile race track, and an addition 35 acres of trails. However, it did not have any good jumps. This past week I got permission to build some XC jumps, and I finished 4 of them today. Just wanted to share the photos of my newly completed project! Can't wait to try them out with Doc.

My Small Log jump. Probably not even 2ft in height.


After the Small Log, we turn left and head down a small hill to a water crossing, then back uphill to the Medium and Large Log jump...

Medium is probably 2'3", big is around 3ft, maybe a little bigger. Nice width to it too.

After this, we go straight ahead, then turn left again. Go down a slightly steeper incline, jump another water crossing and then...

...approach the Long Log...

On the short end, it probably doesn't come up to 2ft. But on the big end, it is about 2'9". After jumping that, we go up a short incline and head out of the woods to the race track...

...to the Coop...

This one is about 2'6" in height. I made it by salvaging an old feeder. This section was the V that held the hay. I will soon be finishing a Table Top that was the bottom half of the feeder. Can't wait for that!

Wow it's been a busy week. I've been at the barn from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day this week, which has left me zero time for getting over to my mother-in-laws house to check the internet. It's been a great week though!

Taught an advanced jump camp to 7 girls from the barn and we had a great week. It was really intense and a lot more work than I ever think those girls have experienced, but they rose to the occasion. Then on Friday we took everyone trail riding as a reward.

May also have a new home for Doc. One of my students has fallen in love with him and really wants to get him. Her mom is cool with it, but now we need to work on her dad. I think it would be a good match, so we'll see what works out.

Otherwise, things are good. Jeremy takes his bar exam in little more than a week. I've been getting good pay checks lately. Hopefully Jeremy will have a job by the beginning of August, and I'm also hoping that my hours will increase in august too. All good things.

That's it. Hope everyone is doing well out there.

I had a few requests on my facebook account to explain what I learned from the judge about building jumper courses. I thought I would share here too, though some of this may be old hat to some of my readers.

Anyway, I built some crazy hard, near impossible jumper courses for my schooling show last Saturday. This was my third attempt at building courses, and my previous experience with jumper classes at S and H had also been with difficult courses. At the time I was riding those super hard courses and I remember thinking to myself that they were overly difficult for this level. But then that thought apparently slipped my mind and I started making them too hard myself.

When the judge arrived Saturday morning she asked to talk to me and explained that my courses were entirely too difficult for any level of rider, but utterly ridiculous for a schooling show. I explained that I was inexperienced and would she please teach me a better way to do things. So, we walked out into the ring and taught me some cool stuff.

She said the lay out of the jumps was just fine. I had plenty of options and plenty of space to work with, so there was no reason that my courses had to be as hard as they were. She did also say that at least one of my courses would have worked just fine if I had moved a few jumps further apart from each other. Interesting things to know.

As is was nearly 9 a.m. already we opted to leave the jumps set as they were and simply design new courses. That was when she explained that a jumper course at this level should be very intuitive, and riders shouldn't have to think too hard about where to go next. She explained it like this: if she were bringing a green horse here, she wouldn't want to take him through a course where he was constantly turning and having to think so hard that it stressed him out. I thought that made a lot of sense. I know I wasn't happy when I brought my green horse to their first show and had to do four roll backs in my regular round.

Next was the redesigning. We decided to leave in my broken lines, which in one class consisted of a S pattern, and in the second included a roll back. She thought those were fine. She then told me that I should be thinking of my courses more like modified hunter rounds...include some straightforward lines, make sweeping turns, don't make anything too tight. It's ok to have a roll back or two, or a couple of tight turns, but riders should be able to find their way around the course even if they forget it.

Really great stuff, I thought. I enjoyed how she taught me and learned a lot of good stuff.

It's raining here in Indiana on this Memorial Monday, which means I finally have time to sit in front of the computer and report on the weekend.

It was the first show of the season for my S and H Stables students and they were all really excited. I was too. We had worked hard over the winter to gain new skills, improve old ones, and finally move some of our students out of the beginner rider division.



This is Libby on Coco (one of our school horses) in their last lesson before the show

It was a small show--our barn, two others, and then a few individuals here and there. We thought the show would be over by early afternoon. But Lucky Farms decided that their students needed to ride in every possible class that they could. We were there until 5 pm because of seven riders, mostly competing against themselves. But all in all, it was a good day and lots of fun.

Most of our students rode in the beginner divisions, and we had varying degrees of success. Not a lot of firsts--I think we need to work a lot on getting that lower leg absolutely quiet, and picking up the correct canter lead the first time. I'm still really proud of everyone though because they had good attitudes and gave their best efforts. Also, it's hard for a $500 horse to beat out a $50,000 horse. Yes, we need to work harder, but I'm not sure we'll ever stack up to that kind of competition. Even the judge said we looked pretty good, but we won't be able to beat that kind of competition.

The surprise of the day was Amy and O'Ryan. Remember that cute TB I was gushing about last year? The one with the bowed tendon? Well, he's doing great! He wasn't supposed to be in the show at all, but Jeanne (B/O) noticed that one of the 2ft divisions only had one competitor and she asked if we could put anyone in that division to give the girl some competition. We tossed Amy in on O'Ryan. She's never jumped him before, and only ridden him a handful of times. She's one of our best riders though. They got first in both of their O/F classes! I'm not entirely sure they deserved it both times, but WOW!



The big moment for me and my students though was the 2'6" division. I have four students showing in this division this year (though only three were showing on Saturday). That's the highest anyone in our barn is jumping. And I'm really proud of them. I convinced the girls to try the 2'6" children's medal class and prepared them as best I could. I told them the course would be similar to the jumper rounds they were already signed up for. I told them there would be a flat portion and they may be asked to ride without stirrups or do a test. It was all the judges discretion. I told them that they would probably all get their asses kicked because the other three competitors had been doing this longer and had super fancy, nice horses. And then I told them to just have fun. What I did *not* expect was that the judge would ask them to counter-canter! Gah! Have not worked on that with my girls at all! Boy did I feel like a chump!

Still, I was really pleased with everyone. I don't know what medal competition is like anymore around the rest of the country, but here in Indiana it's pretty sad. A lot of medal classes today look awfully similar to hunter classes. This worked to our advantage because Angie, my good friend and the course designer for all things hunter/eq at our barn, made a good, "old-fashioned" fabulous medal course. Those three girls on their fancy-scmancy horses? Couldn't remember course! Going into the flat portion, the playing field was pretty level. And then there was that counter canter! Oh, I could have cried! But then, none of those fancy-scmancy horses picked up their counter canter on the first try. Every one had to try a second time. Now, two of our riders didn't ever manage to get it, but one of my girls did. Emily and Apollo were the only ones to get the counter canter on the first try and hold it for the whole test! I was so proud.


Sarah and Priority held their own, despite the fact that Pri is most definitely not a hunter type!



Libby and Coco on course


In the end, Emily got third, Libby got fourth, and Sarah got sixth. I think she could have placed better but priority had a refusal.

After that, it was time for the jumper classes. Or rather, the Emily and Sarah show! I couldn't believe it. Emily and Sarah and one other girl were the only ones signed up to do any jumper classes. At least that part of the show went by quick. They again did the 2'6" division, mini jumpers. It was a little rough. The judge was tired. Jeanne was tired. Everyone was tired. They didn't give the girls a chance to really walk their courses. The girls were hot and tired. But they did their best. Emily got first in one class, Sarah first in the other. I was really proud of them.


Sarah and Pri in their element


Emily and Apollo also doing what they do best


So yes, they rocked my world. There are things to work on, but I am SO PROUD of them. Can't wait for the next show. Heck, can't wait for the next lesson.

All of us creatives (well, most of us anyways) here at work get together once a week for our Weekly Creative Showcase. It can feature anything, from recent work, to vacation photos, to advertisements we found interesting (or not so interesting). This week, we listened to radio ads, including ads for Finnegan's Irish Amber and Aptera.

For those of you that drink beer or just want a good laugh, visit the Finnegan's Irish Amber website: http://www.finnegans.org/

The aptera spot is a good chuckle too. Aptera is a concept car that is touted to get 300 mpg. Yup, you read right. Here's the radio spot: http://www.radiomercuryawards.com/rma/spotDetail.cfm?id=4744

If that doesn't work (or if you'd just like to hear other great radio ads) visit this page: http://www.radiomercuryawards.com/rma/2008Finalists.cfm

Scroll down to aptera (or listen to them all) and click on the link. I hope you all enjoy. I love radio ads. I think they can be really interesting and creative. It's too bad that businesses don't put much money or effort into them anymore, but at least there are some gems out there!

Lunch break was somewhat ruined because I apparently placed my blanket over a fire ant path. Let me tell you--those little suckers pack a big bite!

Note to self: must look closer at spot of choice before settling in.

I may be stuck in a cubical 8 hours of the day, but at lunch time, my view looks like this:




Eyes to the sky and my back in the grass on the courthouse lawn. Thank heaven for small pleasures.

Today is April 23, 2008. I have been at Fine Light almost a year (my anniversary is in three days!) and for the first time today, I got a job through QC and approved after the first round. Go me! *does a tiny little victory dance*

...I'll be the one to supply the entertainment!

Today is creative heaven. Mike just sent this around the creative department here and I really enjoyed them. I figure you all might too.

Teaser:


( Come inside )

My boss shared this with several of us creatives months ago. I thought I should share with all of you too. I love this!