laying tracks

An overwhelming proportion of traffic across this modest little blog these days is non-human. Bots, crawlers and scrapers out mining data to power the next generation of LLMs, no doubt. 

It’s always interesting to see which posts and pages are getting swarmed, tho. Not that there’s any rhyme or reason to it — but it’s sorta like a random magic 8 ball surfacing an ever changing array of old thoughts, memories, experiences, etc from the archives. 

haven’t taken many new pics lol so instead enjoy this festive pony sticker that came in a care package from a friend!

I like to click thru and reread old posts anyway, and the sorta ‘random’ nature to the bot traffic often brings up long forgotten stuff. And sometimes there’s inspiration to be found! Like when a lesson recap from almost exactly 6 years ago popped up, describing the “anti-grid grid” we’d practiced in a jumping session!

pic from back in january, pre-storm, last time we jumped a couple little jumps

It immediately struck me as something we could try even within the confines of the narrow but long indoor! Because real talk, guys, I really have not done a ton of ‘proper’ course work with Doozy, and admit to avoiding a lot of related distances of the 4 to 6 stride variety. 

Ymmv, but to me it seems like shorter combos — your typical gymnastics or grids — are more intuitive to the horse, and harder to miss on the striding. Longer lines — think 7-8+ strides — are more forgiving of variations in the horse’s stride length, aka easier to add or leave out a stride. But that middle distance, which is naturally most common in competition, kinda wants more commitment lest you end up on the half stride.

finally set a little mini course this weekend tho. pic not to scale, but was a pleasant little assortment of options!
distances: 21’ for the in-an-out one stride bottom right corner; ~55’(ish, I didn’t exactly measure) to the blue oxer

We really haven’t jumped much at all since our last competition in November, either. There have been a couple lessons — notably the two gymnastics clinics with Sally, and also the Loch Moy lesson with Dan that I didn’t really write about but was fine — but otherwise we’ve mostly just dinked around occasionally with whatever was set up in the indoor. Usually singles, and sometimes some bounces.

simple cross rail (illustrated in pink in the sketch) off one diagonal 

The weather this weekend was gorgeous, tho. And with Doozy being in a notably placid and serene mood (LO-fucking-L), I was determined to actually set stuff up intentionally and ride it. 

Starting with, naturally, the anti-grid grid of a bi-directional 21’ one stride to ~55’ (sliiightly short 4 stride). And a few singles to facilitate cruising flow and easy changes of direction.

bn vertical off the other diagonal (red in the sketch). can also see the bending line to the swedish oxer behind doozy. generous ground lines on both sides since this was our tallest jump.

Nothing crazy, obviously lol. The biggest thing height-wise was a barely-BN vertical with out-to-there ground lines and big bright fluffy flower fill to help give lots of definition to the jump for Doozy. The swedish oxer was maybe a titch larger than you’d expect to see at starter level, esp in base spread, but certainly inviting for BN.

Nbd tho. Indoor course work unsupervised after a relatively quiet season does not have to be balls to the wall, all out, amirite? And also real talk: for the last two competition seasons I’ve kinda gritted my teeth and gotten almost all of our jumping done solo outside of lessons. It was what it was, no regrets or anything, but it’s not reeeally how I’m hoping the year ahead will go for us.

swedish oxers are so versatile and are more inviting to ride off both directions than square oxers. generous ground lines on both sides.

A big priority this coming year will be more jumping lessons, have no fear. But ya know. In the meantime, why not have a little fun, right?? RIGHT lol. 

Doozy just loves to jump. I wasn’t sure if she’d be wild or explosive or make bids for the fences after so much gymnastic work in recent months… But honestly she felt SUPER in her connection. She seems to thrive with a steadily closed leg, hip to heel — think: “hugging” the horse — matched with a firm but not dead-weight rein contact — think: feeling the bit move, vs a dull grip.

She has such a natural desire to push forward that the jumps seemed to come up comfortably if I could maintain my end of the connection.

set of 2’3 verticals for the in-and-out, 21’ distance for a more compressed one stride. flowers centered directly under pole for riding in both directions. no extra ground lines bc i was a little lazy, but it was nice test for us to not always have ‘training wheels’!

We did have one moment of getting inverted — our classic ‘face-full of Dooz ears’ move — traveling across the long bending line from the vertical to the swedish the first time, but honestly it was my fault (obvi), I needed to trust that we could wait for the stride **without** shortening or pulling back. Came back around and trusted it and Doozy kept her shape, good girl. 

And actually the anti-grid grid was so perfect for this. The 4 strides felt blazing fast, dear god, even tho I set it a little short. But it rode great every time — in both directions, oxer to in-and-out or other way around. So it was good for me to remember that feeling too, esp after months of riding in the indoor where it’s easy to get under powered and off the stride. 

the whole line can be ridden both ways, 1 to 4 or 4 to 1; can also catch both ends as bending lines to the earlier diagonal elements: X to in-and-out, or vertical to swedish. i didn’t try to ride the other way — jumping into the line then veering onto a bend — tho you could do that too

All in all a productive session, but also, ya know… Just plain fun LOL. And a good experience of just going out and doing it and not ‘overthinking’ it too much, as Dan would say. 

Tho ya know. Now that things are thawing out and temps are climbing again, obvi we’re already starting to get eager for the next fun adventure opportunity! Hopefully soon to come!

friday foto finish: #shameless

Wasn’t it just the other day that I wrote about how nice it is having a sensible mare who could resist the temptation to stick a leg thru the fence just to scratch ‘dat itch??

Well. Ms Thing would apparently like to correct the record LOL. 

Bc this week she’s been feeling…. a certain sort of way, and “resisting temptation” ain’t got *nothing* to do with it haha…

Doozy’s serenely placid expression with all those sheepish geldings lol… ffs mare!

I’ve clearly interrupted a moment here. Just be grateful that the camera didn’t really capture the, erm, yellow tinge to all that snow omg.

Ugh. Mare. Keep your legs out of the fence pls!! Luckily was just a minor little flesh wound… but still!!

One bonus to her, uh, willing mood was that she not only was NOT violent about the acupuncture in her recent appt, but actually seemed to like it for once! Goooo figure haha, that’s the most needles we’ve ever been able to safely place!

Ridiculous critter, I swear to god!

Hope y’all are having as good a Friday as Doozy, LOL — just make good choices pls!

fire horsing forward

It’s still winter around these parts… But at least the weather is normalizing a bit. It’s only freezing out?? We’ll take it! It hasn’t been quiiiiite warm enough to meaningfully melt any of the snow, tho hopefully that’ll come this week.

somehow only very few new pics, so enjoy this nice shot of Ms Fire Horse Herself, She of Big Emotions, from the last snowstorm

In the meantime… It feels like time to get back on the proverbial — and literal — horse. 2026 has already been a lot of things to a lot of different people… for better, but unfortunately often for worse too. 

We’re imminently approaching the Lunar New Year — the Year of the Fire Horse — tho, which is apparently a time to embrace our independence, challenge authority, and trust our instincts to strike off down new paths, while not shying away from pivoting or adapting as needs arise.

bc…. the current snowstorm is still with us LOL… gotta love mares tho, look at that tidy little path out to the pasture, clearly demarcated by breadcrumbs manure piles

To me, that leaves a lot of freedom and openness to interpretation. That linked article says,

 “It’s a time for big change and big emotions,”

Which… feels somewhat strangely dichotomous considering so many folks are feeling cooped up, restrained and stir crazy, kept inside by a vast array of perilous external forces… Literal, figurative, take your pick. But maybe that’s also the point, the actual sign of the times?

pathway marks a direct line straight to the round bale lol

Anyway. I dunno about you, but “big change” sounds good to me. Well. Ok, let’s back up a sec. I’m actually a bit more of a Wood Ox, personally. More of a ‘dependable planner’ type, admittedly change-averse in my own day to day operations… LOL. 

But it’s a sentiment I can get behind if we’re talking about the general times!! 

well. **almost** a straight line— clever ladies dogleg over to the heated water trough on their way in and out

Because as it is, there seems to be an increasing feeling of general restlessness and malaise with everything going on. Shifting seasons aren’t likely to fix all (or even any) of that… But maybe the improved conditions can inject some much-needed energy and motivation into the collective psyche, right? Maybe??

speaking of injecting much-needed energy… this gadget continues to be useful in the face of persistent cold!

For my part, I finally dug the trailer out of its snow cave, zapped the truck battery back to life, and hauled Ms Mondeuse over for a dressage lesson with trainer C. Sure sure, we’ve barely ridden at all in recent weeks and the animal is straight up feral. But. Eh. Who cares. We’re following our Fire Horse intuitions, not getting bogged down in the rigid details, amirite?

older pic, lately have had the best success with hooking both positive and neutral cables directly to the corresponding bolt nuts on the battery. ymmv.

And it was good! Tho you’ll have to take my word for it bc obviously we don’t always have friends tagging along taking pics and video of every little moment LOL (sigh). 

all the better for gettin where we wanna go!!
(yes, this is the only actual picture from our lesson LOL)

And ok, maybe it wasn’t, like, classically “Good” in terms of getting stuff done, being productive, furthering Doozy’s dressage prowess, etc etc etc. More like small-g “good” — keeping horse between rider and earth despite unplanned dance moves; staying patient with a sense of humor when the mare can bolt on a balanced 15m circle… etc etc, you get the picture! 

replaced the pastern wraps we’d been using with new navy DSBs snagged with a recent gift card

It maybe ain’t much lol… But I’m here for it anyway. Getting my fix, focusing my time and energy on the things I love doing. 

Spring is coming. The Fire Horse is coming. And if the Chinese lunar zodiac is to be believed, Times of Big Change and Big Feelings are also coming. 

flashback pic of my mare and her sweet glare <3 <3 <3

For as tiring and relentlessly oppressive as this winter has felt, it has to end eventually, right? 

“i’d like to speak with the manager”

Not naming any names or anything… But there miiiiiight be a little red mare out there gettin ready to write a strongly worded letter about this whole w*nter situation lol…

the look of a mare who is running out of patience with the whole “sn*w” mess

“wtf is it actually snowing again right now???”

“this is bullshit”

“if i slip and fall and die, i’m taking you with me.”

meanwhile. in baltimore city. 
nbd, just scoopin’ up some actual literal icebergs in the middle of rush hour traffic!

Stay warm out there, kids!

imbolc

That weird rodent up in Pennsylvania might have predicted more winter, but we still passed an important milestone this week: a previously-unknown-to-me Gaelic holiday Imbolc!!

#trashhound

February 1st is apparently some sort of ancient pagan festival celebrating the beginning of spring — marking the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. 

trying to hide how excited she is about actually getting to go do something again!

Presumably all these weird winter holiday variations all have shared ancestral roots — or at least, in the case of good ol’ Phil, shared observations of the natural rhythms of seasonal change. 

“reading the news”

And while I wouldn’t exactly look out the window and think, “Ah yes! Spring is coming!” there ARE some undeniable signs.

biscuit has been so bored she was literally thrilled to be back in the dusty ring lol

Sunset is noticeably later now — something that makes a HUGE difference for me personally, and probably a lot of you too. 

apparently so starved for grass, even dead half rotten grass

The horses are also getting more serious about mid-winter shedding. Doozy started getting a few loose hairs around the solstice, but it’s really picking up steam now. Which, as usual with this sensitive little mare, is a good reminder for me to keep an eye out for under-blanket skin funk.

sunset is later and later every day!

Coat Defense powder is my go-to for trying to stay on top of funk prevention. And actually, one of the barn managers makes a DIY version with tea tree oil that is absolutely luscious! 

behold! we aren’t the only crazy ones!

Anyway. Other signs of a shifting season: The horses definitely seem to be hunting for ANYTHING approximating grass. Which I guess could also just be a reflection of having the ground hidden from them for a couple weeks… But still. I like to believe it’s a sign they can smell the earliest signs of growth. 

friesian frens are best frens <3

Tho, the downside is Doozy seems more preoccupied sometimes with hunting grass than just chillin at the round bale. It feels inevitable with TBs that they tend to grow a little lean by the end of winter, and Doozy’s definitely on that path. 

Nothing crazy - imo she looks fantastic (and was possibly admittedly a *little fat* at the height of summer grass anyway), but ya know. Something to keep an eye on!

so intrigued by this dark mucky substance peeking thru the white

We’ve laid relatively low since the storm anyway. Obviously the new year kicked off with a bunch of exciting lessons, and hopefully we’ll get back to all that soon! But, eh, all in good time — and temperatures, amirite?? 

Maryland is finally returning to more seasonally appropriate weather, which means this snow might be gone soon-ish too. Here’s hoping!

mmmm maybe more grass!!!

In the meantime, we’re working on embodying yet another little teaching nugget from the recent yoga classes: focusing on ‘wise stewardship of energy.’ 

In other words, trying to be mindful in how we use our time and energy, rather than operating in mindless autopilot. Recognizing that even tho Doozy has apparently limitless vast reserves of stored energy (lol), it’s up to me to help channel her in productive ways, especially when some of her normal outlets are less available bc of conditions etc. And maybe also especially when my own energy levels are decidedly less than hers… Let’s call it a work in progress LOL!

friday foto finish: bundled biscuit!!

Unbelievably, it’s still January… How? Nobody knows! Fortunately, tho, in another 3,846 weeks two days we’ll be into February. Still winter, obvi. Probably still gonna be cold and gross… But maybe an improvement anyway? We’ll see, I guess lol…

pre-storm: the most bundled up hobo east of the mississippi! 

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re within huge proportion of the US that got slammed with an epic cross-country snow storm last weekend. It was … a LOT.

a very dire forecast indeed for this part of the world

Tho, interestingly enough, the forecast was remarkably consistent (and appropriately serious) pretty well in advance. Everybody knew it was coming, and everybody most people planned accordingly.

big daddy, most impractical of commuter vehicles, actually proved useful parking amidst the city drifts!

Members of the barn staff and care team — including the primary paid force of guys who live on site, and the flex folks who cover days off and some weekend stuff — were all able to juggle days and shifts etc to ensure the main guys got enough time off before the storm. 

the barn guys did such a surgically precise plow job, tho, the civic should be free soon!

They had a plan, folks were rested and ready, and it all went super smoothly! What a crazy feeling to be hunkered down, snowed in, off the roads bc of ‘state of emergency’ restrictions, and completely at peace with the knowledge that Doozy was absolutely fine!

anyway. ponies. WILD ponies!

This is probably one of the first times in my life as a boarder that I wasn’t among the core group of folks gettin shit done when circumstances required it. What a luxury! 

Instead, I basically got to just… stay out of the way, let the guys do their thing, and otherwise just wait for the coast to clear to show up and play with my pony!

just look at that sweet face and tell me she isn’t the most precious??

Now, granted. Doozy is a VERY different type from Charlie. Sure, she’s still spoiled rotten and considers 3 days of no grooming to be a shocking dereliction of my duties. Absolute neglect, no doubt. 

But Charlie, that sweet silly gelding, may he be resting in peace… if he didn’t get his daily grooming, homeboy was as likely as not to take things into his own hands and stick a leg thru an actual fence while trying to scratch dat itch! Ahem.

ooooooh they heard the peppermint crinkles LOL, **Incoming!!**

Doozy is… not that kinda girl lol. Tho naturally she was quite happy to finally get groomed again anyway — especially under her hood!

speed racer, look at that blur!!

With things as they are outside, tho, everything is slowing wayyyy dowwwn on the productivity scale. Tho I still want to make sure Doozy gets regular opportunities to move out and let off some energy!

lol. just kidding… ‘twas more of a mild lope

Turnout in the indoor with her favorite little bebe morgan field mate seemed like the perfect activity! Nice soft flat footing in a safe environment!

for real, tho, check out those stems!

Naturally, neither mare seemed to really know what to do with themselves. They weren’t super stir crazy (probably bc it’s tiring enough just trudging thru the snow to the round bales), so there wasn’t much in the way of galloping zoomies, bucking or squealing… 

Doozy let out a few little bucks and bolts, but mostly just kinda lazily ‘self lunged’ LOL! To be honest, both mares seemed far more interested in inspecting the two tractors that were parked behind the camera to stay out of the snow… 

sweet spoiled mare would like us to please clean up all that nasty icy mess!

All in all, not a bad way to get a little enrichment! Conditions aren’t likely to meaningfully improve any time soon — with temperatures staying well below freezing for at least another week, and the possibility of another storm coming too. 

Not ideal, but them’s the breaks. It IS Maryland tho, so who knows, maybe all this nastiness will be followed by a week of sunny 40*F weather and everything will be back to normal in no time flat! A girl can dream, right?

How did you make out in the storm — still digging out or basically back to business as usual? Or maybe you’re one of the lucky ones and missed the snow entirely?