Gangles

I completely forgot about posting these gangly mare pictures! BHM hasn't returned from Mongolia yet. BHM and Trooper had already overtaken the jeeps, last I heard. The Mongolian Horses are pretty appalled.


HSE 1981 Horse Show, posing perfectly. I don't know what I said to the mare, but she didn't like it:) Probably got smoke up her nose. Mare had a couple flaws, conformation wise, but she was a sweet, sweet girl. Over-long back, a bit "disconnected" behind. Shortish, upright neck. Not really a ton of scope. Kind, willing heart.



That's better. She was pretty smooth in her gaits, a little short striding in front, just a bit narrow bodied, and quite "wiggly" when I first started with her. Her pictures are fun for me to look at, because I can see the difference my cousin made in my riding, between the "schooling" shot, taken before, and the "show" shot, taken after my visit to cousin. I still have the notes I wrote to myself.. "Shoulders back". "Look where you're going." "Shorten your stirrups for jumping." (duh) A biggie - "Let The Mare do the jumping!" "Do bounce fences and keep your upper body naturally straight".



I rode with a way long stirrup, for over fences, hadn't changed it much for years. And of course, I bent too far forward from the waist, "jumping ahead". Because my stirrup was tooo long. This shot shows how well she could jump, if I hit a nice, generous longish take-off spot. I couldn't "bury" her to closer distances, as she'd often take the rail down in front. Again, Because I was jumping ahead, weighting her forehand, just as she was leaving the ground. I also was very close to losing my teaching job at this barn, at this point, as I've mentioned before. I couldn't teach beginners to jump. No how.



After I spent the time with cousin, I FinallY started being more aware of my stirrup length, and in this shot, the mare has taken off much closer to the fence, and man, is she using herself! TahDahhhh! I'm Much better with my upper body, too. It's still exaggerated, but I'm not kissing neck. Her front end got even better, as she learned to use herself properly. She's splitting her front legs a bit here, i.e. her knees are uneven, but I really like the air she's giving the fence, seeing's how she'd been known for knocking them down in front for so long. Yes, my brand new just learned it crest release is mannered/artificial. TFB. I'd always been taught grab the mane.

This was a TBcross, no idea on the exact breeding, other than Tamarack was in her bloodlines. Lots of hunter horses around that area were, too, at this point.

The mare started to look pretty big league. I started to dream of riding in the big leagues... She wasn't quite big enough, nor I, but I didn't know that!

Yes, I did finally master teaching beginners to jump, too. I had to learn myself, first, AFTER riding & jumping for 15 years.

1981, a very good year.


Not so much for trees in my area, this year.

Yes, folks, the neighbour who likes a chainsaw is at it again. The space you see between the two "forests" used to be a solid wall of mature trees. I used to live to the right, and we were grateful for the wind break in winter.
All down, all dead. No good reason. None. Reduced to wood chips, used only for spreading all over the barren ground. Which starves the soil for a bit..



Above was yesterday. This is today.


And after a work stoppage, thank you thunderstorms, this is (I hope) the end, for now.



Man against Tree. Tree loses.


Developer mindsets will never rest, until the land is barren of all organic "real" life. These trees would have been full of birds and wildlife, at this time of year. All gone. Bye, Bye. Those trees won't grow back in a year. Maybe 50. Might be too late by then.
You wonder why I'm grumpy...
I haven't seen or heard a red-headed wood-pecker this year. The sighting numbers are low. What my neighbour did to his "new" land will be felt by the earth and it's creatures for decades to come.


"It doesn't matter" doesn't always work for me, Mrs. Small.


Somehow, it has to start mattering, to the people owning the land.