Arte y Pico Award

It never ceases to amaze me that someone would actually consider my blog worthy of an award and so I was pleasantly surprised to receive this Arte y Pico Award from my talented friend, Victoria at Teachings of the Horse! She is a wonderful, caring and insightful horsewoman who can see the deeper meaning of life pertaining to humans and horses alike. I am very honored that she has chosen me and would like to pass it along to some of my favorite bloggers:

Linda at the 7MSN for her wonderful posts and pictures of her gang, especially George and Allen and Wynona.

Deborah at Epona Studio's Art of the Horse for her inspiring paintings, and her completion of
' Le Cadeau Du Cheval panel 156 titled "Shall We Dance". The large mural is to be unveiled at Spruce Meadows in September.

Nancy at Cliffy’s Moms Blog for her wonderful paintings of horses, dogs and other wildlife.

JME at Glenshee Equestrian for her interesting and informative musings on the horse world in general and her tireless work with rescue organizations and rescue horses.

Twinville at Laughing Orca Ranch for those fun pictures of her critters, most especially Phyllis Diller, who makes me smile whenever I look at her!

I hope you all enjoy receiving this award as much as I did.


The designer of this award has asked that the following be passed along with it:

The origin of the Arte y Pico Award: "This prize has arisen from the daily visits that I dedicate to many blogs which nourish me and enrich me with creativity. In them, I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain me day to day and to share this prize with those who enrich me every day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few. The people I will name today deserve this prize, as do the very long serious list of bloggers I also enjoy to read. But I will name the first 10 and leave the rest of the work to all the bloggers that visit other's blogs and are nourished by them."

Here are the rules, if you decide to pass the award further to remarkable blogs in blogosphere worth to mention:

The rules:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award through creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author with a link to their blog.
3. Award winners have to post the award with the name and link to the blog of the person who gave them the award.
4. Please include a link to the “Arte Y Pico” blog so that everyone will know where the award came from.
5. Show these rules.

Thank you!!

Oh No! Not The Knee

Oh No Not the Knee!

Are you kidding me! I cannot believe I did it again.

This time I have torn the meniscus in my left knee - as opposed to the one I tore in my right knee last year. (P.S. - I love to say the word meniscus! It sounds so scientific and fun! Meniscus – Circus. Close enough, right? Can’t you just picture prancing ponies at the Circus when the word Meniscus is bandied about?)

This past Monday I had arthroscopic surgery to repair my torn meniscus. Luckily it wasn’t as bad as the right knee last year; that meniscus had to be removed. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt like the devil, because it does. However, while I recuperate, I thought this post might address the problems we start to have with our older arthritic knees and how to cope while continuing to ride, regardless of the pain and the loss of flexibility.

Let’s face it: arthritis hurts, and to control it we need to take a few preventive measures (providing it’s not too late already, as in my case.) The Number One preventative -and this is major- is to keep our weight down. How unfair is that? It is one of the main reasons I am sitting here now instead of out doing the things I want to do. That’s right; I actually want to be out doing fun things instead of sitting here recuperating. How did I get into this mess, you ask? Well, it has to do with menopause, weight gain, less flexibility and the common denominator: aging.

During the waning winter months, I decided that I needed to lose weight and exercise before Spring and I got back to riding. A lofty goal, to be sure. As usual, I started out full of enthusiasm and energy. That lasted about a week or two, until I hurt something in my knee. Apparently, I was a bit overzealous in my exercise regimen, and did it to myself. Sadly, I was sidelined and had to take a little time off from exercising. I’ve written a few posts about how we should start slow and work up to the big workouts. Right now, I agree with myself and should have practiced what I preached, starting slowly and building up gradually. Did I? Heck no! I am strong; I am invincible; I am woman… hear me roar? (Helen Reddy should have been banned from the airwaves). It’s a bitter pill to swallow when your mind says “go!” but your body says, UH OH, better not try that again! Next stop: the orthopedic surgeon.

Headlines: THE MRI CONFIRMS IT, she’s torn the meniscus, and it needs surgery. That’s just swell.

I have had it repaired and as of day 4, I am sitting here and the stitches are really pinching me off. On arrival home Monday after surgery, I rested for a while. That gets old fast, as I’m not used to sitting around. I’m bored already and it’s only been a few hours.

Determined to be mobile I decided to give the crutches a go and take them for a spin. Into the kitchen or the freezer would be more accurate. I’m going to treat myself to an ice cream for being very brave about surgery. I also owe it to myself for all the exercising, dieting and the hell I’ve wrought to my knee for the sake of good health.

So far, the crutches haven’t been a problem (I made it into the kitchen didn’t I?) but where do I put the ice cream and maneuver with the crutches? Aha, the idea light bulb goes off, spoon in pocket with phone, ice cream under chin. You would think that might be too cold but, genius at work, I wrap it in a paper towel! Ha, Ha! not too cold now. Pretty smart, huh?

On to the den, where there are two steps down; can you see it coming? Slippery socks, crutches, ice cream, and yes I slipped but only down one-step and on my good leg... No harm done, thank God I had my priorities straight: with a grip like the jaws of life, I jettisoned one of my crutches to save the pint of Hagen Das. It was a close call. All could have been lost I might have actually had to bend over to pick it up from the floor. Now that I’ve written to the manufacturer of the crutches suggesting a warning label be glued to the death sticks, something on the order of “Warning: don’t use this device if you are a confirmed Klutz” along with a recommendation for built-in storage. I feel a lot better when I’m dragging my leg behind me doing my impression of Quasi Moto.

Seriously, for older knees and joints it has been suggested that I take Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplements to lubricate my joints better. I’m not suggesting this for anyone else, MY doctor told me it works for some, but not all. If you decide to try it, let me know if it works for you. The general consensus is that it usually starts to work in about 3 month’s time. Other factors: Exercise (slowly,) diet (nutritiously and lose only 2 lbs. a week). Doing exercises with less weight bearing on the joints such as swimming, elliptical machines, yoga etc… is actually good for you if you start slow and work up to what you can comfortably do. My daughter suggested Tai Chi and I will try the DVD she gave me as soon as I am able. (Are you happy now)?

My doctor has also suggested a joint therapy treatment that can be injected into my knee joints that may help lubricate them and make it feel less painful to walk, it is called Suparz, www.supartz.com. I’m guessing it’s sort of like spackle to fill in the arthritic gaps. Again I am not advocating this as I am NOT a doctor and don’t know what’s best for your aches and pains. This is what MY doctor suggested for me. If you are interested in this treatment, contact and speak to your orthopedic doctor about this.

I have searched for the deeper meaning in all of this aging nonsense and have only been able to come up with one moral to this story. Which is of course: never, ever exercise - have someone do it for you. Remember, if you were meant to touch your toes, the floor would be littered with diamonds. Or, at the very least, new riding gear.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
- Confucious

Switching Disciplines - Finale

Switching Disciplines – Finale

It has just occurred to me that I had completely forgotten about this last post to finish the series for Switching Disciplines. I suppose a little forgetfulness is allowed at my advancing age. I hope you find it helpful if you are considering switching from hunters to dressage or just might like to try something different to spice things up a bit in your riding.

Through the Judges Eyes

The judging at a dressage show obviously is different from your hunter/jumper shows. The U.S. Equestrian Federation designs most of the tests used in the U.S.; these tests change every four years. Each test is divided into a number of movements. The walk-trot test consists of nine movements and will more than likely be what you will be competing in as a beginner. There is no need at this time to worry about more numbers and movements, which will eventually be 38 at the Grand Prix Special Tests used at the Olympics. Since most of us will never compete at the Olympics, I would not worry about the more difficult tests just now and take one level at a time.

The tests come with directions for each movement, and this is what the judge will be looking for in your round. The judge will score each individual movement separately on a scorecard. What this means for the rider is that, not only will you receive a detailed evaluation of which movements you’ve done well, and which need work, but it also means that if you happen to completely screw up one element of your test, it doesn’t ruin your entire ride as it might in the hunter ring; you will receive a lower score for that element only. There are also collective marks at the bottom of the scorecards for overall quality of gaits, impulsion, submission, and the rider. A score of 0 to 10 will be given for each movement and collective mark by the judge. Your points are added up and divided by the total to arrive at the final percent scores that determine placings. You always get your score sheet after the class so you will see how the judge scored your performance and why.

The judges have scribes that they dictate to during the classes. By doing this, it allows them to see the whole ride and comment on improvements you can make in your riding.

Need to Know

At home, you should practice in a ring similar to a dressage ring. Set up a riding arena, this is 20x60 meters or 66 feet x 198 feet. This is the same dimensions as a large arena. The smaller dressage arena is 20x40 meters. Any flat space can be used and marked out with cones, spare buckets, jump rails, white paint etc. Use the cones for letters too. Diagrams can be found on the USDF site or other online web sites.

It is important for you to practice your tests and patterns before entering a show. In addition, you will need to memorize your tests, even though a reader is allowed, it is always better to be prepared. There is no coaching allowed only your reader may talk, trainers giving input will result in your elimination. No use of your voice is allowed or you will get a deduction in points. Dressage judging is forgiving if you fix your mistakes right away. For instance picking up a wrong lead or diagonal only affects that one box score, so if you make a mistake, don’t dwell on it – fix it if you can, or just move on to the next element of your test. You can go off course three times before elimination; the first two mistakes will cause a deduction.

Before your classes you will most likely school in the warm up ring, you should know some of the basic rules, which are:

Lunging is not allowed in the warm up ring.

Passing left to left is essential.

It is considered rude to walk or halt on the rail.

If you plan to practice lines of flying changes or extensions across the ring call for a clear line.

Dressage shows run on a set schedule. Your ride times will be learned in advance of shows, sometimes online. If there is a scratch ahead of you, it is your choice to go early. If the ring runs late, stay in line and be ready. Each beginner round usually takes about 4 minutes.

You must enter the ring on time. I love this particular rule. If any of you have ever been at the hunter/jumper competitions you should be able to appreciate the set times for showing. It is nothing like waiting a half an hour because a trainer has a “conflict” in another ring. I would love to see this rule implemented in all competitions, as I feel it is just rude to make a whole class wait until one person is ready.

This series has been a general overview of what to expect if you think you might be interested in switching over from hunters to dressage. It by no means takes into account all of the things you will need to know to compete. I would suggest attending a few shows and, if you are interested, find a knowledgeable trainer to help you or else find a local schooling show you can go to by yourself your first time out. In the meantime, the two web sites below offer a lot of useful information. Good luck! If you decide to try Dressage, it could be more fun and challenging than you think!

Resources

United States Dressage Federation – www.usdf.org

United States Equestrian Federation – www.usef.org

Until next time

Quote for Today

By reason of his elegance, he resembles an image painted in a palace, though he is as majestic as the palace itself.
- Emir Abd-el-Kader

My Blogging Spaces

My Blogging Spaces

Pony Girl has initiated a photo tag. If you would like to take part it’s easy, simply put up pictures of where you write your posts for your blog. So tag your it! (Only if you want to be). It will be interesting to see just where all of our inspirations come from. Pop on over to Pony Girl's blog and let everyone know in her comments section that you will participate, this way we can all check out each others blogging spaces.

Here Is Where I Sometimes Write a Post

This really keeps everything within reach!

I hope everyone appreciates how neat and organized this computer cabinet is, it took me most of the morning to clean the whole mess out and make it look presentable. I also share this computer with my husband, actually, it is his computer, and I am allowed on as a guest user. I feel so privileged.

I like this cabinet because the doors close and keep out 3 year old sticky fingers from the computer screen!

The Desk

Very professional looking, don't you think?
Makes me wonder why I'm not posting more often!

Ground control, this is headquarters for Grey Horse Matters, it includes my personal computer and my personal space. I have everything the way I want it on this desk, I can tell if it has been touched, so don’t! I realize this is just a little extreme but being half-German I need all things to be in their proper place and I expect them to stay that way. Just kidding. I do however, like a neat quiet place to work.

The Chair

Comfy Chair = More Reading

Truth be told this is where I do most of my reading of your blogs and comment on them, it’s just more comfortable than the office. In the morning, I usually have my tea here and check out what’s going on in the blogosphere. During the evening hours, I will generally take a quick scan to see if anything is new and I sometimes work on a post as I am doing now.

Not too exciting but that's all there is...

Quick Update on Herd Dynamics

Quick Update on Herd Dynamics

It seems as if Donnie has somehow made his peace with Nate and Blue. He has been allowed back into the group and once again, they have become “The Three Stooges.” Nate and Donnie are now play fighting every morning, like the old days. Blue is back to his usual routine as well: march through the gate, head down, past the barroom brawl and straight into the back field for a day of grazing uninterrupted by the other two Stooges.

I don’t know what started the dissent in the ranks, but as of now, all is right with Donnie’s world once again. Surely all the extra attention and hugs have helped Donnie, and he would like to thank his fan club for all the well wishes.

During our heat wave earlier this week, we turned out at night and I am sure they all feel like grown-ups now after being on their own past dark. After breakfast each morning, a quick check of the barn would find them all snoozing peacefully. I can only say that, after the disruption of the past few weeks, seeing them all lying down and snoring away gave me that soft fuzzy feeling of contentment. All is right with my world too.

Until next time

Quote for Today

A little horseplay... the way best to enjoy a summer day!