A whole lot of nuthin

I don't have much to post about because I have yet to get to ride this week, but I have been watching some of Dick Pieper's video's on line. One in particular is about collection.  Something that we struggle with.

In his video he says to "Set your barrier, and then ride your horse into it."  Do not pull back!  That was my first mistake.

Second, was that I have always had to use the slight see saw motion to get Trax to drop his head.   I do recognize that doing that with him was not the wrong thing to do.  I will never forget the first time Jay rode him and he said, "Wow, there is a boat anchor on the end of these reins...like an anchor for an aircraft carrier!"  And it was true.

That is not the case anymore.  He really is not bad at all now, in fact he is pretty darn light.  But now it is time to graduate my cue.  That is what I have been missing but I saw it in that video, and I think I can fix this.  I also hope that once we change that cue, and get some real softness and lift of the back and shoulders, some of those other moves will start to fall into place.   Tomorrow I have to go pick up TC at the airport, but Friday is my day for sure!



TC has been in WY, again.  Saturday we got the call that his dad had passed away.  His dad, TL, was a WWII vet, a farmer, road builder, and all around "hand".  He was cantankerous and grumpy, as stubborn as an old mule, and I adored him.  I called him Gumpy Old Fart, which he thought was hilarious, and oddly enough at 93 years of age, he never once forgot my name.  He also told me once that I reminded him so much of his own mother, who was a saint in his book. It was a huge compliment and one I have held dear to my heart ever since.

He came to stay with us for a week last year when he was getting some teeth made, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him then. And now, for the first time I am actually crying over this as I type.  Not that we were not all sad to get the news, but the reality of it all is that he had lived a very long life. He had had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.  Then they moved him to a nursing home, which is the one thing he never wanted.  So everyone told him it was a rehab center. For some reason he was a little more accepting of that.  Just barely though, he wanted to go home but he could not care for himself anymore, so although terribly sad, no one was surprised and we were all glad that he went quickly and easily.

So with TC being gone, my morning work load has doubled and riding keeps getting put on the back burner.  Extenuating circumstance require changes in plans...its all good.



Last week I was in town and killing some time so I stopped at one of my favorite antique malls and browsed around.  While there I ran across this....

Which for some reason has been calling my name for a week.  I finally went back today and bought it.  It was cheap compared to the "new" hats in the western store next door.  This one is better than those.   This one is made by Smyth Hat Factory out of Utah.  I Googled the the company and I can't find anything after the 1960's other than the obituaries of the owners of the company.   I did however find several copies of newspaper ad's from the 30's, 40's and 50's.   So I think this would fall in the category of vintage.  I love vintage!

So now that I have the cool hat, I am working on ways to customize it a little.  I'd like to give it a little more of western look. So with that in mind I am looking at these:

I think they would make a perfect hat band without being too big and gaudy.  I might would settle for some small conchos, but they will have to be real ones, not the cheap tin. So I will probably have to wait a bit for my band.


I kept trying to think of who I had seen wearing a hat similar to this before.  It took me a minute but I finally figured it out.  It is not exactly the same, but close.

Who better to model my "Older Cowgirl Look" after than Barbara!  Of course I'll have to lose a few pounds, but it is on my to do list anyway! My hair is naturally almost that white already.  I am really digging her wider stampede strap, I might consider adding one, although my hat fits nice and snug so I don't know that I will need it.

The only other news I have is that I am looking forward to another weekend of hanging with some bloggin gals. We are meeting up at CNJ's CDE competition and I am gonna "Gator" for her.   I wonder if that is anything like doing "The Alligator" on the bar room dance floor after too many nickle pitchers of beer?

Hmmmm.  Horses involved so I am guessing not. Most establishments frown upon horses on the dance room floor.

Dang!

Oh well, I am still excited and I know we are going to have a good time.