Working

I'm here at work today. Today is a holiday. So why am I at work?

Simple answer: I'm a grad student. Grad students do not have holidays.

Right now I'm waiting for some samples to dry in the oven before I continue with the slog that is lab work. I'm so close to being done with lab work, but yet so far away.

I can taste it, the freedom to simply write write write my thesis without being interrupted by beeping timers that insist I get off my computer and into the lab to attend to whatever it is that needed to be timed.

Hopefully by the end of tomorrow it will be done. That is the goal. Then there's just one machine to fix and one day to plow through and it will all be over. I'm okay with that.

I'm not a good writer when I have to write from scratch, and I'll sit all day in front of a blank word document desperately trying to pin down exactly what it is I have to talk about.

Even making a title is a big deal for me. I start by creating the file and making a title. Then I feel I have started. The document may sit for days with only a title, but hey, I've started!

Right now my thesis is a jumble of half finished sections and rough as rough can be drafts. The results section says things like "insert graph here" and "add stuff" and "more references". Usually I type these phrases in capital letters so that I see them when I proofread and the draft does not go off to my major professor as scientific writing interspersed with "ADD SHIT HERE".

The timer is going off again, so now I must attend to my samples in the oven. *Sigh*

Slowing Down the Trot

This is from the Mugwump Chronicles that was posted on Monday the 11th. It's kind of long, but I found it fascinating.

I've been having the exact same trouble with my horse lately. Over the winter her training and my riding has slid a bit, and we're having these "slower-faster" arguments at the trot. She has this lovely "bareback trot" and the horrible bone-jarring death trot as well as this awesome ground covering trot. I want to keep her in the bareback trot without feeling like I have to hang on her face all the time.

Q: My question is about the "death trot". I'm struggling with my Arabian mare on rating. She has a go-a-holic trot...I'm desperately wanting her nice little ground work trot to occur under saddle. You know, the nice little soft pitty-pat trot that doesn't rattle your teeth. Would you care to help an aspiring endurance rider smooth out the trot? I'd be ever so grateful. I find myself all to often in the reins, as she pushes faster and faster. I need a loose rein, and a collected trot.

Mugwump's Answer:

"I work on rate initially in the arena or in an area both my horse and I feel safe in. I ask for the trot and the second it gets bumpy or unpleasant I pull my outside rein (rail side) and turn the horse the other way. I pull hard enough to make the turn unpleasant, but I'm not tearing up the horse's mouth either.I just want to pull hard enough to pull my horse out of the death trot, change the direction of her feet and her forward motion.

I immediately relax my rein and ask for the trot again. As soon as she gets bumpy I pull and go the other way again.
Eventually, my horse will hesitate before slamming into the horrifying trot, because I have been yanking her around every time she sped up.
When I feel the hesitation I'll give her a big "Good Girl!" and pat on the neck then just sit quiet until the trot speeds up again, then I'll pull her around again. I keep this up until she'll hesitate or slow down for at least a couple of steps from just a lift of my rein before she speeds up again. Then I quit for the day.
If I practice consistently and religiously she will learn to hold a steady trot.
The key here is to expect your horse to beat you to the punch and slow down before you pull her around. I am very slow with my hand when I'm doing this. I bring up my hand slow enough for at least two beats before I even make contact with her mouth.

I use this same approach to cure jiggers and chargy horses. I don't give them anything to pull against. The reins are loose until the horse goes beyond the speed I ask for, then I change the direction of their feet. I've never had it not work as long as I was consistent.

This can take awhile, it all depends on how ingrained the horse is with her expectations of being held."

I tried this out today in the indoor arena, and it really seemed to work! Now, my horse is old and broke, and catches on quick, but every time she upped the trot to bone-rattling, I pulled her into the wall to turn around, relaxed, and asked her to move off again.

We worked on it for about 10 minutes, and by the end she had her ears fixed on me, and when she felt unsure of what I wanted, she slowed down. I'm going to keep working on it, but so far I think it's going to work well for us

Tried it again today, and I must say I think I screwed it up a bit. Last time we were in the indoor arena, with is small and enclosed. Worked great there.

This time we tried it in the (much bigger) outdoor arena, which still lacks a fence. Horse seemed to be a bit confused.

My fault probably. I have yet to determine the exact speed at which the trot is "too fast". It's not the spreed really, it's the bumpiness. If she busts out the ground-covering trot, it's fat, but not unpleasant to ride.

If she gets tense and bumpy, the trot sucks, no matter how fast or slow we're going. Maybe we'll work up to that. For now though I think I need to stick with speed. Once I have her staying slow without half-halting every other stride, we'll work on "faster is OK as long as you're not rattling my bones".

The Sweet Smell of Cow

I'm in a story-telling mood today. This one involves me, the BF, and four jars of rumen fluid.

As part of my research, I need to find out the digestibility of the different feeds in my trial. So I lug the Daisy incubator to the beef center, weight out 400 little bags of sample (fun fun!) and truck off to collect rumen fluid.


Sticking your arm into a cow's rumen on a freezing cold winter day is quite nice. It's about 100 degrees inside the cow, but about 20 degrees outside. So as you stand in your shirtsleeves, one arm is toasty warm while the other wants you to hurry up so we can get the fuck back inside.

With help, get the rumen fluid (and keep it warm in the dead of winter!) and get it into the jars. Jars go into the daisy where they are kept warm and rotating for 48 hours.

However, on the first run, 48 hours later was in the middle of a snow storm. The beef center road was closed, and I couldn't get out there. So I call the guys out there and ask if they could put my jars in the fridge.

The cold would kill the microbes, and digestion would cease.

The next day, it's sunny, the road is plowed, and I manage to convince the BF to come out the to beef center with me to drain the jars and bring the bags back to the lab for drying.

Now, the BF starts complaining at the smell of fresh clean horse, so this is quite the feat. We go out there, and he's wandering around the big barn while I do my thing.

I take the jars out of the fridge. I open the jars.

UGH!

Now, fresh rumen fluid smells kind of like cow poo, but without the "poo" quality, if that makes any sense. Basically, it smells, but it's not unbearable.

The jars after 48 hours of incubation and 24 hours of refrigeration smelled like the remains of cow pie stew fresh out of the oven with a dead rat for garnish.

Across the barn I hear, "WTF is that SMELL!" And then in a minute, "Oh, God! It's getting worse!" And finally, "It's coming from you! Dear Lord!"

The BF was not appreciative of the new smell I discovered. Even though I thought it stunk too, I took the opportunity to make fun of him and his non-cowified olfactory senses.

It's too bad really. Since I had more than one run to do, I came home smelling like rumen fluid every other day for a couple weeks.

The smell really does not wash off, no matter how hard you try. You have to wait for the skin on that hand and arm to die.

So far I've introduced my city-boy to horses, cows, rumen fluid and pigs. Up next I think is sheep. Poor boy. He aught to know by now though that if he wants to lead a life free of animal smell, I'm not the girl for him!

Wow!

I've got a follower! My little follower box no longer contains the lonely words "no followers yet, be the first!"

Cool.

Try Before You Buy

Some things are very important to try before you buy. You know, like cars, horses, boyfriends, tattoos, saddles, etc.

You gotta try the car out, because what if it has a bad alignment problem and like the shopping cart you always seem to end up with at Safeway, wants to dive badly to the left?

Horses, well, duh. Unless you're the next Miss Cleo, you're not going to be able to know if the horse is any good or not with just some grainy photos and a trumped up description that Barbaro himself would have been proud to boast.

Boyfriends are a bit looser. After all, you can still dump his ass at any time. However, having a boyfriend is the ultimate try before you buy, since you have no more commitment to him than you do that shopping cart that lists to the left. If you like it, you can take it home. If you don't, just leave its ass somewhere and someone else will find it.

I guess a boyfriend is the try before you buy for a husband, or fuck-buddy roommate, take your pick.

Tattoos should also be tested out before you go through with them. If it's some tiny little design that only you and the whole bar are going to see when you leap up to dance before you realize you forgot panties with your mini-skirt, then just go for it. Who cares? It's not like you'll remember flashing anyone anyway.

If it's a bigger design or placed somewhere that will still show when you're wearing the legally required amount of clothing, then do try it out. Temporary tatts are good, but even better is Sharpie!

Sharpie is my best friend. It labels my grooming tools so I can find them after they sprout legs and wander off at the barn (or rather, some little bitch walks off with them), it makes really cool designs if you draw on cotton and then dab rubbing alcohol in it, and it gives me free fake tattoos. What more could a girl ask for?

If you can't reach the prescribed area, get a friend to draw for you. The design only needs to be an approximation of the final product. The point of the Sharpie tattoo is to let you see how you like being marked up. If you hate it, it washed off, unlike a real tattoo.



Right now I've got a Sharpie dragonfly on my arm. Why? I kind want an arm tattoo, and I kind of want a dragonfly tattoo, but I'm not sure if I want a dragonfly on my arm. So I busted out the Sharpie and doodled away.

I like the result. It's near the crook of my elbow, so it's totally covered with long sleeves, and peeks out teasingly when I have 3/4 sleeves on.

I'll keep refreshing the Sharpie for the next week and see how I like it. I won't have money for it for a few months, so for now, Sharpie it is! If I get tired of it, no biggie, soap is also my friend! If I love it, I'll get it.

Both the owl and the turtle started out as Sharpie tattoos, and I loved them and got them. My tattoos are getting progressively more and more visible, so the Sharpie period is getting longer and longer, just to be absolutely, 100% sure.

Nothing like buyer's remorse on something you can't smash, kill or give away.

Tattoo Ideas

I'm currently planning my next tattoo. Not really news, when am I not planning the next one?

I've been trolling the internet for designs, as I have to start with something. The first two were easy. It was very much "I want that!" The 3rd took some artist input, and I'm thinking the next ones are going to take some artist tweaking too.

Right now, here are my ideas. I tend to have 1000 of them and then narrow it down from there. Of course I'm keeping the theme of semi-abstract line art for every one of them.

Right foot

• Shark
• Some kind of ivy or vine-like plant
• Tropical fish

Arms/wrist

• Simple outline of something like a moon, initials or flower
• Initials would either be mine ("A" or "D") or "M" for Molly, my first pet.
  
• California poppy
• Bear paw print
• The word "simplify" in a scripty, pretty font

Side/ribs

• Paw prints

Definitely happening

• Fill in the turtle shell. I've got the design, now I just need to get the money.
• Add a moon and stars to the owl. Hopefully I can get that and the turtle shell done on the same visit, as neither one will take that long.
• Definite but far off: hoof prints or some kind of memorial for Cherry when she passes.

Now I just need the money. For some reason, tattoo artists expect to be paid for their services.

Random Thoughts

My head hurts, so I don't really want to get started on my day yet. It's already 12:30 and I haven't done much more than eat Eggo waffles and stare at the computer screen.

My horse is shedding, and I HATE it! She looks all scruffy and mangy now, and really, really old. She looks like an old nag, with bits of her coat missing in places and this long, dirty, old hair in others.

She's also getting super white! Already I can see the change in her neck and shoulders. I wonder what color she'll be this year? For the last several years she's been kind of this orange color, but this season she's looking kind of pink, like a strawberry roan.

Anyway, while wasting time this morning I watched some of the Octomom videos over on radar. I don't know why but I find her fascinating. She kind of reminds me of a one of my friends with the way she talks and the way she looks. I know her face is totally fake and full of plastic, but she really reminds me of a friend I had in junior high. Same kind of laugh, same way of talking, same facial features, same propensity to twist situations to suit her... It's weird. It's like I'm watching my friend, not some strange crazy lady with far too many children.

I'm horrified and repulsed and disgusted and I can't look away!

What movie is that from? I know I heard it somewhere, but I can't remember where! A girl was saying it, I think, like that helps any.

I really should start cleaning the house, but every time I get up my head spins and I have to sit down again. Maybe I have that flu that everyone's talking about that has nothing to do with pigs. Doubt it though, probably just a hangover.

Why is it I never expect to get a hangover? Especially if I'm drinking some fru-fru drink with lots of sugar in it. Those always get to me, but yet I'm always suprised when I wake up feeling crappy. Like last night when I had a mojito that was far too sweet (but so good!) and a bunch of red wine. That'll do the trick.

Wine. Why is it that people who say they like wine know nothing about it and tend not to have the best taste in it? Probably b/c people in general have crappy taste, so why should wine be the exception?

Speaking of crappy taste, my taste in tack is pretty crappy. If it's teal, I want it. I love synthetic tack and I love teal sythetic tack. One of these days I should deck my horse out in all our shit and take pictures to horrify the tack purists out there. The 1/2 synthetic saddle with the bright red latigo, the turquoise saddle pad (they told me it was teal on the website, they lied), the turquoise rhythym beads, the beta Dr. Cook's bitless bridle, the cotton reins, the nylon breast collar...... Wow. I don't think I own a scrap of leather for my horse.

Aside from the brown dressage saddle and the brown leather bridle I've butchered to make a sidepull with a black rope nosepiece. Even tackier is my nylon vaquero bridle with the tassles. That's some pretty tacky shit there.

See, the thing is, I love things in fun colors. Leather does not come in fun colors. Leather, at least the leather worth buying, is also expensive. Tack that comes in fun colors tends to be cheap. How can a girl resist? It's a good thing that teal isn't a teribbly common color or I'd have to sell a kidney to pay for my tack habit.

Also, the horse I'm buying said tack for is old. She'll be 19 soon. So how long am I going to get to use all this shit before I can't ride her anymore? I have no idea. She's going strong now, and I am going to lighten up (literally) to make her job easier, but who knows? It could be 10 months, it could be 10 years. Well, regardless, I'm going to enjoy our tacky tack as long as possible.

Hopefully I can find another horse that all this tack fits to ride after Cherry is retired and/or dead. Honestly, I hope I can find another Cherry. A small, cute, intellegent, sound horse that will have plenty of spunk and personality without any dangerous habits or screws loose.

Cherry, while always a big fat grumpy bitch, has never had any desire to hurt me. She's never done anything truly dangerous. Unsettling, scary and unexpected yes, but not dangerous. She doesn't buck, has only reared twice in 10 years, doesn't bolt and doesn't try and scrape off her rider on the fence. She's been difficult to train, a handful, and rude, but never out to hurt anyone (expect that foolish goat who tried to eat her grain).

Heart of gold, a sensitive soul, really. Cherry, for all her posturing, is very sensitive. Once you break the facade of "Fuck you, I'm not listening!" she's a whole new horse. B/c of this she's usually bottom of the herd b/c the other horses figure out pretty quick that the dragon face is just a front, and when challenged she'll back off.

Wow. That was quite the verbal tidal wave there. Maybe I'll use some of the Cherry stuff when I finally get around to writing her former owner about her.