Sunday, June 29, 2008

APPLYCREATIVE dot com

Some of the links to the photos aren't working because they are posted on my server instead of Flickr. 

I am changing everything I do under "8th House Design" to my new operating Freelance name: "APPLY CREATIVE." I will be redirecting links and uploading and redesigning... and more geekery so please bear with me. Pics will be back up soon.

I think he longs for it, as any horse would

I have to add about Dusty's mischievousness over the last two weeks that he was also reaching his head around and trying to bite my foot when I asked him to do something. It was freaking me out and every time he did it my instant reaction was to make him go forward.

I was thinking the first time: "oooh, Dusty, please don't do that." squeeze with my legs.
the second time: "C'MON dusty, don't do that..." squeeze with my legs and getting on his mouth a little in order to make his life a little hellish, as he was doing to mine.
the third time: "I. SAID. STOP. THURMP" he got a fat lip (NOT really) with ARIAT written all over it. He didn't try that at ALL today.

Infact, he was very good today. On the ground (he followed me into his stall when I got there, and he was grazing!) and under saddle. I rode on the buckle (I only need to wiggle my fingers a tiny bit to get him to put his head back down if he raises it), posting/sitting trot, lots of figure eight's and 20m circles. In FRONT of my leg. Riding with my seat and legs, which is huge breakthrough experience for me. I can feel when he takes his back from me and I need to sit, when he is in a good stretch, and when to give him more leg. It's really in conjunction with me putting my leg where it needs to be and riding from the connection of my last vertebrae to his back. I'm trying. I still loose my stirrups every so often, so I let it be- if I'm sitting trot I'd rather ride without. I have never had any kind of mental problem riding without stirrups. At least I don't freak out when I lose one, heck I'll just kick the other off. I have no fear of finding them when I need to. I'm good at that. 

I am letting him free lunge in my riding area and he likes it. It gives him room to run like mad for a little bit and I am seeing a lot more stretching and relaxing coming from him in here. He was cantering around, doing flying changes, then he would break into a forward trot and go around changing his bend. He looked like he was having fun on his feet. He did two "airs above ground" as he jumped straight up off the ground with all four feet twice, then looking like he couldn't believe he just did that he came out of it in a very showy trot tossing his head.

I told leggs he was doing tempichangeofbendshoulderinshaunchestempis. She said he was showing off.

Lots of praise and "good boys". Rode for about 35 mins. then took a walk around the pastures and property. And his favorite, a warm shower. Slathered him with Slub's forcefield super heavy duty long lasting hippy flyspray gave him a kiss on his nose and put him out for the night. 

Oh!, I am also doing the ground stretches with him before and after riding. I've changed his food from Country Acres to Trot A Way. I've come to realize that I have made him onto a horse that I cannot just show up and ride and go home.  Not only does he NEED the attention, I think he longs for it, as any horse would. 

Friday, June 27, 2008

StreetsofPcola
On the weekends here in Pensacola the Evangelical Christians stand on the street corners holding bibles and signs that say things such as "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN". And they scream verse at you as you sit at the red lights. They have children in wheelchairs, men and women of all ages out there in the heat and humidity spreading the word. No, really.

I'm just sayin.

blogging for advice and to vent. about horses.

The very sporatic summer showers of Florida are now a constant. The round pen is pretty much under water and the grass tends to be slippery footing for someone with no health insurance. I try to ride Dusty at least four to five days a week. About three weeks ago I didn't ride him for five days straight, a few due to the weather and a few to my busy-ness. He had five days of pretty much hanging out eating butt loads of green, green grass. But he was "in " during the day...

I got to the barn and noticed that the mare he lives with (pretty much his only friend) bit him on the neck AGAIN. She's a cute mare and for the most part pretty nice- to people. When she wants a treat. She will act real nice to Dusty and then she will very cheaply strike him usually resulting in a nice hunk taken out of his neck. This time she got him pretty good, ripping the hair out and leaving a cut about an inch long right under his chin. MY HORSE HAS FIVE BITES ON HIS NECK AND NOW THIS ONE. "I need a minute, please" I had to say when someone tried to talk to me.

You see, I know that she is kind of mean to him, and he's VERY submissive. He's never even tried to get her back. He scrambles away. But I don't know what to do. I figure that its better he's with her than if he's always alone in the barn, and in the pasture. But not anymore.

The BM owns the mare and went out the next day to get her a grazing muzzle. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but also I knew that I really couldn't let my horse get treated like this anymore. -then I also couldn't bare to think of him always being alone, like a little kid that wants to go play with the others. And NEEDS to do just that. There are some pasture board only horses out there and Elijah that big old perch in HIS pasture. A friend did me in by telling me "Thoroughbred horses tend to bond stronger with their horsie friends, especially other TB's." ugh. Is this the belief? Is this what "they" say?

He's developed this mild "snakey" thing to me on the ground. I noticed it exceptionally that day. He's acting just like her...pretending to nuzzle me and then snapping. He's obviously more nervous when I start to groom him. He was falling asleep before, now he's got ADD. It's a constant "no. backup. Dusty. NO." and a series of "BBBBBAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH" 's as he does less than minding his manners on the ground.

The snapping. OOOUUGGGHH the F'NSNAPPING. He got my hand pretty good the other day and a few misses since and the reaction is the same pretty much every time. If he GOT me or almost bit me he will get wide eyed and raise his head and take a few steps back. He KNOWS he shouldn't be doing it. It's like he's saying "OKOKOKOKOKOK!!!" What should I do? Should I pop the shit out of him? because I REALLY WANT TO, but sometimes it takes me SO by surprise that I miss those three seconds of their short term memory. And really, I don't WANT to hit him. He gets really nervous if I get excited.

Here's the deallie-o.
On the ground: He's starting to get pissy. REALLY pissy. Threatening to kick out (he hasn't actually KICKED, but he will instead kinda wave his back leg in the air for a second) on the ground, manuvering his butt towards me at times...he seems to calm down about 10 minutes after I am with him,and he's back to normal DustyMan.

Lunging before riding: He HATES the round pen. The footing has been wet in an area and he will stop, look over at me, STOMP both front feet on the ground and pin his ears. He wants to canter, but he hates the footing, not to mention he takes the wrong left lead and knocks his feet on the posts sometimes. I put him in there today and as soon as I asked him to trot he was pinning his ears. what to do...what to do...shit...what should I do? So I decided no lunging. I will just get on him.

Under the saddle we have entered a new phase: The phase is called "a stuck" horse. Refusal to trot. Refusal to accept leg. Kicking out. Mild bucking. And this is just the stretch warmup phase. I was alone in the arena riding him last Sunday, as soon as I asked him to trot he started getting really antsy and JERKISH, ears straight back. Then he started kicking out. Not bad, nothing I couldn't handle, but I remember wondering if it was going to stop before I squeezed his guts out of his butthole with my legs trying to get him to GO FORWARD. He did. I made him do two good walk trot transitions and backup once. I got off. Leggs rode him three days in a row and stretched him out real good. She said it's important that he doesn't get stuck in his head. I love watching her ride him, I greatly hope to ride so quiet and effective someday.

0621081630b

This is not my horse. "Who has stolen my horse and replaced him with one that looks just like him?!?!"

I have noticed a reaction in him when I curry or brush his left shoulder, wither area and after reading on the internet I wonder if he could've injured his withers in the conversation he had with the fence in October.

The day after he acted like a jerk I thought I would let him go over some poles, he seems to like that in the round pen. I also lunged him in the arena for something different.

I have ridden him every day this week. He is absolutely fine until I want a trot. He starts squirming around. I have to become evil in the saddle to get him to go forward. I think maybe I should start riding with my whip? For the most part this week my rides have been me getting him to do a few figure eights in a nice stretch with lots of praise and ending it. I'm not as trusting of him. When he's stretching down on a long rein I'm thinking of grabbing more "incase".

I am going to try and do some trail riding. The girl I bought him from goes all the time with her friends, and they are rip-roaring cowgirls. She has invited me and although I am timid of trail riding I think it would be fun for Dusty.
I really feel that he needs to do something that he finds to be fun and I'm sure after the first time I'll get over it.

Dusty turned 5 on April 2. He got his big boy teeth and from what I have been hearing, his big boy attitude too. I have been asking if he might be hurting but Leggs assured me after she rode him that he's being bad. He's a teenager, he's that five year old little kid that stomps his feet and says "NO!" when you ask him to do something.

I'm thinking of some natural horsemanship stuff with him, why not? Some trail riding, some taking him to the show grounds, and some jumping stuff. I want to find what it is that he really likes to do. I know that it is all important. I know how frustrated I get when I'm stuck under a bunch of fluorescent lights all the time. I can only compare it to that.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

my secret

have you accepted the power of this as your personal savior? If not, you might want to look into it.
What Is The Secret

It works. It's working for me right now. I have to admit, I'm a little bit scared of how well it works.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

oops, a few posts not about horses.

my dressage
DustyButt.

I would like to give away my recipe for the homeade fly spray that I have been coating my horse with. I figure it's fair trade for all of the "borrowing" of refrences I have to use for my artwork.

There is NO SKIN SO SOFT in my fly spray and it works for a long time. The sheer smell of Skin So Soft makes me ill. The biggins come, but they don't land. The little greenies are out now and so far so good.

That bite Dusty had freaked me out so I slather him in fly spray, then I thunk to myself about coating my horse in chemicals all summer. So I give to you:

Slub's Forcefield Hippie Fly Spray for horses (and people!)
1-2 oz. Pure Neem Oil
10 drops Citronella Oil
10 drops Tea Tree Oil
10 drops Eucalyptus Oil
3 Drops Myrh
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 oz. of concentrate Fly spray
a squirt of Citronella horse shampoo
to breakup the oils and guess what?

When I shower Dusty after a workout, the Citronella shampoo leaves his coat shiny having a the citronella smell! Only for a minute though, because he is then sprayed till my hand gets cramped once more.

come visit!

Krissy and markrobertson
Miami. Miami.

hey, group shot!
Miami. London. Germany.

markrobertson
ooh papi! Miami. - Even though his hand looks like its coming out of nowhere, this has got to be one of my most favorite shots I've ever taken. Believe it or not I am using a Nikon 990, and the max Dpi is 3.3. It was the shiz back in the day, still takes pretty good pics!

Bman in the pool
LondonGermanyCantonment.

Krissy the day we stole the hotel pool
OOHweih Miami!

Joe the day we stole the hotel pool
eLLo London!

Schrephers
Germany?

versicolor slub

And for the sake of being a smart eyeeeeasss...

Can I get a manager? I shall now be known as Versicolor-Slub-Cheetah-Woman. Because my skin just feels more comfortable with spots all over it.
awh, c'mon that was funny.

what
It's more than a little hard to put cream on your own back. I reahhhly need help. Or a lawyer. (lol!)

my back thing.

its a chest thing too.
I think its reasonable cause to call the lawyer...)


But really it's probably just oh, SKIN BACTERIA...

HAH! it affects YOUNG. PEOPLE. tinkittytinkittydahdah.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

,with respect.

I'm pretty much and as open minded as it gets. In my life I am careful to not judge others. I feel that whatever your roll is, if your happy then that's all that really matters isn't it?

Who am I to state what is wrong with the way you are living your life? Who are you to state what is wrong with the way I am living my life? See?, we can all get along.

There's one thing that I can. not. get. along. with. though. I have to admit. I get really fired up when I start to see updates on the news about this...I just can't help it.

THIS, this "PREGNANT MAN". (I was going to link to it, but I decided NOT to.)
I just have to say a few things.
Ok, so I'm glad that you are a man on the outside dood. I'm very happy for you and your wife and your wonderful addition to your family. I feel very strongly that you will make wonderful parents. You said:"I feel it's not a male or female desire to want to have a child. It's a human desire. And I'm a person, and I have the right to have my own biological child,"
Point taken and Highly endorsed here. But...YOU ARE NOT A MAN.

PLEASE stop running around and saying that you are. You maybe have an enlarged clitoris that give you the ability to have intercourse with your wife -and hey- that's cool. Really! I'm ok with even that! But baby, the last time I checked, that thing? you know? the u l t i m a t e force known since, aahhh, FOREVER? as "MOTHER NATURE" well she has pretty much ruled on the decision making on that for the last, um FOREVER and she makes sure that MAN gets: 1. A Penis and Some Testicles. And, 2. A Woooommmaaan gets, That. In. Which. YOU. HAVE. ooOOhvaaHReeeeS. (I know, I know some get both but this is not the point.)

Yes, I'm sorry but it's true. The ute makes you a (I can say it softer if it it helps) a woman.
sure you grew that thing that you say you use for sexy time, but hell if I get a horn attached to my head does that make me a manicorn? If I get another arm on my back and grow some leaves out of my head am I the treeman? If I make my legs into a big flipper and grow a mustache am I a merman? "But I can swim with this flipper!"

Masculinization
has made you able to lead your life as a man and I'm happy for your comfort through life as a male. You seem like a very dedicated partner and your personality is comforting from what I've seen. You have been very courageous coming out with this and the attention you have attracted to yourself and your family. I've read the comments. No one is really buying that you are a man. So, hey- have some extra parts, a beard, a striped polo button down and even a baby, but PLEASE just really. NO, really, trust. me. Stop proclaiming that you are a MAN.

p.s. I'll be waiting for the you tube video of your kid announcing that her daddy gave birth to her in her sixth grade sex ed class. I like the comedy that rides the line of real life. oooh I really didn't mean that to be mean.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Dear Miss White Dress,
I'm sorry I didn't notice you even existed. Really I didn't even care. I'm all about being on the girl side of things but then again I'm also about a little competition. This one is an exception. You might be upset. You have reason. But you don't have a ring.
Sorry.
White Shirt Girl.
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