Love that horse....

I rode Rocky tonight and we had some great fun. Jumping the teeniest little jumps, we still managed to knock down about one out of every four but we had such good fun I really didn't care! I was so delighted as last time I rode him we could barely get a canter going, but tonight I had new tough soled Mountain Horse boots on my side (or rather they were on his sides) and I am pretty sure they helped.

Riding Rocky and loving it
copyright ACairns www.tocatchapony.com

I did this drawing of him back in December, kind of when I started on my equine art thing, and it is still a favourite of mine, really caught his likeness. It was a coloured pencil work, which I haven't done in a while, so I am tempted to go back to do a few more now. Here is the photo that I worked from, which was a bit of a duffer, but did the job.

Do you know, I really love that wee horse, he is comfortable, has a lovely nature and just feels really safe, just about the right height you feel that if you did come off it might just not hurt too bad. The thing is he feels really balanced, so falling off him just doesn't cross your mind too often at all, which I find really does add a lot to the pleasure of riding.

The first time I rode him I wanted to buy him, and I kind of felt a little bit of that again tonight.....can I just keep him....can I , can I??

Overbending on Monty

From a fast paced hack to an hour of schooling completely focused on 'bending' .... both ends of the riding spectrum in a week for me. We worked in walk an trot in circles, Monty and I, round and round until one leg ached so much you had to change rein. Lesson script is around about as circular as our route, round and round we went for the hour.....

Kerry: "hand opened out, further, much further, right off the neck"
Me:"further than this?"
Kerry: "yes further than that"

Kerry: "that's about right"

Kerry: "OK whats happening now?"
Me: "he's cutting in"
Kerry: "so what do you do then?"
Me: "more inside leg"
Kerry: "that's right"

Kerry: "OK, I can see your leg on but he's not listening"
Me: "yes.  I know"
Kerry: "you have to make him"
Me: "YES. I know"
Kerry: "he's still not listening"
Me: "YES. I KNOW!"

This is the difference between knowing what you are to do and actually being able to do it, and sometimes the gap fo me feels unbridgable. Whenever I get that feeling it makes me just a little more inclined to go for the 'lets grab a horse and take it for a run in the fields' school of riding....."abandon lessons" goes the voice in my head.

Now, Monty isn't the most bendy horse to be fair, but he can do it and we had moments of bending, but they were brief, hard gained, and so so easily lost in a moment of confused co-ordination from me.

Fleeting, but maybe still, that moment of feeling something that you might remember. His head tucked in a bit and he was frothy at the bit at the end, which  am told is good, but must admit I dont have the feintist idea why....someone enlighten me?

Knowing that we got there a even just a little bit makes it and easier discussion for the two of us to have next time. Although I must say I am not sure I relish the thought of another hour of this too soon...I suspect it will be on the cards, our instructor thought our perfomance was a little wooden!

SEA submission time and Dunlop Fayre

It is looking to be an extremely busy week ahead for me.

It is the week of the Society of Equestrian Artists submission deadline for the annual show later this Summer. This is my first year as a Friend of the SEA and I am putting the finishing touches to two paintings to submit for the show. I am excited at the opportunity but also nervous as to whether the work will be accepted but at least I will know in a few weeks as to whether it makes the first cut on the basis of the digital images I submit ....fingers crossed.

Closer to home, I have had the opportunity to show at Dunlop Town Fair on Saturday 4th June. I am completely new to the 'fair' market so am now likely to be in a flap for much of the week looking for easels, table covers, printing leaflets, framing work, and chasing down some examples that I left at Easterton and Craigengellan Stables earlier in the month. I am not sure whether to take some thing to work on while at the fair, if people like to see you 'at work'. If there are any local followers - that would be friends and family  - do come and see me!

On the riding front things are quieter. My Monday with Merlyn (spelt with a Y for luck, I now learn having spelt with an I for weeks) was off due to 100 mph gusts and heavy rain. I know my fairwether luck was due to run out.  Ah, the Scottish Summer....what's not to love?

Love is in the air

If you live in Glasgow and are looking to get hitched there is something funny going on at Hazelden Equitation Centre! Love is in the air, as there have been 3 engagements over the last few months.  It was a beaming Sheena's turn this week, who rides with us on a Thursday night. Well, if the smell of horse doesn't put your man off, then I say he is most definitely a keeper....

Less is more...the charcoal challenge.

I thought I would take the painting that I had started of Ice back to basics and do a charcoal study of him. I like this photo I am working on as it has a lot of contrast around the cheek and he has a nice bend in his neck. 




Charcoal study of Ice, Hazelden
copyright A. Cairns

 As ever the less you draw, the more important each mark becomes, so this is different to building up a horse portrait in coloured pencil, where you can build up the artwork in layers, adding depth as you go. 
Less is more, but often harder to pull off well!

Charcoal work can look great when it works out well, so well worth putting in some practise .... little an often is best,as with all in life! It also means I can take what I learn from the study and use it to add depth to the painting.

 

Jumping today

Today was a riding day, as I nicked up to the stables for a half hour private lesson, and had a small course set up in the school to work on jumping.

I coped with the 3 jump sequence so my instructor suggested I up it to 7 and to choose in advance which order and direction to the jumps in. Complete pandemonium ensued as I had not the faintest clue what I had decided on...it is amazing how quickly your horse can sense uncertainty in your seat and we had a good lurching moment where my Pablo, sensing hesitation said "well if you cant make up your mind, I will"

Finished exhausted and had great fun, though, I just with I was 20 years younger, was utterly fearless and had a reasonable working short term memory! I might be getting a bit long in the tooth to master jumping courses to a good standard, but wont stop me trying. I just need lots more practise.

Oh, and perhaps a new memory....if anyone knows where I can get one of them

On the arty front

This week I received my membership newsletter from the Society of Equestrian Artists, which gee'd e up on the arty front, so I thought I might try a few studies of one horse in different media.



Copyright Antonia Cairns

 This is Ice - he is fairly new at Hazelden, joined the stables at the end of Summer.

I can't say I have quite got used to his gait yet, as I have only ridden him once and he is quite a leggy and he has an odd habit of veering right just before a jump, which can be a little un-nerving!

He has the most adorable nature and a beautiful face, so he makes for a nice horse to study and to sketch.



This piece is in wax pencil and I decided to try it with a darker background, where I have usually been working on the white.

There are a few things I would like to change about it, but often these are the pieces that you learn more from! He looks a little different to a few days ago, so I am just going to see where this one goes.....

 

 





Monty on You Tube

I was riding Monty at Hazelden this week and he was jumping really well.

As usual got a little excited after a few jumps, but he approached the jumps well and only jumped long once, which was great.

We did up to around 2 feet, which is pretty small compared to what he does with some of the girls up at the stables.......found this clip of him jumping from Sarah up at the stables which she posted on You Tube....he is kind of a popular horse!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_O_4MnKdSs