Half Halts

Hi, I'm Dana. I'm 20, Australian, a dressage rider, orange-pony-collector and teacher in training. Proud mum to my gorgeous chestnut boys; Cody, a 16yo WBxTB and CJ, a 5yo Hanoverian. I'm always happy to chat, so feel free to message me!

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First post in a year, who dis? (remember this face?)

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Hi! Just wanted to pop into your ask box and say that I hope you're doing well and that I miss your posts! Sending good vibes xx

Thanks so much lovely! Work is going great and the ponies are good, but living a chilled out, paddock pony type lifestyle at the moment! I'll try and get online more often - this year has been such a huge change in my life, keeping up with tumblr has definitely fallen to the bottom of my list unfortunately! :(

[thecowgirlwitch]

Should a teacher be allowed to mark your grade down for messy handwriting? I’m halfway through my junior year and have NEVER been told if I didn’t improve my handwriting, I’d loose points on an assignment.

[deadinsidedressage]

Yes they should and as a TA I’ve even been advised to.

You’re not required to have immaculate handwriting, but you are required to have legible handwriting. If you’re getting marked with down for handwriting then it’s because your teacher cannot clearly read what you’ve written and therefore can’t accurately grade the content of your work. (Not legible is the same as not included/not completed in the eyes of the gradebook).

If you’re really worried about it continuing to be an issue then ask if you can type assignments, ask your teacher what they’re having an issue reading, and straight up just practice writing the alphabet a couple of times each day.

Only way to improve handwriting is to just do it more!

[swedishdressage]

Agreed, on every written exam I’ve had it said in the instructions that any non legible writing would be ignored and not marked. It’s the student’s responsibility to write in a way that can easily be read.

[journeytogoals]

We had a lecturer who refused to mark any page of an assignment scanned upside down - his rationale was that uni was in preparation for the workforce. (Was still brutal though)

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As a teacher, no!!! Your writing obviously needs to be legible, but if yours is not as neat as the person's next to you, no way should you be marked down!

As long as it's legible, it's the content that matters!

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Summer days full of soft noses and sleepy pony eyes.

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Long time, no see - kisses from Cody and I!

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Chilled afternoon snuggles with one of my four-legged faves 🐴💕 #cody #mybaby #ponylove (at Kobble Creek, Queensland)

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21 today! Apparently pretty stoked about it.

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How is this real life? 🌈 #CJ #rainbow #afterthestorm (at Kobble Creek, Queensland)

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C + T 🐴💕 #cody #tess #ponypals

[sanddancingwithanxiety]

Omg is that your old mare?? ❤

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She was never mine, but I competed her for about a year! One of my best friends owns her now, so we catch up for trail rides 😊

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C + T 🐴💕 #cody #tess #ponypals

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So, life has pretty much gotten in the way and caused me to abandon this blog and dressage for the time being... But I'm pretty into trail riding at the moment, so there's that! Ps. I finish my degree in four days and I'll be a qualified high school teacher.... Eeek!

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Spot the mature one... 🐴 #hint #itsnotCJ #ponytime #reunited

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Adulting.

Being an adult kind of sucks. At a point where I am really having to start reevaluating my priorities and start putting ‘real life’ above the things I love, which happens to unfortunately include riding. I’m in my final semester of university and graduate in just under three months. The next three months are going to be such a blur, with assessment, placements (student teaching) and looking for employment for next year. Whilst I have prioritised riding over my studies for the past three years, and just fitted university work in around my riding schedule, I’m coming to the realisation that to give my final placements my all and finish my degree to the best of my ability I really need to put it first.  I love my boys and I love riding, but it’s so difficult for me to maintain motivation and drive when I know I’m about to have a few months of only riding on the weekends, and then I can’t imagine getting much of a chance to ride next year when I am teaching full time. Starting to consider organising some sort of on-property lease for Cody, so he can give someone else the opportunity to ride more often and maybe teach her as much as he has taught me. So many things to consider.... This adulting thing is hard. 

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Cody bub, last weekend. (finally have a few photos to post, you'd better believe I'm going to space them out!)

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You and Cody look gorgeous! I'm glad he is going well 😊. How is the other orange little pony going? Hope all is well

Thanks so much! Cody was such a little superstar on the weekend, very proud of him! CJ isn’t great unfortunately, I gave a little update on him about a week ago if you haven’t already read it :) Nothing has really changed since then, we took him for more X-rays the other day and it raised more questions than answers I think! Two different vets, two very different opinions, and I feel like I’m stuck in the middle!

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Trit trot.

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Took this handsome dude out to our first competition in over a year yesterday, and he was beyond brilliant! Couldn't be prouder of him