Pirouette's Promise

Welcome to my training journal following the successes and setbacks along my journey to be a successful dressage rider and a better, more knowledgeable horsewoman! I track the tag #pirouettespromise

[magical-colorful]

[echolessvoid]

THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

[brittanymichael]

EVERYONE BOOT THE FUCK OUT OF THIS

[deadgirldancing21]

This is so fucking unfortunate that we need this

[xphantasia]

it just makes me angry that women need this.. but we do and if you see this, PLEASE REBLOG. it doesn’t matter if you are a male or a female. by reblogging this, you might save someone’s life.

[angelofthelord221bigbluebox-dea]

Don’t scroll past this, it’s so important

[markiplier-is-rad-deactivated20]

nothing to do with what my posts are normally about but this is SO damn important!! don’t scroll past without reading and / or reblogging!

[chubbybiebz]

this is fucking important. Idc if your blog is perfect, fucking reblog this. It may save someone.

[edxolivex]

Reblog please. You could save someone

[handyhunter]

Training horses is not beating them up, and there’s no temper, there’s no anger, it’s repetition.

Anne Kursinski, flatwork demo, GHM Horsemastership Clinic 2018 (via handyhunter)

[princesconsuela]

[equikage]

Since we got on the subject, here’s an example of two horses displaying ulcer symptoms, one more severely than the other. This is a good example of ‘disrespectful’ behavior (head tossing, biting, kicking, refusing handling) being the result of pain. Notice that even the obviously more painful horse is not trying to escape and is only cow-kicking and not harming the handler, only expressing as loudly as possible that they’re not comfortable and ‘don’t do that again’. ‘Attitude’ in a horse is communication. Usually, ‘attitude’ is their only way to tell you that they’re in pain, and way too often it gets ignored.

Source video

[dressagekitten]

Your horse is responsible for creating consistent energy, whether he’s walking, trotting, cantering, piaffing or doing an extended trot. This consistent energy shouldn’t be mistaken for “impulsion.” True impulsion requires a certain amount of strength that develops over time.

Laura Graves via link (via dressagekitten)

[kieljamespatrick]

[equikage]

just a quick doodad bc I don’t blog about it bc this is a horse blog but I brought the drama to it:

I super support rescue. I also super support responsible breeding and buying of pets and working animals.

I have two rescue horses, a rescue cat, and a dog that came from a breeder.

The first three I was able to adopt because I was happy for them to be pets. I didn’t know anything about their backgrounds, I didn’t know anything about them, and I was happy to rehabilitate them.

I got my dog from a breeder because she’s a service dog prospect, and so I wanted a very specific type of dog, with certain guaranteed physical traits and certain genetic behavioral predispositions. I wanted to be able to guarantee that she was raised and socialized to fit my needs. None of these were things I could guarantee from a rescue dog.

Responsible breeders do not contribute to pet overpopulation. Irresponsible breeders, who are trying to breed for money, who had an oops litter, who do not test their dogs for genetic disease or physical flaws, who do not track bloodlines, who do not plan homes for their puppies, who are not working specifically to improve their breed, who just breed for the funzies, are the ones contributing to pet overpopulation.

Responsible breeders aren’t working to turn a quick buck. They’re working to preserve or improve a breed. Depending on the size of their operation, maybe they’ll have a litter a year, maybe a litter every few years. They’ll usually have a waiting list. They’ll carefully scope out candidates who want a pup, find out what kind of dog they’re looking for, examine all of the puppies’ different traits at an early age, and work to put the pups in the right homes. If there’s a super drivey pup with maybe a tiny physical flaw that means it won’t do well in the show ring, they’ll give it to a working home. If there’s a more low-key pup, they’ll give it to a pet home. If there’s an absolutely perfect puppy, they’ll probably keep it for themselves, to work and show and use to (again) improve the breed. And almost every single one of them will ask that the puppy be returned to them if the new owner can’t keep them. Many of these breeders will remain in contact with the new owners and even showcase the accomplishments of the dogs on their websites as they grow up, to show the quality of animal they are producing. They are invested in the future of these animals.

Badmouthing breeders overall does not help to reduce the number of unwanted pets. Responsible breeders are not the ones whose dogs end up in shelters. And those responsible breeders often do a better job than shelters at keeping dogs in homes. Breeders make prospective owners wait, do their research, and pick them out the right dog for them. Meanwhile, many shelters (my own local shelter included) will let you walk in and adopt a dog on the same day, without so much as a home inspection (unless the dog is a certain breed that they says requires a fence, in which case all that’s required is the fence, and then you’re good to go!). Many shelters are not invested in the future of these animals; as much as they may care, they do not have the resources to track animals that have been adopted, or ensure that they’re succeeding in their new homes, or ensure that they’ve stayed in those homes. Rescues also almost universally perform a pediatric spay, which has been shown more and more to have a negative impact on a dog’s health longterm.

There are shitty shelters just like there are shitty breeders. The problem is not as simple as ‘rescue, don’t buy, while shelter animals die’. As usual, black and white pronouncements are catchy, but unhelpful.

I’ve volunteered a ton in rescue. That’s why so many of my pets are rescues. But I have seen questionable things happen behind closed doors at rescue organizations. I’ve seen animals adopted out to people who couldn’t properly care for them. I’ve seen animals returned after hurting or scaring someone. My own rescue horse has taken years to get to a safe place. I took that on because I accepted the responsibility and I wanted the challenge. Someone with a rosey-eyed view of rescue could have taken him in and been seriously injured.

Rescue does not guarantee a happily ever after story, and breeders are not all assholes out there trying to turn a buck.

Irresponsible breeding, irresponsible rehoming, and irresponsible ownership is the problem. People need to be educated about where their animals come from and how to care for them appropriately. Ignorance is the problem.

[bled]

[ottbs]

“I may be very excited about all of the young horses coming up the levels but this boy will always be my number one. Fit, happy and having some fun this morning as always. Clever Blueberry :))) thank you Tim Sillevis for this lovely picture x.”

[ultrafacts]

According to the CDC, in 10 percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening. Drowning does not look like drowning—Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine, described the Instinctive Drowning Response like this:

“Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.”

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble—they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the Instinctive Drowning Response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long—but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

Head low in the water, mouth at water level

Head tilted back with mouth open

Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus

Eyes closed

Hair over forehead or eyes

Not using legs—vertical

Hyperventilating or gasping

Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway

Trying to roll over on the back

Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK—don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you all right?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents—children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Source/article: [x]

Follow Ultrafacts for more facts!

[mermaibee]

BOOST FOR THE SUMMER. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

[1q8njk-deactivated20221112]

Can I just say thank you to OP for putting such a detailed description on this?

I’ve been a lifeguard for 6 years now and of all the saves I’ve done, maybe two or three had people drowning in the stereotypical thrashing style. And even those, like the save I made last weekend, it was exactly like OP describes where the person’s head is going in and out of the water but it isn’t long enough to get any air. Mostly you recognize drowning by the look on someone’s face. If someone looks wide eyed and terrified or confused, chances are they’re drowning. That look of “oh shit” is pretty easily recognizable. And even if you can’t tell for sure: GO AFTER THEM ANYWAY. I’ve done “saves” where a kid was pretending to drown and I mistook it for real drowning, but that’s preferable to a kid ACTUALLY drowning.

Also please remember that even strong swimmers can drown if they have a medical emergency, get cramps, or get too tired. If your friend knows how to swim but they’re acting funny get them to land. And even if someone can respond when you ask them if they need help, if they say they do need help? GO HELP THEM.

However . If the victim is a stranger, I can’t recommend trying to get them. Lifeguards literally train to escape “attacks,” because people who are drowning can freak the fuck out and grab you and make YOU drown as well. If you do go in after someone, take hold of them from the back and talk to them the whole time. IF YOU ARE GRABBED: duck down into the water as low as you can get. The person is panicking and won’t want to go under water and should release you. Shove up at their hands and push them away from you as you duck under. Don’t die trying to save someone else.

Please guys, read and memorize this post. Not all places have lifeguards. Being able to recognize drowning is such an important skill to have and you can save someone’s life.

[withaheartevenmoreyourown]

Socially Awkward Bachelors, a novel by Jane Austen

[rexuality]

I hate being told to do something I was already planning on doing

like I was all about doing this task, and then you told me to do it and now i am annoyed and this task is now 300x less likely to be completed

[greywuren]

[luntfontanne]

siri do my pets know i’m cleaning out their eye boogs or do they think i just like poking them in the corneas for fun all the time

[transperceneige]

Ingriiiid

[neighsinthenight]

Bobby is a MACHINE

[pirouettespromise]

Long time no updates! B had at least four weeks off after she moved back home due to wonderful New England weather. She’s been in light work the last three weeks while I was barn sitting and working full time. Despite the lack of work, she’s feeling really good and pretty strong. I’ve been trying to focus on my position a lot which is always the key to our success and we’ve been mixing it up a lot. We’ve been doing lots of polework, hacking in the jump saddle, and even popped through a little cavaletti bounce the other week. My goal is to try to work her out of the ring as much as I’m able to and just keep mixing things up. Her canter work has been amazing! Good balance, energy, and really starting to develop the jump and self carriage. She’s obedient to the walk canter walk transitions and just really impressing me with her willingness. I also feel really great in the canter position wise. She does lose the outside shoulder/inside bend over the poles tracking right but I think she’s just over bending the neck too much and I’m losing the left shoulder. Trot needs work but significantly improved. I’m learning to get our argument over with quickly about the contact/in front of the leg thing and not backing down when she tries to get me to back off. The other day we did a ton of trot halt trot transitions until she was light in the hand and prompt off the leg. I could really feel that she was bending and sitting on her hind legs - a feeling I usually only get in lessons - which made me realize I need to be more demanding and get that quality trot earlier so I can work her for shorter periods with quality trot work versus long periods with her crappy on the forehand trot. Today when I tried the same thing she got better (obedience wise) but I didn’t get the really good hind leg feeling like I did before. After a walk break we played with shoulder in tracking left and sorted out some obedience/straightness issues there where she wasn’t honestly off the inside leg or allowing me to bring the shoulder in off the outside rein. We added in 10 m circles and a little counter flexion until she understood what I wanted, then played with lots of transitions in and out of shoulder in and that helped me get the nicely engaged hind leg feeling back again. Shoulder in right was much easier for her. We did a little more canter each way then a stretchy canter over the poles and some stretchy trot all while maintaining the nice balance and bend of the hind legs. My trainer is back from vacation and she saw the end of our ride and thought she looked much stronger and much more forward. Plan is to trailer out for a hack tomorrow and maybe take a lesson Monday.