ALPHABET-EYES
Alphabet-Eyes is the brainchild of technological genius and horseman Ralph Carr who happens to have a blind girlfriend with international equestrian ambitions. That would be me. As he likes to tell it, we were sitting around watching TV one night when I turned to him and asked (imagine him mimicking me in a sugary sweet, pleading, and whining tone), "Honey, could you make me a system that... (insert long list of requirements here)?" And he said it could be done! The secret to success is believing in yourself and surrounding yourself with others who do!
Ralph had been the coach to direct me around crowded rail classes using a radio transmitter, and he had adapted a motion sensor to help me find my way to the center of jumps, but my new chosen discipline posed unique problems. Dressage involves performing specific movements at specific places in a rectangular arena marked with letters. Previous methods we had used would not work for executing precise patterns because they were either too reactionary or did not give enough information. If I tried to trot straight down the centerline with ralph directing me on a radio, he might tel me I was veering to the left, I would over correct and veer to the right, and my straight line would look like a drunken sailor's interpretation of same. Worse yet, I might end up performing an upper level lateral movement right out of the dressage court, as the rail is only a foot high! but when I have a fixed sound to aim toward, I can trot a straight line right to it.
Typically, "living letters" are used to orient blind riders to their whereabouts in the dressage arena. This involves eight people standing at the perimeter letters and being directed by Mr. X in the center of the arena to sound off when the rider is headed their way. The trouble is, I don't have nine people with whom to practice; and getting everyone to a show, particularly overseas, would be costly and logistically challenging. Recruiting volunteers at a competition and entering the arena to do something none of us has practiced so much as once would unnerve even the best able-bodied rider, and finding enough English-speaking participants in a foreign country might prove futile. The quieter voices of women and children tend to get lost in the wind and can be deceiving as to how far away they are - and just try to find nine MEN at a dressage show! Plus there is no clause that says if any one of the nine other people involved makes a mistake, the rider gets to call "Do over!"
So Ralph designed and built a remote-controlled electronic letter-announcing system called Alphabet-Eyes to orient me to where I am in the dressage arena and give me an audible reference as to my location. A fully-contained, self-powered, 8" square unit consisting of a receiver, speakers, and mini disc player with the appropriate letter recorded on it is placed atop a tripod at each perimeter letter and is cued by Ralph, a.k.a. Mr. X, when to sound off. This adaptive equipment is allowed in qualifying competitions under the USA Equestrian living letters rule 1922.4.1.
Separately my trainer and I work on the technical aspects of dressage and my coach and I work on orientation to the arena, working toward putting the two together in a well choreographed demonstration of dancing on horseback!
Alphabet-Eyes was no inexpensive endeavor, and I am ingratiated to the following sponsors for their support in helping me achieve my goals and putting Ralph's ingenuity to practical use:
A.J.'s Fine Foods
The Bachers
Kendall Brookhart
Joanne Burian
Jeannine Bartnicki
Janet Blau
Amanda Blondin
Marilyn Blusson
Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship
Jocelyn Cascio
Cathy's Rum Cake Catering
Channel 3 TV
Thomas Clark
Continental Catering
Scarlett & Roger Coyle
Jack Crawford
Cheryl Davison
Naomi Davison
Cherie Day
Russell & Marissa Demers
Dial Corporation
Diet Blends Herbal Supplements
Paul Dietz Horsemanship
Joyce Dreyer
Kathy Duncan
Dynamite Dressage Stables
Donna Jo Graham-Dykes
Eileen Earnhart
Alicia Ebel
Jeffrey Edelstein, M.D.
Lee Fitch
Todd Fitch
James Flach
Foster's Restaurant
David Foster
Lloyd Fox
Miki Freauff
Futaba Corporation of America
Greenway Saddlery
Connie Gregorie
Lee, Wendy, & Shelly Griffith
The Grilled Expedition
Haiku Restaurant
John Harrison
Lea Hart
Neal Hill
If Your Horse Could Talk
Jalapeno's Restaurant
Russ Laurie
Deborah Leach
Marcelle Leet
Peggy Leslie
Tom Lidner
Barry Lindsten
Larry & Cynthia Lippon
Kim Lorenz
Cyndi Lorenzen
Kay Lorenzen
Lotions & Potions
William Machelor
Julie Mahlek
Eric Mathiesen
June Maul
Debbie McDonald
Sherrie McDowell
Willard McDowell
Lloyd McNeil
Sydnee Miller
Charles Monroe
Celeste Morin
Morton's Restaurant
Irene Murphy
The Nevilles
Lane Neville
New West Landscaping
Cheree Nichole
Penny Nissley
Edward O'Brien
Deborah O'Keefe
P.F. Chang's Restaurant
Paula Paglia
The Pampered Horse & Rider
Katya Parr
Pepsi Corporation
Anita Peterson
Petroglyph Arabians
Petsmart
Philosophy Cosmetics
Phoenix Coyotes
Pinto Horse Association of America
Ann Quinn
Ian Rasor
Rising Sun Equine Therapy
Jeremy & Tracy Roenick
Beverly Rogers
Safeway Corporation
Melanie Sasson
Shellbird Inc.
Richard Sisson
Diana & Lauren Smith
Starbucks Coffee
Barbara STein
Elizabeth Stewart
Stockman's Western Wear
Mitchell Super
Tack Etc.
Laura Tillman
Jean Toutai
Maria Townsend
Frank Trznadel
Un Baccio Restaurant
Clell Usher
Vetter Arabians
Greg Vogel
John Walker
Meredith & Jeffrey Watters
Western Ranchman
Noreen & Ken Willig
Marsha Wilson
Gerry Woodard