In the Arena #86 - We are stardust, we are golden + award!

Just in case anyone thought I was exaggerating about the veritable plague of mosquitoes we were having, check this out... caught by the Park Service in a trap, not too far from my farmette last week. 24,000 in 12 hours... (disgusting - right?!)

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Val and I had a very satisfying ride Tuesday evening, although it didn't start out so promising. First, I had to follow Val around the paddock with his halter for a while before I could catch him - unusual. And then he developed a major case of ants in his pants during tacking up. He didn't seem super enthused about the prospect of working after sooooo long. Plus it was technically dinner time. Some firm, gentle persuasion got us on the right track. The ride starts on the ground...

Our warm-up at the walk was uncharacteristically energetic - I'm chalking that up to the lovely cool weather. It did take some work revving up into trot mode however. After a few d-r-a-w-n out attempts on the long sides, we got into gear. Val began responding to my leg immediately. He was very relaxed, snorting and blowing. During our walk breaks, we did a number of correct turns on the forehand, and a few rein backs as well. I'm relieved. It won't take too long to get back to where we were before our extended break from working. 

It's funny how sometimes the things you resist are in reality just what you need. It's been really stressful to me not riding for these many weeks... my horse lost fitness... I lost my fitness (sore sore thighs yesterday!). And even more so not having had regular instruction for so long. 

The reality is - it's time to put my big girl britches on. I'm officially 100% responsible for my riding at the moment, and may be for some time to come. No more relying on someone else's feedback - I must develop the feel for what is right under saddle.

My plan of action moving forward is:

Regular work schedule. Check. I'll be living full time at the farmette by next weekend so riding time will be optimized. Four days a week would be ideal.

Balance my dressage goals with my riding goals. Time to regroup. I've spent too many sessions getting hung up, sometimes arguing with my horse and I guess letting my reach exceed my grasp. Time to go back to basics. From here on out, my plan is to get Val moving forward at the trot. Lots of long and low, reaching and stretching. We'll concentrate on the walk after warming up at the trot. My job will be to keep him moving, do tons of two point and no stirrup work, and perfect my posting. Loose flexible ankle, legs long and draped, and open hips. My position is important, but not at the expense of impulsion and cooperation from my horse.

Future trainer search.  I'd like to take lessons school horses for a while once I do find a trainer prospect. I want lunge lessons - my seat needs the work. Once I've found the right trainer we'll see about putting Val (and me) through all of the work, stress and expense of trailering several hours away and getting used to a new farm. And - I would like to find a trainer who focuses on biomechanics. Who sends me home with exercises to work on, in and out of the saddle. I feel that my intellectual understanding of dressage is competent, but my body fails me, which leads to frustration.

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Annette over at News From Aspen Meadows kindly bestowed an award on our blog... the One Lovely Blog Award. I say - it takes one to know one Annette. She regularly fills her blog with beautiful photos, good training and horse keeping info and fun stories about all of the darling inhabitants of her ranch. If you haven't visited her - do :)

So a stipulation of receiving this award is recommending fifteen blogs and sharing this award with them. Due to many of my choices already having been recognized by Annette and Grey Horse Matters, my list will be limited to these eleven - which amounts to much of my blogroll minus Annette and GHM's lists. ;) I have been remiss in searching out new blogs, as well as posting and commenting lately - as soon as I have completed my move to the farmette, I plan to spread my blog wings again.

In no particular order... every one of these blogs is heartfelt, horse loving, informative and lovely:

The Grey Horse

Equine Insanity

A Work In Progress

Miles On Miles

Bay State Brumby

I Am Boyfriend

Collecting Thoroughbreds

TB at X

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

Honeysuckle Faire

Sweet Horse's Breath

The other stipulation of this award is to share seven things about myself, so here goes...

1. I studied classical piano, classical ballet and Latin when I was younger - and now classical dressage. This pattern will be explored in a future post, and possibly in therapy lol.

2. I studied graphic design in art school - the equivalent of six years - no degree. Ran out of money or I might have stayed forever...

3. I've never owned a vehicle with automatic transmission. Neither have I trashed a clutch. I'm inordinately proud of that fact ;)

4. I've been a vegetarian (lacto-ovo-pesco) for almost thirty years. Longest commitment in my life.

5. I worked as a sous chef in NYC for several years. Great learning experience but sooooo underpaid!

6. I've broken six bones... none from a riding incident. Best one was (as a four year old) falling out of a the bottom bunk while having a super active dream.

7. I've had four concussions where I lost consciousness... only one from a riding incident. (Tell the truth... are you thinking "that explains it"?!)

Keepin' your head above water, making a wave when you can...

Writer's block

First, my apologies for being a bad, bad blogger. I have kept up with reading your blogs, but writing was beyond me for a while.

This post has been started several times over the last few weeks. Each time upon review it pretty much amounted to a bunch of whining. Venting is satisfying, but very often not that interesting for others to read. Maintaining a good attitude has been challenging taken all my energy for the last few weeks. 


Rider's block

O-ver! On Thursday I rode for the first time in maybe six weeks. A very quick and easy ride, bareback, as a thunderstorm rolled in. What a relief, though I will be reinstalling forward.

So, a number of things have kept Val and I from working...

weather - hurricane then nor'easter + over fifteen inches of rain in seven days. We were in a severe drought and needed rain, just not three months worth all at once. Enough already.

abysmal arena footing, although better since the rain, sort of. I've finally met with the contractor for my new arena to plan out the project - weather dependent of course. A happy new development is that we've arranged a trade for the work. Theoretical progress here.

mysterious leg swellings - the last episode was my first experience with stocking up. My recently acquired leg wrapping skills came in very handy once I got a clue that standing around in the run-in for days could cause fluid build-up. Val's hurricane experience apparently instilled a new-found respect for staying dry via his shelter. Happy that he's staying comfortable and I'll wrap preemptively next go-round.

horrid cracked up feet with thrushiness. Treatment: daily picking, Veterycin gel applied around the frog, painting the sole with Venice Turpentine + a seriously unskilled trimming job.

A note about trimming. I absolutely adore my horse! He was an angel, putting up with my abject ineptitude. Clouds of mosquitoes and flies surrounding us and me with no hoof stand and not exactly speedy. I used a chunk of piling to do the leg pulled forward filing work. And my inexpensive hoof nippers behaved accordingly. Comical! Val didn't move a muscle throughout. My only aim was to address the bent upwards chunks that were exposing above his soles, even out the length of foot and to do no harm. Hopefully I accomplished my goals. Sadly it may be another three weeks before our farrier can get back. Pix of the two fronts, before and after... none of them are level unfortunately.

Some news about our dressage education / guidance / mentorship. We're presently looking for someone to study with, and have been for months. It's confirmed now. My trainer is closing up shop. Suffice it to say the economy is a contributing factor. Not that I could go anywhere for lessons any time soon. We're on our own for real now. Will be exploring a couple of options once we can drive off island. Sad.

On the move

Circumstances have pushed our moving date into October, but things are progressing. I luckily (sooo lucky) found a storage facility - they're almost all gone due to numerous folks having storm damage. Lumber for a deck around the shimmy shack is arriving Monday. Not having a road onto the island is screwing up lots of things, including the delivery date of my new half hay shed / half studio building, but I have arranged for the foundation to be built at any rate. The utilities changeovers are scheduled. And I have been bestowed a physical address - which I was told at one point could only happen with a building permit. Very handy for when lumber deliverers and utilities switchers drop by. The real work of editing belongings begins in earnest now - by far my biggest challenge. I have found numerous ways to avoid dealing with my crap. Which I have too much of. It's officially crunch time. ;)


Gratitude

I made it off island last week for a full moon marathon hay run. A seventeen hour day all told with two ferry lines + rides added in. The hay is beautiful seventy pound bales of orchard grass, and now I may have enough to last through the end of the year. Highlight of the trip was a sublime nap on the boat ride home with lovely breezes blowing right into my truck as I got the best sleep in months on the pillow I remembered to bring. Low point was when I managed to cap off the day by taking a spill out of the back of the trailer after the hay hook suddenly let go of the bale I was trying to pry out while standing on another bale. I went flying backwards, landing flat on my back, halfway on and off the ramp. No major harm done. Yet another horse related activity that warrants wearing a helmet! ;)

And finally - Seven is such a spectacular kit-tehn. Smart, super snuggly, gets along well with others. Update on the extra toe count - grand total of twenty four. I had to do a kitten to cat comparison to confirm that cats don't usually have hind foot thumbs. And no, we don't have the world record, not with a mere twenty four toes. That would require twenty eight.

early start

big moon

sunrise from the ferry

waking up

In the Arena #71 - Discretion being the better part of valor...

I must confess, I left a little something out of my last post. My ride on Saturday was actually a lesson from a different trainer. My boarder's trainer who was visiting from PA for the week. I had to take advantage of getting instruction with my horse in my arena. But somehow it felt a little bit like cheating on my trainer, and I wanted to mention it to her, before writing about it in my blog. She was cool with it...whew!

So - as I already related in my last post, the lesson went really well, but wasn't without it's intricacies. I was pretty nervous. Really nervous. There's something to be said for the trust you develop with someone you've ridden with for many years. I trust my trainer. I know that she has my best interests, and the best interests of my horse uppermost in her mind. Then there were the inevitable differences in theory and position. I feel like I succeeded at separating the valuable bits from the parts that contradicted, with out flipping out, or offending the visiting trainer. The best part of the experience was working in my own arena, and having someone push me way past my comfort zone. We broke new ground for sure.

Thrilled to report Saturday's magic carried over to today's ride. Forward. Tons of trot... no stickiness. Smooth changes of rein, rode into and through the corners, figure eights and weaving the cones. I can really see the difference when I support Val with the inside leg to outside rein. He feels better balanced already. No surprise, when he doesn't have to compensate for my interference so much. We're navigating contact too. While he's not reaching the reins from me just yet, he does seem to be appreciating my efforts to be consistent.

We worked in two point as well. After reading Grey Horse Matters' post on two point (with the very helpful diagram) I realize I have sooo far to go with this exercise. My balance is nowhere near what it needs to be... oh well, no pain, no gain. We finished up with halt trot transitions. Val treated me to several very square halts.

Afterwords some grazing, in the Bermuda Triangle, where for once, something scary actually did come crashing out of the woods behind us. A deer? Val leaped right into me, but caught himself and just brushed my shoulder with his shoulder. It was a very agile move, thank goodness. While I wish that he didn't feel so spooky out of our arena sometimes, he does seem to be a little more thoughtful about scary stimulus, and much more aware of me, in relation to his escape route. I'll take that as progress, and a sign that little by little he is trusting me to be the leader, and of course keep us safe from the myriad dangers lurking around every corner... don't worry Val, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise!

In the Arena #67 - I'll be your mirror...

I'm really appreciating these longer evenings. More time for chores and riding. Second to riding, I loves me a freshly dragged arena!

I repeated the ujjayi breathing warm-up from the other day. And again, our ride was positively impacted. This exercise is a keeper. The only drawback - I haven't exactly figured out how to incorporate "good boys" into the breathing exercise.

We did lots of trot work. Our transitions were prompt and crisp. Val reached, and started to pick his back up... we even produced some sittable trot. There were still a few sticky left turns. After looking at the photos my boarder took for me, I wasn't surprised. I was sitting way, way off to the left. I don't seem to catch myself in this position issue until it shows up in Val's movement, or lack thereof. I hope I can overcome my hip situation.

Overall - a wonderful ride. We are progressing. It would probably, definitely help to get a lesson more often than every six months. Eyes on the ground and all...

This uncertain economy, especially fuel prices, has forced me to reassess a number of my goals / priorities this winter. I've had only one lesson since December... there is no new arena (yet)... and I've had to give up my spot in the spring Herbermann clinic. Hopefully things will start looking up soon. We're heading up to my trainer's farm weekend after next, I've set aside the funds for about half the sand needed for the arena, and have made arrangements for another clinic spot in late October. Meanwhile, we'll just continue moving forward, slowly, but surely.

In the Arena #60 - Hooked on a feeling, good things coming in threes and laissez les bon temps rouler!

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday - so happy mardi gras everyone, especially the residents of New Orleans. You can't keep a great city down! Is anyone giving up something for lent? I'm not catholic but do think the idea of bringing awareness and focus to your blessings with symbolic deprivation is actually a beneficial practice. I'm officially giving up complaining for lent. (Please feel free to bust me on that here on the blog if necessary) ;)

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Three times in less than twenty four hours I've been very, very lucky. Last night, in a pouring rainstorm, I narrowly avoided squashing the most humongous snapping turtle ever - over two feet long I reckon. The driver behind saw him just in time as well. I stopped the car, found a suitably long stick and shepherded (prodded) him the rest of the way across the road. He was less than appreciative.

This morning on my way up the road to exchange the needle hay, two puppies chased each other right in front of my truck (towing the horse trailer). I locked up the wheels, managed to stop, and the pups arrived safely on the other side. They never even saw me.

This evening at dusk, I was once again in the front of a line of traffic when two deer ambled across the highway. I was going 65 mph (at least). Somehow in the dim light I saw the deer, slowed down and signaled the other drivers behind me by flashing my brights. Third time's a charm :)

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Since the feed store is not that far from my trainer, I swung by her farm on my way home today, and got a lesson. I haven't been able to get out of town for a lesson since a clinic I did with her in late November. Either weather, finances or both have prevented me from making the trip off island (three plus hours).

Today was well worth the wait. First of all, I haven't ridden another horse besides my own in about a year and a half. (Valentino - I cheated on you!) I got to work with Bud, a statuesque 17.3 saddlebred schoolhorse. What a treat. :) Bud is a total clown. He loves to show off his (way more than adequate) neck by reaching over the stall divider and drinking from his neighbors automatic waterer, all the while checking out of the corner of his eye to make sure you notice his trick - I mean talent.

We worked exclusively on contact, specifically on my getting the feel of contact. Bud is a great choice for this work, as he needs a lot of help keeping his neck stable, and will either be above the bit with a stiff high neck, or diving, unless you provide him with even, steady, elastic contact through your elbows. You have to have a soft following but steady two sided contact for him to move well and work over his back. It was a struggle, but we did have some very nice work.

My trainer reminded me that it's not enough to stay out of the way / not interfere with the horse. And it's not enough to be neutral. I have to be active in the sense of figuring out what the best way to help my horse is, and how to respond to the feedback he is giving me in a timely manner. My legs tell him to go, and the contact gives him a place to go to. Oh - and ride both sides of the horse.

I realize now that in my work with Val, I must shorten the reins, and increase the contact. Our driving has improved, but he needs somewhere to reach to. That's my job :)

Upside down.

Better...

Almost - wait for it...

And we have contact :)

Love that Bud man

In the Arena #50 - Keeping it simple

Contrary to popular belief, horses do not get bored with simple basic work. If the rider has clear goals in mind, and pays close attention to detail and quality, neither horse nor rider will have time to get bored by even the most rudimentary work - instead, a true sense of accomplishment will be attained. Nothing is more important, more challenging, or more difficult, than cultivating the basics. Erik Herbermann

Thursday's forecast called for several days of cold, wind and rain to come, so I figured we'd better get another ride in - bareback again. :)

For this ride I focused on straightness - both moving on a straight line as well as keeping ourselves straight - Val's neck mainly. It occurred to me, while making the many minor corrections necessary, that straightness is just a series of tiny little turns, with the inside leg / outside rein changing depending on the correction. And further, that circles are just a series of straight lines + turns on the forehand. Seems counter-intuitive, but true, if you're not popping shoulders / haunches out or falling in... being truly straight. I believe my trainer has mentioned this numerous times, but apparently it is just now sinking in. :)

Then I had another thought - that riding straightness is a similar dynamic to what you need for successful trailer backing. An awareness of where you are to begin with, breaking the movement down into a series of small turns and corrections, and avoiding over-correction which may lead to starting all over again. Ideally with both tasks, you should get to the point where the corrections - if any - are so minor as to be undetectable.

We also incorporated cone work... same idea with leg yielding through the cones - the inside leg / outside rein flip flops. We did some respectable circles, (approaching round), figure eights, some very nice work on the buckle, and had a better overall energy level.

There are many small improvements, but what I'm most pleased about is that in our last few rides I have begun to feel an integration of the aids. Reins, seat and legs working as a unit. While it's far from being second nature yet, I'm hopeful that muscle memory will eventually kick in. Super happy with this ride :)

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A conversation overheard at the barn this morning...

Me: "Val, I'm tired of picking all this hay up off of the floor. It's wasteful. Starving horses in China would love to have this hay! I have to work really hard to pay for this hay. I have to spend a whole day driving to pick this hay up. Who do you think unloads this hay and stacks it in the hay barn?" I slowly fill the wheelbarrow with forkfuls of discarded hay.

Val: "Well, let the starving Chinese horses have it then. But don't pick it back up, put it in the hay bag, and expect me to eat it. Because I'll just yank it out and throw it on the floor again. I like my hay fresh!!!" Val stops beside the wheelbarrow, now layered with piles of yesterday's manure and the discarded hay. He buries his nose in the mixture and starts munching...

After discovering the hay needle damage in Val's mouth last month, I went back to using the large holed hay bags, thinking he'd be more comfortable while he healed up. I didn't want him to lose any weight, considering how (insert curse word here) cold it's been. Now that he has gone back to his wasteful ways, I guess it's time to bring back the Nibblenet :)

In the Arena #49 - chase one's tail - To run in circles, to chase one's own shadow

future header pic

This morning started off cold and cloudy, but by the time I finished up at work, there was bright sunshine, the wind had fallen out to nothing and temps were on the rise. Hope that doesn't seem like bragging - I know that many of my blogging friends are in the midst of or getting ready for some epic winter weather. Please stay safe!

I headed up to the barn, feeling not a little bit conflicted about the decision. Basically, there is a ton of work I really need to be doing... my bedroom is halfway rearranged (as in can't use the bed until arrangement is finished), my studio is an absolute explosion of paperwork, taxes are on the horizon (see explosion of paperwork in studio)... don't even mention moving the manure pile at the farmette, which has been on my list of to do's for months. So - I went riding instead. ;)

Val was out cold in a sunny spot when I arrived, bottom lip dangling down in the dirt. (so darn cute!) I did a few chores while he took his time waking up, mostly because I was thinking about a recent post from Billie at camera obscura - "wise words for living and working with horses". She discussed how (patiently) engaging with your horse is more respectful, kinder, and will help to develop the trusting relationship we all want with our horses. She really made me think about all the times I've come to the barn preoccupied, in a bit of a hurry, probably rushing Val around so I could keep up with my schedule. Pretty rude when you think about it. After a lingering grooming in the warm sunshine, we tacked up and were off.

Today's ride was well worth putting off obligations for! While we definitely need work in the creating energy (at the walk) department - everything else was super. Zero steering issues, no scary spots in the arena, had some decent re-balancing half halts and Val was reaching into the contact. Trot work was the best yet. I barely used my dressage whip. My posture felt relaxed and natural. Our extensive bareback work has really helped my seat and leg, so I think I'm aiding more effectively. My trainer often reminds me that when I get it right, so will my horse. :)

Our progress lately has left me with the feeling that I'm going to wake up soon and realize I was just dreaming... I know intellectually that we're moving forward because we're working hard and focusing, but I guess the improvement in my confidence is hard for me to process. It feels so good. My trainer also often reminds me that riding isn't that hard - once you get the basics down, everything else is pretty easy... that my struggles have been of my own making... that I need to stay out of my own way. I believe this is finally starting to happen - I'm psyched.

And I absolutely cannot wait until my "real" arena with good footing and much more room is ready, because we're going to take off when we have the proper space that will allow us to do some sustained trot work and get fit. (Which means I really do need to attend to my to do list. Once my studio is ready I can get to my jewelry work which will help me pay for the new arena...)

Enter the sanctuary of the horse ever with honor and respect. Erik Herbermann

In the Arena #46 - Never let 'em see you sweat

We getting quite the bareback habit... it's been weeks since we've saddled up.

Monday's ride started off on a surprising note. Val bolted away from the mounting block - not once but twice. Strange. He has always been a perfect gentleman for mounting, other than trying to get away with chewing his reins... or sometimes refusing to walk on until he gets his cookie ;) I got his attention back on me, and mounted up. I must admit that he was very "alert", so most of the ride was spent relaxing, breathing and staying calm.

I kept him busy with lots of transitions, and was heavy with the praise. By the end of the ride Val was focused on me and we did some nice work. I tried not to think about it while riding, but I believe something is happening / has happened next door that is frightening or worrisome to him. There have been signs of an unusual amount of activity in the adjacent part of the arena for a few mornings in a row...

no helmet

On Wednesday, after a head to toe grooming session, we spent some time outside the arena, doing trail riding prep. Upon further consideration, I'm seeing the very destructive clearing next door (the other next door) in a different light. It has actually left us a 10 - 15 minute baby trail loop that is not super overgrown like our original trail. My plan is to continue hand walking, gradually venturing a bit further each time. Once we can hand walk calmly, we'll start riding it. (This will likely not be bareback)

After trail prep, I cold hosed Val's left hind, which is a tad swollen and filled in above his pastern. Cold hosing gave us the opportunity to work on standing still and ground tying. Val did beautifully (once he realized there was no grazing to be had). A productive day!

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Yesterday the weather was perfect for riding. (I'll spare the details because I feel for you folks with the frigid weather!) Although there was a bit of tension at the start, we got over it quickly. We did some lovely figure eights, and leg yielded through the cones, connecting the exercises smoothly, flowing from one to another with no breaks in between.This helped Val keep his mind on business. I guess my mind was on business too. It felt great... organic. The sum greater than it's parts.

I decided to pay attention to my posture, specifically to sitting up straight, which is always further back than I think it should be. While I was in posture mode, I caught myself coming off of my seat a couple of times - "opening the back door" as my trainer would say. I capitalized on the moment by asking for the rein back. I suddenly thought about how many times my trainer has told me that you don't have to let on to your horse, that he's not doing what you intended, or that you're not where you want to be in the arena... basically don't let on that what's happening isn't your idea. Val and I struggle with leadership issues from time to time, so this is pertinent advice. And since I don't know exactly when we'll be able to get out of town for lessons again, (hopefully in February), the fact that on occasion my trainers words come to me at just the right time seems miraculous. I even asked for the trot, and did a bit of sitting - my first bareback trotting in a long time. A very satisfying ride.

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Val's left hind was swollen (no heat) again today, so I gave him some bute and cold hosed. He took his medicine like a champ, but there were some rather dra-matic treat refusals later. Oh - I guess I could take it in my mouth... wait - no, it's just too horrible - wait, I might be able to chew it with my very front teeth... I.just.can't... ptooooey! I know bute tastes terrible, I've put some in my mouth to see, but Val got over the histrionics pretty quick when the beet pulp mash showed up. I'm just sayin'...

new helmet

Clinic Notes: Day five and six

Wednesday afternoon. My trainer got called in to work yesterday. Since it gets dark so early in the evenings now, I elected to ride along with one of her other students rather than miss out. An excellent decision. Both of us had really good rides. Effective warm-up, achieving a smooth flowing walk and then more solid trot work. I focused on my posture... not leaning forward or leading with my upper body, keeping my hips even, keeping even weight in my stirrups, driving with my legs... receiving with my hands. Circles, serpentines and great transitions. This ride encompassed everything that I want to happen when Val and I work on our own. Uplifting!

Thursday morning - one last ride + a tack review. I woke up early to get the truck and trailer mostly packed, with the intention of getting another ride in before heading home. My fellow student arrived and we proceeded to groom and tack the boys up. I decided to try out the Thinline bareback pad I found when tack shopping on Monday. Val was starting to get sore (barefoot on the hard ground) so since I wasn't planning to work him too hard it seemed like a good time to test the pad out.

The pad is very well made, with a material on the underside that is anti-microbial and grippy. The girth, a cinch type, is made of the same material, and is stretchy. My complaint with other bareback pads I have ridden in is that they slip. This one totally stayed put. It didn't even budge when I scrambled on. It fit Val's back beautifully. The top is non-slip as well, at least in combination with my full seat breaches. I felt completely secure. The best part - Val was licking, chewing and reaching for the bit - soft - from the very beginning of the ride. He was using his back and reaching under himself. My legs and seat felt like they were getting a good stretch as well. Thinline bareback pad - expensive but well worth it. I can't wait to ride in it again. I believe Val agrees - two thumbs up!

Final thoughts. Eight rides in six days... six with Val and two longing sessions. (Val gets tomorrow off!) The clinic surpassed my expectations.

Here's the goal list I made for this past week:

• A more secure seat / more confident rider.

• We've got "calm" down - now I want to focus on "forward". This will stem from the secure seat. When I ask for more energy it won't be half-hearted or timid.

• Solid transitions up and down in the walk and trot, with Val reaching, stretching and using his back.

• Leg yielding and baby lateral work.

• Ideally we'll attempt some canter work as well. 

• Some new photos and possibly video

Not too shabby. While I wasn't ready for lateral work yet - I'm hoping to be on track at my next lessons. And although I had intended to get longed more often, it's probably good that I didn't as in the evenings after longing sessions I was pretty stiff. Due to scheduling I missed out on a lesson, but instead I reached within myself, faced some fears, and took responsibility for training my horse and myself. High hopes!


                            

Clinic Notes: Day three and four

Monday afternoon. One of my goals for this clinic was to figure out how to accomplish the warm-up in a timely and efficient fashion, without relying on input from my trainer. We only work with her every few months, so we need to do this confidently on our own. Without spiraling down into a battle of wills or stalled out in one of the corners. Done. Addressing conquering our steering stickiness / leadership issues has made a world of difference.

We moved on to some gorgeous trot work, initially full arena on the rail, moving on to the quarterline and then school figures thrown in. Both directions (!) Everything felt smooth, workmanlike... best of all easy and FUN. We also worked in two point for a while to adjust my ankles and their lack of springiness. Let's just say it's been thirt- (cough, cough) years since I rode in two point. Oh - did I mention that this was done with another horse in the arena with us. A year ago I would have had a total (internal) melt down at the thought of having a lesson with another horse in the arena. A superlative ride. We have come a long way, and I just love my horse :)

Tuesday. I groomed / tacked up a horse for my trainer, then watched her ride for a while. Afterwords we switched off for a longing session. I rode Star, a very well built and powerful thoroughbred mare, with big gaits. Most of this session focused on my position, and how to use my driving aid / legs to encourage Star to carry herself. Another issue we worked on is my (bad) tendency to lead with my chest and get ahead of my horse. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step as they say... We also did a bit of sitting trot work. It is very challenging to process all of the information that I get in my lessons, and when we do position work - changing so many elements at once throws me for a loop. It would be interesting to see how my afternoon ride on Val would be affected...


Later that afternoon. Another great warm-up, getting right to work, and again with company in the arena. My seat felt fantastic. Apparently I was able to incorporate some of the input I got during the longing session. Val really enjoyed the extra room he had to breathe since I was not pinching with my knees. It showed in his gaits.

At this point my trainer suggested I try some cantering. We decided it would be best to ask for the transition from two point, coming into a corner, and after a couple of aborted attempts we did canter. I was totally disorganized and frankly - extremely sore from the longing earlier. I elected not to try again, not wanting to open a can of worms with this new step we were taking, that would have to be resolved. I felt a bit like I was being a chicken, but honestly I wasn't sure I could count on my body to do what I wanted - we were getting on three hours of riding for the day. Also - it was dinner time and the other horses who weren't still at work were doing mad dashes, bucking up and down the fence lines. Val was focused and attentive considering the distractions. Instead we worked on transitions and turns on the forehand, ending on a good note. Another great ride :)


                              

Clinic notes: Day one and two

Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the horse through his glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their having taken form so far below ourselves. And therin we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. 

In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not bretheren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth. 
Henry Beston

We arrived safely on Friday afternoon. Got Val settled in, unpacked and it was time for dinner and a movie. Dinner was delish and the movie - Secretariat - not so much. I won't go into all the things that weren't satisfying - it's very much a Disney movie - enough said.

Saturday morning. Val and I are up first for our lesson. It was seriously cold and windy, blanketing overnight weather and a shock to the system.  We've been spoiled down at the beach - but no matter.
 Our warm-up was excellent and to the point. I handled the entire warm-up myself with little input from my trainer, validating the hard work we've been putting in for the last month or so.

After fifteen minutes of loose rein work and some simple figures we moved on to the trot. Val is slowly but surely reaching and using his back. I focused on allowing hands and driving with my legs - if he ain't reachin', you ain't drivin'! - plus re-balancing with some half halts. My trainer commented positively on the changes in my seat since our last visit (!) We only had a little stickiness, that she pointed out happened when the next student was bringing her horse into the arena. Chalk that up to distraction. I didn't make the connection at the time but she is right. All in all I couldn't have asked for a better start to our clinic.

Sunday morning. Colder and windier. Val didn't notice or care. He really seems to enjoy working, getting playful and sweet as we tacked up. I had more of a struggle with allowing hands, and even weight in my stirrups - sticky hips - in this session. Val responded in his usual way by challenging my leadership. Although I don't enjoy when this issue comes up, I got a lot of good ideas about how to keep it from happening (the goal) and dealing with it appropriately when it does while I'm on my own.

The answer is to break everything down to it's simplest components. If I'm having trouble with the turn on the forehand, make sure I'm getting a halt. If he's blowing through my aids (he was) then really get the halt, not the halt plus one step. I decided my course of action was do as many walk / halt transitions as necessary, gradually increasing the number of strides between the transitions, to get him focused back and listening to me and my aids. I am really happy to say that I worked this out myself, without constant feedback from my trainer.

She reminded me that not only must I allow and give with my hands, but I must also allow and give with my heart. This comment hurt a bit, but what she meant was that Val absolutely knows if I am not trusting in him. Horses know what is in your heart. And (as usual) she was right. I was holding back. As soon as I gave him 100%, he gave me 100%. After getting on the same page we did the most beautiful trot work we've ever done, long, low and relaxed. Smooth round circles. She also stressed that when we are struggling with something, I must be aware when to keep asking versus when Val has given me something - even just one step in the right direction - and therefore deserves to be rewarded. You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em! :)

Sunday afternoon. Time for a longing session. My trainer had computer work to catch up on so another of her students and I longed each other on the students' lovely 17 hand thoroughbred Howard. Very satisfying session. As instructive when you were the long-er as the long-ee. When on the ground I really aware of the way I used the longe whip affected Howard's stride length and smoothness. I had him reaching and using his back which I felt good about. When on board Howard, I was reminded of how far Val and I have to go - Howard uses his back. His trot almost threw me out of the saddle for the first few strides. A cadillac. I haven't ridden another horse besides Val for nearly a year. Getting longed is a great reference for whether you balance on the reins or not. I will say that I was better that I'd imagined I would be. Pleasantly surprised. My hips and upper arms are indeed sore this morning.

Unforeseen horse handling opportunities have popped up :) I had to catch a very wound up mare - who was running her legs off in the arena due to a gate left open. Another student was just chasing her around with a lead rope... not effective. I grabbed a bucket of grain and things calmed down immediately.

This morning two horses appeared on the property and had everyone riled up, running the fence lines.  My trainer took the truck to find the owners and the next door neighbor and I - armed with carrots, hay and lead ropes - rounded the strangers up.

Oh, and Val showed another side of himself this weekend - the escape artist. He got out of his makeshift paddock three times, and had a little middle of the night gelding party that got us all out of bed. We've finally got him somewhere that will contain him. All's well that ends well.

I have some pictures but no cable to upload - so I'll post later. Off to a tack shop (!) to look at bareback pads.

Boot camp for my seat... (booty camp?!) :)

It's been super busy around here for the last few days. Preparing to head out to my trainer's place tomorrow morning. Val and I are doing a five day clinic... riding him in the mornings and doing a lunge lesson in the afternoons on the school horses, with my trainer and I trading off lunging each other. I expect that I will be very sore - oh my aching hips - but am looking forward to it. This kind of opportunity doesn't come around very often so I'm taking advantage.

My goals for the clinic are:

• A more secure seat / more confident rider.

• We've got "calm" down - now I want to focus on "forward". This will stem from the secure seat. When I ask for more energy it won't be half-hearted or timid.

• Solid transitions up and down in the walk and trot, with Val reaching, stretching and using his back.

• Leg yielding and baby lateral work.

• Ideally we'll attempt some canter work as well. 

• Some new photos and possibly video

 I've measured out and bagged feed, prepared the trailer and packed Val's belongings - he sure has a lot of stuff :) We're taking an assortment of blankets as the weather is so changeable this time of year. And we just received his new Cavallo simple boots which happily fit him perfectly. These will hopefully protect his tender soles from bruises - he got pretty ow-y on our last visit. Tack, first aid, grooming, buckets and of course treats pretty much fills my trailer's tack compartment.

Then there's cleaning and tuning up the truck - I changed the oil today + checked tires as well as cleaned all of the hay / sand / barn residue and rain-xed the windows. Trailer - check. Truck - check. This doesn't even take into account packing for my dogs visit with my Dad (Bob Daddy's Doggy Day Care) and my own stuff lol!

I'm hoping I'll have computer access while I'm up there. If not, I'll have a full report when I return next week. Back to packing!

In the Arena #22 - Notes from our lesson weekend

Lesson one - Saturday afternoon. We focused on steering... sometimes a sticky business. To make the exercise more interesting, I practiced zigzagging the arena, traveling to, from and around the dressage cones, making sure that we were very accurate. Way more fun than circles... (or eggs and ovals lol). Val is the type of horse that responds well when his mind is engaged.. so it's my responsibility to keep our work creative and stimulating. I must be absolutely clear in my mind and with my aids, about where I want to go. Clarity... always looking straight through my horses ears with a soft gaze... and no twisting my torso or shoulders. Keeping my hands low and following - making changes in contact through my elbows.

Sunday's lesson began with steering as well. We built on the work of the day before and got to a point in the lesson where we were adjusting our direction with precision and subtly. We transitioned into some flowing smooth trot work, including 20m circles of the round variety in both directions :) What a joy. For the first time, I felt very much at one with my horse... we were doing dressage!

Monday's session was more challenging. After spending about half the lesson building on the progress of the previous days, we regressed back to our steering problems. Actually, I believe that the issue is until I am totally consistent with my leadership, Val is going to be compelled to take over if he feels any hesitation on my part. I must be evenly weighted in my stirrups as well. I have been unwittingly contradicting my turning aides with uneveness which is super frustrating to Val. Also - I must envision what I want to happen (as opposed to what I don't want to happen).

Due to the impending storm, I left Val to board with my trainer. This is the first time I have been away from him since I brought him home, almost a year now. I miss my guy a lot. He's having a good time though, doing horse bonding stuff such as three way grooming over the fence with the chestnuts - Comfy and Howard - shocking as Comfy is the head honcho of the farm. He also disrespected some fencing and found his way into the paddock with the ladies(!). He and Lacey have been flirting with each other for a while. Glad he's safe and enjoying himself, but I can't wait to bring him back home!

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Update -

Got a call from my trainer this morning that Val is very lame on his left front and there is heat and a big pulse. We're hoping it's an abcess... waiting to hear the vet report now. As my friend Jerry says, "Good news. bad news, too soon to tell." I'm super bummed that Val is lame but if he had come back home with a vet worthy issue we'd be in trouble. No vet will come here when there isn't a hurricane breathing down our necks. In fact, any issue needing treatment of any type would be a huge problem. Anxiously awaiting my trainer's call...

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Another update -

Good news! Val has bruising of his sole... not super visible to look at but evenly tender to the hoof tester over half of his foot. He's in a hoof boot and has had some bute. I guess the combo of a very recent trim and working on hard ground... perhaps the giant 15 minute #*@& fit he had when he couldn't see his buddies?! Time for some venice turpentine I reckon... what a relief :)

Battening down the hatches...

We're fixing to get a bit of a storm here. I rushed back from the wonderful weekend at my trainer's yesterday to prepare. Val and I had a blast! Will post more once I'm finished getting ready for the weather. As they say here, "That's the price you pay for living in paradise"...

In the Arena #21 - Good to go

Looks like we're on for our trip to my trainer's this weekend - yea! When I went down to the barn this evening the mystery swelling was barely there and I couldn't feel heat anymore. I had my friend Capt. Sue come by and watch me trot Val on flat ground. She couldn't see that he was off at all, and when we switched I didn't see anything either. I'm guessing a bug bite was the cause... what a relief.

After one last cold hosing and a thorough grooming, we did some very nice work on the ground in the temporary arena. I noticed that even off my horse, when I'm leading him or working with him on the ground, keeping my gaze and focus on where I want to go is much better that focusing on my horse or looking down at the ground. I'm aware that I tend do this in the saddle and it's not good, but now have a larger connection with that concept.

In the past, it has been a challenge for Val to remain calm when we hang out in the back of the property. That's where deer, cats and turtles show up out of the blue... Today he was so mellow, paying attention to what I wanted him to do... including ignoring the grazing opportunities under his nose and not spooking or being distracted. Hoping we can start riding in the temporary arena soon - the sand in our paddock is too soft and deep these days - very laborious footing. I love my horse - what.a.good.boy!!

In the Arena #19 - Just what the doctor ordered

Having a (hellishly) irritating day? (lawyers... neighbors burning toxic trash... frustrating clients) My prescription is to head straight for the barn without delay! If mucking, raking and moving hay doesn't heal you, give your horse a long loving groom, tack him up and ride, ride, ride :)

Goals for our ride yesterday:

1. Be in the moment / focus and maintain attention for the benefit of my horse

2. Ride Val like the horse that I want him to be / use the lightest aides possible 

3. Visualization and thought as the first level of aiding

4. Lose my expectations (see #1)

We did some lovely relaxed work: good walk/halt transitions, maintained nice contact, minimal resistance. In the last part of the ride I gave up the reins, halting and turning off of my seat and legs only. It has been quite a while since our last ride, and this was a great way to get back into the swing of things.

It can be challenging to be the only dressage rider in your riding community. "Don't you get bored just going around in circles?" I've been feeling concerned about our (lack of) progress lately. Thank goodness for my trainer and our "phone lessons". She keeps me from getting too discouraged and reminds me (gently) to watch my attitude. Thanks Erin :)