I just wanted to say that I LOVE my new barn. Yesterday, I worked Sam in the arena a little and then went for a hack – we trotted up the hills on the back 40, and then wandered down to the Foundation and rode around there for a while. I didn’t go far, as I was petrified about getting lost (you know my sense of direction!), but it was really good for Sam – he had to pick his way around the roots, figure out how to balance himself up and down the hills, etc. I can’t believe that I went for so long at a place where I couldn’t do that kind of work. Now, I really feel that I can get somewhere with my riding, as I have the “tools” to do it with. Yay! Oh, and Oliver was wonderful today. He’s actually been better behaved than Sam. When I take Sam out, Oliver yells a few times, and then gets buddy-buddy with Czar. When he’s the one being ridden, he’s great, too. When I take Sam out to be ridden, he yells all the time, refuses to focus (unless we’re jumping – then he pays attention to me), and is basically a pain in the ass. Sam hates it when I take Oliver out – he yells and gallops around the pasture like a fruitcake and ignores Czar. I had no idea he would do this. He normally doesn’t mind being left behind, and he certainly doesn’t care if he gets taken away. The only time he has done something like this was when I brought Ellie and Sam together to a Denny lesson. Sam and Ellie both were royal pain the necks, which is why I swore I wouldn’t take both of them anywhere together again.
Anyway, I flatted Oliver, and he was an angel – he seems more relaxed at Denny’s, and even picked up his leads the first time without bucking or rushing into it. I decided to take him for a hack, and since he’s never been out in the wild on his own before, I was prepared for anything, but damned if that little horse didn’t just march around, looking curiously at everything. He didn’t spook at any of the xc jumps, not even the ones he hadn’t seen before, and marched up and down the hills. I remember how Karen told me that some horses are natural descenders, where others have to learn how to go downhill. Oliver is a natural. He just sits right down on his butt and shimmies his way down the hill. He's truly a joy to ride. There was a dressage trainer who’s been flatting some of Christan’s horses and the first thing she said when she saw Oliver appearing out of the woods was “What a gorgeous horse he is.”
Oh, and Oliver had his first REAL xc lesson on Saturday, with Margaret. I was a little daunted as her little Fisher (that she got from Margaret Webber, at Mapleshade Farm, same place she got Echo) was pretty bold, and jumping everything with hardly a look. Oliver didn’t look at anything in the arena, either, but it was still a little humbling seeing how bold Fisher was. Anyway, we went out to the xc field and started jumping every little thing out there. Oliver only looked a couple of times, but then Fisher looked at the same jumps, so I didn’t feel badly at all. I have got to remember to ride Ollie with a loose rein to the jump – “trust him”, as Christan says – and stay a little behind the motion. I had to slip the reins a couple of times, which still impresses the heck out of me that I’m able to do that, since I remember Diane agonizing over the fact that I had trouble slipping my reins.
So, we're off to a great start! Can't wait for the weather to cool down...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Lifting hands and shifting weight
Kelly's lesson with Czar and Christan proved to be very enlightening for me. Most importantly, Christan had Kelly lift her hands when approaching a jump, and cantering, as that helped to shift Czar's weight back over his hocks instead of letting him dump himself on his forehand. I wondered about that, since when Kelly lifts her hands, Czar lifts his head, but I think that now Czar is shod behind, he is more willing to shift his weight back instead of just hollowing and pulling back on her. The transformation with Kelly's jumping was remarkable, though. As she approached the jump, C reminded her to keep her hands up and her elbows connected to her hips (something Holly is always reminding me about), and instead of getting left behind and jerking Czar in the mouth, which Kelly was worried she would do, he just jumped up and closed her angles, which helped with her issues of jumping ahead and leaning at the fence. I have been having problems with Kelly leaning at the fence, and then on the landing side, getting herself popped out of the saddle. C said it was because K locked her elbows on the approach, so that when Czar landed, he would yank her forward. When she kept her hands raised, it resulted in him jumping "up" to meet her, and then taking her elbows forward on the landing side so she didn't get popped. Wonderful. When Kelly cantered in the dressage arena, as a close to the lesson, the same result happened - Czar shifted his weight backwards, and like magic, Kelly suddenly started to follow the motion of the canter through her hips, eliminating her tendency to "post" in the canter.
So, the last ride I had with Oliver, he was hot and rushing around. I lately have been wrapping his bit with Sealtex, and he's been easier to bridle, so I think he likes the softer bit (Christan's idea). He's also being ridden back in the Isabel, as I got the suspicion that he prefers me being a bit more stable in the saddle - I have a tendency to get a little wobbly at times in the Fhoenix, due to HIS tendency to abruptly change direction or speed at a moment's notice. Thinking of that picture I have of Karen O'Connor riding The Optimist (he's pulling like a train in the picture), I really hollowed my back, pushed my shoulders back, sunk into my heels, kept my leg on and raised my hands a little to help regulate speed. He was doing much the same today - being a total dingbat in the crossties, for some reason, which resulted in a trip to the roundpen to work out some respect and trust issues. After we worked out personal space in the roundpen, I got on, and thought to myself the way I used to get Ben into his "happy space" - by keeping him very round and very deep, which helped to slow down his rhythm until he was ready to relax. At the walk, I stretched Oliver down as much as he would go, and he's starting to get it and enjoy the stretch. In the transition to trot, I rounded him a little more than I normally would, and then picked up the trot, and kept him very round and slow. This seemed to help, as he didn't race off in the trot, and then when he started to slow his tempo down, I gave him a little rein and asked for a downwards stretch, being very careful to not let my shoulders tip forward and encourage him to fall flat on his face and race around. This seemed to work pretty well. Oliver was more willing to stretch in the trot today, and kept his rhythm in a reasonable pace. Once he was giving me a nice stretch in the trot, I started to shorten and lengthen his stride in the trot - he wanted to hollow in the shortened strides, but I kept him extra round and deep when he wanted to brace and push, and the difference in the lengthened trot was amazing - he started to swing, and I could feel the suspension start to come through. When he started to feel quick, I brought him back to a shortened stride, and then when he balanced himself, I allowed him to stretch it out and elongate the stride, the whole time keeping my hands a little higher, but forward to allow the stretch. That was a lot of fun.
The big test was the canter. I've been dreading the canter work, as he likes to buck into the transition, and then prop on his forehand and jack me out of the saddle, making for a very uncomfortable experience for both of us. Again, going back to an old Practical Horseman article, I sat the trot into the transition. WHen I felt my right knee drop, I squeezed my inside leg and inside rein and thought "En-large" (as in enlarging the circle by increasing the bend and pushing off the inside leg), twice, and then I thought, "Half-halt" with outside rein to shift his weight back onto his haunches, twice again, and then thought "can-ter" with the outside leg back and the inside leg on, being sure to use both legs to ask for the depart. It worked wonders with Sam, but then he was getting pretty good about staying round through his transitions anyway, but it worked beautifully with Oliver - not only did he pick up the left lead on the first try, but he didn't buck into it, and he stayed pretty round and balanced, albeit a bit forward, through the entire canter. I made sure to keep my hands raised instead of dropping them down, and just keeping my leg on and letting him figure out the balance for himself. What a lovely canter. I haven't had a canter that nice in a while. I can't wait for my next lesson with Christan, to make sure that I am not raising my hands TOO much, and that she confirms what I'm feeling.
So, the last ride I had with Oliver, he was hot and rushing around. I lately have been wrapping his bit with Sealtex, and he's been easier to bridle, so I think he likes the softer bit (Christan's idea). He's also being ridden back in the Isabel, as I got the suspicion that he prefers me being a bit more stable in the saddle - I have a tendency to get a little wobbly at times in the Fhoenix, due to HIS tendency to abruptly change direction or speed at a moment's notice. Thinking of that picture I have of Karen O'Connor riding The Optimist (he's pulling like a train in the picture), I really hollowed my back, pushed my shoulders back, sunk into my heels, kept my leg on and raised my hands a little to help regulate speed. He was doing much the same today - being a total dingbat in the crossties, for some reason, which resulted in a trip to the roundpen to work out some respect and trust issues. After we worked out personal space in the roundpen, I got on, and thought to myself the way I used to get Ben into his "happy space" - by keeping him very round and very deep, which helped to slow down his rhythm until he was ready to relax. At the walk, I stretched Oliver down as much as he would go, and he's starting to get it and enjoy the stretch. In the transition to trot, I rounded him a little more than I normally would, and then picked up the trot, and kept him very round and slow. This seemed to help, as he didn't race off in the trot, and then when he started to slow his tempo down, I gave him a little rein and asked for a downwards stretch, being very careful to not let my shoulders tip forward and encourage him to fall flat on his face and race around. This seemed to work pretty well. Oliver was more willing to stretch in the trot today, and kept his rhythm in a reasonable pace. Once he was giving me a nice stretch in the trot, I started to shorten and lengthen his stride in the trot - he wanted to hollow in the shortened strides, but I kept him extra round and deep when he wanted to brace and push, and the difference in the lengthened trot was amazing - he started to swing, and I could feel the suspension start to come through. When he started to feel quick, I brought him back to a shortened stride, and then when he balanced himself, I allowed him to stretch it out and elongate the stride, the whole time keeping my hands a little higher, but forward to allow the stretch. That was a lot of fun.
The big test was the canter. I've been dreading the canter work, as he likes to buck into the transition, and then prop on his forehand and jack me out of the saddle, making for a very uncomfortable experience for both of us. Again, going back to an old Practical Horseman article, I sat the trot into the transition. WHen I felt my right knee drop, I squeezed my inside leg and inside rein and thought "En-large" (as in enlarging the circle by increasing the bend and pushing off the inside leg), twice, and then I thought, "Half-halt" with outside rein to shift his weight back onto his haunches, twice again, and then thought "can-ter" with the outside leg back and the inside leg on, being sure to use both legs to ask for the depart. It worked wonders with Sam, but then he was getting pretty good about staying round through his transitions anyway, but it worked beautifully with Oliver - not only did he pick up the left lead on the first try, but he didn't buck into it, and he stayed pretty round and balanced, albeit a bit forward, through the entire canter. I made sure to keep my hands raised instead of dropping them down, and just keeping my leg on and letting him figure out the balance for himself. What a lovely canter. I haven't had a canter that nice in a while. I can't wait for my next lesson with Christan, to make sure that I am not raising my hands TOO much, and that she confirms what I'm feeling.
Monday, July 14, 2008
XC schooling at Tamarack with Oliver and Czar
Kelly and I took Czar and Oliver to Christan’s/Denny’s for a lesson – Kelly’s/Czar’s first time, Oliver’s second time. This time, I mounted him down by the trailer parking and walked him all the way up the hill and then down again to the arena. The plan was to tuck him behind Czar, as Czar is a seasoned trail horse and Oliver has yet to do an official trail ride, but Oliver refused to go behind Czar and truckled down on front. I was tickled at how he wanted to be first, even though he was nervous and sidled around. We got down to the arena and he warmed up well, even offering a stretch at the trot, and Christan had us trot over a placing pole to a crossrail. Of course, I was expecting a stop, but I guess the work that we did at Holly’s really sat with Oliver, as he trotted right up over the placing pole and hopped the crossrail like it wasn’t there. He did canter on landing and buck a little, pretty chuffed with himself. It’s annoying, but I’m not going to punish him for being pleased with himself. Christan had me really think about softening my hands to the jump, almost to the point of looping them, and Oliver jumped EVERYTHING we pointed him at without stopping or running out. Well, he did look hard at a green and white plank jump, but I kept my leg on, kept the reins loose and just sat tight and he popped on over and cantered quietly away. We progressed to trotting little courses, and I was surprised at how little contact I needed with him to the jump, and I was even more surprised at how much he enjoyed being given full rein, and how confident he grew from that. Early on I asked Christan if I was holding him too much in the air over the fence, or worse yet, catching him in the mouth, and she said absolutely not – he had this tendency to curl his neck in over the fence, but it wasn’t because of me, and she felt that we could teach him to get over that by keeping the rein very, very light and making sure to just sit still and push him across the fence. He’s just that type of horse when it comes to his mouth, but she said we can easily teach him to get over that.
We progressed to the ditch, which Oliver (predictably) spooked hard at – he’s never jumped a ditch before, just the natural one at NSE. Christan told me to not let him turn away, but keep him facing it and just sit still with a loopy rein and quietly encourage him. Kelly trotted by quite a few times on Czar to show Ollie that it was okay, and Oliver, when he went, just hopped over it – he did buck on landing (he tends to do that when he’s feeling good about himself), but I was very careful not to tighten the rein or lean at him, and we came over it again and he did it so quietly. We then did it the other way, and he didn’t even hesitate – just popped on over. Christan had us do the bank next – walk up the ramp and pop off the other side. I was nervous, as he’s never, ever done a bank and I expected him to stop, prop, and then LAUNCH off the bank. The walk up the bank (the ramp) was more spooky for him than the drop off – he wobbled up the ramp, walked across the bank, and then just looked and hopped right off, like he’d been doing drops all his life. I must admit that I was shocked. I was all prepared to grab the front of my saddle in case he Supermanned off the top – I swore to myself that I wouldn’t grab at the reins no matter what he did. We turned around, trotted up the bank, which he did without hesitating. We finished with a small log jump – his first xc jump. There was scary brush on either side, and there were a ton of deer romping around in the meadow below, but Oliver just trotted up on a very loose rein and popped over the hanging log. Wow. I mean, WOW. It’s amazing how much their confidence grows when you just sit chilly, don’t peck at them, and let them figure it out for themselves. It was also a valuable lesson for me in how little I need the reins to jump. I was riding with an extremely loopy rein over jumps he’d never seen before, and my position must be getting a ton more secure because it was so easy for both of us. Kelly and I walked down through the xc field, down the path (again, Oliver’s never been trail riding before), and Ollie took the lead, and you could feel him swaggering down the lane to the water jump – he was so proud of himself. Once at the water jump – his first time – he stopped, sniffed, walked right in, and started to paw. All on a loose rein. I really think that this horse is going to be incredible. Christan said that she thinks that he’s going to be one of those very bold, quiet horses xc. She’s not concerned about his spookiness at all – she said that some of the spookiest horses she’s ridden (Teddy, her mare Morchant who’s unbelieveable) turned out to be the boldest xc horses she’s ever ridden, and the safest, as they don’t want to touch a jump. I definitely think I’ve picked the right trainer for Ollie and me. Her quiet, gentle approach is just what he needs, and it gives me a ton of confidence as well. I just adore him!
We progressed to the ditch, which Oliver (predictably) spooked hard at – he’s never jumped a ditch before, just the natural one at NSE. Christan told me to not let him turn away, but keep him facing it and just sit still with a loopy rein and quietly encourage him. Kelly trotted by quite a few times on Czar to show Ollie that it was okay, and Oliver, when he went, just hopped over it – he did buck on landing (he tends to do that when he’s feeling good about himself), but I was very careful not to tighten the rein or lean at him, and we came over it again and he did it so quietly. We then did it the other way, and he didn’t even hesitate – just popped on over. Christan had us do the bank next – walk up the ramp and pop off the other side. I was nervous, as he’s never, ever done a bank and I expected him to stop, prop, and then LAUNCH off the bank. The walk up the bank (the ramp) was more spooky for him than the drop off – he wobbled up the ramp, walked across the bank, and then just looked and hopped right off, like he’d been doing drops all his life. I must admit that I was shocked. I was all prepared to grab the front of my saddle in case he Supermanned off the top – I swore to myself that I wouldn’t grab at the reins no matter what he did. We turned around, trotted up the bank, which he did without hesitating. We finished with a small log jump – his first xc jump. There was scary brush on either side, and there were a ton of deer romping around in the meadow below, but Oliver just trotted up on a very loose rein and popped over the hanging log. Wow. I mean, WOW. It’s amazing how much their confidence grows when you just sit chilly, don’t peck at them, and let them figure it out for themselves. It was also a valuable lesson for me in how little I need the reins to jump. I was riding with an extremely loopy rein over jumps he’d never seen before, and my position must be getting a ton more secure because it was so easy for both of us. Kelly and I walked down through the xc field, down the path (again, Oliver’s never been trail riding before), and Ollie took the lead, and you could feel him swaggering down the lane to the water jump – he was so proud of himself. Once at the water jump – his first time – he stopped, sniffed, walked right in, and started to paw. All on a loose rein. I really think that this horse is going to be incredible. Christan said that she thinks that he’s going to be one of those very bold, quiet horses xc. She’s not concerned about his spookiness at all – she said that some of the spookiest horses she’s ridden (Teddy, her mare Morchant who’s unbelieveable) turned out to be the boldest xc horses she’s ever ridden, and the safest, as they don’t want to touch a jump. I definitely think I’ve picked the right trainer for Ollie and me. Her quiet, gentle approach is just what he needs, and it gives me a ton of confidence as well. I just adore him!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Oliver's second jumping lesson with Holly
Once again, he was a Very Good Boy despite all the commotion going on in her arena - she was super-busy with lessons and her working students riding, so there was a lot going on. I warmed him up by myself while Holly taught another lesson, and he offered to stretch down onto the bit at the walk and the trot, and is starting to take more contact, which is a huge improvement over hovering behind the bit.
Holly set up a crossrail, and we trotted up to it and he immediately started looking, so of course I tipped forward a little and he slammed on the brakes and wheeled to the right. Holly made me turn him left and then I stuffed him over the jump, and we trotted that a few times but he was pretty looky, for some reason, for a few more passes. We then spent the rest of the lesson trotting over little jumps, sometimes stuffing him over them from a walk (like the newly painted candy cane pole). Holly stressed that I need to keep them small, as it's not about height, it's about trust, and she mentioned that Oliver, right now, was mentally "fragile" in that he didn't quite trust me. She said that he needs to get into his mind that even though it's scary, he needs to find his way between the standards and not look for a way out right or left. We also halted straight after the jumps, to reinforce the fact that running away afterwards was NOT a good idea. By the end of the session, he was trotting over every jump quietly, and halting straight afterwards. I had to remember to lift my shoulders, keep them still, keep my hands forward and turn my toes out slightly so that my lower leg kept contact, and keep my seat light (whew!). I think that I'm worried about getting left behind, so I either a) tip forward too soon and burden his forehand or b) worry about getting ahead of him so I sit back too much and then get left. If I keep my seat light, my shoulders back and my leg on, I am able to "go with" the motion so much better. So, the homework is to jump him every other ride or so, and keep changing around the jumps in the arena so that they're different, and not let him stop at anything, no matter what - he MUST find his way between the standards somehow without turning left or right.
Holly set up a crossrail, and we trotted up to it and he immediately started looking, so of course I tipped forward a little and he slammed on the brakes and wheeled to the right. Holly made me turn him left and then I stuffed him over the jump, and we trotted that a few times but he was pretty looky, for some reason, for a few more passes. We then spent the rest of the lesson trotting over little jumps, sometimes stuffing him over them from a walk (like the newly painted candy cane pole). Holly stressed that I need to keep them small, as it's not about height, it's about trust, and she mentioned that Oliver, right now, was mentally "fragile" in that he didn't quite trust me. She said that he needs to get into his mind that even though it's scary, he needs to find his way between the standards and not look for a way out right or left. We also halted straight after the jumps, to reinforce the fact that running away afterwards was NOT a good idea. By the end of the session, he was trotting over every jump quietly, and halting straight afterwards. I had to remember to lift my shoulders, keep them still, keep my hands forward and turn my toes out slightly so that my lower leg kept contact, and keep my seat light (whew!). I think that I'm worried about getting left behind, so I either a) tip forward too soon and burden his forehand or b) worry about getting ahead of him so I sit back too much and then get left. If I keep my seat light, my shoulders back and my leg on, I am able to "go with" the motion so much better. So, the homework is to jump him every other ride or so, and keep changing around the jumps in the arena so that they're different, and not let him stop at anything, no matter what - he MUST find his way between the standards somehow without turning left or right.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
The results of perusing Jimmy Wofford's book
Picked up Wofford's book again last night - Training the Three-Day Event Horse and Rider - an oldie but goodie. He strongly recommended keeping a journal (not the kind I've been doing already) of training timetables and schedules, especially when it comes to doing trot and canter sets. This advice is quite timely as it actually means something to me now that I'm looking at bringing Sam back into a conditioning program to prepare for Five Points in September.
Yesterday was a double-whammy with both horses, as we have rainshowers/thunderstorms predicted on and off all week and weekend, and there was no guarantee that I was going to be able to fit in all the work that I needed to do.
So, here goes:
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Oliver: flatwork day
Stretching through the walk and trot, leg yields both on and off the rail, solid and light transitions from walk-halt, walk-trot, and shortening and lengthening the trot, canter transitions. Total time: 45 minutes.
There were a ton of people in the arena yesterday. Carolyn (the vet tech at the barn) brought over a couple of trailers full of horses to school - mostly western - and her daughter, a student, and other sundry people. Added to that was myself, and the new beginner boarder on his broke-to-death buckskin QH gelding, and we had a pretty full arena. It was good, though, for Oliver to get used to maneuvering around other people and horses and staying focused on me. Surprisingly, Sam had more focus issues than Oliver, but both boys were good. He's starting to really understand the whole stretching thing and even managing to keep his balance while stretching down at the trot, which is a huge improvement over just a week ago. I also did not ride with a whip, and put a pommel pad under the seat of the Fhoenix to see if that would help with the balance, so I wasn't feeling like I was playing "catch-up" with him the whole time (and being a sensitive horse, it was probably causing him to scoot out from under me). It seemed to work - the balance was so much better for me, and he wasn't shooting around and skittering all over the ring. I'm definitely going to sell the Isabell and get a riser pad for the Fhoenix. Our transitions within the trot was pretty good. I would start with a normal, working trot, then slowly bring him back and think about bouncing him up underneath me to shorten the stride, and then allow him to go back to the working trot, and quickly ask for some lengthened strides. I found that if I let him go into a working trot for too long before asking for a lengthening, he would rush and fall flat. If I asked for the lengthening from a shortened, more "collected" trot, he would give me some very nice lengthened strides (or so I can only assume, since I couldn't see them but only feel them) before falling flat on his face. The canter transition was much better today, too. The transition to the right was accurate and prompt, but he was a bit sprawly at the canter itself. I am experimenting with how much to sit down and back, and how much to lighten my seat. He gets hoppy behind if I sit on him too soon, so I guess it's more of a timing thing. The left canter lead took a couple of tries, but he's getting so much better at it. No more bucking in the canter, either, which is why I'm sold on the Fhoenix saddle.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sam: flatwork day
Stretching through the walk and trot, small circles at the walk to get him bending off the leg and not the hand, canter transitions. Total time: 30 minutes.
Not a real intensive day for Sam, as he is stil relatively unfit from his "vacation". I really am convinced now that when Sam is a pighead, it's because he is having difficulty breathing. I also used the pommel pad as a riser under the Fhoenix saddle, because I was wondering if the balance would be better for me, and it really was. So, both boys have a tendency to travel uphill - Sam because of his training, and Oliver because he's built that way - and I need to rise the back of the saddle to compensate. Luckily, it's treeless so I don't have to worry about it pinching at the saddle tree points. In fact, with the pommel pad underneath it, my leg falls behind the knee roll where it should, which makes my seat aids far more effective. Sam was happily stretching around today, and when I brought him back and shortened his frame, he was quite happy to do so. His canter transitions, especially to the right, were very smooth and he didn't hollow, and I played around with really lifting him through my seat in the canter itself and was amazed at how light and springy he got. In addition to that, he was willing to stretch down in the canter itself, which is something we've been struggling with on and off for about a year now.
Yesterday was a double-whammy with both horses, as we have rainshowers/thunderstorms predicted on and off all week and weekend, and there was no guarantee that I was going to be able to fit in all the work that I needed to do.
So, here goes:
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Oliver: flatwork day
Stretching through the walk and trot, leg yields both on and off the rail, solid and light transitions from walk-halt, walk-trot, and shortening and lengthening the trot, canter transitions. Total time: 45 minutes.
There were a ton of people in the arena yesterday. Carolyn (the vet tech at the barn) brought over a couple of trailers full of horses to school - mostly western - and her daughter, a student, and other sundry people. Added to that was myself, and the new beginner boarder on his broke-to-death buckskin QH gelding, and we had a pretty full arena. It was good, though, for Oliver to get used to maneuvering around other people and horses and staying focused on me. Surprisingly, Sam had more focus issues than Oliver, but both boys were good. He's starting to really understand the whole stretching thing and even managing to keep his balance while stretching down at the trot, which is a huge improvement over just a week ago. I also did not ride with a whip, and put a pommel pad under the seat of the Fhoenix to see if that would help with the balance, so I wasn't feeling like I was playing "catch-up" with him the whole time (and being a sensitive horse, it was probably causing him to scoot out from under me). It seemed to work - the balance was so much better for me, and he wasn't shooting around and skittering all over the ring. I'm definitely going to sell the Isabell and get a riser pad for the Fhoenix. Our transitions within the trot was pretty good. I would start with a normal, working trot, then slowly bring him back and think about bouncing him up underneath me to shorten the stride, and then allow him to go back to the working trot, and quickly ask for some lengthened strides. I found that if I let him go into a working trot for too long before asking for a lengthening, he would rush and fall flat. If I asked for the lengthening from a shortened, more "collected" trot, he would give me some very nice lengthened strides (or so I can only assume, since I couldn't see them but only feel them) before falling flat on his face. The canter transition was much better today, too. The transition to the right was accurate and prompt, but he was a bit sprawly at the canter itself. I am experimenting with how much to sit down and back, and how much to lighten my seat. He gets hoppy behind if I sit on him too soon, so I guess it's more of a timing thing. The left canter lead took a couple of tries, but he's getting so much better at it. No more bucking in the canter, either, which is why I'm sold on the Fhoenix saddle.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sam: flatwork day
Stretching through the walk and trot, small circles at the walk to get him bending off the leg and not the hand, canter transitions. Total time: 30 minutes.
Not a real intensive day for Sam, as he is stil relatively unfit from his "vacation". I really am convinced now that when Sam is a pighead, it's because he is having difficulty breathing. I also used the pommel pad as a riser under the Fhoenix saddle, because I was wondering if the balance would be better for me, and it really was. So, both boys have a tendency to travel uphill - Sam because of his training, and Oliver because he's built that way - and I need to rise the back of the saddle to compensate. Luckily, it's treeless so I don't have to worry about it pinching at the saddle tree points. In fact, with the pommel pad underneath it, my leg falls behind the knee roll where it should, which makes my seat aids far more effective. Sam was happily stretching around today, and when I brought him back and shortened his frame, he was quite happy to do so. His canter transitions, especially to the right, were very smooth and he didn't hollow, and I played around with really lifting him through my seat in the canter itself and was amazed at how light and springy he got. In addition to that, he was willing to stretch down in the canter itself, which is something we've been struggling with on and off for about a year now.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
In which KIM learns not to ride the brake and the gas at the same time...
....and Oliver breathes a sigh of relief. It's amazing how much horses humble you, and teach you that there isn't a chance in hell that you know everything there is to know about riding. Sigh.
Oliver, and to a lesser degree, Sam, has been an a$$ lately. Since BOTH of them are being a$$es, my guess is that the cooling weather has something to do with it. Monday (it's now Wednesday) was a breezy, gorgeous day - the kind that makes you smile just being out in the weather. I had just had a bad day, which probably should have told me that maybe I shouldn't be at the barn, riding, but I was hoping to clear my head and put in a good ride since the weather was cooperating so nicely. Wrong. Oliver obviously had other ideas. I've been struggling with saddles on him, primarily dressage saddles, as he is so freakin' uphill that everything I sit on him tends to ride pommel-high, regardless of how well the pommel arch actually fits. The treeless saddle seems to make him the happiest - he doesn't object to being saddled after I ride him in it - but it is the worst culprit when it comes to riding pommel high - having no tree, I tend to get shoved back into the soft cantle, which makes me feel like I'm riding with my legs out in front of me. I really need to get a lift-back pad for him and see if that's any better. I tried riding in my Isabell, but not only did I feel like I was sitting a mile above his back, he was bucking into his canter transitions. Not fun. I worry about the day when he actually gets GOOD at bucking - right now, they'r mostly irritating. If I remember correctly, Miles started off that way, too. So, on Monday evening, I had the Fhoenix on him, and all he wanted to do was race around in the trot, so I did a ton of transitions to get him sharper off my aids and really force myself to use my leg and NOT take it off of him, which is what I want to do when he's going around like a sewing machine on crack. He did start to settle well, but then persisted on bucking every time I asked for the canter depart. His right lead was perfect, but the left was nonexistant, and he was getting frustrated, and so was I, and eventually he showed it by doing a half-rear, grabbing the bit, and running off. That made me mad, so I grabbed the inside rein, booted him into a doubling move, and then proceeded to make his life hell as he spun around and around in circles. When I finally let him out of the spin, he was wide-eyed and very, very obedient. In fact, he was perfect. I doubt he'll try that maneuver again for a while.
So, with that last ride leaving a bad taste in my mouth (as well as Sam just being piggy and rooting around on the bit, either inverting or lugging around), I wasn't too happy about riding today, but he needed to get ridden, as history shows that he doesn't do too well with too many days off. Since I have a Holly lesson on Monday, I thought it would be good timing to do some jumping, as well as letting some mental pressure off the little red-head. Btw, he's no longer so little. He was standing in the crossties (the ones closest to the lounge, which he's never been in before and I have been nervous putting him there, as he can be a bit spooky, but Jackie was in the other crossties shoeing horses) and being a saint, when Dany said, "Kim, he's growing!" I looked at him closely, and sure enough, I think he's grown an inch in the wither. I think that before, he was just under 16.1 hands, and now he's over that and closer to 16.2. Maybe that's why he's been an a$$ - he may have been trying to find his balance during a growth spurt. He was standing there all relaxed, so his height is probably accurate at that time.
The crossrails were set up so that they were about 6-7 strides apart, as well as the other things being left over from the cancelled show. I took him over the shark's tooth plank first, as the crossrails were a tiny bit bigger, and he did an enormous jump but never once did he stop. In fact, he jumped everything today - landed bucking a few times, but I think that's more to do with me not giving him quite enough of a release and possibly a bit of exuberance as well. So, I figured out that a combination of what Holly and Christan wanted me to do worked quite well. I trot to the jump with a light, soft rein, keeping my leg on and a slight hollow in my back. Arms well forward and slightly wide in case I need to steer, and then even when he's wiggling to the fence, I don't accidentally pop him in the mouth. Oliver has such a nice jump when I really stay relaxed and ride him to the fence, and give him the freedom to jump and move forward. I think that I was anticipating a runout so much that I had too much of a hold on his face, and he didn't know what to think - go forward? Stop? Slow down? and then would put in a big, awkward cat leap which would leave me behind the motion, so I would accidentally give him a little tug in the mouth over the jump, which would make him speed up on the landing side. I wasn't yanking him in the mouth, but I wasn't really letting him move out, either. Like I said, he jumped everything I trotted him over, and even cantered a couple of jumps. His confidence is growing and mine in him as well.
I also really believe that Sam's allergies have a huge part to play in how cooperative he is that day. On Tuesday, his eyes were a little runny and when i tried to put him on the bit, he started to make a little wheezy sound, and as I stated above, he was truly an ass. I think he panics when his breathing is obstructed and that's when he fights me. He hasn't been on the Clarity that long - maybe three days - and I can't give him the drops as regularly as I'd like, so here's to hoping that the Clarity works for the little guy. I hope so - he's too good of a horse to lose for a few months due to allergies.
Oliver, and to a lesser degree, Sam, has been an a$$ lately. Since BOTH of them are being a$$es, my guess is that the cooling weather has something to do with it. Monday (it's now Wednesday) was a breezy, gorgeous day - the kind that makes you smile just being out in the weather. I had just had a bad day, which probably should have told me that maybe I shouldn't be at the barn, riding, but I was hoping to clear my head and put in a good ride since the weather was cooperating so nicely. Wrong. Oliver obviously had other ideas. I've been struggling with saddles on him, primarily dressage saddles, as he is so freakin' uphill that everything I sit on him tends to ride pommel-high, regardless of how well the pommel arch actually fits. The treeless saddle seems to make him the happiest - he doesn't object to being saddled after I ride him in it - but it is the worst culprit when it comes to riding pommel high - having no tree, I tend to get shoved back into the soft cantle, which makes me feel like I'm riding with my legs out in front of me. I really need to get a lift-back pad for him and see if that's any better. I tried riding in my Isabell, but not only did I feel like I was sitting a mile above his back, he was bucking into his canter transitions. Not fun. I worry about the day when he actually gets GOOD at bucking - right now, they'r mostly irritating. If I remember correctly, Miles started off that way, too. So, on Monday evening, I had the Fhoenix on him, and all he wanted to do was race around in the trot, so I did a ton of transitions to get him sharper off my aids and really force myself to use my leg and NOT take it off of him, which is what I want to do when he's going around like a sewing machine on crack. He did start to settle well, but then persisted on bucking every time I asked for the canter depart. His right lead was perfect, but the left was nonexistant, and he was getting frustrated, and so was I, and eventually he showed it by doing a half-rear, grabbing the bit, and running off. That made me mad, so I grabbed the inside rein, booted him into a doubling move, and then proceeded to make his life hell as he spun around and around in circles. When I finally let him out of the spin, he was wide-eyed and very, very obedient. In fact, he was perfect. I doubt he'll try that maneuver again for a while.
So, with that last ride leaving a bad taste in my mouth (as well as Sam just being piggy and rooting around on the bit, either inverting or lugging around), I wasn't too happy about riding today, but he needed to get ridden, as history shows that he doesn't do too well with too many days off. Since I have a Holly lesson on Monday, I thought it would be good timing to do some jumping, as well as letting some mental pressure off the little red-head. Btw, he's no longer so little. He was standing in the crossties (the ones closest to the lounge, which he's never been in before and I have been nervous putting him there, as he can be a bit spooky, but Jackie was in the other crossties shoeing horses) and being a saint, when Dany said, "Kim, he's growing!" I looked at him closely, and sure enough, I think he's grown an inch in the wither. I think that before, he was just under 16.1 hands, and now he's over that and closer to 16.2. Maybe that's why he's been an a$$ - he may have been trying to find his balance during a growth spurt. He was standing there all relaxed, so his height is probably accurate at that time.
The crossrails were set up so that they were about 6-7 strides apart, as well as the other things being left over from the cancelled show. I took him over the shark's tooth plank first, as the crossrails were a tiny bit bigger, and he did an enormous jump but never once did he stop. In fact, he jumped everything today - landed bucking a few times, but I think that's more to do with me not giving him quite enough of a release and possibly a bit of exuberance as well. So, I figured out that a combination of what Holly and Christan wanted me to do worked quite well. I trot to the jump with a light, soft rein, keeping my leg on and a slight hollow in my back. Arms well forward and slightly wide in case I need to steer, and then even when he's wiggling to the fence, I don't accidentally pop him in the mouth. Oliver has such a nice jump when I really stay relaxed and ride him to the fence, and give him the freedom to jump and move forward. I think that I was anticipating a runout so much that I had too much of a hold on his face, and he didn't know what to think - go forward? Stop? Slow down? and then would put in a big, awkward cat leap which would leave me behind the motion, so I would accidentally give him a little tug in the mouth over the jump, which would make him speed up on the landing side. I wasn't yanking him in the mouth, but I wasn't really letting him move out, either. Like I said, he jumped everything I trotted him over, and even cantered a couple of jumps. His confidence is growing and mine in him as well.
I also really believe that Sam's allergies have a huge part to play in how cooperative he is that day. On Tuesday, his eyes were a little runny and when i tried to put him on the bit, he started to make a little wheezy sound, and as I stated above, he was truly an ass. I think he panics when his breathing is obstructed and that's when he fights me. He hasn't been on the Clarity that long - maybe three days - and I can't give him the drops as regularly as I'd like, so here's to hoping that the Clarity works for the little guy. I hope so - he's too good of a horse to lose for a few months due to allergies.
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