So, as I was hacking out today...
Oliver and I came head to head with a four-in-hand, Friesians too, with people hanging off the sides and the back of the carriage and everything. Needless to say, Oliver was bug-eyed about it, but he really did handle it quite well. He did jig a bit away from them (probably thought they were going to pop up again and surprise us). I tried bending Oliver side to side when he jigged, but he just kept on jigging, and I was getting annoyed, so then I thought, right, I’m going to shorten the rein and push you onto the bit, and that seemed to work, but he kept wanting to look behind him to see if that carriage was after him, so then I put him into a shoulder-in, our very first one, and that solved the problem nicely. I don’t know if it’s because it was harder work for him than jigging, or it got his mind on something else, but after a few steps of shoulder-in, I let him stretch into the contact and he did a lovely free walk along the trail a ways before I gave him a loose rein all together and we walked on home.
It was GLORIOUS today. Temps in the mid 60s, sunny, and this is where it gets really surreal – the trails had actually been groomed. I saw it happening on the way out – there were a few people with rakes combing all the pine straw off the trail and smoothing the footing down. Unbelievable. Only in Southern Pines do you have people out there raking the horse and people trails. Oliver hadn’t been on a hack in a while, so it was good for both of us to get out. We did some trotting, and he offered up this lovely stretchy trot for quite a ways down the trail, which was a challenge to my balance as he got very bouncy, and even picked up his right lead and cantered a stretch, and then cantered in a lovely balanced frame downhill on the way back on his left lead with very little help from me. Oh, and we jumped that fallen tree on the way out to the Woods. I was a little nervous, as I’ve never jumped it before on Ollie, just Sam, and he just pricked his ears and popped it in style. SUCH a good boy.
It has been the week for making huge progress. I had my lesson on Friday, flat. I asked Christan how she warmed him up, and Christan told me that it depended on whether or not he was offering a stretch. If he offered to stretch correctly (and she said he had been doing this more often, so I guess that means I’m doing something right!) she would stretch him right off the bat, but if he was being stiff, she would immediately put him on the bit. I had a revelation about how to keep my lower leg on all the time, and what it means to do that, and keep the thighs open. I was trotting around letting him stretch (he was having a limber sort of day) and I asked Christan, “Is it okay if I turn out my toes at first while I work on this keeping the thigh open thing? I can’t seem to keep my toes in and keep my thigh off him at the same time.” And Christan said, of COURSE it’s okay, why would you want to keep your toes turned in? I told her that ever single dressage trainer I’ve ever had has practically forced my toes in, so that it’s become a habit with me, and she said that if I turned my toes in, I would clamp my thigh against his sides. I know that the upper level riders are able to do it without closing their thighs, but I can’t, and it turned out that when I turned my toes out, it wasn’t like they were sticking out sideways or anything, so it was actually not as bad as I thought. And, when my toes are out, I can keep my entire leg back from the hip and keep my lower leg on Oliver. I thought I had my lower leg on, but not all the time, because when I did start to keep it on consistently, he would squirt forwards away from the leg and hollow. I thought about wrapping my lower legs around him and just holding them there, and if he tried to get quick and hollow, I would close my leg a little more firmly and keep my hands still and just keep doing that until he softened and gave. Oh, and I found out just how much I use my hands when I ride. I don’t think I’m fiddling, but even the squeezing I do with my hands is “knocking him off the bit”, according to Christan. I know I’ve been better about not sponging the rein anymore, but I guess I was still squeezing with my hands too much and I wasn’t getting consistent contact. When Oliver gets quick and hollows, or falls behind my leg, or pops his shoulder, I have to concentrate hard on NOT doing anything with my hands, even squeezing them, and use my leg and push him up onto the bit, and then when he softens, not to allow the reins to get too soft. In short, I have to stop releasing so much, and taking so much, and make everything a lot smaller and more consistent. We had some lovely uphill work, both up and down in the transitions, and got the right lead every time (although it wasn’t too pretty), and I was relieved. I’m still a bit irritated at all the people who have told me to ride with my toes in, thigh on, hands spongeing, blah. It’s all wrong! Sometimes I worry about what would happen if anything went south between Christan and me. I don’t want to go back to the old way of riding, ever. I know it’s wrong, and the way Christan is having me ride is more like what they talk about in the classical dressage books, like Klimke’s Schooling the Young Horse, and others – from back to front, leg to hand.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
In which my seat gets all turned around
I wish someone had taught me this earlier. Like, 10 years earlier. It's so simple that it makes you wonder why nobody else teaches this - simple, but not easy, but I believe that with a lot of determination and self-discipline, I can make this automatic in the future.
I had a lesson on Sam with Christan today, and lately I've been riding without stirrups to deepen my seat and try and keep my lower leg a bit more stable, especially in the canter and when jumping. I warmed up without my stirrups, and Sam seems to actually like it better when I sit the trot without stirrups, as he seems to get freer in the back. Christan really emphasized opening up my thigh and keeping my lower leg closed around Sam, as she said that when she rode him for the video, he (at first) wanted to scoot ahead when she put her leg on, and that Oliver was doing much of the same thing. C stressed that it shoudn't require a lot of tension or work, just concentration - I had to keep a hollow in my lower back, thinking about keeping my pelvis pressed forward and down into the pommel of the saddle. It helped to think about having a suction cup there and keeping that suction cup pressed down and forward, keeping my thigh back in the saddle. If I allowed my pelvis to tilt backwards and tuck my bum under me, my thighs automatically tightened and I would start to pinch with my knee, and in turn Sam would get bouncier. It was interesting how everything fell into place once I concentrated on keeping my seat where it should be - C pointed out how my hands stopped burying themselves down and were carrying themselves where they should be, and how Sam softened his back and became extremely light and uphill, and his trot and canter very soft and light and "up" and most of all, easy to sit. If I tightened with my thigh, immediately his trot became more jarring and I would lean backwards, tucking my seat underneath me. Christan also said that sitting this way made me look longer and leaner, as it lengthened my leg and stretching up created the visual impression that my tummy was flatter. Talk about incentive to ride that way!
The most revolutionary idea in all of this was when we transferred it over to two point. C had me thinking about sliding my seat down and back, thinking about it sliding along the saddle, and really keeping my thighs open and my lower leg closed. I had been standing out of the saddle too far for two point, and grabbing with my knee, which caused several things to happen - when I sat down in the saddle before a jump, the horse would hollow out from underneath me. Riding two point the way C showed me, there was very, very little movement adjusting from two point to a full seat to rebalance before the jump, and as a result, there was no disruptance in the horse when we approached the jump. Over the jump, I had to think about sliding my seat down and back and really arching my lower back so that I didn't make a move with my upper body. That was much harder to do, but then I need to practice galloping around in the new two point, switching between the two seats, before I can get used to closing my hip angle the way it should close over a fence.
i'm frustrated, due to having practiced the wrong way for so long - various teachers have told me to steady my lower leg (Holly) to keeping it underneath me (David O'Brien), but nobody addressed the root of the problem, which was my pelvic triangle and seat. I'm elated, because just changing the way I sit on my pelvis made such a HUGE difference in the way Sam went. I'm anxious to try it on Oliver.
Oh, and the most interesting thing of all - I sat in Christan's Prestige 2000D dressage saddle. She talked me into it, since I didn't want to as it was a 16" seat and I thought for sure I would overlap the seat, but amazingly enough - when I dropped my leg and sat the correct way, it actually wasn't too small at all! I had plenty of room in front and behind me. Weird. So, C and I both think that my saddles are too big for me, which causes me to tuck my butt underneath me as the balance point is too far back and I'm unconsciously trying to find it with my pelvic triangle. I guess i need to be looking for a 17"-17.5" seat, instead of the 18" which I always have thought were the right size for me. I feel skinnier already! :)
I had a lesson on Sam with Christan today, and lately I've been riding without stirrups to deepen my seat and try and keep my lower leg a bit more stable, especially in the canter and when jumping. I warmed up without my stirrups, and Sam seems to actually like it better when I sit the trot without stirrups, as he seems to get freer in the back. Christan really emphasized opening up my thigh and keeping my lower leg closed around Sam, as she said that when she rode him for the video, he (at first) wanted to scoot ahead when she put her leg on, and that Oliver was doing much of the same thing. C stressed that it shoudn't require a lot of tension or work, just concentration - I had to keep a hollow in my lower back, thinking about keeping my pelvis pressed forward and down into the pommel of the saddle. It helped to think about having a suction cup there and keeping that suction cup pressed down and forward, keeping my thigh back in the saddle. If I allowed my pelvis to tilt backwards and tuck my bum under me, my thighs automatically tightened and I would start to pinch with my knee, and in turn Sam would get bouncier. It was interesting how everything fell into place once I concentrated on keeping my seat where it should be - C pointed out how my hands stopped burying themselves down and were carrying themselves where they should be, and how Sam softened his back and became extremely light and uphill, and his trot and canter very soft and light and "up" and most of all, easy to sit. If I tightened with my thigh, immediately his trot became more jarring and I would lean backwards, tucking my seat underneath me. Christan also said that sitting this way made me look longer and leaner, as it lengthened my leg and stretching up created the visual impression that my tummy was flatter. Talk about incentive to ride that way!
The most revolutionary idea in all of this was when we transferred it over to two point. C had me thinking about sliding my seat down and back, thinking about it sliding along the saddle, and really keeping my thighs open and my lower leg closed. I had been standing out of the saddle too far for two point, and grabbing with my knee, which caused several things to happen - when I sat down in the saddle before a jump, the horse would hollow out from underneath me. Riding two point the way C showed me, there was very, very little movement adjusting from two point to a full seat to rebalance before the jump, and as a result, there was no disruptance in the horse when we approached the jump. Over the jump, I had to think about sliding my seat down and back and really arching my lower back so that I didn't make a move with my upper body. That was much harder to do, but then I need to practice galloping around in the new two point, switching between the two seats, before I can get used to closing my hip angle the way it should close over a fence.
i'm frustrated, due to having practiced the wrong way for so long - various teachers have told me to steady my lower leg (Holly) to keeping it underneath me (David O'Brien), but nobody addressed the root of the problem, which was my pelvic triangle and seat. I'm elated, because just changing the way I sit on my pelvis made such a HUGE difference in the way Sam went. I'm anxious to try it on Oliver.
Oh, and the most interesting thing of all - I sat in Christan's Prestige 2000D dressage saddle. She talked me into it, since I didn't want to as it was a 16" seat and I thought for sure I would overlap the seat, but amazingly enough - when I dropped my leg and sat the correct way, it actually wasn't too small at all! I had plenty of room in front and behind me. Weird. So, C and I both think that my saddles are too big for me, which causes me to tuck my butt underneath me as the balance point is too far back and I'm unconsciously trying to find it with my pelvic triangle. I guess i need to be looking for a 17"-17.5" seat, instead of the 18" which I always have thought were the right size for me. I feel skinnier already! :)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Once again, it's always the rider's fault, not the horse's.
So, I’ve discovered that I’m the cause of the problem with my horses and their jumping. No surprise there, but it makes me sad. I had a lesson with Oliver Saturday, and I wanted to address some of the pulling issues that I’d been having with him during the xc school where he figured out that he had no brakes. The last time Christan rode him over fences was this past summer, and she was having me ride him really forward as he tends to stall out and not use himself. So, I would practically loop the reins and push him at a good clip towards the jump. Then, we started work on balancing him before the jump, so what do I do? Start to pull. I’ve tried really hard to not hang onto him three strides out, but I guess I do it without realizing it. C thinks the trouble began with Sam – in an effort to balance him before the jump, I’ve sort of held on to him at the last stride and then released, which causes him to jump over his forehand. When I balance and then let go the last few strides, Sam jumps well. The same thing is happening with Oliver. In an effort to get him to reach for the bit and put some weight in my hands, more like Sam does, I’ve been allowing him to hang, because I’ve confused pounds of pressure with hanging (with Oliver – with Sam, I seem to know what I’m doing). So, I’ve let Oliver hang on me, which causes him to not carry himself to the jump, so he grabs the bit and runs at it. After a few aborted attempts where Oliver blew me off and ran past his distance, C got on. She fought with him a few times, and then proceeded to show me how she could canter him to the fence with almost NO contact at all, and he just cantered on softly, jumped the jump, and landed softly without any pulling or change of pace – like a hunter. She put me back on, and I realized that I’ve been carrying him, especially in the canter. What I think of as too light is actually correct on Oliver, as he’s a naturally very light horse. Once I realized that, I was able to lope him to the fence as well, without interfering, and we were able to find out spots.
I think that this started the xc at Denny’s, because I seem to remember hitting every single spot dead on until he realized I had no brakes (I think it’s about when we were cantering down a hill), and then he started to pull on me. So, hopefully this isn’t a long-lived problem and we can fix it fairly quickly. I was disheartened by it, thinking that I’m going to ruin Oliver, but Christan assured me that she would help and that it wasn’t a big deal.
I think that this started the xc at Denny’s, because I seem to remember hitting every single spot dead on until he realized I had no brakes (I think it’s about when we were cantering down a hill), and then he started to pull on me. So, hopefully this isn’t a long-lived problem and we can fix it fairly quickly. I was disheartened by it, thinking that I’m going to ruin Oliver, but Christan assured me that she would help and that it wasn’t a big deal.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Oliver gets us lost on Christmas Eve
So, you know how they say "give a horse his head and he'll find his way home"? Apparently that homing instinct is not bred into, or rather bred OUT of, Trakehners, since Ellie was lacking it and now it seems that Oliver is, too. Sam definitely has it. Last time I got lost (gee, this seems to happen a lot!) in Weymouth Woods, I gave Sam his head. He dropped it, snuffled on the ground, and then made a beeline towards home, withouth leaving the trail once. Such a good boy.
Oliver and I, and Emma and Austin, all went for a trail ride. It was supposed to be a short one, but somewhere along the way I turned right instead of left (or vice versa) and found myself somewhere I hadn't been before. I gave Ollie his head, and he immediately set off into the woods, off the trail. Since he was so positive about where he was going, I let him lead. Poor Emma and Austin had to follow along, picking their way through some heavy forest underbrush, and we went on this way for a while, until I saw that Connecticut Ave. was dead ahead of us! Exactly the OPPOSITE direction we were supposed to be heading. I have no idea what Ollie was thinking, but I was plenty annoyed and worried about the dogs. I started back the way we came and when we came to a T in the path, one way obviously headed towards the barn and one way the opposite, again Oliver tried to go the wrong way, but I manged to convince him that my way was the better way. We eventually made it back to Bethesda, at which point I took the dirt road back home because of Emma and Austin trailing along behind. Poor puppies.
So, the good things about this are 1) this was Oliver's first time out by himself on the actual trail. 2) He was incredible - didn't do anything wrong, and marched along like he was enjoying himself (and he probably was, up until when we got lost). He even went through the water crossing right behind the pastures. 3) He went down the dirt road with only a little coaxing in a few places (all those scary Xmas decorations). I swear, this guys just keeps getting better and better every time I ride him.
Oliver and I, and Emma and Austin, all went for a trail ride. It was supposed to be a short one, but somewhere along the way I turned right instead of left (or vice versa) and found myself somewhere I hadn't been before. I gave Ollie his head, and he immediately set off into the woods, off the trail. Since he was so positive about where he was going, I let him lead. Poor Emma and Austin had to follow along, picking their way through some heavy forest underbrush, and we went on this way for a while, until I saw that Connecticut Ave. was dead ahead of us! Exactly the OPPOSITE direction we were supposed to be heading. I have no idea what Ollie was thinking, but I was plenty annoyed and worried about the dogs. I started back the way we came and when we came to a T in the path, one way obviously headed towards the barn and one way the opposite, again Oliver tried to go the wrong way, but I manged to convince him that my way was the better way. We eventually made it back to Bethesda, at which point I took the dirt road back home because of Emma and Austin trailing along behind. Poor puppies.
So, the good things about this are 1) this was Oliver's first time out by himself on the actual trail. 2) He was incredible - didn't do anything wrong, and marched along like he was enjoying himself (and he probably was, up until when we got lost). He even went through the water crossing right behind the pastures. 3) He went down the dirt road with only a little coaxing in a few places (all those scary Xmas decorations). I swear, this guys just keeps getting better and better every time I ride him.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Oliver the XC Rockstar
Took Oliver to Denny's for some xc schooling with Christan yesterday. Being the wimp that I am, I tried to weasle out of it because the skies were dark and grey and it was starting to rain - yuck. Now, I'm not normally this wimp-ish when it comes to rain, but I'm not as motivated when there's nothing in particular that I'm working towards. No shows in the immediate horizon, so wah - don't feel like riding in the rain and getting my adored Antares all spotty. But C was excited to bring Coda to Denny's, and I was her ride, so she told me to stop being a baby and that "eventers ride in the rain". As it turns out, I'm glad I did.
It was warm, so it wasn't too bad that it was misty and drizzling, and it also made me realize that I need to clip more of Ollie's coat (which I accomplished today). Margaret was there on little Fisher, who was a wild child, Michelle on her lovely grey (I'm such a sucker for a dark dappled grey), and this woman Suzanne whom I've never met before, on a nice jumping, but hot, Appendix mare. So, we had a bunch of babies, and Oliver and Fisher were a bit wired, for some reason. Christan thought Oliver looked fine, but he didn't want to stand still, wasn't happy about the misting on his face (kept shaking his head and groaning - how funny) and I could feel some tension when I was sitting on him. This boy needs to go to a LOT more places so he learns to chill like Sam does. We also had a sticky moment getting him into the trailer - apparently he hasn't quite gone through the whole good-bad-good-really bad - good cycle. It didn't take long to get him loaded, though. I wonder if there's something about the trailer that bothers him - I'm going to get some ear plugs and see if that helps him at all. He's never been one to munch hay in the trailer - Sam will suck the hay bag dry, but Oliver hardly touches it. Of course, he hasn't exactly been a lot of places, either, so I'm sure that will change with time. He's such a laid-back boy in every other aspect of life.
Anyway, we all warmed up and trotted around. I didn't want to canter, although Oliver did, because I know his balance is still suspect cantering downhill, and Denny's place is all up and down hill. I also had his Nathe loose-ring in, which he does fine in for flat, but probably wasn't the best choice for a horse that enjoys xc as much as he seems to (more on this later).
Since we all had babies, we started by trotting the timber "x" - Ollie cantered two strides out and popped it with gusto, charging up the hill. Since he did that so well, I cantered the x, then cantered on over to the "spooky" red rails (for some reason, those rails spook a lot of horses) which Oliver could care less about and just had the most perfect jump. For the first half of our jumping, he acted like a pro. He jumped everything I pointed him at, from a canter, with the best spot, and just acted like he was having a great time. I was having a great time - Margaret told me that the look on my face as I was jumping said that Oliver was my Big Boy now. She's right - I get such a kick out of riding him, especially xc - he and I just click, and he fits me so well. She was also surprised that he hasn't been doing this long - really started training in March - as she said that he looked like a seasoned campaigner. Nope - it just clicked early with him and he seems to enjoy it, and he's pretty bold and brave, too. Funny - when I bought him, I wouldn't have used those two adjectives to describe him.
About halfway through, Oliver discovered that he really had nothing in his mouth and proceeded to ignore the "whoa" cue, which led me to pulling on him and not releasing before the jump, which led to icky jumps because I didn't have his canter round and balanced beforehand. I had no brakes. Christan told me that she would have had me jump much bigger fences (we were doing a mixture of BN and Maiden stuff), but I didn't have any brakes and I thought that was wise as I was really riding his mouth more than I like to. Next time, I'm going to put his full-cheek/D-ring back in, and ride him the way the first half of the session went. He did do something that made me incredibly happy, though. We cantered over the log, which is my bugaboo fence, and Oliver did fulfill my expectations by spooking at it in mid-stride, but when I clamped my leg on (instant reaction), he accelerated the last few strides and jumped it neatly. Yay! I love the fact that that was his reaction to my leg on - go FORWARD. Lovely. I'm trusting him more and more every day.
We ended the day by trotting the ditch, which he needs to do a lot, as he is still a tad looky about them, and then had the most perfect leap off the bank - nice and easy, not like a greenie at all. He also did not hesitate going through Denny's water, which is very deep at the moment. I'm so proud of him! While we were untacking, Christan told me that although she knows that I like the Oskar babies, she thinks Oliver may be exceptional even then. I think he's pretty darn fantastic. He's got everything going for him - looks, temperment, movement, size, and most of all, he's the sweetest thing I've ever owned.
So, I'm feeling much better about my decision to sell Sam.
It was warm, so it wasn't too bad that it was misty and drizzling, and it also made me realize that I need to clip more of Ollie's coat (which I accomplished today). Margaret was there on little Fisher, who was a wild child, Michelle on her lovely grey (I'm such a sucker for a dark dappled grey), and this woman Suzanne whom I've never met before, on a nice jumping, but hot, Appendix mare. So, we had a bunch of babies, and Oliver and Fisher were a bit wired, for some reason. Christan thought Oliver looked fine, but he didn't want to stand still, wasn't happy about the misting on his face (kept shaking his head and groaning - how funny) and I could feel some tension when I was sitting on him. This boy needs to go to a LOT more places so he learns to chill like Sam does. We also had a sticky moment getting him into the trailer - apparently he hasn't quite gone through the whole good-bad-good-really bad - good cycle. It didn't take long to get him loaded, though. I wonder if there's something about the trailer that bothers him - I'm going to get some ear plugs and see if that helps him at all. He's never been one to munch hay in the trailer - Sam will suck the hay bag dry, but Oliver hardly touches it. Of course, he hasn't exactly been a lot of places, either, so I'm sure that will change with time. He's such a laid-back boy in every other aspect of life.
Anyway, we all warmed up and trotted around. I didn't want to canter, although Oliver did, because I know his balance is still suspect cantering downhill, and Denny's place is all up and down hill. I also had his Nathe loose-ring in, which he does fine in for flat, but probably wasn't the best choice for a horse that enjoys xc as much as he seems to (more on this later).
Since we all had babies, we started by trotting the timber "x" - Ollie cantered two strides out and popped it with gusto, charging up the hill. Since he did that so well, I cantered the x, then cantered on over to the "spooky" red rails (for some reason, those rails spook a lot of horses) which Oliver could care less about and just had the most perfect jump. For the first half of our jumping, he acted like a pro. He jumped everything I pointed him at, from a canter, with the best spot, and just acted like he was having a great time. I was having a great time - Margaret told me that the look on my face as I was jumping said that Oliver was my Big Boy now. She's right - I get such a kick out of riding him, especially xc - he and I just click, and he fits me so well. She was also surprised that he hasn't been doing this long - really started training in March - as she said that he looked like a seasoned campaigner. Nope - it just clicked early with him and he seems to enjoy it, and he's pretty bold and brave, too. Funny - when I bought him, I wouldn't have used those two adjectives to describe him.
About halfway through, Oliver discovered that he really had nothing in his mouth and proceeded to ignore the "whoa" cue, which led me to pulling on him and not releasing before the jump, which led to icky jumps because I didn't have his canter round and balanced beforehand. I had no brakes. Christan told me that she would have had me jump much bigger fences (we were doing a mixture of BN and Maiden stuff), but I didn't have any brakes and I thought that was wise as I was really riding his mouth more than I like to. Next time, I'm going to put his full-cheek/D-ring back in, and ride him the way the first half of the session went. He did do something that made me incredibly happy, though. We cantered over the log, which is my bugaboo fence, and Oliver did fulfill my expectations by spooking at it in mid-stride, but when I clamped my leg on (instant reaction), he accelerated the last few strides and jumped it neatly. Yay! I love the fact that that was his reaction to my leg on - go FORWARD. Lovely. I'm trusting him more and more every day.
We ended the day by trotting the ditch, which he needs to do a lot, as he is still a tad looky about them, and then had the most perfect leap off the bank - nice and easy, not like a greenie at all. He also did not hesitate going through Denny's water, which is very deep at the moment. I'm so proud of him! While we were untacking, Christan told me that although she knows that I like the Oskar babies, she thinks Oliver may be exceptional even then. I think he's pretty darn fantastic. He's got everything going for him - looks, temperment, movement, size, and most of all, he's the sweetest thing I've ever owned.
So, I'm feeling much better about my decision to sell Sam.
Friday, December 19, 2008
The boys get their teeth floated....
....and wow! - what a difference! Well, I don't know yet about Sam, but Oliver was a completely different horse. Percy Page came out to do the farm's horses, including my boys, and I really liked that he did them without drugging them. There were a couple of painful spots for the boys (sharp edges) but both of them were very good about the whole thing, albeit a tad surprised. Percy spent quite a bit of time explaining to me about what he was doing and why, and I found out why vets tend to miss certain areas.
I rode Oliver afterwards, and he was wonderful. I started off by asking him to stretch into the contact at the walk, which was hesitant to do, but he did eventually give me a decent stretch. At the trot, though, is where I felt the most difference. He would start to stretch, and then back off, and then go a little bit further, like he was testing out the feel, and in no time at all I got great stretching at the trot, with actual weight in my hands - it felt like he was stepping into the bridle and gently tugging at the bit, which has never really done before. I asked for the canter, and on both leads he stepped into it without inverting, and even gave me a decent stretch in the canter! Needless to say, I was thrilled. I think this whole time the bit has been hurting him, which is why he was reluctant to truly trust it. I also rode him in the Nathe loose ring, but I think the difference was really due to the float.
Sam was also very good today - perfect, in fact. I rode him before the float, so I don't know if the float would make any difference, but his canter work was better than usual. I really made sure to get the transition promptly, pushing him into the outside rein and holding it very steady, and he really rounded through into the canter and I even felt him round his back in the canter itself, which is a breakthrough as he always tends to hold his back in the canter. Alltogether a good day.
I rode Oliver afterwards, and he was wonderful. I started off by asking him to stretch into the contact at the walk, which was hesitant to do, but he did eventually give me a decent stretch. At the trot, though, is where I felt the most difference. He would start to stretch, and then back off, and then go a little bit further, like he was testing out the feel, and in no time at all I got great stretching at the trot, with actual weight in my hands - it felt like he was stepping into the bridle and gently tugging at the bit, which has never really done before. I asked for the canter, and on both leads he stepped into it without inverting, and even gave me a decent stretch in the canter! Needless to say, I was thrilled. I think this whole time the bit has been hurting him, which is why he was reluctant to truly trust it. I also rode him in the Nathe loose ring, but I think the difference was really due to the float.
Sam was also very good today - perfect, in fact. I rode him before the float, so I don't know if the float would make any difference, but his canter work was better than usual. I really made sure to get the transition promptly, pushing him into the outside rein and holding it very steady, and he really rounded through into the canter and I even felt him round his back in the canter itself, which is a breakthrough as he always tends to hold his back in the canter. Alltogether a good day.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Gearing up towards Oliver's first HT (with me)...
...and I'm feeling the nerves kick in. Truthfully, I'm more worried about that damn dressage test more than anything, and it's just a walk-trot! Pathetic.
Oliver seems to be taking more and more contact these days, which is good news. The bad news is that he is starting to bore down on the bit, one side, then the other, and it's getting on my nerves. After a good jumping lesson on Saturday, all that was on his mind today was jumping, so he spent the first 20 minutes careening around on his forehand, above the bit (which usually doesn't happen, as he usually goes behind the bit and hovers there). He had a lovely stretch at the walk, really pushing along from behind, but he didn't want to stretch at the trot, because he was too busy imitating a thoroughbred off the track. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I eventually got him to settle and do some very nice work, but the stretch didn't come until much later, as he wasn't relaxed as he usually is. I played around with a pseudo-dressage test, practicing my turns up the center (and 20 meter circles in general), and halting. Believe it or not, the halt is the ickiest part of my test. Funny for such a lazy boy, but he wants to stagger into the halt and root his nose out like a piggy. Irritating. We practiced a few halts where I kept my leg on and kept him bending into it, and eventually he got the idea that rooting me out of the saddle was simply unacceptable. I should be happy that he's willing to take the bit more assertively, right?
Of course, he has started giving me neck-hugs when I turn him loose, so all is forgiven. He's such a SWEET horse.
Sam is really, really, REALLY coming along well. I'm delighted with the way he's progressing on the flat. The canter is getting even nicer, and he's solidly on the bit and through the back. Yesterday, I took him for a conditioning ride out in Weymouth Woods, and had a blast. We trotted and galloped along for most of it, and since his canter is getting so nice, his gallop is even more balanced - I can get up in two-point and let him rollick along underneath me, up and down the little hills, and over tree roots, and not feel him falter. The Woods are so nice for conditioning. I can't wait to take Ollie out there. I think that once we start jumping Novice height on a consistent basis again, we'll be ready for the January Frostbite. Hopefully, Joe will be home for that. That would really make my day.
Oliver seems to be taking more and more contact these days, which is good news. The bad news is that he is starting to bore down on the bit, one side, then the other, and it's getting on my nerves. After a good jumping lesson on Saturday, all that was on his mind today was jumping, so he spent the first 20 minutes careening around on his forehand, above the bit (which usually doesn't happen, as he usually goes behind the bit and hovers there). He had a lovely stretch at the walk, really pushing along from behind, but he didn't want to stretch at the trot, because he was too busy imitating a thoroughbred off the track. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I eventually got him to settle and do some very nice work, but the stretch didn't come until much later, as he wasn't relaxed as he usually is. I played around with a pseudo-dressage test, practicing my turns up the center (and 20 meter circles in general), and halting. Believe it or not, the halt is the ickiest part of my test. Funny for such a lazy boy, but he wants to stagger into the halt and root his nose out like a piggy. Irritating. We practiced a few halts where I kept my leg on and kept him bending into it, and eventually he got the idea that rooting me out of the saddle was simply unacceptable. I should be happy that he's willing to take the bit more assertively, right?
Of course, he has started giving me neck-hugs when I turn him loose, so all is forgiven. He's such a SWEET horse.
Sam is really, really, REALLY coming along well. I'm delighted with the way he's progressing on the flat. The canter is getting even nicer, and he's solidly on the bit and through the back. Yesterday, I took him for a conditioning ride out in Weymouth Woods, and had a blast. We trotted and galloped along for most of it, and since his canter is getting so nice, his gallop is even more balanced - I can get up in two-point and let him rollick along underneath me, up and down the little hills, and over tree roots, and not feel him falter. The Woods are so nice for conditioning. I can't wait to take Ollie out there. I think that once we start jumping Novice height on a consistent basis again, we'll be ready for the January Frostbite. Hopefully, Joe will be home for that. That would really make my day.
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