Day 3:
Did stalls, ate breakfast and not much else. It was a damp dismal sort of day. Eventually I cowgirled up (dude, we have an inside arena, I don't think I'm allowed to NOT work horses while I'm here) and grabbed Niki. I turned her out in the arena and she ran around angrily for a while, then settled down. I did my normal "oh god I want to sit on that horse so bad" thing and did, because she's a rock about mounting. We sat there pretty companionably, then I swung off and we went home.
Next up: Libby. I longlined her on Sunday and she was fine, so that's what I did again. She's a little spooky. I think really she's very sweet, just terribly slow. She'll spook at poles people put in the wrong place, and by spook it's just a stare, a snort, and perhaps some counterbent trotting. A couple times around and she's fine. She is pretty stiff to the left as compared to the right, but we did some nice trotting butterflies. Another thing she's spooky about, apparently, is people changing height.
Libby was super unenthusiastic about me approaching her with a mounting block on Sunday, but as soon as she sniffed it, she was over it all. Putting it by her side, dropping it, whatever. What she didn't want to get over was me stepping up and down on the block. She wouldn't necessarily run (though she tried a couple times), but she'd spook in place, snort, and stare at me. So, Tuesday was step aerobics day. I think she's still dumbfounded by the idea but mostly over the scary. People give scratches even if they do suddenly get 6 inches taller.
Gillian had gotten out of the trailer at this point and grabbed Colonel, with intent to pull the tire, so I dragged the singletree around and they watched. Colonel was none too pleased with this idea.
I rode Keno. He decided to be a jerk and stepped solidly on my foot. Neither of us were pleased about that. It was a fairly miserable ride, actually. He didn't want to trot AND give to my hands, so there was a lot of very held-together canter and as-fast-as-his-little-legs-could-go trot. We did more canter-trot transitions and, well, ended up with a really nice uphill canter. When I start cantering him, I can feel how much higher his croup is than his shoulders. By the end, it feels like he's coming under himself enough that he's really dropping his croup and lifting his shoulders. He doesn't resist the bit as much either anymore, which is a nice change. Ooh, we sort of schooled a canter half-pass, because he was being an idiot. It was poorly executed and really strange to ride, but I was surprised that he tried it at all.
Went back to the trailer and warmed up, then we went out and had Luca pull the tire. He wasn't thrilled about it but behaved overall.
Day 4-
I still have school! Class started at 10, so I left at 8. I got up at 6:30 to try and do some stalls, but Gillian had put the tractor in too far in the other barn, and I didn't want to reverse it because I was reasonably sure it would end terribly. Instead, I opened doors to runs, loaded hay, and helped feed. Vic did me a favor and brought the tractor over, and Gillian appeared shortly thereafter. I did 5-ish stalls before I had to head out.
Returned around 5. I longlined Libby again. I had vague intentions of working her outside, so I left the gate open. She showed a little attitude there! It wasn't bad at all and we got through it, but I'm glad it happened. We did some more trot butterflies. I don't think she's naturally a nice mover, but she's powerful, and has been taught the correct way, so it looks good. She'll be really flashy in a cart when she sheds out black and has some muscle on her. I've been trying to only work her fifteen-twenty minutes since she knows what she's doing, she just isn't in shape to do it for very long anymore. We walked around outside and she only made a few token attempts to eat grass, which was nice, and ended the session. Her tail is a number of dreadlocks, which bothers the hell out of me, so I spritzed one down real good with detangler and worked it out. Libby wasn't thrilled, but was pretty patient with me.
I'm going to try and ride Niki tomorrow morning while Gillian is here, in case things go poorly, but maybe we'll work Luca instead. My other two ponies, it doesn't matter when I work them. I "trust" Keno, and Libby's a piece of cake. Last day in charge!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
At the helm - Day 2
Even less happened today than yesterday. I cleaned stalls while Jesse and Kola kept me company. Star is apparently unimpressed by Kola barking at her. Unexpected. Imp and Libby switched turnouts with each other and were unwilling to switch back. Need to fix some fences. Cari points out moldy hay. Need to investigate this/inform Robert.
We went on a big shopping trip and we have food, and air fresheners, and other stuff for our little home. Tomorrow there will be things happening. Good things, hopefully.
Goodnight.
We went on a big shopping trip and we have food, and air fresheners, and other stuff for our little home. Tomorrow there will be things happening. Good things, hopefully.
Goodnight.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
At the helm - Day 1
Saturday Alyssa and I helped Robert and Luca plow. I handled the plow and gained a new appreciation of Alyssa's athleticism and endurance. I was going through easy ground and I was quite tired afterwards. Alyssa has gone longer though tougher ground and still gone on to ride horsies. I did not go on to ride horses. I lazed around doing nothing memorable.
Today I went to sheep herding trials in the morning with Kola. In the afternoon Alyssa and I cleaned stalls in record time (for us.) We got the main barn done in 45 minutes. After mucking stalls and sweeping aisle ways Alyssa longlined Libby, I lazed around and watched in case something went poorly. Nothing went poorly. Also, I drove to and from the barn and no one died from it. That was good.
Today I went to sheep herding trials in the morning with Kola. In the afternoon Alyssa and I cleaned stalls in record time (for us.) We got the main barn done in 45 minutes. After mucking stalls and sweeping aisle ways Alyssa longlined Libby, I lazed around and watched in case something went poorly. Nothing went poorly. Also, I drove to and from the barn and no one died from it. That was good.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Disorganized
So, my thoughts have been very scattered lately.
As I go around the barn doing stuff I have a tendency to write these posts in my mind. Thats why they're so long usually. So I've been doing that, but I keep writing really different posts. The events are the same but the context and the associated thoughts are always different. I think I had about a half dozen different titles for this post alone. Anyway, lest I get overwhelmed let me just very briefly say a few things.
Foremost in my thoughts right now is Star. We are working hard on my goal from long long ago to canter all the way around the field. There have been a lot of barriers to this but I'm getting pretty close. To date I have cantered both towards and away from the barn on the west side of the field, and the curvy part on the north side. We still need to do the "scary side" a.k.a. the east side, and we need to canter past the culvert.
Since I'm inching towards a three year old goal and towards overcoming an even older phobia, now I am full of reflections, plans, doubts, regrets, opinions, and of course, emotions.
Colonel hasn't been getting out much. (Although he was very good giving Jesse a lunging lesson.) I want to fix that, but I'm really fixated on this all the way around the field thing and its draining. I have thoughts, opinions, doubts, plans, and emotions about the Colonel project that are currently orbiting around my canter 'round the field project. So...my thinking is just a little more disorganized right now.
As I go around the barn doing stuff I have a tendency to write these posts in my mind. Thats why they're so long usually. So I've been doing that, but I keep writing really different posts. The events are the same but the context and the associated thoughts are always different. I think I had about a half dozen different titles for this post alone. Anyway, lest I get overwhelmed let me just very briefly say a few things.
Foremost in my thoughts right now is Star. We are working hard on my goal from long long ago to canter all the way around the field. There have been a lot of barriers to this but I'm getting pretty close. To date I have cantered both towards and away from the barn on the west side of the field, and the curvy part on the north side. We still need to do the "scary side" a.k.a. the east side, and we need to canter past the culvert.
Since I'm inching towards a three year old goal and towards overcoming an even older phobia, now I am full of reflections, plans, doubts, regrets, opinions, and of course, emotions.
Colonel hasn't been getting out much. (Although he was very good giving Jesse a lunging lesson.) I want to fix that, but I'm really fixated on this all the way around the field thing and its draining. I have thoughts, opinions, doubts, plans, and emotions about the Colonel project that are currently orbiting around my canter 'round the field project. So...my thinking is just a little more disorganized right now.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
So uh... I rode Niki for the first time since the 26th. That's, oh, only three weeks. Oops.
Got to the barn at 2 like usual, saw Gillian and Star riding in the arena. Robert was out mowing, but I knew he wanted to work Luca, so I grabbed Keno just for some fun bareback in the dressage arena until Robert came back. Keno was fresh today, he started walking away as I swung my leg over and started trotting before we hit the dressage arena. Whatever, I'll work on it next time, it was sunny and warm and it was good just to be outside. I've been in a Cake mood lately and was listening to that, and Keno was obliging enough to trot to the beat of the songs. Our canter-trot transitions were better than they have been. He really favors left lead these days. We went around the arena a few times working on right lead. Did some figure eights with trot across the center. Those went better than last time. His walks were really quite nice, transitions up and down from canter. Gillian was around and I said "look at this!" and we did a beautiful up transition, then came down nicely too. She told me to try it from a halt. So we did that. Cari was outside grazing Xsarena, but was definitely watching. I'm hoping she was at least a little impressed.
I like having a horse I'm reasonably confident on in normal circumstances. I miss the part of me that, when asked "can you do this?", says "eh, why not try?". After we did a couple halt-canter-halts, I figured we'd both had enough. Hopped off and, um, ew. I don't think I've ever ridden a horse bareback to sweatiness, but my jeans were really unhappy with that. I hosed him off. Keno hates water, but he put up with it and stood. It was right about then that I realized how far he'd come from when I met him- an angry pony who didn't think he needed to work for a living, especially not for some dumb girls, and especially not under saddle. Maybe I make this realization a lot, but it'll probably always be exciting.
As previously mentioned, rode Niki! All her tack, distressingly enough, is owned by me. I have almost enough tack to clothe two horses (I need a second girth). And no horses. Also, none of it matches. I hadn't thought about her bitkeepers impacting the way her bridle fit her, but she let me know she was unhappy about the change. So we fixed that and went out. As usual, she's a solid citizen about mounting and could care less. She stood perfectly happy until I asked her to move out. I was expecting a prancy thing since she hadn't been out in so long, but she did her normal, slightly heavy walk around. Both directions. She got a little jiggy going right rein but settled down fast. Trot is coming along, I must say. She was doing really well right rein (some periodic bucks, but more of a kick than a buck), and we were using the whole arena. She spooked into a canter when Cari etc. showed up, but I hadn't heard them call "door," so I don't know if we both weren't paying attention/listening to music, or if they didn't actually call door. Niki was pretty psyched at the idea of working in the arena with other horses and worked herself up decently. We switched directions for convenience and she wasn't... bad, per se. A couple hard spooks at Rocky when he went by the side of the arena we were on, and she started getting fed up with work at the end. But she'd worked up some decent sweat and was still thinking. Also, my knee hurt.
On the bus, Gillian commented on how good my seat was when Niki was doing her pissy mare act. I'm pretty pleased about that- for obvious reasons, but for a couple others. Niki is my first project, not quite from the ground up, but everything above the ground has been with me. So I'm playing with this a little, to see how it works out. I know my position suffers when the horse isn't doing what it's supposed to, but that's typically because I'm trying to do something to fix it. With Niki I'm really doing my best to be balanced and not hinder her- but not help her out either. I know I'm about the maximum size for her, and if I get off balance she'll get thrown off too (we've proven this before). Obviously I don't want to screw her up, but she needs to learn how to carry herself and me. So I'm glad that I am actually just riding things out. It helps that she has a really nice trot. I'm also happy I can do sitting trot. When I was riding at my first barn, my sitting trot was terrible. I'd be tense, bouncy, and forget to breathe. It was unpleasant. Claire worked a lot with me on that and it's amazing how much I've improved.
Also, I look down like a FIEND with Keno. I'm happy I don't do that with Niki. Yet.
Got to the barn at 2 like usual, saw Gillian and Star riding in the arena. Robert was out mowing, but I knew he wanted to work Luca, so I grabbed Keno just for some fun bareback in the dressage arena until Robert came back. Keno was fresh today, he started walking away as I swung my leg over and started trotting before we hit the dressage arena. Whatever, I'll work on it next time, it was sunny and warm and it was good just to be outside. I've been in a Cake mood lately and was listening to that, and Keno was obliging enough to trot to the beat of the songs. Our canter-trot transitions were better than they have been. He really favors left lead these days. We went around the arena a few times working on right lead. Did some figure eights with trot across the center. Those went better than last time. His walks were really quite nice, transitions up and down from canter. Gillian was around and I said "look at this!" and we did a beautiful up transition, then came down nicely too. She told me to try it from a halt. So we did that. Cari was outside grazing Xsarena, but was definitely watching. I'm hoping she was at least a little impressed.
I like having a horse I'm reasonably confident on in normal circumstances. I miss the part of me that, when asked "can you do this?", says "eh, why not try?". After we did a couple halt-canter-halts, I figured we'd both had enough. Hopped off and, um, ew. I don't think I've ever ridden a horse bareback to sweatiness, but my jeans were really unhappy with that. I hosed him off. Keno hates water, but he put up with it and stood. It was right about then that I realized how far he'd come from when I met him- an angry pony who didn't think he needed to work for a living, especially not for some dumb girls, and especially not under saddle. Maybe I make this realization a lot, but it'll probably always be exciting.
As previously mentioned, rode Niki! All her tack, distressingly enough, is owned by me. I have almost enough tack to clothe two horses (I need a second girth). And no horses. Also, none of it matches. I hadn't thought about her bitkeepers impacting the way her bridle fit her, but she let me know she was unhappy about the change. So we fixed that and went out. As usual, she's a solid citizen about mounting and could care less. She stood perfectly happy until I asked her to move out. I was expecting a prancy thing since she hadn't been out in so long, but she did her normal, slightly heavy walk around. Both directions. She got a little jiggy going right rein but settled down fast. Trot is coming along, I must say. She was doing really well right rein (some periodic bucks, but more of a kick than a buck), and we were using the whole arena. She spooked into a canter when Cari etc. showed up, but I hadn't heard them call "door," so I don't know if we both weren't paying attention/listening to music, or if they didn't actually call door. Niki was pretty psyched at the idea of working in the arena with other horses and worked herself up decently. We switched directions for convenience and she wasn't... bad, per se. A couple hard spooks at Rocky when he went by the side of the arena we were on, and she started getting fed up with work at the end. But she'd worked up some decent sweat and was still thinking. Also, my knee hurt.
On the bus, Gillian commented on how good my seat was when Niki was doing her pissy mare act. I'm pretty pleased about that- for obvious reasons, but for a couple others. Niki is my first project, not quite from the ground up, but everything above the ground has been with me. So I'm playing with this a little, to see how it works out. I know my position suffers when the horse isn't doing what it's supposed to, but that's typically because I'm trying to do something to fix it. With Niki I'm really doing my best to be balanced and not hinder her- but not help her out either. I know I'm about the maximum size for her, and if I get off balance she'll get thrown off too (we've proven this before). Obviously I don't want to screw her up, but she needs to learn how to carry herself and me. So I'm glad that I am actually just riding things out. It helps that she has a really nice trot. I'm also happy I can do sitting trot. When I was riding at my first barn, my sitting trot was terrible. I'd be tense, bouncy, and forget to breathe. It was unpleasant. Claire worked a lot with me on that and it's amazing how much I've improved.
Also, I look down like a FIEND with Keno. I'm happy I don't do that with Niki. Yet.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Been riding Keno a lot. It's a little disheartening how much he wants to ignore my cues to trot. I just need to be a little stronger. But I mean- our transitions from trot-canter? Beautiful, even when I don't ask for them. We tried doing twenty-meter circle figure eights, with a simple trot change in the middle. He got too hyped up by this. His left lead, formerly his weak one, is definitely his strong lead now. Which, hooray conditioning, I guess. But he very much thinks- oh she's telling me to trot, but we're going to canter SOON so I should do it RIGHT NOW. I'm not sure if he's doing it to be annoying or he's just excited about it. His right lead is definitely getting more relaxed. I think his issue is that when we canter to the right in the arena, we end up cantering directly towards the gate, zomg. Which Keno apparently can't handle, these days.
Today we played around with trot/canter. He got really fed up and angry at me, and I did it right back at him. His canter really is coming along, when he wants it to. We also played with simple changes, walk-canter and canter-walk. Those are... great, actually. He wants to jig a little as we approach the canter point, which is more or less resolved by mixing up where I actually ask him to canter. What we tried to do was pick up a right lead at B (oh, and come to think of it, I believe that B is back in the arena! Weird.), make a reasonably large circle/oval, turn at E and walk. Walk to B, pick up a left lead canter. Repeat. I lean forward for those and I shouldn't, but they were nice for us. Cari decided she wanted to canter Xsarena in a circle that intersected us just about perfectly, which was irritating.
As a side note, one of the interesting results of the show was that I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had ridden with a bunch of people in an arena. Time was, I'd have been fine with about eight to ten horses in Robert's arena (maybe more if there were two groups using half the ring each), but I had been finding it difficult to deal with even two others. The show was easy because everyone was going the same direction once there were 4+ of us, usually no weird circles, and maybe two horses lunging on the inside. It's tough even riding with just Cari, because she has no issues with cantering in front of you cantering, and then going down to a walk, leaving you to either slam on the brakes or yank your horse into a turn. Or you'll be on a circle and she'll cut in front of you. I do my best not to cut people off. I don't know if she doesn't think about it, thinks she's leaving more room than she is, or doesn't care.
So, yes, trot and canter transitions. Or more accurately, canter once and bring him back to trot for the rest of the session. But I love his canter. Sigh.
As for the big news of the day, I walked through the back field around 11 and looked for signs of where Robert was- out with Jerry or already back. I saw Jerry standing by the culvert and figured they were done and Robert was showing him the trees he'd planted. Walked past the barn- yup, everyone's doors were closed. Up to the hay barn, I noticed Imp's halter and lead. Weird, they should be on Imp's door. But, hey, whatever, and I continued to dump my stuff at the trailer, then go back and find Robert. I peered through the arena just in time to see him lift half a shaft out of the stream. Um... half a shaft is not good.
I approached and saw that they were both completely soaked, and the cart had taken a pretty good beating. Robert, of course, was grinning like he always does. My urge to freak out was successfully repressed by his expectant glee of said freakout. So I just asked if everyone was okay, he said yes. Apparently Imp had started backing up over the culvert, gone crooked and gotten his right wheel off of it, and they all just flipped sideways into the creek. No one was hurt. Robert lay on Imp's head to keep him from moving, and kept his nose out of the water while Jerry unhitched. I assembled tack and cart and returned it to the barn while the two guys went to get warm.
Imp was pretty upset. I hung out with him for a few minutes. Normally he turns his head to look at you when you open his door, but he had sideways ears and wouldn't move his head. He was standing at the back of his stall, looking out towards the creek. So I walked over to him and leaned against the wall to wait. He was soaked and muddy. After a minute or so he stretched his nose out to my hand, and let me pet his muzzle. He still looked worried- and angry, like he wasn't sure what the right answer was, but this whole business might have been my fault. He wouldn't let me touch the rest of his head. When I started scratching his neck, he started shaking really badly- tremors through his whole body. I don't think of Imp as a cuddly horse, but he wanted someone to be there. Eventually his airplane ears went more to flat-back and made some faces at me, so I (made him behave) and left him to think about it. He was spookier than usual whenever I walked by, but by feeding time seemed more or less himself.
Tillie the filly had some attitude today. I made her wait for her feed, which she was shocked by. When I went in her stall to close her door, she hopped like she was about to kick me. I chased her into a corner and made her stand there, then ran my hands over her. She was upset about that but knew better than to do anything. Then she put some serious angry ears on when I was going to leave, so I roundpenned her around her stall, for lack of a better word- put pressure on her to move one way, then had her change directions- at a walk, obviously, but a "yeah, that was a smart idea" sort of discipline. Put my hands on her again, which she was displeased by, but again, she's not dumb. Just a baby.
I got tired of Lady looking moldy and curried her. I think I got approximately a medium sized cat out of it. She looks substantially better. I've upgraded her to merely motheaten. She'd look better if she didn't have a strawberry roan winter coat and chestnut summer coat. Papillon was REALLY upset that Lady was gone. Lady tried to bite her as soon as we returned. Mares.
Today we played around with trot/canter. He got really fed up and angry at me, and I did it right back at him. His canter really is coming along, when he wants it to. We also played with simple changes, walk-canter and canter-walk. Those are... great, actually. He wants to jig a little as we approach the canter point, which is more or less resolved by mixing up where I actually ask him to canter. What we tried to do was pick up a right lead at B (oh, and come to think of it, I believe that B is back in the arena! Weird.), make a reasonably large circle/oval, turn at E and walk. Walk to B, pick up a left lead canter. Repeat. I lean forward for those and I shouldn't, but they were nice for us. Cari decided she wanted to canter Xsarena in a circle that intersected us just about perfectly, which was irritating.
As a side note, one of the interesting results of the show was that I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had ridden with a bunch of people in an arena. Time was, I'd have been fine with about eight to ten horses in Robert's arena (maybe more if there were two groups using half the ring each), but I had been finding it difficult to deal with even two others. The show was easy because everyone was going the same direction once there were 4+ of us, usually no weird circles, and maybe two horses lunging on the inside. It's tough even riding with just Cari, because she has no issues with cantering in front of you cantering, and then going down to a walk, leaving you to either slam on the brakes or yank your horse into a turn. Or you'll be on a circle and she'll cut in front of you. I do my best not to cut people off. I don't know if she doesn't think about it, thinks she's leaving more room than she is, or doesn't care.
So, yes, trot and canter transitions. Or more accurately, canter once and bring him back to trot for the rest of the session. But I love his canter. Sigh.
As for the big news of the day, I walked through the back field around 11 and looked for signs of where Robert was- out with Jerry or already back. I saw Jerry standing by the culvert and figured they were done and Robert was showing him the trees he'd planted. Walked past the barn- yup, everyone's doors were closed. Up to the hay barn, I noticed Imp's halter and lead. Weird, they should be on Imp's door. But, hey, whatever, and I continued to dump my stuff at the trailer, then go back and find Robert. I peered through the arena just in time to see him lift half a shaft out of the stream. Um... half a shaft is not good.
I approached and saw that they were both completely soaked, and the cart had taken a pretty good beating. Robert, of course, was grinning like he always does. My urge to freak out was successfully repressed by his expectant glee of said freakout. So I just asked if everyone was okay, he said yes. Apparently Imp had started backing up over the culvert, gone crooked and gotten his right wheel off of it, and they all just flipped sideways into the creek. No one was hurt. Robert lay on Imp's head to keep him from moving, and kept his nose out of the water while Jerry unhitched. I assembled tack and cart and returned it to the barn while the two guys went to get warm.
Imp was pretty upset. I hung out with him for a few minutes. Normally he turns his head to look at you when you open his door, but he had sideways ears and wouldn't move his head. He was standing at the back of his stall, looking out towards the creek. So I walked over to him and leaned against the wall to wait. He was soaked and muddy. After a minute or so he stretched his nose out to my hand, and let me pet his muzzle. He still looked worried- and angry, like he wasn't sure what the right answer was, but this whole business might have been my fault. He wouldn't let me touch the rest of his head. When I started scratching his neck, he started shaking really badly- tremors through his whole body. I don't think of Imp as a cuddly horse, but he wanted someone to be there. Eventually his airplane ears went more to flat-back and made some faces at me, so I (made him behave) and left him to think about it. He was spookier than usual whenever I walked by, but by feeding time seemed more or less himself.
Tillie the filly had some attitude today. I made her wait for her feed, which she was shocked by. When I went in her stall to close her door, she hopped like she was about to kick me. I chased her into a corner and made her stand there, then ran my hands over her. She was upset about that but knew better than to do anything. Then she put some serious angry ears on when I was going to leave, so I roundpenned her around her stall, for lack of a better word- put pressure on her to move one way, then had her change directions- at a walk, obviously, but a "yeah, that was a smart idea" sort of discipline. Put my hands on her again, which she was displeased by, but again, she's not dumb. Just a baby.
I got tired of Lady looking moldy and curried her. I think I got approximately a medium sized cat out of it. She looks substantially better. I've upgraded her to merely motheaten. She'd look better if she didn't have a strawberry roan winter coat and chestnut summer coat. Papillon was REALLY upset that Lady was gone. Lady tried to bite her as soon as we returned. Mares.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Small victories and rain on my parade
Today I talked to Robert about what parts of the field will be left open for riding. Once the hay has been harvested it will all be open but right now just a section on the jumping area is left for us. I walked around getting my feet thoroughly soaked from the dew on the grass (I need new boots) and I found a spot that was reasonably level without any serious holes. I made a little fence out of stakes, and I tied a little rope around the end that was closest to the barn. Just in case certain herd bound horses decided to take a little excursion out of the arena.
I got Colonel out and brushed him down, still working on getting him shed out. I noticed that when I pressed too hard on his back that he hollowed it. I poked him with my fingers all over the area and he was fine. Maybe I'm just currying a little to vigorously or something. I dont know, but it made me a little nervous. So instead of hopping right on him I saddled him and took him out to the arena and lunged him. Just a few minutes each direction. He was surprisingly calm. I was not.
Still, I decided that this time I was going to ignore this feeling of foreboding and go ahead with my ride. To make myself feel better I put on my huge, goofy eventing chest protector. It looks like a lifejacket. I suffer the indignity because it makes me feel invincible. Well, close anyway. Still, as I walked back out there, I was already going into turtle mode, hunching my shoulders and tensing my abdominal muscles. I took a deep breath and focused on making myself the very image of relaxation and calm.
Pretty substantial balking about going out to the field. He really didn't want to walk on the road. He has pretty tender feet, so OK. He storted and pulled, and fussed and backed up. I followed my usual procedure for this: manage anything dangerous and keep them pointed at the culvert. So eventually he walked out there, surprisingly calmly once we finally crossed the culvert.
Again deep breath, walk around the arena once each direction, and then its time to trot. He did his usual transition to a slower-than-walking trot, then gradually amped up. Sit deep, fix the inside rein, half halts on the outside rein. As we turned away from the barn that worked fine. Headed towards the barn in was only marginally effective. We did some really nice circles around where we had been lunging, and I couldnt believe it, but he relaxed as though we were back to lunging. Interesting. Did a couple of times around at a trot with minimal fussing and I decided that this was an excellent quitting moment. Dismounted right then and there, Colonel stole a few bites of grass while I loosend the girth, and Colonel was fairly polite heading back home.
Robert had been watching from his living room and was pleased with our performance. I was too. I was also pleased that Colonel didn't pick up on my tension and pitch a fit. Maybe he likes the little arena I built, it gives him plenty to think about, what with the less even ground. Much more uneven than the dressage arena.
Put Colonel away and sat down to talk to Robert while he played with his antique cultivator. I shared with him my concerns about Star's saddle and how it was riding up on her shoulders and pinching them.
"Why dont you just use a fore girth?"
"A what?"
So I learned something new today, a fore girth is a dealie that goes in front of the saddle to keep it from slipping forward. Brilliant. Later that day I put it to use. Star was being a pill and a half, but the cool thing was that she wasn't nearly as hollow as usual, even when she got upset. Also, when she pinned her ears at Sunny and I booted her into a canter she went straight into the canter, despite being surprised. Later when I let her come back down to a walk it was a pretty smooth transition, not perfect, but it didn't involve jumping into the air and stopping on her shoulder before proceeding to whatever gait you wanted.
(The following is a rant, no more loggin of what happened follows.)
At one point pretty early in the ride I had to get off and tighten the girth. When I got near her Cari launched into this whole sermon about how I should never let Star put her head up the way she does, that this is why she was being so disobedient, she should always have her head on the vertical, etc. She proceded to take the reins and I cant remember what she did exactly but I think she was giving alternating squeezes on the reins to get Stars head down. Star has been taught this before so after backing up a little to try to get out of it she put her head down. Cari asked me to feel the pressure on the reins. I thought it was pretty extreeme pressure, but, OK, can I go now? She finished off by telling me that Star will be happier carying me if she rounds her back more, and that its not being mean to ask her to do it.
That may have irritated me most of all. I dont claim to know much, I really dont. I have my theories and my working assumptions, but I do know enough to understand that its not unfair or mean or anything to ask her to round her back. I do claim, and I said this to Cari, that she doesn't have the musculature to hold herself in frame for very long. Cari found this to be less than persuasive. I decided to not to go into my scheme of teaching Star to stretch low and then gradually having her be on the bit more and more often and for progressively more strides.
Cari coached me intermittently the rest of my ride. I will say, she did shame me into keeping Star straighter than I usually do. That was good, I needed that. Somewhere along the way though she did manage to make me feel bad that Star isn't further along than she is. Maybe thats what really bothered me the most.
Star is my first, my Guinea pig, probably my greatest teacher so far. I didn't fall off Star because her face wasn't on the vertical, I fell because Star figured out that I wasn't going to kick her butt the way I usually do, and because I hadn't really given her a good outlet for her energy even while asking her to pay attention and stay calm. Mea culpa.
I actually never had much of an idea where I was going with Star until I saw what Alyssa managed to turn Keno into. Keno is round, responsive, fit, he has impulsion, he collects, he is a pleasure to ride. So with help from Robert and Alyssa, I'm working on making Star a nice rounded, forward straight dressage horse.
We are ever so slowly working our way up the training scale. We are working on relaxation/suppleness. Mostly longitudinal relaxation. If she had any more lateral suppleness she'd be a pretzel. I want her to reach out for the bit, relax her jaw and her back (and her mind!.) Yes, I do periodically pick up the reins and ask for more contact from her back and from her mouth, when I get it for a few strides then I let it back out.
This means sometimes she's going to pop her head up and be resistant, and I'm going to do my best to help her choose to be relaxed. It will take a long time because I have no idea what I'm doing, but I really dont like being told to force rein contact on her. Not because I think its mean, I just don't think thats going to be the best way. It doesn't jive with what I have read about the training scale. Contact (which means more than just the reins!) comes after suppleness. Contact therefore is unlikely to create suppleness. At least thats my understanding.
I've watched Cari work with Xsarena when Xsarena gets upset. It involves a lot of alternating squeezing on the reins and low hands (oooh, and hillariously loud cursing.) Fine, whatever works for you. I dont claim my way is right, but its what I'm trying right now, and so far, I'm happy with it, thank you very much.
Ok, now that my rant is over, I have to say that Cari's little intervention was probably a net positive for me. It certainly galvanized me to be less laissez faire with Star. It prompted me to really think about why her advice bothered me and what my plan is. The attention was flattering, and there were times when Cari was pretty pleased with how Star was going, and they overlapped nicely with the moments when I was pleased, so that was nice re-enforcement and feedback for me to have. It was also very sweet of her to offer her expertice to help me out.
Off topic, Star's registered name: Starzmorific Sire: Kazmorafic (Dam: Freckles)
I got Colonel out and brushed him down, still working on getting him shed out. I noticed that when I pressed too hard on his back that he hollowed it. I poked him with my fingers all over the area and he was fine. Maybe I'm just currying a little to vigorously or something. I dont know, but it made me a little nervous. So instead of hopping right on him I saddled him and took him out to the arena and lunged him. Just a few minutes each direction. He was surprisingly calm. I was not.
Still, I decided that this time I was going to ignore this feeling of foreboding and go ahead with my ride. To make myself feel better I put on my huge, goofy eventing chest protector. It looks like a lifejacket. I suffer the indignity because it makes me feel invincible. Well, close anyway. Still, as I walked back out there, I was already going into turtle mode, hunching my shoulders and tensing my abdominal muscles. I took a deep breath and focused on making myself the very image of relaxation and calm.
Pretty substantial balking about going out to the field. He really didn't want to walk on the road. He has pretty tender feet, so OK. He storted and pulled, and fussed and backed up. I followed my usual procedure for this: manage anything dangerous and keep them pointed at the culvert. So eventually he walked out there, surprisingly calmly once we finally crossed the culvert.
Again deep breath, walk around the arena once each direction, and then its time to trot. He did his usual transition to a slower-than-walking trot, then gradually amped up. Sit deep, fix the inside rein, half halts on the outside rein. As we turned away from the barn that worked fine. Headed towards the barn in was only marginally effective. We did some really nice circles around where we had been lunging, and I couldnt believe it, but he relaxed as though we were back to lunging. Interesting. Did a couple of times around at a trot with minimal fussing and I decided that this was an excellent quitting moment. Dismounted right then and there, Colonel stole a few bites of grass while I loosend the girth, and Colonel was fairly polite heading back home.
Robert had been watching from his living room and was pleased with our performance. I was too. I was also pleased that Colonel didn't pick up on my tension and pitch a fit. Maybe he likes the little arena I built, it gives him plenty to think about, what with the less even ground. Much more uneven than the dressage arena.
Put Colonel away and sat down to talk to Robert while he played with his antique cultivator. I shared with him my concerns about Star's saddle and how it was riding up on her shoulders and pinching them.
"Why dont you just use a fore girth?"
"A what?"
So I learned something new today, a fore girth is a dealie that goes in front of the saddle to keep it from slipping forward. Brilliant. Later that day I put it to use. Star was being a pill and a half, but the cool thing was that she wasn't nearly as hollow as usual, even when she got upset. Also, when she pinned her ears at Sunny and I booted her into a canter she went straight into the canter, despite being surprised. Later when I let her come back down to a walk it was a pretty smooth transition, not perfect, but it didn't involve jumping into the air and stopping on her shoulder before proceeding to whatever gait you wanted.
(The following is a rant, no more loggin of what happened follows.)
At one point pretty early in the ride I had to get off and tighten the girth. When I got near her Cari launched into this whole sermon about how I should never let Star put her head up the way she does, that this is why she was being so disobedient, she should always have her head on the vertical, etc. She proceded to take the reins and I cant remember what she did exactly but I think she was giving alternating squeezes on the reins to get Stars head down. Star has been taught this before so after backing up a little to try to get out of it she put her head down. Cari asked me to feel the pressure on the reins. I thought it was pretty extreeme pressure, but, OK, can I go now? She finished off by telling me that Star will be happier carying me if she rounds her back more, and that its not being mean to ask her to do it.
That may have irritated me most of all. I dont claim to know much, I really dont. I have my theories and my working assumptions, but I do know enough to understand that its not unfair or mean or anything to ask her to round her back. I do claim, and I said this to Cari, that she doesn't have the musculature to hold herself in frame for very long. Cari found this to be less than persuasive. I decided to not to go into my scheme of teaching Star to stretch low and then gradually having her be on the bit more and more often and for progressively more strides.
Cari coached me intermittently the rest of my ride. I will say, she did shame me into keeping Star straighter than I usually do. That was good, I needed that. Somewhere along the way though she did manage to make me feel bad that Star isn't further along than she is. Maybe thats what really bothered me the most.
Star is my first, my Guinea pig, probably my greatest teacher so far. I didn't fall off Star because her face wasn't on the vertical, I fell because Star figured out that I wasn't going to kick her butt the way I usually do, and because I hadn't really given her a good outlet for her energy even while asking her to pay attention and stay calm. Mea culpa.
I actually never had much of an idea where I was going with Star until I saw what Alyssa managed to turn Keno into. Keno is round, responsive, fit, he has impulsion, he collects, he is a pleasure to ride. So with help from Robert and Alyssa, I'm working on making Star a nice rounded, forward straight dressage horse.
We are ever so slowly working our way up the training scale. We are working on relaxation/suppleness. Mostly longitudinal relaxation. If she had any more lateral suppleness she'd be a pretzel. I want her to reach out for the bit, relax her jaw and her back (and her mind!.) Yes, I do periodically pick up the reins and ask for more contact from her back and from her mouth, when I get it for a few strides then I let it back out.
This means sometimes she's going to pop her head up and be resistant, and I'm going to do my best to help her choose to be relaxed. It will take a long time because I have no idea what I'm doing, but I really dont like being told to force rein contact on her. Not because I think its mean, I just don't think thats going to be the best way. It doesn't jive with what I have read about the training scale. Contact (which means more than just the reins!) comes after suppleness. Contact therefore is unlikely to create suppleness. At least thats my understanding.
I've watched Cari work with Xsarena when Xsarena gets upset. It involves a lot of alternating squeezing on the reins and low hands (oooh, and hillariously loud cursing.) Fine, whatever works for you. I dont claim my way is right, but its what I'm trying right now, and so far, I'm happy with it, thank you very much.
Ok, now that my rant is over, I have to say that Cari's little intervention was probably a net positive for me. It certainly galvanized me to be less laissez faire with Star. It prompted me to really think about why her advice bothered me and what my plan is. The attention was flattering, and there were times when Cari was pretty pleased with how Star was going, and they overlapped nicely with the moments when I was pleased, so that was nice re-enforcement and feedback for me to have. It was also very sweet of her to offer her expertice to help me out.
Off topic, Star's registered name: Starzmorific Sire: Kazmorafic (Dam: Freckles)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A return to basics
Went out with Colonel to do some more lunging in the field. Soon the field will be mostly closed off for hay production. (I'll have a path all the way around, but few open areas to be in.) He went out calm, a little bit of snorting and occasionally forgetting his place and rushing ahead. In the dressage arena he was trotting pretty hot. He started coming into my space but when told to go out, he bucked and ran. OK, the ground was decent enough, he was sufficiently warmed up, so I had him canter some. When he came back down to the trot, push push up into the canter again. He was still pretty hot, but I wanted to get moving. He spooked at something and tried to run a circle around me. Not great but better than slamming into me with his shoulder. We lunged some more over by the scary propane tank all the horses love to spook at. Then we did something thats historically been tough for Colonel, we went over the second creek. He got pretty amped up but remained tolerable, just a lot of backing him back up. I found a spot where I could lunge him in a small walk circle. He calmed down right away. Just walking along, suspicious of his surroundings but no wrong steps. Coming back home he was really good. I tested him repeatedly and he almost always managed to stop with his ears at my shoulder.
I want to really start riding him a lot outside, I want him to be reliable on the loop around the field. That way we can do lots of straight work, build his confidence and sense of balance. My dream has always been to get a horse (and myself) to the point where we could canter all the way around the field. It would be awesome to get both Star and Colonel to that point.
Went out and plowed with Robert, Alyssa and Luca. I think Alyssa hit the nail on the head when she observed that Luca doesn't think of walking as a working gait. He really wanted to just get this all over with as fast as possible, so he tended to rush a lot. Robert says this is normal, and still seems to think Luca might be ready in time for the plowing show next month.
Then it was time for Star. She was pretty antsy, but she walked around the arena well enough. Then I asked for the trot. Boom! Head in the air, back hollow, counter-bending and running sideways. I brought her back down to the walk to try for another transition. This one was moderately better in that she went straight(ish). So I trotted a really pissed off horse around and around. She went through brief periods of calm (particularly when moving away from the gate and when not in view of Keno) but then worked herself back up again.
I asked for some canter in hopes that this would wear her down faster. She did some of her stoping and rearing thing but I got my hips lined up right and asked again, and I think she saw the crop stuck in my boot and she decided to move. The other thing that helped is I let her go a few strides before checking her speed. That was sortof a "well duhh" moment but, so it goes. We zoomed around at a pretty good pace. We did this both directions and I let her walk.
She walked relatively calmly with her head slung low. Then she saw Keno outside and I guess she just couldnt help herself. So around and around we went. I'm not sure how many times this happened, but eventually she was getting pretty sweaty, and it was hot out, so I got her to walk around reasonably well for a while and then I called it a day.
When I took off the saddle Alyssa pointed out that she had some dry spots, where the saddle was putting on too much pressure. I hadn't heard of this saddle fitting diagnostic tool before, but I like it. Plus its a good excuse to force myself to really work Star the way she needs to be worked. So I'm going to be playing around with different saddles and saddle pads. If all else fails I might shell out the money for one of those fancy saddle fitting pads with the adjustable shims. I really would like to be able to stop worrying about saddle fit finally.
I want to really start riding him a lot outside, I want him to be reliable on the loop around the field. That way we can do lots of straight work, build his confidence and sense of balance. My dream has always been to get a horse (and myself) to the point where we could canter all the way around the field. It would be awesome to get both Star and Colonel to that point.
Went out and plowed with Robert, Alyssa and Luca. I think Alyssa hit the nail on the head when she observed that Luca doesn't think of walking as a working gait. He really wanted to just get this all over with as fast as possible, so he tended to rush a lot. Robert says this is normal, and still seems to think Luca might be ready in time for the plowing show next month.
Then it was time for Star. She was pretty antsy, but she walked around the arena well enough. Then I asked for the trot. Boom! Head in the air, back hollow, counter-bending and running sideways. I brought her back down to the walk to try for another transition. This one was moderately better in that she went straight(ish). So I trotted a really pissed off horse around and around. She went through brief periods of calm (particularly when moving away from the gate and when not in view of Keno) but then worked herself back up again.
I asked for some canter in hopes that this would wear her down faster. She did some of her stoping and rearing thing but I got my hips lined up right and asked again, and I think she saw the crop stuck in my boot and she decided to move. The other thing that helped is I let her go a few strides before checking her speed. That was sortof a "well duhh" moment but, so it goes. We zoomed around at a pretty good pace. We did this both directions and I let her walk.
She walked relatively calmly with her head slung low. Then she saw Keno outside and I guess she just couldnt help herself. So around and around we went. I'm not sure how many times this happened, but eventually she was getting pretty sweaty, and it was hot out, so I got her to walk around reasonably well for a while and then I called it a day.
When I took off the saddle Alyssa pointed out that she had some dry spots, where the saddle was putting on too much pressure. I hadn't heard of this saddle fitting diagnostic tool before, but I like it. Plus its a good excuse to force myself to really work Star the way she needs to be worked. So I'm going to be playing around with different saddles and saddle pads. If all else fails I might shell out the money for one of those fancy saddle fitting pads with the adjustable shims. I really would like to be able to stop worrying about saddle fit finally.
I think the next few rides will be devoted to looking at my position, hardcore.
We plowed with Luca, and that went reasonably well. I was the only one who didn't end up falling, besides Luca. I try to store up all my nimbleness for moments such as those, which explains why sometimes I can't walk a straight line.
I rode Keno pony. We used the outdoor dressage arena because it was great weather and I really would like to be able to school outside. My plan for the day was to work on long and low, since I think we've been getting too far away from that. He was upset because Reno was in the back forty, Star was in the big indoor getting her butt kicked, and Xsarena was in the crossties. Life was very very distracting.
We got our trot together pretty well. He gets mad when he tries going somewhere I've told him not to. It's self-punishing, because I try to keep him on the level bits, so the hilly parts upset him. But predictably he blames me. We moved onto his canter.
His canter is so great. I just sit there and we move and it's smooth and wonderful and I still can't get over it. Left rein. We haven't had lead issues the last two rides and it's just fabulous. Except, of course, he's incredibly downhill. I'm not a really sensitive rider, but I could feel how dropped his neck and shoulders were compared to his croup. Right rein he was still a hollow high headed little jerk, so we just cantered and cantered until he put his head down, and then quit that. Cari and Xsarena were out there at that point so he really didn't have much of a reason for being upset.
Given how downhill he was, I thought I'd do some transitions. The kind I'm favoring these days are a 8 strides trot, 8 strides canter, 8 strides trot kind of deal. The problem is that Keno is kind of a hot horse who loves cantering. And once he's balanced up, his transitions are effortless. Which is the point, granted, but they're also supposed to be my idea. He's still mulling that part over. So he'd trot when I asked, but two strides of that and he'd pop back into the canter. It's such a lovely canter that I'd prefer riding it forever, but schooling is more important than fun, grumble grumble grumble.
Today the back of my left knee and my right shoulder hurt. I'm going to try to evaluate how I use my limbs and how I balance. I'm going to try to be very aware of how I ask for things, rather than have an automated system. I know my outside leg comes back during corners, and I need to fix that, because that is a definite canter signal. Keno is moderately sensitive, if lazy, and he's playing off me sufficiently well in other aspects, I think a large part of this cantering is from me inadvertently asking, rather than sheer joy of cantering.
I have (glitter pink) bell boots, bit keepers, and a girth that should fit for Niki. I swear I'll ride her Thursday. She will be crazymare. Sigh. We'll get through it like always- really I'm to blame. I think just two or three solid consistent rides and we'll have this trot nonsense done with. No more sidepassing and cowkicking, just lots of half halts and slightly uncertain meandering about the arena.
We plowed with Luca, and that went reasonably well. I was the only one who didn't end up falling, besides Luca. I try to store up all my nimbleness for moments such as those, which explains why sometimes I can't walk a straight line.
I rode Keno pony. We used the outdoor dressage arena because it was great weather and I really would like to be able to school outside. My plan for the day was to work on long and low, since I think we've been getting too far away from that. He was upset because Reno was in the back forty, Star was in the big indoor getting her butt kicked, and Xsarena was in the crossties. Life was very very distracting.
We got our trot together pretty well. He gets mad when he tries going somewhere I've told him not to. It's self-punishing, because I try to keep him on the level bits, so the hilly parts upset him. But predictably he blames me. We moved onto his canter.
His canter is so great. I just sit there and we move and it's smooth and wonderful and I still can't get over it. Left rein. We haven't had lead issues the last two rides and it's just fabulous. Except, of course, he's incredibly downhill. I'm not a really sensitive rider, but I could feel how dropped his neck and shoulders were compared to his croup. Right rein he was still a hollow high headed little jerk, so we just cantered and cantered until he put his head down, and then quit that. Cari and Xsarena were out there at that point so he really didn't have much of a reason for being upset.
Given how downhill he was, I thought I'd do some transitions. The kind I'm favoring these days are a 8 strides trot, 8 strides canter, 8 strides trot kind of deal. The problem is that Keno is kind of a hot horse who loves cantering. And once he's balanced up, his transitions are effortless. Which is the point, granted, but they're also supposed to be my idea. He's still mulling that part over. So he'd trot when I asked, but two strides of that and he'd pop back into the canter. It's such a lovely canter that I'd prefer riding it forever, but schooling is more important than fun, grumble grumble grumble.
Today the back of my left knee and my right shoulder hurt. I'm going to try to evaluate how I use my limbs and how I balance. I'm going to try to be very aware of how I ask for things, rather than have an automated system. I know my outside leg comes back during corners, and I need to fix that, because that is a definite canter signal. Keno is moderately sensitive, if lazy, and he's playing off me sufficiently well in other aspects, I think a large part of this cantering is from me inadvertently asking, rather than sheer joy of cantering.
I have (glitter pink) bell boots, bit keepers, and a girth that should fit for Niki. I swear I'll ride her Thursday. She will be crazymare. Sigh. We'll get through it like always- really I'm to blame. I think just two or three solid consistent rides and we'll have this trot nonsense done with. No more sidepassing and cowkicking, just lots of half halts and slightly uncertain meandering about the arena.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Show!
Way less exciting than Gillian's post, but still...
I rode Keno on Thursday while Robert was eating lunch. I haven't ridden him in a disgraceful amount of time, so he was a little prancy at first, but oh wow. I love broke horses. I ask him to do something and he understand what I want, and more importantly, actually does it. I know part of that is probably him being a gelding, but still. It's delightful. He was pissy, high headed and hollow on his right lead canter, but to be honest I don't think I worked him enough to ask for a good canter. It was colllld out. His left lead was lovely, though. Smooth, effortless, balanced. There's not the power there is behind Luca's, but it's much easier to sit and enjoy.
(I rode Luca on Thursday with my music playing on my iPod. At the end, Xsarena and Cari came in and started playing their own music on the stereo. Luca was *very* unhappy at first, due to the clashing music. It was pretty cute.)
I ran out on Friday after class and fed, rode Luca, bathed both horses, and packed the trailer. I hopped on him, bareback, to destroy my temptation to school him the day before the show. He was decent and that was all I asked for.
Woke up at 4:30 am after a late night (bed at 1 am), got to the barn at 7:30 am and left pretty promptly. Drove to Astoria, got there at 10:30. Upon arrival Robert discovered he had left his checkbook and all his paperwork in Eagle Creek. Luckily, everyone knows him and the officials just said eh, send it in when you get back. We got there at 10:30 and the driving classes started around 11:30, so between checking in, getting stalls, tacking Reno and warming him up, it got a little close. We didn't even stall Reno, just tied him to the trailer and harnessed him up there, unhooked the trailer and drove the truck far enough away to unload the cart, hooked him and went to warm up. Robert decided, naturally, to warm up the palomino pinto with his shiny white stockings in the mud. Grrr. We didn't realize how much time I had before Luca's and my classes began, so Robert suggested I start getting him ready.
Luca was stalled next to a tack stall, so he spent a lot of time rearing up to look over the divider, at the people coming in and out. The other portion of his time was spent running up to the stall door to whicker at whatever horse walked by. I walked in with the grooming kit just in time to hear a couple younger girls say "that horse is crazy!" Upon which, of course, Luca stuck his head over the door, looked at me, and whickered. I laughed. They were impressed by me and scared by the stallyun.
The problem with leaving me to my own devices is that I like to be able to do things. So Robert was showing Reno, and I had no idea when my classes were, so I cleaned Luca up. That didn't take very long. So next... I got dressed? That seemed to be the next step. My parents called during that process, and took a couple minutes to pick up on my harried, frantic tone. I told them I'd call back later because I was at a horse show. After I got dressed, I thought it was time for Luca to get dressed too. Robert parked the trailer pretty far away so I figured I'd eat up some time by walking back and forth with tack. I was listening to music so I had a poorer grasp of time than usual- I measured it in songs rather than minutes.
Robert had told me Luca was "on the muscle" (which I always interpret as "may explode at any given moment") but he was fine as usual to tack up. When he was tacked up, I figured I might as well lunge him. No one told me when lunch was going to be, or that in-hand and ridden trails would take about twenty minutes each. We went to lunge and Luca was exactly as he was at home. A little bit of a jerk, didn't want to walk and challenged me on changing direction, but whatever, I can deal with that. We did our own little thing until Robert appeared and disappeared again.
Continuing the process, I thought... I don't want to lunge him anymore. Robert isn't here, but I guess I will ride him. I hate mounting because it's the most vulnerable you're going to be on a horse. I especially hate mounting Luca because he hasn't had the greatest track record, but also he's so round that it's easy for the saddle to slip. All went well, he stood still til I asked him to move, and the saddle didn't slide. The boy's really shaping up nicely.
He was a little looky around the arena the first couple times, but no spooks the entire show. Luca was pretty psyched when some new horses came in, but we figured it out. One of his problems is that he doesn't consider walking working, it has to be trot or above. Walking is relaxing, stretching, and talking time. That last part is incorrect, but we'll work on it.
So. I probably started lunging Luca around 11:30 or 11:45. There was a twenty minute lunch, as well as in-hand trail and ridden trail, and a couple other classes. It was, much to our mutual dismay, about 3:45 or 4 before our first class started up. That's a solid 4 hours of work, at least 3.5 of that ridden. I haven't asked him to work more than, at most, an hour and a half total, and he was tired and losing it by the end. Most of it was at a posting trot, since that's where he feels most comfortable with other horses.
This is a good time to note that, though he was a little sweaty at the end of our lunging session, it had all dried by the time I untacked him at the end of the day. I may call him Squishybutt, but he's actually in decent shape for all that. I don't think it tired either of us out as much as I expected. This is also such a strong claim for a good saddle that FITS the horse.
Finally it was our class! There were seven horses in there- us, a Quarter Horse, an Appy, a Morgan or two, and a couple APHA/pintos. Honestly, the whole class is mostly a blur to me. I know we entered at a posting trot, and we were behind a pretty chestnut overo mare for a while until we went a little too fast. I remember the gate steward saying "Luca, be a good boy!". I was enjoying the horse under me because he was so reliable and forward and happy. I was grinning like a fool, partially because I saw the photographer coming towards us a lot, but also because he was just a fun ride and a game little horse. Our trot-walk transition was excellent, since we can do that on a deep exhale and sitting a little deeper, and I noticed the judge watching us. I didn't expect to get asked for an extended trot, and Luca put more energy into it than he does at home, because we broke into a canter. Twice. Honestly, I didn't mind, especially at that point. That's something I need to learn to hold him at, and it would have been nice if he hadn't done it, but who cares? We were cutting across the ring for more space when the judge called for a halt. I didn't know what the protocol was- was I supposed to stop right there or trot to the rail? I opted for the former, and we had a nice halt. She told us to back up. I was really happy Robert told us to try the reverse on Thursday. Luca and I went more or less straight, which probably won us major points for not being on the rail. Our halt-trot was pretty good too. We lined up and waited. All the horses stood still and calm. Luca swung his head back and forth, but again, at this point? I really didn't care. His feet did not move. The photographer came out and said "Luca, what a big boy you are!" and I grinned for the camera.
Results- first place, the Quarter Horse. Unsurprised. Second- the appaloosa. Again, not surprised, he looks broke broke broke and went to Worlds. Third- Cedar Hill Nimrod Luca? Whoa. Awesome. We (and by that, I really mean Luca) got a bigger cheer than the QH or Appy.
We walked around the parking lot, waiting for the solid color class to come up. He was calling a lot and being a little antsy so I tried taking him into the warmup arena to trot around. He refused to trot on the rail, sidepassing sideways and did one buck. He was letting me know he was totally fried, mentally and probably physically. I accepted this. He'd been a really good boy for hours and hours of riding, enough that I didn't even notice the passing of time. We'd both been in the zone, but now we were out and he was tired and wanted to be done. I thought that was fair enough. We walked over to Robert and let him know that Luca was done.
It was just as well- the solid color class was pretty big, 10+ horses, and many of them were very nice. Our canter wasn't nearly solid enough to do well, and while he probably would have behaved, there was a more than infintesimal chance that he would have blown. One point towards his ROM wasn't worth it.
Untacked, packed trailer, went home.
Lessons from this:
Luca is awesome! Such a good boy. He really went above and beyond.
I think establishing a procedure (tack/lunge/ride) was helpful. I also think a 3 hour trailer ride was useful in tiring him out.
I wouldn't be surprised if riding with the same music I ride with at home helped both of us get in "the zone." Robert and I were talking about the zone on the way up- how he'd get on Lady in the arena and have music on and trot around, and next thing he knew, an hour had gone by and they were both drenched in sweat. Luca and I definitely got there. It was very much a case of looking to see where we needed to go and doing it.
Stallions are, surprise! Totally capable of behaving like any other horse. True, he got a tad more forward when he was right behind a mare, and liked to stare at horses when they would be nose-and-nose with him, about four feet to the side, but he worked just as hard, and directing him places was never difficult.
I hope he learned that I'm reasonable. That when he said, that's it, I can't do any more, I said okay, and got off. I know there will be days when he says "I don't want to" and I reply "that's too bad," but this was not a situation in which I thought I needed to do that, or that I thought I'd be in the right if I did tell him that.
I need to have a better sense of timing for shows, but that will come with experience (and knowledge of this thing called trail classes). We could have done that second class if we'd started even half an hour later, I think. And we really didn't need to ride for that long- a half hour warm up ride was probably more than sufficient.
I am really grateful for how well our horses lunge. Some of the riders there were just making their horses go at a dead run on a small circle, no walk or trot, just frantic unbalanced canter. I much prefer the discipline method of lunging, vs. the exercise method.
Show nerves are dead after you ride for 3 hours on 3.5 hours of sleep. Both of us wanted to get in the ring and go home.
I still can't get over what a good guy Luca was. I was really proud of him. I also think we do better when I work on him primarily one-on-one, rather than having three people surrounding him. He gets worked up that way, and so do I.
6 points down, 244 left til we get his ROM in English. Just wait til we have our huntseat saddle, and go to some double-point shows!
I rode Keno on Thursday while Robert was eating lunch. I haven't ridden him in a disgraceful amount of time, so he was a little prancy at first, but oh wow. I love broke horses. I ask him to do something and he understand what I want, and more importantly, actually does it. I know part of that is probably him being a gelding, but still. It's delightful. He was pissy, high headed and hollow on his right lead canter, but to be honest I don't think I worked him enough to ask for a good canter. It was colllld out. His left lead was lovely, though. Smooth, effortless, balanced. There's not the power there is behind Luca's, but it's much easier to sit and enjoy.
(I rode Luca on Thursday with my music playing on my iPod. At the end, Xsarena and Cari came in and started playing their own music on the stereo. Luca was *very* unhappy at first, due to the clashing music. It was pretty cute.)
I ran out on Friday after class and fed, rode Luca, bathed both horses, and packed the trailer. I hopped on him, bareback, to destroy my temptation to school him the day before the show. He was decent and that was all I asked for.
Woke up at 4:30 am after a late night (bed at 1 am), got to the barn at 7:30 am and left pretty promptly. Drove to Astoria, got there at 10:30. Upon arrival Robert discovered he had left his checkbook and all his paperwork in Eagle Creek. Luckily, everyone knows him and the officials just said eh, send it in when you get back. We got there at 10:30 and the driving classes started around 11:30, so between checking in, getting stalls, tacking Reno and warming him up, it got a little close. We didn't even stall Reno, just tied him to the trailer and harnessed him up there, unhooked the trailer and drove the truck far enough away to unload the cart, hooked him and went to warm up. Robert decided, naturally, to warm up the palomino pinto with his shiny white stockings in the mud. Grrr. We didn't realize how much time I had before Luca's and my classes began, so Robert suggested I start getting him ready.
Luca was stalled next to a tack stall, so he spent a lot of time rearing up to look over the divider, at the people coming in and out. The other portion of his time was spent running up to the stall door to whicker at whatever horse walked by. I walked in with the grooming kit just in time to hear a couple younger girls say "that horse is crazy!" Upon which, of course, Luca stuck his head over the door, looked at me, and whickered. I laughed. They were impressed by me and scared by the stallyun.
The problem with leaving me to my own devices is that I like to be able to do things. So Robert was showing Reno, and I had no idea when my classes were, so I cleaned Luca up. That didn't take very long. So next... I got dressed? That seemed to be the next step. My parents called during that process, and took a couple minutes to pick up on my harried, frantic tone. I told them I'd call back later because I was at a horse show. After I got dressed, I thought it was time for Luca to get dressed too. Robert parked the trailer pretty far away so I figured I'd eat up some time by walking back and forth with tack. I was listening to music so I had a poorer grasp of time than usual- I measured it in songs rather than minutes.
Robert had told me Luca was "on the muscle" (which I always interpret as "may explode at any given moment") but he was fine as usual to tack up. When he was tacked up, I figured I might as well lunge him. No one told me when lunch was going to be, or that in-hand and ridden trails would take about twenty minutes each. We went to lunge and Luca was exactly as he was at home. A little bit of a jerk, didn't want to walk and challenged me on changing direction, but whatever, I can deal with that. We did our own little thing until Robert appeared and disappeared again.
Continuing the process, I thought... I don't want to lunge him anymore. Robert isn't here, but I guess I will ride him. I hate mounting because it's the most vulnerable you're going to be on a horse. I especially hate mounting Luca because he hasn't had the greatest track record, but also he's so round that it's easy for the saddle to slip. All went well, he stood still til I asked him to move, and the saddle didn't slide. The boy's really shaping up nicely.
He was a little looky around the arena the first couple times, but no spooks the entire show. Luca was pretty psyched when some new horses came in, but we figured it out. One of his problems is that he doesn't consider walking working, it has to be trot or above. Walking is relaxing, stretching, and talking time. That last part is incorrect, but we'll work on it.
So. I probably started lunging Luca around 11:30 or 11:45. There was a twenty minute lunch, as well as in-hand trail and ridden trail, and a couple other classes. It was, much to our mutual dismay, about 3:45 or 4 before our first class started up. That's a solid 4 hours of work, at least 3.5 of that ridden. I haven't asked him to work more than, at most, an hour and a half total, and he was tired and losing it by the end. Most of it was at a posting trot, since that's where he feels most comfortable with other horses.
This is a good time to note that, though he was a little sweaty at the end of our lunging session, it had all dried by the time I untacked him at the end of the day. I may call him Squishybutt, but he's actually in decent shape for all that. I don't think it tired either of us out as much as I expected. This is also such a strong claim for a good saddle that FITS the horse.
Finally it was our class! There were seven horses in there- us, a Quarter Horse, an Appy, a Morgan or two, and a couple APHA/pintos. Honestly, the whole class is mostly a blur to me. I know we entered at a posting trot, and we were behind a pretty chestnut overo mare for a while until we went a little too fast. I remember the gate steward saying "Luca, be a good boy!". I was enjoying the horse under me because he was so reliable and forward and happy. I was grinning like a fool, partially because I saw the photographer coming towards us a lot, but also because he was just a fun ride and a game little horse. Our trot-walk transition was excellent, since we can do that on a deep exhale and sitting a little deeper, and I noticed the judge watching us. I didn't expect to get asked for an extended trot, and Luca put more energy into it than he does at home, because we broke into a canter. Twice. Honestly, I didn't mind, especially at that point. That's something I need to learn to hold him at, and it would have been nice if he hadn't done it, but who cares? We were cutting across the ring for more space when the judge called for a halt. I didn't know what the protocol was- was I supposed to stop right there or trot to the rail? I opted for the former, and we had a nice halt. She told us to back up. I was really happy Robert told us to try the reverse on Thursday. Luca and I went more or less straight, which probably won us major points for not being on the rail. Our halt-trot was pretty good too. We lined up and waited. All the horses stood still and calm. Luca swung his head back and forth, but again, at this point? I really didn't care. His feet did not move. The photographer came out and said "Luca, what a big boy you are!" and I grinned for the camera.
Results- first place, the Quarter Horse. Unsurprised. Second- the appaloosa. Again, not surprised, he looks broke broke broke and went to Worlds. Third- Cedar Hill Nimrod Luca? Whoa. Awesome. We (and by that, I really mean Luca) got a bigger cheer than the QH or Appy.
We walked around the parking lot, waiting for the solid color class to come up. He was calling a lot and being a little antsy so I tried taking him into the warmup arena to trot around. He refused to trot on the rail, sidepassing sideways and did one buck. He was letting me know he was totally fried, mentally and probably physically. I accepted this. He'd been a really good boy for hours and hours of riding, enough that I didn't even notice the passing of time. We'd both been in the zone, but now we were out and he was tired and wanted to be done. I thought that was fair enough. We walked over to Robert and let him know that Luca was done.
It was just as well- the solid color class was pretty big, 10+ horses, and many of them were very nice. Our canter wasn't nearly solid enough to do well, and while he probably would have behaved, there was a more than infintesimal chance that he would have blown. One point towards his ROM wasn't worth it.
Untacked, packed trailer, went home.
Lessons from this:
Luca is awesome! Such a good boy. He really went above and beyond.
I think establishing a procedure (tack/lunge/ride) was helpful. I also think a 3 hour trailer ride was useful in tiring him out.
I wouldn't be surprised if riding with the same music I ride with at home helped both of us get in "the zone." Robert and I were talking about the zone on the way up- how he'd get on Lady in the arena and have music on and trot around, and next thing he knew, an hour had gone by and they were both drenched in sweat. Luca and I definitely got there. It was very much a case of looking to see where we needed to go and doing it.
Stallions are, surprise! Totally capable of behaving like any other horse. True, he got a tad more forward when he was right behind a mare, and liked to stare at horses when they would be nose-and-nose with him, about four feet to the side, but he worked just as hard, and directing him places was never difficult.
I hope he learned that I'm reasonable. That when he said, that's it, I can't do any more, I said okay, and got off. I know there will be days when he says "I don't want to" and I reply "that's too bad," but this was not a situation in which I thought I needed to do that, or that I thought I'd be in the right if I did tell him that.
I need to have a better sense of timing for shows, but that will come with experience (and knowledge of this thing called trail classes). We could have done that second class if we'd started even half an hour later, I think. And we really didn't need to ride for that long- a half hour warm up ride was probably more than sufficient.
I am really grateful for how well our horses lunge. Some of the riders there were just making their horses go at a dead run on a small circle, no walk or trot, just frantic unbalanced canter. I much prefer the discipline method of lunging, vs. the exercise method.
Show nerves are dead after you ride for 3 hours on 3.5 hours of sleep. Both of us wanted to get in the ring and go home.
I still can't get over what a good guy Luca was. I was really proud of him. I also think we do better when I work on him primarily one-on-one, rather than having three people surrounding him. He gets worked up that way, and so do I.
6 points down, 244 left til we get his ROM in English. Just wait til we have our huntseat saddle, and go to some double-point shows!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Ouch
So I tried to get out to the barn at 7:10 to go to the show with Alyssa. The 31 left more than 2 minutes early, while the 72 was roughly 9 minutes late. Bummer. But I stocked up on food and got to Stoneybrook early. Played with the kittens until it warmed up. (They're getting bigger everyday, and momma cat is pretty sick of them.)
I took Colonel out in hand, and lunged him in the outdoor dressage arena. He was quite hyped up. We alternated leading and working going around the field. After a while he really settled down nicely. He led really really well on the way back, hardly a wrong step. I turned him out and he didn't do much. So I put him back.
I got Star out, bareback as usual. She was fine to walk around the arena. She was startled by a car engine starting up, and spooked in the same spot she heard it a couple of times. Pretty routine, especially since she hasn't been out in a week or so. Picking up the trot went very very poorly. She was pretty out of control and I slid off her and banged into the arena rail. Ow.
She ran around nervously for a second or two and then trotted up to me to either gloat or see how I was doing. I couldn't decide. I lunged her until she'd worked up a pretty good sweat. The problem was that I had left the lunge line with Colonel and so I just grabbed half a long rein. Thinking that would be fine. It was pretty short and I worry about lunging a horse for too long on that short a line. So I hopped back on her sweaty little self, and we walked around. She was pretty worked up, so I decided we'd do a little trot and then call it quits.
We did do a little trot, we did subsequently call it quits, so that all went as planned. The part where she bolted and I slipped off the side of her, smacked my hand on a jumping standard, hit my hip in my usual fashion, scratched and cracked (sortof) my helmet, and rolled under a table; that part was less planned.
Cari was giving a lesson and she and her student's mom were very kind. They put Star away, got me an ice pack for my back, and later I got a ride to Providence Milwaukee emergency room. Yay. My nurse there was a retired farrier, so that was cool. The X-rays were negative, and I had a mini neurological exam just because of the damage to my helmet. My back is bruised, my brain is not. As it happened my mom called while I was there, and Jesse answered the phone, promptly reporting to my mother, "Hi, I'm with Gillian in the emergency room, but everything looks fine."
My mom: "What!?!"
She apparently was not as in the loop as we assumed she was. Shockingly, she wasn't too worried about it. Apparently I make a convincing impression of a lucid person. Who knew?
So, that was my day. I can walk, in little baby steps. As soon as I'm feeling up to it Star and I are going to spend some quality time in the western saddle, and if the fits not perfect, I dont care. Its not hurting her badly enough to worry about, and she definitely needs an attitude adjustment. I guess its just like the halter, it worked fine until she realized that she didn't need to do a thing I said. Bummer.
I took Colonel out in hand, and lunged him in the outdoor dressage arena. He was quite hyped up. We alternated leading and working going around the field. After a while he really settled down nicely. He led really really well on the way back, hardly a wrong step. I turned him out and he didn't do much. So I put him back.
I got Star out, bareback as usual. She was fine to walk around the arena. She was startled by a car engine starting up, and spooked in the same spot she heard it a couple of times. Pretty routine, especially since she hasn't been out in a week or so. Picking up the trot went very very poorly. She was pretty out of control and I slid off her and banged into the arena rail. Ow.
She ran around nervously for a second or two and then trotted up to me to either gloat or see how I was doing. I couldn't decide. I lunged her until she'd worked up a pretty good sweat. The problem was that I had left the lunge line with Colonel and so I just grabbed half a long rein. Thinking that would be fine. It was pretty short and I worry about lunging a horse for too long on that short a line. So I hopped back on her sweaty little self, and we walked around. She was pretty worked up, so I decided we'd do a little trot and then call it quits.
We did do a little trot, we did subsequently call it quits, so that all went as planned. The part where she bolted and I slipped off the side of her, smacked my hand on a jumping standard, hit my hip in my usual fashion, scratched and cracked (sortof) my helmet, and rolled under a table; that part was less planned.
Cari was giving a lesson and she and her student's mom were very kind. They put Star away, got me an ice pack for my back, and later I got a ride to Providence Milwaukee emergency room. Yay. My nurse there was a retired farrier, so that was cool. The X-rays were negative, and I had a mini neurological exam just because of the damage to my helmet. My back is bruised, my brain is not. As it happened my mom called while I was there, and Jesse answered the phone, promptly reporting to my mother, "Hi, I'm with Gillian in the emergency room, but everything looks fine."
My mom: "What!?!"
She apparently was not as in the loop as we assumed she was. Shockingly, she wasn't too worried about it. Apparently I make a convincing impression of a lucid person. Who knew?
So, that was my day. I can walk, in little baby steps. As soon as I'm feeling up to it Star and I are going to spend some quality time in the western saddle, and if the fits not perfect, I dont care. Its not hurting her badly enough to worry about, and she definitely needs an attitude adjustment. I guess its just like the halter, it worked fine until she realized that she didn't need to do a thing I said. Bummer.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Putting the bar so low even Colonel could do it
So Saturday I tried to see if I could plan a day so easy even Colonel couldn't screw it up. We tacked up, went into the arena, walked once around to the left, twice around to the right (the first trip around wasn't very good) and I got off. We stood around for a while before going back. Its my latest gimmic, I'm thinking maybe if there is a delay between the ride being over and actually going home maybe he wont get so antsy about getting the ride over with. Delayed gratification and whatnot. Even though it was a brutally easy exercise, I'm still pleased because there was a time when I couldn't get four walk strides out of him if he hadn't been lunged pretty well first.
He's a little thrushy on his left fore so I think he might get some hand walking in the near future. We havent been beyond the creek in a while. I think it really helps him build confidence to go out there and just commune with the scary scary world.
Rode Star bareback in the arena with Luca. Star was pretty interested in Luca, especially when he was in front of us. She had lots and lots of forward though, which was nice. We worked some more on long and low, and me on my position and especially RELAXING my shoulders. I think I was a turtle in a past life, the moment I feel a little out of balance, (or a lot out of balance) head goes down, shoulders come up and I'm protected from the world, right?
When she goes ahead and relaxes her back she is a really nice ride. I think she's figured out too that when she relaxes her back I dont bounce up onto her neck the way I do when she hollows her back and starts rushing and generally fussing. Who knows, we may be able to work out some kind of deal there. It is disconcerting how easily she could just tip me off the side if she wanted to. If she does tip me off one of these days, I'm going to work the tar out of her though. I think she may realize this.
Also, looking into getting a saddle that might fit her. Damn arab shoulders.
He's a little thrushy on his left fore so I think he might get some hand walking in the near future. We havent been beyond the creek in a while. I think it really helps him build confidence to go out there and just commune with the scary scary world.
Rode Star bareback in the arena with Luca. Star was pretty interested in Luca, especially when he was in front of us. She had lots and lots of forward though, which was nice. We worked some more on long and low, and me on my position and especially RELAXING my shoulders. I think I was a turtle in a past life, the moment I feel a little out of balance, (or a lot out of balance) head goes down, shoulders come up and I'm protected from the world, right?
When she goes ahead and relaxes her back she is a really nice ride. I think she's figured out too that when she relaxes her back I dont bounce up onto her neck the way I do when she hollows her back and starts rushing and generally fussing. Who knows, we may be able to work out some kind of deal there. It is disconcerting how easily she could just tip me off the side if she wanted to. If she does tip me off one of these days, I'm going to work the tar out of her though. I think she may realize this.
Also, looking into getting a saddle that might fit her. Damn arab shoulders.
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