Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
NY Times article on dressage riders wearing helmets more
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/sports/29helmets.html?_r=1&hp
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Chock full of lessons lesson
I had a jumping lesson with Shannon today. Although I really wanted the lesson, as the time approached I started feeling an uncomfortable feeling that it took me a while to identify - nervousness. Again. So I didn't want the lesson, but I did want the lesson, and I got all kinds of cranky, and had the lesson, and it was great and I'm so relieved I had the lesson.
Three main take-away messages:
1. Jump about 5 little jumps without stirrups every time I jump from now on. To cure the jumping ahead. Do a little bit of warm up, drop my stirrups and take the little jump without them, pick them back up and go on with my ride.
2. Ride him defensively (what I think of as assertively). I'm the boss. I need to stop being wishy-washy passive-pansy-pants cringing on my way to these tiny fences and hoping he'll be a good horsey and go over them. Man up, Martha.
3. And if he's naughty and runs out, make him uncomfortable. Yell and kick and hit him with the whip. Stop in front of the fence or get right back in front of it and make a big stinking deal out of it. And then make a little circle and come right back at it. Make it more uncomfortable for him to stand there in front of the fence than just go over it in the first place.
In more esoteric evaluation:
I ride like I'm 14 riding an equitation show jumper. Even with Shannon standing and yelling at me, it's really difficult for me to not ride passively to the fence. And if I want to ride Willig, I need to get over this.
I actually suspect this comes from work. I've noticed a recent, distressing and growing inability to make decisions. I suspect it's because I have to make decisions all day long where I feel out of my comfort zone but have to act confident, and it's just so exhausting that in the rest of my life, I just don't have enough energy left for it. I have been saying this a few times frequently in less kind terms - "Why am I such a bitch at work, but then I get on Willig and I'm this little wallflower?" Part of this goes to last year's debate - is Willig the right horse for me? - if I just want to putter around after work, then no, he's clearly not. But if I want to finally learn how to ride well, then he's a stretch goal - a challenge - and he makes me work and work and improve. It's hard, but I'm so proud of how far we've come from last year to this year. If we keep moving at that rate - holy cow - the sky is the limit. (Not literally. 3' is probably the limit.)
Anyway, so Shannon made those three points, and about a zillion more, in an hour of hard work. Like usual, several light bulbs went off for me that are hard for me to capture even just a few hours later. (One of which is that I am obviously not the type of person who is ever going to have horse intuition, and the more I can work with trainers, the better. Also, since I learned from a Practical Horseman a few years (?) back that I'm a kinesthetic learner - the reading and watching don't really click for me as well as a lesson does, where someone can say "feel that now" and I can match what I'm doing with the feeling and recreate it on my own.)
I still need to think about my heels down, and I still need to work on "evening" my hands. That &*#&*(#& left hand is still sneaking around on me. And bending him to the left. My lord, something so simple and easy to see and yet so impossible.
When I jump, I need to think "steer like I'm skiing" and not use each hand independently (which is too hard for my brain, and confuses poor Willig when my left hand is like "over here!" and then overshoots and my right hand says "you dummy!" and overcorrects). And steer him with my legs. He responds just fine to that.
I need to work harder and firmer in warm up. He was squirrely - WAY squirrelier than last week when he bucked me off (and as much as I get nervous, it is so good to have a lesson on a "bad" day so I learn how to work with it. While it's still educational, a lesson on a good day just kind of builds confidence), but Shannon worked us so much harder than I usually do during warm up, that he was just "yes ma'am, what next?" instead of "EEEK! A Leaf!!"
And this could count as #4, although I don't know how to improve it directly - improve my reaction time. I'm SLOW. I don't whip him fast enough, I don't see the problem coming and correct it fast enough (I know HOW to correct a lot of them, I am just too slow), and I don't praise him fast enough.
We did a low jump (with flowers, since he was eyeballing them) on a circle, then the same low jump at 3:00 and another low jump at 12:00 (going counterclockwise).
Then those two jumps, but a right hand turn to a vertical.
Then those three, but a figure 8 back to flowers, a 2nd figure 8, back over the 3.
Then the middle one got a blanket on it. And miraculously, we went over it (with my right side keeping him from running out - way to go lazy right side!), but then I was so excited I way overshot and missed the third fence.
So we did the same combination a few more times but with the blanket.
And it was HARD for me to make those turns - they weren't that sharp, but as soon as we'd add one or change direction, it was really hard for me to make it.
So Shannon suggested we keep working on little stuff, making it scary like with the blanket, doing some work without stirrups, and making some turns. And I agree, let's get that foundation super strong, and then go to height.
She thinks if I just act confident, that's what he needs. He's not a confident horse, and I just keep waiting for him to offer to do things against his nature. I guess that says an awful, uncomfortable lot about me.
And I was RED for like an hour afterwards - I am NOT riding him hard enough on my own.
He was great today. Another gold star for him.
Three main take-away messages:
1. Jump about 5 little jumps without stirrups every time I jump from now on. To cure the jumping ahead. Do a little bit of warm up, drop my stirrups and take the little jump without them, pick them back up and go on with my ride.
2. Ride him defensively (what I think of as assertively). I'm the boss. I need to stop being wishy-washy passive-pansy-pants cringing on my way to these tiny fences and hoping he'll be a good horsey and go over them. Man up, Martha.
3. And if he's naughty and runs out, make him uncomfortable. Yell and kick and hit him with the whip. Stop in front of the fence or get right back in front of it and make a big stinking deal out of it. And then make a little circle and come right back at it. Make it more uncomfortable for him to stand there in front of the fence than just go over it in the first place.
In more esoteric evaluation:
I ride like I'm 14 riding an equitation show jumper. Even with Shannon standing and yelling at me, it's really difficult for me to not ride passively to the fence. And if I want to ride Willig, I need to get over this.
I actually suspect this comes from work. I've noticed a recent, distressing and growing inability to make decisions. I suspect it's because I have to make decisions all day long where I feel out of my comfort zone but have to act confident, and it's just so exhausting that in the rest of my life, I just don't have enough energy left for it. I have been saying this a few times frequently in less kind terms - "Why am I such a bitch at work, but then I get on Willig and I'm this little wallflower?" Part of this goes to last year's debate - is Willig the right horse for me? - if I just want to putter around after work, then no, he's clearly not. But if I want to finally learn how to ride well, then he's a stretch goal - a challenge - and he makes me work and work and improve. It's hard, but I'm so proud of how far we've come from last year to this year. If we keep moving at that rate - holy cow - the sky is the limit. (Not literally. 3' is probably the limit.)
Anyway, so Shannon made those three points, and about a zillion more, in an hour of hard work. Like usual, several light bulbs went off for me that are hard for me to capture even just a few hours later. (One of which is that I am obviously not the type of person who is ever going to have horse intuition, and the more I can work with trainers, the better. Also, since I learned from a Practical Horseman a few years (?) back that I'm a kinesthetic learner - the reading and watching don't really click for me as well as a lesson does, where someone can say "feel that now" and I can match what I'm doing with the feeling and recreate it on my own.)
I still need to think about my heels down, and I still need to work on "evening" my hands. That &*#&*(#& left hand is still sneaking around on me. And bending him to the left. My lord, something so simple and easy to see and yet so impossible.
When I jump, I need to think "steer like I'm skiing" and not use each hand independently (which is too hard for my brain, and confuses poor Willig when my left hand is like "over here!" and then overshoots and my right hand says "you dummy!" and overcorrects). And steer him with my legs. He responds just fine to that.
I need to work harder and firmer in warm up. He was squirrely - WAY squirrelier than last week when he bucked me off (and as much as I get nervous, it is so good to have a lesson on a "bad" day so I learn how to work with it. While it's still educational, a lesson on a good day just kind of builds confidence), but Shannon worked us so much harder than I usually do during warm up, that he was just "yes ma'am, what next?" instead of "EEEK! A Leaf!!"
And this could count as #4, although I don't know how to improve it directly - improve my reaction time. I'm SLOW. I don't whip him fast enough, I don't see the problem coming and correct it fast enough (I know HOW to correct a lot of them, I am just too slow), and I don't praise him fast enough.
We did a low jump (with flowers, since he was eyeballing them) on a circle, then the same low jump at 3:00 and another low jump at 12:00 (going counterclockwise).
Then those two jumps, but a right hand turn to a vertical.
Then those three, but a figure 8 back to flowers, a 2nd figure 8, back over the 3.
Then the middle one got a blanket on it. And miraculously, we went over it (with my right side keeping him from running out - way to go lazy right side!), but then I was so excited I way overshot and missed the third fence.
So we did the same combination a few more times but with the blanket.
And it was HARD for me to make those turns - they weren't that sharp, but as soon as we'd add one or change direction, it was really hard for me to make it.
So Shannon suggested we keep working on little stuff, making it scary like with the blanket, doing some work without stirrups, and making some turns. And I agree, let's get that foundation super strong, and then go to height.
She thinks if I just act confident, that's what he needs. He's not a confident horse, and I just keep waiting for him to offer to do things against his nature. I guess that says an awful, uncomfortable lot about me.
And I was RED for like an hour afterwards - I am NOT riding him hard enough on my own.
He was great today. Another gold star for him.
Willig's Peteton Dressage Videos
1-1
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tomonbelay?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/0/k5MGCeoq8F8
Tr-4
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tomonbelay?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/1/DUf4hNLngYg
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tomonbelay?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/0/k5MGCeoq8F8
Tr-4
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tomonbelay?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/1/DUf4hNLngYg
Numbers (more my style of poetry)
Willig fits perfectly (based on standing in the cross-ties) in a Rambo Wug Size 81. I've noticed his blankets tend to vary by several inches, and I think it depends in part on the brand.
Also, I've been riding 20 years now. Holy cow. More than half my life.
Also, I've been riding 20 years now. Holy cow. More than half my life.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Poetry
"I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they envince them plainly in their possession.
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?
Myself moving forward then and now and forever,
Gathering and showing more always and with velocity,
Infinite and omnigenous, and the like of these among them,
Not too exclusive toward the reachers of my remembrancers,
Picking out here one that I love, and now go with him on brotherly terms.
A gigantic beauty of a stallion, fresh and responsive to my caresses,
Head high in the forehad, wide between the ears,
Limbs glossy and supple, tail dusting the ground,
Eyes full of sparkling wickedness, ears finely cut, flexibly moving.
His nostrils dilate as my heels embrace him,
His well-built limbs tremble with pleasure as we race around and return.
I but use you a minute, then I resign you, stallion,
Why do I need your paces when I myself out-gallop them?
Even as I stand or sit passing faster than you."
Walt Whitman (From "Song of Myself")
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they envince them plainly in their possession.
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?
Myself moving forward then and now and forever,
Gathering and showing more always and with velocity,
Infinite and omnigenous, and the like of these among them,
Not too exclusive toward the reachers of my remembrancers,
Picking out here one that I love, and now go with him on brotherly terms.
A gigantic beauty of a stallion, fresh and responsive to my caresses,
Head high in the forehad, wide between the ears,
Limbs glossy and supple, tail dusting the ground,
Eyes full of sparkling wickedness, ears finely cut, flexibly moving.
His nostrils dilate as my heels embrace him,
His well-built limbs tremble with pleasure as we race around and return.
I but use you a minute, then I resign you, stallion,
Why do I need your paces when I myself out-gallop them?
Even as I stand or sit passing faster than you."
Walt Whitman (From "Song of Myself")
Willig was VERY well behaved at Peteton
The fact that we weren't brilliant was all rider error.
We got there late (I had 5 minutes of warm up, and that was with Tom's help racing to get over there), so I was a bit flustered for Training Test 4.
Then Willig picked up the wrong lead, I looked down at it, decided to ignore it since he felt pretty balanced, and he did a corner, a 20 meter circle, and most of the way through the next corner - on the wrong lead! What a superstar! (And what an idiot I am!) So most of the bad marks on my test are for that.
Then, the second to last move (stretchy circle at C) I forgot to do, so we got a mistake error (and it was a double score - drat!).
He only got a 53.6, but I was impressed with what a cool cucumber he was.
Then we had about 20 minutes for warm up (and it was getting warm - we got really lucky with gorgeous weather today - Mt. Rainier out - blue sky - sun!), and he just nailed it! He was Mr. Floppy Ears, ignoring the shooting at the gun range, just out for a little 1st Level - Test 1. I am so impressed with his great behavior.
He got two fours in this test too. The second one was again for the stretchy circle - I forgot to post, so it was a stunted stretchy circle. The first was for his first "ice cream cone" - the remarks are "center bent on coup nds L supple". I don't know what that means.
The judge's comment say he needs to be more supple to the left.
And we sat it! A year ago I couldn't sit the trot, and I just did an entire test sitting!
Gooooo Willig! (he came in 2nd of 4 in 1-1)
And then we covered the horse trailer for winter. Not as satisfying, but worth noting that since it was hot and I was hauling it, it was actually a good day to cover it because it is definitely dry underneath.
Here he is doing a 20 meter circle on the wrong lead and with floppy ears.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
((Sigh))
Willig bucked me off again today. It's been a while, and he was riding a bit on the frisky side, but I wanted to see if I could manage it by getting him tired doing low, boring stuff, and if so, then I was going to tackle the three "hard" fences set up. The answer is no, I can't. He was a bit squirrely on the far side of the harder fences, and he bucked once after we did the fake water (a tarp), and he tried to run out on one and I was happy when I got him over it. But he was staying squirrely (as foreshadowing, he started the ride by spooking at a blowing leaf, but that's not actually that unusual).
So anyway, he went over the run out one fine, and I was turning him right, and maybe 2-3 strides after the landing, he did a hard buck that threw me up on his neck (so I'm pretty sure it wasn't bad position on the far side of the fence by me, because I was already turning him and everything) and it just was good timing to knock me out of the saddle and I decided to bail but my left foot got a bit stuck in the stirrup so I had to kind of kick on the way off.
Due to the kicking, Tom, who was watching like a good, patient boyfriend, said that as he took off bucking, he almost kicked me in the face. Thank goodness, I think I had my eyes shut - I wouldn't have wanted to see that hoof coming at me.
He ran around and around and around bucking and kicking and being a moron racehorse, and then when he finally stopped, I got on him and made him do about 7 more fences and then we quit. (Not the hard ones.)
I landed on my bum wrist a bit goofy, so it's feeling a little off (making me feel old), and while the ground was nice and squishy from all the rain, my pants got completely filled with the footing. Blech.
I'm a little disappointed in him, but more disappointed in myself that I can't ride him through it and need to get off and lunge. The good news is I can feel the squirrely days, so I just need to suck it up and know when to get off and let him get it out.
So anyway, he went over the run out one fine, and I was turning him right, and maybe 2-3 strides after the landing, he did a hard buck that threw me up on his neck (so I'm pretty sure it wasn't bad position on the far side of the fence by me, because I was already turning him and everything) and it just was good timing to knock me out of the saddle and I decided to bail but my left foot got a bit stuck in the stirrup so I had to kind of kick on the way off.
Due to the kicking, Tom, who was watching like a good, patient boyfriend, said that as he took off bucking, he almost kicked me in the face. Thank goodness, I think I had my eyes shut - I wouldn't have wanted to see that hoof coming at me.
He ran around and around and around bucking and kicking and being a moron racehorse, and then when he finally stopped, I got on him and made him do about 7 more fences and then we quit. (Not the hard ones.)
I landed on my bum wrist a bit goofy, so it's feeling a little off (making me feel old), and while the ground was nice and squishy from all the rain, my pants got completely filled with the footing. Blech.
I'm a little disappointed in him, but more disappointed in myself that I can't ride him through it and need to get off and lunge. The good news is I can feel the squirrely days, so I just need to suck it up and know when to get off and let him get it out.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Martha's Dummy Version of the Progressing Test Movements
1st Level is a doable goal for next year.
1-1: Sit, Lengthen trot, 3 loop serpentine, 15 circle at canter, Stretchy trot circle
1-2: "Long" leg yield, lengthen canter, Trot to halt, 5 seconds still at halt
1-3: "Short" leg yield, Change lead through trot
1-4: "Tiny" leg yield, 10 meter trot circle, one loop counter canter
Way out of our league right now!
2-1: Collected trot!, shoulder-in, rein back 3-4 steps, shorten stride in walk, collected canter, 3 loop serpentine at canter - no lead change, simple lead change
2-2: Travers, counter canter
2-3: Half turn on the haunches
2-4: Renvers, 2 simple lead changes in 3 loop serpentine
1-1: Sit, Lengthen trot, 3 loop serpentine, 15 circle at canter, Stretchy trot circle
1-2: "Long" leg yield, lengthen canter, Trot to halt, 5 seconds still at halt
1-3: "Short" leg yield, Change lead through trot
1-4: "Tiny" leg yield, 10 meter trot circle, one loop counter canter
Way out of our league right now!
2-1: Collected trot!, shoulder-in, rein back 3-4 steps, shorten stride in walk, collected canter, 3 loop serpentine at canter - no lead change, simple lead change
2-2: Travers, counter canter
2-3: Half turn on the haunches
2-4: Renvers, 2 simple lead changes in 3 loop serpentine
Refinement lesson with Mike
In today's lesson, we worked on three main things:
Two dressage movements for Tr-4 and 1-1 that I didn't understand from the test, and
The decreasing canter.
We started with the canter, and had a small light bulb go off - poor Mike was repeating for the 8 millionth time to get my heel down and decided to try a different tactic - the instant he saw my leg and heel go into the right position, he asked me what I was thinking to get it there. This is so embarrassing - "frog legs". Once in a lesson, Mike said something about thinking about jumping like a frog - in an effort to get me to get my knee back and my leg back and push the weight back instead of pinching with my knee and hunching forward. And for whatever reason, it worked, so whenever I think "frog legs", I get off my knee and get my leg straight and back (even though it feels back behind me, like a frog jumping) which makes my heel go down naturally, instead of forcing.
Mike suggested that I ride in my regular boots, instead of paddock boots and half chaps, because they are more rigid and don't allow your ankle to flex all over the place (like my ankle was crazy dancing today). He also suggested thinking that I have a cast on, that holds my leg immobile.
Which led to my next light bulb - the pestering question of why my leg can be so fine in the walk and then go all to shit in the trot (and then even more bizarrely, back to pretty good in the canter). Well - it's because I'm asking Willig to move-move-move at the trot. And I do that my clenching my knee and then lifting up with my heel and gouging Willig with the bottom of my boot - instead of the tippity-tap-tap kind of like a cymbal on his side.
So I'll hold my leg in the "new" position, and then when I want to move Willig forward, I'll revert to the "old" position, and then try to cram back down into the new position. Huh.
After that breakthrough, we worked on the canter and the feeling of slowing him (and lifting), and I pointed out that Willig would only do it for a few strides, then he'd fall out or I'd have to ask him to move forward. This is because it's hard. Der, Martha. He's got to build up to being able to going all the way around the arena, and so it's ok to just ask him for a few strides, then ask him to stretch out again. It's teaching him I can ask for different speeds and it doesn't mean different gaits. What's amazing is his sensitivity to my butt - as soon as I start thinking about slowing down - seriously - he slows down. I have to think but not think it to get prepared.
Mike was riding the horse before my lesson for a few minutes, so he had all his riding gear on, and next he got on Willig. It was interesting to watch all the teeny tiny movements he is making (and his tippity-tap-tap leg - something I can see, but can't imagine feeling so I've got to really think about that one) and how good Willig looks.
But here was the miracle. He got off, I got back on, and it was like someone had blown up a balloon in Willig's shoulders. He was - FATTER yet lighter! And sooo easy to ride and such a delight and it was just bam! bam! bam! with what I wanted. With like, 5-10 minutes of Mike on him.
So that was super cool to feel and to see what we're moving toward.
We wrapped up with Mike attempting to help me ride the two patterns I didn't understand, and then fortunately, Jess came in for her lesson, so I just followed her while she rode them.
The 3 loop serpentine is a 1/4 circle, 1/2 circle, 1/4 circle. It's going to be a super fun test to prepare to ride next year.
Two dressage movements for Tr-4 and 1-1 that I didn't understand from the test, and
The decreasing canter.
We started with the canter, and had a small light bulb go off - poor Mike was repeating for the 8 millionth time to get my heel down and decided to try a different tactic - the instant he saw my leg and heel go into the right position, he asked me what I was thinking to get it there. This is so embarrassing - "frog legs". Once in a lesson, Mike said something about thinking about jumping like a frog - in an effort to get me to get my knee back and my leg back and push the weight back instead of pinching with my knee and hunching forward. And for whatever reason, it worked, so whenever I think "frog legs", I get off my knee and get my leg straight and back (even though it feels back behind me, like a frog jumping) which makes my heel go down naturally, instead of forcing.
Mike suggested that I ride in my regular boots, instead of paddock boots and half chaps, because they are more rigid and don't allow your ankle to flex all over the place (like my ankle was crazy dancing today). He also suggested thinking that I have a cast on, that holds my leg immobile.
Which led to my next light bulb - the pestering question of why my leg can be so fine in the walk and then go all to shit in the trot (and then even more bizarrely, back to pretty good in the canter). Well - it's because I'm asking Willig to move-move-move at the trot. And I do that my clenching my knee and then lifting up with my heel and gouging Willig with the bottom of my boot - instead of the tippity-tap-tap kind of like a cymbal on his side.
So I'll hold my leg in the "new" position, and then when I want to move Willig forward, I'll revert to the "old" position, and then try to cram back down into the new position. Huh.
After that breakthrough, we worked on the canter and the feeling of slowing him (and lifting), and I pointed out that Willig would only do it for a few strides, then he'd fall out or I'd have to ask him to move forward. This is because it's hard. Der, Martha. He's got to build up to being able to going all the way around the arena, and so it's ok to just ask him for a few strides, then ask him to stretch out again. It's teaching him I can ask for different speeds and it doesn't mean different gaits. What's amazing is his sensitivity to my butt - as soon as I start thinking about slowing down - seriously - he slows down. I have to think but not think it to get prepared.
Mike was riding the horse before my lesson for a few minutes, so he had all his riding gear on, and next he got on Willig. It was interesting to watch all the teeny tiny movements he is making (and his tippity-tap-tap leg - something I can see, but can't imagine feeling so I've got to really think about that one) and how good Willig looks.
But here was the miracle. He got off, I got back on, and it was like someone had blown up a balloon in Willig's shoulders. He was - FATTER yet lighter! And sooo easy to ride and such a delight and it was just bam! bam! bam! with what I wanted. With like, 5-10 minutes of Mike on him.
So that was super cool to feel and to see what we're moving toward.
We wrapped up with Mike attempting to help me ride the two patterns I didn't understand, and then fortunately, Jess came in for her lesson, so I just followed her while she rode them.
The 3 loop serpentine is a 1/4 circle, 1/2 circle, 1/4 circle. It's going to be a super fun test to prepare to ride next year.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
I don't want to jinx myself, but another great jump lesson!
Holy cow, Willig has pulled himself together. Looking back to a year ago and how I was just buying time and making some last ditch efforts before I offered him for sale - to now, where I look forward to riding him, and miracle of miracles, the fear of jumping is slipping away and I'm actually starting to enjoy it again! I owe tremendous thanks to both my trainers, Mike and Shannon, and to Jess, who has done an incredible job working with him since March.
We had a jumping lesson with Shannon on Saturday, and I was all antsy about riding him outside since the Pony Clubbers were there, and I didn't want to be humiliated in front of them. So that's where we rode.
After an odd lunge line experience. Poor Mr. W had Thursday and Friday off because I had to write an unexpected brief for the Court of Appeals, and so I got there for an extra half hour of lunging. And very uncharacteristically for him, he was like "Let's see how craz-ee I can be on the lunge line! Wee!" and proceeded to buck and jump and just canter and canter and canter and canter, switch leads, switch back, and keep cantering.
Shannon pointed out there is a purpose for the side reins, and that I should take the extra 30 seconds to put them on. Especially when I think he might be a bit of a nut. She also said that when he starts bucking, to whip him so he scoots his butt and runs forward, which breaks the buck.
Once I got on, we hopped over a little rail on a circle, Shannon dropped all the fences from the pony club ponies (another fat slice of humble pie for me), then we cantered a little course.
He ran out at the oxer, and that is the only complaint for the whole lesson. Here's the fix:
I felt him hesitating as we approached, but I assumed he was looking at it but going to go over, since he hasn't been refusing lately, and so I gave him a light extra squeeze, but that was it. I didn't cluck, I didn't whip, I didn't kick, I didn't yell. And when he ran out, I just gently looped him back into a circle to come back at it.
The correct response was, at the moment of hesitation (or even a suspicion of hesitation), I can kick, yell, whip, and generally make his life easier by going over the fence than by refusing. I suspect he learned in the past, before me, how to run out, since he's been sneaky and inconsistent with it ever since I got him, but I need to fix that. And if he does try to run out, YANK his face back in front of that fence, and clobber him until he goes over or through it. This is just a show jumping oxer, and we can go through it instead of over it.
Other than that, he did great. After the first "successful" course, Shannon raised all the fences to a "normal" (looks like about 2'4" - 2'6") and we did a slightly different course at the canter, and he jumped a narrow, the oxer, the wall, and felt great.
I still need to keep working on my pesky heels being down, and evening up my right and left hands, but now I am making the jumps a bit bigger and bit scarier (today I brought out a piece of plywood to make one look solid, and a tarp to create a 'water'), and I'm feeling good about how far he's come.
We had a jumping lesson with Shannon on Saturday, and I was all antsy about riding him outside since the Pony Clubbers were there, and I didn't want to be humiliated in front of them. So that's where we rode.
After an odd lunge line experience. Poor Mr. W had Thursday and Friday off because I had to write an unexpected brief for the Court of Appeals, and so I got there for an extra half hour of lunging. And very uncharacteristically for him, he was like "Let's see how craz-ee I can be on the lunge line! Wee!" and proceeded to buck and jump and just canter and canter and canter and canter, switch leads, switch back, and keep cantering.
Shannon pointed out there is a purpose for the side reins, and that I should take the extra 30 seconds to put them on. Especially when I think he might be a bit of a nut. She also said that when he starts bucking, to whip him so he scoots his butt and runs forward, which breaks the buck.
Once I got on, we hopped over a little rail on a circle, Shannon dropped all the fences from the pony club ponies (another fat slice of humble pie for me), then we cantered a little course.
He ran out at the oxer, and that is the only complaint for the whole lesson. Here's the fix:
I felt him hesitating as we approached, but I assumed he was looking at it but going to go over, since he hasn't been refusing lately, and so I gave him a light extra squeeze, but that was it. I didn't cluck, I didn't whip, I didn't kick, I didn't yell. And when he ran out, I just gently looped him back into a circle to come back at it.
The correct response was, at the moment of hesitation (or even a suspicion of hesitation), I can kick, yell, whip, and generally make his life easier by going over the fence than by refusing. I suspect he learned in the past, before me, how to run out, since he's been sneaky and inconsistent with it ever since I got him, but I need to fix that. And if he does try to run out, YANK his face back in front of that fence, and clobber him until he goes over or through it. This is just a show jumping oxer, and we can go through it instead of over it.
Other than that, he did great. After the first "successful" course, Shannon raised all the fences to a "normal" (looks like about 2'4" - 2'6") and we did a slightly different course at the canter, and he jumped a narrow, the oxer, the wall, and felt great.
I still need to keep working on my pesky heels being down, and evening up my right and left hands, but now I am making the jumps a bit bigger and bit scarier (today I brought out a piece of plywood to make one look solid, and a tarp to create a 'water'), and I'm feeling good about how far he's come.
Can a 4Runner pull a light horse trailer?
We're contemplating "downsizing" from my F-250 and my lead bottomed 3 horse trailer to a car that can also pull an alumnium 2-horse trailer but is a reasonable size for daily driving. The new 4Runners only tow 5,000 pounds, which seems to me like it's pushing the limits, but the ones that are just a couple years old tow somewhere in the 6-8,000 range (the exact number escapes me).
Does anyone have any experience pulling a horse trailer with a similar size SUV, or know of any stories?
The only SUVs I've ever seen or known to pull horse trailers are the big ones - like a Suburban.
Does anyone have any experience pulling a horse trailer with a similar size SUV, or know of any stories?
The only SUVs I've ever seen or known to pull horse trailers are the big ones - like a Suburban.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
1st? 2nd? It's all new to me.
We continued to build the next level above our foundation in our lesson with Mike today. He said that yes, next year I should show Willig 1st level, while continuing to work on 2nd and 3rd level moves (!!). He said that he thinks every horse and rider have the potential to go to FEI level if they work hard, because unlike jumping, dressage builds as you go, instead of having the natural limitation of the scope of the jumper. Later, he said that Willig and I were talented enough to keep going, and I took that as a compliment and rolled it around and around with me.
We started with a discussion of my dressage test and how the judges score. Mike gave some input into how he scores, which for any of you who haven't scribed at a local show, you should definitely do it, just for the insight and experience. I was mostly curious about my "tactful", and although Mike wasn't there, he interprets it as a comment for when the horse is being a bit of a goof and the rider doesn't overreact.
So then we started with a repeat (I couldn't do his job - repeating the same thing to me every other week!) about starting him out WORKING. I let Willig blaahhhh down into trot and bllaahhhh around instead of having snappy work starting right away. It's a bad habit, and there's no reason for it. He can start working on the bit after he's warmed up. He doesn't need the first few transitions to remember how to do a transition from walk to trot.
And of course, Mike continued to remind me about stretching my heel down and my knees relaxed. As soon as I think about other things, and especially when I'm trying to get Willig to move out, my leg sneaks back up.
And, let's not forget the left bend. I still don't bend him equally, and my pesky right hand, all during the lesson, kept being further back than my left. Even when I touch my thumbs together, when Mike tells me to look down, that hand is in the wrong place. It's actually kind of creepy.
For the bulk of the lesson, we worked on the trot to canter to trot transitions. This was hard. I asked Willig to come UP but with the same tempo, and then LIFT up into canter from this position, instead of running into canter. Then I'd ask him to hold his head up and slooowwww his canter down (this is sitting back, making sure I'm wiping the saddle with my pelvis, and half halts at the "front" of the wipe combined with some leg aid) and then speed it up again, if we didn't break into trot (which we almost always did). This is teaching Willig to use his hindquarters, but also that there are different speeds I will ask for, and slow down doesn't always mean go down a gait. Mike pointed out that Willig goes twice as fast stretched out as I can get him to slow down, so we need to practice on the slooowwwwiinngg.
Then we left the 20 meter circle and worked the whole arena, doing leg yield both directions. At 1st level, it is center line (A) to R or S. At 2nd level, it is A to B or E. Willig does this fairly well, despite me really having no idea what I'm doing. Mike's main comment is to not let his neck get too crooked, and once we totally lost impulsion when he saw a horse outside.
Then we lengthened down the long sides and across the diagonals. At this (which we did a bit of right at the start too), I tend to, once he really gets moving - bizarrely - throw him away. Even when he leans on me a bit, if I hold him up, he doesn't kind of "splay" out when we really get moving.
Also, at the start, I showed Mike how Willig likes to scootch out sideways (usually towards the wall) when he has been falling asleep (ha ha - I can't even believe I just typed that about Willig) and I ask him to get back to work. Well. Guess who that is? Right! Me! It is my failure to use the outside aids - the rein and leg. As soon as I include them, he straightens right out.
We also came down the center line and did some trot, slow down, walk, halt, walk, trot, halts so I could feel the smoothness of keeping him connected into the halt.
We wrapped up with some stretchy circle at the trot, which exhausted Willig was grateful for.
And Mike suggested that one thing that gets a horse used to show jumps is to take him to like a jumper night, and enter him in 10 classes, and even if he's bored by the 8th one, make him go 2 more rounds. This is a genius idea, since otherwise, it takes him 10 shows - and all spread out so they lose their impact. I was thinking I was pretty much done, but Mike also pointed out that whether I'm riding him 1st or training or 2nd, he's going to be a goof about the same stuff, since that's how he is, and I just need to get him the experience under his girth. (He also, like the wise sage he is, pointed out that I COULD just ask him to do something else when he starts to be a goof.)
So overall, Willig is starting to work more on his hindquarters, lift his head up, we're working more on crisper but more balanced transitions and starting some lateral work, and I'm continuing to work on my lower leg and heel. It still feels like I am riding pigeon-toed (to barely be in the right position) but it's less weird than it was a week ago.
We started with a discussion of my dressage test and how the judges score. Mike gave some input into how he scores, which for any of you who haven't scribed at a local show, you should definitely do it, just for the insight and experience. I was mostly curious about my "tactful", and although Mike wasn't there, he interprets it as a comment for when the horse is being a bit of a goof and the rider doesn't overreact.
So then we started with a repeat (I couldn't do his job - repeating the same thing to me every other week!) about starting him out WORKING. I let Willig blaahhhh down into trot and bllaahhhh around instead of having snappy work starting right away. It's a bad habit, and there's no reason for it. He can start working on the bit after he's warmed up. He doesn't need the first few transitions to remember how to do a transition from walk to trot.
And of course, Mike continued to remind me about stretching my heel down and my knees relaxed. As soon as I think about other things, and especially when I'm trying to get Willig to move out, my leg sneaks back up.
And, let's not forget the left bend. I still don't bend him equally, and my pesky right hand, all during the lesson, kept being further back than my left. Even when I touch my thumbs together, when Mike tells me to look down, that hand is in the wrong place. It's actually kind of creepy.
For the bulk of the lesson, we worked on the trot to canter to trot transitions. This was hard. I asked Willig to come UP but with the same tempo, and then LIFT up into canter from this position, instead of running into canter. Then I'd ask him to hold his head up and slooowwww his canter down (this is sitting back, making sure I'm wiping the saddle with my pelvis, and half halts at the "front" of the wipe combined with some leg aid) and then speed it up again, if we didn't break into trot (which we almost always did). This is teaching Willig to use his hindquarters, but also that there are different speeds I will ask for, and slow down doesn't always mean go down a gait. Mike pointed out that Willig goes twice as fast stretched out as I can get him to slow down, so we need to practice on the slooowwwwiinngg.
Then we left the 20 meter circle and worked the whole arena, doing leg yield both directions. At 1st level, it is center line (A) to R or S. At 2nd level, it is A to B or E. Willig does this fairly well, despite me really having no idea what I'm doing. Mike's main comment is to not let his neck get too crooked, and once we totally lost impulsion when he saw a horse outside.
Then we lengthened down the long sides and across the diagonals. At this (which we did a bit of right at the start too), I tend to, once he really gets moving - bizarrely - throw him away. Even when he leans on me a bit, if I hold him up, he doesn't kind of "splay" out when we really get moving.
Also, at the start, I showed Mike how Willig likes to scootch out sideways (usually towards the wall) when he has been falling asleep (ha ha - I can't even believe I just typed that about Willig) and I ask him to get back to work. Well. Guess who that is? Right! Me! It is my failure to use the outside aids - the rein and leg. As soon as I include them, he straightens right out.
We also came down the center line and did some trot, slow down, walk, halt, walk, trot, halts so I could feel the smoothness of keeping him connected into the halt.
We wrapped up with some stretchy circle at the trot, which exhausted Willig was grateful for.
And Mike suggested that one thing that gets a horse used to show jumps is to take him to like a jumper night, and enter him in 10 classes, and even if he's bored by the 8th one, make him go 2 more rounds. This is a genius idea, since otherwise, it takes him 10 shows - and all spread out so they lose their impact. I was thinking I was pretty much done, but Mike also pointed out that whether I'm riding him 1st or training or 2nd, he's going to be a goof about the same stuff, since that's how he is, and I just need to get him the experience under his girth. (He also, like the wise sage he is, pointed out that I COULD just ask him to do something else when he starts to be a goof.)
So overall, Willig is starting to work more on his hindquarters, lift his head up, we're working more on crisper but more balanced transitions and starting some lateral work, and I'm continuing to work on my lower leg and heel. It still feels like I am riding pigeon-toed (to barely be in the right position) but it's less weird than it was a week ago.
Coming soon - Willig's portrait by Mary Cornelius!
She was at our barn today (we have two elder horses for her project, Ace and Dante) and I was there for a lesson, and I managed to squeeze Willig in, slightly scruffy, for his portrait.
She couldn't use the same lens as for all the other horses because he is so freaking huge that she had to back so far away that a hill got in the way.
She liked a few of his expressions, and I'll post the link once he goes up on her website. Here's her website, which has just GORGEOUS pictures on it:
http://www.marycornelius.com/
She couldn't use the same lens as for all the other horses because he is so freaking huge that she had to back so far away that a hill got in the way.
She liked a few of his expressions, and I'll post the link once he goes up on her website. Here's her website, which has just GORGEOUS pictures on it:
http://www.marycornelius.com/
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