Britt has been coming to Forest Park every other Monday, and for months I have been meaning to take a lesson with her. It was great and I'm sorry it took me so long to get my schedule together to try one.
She has a very good ability to describe the precise movement that the rider needs to make, in order to make an adjustment in the horse, and then to get the desired result. For example, she described in the canter that when Charlie's neck comes toward me, that is when I should do a half halt on the outside rein. That was easy for me to feel (his neck coming towards me), a precise movement (half halt on the outside rein), and then a result (rounder, lifted Charlie).
She had several suggestions for how to modify my warm up for stadium jumping, to try to keep Charlie responsive instead of zoning out, since he knows his job and doesn't need a lot of drilling right before we ride. She suggested instead of trotting the cross rail first, try trotting the vertical. Then, jump the vertical at two angles, then straight, then the oxer at two angles, then straight. After that, work on walk to canter transitions - to get that feeling of "jump" and to make sure he is responsive, and also try canter 10 meter circles to get his hind legs working underneath him.
The first thing we worked on was not throwing the reins away when I ask Charlie to go forward. When he's being lazy and I kick him forward, I just fling the reins out and so going forward isn't really doing anything but teaching him to run around on the forehand. Britt suggested thinking of a wall and so with firm hands, he has to bounce up when he goes forward, instead of just flattening out. Just holding the reins with more contact made a huge difference. Charlie was like "oh, THAT'S what you want" and rounded up into the contact. However, Britt said he was good at faking it - his front end would get round but he still wasn't really using his hind end or lifting up through his back.
Then the big exercise we worked on was a sequence of transitions. We would trot, walk, halt, then rein back (going in a straight line, without his head popping up - because that is defeating the purpose of the rein back which is to get him to step underneath himself lifting his hind legs up - and when he does, I can feel his back lift), and then halt and go forward into trot. It took a few tries for me to catch on, but then once I could feel what was needed, it became a really cool exercise with a big difference in the trot at the end.
Britt mentioned using yardsticks - to objectively measure how a horse is responding - and she thought the rein back was a good yard stick. If I can't get Charlie to back straight, it means I lost his hind end in the trot or walk heading into it. This was another really good exercise because once I got it right, I could really feel the difference from when I didn't.
Charlie was really lazy today - he had two days of Major Beale back to back and then was on the grass today, but in a way, that is good because that's where I need help the most.
Then we worked on cantering and making a circle from the outside rein, without using the inside hand. This is really hard, but for a few circles, I used the inside leg to outside hand and it was AMAZING. All of a sudden, he was like a motorcycle popping a wheelie and I could steer him and float him and do anything. Britt related it to basketball - it's the move where you can go forward, up, or sideways because you've got all the energy where you need it.
We did a few small fences off of the circles and this was also a really great exercise. Because I had to concentrate so hard on riding from the outside, Charlie rode in very balanced and could round up over them, even though they were little. They were way more effective than my cheating method of just raising them higher.
Britt suggested that I really focus on always riding precisely to the center of the fence, because on a long horse like Charlie who likes to wiggle to escape hard work, it's going to catch up with me as I try to move up the levels, and it's probably what's causing my rails down, if I come in at just the slightest angle. She said to keep the fences where I have to concentrate to ride the tight circle to get to them, but also to put a ground pole with a glove in the center and always ride exactly over the glove.
Having these kind of clear exercises, with a goal to see in Charlie, and clear instructions to obtain them - with measurable objective information on the other side - is exactly my style. I'm so glad she's coming to Forest Park!
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Monday, June 23, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Miracles by Major Beale, part 2
Today was just as miraculous as yesterday.
We started "where we left off" - which was a little hard for me. It was good for it to be hard, because I won't see Major Beale again until August, so I really want to work as hard as I can in between, and even the very next day from how far we made it yesterday, I had a hard time getting Charlie back to where we were at the end of the ride.
The main thing missing was the promptness. I let Charlie take three or four steps to get into the next transition.
And our eureka moment was why I let that happen. It's because I'm slow. I'm a slow thinker, and I'm an analytic thinker, so I am running through the checklist for each thing - whether that is an upward transition, downward transition, lateral working, making a circle ...) - and that gives Charlie lots of time between when I start to ask for it and when I finish asking for it.
Major Beale said he has three levels of riders: reactive, interactive, and proactive. It is time for me to move from reactive to interactive. This - I think - is the stepping block I have been butting my head against for too long. I know (mostly) what to do. And I know (mostly) when to do it. But I think through it, instead of feeling and responding.
The second major thing Major Beale had me do, was instead of staring off into space - or up at the ceiling - or anywhere at random - to look at Charlie's ears (and where we were going). When I focused on Charlie, and watched him (with soft eyes) while I was riding, I could suddenly feel so much more of what Charlie was doing, and by feeling it, I could react to it more quickly, instead of just being like, "When I want to canter, first I put my inside leg on, then I pull my outside leg back, then I squeeze with the inside rein." It was a second eureka moment, and he did the Major Beale magic where he figured out what I was doing, why, and then explained how and why to do something else to progress as a rider. It made the entire lesson worthwhile and I felt like I leaped forward a year or two in my progress.
But we haven't even gotten to the riding yet! Then he had me work on very prompt transitions. When Charlie was sluggish off my aids to start - he had me gallop, then trot, then canter, then walk, etc. And they were quick. He had mentioned galloping last time, but I have been doing it too long and taking too long to do it - his were quick bursts - to catch Charlie's attention and make him work all on his own. He compared it to a grand prix dressage horse whose ears are pricked, he's proud of the job he's doing, and he's listening for what he's supposed to be doing next. As soon as we perked Charlie up, he got lighter and more attentive.
Then we did some lateral work (shoulder in and shallow loops), including at the canter, and then we did the real work. We did the exercise that was impossible for me last year - successfully. This was, in essence, a circle on the forehand, converted to a circle on the haunches, then a brief straightening, then pick up the canter.
And when we picked up the canter, it was like that time in Mike's saddle - the heavens opened up, angels sang, and I was riding on a rainbow on top of a cloud with fairy glitter falling around me. It was divine. Charlie was lifted in his back, lifted in his shoulders, his hind legs were coming underneath him, and he was light in the bridle. It was nothing like a regular canter, and I felt like I could do ANYTHING from it. It was amazing.
So take away #3 was that I don't ask for enough from Charlie on my own. I am kind of wimpy and afraid of ruining him, so I play it safe and am content with what he offers. And the lessons with Major Beale show me that Charlie can offer like 100x more than what I have seen, and it is gorgeous.
I can't wait to see how much I can maintain and improve on this until he is back in August. It was an absolute, 100% delight. It made my whole month.
Also, yes, he should work like this all the time. Even a relaxed walk should be a forward, energetic walk.
And a "hack" is mellow conditioning - trotting and cantering. It is not just walking on a loose rein on a trail ride.
And hills are good work, but I can't let him run around on the forehand on the hills.
We started "where we left off" - which was a little hard for me. It was good for it to be hard, because I won't see Major Beale again until August, so I really want to work as hard as I can in between, and even the very next day from how far we made it yesterday, I had a hard time getting Charlie back to where we were at the end of the ride.
The main thing missing was the promptness. I let Charlie take three or four steps to get into the next transition.
And our eureka moment was why I let that happen. It's because I'm slow. I'm a slow thinker, and I'm an analytic thinker, so I am running through the checklist for each thing - whether that is an upward transition, downward transition, lateral working, making a circle ...) - and that gives Charlie lots of time between when I start to ask for it and when I finish asking for it.
Major Beale said he has three levels of riders: reactive, interactive, and proactive. It is time for me to move from reactive to interactive. This - I think - is the stepping block I have been butting my head against for too long. I know (mostly) what to do. And I know (mostly) when to do it. But I think through it, instead of feeling and responding.
The second major thing Major Beale had me do, was instead of staring off into space - or up at the ceiling - or anywhere at random - to look at Charlie's ears (and where we were going). When I focused on Charlie, and watched him (with soft eyes) while I was riding, I could suddenly feel so much more of what Charlie was doing, and by feeling it, I could react to it more quickly, instead of just being like, "When I want to canter, first I put my inside leg on, then I pull my outside leg back, then I squeeze with the inside rein." It was a second eureka moment, and he did the Major Beale magic where he figured out what I was doing, why, and then explained how and why to do something else to progress as a rider. It made the entire lesson worthwhile and I felt like I leaped forward a year or two in my progress.
But we haven't even gotten to the riding yet! Then he had me work on very prompt transitions. When Charlie was sluggish off my aids to start - he had me gallop, then trot, then canter, then walk, etc. And they were quick. He had mentioned galloping last time, but I have been doing it too long and taking too long to do it - his were quick bursts - to catch Charlie's attention and make him work all on his own. He compared it to a grand prix dressage horse whose ears are pricked, he's proud of the job he's doing, and he's listening for what he's supposed to be doing next. As soon as we perked Charlie up, he got lighter and more attentive.
Then we did some lateral work (shoulder in and shallow loops), including at the canter, and then we did the real work. We did the exercise that was impossible for me last year - successfully. This was, in essence, a circle on the forehand, converted to a circle on the haunches, then a brief straightening, then pick up the canter.
And when we picked up the canter, it was like that time in Mike's saddle - the heavens opened up, angels sang, and I was riding on a rainbow on top of a cloud with fairy glitter falling around me. It was divine. Charlie was lifted in his back, lifted in his shoulders, his hind legs were coming underneath him, and he was light in the bridle. It was nothing like a regular canter, and I felt like I could do ANYTHING from it. It was amazing.
So take away #3 was that I don't ask for enough from Charlie on my own. I am kind of wimpy and afraid of ruining him, so I play it safe and am content with what he offers. And the lessons with Major Beale show me that Charlie can offer like 100x more than what I have seen, and it is gorgeous.
I can't wait to see how much I can maintain and improve on this until he is back in August. It was an absolute, 100% delight. It made my whole month.
Also, yes, he should work like this all the time. Even a relaxed walk should be a forward, energetic walk.
And a "hack" is mellow conditioning - trotting and cantering. It is not just walking on a loose rein on a trail ride.
And hills are good work, but I can't let him run around on the forehand on the hills.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Major Beale the miracle worker
Charlie and I had the most amazing lesson with Major Beale today. The essence of it was how to get Charlie using his hind legs more. There were three things that brought it all together. First, my expectations for Charlie need to be immediate response. Not a few seconds after I ask, not after a few steps of walk, but when I say "trot", he says "how fast?". So the first thing we worked on was transitions with prompt responses. It helps to have another person saying it, instead of me, because then I don't get to pick the time and spot (although when I'm alone, I pick a spot - like passing a particular rail so that I make it prompt).
The second part was thinking about the first step of the next gait before I finished the transition. So if I was doing a canter to trot, I started thinking about the trot, and how I wanted the trot to feel, just before I asked for the downward transition. What this really was thinking through each part of the movement and not "blurring" it. Instead of skidding down, I thought about a half halt and how the first step should feel.
The third was lateral work. But - good lateral work. I am prone to overdoing (overangling, more precisely) the lateral work, which defeats the purpose of it. So lateral work needed to be prompt and responsive - Charlie's legs needed to move the same speed as they would if we weren't doing lateral work - but not too angled so that he hit himself with his own legs. Major Beale had to draw the lines on the ground with his foot, but once he did, I could picture where Charlie's legs needed to go. Head to the wall leg yield is only a 35 degree angle, which is much, much less than what I've been doing.
All of these, plus thinking about my outside rein and sitting back a bit more in the canter with my legs a bit more in front of me, allowed Charlie to lift up his back, get even through his shoulders, and then it was like riding on a cloud. It was divine. I was grinning from ear to ear.
Once we got there, it was magic, but it was hard for me to get there - I'm really uncomfortable with feeling it on my own. For the walk, I had to think about holding him with my core while I tickled him with the whip and the spurs until he really lifted up and got moving. As soon as he lifted, I could feel it, but it will be hard on my own to trust that I've got it right and am not just pushing him onto his forehand.
I also needed to do a bit of shoulder fore in the canter to keep him from getting crooked.
For rein back, you ask with one side, then the other. It isn't pulling back with both hands, which makes his head pop up.
And as a special bonus, with one halt, we were absolutely, perfectly square!
So transitions are prompt and quick and with impulsion - I want that feeling of his back lifted being the first step of the next transition.
It was a really amazing lesson, and I got what felt like a year's worth of information out of it, but in a way that was really easy for me to feel and digest and understand. What a great way to start the solstice.
The second part was thinking about the first step of the next gait before I finished the transition. So if I was doing a canter to trot, I started thinking about the trot, and how I wanted the trot to feel, just before I asked for the downward transition. What this really was thinking through each part of the movement and not "blurring" it. Instead of skidding down, I thought about a half halt and how the first step should feel.
The third was lateral work. But - good lateral work. I am prone to overdoing (overangling, more precisely) the lateral work, which defeats the purpose of it. So lateral work needed to be prompt and responsive - Charlie's legs needed to move the same speed as they would if we weren't doing lateral work - but not too angled so that he hit himself with his own legs. Major Beale had to draw the lines on the ground with his foot, but once he did, I could picture where Charlie's legs needed to go. Head to the wall leg yield is only a 35 degree angle, which is much, much less than what I've been doing.
All of these, plus thinking about my outside rein and sitting back a bit more in the canter with my legs a bit more in front of me, allowed Charlie to lift up his back, get even through his shoulders, and then it was like riding on a cloud. It was divine. I was grinning from ear to ear.
Once we got there, it was magic, but it was hard for me to get there - I'm really uncomfortable with feeling it on my own. For the walk, I had to think about holding him with my core while I tickled him with the whip and the spurs until he really lifted up and got moving. As soon as he lifted, I could feel it, but it will be hard on my own to trust that I've got it right and am not just pushing him onto his forehand.
I also needed to do a bit of shoulder fore in the canter to keep him from getting crooked.
For rein back, you ask with one side, then the other. It isn't pulling back with both hands, which makes his head pop up.
And as a special bonus, with one halt, we were absolutely, perfectly square!
So transitions are prompt and quick and with impulsion - I want that feeling of his back lifted being the first step of the next transition.
It was a really amazing lesson, and I got what felt like a year's worth of information out of it, but in a way that was really easy for me to feel and digest and understand. What a great way to start the solstice.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Three day conditioning
This is the schedule I came up with to get Charlie ready for the Novice 3 day at Rebecca this July. Each resource I looked at used a slightly different approach, and I also wanted to take into consideration what Charlie needs, which is a day off each week. He's not the sort of horse who enjoys working 7 days a week.
Week 1: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down* (= 10 minutes) (* cool down is as long as it takes, which was pretty long in the middle when it got warm and he really got working)
Week 2: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 15 minutes)
Week 3: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 20 minutes)
Week 4: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 25 minutes)
Week 5: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 30 minutes)
Week 6: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 35 minutes)
Week 7: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down(= 40 minutes)
Week 8: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 45 minutes)
Week 9: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 50 minutes)
Week 10: EI Horse Trials
Week 11: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (=55 minutes)
Switched weekly riding schedule to:
Day 1: Dressage & hack
Day 2: Show jump & hack
Day 3: Dressage & hack
Day 4: Show jump & hack
Day 5: Condition
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Repeat Day 1
Week 12: 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 2 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, cool down (= 55 minutes)
Week 13: Aspen
Week 14: 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 3 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, cool down (= 65 minutes)
Week 15: Inavale
Week 16: 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 4 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, cool down (= 75 minutes)
Week 17: 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, 3 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 3 minutes walk, 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, cool down (= 80 minutes)
Week 18: 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, 2 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, cool down (= 85 minutes)
Week 19 = Rebecca!
Week 1: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down* (= 10 minutes) (* cool down is as long as it takes, which was pretty long in the middle when it got warm and he really got working)
Week 2: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 15 minutes)
Week 3: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 20 minutes)
Week 4: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 25 minutes)
Week 5: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 30 minutes)
Week 6: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 35 minutes)
Week 7: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down(= 40 minutes)
Week 8: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 45 minutes)
Week 9: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 50 minutes)
Week 10: EI Horse Trials
Week 11: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (=55 minutes)
Switched weekly riding schedule to:
Day 1: Dressage & hack
Day 2: Show jump & hack
Day 3: Dressage & hack
Day 4: Show jump & hack
Day 5: Condition
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Repeat Day 1
Week 12: 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 2 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, cool down (= 55 minutes)
Week 13: Aspen
Week 14: 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 3 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, cool down (= 65 minutes)
Week 15: Inavale
Week 16: 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 4 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, cool down (= 75 minutes)
Week 17: 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, 3 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 3 minutes walk, 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, cool down (= 80 minutes)
Week 18: 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, 2 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, cool down (= 85 minutes)
Week 19 = Rebecca!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Friday, June 06, 2014
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