Our first training show was a roaring success.
Charlie was spot-on for dressage, with a couple of stumbles in the grass, but otherwise a solid A. Not an A+ - I couldn't get that last bit of sparkle out of him like he voluntarily brought at Rebecca, so I've got to keep working on that to figure out how to get him to volunteer it.
Our dressage ride gave us some breathing room to either be too slow or get a rail down in show jumping.
Cross country rode great. Thank goodness John had me jump a lot of the fences last week without seeing them on the ground first; otherwise I would have psyched myself out. There were three sets of A-B-C combinations (an up bank, down bank, skinny; a roll top, ditch, skinny; and a roll top; down bank into water; skinny roll top), and a table with a hard right to a narrow. Although all the fences weren't perfect - Charlie had to save me on a couple - we rode the lines pretty much exactly as I envisioned and I had the speed spot on. I measured by minutes instead of by fences, so I knew when my watch should go off at 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 and didn't have to look at it while we were going. I also measured where to speed it up to make up for the places I had to slow it down.
It was so fun.
Then today I was super nervous since we seem to be weakest at show jumping and then the fences were freaking huge with hard turns to them to make it even harder. Thank goodness there were just three sets of combinations, and none were triples. I saw John while walking and he gave me some pointers, and then I just rode Charlie hard to each fence, thinking forward with my leg, but trying to use my seat and hands to lift him instead of hold him back. In warm up and in the ring, he jumped everything like a champ, totally taking care of me. We got one rail down, and John said we came out of that corner a little flat, but we rode the rest of it great. I felt us bump a couple of rails, so we got really lucky, and we will really need to work on this over the winter.
It far exceeded my expectations and now I am really looking forward to working hard over the winter so we can stick with the accelerated schedule with my eye now on Prelim!!
Charlie is the best horse ever.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
What is there to gain and what is there to lose?
Charlie and I had a great lesson with John yesterday. He was working on cross country, so after warming up, we met him out there. I told him I've been having problems with show jumping; I just can't get Charlie to lift his legs up, even when we go clear, but I figured John would diagnose it and could look at us jumping cross country just as well to figure out what the problem was.
We started with a little log, and then proceeded to jump our way around the course, doing some new stuff that was really fun. And thankfully, far off in the distance until I was right up on it so I couldn't get intimidated. We jumped a chevron, a three log split rail, a table with some cut outs, then a roll top to the up bank down bank skinny, down the long aisle to a bigger table with cut outs, into the woods for an angled fence, and around the corner to a roll top, ditch, skinny, then down the long side over the ditch with the wall behind it (!!), and then into show jumping where we did an oxer, right hand turn, vertical six strides to oxer, left hand turn, vertical with 1 stride to another vertical (that looked like a whopper) with five strides to another oxer.
Charlie jumped everything like an absolute champ.
John said he was surprised we hadn't signed up for Training at Caber and I said I had wanted to but got talked out of it. He asked me to think about what there was to gain and what there was to lose, and if the potential gain outweighed the potential loss, I should go for it.
I went home and looked through everything - the dressage test (I rode it today to try it out), champs, any year end awards, and my schedule, plus the things that can't be weighed because they're too uncertain - my goal to go Training, and the thought that who knows what can happen over the winter, and then asked to change my entry to Training, withdrew from Aspen at Novice, and signed up for two of the three derbies at Training.
So here we go ...
Riding Charlie over those wide tables was AMAZING. We were actually in the air long enough to feel the difference, and Charlie just went for it with such gusto, like he really loves his job.
John's take on the pukey show jumping is that Charlie's strength - going fast - isn't utilized in show jumping, and then to compound it, I get nervous and try to suck him back, which just takes away all of the impulsion and he has to puke over each fence. When John made the fences higher and harder so I couldn't spend as much time screwing around and just had to concentrate on riding and getting over them, things just flowed.
Charlie isn't challenged by novice, and then I suddenly remembered our first lesson at John's, where he was talking to Shannon about how much better Charlie was when he went Training than Novice, because at Training he actually tried.
We started with a little log, and then proceeded to jump our way around the course, doing some new stuff that was really fun. And thankfully, far off in the distance until I was right up on it so I couldn't get intimidated. We jumped a chevron, a three log split rail, a table with some cut outs, then a roll top to the up bank down bank skinny, down the long aisle to a bigger table with cut outs, into the woods for an angled fence, and around the corner to a roll top, ditch, skinny, then down the long side over the ditch with the wall behind it (!!), and then into show jumping where we did an oxer, right hand turn, vertical six strides to oxer, left hand turn, vertical with 1 stride to another vertical (that looked like a whopper) with five strides to another oxer.
Charlie jumped everything like an absolute champ.
John said he was surprised we hadn't signed up for Training at Caber and I said I had wanted to but got talked out of it. He asked me to think about what there was to gain and what there was to lose, and if the potential gain outweighed the potential loss, I should go for it.
I went home and looked through everything - the dressage test (I rode it today to try it out), champs, any year end awards, and my schedule, plus the things that can't be weighed because they're too uncertain - my goal to go Training, and the thought that who knows what can happen over the winter, and then asked to change my entry to Training, withdrew from Aspen at Novice, and signed up for two of the three derbies at Training.
So here we go ...
Riding Charlie over those wide tables was AMAZING. We were actually in the air long enough to feel the difference, and Charlie just went for it with such gusto, like he really loves his job.
John's take on the pukey show jumping is that Charlie's strength - going fast - isn't utilized in show jumping, and then to compound it, I get nervous and try to suck him back, which just takes away all of the impulsion and he has to puke over each fence. When John made the fences higher and harder so I couldn't spend as much time screwing around and just had to concentrate on riding and getting over them, things just flowed.
Charlie isn't challenged by novice, and then I suddenly remembered our first lesson at John's, where he was talking to Shannon about how much better Charlie was when he went Training than Novice, because at Training he actually tried.
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Amazing session with Beth (but my abs are tired)
I had my third (?) dual pilates and riding session with Beth today. This one had a breakthrough!
I really get a lot out of the dual sessions because Beth has seen me often enough now that she works on the current issue inside, so I can feel it without having to think about riding - and then she gives me exercises for continuing to improve at home.
Then we work on the same thing on Charlie, which helps me feel how changing my alignment can really change how Charlie can move.
Today we worked on my upper back, which has to do with pinching my shoulder blades together, and not rolling my shoulders back. We did quite a few exercises and they were surprisingly hard to do. The right shoulder in particular is reluctant to move. Using my lats, instead of my shoulders, was also quite hard. The at home exercises are to do quadriped on a ball and to do scarecrow on the ball and then lift my arms at the end.
Then we did some work with Charlie at the sitting trot. This ended up being genius. Without messing around with the angle I create at the posting trot, I could focus on lining up the two plates - the lower abs, which need to come forward (tuck my butt under me); and my shoulders, which also need to come forward, but not until after they pinch back. I feel like I am tilting forward with the shoulders, but once everything lines up, I quit being behind Charlie's motion and I feel completely solid and planted.
Then the next big thing to work on was to loosen my legs. I tend to grip with them, particularly after a down transition. When I consciously loosen them, I sink deeper into the saddle and have much better feel.
With loose legs, I could then think "up" and control the rhthym and increase the bounce. It was actually kind of a miracle how much I could do with the tucked under butt - all coming from the abs, not the butt itself. Using my butt actually defeats the progress.
I had a hard time with opening my fingers. As we go, and particularly for up transitions, I loosen my fingers which doesn't help Charlie at all. I need to pay a lot more attention to this because I don't notice I'm doing it.
Then we worked on canter both directions, getting an active walk where Charlie's shoulders lifted and I could feel either a halt or trot at any step. Then we would trot, trot a 10 meter circle, and canter leaving the 10 meter circle. We went out to a 20 meter circle, and then interestingly, when we made the circle more like 15 meter circle, to the right Charlie just fell apart. For now, I'm going to assume that's coming from me, but it was a huge difference in his ability to hold that canter on the left and right side (I also had to ride him counterbent, so that's one of many reasons I assume it is me preventing him from doing them equally).
I got a longer whip after using Beth's, and I'm going to start riding him with my little spurs. He's ignoring my aids again, which I know is my own fault, but I need to break that habit so we can work on cooler things.
It was a great lesson. I felt like I started to feel how to use my core, and that will help motivate me to stay on top of the mat exercises at home too.
There were like 100 other tips and steps, but my brain is full from trying to feel it all so that I can work on it before next time. This has been so helpful for me.
I really get a lot out of the dual sessions because Beth has seen me often enough now that she works on the current issue inside, so I can feel it without having to think about riding - and then she gives me exercises for continuing to improve at home.
Then we work on the same thing on Charlie, which helps me feel how changing my alignment can really change how Charlie can move.
Today we worked on my upper back, which has to do with pinching my shoulder blades together, and not rolling my shoulders back. We did quite a few exercises and they were surprisingly hard to do. The right shoulder in particular is reluctant to move. Using my lats, instead of my shoulders, was also quite hard. The at home exercises are to do quadriped on a ball and to do scarecrow on the ball and then lift my arms at the end.
Then we did some work with Charlie at the sitting trot. This ended up being genius. Without messing around with the angle I create at the posting trot, I could focus on lining up the two plates - the lower abs, which need to come forward (tuck my butt under me); and my shoulders, which also need to come forward, but not until after they pinch back. I feel like I am tilting forward with the shoulders, but once everything lines up, I quit being behind Charlie's motion and I feel completely solid and planted.
Then the next big thing to work on was to loosen my legs. I tend to grip with them, particularly after a down transition. When I consciously loosen them, I sink deeper into the saddle and have much better feel.
With loose legs, I could then think "up" and control the rhthym and increase the bounce. It was actually kind of a miracle how much I could do with the tucked under butt - all coming from the abs, not the butt itself. Using my butt actually defeats the progress.
I had a hard time with opening my fingers. As we go, and particularly for up transitions, I loosen my fingers which doesn't help Charlie at all. I need to pay a lot more attention to this because I don't notice I'm doing it.
Then we worked on canter both directions, getting an active walk where Charlie's shoulders lifted and I could feel either a halt or trot at any step. Then we would trot, trot a 10 meter circle, and canter leaving the 10 meter circle. We went out to a 20 meter circle, and then interestingly, when we made the circle more like 15 meter circle, to the right Charlie just fell apart. For now, I'm going to assume that's coming from me, but it was a huge difference in his ability to hold that canter on the left and right side (I also had to ride him counterbent, so that's one of many reasons I assume it is me preventing him from doing them equally).
I got a longer whip after using Beth's, and I'm going to start riding him with my little spurs. He's ignoring my aids again, which I know is my own fault, but I need to break that habit so we can work on cooler things.
It was a great lesson. I felt like I started to feel how to use my core, and that will help motivate me to stay on top of the mat exercises at home too.
There were like 100 other tips and steps, but my brain is full from trying to feel it all so that I can work on it before next time. This has been so helpful for me.
Rebecca Farm Logistics
For the three day
Monday: Drive to Spokane (6 hours)
Gas at Ritzville - truck stop with big easy station
Stay at Spokane Sport Horse: http://www.spokanesporthorse.com/ ($20/horse/night) - gmackie@spokanesporthorse.com or info@spokanesporthorse.com
Humans stay at Ramada Inn – use Spokane Sport Horse Farm special rate
Tuesday:
Gas again in Spokane and gas at St. Regis - none really between interstate and Kalispell
Drive to Kalispell (5 hours, plus time changes)
Check in, check outside of office for times for sessions
Easy hack
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is the closest hotel to Rebecca Farm - accepts pets, no fee
(Red Lion was very nice and had a good breakfast with omelet bar but difficult hours with horse show)
Wednesday:
In-Barn inspection (papers, with vets) 9 am - noon (ish)
Sessions begin (in hand inspection, roads and tracks ride, steeplechase session)
First inspection (gussied up)
Walks and ride
Walk cross country first time
Thursday:
Dressage
More sessions (10 minute box, course walk)
Walk cross country at least twice
Hack roads and tracks; measure it too
Measure steeplechase to 30 seconds and 1 minute marks
Friday:
3 day - starts early (8-9 am)
Walks
Saturday:
Final inspection (gussied up)
Show jumping
Sunday:
Drive to Spokane (5 hours, time change)
Good food and dogs on patios, Elk Public House: 1931 W Pacific Ave
Monday:
Drive home (6 hours)
People to stable with:
Jessica Bryant, John Camlin (Caber Farm), Britt Roden
Monday: Drive to Spokane (6 hours)
Gas at Ritzville - truck stop with big easy station
Stay at Spokane Sport Horse: http://www.spokanesporthorse.com/ ($20/horse/night) - gmackie@spokanesporthorse.com or info@spokanesporthorse.com
Humans stay at Ramada Inn – use Spokane Sport Horse Farm special rate
Tuesday:
Gas again in Spokane and gas at St. Regis - none really between interstate and Kalispell
Drive to Kalispell (5 hours, plus time changes)
Check in, check outside of office for times for sessions
Easy hack
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is the closest hotel to Rebecca Farm - accepts pets, no fee
(Red Lion was very nice and had a good breakfast with omelet bar but difficult hours with horse show)
Wednesday:
In-Barn inspection (papers, with vets) 9 am - noon (ish)
Sessions begin (in hand inspection, roads and tracks ride, steeplechase session)
First inspection (gussied up)
Walks and ride
Walk cross country first time
Thursday:
Dressage
More sessions (10 minute box, course walk)
Walk cross country at least twice
Hack roads and tracks; measure it too
Measure steeplechase to 30 seconds and 1 minute marks
Friday:
3 day - starts early (8-9 am)
Walks
Saturday:
Final inspection (gussied up)
Show jumping
Sunday:
Drive to Spokane (5 hours, time change)
Good food and dogs on patios, Elk Public House: 1931 W Pacific Ave
Monday:
Drive home (6 hours)
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