We had a great jump lesson today, mostly because John jumped Duke last week, so he was like riding a Ferrari instead of a beetle bug. I did the same fancy aid as on the flat, lower leg squeeze to balance him back and "half halt" him, instead of pulling back with my hands, and that let me set him back on his haunches so we could take off long, short, or hit it correctly, but any of the three ways felt smooth and powerful.
We started with a little vertical, going long and then coming in shorter, then turned left instead to an oxer (same thing), then we did a three jump combination (two strides to oxer, one tight stride to vertical), then John made it crazy and had us jump the first of the combination over to the oxer, and then the middle oxer of the combination over to the first fence vertical.
Duke was very adjustable and obedient.
Then we talked about skill and talent vs effort and time using graphs. I showed John what I thought my learning style was with Charlie (steps up) vs. Duke (steady upward progress) but that what I was afraid was happening was we were capping out at my skill level (a solid horizontal line) and so John got me there, but I was sine waving up and down over it now.
He said no, there is rider skill level, rider and horse together, horse skill level, and then time and effort. He also did one that was feel and rider. Each one had a slightly different shape.
He said my skill level, especially with feel, was at 0 for a long time, then started to grow once I could feel what he was doing, then shot straight up mid-way through last season at training level, then kept growing but at a slower pace, and then - part way through this season, started going down again.
In contrast, Duke's line is a steady upward climb, and so he said he actually had to dial back how he was riding because Duke's responsiveness to the aids was getting too confusing for me, and we had to go back to the basics and focus on things I hadn't had to think about for over a year, like just riding straight to the fence.
He said that unlike the rest of the time he's been teaching me, as the season went on, I got tired, and wasn't listening, wasn't trying, ran out of emotional and physical effort. (I agree. EI was the final straw on a long slow decline.). He said if I want to compete next year, I have to be more dedicated, more focused, work harder, and have fewer distractions. He said fine, my job can be hard, but that means I work 1000% when John has Duke so that when I go out for my lesson, I can focus entirely on John and be fully present.
He said that my competition line is a vertical up and down line, and that normally he can nudge me there during a lesson, that he can normally push me, but not this year.
It was pretty interesting. And it made me think of the Dunning-Krueger curve.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Monday, September 30, 2019
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Dressage lesson - post season tips
Get weight on Duke; increase his Senior to one scoop (currently 1/3 scoop), no more wet cob (currently 1/3 scoop), increase his Strategy to 1/2 scoop (currently 1/3 scoop). Weight onto his back (he's a little ribby) and neck so he can turn it into muscle.
Try a new bit for dressage. His jump bit is too strong for backing (at home), but his happy mouth dressage bit is too soft for shows. Maybe a three jointed happy mouth with a "hanging" (?) snaffle ring?
Blanket him at night already. He's too thin coated and is wasting calories staying warm.
We should have dropped down to Training to build confidence, but the water issue couldn't have been fixed because it doesn't exist at Training.
John says he'll work with me on how to rebalance him so he can take off from a short spot. He says that the second run out I needed to ride him hard and perfectly, because the third one he just figured out he could get away with it.
If I do only dressage for a few months, Duke will be depressed. He needs jumping to break up the monotony of dressage.
I'm probably riding less (and John is definitely riding him less) because of the rain and light.
John jumped him hard, so he'd be stiff, so I could ride him out of the stiffness in the lesson.
He rode great, because John's been riding him the last few days. It was pushing his shoulders in towards John, or haunches, and then using legs at different strengths, sometimes holding, sometimes on-off, and sometimes counterbent and sometimes not. He felt great, but it isn't something I expect I can repeat on my own.
Try a new bit for dressage. His jump bit is too strong for backing (at home), but his happy mouth dressage bit is too soft for shows. Maybe a three jointed happy mouth with a "hanging" (?) snaffle ring?
Blanket him at night already. He's too thin coated and is wasting calories staying warm.
We should have dropped down to Training to build confidence, but the water issue couldn't have been fixed because it doesn't exist at Training.
John says he'll work with me on how to rebalance him so he can take off from a short spot. He says that the second run out I needed to ride him hard and perfectly, because the third one he just figured out he could get away with it.
If I do only dressage for a few months, Duke will be depressed. He needs jumping to break up the monotony of dressage.
I'm probably riding less (and John is definitely riding him less) because of the rain and light.
John jumped him hard, so he'd be stiff, so I could ride him out of the stiffness in the lesson.
He rode great, because John's been riding him the last few days. It was pushing his shoulders in towards John, or haunches, and then using legs at different strengths, sometimes holding, sometimes on-off, and sometimes counterbent and sometimes not. He felt great, but it isn't something I expect I can repeat on my own.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Ugh. Lousy end to season.
Our first go at prelim was not what I hoped it would be. At EI, we had our best dressage ride yet, but our worst placing (last place, 17th). Upside? Gap from 1st - 17th was only 10 points. But still. Last place? He was nervous, but obedient, and had some great movements. He had three terrible scores (not proportional to the movement) and then some really good ones, like a point better than normal.
Then cross country - we finally made it through the water. Twice.
And then failed, utterly, at a chevron that we had no problem with in the spring. He ran out to the left three times.
So I scratched from Spokane. I don't know what's going wrong and we need to have a come to Jesus talk with John. I made up a plan for training through next year, and we'll see how John modifies it. We'll try to work really hard over the winter to improve his topline to improve his engagement and bascule, improve dressage, and improve obedience (??) for the precision to the fences.
Then we'll do extra schooling in the spring, combined with half time at John's, because I learned a LOT riding the day after John did.
Then try for prelim again. And if we fail again next year - as in are not finishing in the top 10, then I'll decide whether he needs a better rider for an owner. (Sigh)
I don't know if this is just part of prelim - in our classes, a lot of people frequently don't finish, if it's me, if it's him, if it's the fact that it's both of our first season at prelim? ...
May 2019 - Spokane - Modified
41.1 dressage, 1.6 time xc, 2 rails show jumping - 50.7 - 6th place, but for amateur, 3rd
12 riders, 11 completed
May 2019 - EI - Prelim
41.3 dressage, 1 refusal xc (water), 10.8 time penalties, 2 rails show jumping - 80.1 - 11th place, 9th (A)
21 riders, 15 completed
June 2019 - Aspen - Prelim
38.3 dressage, 3 refusals (chevron, water, crossed path in water), 2 rails show jumping - eliminated
21 riders, 17 completed
June 2019 - Inavale - Prelim
39.8 dressage, schooled water, 12.4 time xc, 1 rail & 0.4 time show jumping - 56.6 - 7th place, 3rd place (A)
17 riders, 14 completed
July 2019 - Rebecca - Prelim
37.9 dressage, 2 refusals xc (both water) & 13.6 time, *7* rails show jumping - 119.5 - 21st place, 13th (A)
24 riders, 21 completed
August 2019 - Caber - Prelim
40.2 dressage (my error, forgot movement), 1 refusal xc (B element of water) & 4 time, 2 rails show jumping - 72.2 - 17th place, 11th (A)
24 riders, 20 completed
September 2019 - Aspen - Prelim
42.6 dressage (I thought it was a good test), 2 refusals xc (both water) & 15 time, 1 rail show jumping - 100.6 - 17th place, 8th (A)
26 riders, 18 completed
September 2019 - EI - Prelim
37.7 dressage, 3 refusals xc (all same fence, chevron B) - eliminated
17 riders, 12 completed
Then cross country - we finally made it through the water. Twice.
And then failed, utterly, at a chevron that we had no problem with in the spring. He ran out to the left three times.
So I scratched from Spokane. I don't know what's going wrong and we need to have a come to Jesus talk with John. I made up a plan for training through next year, and we'll see how John modifies it. We'll try to work really hard over the winter to improve his topline to improve his engagement and bascule, improve dressage, and improve obedience (??) for the precision to the fences.
Then we'll do extra schooling in the spring, combined with half time at John's, because I learned a LOT riding the day after John did.
Then try for prelim again. And if we fail again next year - as in are not finishing in the top 10, then I'll decide whether he needs a better rider for an owner. (Sigh)
I don't know if this is just part of prelim - in our classes, a lot of people frequently don't finish, if it's me, if it's him, if it's the fact that it's both of our first season at prelim? ...
May 2019 - Spokane - Modified
41.1 dressage, 1.6 time xc, 2 rails show jumping - 50.7 - 6th place, but for amateur, 3rd
12 riders, 11 completed
May 2019 - EI - Prelim
41.3 dressage, 1 refusal xc (water), 10.8 time penalties, 2 rails show jumping - 80.1 - 11th place, 9th (A)
21 riders, 15 completed
June 2019 - Aspen - Prelim
38.3 dressage, 3 refusals (chevron, water, crossed path in water), 2 rails show jumping - eliminated
21 riders, 17 completed
June 2019 - Inavale - Prelim
39.8 dressage, schooled water, 12.4 time xc, 1 rail & 0.4 time show jumping - 56.6 - 7th place, 3rd place (A)
17 riders, 14 completed
July 2019 - Rebecca - Prelim
37.9 dressage, 2 refusals xc (both water) & 13.6 time, *7* rails show jumping - 119.5 - 21st place, 13th (A)
24 riders, 21 completed
August 2019 - Caber - Prelim
40.2 dressage (my error, forgot movement), 1 refusal xc (B element of water) & 4 time, 2 rails show jumping - 72.2 - 17th place, 11th (A)
24 riders, 20 completed
September 2019 - Aspen - Prelim
42.6 dressage (I thought it was a good test), 2 refusals xc (both water) & 15 time, 1 rail show jumping - 100.6 - 17th place, 8th (A)
26 riders, 18 completed
September 2019 - EI - Prelim
37.7 dressage, 3 refusals xc (all same fence, chevron B) - eliminated
17 riders, 12 completed
Monday, September 16, 2019
Schooled the water again; also, tack cleaning tips
We warmed up over a few fences inside (it's been pouring rain - early, but spring was early too), then went out to the water jump. John had us start by jumping over the roll top a couple times, then he had us come into the water "sideways" over a vertical. Duke hesitated, but jumped in, and John told me to use my hips to finish the fence. We did that a couple more times, then rode the gray/blue brush to the drop. Duke went right on in. We did it a couple more times, and John told me that he thinks I've used up my leg and I just need that little push to finish, so to look up, close my leg, and then use my hip to push him forward.
Since he freaks out about the whip. He had a melt down yesterday when I whipped him, but John said it was just too much after he cut his face in his stall and got whipped the hardest ever by me on Saturday. He said that he expects that Duke was pretty strong over fences on the far side when he started, and that someone halted him and backed him to train him not to run off on the far side. And that because Duke is sensitive, and wants to please, when he got whipped after that, it just blew his mind. So he thinks that's why Duke has problems both with the whip and with the rein back.
I did a couple in warm up, and John had us do one (without hands - omfg impossible), and Duke was ok about it. Not brilliant, but not having a melt down.
I think I'm still going to school the water at EI. Once he's been in once, Duke doesn't hesitate, but I think it's the reflection and not seeing how deep it is that is part of his worry too. And he just needs to be with me long enough to know I'm not going to make him jump into water over his head - whatever it is a horse worries about for the depth of water.
Then John had to clean my tack because I was so slow clipping and cleaning Duke, and he said to just use a damp sponge to get the dirt off, instead of rubbing it into the leather with tack cleaner. He showed me how gross my bridle was with one run of the sponge (yech) and Katy said my tack is always kind of sticky.
Good lesson. But now I have to get up in 7 hours (?) to ride again because of stupid work schedule before this show.
Since he freaks out about the whip. He had a melt down yesterday when I whipped him, but John said it was just too much after he cut his face in his stall and got whipped the hardest ever by me on Saturday. He said that he expects that Duke was pretty strong over fences on the far side when he started, and that someone halted him and backed him to train him not to run off on the far side. And that because Duke is sensitive, and wants to please, when he got whipped after that, it just blew his mind. So he thinks that's why Duke has problems both with the whip and with the rein back.
I did a couple in warm up, and John had us do one (without hands - omfg impossible), and Duke was ok about it. Not brilliant, but not having a melt down.
I think I'm still going to school the water at EI. Once he's been in once, Duke doesn't hesitate, but I think it's the reflection and not seeing how deep it is that is part of his worry too. And he just needs to be with me long enough to know I'm not going to make him jump into water over his head - whatever it is a horse worries about for the depth of water.
Then John had to clean my tack because I was so slow clipping and cleaning Duke, and he said to just use a damp sponge to get the dirt off, instead of rubbing it into the leather with tack cleaner. He showed me how gross my bridle was with one run of the sponge (yech) and Katy said my tack is always kind of sticky.
Good lesson. But now I have to get up in 7 hours (?) to ride again because of stupid work schedule before this show.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Jump lesson, schooling water
We started in the show jump arena with a cross rail, vertical, taller vertical, and a little oxer. John had me work on getting him forward, balancing, and then having him continue forward to the jump. Even if our distance was a little off, if we were in the balanced, forward canter, we could take off from almost anywhere and it felt balanced, even if it wasn't the perfect spot.
The trick here was that when I half halt, to balance him, I MUST put leg back on afterwards, and not let him putter down.
Then we went out and rode the water. Well, first John had us jump a roll top (a couple times), then the brushy vertical to the water, which Duke just stopped at. I looked down, tilted forward, it was a classic bad ride.
John had me hit him. Duke's mind was blown. I thought he was going to have a melt down, he stood with his neck rigid and his heart thumping, but when I asked him to go forward, he pulled his shit together. He was heavy and downhill, but he went into the water. Over and over again. John put up guiding poles, on the fence and on the edge of the water, to keep him in the water, instead of trying to jump out sideways to avoid landing in it.
John said I need more leg - to close my leg when I feel him hesitate and to look up. So it's the same as the show jump ride, I need to send him forward, balance him, send him forward again, then ride him confidently (assertively) to the fence, leg on, looking up not down, ready to hit him, and RIDE HIM (teeth gritted when I type that) into the water.
He said we'll ride dressage Monday night and then jump him into the water again (deeper) afterwards.
The trick here was that when I half halt, to balance him, I MUST put leg back on afterwards, and not let him putter down.
Then we went out and rode the water. Well, first John had us jump a roll top (a couple times), then the brushy vertical to the water, which Duke just stopped at. I looked down, tilted forward, it was a classic bad ride.
John had me hit him. Duke's mind was blown. I thought he was going to have a melt down, he stood with his neck rigid and his heart thumping, but when I asked him to go forward, he pulled his shit together. He was heavy and downhill, but he went into the water. Over and over again. John put up guiding poles, on the fence and on the edge of the water, to keep him in the water, instead of trying to jump out sideways to avoid landing in it.
John said I need more leg - to close my leg when I feel him hesitate and to look up. So it's the same as the show jump ride, I need to send him forward, balance him, send him forward again, then ride him confidently (assertively) to the fence, leg on, looking up not down, ready to hit him, and RIDE HIM (teeth gritted when I type that) into the water.
He said we'll ride dressage Monday night and then jump him into the water again (deeper) afterwards.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Dressage lesson - possible explanation for Aspen?
Maybe the fact that I'm struggling to translate (and then practice) my lessons are part of what the problem is at the shows. We're riding at the highest level I've ever ridden at, on a horse who is sweet and willing, but who hasn't been trained to this level by a pro, and who isn't a natural dressage mover.
Maybe the fact that every lesson is a stretch of my brain (in a good way), where we get, at the end, some absolutely beautiful and amazing work I never would have thought we were capable of - but I can't repeat it on my own. I can get a movement, here and there, and over the summer, in our baby steps, we have improved dramatically, but it is taking tons and tons of repetition and practice and work and time with John before I can start to apply it myself. I'm just not naturally talented.
But John was disappointed. He said we looked fine in warm up, what happened in the arena. And I said nothing - it felt the same to me.
So John told me to tell him when I felt like Duke was as round as he was during his test, and then he worked on making him rounder.
What we did was work on a 20/15/10 meter circle around John, and we would use counter flex, haunches in, leg at the girth, hand on the neck, elbow on my hip, etc. to fix whatever Duke was doing at that moment to avoid being round and springy. John said that even with him riding, Duke just doesn't have enough muscle on his topline to spring around like a warmblood the whole test. To avoid the bend, Duke would pop his head up (or his shoulder out) and my job is to - as soon as he starts to do that - put leg on to push him forward so he doesn't. Then when goes round again, give a little.
John helped us set it up better than I do. Like he would get him bent to the outside first, and then ask him to go forward. And when he started to fade, John wouldn't let him get away with just shuffling around for a few circles, he had to go back to work pronto.
Trying to describe it is hard, because it is ... John has me react to each step, each movement, and so it is constant adjustment. And the constant tiny adjustments make Duke look like he's being consistent. Or feel consistent. Every once in a while, we would get all the stars aligned, and Duke would just feel amazing - balanced - but even his "unbalanced" feels fine and good to me, so it's hard to retain the "best" feeling instead of the "good" feeling.
It was a great lesson, and I'm continually amazed that the two of us together can ride that well. But I'm sorry we disappointed John (and that he's stumped) and that I don't know what to do different because I'm not sure what I'm doing WRONG at the show.
But like I was saying to John, man, we are so much better together than we were six months ago, or two years ago. He's not even close to the same horse, and my posture and seat have improved. Our dressage scores might not have - and I know that's the objective measure, but subjectively, I'm 99% confident that we are much, much better than we were. At one point, John had me push him out to a bigger circle on the canter using my inside hip bone. And Duke did it. Immediately. It was divine.
Maybe the fact that every lesson is a stretch of my brain (in a good way), where we get, at the end, some absolutely beautiful and amazing work I never would have thought we were capable of - but I can't repeat it on my own. I can get a movement, here and there, and over the summer, in our baby steps, we have improved dramatically, but it is taking tons and tons of repetition and practice and work and time with John before I can start to apply it myself. I'm just not naturally talented.
But John was disappointed. He said we looked fine in warm up, what happened in the arena. And I said nothing - it felt the same to me.
So John told me to tell him when I felt like Duke was as round as he was during his test, and then he worked on making him rounder.
What we did was work on a 20/15/10 meter circle around John, and we would use counter flex, haunches in, leg at the girth, hand on the neck, elbow on my hip, etc. to fix whatever Duke was doing at that moment to avoid being round and springy. John said that even with him riding, Duke just doesn't have enough muscle on his topline to spring around like a warmblood the whole test. To avoid the bend, Duke would pop his head up (or his shoulder out) and my job is to - as soon as he starts to do that - put leg on to push him forward so he doesn't. Then when goes round again, give a little.
John helped us set it up better than I do. Like he would get him bent to the outside first, and then ask him to go forward. And when he started to fade, John wouldn't let him get away with just shuffling around for a few circles, he had to go back to work pronto.
Trying to describe it is hard, because it is ... John has me react to each step, each movement, and so it is constant adjustment. And the constant tiny adjustments make Duke look like he's being consistent. Or feel consistent. Every once in a while, we would get all the stars aligned, and Duke would just feel amazing - balanced - but even his "unbalanced" feels fine and good to me, so it's hard to retain the "best" feeling instead of the "good" feeling.
It was a great lesson, and I'm continually amazed that the two of us together can ride that well. But I'm sorry we disappointed John (and that he's stumped) and that I don't know what to do different because I'm not sure what I'm doing WRONG at the show.
But like I was saying to John, man, we are so much better together than we were six months ago, or two years ago. He's not even close to the same horse, and my posture and seat have improved. Our dressage scores might not have - and I know that's the objective measure, but subjectively, I'm 99% confident that we are much, much better than we were. At one point, John had me push him out to a bigger circle on the canter using my inside hip bone. And Duke did it. Immediately. It was divine.
Sunday, September 08, 2019
Aspen highs & lows; plan to attack our nemesis, water
We had a great ride at Aspen, but a lousy dressage score. John helped us warm up, and Duke was quiet and obedient. I thought the judge's comments were mostly fair (except for the one that said his lengthened trot should be his regular trot - he's an OTTB, not a damn warmblood), just low. Once again, we were very close to the bottom of the class.
Like the spring, we show jumped on Saturday, but unlike the spring, Duke did his damndest to go clear, with just one rail, at an exceptionally poor take off (fence 7, of only 8, but 8 was an A/B/C). He didn't hit the rails most horses did, and overall, it was a rail heavy class, it felt like. So I was very proud of him for that. We rode very forward - kind of aggressive - to the fences.
Cross country he was great for 18 fences. He jumped the terrifying huge ditch at the bottom of a steep hill to a narrow, jumped the angle angle cabin after weaving through the trees, jumped the huge tables, jumped the narrow to a one stride to a down bank with huge brush on top to a corner with a hard turn in front of the shipwreck, etc. What he did not jump, and grrrr - very frustrated - was the water.
For the first water, he cantered right in without hesitating, went right up to the fence, and then stopped with his nose on it. I thought he was going to climb over it, but he didn't. We circled, he cantered right in again and jumped it. Ok. So I thought, well, we sort of already schooled it, so I won't school the second water. Shoulda coulda woulda.
He cantered right up to the damn kayak and then skidded to a halt, even with me whipping him. We went left (god forbid should we cross our tracks), he trotted into it, cantered around the fences in it, and then jumped right into it like a good boy. Did not run out (unlike May), jumped the hanging log to the C brush element, and we were off down the hill.
So almost perfect, but not quite, and what the fuck is going on with the water. He was an absolute dreamboat to ride all the other fences - took care of me, tried his heart out ...
I'm going to try to school him at Rainbow Meadows and Donida before it gets too wet, and at EI and Spokane this fall I will school the water before we jump into it.
Next March we will school once, April school twice, and May school once.
First show we will school the water (Spokane) and then - if all of that has gone according to plan - at EI try jumping right in. If that fails, school water the rest of the damn season.
Like the spring, we show jumped on Saturday, but unlike the spring, Duke did his damndest to go clear, with just one rail, at an exceptionally poor take off (fence 7, of only 8, but 8 was an A/B/C). He didn't hit the rails most horses did, and overall, it was a rail heavy class, it felt like. So I was very proud of him for that. We rode very forward - kind of aggressive - to the fences.
Cross country he was great for 18 fences. He jumped the terrifying huge ditch at the bottom of a steep hill to a narrow, jumped the angle angle cabin after weaving through the trees, jumped the huge tables, jumped the narrow to a one stride to a down bank with huge brush on top to a corner with a hard turn in front of the shipwreck, etc. What he did not jump, and grrrr - very frustrated - was the water.
For the first water, he cantered right in without hesitating, went right up to the fence, and then stopped with his nose on it. I thought he was going to climb over it, but he didn't. We circled, he cantered right in again and jumped it. Ok. So I thought, well, we sort of already schooled it, so I won't school the second water. Shoulda coulda woulda.
He cantered right up to the damn kayak and then skidded to a halt, even with me whipping him. We went left (god forbid should we cross our tracks), he trotted into it, cantered around the fences in it, and then jumped right into it like a good boy. Did not run out (unlike May), jumped the hanging log to the C brush element, and we were off down the hill.
So almost perfect, but not quite, and what the fuck is going on with the water. He was an absolute dreamboat to ride all the other fences - took care of me, tried his heart out ...
I'm going to try to school him at Rainbow Meadows and Donida before it gets too wet, and at EI and Spokane this fall I will school the water before we jump into it.
Next March we will school once, April school twice, and May school once.
First show we will school the water (Spokane) and then - if all of that has gone according to plan - at EI try jumping right in. If that fails, school water the rest of the damn season.
Wednesday, September 04, 2019
Dressage - lateral work out the gills
We had a most excellent dressage lesson today. Although I felt like Duke faded quite a bit between our last dressage lesson (Saturday?, with John riding him) and today, John said he was actually pretty round to start. We worked on lengthening him (or medium trot), and then bringing him back with the magical steady lower leg on instead of on-off-on-off, which works much better (steady leg). Then, because this is peeling an onion, John added inside bend or inside leg to outside hand connection to make him go very round when he either slowed down or did a down transition.
We did a bunch of 10 meter circles, 20 meter circles, lengthen across the diagonal, and then leg yield. We did some very very big medium canter (that's how it felt to me) sometimes with a come-back in the middle and sometimes not.
Duke worked SO hard. He got almost as sweaty as when John rode him a few days ago, and was really trying.
Well, not at first. And John told me afterwards that when he just ignores me, and kind of braces himself, it's ok to be politely firm and say "no, you need to give me your head". He said it's not ok to rip on him, and it won't work anyway with Duke, but that I get to counterbend and insist that he give it up. Once he does, of course, I have to give immediately with the reins.
We did some of that, giving with the inside rein when it felt counterintuitive to do it, and Duke would usually get soft and relaxed. We also did stretchy trot at the end, and Duke was like "thank god" and did an amazing stretchy trot, and then John asked for even more (!), just some leg on and off to really make him step forward. It blew my mind.
Anyway, Duke was moving great, and we started by talking about the areas I identified where Duke has made some progress just from May to now (notably, not ripping around on the forehand when jumping and requiring a pulley rein in between fences) and John pointed out he's also improved a lot in his counter canter (he used to be very stiff).
It was a great lesson, but one of those frustrating ones because while it's great Duke can move so great, and that I can ride him to make it happen (we even got a series of "yes"s from John!) I don't know why I can't retain it better in my head in between lessons, to work on myself. It's like it just takes forever for it to stick, and I wish it would stick faster so John didn't have to repeat himself and could spend more time teaching me the next thing, then the next thing, then the next ...
We did a bunch of 10 meter circles, 20 meter circles, lengthen across the diagonal, and then leg yield. We did some very very big medium canter (that's how it felt to me) sometimes with a come-back in the middle and sometimes not.
Duke worked SO hard. He got almost as sweaty as when John rode him a few days ago, and was really trying.
Well, not at first. And John told me afterwards that when he just ignores me, and kind of braces himself, it's ok to be politely firm and say "no, you need to give me your head". He said it's not ok to rip on him, and it won't work anyway with Duke, but that I get to counterbend and insist that he give it up. Once he does, of course, I have to give immediately with the reins.
We did some of that, giving with the inside rein when it felt counterintuitive to do it, and Duke would usually get soft and relaxed. We also did stretchy trot at the end, and Duke was like "thank god" and did an amazing stretchy trot, and then John asked for even more (!), just some leg on and off to really make him step forward. It blew my mind.
Anyway, Duke was moving great, and we started by talking about the areas I identified where Duke has made some progress just from May to now (notably, not ripping around on the forehand when jumping and requiring a pulley rein in between fences) and John pointed out he's also improved a lot in his counter canter (he used to be very stiff).
It was a great lesson, but one of those frustrating ones because while it's great Duke can move so great, and that I can ride him to make it happen (we even got a series of "yes"s from John!) I don't know why I can't retain it better in my head in between lessons, to work on myself. It's like it just takes forever for it to stick, and I wish it would stick faster so John didn't have to repeat himself and could spend more time teaching me the next thing, then the next thing, then the next ...
Monday, September 02, 2019
A jump lesson that taxed my brain cells
John did some flat work on warm up with us, to bring Duke back to the level John ended our lesson with two measly days ago. I rode him one day on my own (sigh). But it was really useful, because instead of taking John riding Duke, then 30 minutes of explanation to me, it only took a "few" minutes (10? 15?) to get us back to being decent and round. Because we were in a jump saddle, I had to think much more about pushing my lower leg and heel down, and then, to keep from rounding, zipping up my front.
We did some bending to the inside, and then using my legs differently, to get Duke both forward and then round. I don't know why this is so hard, but it's nice when we get it right.
From there, we jumped a vertical, turned right, jumped it again, and tried to get the damn distance correct. First I was looking down, then I was looking too far left, then I was gunning him flat at it. When we finally got it, John had us change the line, riding around another fence so we had to angle it. This I screwed up so badly I had to go over it a couple times with my eyes shut. John wanted us to go forward way out, and I was trying not to pull him too much back in front of the fence. Duke eventually figured out (himself) that it was easier to put in a stride than keep launching over it.
From there, we jumped an oxer, then an oxer five stride to the plank, then another oxer, then an angle - angle vertical line, then an oxer with a roll back right turn to a narrow (where Duke kept thinking we were going to jump a different fence), then John put them all together in a massive course and had me ride it immediately. That's the part that taxed my brain cells. Even though we'd jumped each "segment" of it at some point, when he strung it all together, I had to hold the course in my head (without watching someone else do it) and then remember everything about every fence. So we got a rail at the second angled vertical, but other than that, it was actually a quite satisfactory ride.
So if I can just figure out how to ride each fence when looking at them the first time, instead of on the third or fourth try, we might start getting only one rail.
I also told John how my mom said my posture was better, and he said "not how much better your horse is going?", which is kind of a compliment from John. I also asked him why it's so much easier to balance cross country, even though you're going so much faster, and he said it's probably because Duke balances back when I sit up and I don't have to use my hands to do it. When I use my hands, he kind of braces against them instead of balancing.
He taught this lesson on a horse, but I knocked down the narrow (twice) and then the angled vertical, so he had to stay on the ground for a while.
My stomach has been upset (for what seems like two months), so I was not terribly enthusiastic about the lesson, but it was a really good one. I felt like we had a really good ride.
We did some bending to the inside, and then using my legs differently, to get Duke both forward and then round. I don't know why this is so hard, but it's nice when we get it right.
From there, we jumped a vertical, turned right, jumped it again, and tried to get the damn distance correct. First I was looking down, then I was looking too far left, then I was gunning him flat at it. When we finally got it, John had us change the line, riding around another fence so we had to angle it. This I screwed up so badly I had to go over it a couple times with my eyes shut. John wanted us to go forward way out, and I was trying not to pull him too much back in front of the fence. Duke eventually figured out (himself) that it was easier to put in a stride than keep launching over it.
From there, we jumped an oxer, then an oxer five stride to the plank, then another oxer, then an angle - angle vertical line, then an oxer with a roll back right turn to a narrow (where Duke kept thinking we were going to jump a different fence), then John put them all together in a massive course and had me ride it immediately. That's the part that taxed my brain cells. Even though we'd jumped each "segment" of it at some point, when he strung it all together, I had to hold the course in my head (without watching someone else do it) and then remember everything about every fence. So we got a rail at the second angled vertical, but other than that, it was actually a quite satisfactory ride.
So if I can just figure out how to ride each fence when looking at them the first time, instead of on the third or fourth try, we might start getting only one rail.
I also told John how my mom said my posture was better, and he said "not how much better your horse is going?", which is kind of a compliment from John. I also asked him why it's so much easier to balance cross country, even though you're going so much faster, and he said it's probably because Duke balances back when I sit up and I don't have to use my hands to do it. When I use my hands, he kind of braces against them instead of balancing.
He taught this lesson on a horse, but I knocked down the narrow (twice) and then the angled vertical, so he had to stay on the ground for a while.
My stomach has been upset (for what seems like two months), so I was not terribly enthusiastic about the lesson, but it was a really good one. I felt like we had a really good ride.
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