Willig : Stampy :: Mercury : Odin

I don't want to sell Mercury because I would never, ever get rid of Odin (my beloved dog on my other blog). And I wouldn't hesitate for even one second if someone drove up and knocked on my door and said they wanted Stampy.
And Willig is apparently trying to follow in Stampy's footsteps.
Today, after a bout with the stomach flu, I went out to lunge Willig since he got two days off. And both arenas were being used for lessons, and Willig is a bit too much horse to be lunged in the same arena as another horse (esp. with a total beginner who is still working on steering), so I decided to give him another learning opportunity, and take him out into the big pasture on the way to the trails. (There's actually two big pastures, but this one was more like being on a cross country course.)
And, just as I expected, he freaked out. Fortunately, we weren't unlucky and when he tried to kick me in the head (more than once), he wasn't close enough, and when he jumped over the lunge rein and got it tangled around his leg he didn't break it, and when he pulled really hard, he didn't get loose. And so he cantered and trotted around and around and around, and got mad and switched directions and kept going and going. It was almost an hour before he walked. And once he walked, I let him quit and we went inside.
- After we made three trips back and forth over the bridge because he wouldn't quit jumping the very last step -
And then he stood in the cross ties and pawed for another half hour, so I just put him in his stall instead of back outside so the staff wouldn't have to deal with him tonight. If I'm lucky, he'll be sore tomorrow so that will make him easier for me to ride (of course, after I lunge him).
I really, really don't know if it's a) his age, b) his inexperience, c) his lack of trust in me, or d) a messed up personality. But the clock is ticking. He's got two checkpoints, and if he doesn't pass both of them with some progress from this constant "learning experience in a new situation" that we've been doing for an entire month, then he's up for sale.

Mercury is Available for a Partial Lease in Olympia

16.1 hand Thoroughbred; 1994 Bay Gelding
Mercury is a sweet horse who doesn’t refuse, is easy to handle, well-behaved, good-natured, trailers, and bathes.
Suitable for a beginner with some experience
Must provide your own saddle and take two lessons per month
Partial lease includes 3 days/week of riding for $175/month; farrier, vet, and other care provided by owner
He must remain boarded where he is now. There's a link on the side to the barn for more information. They have great facilities - trails, an outdoor arena, and an indoor covered arena.

Please post a comment if you're interested or would like more information and I'll email you directly.

Solo Lesson ... in Patience

Ask anyone who knows me, and I will probably top their list of least patient people. I will certainly be in the top 5. And yet, most of the things I do seem to require all I've got in patience (quite possibly because it takes so little to use up my patience stores).
So tonight was another "opportunity" (aka challenge, aka patience exhausting) with Willig. With the light changing, and a couple days without rain, I've been able to ride outside in the evenings after work. Today I took Willig out to lunge him (he was fine), then ride him (he was fine as we started), but as the horses went in for dinner, he got increasingly agitated. So I lunged him again (less fine, but got tired) and then rode him at the walk for what felt like an hour but was probably only half an hour, talking to him and trying to help him realize the other horses can go places, and he's still ok.
It's great for us to get the opportunity to work on this before the first show, but it's frustrating that he has so many things he needs to work on. It feels like we don't ever get to work on actual riding, just on him being calm and listening. There's always something making him agitated.
I don't know if it's because a) he's young (still 6), b) had a sheltered life, c) his personality, or d) a little bit of all of the above. After living in a stall his whole life, turn out is a pretty big deal, and I think he's doing really well. It's just hard with Mr. Sedate Mercury who was the last horse in, presumably because he's such a sweet angel he doesn't cause problems.

Rough, rougher, roughest

Mercury has been a little sensitive on his feet, but he's been getting turned out, and I rode him yesterday for the first time in two months. He was an angel. I didn't even lunge him first. I took him on a walking only trail ride, and he got a little nervous (especially because there were two horses cantering around), but he was totally sweet. He is such a good, reliable horse.
In contrast, Willig's hives came back, he was jumping up and down in the cross ties, he got moved to the closest turn-out (which means, I think, that staff is still having trouble leading him), and then, just to keep me on my toes, he was totally calm and good when I lunged him and then rode him.
The hives are along his side and lower neck - not under his belly, but on the lower half of his belly/side. They look just like they did before. There are more than a few, but not so many that they're touching.
I bought him yet more herbs, because apparently two horses and two dogs and three cats are going to drive me broke this year. This time I got him the "relaxation" blend. He just doesn't seem like a high strung horse to me (ignoring the jumping up and down in the cross ties) - a thoroughbred (ignoring the paragraph about Mercury at the top) is a high strung horse; not a warmblood.
I really - after relaxation herbs - I have no more ideas.

Sally Swift's Centered Riding - two tips

I watched the first DVD on Centered Riding (I loved the book years ago when I first read it), and it had two pertinent tips for me right now.
First, Sally explains the human skeleton, and shows how when you roll onto to the front of your pelvis (by rounding your lower back - sticking your stomach out in front of you and rounding your shoulders), how you "scrape" the horse instead of letting your hips absorb the motion. It was really excellent to watch the skeleton to see what your body is doing.
Second, keeping your hands steady at the trot. Because in the trot you move up and down while the horse stays still, that is when your hands move up and down with you. What she suggested is that a person stand on the ground and you hold their finger with your reins. Then you rise and feel the difference between pulling their finger up with you or leaving your hands steady on the finger. When you leave them steady, the motion is in your elbow. But it is an up and down motion, not a chicken wing motion. It's the same idea as looping a finger around the front of the saddle (like the saddle pad straps), so that you can hold them down and feel how they feel still.
Mercury got his feet done today (finally!) and I learned a lot about shoeing and abscesses from the farrier. He is going to be turned out again starting this week, so he'll be a happy horse, and then next week I'll start riding him again. I'm thinking about leasing him instead of selling him once I've got him working again.
Willig was terrible yesterday, but really good on Saturday. I feel like we're making some progress, but it's a long road ahead and it's kind of scary to face it without a trainer.

What Life Looks Like Now

Supping on Supplements

Because of Odin's heart condition (see my other blog), I got curious about the massive amounts of money I am outlaying to the vets and the herb/supplement companies. Although the total adds up (for all pets) to a whopping $225/month, only $30 of that is Mercury, $125 is Willig, and $70 is Odin with his heart stuff. I didn't count cats because I don't feed theirs consistently. I'm hoping to cut Willig back (way back), but it will depend on if the hives come back.
Speaking of, not a hive on his body. He is clean as a whistle. Well - hive-wise. He is doing really well with turnout and all the "new" stuff there is to look at - traffic, lots of other horses, a house, a kubota ... but he has discovered the pleasure of rolling and then me cleaning it off.
He's doing really well on the lunge line, and I rode him yesterday and today (briefly, because I have NO leg muscles after two months of not riding at all, and basically 6 months of riding minimally). He's putting his head up like a giraffe a lot, and he really spends a lot of time looking to the outside (at stuff - not just balancing to the outside), but I'm pleased considering I only had a few lessons on him, and Bob didn't really get to spend much time riding him because of the hives. I really like his personality, but it will remain to be seen if he is too much horse for me on my own. I don't want to ruin him, but I'd really like to keep him.
Mercury is a sweetheart. Holy horse. He has been on stall rest his entire first week at the new barn, and the other boarders are marveling at how calm he is. I can plop a foot in a bucket and then wander off and do stuff (thank goodness - after two weeks of soaking each foot 15 min/day, I am SO tired of soaking feet), and he just stands there. The left front hoof (the one that had the shoe the longest) had a soft spot mid-week that I poked with the hoof pick and more pus and blood came out. Two days later, I squeezed more out with just my thumb, so I think that one needs another week of soaking. The right front foot (the one that hasn't had a shoe for about 8 weeks now and that had the monster abscess) seems to be almost completely healed. There is just one tiny sensitive spot. I have heard from two people that this winter has been really bad for abscesses.
I hope this week we can put shoes back on (and trim poor Merc's feet), and then this weekend he can start getting turned out. Then his next shoeing we'll put pads on and keep them on so this doesn't happen again.

Willig and Mercury moved to a new barn

It has been a very stressful two weeks. In addition to Odin being diagnosed with DCM (a heart condition, on the other blog), two openings came available at the barn I put the boys on a waitlist for, in case Willig's hives didn't clear up. I decided to move them, which was a really hard decision to make.
We also got the blood work back from Willig's allergy and blood tests. His liver, kidney, and thyroid results were normal. And his allergies - he was tested for about 100 of the most common - were not enlightening. He was allergic to about 5 things - three pollens, none of which are out right now; a grass which doesn't grow here; and that pyrethionine stuff that is in some fly sprays, which isn't being used on him right now. And those were "positive" results, but not "highly positive." It is fantastic news that he doesn't need allergy shots and doesn't have severe problems, but leaves the question of his hives a mystery.
He is looking great though! Last Wed or Thurs - 2-3 days before he moved - he cleared up almost totally. There were just a few scattered, very small hives.
A few more came back on Saturday morning, before he moved.
He is getting used to the new barn, but he's stressed out by it. There's more horses, more going on, and he goes in and out during the day. There's also more traffic nearby. I lunged him each day he's been there - he's been walking around, and he's getting much better. He's really antsy in the cross-ties, but I think it's just because there's so much to look at. Someone was jumping on Sunday, so I turned one jump into a little lunging jump, and he did FABULOUS! He also liked having something extra to think about - he was able to focus and not look around so much.
I'm going to work with the new farrier to get his feet back in shape. I didn't notice until this week, but the farrier we were using cut his feet too short and small. I think that's why he hasn't been able to move out in the front.
Poor Mercury had abscesses in both front feet that burst last week. He got really, suddenly lame on the left front, and the next day Dr. Mike came out and started that abscess draining. Then the next day, the farrier (two weeks late) was out, and his hoof that has been without a shoe for six weeks had a HUGE abscess. It was a ton of blood and pus. So he is sans shoes on both front feet, now three weeks overdue to have his feet done, and I am soaking every day in betadine and epsom salts. They are still soft, so it is at least another week before he gets shoes back on.
I've put him back on biotin, and once his feet are totally healed, he'll get pads on the front at least to keep this from happening again.
Next weekend I'll take pictures of them in their new home. It's a very professionally run barn, and I'm looking forward to being able to ride them both again. I won't be able to show this year, but if I can sell or lease Mercury, I hope that next spring I can buy a truck and trailer and show next season.

Hivey McHivealot

Yesterday Willig started on Platinum - the performance and allergy supplements. He started equi-derm at the beginning of the week.
His hives look a lot better. They are almost gone on his body (though there's a few small ones), but he has a fair amount on his neck. There are lots of them, but they are small.
Some hair is falling out on his legs from the swelling over the weekend, but the swelling has gone down. Yesterday he was feeling really energetic.

Riding = Physics

Today's epiphany was that riding in the history of my life has been very much like physics in the history of my life.
My dad, the physicist, is naturally good at physics. My trainer, the best rider I've ever known, is naturally good at riding. (Though they both might argue that it took them lots of work over lots of time to get "naturally good".) Which means as I struggle along with them, I get frustrated and cry easily. For both. Which is embarrassing, now that I'm over 30.
Like physics, I have to struggle very hard at riding to "get" a certain concept, and once I get it, my only reward is to get another glimpse of how much more there is to get. I will never be a physicist, nor a professional rider.
Unlike physics, an object in motion, especially if it is Mercury, does not tend to stay in motion.
However, very much like what I think are quarks, when riding Willig, I tend to either know the velocity or the location of him, which is to say, I can either steer OR go the proper speed, but not both at the same time.
For both though, as with anything that takes effort, the rewards, though they may be few and far between, certainly make me feel I have earned them.

1/13 - Willig Lesson - Lunge, Ground Poles, and Prednisolone

We started today's lesson intending to have Bob watch me lunge Willig to see why he still doesn't listen and doesn't move forward. Since I couldn't get him to do either (in a spectacularly failing way), Bob came out to "get him to pay attention" and then Willig started to act up. We punched new holes in his cavesson, because it has been twisting and the outside rubs near his eye.
Then Bob set up a little jump (less than 2 feet) and lunged him over it a few times.
Willig did that pretty well.
Then I got on, and Bob set out four ground poles (the raised ones) where we spectacularly smashed around. Alice and Debbie were watching, and I got frustrated and started crying.
I asked Bob to do it, so I could watch to see what he did differently. While Willig tapped one every once in a while, he did not smash through them like with me.
I didn't learn what Bob was trying to teach me, but I did learn by watching Bob. He does his half halts much stronger than I do, and he says it's because he rides with a loose outside rein except for when he's half halting. I ride with constant contact, and a light half halt. So that was pretty interesting.
Bob doesn't think he was worked much over ground poles before. He seemed puzzled by them, but curious and with a good personality about figuring it out.
After Bob walked Willig around a few minutes, he asked him to trot again, and Willig almost bucked him off. It was the hugest buck I've ever seen. I don't know how Bob stayed on.
So then Bob had to ride him, do some trot and walk and canter to make sure he was behaving. He tried to buck again at the canter, but Bob was ready for it.
So I'm frustrated. The hives aren't going away and we have no idea what's causing them. Every time we drop the prednisolone down, they blast back into existence. And two people now have told me the human version makes them all aggressive and agitated, which I think is happening to Willig too.
I feel like every time I work with him, it's just more problems. I know I've progressed a lot from when I started with him a few months ago, but am I progressing fast enough, or am I ruining him in the meantime? It's helpful to see him act up with Bob, because Bob is basically a genius, so no wonder I feel frustrated, but it's a question of why he's acting up. Because I don't know what I'm doing? Because he's testing his boundaries? Because of the prednisolone?
And Mercury is still lame.
Chiropractor comes Tuesday, and I'm calling vet Monday about allergy tests.
So this week I am working on:
Lunge line - no "warm-up" time where I let him look around - he starts working with the first trot. When he ignores me or goes too slow, make the lunge line shorter so I am closer with the whip, and then go after him until he does it properly. Bob showed me what a "proper" trot looks like on the lunge line, so I need to try to remember that.
Riding - more riding, soft hands that are bossy and firm about commands, and keep the impulsion.
We looked at the 1st level tests, and I think Bob can probably ride that starting in Feb/March.

1/5/08 - Inside hand, Return of the Whip, Shows

This lesson started with my question about open hips - is it "right" to have hips that move like a nordic track (i.e. the two seat bones slide backward and forward like your feet on a nordic track) or it is right to have a soft belly and your hips sort of roll forward and move with the horse? Bob said it is moving WITH the horse that is correct. Pushing your seat bones backwards and forwards, especially when you do them one at a time, makes the horse off balance. You follow the horse, except when you are driving him with your seat, in which case you push, but you push equally with both sides. So even though I have felt both Willig and Mercury step bigger and out when I am moving my seat (nordic track), I am actually making them have to balance themselves.
The soft belly is easy to do when I am relaxed and laughing, but when I focus and try to do it, it goes away.

Miracle #2 from today's lesson was using my inside hand. I complained that I am still having trouble getting Willig to bend to the inside. It turns out it's because I leave my inside rein loose and floppy, so each half halt to the outside is actually turning his head to the outside. Duh. This will work well with last lesson's trick of holding onto the saddle pad - so long as I also keep the inside rein tight enough, we'll solve the head to the outside problem.

Willig has been a little slow - I thought it was because Bob was working him, and Bob thinks it is partly becuase of all the meds for the hives. So today we returned to the whip. There are two things I learned - first, keep the whip to the inside, because I have the rail on the outside to keep him in line. Second, use the whip on his shoulder (and tell him with a light tap that I have it), instead of on his butt. That prevents me from pulling on the rein when I move my hand back to tap him.

So, again today I begged Bob to stop because my brain was full. I already am almost at capacity with all the things I have to remember just to ride him around, so I can really only take one new thing per lesson to work on.

The most important thing to do right now is maintain his impulsion, because once he loses that we will have problems. For example, if I use my legs all the time, even when he's already moving forward, he'll start to ignore my legs and then when Bob uses his legs before an enormous jump, Willig will ignore him. So I also worked on holding my leg out stiff and not using them to tell him to go. He responded really well to the whip, but I had problems getting my legs to obey me, just like with the tap lesson.

We also talked about show expectations. Bob wants to take him to a couple at novice, then ride him training level next summer at the recognized shows. The following year, he wants to take him prelim.

Once again, the hives are almost completely gone. I thought they looked a little worse on Thursday, then better Friday, and almost gone today. The vet had us increase his pills from 10 to 15, twice a day, and I am supposed to call her Monday to tell her how he is and find out what to do next. I hope we can start cutting him back. We are going to put him on garlic and rosehips, Missing Link, and then have a homeopathic remedy. It's almost time for him to start eating oats anyway.

They're baaaccckkk

The hives came back today. There's only a few and they're really small, but they were not there yesterday. They are worse on his right side and they are primarily on his neck, although there's a few on his butt.

1/1/08 - Ringing in the New Year With a Tap Lesson

I had two problems in my one ride between lessons. Willig quit trotting when we were going across the diagonal about 20 minutes into our ride and I couldn't get him to go again (until he felt like it), and then the canter was a fiasco.
We didn't get to cantering today because there was a scary spot on the wall, and we worked on going past the scary spot. The breakthrough came when Bob realized that when he says "tap" I squeeze, which is, surprisingly to me, not the same thing.
A tap is an actual, honest to god, leg away from the horse then back on the horse, TAP.
A squeeze is when your leg doesn't lift up, even if you pinch with your knees and lift your heel up.
So after 10 times past the spot and me squeezing and Willig moving away from the wall, we did ONE time with the tap method and he stayed right on the rail. Perfectly.
It sounds simple, but I then proceeded to lose control of my body and my leg wouldn't obey me for the difference between tap and squeeze and I begged Bob not to add anything more becuase merely controlling my leg (on top of the other things I still have to think about) is more than enough until Saturday's lesson.
We tried on the saddle that one of the other boarders is selling, and although it is really nice and a Stubben, I didn't like the way it makes your leg hang, and it was too big for me, and wasn't a perfect fit for Willig. I need to get him two saddles though, so I can stop using Bob's. (And his own bridle and cavesson and etc. etc.)
I had to put a "stretchie" on his chest. His blanket is rubbing two bare spots on his shoulders. Fortunately, the one I had for Mercury fit him.
He's been very good about taking his meds. The vet cut them back since he responded so well to the dexamethazone. He is now getting 10 tablets twice a day for 5 days, then 10 tablets once a day for 5 days. I grind them in a mortar and pestle, then add warm water, then add apple juice. Today I stupidly gave it to him when he had hay in his mouth, so some hay and some meds came flying out, but not that much.
Alice and I talked about putting him on some herbs when we start giving him oats (when he actually starts working, which should be in the next month or so because Bob said the dressage shows start in February). Right now I am thinking: missing link, garlic & kelp, and an immunity mix.
Bob thinks he can ride 1st level and maybe 2nd level (with Bob), and then I hope I can ride him training level (if we keep working on the canter).
Also, Mercury is lame - no swelling, no heat, no tenderness, but I saw him bob a little yesterday and today it was much worse. I'm going to walk him only the next few days and see what happens. I'm guessing that Bob's prediction, like all his others (rubbing his head during a dressage test; stall guards break and horses can run loose at shows being two prior accurate predictions), came true, and he slipped running around when it was cold when I turned him out yesterday.

12/30/07 Lesson - first time riding in two weeks

I lunged Willig, then Bob rode him about 15 minutes to "prep" him (my parents were here watching), then I rode him. About 10 minutes in, I was pouring sweat and exhausted. We went about 10 more minutes, but then I had to ask Bob to stop the lesson early because I was getting so tired. It's weird, because he's so smooth to ride, but I still get tired. Bob said it's because I'm tense and holding my muscles rigid.
Anyway, we worked on the same stuff: head bent to inside, ask for bend with outside rein half halts, ask ahead of the corners, add inside leg and keep impulsion and consistent movement through corners, don't lift my heels and squeeze as I get tired, sit in the canter, yell at him if he's bad.
I had a few questions, and Bob taught me a new fabulous trick. The trick was to hold onto the saddle pad with my inside hand to prevent it from moving around. It made a huge, immediate difference in the way Willig moved, but also in how I felt. I am relying a LOT on that hand, which shouldn't be moving.
My questions were about my back hurting when I ride (becuase I slouch and bend forward, and his big movement jars my back - I need to improve my posture), and I have been wrapping the lunge line around my hand (bad, I know) and when he jerks, how do I keep it from squeezing my hand (tie a knot in the end instead so it slides through my hand and stops at the knot).
It felt like a really good lesson, and I'm really looking forward to working him again. I have learned a lot the past couple weeks with the lunge line, but we're both getting bored.
The dexamethazone cleared up the hives right away. He has a couple tiny spots, but looks fabulous.

New Willig Photos

Willig and the Mystery of the Hives

I have been reading the Harry Potter books, which I can not wait to finish (I am not really a Harry Potter fan, though to the fans' credit, they're probably a lot less repetitive read one per year.) Anyway, hence, the title of this entry.

Willig has hives. Mysterious hives. They started with a couple bumps on Monday the 10th. Wednesday the 12th I started taking his temperature. Saturday the 15th I quit riding him because they looked like they would be uncomfortable under the saddle and girth. About Wed the 19th they started going down. Friday the 21st they were mostly gone on his body (with some "ripples") but a lot on his neck and some edema on his belly. Then on Thursday the 27th the small bumps reappeared, like they did on the 10th. The progression was small soft bump, hard small bump, flat round bump, bump with a depression in the middle, then spreading bump (for each one). They started on his butt and moved up to his neck, with only a few on his face and none on his lower legs. They never oozed or anything gross like that.

The vet came out last night, said she had no idea, and this is our approach:

Friday the 28th - 2 packets of dexamethazone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexamethasone) - I am mixing it with water (today I'll try oil) and syringing it since he doesn't eat grain, and to make sure he gets it all

Sat 29th - 2 packets dexamethazone

Sun 30th - 2 packet dexamethazone

Dec 31st - Jan 4th - 20 tablets twice a day for five days of prednisolone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prednisolone)

Jan 5 - 9 - 10 tablets twice a day for 5 days of prednisolone

Jan 10 - Feb 10 - 10 tablets once a day for 30 days of prednisolone

Then we tackle the environment:

Alice ordered different sawdust; we did have fir, which is supposed to be the least allergenic, and I think now it's aspen. This started last night.

Feb 11 - 18 - soak his hay

Feb 19 - 26 - buy new (presumably more expensive) hay

Feb 27 - March 4 - no hay - give him equine senior

March 5 - 12 - new sawdust (probably the bagged stuff)

March 13 - 20 - no blanket

March 21 - 28 - no carrots

Beyond that, I don't know what we'll try.

12/8/07 - Dressage lesson on Willig

We are making baby steps forward.
Earlier in the week, I boasted that I no longer needed my magic circle, like Dumbo realized he no longer needed his magic feather. However, I was the dumbo, and was simply reverting back to my old patterns.
Alice spent some time with me Thursday, then Bob spent some time working on lunging at the start of my lesson. It's very hard and frustrating, and right now, Willig isn't respecting me, and I end up following him, rather than pushing him forward. I got overwhelmed with the tips, so this week I am working on a couple more things, then next week I'll add a little more to my lunging repetoire.
Under saddle we made some more inching progress. Bob let me canter, which put my body in "fear" mode- locked up and rigid. Bob said I looked like someone from the special olympics - I was so excited but bouncing up and down in the saddle. It was another humbling, yet amazing, experience.
This week I am working on tiny canters (half circles), and then the same as last week - being consistent and working on improvements to position for both of us.
Riding Mercury now feels so weird. He feels so, so, almost unbearably slow, yet he has some ways he is so much better than Willig so it's kind of a relief not to have to think of so much while I ride.
Willig is playing with his jolly ball. He likes to throw it outside his stall into the aisle. Today he threw it into the pasture.

12/1 - Dressage Lesson on Willig

I will be riding Willig this week, and focusing on only a few things:
1. Keep him moving forward - don't lose impulsion
2. Keep him bent to the inside - because he's young, he wants to throw his head to the outside to keep his balance, and we don't want that habit to develop
3. Keep him paying attention to me - talk to him, half halts on the outside, lots of changes
And everything else: head set, legs off, no following hands, etc. etc.
Next week Bob thinks he should start jumping him, so he doesn't get bored.

Bob lunged him for me because I was afraid of making my shoulder hurt again (Thursday and Friday I suffered from what may have been a pinched nerve). Willig was acting up because it was cold (it's snowing!) and he had Friday off, and at one point, in slow motion, and very gracefully, he fell down. He got right back up and kept cantering like nothing happened.

We also talked about next season for shows. Bob thinks we should do a couple dressage shows, and that he should ride him Training level at the recognized Lincoln Creek show. I said that was fine, if he's ready. There are a lot of registrations I need to do. I'd like to take him to some day Dressage shows and ride him Training and have Bob ride him 1st or 2nd level in the spring. Then, if he's progressing, we'll go to the local unrecognized shows and derbies, and I'll ride Mercury and Bob can ride Willig at Novice or Training - whatever is appropriate.

Then Bob told me the story of German Christmas, which was very unlike American Christmas. From the web:
Also, in Germany Knecht Ruprecht and his helpers come on the 6th of December. German version of Santa who carries a switch to beat the bad children.

Getting to Yes - in riding

I was reading the famous Getting to Yes book today in preparation for a big negotiation. Towards the end of the book, interestingly, in the section about risk, there were some sentences that really seemed applicable to the current situation with Willig. I'm quoting them below.
"Make an investment. Some people play tennis all their lives but never get better. Those people are not willing to take a fresh look at what they do or to consider changing it. Good players recognize that getting better often means making an investment in new approaches. For a while they may get worse as they wrestle with new and unfamiliar techniques, but eventually they surpass their old plateau. The new techniques offer more long-term potential."
"Review your performance. Schedule time to think about how you did after each significant negotiation. What worked? What did not? What might you have done differently? Consider keeping a negotiation journal or diary, which you can reread periodically." (Or a blog!)
"Prepare! In many ways, negotiation is like athletics: Some people have more natural talent, and like the best athletes, they may gain the most from preparation, practice, and coaching. Yet those with less natural talent have more need for preparation, practice, and feedback, and much to gain by it. Whichever you are, there is much to learn, and hard work will pay off. It is up to you."

More Mercury

Dave's photos of Mercury playing

If these were in focus, they would show that Mercury is both athletic and graceful.

Instead, he looks slightly like a terrifying monster.

Two more Willig lessons - 11/23 & 24

Thanksgiving has so far been very educational, but extremely frustrating. After my big night with Alice and the lunge line, I got some things, but other, bigger, more obvious things (like getting him to trot) escaped me.
So my first lesson, Friday, we started out with Bob watching me lunge. I learned two huge things (in addition to everything Alice taught me). First, today when I lunged, I drew a circle in the center of the arena where Bob's feet were yesterday when he lunged Willig. Then I stayed inside the circle when I lunged Willig, which helped so much because it was one less thing I had to think about. (I mean, I still had to watch and stay in the circle, but I didn't have to think about where I was in the arena in relation to Willig). That helped a huge amount. Second, when he is bad - I step outside the magic circle and pop him on the butt with the whip. That usually puts him back in an obeying frame of mind for several minutes. I was able to do walk, trot, and canter successfully both directions. Then, when I warmed up Mercury for Dave's lesson, I was able to lunge Mercury very well. So that felt tremendous.
But yesterday, after struggling around, I asked Bob to ride. Today, 5 minutes in, I started crying and refused to ride the rest of the lesson. So Bob rode and made Willig look amazingly fabulous. I've been all weird and easy to set off all week, but it was irritating to me (and probably Bob too).
What set me off is that Bob said that Willig is not "maintaining" at his current level. In the two weeks I've had him (most of which has been walking or lunging), he has started to develop an awful lot of bad habits. Bob is worried that he is going to be hard to fix if we use him as my "learning" horse, and he thinks he has the potential to go Intermediate or maybe even Advanced. He said he's my horse and I get to choose what to do with him, but I don't know what's best, and I have a pretty limited budget until Mercury sells.
Mercury, by the way, had a beginner lesson for Dave, and both Bob and I were very impressed with how patient he was during it.
Anyway, to help me think about it, here are the options I can see:
A. Sell Willig now. Buy a horse that is more "in between" Willig's potential and Mercury. (i.e. not so much potential but already trained)
B. Pay for a couple months of training with Bob working Willig only (or me riding lessons on Willig), and then if Bob feels he is more consistent, start riding again in the spring. Practice on Mercury.
I think this was Bob's choice, but I could ride other times if he or Alice was watching me. He also suggested that I take him to some dressage shows in the spring to get him used to show grounds. He said he's not ready to jump without learning bad habits because he's scared to be off the rail and doesn't know how to balance himself in the canter, so he'll get scared of the fences. He already said he'll need studs for the xc because our ground is clay.
C. Pay for a couple months of 1/2 time training with Bob working Willig, and me lunging and working my way up in lessons. I don't mind lunging and walking a couple more weeks while Bob gets him tuned up.
What I am afraid of is that with either B or C, I'll have to learn that I can't ride. Maybe I am good enough on Mercury, but just not going to cut it on a "real" horse. I know that the road is steep, and it's even harder to work with a youngster instead of a school master, but in the long run, if I can do it without ruining him, I'll be a lot better rider.
But Bob seemed to think there's a chance my bad habits will ruin him - will turn him into another Mercury, or keep him at the Novice level. Then again, Mercury has come a long way from where I got him, but he never had the potential Willig does.
So I'm not sure what to do. I'm leaning towards C, but remaining open to adjusting. I think if things haven't improved for me after a few months, I'll have to sell him, but if I quit riding or try to find a more suitable horse, I don't know.
So it's another week where Bob kept me humble, I learned a lot, but I didn't learn what I wanted to (i.e. that I'm a natural and totally fabulous).

Willig pics cont

Marginally better pictures of Willig

There's even a lot to learn in lunging!

I had to stop by stores for my final T-giving shopping tonight, so Willig was going to get lunged, and Mercury was going to get off scot-free. Tomorrow the kittens get spayed (and are way, way overdue by their behavior), so tomorrow night both horses get the night off while I protect the kittens from Kappa the bounty hunter.
Fortunately for me, but not fortunately for my ego, Alice was out. I asked her to let me know whenever she saw me do something wrong. Turns out - after all these years - I have no idea how to lunge a horse, and tonight I just learned how little I know. I knew I was missing something, from watching Bob lunge and lunging Mercury, but I couldn't figure out what I wasn't doing. Turns out - almost everything, and certainly all the same things I do on their back.
I'm going to make an analogy to the law, which probably most people will be fortunate enough not to get. But all lawyers - no matter how brilliant - face a steep learning curve when they start to work. For some people, it might only be a few months; for others, a few years. But it is frustrating, steep, seemingly impossible at times, and it turns out, just as I am beginning to level out just a tiny bit in the law, I am now facing that same learning curve with Willig.
My ferrari/beetle bug analogy, my riding a rainbow vs. a 2x4 analogy - all those still apply. Willig is so nuanced.
This is what one minute of the 30 painful minutes I'm out there is like:
Willig: (turns head towards me) What the hell are you doing?
Me: Why is he looking at me? Did I just do something wrong? Oh shit!
Willig: Well, now she's yanking on my mouth and popping the whip at the same time. Which one should I do?
Me: Why isn't he responding? Did I just do something wrong? Oh shit!
Willig: I guess I'll just stop until she figures it out.
Me: Why is he stopping? Did I just do something wrong? Oh shit!
So - Alice taught me to keep my hands down low and still. Move towards him (this one was hard) but don't push him into the walls. Don't ever pull on my hand and tell him to go forward at the same time. React quicker - when he is about to hesitate, push him forward. Use my voice - use my voice - use my voice. Face his middle - not in front of him and not totally behind him. Move with him, but don't shove him into the walls or make a square "circle". Use a half halt. Make him obey. If he doesn't whoa, make him whoa. Don't let him walk into me in the center. Don't follow him (I lead, not him). Don't ever, ever chase him. Repeat commands if he doesn't do it the first time.
And, horrors, when he goes crazy, make him whoa, put him back to what he was doing, and then whoa him and calm things down. And then do it again, properly.
There are probably like 100 little steps I have already forgotten, and this was just Alice watching me for a little while. My lunging improved so much, just from that little bit of help.
For a few precious steps at trot, we got good movement. But it was like being on every second I was out there. And everything happened too fast for me because there were too many bad habits to change at once. And Willig got frustrated.
He is going to be a great teacher if we can make it through this steep part of the learning curve. He is so amazing. I know so little and have so many bad habits, and it is just repeat, repeat, repeat 100 times and then add something new and start over.
Alice and Bob know so much. I am just in awe all the time. I just hope I can adapt and learn and live up to Willig's potential.

Also, Willig doesn't photograph well (like his mom!)

First two Willig lessons - 11/17 & 18

Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Willig is completely different to ride than any horse I have ever ridden before. His movement is huge (and it's only around 60% of how he should move, according to Bob), and it is so soft and comfortable. He is truly a ferrari compared to beetlebug Mercury.
However, because he's so far out of my league, I am once again learning how to ride again. Alice said I have to learn eventually, but today, during the second lesson, it was really frustrating. He gets bored easily, frustrated if I don't do things exactly right, and irritable about me trying the same thing over and over. All we did yesterday and today was walk and trot (after the lunge line), and today the trot just slipped further and further from my grasp.
I don't even want to relive the agony of the lesson by typing it - I just want the message that there's nowhere to go but up, and it is a big, steep hill ahead of me - to get through.
It was the same problems I have with Mercury, only going a lot faster (with bigger steps) and with far more delicate controls. I overcompensated many times.
I love Willig. He is amazing, and I am going to learn so much, and it is going to be so cool to be able to learn so much more from Bob, but I am completely humbled and awed and the task is going to be arduous.

I bought a new horse!

Bob went to California to look at him. He should be here on Thursday. I am so excited.

His owner has some other horses for sale: http://thedressagearena.com/

10/13/07 - Another great dressage lesson

I had a few questions for Bob to start off the lesson.
First, when I give Mercury a few days off, then ride him, he's all peppy and easy to ride. I wanted to know if this was mental or physical, i.e. if I rode him harder, would he get in shape and then be peppy more often when I ride him, or is it that he needs a longer "mental" break between rides. Bob thinks I should ride him longer and longer, but continue to give him one or two days off a week.
Second, I had a dumb question about switching the whip from side to side and what you do in a show since you can't switch the whip. Bob said you carry it on the side that gives you the most trouble.
Third, this week when I worked on having relaxed, moving hips, I could feel Mercury take big giant swinging steps. Since there was such an immediate, "feelable" response, I figured I must be doing something wrong. Bob said nope, that's how much your hips can put the brakes on your horse.
Fourth, Mercury likes to put his head to the outside, especially when we're going counterclockwise. Bob said to check his teeth, and possibly he needs the chiropractor again. He's due for a teeth floating anyway.
I had a few others, but I've forgotten them now.
Today we continued to improve my position. We worked in a nice frame in the trot, not quite enough impulsion, but a good effort from Mercury. Then Bob had me sit up a little bit more straight and upright (which to me feels like crazy leaning back with my legs out in front of me, but when I looked down, my heels/hips/shoulders were still in line) and wow - what a difference it made. I rode him in sitting trot and canter in this "new" position, and it was so easy to keep my butt down in the saddle. It wasn't an effort at all.
It seems like a little bit, but it's definitely going to take some work to retrain my body for this position. Then again, everything Bob has told me has worked wonders, even when it feels weird to me at first, and after enough time, it starts to feel normal, and my old, comfortable way feels weird.
This one, from the feet up, is, light contact and weight in my heels, toes pointed straight forward. Knees closed, but not gripping so tight it lifts my lower leg. Hips open and moving with Mercury. Shoulders rolled back (straight up and down, not bent over with a rounded belly). Head looking 40' in front of Mercury, not down.
We also talked about hands following Mercury's mouth, because this is one I still can't feel. That's because I'm looking for the wrong thing. By following, I thought it meant backwards and forwards, but it also means up and down, like a piston pumping. And another trick is (now I'm wearing grippy gloves), to close my thumb on the reins, but not clamp down so hard it makes my arm tense (and thus, my shoulders, and then they round, and then I do the round belly again).
My old trainers also taught me to follow the horse's mouth, but I think it is maybe the style of riding. In dressage, you don't want to follow the horse's mouth, though there is a tiny amount of movement in each gait. Jumpers, you need to keep your contact, but you've got some more room. I don't think I give my lessons justice - some of this is really hard to put into words, and "follow the mouth" is one of those examples. Then again, my earlier trainers also taught me to ride with my toes pointed at 45 degrees, which opens my knees and lets my lower leg swing all around.
As always, I learned a lot more that I'll remember when I practice riding, and once again, I am floored by how much Bob knows and how well he conveys it during a lesson.

10/6/07 - Dressage lesson

This lesson started off with Bob asking me what I'm going to do with Mercury. I said I didn't know. I haven't made much of an effort to sell him, and I don't really want to in case things work out with the current boyfriend and I can keep him as my second (trail) horse. Bob offered to get one of his horses ready for me to ride, and then I can keep saving my money for a nice horse until I find one, which is really generous of him.
This lesson we focused on just a few things, but the same old: my position (more on this in a second), keeping my hands still (not following his mouth), and getting him to move right out and respond right away to transitions.
What I'm supposed to practice this week is my position and snappy transitions.
My position needs a lot of work. What I don't do is move my hips - I move my upper body and think I'm moving my hips. But when I do relax and open them and move with Mercury, my upper body goes all crazy. I have to think of it like this: above my waist is a statue, including my hands; below my knee is a statue (and I need to point my toes more straight ahead (90 degrees) and not at an angle (45 degrees).) This alone felt weird enough to be worth a few weeks work, though I could immediately see how it would make a difference because it opens my knees and lets things flop around. It is also yet another repeat of the I need to FEEL it, not rote do it.
Bob said it's a good idea to keep him fit and keep him working and not worry too much about the future right now. He doesn't want me to get in a rush and buy another problem horse, then burn out and get frustrated and stop riding.

Mercury is for sale

Bob and I talked at the last lesson, and agreed that I should start looking to move up, and it would be more efficient to have Mercury in a home that was planning on staying Novice or lower longer. I want to maximize learning from Bob, though I'm sorry that I can't afford to have two horses.
If anyone reading this blog is interested in him, or knows someone who might be, please drop me a comment and I can email copies of the ad. I do not have a video.

16.1 hand Thoroughbred
1994 Bay Gelding
Two years of eventing; consistently places 1st – 3rd, good with water, ditches, and banks;
doesn’t refuse, easy to handle, well-behaved, good-natured, trailers, bathes, sweet & willing
Suitable as dressage or trail horse
Needs attentive home
Good for Beginner Novice or Novice rider; not suitable for higher competition

$4,500

I also figured I might as well sell the horse trailer at the same time.

Horse trailer for sale - $1,000

2 horse straight load

Dressage lesson - 9/12/07

Bob is busy the next few weekends, so I switched my lessons to Wednesday evenings. The chiropractor was out first, and he worked on my dog, Odin, and then Mercury. They both had some of the same areas tight, which was interesting. It always makes a big difference after he works on them - I can feel it in Mercury and see it in Odin. Poor Odin was really out of whack, which probably explains why he's been so slow and down in the dumps.
On Monday, Mercury pulled a shoe while I was riding him (he stumbled, lost his balance, and felt like he twisted his legs up), but the farrier was out this morning and got it back on.
My lesson was good. I had another "duh" moment. I told Bob about two simple things that are turning into big problems - reins slipping through my fingers and use of the whip. The rein thing is so simple I feel like an idiot for even typing it. Your thumb is your stopper. I always use my fingers, but I naturally hold them kind of loose, so I'm always having to tighten the reins back up. Thumbs tight. The whip is a little different - it is too long and heavy, so it doesn't balance properly in my hand. When I used Bob's whip last week, it was so easy to use. So quality matters.
We did the regular old walk/trot/canter, focusing on transitions and not letting Mercury lift his head (into canter) or plummet down (into trot), and trying to keep the impulsion coming from behind instead of hauling himself forward with his front legs.
For me, it is roll my shoulders to pull them back, lean back, and think about moving only my hips, not my upper body. I'm also pulling up my heels and my hands still move too much.
We did Beginner Novice Test A a couple of times, and I tried to correct things as fast as Bob saw them.
I can feel the difference from three lessons ago to now with the half halts, but I still don't do them enough. It's improving though, and I can feel better when Mercury is doing it properly.

More jump lesson photos

Jump lesson photos

9/08/07 - Jump lesson

I accidentally posted this on on the dog blog:
We had an outside jump lesson today which went really well.
The big thing I have to keep in mind is to **ride** Mercury.
I get lazy or nervous or distracted, and I forget to tell him what to do, and then something falls apart.
Other than that, it's pretty easy:
Sit before the fence
Keep my legs down and closed
Hands forward; don't jerk back too soon
Ride defensively (knees closed, lean back, don't throw reins away)
Half halt before the fence
Keep his impulsion going
Trot after the fence
I think that's pretty much jumping 101.

9/1/07 - Dressage and Lunge Lesson

This was a great lesson, but had a very frustrating beginning. We started on the lunge line. Bob did a few minutes, where Mercury stretched and had impulsion and just zipped around in a perfect circle. Then I got out there and wanted to fall down crying because I couldn't get him to move forward, or stop, or stay on his circle. So this needs lots and lots of work. Bob says until I get him to respect me on the ground, he's not going to respect me under saddle. The difference between his reactions to Bob and me were amazing - from outside the arena Bob would tell Mercury what to do and he'd do it!
Then I rode him, for my three problem areas from this week: bend, lack of movement forward, and spooking at things.
Spooking was the easiest to resolve, with keeping him so busy he doesn't have time to pay attention to the scary thing. And for me to stay calm and not anticipate.
Bend was fairly easily resolved. I bent him to the inside, kept him on the rail with inside leg, moved him forward with outside leg and crop, and half halted on the outside rein. We were good at the walk and trot to the left (counter clockwise), but not as good to the right, and it turns out that's because I'm right-handed.
Moving forward took some effort. I have to consciously think about leg at the same time as each half halt, and then we went back to riding with the crop for reinforcement when he ignores my leg. And every once in while I yell and surprise him.
It seemed so simple while Bob was out there. We did a little bit of canter, and it was the same, keep the bend, half halt and leg at the same time, sit, sit, sit.
It actually felt really satisfying and good at the end - he was really moving in a great frame.

8/25/07 Lesson - first lesson in almost three months!

We finally made it through my job being crazy, Bob training, Mercury's injury, and Bob training again - all leading up to the spectacular culmination of my first lesson in three months. And in contrast to my hopeful dreams - that all I needed was someone else to train my horse - it still hinges on me.
First - the amazing changes! I could feel how round Mercury was. It was like sitting on top of a rainbow instead of on a swing. He also moved in these big sweeping steps, and amazingly, it made him easier to ride. In the trot, he pushed me up and out of the saddle, and it was so much less work than posting up, trying to pull his back up with me. He was so balanced in the corners and on circles. No more 8' 2x4 going around a corner, this was a well-oiled machine. I didn't have to lean, or lift my shoulder up, or look down - we just coasted around the corners. And at the beginning, he was "coiled" - I could feel how the impulsion was coming more from behind, and how he was on the bit and not fighting me with his head. He's also riding with his flash two holes looser because it turns out my hard hands pull all the time.
Mind you - all of this is a mere two weeks of work with Bob - the first few days of which he only lunged! I am awed.
Ok, so our theme is "a new beginning." I'm pretending like I don't know anything, in an attempt to not start back up with my bad habits again. This pretension utterly failed.
My right leg flopped around like a wet noodle. I had almost no control over it. I even lost my stirrup once.
I leaned forward, I stuck my arms straight out in front of me like they were the arms of a wheelbarrow. We zoomed around the ring, and within seconds my legs were screaming, and they were useless little sticks to kick him forward.
I am not going to detail every single thing that felt wrong with me. It was a lot. It was depressing and discouraging and frustrating. I thought I would get on Mercury and we would just sail around and I would give up on ever doing the work myself and just cave in to always having a trainer clean up my horse. Instead, once again, it's the hard way for me.
This week I am working on walk, trot, peppy transitions, and a crisp halt.
I need to:
Hold my shoulders back - don't round them or slouch
Keep my upper body still - move with my hips, not my shoulders
Keep my elbows next to my hips - not like I'm waterskiing
Keep him bent to the inside
Half halts, half halts, half halts. Half halts coming into corners. Half halts when he starts to feel stretched out. Half halts to keep him on the bit. Half halts before we circle. Half halts for the hell of half halting.
Keep him MOVING. When I ask for a trot, he needs to leap out into a trot. Our new count for the beams in the barn is 16. 15 is just flying. 16 is our maximum.
Don't let him stretch out. This is going to be the hardest.
Don't hang on my hands. Half halt, let go.
In the transition from walk-trot, put my hands forward for a step so that I don't pull on his mouth and make him jerk his head in the air.
Let him rest a few minutes every 10-15 minutes of work.
Pet him while I'm working him so I don't knot up my hands.
Talk to him (nicely) and yell at him when he's bad.

Bob says he's definitely going to be able to do novice, but he's not sure it's worth the time to ride him up to training. He's worth at least what I paid for him. He said he's a good horse to keep the next couple years because I can keep learning a lot from him.
I don't think I'm going to show him again this year. I was thinking the final Happ's derby, but I'm too scared to ride Beginner Novice again, and I don't want to go back down to Hopeful.
Bob also said that his left hind leg does not move as far forward as his right. He said that we need some natural anti-inflammatories. However, Alice pointed out that he had almost three months off, then got ridden intensely for two weeks.

Alice suggested maybe the next lesson should start with a lunge. I need to learn how to lunge him better, and it might help me to ride on the lunge to concentrate on maintaining the feeling instead of going back to our lazy ways.

Mercury goes back to work today!

After what feels like agonizing months (oh wait, it was) of not riding, Mercury is heading back to work today. He's got two weeks of his month in training left with Bob, because he only made it two weeks before he pulled a shoe and then hurt himself. Alice said Bob will probably lunge him the first few days to get him listening and also why fight when you don't need to (a very good point that wouldn't have occurred to me).
He had no bandage last week, but turn out, and the wound closed up completely. You can hardly tell it was there now.
Yesterday, when I turned him out, he decided to act like my great dane (Stampy, who is just over one, and who goes crazy when we get into the wide open pasture and tears around with his lips flapping).
He reared straight up about 5 times and kicked his front legs out in the air in front of him. He did a 90 degree turn in the air with all four legs off the ground. He lept over things unnecessarily. He tore around and skidded to a halt. He jumped up and down in the air. He bucked about a million times. He'd be running and a leg would shoot out behind him.
Alice said he's showing off for Zenith (one of Kim's horses), who isn't interested in him. He only does it for about 5 minutes, then he eats grass until you put him back inside. He's a bit of a doofus.
I am still hoping we can make it to the final Happ's Derby (end of September), even if we have to go down a level and ride Hopeful again. But what might be more useful is if Bob will ride him that entire show. I've got to see how the next couple weeks go, then ask Bob about it. I've been taking a summer class, so my schedule actually stays pretty booked the next couple weeks until it ends. I think if I can get back into regular riding (and who knows how far I will have backslid with over two months off and only intermittent riding before that - I am definitely very, very out of shape), then we just need next season to get him used to the showing. That's what's got me nervous though - he gets excited, and the only way to practice is to take him places that get him excited.
Stay tuned! Hopefully fascinating progress coming soon. I have "cabin fever" from not riding so long ....

Mercury got injured

I had a lot of work stuff going on, then on my one week vacation, Mercury cut his fetlock open. Just below the place it bends, so it's taking forever to heal. He's on his third week of stall rest, with at least one more, possibly two or more, to come.
That knocks us out of the next three or four shows, and I'm not even sure we'll be ready by the end of September, when the last couple end.
It feels like it has been months since I've ridden. I'm starting to go a little crazy, because I'm supposed to get busy again next week at work until November, and it's a bummer that my three weeks "off" (with a normal work schedule), all I do is take Mercury out and watch him eat grass.

June 9 - Bob Rides Mercury

Bob is an amazing rider. He's so still - everything is still - and then everything moves in harmony. It is just so fluid.
He rode Mercury today - a real challenge. Last week after the jumping lesson and the head tossing and the new hole in the flash, I rode Mercury on Sunday. I don't remember it being particularly exciting, but I was trying to be careful until I had another lesson. Little did I know that fate would conspire to keep me from creating more bad habits by drowning me in work all week.
So Bob got to ride Mercury today after a week of no riding at all (not even lunging), and with his new bad attitude. Of course, Mercury looked better (at his worst) under Bob than he ever does with me. Bob said he has really severe problems bending to the left, and that he breaks because he feels unbalanced. He is also naughty and tested Bob frequently.
What Bob said he needs is to be ridden consistently so that he feels secure - so that he knows he can go 10 laps around the arena (into the corners, not racing around with his nose out) and know that it's ok - he doesn't fall down when he comes out of the corner.
Bob said we're getting stuck because I'm not patient (and don't know how to fix this stuff anyway), and Mercury is "green" for all practical purposes. He said he'd put it at 60% Mercury's fault and 40% my fault.
Tomorrow I'm going to take a lesson, but I suspect that I can't replicate what Bob was doing today because I simply don't know enough. And I am guessing that the next two weeks I am going to continue to log an extra 30-40 hours each week. So I'm going to ask Bob to do a month of training (until after my week off in July), I'll take a couple lessons and watch whenever I can, and then the Happ's Derby (scheduled now), Bob can ride Saturday and I'll ride Sunday. I don't know if that's allowed.
Otherwise, I don't know if I'll be ready to take him to the Derby (almost certainly not) and maybe not even the shows after that.
As much as I want to know how to fix every problem, the thing is I'm never going to be good enough to be a trainer. That's what trainers are for.

Thich Nhat Hanh and Positive Thinking

Through a series of small conversations, I had a delightful insight last week.
I was reading Thich Nhat Hanh (a Buddhist monk), and came across the story of a young man who wanted to take the civil service exam in Vietnam. Even though he scored very well, the heads of the school did not accept him because he was so young. Here's what the book said:
"People need to have a strong aspiration before they can become a bodhisattva who can liberate beings from suffering or someone skilled in helping the people and the nation. The young man in this case could have raged and complained. He could have given up. But he kept studying. When the young man took the exam three years later, he passed. He then ... went on to serve his country very well."
"When he failed the first time, he may have suffered. He did not know that all this was to help him grow up and do better. It is the same when we pray. We think that we did not receive what we prayed for, but we don't realize that we might have received somethign else, perhaps something greater or less than what we asked for. Our Buddha nature knows us better than we know ourselves, knows more clearly what is best for us."
My mom has told me this each time I've felt like life has dealt me a poor hand or I've suffered a blow. I did not get the owl field job I wanted one year, but then the next month got a wonderful job doing field work for a great zoologist. I did not join the Peace Corps, but I got the best dog in the world. A series of loser boyfriends break up with me, and there isn't a happy ending to this one yet. I did not keep my colt, but I met Bob, who is as close the perfect trainer for me as I will ever find.
So thinking these types of thoughts, I suddenly had a flash of positive thinking. It may or may not be true, but the buoyancy of the thought was enough for me:
Bob always makes those jokes about how I’m his retirement (his steak and lobster). I’ve always taken it to mean that I have so many problems, he will never run out of things to fix. I never once, until last week, thought of it as being that I have so much talent and potential, that he will be able to keep helping me improve. What helped me piece it together (the new way of looking at it) was something Alice said a week or so ago, about how Bob is so good that he doesn’t have to stop teaching his students or deliberately keep them at a lower level, because he always knows more to teach them. And so maybe what Bob has meant is that I have the potential that he can really help me develop into a high level rider, because he himself used to be a high level rider. (This matches with his small statement “I finally have a student who can win”.)

XC Lesson - 6/2/07

Well, this lesson was extremely educational, although it was one of the "three steps back" lessons.
I was warming up Mercury outside, where he was continuing his ear --> sideways head --> stiff, quivering neck --> full on jump. When Bob got out, he asked us to canter each direction, first with a defensive seat (sit up very straight and deep, keep your knees closed, legs close), then in a two point (where I immediately just throw away all contact, which is not correct). Mercury was fine, but he kept stumbling.
So we talked about the stumbling. Bob said it's permanent. Unlike in my head, where I have made up excuses for it for a year and a half now and how it will surely get better, Bob says he's just not ever going to pick up his own feet and move them. He said there is absolutely nothing that I can do to fix it (over the course of the next hour, I kept coming up with ideas which he kept saying no, like "what about if I smack him really hard with the stick when he stumbles?" and Bob pointed out it would just make him lurch away really quickly afterwards, not stop doing it). He also said that watching him move, his back left leg crosses over and that's the source of the other stumble, and why he can't move out. His right leg kicks his left leg. I believe Bob phrased it as "one of Mercury's many problems."
So we went out to jump the cross country jumps, and did some riding around in the field so Mercury could look at everything.
We started with a little log, and immediately after the first jump he stuck his head way up in the air and started charging around.
So in case my evil mean hands were punishing him by coming back too soon, I was thinking about keeping them way forward after the jump, and he did it again. I think this time a horrible scary crow/raven (I can't ever tell which) went flying off from the other side of the fence, so he also used that as an excuse to freak out. We jumped it from the other direction (headed towards the barn) and then we tried me deliberately giving him his head when he was tossing it. That worked once, then the second time he just took off. We moved to a couple other jumps and a couple combinations, but the head thing was getting worse and worse. When I finally yelled "I AM giving half halts!" Bob said, wait a minute, come over here.
Here's this lessons revelation: the flash noseband was too loose. Because the leather has stretched since the last time I poked a new hole in it. And Bob said there's no point in going on, he's just going to continue to fight, you're going to continue to develop new bad habits that need to be fixed (i.e. his head tossing), and you could make it much worse if he starts doing it in front the jump.
And I said "Well, what if you rode him?" and he said "It won't help" but got on him, and although Mercury looked better, he was still really, really naughty and Bob didn't even try to jump him. It was really interesting to watch from the ground, because I could see him open his mouth to be bad (then lift his head), and I could see when Bob gave a half halt, it was correct for a second, then he would open his mouth so he could move his head forward.
So I put new holes in the flash, and Bob says we have to go back:
1) Bob rides him a couple times for an attitude adjustment
2) Then we go back to dressage
3) Then we start working him in running martingales over poles
4) Then stadium jumping (he said he wasn't as bad two weeks ago inside because he doesn't have room (or as many excuses) to stick his head up and run)
5) Then cross country
I basically don't have time to do all this before the next show, so I'm not sure what will happen.
This is frustrating because he's been fighting me (and spooking at everything) the last couple weeks, and I noticed the flash was loose, but didn't think anything about it. I could have avoided all of this by thinking to tighten it myself.
Oh yeah, and Mercury has a fat neck, so he needs to lose weight. His neck balls up when his head is in the proper position, making it uncomfortable for him to maintain it. That's the purpose of those neck sweats (I always thought it was to keep their hair short), but you also achieve it by working on the bit (with the uncomfortable neck).

Some numbers

During my lesson, Bob was telling me some numbers, that will no longer be accurate, but I will do my best to repeat them for a rough idea:
98% of event riders are single women ages 35-42, who make more than $100,000/year.
An average novice horse now sells for $15-20,000;
A training level horse for $20-30,000;
and a Prelim horse for $35,000 and up.

I'm not 35 yet, but I'm not going to be making $100,000/year unless I switch to private practice and then don't ride anymore but pay Bob to ride. (He has offered, numerous times now, to take Mercury at training level if I pay for the shows. I can't really tell if he's joking because I don't see how inexperienced Mercury, even in Bob's very capable hands, could do some of those jump combinations.)
Bob also said that a lot of those "riders" are actually rich women who pay trainers to ride.
And I'll go ahead and post this - Mercury only cost $3500. Even if he's "green", what a bargain for a horse who will hopefully one day go training level (since it will take both of us many years to get there - though it's a race against Mercury's age since he's 13 this year).
The other thing Bob said was that a lot of riders don't learn how to "train" the horse, so they have to get new horses every 2-5 years when the new horse starts to exhibit the same problems as the old horse (rider-source). One reason why the horses cost so much is it takes a lot of time to train them.
He said we were in the "fine-tuning" stage with Mercury this year - that last year was the big stuff, and now we're focusing on details. It doesn't feel like details to me, it feels like a plateau. But I see his point - if he teaches me how to train Mercury, then I can sort of work with the next horse too. It's just frustrating and time consuming. And I never want Bob to leave.
He said I just need to be patient - now Mercury just needs experience for the next couple years.

Dressage Lesson on 5/28 and Volunteer at Happ's

I am ashamed to admit it, but I think I volunteered for the first time ever at a horse show. I've gone and watched a lot, but I don't think I've ever helped out. It was interesting. There is a lot of work that goes into keeping things flowing and organized, and I have a whole new appreciation for how much effort that takes. I also had no idea that people talked to the dressage judge. Bob told me he's told me to say thank you, but it never registered because I think it's rude to talk to the judge. He says its common courtesy. It's also interesting to observed the attitude of the riders. I witnessed one really rude altercation (and that was an hour and a half after the actual rude event), and it turned my ears red. Bob's course, by the way, looked super, super fun.
So today I had my dressage lesson. It was ok. I was crabby from watching the other beginner novice riders because Mercury can't jump at a canter yet (he can, but it is considerably less well than at the trot) and there's no way to make the time at a trot.
Bob said to sit up more, don't post so high, and to be careful my legs don't move at the trot.
Around corners keep him balanced and keep the tempo consistent.
Don't let him hang on my hands (or the martingale, but I can't feel when he's on the martingale).
Change things - never go two laps doing the same thing because he checks out.
We worked on transitions - trot/canter, trot/walk, and then trot/halt.
This is pretty blah - I'm sure Bob told me lots more, but I was busy being pissed that we're not better than we are and I don't feel like trying to remember it all right now.
The other thing that stunned me from the horse show was that a basic novice horse now sells for around $18,000.

Simple jump lesson, 5/19/07

I set up two jumps for today's lesson. But to back up, Thursday I rode Mercury outside because we were having nice weather. He was an idiot. After he spooked at a chicken two fences away (a chicken!), and then spooking at the chicken scared him into spooking at a cone on the ground we'd been past, oh, 200 times, I went in and put him on the lunge line in side reins, brought him back outside, where he proceeded to: 1) not make a round circle - ever - in the next 45 minutes; 2) not transition or consistently move his feet, including lots of stumbling like he had jello-Gumby legs; 3) not be able to not bend to the outside; and 4) not run around with his head up in the air like a giraffe. It was agonizing. I was so mad I was ready to sell him, and Friday I called and meekly asked what kind of lesson Bob wanted on Saturday since I can't even lunge my own horse.
So I set up these two jumps, because I wasn't even sure we'd jump, given my Thursday humilation (Bob was out mowing, so he got to watch the whole horrible thing). I set ground poles on either side, 3' away, and Bob thought that was hilarious because it would make Mercury jump a 6' spread. Note to the inexperienced, do not set your ground poles at trot distance.
We actually had a great lesson. Bob laughed at me for a while about Thursday and said that I need to do two things: 1) calm down - I get so worked up and that doesn't help because then Mercury just gets more upset; and 2) get help - if something is going wrong, and I know it's going wrong, then ask for help. He said it doesn't do me any good to wait and ask on Saturday because then the problem is over with, more problems have developed because I couldn't handle the first problem, AND I don't listen to the actual solution to apply it, I just hear "that was so simple" and then beat myself up for not thinking of it. Bob said it's good I can identify there's a problem, but that it's normal that I can't think of the solutions (and normal that if you don't fix it, one problem turns into 2, then 3, then 4 ....) He said you have to learn the solutions from a trainer.
We worked on the same old things, only over different jumps (because of the ground poles):
1) Head up - do not look down
2) Nice impulsion coming in, but don't race to the jump
3) Sit a few strides out
4) Hands forward a couple strides out
5) Half halts a few strides out
6) SQUEEZE all the way through
My legs just completely disappear most times.
And suddenly, today, after all these times Bob has said it, it finally made sense. I don't RIDE the jumps. I sit on Mercury and wait for him to do it. I don't do those 6 things. I just sit there, like a passenger. When I actually ride him, he says "oh, ok" and then we both do it.
When Bob put three poles after the jump, and Mercury jumped around, I said "why is he doing this?" and then realized, as Bob was saying "well, how many times has he done this before?" I keep forgetting Mercury is a green horse. I expect him to act like a trained horse.
I could feel the difference between when he jumped but I hung on his mouth or jumped ahead and was heavy on his neck, and when he made a round arch because I gave him space and the impulsion to do it. The round arch was sooooo smooth!
Oh yeah, and think sit up straight. I begin tilting forward pretty far out, to go into my showjumper position.
He got tired because he's fat and out of shape.
For next week - I am supposed to lunge him before I ride him to get some of the attitude out. I can lunge him over jumps to help him learn where to take off from and how high he needs to jump. He is lazy about knocking his legs (that is not just me messing him up). And I need to make my side reins progressively tighter during the lunge (about every 10 laps).
I need to ride him more often, which is hard because work is heating up and I am stressed out at home because of the dogs and work being done on my house.
If I get mad, call Bob.
Ride dressage up to a stride away from the jump.
I think that was it. It was a great lesson - lots of progress, but also a lot of the same messages. I felt good afterwards.

No lesson this week

Mercury somehow pulled his right hind shoe half way off between Saturday night and Sunday morning. He wears trailers on the back feet to help his legs move straight, so he gimped around the arena kicking himself when I lunged him. However, when I turned him out 15 minutes later (after he shedded all over me when I groomed him), he raced off doing flying lead changes and canter pirouttes. He's smarter than me.

Horse Trailer for Sale

If anyone is reading this blog who lives in Washington, my boss and his wife are selling their horse trailer. It is a 4-horse LQ. 2006 Bison Stratus 8410 (aluminum) with removable stalls. Ramp, tack room, 2 stud panels, hay rack & ladder, electric power jacks. 6' slide out, awning, A/C, 3 burner stove, microwave, fridge, bathroom w/shower, AM/FM/CD (I think with surround sound). $65,000 OBO. Post a comment and then I'll post their phone and email.

Me Sucking on a Lemon

Bob's right. I look like I'm sucking on a lemon. One more thing to practice now when I ride is smiling. Usually, I feel stupid, which then makes me smile for real.

The photos are by Wendi Ross, Blue Ribbon Photography. Her website is: www.printroom.com/pro/qualityponies

Mercury's Ewe Neck and a Funny Halt Photo

Looking down on him, I don't see the ewe neck that often. The halt photo is funny because his eyes are half closed like he's already finished and asleep. The photos are by Wendi Ross, Blue Ribbon Photography. Her website is: www.printroom.com/pro/qualityponies

Mercury Jumping at Happ's Derby

I should have done this on the last one. The photos are by Wendi Ross, Blue Ribbon Photography. Her website is: www.printroom.com/pro/qualityponies

Mercury at Trot and Canter at Happ's Derby