I was fortunate enough to have two lessons with John this week; one dressage and one jump. It was pretty warm today, and warm up was like riding a hunk of concrete. Not only could I not get Charlie to bend, but he was essentially utterly non-responsive to my leg as well and heavy on my hand.
John had us do work on a circle, with a bend to the outside, make the circle smaller, bend to the inside while keeping everything else the same, and then leg yield back out. What this does is get Charlie bending around my leg, and then lifting through his shoulders, without just going around the ring fighting with him. Charlie and I are both stubborn, I think.
But jumping felt the same - it was like riding a downhill sled with no gas in it towards each fence. John had an oxer with a left turn to a brick wall with a right turn back to the oxer. I rode him to each fence whomping my legs on and off. I was pouring sweat and panting, but it felt like I was riding a sack of potatoes. I don't know if it was the heat or what.
Then we added in the row of five fences with a single stride between each. These were a bit more interesting because the first couple were a little bumpy, but the last two were always great regardless of how the first two started. (the one in the middle was just the middle) John said I was looking too long at the first fence, but sometimes I would also get us on a bit of an angle, but Charlie the champ would get us through anyway. The last two were really nice - he would round up and it just felt correct.
We did this a couple directions, and he finally whacked the brick wall oxer pretty good, and after that, he was a little less casual about picking up his own legs.
For the lead change, John says I get the front pretty consistently if I remember to turn my head the way I want to go. The back isn't changing, and John says to try to remember to put my outside leg on. As I type this, I'm pretty sure I'm putting my inside leg on, so I'll have to try to watch that next time.
I was also riding with my short crop, after months and months of riding with the super long crop. I hated it, so it was good to practice with John because I probably won't jump again before the show (fingers crossed we make it to this one).
It is supposed to be 101 next Saturday on cross country day.
I put standing wraps on Charlie when we got back to the barn, but I got too anxious about them sagging, him getting tangled in them, and then panicking and killing himself in the night, so we went back out and took them off. They were on for about four hours, but I didn't really see any difference.
John says for the heat, give electrolytes and cut the warm up in about half. (15 minutes instead of 30) I figure we also won't worry so much about making the time cross country because I don't want to fry him for show jumping.
It was a good lesson because I'd way rather ride with John in the heat before I ride in the show at the heat, but it was also kind of frustrating because I just didn't feel like I had him going.
John also said to keep his head up more. He said Charlie was actually coming into the jump ok, but I'd let his head drop. I need to follow up with him on that one. I thought I understood it at the time but now that I'm writing it, I'm not sure I do. He also wanted to know where my list of questions was, which was hilarious. If I hadn't had such an incredibly terrible bad start to the day, I probably would have had one, but I was wiped out and just grateful to be riding outside in the sun and not at work.
John reminded me he doesn't like to jump them unless they've done dressage the day before, which I try to do, but I had a meeting last night and there wasn't any way to squeeze in a ride too.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Friday, June 19, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
3 loop serpentine at trot and canter
We didn't get to compete at Aspen because Charlie was ridiculously lame on Friday. By Monday, he was back to normal. No heat, no swelling, nothing I could find. Per Dr. W's instructions, I gave him standing wraps, bute, stall rest, and cold hosing for three days, and the fourth day was just stall rest and then I got on him.
Then today we went to John's, where I still couldn't feel anything. After my lesson, we watched a couple others, and Charlie did feel a little stiff as we walked off, so I'm wondering if it is not a foot but like a pulled muscle?
I asked John to look at his wind puffs and he said yes, indeed, they were wind puffs. I told him I was anxious because Charlie never had them before and he said Charlie was never really working before.
During our lesson, we worked on more exercises that I can do at home. They are designed to avoid frustration, where I am asking Charlie for the same thing in the same movement and not getting it. They are supposed to keep Charlie sharp and responsive, making him naturally engaged instead of me trying to force him into it.
The exercises were:
10 meter circle to quarter line, leg yield to wall
4 loop serpentines (10 meter half circles), then deep into corner, outside rein, inside rein, then forward down the long side
3 loop serpentine to quarter line, leg yield to X, leg yield back to quarter line (and vice versa, leg yield to B or E, then back to quarter line)
3 loop serpentine at canter
By the end, Charlie was naturally lifted (although it helped that he has had essentially five days off).
John said that unless there is swelling, from now on he goes to the show and if he is lame, he gets bute. He said that some abscesses can come and go, so the foot is tender if they step on a rock, but then they get over it, and it ebbs and flows until the abscess is done working its way out.
Then we watched one of his students on her young former racehorse. There were some antics from the horse that made me realize how much I am lacking in the control and balance department. Then I watched a novice rider's jump lesson, and her horse lacked forward, so it was very helpful to watch her working on that.
As always, a great lesson with John that made my entire day.
I volunteered at Aspen for 1 1/2 of the days. I worked mostly show jumping, and it was helpful to see the variety of riding styles (and personalities). I walked the cross country course, and that was a huge relief. There was a hard left turn to a roll top with a few strides to a log with a down bank into the water (first water combination) and I think one other slightly tricky combination, but other than that, I knew what the course was asking for and at least technically, I knew how to ride it (I think). Nothing looked too scary or too hard, so Training is probably exactly right for this year ... if we can just get going. I am very anxious that I am such a horrible horsekeeper that I am ruining Charlie. Thank god for having John around to check in on him.
Then today we went to John's, where I still couldn't feel anything. After my lesson, we watched a couple others, and Charlie did feel a little stiff as we walked off, so I'm wondering if it is not a foot but like a pulled muscle?
I asked John to look at his wind puffs and he said yes, indeed, they were wind puffs. I told him I was anxious because Charlie never had them before and he said Charlie was never really working before.
During our lesson, we worked on more exercises that I can do at home. They are designed to avoid frustration, where I am asking Charlie for the same thing in the same movement and not getting it. They are supposed to keep Charlie sharp and responsive, making him naturally engaged instead of me trying to force him into it.
The exercises were:
10 meter circle to quarter line, leg yield to wall
4 loop serpentines (10 meter half circles), then deep into corner, outside rein, inside rein, then forward down the long side
3 loop serpentine to quarter line, leg yield to X, leg yield back to quarter line (and vice versa, leg yield to B or E, then back to quarter line)
3 loop serpentine at canter
By the end, Charlie was naturally lifted (although it helped that he has had essentially five days off).
John said that unless there is swelling, from now on he goes to the show and if he is lame, he gets bute. He said that some abscesses can come and go, so the foot is tender if they step on a rock, but then they get over it, and it ebbs and flows until the abscess is done working its way out.
Then we watched one of his students on her young former racehorse. There were some antics from the horse that made me realize how much I am lacking in the control and balance department. Then I watched a novice rider's jump lesson, and her horse lacked forward, so it was very helpful to watch her working on that.
As always, a great lesson with John that made my entire day.
I volunteered at Aspen for 1 1/2 of the days. I worked mostly show jumping, and it was helpful to see the variety of riding styles (and personalities). I walked the cross country course, and that was a huge relief. There was a hard left turn to a roll top with a few strides to a log with a down bank into the water (first water combination) and I think one other slightly tricky combination, but other than that, I knew what the course was asking for and at least technically, I knew how to ride it (I think). Nothing looked too scary or too hard, so Training is probably exactly right for this year ... if we can just get going. I am very anxious that I am such a horrible horsekeeper that I am ruining Charlie. Thank god for having John around to check in on him.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Show prep dressage lesson with John
Today we practiced Test A in the proper size arena. John had a handful (exactly the number I could handle) of really great suggestions for improvement:
First - wait to turn left until "G" (between H & M) - I have been starting to think about it closer to X.
Second - use some inside leg (almost a bit of leg yield) on the 15 meter circles to keep them from being square.
Third - to get the deep corner, which comes out into the lengthened trot, warm up with bent to the outside on the corner, bend inside on the short edge, bend outside on the corner. Do this a few times, then just hint at bend to the outside while keeping the inside bend. After a few times of this, Charlie could go deep in the corner and it gave me so much extra space to come out of it and start lengthening.
Fourth - it isn't a "progressive lengthening", just lengthen. So once I have it, don't keep stretching it out, otherwise I haven't done the movement.
Fifth - at the end of the stretchy trot circle, leg yield a couple of steps back to the short side before coming back to trot to walk. Otherwise, the combination of lengthen, stretch, trot, walk, free walk makes Charlie sluggish - more sluggish - most sluggish.
Sixth - use a bit of inside hand to try to keep Charlie from tilting his head so much.
Seventh - in the warm up, do a canter, lengthen, trot, immediately lengthen the trot. Do this down the long side just before we go in. It gives Charlie a jazzed up trot to start out.
Eighth - I can either sit or post (yay! I can sit!) but don't switch half way in a movement. Definitely post the first trot lengthen. If Charlie is sluggish, sit the second one. A few of the movements are kind of obvious, like lengthen the trot, stretchy circle, trot, walk - that is all posting.
John had us do a few more exercises, lengthening the canter to lengthened trot and doing some leg yield at the trot and canter (!). Charlie actually felt really great to me, and I'd be really happy if he felt that good at the show.
First - wait to turn left until "G" (between H & M) - I have been starting to think about it closer to X.
Second - use some inside leg (almost a bit of leg yield) on the 15 meter circles to keep them from being square.
Third - to get the deep corner, which comes out into the lengthened trot, warm up with bent to the outside on the corner, bend inside on the short edge, bend outside on the corner. Do this a few times, then just hint at bend to the outside while keeping the inside bend. After a few times of this, Charlie could go deep in the corner and it gave me so much extra space to come out of it and start lengthening.
Fourth - it isn't a "progressive lengthening", just lengthen. So once I have it, don't keep stretching it out, otherwise I haven't done the movement.
Fifth - at the end of the stretchy trot circle, leg yield a couple of steps back to the short side before coming back to trot to walk. Otherwise, the combination of lengthen, stretch, trot, walk, free walk makes Charlie sluggish - more sluggish - most sluggish.
Sixth - use a bit of inside hand to try to keep Charlie from tilting his head so much.
Seventh - in the warm up, do a canter, lengthen, trot, immediately lengthen the trot. Do this down the long side just before we go in. It gives Charlie a jazzed up trot to start out.
Eighth - I can either sit or post (yay! I can sit!) but don't switch half way in a movement. Definitely post the first trot lengthen. If Charlie is sluggish, sit the second one. A few of the movements are kind of obvious, like lengthen the trot, stretchy circle, trot, walk - that is all posting.
John had us do a few more exercises, lengthening the canter to lengthened trot and doing some leg yield at the trot and canter (!). Charlie actually felt really great to me, and I'd be really happy if he felt that good at the show.
Saturday, June 06, 2015
Jump lesson with John
We had a mid-morning lesson in our unseasonably warm weather. Marc Grandia and some of his students (including Triangle) were also at Caber schooling. We got quite sweaty, even though we were done by 10:30!
It was a good lesson. To begin with, yesterday when I practiced the dressage test, I noticed that our stretchy circle was much improved (without me actively working on it!). Charlie's balance is better, so the "ball" that is the center of balance is staying under his shoulders instead of going forward under his nose when he stretches down. Half way around the first circle, I realized he wasn't racing forward on his forehand like we've been battling. I also noticed that our canter to trot transition at X - while not perfect - is now a canter to sitting trot transition and not a canter to flying in the air posting trot transition like it was last year. Those two things made me feel a lot better for about 10 seconds, until my second thought was that maybe we were doing something so much worse than last year that they feel better when they're actually quite worse. I'll know by next Friday.
In my lesson with John, he suggested that during the trot warm up, I do some small serpentines, just to get Charlie used to working off of my leg each direction and paying attention.
Our main takeaway from the fences was twofold:
First, use the outside rein to steer him to the fence. If I hang on it, and we drag around the corner, we don't have enough time to get the "go" back to the fence.
Second, use that "go". If I have enough forward energy, we can add a short stride or launch, but if I don't have the energy, it is a flat launch that risks a rail.
I could NOT get the lead changes at all, and John said to try once (use outside rein in a half halt) and then just ignore it and focus on the go, during the show jumping part of the test. This was kind of depressing because I spent a lot of time this winter working on changes, but I haven't done it recently.
Although it was a pretty good ride, I was also then immediately down because I use my big long whip - the non-regulation dressage whip - and I got a lot of my forward "go" from that whip. This is so I don't lock on with my legs, and I've been working myself off of my legs onto the whip. But that whip does me NO good in a jump test, when I have my little jump bat. I have to ask John about that on Wednesday.
It was only a pretty good ride because I felt all discombobulated and jerky, unlike how I felt when we went and rode at Rainbow last weekend. I think it is nerves, especially with all the people around.
We started with a little cross rail and then a vertical. Then John went straight to what is hardest for me, a hard right hand circle - an oxer and a vertical, each maybe on a 30 meter circle. I bombed it several times in a row, with Charlie scooping his legs up to deer leap over the fence while I kept missing the lines, and then John told me to use my outside rein to steer and it all cleared up.
Then we did a few small courses, and the same thing - as long as I kept him forward, especially out of the turns, we did ok, even if he had to deer jump a couple. It made me really appreciate Charlie - he is definitely the better of the two of us.
John set up a few 3'3" but nothing bigger I don't think. We also did a couple combinations at an angle - coming in over the first fence and staying on a straight line so the second fence was an angle (or vice versa) - one show jump, one cross country combination like that.
I realized part of why I like John's lessons so much are he lets me make the mistake, tells me what to fix, lets me feel how the fix worked like magic, then explains why the fix works magic. It cements using the fix in my head so much better than if he told me ahead of time how to ride it because I can feel it working.
I asked him if he'd tell me if I wasn't ready to go training, and he said yes.
I also asked him about the wind puffs and he said when I've given Charlie a hard work out, that night to wrap his legs to help with that.
It was a good lesson. To begin with, yesterday when I practiced the dressage test, I noticed that our stretchy circle was much improved (without me actively working on it!). Charlie's balance is better, so the "ball" that is the center of balance is staying under his shoulders instead of going forward under his nose when he stretches down. Half way around the first circle, I realized he wasn't racing forward on his forehand like we've been battling. I also noticed that our canter to trot transition at X - while not perfect - is now a canter to sitting trot transition and not a canter to flying in the air posting trot transition like it was last year. Those two things made me feel a lot better for about 10 seconds, until my second thought was that maybe we were doing something so much worse than last year that they feel better when they're actually quite worse. I'll know by next Friday.
In my lesson with John, he suggested that during the trot warm up, I do some small serpentines, just to get Charlie used to working off of my leg each direction and paying attention.
Our main takeaway from the fences was twofold:
First, use the outside rein to steer him to the fence. If I hang on it, and we drag around the corner, we don't have enough time to get the "go" back to the fence.
Second, use that "go". If I have enough forward energy, we can add a short stride or launch, but if I don't have the energy, it is a flat launch that risks a rail.
I could NOT get the lead changes at all, and John said to try once (use outside rein in a half halt) and then just ignore it and focus on the go, during the show jumping part of the test. This was kind of depressing because I spent a lot of time this winter working on changes, but I haven't done it recently.
Although it was a pretty good ride, I was also then immediately down because I use my big long whip - the non-regulation dressage whip - and I got a lot of my forward "go" from that whip. This is so I don't lock on with my legs, and I've been working myself off of my legs onto the whip. But that whip does me NO good in a jump test, when I have my little jump bat. I have to ask John about that on Wednesday.
It was only a pretty good ride because I felt all discombobulated and jerky, unlike how I felt when we went and rode at Rainbow last weekend. I think it is nerves, especially with all the people around.
We started with a little cross rail and then a vertical. Then John went straight to what is hardest for me, a hard right hand circle - an oxer and a vertical, each maybe on a 30 meter circle. I bombed it several times in a row, with Charlie scooping his legs up to deer leap over the fence while I kept missing the lines, and then John told me to use my outside rein to steer and it all cleared up.
Then we did a few small courses, and the same thing - as long as I kept him forward, especially out of the turns, we did ok, even if he had to deer jump a couple. It made me really appreciate Charlie - he is definitely the better of the two of us.
John set up a few 3'3" but nothing bigger I don't think. We also did a couple combinations at an angle - coming in over the first fence and staying on a straight line so the second fence was an angle (or vice versa) - one show jump, one cross country combination like that.
I realized part of why I like John's lessons so much are he lets me make the mistake, tells me what to fix, lets me feel how the fix worked like magic, then explains why the fix works magic. It cements using the fix in my head so much better than if he told me ahead of time how to ride it because I can feel it working.
I asked him if he'd tell me if I wasn't ready to go training, and he said yes.
I also asked him about the wind puffs and he said when I've given Charlie a hard work out, that night to wrap his legs to help with that.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Lesson with Beth - riding every step, keeping the contact
Today with Beth in the studio we focused on two areas: hamstrings and trapezius? (center of back and just below arms on back). It turns out I have even been able to "relax" incorrectly. For the exercise on the foam roller with scarecrow arms, I should start with my arms crossed so that my back doesn't pop too high up (in the sway back arch) so that my shoulders can open in the front.
The hamstrings seemed a little easier to focus on than they have in the past. It does really help to take the breath and center, and then do the movement. We worked on egg beaters with my tailbone on a ball at the end, which I need to incorporate into my at home routine. My legs had different ability to make the "D" shape, so I need to pay attention to that.
Then we also did a few exercises on the reformer which I think I can mimic at home, where I focus the lift from the spot between my shoulder blades instead of from my neck or from my lower back.
For some reason, today I also did a better job being able to feel this when I was on Charlie as well. It was helpful because when we were sitting the trot, I could think of that spot and "anchor" my shoulders down into my waist.
I got a better appreciation for how to do scarecrow properly - it is much more difficult than the way I have been doing it - so that will be good to see if I improve by next time with this new appreciation for the nuances.
The studio lesson once again fit really well into my riding lesson. We started with getting Charlie to "march" forward (Beth doesn't call it marching). I needed the feeling of being able to halt or trot from the walk, and when he had enough forward coming from the hind end, his neck would more naturally round and he would feel heavier in my hand but softer in his shoulders. I had to either use legs on-off-on-off or use the whip rhythmically. He would get a little anxious after about five whip taps, so then we would give him a break from the whip but he had to keep moving forward.
From the walk, we did sitting trot with the same rhythmic tapping so that he was a bit more jazzed up than usual. Then I took the energy (with shorter reins) and thought about his hind legs stepping under him and my seat giving a bigger bounce but with the same tempo.
From there we worked on transitions, with the emphasis on thinking about the transition a few steps ahead. For the up transitions, I kind of slip the reins (or push my hands forward) and so I had to really think about not pushing forward. This confused Charlie (who is used to the release and the plunge downwards) so then I had to think "transition - transition" and give the aid twice. Then I gave the aid too strong in too quick a succession so he lunged forward, but a lunging forward was a better response than a puking downward.
Then we worked on canter to walk transitions. We started on a 20 meter circle, then did a 12 meter circle, then Beth would say "1-2-3" and I would think "halt" but we would "walk". I thought these were pretty good because he almost came to a halt each time.
Beth said that the topline muscle exercises I'm doing are the correct exercises, but the reason we worked on these specific exercises were to ensure that I was practicing quality exercise to help develop the topline. She said it naturally develops from the engagement.
Charlie's left lead canter was a little hoppy in his left stifle. I could feel it and Beth could see it, so that is definitely something to watch.
I'm not doing the best job describing the lesson, but essentially, I was able to ride him rounder and with more activity coming from his hind end, and I could take that energy and channel it into being potential energy for an up or down transition instead of it leaking out the front. This was by riding with more consistent contact, but also by using my aids (on-off) and using my core. Beth said to pull my legs off his side, feel how deep my seat got, and to try to get that seat.
It was a really great and helpful lesson, and we were able to do most of it sitting too!
The hamstrings seemed a little easier to focus on than they have in the past. It does really help to take the breath and center, and then do the movement. We worked on egg beaters with my tailbone on a ball at the end, which I need to incorporate into my at home routine. My legs had different ability to make the "D" shape, so I need to pay attention to that.
Then we also did a few exercises on the reformer which I think I can mimic at home, where I focus the lift from the spot between my shoulder blades instead of from my neck or from my lower back.
For some reason, today I also did a better job being able to feel this when I was on Charlie as well. It was helpful because when we were sitting the trot, I could think of that spot and "anchor" my shoulders down into my waist.
I got a better appreciation for how to do scarecrow properly - it is much more difficult than the way I have been doing it - so that will be good to see if I improve by next time with this new appreciation for the nuances.
The studio lesson once again fit really well into my riding lesson. We started with getting Charlie to "march" forward (Beth doesn't call it marching). I needed the feeling of being able to halt or trot from the walk, and when he had enough forward coming from the hind end, his neck would more naturally round and he would feel heavier in my hand but softer in his shoulders. I had to either use legs on-off-on-off or use the whip rhythmically. He would get a little anxious after about five whip taps, so then we would give him a break from the whip but he had to keep moving forward.
From the walk, we did sitting trot with the same rhythmic tapping so that he was a bit more jazzed up than usual. Then I took the energy (with shorter reins) and thought about his hind legs stepping under him and my seat giving a bigger bounce but with the same tempo.
From there we worked on transitions, with the emphasis on thinking about the transition a few steps ahead. For the up transitions, I kind of slip the reins (or push my hands forward) and so I had to really think about not pushing forward. This confused Charlie (who is used to the release and the plunge downwards) so then I had to think "transition - transition" and give the aid twice. Then I gave the aid too strong in too quick a succession so he lunged forward, but a lunging forward was a better response than a puking downward.
Then we worked on canter to walk transitions. We started on a 20 meter circle, then did a 12 meter circle, then Beth would say "1-2-3" and I would think "halt" but we would "walk". I thought these were pretty good because he almost came to a halt each time.
Beth said that the topline muscle exercises I'm doing are the correct exercises, but the reason we worked on these specific exercises were to ensure that I was practicing quality exercise to help develop the topline. She said it naturally develops from the engagement.
Charlie's left lead canter was a little hoppy in his left stifle. I could feel it and Beth could see it, so that is definitely something to watch.
I'm not doing the best job describing the lesson, but essentially, I was able to ride him rounder and with more activity coming from his hind end, and I could take that energy and channel it into being potential energy for an up or down transition instead of it leaking out the front. This was by riding with more consistent contact, but also by using my aids (on-off) and using my core. Beth said to pull my legs off his side, feel how deep my seat got, and to try to get that seat.
It was a really great and helpful lesson, and we were able to do most of it sitting too!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Home exercises and observation of other lessons with John
Nine horribly long days after stupidly riding Charlie on a road with big rocks (= stone bruise on right front foot - 7 days of epsom soaking and bute later - 1 horse show scratched (EI) - and this year's Montana dream crushed), I rode him for the first time today in a lesson with John. Charlie was a dreamboat.
He then, extremely patiently, waited 5 hours while I watched John give 6 more lessons. My takeaway? I ride about as well as a beginner novice Pony Clubber (on a good day), I will never go Intermediate (he had a 6' spread and a show jump on the top of the standards!), and a lot of the "basics" that I hear from him apply to everyone. I was blown away by the excellent position of the Pony Clubbers - none of them jumped ahead and they had lower legs locked in place. I was jealous.
In my lesson, we worked on a series of different shapes and transitions. John said it was work I could do at home, so I'm not just doing the same old 15 meter circle over and over.
We did 20 meter circles, deep into the corner and across the diaganol (on a short side), then 15 meter circles. We did 10 meter circles, and then we did 10 meter half circles back onto the rail (so a 10 meter half circle between H and A, then back to the rail at B, then the lead change at first at M, but then later at C). We did lengthenings in between on the long side or across the diaganol, and then did a 4 loop serpentine (in the small arena!) down the center line by alternating 10 meter half circles.
Charlie was an absolute champ. He just went to work and popped around like it was no big deal without a single step off. I feel guilty for the time in the trailer (John said next time to check with him and put him in a stall - which is good because that means I get to keep doing this!), so hopefully tomorrow he'll still be ok and today won't have been too much work.
The other great thing about the timing for watching the lessons was that I just read two of Jane Savoie's books over the weekend (while sulking about not being at EI because of my own stupid lack of common sense), and so it was really nice to be on the ground and watching and looking for some of the things she described in the book - especially the legs going out behind, which Asia had said but I did not understand until I saw the drawing in the book.
John has pony club lessons every other week February - September (?), and right now they do four lessons, from a teeny tiny adorable (but rascal) pony to the training level kids, one of whom is working on her first prelim horse.
He then, extremely patiently, waited 5 hours while I watched John give 6 more lessons. My takeaway? I ride about as well as a beginner novice Pony Clubber (on a good day), I will never go Intermediate (he had a 6' spread and a show jump on the top of the standards!), and a lot of the "basics" that I hear from him apply to everyone. I was blown away by the excellent position of the Pony Clubbers - none of them jumped ahead and they had lower legs locked in place. I was jealous.
In my lesson, we worked on a series of different shapes and transitions. John said it was work I could do at home, so I'm not just doing the same old 15 meter circle over and over.
We did 20 meter circles, deep into the corner and across the diaganol (on a short side), then 15 meter circles. We did 10 meter circles, and then we did 10 meter half circles back onto the rail (so a 10 meter half circle between H and A, then back to the rail at B, then the lead change at first at M, but then later at C). We did lengthenings in between on the long side or across the diaganol, and then did a 4 loop serpentine (in the small arena!) down the center line by alternating 10 meter half circles.
Charlie was an absolute champ. He just went to work and popped around like it was no big deal without a single step off. I feel guilty for the time in the trailer (John said next time to check with him and put him in a stall - which is good because that means I get to keep doing this!), so hopefully tomorrow he'll still be ok and today won't have been too much work.
The other great thing about the timing for watching the lessons was that I just read two of Jane Savoie's books over the weekend (while sulking about not being at EI because of my own stupid lack of common sense), and so it was really nice to be on the ground and watching and looking for some of the things she described in the book - especially the legs going out behind, which Asia had said but I did not understand until I saw the drawing in the book.
John has pony club lessons every other week February - September (?), and right now they do four lessons, from a teeny tiny adorable (but rascal) pony to the training level kids, one of whom is working on her first prelim horse.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Aspen derby
We had amazing weather (80!) and so I didn't warm Charlie up much so he wouldn't overheat. Our first round, we had a disappointing rail down and run out, but it was actually quite good because:
1) the course was far more technical than what we've been doing (fence 2 was a hard right to a long line to fence 3; fence 4 was several strides to an up bank/down bank which depending on where you jumped in and how you bent the line, was a 2 1/2 or 3 stride; then a downhill canter to a very hard right over a very big table, then a log one stride water, up bank out of the water, one stride, show jumping fence, hard left; but the one we had a rail down was a vertical show jump at an angle to a corner; then a hard left to a line with an oxer and vertical slightly off set.
The good news is that I could feel things coming up and had time to think.
The bad news is of course the rail down and run out despite that.
On the second round, we did better, but the second to last fence Charlie jumped in funny so I slid the reins, then couldn't get them back in time, so I pulled my elbows back and stood up over the last fence and then Charlie's right bell boot came sailing past over the top of our heads. Charlie and I both looked at it and I yelled "woo!" as it passed us.
I'm pretty happy with it. I could feel what I was doing and was thinking for myself while things were happening! Not fast enough to fix them, but fast enough to feel them a stride or two out. That's progress, I think.
1) the course was far more technical than what we've been doing (fence 2 was a hard right to a long line to fence 3; fence 4 was several strides to an up bank/down bank which depending on where you jumped in and how you bent the line, was a 2 1/2 or 3 stride; then a downhill canter to a very hard right over a very big table, then a log one stride water, up bank out of the water, one stride, show jumping fence, hard left; but the one we had a rail down was a vertical show jump at an angle to a corner; then a hard left to a line with an oxer and vertical slightly off set.
The good news is that I could feel things coming up and had time to think.
The bad news is of course the rail down and run out despite that.
On the second round, we did better, but the second to last fence Charlie jumped in funny so I slid the reins, then couldn't get them back in time, so I pulled my elbows back and stood up over the last fence and then Charlie's right bell boot came sailing past over the top of our heads. Charlie and I both looked at it and I yelled "woo!" as it passed us.
I'm pretty happy with it. I could feel what I was doing and was thinking for myself while things were happening! Not fast enough to fix them, but fast enough to feel them a stride or two out. That's progress, I think.
Thursday, May 07, 2015
Draw reins with John
I had a dressage lesson with John today and it was amazing. I told him how Charlie felt all bouncy from the hock injections, but I never noticed it before. He said it's because I never rode him engaged before, so I couldn't tell. He said to feel for when it peaks, and then figure out how long it was between the injections and the peak, and then get his hocks injected that many weeks before a three day.
Then he explained the difference between a collected canter, and a working canter with some lift - he said even for advanced horses, a collected canter is very difficult to do.
The first eureka moment was when he told me how Charlie was tilting his head to the right (we were going left, counterclockwise) and said that when Charlie does that - i.e. when I can't see his jaw but only his eyelashes - to lift up with my left hand. That straightens Charlie's face out and doesn't let him evade the bend. But then he tries to evade other ways, so I have to keep my leg on and keep him going - I had to use the whip.
Then John put on the draw reins. I haven't used draw reins sinceWillig, so there was an incredibly horrible period where I couldn't figure out how to get them in my left hand, but then I gripped like there was no tomorrow so we wouldn't have to go through that again.
It was AMAZING. All of a sudden, Charlie's shoulders were lifted, and I didn't have to fight with him, and it was just divine. We worked on 20 meter circles, 15 meter circles, 10 meter circles, leg yield, and trot and canter. Our first canter was like that eureka heavenly moment with Mike - the sky opened up and angels sang and I was just riding on a cloud on top of Charlie's back. It was amazing.
At the 10 meter circle, Charlie tried to get out of work again, and so I had to sit tall, and then put my butt down on him, and then use my hips to swing him up and forward (and leg and whip, of course), but I had to really keep him going.
John said I can use the draw reins by myself sometimes, but not all the time, because I am extremely unlikely to ever ride with them too short (he had to keep telling me to shorten them - again - again - again), and that is their risk.
Charlie's butt was so sweaty afterwards! Even though I sponged him off, when we got back to the barn, he had that caked on sweat look and needed to be curried.
John also showed me a ground exercise for Charlie's topline. He said that Charlie has never been a muscley horse through the topline, and that he is on the skinny side right now. He showed me how to squeeze just behind his hunter's bump and at the same time push up under his ribs. He said to get him to round up, hold it a few seconds, and then let him relax.
Then he explained the difference between a collected canter, and a working canter with some lift - he said even for advanced horses, a collected canter is very difficult to do.
The first eureka moment was when he told me how Charlie was tilting his head to the right (we were going left, counterclockwise) and said that when Charlie does that - i.e. when I can't see his jaw but only his eyelashes - to lift up with my left hand. That straightens Charlie's face out and doesn't let him evade the bend. But then he tries to evade other ways, so I have to keep my leg on and keep him going - I had to use the whip.
Then John put on the draw reins. I haven't used draw reins sinceWillig, so there was an incredibly horrible period where I couldn't figure out how to get them in my left hand, but then I gripped like there was no tomorrow so we wouldn't have to go through that again.
It was AMAZING. All of a sudden, Charlie's shoulders were lifted, and I didn't have to fight with him, and it was just divine. We worked on 20 meter circles, 15 meter circles, 10 meter circles, leg yield, and trot and canter. Our first canter was like that eureka heavenly moment with Mike - the sky opened up and angels sang and I was just riding on a cloud on top of Charlie's back. It was amazing.
At the 10 meter circle, Charlie tried to get out of work again, and so I had to sit tall, and then put my butt down on him, and then use my hips to swing him up and forward (and leg and whip, of course), but I had to really keep him going.
John said I can use the draw reins by myself sometimes, but not all the time, because I am extremely unlikely to ever ride with them too short (he had to keep telling me to shorten them - again - again - again), and that is their risk.
Charlie's butt was so sweaty afterwards! Even though I sponged him off, when we got back to the barn, he had that caked on sweat look and needed to be curried.
John also showed me a ground exercise for Charlie's topline. He said that Charlie has never been a muscley horse through the topline, and that he is on the skinny side right now. He showed me how to squeeze just behind his hunter's bump and at the same time push up under his ribs. He said to get him to round up, hold it a few seconds, and then let him relax.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Riding for Simpletons
That's basically the book I need. Are you a nimrod with no common sense who doesn't think for herself? Then this book is for you!
Seriously - today John had me jump the same oxer on a line to the vertical that we did on Friday, and then asked me why I jumped the oxer fine but was off for the vertical, and I was all "dunno", and he was like "Which leg did you use for the oxer?" - Answer - right leg, because it was the outside leg (we turned left to get to it). Then I was turning right after the vertical so which leg should I have used? Answer - left leg - because the outside switched. Guess which leg I was using? Correct! The right leg. Because he told me to use it on the first fence, so I just kept using it. Seriously - I want to hit myself. And it never, ever would have crossed my mind if he hadn't asked me.
He said I have to start thinking about that, keeping Charlie between my legs and that means thinking about where I'm going and which leg I need to use.
Charlie was an absolute trooper. After hauling down there Friday, then Saturday PC and Major Beale, then Sunday a long PC and Major Beale day, then I pulled him off the grass and hauled him down again, to work HARD. He didn't seem stiff or sore or mad about working either.
Mostly I just asked John to answer all the questions I had with Major Beale. John mostly agreed, although he characterized things in a different way, creating a new realization, which is that I trust John and am comfortable asking him dumb questions. Like "why am I so dumb and not getting this?"
Which is actually a good question. Because am I dumb and not getting it? Have I been working on the same thing for the last three years? There's an easy way to find out - read back in my own blog. This one.
On the other hand, are my expectations wrong? John pointed out he rarely gives me dressage lessons (in fact, he has given me exactly two I think), and so why in the world would I think I would know it perfectly?
He also said Charlie isn't a pulling horse, he's a lazy horse, so I have to use a lot of leg. On a pulling horse, I'd have to use a lot of arm.
I asked him whether I shouldn't go to EI, whether I was a Triangle and didn't know it, why wasn't I getting it, and whether he hated teaching me because I was his dumbest, slowest student. He said I might lose at EI and so what? And I said worse, I might fall off, and he asked whether I had come anywhere close to falling off the last two lessons (no) so why would I even think that?
So the dumb common sense thing I hope gets corrected by Pony Club, because the learning the "why" behind the reasons (today John asked me why I kept the noseband so loose and I said "because Shannon told me to" and he said "what is it for?" and I was all "dunno. To hold his mouth shut?" and thinking to myself "read the chapter on bridle fit, dummy"), and the thinking through the ride and explaining it - I think those two things will hopefully help me get off my reliance on other people kick.
Which was John's final takeaway - I said "yes, this is all well and good that I can ride when you are telling me at each step what to do, but I can't do it by myself" and John said that was the problem. I have to figure it out for myself. I have to pause, think back to my lesson, and then do the pieces one at a time by myself. He said the most important thing is to GO. Then after that, to half halt on the outside, but use my go aid. Then to bend to the inside but know that he's going to bulge out to the outside, so use my outside half halt and go aid. And just to think it through and put them together one at a time by myself.
It was interesting how he did say the same things as Major Beale, but in a different way, and it was easier for me to understand, and easier for me to think "ok, I can break it down in these steps and do this by myself" whereas with Major Beale, it just feels like magic that Charlie is doing amazing things with me on him, and then I am totally at a loss how to replicate it by myself.
So when I get up the nerve, I will look back at my blog entries and see if I am a moron and still working on the same old things. I don't think I am, because two years ago I couldn't sit the trot, my main lesson was to keep my heels down, and to stop my hands from pulling back. Now it is turning him from the outside so he doesn't bulge through the outside shoulder.
But it is still so, so hard to get the lift instead of the speed. I don't know if that is core or hands that stops it.
Anyway, our lesson was to warm up on the circle, and then working on that same thing, where Charlie bends to the inside (sometimes first to the outside, then holding the connection to the outside, change his bend to the inside), then I use one leg at a time then both legs together to get him poofing up. It is a lot of outside half halts, bend, and one leg or the other then both legs. I am going to really buckle down and work on it. John said that my leg was pretty sloppy when I got back from Belize, but that my jump lesson last Friday was pretty good and he was surprised because he hadn't seen me in a while and he thought I'd just puke around. So there's that.
So we just jumped the two lines a few times, but mostly we worked on the circles trying to get Charlie round. John showed me with his hands how hard it is to get Charlie to flex to the right (but he's stiff to the left on a circle) and how I have to get him to FLEX and then I release. And he also showed me how the aids vary, a steady push, vs. a tap tap tap, vs. a tap tap tap down low and up high (the crop), and then just a spastic tapping with both, which is too much and Charlie tunes it out. John thinks I get frustrated and just tap both at random and it doesn't make any sense to Charlie. He said to make it as simple and clear as possible (hence the simpleton).
Also, the noseband is to keep his jaw from opening. Since I don't jerk on Charlie's mouth, I can tighten it up a lot. Shannon rode with it on 1, I ride with it on 2, and he put it on like 5!
As always, it was a tremendously helpful lesson. I would just about give my right arm to be able to ride with John every day, but I guess then I wouldn't learn to do it myself.
Seriously - today John had me jump the same oxer on a line to the vertical that we did on Friday, and then asked me why I jumped the oxer fine but was off for the vertical, and I was all "dunno", and he was like "Which leg did you use for the oxer?" - Answer - right leg, because it was the outside leg (we turned left to get to it). Then I was turning right after the vertical so which leg should I have used? Answer - left leg - because the outside switched. Guess which leg I was using? Correct! The right leg. Because he told me to use it on the first fence, so I just kept using it. Seriously - I want to hit myself. And it never, ever would have crossed my mind if he hadn't asked me.
He said I have to start thinking about that, keeping Charlie between my legs and that means thinking about where I'm going and which leg I need to use.
Charlie was an absolute trooper. After hauling down there Friday, then Saturday PC and Major Beale, then Sunday a long PC and Major Beale day, then I pulled him off the grass and hauled him down again, to work HARD. He didn't seem stiff or sore or mad about working either.
Mostly I just asked John to answer all the questions I had with Major Beale. John mostly agreed, although he characterized things in a different way, creating a new realization, which is that I trust John and am comfortable asking him dumb questions. Like "why am I so dumb and not getting this?"
Which is actually a good question. Because am I dumb and not getting it? Have I been working on the same thing for the last three years? There's an easy way to find out - read back in my own blog. This one.
On the other hand, are my expectations wrong? John pointed out he rarely gives me dressage lessons (in fact, he has given me exactly two I think), and so why in the world would I think I would know it perfectly?
He also said Charlie isn't a pulling horse, he's a lazy horse, so I have to use a lot of leg. On a pulling horse, I'd have to use a lot of arm.
I asked him whether I shouldn't go to EI, whether I was a Triangle and didn't know it, why wasn't I getting it, and whether he hated teaching me because I was his dumbest, slowest student. He said I might lose at EI and so what? And I said worse, I might fall off, and he asked whether I had come anywhere close to falling off the last two lessons (no) so why would I even think that?
So the dumb common sense thing I hope gets corrected by Pony Club, because the learning the "why" behind the reasons (today John asked me why I kept the noseband so loose and I said "because Shannon told me to" and he said "what is it for?" and I was all "dunno. To hold his mouth shut?" and thinking to myself "read the chapter on bridle fit, dummy"), and the thinking through the ride and explaining it - I think those two things will hopefully help me get off my reliance on other people kick.
Which was John's final takeaway - I said "yes, this is all well and good that I can ride when you are telling me at each step what to do, but I can't do it by myself" and John said that was the problem. I have to figure it out for myself. I have to pause, think back to my lesson, and then do the pieces one at a time by myself. He said the most important thing is to GO. Then after that, to half halt on the outside, but use my go aid. Then to bend to the inside but know that he's going to bulge out to the outside, so use my outside half halt and go aid. And just to think it through and put them together one at a time by myself.
It was interesting how he did say the same things as Major Beale, but in a different way, and it was easier for me to understand, and easier for me to think "ok, I can break it down in these steps and do this by myself" whereas with Major Beale, it just feels like magic that Charlie is doing amazing things with me on him, and then I am totally at a loss how to replicate it by myself.
So when I get up the nerve, I will look back at my blog entries and see if I am a moron and still working on the same old things. I don't think I am, because two years ago I couldn't sit the trot, my main lesson was to keep my heels down, and to stop my hands from pulling back. Now it is turning him from the outside so he doesn't bulge through the outside shoulder.
But it is still so, so hard to get the lift instead of the speed. I don't know if that is core or hands that stops it.
Anyway, our lesson was to warm up on the circle, and then working on that same thing, where Charlie bends to the inside (sometimes first to the outside, then holding the connection to the outside, change his bend to the inside), then I use one leg at a time then both legs together to get him poofing up. It is a lot of outside half halts, bend, and one leg or the other then both legs. I am going to really buckle down and work on it. John said that my leg was pretty sloppy when I got back from Belize, but that my jump lesson last Friday was pretty good and he was surprised because he hadn't seen me in a while and he thought I'd just puke around. So there's that.
So we just jumped the two lines a few times, but mostly we worked on the circles trying to get Charlie round. John showed me with his hands how hard it is to get Charlie to flex to the right (but he's stiff to the left on a circle) and how I have to get him to FLEX and then I release. And he also showed me how the aids vary, a steady push, vs. a tap tap tap, vs. a tap tap tap down low and up high (the crop), and then just a spastic tapping with both, which is too much and Charlie tunes it out. John thinks I get frustrated and just tap both at random and it doesn't make any sense to Charlie. He said to make it as simple and clear as possible (hence the simpleton).
Also, the noseband is to keep his jaw from opening. Since I don't jerk on Charlie's mouth, I can tighten it up a lot. Shannon rode with it on 1, I ride with it on 2, and he put it on like 5!
As always, it was a tremendously helpful lesson. I would just about give my right arm to be able to ride with John every day, but I guess then I wouldn't learn to do it myself.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Brutal ride with Major Beale
I can't tell if I'm the worst rider in the world or the dumbest rider, or some combination of the two. I cried the whole way back to the barn from frustration with myself, and then I tried to convince myself it is just because I've never ridden 2nd level (and neither has Charlie) so we both are at the point where it stopped being easy and now we'll have to really work at it. Then I convinced myself that was a way to stroke my ego and instead I should face the cold hard truth that I'm just not that good of a rider - I'm a Triangle - and poor Charlie has been toting me this whole time.
I can't tell. I have no idea.
I feel like I am beating my head against a brick wall, and I'm not even sure it's the right brick wall, and I have absolutely no clue whether I beat it long enough if I will start to wear a hole in it and break through to the next level, or if I'm just giving myself a concussion. How do you tell that? How do you tell when you've gone as far as your particular talent is going to take you vs. working hard to improve? And how do you tell what to work on if you've never been there before and have no idea where you're going?
What I heard Major Beale say was that where we ended today was better than where we started yesterday (agreed, something that happens with each ride with him) but he also said we had "regressed" since October. That throws me into a frenzy. Am I so bad I can't tell that? Because I thought we were riding much better than in October. And if I can't tell that, what else can't I tell? The whole thing seems hopeless if I've gotten worse when I thought I was getting better.
Kevin came and videoed, and what I did not hear was the "good"s, which also makes me crazy. I need to know what is good, what is bad, and how to improve what is bad.
We did essentially the same thing as yesterday, the 20 meter circle to a 12 meter circle, haunches to the outside, leg yield out to the 20 meter circle, then lengthen the trot or canter. Then we did some shoulder-in.
He says we both need to work harder, and Charlie doesn't need a lot of warm up but needs to be "jazzed up" because he's lazy.
I can't tell. I have no idea.
I feel like I am beating my head against a brick wall, and I'm not even sure it's the right brick wall, and I have absolutely no clue whether I beat it long enough if I will start to wear a hole in it and break through to the next level, or if I'm just giving myself a concussion. How do you tell that? How do you tell when you've gone as far as your particular talent is going to take you vs. working hard to improve? And how do you tell what to work on if you've never been there before and have no idea where you're going?
What I heard Major Beale say was that where we ended today was better than where we started yesterday (agreed, something that happens with each ride with him) but he also said we had "regressed" since October. That throws me into a frenzy. Am I so bad I can't tell that? Because I thought we were riding much better than in October. And if I can't tell that, what else can't I tell? The whole thing seems hopeless if I've gotten worse when I thought I was getting better.
Kevin came and videoed, and what I did not hear was the "good"s, which also makes me crazy. I need to know what is good, what is bad, and how to improve what is bad.
We did essentially the same thing as yesterday, the 20 meter circle to a 12 meter circle, haunches to the outside, leg yield out to the 20 meter circle, then lengthen the trot or canter. Then we did some shoulder-in.
He says we both need to work harder, and Charlie doesn't need a lot of warm up but needs to be "jazzed up" because he's lazy.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Pony Club & Working Harder
Two lessons today - the first with Asia for Pony Club. She suggested that I do more half halts. She said Charlie has plenty of movement, but he is letting his legs go out behind him instead of coming up under him. To do a trot to halt transition, begin thinking about it for five strides (sit up, shoulder blades together) and then stop the movement on the 5th stride. I got several perfect halts, but then ended on a few pukey ones. I have to think about sitting up and pinching my shoulder blades together. Then at the canter, I bend at the waist, so I need to try to keep my waist as one solid element. Over fences, she said it is much harder to ride an 18" fence (in theory, than a 4' fence), and to ride in and half halt multiple times on the way in. A half halt from a two point is a very, very weird feeling. It is essentially just tightening your core (like a corset was around it) which sounds simple but seems to throw me off balance when I'm in a two point. I like to curve and tuck my pelvis under instead, which is the wrong thing to do. It was a really great lesson, and I really enjoyed working with her.
Then Charlie got in the trailer and we drove to Major Beale, where the short take away is we aren't working anywhere near hard enough - either one of us. It was pretty discouraging. It feels like we've made so much progress in so many places, but I cannot seem to "get" how to make Charlie engage behind and have impulsion and round over his topline. I can feel it when it's there - it feels like his shoulders are lifted and I'm sitting on a pillow, like I can do anything with him at any second; but I can't make it be there on my own.
He got a lunge whip, and stood in the center and essentially lunged Charlie with the whip to make him forward while I rode him. Charlie needs to march at the walk. I don't need to use my legs 100 times, but should do a whack-whack-whack or a SMACK with the whip (not a hit every step). He needs to be connected and poised to do anything - halt, trot, or canter. If he isn't, he isn't forward enough.
Then at the trot, we worked on circles - first 20 meter at the trot, then 12 meter at the trot (10 is too small). There, the big issue is bending him to the inside, but not letting him bulge through the outside. It is giving and releasing with both hands, but each reacting to Charlie, so maybe both together or maybe not.
Same as John - Major Beale had us bend to the outside, then Charlie's shoulder would come up under him, and then bend back to the inside.
Then we worked on a smaller circle, and then trot to halt transitions. For these, he has to be round and working and then I use my leg to push him forward, then stop moving my hips for the halt. If he isn't round, he just pukes into it. Major Beale's preferred way to get him round was to work on a circle bent to the inside, then push his haunches to the outside, then go bigger, then halt. It was much easier to do to the right; I could feel it, but could hardly feel it to the left.
At the canter, it was some forward back and not as much bend, and NOT the up and down carousel horse (I don't know why not).
Charlie was his usual sweet self, working his heart out even though he's lazy (I don't get it) and had already been ridden once and late last night. Major Beale said I have got to toughen up and expect more out of him. He told me that he has to spend 15 minutes doing the trot circles and bending each direction for his wife's 3rd level horse, and about some guy who couldn't go cross country but Major Beale always won on his horse. I think the point is that it's mental, but I know that, and I need to know how to get over myself. I'm clearly the hold up and not getting it, but I'm so not getting it I'm not sure why not.
It was a great lesson, but frustrating. I am ready to be done with this phase and working on the next thing. I feel like I'm trapped in beginner-land and will be stuck here forever.
MB said we should NOT be sitting because Charlie isn't coming over his topline so his back isn't round and lifted.
Then Charlie got in the trailer and we drove to Major Beale, where the short take away is we aren't working anywhere near hard enough - either one of us. It was pretty discouraging. It feels like we've made so much progress in so many places, but I cannot seem to "get" how to make Charlie engage behind and have impulsion and round over his topline. I can feel it when it's there - it feels like his shoulders are lifted and I'm sitting on a pillow, like I can do anything with him at any second; but I can't make it be there on my own.
He got a lunge whip, and stood in the center and essentially lunged Charlie with the whip to make him forward while I rode him. Charlie needs to march at the walk. I don't need to use my legs 100 times, but should do a whack-whack-whack or a SMACK with the whip (not a hit every step). He needs to be connected and poised to do anything - halt, trot, or canter. If he isn't, he isn't forward enough.
Then at the trot, we worked on circles - first 20 meter at the trot, then 12 meter at the trot (10 is too small). There, the big issue is bending him to the inside, but not letting him bulge through the outside. It is giving and releasing with both hands, but each reacting to Charlie, so maybe both together or maybe not.
Same as John - Major Beale had us bend to the outside, then Charlie's shoulder would come up under him, and then bend back to the inside.
Then we worked on a smaller circle, and then trot to halt transitions. For these, he has to be round and working and then I use my leg to push him forward, then stop moving my hips for the halt. If he isn't round, he just pukes into it. Major Beale's preferred way to get him round was to work on a circle bent to the inside, then push his haunches to the outside, then go bigger, then halt. It was much easier to do to the right; I could feel it, but could hardly feel it to the left.
At the canter, it was some forward back and not as much bend, and NOT the up and down carousel horse (I don't know why not).
Charlie was his usual sweet self, working his heart out even though he's lazy (I don't get it) and had already been ridden once and late last night. Major Beale said I have got to toughen up and expect more out of him. He told me that he has to spend 15 minutes doing the trot circles and bending each direction for his wife's 3rd level horse, and about some guy who couldn't go cross country but Major Beale always won on his horse. I think the point is that it's mental, but I know that, and I need to know how to get over myself. I'm clearly the hold up and not getting it, but I'm so not getting it I'm not sure why not.
It was a great lesson, but frustrating. I am ready to be done with this phase and working on the next thing. I feel like I'm trapped in beginner-land and will be stuck here forever.
MB said we should NOT be sitting because Charlie isn't coming over his topline so his back isn't round and lifted.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Jumping with John - outside on a Friday April evening!
We had divine spring weather today, so although I had to tear like a bat out of hell to get to John's by 6:15 (he wanted to start at 6), it was worth it.
We started on a 20 meter and 15 meter circle around a fence, and John worked on the same attempt to get Charlie round and forward as in our last lessons, but Charlie was like riding a hunk of wood today. We worked for a while to the left, and when we switched and went right, he felt a little off to me. John didn't say anything, but I want to watch that because we have a jam-packed weekend.
This was to bend him - either way, outside or inside - then to keep the contact and move him forward. Half halt, then move forward again. Sounds simple, but it is crazy hard to separate my legs and hands and use them independently, let alone at the right time. When I got it right, I could feel the balance and lift in Charlie's shoulders, but it was pretty hard to do today and would have been entirely impossible on my own.
We had some really lousy down transitions from canter to trot, and I had to use the whip quite a bit. I got really clingy with my right leg, and John had to keep telling me to put that heel down.
This is definitely where I need more help, because although I've worked on it now a few times with John, I don't think to do a lot of the movements myself, and I can't always match them with a change in Charlie's feeling right away, like on some of the easier stuff.
After that, we jumped - a couple times over a cross rail and vertical, then we did a short course which was a 5 stride angled line oxer to vertical, right hand turn, 5 stride bending line oxer to vertical, left hand turn, roll top.
John said that I am using my rein (inside rein, mostly right one) too much to turn, instead of using outside leg and outside rein. And Charlie was very reluctant to bend either way, like a stiff board that didn't want to go forward. It wasn't our greatest day.
Charlie was NOT getting his leads, but he did, at least twice, correct it with only the littlest aid from me, so that was pretty cool. Maybe his back is getting a little stronger?
We have Pony Club jump lesson tomorrow, then Major Beale, then Pony Club D2/D3 rating on Sunday morning, then Major Beale, then John again Monday night. Then a week off.
I'm hoping he isn't lame, and it isn't my fault for the conditioning. We are up to 6 trot/1 walk/6 canter/2 walk/2 canter (450 mpm)/2 walk/6 trot/1 walk/6 canter, and he was really huffing and puffing in the gallop work (with one fence) last week. I think part of it is the preference for the right canter lead - he'll go around at a horrible cross firing gallop instead of just fixing it.
We started on a 20 meter and 15 meter circle around a fence, and John worked on the same attempt to get Charlie round and forward as in our last lessons, but Charlie was like riding a hunk of wood today. We worked for a while to the left, and when we switched and went right, he felt a little off to me. John didn't say anything, but I want to watch that because we have a jam-packed weekend.
This was to bend him - either way, outside or inside - then to keep the contact and move him forward. Half halt, then move forward again. Sounds simple, but it is crazy hard to separate my legs and hands and use them independently, let alone at the right time. When I got it right, I could feel the balance and lift in Charlie's shoulders, but it was pretty hard to do today and would have been entirely impossible on my own.
We had some really lousy down transitions from canter to trot, and I had to use the whip quite a bit. I got really clingy with my right leg, and John had to keep telling me to put that heel down.
This is definitely where I need more help, because although I've worked on it now a few times with John, I don't think to do a lot of the movements myself, and I can't always match them with a change in Charlie's feeling right away, like on some of the easier stuff.
After that, we jumped - a couple times over a cross rail and vertical, then we did a short course which was a 5 stride angled line oxer to vertical, right hand turn, 5 stride bending line oxer to vertical, left hand turn, roll top.
John said that I am using my rein (inside rein, mostly right one) too much to turn, instead of using outside leg and outside rein. And Charlie was very reluctant to bend either way, like a stiff board that didn't want to go forward. It wasn't our greatest day.
Charlie was NOT getting his leads, but he did, at least twice, correct it with only the littlest aid from me, so that was pretty cool. Maybe his back is getting a little stronger?
We have Pony Club jump lesson tomorrow, then Major Beale, then Pony Club D2/D3 rating on Sunday morning, then Major Beale, then John again Monday night. Then a week off.
I'm hoping he isn't lame, and it isn't my fault for the conditioning. We are up to 6 trot/1 walk/6 canter/2 walk/2 canter (450 mpm)/2 walk/6 trot/1 walk/6 canter, and he was really huffing and puffing in the gallop work (with one fence) last week. I think part of it is the preference for the right canter lead - he'll go around at a horrible cross firing gallop instead of just fixing it.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Beth - moving forward with the motion
I had a dual session/lesson with Beth yesterday, which was very useful. Indoors, we worked on re-engaging the lower core (I have been compensating by rounding my upper back), and then separating the core from my legs, by doing egg beaters and leg circles (egg beaters are tracing the letter "D" with your knees). Then we worked on the ball, on forward and back with the hips, but watching in a mirror to see where my back engages. I need to keep focusing on little movements until my core gets strong again because I have been "cheating" at the movements, particularly, the plank roll up. It is more rounded back, then weight over your elbows as you walk out. I had to do these on my knees, unlike last time, because I wasn't strong enough to do them on my toes anymore.
On Charlie, we worked on moving from the hip joint - not the waist. To prevent the forward/back in the belly, I can put one hand on my lower back or my "caliper" fingers on my rib/hip length to make sure it isn't changing. It also helps to think of the "isotoner" - that I have a corset around my waist that is tightening.
Then we worked on controlling Charlie's speed from only my hips - making HIM follow ME instead of the other way around. I could slow his walk down a lot, and Beth said that is a really good exercise for his core, because it takes a lot of balance for him to go slow. I have less control over the trot, because I tend to get floppy after not much time, but I think that is practice. This is to try to get the bouncing basketball feeling in the trot (energy cycling from his hind legs forward) instead of the driving onto the forehand (reverse energy cycle).
Last but not least, I also need to be careful about rounding my shoulders and being behind the vertical. I get a little behind and then don't move forward when I ask for the forward aid. If I think of keeping my upper body on a track with his shoulders, it improves things considerably.
Beth noted that both Charlie and I need to work on the same muscles, which helped me appreciate why this has been so difficult. Unlike the prior things we've worked on, now we're both working on it together. It helps that Charlie is so incredibly responsive, so that I can feel when I do it right instead of guessing blindly.
On Charlie, we worked on moving from the hip joint - not the waist. To prevent the forward/back in the belly, I can put one hand on my lower back or my "caliper" fingers on my rib/hip length to make sure it isn't changing. It also helps to think of the "isotoner" - that I have a corset around my waist that is tightening.
Then we worked on controlling Charlie's speed from only my hips - making HIM follow ME instead of the other way around. I could slow his walk down a lot, and Beth said that is a really good exercise for his core, because it takes a lot of balance for him to go slow. I have less control over the trot, because I tend to get floppy after not much time, but I think that is practice. This is to try to get the bouncing basketball feeling in the trot (energy cycling from his hind legs forward) instead of the driving onto the forehand (reverse energy cycle).
Last but not least, I also need to be careful about rounding my shoulders and being behind the vertical. I get a little behind and then don't move forward when I ask for the forward aid. If I think of keeping my upper body on a track with his shoulders, it improves things considerably.
Beth noted that both Charlie and I need to work on the same muscles, which helped me appreciate why this has been so difficult. Unlike the prior things we've worked on, now we're both working on it together. It helps that Charlie is so incredibly responsive, so that I can feel when I do it right instead of guessing blindly.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
2nd dressage lesson with John - outside rein
Today was another eureka moment - my second with John (the first was when I looked down and realized that yes, indeed, before each fence I *was* pulling back on the reins). Today's was the significance of outside rein and outside shoulder on a circle.
I haven't seen John in a few weeks, and I had two derbies at Aspen where I could feel the problem, but couldn't tell how to fix it, and I know it has to do with a bigger canter, so I brought my dressage saddle instead of my jump saddle to follow up on the last lesson.
We worked mostly on the circle, and it was still a bit out of my grasp, but I got it much better this time than last time.
First, my questions:
- Do not condition in the sloppy footing. Work harder and for longer periods inside instead. So do 6 minutes of canter work without a break, and do harder canter work than I would normally do, like 15 meter circles to a lengthening. It won't help with the gallop work, but it is better than risking injury.
- To strengthen Charlie's back, more forward/back work is better, and then do short, elevated trot poles, like 3' maximum each, not just the trot/canter elevated poles.
- If I have the wrong lead in show jumping, and I only get half the change, then trot the first few steps of the turn, so I can come out of the turn on the correct lead. Work at home on the simple changes (simple = canter, trot, canter) so Charlie knows he has to do it within three steps.
- John wants Charlie to be a bit more up and forward for show jumping canter than dressage canter. So Charlie's dressage canter will have a bit more flexion (head down), but his show jumping canter will give him a bit more lift in his head to look at the fence.
Ok, so we worked on the sitting trot on a circle, and what John had me do was moving Charlie's shoulders, so that he knows he can do it. I would lift the inside hand to get him to stop twisting his head left; I would do a half halt ONLY with the outside hand, and I would ride the down transition from canter to trot with my reins a bit higher, instead of dropping them onto his withers. I would also use my outside leg a little forward (up closer to the girth) and going to the right (clockwise) I would do some haunches in and then bend him to the right. Bending him to the right was much harder than the left (surprisingly).
If Charlie started to hang on my hands, then I would ask for the half halt with my outside hand, and if he ignored it, then I would counterflex him to the outside. This would make his inside shoulder pop up, so then I would go back to normal flexion.
When I half halted, it is very important when he gives, to then release the half halt.
If he gets tight in his jaw, I can also give for a second and then take back.
I could, about half way through, suddenly feel his right rein, which I didn't realize I couldn't feel until I felt it.
I could also - eureka - feel that he would move out through his outside shoulder (if we were going right, he would move out through his left shoulder) instead of bending around me.
The hoppity at the canter is an attempt not to use his inside hind leg (usually going to the left, I think), and I think I give with the inside hand.
I can also, with the canter, open my inside hand, so that he can move his shoulder to the inside.
I still need a lot of work, but with John coaching each movement (i.e. sit deeper, use your inside hip, lift your inside hand, put your outside leg on), I could get Charlie centered and balanced.
What is amazing is how much John knows and how he knows how to tell you what to do when to get a specific result. And not just that, but how to make it adjust - i.e. the difference between a show jump canter and a dressage canter and why. And that he could walk me through the steps so that I could make it happen and feel it. I definitely couldn't do it by myself yet, but now I know that I can do it, and with enough time with John, I'll be able to do it by myself, and even better, know when to use the tool and why.
It was great. I am really looking forward to working on it. I feel like just one lesson with John jumps me like a year ahead. Looking back at the last three years, first - no wonder Charlie is reluctant to change - he's had three years of blowing out through his shoulder and not having to use his hind end. Why would he think we're suddenly doing it differently? But second, how much progress I've made as a rider. Charlie is my golden ticket to figure out how to get a horse round and forward because he's making me learn it and work for it, but while being generous, willing, and responsive. I have to ask, but once I ask, he gives.
I am so, so lucky to have Charlie and be able to work with John.
I haven't seen John in a few weeks, and I had two derbies at Aspen where I could feel the problem, but couldn't tell how to fix it, and I know it has to do with a bigger canter, so I brought my dressage saddle instead of my jump saddle to follow up on the last lesson.
We worked mostly on the circle, and it was still a bit out of my grasp, but I got it much better this time than last time.
First, my questions:
- Do not condition in the sloppy footing. Work harder and for longer periods inside instead. So do 6 minutes of canter work without a break, and do harder canter work than I would normally do, like 15 meter circles to a lengthening. It won't help with the gallop work, but it is better than risking injury.
- To strengthen Charlie's back, more forward/back work is better, and then do short, elevated trot poles, like 3' maximum each, not just the trot/canter elevated poles.
- If I have the wrong lead in show jumping, and I only get half the change, then trot the first few steps of the turn, so I can come out of the turn on the correct lead. Work at home on the simple changes (simple = canter, trot, canter) so Charlie knows he has to do it within three steps.
- John wants Charlie to be a bit more up and forward for show jumping canter than dressage canter. So Charlie's dressage canter will have a bit more flexion (head down), but his show jumping canter will give him a bit more lift in his head to look at the fence.
Ok, so we worked on the sitting trot on a circle, and what John had me do was moving Charlie's shoulders, so that he knows he can do it. I would lift the inside hand to get him to stop twisting his head left; I would do a half halt ONLY with the outside hand, and I would ride the down transition from canter to trot with my reins a bit higher, instead of dropping them onto his withers. I would also use my outside leg a little forward (up closer to the girth) and going to the right (clockwise) I would do some haunches in and then bend him to the right. Bending him to the right was much harder than the left (surprisingly).
If Charlie started to hang on my hands, then I would ask for the half halt with my outside hand, and if he ignored it, then I would counterflex him to the outside. This would make his inside shoulder pop up, so then I would go back to normal flexion.
When I half halted, it is very important when he gives, to then release the half halt.
If he gets tight in his jaw, I can also give for a second and then take back.
I could, about half way through, suddenly feel his right rein, which I didn't realize I couldn't feel until I felt it.
I could also - eureka - feel that he would move out through his outside shoulder (if we were going right, he would move out through his left shoulder) instead of bending around me.
The hoppity at the canter is an attempt not to use his inside hind leg (usually going to the left, I think), and I think I give with the inside hand.
I can also, with the canter, open my inside hand, so that he can move his shoulder to the inside.
I still need a lot of work, but with John coaching each movement (i.e. sit deeper, use your inside hip, lift your inside hand, put your outside leg on), I could get Charlie centered and balanced.
What is amazing is how much John knows and how he knows how to tell you what to do when to get a specific result. And not just that, but how to make it adjust - i.e. the difference between a show jump canter and a dressage canter and why. And that he could walk me through the steps so that I could make it happen and feel it. I definitely couldn't do it by myself yet, but now I know that I can do it, and with enough time with John, I'll be able to do it by myself, and even better, know when to use the tool and why.
It was great. I am really looking forward to working on it. I feel like just one lesson with John jumps me like a year ahead. Looking back at the last three years, first - no wonder Charlie is reluctant to change - he's had three years of blowing out through his shoulder and not having to use his hind end. Why would he think we're suddenly doing it differently? But second, how much progress I've made as a rider. Charlie is my golden ticket to figure out how to get a horse round and forward because he's making me learn it and work for it, but while being generous, willing, and responsive. I have to ask, but once I ask, he gives.
I am so, so lucky to have Charlie and be able to work with John.
Sunday, March 08, 2015
Aspen Farm Ride & Review - Training Dressage and Jump
Our first outing this year was a brilliant, warm, sunny March day. Charlie got sweaty!
Both my dressage test (Training B) and the jump round had the same suggestion as John - canter is too flat, and needs to have more jump (be bigger).
The dressage ride and review (which, by the way, we got a 9 on the first movement and our first 8 on the collective marks!!) suggested that I try 4 strides lengthen, 4 strides collect, 4 strides lengthen, 4 strides collect, to get Charlie better balanced and more attentive. It actually seemed to work pretty well.
The 15 meter - 20 meter lengthen circles felt flat and angled (like a motorcycle taking a turn), and his stretchy trot circle wasn't stretchy enough, but other than that, it actually felt like a decent test. Especially because I haven't ridden it since last August!
I didn't warm him up much for jumping because I didn't want to wear him out, so we ended up doing the cross rail, two verticals, one oxer, waiting a few minutes, then doing the two rounds back to back. The good news is that the jumps weren't overwhelming intimidating. The bad news is we got a rail down in the combination in the first round, then a rail down and the skinny down in the second round. The good news in the bad news is I could feel them coming!!!
Jonathan said his canter isn't big enough, that I need to rev it up in the opening circle and down the long sides and in the big spaces - and the same sort of back and forth. He also said I'm slipping my reins, so I need to try to keep the same length or get them back for the second half. Charlie just crashed through the skinny in the second round - he didn't even try - but I had him at the wrong spot, shooting at it, and at an angle. He did do a nice recovery though for the up and down bank. I was pretty happy with it.
Charlie is such a good guy.
Dogs did well too.
I had a wicked head cold and wasn't sure if I was even going to go - my head was so stuffed I was dizzy when I got up.
Both my dressage test (Training B) and the jump round had the same suggestion as John - canter is too flat, and needs to have more jump (be bigger).
The dressage ride and review (which, by the way, we got a 9 on the first movement and our first 8 on the collective marks!!) suggested that I try 4 strides lengthen, 4 strides collect, 4 strides lengthen, 4 strides collect, to get Charlie better balanced and more attentive. It actually seemed to work pretty well.
The 15 meter - 20 meter lengthen circles felt flat and angled (like a motorcycle taking a turn), and his stretchy trot circle wasn't stretchy enough, but other than that, it actually felt like a decent test. Especially because I haven't ridden it since last August!
I didn't warm him up much for jumping because I didn't want to wear him out, so we ended up doing the cross rail, two verticals, one oxer, waiting a few minutes, then doing the two rounds back to back. The good news is that the jumps weren't overwhelming intimidating. The bad news is we got a rail down in the combination in the first round, then a rail down and the skinny down in the second round. The good news in the bad news is I could feel them coming!!!
Jonathan said his canter isn't big enough, that I need to rev it up in the opening circle and down the long sides and in the big spaces - and the same sort of back and forth. He also said I'm slipping my reins, so I need to try to keep the same length or get them back for the second half. Charlie just crashed through the skinny in the second round - he didn't even try - but I had him at the wrong spot, shooting at it, and at an angle. He did do a nice recovery though for the up and down bank. I was pretty happy with it.
Charlie is such a good guy.
Dogs did well too.
I had a wicked head cold and wasn't sure if I was even going to go - my head was so stuffed I was dizzy when I got up.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Follow up lesson with John - an 8 meter circle!
I had my first weekly weeknight lesson with John in my attempt to get more consistent with my lessons. It worked really well. I left work at 3:45, had the tack already in the trailer, and got there at 5:45 and on by 6. I was off by 7 and home by 8:30, which was just enough time to groom Charlie and park the trailer. 5 more minutes and I could have unloaded the trailer too.
It will be a bit less pleasant on a rainy day (in the dark) but it's doable.
This was my first dressage lesson with John and it was great. John's style of communication works really well for me. He's good at describing what Charlie is doing, and precisely how to correct it. He can not only watch Charlie, but he also watches what I'm doing, and makes the adjustments to me as well.
We started working on a circle, and then a 10 meter circle (precisely) and then a 10 meter circle at the sitting trot. The reason to be precise on the dimensions of the circle is so I can feel when Charlie is avoiding - if he is bulging his shoulders out (or in), the circle loses its shape.
This lesson, like the last one, is still in the gray realm where I can do it while John is talking - and as he describes what is happening, I can begin to associate the feel with what he's describing - but is still a bit out of my grasp to articulate afterwards.
He told me there's two things I need to work on, and I think it was to do a better job with my lower leg contact - "on-off-on-off" when I need it, not "on-squeeze harder-lift heel", and to experiment. Even if I can't feel that Charlie is stiff in his right jaw, don't just putz around in a circle but try flexing him to the outside for a step or two and see what happens. He said that the first two days he rode Charlie, he was stubborn, but then he became pliable again. It's kind of a miracle it only took to the third day with how long Charlie has been able to get away with things with me.
We worked on 10 meter circles, 15 meter circles, and even some 8 meter circles towards the end. John got spring in Charlie's step, and he also worked on getting him to bend around my leg. I had to lift my left hand and then use my right leg (going left) NEXT TO THE GIRTH (this part took me a while to catch on to) to - at the trot - get Charlie's right leg to cross over his left (front) leg and start to get that bend. Charlie is VERY good at acting like he's doing the motion, but evading. He'll try almost everything he can to avoid actually engaging his back.
It will be interesting to see when his new saddle arrives if that is because he's been working for so long with a saddle that makes his lower ribs hurt, or if it's a long-standing habit and he's never going to have the light bulb go off that he can lift up without it hurting. I certainly haven't helped him much up to this point, but now the light bulb has gone off for me.
John had me constantly adjusting, and this is the part I can't feel yet. John could instantly see when Charlie's shoulder would bulge out (or in), or when he'd tilt his head instead of bending, and he'd have me lift a hand, use an inside leg, use an outside leg, use both legs, or use the whip. It will be SO cool when I can feel that too.
So we did 10 meter trot circles, and then circles around the ring at different spots. Then we flexed to the outside with a bit of haunches to the outside on a slightly smaller circle, then would go back to normal bend and get some extra oomph. Then we did canter 10 meter circles, and the same flexion to the outside (but without the legs crossing over in front). Then we did 8 meter trot circles out to 15 meter circles, and canter on the 15 meter circle.
The art was in the adjustments in between. John would tell me, for example, to use my inside rein, and then Charlie's shoulder would lift and we could get the springy balanced trot. But until John would say that I needed to use the outside rein, I wouldn't feel how Charlie was bulging in the shoulder (or leaning on the rein, diving down on the forehand, etc.).
At the end of the lesson, Charlie had a steam wall coming off of him, and I was amazed at how well he did. It's probably because John just rode him for two weeks, but it was great for me to feel how well he moved and try to get that locked into my muscle memory. Fingers crossed for many more great lessons.
Also, John noted that my lower leg isn't really that bad once Charlie is going - it's just that tug of war to get him going where I keep squeezing tighter and lifting my heel that is doing me in. He said Charlie needs to get more responsive to the aids - when I squeeze both legs, he should be surging forward. It made me feel a lot better. I've been so worried that I'm ruining Charlie (for so long) that I'm timid about trying new things or using stronger aids (like using my right rein). This was - like most of my jump lessons have been - very confidence building to trust myself a little more and to ask more of Charlie. If I wasn't so tired, this post would probably rave on and on and on about how great this lesson felt, even though it was still over my head. I'm just happy to be continuing to progress and not to have hit as best as I'm going to get yet.
It will be a bit less pleasant on a rainy day (in the dark) but it's doable.
This was my first dressage lesson with John and it was great. John's style of communication works really well for me. He's good at describing what Charlie is doing, and precisely how to correct it. He can not only watch Charlie, but he also watches what I'm doing, and makes the adjustments to me as well.
We started working on a circle, and then a 10 meter circle (precisely) and then a 10 meter circle at the sitting trot. The reason to be precise on the dimensions of the circle is so I can feel when Charlie is avoiding - if he is bulging his shoulders out (or in), the circle loses its shape.
This lesson, like the last one, is still in the gray realm where I can do it while John is talking - and as he describes what is happening, I can begin to associate the feel with what he's describing - but is still a bit out of my grasp to articulate afterwards.
He told me there's two things I need to work on, and I think it was to do a better job with my lower leg contact - "on-off-on-off" when I need it, not "on-squeeze harder-lift heel", and to experiment. Even if I can't feel that Charlie is stiff in his right jaw, don't just putz around in a circle but try flexing him to the outside for a step or two and see what happens. He said that the first two days he rode Charlie, he was stubborn, but then he became pliable again. It's kind of a miracle it only took to the third day with how long Charlie has been able to get away with things with me.
We worked on 10 meter circles, 15 meter circles, and even some 8 meter circles towards the end. John got spring in Charlie's step, and he also worked on getting him to bend around my leg. I had to lift my left hand and then use my right leg (going left) NEXT TO THE GIRTH (this part took me a while to catch on to) to - at the trot - get Charlie's right leg to cross over his left (front) leg and start to get that bend. Charlie is VERY good at acting like he's doing the motion, but evading. He'll try almost everything he can to avoid actually engaging his back.
It will be interesting to see when his new saddle arrives if that is because he's been working for so long with a saddle that makes his lower ribs hurt, or if it's a long-standing habit and he's never going to have the light bulb go off that he can lift up without it hurting. I certainly haven't helped him much up to this point, but now the light bulb has gone off for me.
John had me constantly adjusting, and this is the part I can't feel yet. John could instantly see when Charlie's shoulder would bulge out (or in), or when he'd tilt his head instead of bending, and he'd have me lift a hand, use an inside leg, use an outside leg, use both legs, or use the whip. It will be SO cool when I can feel that too.
So we did 10 meter trot circles, and then circles around the ring at different spots. Then we flexed to the outside with a bit of haunches to the outside on a slightly smaller circle, then would go back to normal bend and get some extra oomph. Then we did canter 10 meter circles, and the same flexion to the outside (but without the legs crossing over in front). Then we did 8 meter trot circles out to 15 meter circles, and canter on the 15 meter circle.
The art was in the adjustments in between. John would tell me, for example, to use my inside rein, and then Charlie's shoulder would lift and we could get the springy balanced trot. But until John would say that I needed to use the outside rein, I wouldn't feel how Charlie was bulging in the shoulder (or leaning on the rein, diving down on the forehand, etc.).
At the end of the lesson, Charlie had a steam wall coming off of him, and I was amazed at how well he did. It's probably because John just rode him for two weeks, but it was great for me to feel how well he moved and try to get that locked into my muscle memory. Fingers crossed for many more great lessons.
Also, John noted that my lower leg isn't really that bad once Charlie is going - it's just that tug of war to get him going where I keep squeezing tighter and lifting my heel that is doing me in. He said Charlie needs to get more responsive to the aids - when I squeeze both legs, he should be surging forward. It made me feel a lot better. I've been so worried that I'm ruining Charlie (for so long) that I'm timid about trying new things or using stronger aids (like using my right rein). This was - like most of my jump lessons have been - very confidence building to trust myself a little more and to ask more of Charlie. If I wasn't so tired, this post would probably rave on and on and on about how great this lesson felt, even though it was still over my head. I'm just happy to be continuing to progress and not to have hit as best as I'm going to get yet.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Two weeks with John
Charlie spent two weeks with John while we were on our honeymoon. John said Charlie doesn't have enough muscle on his topline for the flying changes yet, which was incredibly useful to know (and the same thing - in a way - that Major Beale said). John also said that he got his right side soft, that he jumps better from that bigger canter, and that we need to improve the puking transitions from canter to trot (what Beth had us work on last time!).
So we worked on the flat on the proper feel for when Charlie is using his back, but honestly, it's a bit out of my grasp. It is having him connected, and moving forward, but forward first. John said the lower leg position over fences that I asked him about - after reading too many George Morris jumping clinics in a row on the plane - is because I'm trying to get Charlie to go forward. It's an incredibly consistent - but improper - lower leg, and I got horrified that I was the worst rider ever and would get one of those "you shouldn't be jumping" critiques if we sent in my photo.
So the exercise to work on at home is canter - trot - lengthen. Trot should be the same speed as canter, not slowing down.
And then the other exercises are getting his jaw to soften - by flexing to the outside and then squeezes - and once it does, then using both legs to move him forward, in both directions. That sounds like a simple exercise, but I couldn't totally feel when his jaw softened, which is why poor Charlie has gotten away with it. It also made Charlie work much harder, so the 30-45 minutes of work was way more "efficient" (for conditioning) than the work I do with him at home (where he hardly breaks a sweat).
It was really, really useful, and it was also helpful to have the time off to reprioritize. My schedule is so jam packed I wouldn't be able to see John again until March 21 (assuming he's free) so I'm going to try to take evening lessons every Thursday - alternating jumping and flat.
So we worked on the flat on the proper feel for when Charlie is using his back, but honestly, it's a bit out of my grasp. It is having him connected, and moving forward, but forward first. John said the lower leg position over fences that I asked him about - after reading too many George Morris jumping clinics in a row on the plane - is because I'm trying to get Charlie to go forward. It's an incredibly consistent - but improper - lower leg, and I got horrified that I was the worst rider ever and would get one of those "you shouldn't be jumping" critiques if we sent in my photo.
So the exercise to work on at home is canter - trot - lengthen. Trot should be the same speed as canter, not slowing down.
And then the other exercises are getting his jaw to soften - by flexing to the outside and then squeezes - and once it does, then using both legs to move him forward, in both directions. That sounds like a simple exercise, but I couldn't totally feel when his jaw softened, which is why poor Charlie has gotten away with it. It also made Charlie work much harder, so the 30-45 minutes of work was way more "efficient" (for conditioning) than the work I do with him at home (where he hardly breaks a sweat).
It was really, really useful, and it was also helpful to have the time off to reprioritize. My schedule is so jam packed I wouldn't be able to see John again until March 21 (assuming he's free) so I'm going to try to take evening lessons every Thursday - alternating jumping and flat.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Beth 2 - *I* control the tempo and rhythm!
I had a lot more questions for Beth today, and Charlie was not at his best. He was a little stiff and sore from yesterday, and because we rode with George, he was way more interested in where George was and what he was doing than what I was asking him to do. He got back in the trailer and proceeded to paw it for like 30 minutes - very annoying.
We started with how you halt by softening your legs. The trick is to soften your butt and legs. I've been driving forward with my butt while softening my legs, but the halt needs to come from the lower belly instead. This same place is the center of all activity - before every request (an up transition, a down transition), breathe into the belly and then think about it. So if I am asking him to pick it up a bit, I use my leg, but I keep the impulsion from just going out his nose by stopping it with my core - not my hands.
This, I think, is the piece I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. It is something I rarely use, but once it's operating, it makes everything else so much easier.
So for a down transition from the canter, I use the core and the outside rein and then use the core again to keep the trot speed the same as the canter, just a different rhythm.
We worked on trot circles one direction, then changing through the center to the other direction. Each time we'd change direction, I'd throw everything away, so Charlie would rush off onto the forehand at the start of the next circle and it would take me a whole circle to get it back.
I'm not sure why I'm doing that, but it was good to know once I figured it out. It goes back to riding every step.
The other big issue was the same as what Major Beale has said - being an interactive rider instead of a reactive rider (with the following step being a proactive rider). I can control how big the trot is by how big my seat is - I don't have to let Charlie choose. Because Charlie was pissy today, this actually gave Beth an opportunity to have me redirect it instead of just going along for the ride. As annoyed as I was (and as useful as it was to know he's better alone), that was worth it.
All gaits down transition is through the core, which also controls tempo and rhythm. But an up transition needs leg first, but then you have to channel the energy.
This sounds so - hang on, let me go get my magic crystals - but it made sense while I was riding it. But it is a slippery one - not quite fully within my grasp yet.
I think I said this yesterday too, but the other important part is to do well what I can do, and once I've mastered that, ask for more - just like the stages of dressage tests go. Just because I want to be doing a stretchy trot circle doesn't mean that Charlie can zing along in a stretchy trot circle the first time I ask for one, especially after several years of not doing it.
It was another great lesson, and it was fun to go with Julie and have company on the drive.
I watched Julie's lesson (while Charlie was kicking the trailer) and it was really, really helpful. Julie was nagging George for more canter because he was being slow, and she is a much better rider than me, so it was really helpful to watch someone better than me have a problem I have too. There is something about not trying to ride at the same time, but being able to watch the cause and effect and the instructor's words that really helps me get some of the concepts. It also helped because Julie would ask clarifying questions, so I could see where she was struggling with how to implement the instructions. George responded a little differently than Charlie might, but it was still really interesting to watch.
We started with how you halt by softening your legs. The trick is to soften your butt and legs. I've been driving forward with my butt while softening my legs, but the halt needs to come from the lower belly instead. This same place is the center of all activity - before every request (an up transition, a down transition), breathe into the belly and then think about it. So if I am asking him to pick it up a bit, I use my leg, but I keep the impulsion from just going out his nose by stopping it with my core - not my hands.
This, I think, is the piece I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. It is something I rarely use, but once it's operating, it makes everything else so much easier.
So for a down transition from the canter, I use the core and the outside rein and then use the core again to keep the trot speed the same as the canter, just a different rhythm.
We worked on trot circles one direction, then changing through the center to the other direction. Each time we'd change direction, I'd throw everything away, so Charlie would rush off onto the forehand at the start of the next circle and it would take me a whole circle to get it back.
I'm not sure why I'm doing that, but it was good to know once I figured it out. It goes back to riding every step.
The other big issue was the same as what Major Beale has said - being an interactive rider instead of a reactive rider (with the following step being a proactive rider). I can control how big the trot is by how big my seat is - I don't have to let Charlie choose. Because Charlie was pissy today, this actually gave Beth an opportunity to have me redirect it instead of just going along for the ride. As annoyed as I was (and as useful as it was to know he's better alone), that was worth it.
All gaits down transition is through the core, which also controls tempo and rhythm. But an up transition needs leg first, but then you have to channel the energy.
This sounds so - hang on, let me go get my magic crystals - but it made sense while I was riding it. But it is a slippery one - not quite fully within my grasp yet.
I think I said this yesterday too, but the other important part is to do well what I can do, and once I've mastered that, ask for more - just like the stages of dressage tests go. Just because I want to be doing a stretchy trot circle doesn't mean that Charlie can zing along in a stretchy trot circle the first time I ask for one, especially after several years of not doing it.
It was another great lesson, and it was fun to go with Julie and have company on the drive.
I watched Julie's lesson (while Charlie was kicking the trailer) and it was really, really helpful. Julie was nagging George for more canter because he was being slow, and she is a much better rider than me, so it was really helpful to watch someone better than me have a problem I have too. There is something about not trying to ride at the same time, but being able to watch the cause and effect and the instructor's words that really helps me get some of the concepts. It also helped because Julie would ask clarifying questions, so I could see where she was struggling with how to implement the instructions. George responded a little differently than Charlie might, but it was still really interesting to watch.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Beth at Anne's - hula hips = improved down transitions
Today was my first of two days with Beth at Anne Appleby's. It was one of those lessons where it was "ah-ha" moment after "ah-ha" moment, making me nervous that I'll forget them all on my own. I wish I could ride with Beth every week, because I get it, but then I'm afraid I'm practicing it wrong and making it worse in between.
I had three issues for Beth, but got very good insight into right circle issues as well. My issues were Charlie wagging his head at the canter, down transitions from the canter to the trot, and stretchy trot circles.
We started with the walk, and getting a nice connected walk, but allowing the movement to come up through my hips instead of forward and back through my back. This was really hard for me to get. I put my left hand on my stomach, with my thumb on my ribs and my pinky on my hip, and the goal was that the distance would stay the same instead of scrunching closed, lengthening open. It is like a slinky going back and forward with your back (wrong way) vs. hula hooping with your hips (right way). When I hula hoop, Charlie can lift his back up into me, and I am more deeply seated, and also my legs can move with him. This isn't just in the walk, but also in the sitting trot.
Beth said she can see a big difference in my swishy seat, although it came back more strongly as the lesson went on.
So we started with the walk and trying to shift the movement from my belly forward and back to hips up and down. Then we went to a stretchy circle at the walk, and focused on feeling the "round" Charlie underneath me (the "poof" in his shoulders, which means he's stepping up underneath himself with his hind legs), which required slow, gradual letting the reins out, not flinging them away. I had to ask him to tuck in his nose a little bit, but if I didn't expect immediate results, I got a much better stretchy walk.
Then we did trot work, and it is easier for me to keep Charlie round and connected on a circle than on the long side. I had never noticed this, so it was really good to have Beth point it out. If I pay attention, I can feel him go a little flat, and then if I do another circle, we reengage.
Then we did some trotting at the sitting trot, and I had to start slow, but then gradually work on building that trot up to "normal" speed. I can control the tempo with my hips, but I have to be careful not to get tense, and I need to try to sit back just a little more so that I can use the flat lower part of my belly more powerfully.
Then we did some stretchy trot work, and I am basically just rushing it. I fling everything away and expect him to do it perfectly, and what I need to do is 20%, then another 20%, then check in, then another 20%. Then, once he gets it, I can speed up. But for now, it is keeping the connection and making sure he goes down round and not out and flat and racing on his forehand.
Then we did canter work. A down transition is really the same speed between trot and canter, it is just using the outside rein to say "here is the new gait". This was really, really useful to hear. And - fascinatingly - the right stretchy circle at the trot and right canter are the same issue. It is still really different to go left and right, although on an entirely different level than last year. I kind of fall apart and get all twisted, crank Charlie's head to the right, and he is also kind of lazy about pushing off of his left hind leg, so it is really not as good or easy as going to the left. I have to remember to twist my spine a little left (my left shoulder gets further ahead than my right one), put weight on my right stirrup, and think about the rectangle and push my left side into the inside of the circle.
Charlie got pretty sweaty and was not forward enough in the canter, but it was hard because he would lift up into it but then kind of just stall in the air. So I need to work on the correct feeling there.
This written version doesn't do the lesson justice. I was like "OH! That's WHY that is happening!" over and over again. And - for the first time in a while, I started to see the next step up.
It is great! We are progressing. There is still a long way to go, but we are so much further than where we started. And Charlie is a real trooper. Some of this is hard work for him, and he is a little less honest about offering it when I do it right, but once I am firm and say "this is what I want", he changes and shows me whether it worked or not. He is such a good boy.
Next step is tempo. Beth said it is a real eventer issue - we want to tear around going too fast, and I need to distinguish speed from impulsion. I can feel it when it is up in his shoulders, but I can't always tell if things are too slow or too fast.
I had three issues for Beth, but got very good insight into right circle issues as well. My issues were Charlie wagging his head at the canter, down transitions from the canter to the trot, and stretchy trot circles.
We started with the walk, and getting a nice connected walk, but allowing the movement to come up through my hips instead of forward and back through my back. This was really hard for me to get. I put my left hand on my stomach, with my thumb on my ribs and my pinky on my hip, and the goal was that the distance would stay the same instead of scrunching closed, lengthening open. It is like a slinky going back and forward with your back (wrong way) vs. hula hooping with your hips (right way). When I hula hoop, Charlie can lift his back up into me, and I am more deeply seated, and also my legs can move with him. This isn't just in the walk, but also in the sitting trot.
Beth said she can see a big difference in my swishy seat, although it came back more strongly as the lesson went on.
So we started with the walk and trying to shift the movement from my belly forward and back to hips up and down. Then we went to a stretchy circle at the walk, and focused on feeling the "round" Charlie underneath me (the "poof" in his shoulders, which means he's stepping up underneath himself with his hind legs), which required slow, gradual letting the reins out, not flinging them away. I had to ask him to tuck in his nose a little bit, but if I didn't expect immediate results, I got a much better stretchy walk.
Then we did trot work, and it is easier for me to keep Charlie round and connected on a circle than on the long side. I had never noticed this, so it was really good to have Beth point it out. If I pay attention, I can feel him go a little flat, and then if I do another circle, we reengage.
Then we did some trotting at the sitting trot, and I had to start slow, but then gradually work on building that trot up to "normal" speed. I can control the tempo with my hips, but I have to be careful not to get tense, and I need to try to sit back just a little more so that I can use the flat lower part of my belly more powerfully.
Then we did some stretchy trot work, and I am basically just rushing it. I fling everything away and expect him to do it perfectly, and what I need to do is 20%, then another 20%, then check in, then another 20%. Then, once he gets it, I can speed up. But for now, it is keeping the connection and making sure he goes down round and not out and flat and racing on his forehand.
Then we did canter work. A down transition is really the same speed between trot and canter, it is just using the outside rein to say "here is the new gait". This was really, really useful to hear. And - fascinatingly - the right stretchy circle at the trot and right canter are the same issue. It is still really different to go left and right, although on an entirely different level than last year. I kind of fall apart and get all twisted, crank Charlie's head to the right, and he is also kind of lazy about pushing off of his left hind leg, so it is really not as good or easy as going to the left. I have to remember to twist my spine a little left (my left shoulder gets further ahead than my right one), put weight on my right stirrup, and think about the rectangle and push my left side into the inside of the circle.
Charlie got pretty sweaty and was not forward enough in the canter, but it was hard because he would lift up into it but then kind of just stall in the air. So I need to work on the correct feeling there.
This written version doesn't do the lesson justice. I was like "OH! That's WHY that is happening!" over and over again. And - for the first time in a while, I started to see the next step up.
It is great! We are progressing. There is still a long way to go, but we are so much further than where we started. And Charlie is a real trooper. Some of this is hard work for him, and he is a little less honest about offering it when I do it right, but once I am firm and say "this is what I want", he changes and shows me whether it worked or not. He is such a good boy.
Next step is tempo. Beth said it is a real eventer issue - we want to tear around going too fast, and I need to distinguish speed from impulsion. I can feel it when it is up in his shoulders, but I can't always tell if things are too slow or too fast.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
Group lesson with two of John's other students
Today I got to ride with two of John's students in a group lesson. It was really helpful, because I could watch them out of the corner of my eye and try to make Charlie look like their horses did. I could also watch what their horses did, then listen to what John told them to change. We started working on a 20 meter circle, and my main instructions were to get my heels down, to bend Charlie to the inside, and then to use outside rein to connect him.
Then we added in a tiny vertical, but you had to make a hard left to get to it - it didn't feel like a 20 meter circle turn. To get over it smoothly (after a couple awkward leaps where I got left behind), I figured out the trick was to make Charlie really suck up, so he could rock back onto his hind legs and kind of lift over it. Then, John made it higher, but the same method worked. When I tried to increase Charlie's speed around the last quarter of the circle, I couldn't suck him up enough and we'd sprawl over it again.
We did it first to the left, and then to the right. From the right, it was much harder to get the bend right to the fence. We'd either kind of angle it or overshoot to one side of it, so that was interesting. But Charlie was pretty good once he figured out what was going on.
John took his grid and rebuilt it to be a vertical at about M, with six strides to another vertical at F, then a bending right turn to a vertical angled just shy of X, with a slight left bending turn back over the first vertical at M. You started on the right lead and ended on the left lead, so that last line was hard to get the line right and to end on the left lead. Our final round, John had me do a flying change, and after a lot of hopping around, Charlie got it.
Then we finished and John put the fences up for them, and they did the same thing, but ending with another vertical (mid-line north of X) back to the second vertical (at F).
We also looked at the 2015 rules, and John said that because they conflict (Appx 8 (?) says that you have to get your last qualifying score by the closing date of the 3 day, but Appx 3 (?) says you have to get your xc score 10 days before the xc for the event), the people putting on the show will probably use the 10 day rule (he said they used to be guidelines) because they want more people to enter the 3 day.
I really liked riding in the group.
Then we added in a tiny vertical, but you had to make a hard left to get to it - it didn't feel like a 20 meter circle turn. To get over it smoothly (after a couple awkward leaps where I got left behind), I figured out the trick was to make Charlie really suck up, so he could rock back onto his hind legs and kind of lift over it. Then, John made it higher, but the same method worked. When I tried to increase Charlie's speed around the last quarter of the circle, I couldn't suck him up enough and we'd sprawl over it again.
We did it first to the left, and then to the right. From the right, it was much harder to get the bend right to the fence. We'd either kind of angle it or overshoot to one side of it, so that was interesting. But Charlie was pretty good once he figured out what was going on.
John took his grid and rebuilt it to be a vertical at about M, with six strides to another vertical at F, then a bending right turn to a vertical angled just shy of X, with a slight left bending turn back over the first vertical at M. You started on the right lead and ended on the left lead, so that last line was hard to get the line right and to end on the left lead. Our final round, John had me do a flying change, and after a lot of hopping around, Charlie got it.
Then we finished and John put the fences up for them, and they did the same thing, but ending with another vertical (mid-line north of X) back to the second vertical (at F).
We also looked at the 2015 rules, and John said that because they conflict (Appx 8 (?) says that you have to get your last qualifying score by the closing date of the 3 day, but Appx 3 (?) says you have to get your xc score 10 days before the xc for the event), the people putting on the show will probably use the 10 day rule (he said they used to be guidelines) because they want more people to enter the 3 day.
I really liked riding in the group.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Tips from John, a grid, and flying changes
Today we started with a few questions.
First - riding 30-45 minutes 4x a week is ok, so long as we're working hard in that time. But I should include about 20 minutes of walking (warm up and cool down). John says 60 minutes of work is too long - to think about being a runner and how there are few benefits to just running for more than 60 minutes.
Second - all horses break down eventually, and I can't do anything to prevent it. But they more frequently break down from not enough conditioning (not being in shape, then going to an event) than from too much work (being ridden six days a week in the months leading up to an event). John says not to worry, that I am not going to wear Charlie out riding him too much.
Third - Yes, Charlie can go to John's for two weeks of training in February, but he isn't sure he'll be able to teach him that lead change either. (But see below for today's progress!)
Fourth - Yes, I should try to go to the Rebecca three day for Training this year. It isn't too much to go two years in a row.
Fifth - I start conditioning and doing speed work as soon as the footing allows. John says for the California shows, they have to just do tiny little gallops in the indoor arena because our footing doesn't get good soon enough.
Then, because we were chatting, John worked me all the way through the warm up. At the trot, he had me bend Charlie a bit more to the inside than I normally do, and then a bit more contact on the outside rein to get him round. Then a bit more of both legs for forward.
After that, we started working on the lead changes. They were kind of brutal. Charlie was half rearing - leaping up into the air with his front legs (and flailing, apparently) and then when I'd whip him, kicking out in a buck behind. I was breathing hard by the time we got one. BUT - we got them! Charlie was really, really confused about what I wanted, but as we got through his thick skull, it took less time.
Here's how: canter on right lead. Cut across the diagonal and change direction. Bend Charlie's neck to the left. Half halt. Ask for the change of lead with a lot of emphasis on the outside leg. Ride a few leaps and bucks. Half halt again, get the bend there, and then ask again.
Charlie would change in the front, but not the back, and then it is just the half halt on the outside hand to get the rest of the change.
What John said to work on by myself was to keep doing the simple changes, but get him supple to the inside (the new lead) and half halt and make sure he is bent, and then do my trot steps and change leads. That will help him to recognize that when he bends to the inside, he is going to do a lead change and not be able to brace and avoid it (which is what his m.o. is). He said if it takes a couple of circles, fine, but make sure Charlie knows he is going to have to work hard and eventually supple and bend and do the change. I was really pleased that we got them at all - and going both directions.
We also did a grid that was a cross rail, ground pole, vertical, oxer. The oxer ended about 3'6" and I did a way better job keeping my heels down and in front of me than last time. I also, a couple of times, got my line a little straighter and corrected it on the way through. When Charlie would land on the wrong lead, (the right lead, when I wanted left), we would circle at the end until he got the lead change.
Twice John had me do laps (one, then two) in a two point at the trot in between.
John is the best.
First - riding 30-45 minutes 4x a week is ok, so long as we're working hard in that time. But I should include about 20 minutes of walking (warm up and cool down). John says 60 minutes of work is too long - to think about being a runner and how there are few benefits to just running for more than 60 minutes.
Second - all horses break down eventually, and I can't do anything to prevent it. But they more frequently break down from not enough conditioning (not being in shape, then going to an event) than from too much work (being ridden six days a week in the months leading up to an event). John says not to worry, that I am not going to wear Charlie out riding him too much.
Third - Yes, Charlie can go to John's for two weeks of training in February, but he isn't sure he'll be able to teach him that lead change either. (But see below for today's progress!)
Fourth - Yes, I should try to go to the Rebecca three day for Training this year. It isn't too much to go two years in a row.
Fifth - I start conditioning and doing speed work as soon as the footing allows. John says for the California shows, they have to just do tiny little gallops in the indoor arena because our footing doesn't get good soon enough.
Then, because we were chatting, John worked me all the way through the warm up. At the trot, he had me bend Charlie a bit more to the inside than I normally do, and then a bit more contact on the outside rein to get him round. Then a bit more of both legs for forward.
After that, we started working on the lead changes. They were kind of brutal. Charlie was half rearing - leaping up into the air with his front legs (and flailing, apparently) and then when I'd whip him, kicking out in a buck behind. I was breathing hard by the time we got one. BUT - we got them! Charlie was really, really confused about what I wanted, but as we got through his thick skull, it took less time.
Here's how: canter on right lead. Cut across the diagonal and change direction. Bend Charlie's neck to the left. Half halt. Ask for the change of lead with a lot of emphasis on the outside leg. Ride a few leaps and bucks. Half halt again, get the bend there, and then ask again.
Charlie would change in the front, but not the back, and then it is just the half halt on the outside hand to get the rest of the change.
What John said to work on by myself was to keep doing the simple changes, but get him supple to the inside (the new lead) and half halt and make sure he is bent, and then do my trot steps and change leads. That will help him to recognize that when he bends to the inside, he is going to do a lead change and not be able to brace and avoid it (which is what his m.o. is). He said if it takes a couple of circles, fine, but make sure Charlie knows he is going to have to work hard and eventually supple and bend and do the change. I was really pleased that we got them at all - and going both directions.
We also did a grid that was a cross rail, ground pole, vertical, oxer. The oxer ended about 3'6" and I did a way better job keeping my heels down and in front of me than last time. I also, a couple of times, got my line a little straighter and corrected it on the way through. When Charlie would land on the wrong lead, (the right lead, when I wanted left), we would circle at the end until he got the lead change.
Twice John had me do laps (one, then two) in a two point at the trot in between.
John is the best.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
5 or 6 stride grid with John
Today we worked on two things, changing lead over a ground pole and then the same grid but in a different set up.
The lead change was encouraging, in the sense that it isn't me (for once), but Charlie genuinely appears to have no idea what I'm asking him to do, so when I was working on it at home, I wasn't totally out to lunch.
John set up a ground pole, and had me canter on a right lead circle, go over the pole and change direction and ask for the left lead. Charlie pretty much did it twice in 15 minutes. The two pieces I have a hard time with are having him enough forward, so that he has enough impulsion to change in the air, and then with enough aids enough ahead of time - this includes whip and leg a few strides out. If he doesn't change, instead of changing through the trot, make him counter canter (with his neck bent to the left lead) so that it is harder work for him not to change the lead than to change it. John tried throwing his hat at Charlie and also putting out a second pole, but it seemed to be more dumb luck - with Charlie leaping huge through the air for a change - than him catching on. Sometimes he'd change just the front or just the back, but then he'd flip back to the right lead next chance he got.
So we can continue to work on that on our own - I was not on the wrong track, and the tips were super helpful. John noted that Shannon found that Charlie did just fine going around on the wrong lead, so I think he never learned, and he's got 12 years of it not mattering under his belt that I'll need to get through. He's really good on the flat with the simple changes, so I think it's just a question of helping him have the light bulb go off.
Then we did the grid, with a trot to a small cross rail, two ground poles (one canter stride - I stepped it but it was a weird distance, like 9' to the first one, but then 4 1/2' to the second?) and then, depending on what John yelled, either 5 or 6 strides to a vertical, which ended at about 3'6". Charlie jumped it like a freaking champ, regardless of whether we were doing 5 or 6 strides, and because he was rocking back and lifting up, it was easier for me to keep my legs down and centered. It was great.
John gave me a course to work on at home - he says that when I'm alone I really need to work on "flow", so having three fences that I can turn easily into a 7 jump course (vertical at E, angle to a vertical on center line, then vertical at M, then go down longside back to E and change direction over center line, then do M to center line to E, etc.). He said also that I don't need to jump more than 3' at home.
Love the lessons with John!!
The lead change was encouraging, in the sense that it isn't me (for once), but Charlie genuinely appears to have no idea what I'm asking him to do, so when I was working on it at home, I wasn't totally out to lunch.
John set up a ground pole, and had me canter on a right lead circle, go over the pole and change direction and ask for the left lead. Charlie pretty much did it twice in 15 minutes. The two pieces I have a hard time with are having him enough forward, so that he has enough impulsion to change in the air, and then with enough aids enough ahead of time - this includes whip and leg a few strides out. If he doesn't change, instead of changing through the trot, make him counter canter (with his neck bent to the left lead) so that it is harder work for him not to change the lead than to change it. John tried throwing his hat at Charlie and also putting out a second pole, but it seemed to be more dumb luck - with Charlie leaping huge through the air for a change - than him catching on. Sometimes he'd change just the front or just the back, but then he'd flip back to the right lead next chance he got.
So we can continue to work on that on our own - I was not on the wrong track, and the tips were super helpful. John noted that Shannon found that Charlie did just fine going around on the wrong lead, so I think he never learned, and he's got 12 years of it not mattering under his belt that I'll need to get through. He's really good on the flat with the simple changes, so I think it's just a question of helping him have the light bulb go off.
Then we did the grid, with a trot to a small cross rail, two ground poles (one canter stride - I stepped it but it was a weird distance, like 9' to the first one, but then 4 1/2' to the second?) and then, depending on what John yelled, either 5 or 6 strides to a vertical, which ended at about 3'6". Charlie jumped it like a freaking champ, regardless of whether we were doing 5 or 6 strides, and because he was rocking back and lifting up, it was easier for me to keep my legs down and centered. It was great.
John gave me a course to work on at home - he says that when I'm alone I really need to work on "flow", so having three fences that I can turn easily into a 7 jump course (vertical at E, angle to a vertical on center line, then vertical at M, then go down longside back to E and change direction over center line, then do M to center line to E, etc.). He said also that I don't need to jump more than 3' at home.
Love the lessons with John!!
Sitting trot eureka
After enduring snow flurries and extra-cautious driving on the completely clear roads, we arrived late for a pilates session and lesson with Beth.
The pilates session was great - Beth had to go back a bit because I've been struggling at home with engaging the core muscles - something I can do with her but immediately forget as soon as I leave. She gave me some simpler exercises to work on at home.
Then our lesson was amazing. We worked on even weight (I sit heavy on the left - I can feel it under my left thigh), so trying to think about the weight being in the right. When my left hand crosses over the top of Charlie's neck, that means I'm sitting off to the left and need to shift my weight right. It's an easy indicator. I also need to turn my shoulders (but not my head) left most of the time.
Beth spent some time showing me how when I sit off to the side, it makes Charlie's ribs unable to bend, which is why he's reluctant to bend left but it is so easy for him to bend right. I told her that I was having trouble with lead changes over fences (from right to left) and also that when we're going left, I put my right hand forward. She said he actually needs a bit of release to the right.
We worked on 10 meter circles and transitions, and the first thing she had me do was sit the trot and then focus on having the right hip move like the left hip. The first miracle was that I could feel Charlie's hind legs, so I could time the aids. Then, I have to think forward and up with the right hip, but as soon as I do, Charlie's back evens out underneath me and he gets more balanced.
He did all of his lead changes (simple changes, through the trot) perfectly, so he didn't give Beth much to work on there.
But then we took the right hip moving and added keeping my upper body still for the request for the transition. It was much harder to do on the down transitions, but on the up transitions, if I consciously thought about keeping my upper body still (it tends to lurch forward briefly, just as we do the transition), Charlie lifts up into the new gait instead of lunging down and forward. Beth said that he mimics what I do, so if I lurch forward, he lurches forward, and if I am crooked to the left, he is crooked to the left.
Following the still upper body and the hip, we suddenly got exactly the right balanced sitting trot, and I just went around and around and around grinning like a fool because it was so EASY to sit. I didn't have to give him any aids, we just went around smooth and connected. It was a total delight. I can't wait to work on that more.
He had a bit of a hard time on canter circles that were smaller than 15 meters, but I think his back was sore because I overjumped him a couple days ago in my attempt to work on three things at once to save time.
I have been feeling down and like a lousy rider, lurching all around and just horrible in general, and I think that is actually a good sign. I think that it means that we're working on the next layer of the onion, and once this starts to feel good, then we'll have to go back to horrible while we work on the next layer. But overall, I think this is good - I think this is much better riding than last year, and Charlie is so sweet and generous, just waiting for me to allow him to move freely and then rewarding me by changing as soon as I get it right.
The pilates session was great - Beth had to go back a bit because I've been struggling at home with engaging the core muscles - something I can do with her but immediately forget as soon as I leave. She gave me some simpler exercises to work on at home.
Then our lesson was amazing. We worked on even weight (I sit heavy on the left - I can feel it under my left thigh), so trying to think about the weight being in the right. When my left hand crosses over the top of Charlie's neck, that means I'm sitting off to the left and need to shift my weight right. It's an easy indicator. I also need to turn my shoulders (but not my head) left most of the time.
Beth spent some time showing me how when I sit off to the side, it makes Charlie's ribs unable to bend, which is why he's reluctant to bend left but it is so easy for him to bend right. I told her that I was having trouble with lead changes over fences (from right to left) and also that when we're going left, I put my right hand forward. She said he actually needs a bit of release to the right.
We worked on 10 meter circles and transitions, and the first thing she had me do was sit the trot and then focus on having the right hip move like the left hip. The first miracle was that I could feel Charlie's hind legs, so I could time the aids. Then, I have to think forward and up with the right hip, but as soon as I do, Charlie's back evens out underneath me and he gets more balanced.
He did all of his lead changes (simple changes, through the trot) perfectly, so he didn't give Beth much to work on there.
But then we took the right hip moving and added keeping my upper body still for the request for the transition. It was much harder to do on the down transitions, but on the up transitions, if I consciously thought about keeping my upper body still (it tends to lurch forward briefly, just as we do the transition), Charlie lifts up into the new gait instead of lunging down and forward. Beth said that he mimics what I do, so if I lurch forward, he lurches forward, and if I am crooked to the left, he is crooked to the left.
Following the still upper body and the hip, we suddenly got exactly the right balanced sitting trot, and I just went around and around and around grinning like a fool because it was so EASY to sit. I didn't have to give him any aids, we just went around smooth and connected. It was a total delight. I can't wait to work on that more.
He had a bit of a hard time on canter circles that were smaller than 15 meters, but I think his back was sore because I overjumped him a couple days ago in my attempt to work on three things at once to save time.
I have been feeling down and like a lousy rider, lurching all around and just horrible in general, and I think that is actually a good sign. I think that it means that we're working on the next layer of the onion, and once this starts to feel good, then we'll have to go back to horrible while we work on the next layer. But overall, I think this is good - I think this is much better riding than last year, and Charlie is so sweet and generous, just waiting for me to allow him to move freely and then rewarding me by changing as soon as I get it right.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Grid plus one with John
This week's grid was the same as last weeks, with a fourth fence, a vertical, at the end. John made the vertical 3'11", which I think was a few inches shorter than the oxer last week. It still popped me out of the tack pretty much every time, though.
We started with an excellent exercise over a ground pole. John made me half halt as we approached it, and even when we hit the wrong spot, Charlie would add a stride, and he would round up over the top of the pole. John said that a lot of times practicing ground poles, you just puke over them, which defeats the purpose of the exercise. I have definitely been doing that, so this was a great exercise that was another "click" like last week's.
John also said he could tell that I had really worked on the half halt after last week - he said he could see a difference, and I could definitely feel one making the turn to come down the line. Charlie didn't have to canter and we were much more "round" and could go in bouncy which saved everything.
The other thing the grid showed was how badly we are drifting to the left. Even though we start straight in the center, we'd end up close to the left standard by the fourth fence. John said to look right - at first he had it really exaggerated - he stood off to the side and told me to look at him, then he stood closer, then he had me look at the right standard, and then finally just to the right of the centerline of the pole. Amazingly enough, that was all it took to get us through the grid straight. What it did though - adding another thing onto the plate - was make it hard for me to remember to snap my head up and look out the exit, so I kept missing my leads.
Also, I had to really kick Charlie to get over the oxer (not that big, maybe 3'6"?) and then over the vertical (which felt huge, but was less big than the oxer last week), and that was good too, to have to kick in the middle.
It was really great to feel the progress from last week and that what I was doing made a difference, and the ground pole exercise was really timely since I've been working with them. I told John I'm having trouble with lead changes, and he asked flying? I said no, Charlie could only do them one way and he said, probably left to right but not right to left. So next lesson (Thanksgiving week) I'm going to try those.
It was another great lesson. John is really good at building things up and building confidence but helping get the lesson through my thick skull. It was also a gorgeous, cold day.
We started with an excellent exercise over a ground pole. John made me half halt as we approached it, and even when we hit the wrong spot, Charlie would add a stride, and he would round up over the top of the pole. John said that a lot of times practicing ground poles, you just puke over them, which defeats the purpose of the exercise. I have definitely been doing that, so this was a great exercise that was another "click" like last week's.
John also said he could tell that I had really worked on the half halt after last week - he said he could see a difference, and I could definitely feel one making the turn to come down the line. Charlie didn't have to canter and we were much more "round" and could go in bouncy which saved everything.
The other thing the grid showed was how badly we are drifting to the left. Even though we start straight in the center, we'd end up close to the left standard by the fourth fence. John said to look right - at first he had it really exaggerated - he stood off to the side and told me to look at him, then he stood closer, then he had me look at the right standard, and then finally just to the right of the centerline of the pole. Amazingly enough, that was all it took to get us through the grid straight. What it did though - adding another thing onto the plate - was make it hard for me to remember to snap my head up and look out the exit, so I kept missing my leads.
Also, I had to really kick Charlie to get over the oxer (not that big, maybe 3'6"?) and then over the vertical (which felt huge, but was less big than the oxer last week), and that was good too, to have to kick in the middle.
It was really great to feel the progress from last week and that what I was doing made a difference, and the ground pole exercise was really timely since I've been working with them. I told John I'm having trouble with lead changes, and he asked flying? I said no, Charlie could only do them one way and he said, probably left to right but not right to left. So next lesson (Thanksgiving week) I'm going to try those.
It was another great lesson. John is really good at building things up and building confidence but helping get the lesson through my thick skull. It was also a gorgeous, cold day.
Sunday, November 09, 2014
Grid with John
Today we started with some flat work and then jumped a grid.
The grid started with ground poles, and ended with a cross rail, vertical, and 3'9" - 4' oxer, which is (I had to look it up), Intermediate (3'9") to Advanced (3'11").
I had trouble with the grid when it was poles, and then I had trouble with it again when it was huge - I kept popping out of the tack in the air. John says I need a more secure lower leg (and about 10 other things, but he said since I can only listen to a few things at a time, for now to just focus on the secure lower leg and we'll do the others once that is fixed).
It was a "classic" John lesson - starting with the ground poles and working up to a fence so freaking humongous when I was done I had to walk over and measure it (my armpit). He is a master at gradually building until you are doing more than you would ever have thought.
What I could not get - no matter how big the fence was, was the turn in the corner to the fence. We would just puke down and then have to lunge forward. The good part was how grossly obvious it was that there was a huge difference turning right and left - I could do the right turns meh, but the left turns Charlie would break into a pukey canter (and there wasn't room for me to fix it) instead of just freaking engaging his hind end. John made us do some 8-10 meter circles to get Charlie to bend to the left and afterwards he showed me how it is "easier" for Charlie to puke canter instead of just bend.
He said we can practice small circles but we need to make sure to practice them correctly.
Charlie jumped it like a freaking rock star - he would round his back up and actually try and we were in the air for SO LONG. But it was also a good slice of humble pie because I was thinking I was a freaking genius who was going to go prelim next year (2016), and I just kept making the same mistake and then getting popped out of the saddle. I couldn't keep my form most of the fences even though I knew it was coming. We got a couple just right, which just felt divine.
John said Shannon never wanted to jump height, but that Charlie jumps much better when he tries - which is why when he slams a fence, then he respects them again for a while - and that now 3'3" will feel like a cake walk. I like the height - with John.
We started on the flat with some bending. The thing I'm not doing is asking him to bend with inside rein, and then using outside rein to make him round. I need to get the proper bend, which uses inside rein and inside leg, then ask him to connect with outside rein, THEN ask him to go forward with both legs without throwing away the contact.
It was much harder to do going left (huh, interesting - see above on the turn to the fence), because my right elbow would drift forward and not stay next to my hip. Charlie has a harder time bending to the left, and apparently I am compensating by throwing him away.
Our transitions were pretty pukey, and while I would prefer to ride perfectly any time I am doing anything, even if it is something I have never done before, I felt a little "ah-ha" moment when John went through it step by step. When he connected with the outside rein, I could feel his shoulders lighten - I could FEEL it, which is good.
So I can work on that before next week, and then once I have that down, go back and work on the transitions, which were a little out of my league for today. I knew they weren't exactly right, but I couldn't feel the mistakes as well as I did on just the connection exercise.
I also need to drape my legs (my stirrups are not too long, I asked John to check) and not suck them up and nag when I'm trying to get Charlie to work harder.
The grid started with ground poles, and ended with a cross rail, vertical, and 3'9" - 4' oxer, which is (I had to look it up), Intermediate (3'9") to Advanced (3'11").
I had trouble with the grid when it was poles, and then I had trouble with it again when it was huge - I kept popping out of the tack in the air. John says I need a more secure lower leg (and about 10 other things, but he said since I can only listen to a few things at a time, for now to just focus on the secure lower leg and we'll do the others once that is fixed).
It was a "classic" John lesson - starting with the ground poles and working up to a fence so freaking humongous when I was done I had to walk over and measure it (my armpit). He is a master at gradually building until you are doing more than you would ever have thought.
What I could not get - no matter how big the fence was, was the turn in the corner to the fence. We would just puke down and then have to lunge forward. The good part was how grossly obvious it was that there was a huge difference turning right and left - I could do the right turns meh, but the left turns Charlie would break into a pukey canter (and there wasn't room for me to fix it) instead of just freaking engaging his hind end. John made us do some 8-10 meter circles to get Charlie to bend to the left and afterwards he showed me how it is "easier" for Charlie to puke canter instead of just bend.
He said we can practice small circles but we need to make sure to practice them correctly.
Charlie jumped it like a freaking rock star - he would round his back up and actually try and we were in the air for SO LONG. But it was also a good slice of humble pie because I was thinking I was a freaking genius who was going to go prelim next year (2016), and I just kept making the same mistake and then getting popped out of the saddle. I couldn't keep my form most of the fences even though I knew it was coming. We got a couple just right, which just felt divine.
John said Shannon never wanted to jump height, but that Charlie jumps much better when he tries - which is why when he slams a fence, then he respects them again for a while - and that now 3'3" will feel like a cake walk. I like the height - with John.
We started on the flat with some bending. The thing I'm not doing is asking him to bend with inside rein, and then using outside rein to make him round. I need to get the proper bend, which uses inside rein and inside leg, then ask him to connect with outside rein, THEN ask him to go forward with both legs without throwing away the contact.
It was much harder to do going left (huh, interesting - see above on the turn to the fence), because my right elbow would drift forward and not stay next to my hip. Charlie has a harder time bending to the left, and apparently I am compensating by throwing him away.
Our transitions were pretty pukey, and while I would prefer to ride perfectly any time I am doing anything, even if it is something I have never done before, I felt a little "ah-ha" moment when John went through it step by step. When he connected with the outside rein, I could feel his shoulders lighten - I could FEEL it, which is good.
So I can work on that before next week, and then once I have that down, go back and work on the transitions, which were a little out of my league for today. I knew they weren't exactly right, but I couldn't feel the mistakes as well as I did on just the connection exercise.
I also need to drape my legs (my stirrups are not too long, I asked John to check) and not suck them up and nag when I'm trying to get Charlie to work harder.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Slimy layer of the onion with Beth
Today we got a little closer to the explanation for why I'm so crooked. Not solved yet, but closer.
Right leg is stronger, especially in quad.
Exercises to do at home are quadriped (on hands and knees, right arm and left leg out - don't make a C curve when left leg is out); rocking on the ball and then roll back, making sure to elongate the back and shorten the ribs to pelvis, with knees relaxed - not just plummet back from shoulders; and scarecrow or swimming, with an emphasis on a long neck and the space between the shoulder blades, not the space below the shoulder blades. Also, plank, but up on the forearms so it is hard to do only after a second or two.
On Charlie, we worked on halting or other down transitions from relaxing the inner leg, not squeezing him forward with my legs; then with an engaged lower ab and the motion coming right hip - left hip - not forward and back with the belly; then adding in relaxed legs, not gripping legs; and finally scarecrow back with the correct amount of tilt forward (that last bit is super hard).
Then we did some leg yielding with me not shifting my weight. One way was easy, the other way much harder (off my right leg - I pushed my weight way over on my left seat bone).
Then a bit of sitting trot and posting trot without my right stirrup, which helped even out the snakey twist a lot, but Beth says don't work on too much at home because it might make my right leg clamp up more.
For sitting trot, it was leaning back with my shoulders (which really wasn't in the mirror) and then feeling a lift up - like a hook was pulling me up by the belt. I had a few really good sits where I had relaxed legs and could bounce up.
We did some trot work where I'd slow him down by slowing down my posting, but when we go forward, I tend to let everything go loose and let the energy all dissipate.
Charlie did a good job trying to stay under me but then got bored and nonresponsive, which was a good example of leg aid on, then off, then a smack with the whip if he ignores me.
Finally we did some canter work both directions, but I don't remember the homework.
There is a lot to think about just in the walk with the hips leading and pelvis staying still, and finding that balanced, even weight over the seat bones. It still feels all vaguely out of grasp, like I'm not quite catching on, but I am getting bigger and bigger glimpses and feeling it more and more when I get it right, so I think we're continuing to make progress.
Right leg is stronger, especially in quad.
Exercises to do at home are quadriped (on hands and knees, right arm and left leg out - don't make a C curve when left leg is out); rocking on the ball and then roll back, making sure to elongate the back and shorten the ribs to pelvis, with knees relaxed - not just plummet back from shoulders; and scarecrow or swimming, with an emphasis on a long neck and the space between the shoulder blades, not the space below the shoulder blades. Also, plank, but up on the forearms so it is hard to do only after a second or two.
On Charlie, we worked on halting or other down transitions from relaxing the inner leg, not squeezing him forward with my legs; then with an engaged lower ab and the motion coming right hip - left hip - not forward and back with the belly; then adding in relaxed legs, not gripping legs; and finally scarecrow back with the correct amount of tilt forward (that last bit is super hard).
Then we did some leg yielding with me not shifting my weight. One way was easy, the other way much harder (off my right leg - I pushed my weight way over on my left seat bone).
Then a bit of sitting trot and posting trot without my right stirrup, which helped even out the snakey twist a lot, but Beth says don't work on too much at home because it might make my right leg clamp up more.
For sitting trot, it was leaning back with my shoulders (which really wasn't in the mirror) and then feeling a lift up - like a hook was pulling me up by the belt. I had a few really good sits where I had relaxed legs and could bounce up.
We did some trot work where I'd slow him down by slowing down my posting, but when we go forward, I tend to let everything go loose and let the energy all dissipate.
Charlie did a good job trying to stay under me but then got bored and nonresponsive, which was a good example of leg aid on, then off, then a smack with the whip if he ignores me.
Finally we did some canter work both directions, but I don't remember the homework.
There is a lot to think about just in the walk with the hips leading and pelvis staying still, and finding that balanced, even weight over the seat bones. It still feels all vaguely out of grasp, like I'm not quite catching on, but I am getting bigger and bigger glimpses and feeling it more and more when I get it right, so I think we're continuing to make progress.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Another great lesson with John
We lucked out with some fabulous fall weather - warm with just a slight breeze - although with his full coat, Charlie got pretty sweaty.
We warmed up and John said to make sure to keep him connected and not to let him get too stiff going to the left or hang on the reins going to the right. I had to push him forward and then bend him out with the inside leg. We also did some half halts in the canter and then sending him forward.
Then we did a few tricky combinations. We ended with an oxer - 5 strides - vertical - 2 strides - hard left turn to oxer - right roll back turn to vertical - 2 strides - hard right turn in 4-5 strides to an oxer - then a left turn to a skinny.
I could NOT get the left lead on the last two (oxer, skinny) so my first homework is just to set up a pole or a small jump and work on my left lead. I could get it fine when it was just the skinny or just the plank, but not when I was doing it as part of the course.
Instead, I would pull hard on the left rein, but the good news was that I could feel that I was doing it, like that eureka moment when I felt I was pulling back before each fence and could finally stop.
We also worked on doing the line in 5 strides, then 6, but just a little bit.
I also had another eureka moment where I finally got "sit up" around the corner, and I half halted without losing impulsion. Then, we bounced in and just flew over the fence, instead of kind of chipping over it.
A third eureka moment was when I got too close to the first vertical of the three combination, and how it screwed up the next two and I still didn't get it back together for the skinny.
However, since we haven't jumped since the derby, and John said we just jumped right in and were pushing Charlie, I was really happy with how well we did, considering.
My homework is leads and then to work on three fences in a row (two strides between each) but the center one wonky angled, so that I learn to ride to my spot regardless.
John said that yes Jumpernite is worthwhile - because any time in the arena is. He said to ride one level below, my level, and if he's going well, the next level up. So three classes.
He also said that Devoucoux are the best saddles, and there are a couple other good ones (one that starts with A and one that starts with R) but that I don't need to specialize between my xc and sj saddles until my second year at Prelim. He said that's when I'll feel that with a different saddle, I could go faster.
We warmed up and John said to make sure to keep him connected and not to let him get too stiff going to the left or hang on the reins going to the right. I had to push him forward and then bend him out with the inside leg. We also did some half halts in the canter and then sending him forward.
Then we did a few tricky combinations. We ended with an oxer - 5 strides - vertical - 2 strides - hard left turn to oxer - right roll back turn to vertical - 2 strides - hard right turn in 4-5 strides to an oxer - then a left turn to a skinny.
I could NOT get the left lead on the last two (oxer, skinny) so my first homework is just to set up a pole or a small jump and work on my left lead. I could get it fine when it was just the skinny or just the plank, but not when I was doing it as part of the course.
Instead, I would pull hard on the left rein, but the good news was that I could feel that I was doing it, like that eureka moment when I felt I was pulling back before each fence and could finally stop.
We also worked on doing the line in 5 strides, then 6, but just a little bit.
I also had another eureka moment where I finally got "sit up" around the corner, and I half halted without losing impulsion. Then, we bounced in and just flew over the fence, instead of kind of chipping over it.
A third eureka moment was when I got too close to the first vertical of the three combination, and how it screwed up the next two and I still didn't get it back together for the skinny.
However, since we haven't jumped since the derby, and John said we just jumped right in and were pushing Charlie, I was really happy with how well we did, considering.
My homework is leads and then to work on three fences in a row (two strides between each) but the center one wonky angled, so that I learn to ride to my spot regardless.
John said that yes Jumpernite is worthwhile - because any time in the arena is. He said to ride one level below, my level, and if he's going well, the next level up. So three classes.
He also said that Devoucoux are the best saddles, and there are a couple other good ones (one that starts with A and one that starts with R) but that I don't need to specialize between my xc and sj saddles until my second year at Prelim. He said that's when I'll feel that with a different saddle, I could go faster.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Charlie majorly good for Major Beale
I forgot to include in yesterday's post the hardest part about the collected canter - doing the uberstriechen when Charlie gives with his head. That actually applies to all things Charlie does - I'm a good clamper but not good at letting go (like the rest of my life, actually). So I need to concentrate on that.
I started today by asking Major Beale for specific exercises to improve Charlie's musculature on his topline. In addition to transitions and marching, he said to do lateral work and today's exercises. I also asked about bending properly, and he said that yes, the aids were right (a squeeze on the inside, leg aid on the inside, and a firm hand (but a bit of give, to give him room to bend) on the outside). He suggested thinking of it as a contraction on the inside and a lengthening on the outside, because a horse can't actually bend through its ribcage, but also it is ok to bend a bit more in the neck at this stage.
So then we got started, and he was not happy with the walk to halt transition, especially after we worked on it yesterday. Ominously, he got up, got down a lunge whip, and came out into the arena.
If Charlie is working with impulsion, he will naturally halt square. So all my efforts to fanagle him into halting square would have been better spent working on the underlying cause - adequate impulsion and proper carriage - than trying to skid him into it and all my other shenanigans.
What he ended up doing was NOT beating me with the lunge whip, but using it like the stick with Charlie's hocks to encourage him to step up and under - like I have seen Mike do when he is teaching piaffe.
We worked on "half steps". This is walking, then pull both legs back a bit (hard to do in my hips, side note), and ask for a trot aid, but then hold it to tiny steps. From half steps, we would transition down to walk or to a regular trot.
The regular trot then felt lofty. It was not rushed - something I tend to do when I try to get "big" - but there was suspension - I could feel how long I was in the air posting compared to normal.
From there we worked on small circles around Major Beale (maybe 10 meter or 8 meter?) with haunches out but neck bent in - so if we were moving counterclockwise, haunches were out to the right, but neck was bent a bit to the left. Then we would go bigger, reverse it - haunches to the left - and then straighten and go to a trot or straight to a canter. We did this several times both directions, with improvement each time.
My left leg (and Charlie's left hind leg) are still noticeably weaker than the right, making it much harder to do it with the left leg as the dominant aid, and I am also slow to put on my "outside" leg to keep him moving "forward".
But when we connected all the dots and then did trot or canter - yowza - his shoulders were so high it was like sitting on a pillow. It was divine.
From there we did some shoulder-in to trot lengthening exercises, with the important part being to give Charlie enough time to collect again and BEND before we headed into the corners - I would just barrel into the corner and he'd lose his balance.
Major Beale said it is correct to give him tomorrow off - he'll probably be a bit stiff and sore from using all those muscles for so long, but I have to say - Charlie was such a gentleman. It was hard work - he was sweating and huffing and puffing, but he tried to figure it out and then gave it his best. He didn't get frustrated or worn out.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to ride with Major Beale and learn from him. He is very good at describing what the rider and horse are doing, and how that affects the movement. I felt like I learned more in these two days than in years of struggling on my own. And I am so, so lucky to have Charlie. He is just a phenomenal horse, exactly the right personality at exactly the right time.
I feel like I am finally starting to catch on, and that maybe it isn't hopeless after all. I've made so much progress from when I first rode with him!
I started today by asking Major Beale for specific exercises to improve Charlie's musculature on his topline. In addition to transitions and marching, he said to do lateral work and today's exercises. I also asked about bending properly, and he said that yes, the aids were right (a squeeze on the inside, leg aid on the inside, and a firm hand (but a bit of give, to give him room to bend) on the outside). He suggested thinking of it as a contraction on the inside and a lengthening on the outside, because a horse can't actually bend through its ribcage, but also it is ok to bend a bit more in the neck at this stage.
So then we got started, and he was not happy with the walk to halt transition, especially after we worked on it yesterday. Ominously, he got up, got down a lunge whip, and came out into the arena.
If Charlie is working with impulsion, he will naturally halt square. So all my efforts to fanagle him into halting square would have been better spent working on the underlying cause - adequate impulsion and proper carriage - than trying to skid him into it and all my other shenanigans.
What he ended up doing was NOT beating me with the lunge whip, but using it like the stick with Charlie's hocks to encourage him to step up and under - like I have seen Mike do when he is teaching piaffe.
We worked on "half steps". This is walking, then pull both legs back a bit (hard to do in my hips, side note), and ask for a trot aid, but then hold it to tiny steps. From half steps, we would transition down to walk or to a regular trot.
The regular trot then felt lofty. It was not rushed - something I tend to do when I try to get "big" - but there was suspension - I could feel how long I was in the air posting compared to normal.
From there we worked on small circles around Major Beale (maybe 10 meter or 8 meter?) with haunches out but neck bent in - so if we were moving counterclockwise, haunches were out to the right, but neck was bent a bit to the left. Then we would go bigger, reverse it - haunches to the left - and then straighten and go to a trot or straight to a canter. We did this several times both directions, with improvement each time.
My left leg (and Charlie's left hind leg) are still noticeably weaker than the right, making it much harder to do it with the left leg as the dominant aid, and I am also slow to put on my "outside" leg to keep him moving "forward".
But when we connected all the dots and then did trot or canter - yowza - his shoulders were so high it was like sitting on a pillow. It was divine.
From there we did some shoulder-in to trot lengthening exercises, with the important part being to give Charlie enough time to collect again and BEND before we headed into the corners - I would just barrel into the corner and he'd lose his balance.
Major Beale said it is correct to give him tomorrow off - he'll probably be a bit stiff and sore from using all those muscles for so long, but I have to say - Charlie was such a gentleman. It was hard work - he was sweating and huffing and puffing, but he tried to figure it out and then gave it his best. He didn't get frustrated or worn out.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to ride with Major Beale and learn from him. He is very good at describing what the rider and horse are doing, and how that affects the movement. I felt like I learned more in these two days than in years of struggling on my own. And I am so, so lucky to have Charlie. He is just a phenomenal horse, exactly the right personality at exactly the right time.
I feel like I am finally starting to catch on, and that maybe it isn't hopeless after all. I've made so much progress from when I first rode with him!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Major Beale - major fun
I was a little anxious about today's ride with Major Beale. Charlie got 3 weeks off of work instead of 2, and his right front hoof feels warm to me. He felt off the last day I tried to ride him (so I quit) and a few days later he was noticeably lame. The one day I got to ride him (two days ago), he was downhill and rushing, and I couldn't tell whether he felt off or not.
And, like every other lesson, with Major Beale, it was miraculous.
First, I come in and loaf around. No more. Charlie can walk on a long rein, but he is going to MARCH forward.
Second, I asked for help on the two 15 meter circles at X for Training Level B. The problem is the outside shoulder - I'm losing contact in the outside rein, and Charlie's shoulder bulges out, and that's what makes the circle the wrong shape.
Third, I had lengthening the canter all wrong. It made sense for a horse not round, but for a horse that is connected, there is a different way to ride it. If Charlie has impulsion, then I don't need to kick, but just let my seat swing bigger - that stretches him out without driving him down. But to collect it back up, I need to wrap my legs around him and then hold it in front.
Lengthening the trot is not the same aid as canter. There, I do need to use leg to lengthen - and also post higher. But the feeling of bringing it back is similar.
Fourth, I asked for help with the trot stretchy circle, and as I suspected, it's because I'm not riding the right basics. If Charlie is working over his topline, the stretchy circle is a relief, and he naturally goes round and low to stretch out his topline. But if he's already downhill on the forehand, he has no reason to stretch, and I have to make him do it. So after I worked him correctly, and allowed the reins to lengthen, he just naturally went down.
Fifth, when Charlie is tilting his head it means that he's not working symmetrically on both sides. I can't always feel this, but it's good to know that's the root cause.
Sixth, I need to push Charlie into the halt (or whatever downward transition) with my legs and not pull with my hands. I have heard this before and thought it was crazy, but today it totally worked. I just kept my hands steady and used my legs and miraculously we stopped every time - and we stopped with lifted (lofty) shoulders instead of heading downhill.
Major Beale said that we have made definite progress, but that I need to sharpen Charlie up so that instead of it taking 13 steps to make a transition, it takes no more than 3. He also said because Charlie is lazy and has always been lazy I really have to stay consistent and dedicated to working on making him move forward with impulsion.
He also said that Charlie needs to develop muscles over his topline. It sounds like a chicken and egg problem. If Charlie had those muscles, it would be easier for him to do this work, but he needs to do this work to get those muscles. Mostly a lot of transitions but they need to be from a marching walk and done properly, not puked out onto the forehand downhill stuff.
And, like every other lesson, with Major Beale, it was miraculous.
First, I come in and loaf around. No more. Charlie can walk on a long rein, but he is going to MARCH forward.
Second, I asked for help on the two 15 meter circles at X for Training Level B. The problem is the outside shoulder - I'm losing contact in the outside rein, and Charlie's shoulder bulges out, and that's what makes the circle the wrong shape.
Third, I had lengthening the canter all wrong. It made sense for a horse not round, but for a horse that is connected, there is a different way to ride it. If Charlie has impulsion, then I don't need to kick, but just let my seat swing bigger - that stretches him out without driving him down. But to collect it back up, I need to wrap my legs around him and then hold it in front.
Lengthening the trot is not the same aid as canter. There, I do need to use leg to lengthen - and also post higher. But the feeling of bringing it back is similar.
Fourth, I asked for help with the trot stretchy circle, and as I suspected, it's because I'm not riding the right basics. If Charlie is working over his topline, the stretchy circle is a relief, and he naturally goes round and low to stretch out his topline. But if he's already downhill on the forehand, he has no reason to stretch, and I have to make him do it. So after I worked him correctly, and allowed the reins to lengthen, he just naturally went down.
Fifth, when Charlie is tilting his head it means that he's not working symmetrically on both sides. I can't always feel this, but it's good to know that's the root cause.
Sixth, I need to push Charlie into the halt (or whatever downward transition) with my legs and not pull with my hands. I have heard this before and thought it was crazy, but today it totally worked. I just kept my hands steady and used my legs and miraculously we stopped every time - and we stopped with lifted (lofty) shoulders instead of heading downhill.
Major Beale said that we have made definite progress, but that I need to sharpen Charlie up so that instead of it taking 13 steps to make a transition, it takes no more than 3. He also said because Charlie is lazy and has always been lazy I really have to stay consistent and dedicated to working on making him move forward with impulsion.
He also said that Charlie needs to develop muscles over his topline. It sounds like a chicken and egg problem. If Charlie had those muscles, it would be easier for him to do this work, but he needs to do this work to get those muscles. Mostly a lot of transitions but they need to be from a marching walk and done properly, not puked out onto the forehand downhill stuff.
Monday, September 01, 2014
Training work with John
I had a lesson with John following Caber. He got to see show jumping, and I described the three fences that felt awkward from cross country (how to jump the down bank on the C curve - I had done it correctly*; the puke over the big table; and the chip on the narrow skinny). The puke on the big table was because we were coming fast out of the woods downhill and then streaking across the pasture, so I didn't balance him but just launched at it. This was true. He said about 10 strides out to sit up and rebalance when you have a situation like that.
*Correctly was a C curve, but with a flat part to make the bank perpendicular. Although you can ride a down bank at an angle, John doesn't think it's fair to the horses depending on which is their dominant eye (one will see the bank and water, the other will see the ground).
The chip on the skinny was because I tried to half halt and make a hard right turn at the same time (doing two things at once is still beyond my skill set) so I probably lost all impulsion and didn't have enough room to pick it up again.
That is what we worked on during the lesson because it was the same thing that caused the one rail down during show jumping.
John had some of the same fences set up - still huge, and we worked on making hard turns - 10 meter circles basically - while keeping forward. A lot of this was controlling the outside shoulder. If I let his shoulder drift out of a tight corner, we didn't hit the take off location correctly, and Charlie had to sproing up over the fence. I also completely clobbered an oxer with a two stride to a vertical, I rode in looking at how freaking huge the oxer was, so we puked over it, and Charlie ran out on the vertical.
Like every lesson with John, every mistake was a gift, because he explained (and I could feel) what went wrong, how to correct it, and then I rode it again properly.
Much to my amazement, by the end of the lesson we could make hard right and hard left turns off of huge fences and get to the next fence with enough impulsion.
It is easier to ride Charlie over these fences because he brings the impulsion, so I don't have to ride in kicking and smacking and clucking, and can work instead on his balance. And, because he is actually lifting up, it is so much easier to stay centered and balanced over him.
John said that I need to make sure not to get reliant on schooling a cross country course before I compete, and to just know that I can do it and Charlie can do it if I ride assertively. The oxer/run-out was perfect for that because I rode it hesitantly, and then I got mad at the run out and rode it assertively, and it was night and day.
He also said that it's going to be tough when people start talking and saying this is all Charlie and not me. He said Charlie is a great horse for the level I ride at, but I am not just sitting up there.
It was a great lesson - I left with that feeling of having grown as a rider and improving my understanding of the technical side as well, and feeling really positive that if I can keep working with John (and now I know on the flat I can also practice those 10 meter circles), Charlie and I can keep improving. He is a phenomenal instructor.
John also said to put my foot on the outside of the stirrup bar (particularly the right foot), keep my legs down and long over the fences (I am pinching with my knee), and that someone competitive (like me) gets bored if they ride at too low of a level for too long, and will start slacking off working at home (true).
*Correctly was a C curve, but with a flat part to make the bank perpendicular. Although you can ride a down bank at an angle, John doesn't think it's fair to the horses depending on which is their dominant eye (one will see the bank and water, the other will see the ground).
The chip on the skinny was because I tried to half halt and make a hard right turn at the same time (doing two things at once is still beyond my skill set) so I probably lost all impulsion and didn't have enough room to pick it up again.
That is what we worked on during the lesson because it was the same thing that caused the one rail down during show jumping.
John had some of the same fences set up - still huge, and we worked on making hard turns - 10 meter circles basically - while keeping forward. A lot of this was controlling the outside shoulder. If I let his shoulder drift out of a tight corner, we didn't hit the take off location correctly, and Charlie had to sproing up over the fence. I also completely clobbered an oxer with a two stride to a vertical, I rode in looking at how freaking huge the oxer was, so we puked over it, and Charlie ran out on the vertical.
Like every lesson with John, every mistake was a gift, because he explained (and I could feel) what went wrong, how to correct it, and then I rode it again properly.
Much to my amazement, by the end of the lesson we could make hard right and hard left turns off of huge fences and get to the next fence with enough impulsion.
It is easier to ride Charlie over these fences because he brings the impulsion, so I don't have to ride in kicking and smacking and clucking, and can work instead on his balance. And, because he is actually lifting up, it is so much easier to stay centered and balanced over him.
John said that I need to make sure not to get reliant on schooling a cross country course before I compete, and to just know that I can do it and Charlie can do it if I ride assertively. The oxer/run-out was perfect for that because I rode it hesitantly, and then I got mad at the run out and rode it assertively, and it was night and day.
He also said that it's going to be tough when people start talking and saying this is all Charlie and not me. He said Charlie is a great horse for the level I ride at, but I am not just sitting up there.
It was a great lesson - I left with that feeling of having grown as a rider and improving my understanding of the technical side as well, and feeling really positive that if I can keep working with John (and now I know on the flat I can also practice those 10 meter circles), Charlie and I can keep improving. He is a phenomenal instructor.
John also said to put my foot on the outside of the stirrup bar (particularly the right foot), keep my legs down and long over the fences (I am pinching with my knee), and that someone competitive (like me) gets bored if they ride at too low of a level for too long, and will start slacking off working at home (true).
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