I had my first of two dressage lessons this month with Mike today. I have been focused on trying the various saddles to see what I like and if another saddle came close to the Regal experience (one, and oh my goodness saddle shopping is hard), and at one of the boarder's sage suggestions, I wanted to ride in his saddle again to see if it was just the novelty of riding in one that fit well, or if there really was a magical combination of features that makes it just exactly right.
It seems to be closer to Goldilocks and the porridge than novelty.
So I got to warm up in it, then have my entire lesson in it, and I must say, although my legs got a bit tired towards the end after the work without stirrups, it was really quite, quite nice to ride in and not fight with my own seat and legs.
I started with the dilemma with Willig outside. Mike's thoughts were that Willig has improved tremendously in the time he's been working with us, and he doesn't think he's a nasty mean horse, so he thinks I just need to tackle the outside issue as patiently and calmly and slowly as we did the inside issue, and that future lessons we could do the first half inside and the second half outside.
I agree with this approach, I'm just not sure it will work, but there's nothing to do but try. Mike is more confident that Willig will come along than I am. Mike's also a professional and Willig hasn't tried to buck him off yet, and his points are well taken that a high-spirited horse, once channelled, is more fun to ride than a plodding school horse.
So what we worked on:
This lesson felt like refining to me - thanks to the Regal.
We worked on his bend to the left. My right hand keeps him in a headlock, whether we are going right or left, so he is overbent to the right, and not bent at all to the left. Poor guy. That's why he's started picking up the left lead on a right circle - I'm cranking his head so far I'm sending his back end out. This just takes me paying attention.
We worked on his trot to canter transitions, with no running/falling into them. I have to think about collecting him up (and not letting my reins get long!), and then wheelie into it, instead of blah into it.
He has been breaking after a few canter strides (combined with a tail swish) and Mike thinks he is confused and a bit frustrated because I am clamping my thighs instead of loose legs. Loose legs = nicer moving Willig. Again, something I need to pay attention to.
We worked on the speed and "pulled together" trot, with a three step: 1- ask a bit bigger, 2- ask again, a bit bigger, and 3- ask again, this is just below a lenghtening trot, and oh man it is nice. Willig responds quite nicely. Once Willig starts paying attention, he gets very responsive.
We took away the stirrups and worked on sitting trot and canter, with the down transition being a smooth transition into the speed of trot I want (one that I can actually sit in the Regal), and this was really cool too. We did half circles so that I had to keep him together (and not spend half a circle getting him the way I want, then riding the other half of the circle).
The leg work and position for this was a bit more - thinking of my leg really pushing down and back into him, while the sit part is a belly-to-back but on a bouncing ball, and my upper body is a bit back. This is still not quite together, but I still get a few flashes of it being just right and it feels really good. And, for the first time in my life, I could feel his back leg moving. So it really is possible to time when you ask for a canter or whatever. It was pretty amazing, and Mike says it's also partly about riding with a tighter rein and him pulled together that lets me feel it.
Then we ended with an example of how to introduce something scary - working inside closer and closer to the scary side, we just move that way in stages - towards it, make a circle, a little further, make another circle, a little further, make a circle.
Then, walk towards it, stop, let him look, walk, stop, look, walk, stop, look, all with praise and patting. This was another consistent message - I don't reward him often enough when he does the right thing.
So big messages:
Bent to inside and let go with that cranky right hand
Keep working on sitting trot and the feel
Tighten up my transitions - no throwing him away up or down (for trot/canter and trot/walk)
Be patient with him and help him build confidence
And yes, I really want the Regal.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Saddle features
For my lesson today, Mike let me ride in his Regal again. I wanted to compare it now that I have ridden in a handful of other saddles.
Although this time there were no angels singing (the last lesson in it does appear to have been a perfect confluence of timing), it was still far superior to the other saddles I tried.
As best I can tell, here is what I like:
Narrow twist (although I'm not sure I can feel the difference)
A high, steep pommel
A small knee roll (triangle shaped, with the small pointy end at the bottom) that is set kind of high
Deep seat
Slightly forward panels
And the straight down leg position for the stirrup bar
So I'm going to try a few more, but if I can't find anything close, I am thinking it may be worth it to try to find a way to get a Regal.
Although this time there were no angels singing (the last lesson in it does appear to have been a perfect confluence of timing), it was still far superior to the other saddles I tried.
As best I can tell, here is what I like:
Narrow twist (although I'm not sure I can feel the difference)
A high, steep pommel
A small knee roll (triangle shaped, with the small pointy end at the bottom) that is set kind of high
Deep seat
Slightly forward panels
And the straight down leg position for the stirrup bar
So I'm going to try a few more, but if I can't find anything close, I am thinking it may be worth it to try to find a way to get a Regal.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
First jump lesson of the year
During the dark, dreary days of winter, Willig was mostly jump-free. I can only think of two times I jumped him (though there could have been a couple other efforts that I forgot) - once inside over a simple vertical (2'), which he did consistently with no hitches, which led me to take him outside last weekend, where he was a total jerk-face and tried to buck me off several times. I already had a lesson for January and a lesson for February with Shannon scheduled - as much as I can squeeze in because of a big vacation in March and a little too much going on, so his misbehavior and my massive, massive disappointment and frustration, was well timed to talk with Shannon at the first lesson.
We chatted a bit, then she set up two jumps (two of the plastic blocks that become 2' when vertical) with ground lines on either side, the "usual" distance apart (which I need to look up from a prior lesson). So I rode him in a circle, first over just one, then over both, then she converted one from a cross rail to a vertical, then the other, then one turned into an oxer; and of course, both directions.
While it wasn't perfection, it was pretty smooth, and kind of the "same old same old" instructions - stop jumping ahead & just wait for him; keep my reins shorter and my hands farther up his neck; sit deep and up when approaching the fence; and if he's on the wrong lead, that's his own problem - it's a circle and I'm looking, so he needs to figure out how to land.
Then, against my desire, we went outside, where Shannon set up exactly the same exercise, and we did it outside. Again, without a hitch. Towards the end I got a bit tired, and it was a bit uglier than inside, but it wasn't a big deal.
So the take-aways:
- Don't push him where I want him to be instead of where he is. Ride him inside - if he's good - end with a few minutes outside of the same thing, after he's tired. Build his confidence by successfully doing little challenges instead of making him stressed.
- Shannon pointed out that we're better to the left, because my outside hand is my right hand (the dominant one). Interestingly, that's started to show up cantering also, so I must be doing something with my right hand going to the right (or my body) but I have no idea what.
- Do NOT let him get away with his ping-pong head. He doesn't get to decide where to look, and even when we're just standing there or I'm leading him, I need to be consistent with "pay attention to me and watch scary things out of the corner of your eye".
Overall, it was a nice lesson, a good confidence builder for both of us, and gave me the structure that I need to start working him over fences again.
Another post (I'm so tired, all the time), I'll talk about my "plan", which is to put him up for sale while concurrently working him much harder and more consistently over fences, to see if he can make the same kind of progress there that he did with the dressage. (We don't think it's the fences or the jumping, just the stimuli outside.) Also, Shannon said I can ride her horse to be reminded what it's like to jump where it isn't a terrifying sweat-fest.
We chatted a bit, then she set up two jumps (two of the plastic blocks that become 2' when vertical) with ground lines on either side, the "usual" distance apart (which I need to look up from a prior lesson). So I rode him in a circle, first over just one, then over both, then she converted one from a cross rail to a vertical, then the other, then one turned into an oxer; and of course, both directions.
While it wasn't perfection, it was pretty smooth, and kind of the "same old same old" instructions - stop jumping ahead & just wait for him; keep my reins shorter and my hands farther up his neck; sit deep and up when approaching the fence; and if he's on the wrong lead, that's his own problem - it's a circle and I'm looking, so he needs to figure out how to land.
Then, against my desire, we went outside, where Shannon set up exactly the same exercise, and we did it outside. Again, without a hitch. Towards the end I got a bit tired, and it was a bit uglier than inside, but it wasn't a big deal.
So the take-aways:
- Don't push him where I want him to be instead of where he is. Ride him inside - if he's good - end with a few minutes outside of the same thing, after he's tired. Build his confidence by successfully doing little challenges instead of making him stressed.
- Shannon pointed out that we're better to the left, because my outside hand is my right hand (the dominant one). Interestingly, that's started to show up cantering also, so I must be doing something with my right hand going to the right (or my body) but I have no idea what.
- Do NOT let him get away with his ping-pong head. He doesn't get to decide where to look, and even when we're just standing there or I'm leading him, I need to be consistent with "pay attention to me and watch scary things out of the corner of your eye".
Overall, it was a nice lesson, a good confidence builder for both of us, and gave me the structure that I need to start working him over fences again.
Another post (I'm so tired, all the time), I'll talk about my "plan", which is to put him up for sale while concurrently working him much harder and more consistently over fences, to see if he can make the same kind of progress there that he did with the dressage. (We don't think it's the fences or the jumping, just the stimuli outside.) Also, Shannon said I can ride her horse to be reminded what it's like to jump where it isn't a terrifying sweat-fest.
Blanket Temperatures
In October, Practical Horseman had an incredibly useful (and missed by me until January) blanket guide.
For a horse like Willig who is in the barn at night, turned out during the day, and has a partial clip:
60 F - Turnout sheet if rainy or windy
50 F - Turnout sheet
40 F - Lightweight turnout
30 F - Midweight turnout
20 F - Midweight turnout
10 F and below - Heavyweight turnout & hood
And here's the blanket insulation and how it translates:
0 grams - Sheet
100 grams - Lightweight
200 grams - Midweight
300 grams - Heavyweight
I suspect I have been WAY overblanketing him.
Due to his sensitive skin, I also try to use high neck or hood as much as I can for rain.
For a horse like Willig who is in the barn at night, turned out during the day, and has a partial clip:
60 F - Turnout sheet if rainy or windy
50 F - Turnout sheet
40 F - Lightweight turnout
30 F - Midweight turnout
20 F - Midweight turnout
10 F and below - Heavyweight turnout & hood
And here's the blanket insulation and how it translates:
0 grams - Sheet
100 grams - Lightweight
200 grams - Midweight
300 grams - Heavyweight
I suspect I have been WAY overblanketing him.
Due to his sensitive skin, I also try to use high neck or hood as much as I can for rain.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saddle ranking upset
Yesterday I rode in an Albion SLK Ultima, MW 17 1/2". It was divine. It was almost as great as Mike's Regal. I didn't have quite the soft, cemented seat that I did in the Regal, but it was pretty close.
So the ranking is now, well, it doesn't matter - Albion and Regal are basically neck and neck.
The downside I'm seeing with the Regal is that the used ones are almost impossible to find, and since they are all custom, would need to be adjusted and might not feel like Mike's, depending on the specifications of the person who first bought it. And the Albion is cheaper new than a custom-made Regal, but about the same price and almost as hard to find used.
There are some lower Albions - the Ultima I think is the grippy leather, and the SLK is another feature, so it might be interesting to try to find some of the other Albions and see how they compare.
Of the three Washington tack stores, there are only a handful of 17.5, MW, and none in the Albion and no Regals at all.
This could be a long, long process.
So the ranking is now, well, it doesn't matter - Albion and Regal are basically neck and neck.
The downside I'm seeing with the Regal is that the used ones are almost impossible to find, and since they are all custom, would need to be adjusted and might not feel like Mike's, depending on the specifications of the person who first bought it. And the Albion is cheaper new than a custom-made Regal, but about the same price and almost as hard to find used.
There are some lower Albions - the Ultima I think is the grippy leather, and the SLK is another feature, so it might be interesting to try to find some of the other Albions and see how they compare.
Of the three Washington tack stores, there are only a handful of 17.5, MW, and none in the Albion and no Regals at all.
This could be a long, long process.
Friday, January 22, 2010
First three saddle test ride results
Holding steady in first place, not surprisingly, is the Regal saddle of my trainer's:
http://www.regalsaddles.ca/saddles.htm
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/11243.html
I have found one for sale used.
As I described in the post below, the heavens opened up and angels sang when I rode in this one. Everything about it was perfection. That may have been because Mike broke it in? I found a bad review online and heard about a similar experience for the customer service.
Second place, the Anky Euro XCH saddle:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/anky-euro-xch-dressage-saddle/p/X1-15645/cn/1707/
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/9422.html
This one was a much closer second than I expected. I could not sit quite as well and the saddle didn't hold me effortlessly in exactly the right position so that I could use all my aids by just breathing what I wanted. It was a 17.5" MW, and my knee didn't quite make it to the front roll, so maybe I need a 17"?
A very close second though. I really want to try it in 17".
Third place, the Niedersuss Symphony:
http://dressagestars.com/symphony__6.html
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/4222.html
I loved what this one did with my seat - especially in the walk, I could really feel him respond to my hip bones and forward motion. But I had to keep pushing my knee back really hard to keep it from riding up on the knee roll. It also kept my lower leg really stable and still.
Fourth place, my existing saddle, the Dover's Circuit:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/circuit-dressage-saddle/p/X1-15012/cn/91/
When I got this two years ago, I had to buy two new saddles because neither of my existing saddles fit Willig (but fit the thoroughbred), and sadly, it appears that I ignorantly bought the wrong size. It was a screaming deal (I did some math today and it has been about $1.67/ride!), but now that I have tried the other saddles, it is like riding around on a greased bouncy ball. While it has probably taught me some extra super duper awareness of my legs, it has also made my life that much harder. This may be because it is a wide, and the other saddles have all been regular or medium or medium-wide (whatever the makers call "regular"), and so this saddle has never fit Willig properly.
Fortunately, two more of the delightful wonderful fellow boarders have offered to let me try their dressage saddles, and I am going to go by the tack store and sit in a bunch this weekend to see if any others leap out at me like Mike's did.
http://www.regalsaddles.ca/saddles.htm
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/11243.html
I have found one for sale used.
As I described in the post below, the heavens opened up and angels sang when I rode in this one. Everything about it was perfection. That may have been because Mike broke it in? I found a bad review online and heard about a similar experience for the customer service.
Second place, the Anky Euro XCH saddle:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/anky-euro-xch-dressage-saddle/p/X1-15645/cn/1707/
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/9422.html
This one was a much closer second than I expected. I could not sit quite as well and the saddle didn't hold me effortlessly in exactly the right position so that I could use all my aids by just breathing what I wanted. It was a 17.5" MW, and my knee didn't quite make it to the front roll, so maybe I need a 17"?
A very close second though. I really want to try it in 17".
Third place, the Niedersuss Symphony:
http://dressagestars.com/symphony__6.html
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/4222.html
I loved what this one did with my seat - especially in the walk, I could really feel him respond to my hip bones and forward motion. But I had to keep pushing my knee back really hard to keep it from riding up on the knee roll. It also kept my lower leg really stable and still.
Fourth place, my existing saddle, the Dover's Circuit:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/circuit-dressage-saddle/p/X1-15012/cn/91/
When I got this two years ago, I had to buy two new saddles because neither of my existing saddles fit Willig (but fit the thoroughbred), and sadly, it appears that I ignorantly bought the wrong size. It was a screaming deal (I did some math today and it has been about $1.67/ride!), but now that I have tried the other saddles, it is like riding around on a greased bouncy ball. While it has probably taught me some extra super duper awareness of my legs, it has also made my life that much harder. This may be because it is a wide, and the other saddles have all been regular or medium or medium-wide (whatever the makers call "regular"), and so this saddle has never fit Willig properly.
Fortunately, two more of the delightful wonderful fellow boarders have offered to let me try their dressage saddles, and I am going to go by the tack store and sit in a bunch this weekend to see if any others leap out at me like Mike's did.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ba-da-bing!! Your saddle fit really does make a difference (duh).
On the 19th I had one of my (best efforts) twice-a-month lessons with Mike. I wanted to cancel, because from the last lesson to this one, I only got to ride about 5 times (about half what I wanted). All I can say is thank goodness I didn't.
It was the best lesson and quite likely, the best ride of my life.
Five key points:
1. Straighten my leg now, not push my lower leg back. I have to think about making my knee and thigh straight, but it is pretty amazing how straight and how far back they go. It is still taking some getting used to with my seat though, when they hang directly under me. But from the beginning (knee bent up in front of the saddle flap) to now - wow.
2. Rein pressure is "cradling a baby". It is both heavier than I am capable of remembering in between lessons, but if this makes any sense at all, with a soft hand. I pull back (thinking the classic elbows to hips) and when he gives with his head (which I can feel! yay!) I praise him.
3. Keep improving my position from my last lesson: butt wipes the saddle in the canter, and the slightly different but similar for the sitting trot. I also need to lean back a little more. Work on sitting the trot with 1/2 the finger strength (which is, entirely, Dumbo's feather).
4. Ride a stretchy circle - play with my reins as I let them out so the contact stays there.
**5.** (What made this the best ride of my life.) Mike had his saddle out (a custom-made Ryder (?) for his super nice horse, Pablo) for the lesson before mine, and we had been doing quite well and I had finally proven that I am capable of actually practicing what he is telling me in between lessons (like keeping my &*#&* heel down), and so he said that I was doing well, let's see if the saddle was holding Willig back any (he said, in the very first lesson, that it didn't fit him properly). I'm not sure it was holding Willig back, but let's just say it was - fireworks - stars in my eyes - a 100x improvement - and oh, uh, yeah - the best ride of my life. I just SAT in Mike's saddle and was like "oh". I have never - in my entire life - sat in a saddle that fit properly before. The light bulb went off. The saddle was comfortable. It helped me. I didn't have to fight it to ride.
As a result, we could do anything. I could sit the trot. I could lengthen and shorten his stride with just my seat. I could bend him. I could get him up on the bit. I didn't have to fight my legs or my heels or my hips. It was completely eye-opening.
And of course, now I have to come up with the money (we are definitely going to have to do used) and find the right saddle for Willig, because I don't even want to ride again in my sucky non-fitting saddle and lose the feeling of riding in Mike's. I could have ridden in it all day. I don't even know why I'd jump - it was so amazing to just ride in it. I wish I had one for work, to sit at my desk.
Oh yeah, and Willig? Once I quit flapping around up there, he just responded beautifully. Like a Ferrari.
Why in the world would I have been making something I'm not particularly gifted at, on a horse who is relatively sensitive, doing things slightly above my level, mostly by myself, 500 times harder by poorly fitting tack?
So Step 1 - new dressage saddle.
Step 2 is tied between the new (light weight) trailer or a new jump saddle - because if it even makes 1/2 the difference, it will be totally worth it to feel solid over the fences.
Mike has my undying devotion now. He has been right on about everything (like to just wait to jump until we reached a certain point in dressage, and lo and behold, that worked too once I quit jumping for a couple months and focused like he suggested), and has, in 6 months, made me a better rider than all my experience in my life so far.
It was the best lesson and quite likely, the best ride of my life.
Five key points:
1. Straighten my leg now, not push my lower leg back. I have to think about making my knee and thigh straight, but it is pretty amazing how straight and how far back they go. It is still taking some getting used to with my seat though, when they hang directly under me. But from the beginning (knee bent up in front of the saddle flap) to now - wow.
2. Rein pressure is "cradling a baby". It is both heavier than I am capable of remembering in between lessons, but if this makes any sense at all, with a soft hand. I pull back (thinking the classic elbows to hips) and when he gives with his head (which I can feel! yay!) I praise him.
3. Keep improving my position from my last lesson: butt wipes the saddle in the canter, and the slightly different but similar for the sitting trot. I also need to lean back a little more. Work on sitting the trot with 1/2 the finger strength (which is, entirely, Dumbo's feather).
4. Ride a stretchy circle - play with my reins as I let them out so the contact stays there.
**5.** (What made this the best ride of my life.) Mike had his saddle out (a custom-made Ryder (?) for his super nice horse, Pablo) for the lesson before mine, and we had been doing quite well and I had finally proven that I am capable of actually practicing what he is telling me in between lessons (like keeping my &*#&* heel down), and so he said that I was doing well, let's see if the saddle was holding Willig back any (he said, in the very first lesson, that it didn't fit him properly). I'm not sure it was holding Willig back, but let's just say it was - fireworks - stars in my eyes - a 100x improvement - and oh, uh, yeah - the best ride of my life. I just SAT in Mike's saddle and was like "oh". I have never - in my entire life - sat in a saddle that fit properly before. The light bulb went off. The saddle was comfortable. It helped me. I didn't have to fight it to ride.
As a result, we could do anything. I could sit the trot. I could lengthen and shorten his stride with just my seat. I could bend him. I could get him up on the bit. I didn't have to fight my legs or my heels or my hips. It was completely eye-opening.
And of course, now I have to come up with the money (we are definitely going to have to do used) and find the right saddle for Willig, because I don't even want to ride again in my sucky non-fitting saddle and lose the feeling of riding in Mike's. I could have ridden in it all day. I don't even know why I'd jump - it was so amazing to just ride in it. I wish I had one for work, to sit at my desk.
Oh yeah, and Willig? Once I quit flapping around up there, he just responded beautifully. Like a Ferrari.
Why in the world would I have been making something I'm not particularly gifted at, on a horse who is relatively sensitive, doing things slightly above my level, mostly by myself, 500 times harder by poorly fitting tack?
So Step 1 - new dressage saddle.
Step 2 is tied between the new (light weight) trailer or a new jump saddle - because if it even makes 1/2 the difference, it will be totally worth it to feel solid over the fences.
Mike has my undying devotion now. He has been right on about everything (like to just wait to jump until we reached a certain point in dressage, and lo and behold, that worked too once I quit jumping for a couple months and focused like he suggested), and has, in 6 months, made me a better rider than all my experience in my life so far.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Misc
From my last lesson - more transitions = more listening to my aids. Willig responds really well to this.
And Mike has an article about judging dressage in the January Flying Changes:
http://www.flyingchanges.com/
And Mike has an article about judging dressage in the January Flying Changes:
http://www.flyingchanges.com/
Sheath cleaning
For my records - Willig's sheath, tail, and lower legs got cleaned during the surprise nice weather we had yesterday. His tail was pretty dandruffy and his sheath had a surprising amount of gunk - no big beans, but still, a fair amount.
I jumped him today over a little 2' vertical, and he was just as great as could be. I woke up in the middle of the night last night - out of nowhere afraid to jump him - and one of the other evening riders was there with me tonight so I just set up the one pole and jumped it both ways from the trot, canter (2x each, each direction) and then a trot, canter, trot. Not a blip.
Also, we have a "new" boarder at the barn, and she was the prior boarder I heard about who had a horse with hives too. Not good news - she tried pretty much every single thing imaginable and nothing worked.
I jumped him today over a little 2' vertical, and he was just as great as could be. I woke up in the middle of the night last night - out of nowhere afraid to jump him - and one of the other evening riders was there with me tonight so I just set up the one pole and jumped it both ways from the trot, canter (2x each, each direction) and then a trot, canter, trot. Not a blip.
Also, we have a "new" boarder at the barn, and she was the prior boarder I heard about who had a horse with hives too. Not good news - she tried pretty much every single thing imaginable and nothing worked.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Out of order - my December lesson with Mike
December was not my greatest month for riding. At the beginning we were still working on the hives, and then work and the holidays actually resulted in less riding, rather than more, like I hoped for.
So I am about to do something novel, and compare a lesson with Mike to the Biggest Loser. But trust me, it makes sense.
So this lesson, what I heard Mike say during the lesson was: "Do not make me tell you one more time to put your heels down. I know you can do it." This is in a very mild, slightly reproachful tone of voice. One that I know *I* wouldn't be able to keep if I was telling someone something obvious for the oh, 200th time in 5 months.
So the way I remembered it was like this:
http://vodpod.com/watch/1302442-trainer-bob-harpers-meltdown-biggest-loser-joelle
Now, I apologize, the link is very long, but two minutes in you have the full impact of every single time I got on Willig and I thought "put those f**&*ing heels down" (to myself).
What else was this lesson about? Well, that was all I really walked away with. But it turns out, I'm capable of working on one thing at a time.
Mike agreed that the alfalfa diet may be helping Willig, although most of the stuff I read said "no alfalfa-only diets".
He also said to think of Willig as an introvert, who needs me to be assertive about what we're doing. This was hugely helpful for me, instead of thinking of him like an asshole who is willfully disobedient.
I spent the two really cold weeks and another hivey week teaching Willig on the lunge line not to sproing his head up like a giraffe every time we went past the door to the outside. While it was interesting how quickly Willig learned (and applied his new knowledge), especially with the simple addition of treats, my error in this was that I ... taught Willig to run around on his forehand. So thankfully, Mike saw me lunging and corrected that too.
We also "graduated" from draw reins all the time to draw reins when he's having a bobbly head-idiot day. Mike pointed out when it's cold and rainy, sometimes they need that 20 minutes to be an idiot and get it out, then get down to work. (This was also a huge success for the rest of the month before my next lesson.)
We continued to work on a "20 meter" size arena - off the rail instead of going right along the wall.
Mike also suggested that we continue to work our way down to the scary zone, not just shoot right down there, but wait until I've got Willig controlled and bending and working properly, then get a little closer and a little closer. Again, who knows what it is, but most horses develop a fear of it, and Mike said he's been here 10 years and sees them scared of it all the time. It's actually, I can't believe my negative personality is saying this, kind of a good thing, because it is helping me know what to do and how to react, how big to react, how to feel a reaction coming, etc., which will apply really well in a scary show situation. Willig is learning to trust me too. Amazingly, every time I have asked him to go past it, nothing has killed him. It may yet, but he's getting a tiny, tiny bit more comfortable.
Did I mention lots of this lesson was about my heels? Go back to the basics and focus on this because it's very important.
We worked a bit on his eye to the inside and momentum, and me asking for it, not just waiting for him to offer it, and bending and looking ahead and me just ignoring the scary side. (Me looking ahead was also a huge success. Another one from my more recent lesson that I forgot to write about in that post was punish (smack with whip) but REWARD (!!!) when he responds. I am a terrible rewarder.
Finally, at the canter, keep thinking about that bike wheelie. I throw the contact away, which was true. I feel the slight lean forward, and I need to think lean back.
My take away message was more consistency, assertiveness, and back to focusing on some basics. I was happy though that I got permission to graduate from the draw reins.
So I am about to do something novel, and compare a lesson with Mike to the Biggest Loser. But trust me, it makes sense.
So this lesson, what I heard Mike say during the lesson was: "Do not make me tell you one more time to put your heels down. I know you can do it." This is in a very mild, slightly reproachful tone of voice. One that I know *I* wouldn't be able to keep if I was telling someone something obvious for the oh, 200th time in 5 months.
So the way I remembered it was like this:
http://vodpod.com/watch/1302442-trainer-bob-harpers-meltdown-biggest-loser-joelle
Now, I apologize, the link is very long, but two minutes in you have the full impact of every single time I got on Willig and I thought "put those f**&*ing heels down" (to myself).
What else was this lesson about? Well, that was all I really walked away with. But it turns out, I'm capable of working on one thing at a time.
Mike agreed that the alfalfa diet may be helping Willig, although most of the stuff I read said "no alfalfa-only diets".
He also said to think of Willig as an introvert, who needs me to be assertive about what we're doing. This was hugely helpful for me, instead of thinking of him like an asshole who is willfully disobedient.
I spent the two really cold weeks and another hivey week teaching Willig on the lunge line not to sproing his head up like a giraffe every time we went past the door to the outside. While it was interesting how quickly Willig learned (and applied his new knowledge), especially with the simple addition of treats, my error in this was that I ... taught Willig to run around on his forehand. So thankfully, Mike saw me lunging and corrected that too.
We also "graduated" from draw reins all the time to draw reins when he's having a bobbly head-idiot day. Mike pointed out when it's cold and rainy, sometimes they need that 20 minutes to be an idiot and get it out, then get down to work. (This was also a huge success for the rest of the month before my next lesson.)
We continued to work on a "20 meter" size arena - off the rail instead of going right along the wall.
Mike also suggested that we continue to work our way down to the scary zone, not just shoot right down there, but wait until I've got Willig controlled and bending and working properly, then get a little closer and a little closer. Again, who knows what it is, but most horses develop a fear of it, and Mike said he's been here 10 years and sees them scared of it all the time. It's actually, I can't believe my negative personality is saying this, kind of a good thing, because it is helping me know what to do and how to react, how big to react, how to feel a reaction coming, etc., which will apply really well in a scary show situation. Willig is learning to trust me too. Amazingly, every time I have asked him to go past it, nothing has killed him. It may yet, but he's getting a tiny, tiny bit more comfortable.
Did I mention lots of this lesson was about my heels? Go back to the basics and focus on this because it's very important.
We worked a bit on his eye to the inside and momentum, and me asking for it, not just waiting for him to offer it, and bending and looking ahead and me just ignoring the scary side. (Me looking ahead was also a huge success. Another one from my more recent lesson that I forgot to write about in that post was punish (smack with whip) but REWARD (!!!) when he responds. I am a terrible rewarder.
Finally, at the canter, keep thinking about that bike wheelie. I throw the contact away, which was true. I feel the slight lean forward, and I need to think lean back.
My take away message was more consistency, assertiveness, and back to focusing on some basics. I was happy though that I got permission to graduate from the draw reins.
Lacey rider looking for horse
If you go back a few posts in the comments, a local Lacey-dweller introduced herself to me, and is interested in looking for a fun, challenging horse for a partial lease. While I think this will be a great idea for Willig maybe next year, when I am working harder and riding better myself, for this year I decided for now we'd stick with our system.
However, we exchanged several emails and she sounds very experienced, knowledgeable, and looking forward to something a little more challenging than a regular school-horse type.
If you live in the greater Olympia area and read this blog, feel free to read her comment. She's got references, and sounds like she'd be a great addition if you know of a quality horse who could use some extra hours in the saddle.
However, we exchanged several emails and she sounds very experienced, knowledgeable, and looking forward to something a little more challenging than a regular school-horse type.
If you live in the greater Olympia area and read this blog, feel free to read her comment. She's got references, and sounds like she'd be a great addition if you know of a quality horse who could use some extra hours in the saddle.
Willig's hives - what worked
Unfortunately, I can't say exactly what worked, but we are hive free and haven't seen one for at least two, and maybe three, weeks.
Willig is eating 1 flake of alfalfa for breakfast, 1 flake of local for lunch, and 2 flakes of alfalfa and 1 flake of local for dinner.
He's also gaining weight - he weighs the most in the whole time I've owned him, and he actually looks quite good with the weight on.
Then, for supplements, he is getting: Platinum Performance, Platinum Skin & Allergy, Riva's Remedies Equi-Derm (an herbal blend), Probiotics, and Strongid 2X daily wormer, only I stupidly was giving him a double dose for most of the last month.
He gets those am & pm, with a small amount of cob and oats.
I don't know if one of those things is working, or if it's the combination of all of them, but I don't care. He looks good, his skin is shiny, his tail is still dandruffy but not as bad, and he has less smegma on his sheath.
My plan is to keep him on it through early spring, and then let them all run out and see what happens. Next November, when the new hay comes in, I'll probably go ahead and try all of them, but at half-dose, to see if we start early if it keeps them from getting bad.
Also, he's been a much happier horse lately, and I think this spring he'll be ready to try turn-out in the grass!
Willig is eating 1 flake of alfalfa for breakfast, 1 flake of local for lunch, and 2 flakes of alfalfa and 1 flake of local for dinner.
He's also gaining weight - he weighs the most in the whole time I've owned him, and he actually looks quite good with the weight on.
Then, for supplements, he is getting: Platinum Performance, Platinum Skin & Allergy, Riva's Remedies Equi-Derm (an herbal blend), Probiotics, and Strongid 2X daily wormer, only I stupidly was giving him a double dose for most of the last month.
He gets those am & pm, with a small amount of cob and oats.
I don't know if one of those things is working, or if it's the combination of all of them, but I don't care. He looks good, his skin is shiny, his tail is still dandruffy but not as bad, and he has less smegma on his sheath.
My plan is to keep him on it through early spring, and then let them all run out and see what happens. Next November, when the new hay comes in, I'll probably go ahead and try all of them, but at half-dose, to see if we start early if it keeps them from getting bad.
Also, he's been a much happier horse lately, and I think this spring he'll be ready to try turn-out in the grass!
Another baby step forward!
I'm a bit behind in the blogging. Yesterday was another really amazing lesson with Mike. After the unblogged December lesson (next post up!) I spent my rides working really hard on the basics: heels down.
And it paid off! Mike commented on the difference between 6 months ago when I took my first lesson with him and this ride.
The only downside is now that I have mastered (ok, kinda sorta tamed) Monster #1, it opened the doors to lots and lots of stuff that I have not done before, so while the ride was completely amazing and felt great - it was so new that even if I'd been able to record it all while it was happening, I still probably couldn't get it all down.
First, I have been riding about every other day. Because of Willig's alfalfa-intensive diet (another post to come), he's been a wee bit on the hot side. Not hot like a TB, but hot for him. So I've been doing some lunging and less riding, but trying to get back to riding every day so I can quit the lunging. For the lesson, I got ready a bit early, so I tried riding the hotness out instead of lunging it out. It worked. Yay us.
Second, so we started with looking at the heels - I was worried I was bracing too far forward, so we did some position in the halt.
- Lesson #1: I have been standing up over the pommel. This is balanced, but now I need to start working on moving my leg farther back (towards his butt), which is a very different feel. When my leg is farther back and I stand up (sinking my heel), it is still balanced, but I am over the deep part of the saddle instead of the pommel.
- Lesson #2: To drop my heel, I know it is "lift the toe" but that doesn't really work. What I think about is straightening my leg in the back of the knee. I still have to keep reminding myself.
- Lesson #3: One reason why my heel is always up is because I am always asking Willig to move forward. He is kind of lazy. So we worked next on giving the command - briskly - and then backing it up with the whip. Willig gets very responsive very quickly if I am consistent. If I am confusing with my aids, he stops being responsive. Sounds simple, hard to do when I'm also trying to keep him working in a circle instead of looking at the new horse who walked in the end of the barn.
- Lesson #4: This one is for the future, but I'm doing something funky with my right side (and yes, it is me), that makes him bend right, even when going to the left, and move left if I don't actively stop it. I have no idea what this is yet.
So I demonstrated the heel a bit, we improved balance, and:
- Lesson #5: The proper standing trot position for practice purposes is also, by the way, jump position. It isn't riding around standing over the pommel, but putting your butt back like in a 2 point. This helped quite a bit as well.
- Lesson #6: I am getting better at pushing down, but I still need to work on my toes. They rotate out (especially the right one), and so when I think "down down down" they are rotating around like chicken wings. They need to push forward-down not around-down. This is hard to describe, but it helps me to think to point my toes in. This is one I'll need later when one day I am ready to use spurs.
Which brings me to the next part of the lesson.
Ok, so we monitored my lower leg. It's improved but needs continuous thought and some "clean-up" details still. But it was good enough to move on.
To moving off my aids. Again, not new, but being more consistent, more assertive, and understanding it is ok to ask every 5-10 strides, "no, keep going". As the lesson went on, instead of getting tired, Willig got better and better at this.
Even at walk, we used the thumping side to side legs to get a nice forward walk. I need to stop letting him drag around so his regular walk moves toward the forward walk.
After moving off my aids, we worked a little bit on bending to the inside. Again, this has something to do with my right side and moving off the aids.
Then we worked on canter, where I had made some good progress on my own. So Mike found ways to improve it more.
Canter Lesson #1: Wipe the saddle. Think of sitting on a swing and pumping it up. It's leaning back a bit farther than I do, and really thinking about pushing the swing forward. Willig did really great on this.
And lesson #2: Heels pushing down and forward, not around like chicken wings.
Canter was so improved we went on to sitting trot:
For this, it is a similar movement to canter, where it is sitting on your jean pockets. Mike gave me a good visual with his fingers making four points - your two seat bones, the pubic bone and the tail bone. You sit more on the pubic and tail, but for sitting trot, a bit further back on the tail bone.
It was helpful because another rider was working on the sitting trot when we started to work, so I got to watch her do it well.
I am catching a few steps, and then I lose it again.
Sitting trot lesson #1: This is counter-intuitive for me, but I do "triangle legs" where I lift my legs off and away from the saddle. This makes my legs softer and helps me get deeper in the saddle. (Otherwise, I clench up and perch up on top of the saddle.) Even though I'm lifting my legs off and away, it makes my seat more solid.
lesson #2: We went back to working with a couple fingers on the pommel, working in a small circle, and just thinking of the wiping/bounce but on my jean pockets. Mike says just to practice every day until I feel it.
Actually, that's a good point with the odd right-hand side too. Just like he didn't know I was clamping with my upper thighs until a few lessons ago (when he was talking about a cougar clamped on Willig's back and I thought "Huh" and then relaxed), whatever I'm doing, he can't see, so I need to learn (terrible drum roll) to feel it. Ugh.
So my take-aways:
Keep being conscious of those heels because they're not ready yet to behave without some thought.
Improve them a bit more - thinking toes in and legs farther back. I need to think of some new things for this one and also fix the standing/sitting exercise to be farther back and in posting position.
Work on canter with the heels and legs pushing down and forward. Also work on my up and down transitions. This was a 1-2-3-go, both up and down transitions are a controlling the "wiping" with my seat and then pushing him into it. (We actually slow down to go up and slow down to go down.)
Work on the sitting trot - continue to try to get the feel and use fewer fingers.
It was a great lesson. A bit too much to take away, but really a delightful ride and a really positive experience to look forward to working on.
And it paid off! Mike commented on the difference between 6 months ago when I took my first lesson with him and this ride.
The only downside is now that I have mastered (ok, kinda sorta tamed) Monster #1, it opened the doors to lots and lots of stuff that I have not done before, so while the ride was completely amazing and felt great - it was so new that even if I'd been able to record it all while it was happening, I still probably couldn't get it all down.
First, I have been riding about every other day. Because of Willig's alfalfa-intensive diet (another post to come), he's been a wee bit on the hot side. Not hot like a TB, but hot for him. So I've been doing some lunging and less riding, but trying to get back to riding every day so I can quit the lunging. For the lesson, I got ready a bit early, so I tried riding the hotness out instead of lunging it out. It worked. Yay us.
Second, so we started with looking at the heels - I was worried I was bracing too far forward, so we did some position in the halt.
- Lesson #1: I have been standing up over the pommel. This is balanced, but now I need to start working on moving my leg farther back (towards his butt), which is a very different feel. When my leg is farther back and I stand up (sinking my heel), it is still balanced, but I am over the deep part of the saddle instead of the pommel.
- Lesson #2: To drop my heel, I know it is "lift the toe" but that doesn't really work. What I think about is straightening my leg in the back of the knee. I still have to keep reminding myself.
- Lesson #3: One reason why my heel is always up is because I am always asking Willig to move forward. He is kind of lazy. So we worked next on giving the command - briskly - and then backing it up with the whip. Willig gets very responsive very quickly if I am consistent. If I am confusing with my aids, he stops being responsive. Sounds simple, hard to do when I'm also trying to keep him working in a circle instead of looking at the new horse who walked in the end of the barn.
- Lesson #4: This one is for the future, but I'm doing something funky with my right side (and yes, it is me), that makes him bend right, even when going to the left, and move left if I don't actively stop it. I have no idea what this is yet.
So I demonstrated the heel a bit, we improved balance, and:
- Lesson #5: The proper standing trot position for practice purposes is also, by the way, jump position. It isn't riding around standing over the pommel, but putting your butt back like in a 2 point. This helped quite a bit as well.
- Lesson #6: I am getting better at pushing down, but I still need to work on my toes. They rotate out (especially the right one), and so when I think "down down down" they are rotating around like chicken wings. They need to push forward-down not around-down. This is hard to describe, but it helps me to think to point my toes in. This is one I'll need later when one day I am ready to use spurs.
Which brings me to the next part of the lesson.
Ok, so we monitored my lower leg. It's improved but needs continuous thought and some "clean-up" details still. But it was good enough to move on.
To moving off my aids. Again, not new, but being more consistent, more assertive, and understanding it is ok to ask every 5-10 strides, "no, keep going". As the lesson went on, instead of getting tired, Willig got better and better at this.
Even at walk, we used the thumping side to side legs to get a nice forward walk. I need to stop letting him drag around so his regular walk moves toward the forward walk.
After moving off my aids, we worked a little bit on bending to the inside. Again, this has something to do with my right side and moving off the aids.
Then we worked on canter, where I had made some good progress on my own. So Mike found ways to improve it more.
Canter Lesson #1: Wipe the saddle. Think of sitting on a swing and pumping it up. It's leaning back a bit farther than I do, and really thinking about pushing the swing forward. Willig did really great on this.
And lesson #2: Heels pushing down and forward, not around like chicken wings.
Canter was so improved we went on to sitting trot:
For this, it is a similar movement to canter, where it is sitting on your jean pockets. Mike gave me a good visual with his fingers making four points - your two seat bones, the pubic bone and the tail bone. You sit more on the pubic and tail, but for sitting trot, a bit further back on the tail bone.
It was helpful because another rider was working on the sitting trot when we started to work, so I got to watch her do it well.
I am catching a few steps, and then I lose it again.
Sitting trot lesson #1: This is counter-intuitive for me, but I do "triangle legs" where I lift my legs off and away from the saddle. This makes my legs softer and helps me get deeper in the saddle. (Otherwise, I clench up and perch up on top of the saddle.) Even though I'm lifting my legs off and away, it makes my seat more solid.
lesson #2: We went back to working with a couple fingers on the pommel, working in a small circle, and just thinking of the wiping/bounce but on my jean pockets. Mike says just to practice every day until I feel it.
Actually, that's a good point with the odd right-hand side too. Just like he didn't know I was clamping with my upper thighs until a few lessons ago (when he was talking about a cougar clamped on Willig's back and I thought "Huh" and then relaxed), whatever I'm doing, he can't see, so I need to learn (terrible drum roll) to feel it. Ugh.
So my take-aways:
Keep being conscious of those heels because they're not ready yet to behave without some thought.
Improve them a bit more - thinking toes in and legs farther back. I need to think of some new things for this one and also fix the standing/sitting exercise to be farther back and in posting position.
Work on canter with the heels and legs pushing down and forward. Also work on my up and down transitions. This was a 1-2-3-go, both up and down transitions are a controlling the "wiping" with my seat and then pushing him into it. (We actually slow down to go up and slow down to go down.)
Work on the sitting trot - continue to try to get the feel and use fewer fingers.
It was a great lesson. A bit too much to take away, but really a delightful ride and a really positive experience to look forward to working on.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
The latest hive theory didn't work
From the last post, instead of 1 orchard grass, we did dinner as 2 alfalfa and 1 local.
Didn't work.
The hives are an unusual pattern (mostly hive-free on his side (ribs) and only small ones on his butt and belly, but his neck is pretty hivey), but I was hoping for the miracle from a week ago where they were almost completely gone for two days.
If they're still bad Saturday, I'm going to switch him to:
am: 1 alfalfa
lunch: 1 orchard
pm: 2 alfalfa, 1 orchard
And see if it is the local (doubt it).
I also ordered Equi-Derm from Riva's Remedies, which I had forgotten we tried last time; I gave him an extra wormer tonight (Ivermectin; he got Anthelicide EQ last week when the farrier was out); and I ordered him some Strongid feed through wormer in case somehow this is coming from worms.
I also emailed Dr. Mansmann at NCSU, who got his PhD in horse allergies, and he asked some questions and I passed along Dr. Mike's contact information.
Beyond that? I have nothing.
Also, tonight I couldn't ride because of the wither hives, so Willig got lunged and it was either the cold or the alfalfa or the combination, but he got the crazies a couple of times. He's in his space suit blanket for this week, with nights below 30 and the days barely above 40.
Didn't work.
The hives are an unusual pattern (mostly hive-free on his side (ribs) and only small ones on his butt and belly, but his neck is pretty hivey), but I was hoping for the miracle from a week ago where they were almost completely gone for two days.
If they're still bad Saturday, I'm going to switch him to:
am: 1 alfalfa
lunch: 1 orchard
pm: 2 alfalfa, 1 orchard
And see if it is the local (doubt it).
I also ordered Equi-Derm from Riva's Remedies, which I had forgotten we tried last time; I gave him an extra wormer tonight (Ivermectin; he got Anthelicide EQ last week when the farrier was out); and I ordered him some Strongid feed through wormer in case somehow this is coming from worms.
I also emailed Dr. Mansmann at NCSU, who got his PhD in horse allergies, and he asked some questions and I passed along Dr. Mike's contact information.
Beyond that? I have nothing.
Also, tonight I couldn't ride because of the wither hives, so Willig got lunged and it was either the cold or the alfalfa or the combination, but he got the crazies a couple of times. He's in his space suit blanket for this week, with nights below 30 and the days barely above 40.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
More about the hives
Willig's hay until Friday the 26th:
am: 1 alfalfa
lunch: 1 local
pm: 3 orchard grass
This variation, we know, causes hives with the "winter" purchase (maybe the 1st cutting from the year??).
Willig's hay on Friday and Saturday:
am: same
lunch: same
pm: 1 alfalfa and 2 orchard grass
This variation made the hives noticeably decrease by Saturday afternoon. (So Friday night's meal alone made a huge difference.)
Willig's hay on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday:
am: same
lunch: same
pm: 1 alfalfa and 2 timothy
This variation made him break out in fresh hives. Yesterday (Monday) there were some huge ones, and a lot of new ones. Today there were a lot more, but not as many huge ones.
So I am going to try for the rest of the week (Wed, Thurs, Fri):
am: same
lunch: same
pm: 2 alfalfa and 1 orchard grass
And cross my fingers that this combination, combined with the Platinum, can keep him hive free until the barn works through the big load.
What I don't get is that the timothy works for the other horse with exactly the same problem (she clears up within 2 days), and the feed store thought that horses with allergies were more allergic to alfalfa and less allergic to timothy because it has fewer minerals in it.
Willig seems to be more allergic to timothy, then orchard, then alfalfa.
The poor guy seemed a little depressed today, and itchy too. He kept his tail in the air a lot, which isn't like him either. I also suspect it's making him "itchy" on the inside, because he seems to get smegma faster, like maybe it's like the people who are allergic to wheat and their intestines act up? (His poop looks fine.)
Have I mentioned I'm frustrated? Why isn't there anything about this on the internet?
am: 1 alfalfa
lunch: 1 local
pm: 3 orchard grass
This variation, we know, causes hives with the "winter" purchase (maybe the 1st cutting from the year??).
Willig's hay on Friday and Saturday:
am: same
lunch: same
pm: 1 alfalfa and 2 orchard grass
This variation made the hives noticeably decrease by Saturday afternoon. (So Friday night's meal alone made a huge difference.)
Willig's hay on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday:
am: same
lunch: same
pm: 1 alfalfa and 2 timothy
This variation made him break out in fresh hives. Yesterday (Monday) there were some huge ones, and a lot of new ones. Today there were a lot more, but not as many huge ones.
So I am going to try for the rest of the week (Wed, Thurs, Fri):
am: same
lunch: same
pm: 2 alfalfa and 1 orchard grass
And cross my fingers that this combination, combined with the Platinum, can keep him hive free until the barn works through the big load.
What I don't get is that the timothy works for the other horse with exactly the same problem (she clears up within 2 days), and the feed store thought that horses with allergies were more allergic to alfalfa and less allergic to timothy because it has fewer minerals in it.
Willig seems to be more allergic to timothy, then orchard, then alfalfa.
The poor guy seemed a little depressed today, and itchy too. He kept his tail in the air a lot, which isn't like him either. I also suspect it's making him "itchy" on the inside, because he seems to get smegma faster, like maybe it's like the people who are allergic to wheat and their intestines act up? (His poop looks fine.)
Have I mentioned I'm frustrated? Why isn't there anything about this on the internet?
Monday, November 30, 2009
My mom's photography
She took 24 pictures and a few videos. There was one decent picture and a whole lot of hilarious ones.
Hives!
Argh! Two years ago, when Willig moved up here from California, he got hives that we couldn't get rid of. If you look back at the blog, I spent all kinds of $$ on the vet and drugs and trying various things, none of which worked.
I moved him and put him on Platinum Skin & Allergy at the same time, and they instantly went away and didn't come back until about a month ago.
My vet had heard of one other horse that had something similar, and that's why he recommended the Skin & Allergy. Willig's blood work for allergies showed almost nothing.
So I was delighted to hear that another horse at the barn had hives, that she got them last year, and that they instantly went away when she switched from the barn hay (a great orchard grass) to timothy from one certain place.
In anticipation of the big switch, on Friday Willig's dinner went from 3 flakes of orchard grass to 2 flakes of orchard and 1 alfalfa.
Saturday, the hives were noticeably reduced.
Sunday, he got his new hay, so he is getting 1 alfalfa and 2 timothy.
Today, Monday, full hives again - new big ones. Not ridiculous, but nothing like Saturday's big difference.
Argh. Argh. Argh.
If ANYONE has heard anything about this, please let me know. I am going crazy. I am going to give him two more days on this timothy, and then try a different timothy. Then we will switch back to the orchard grass and alfalfa. Then I will tear my hair out.
The photos are of Thursday hives (bottom picture) and Saturday hives (top picture).
Monday, November 09, 2009
Jim Wofford's Recommended Reading List
From the 09/09 Practical Horseman:
Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere
Gustav Steinbrecht
Federico Caprilli
Wilhelm Museler
Brig. Gen. Harry D. Chamberlin
Bertalan de Nemethy
Jack LeGoff
George Morris
Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere
Gustav Steinbrecht
Federico Caprilli
Wilhelm Museler
Brig. Gen. Harry D. Chamberlin
Bertalan de Nemethy
Jack LeGoff
George Morris
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Another wowza lesson with Mike
Despite my growing anxiety about a big deal thing for work tomorrow, it turns out lessons with Mike have been one of the best ways to calm down. I completely focus on what he is saying, and the 45 minutes just flies by without me thinking about work once. I usually go back and tackle it with more gusto after the lesson is over - AND I don't spend that day feeling guilty for not riding. My office should pay me to ride - I bet I'd be more productive (and I know I'd be happier!).
Anyway, today we worked:
- Scary end of the arena (one head bob, then not a big deal at all)
- HEELS DOWN (Mike called my heels lazy. I agree with him. I am amazed at how much concerted effort it takes for me to "relax" my heels. The second, literally, I stop thinking about them, they spring back up.)
- A big trot, with a bounce in it. I have already forgotten the word for this. It is the moment he lifts up (like skipping, instead of shuffling) and I feel the float. It turns out he is quite capable of moving quite nicely - I just haven't been making him do it.
- And then some work at the sitting trot and canter without stirrups. We did me looking up, me adjusting my seat (on the pubic bone, on the tail bone, and then balancing in between), and holding on. We also worked on the transitions - turns out that when he does something that surprises me (this is wildly obvious in sitting trot with no stirrups) I clamp my thigh, he thinks "Cougar on my back!" and then his head sproings up and he tries to bolt. If I hang on and feel it coming and force my body to relax, he is able to use his hind legs for the down transition and come underneath himself.
- We also worked on how to change the whip from one hand to the other (kind of like the canoe paddle), which I had no idea how to do, and I'm going to venture, this is going to be one of the embarrassingly hard things for me to do.
Willig was great - yet again.
Still got hives though.
Anyway, today we worked:
- Scary end of the arena (one head bob, then not a big deal at all)
- HEELS DOWN (Mike called my heels lazy. I agree with him. I am amazed at how much concerted effort it takes for me to "relax" my heels. The second, literally, I stop thinking about them, they spring back up.)
- A big trot, with a bounce in it. I have already forgotten the word for this. It is the moment he lifts up (like skipping, instead of shuffling) and I feel the float. It turns out he is quite capable of moving quite nicely - I just haven't been making him do it.
- And then some work at the sitting trot and canter without stirrups. We did me looking up, me adjusting my seat (on the pubic bone, on the tail bone, and then balancing in between), and holding on. We also worked on the transitions - turns out that when he does something that surprises me (this is wildly obvious in sitting trot with no stirrups) I clamp my thigh, he thinks "Cougar on my back!" and then his head sproings up and he tries to bolt. If I hang on and feel it coming and force my body to relax, he is able to use his hind legs for the down transition and come underneath himself.
- We also worked on how to change the whip from one hand to the other (kind of like the canoe paddle), which I had no idea how to do, and I'm going to venture, this is going to be one of the embarrassingly hard things for me to do.
Willig was great - yet again.
Still got hives though.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Jumping photos
T came out and took some pics of us jumping little stuff today.
My heels aren't down enough, I still jump ahead, and Willig hangs his left knee a little. But it felt pretty good compared to the past, and Willig was sweet and calm about it, even though he had half an eye on the poodle's house (it was foggy, and he seemed to expect the poodle to come out of the mist).
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