Today's lesson started with some flat work, and then we switched to jumping, after John scolded me for not wearing my shirt tucked in with a belt. Actually, before the lesson even started, Katy helped me adjust Duke in a different bridle, which included punching new holes for his tiny head.
Duke seemed much more pliant in the tighter noseband and flash, but I couldn't tell if it was the ride yesterday, the week with John, the tighter noseband, or a combination of all of the above.
John had us work again on bending him both ways, including the awkward actual use of the bicep to pull his head around, but it was easier today to remember to also push forward with the outside hand.
We started by trotting over a little cross rail, and John said to focus on the trot - don't think about the take off spot, but just think about the rhythm of the trot and keeping it all the way to the fence. No big deal.
Then we did some canter, which was ok, but Duke was preferentially landing on the right lead even though we were going left, and then John did something miraculous and said to listen to him, and then as we took off, told me to use my right leg (?) and Duke landed on the left lead perfectly. His timing was impeccable and it was a huge eye opener that I'm not using that leg aid enough, just kind of hoping he'll magically guess which way I want to go. However, it's a bit disappointing that a few hours later, I don't remember which freaking leg it was during a jump in the air to ask for the lead.
Then John switched us to a vertical, but at an angle, first coming at it angled to the left, then after a few times, from the right. Duke found it much more challenging to angle it from the right, and would take off with his running thing. John said it was good, because we found the hole, and so we'll know that he doesn't want to use his right inside hind and would rather run than balance. He had me once halt and rein back, but mostly just fix the lead and then make a circle.
What worked the best was one good pull - almost a pulley rein - and then immediately release with both hands, and Duke would soften back up almost immediately. If I just got in a pulling war with him, he just tore around with his head down.
From there we did the 4 stride line from the vertical which we'd been angling to an oxer, which he did very well, and then a bending 5 stride line from the Seahawks vertical to the same vertical. Then we finished on a brown gate, which he jumped perfectly, and John said "Walk!"
John said in show jumping, I'll have to use my hands more than he'd like, but try to get him one good sharp pull and rebalance him. Make sure to balance him 5-6 strides out, and don't get into a pulling war with him during the course - give the correction and then release. A few times he had me bend him before the fence, but it was really hard to bend him while keeping the line to the fence.
He jumped a few short and a few long, but he's easy to stay balanced over, even if I don't like the take off spot.
So I think it is going to be talk low to him (whoa, easy, steady; in a low voice), think way out to steady him (half halt, sit up, think rhythm), balance him, and bend him, and then give sharp corrections if we barrel through any fences. He was, all in all, much better.
It was pretty hot out today (low 90s?) and even his eyelids were frothy with sweat.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
Tuesday, August 08, 2017
Bending at the base of the neck
John kept Duke for a week while I was in Florida, and so my first ride, he came out and gave me a lesson on bending. First, he wanted to know what bridle Jane rode him in (a flash) and why I changed it. I had a "dunno" answer, and he suggested I go back to a flash because Duke likes to evade by opening his mouth, at which point I looked down at Duke's gaping mouth and agreed. John said that the flash doesn't have to be tight, but if I limit a little bit how much he can open his mouth, it's going to help.
We worked on trot and canter circles where I bent him to the inside by widening my inside hand and then pulling back. To get this bend, I had to push my outside hand forward (like the old pushing a wheelbarrow), at which point, Duke would feel comfortable enough to bend. John had me sometimes use some leg to either push his shoulders in (he likes to pop them out), or push him in or out of the circle, crossing his leg. Duke also likes to speed up instead of balancing, so John said to just keep my posting slow and steady.
Sometimes, if Duke was being resistant, John would have me bend him to the outside, and then bend him back to the inside.
He said always keep one rein with contact, so don't throw them both away at the same time. We also did a bit of squeezing the outside hand (like a sponge) just to remind him it was there.
John said that Duke doesn't know how to move into the outside rein - that I'm asking for the aid correctly - but Duke doesn't trust he can connect to it, so the bending in and out teaches him he can connect and stay balanced.
It was one of those lessons from the last couple years, where John would tell me step by step what to do - then eureka - I'd feel Charlie balance up underneath me - but it was so many steps and so much coordination and so much feel that I had no chance of doing it on my own. I'd like to say that eventually I did figure out how to do it on my own, but I'm not sure that John doesn't give me too much credit, and I'm just lucky enough to ride horses who try to figure out wtf I'm asking for and do it.
When Duke did bend and was balanced on both sides, he felt great. He was sweet and flexible and responsive, and even though it was hot, I was so glad to be riding again.
We worked on trot and canter circles where I bent him to the inside by widening my inside hand and then pulling back. To get this bend, I had to push my outside hand forward (like the old pushing a wheelbarrow), at which point, Duke would feel comfortable enough to bend. John had me sometimes use some leg to either push his shoulders in (he likes to pop them out), or push him in or out of the circle, crossing his leg. Duke also likes to speed up instead of balancing, so John said to just keep my posting slow and steady.
Sometimes, if Duke was being resistant, John would have me bend him to the outside, and then bend him back to the inside.
He said always keep one rein with contact, so don't throw them both away at the same time. We also did a bit of squeezing the outside hand (like a sponge) just to remind him it was there.
John said that Duke doesn't know how to move into the outside rein - that I'm asking for the aid correctly - but Duke doesn't trust he can connect to it, so the bending in and out teaches him he can connect and stay balanced.
It was one of those lessons from the last couple years, where John would tell me step by step what to do - then eureka - I'd feel Charlie balance up underneath me - but it was so many steps and so much coordination and so much feel that I had no chance of doing it on my own. I'd like to say that eventually I did figure out how to do it on my own, but I'm not sure that John doesn't give me too much credit, and I'm just lucky enough to ride horses who try to figure out wtf I'm asking for and do it.
When Duke did bend and was balanced on both sides, he felt great. He was sweet and flexible and responsive, and even though it was hot, I was so glad to be riding again.
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Frustrating jump lesson for every single person involved (and Duke)
We started out ok, warming up while John finished his prior lesson. Katy came out, and he started us right away with a vertical, which he then turned to an oxer. We were jumping back toward the barn, and the "uphill" direction, and although Duke was kind of long and flat to the fences, they were even and rhythmic. The very last one, John gave me step-by-step instructions (half halt at the corner, sit up, look up) and we finally got a nice balanced jump (that was the only good jump of the lesson, forewarning). John said to try to ride like that to each one, just keep Duke calm and quiet and balanced, "oh, I can do this out of this nice balanced rhythm".
And from there the lesson went downhill.
John also said not to pet Duke on the neck after the fence, that it pushes the reins forward, which is like what the jockeys do (and what we did with Charlie) to push him forward, and that Duke is listening, so just tell him he's a good boy, but I don't need to make a giant production out of it.
Which is not quite how he said it, but how I heard it, and started me getting myself worked up. Because for years, he has been telling me to "pat the horse" because I don't praise enough and I am trying to do better with Duke than I did with all the horses that came before.
So then we switched directions and jumped this little brick wall but heading towards the cross country and on the right lead. And Duke would drift left, land, put his head down, and then careen around the corner on just his right legs. And I got madder and madder and madder, and would just halt on the far side and sit there, and eventually Duke got frustrated and started throwing his head up in the air, and then John told me to just halt.
And he got on and rode Duke. He did a lot of exaggerated bending to the inside or outside, giving a lot with the "outside" rein so that Duke could bend. Then he did some halts where he asked Duke to take the bit - which seemed to be hard for Duke to grasp. He'd try to back up, or would kind of jiggle his front knees.
John said the difference between us was that he stayed calm, while I get wound up. And that when I yell, Duke thinks it's at him and gets upset. Which goes back to what John told me last lesson, that Duke is a horse who likes to live life on the edge, and my #1 purpose is going to be keeping him calm and letting him know it's ok.
John also did a little lengthening in the canter. When he got off, he said that Duke gets stuck, and you just have to move a piece of him - so make him do haunches in or haunches out if he won't bend his neck, and once you get a piece unstuck, you can go back to what you were trying to get to bend.
He also said that his back isn't strong enough, and that's why his canter feels a bit odd - it has a hiccup on beat 3.
So then we did some work on the flat, doing haunches in, then bending his neck, then letting his haunches drift a little bit back to normal, then both legs on and hands give a bit to let him go forward. We did the same damn fences again - the gate and then the brick wall, and eventually John got a rail and put it to try to keep Duke from drifting left, but he just jumped the angled pole and the fence.
John said it is better to do a 10 meter circle (or something like a 10 meter circle) after the fence if he has jumped it stiff and pulling, than to halt, because Duke wants to halt and its a reward. And he said absolutely not to pull and let him invert, that he'll develop some terrible habits. And that's part of where I was crying in what ended up being just an hour of me crying.
John said it's partly Duke being an asshole and ignoring the aid, but part of that is him not being sure he can balance, and just helping him realize that yes he can balance both directions, by bending to the inside and bending to the outside and just getting him unstuck when he gets nervous and just locks himself into a plank. John says because he's so short front to back, he can plank himself up pretty well. I told him he switches which side is stuck from day to day and John laughed and said Duke was clever or something like that.
I told him I'm not intuitive, and I can't figure out how to ride Duke, that I am working my way through everything he's taught me, and it isn't working. And he said I'm not even trying, I'm just getting frustrated and mad and giving up.
I also told him that at home he can jump one fence at a time, but he can't string them together, and so I have just been circling between fences to calm him down, because I can't find anything else that works, and John said that is what you do for a young horse, and said his ride before he left for Rebecca, his horse just could not get the idea of this 4 stride line, and he had to circle in between the two fences 16 different times before his horse caught on and just went down the line like he was supposed to.
He also said I can bring him down there, but I have to come and ride at exactly the same time every day because he can't rearrange his schedule every day.
He also said that every time he sees Duke, he looks better, and that he is quite athletic and willing and something else nice that my brain wouldn't listen to because it was busy being upset.
I was mad because Duke is sweet, but I want Charlie. Duke is 6, he is an ex-racehorse, and I don't know how to ride either of those things.
To be realistic, this is my fourth lesson with John, and I've had Duke less than two months and I was gone a week of that. Poor Duke is also on massive calories to gain weight, and had to move cross country to a human who doesn't ride anything like his prior owner did - who was a freaking professional. He is a sweet horse, who is going to be great, if I learn how to ride him and don't ruin him.
But this was my last jump lesson before the next show, and I don't have enough time with John to feel comfortable. I don't have any self-confidence about anything anymore.
John also said not to worry about a saddle unless his back hurts or he starts moving funny. I said he swished his tail when I groomed him and John said he's moving better than when he first got here. He said that at 6, and underweight, his body is going to change so much that I'd just have to buy another saddle a year from now. He said his horses all did fine in 6-8 saddles, even back when he did real three days and they would get skinny during the season from being so fit.
I just; I got so frustrated, and then I missed Charlie so much, and then I started crying, and then I was crying because I was crying and then I was done for. I was a horrible student, and I was crying because I'm a pain in the ass student who just wasted an hour of my time and an hour of John's time and used up even more of my good credits that I built up over the last five years.
And from there the lesson went downhill.
John also said not to pet Duke on the neck after the fence, that it pushes the reins forward, which is like what the jockeys do (and what we did with Charlie) to push him forward, and that Duke is listening, so just tell him he's a good boy, but I don't need to make a giant production out of it.
Which is not quite how he said it, but how I heard it, and started me getting myself worked up. Because for years, he has been telling me to "pat the horse" because I don't praise enough and I am trying to do better with Duke than I did with all the horses that came before.
So then we switched directions and jumped this little brick wall but heading towards the cross country and on the right lead. And Duke would drift left, land, put his head down, and then careen around the corner on just his right legs. And I got madder and madder and madder, and would just halt on the far side and sit there, and eventually Duke got frustrated and started throwing his head up in the air, and then John told me to just halt.
And he got on and rode Duke. He did a lot of exaggerated bending to the inside or outside, giving a lot with the "outside" rein so that Duke could bend. Then he did some halts where he asked Duke to take the bit - which seemed to be hard for Duke to grasp. He'd try to back up, or would kind of jiggle his front knees.
John said the difference between us was that he stayed calm, while I get wound up. And that when I yell, Duke thinks it's at him and gets upset. Which goes back to what John told me last lesson, that Duke is a horse who likes to live life on the edge, and my #1 purpose is going to be keeping him calm and letting him know it's ok.
John also did a little lengthening in the canter. When he got off, he said that Duke gets stuck, and you just have to move a piece of him - so make him do haunches in or haunches out if he won't bend his neck, and once you get a piece unstuck, you can go back to what you were trying to get to bend.
He also said that his back isn't strong enough, and that's why his canter feels a bit odd - it has a hiccup on beat 3.
So then we did some work on the flat, doing haunches in, then bending his neck, then letting his haunches drift a little bit back to normal, then both legs on and hands give a bit to let him go forward. We did the same damn fences again - the gate and then the brick wall, and eventually John got a rail and put it to try to keep Duke from drifting left, but he just jumped the angled pole and the fence.
John said it is better to do a 10 meter circle (or something like a 10 meter circle) after the fence if he has jumped it stiff and pulling, than to halt, because Duke wants to halt and its a reward. And he said absolutely not to pull and let him invert, that he'll develop some terrible habits. And that's part of where I was crying in what ended up being just an hour of me crying.
John said it's partly Duke being an asshole and ignoring the aid, but part of that is him not being sure he can balance, and just helping him realize that yes he can balance both directions, by bending to the inside and bending to the outside and just getting him unstuck when he gets nervous and just locks himself into a plank. John says because he's so short front to back, he can plank himself up pretty well. I told him he switches which side is stuck from day to day and John laughed and said Duke was clever or something like that.
I told him I'm not intuitive, and I can't figure out how to ride Duke, that I am working my way through everything he's taught me, and it isn't working. And he said I'm not even trying, I'm just getting frustrated and mad and giving up.
I also told him that at home he can jump one fence at a time, but he can't string them together, and so I have just been circling between fences to calm him down, because I can't find anything else that works, and John said that is what you do for a young horse, and said his ride before he left for Rebecca, his horse just could not get the idea of this 4 stride line, and he had to circle in between the two fences 16 different times before his horse caught on and just went down the line like he was supposed to.
He also said I can bring him down there, but I have to come and ride at exactly the same time every day because he can't rearrange his schedule every day.
He also said that every time he sees Duke, he looks better, and that he is quite athletic and willing and something else nice that my brain wouldn't listen to because it was busy being upset.
I was mad because Duke is sweet, but I want Charlie. Duke is 6, he is an ex-racehorse, and I don't know how to ride either of those things.
To be realistic, this is my fourth lesson with John, and I've had Duke less than two months and I was gone a week of that. Poor Duke is also on massive calories to gain weight, and had to move cross country to a human who doesn't ride anything like his prior owner did - who was a freaking professional. He is a sweet horse, who is going to be great, if I learn how to ride him and don't ruin him.
But this was my last jump lesson before the next show, and I don't have enough time with John to feel comfortable. I don't have any self-confidence about anything anymore.
John also said not to worry about a saddle unless his back hurts or he starts moving funny. I said he swished his tail when I groomed him and John said he's moving better than when he first got here. He said that at 6, and underweight, his body is going to change so much that I'd just have to buy another saddle a year from now. He said his horses all did fine in 6-8 saddles, even back when he did real three days and they would get skinny during the season from being so fit.
I just; I got so frustrated, and then I missed Charlie so much, and then I started crying, and then I was crying because I was crying and then I was done for. I was a horrible student, and I was crying because I'm a pain in the ass student who just wasted an hour of my time and an hour of John's time and used up even more of my good credits that I built up over the last five years.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
My first show with Duke
We did two Beginner Novice derbies at the CVPC at Caber Farm.
Day 1 Duke did great in dressage, show jumping was a bit ugly, and cross country was pretty great. We had a hard time making the turns in show jumping (even though they were pretty spacious and he is pretty lean and quick), and I had to really reef on his face a few times. But then for cross country, where I had a lot more space in between the fences, he came back nicely, except for the ditch/table/run towards home; that one took a little longer than I would like, although we still had plenty of time. Just like John said, we had one skid out making a hard right hand turn, but he recovered and was just a little pissed that he skidded out, I think.
Today, for day 2, his back was sore and tense and tight. There wasn't a delay in dressage like yesterday, so I tried to do a lot of bendy and low long slow work in warm up, but he probably could have used a little more time. I thought he was stiffer and above the bit (especially the first canter, on the left lead) - when we warmed up, he picked up the right lead instead of the left the first two times, which is the first time I've noticed him doing that, but then he did fine.
But our dressage score was better today, so go figure. I actually thought it would be significantly worse, but it was 32.1 instead of 33.2 (so not that different), and put us in a tie for 2nd instead of in 8th (?).
But the other folks rode better today, so instead of ending up in 3rd, we ended upon 5th - both days we had one rail down show jumping. Saturday's rail was the very last rail on the very last fence, despite the horribleness of the round. Today's rail was the second fence, despite a much nicer start and much smoother round. Again, go figure.
But today's cross country was a cake walk. That same stretch he wanted to go fast, and he was a little spookier at the two big trakeheners you have to go between, but we were even able to wave at Meg who was jump judging.
I was very, very pleased with how much he improved from Saturday to Sunday, how good he was on Saturday, and how excellent he is with the trailer and ground manners, although today he rolled when we were finished, which was a surprise. He ate, grazed, hung out in the trailer, ate his meals, wore fly sheets, and the only thing was putting in the bridle the third time today, he braced his teeth. I was also pleased even though his back was sore, he worked anyway, and didn't throw any fits (but he did swish his tail when being groomed and tacked up).
I wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm very happy with how he did and how much better the second day felt, even though it was far from perfect, it felt like manageable things to deal with.
AND - bonus - John saw today's show jumping and I asked if he saw yesterday's, and he said no but he saw cross country and then he grinned. That's pretty much how I felt about it too - although even better after today. He said they were talking about how Duke is a bit of a better fit for me, and he thinks it's because he automatically goes forward. I agree with that too, although I think it's also how short he is front to back makes him easier to balance on, especially over fences.
I feel very lucky with those excellent ground manners and bit of a goofy personality at the trailer. He's a delight to hang out with all day. And a grin from John - well, hot damn.
Day 1 Duke did great in dressage, show jumping was a bit ugly, and cross country was pretty great. We had a hard time making the turns in show jumping (even though they were pretty spacious and he is pretty lean and quick), and I had to really reef on his face a few times. But then for cross country, where I had a lot more space in between the fences, he came back nicely, except for the ditch/table/run towards home; that one took a little longer than I would like, although we still had plenty of time. Just like John said, we had one skid out making a hard right hand turn, but he recovered and was just a little pissed that he skidded out, I think.
Today, for day 2, his back was sore and tense and tight. There wasn't a delay in dressage like yesterday, so I tried to do a lot of bendy and low long slow work in warm up, but he probably could have used a little more time. I thought he was stiffer and above the bit (especially the first canter, on the left lead) - when we warmed up, he picked up the right lead instead of the left the first two times, which is the first time I've noticed him doing that, but then he did fine.
But our dressage score was better today, so go figure. I actually thought it would be significantly worse, but it was 32.1 instead of 33.2 (so not that different), and put us in a tie for 2nd instead of in 8th (?).
But the other folks rode better today, so instead of ending up in 3rd, we ended upon 5th - both days we had one rail down show jumping. Saturday's rail was the very last rail on the very last fence, despite the horribleness of the round. Today's rail was the second fence, despite a much nicer start and much smoother round. Again, go figure.
But today's cross country was a cake walk. That same stretch he wanted to go fast, and he was a little spookier at the two big trakeheners you have to go between, but we were even able to wave at Meg who was jump judging.
I was very, very pleased with how much he improved from Saturday to Sunday, how good he was on Saturday, and how excellent he is with the trailer and ground manners, although today he rolled when we were finished, which was a surprise. He ate, grazed, hung out in the trailer, ate his meals, wore fly sheets, and the only thing was putting in the bridle the third time today, he braced his teeth. I was also pleased even though his back was sore, he worked anyway, and didn't throw any fits (but he did swish his tail when being groomed and tacked up).
I wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm very happy with how he did and how much better the second day felt, even though it was far from perfect, it felt like manageable things to deal with.
AND - bonus - John saw today's show jumping and I asked if he saw yesterday's, and he said no but he saw cross country and then he grinned. That's pretty much how I felt about it too - although even better after today. He said they were talking about how Duke is a bit of a better fit for me, and he thinks it's because he automatically goes forward. I agree with that too, although I think it's also how short he is front to back makes him easier to balance on, especially over fences.
I feel very lucky with those excellent ground manners and bit of a goofy personality at the trailer. He's a delight to hang out with all day. And a grin from John - well, hot damn.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
First dressage lesson with John
John squeezed us in around Pony Club tonight, because the CVPC derby is this weekend.
We worked on big 20 meter circles around John where I'd open my inside hand way to the inside, then use outside hand to hold him on the circle, and then push him out (around my leg) with my inside leg. The trick - which took a while for John to figure out what I was doing wrong - is to keep my inside leg up at the girth. Little Dukela is so short in his barrel, that if I move my leg just a little behind the girth, he interprets it as an aid to push his hindquarters out. So he's obedient, not unbalanced, because poor sweet Charlie learned to just ignore my leg which flapped all over the place, and I don't want Little Dukela to learn that same lesson.
John said to the right (clockwise) is a little harder because not only is Duke stiff to the right, but he also - I forget exactly the words John used - clenches his jaw that way. So I had to do squeeze and release and move the bit around too, to help him soften his jaw.
At the canter, with the inside hand open wide (which meant moving my hand up four inches on the reins and pushing my hands way in front of me, but then bending my elbow to open it up), if Duke went faster, it meant I wasn't doing the exercise right. Which was kind of nice, to have an immediate obvious aid I was doing it wrong.
So we did this both directions, and for a few minutes, I got him bent around my leg from the ribs, and then he got so balanced and soft in his mouth and we just went happily around on the circle for a while. It was nice. He's a good boy.
Duke started a little excited, with his head straight up in the air, but he settled down quickly. It was good practice for a show, because Anna and Brooke and their students were around, as well as the farrier.
We "meandered" (per John's instructions from last lesson) around the cross country field afterwards, and he looked very, very intently at any horse off in the distance, and had a couple spooks, but otherwise was good.
John said that spidering your fingers up the reins is a bad habit, and at the end I asked him why. Not only does it take "fucking forever to watch" (and do!), but the act of moving them is a soften/take up/soften/take up and a naughty horse will learn to grab the bit during the soften. John showed me by holding the reins so I could feel it. I thought that moving my hand over to grab them was worse, but it helped to feel it with him holding. You can also grab the "tail" and not have to reach over.
John said to work on bending him to the inside this week and not moving my leg back behind the girth for any aids.
We worked on big 20 meter circles around John where I'd open my inside hand way to the inside, then use outside hand to hold him on the circle, and then push him out (around my leg) with my inside leg. The trick - which took a while for John to figure out what I was doing wrong - is to keep my inside leg up at the girth. Little Dukela is so short in his barrel, that if I move my leg just a little behind the girth, he interprets it as an aid to push his hindquarters out. So he's obedient, not unbalanced, because poor sweet Charlie learned to just ignore my leg which flapped all over the place, and I don't want Little Dukela to learn that same lesson.
John said to the right (clockwise) is a little harder because not only is Duke stiff to the right, but he also - I forget exactly the words John used - clenches his jaw that way. So I had to do squeeze and release and move the bit around too, to help him soften his jaw.
At the canter, with the inside hand open wide (which meant moving my hand up four inches on the reins and pushing my hands way in front of me, but then bending my elbow to open it up), if Duke went faster, it meant I wasn't doing the exercise right. Which was kind of nice, to have an immediate obvious aid I was doing it wrong.
So we did this both directions, and for a few minutes, I got him bent around my leg from the ribs, and then he got so balanced and soft in his mouth and we just went happily around on the circle for a while. It was nice. He's a good boy.
Duke started a little excited, with his head straight up in the air, but he settled down quickly. It was good practice for a show, because Anna and Brooke and their students were around, as well as the farrier.
We "meandered" (per John's instructions from last lesson) around the cross country field afterwards, and he looked very, very intently at any horse off in the distance, and had a couple spooks, but otherwise was good.
John said that spidering your fingers up the reins is a bad habit, and at the end I asked him why. Not only does it take "fucking forever to watch" (and do!), but the act of moving them is a soften/take up/soften/take up and a naughty horse will learn to grab the bit during the soften. John showed me by holding the reins so I could feel it. I thought that moving my hand over to grab them was worse, but it helped to feel it with him holding. You can also grab the "tail" and not have to reach over.
John said to work on bending him to the inside this week and not moving my leg back behind the girth for any aids.
Sunday, July 09, 2017
Duke's first cross country (with me and John)
Next weekend is the Chehalis Valley Pony Club derby at Caber, so we had a cross country lesson today. John had us warm up (solo) and then meet him in the field. He watched us do just a little bit of trot and canter, and then started over a little coop. Duke sailed right over it. And by sailed, I mean as if a wind caught him and blew him gustily on the far side.
So next we curved just inside a prelim log and made a right hand turn to a slightly bigger coop. Sailed again. John said for that one, he wanted to see if Duke would use the opportunity to run out to the left, and he was pleased that he did not.
So then we went to the bank side and did a log. Fine. Then a small table. Fine. Then the log to the small table. Wooo, the wind picked up! But that was partly because Duke likes to land on the right lead, and I was trying to bend him (in a big arc) around on the wrong lead. We did it again and I did a change of lead through the trot, and it made a huge difference.
John said that he liked that I lined Duke up and then got out of the way. I didn't try to make him chip in to the fence, but let him pick the spot.
Then we went to the back field and did a coop, around in between a tree and some shrubs, a tiny bench, around to another tiny bench. Duke zig zagged approaching the tree and shrubs, but it tightened him up for the tiny bench. John said I was using a lot of hand on the way to the final fence, but that it was ok because we had a nice even rhythm to the canter.
So then we ended cantering over the novice ditch, which Duke hardly looked at.
He gets increasingly wound up as the fences connect, but he comes back well, and John really liked that although he drifts to the left, he is honest and goes over the fence. He said he is "excited" about him, and that probably later in the season (EI/Spokane) we'll be ready for Novice; maybe even for Caber.
Katy came out and left, and he got hoppity after that, and John said I'll need to hang loose and be the opposite of how I was with Charlie. I need to let him know it's cool, he can settle down and chill.
He also said that the long format at Spokane isn't the best choice for what he needs right now; as a tb, he's bred to go fast, and could probably cruise at 500 mpm no problem. So he doesn't need the conditioning or steeplechase work, he needs to learn to settle down between fences. Similarly, I can't pull him in too tight a turn, because he'll just bend down and tear through it, unlike Charlie, who would slow down.
He said he'll probably be the type of horse who wants to gun for him, once he knows the route, so I'll need to meander and circle and reward him when he takes a breath and chews and let him know it's ok, he can relax.
Then we talked about his balance in the canter. John said he's kind of tense, so he might just need some time to relax. He has a horse that takes 55 minutes. John said Duke seems to him like the kind of horse who is comfortable on the edge. But he said to also try bending to the outside, and then bending him back in.
I also told him about Kelly asking who was giving my lessons and saying I basically looked like an entirely different rider than I did five years ago. It was really nice, and a big compliment to John's teaching.
So next we curved just inside a prelim log and made a right hand turn to a slightly bigger coop. Sailed again. John said for that one, he wanted to see if Duke would use the opportunity to run out to the left, and he was pleased that he did not.
So then we went to the bank side and did a log. Fine. Then a small table. Fine. Then the log to the small table. Wooo, the wind picked up! But that was partly because Duke likes to land on the right lead, and I was trying to bend him (in a big arc) around on the wrong lead. We did it again and I did a change of lead through the trot, and it made a huge difference.
John said that he liked that I lined Duke up and then got out of the way. I didn't try to make him chip in to the fence, but let him pick the spot.
Then we went to the back field and did a coop, around in between a tree and some shrubs, a tiny bench, around to another tiny bench. Duke zig zagged approaching the tree and shrubs, but it tightened him up for the tiny bench. John said I was using a lot of hand on the way to the final fence, but that it was ok because we had a nice even rhythm to the canter.
So then we ended cantering over the novice ditch, which Duke hardly looked at.
He gets increasingly wound up as the fences connect, but he comes back well, and John really liked that although he drifts to the left, he is honest and goes over the fence. He said he is "excited" about him, and that probably later in the season (EI/Spokane) we'll be ready for Novice; maybe even for Caber.
Katy came out and left, and he got hoppity after that, and John said I'll need to hang loose and be the opposite of how I was with Charlie. I need to let him know it's cool, he can settle down and chill.
He also said that the long format at Spokane isn't the best choice for what he needs right now; as a tb, he's bred to go fast, and could probably cruise at 500 mpm no problem. So he doesn't need the conditioning or steeplechase work, he needs to learn to settle down between fences. Similarly, I can't pull him in too tight a turn, because he'll just bend down and tear through it, unlike Charlie, who would slow down.
He said he'll probably be the type of horse who wants to gun for him, once he knows the route, so I'll need to meander and circle and reward him when he takes a breath and chews and let him know it's ok, he can relax.
Then we talked about his balance in the canter. John said he's kind of tense, so he might just need some time to relax. He has a horse that takes 55 minutes. John said Duke seems to him like the kind of horse who is comfortable on the edge. But he said to also try bending to the outside, and then bending him back in.
I also told him about Kelly asking who was giving my lessons and saying I basically looked like an entirely different rider than I did five years ago. It was really nice, and a big compliment to John's teaching.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
First lesson with John & Duke
Our first lesson was with Jessica & Caruso.
We started with some flat work; John said to push him out with inside leg and to use a half halt. He did pretty well; I had to sit taller a couple times, and his trot/canter transitions are a bit rough, but overall, I thought he did well.
We started with a little cross rail; he landed preferentially on the right lead (we were going left), but then eventually figured it out. Then we did a little vertical, then a six stride line. It was all smooth sailing until the six stride long, then Duke was all "yee-haw!" and went charging down the line. I very clearly had a horrified look on my face.
But. All I had to do was sit up and half halt him on the way to the fence - preferably about six strides out - and then wait for it, and he settled right now. He is easy to half halt in between the fences too.
So then John had us jump two 1-stride combinations; first a plank to a vertical, then an oxer to a vertical. I let Duke launch at them, because I didn't want to mess with his momentum, and he kind of took off on the far side. Not in a horrible, out of control way, but definitely not in a way where I'd want to jump another fence a couple strides later.
John said to do a 10 meter or 15 meter circle or halt, but absolutely not to let him start getting away with that, because he will just get more aggressive as the fences get bigger. I looked surprised by it, I guess, but John said that's how he looked in all the videos too.
Everyone has said that he is "compact" - sometimes before, sometimes after saying he has a cute face.
We got in and out of the trailer (and ate grass) a few times before driving down, he strolled over to meet John, was all "ho hum, here I am getting a lesson", including standing around for a while waiting, and then walked down the trail with Caruso and back, and then met Meg. He's a pretty cool cucumber except for on the far side of the fences, so I think that is pretty awesome.
Katy and Ashley said that, unlike Charlie, I'm going to have to be careful he doesn't get too hot with all the food to try to fatten him up.
John said his conformation was ok - he is a little over at the knees and he is a bit straight on the hind end, which is going to make it hard for him to come under himself, but he said he is even thirds, even though he is small. Katy said he was a better size for me than Charlie.
The top two things to work on are to:
- Bend him around my inside leg
- Lots of walk/trot/walk transitions
And the third:
- Keep the outside hand and half halt when necessary so he doesn't pop out through his shoulder on the circle, especially at the canter
John said I can't ruin him; he's my horse, 6 years old, and probably wasn't going to be used much by Jane. He said Duke is lucky to have a home with me.
I like him; I got so lucky with his good personality on the ground but he's easy to ride (he's EASY to balance over the fences), and until I squish it out of him, he's nice and responsive (John said there was plenty to work on, but I couldn't even follow the list - I asked if he needed to come down for training with John and he said no, he'd make him too sensitive) to the aids, he's easy to sit and etc. etc., but he's not Charlie. I miss Charlie so much.
He got a scratch on his right hind leg on Thursday, I saw it and cleaned it and rode him. Friday morning he was stocked up and warm; I put him out anyway. It was same stocked up and warm Friday night, so I didn't ride. This morning it was less stocked up, but still a little warm. John said bring him down anyway (he didn't look off), and we rode him and he was fine, but John said he couldn't wear a boot on that leg. I put his soft post-ride boots on for tonight.
He stood on the side of the road and ate hay at the trailer. He's got good manners.
John said it does look like Jane rode him up until he left; he said sometimes they don't, but that he would have called her. He said "we'll see" when I said I planned on just going BN this year with him.
I'm proud of how we did; I've only ridden him three hours up until now (or so) - twice in Pennsylvania 6 weeks ago, and then a light ride and hack Monday, and increasing work Tuesday - Thursday. Then he had Friday off and rode down there and worked his little heart out like a champ. I am feeling hopeful he and I will be a good team, and I was so, so, so happy to be back taking a lesson with John.
We started with some flat work; John said to push him out with inside leg and to use a half halt. He did pretty well; I had to sit taller a couple times, and his trot/canter transitions are a bit rough, but overall, I thought he did well.
We started with a little cross rail; he landed preferentially on the right lead (we were going left), but then eventually figured it out. Then we did a little vertical, then a six stride line. It was all smooth sailing until the six stride long, then Duke was all "yee-haw!" and went charging down the line. I very clearly had a horrified look on my face.
But. All I had to do was sit up and half halt him on the way to the fence - preferably about six strides out - and then wait for it, and he settled right now. He is easy to half halt in between the fences too.
So then John had us jump two 1-stride combinations; first a plank to a vertical, then an oxer to a vertical. I let Duke launch at them, because I didn't want to mess with his momentum, and he kind of took off on the far side. Not in a horrible, out of control way, but definitely not in a way where I'd want to jump another fence a couple strides later.
John said to do a 10 meter or 15 meter circle or halt, but absolutely not to let him start getting away with that, because he will just get more aggressive as the fences get bigger. I looked surprised by it, I guess, but John said that's how he looked in all the videos too.
Everyone has said that he is "compact" - sometimes before, sometimes after saying he has a cute face.
We got in and out of the trailer (and ate grass) a few times before driving down, he strolled over to meet John, was all "ho hum, here I am getting a lesson", including standing around for a while waiting, and then walked down the trail with Caruso and back, and then met Meg. He's a pretty cool cucumber except for on the far side of the fences, so I think that is pretty awesome.
Katy and Ashley said that, unlike Charlie, I'm going to have to be careful he doesn't get too hot with all the food to try to fatten him up.
John said his conformation was ok - he is a little over at the knees and he is a bit straight on the hind end, which is going to make it hard for him to come under himself, but he said he is even thirds, even though he is small. Katy said he was a better size for me than Charlie.
The top two things to work on are to:
- Bend him around my inside leg
- Lots of walk/trot/walk transitions
And the third:
- Keep the outside hand and half halt when necessary so he doesn't pop out through his shoulder on the circle, especially at the canter
John said I can't ruin him; he's my horse, 6 years old, and probably wasn't going to be used much by Jane. He said Duke is lucky to have a home with me.
I like him; I got so lucky with his good personality on the ground but he's easy to ride (he's EASY to balance over the fences), and until I squish it out of him, he's nice and responsive (John said there was plenty to work on, but I couldn't even follow the list - I asked if he needed to come down for training with John and he said no, he'd make him too sensitive) to the aids, he's easy to sit and etc. etc., but he's not Charlie. I miss Charlie so much.
He got a scratch on his right hind leg on Thursday, I saw it and cleaned it and rode him. Friday morning he was stocked up and warm; I put him out anyway. It was same stocked up and warm Friday night, so I didn't ride. This morning it was less stocked up, but still a little warm. John said bring him down anyway (he didn't look off), and we rode him and he was fine, but John said he couldn't wear a boot on that leg. I put his soft post-ride boots on for tonight.
He stood on the side of the road and ate hay at the trailer. He's got good manners.
John said it does look like Jane rode him up until he left; he said sometimes they don't, but that he would have called her. He said "we'll see" when I said I planned on just going BN this year with him.
I'm proud of how we did; I've only ridden him three hours up until now (or so) - twice in Pennsylvania 6 weeks ago, and then a light ride and hack Monday, and increasing work Tuesday - Thursday. Then he had Friday off and rode down there and worked his little heart out like a champ. I am feeling hopeful he and I will be a good team, and I was so, so, so happy to be back taking a lesson with John.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
John on horse selection
John could see things in the video that I couldn't, like a little bit of shortness in the left front leg - he said movement wasn't even. He also saw dangling legs where I didn't, even though I had probably watched that video 20 times.
He said the price is ok, that it seems to be what the market is, that the sellers have put $12-15 into a horse over a couple years, and are probably hoping to make about 10%.
He recommended American Horse Transport, a local company, and said a box stall shouldn't be necessary.
He recommended major medical and insurance for at least the first year.
He said because I was comfortable on the horse, that I don't need to send him to John for work right away, although he relented and said give him 3 days off when he first arrives to adjust, then spend 5 days with John where I ride him there every day so that John can watch us. After he sees me ride, he'll decide about the shows. He thought the one days at Caber would be a good start. He said maybe for BN at Inavale.
My alerts were little feet - John said a lot on the east coast have them, kind of upright, and he said work with the farrier once he arrives. He said there are a lot of horses on the east coast and not enough farriers. For prelim/*, he said no one can predict how a horse will go until he goes. He said if Duke has a nice start and a nice personality, but isn't cut out for a *, we'll sell him and after I show he's a good adult amateur training level horse, it shouldn't be too hard. And that 41 isn't too old - that the average age at Rolex was 48, and someone was 60 going advanced. The neck was ok. He showed me the drift left after the fences, but I couldn't see it.
He thought Duke was a little skinny and missing a bit of topline, especially for the east coast weather.
For me, he thinks I need a horse I have a connection with, work with every day, so I need that sweet personality. He said I really started to click with Charlie once he was entirely my horse.
We might do more than my twice a week lessons at first.
He said he would tell me no, and that he had for other horses. He said he would say no to any horse that had the OCD surgery.
Also, 2-5 seconds of video was too short for them to really see the horse move. He watched several of the horses in the other videos, but I was pretty focused on Duke by then.
He said the price is ok, that it seems to be what the market is, that the sellers have put $12-15 into a horse over a couple years, and are probably hoping to make about 10%.
He recommended American Horse Transport, a local company, and said a box stall shouldn't be necessary.
He recommended major medical and insurance for at least the first year.
He said because I was comfortable on the horse, that I don't need to send him to John for work right away, although he relented and said give him 3 days off when he first arrives to adjust, then spend 5 days with John where I ride him there every day so that John can watch us. After he sees me ride, he'll decide about the shows. He thought the one days at Caber would be a good start. He said maybe for BN at Inavale.
My alerts were little feet - John said a lot on the east coast have them, kind of upright, and he said work with the farrier once he arrives. He said there are a lot of horses on the east coast and not enough farriers. For prelim/*, he said no one can predict how a horse will go until he goes. He said if Duke has a nice start and a nice personality, but isn't cut out for a *, we'll sell him and after I show he's a good adult amateur training level horse, it shouldn't be too hard. And that 41 isn't too old - that the average age at Rolex was 48, and someone was 60 going advanced. The neck was ok. He showed me the drift left after the fences, but I couldn't see it.
He thought Duke was a little skinny and missing a bit of topline, especially for the east coast weather.
For me, he thinks I need a horse I have a connection with, work with every day, so I need that sweet personality. He said I really started to click with Charlie once he was entirely my horse.
We might do more than my twice a week lessons at first.
He said he would tell me no, and that he had for other horses. He said he would say no to any horse that had the OCD surgery.
Also, 2-5 seconds of video was too short for them to really see the horse move. He watched several of the horses in the other videos, but I was pretty focused on Duke by then.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Catching up on magazines
Bits with arrow; goes on left hand side pointing in direction of travel
Vary work sets according to muscle groups; e.g. set 1 is lateral, set 2 is canter-walk-canter
First aid kit: stethoscope, thermometer, antibiotic, bandages, betadine, saline, syringe, safety razor, shoe pulling tools, duct tape, tranquilizer, ophthalmic antibiotic, bute
Gallop fitness is over shoulders, not back, and use bridged rein to hold it longer and longer
Use thinning blade on mane, then scissors at 45 degree angle
Clean tack: saddle soap, oil 10-15 minutes, saddle soap, CONDITION with leather conditioner
www.AIMEquineU.com, "GIFT40" for 40% off Jim Wofford
Vary work sets according to muscle groups; e.g. set 1 is lateral, set 2 is canter-walk-canter
First aid kit: stethoscope, thermometer, antibiotic, bandages, betadine, saline, syringe, safety razor, shoe pulling tools, duct tape, tranquilizer, ophthalmic antibiotic, bute
Gallop fitness is over shoulders, not back, and use bridged rein to hold it longer and longer
Use thinning blade on mane, then scissors at 45 degree angle
Clean tack: saddle soap, oil 10-15 minutes, saddle soap, CONDITION with leather conditioner
www.AIMEquineU.com, "GIFT40" for 40% off Jim Wofford
Saturday, March 18, 2017
John's horse shopping tips
#1 - you should like the horse.
And this is very individual and quirky. You just might not connect with the rock star but like the goofy loser.
#2 - trot can be improved; but walk and canter should be good.
Canter should have rhthym, so you can feel the jump spot. Your hips should feel even (1-2-3, 1-2-3). Sometimes you have to ride to feel it.
#3 - Videos from the three I rode in Canada.
He thought they were ok; the 14 yo was not going to do well in dressage. He said B's contact with bit could be training but could be teeth.
#4 - Luca
He liked him, but he likes for rider to ride first, because there's no point in finding a horse he likes but you don't connect with. He says he rarely goes ga-ga over horses. He said Luca will be a lot of time because he's so young.
#5 - Ocala and California
He said I should shop in Ocala while I'm in Florida, and that Ashley is going to California and will keep me in mind.
And this is very individual and quirky. You just might not connect with the rock star but like the goofy loser.
#2 - trot can be improved; but walk and canter should be good.
Canter should have rhthym, so you can feel the jump spot. Your hips should feel even (1-2-3, 1-2-3). Sometimes you have to ride to feel it.
#3 - Videos from the three I rode in Canada.
He thought they were ok; the 14 yo was not going to do well in dressage. He said B's contact with bit could be training but could be teeth.
#4 - Luca
He liked him, but he likes for rider to ride first, because there's no point in finding a horse he likes but you don't connect with. He says he rarely goes ga-ga over horses. He said Luca will be a lot of time because he's so young.
#5 - Ocala and California
He said I should shop in Ocala while I'm in Florida, and that Ashley is going to California and will keep me in mind.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
2 slices of humble pie
Meg let me ride Manny and then I had a lesson on Horton. I failed at both.
Manny was having a good day, but I got him back to his nasty self, so when I finished, Meg had to get back on and clean him up.
He did a lot of scooting forward and bulging out through his left shoulder instead of bending, and then some bucks too. I had a hard time getting him round. He wanted to stall or go sideways instead of round, and Meg said she usually gets him forward (and flat) first, then rounds him. She rides with a really open rein to the inside, which I had a hard time doing.
Then Ashley brought out Horton. We did fine, with a few bucks, until everyone arrived to watch us, and then I got more and more miserable, he started bucking more, and John wanted him bent to the inside, which I was completely incapable of doing. He also didn't like having the spur on (only the calf). Eventually, John got on and rode the snot out of him. At the trot, when he starts to give his buck signal, John puts on more calf. At the canter, John sits deeper and opens his hands. He also does some bend to the inside so that it is harder work than just doing what John was asking. John of course made him look amazing - even with some bucks - and I started crying at the humiliation of having to get off and let John ride and then crying at my crying on a stupid negative feedback cycle. When I got back on, he felt great, but it was so fucking terrible to not know what I was doing, to have proof that it was never me, always Charlie, and to be back at square one and have to learn everything all over again.
I know the challenge should be part of the process and the satisfaction, but all I can think of is people talking about me and saying it was Charlie and I suck. It's like a fucking interview, everyone watching to see how I'll perform.
And my confidence is just fucking destroyed. Charlie was the little shred that was left. PB and then Kevin, and this god damn bullshit at work, I've got nothing to draw from.
I'm not sure I want to start over, but I'm self destructing without Charlie.
Also, I saw Harper's new horse, some fancy thing from overseas (apparently her last horse was some $70 or $80k horse?), and he's 5 and his neck is a funny shape and I never in a million years would have given him a second look, but John said he should be able to go advanced by next year. He looked better under saddle, but not enough to make me stop and take in my breath.
So I know nothing. This is all just blind dumb fucking luck with the odds stacked against me. I hate this. I hate everything. I hate my life when I don't ride.
Manny was having a good day, but I got him back to his nasty self, so when I finished, Meg had to get back on and clean him up.
He did a lot of scooting forward and bulging out through his left shoulder instead of bending, and then some bucks too. I had a hard time getting him round. He wanted to stall or go sideways instead of round, and Meg said she usually gets him forward (and flat) first, then rounds him. She rides with a really open rein to the inside, which I had a hard time doing.
Then Ashley brought out Horton. We did fine, with a few bucks, until everyone arrived to watch us, and then I got more and more miserable, he started bucking more, and John wanted him bent to the inside, which I was completely incapable of doing. He also didn't like having the spur on (only the calf). Eventually, John got on and rode the snot out of him. At the trot, when he starts to give his buck signal, John puts on more calf. At the canter, John sits deeper and opens his hands. He also does some bend to the inside so that it is harder work than just doing what John was asking. John of course made him look amazing - even with some bucks - and I started crying at the humiliation of having to get off and let John ride and then crying at my crying on a stupid negative feedback cycle. When I got back on, he felt great, but it was so fucking terrible to not know what I was doing, to have proof that it was never me, always Charlie, and to be back at square one and have to learn everything all over again.
I know the challenge should be part of the process and the satisfaction, but all I can think of is people talking about me and saying it was Charlie and I suck. It's like a fucking interview, everyone watching to see how I'll perform.
And my confidence is just fucking destroyed. Charlie was the little shred that was left. PB and then Kevin, and this god damn bullshit at work, I've got nothing to draw from.
I'm not sure I want to start over, but I'm self destructing without Charlie.
Also, I saw Harper's new horse, some fancy thing from overseas (apparently her last horse was some $70 or $80k horse?), and he's 5 and his neck is a funny shape and I never in a million years would have given him a second look, but John said he should be able to go advanced by next year. He looked better under saddle, but not enough to make me stop and take in my breath.
So I know nothing. This is all just blind dumb fucking luck with the odds stacked against me. I hate this. I hate everything. I hate my life when I don't ride.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Connection
I didn't know that grief could feel this devastating. And here's my theory - Charlie and I were a team in a way I haven't ever been with a human, and in a way more deep than with a human because we couldn't talk. Charlie trusted me and I trusted him, and we had a way to communicate with each other that was so much deeper than words. And that it was unconditional love, in a way no partner has lasted. I might be mad at him, he might be mad at me, but we loved each other anyway.
And unlike humans, I told Charlie every day how lucky I was to have him and how much I loved him. And I loved him despite his (very few) flaws, and he loved me for who I am. We worked together to improve and to grow. Charlie was what I always wanted in a partner. He nickered when he heard me coming. I loved Charlie more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my life.
And unlike humans, I told Charlie every day how lucky I was to have him and how much I loved him. And I loved him despite his (very few) flaws, and he loved me for who I am. We worked together to improve and to grow. Charlie was what I always wanted in a partner. He nickered when he heard me coming. I loved Charlie more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my life.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
The Past & Future
Two days ago, Charlie had an accident in his pasture and had to be euthanized. It feels like my heart was sucked out of my body and through a black hole. At least three bones in his left hind leg were broken (tibia, hock, femur), and the vet thought some of them multiple times. The tibia was snapped completely off and trying to come out of the inside of his leg, and there was some sort of hole above it that was bleeding pretty good. He couldn't get up.
No one saw it happen, but all three panels of the fence were broken towards Caruso's pasture, and the electric wire had snapped off too.
I think it happened around 1:30. The neighbors saw it and called Northwind; they started calling me; and I answered on the third try - I was about to volunteer with Ele and was walking into the hospital when the phone started ringing. Dr. Wenzell got there about 10 minutes after me, and we probably put him down 5 minutes later. I talked to him until she got there and while he died, and tried not to cry and scare him until it was over.
Then I sat on the ground next to him and cried until they brought the tarp out to cover him.
I have howled and wailed and sobbed horrible gut-wrenching sobs for the last two days.
I loved Charlie beyond anything. He was my partner and I trusted him with my life. My body is twitching, wanting to run and put my arms around his neck and my face in his and feel the reins and that planted, harmonious feeling we had just gotten reliably to.
I loved Charlie more than I have ever loved anyone or anything, and I thought I had 10 more years with him.
I loved Charlie and I don't know how my heart keeps beating without him.
Charlie was my best friend, my one constant, the thing that kept me sane and gave me purpose. Charlie was my heart and my soul.
He died with the sun on his back. He was in pain, but I think no more than an hour. I got to say goodbye to him, and if things had been just a little different, I wouldn't have been there, so I am grateful for that. Just as in life, he didn't struggle; twice he tried to sit up, but went back down and just let me talk to him.
Charlie was the greatest thing that I've ever had in my life. Charlie is proof that I can love and be loved unconditionally. He was a patient teacher who helped me grow. He let me see that I could be unafraid of death, but grateful to be alive.
Charlie was my foundation, my anchor, and my support. I built my life around him, and he - as best as I can tell - loved me back.
I am so, so, so grateful to have known Charlie and to have had five amazing years with him. What I do not know is if I am finally destroyed. I have never felt so paralyzed by grief; so close to being a zombie.
I went down to talk with John today. He agreed with the vet about how Charlie probably fell. He had an advanced horse that fell and broke just one bone; John had the surgery, the rehab, and a year of stall rest because he felt like he owed the horse to be a pasture horse, but the first time he was turned out, it broke again and John had to put him down. He said euthanizing Charlie was the right call; that multiple breaks never would have been fixable. I asked him if it was my fault, if I should have told them not to turn Charlie out when there was a chance of ice. He said it wasn’t ice or Charlie jumping the fence. He thought it was probably like I said - Charlie was running towards the fence, tried to do a sliding stop and misjudged, planted the leg, slammed through the fence, and broke everything when he hit the ground. He said if it had been jumping or ice it would have been his neck or back that broke. He told me he had a Grand Prix jumper who misjudged the height of one of John’s fences and tried to jump out, hit the top of the gate, and broke his knees. He said that horse was the last one he ever would have worried about missing the height to jump over something.
No one saw it happen, but all three panels of the fence were broken towards Caruso's pasture, and the electric wire had snapped off too.
I think it happened around 1:30. The neighbors saw it and called Northwind; they started calling me; and I answered on the third try - I was about to volunteer with Ele and was walking into the hospital when the phone started ringing. Dr. Wenzell got there about 10 minutes after me, and we probably put him down 5 minutes later. I talked to him until she got there and while he died, and tried not to cry and scare him until it was over.
Then I sat on the ground next to him and cried until they brought the tarp out to cover him.
I have howled and wailed and sobbed horrible gut-wrenching sobs for the last two days.
I loved Charlie beyond anything. He was my partner and I trusted him with my life. My body is twitching, wanting to run and put my arms around his neck and my face in his and feel the reins and that planted, harmonious feeling we had just gotten reliably to.
I loved Charlie more than I have ever loved anyone or anything, and I thought I had 10 more years with him.
I loved Charlie and I don't know how my heart keeps beating without him.
Charlie was my best friend, my one constant, the thing that kept me sane and gave me purpose. Charlie was my heart and my soul.
He died with the sun on his back. He was in pain, but I think no more than an hour. I got to say goodbye to him, and if things had been just a little different, I wouldn't have been there, so I am grateful for that. Just as in life, he didn't struggle; twice he tried to sit up, but went back down and just let me talk to him.
Charlie was the greatest thing that I've ever had in my life. Charlie is proof that I can love and be loved unconditionally. He was a patient teacher who helped me grow. He let me see that I could be unafraid of death, but grateful to be alive.
Charlie was my foundation, my anchor, and my support. I built my life around him, and he - as best as I can tell - loved me back.
I am so, so, so grateful to have known Charlie and to have had five amazing years with him. What I do not know is if I am finally destroyed. I have never felt so paralyzed by grief; so close to being a zombie.
I went down to talk with John today. He agreed with the vet about how Charlie probably fell. He had an advanced horse that fell and broke just one bone; John had the surgery, the rehab, and a year of stall rest because he felt like he owed the horse to be a pasture horse, but the first time he was turned out, it broke again and John had to put him down. He said euthanizing Charlie was the right call; that multiple breaks never would have been fixable. I asked him if it was my fault, if I should have told them not to turn Charlie out when there was a chance of ice. He said it wasn’t ice or Charlie jumping the fence. He thought it was probably like I said - Charlie was running towards the fence, tried to do a sliding stop and misjudged, planted the leg, slammed through the fence, and broke everything when he hit the ground. He said if it had been jumping or ice it would have been his neck or back that broke. He told me he had a Grand Prix jumper who misjudged the height of one of John’s fences and tried to jump out, hit the top of the gate, and broke his knees. He said that horse was the last one he ever would have worried about missing the height to jump over something.
He is going to have me ride a few of his horses to see what I’m like on different horses to better pick the next horse, but he agreed with me that I will probably hate the next horse because he won’t be Charlie. He said there aren’t many horses he’s met that are just likeable, but Charlie was one of them.
He thinks the best thing to do would be if he can find an older competition horse who is too old for serious competition but not over the hill yet, and have me lease that horse for 6 months or so. He said that will be my rebound horse, so that I can love the one who comes next even though he isn’t Charlie.
Then he’ll start looking for the next horse. He thinks probably a horse who has a good personality but could use a little work. He said unlike most of his students, I don’t mind putting the time into the horse, so I can bring it along. He said what will take time will be finding one who has the potential to go prelim or higher but no nasty vices.
I told him about how Charlie used to nicker when he heard me come into Forest Park, that he recognized the sound of my feet and how I walked, even though he couldn’t see me and I was as far away as possible in the barn. I also told him that my former coworkers thought my husband’s name was Charlie for a long time because I only talked about doing things with Charlie. He said Charlie didn't seem to like being ridden by him much, but I pointed out that just made Charlie love me more, once I was back on him.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Snow day
Despite the snow, I had a lesson (thank goodness!). It was a light lesson, so Charlie wouldn't get sweaty, which was nice because it was so cold out I could feel the "breeze" on my cheeks. We mostly worked on having Charlie both forward and round. John said that when Charlie was there last week, it would take him 18 minutes to get Charlie going, then suddenly he'd just be going fine (on the first day of riding). The next day he'd start out fine. Then he got a couple days of just hand walking because of the frozen arena, and then he was a slug again. John said it's better than a horse who rears after two days in the stall, but that he does better and better the more his work is regular, and to keep that in mind in show season.
He also said that the little spot on Charlie's back can be the saddle pad needing a second rinse when I wash it, a wet spot that doesn't dry before his blanket goes on, or the pressure from the saddle pad rubbing on his hair, and just to lift the saddle pad up into the gullet before I sit down.
The extra-crooked head I've been feeling he thinks is the cold bit and the stiff poll (he said it's not worth the battle to get them soft in the poll when it's cold out) and it seems to accentuate him grabbing the bit and jutting his head out. Which would explain why I've only noticed it when it's cold out.
I asked him what he was doing with Charlie, because his shoulders got much easier to turn, and I can make the circle radius smaller and he said just shoulder in.
I feel like a million times less stressed now that I've had a lesson.
He also said that the little spot on Charlie's back can be the saddle pad needing a second rinse when I wash it, a wet spot that doesn't dry before his blanket goes on, or the pressure from the saddle pad rubbing on his hair, and just to lift the saddle pad up into the gullet before I sit down.
The extra-crooked head I've been feeling he thinks is the cold bit and the stiff poll (he said it's not worth the battle to get them soft in the poll when it's cold out) and it seems to accentuate him grabbing the bit and jutting his head out. Which would explain why I've only noticed it when it's cold out.
I asked him what he was doing with Charlie, because his shoulders got much easier to turn, and I can make the circle radius smaller and he said just shoulder in.
I feel like a million times less stressed now that I've had a lesson.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
More Beauty & the Beast jumps
We shared our lesson with Reece today, whose loaner horse got a little excited. She did some good riding for a kid, and I got a little jealous that she's going to grow up to be such a good rider because she gets to spend her formative years learning from John. Also, she "got" to learn how to solve a problem with John, where I "just" had super duper reliable Charlie carry me through it regardless of how I was flubbing it up.
John says when I jump at home, I don't need to jump more than 2'6" or 3', so that was super helpful. He says he might do a few big jumps in a row, or just one once before a show, depending on what the horse needs.
For my lesson, my number one thing was to get my reins back faster. He said it's fine if I slip them over the big fence so I'm not hitting Charlie in the mouth, but it shouldn't take me half the ring to pick them back up again. I've also taken to sticking my left elbow out, like a chicken. I have no idea why I'm doing that.
He also showed me with my hands where they should be when Charlie is on the bit, and how when he rounds up and then rounds down, how much that would pull them forward. He said the only way to be able to do that is being super duper responsive in the hips, and since I'm no there yet, it's ok to slip them.
He was also telling me heels down and legs forward, and to keep my reins shorter heading into the fences than I wanted. I also had to really think to squeeze my shoulder blades together, which we did at the start with some half seat in the canter and then some two point (around and around) at the trot.
We had one good learning moment over a big fence, when I looked down at it instead of up and out the door, and could immediately feel how it made me crumple in the air and as we landed, so it was a good demonstration of how important that head up is.
Charlie was great, nice and forward and round over the fences, but I still feel like triangle. John said it's fine, it will get better, and it's not any worse than it was.
Charlie will be with John some part of this week (and maybe next week) depending on how my "Uncle Leo" trial goes. There's a cold front coming in, and I am feeling terrible because I left Charlie's "snow suit" here at home so he won't be able to wear it standing in the stall. I even left my trailer down there, so I had no excuse not to bring anything he might need.
John says when I jump at home, I don't need to jump more than 2'6" or 3', so that was super helpful. He says he might do a few big jumps in a row, or just one once before a show, depending on what the horse needs.
For my lesson, my number one thing was to get my reins back faster. He said it's fine if I slip them over the big fence so I'm not hitting Charlie in the mouth, but it shouldn't take me half the ring to pick them back up again. I've also taken to sticking my left elbow out, like a chicken. I have no idea why I'm doing that.
He also showed me with my hands where they should be when Charlie is on the bit, and how when he rounds up and then rounds down, how much that would pull them forward. He said the only way to be able to do that is being super duper responsive in the hips, and since I'm no there yet, it's ok to slip them.
He was also telling me heels down and legs forward, and to keep my reins shorter heading into the fences than I wanted. I also had to really think to squeeze my shoulder blades together, which we did at the start with some half seat in the canter and then some two point (around and around) at the trot.
We had one good learning moment over a big fence, when I looked down at it instead of up and out the door, and could immediately feel how it made me crumple in the air and as we landed, so it was a good demonstration of how important that head up is.
Charlie was great, nice and forward and round over the fences, but I still feel like triangle. John said it's fine, it will get better, and it's not any worse than it was.
Charlie will be with John some part of this week (and maybe next week) depending on how my "Uncle Leo" trial goes. There's a cold front coming in, and I am feeling terrible because I left Charlie's "snow suit" here at home so he won't be able to wear it standing in the stall. I even left my trailer down there, so I had no excuse not to bring anything he might need.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Dressage without stirrups
John had us get right to it with some sitting trot, and then just a few blissfully ignorant minutes in, he had me drop my stirrups. We probably did 2/3 of the lesson without stirrups, although it felt like eternity. The whole riding my bike thing before the lesson does not result in me having the freshest of thigh muscles.
Anyway, I felt something very, very interesting. Going to the right, especially at the canter, my entire body scrunches up and leans inside. I have never felt that without stirrups, and I bet they're mitigating it a tiny bit, but I think this is a eureka moment. It was brutal, trying not to lean in, and even when John said to make myself long between my hips and my ribs, he had to say "you're doing exactly the opposite of what I just told you to do" which made me laugh because I was trying to do it.
So Charlie moved like a dreamboat, good old Mr. Reliable, but I would scrunch so much my shoulder would be pointing into the center of the circle at John. It was pretty remarkable Charlie could keep going on a round circle at all.
The other interesting thing was that Charlie was carrying his head really high, but also really round. John said that's ok, as long as his poll is at the highest point. He said Charlie probably felt really light in my hands (yes) and very easy to transition (yes), but I was surprised why his head was so high. Normally, he is long and low and flat. I will have to ask John next time why he held it high.
So John wanted more bend to the inside, by moving the bit around - not pulling but moving. And then more forward, from asking with my seat, not my legs.
Charlie was very responsive, and it was a nice lesson. Once I could pick up my stirrups, it felt like we ended too soon, but when I got off, I saw Charlie was sweaty underneath (which he never is when I ride him by myself at home) so clearly he got a workout.
Then I chatted with John about the points, came home and checked the spreadsheet, and realized that yes I had overlooked something - horses and riders in multiple divisions. So Charlie is not horse of the year - a super duper upper level horse is (also for sale for $65,000, a two star horse who is 13), and I am not rider of the year - Jordan who is on the leaderboard in like five different divisions probably is. Bummer. But I'm going to hold out hope that Charlie gets reserve horse of the year. That would still be pretty cool.
The other interesting thing is that he didn't have a chance of winning it at novice the year we did super well. Not a snowball's chance. Pretty much no horse does but the upper level ones. If I did the math right, first place is 73.x, Charlie was 40.5, and third place was 40.
Anyway, I felt something very, very interesting. Going to the right, especially at the canter, my entire body scrunches up and leans inside. I have never felt that without stirrups, and I bet they're mitigating it a tiny bit, but I think this is a eureka moment. It was brutal, trying not to lean in, and even when John said to make myself long between my hips and my ribs, he had to say "you're doing exactly the opposite of what I just told you to do" which made me laugh because I was trying to do it.
So Charlie moved like a dreamboat, good old Mr. Reliable, but I would scrunch so much my shoulder would be pointing into the center of the circle at John. It was pretty remarkable Charlie could keep going on a round circle at all.
The other interesting thing was that Charlie was carrying his head really high, but also really round. John said that's ok, as long as his poll is at the highest point. He said Charlie probably felt really light in my hands (yes) and very easy to transition (yes), but I was surprised why his head was so high. Normally, he is long and low and flat. I will have to ask John next time why he held it high.
So John wanted more bend to the inside, by moving the bit around - not pulling but moving. And then more forward, from asking with my seat, not my legs.
Charlie was very responsive, and it was a nice lesson. Once I could pick up my stirrups, it felt like we ended too soon, but when I got off, I saw Charlie was sweaty underneath (which he never is when I ride him by myself at home) so clearly he got a workout.
Then I chatted with John about the points, came home and checked the spreadsheet, and realized that yes I had overlooked something - horses and riders in multiple divisions. So Charlie is not horse of the year - a super duper upper level horse is (also for sale for $65,000, a two star horse who is 13), and I am not rider of the year - Jordan who is on the leaderboard in like five different divisions probably is. Bummer. But I'm going to hold out hope that Charlie gets reserve horse of the year. That would still be pretty cool.
The other interesting thing is that he didn't have a chance of winning it at novice the year we did super well. Not a snowball's chance. Pretty much no horse does but the upper level ones. If I did the math right, first place is 73.x, Charlie was 40.5, and third place was 40.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Breathe a little easier
I had to miss both lessons last week because of cold weather (snow, then ice), so I was eager for tonight's lesson. John took care of Charlie first, and made sure he didn't get too sweaty so he wouldn't get cold on the ride home, so we quit a little early. We were going to do the corner, but didn't.
I had my list of questions:
- Why does my back round on the far side of the fence? It used to round all the way, and has gotten flatter and flatter, so this will probably go away. Right now, I can only think of so much all the way through.
- Why are Area VII points different than national? Because Area VII doubles champs and national doesn't.
- Why can't I do the 9' poles at home? He doesn't know because I ride them fine with him. Stop overriding them maybe.
- Why is Charlie throwing his head up in the transitions? Because it's cold and he's stiff and to work him hard enough to get him round would make him all sweaty and John didn't want that tonight, it wasn't worth it.
- Why do I some nights have great lengthening and other nights great lateral? This seemed like a stupid question but actually was a great one because John said the lengthening is how loose Charlie is in the warm up, and the lateral is how even I am. So if I'm riding crooked, Charlie won't go as well. I haven't been able to correlate it with how hard Charlie was worked, but it does - with hindsight - have to do with how hard I worked at the gym the day before, I think!
So we started with some warmup, which I like because it helps me think what I should do at home alone. He had Charle much more round and forward, and had me do more alternating legs (like outside leg, then inside leg, then both legs), with a bit of bend to the outside. (Which I don't think I'm doing enough at home.)
Then we did just the line of poles, then John made them longer (12' instead of 9') and Charlie didn't care. Then we did them the other way, same thing.
Then we did them to a vertical that John quite quickly made into that same behemoth 4' thing. The good news is (I think) we rode it much cleaner. He said he wasn't going to tell me good because it would go to my head, but "better". It felt a lot better than last time, when I felt completely uncoordinated up there.
It made my face grimace, but Charlie tackled it like a champ.
The only thing was he absolutely flat out refused to ever land on the left lead. It was right - right - right. John said use outside leg on the way in to the fence (when I was trying to land left) but it didn't make a difference.
John said he's probably a bit stiff on that side (the cold), and his right hind just doesn't want to push as much. He said use that outside leg to remind him to use it, but not to make too big a deal out of it when it's cold and Charlie's going fine.
It was kind of frustrating because my reins kept getting longer over the line of poles, no matter how much I sucked them up after and how hard I tried not to let them slide.
Meg said she gave Manny a spur rub on the left, which is super interesting because I give Charlie spur rubs on the right, and Charlie hates landing on the left lead and Manny hates landing on the right lead.
I realized last week that what I like so much about John is he accepts me for the way I learn, and adjusts his teaching style to get through to me, instead of demanding that I learn his way. He's a really, really good instructor. He's very adaptable for the student/horse combination (and current issues), has good solutions, doesn't provide too much at once, but first and foremost takes care of the horse. I'm really, really grateful I get to ride with him.
I had my list of questions:
- Why does my back round on the far side of the fence? It used to round all the way, and has gotten flatter and flatter, so this will probably go away. Right now, I can only think of so much all the way through.
- Why are Area VII points different than national? Because Area VII doubles champs and national doesn't.
- Why can't I do the 9' poles at home? He doesn't know because I ride them fine with him. Stop overriding them maybe.
- Why is Charlie throwing his head up in the transitions? Because it's cold and he's stiff and to work him hard enough to get him round would make him all sweaty and John didn't want that tonight, it wasn't worth it.
- Why do I some nights have great lengthening and other nights great lateral? This seemed like a stupid question but actually was a great one because John said the lengthening is how loose Charlie is in the warm up, and the lateral is how even I am. So if I'm riding crooked, Charlie won't go as well. I haven't been able to correlate it with how hard Charlie was worked, but it does - with hindsight - have to do with how hard I worked at the gym the day before, I think!
So we started with some warmup, which I like because it helps me think what I should do at home alone. He had Charle much more round and forward, and had me do more alternating legs (like outside leg, then inside leg, then both legs), with a bit of bend to the outside. (Which I don't think I'm doing enough at home.)
Then we did just the line of poles, then John made them longer (12' instead of 9') and Charlie didn't care. Then we did them the other way, same thing.
Then we did them to a vertical that John quite quickly made into that same behemoth 4' thing. The good news is (I think) we rode it much cleaner. He said he wasn't going to tell me good because it would go to my head, but "better". It felt a lot better than last time, when I felt completely uncoordinated up there.
It made my face grimace, but Charlie tackled it like a champ.
The only thing was he absolutely flat out refused to ever land on the left lead. It was right - right - right. John said use outside leg on the way in to the fence (when I was trying to land left) but it didn't make a difference.
John said he's probably a bit stiff on that side (the cold), and his right hind just doesn't want to push as much. He said use that outside leg to remind him to use it, but not to make too big a deal out of it when it's cold and Charlie's going fine.
It was kind of frustrating because my reins kept getting longer over the line of poles, no matter how much I sucked them up after and how hard I tried not to let them slide.
Meg said she gave Manny a spur rub on the left, which is super interesting because I give Charlie spur rubs on the right, and Charlie hates landing on the left lead and Manny hates landing on the right lead.
I realized last week that what I like so much about John is he accepts me for the way I learn, and adjusts his teaching style to get through to me, instead of demanding that I learn his way. He's a really, really good instructor. He's very adaptable for the student/horse combination (and current issues), has good solutions, doesn't provide too much at once, but first and foremost takes care of the horse. I'm really, really grateful I get to ride with him.
Saturday, December 03, 2016
Work on 10 meter circles
Today we talked about fitness (human and horse), exercises I can do at work and home, and then did such hard work on 10 meter circles that now - 6 hours later - my butt is sore.
First, I wanted to know why I got so out of breath in my lessons (and sweaty). John said he gets sweaty too, and that part of it is because I am using a whole bunch of muscles I don't use when I ride by myself (because it is harder for me to just keep going than to rely on John to tell me what to do next). In a lot of my lessons, he is telling me to adjust things step by step, and that means muscles are always working. He also said there's nothing else like riding to work the muscles - running and biking both just lengthen them. He said the closest is swimming.
For Charlie, he said that yes, once Charlie is fit, he can maintain it with just a little bit of work. Like how I got him fit for the three day, and then he lasted the next six weeks for the rest of the season without me needing to condition him. He said it is a lot of work to get a horse up to a full format * fit, but then it is just a couple extra minutes of gallop to get them up to **. He also said it is much harder now, when people don't have access to places like his where they can just go gallop around the 40 acres, then come back and keep jumping.
But yes, they can get dull, so break up the routine of work with just some walking around and chatting before going back to work.
For fitness, I can do the adductor at the gym, wall squats at work and at home (work up to 20 minutes!), and stairs. But he said on the stairs to first walk on my heels and stretch out the Achilles Tendon so I don't injure it, then do the stairs with my heel hanging off the back.
He also said that my position is not good at the apex of the jump, but my leg is not swinging, and my approach and landing are good, so it was not as bad as I felt like it was. (I was sure I was doomed from prelim and we were going to have years of basic work before he'll let me go up a level.)
For Charlie being stiff yesterday, he said yes, the long low work was good, and also add a bit of long low leg yield. My lower back was probably sore from trying to keep my shoulder blades together, and holding the position over the top of the fence.
So today we did a lot of 10 meter circles, at the trot and canter. Charlie threw one fit, kind of early on, and it was relatively brief. This was one of those lessons where John gave me instructions at every step, so it was too much for me to repeat at home, but one big takeaway was to push down with inside seat bone with the canter aids (and then, even on a 10 meter circle, Charlie picked it up instantly). For the down transition from canter to trot, don't drop my hands and keep my legs on so he doesn't plummet down. Do NOT let my inside hand get dragged down, keep it up. To have bend on a small circle, make the inside rein a couple inches shorter; then my hands can be even but I have bend in Charlie's neck.
We did 10 meter circle, shoulder-in on short side, another 10 meter circle, etc. Then we did the same thing but going down the long side without changing anything and going deep in the corners. John said we had a nice trot in the circle that used to be our lengthened trot. Charlie tried to twist his head, so I had to put the inside hand up a lot and hold it there. We did a lot of the work sitting.
Charlie also tried to bulge out the outside shoulder, and I had to use outside leg to keep him from escaping, but then he'd start moving in, so I had to follow it right away with inside leg. It was a lot of concentration and a lot of reaction and requests all really fast. Charlie did great (other than the one little tantrum), and it was - as usual - a great lesson.
John said that I can do work without stirrups also, but to be careful not to start pinching from my knee - to remember that exercise about holding the dollar bill.
First, I wanted to know why I got so out of breath in my lessons (and sweaty). John said he gets sweaty too, and that part of it is because I am using a whole bunch of muscles I don't use when I ride by myself (because it is harder for me to just keep going than to rely on John to tell me what to do next). In a lot of my lessons, he is telling me to adjust things step by step, and that means muscles are always working. He also said there's nothing else like riding to work the muscles - running and biking both just lengthen them. He said the closest is swimming.
For Charlie, he said that yes, once Charlie is fit, he can maintain it with just a little bit of work. Like how I got him fit for the three day, and then he lasted the next six weeks for the rest of the season without me needing to condition him. He said it is a lot of work to get a horse up to a full format * fit, but then it is just a couple extra minutes of gallop to get them up to **. He also said it is much harder now, when people don't have access to places like his where they can just go gallop around the 40 acres, then come back and keep jumping.
But yes, they can get dull, so break up the routine of work with just some walking around and chatting before going back to work.
For fitness, I can do the adductor at the gym, wall squats at work and at home (work up to 20 minutes!), and stairs. But he said on the stairs to first walk on my heels and stretch out the Achilles Tendon so I don't injure it, then do the stairs with my heel hanging off the back.
He also said that my position is not good at the apex of the jump, but my leg is not swinging, and my approach and landing are good, so it was not as bad as I felt like it was. (I was sure I was doomed from prelim and we were going to have years of basic work before he'll let me go up a level.)
For Charlie being stiff yesterday, he said yes, the long low work was good, and also add a bit of long low leg yield. My lower back was probably sore from trying to keep my shoulder blades together, and holding the position over the top of the fence.
So today we did a lot of 10 meter circles, at the trot and canter. Charlie threw one fit, kind of early on, and it was relatively brief. This was one of those lessons where John gave me instructions at every step, so it was too much for me to repeat at home, but one big takeaway was to push down with inside seat bone with the canter aids (and then, even on a 10 meter circle, Charlie picked it up instantly). For the down transition from canter to trot, don't drop my hands and keep my legs on so he doesn't plummet down. Do NOT let my inside hand get dragged down, keep it up. To have bend on a small circle, make the inside rein a couple inches shorter; then my hands can be even but I have bend in Charlie's neck.
We did 10 meter circle, shoulder-in on short side, another 10 meter circle, etc. Then we did the same thing but going down the long side without changing anything and going deep in the corners. John said we had a nice trot in the circle that used to be our lengthened trot. Charlie tried to twist his head, so I had to put the inside hand up a lot and hold it there. We did a lot of the work sitting.
Charlie also tried to bulge out the outside shoulder, and I had to use outside leg to keep him from escaping, but then he'd start moving in, so I had to follow it right away with inside leg. It was a lot of concentration and a lot of reaction and requests all really fast. Charlie did great (other than the one little tantrum), and it was - as usual - a great lesson.
John said that I can do work without stirrups also, but to be careful not to start pinching from my knee - to remember that exercise about holding the dollar bill.
Friday, December 02, 2016
Travel times
John says 14 hours to Fresno and there's a stop half way.
20 hours to Galway.
Also, hand on outside of thigh, above knee, replicates the motion your hand does on the rein (at the canter) to feel how much motion there is.
20 hours to Galway.
Also, hand on outside of thigh, above knee, replicates the motion your hand does on the rein (at the canter) to feel how much motion there is.
Thursday, December 01, 2016
4' is really, really gigantic (which makes me sad)
We jumped this gigantic jump today; the biggest jump I've ever jumped. I couldn't believe John kept making it bigger and then made it wider. It was at the end of four poles, 9' apart. When I measured it, I was sure it was like 4'6", maybe 4'3" if my eye was way off.
It was ONE MEASLY INCH above prelim level. One inch. I'm crushed.
Charlie jumped it like a freaking rock star.
I jumped it like an utter moron. I just stood straight up in the air like Triangle and didn't even do a crest release. John said that Charlie was rocking way back on his haunches to go over it (because of the 9' ground poles) so I didn't need a crest release the way that I do when he launches over one all flat, but it still felt like I would win a worst position award. John also asked was I inhibiting him or catching him in the mouth, and I wasn't - I just had all this hang time to be above him, not in a two point.
I struggled with the 9' poles. It turns out I've been coming around the corner and then barreling at the fence, and John wanted Charlie to back up, not lengthen, to have the power for the fence. He said it teaches me I don't have to lengthen to get the power, and also lets me have that leg for when I really need it in an emergency.
We started by discussing Charlie's issue from yesterday; he didn't want to do a halt - trot transition without flinging his head up in the air. When I tried to make him, he'd fling it higher, then run backwards. So I whomped on him with my heels and beat him with the whip until he went forward, then we'd try again. John said yes, he was probably just being a brat, but that the easier way to do it is halt - turn on the forehand - then trot off. And then you can just bend towards a turn on the forehand and trot off.
We did some warm up, and John had me get in a two point with SHORT REINS and then not let them slip while we shot down the long side; then stand up a bit for the short side, then go back down the long side. This was much harder than it sounds because I really did not want to keep my hands out in front of me. You have to move your elbows to have hands in front with short reins. I also got horribly out of breath (and sweaty) which pissed me off with all the bike riding I've been doing.
Then we did the ground poles, once horribly (John said I tried to ride the first one in stride instead of just letting Charlie deal with it and looking to the end). The rest were fine.
Then he made the vertical at the end bigger and bigger. We did just a bit of a nice trot in between.
In the ground poles, he asked me to change lead on the third pole, and while Charlie didn't do it successfully, he did try, and John said he liked that Charlie listened and tried.
John said not to think about pushing my hips back because I like to duck, but to think about pulling my shoulder blades together, to try to work on the position.
He said that at home work on keeping that feeling of contact (with short reins) all the time; because it is not just over fences, but on the flat that I am doing it too. Last lesson I was curling my wrist, and he said the is the right feel, but wrong solution. I just need a shorter rein.
Finally, we talked about the next horse. He said that it will be anywhere from $20-100, and that he'd prefer to get a training level horse, ride it a year or two there to get to know it, and then go prelim. He said he has too many students who buy a 1* and then want to immediately go 1* (so they're not "wasting" it) but it's not what's best for the horse, who has learned to communicate with his (former) rider, and then the new rider doesn't respect the signals
He said, for example, he just looked at one who was 5, could jump 4' without a rider, and then jumped 3' with a rider without getting all wound up. That's the kind of horse he'd look for. He also wants to look for one that if it doesn't work out, it can be sold, and I don't get stuck with it. So I can get it, go training level, and if it's not the horse for me, sell it again and look again. He also said he doesn't know if Charlie can do a 1*, he's never been fit enough for John to guess whether his legs can withstand the pounding for the distance and speed.
John said his primary concern with letting people go up a level is whether the horse is going to take care of itself. He doesn't want to let people level up if the horse is just going to smash into the fence. I like that I can trust him to tell me that. He said also there will be times when the horse just seems tired or not into it, and then he'll say to scratch a show. He said it's not worth it to push them at that level when they're not ready to go.
Even though my form was bad, I was impressed by how huge the jump was until I got home, measured it, and totally deflated. He told me not to measure; he said it was prelim and not to worry about it, but I did it anyway.
It was ONE MEASLY INCH above prelim level. One inch. I'm crushed.
Charlie jumped it like a freaking rock star.
I jumped it like an utter moron. I just stood straight up in the air like Triangle and didn't even do a crest release. John said that Charlie was rocking way back on his haunches to go over it (because of the 9' ground poles) so I didn't need a crest release the way that I do when he launches over one all flat, but it still felt like I would win a worst position award. John also asked was I inhibiting him or catching him in the mouth, and I wasn't - I just had all this hang time to be above him, not in a two point.
I struggled with the 9' poles. It turns out I've been coming around the corner and then barreling at the fence, and John wanted Charlie to back up, not lengthen, to have the power for the fence. He said it teaches me I don't have to lengthen to get the power, and also lets me have that leg for when I really need it in an emergency.
We started by discussing Charlie's issue from yesterday; he didn't want to do a halt - trot transition without flinging his head up in the air. When I tried to make him, he'd fling it higher, then run backwards. So I whomped on him with my heels and beat him with the whip until he went forward, then we'd try again. John said yes, he was probably just being a brat, but that the easier way to do it is halt - turn on the forehand - then trot off. And then you can just bend towards a turn on the forehand and trot off.
We did some warm up, and John had me get in a two point with SHORT REINS and then not let them slip while we shot down the long side; then stand up a bit for the short side, then go back down the long side. This was much harder than it sounds because I really did not want to keep my hands out in front of me. You have to move your elbows to have hands in front with short reins. I also got horribly out of breath (and sweaty) which pissed me off with all the bike riding I've been doing.
Then we did the ground poles, once horribly (John said I tried to ride the first one in stride instead of just letting Charlie deal with it and looking to the end). The rest were fine.
Then he made the vertical at the end bigger and bigger. We did just a bit of a nice trot in between.
In the ground poles, he asked me to change lead on the third pole, and while Charlie didn't do it successfully, he did try, and John said he liked that Charlie listened and tried.
John said not to think about pushing my hips back because I like to duck, but to think about pulling my shoulder blades together, to try to work on the position.
He said that at home work on keeping that feeling of contact (with short reins) all the time; because it is not just over fences, but on the flat that I am doing it too. Last lesson I was curling my wrist, and he said the is the right feel, but wrong solution. I just need a shorter rein.
Finally, we talked about the next horse. He said that it will be anywhere from $20-100, and that he'd prefer to get a training level horse, ride it a year or two there to get to know it, and then go prelim. He said he has too many students who buy a 1* and then want to immediately go 1* (so they're not "wasting" it) but it's not what's best for the horse, who has learned to communicate with his (former) rider, and then the new rider doesn't respect the signals
He said, for example, he just looked at one who was 5, could jump 4' without a rider, and then jumped 3' with a rider without getting all wound up. That's the kind of horse he'd look for. He also wants to look for one that if it doesn't work out, it can be sold, and I don't get stuck with it. So I can get it, go training level, and if it's not the horse for me, sell it again and look again. He also said he doesn't know if Charlie can do a 1*, he's never been fit enough for John to guess whether his legs can withstand the pounding for the distance and speed.
John said his primary concern with letting people go up a level is whether the horse is going to take care of itself. He doesn't want to let people level up if the horse is just going to smash into the fence. I like that I can trust him to tell me that. He said also there will be times when the horse just seems tired or not into it, and then he'll say to scratch a show. He said it's not worth it to push them at that level when they're not ready to go.
Even though my form was bad, I was impressed by how huge the jump was until I got home, measured it, and totally deflated. He told me not to measure; he said it was prelim and not to worry about it, but I did it anyway.
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