I had the last of my boot camp lessons tonight; three lessons in 7 days, and probably the most progress I've ever seen in myself and my horse over the course of three lessons. I'm trying not to be too sad that the trainer is leaving for Florida because that gives me a whole winter to do my homework and take checkup lessons with the barn's other trainers and then kick butt in the spring.
Key takeaways from last night:
- Get him straight and forward first and before all else. I was trying to supple too early, and following some previous training advice which said to get him overbent and kick him on through that. R. compared this to a kink in a hose: if he's overbent all that forward I'm asking for gets stuck. Better to start with a straight horse and then channel that.
- When he flings his head skyward when I apply leg, don't get suckered into fighting with him about that. Give the reins so he doesn't have anything to brace against and KICK. Kick him until he's very very forward and then praise him and go back to a gentler aid. So putting my leg on in the trot resulted in a head flipping, I refused to take the bait and booted him into a good rollicking canter, nearly a hand gallop, patted him, and only once the forward gear had been established did I take him back to the trot. Repeat as necessary.
- In picking up canter leads, I need to pay more attention to his shoulders. If he's overbent to the inside, his shoulders are pointed to the outside and I'm just inviting him to pick up the wrong lead. Similarly, don't drag down on the inside rein through the transition.
- Seriously need to work on elastic arms and shoulders. That's the key to a more consistent contact and more even way of going.
- FORWARD. We have made big strides in this department but I need to stay on task and not settle for "more forward than last time" but really truly establish where he needs to be.
We did make the switch in his bitting arrangement. He's going in a thinner bit with a football shaped lozenge in the French link rather than a flat piece, the bit was raised two holes, and we've added the flash back onto his bridle. Overall he's much more consistent and happy in it.
He'll get a well-deserved night off tonight. I'll start banking barn time again and probably check in with a lesson at the end of October, but we have lots to work on in the meantime.
Bel Joeor: Life + Horses
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Chincoteague Roundup Canceled
Government shutdown scuttles annual fall pony roundup on Eastern Shore of Virginia
YOU BASTARDS.
I'll be home re-reading my copy of Misty, if anyone needs me.
YOU BASTARDS.
I'll be home re-reading my copy of Misty, if anyone needs me.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Never ending laundry
That moment when you realize that night check missed your note to take your horse's cooler off...and he wore it all night...and there is a massive manure stain down the shoulder of the cooler you just washed two days ago.
Sigh.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Lesson Boot Camp
Trainer is leaving for Florida in a week and a half, so I am hustling to use up my credits before she goes.
Last night, we had our first lesson in about six weeks, due to my work schedule and her clinic schedule and sundry other things. We focused on getting a couple simple things down and then my homework is to translate them throughout my ride.
First up: bending. We worked out a few simple exercises to start in the halt then carry through walk, trot, and canter to get him more supple R and L. He's never been the most laterally supple horse, and he lost any trace of what he once had during his time off, so this was really good for both of us.
Next, some pieces of my position. In particular, my hands. I need a stronger contact and need to focus on using my shoulders and elbows more to encourage elasticity rather than just heavy. I need to keep the reins shorter than I have been. (Always a problem for me...) I also need to keep my hands quieter (something I've been working on). I had been backing off on that because one of our bad feedback loops is to get harder and harder against each other, and I've been erring too far on the side of a soft contact, to the point that it was inconsistent.
Last but not least we worked on the canter: bending and encouraging a bit of round. We had some really, REALLY nice moments in the canter, when he would give a little to the inside and then I'd add in outside rein to keep him on a consistent circle and all of a sudden his hind legs would connect. There was a moment or two when he felt like riding a bouncy ball in comparison to his usual strung out canter. For the first time in a very long time there were also a few strides where he felt on the edge of control, like he was letting out all that energy we'd just accessed by going FAST. It took me so much by surprise that slowing him down didn't enter into my mind and we had a few good rides down some long sides before I realized that my horse, my lazy behind-the-leg horse was going too fast.
After the mechanics and riding exercises, we also talked a bit about tack. She opened up Tristan's mouth and suggested trying some different bits, with two main goals in mind: something thinner and something with more of a peanut shape than the French link he's got right now. He has a low palate and a small-ish mouth so the thickness of the bit wasn't as kind as it typically is; it was hard for him to really get his mouth closed and accept it. I knew he had a low-ish palate, hence the French link instead of a regular snaffle (which he def. doesn't like) but as she showed me his mouth and we looked at the way the bit was moving together the thickness made sense, too. A different shape to the middle link (right now it's a flat piece) will also provide a gentler bend.
Overall she praised both my seat and my general instincts - often when he had a breakthrough we both said "Good!" at the same time. My hope is always that I'm a good student - that I respond quickly, effectively, and am thoughtful about the questions I ask and the conversations I have - and I feel like our communication was good. I'd ride with her twice a week, every week, if I could, but I can't work that many hours at the barn on top of my regular job, alas.
Final note: it was such a gorgeous day that we rode on top of the hill in the jumping ring, and used a headset. I kind of loved it. Having her voice in my ear without straining to listen meant that I could react quickly, go further in the ring, and have near-constant feedback on what I was doing, which I really needed last night.
We worked hard for the full hour, and Tristan was foamy with sweat through his winter coat, so he got a long rinse and a cooler to go back in his stall, where he was clearly a bit weary.
He'll get tonight off to rest as I stay late at work to catch up, and then we have another lesson on Thursday, whew!
Last night, we had our first lesson in about six weeks, due to my work schedule and her clinic schedule and sundry other things. We focused on getting a couple simple things down and then my homework is to translate them throughout my ride.
First up: bending. We worked out a few simple exercises to start in the halt then carry through walk, trot, and canter to get him more supple R and L. He's never been the most laterally supple horse, and he lost any trace of what he once had during his time off, so this was really good for both of us.
Next, some pieces of my position. In particular, my hands. I need a stronger contact and need to focus on using my shoulders and elbows more to encourage elasticity rather than just heavy. I need to keep the reins shorter than I have been. (Always a problem for me...) I also need to keep my hands quieter (something I've been working on). I had been backing off on that because one of our bad feedback loops is to get harder and harder against each other, and I've been erring too far on the side of a soft contact, to the point that it was inconsistent.
Last but not least we worked on the canter: bending and encouraging a bit of round. We had some really, REALLY nice moments in the canter, when he would give a little to the inside and then I'd add in outside rein to keep him on a consistent circle and all of a sudden his hind legs would connect. There was a moment or two when he felt like riding a bouncy ball in comparison to his usual strung out canter. For the first time in a very long time there were also a few strides where he felt on the edge of control, like he was letting out all that energy we'd just accessed by going FAST. It took me so much by surprise that slowing him down didn't enter into my mind and we had a few good rides down some long sides before I realized that my horse, my lazy behind-the-leg horse was going too fast.
After the mechanics and riding exercises, we also talked a bit about tack. She opened up Tristan's mouth and suggested trying some different bits, with two main goals in mind: something thinner and something with more of a peanut shape than the French link he's got right now. He has a low palate and a small-ish mouth so the thickness of the bit wasn't as kind as it typically is; it was hard for him to really get his mouth closed and accept it. I knew he had a low-ish palate, hence the French link instead of a regular snaffle (which he def. doesn't like) but as she showed me his mouth and we looked at the way the bit was moving together the thickness made sense, too. A different shape to the middle link (right now it's a flat piece) will also provide a gentler bend.
Overall she praised both my seat and my general instincts - often when he had a breakthrough we both said "Good!" at the same time. My hope is always that I'm a good student - that I respond quickly, effectively, and am thoughtful about the questions I ask and the conversations I have - and I feel like our communication was good. I'd ride with her twice a week, every week, if I could, but I can't work that many hours at the barn on top of my regular job, alas.
Final note: it was such a gorgeous day that we rode on top of the hill in the jumping ring, and used a headset. I kind of loved it. Having her voice in my ear without straining to listen meant that I could react quickly, go further in the ring, and have near-constant feedback on what I was doing, which I really needed last night.
We worked hard for the full hour, and Tristan was foamy with sweat through his winter coat, so he got a long rinse and a cooler to go back in his stall, where he was clearly a bit weary.
He'll get tonight off to rest as I stay late at work to catch up, and then we have another lesson on Thursday, whew!
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