So this is my 100th post, I guess. Hooray?
Anyways, all I can think is that I win some, I lose some. I had a lovely ride the past two days, just doing some conditioning work down the dirt road. Lemme think. Monday, I started in the arena and worked over a crossrail with a placing pole one stride out on either side. We had lead issues-this time to the right- which just tells me that my position was wonky. Don't have any footage.
Yesterday, we did our legit "long-distance" (hahahaha) riding. We went out with Paige and Maddie, and trotted down the road until the dead end. We would have gone farther, but Maddie was having an Eclipse party and had to get home. Either way, it was nice. My little quarter horse kept the big spooky thoroughbred calm, and gave the snotty Welsh pony something to pin his ears at. I was rather proud, haha.
It was nice to just maintain a forward working pace for an extended period of time, without worrying about patterns or bend. She really seems to enjoy getting out- I might take her on the trail Berky and I used to poke around on and see how she does. Hopefully, she'll be game for crossing the water. Then I might head down to the new barn and take her in the back field- it's nice. I dropped her coggins off and signed a waiver, and now I'm allowed to take her around the property (as long as there are no loose horses). I figure it would be nice to let her sniff around before I take her down there.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Mrrmf. There's a reason why I'm not in EQ classes any more.
So I have footage of the horrific driving seat. Horrific. And then some very unexciting video of Bunny relaxing over the ground poles. Hey, at least she doesn't jump them any more.
The gnarly canter.
Pole work. (Any yes, I know I change my diagonals a million times- I'm trying to feel which leg strides over the pole first, and keeping the same diagonal is kind of cheating, or at least it feels like it to me.)
Also, she grew. My baby has grown an INCH since I bought her, and her butt has probably gotten an inch higher as well.
Taken today.
The gnarly canter.
Pole work. (Any yes, I know I change my diagonals a million times- I'm trying to feel which leg strides over the pole first, and keeping the same diagonal is kind of cheating, or at least it feels like it to me.)
Also, she grew. My baby has grown an INCH since I bought her, and her butt has probably gotten an inch higher as well.
Taken today.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Woohoo! Improvement.
I love those aha! moments when everything just comes together. Today was one of those days. I don't even know what changed everything- all my eq problems just poofed away. (Maybe it was listening to Patti's prescribed 20mins/two point every day... haha)
I started off with the two-point to loosen her back and get my legs functional, and spent probably 13 mins/walk, 6/trot, and a few laps of canter. And bingo- my seat was great. None of the annoying pumping that I'd developed. And that made a world of difference to the rest of my ride- now that my position was functional, I could ask her to come up off the forehand and maneuver her around without her overbending to the inside.
We jumped a small line as well-an eighteen inch line set three strides apart. Basically, I wanted her to l-i-s-t-e-n to where I wanted her to put her feet, and learn that such small fences don't require a herculean effort. So I'd trot her into it. Halt her on landing, and trot her out. Then I'd canter her through it, have her halt at the fence, turn on the haunch, and trot in/canter out the other way. We probably did this five or six times each way. She still weaves horribly between fences, but now she's not panicking into her lines and I've had an opportunity to fix my position. I actually am back to my steady self (jeez, I'd hope, over such teeeeeny jumps lol), which makes me a lot happier. We improved together- once I had her cadenced between fences, our crazy long spots fixed themselves (like when she was taking a flying leap over the cavaletti with Patti the other day, lol.)
Also, we worked figure eights over a ground pole. God only knows why she's so worried about ground poles, but she is. It's quite funny- she'll jump that like it's going to eat her, and will glance off the side if I don't keep her straight. After some OHMYGOD it's just lying there... all inert and scaaarryy... we got it down and I could start working on what *I* needed to work on: asking her to step over the pole with a specific foot. Like, I'd come into the approach and decide I wanted her right foreleg to go over first. Then, I'd extend her trot or shorten it until I could get whatever leg I wanted consistently. We worked it at the canter a few times, too, and tried a change over it, but she didn't seem to understand what I wanted. We got our changes on the flat, however. She's such a compliant horse- I just have to position her so she can do it naturally.
Hrmm, what else do I have to say? Well, I've found the balance between our hunter under saddle stuff versus functional schooling. I think the key is to start her off long, and then bring her into some lax dressage figures and keep her on the bit, and then push her into her HUS frame toward the end when her muscles need a rest. Just magically, she gave to my leg pressure and started rounding up through her back, which usually doesn't happen without her long and low or after a lot of transitions. We schooled with a working attitude for a while, including over the trot poles and coming into the little vertical line, and then we schooled our hunter under saddle stuff when she felt ready to relax.
Her quality of movement has improved 100%- being in front of the leg seems to do that sometimes ;), and I unearthed her Western training entirely by accident. She lopes. She lopes! Lol. I half-halted a little to hard in our canter and we got a lope. It was.. different. I could feel the three beats and the whole rolling thing, but it was just weird. And she was back on her hocks, so yeah... not sure what to make of that just yet.
Anyways, I had a lovely day. Got our tickets for the Alltech World Equestrian Games (saying I'm psyched doesn't begin to describe it), went out to lunch, and then got to have pony time. Chagall is back to complete soundness again- our resident fanceh A-hunter is back in business after he made himself sore giving Allanah a concussion. Paige was a little leery to ride him, but he did just fine.
I started off with the two-point to loosen her back and get my legs functional, and spent probably 13 mins/walk, 6/trot, and a few laps of canter. And bingo- my seat was great. None of the annoying pumping that I'd developed. And that made a world of difference to the rest of my ride- now that my position was functional, I could ask her to come up off the forehand and maneuver her around without her overbending to the inside.
We jumped a small line as well-an eighteen inch line set three strides apart. Basically, I wanted her to l-i-s-t-e-n to where I wanted her to put her feet, and learn that such small fences don't require a herculean effort. So I'd trot her into it. Halt her on landing, and trot her out. Then I'd canter her through it, have her halt at the fence, turn on the haunch, and trot in/canter out the other way. We probably did this five or six times each way. She still weaves horribly between fences, but now she's not panicking into her lines and I've had an opportunity to fix my position. I actually am back to my steady self (jeez, I'd hope, over such teeeeeny jumps lol), which makes me a lot happier. We improved together- once I had her cadenced between fences, our crazy long spots fixed themselves (like when she was taking a flying leap over the cavaletti with Patti the other day, lol.)
Also, we worked figure eights over a ground pole. God only knows why she's so worried about ground poles, but she is. It's quite funny- she'll jump that like it's going to eat her, and will glance off the side if I don't keep her straight. After some OHMYGOD it's just lying there... all inert and scaaarryy... we got it down and I could start working on what *I* needed to work on: asking her to step over the pole with a specific foot. Like, I'd come into the approach and decide I wanted her right foreleg to go over first. Then, I'd extend her trot or shorten it until I could get whatever leg I wanted consistently. We worked it at the canter a few times, too, and tried a change over it, but she didn't seem to understand what I wanted. We got our changes on the flat, however. She's such a compliant horse- I just have to position her so she can do it naturally.
Hrmm, what else do I have to say? Well, I've found the balance between our hunter under saddle stuff versus functional schooling. I think the key is to start her off long, and then bring her into some lax dressage figures and keep her on the bit, and then push her into her HUS frame toward the end when her muscles need a rest. Just magically, she gave to my leg pressure and started rounding up through her back, which usually doesn't happen without her long and low or after a lot of transitions. We schooled with a working attitude for a while, including over the trot poles and coming into the little vertical line, and then we schooled our hunter under saddle stuff when she felt ready to relax.
Her quality of movement has improved 100%- being in front of the leg seems to do that sometimes ;), and I unearthed her Western training entirely by accident. She lopes. She lopes! Lol. I half-halted a little to hard in our canter and we got a lope. It was.. different. I could feel the three beats and the whole rolling thing, but it was just weird. And she was back on her hocks, so yeah... not sure what to make of that just yet.
Anyways, I had a lovely day. Got our tickets for the Alltech World Equestrian Games (saying I'm psyched doesn't begin to describe it), went out to lunch, and then got to have pony time. Chagall is back to complete soundness again- our resident fanceh A-hunter is back in business after he made himself sore giving Allanah a concussion. Paige was a little leery to ride him, but he did just fine.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
New barn soon.
Our destination: Twin Gaits
Look how fanceh!
So I guess I'm going to be moving to a new barn in the next few weeks. A few reasons:
a.) They are paving our dirt road. I really don't want my horse breathing those fumes. Also, our farm maintenance (another reason) has recently gotten pretty shoddy. I don't want her to break an ill-maintained gate and get hit by a car.
b.) Our new barn owner is a complete a**hole. He drinks our drinks from the fridge, orders ALL of the boarders around like lackeys, and invests as little time and money into the barn as is possible. He builds big bonfires and burns tires. It's ridiculous.
c.) Arena maintenance. Said new owner refuses to put anything into our arena. Like fixing the harrow so it can be dragged. My horse nearly faceplanted today, and her stifle slipped. Not riding in the main arena ever. again. The footing is horrible, and it floods every time it rains.
d.) Pasture conditions. Our drainage is terrible. Fencing is safe, grass is high-quality, but when it rains, we have several inches of standing water.
e.) Ridiculous new rules. I can honestly understand having certain rules for safety, but not being allowed to take our horses in grassy areas because he wants to have a nice lawn? Really? Maybe we wouldn't have to ride in the grass if our arena wasn't constantly flooding. It's not like our barn is super nice, either. We are a back-home eventing barn. We're kind of the redneck joke barn at all the nice shows. Our riders are great (well, our competitive ones), but none of us are rich.
f.) And one more new owner thing. He has no sense. None whatsoever. He has left the pasture gates open six or seven times since he took over, and all the horses have gone all over the property. And then it's up to the boarders to make a mad dash for the gate to keep them out of the street, grab leadropes and longe whips, and start trying to corral them to safety while he sits around playing with his backhoe.
So I might be a little prejudiced against the barn owner. But it's a matter of safety. Paige is moving as well, and Katie may too since her father and the owner had a huge fall out the other day.
I am going to miss Millennium. I have all but lived there for six years. It's where I grew up- I know every knot in the pasture fencing, every bump in the driveway. But when it comes to safety, I don't have a choice. I'm going to miss the social aspect so much. As annoying as the perpetual drama is, it keeps things interesting. And everyone has known everyone since we were little. God, Wendy (Sarah's mom) taught me to ride. She still seems to think of me as the chubby little girl with the paint pony. And I babysat Maddie when she was little (I'm six years older than her.) I remember when Claire *wasn't* six feet tall, lol.
But whatever, you know? Sometimes you just have to move forward. And it's not like Twin Gaits is that far away (actually, it's five miles down the dirt road, but set back.) It will be a better move all around, financially (it's a better value and tendon injuries cost a LOT of moolah), it's safer, it's more professional. All the riders are dressage re-riders, with one hell-for-leather eventer. There's even a professional dressage trainer campaigning a PMU horse at fourth level. It's awesome.
Look how fanceh!
So I guess I'm going to be moving to a new barn in the next few weeks. A few reasons:
a.) They are paving our dirt road. I really don't want my horse breathing those fumes. Also, our farm maintenance (another reason) has recently gotten pretty shoddy. I don't want her to break an ill-maintained gate and get hit by a car.
b.) Our new barn owner is a complete a**hole. He drinks our drinks from the fridge, orders ALL of the boarders around like lackeys, and invests as little time and money into the barn as is possible. He builds big bonfires and burns tires. It's ridiculous.
c.) Arena maintenance. Said new owner refuses to put anything into our arena. Like fixing the harrow so it can be dragged. My horse nearly faceplanted today, and her stifle slipped. Not riding in the main arena ever. again. The footing is horrible, and it floods every time it rains.
d.) Pasture conditions. Our drainage is terrible. Fencing is safe, grass is high-quality, but when it rains, we have several inches of standing water.
e.) Ridiculous new rules. I can honestly understand having certain rules for safety, but not being allowed to take our horses in grassy areas because he wants to have a nice lawn? Really? Maybe we wouldn't have to ride in the grass if our arena wasn't constantly flooding. It's not like our barn is super nice, either. We are a back-home eventing barn. We're kind of the redneck joke barn at all the nice shows. Our riders are great (well, our competitive ones), but none of us are rich.
f.) And one more new owner thing. He has no sense. None whatsoever. He has left the pasture gates open six or seven times since he took over, and all the horses have gone all over the property. And then it's up to the boarders to make a mad dash for the gate to keep them out of the street, grab leadropes and longe whips, and start trying to corral them to safety while he sits around playing with his backhoe.
So I might be a little prejudiced against the barn owner. But it's a matter of safety. Paige is moving as well, and Katie may too since her father and the owner had a huge fall out the other day.
I am going to miss Millennium. I have all but lived there for six years. It's where I grew up- I know every knot in the pasture fencing, every bump in the driveway. But when it comes to safety, I don't have a choice. I'm going to miss the social aspect so much. As annoying as the perpetual drama is, it keeps things interesting. And everyone has known everyone since we were little. God, Wendy (Sarah's mom) taught me to ride. She still seems to think of me as the chubby little girl with the paint pony. And I babysat Maddie when she was little (I'm six years older than her.) I remember when Claire *wasn't* six feet tall, lol.
But whatever, you know? Sometimes you just have to move forward. And it's not like Twin Gaits is that far away (actually, it's five miles down the dirt road, but set back.) It will be a better move all around, financially (it's a better value and tendon injuries cost a LOT of moolah), it's safer, it's more professional. All the riders are dressage re-riders, with one hell-for-leather eventer. There's even a professional dressage trainer campaigning a PMU horse at fourth level. It's awesome.
Lesson
I like it that my new trainer is a total and complete Nazi. It's exactly what I need.
Anyways. Our prescription for this week is grids, grids, grids. She wants Bunny in cavaletti/groundpole grids for the first few days this week, and then add crossrails and a low vertical at our last two schools. Part of it's my fault- I seem to have lost ALL my jumping ability lately... I end up releasing with my whole upper body, instead of with my arms. Patti asked me if I even remembered what a crest release was (uh oh.) So it's super fun time to tune the both of us up. Bunny takes really WEIRD distances to everything, so hopefully the grids will help her think about her feet a little bit (and her weird timing is part of what is throwing me off, I think. I'm paranoid about hitting her in the mouth, and so, whereas I usually use a short release because I *was* balanced in the tack with Berky, I'm giving this weird huge floppy thing. )
Oh, green horses. She's just the best baby ever, I'm pretty sure. I really love this little mare.
Anyways, we also had lead trouble, out of the blue. I think she just got frazzled and started flailing around and doing whatever when she knew she had messed up. I mean, it's not like I get angry or upset, but she can kind of sense that it wasn't right, and so she hurries hurries hurries to try to do what I wanted. And that never works quite right.
Also, she was super behind my leg the whole time, and Patti wants us in the loooong under saddle trot. We haven't mastered the scwung consistently, but it's coming. But I kind of used up all my energy getting her into that swinging, rhythmic trot, so when it was time to canter, I was probably more floppy than ideal.
And you know what? All this is fine. She's a baby, and Rome wasn't built in a day. She's so smart and so willing, and I'd rather not spoil that or drill it out of her.
What got me angry:
Two of or other riders (what's more, both aren't very capable themselves. They have no conception of *feel*) were shit talking me, my horse, and my trainer. I mean, whatthehell? So apparently they know more about my greeny than I do, all of a sudden, and all about how my trainer doesn't know what she's talking about, and how my horse is just lazy. (Which, ok, she's lazy, but I have a good feel of her and KNOW she was frustrated, not being bad.)
What makes it worse is that they were doing this right in front of my very good friend, Paige, and just expecting her to go along with it. Really? Really? Paige told them to knock it off, but still. What was going through their heads? This isn't the way our stable operates. We aren't a bunch of hens who get together and pick at whoever isn't around. That sort of behavior is immature and ridiculous.
I mean, I'm going to let it go simply because I wasn't there and it's only word of mouth-Paige told me- and I'd rather not come off some blustering idiot. I've already had a run-in with one of the girls (sorry, but you CANNOT repeatedly try to implicate me in YOUR OWN mistakes, and then call your father crying so he can come and yell at me. I don't play that game. I'm not catty, and I fight my own battles with as much dignity as I can.) and I'd just as soon not stir that up again. Her dad already has it in for me. However, if she screws up again, I'm not going to sit and take it. She's just being immature. As for the other girl, well, she's young. And I'd like her to know better, given I help her out *all the time* and have never, ever given her any reason to behave that way. She rides a push-button horse who will tolerate her yanking on him, because that's her conception of "training,"and I wouldn't let her near my horse's mouth with a carrot. But I guess it all comes with practice.
/end rant.
I love how I just wrote half a post about little girl drama.
Anyways. Our prescription for this week is grids, grids, grids. She wants Bunny in cavaletti/groundpole grids for the first few days this week, and then add crossrails and a low vertical at our last two schools. Part of it's my fault- I seem to have lost ALL my jumping ability lately... I end up releasing with my whole upper body, instead of with my arms. Patti asked me if I even remembered what a crest release was (uh oh.) So it's super fun time to tune the both of us up. Bunny takes really WEIRD distances to everything, so hopefully the grids will help her think about her feet a little bit (and her weird timing is part of what is throwing me off, I think. I'm paranoid about hitting her in the mouth, and so, whereas I usually use a short release because I *was* balanced in the tack with Berky, I'm giving this weird huge floppy thing. )
Oh, green horses. She's just the best baby ever, I'm pretty sure. I really love this little mare.
Anyways, we also had lead trouble, out of the blue. I think she just got frazzled and started flailing around and doing whatever when she knew she had messed up. I mean, it's not like I get angry or upset, but she can kind of sense that it wasn't right, and so she hurries hurries hurries to try to do what I wanted. And that never works quite right.
Also, she was super behind my leg the whole time, and Patti wants us in the loooong under saddle trot. We haven't mastered the scwung consistently, but it's coming. But I kind of used up all my energy getting her into that swinging, rhythmic trot, so when it was time to canter, I was probably more floppy than ideal.
And you know what? All this is fine. She's a baby, and Rome wasn't built in a day. She's so smart and so willing, and I'd rather not spoil that or drill it out of her.
What got me angry:
Two of or other riders (what's more, both aren't very capable themselves. They have no conception of *feel*) were shit talking me, my horse, and my trainer. I mean, whatthehell? So apparently they know more about my greeny than I do, all of a sudden, and all about how my trainer doesn't know what she's talking about, and how my horse is just lazy. (Which, ok, she's lazy, but I have a good feel of her and KNOW she was frustrated, not being bad.)
What makes it worse is that they were doing this right in front of my very good friend, Paige, and just expecting her to go along with it. Really? Really? Paige told them to knock it off, but still. What was going through their heads? This isn't the way our stable operates. We aren't a bunch of hens who get together and pick at whoever isn't around. That sort of behavior is immature and ridiculous.
I mean, I'm going to let it go simply because I wasn't there and it's only word of mouth-Paige told me- and I'd rather not come off some blustering idiot. I've already had a run-in with one of the girls (sorry, but you CANNOT repeatedly try to implicate me in YOUR OWN mistakes, and then call your father crying so he can come and yell at me. I don't play that game. I'm not catty, and I fight my own battles with as much dignity as I can.) and I'd just as soon not stir that up again. Her dad already has it in for me. However, if she screws up again, I'm not going to sit and take it. She's just being immature. As for the other girl, well, she's young. And I'd like her to know better, given I help her out *all the time* and have never, ever given her any reason to behave that way. She rides a push-button horse who will tolerate her yanking on him, because that's her conception of "training,"and I wouldn't let her near my horse's mouth with a carrot. But I guess it all comes with practice.
/end rant.
I love how I just wrote half a post about little girl drama.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sarah's Denna Video
Sarah Felman made a video dedicated to Denna. More videos of FPF's little world can be viewed on her channel (EQlokidreamer)/ her "A Cause I'm A Pothole Productions" Facebook page. (The name is from the Geico commercial.. it's kind of an around the barn joke :P)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Cantering and my awkward position.
I seem to be in a permanent somewhat almost half-seat. I need to learn to sit up. This explains so much.
And there, you can see our difficulty. Although, she is looking much better since I've been letting her sort her own balance out. WAAAY on the forehand, but I think she needs a lot of transition work before I can expect her to legitimately collect (or even be on the bit...) She is lacking in booty muscle, anyway, as she *is* just a baby. (The best baby ever :D)
She's so friggin smart. It is just blowing me away. Man, she comes across so easy-going, but the better I get to know her, the more surprised I am. And bless her heart, poor girl gets so worked up when we mess up, and she tries to fix it and just falls all over herself. I am having to learn not to push her- she does better when I introduce her to something and then let her sort it out. But when she sorts it out, you can see the lightbulb. Like, in our trot-halts. Just a few, and now I say "and whoa" and she comes to a screeching halt, square and as on the bit as we can ask for right now.
On my side, I am so irritated about my position. Grr! I still have "the hunch." Oh, the hunch! The bane of my equitation classes! Mreh, I need to shove a crop down my shirt and take some dressage lessons. Also, I've started collapsing my entire right side (My mum, of all people, noticed that today.) Hrm. Stuff to work on, I guess.
Oh yeah, and we were doing long serpentines (like five down the long side), and I noticed. Mare doesn't like to go straight (even after I fixed my Pisa-esque tilt). I add leg, and she moves her barrel and goes crooked. You can literally feel her barrel shift from one side to another. I guess it's good that she's responsive, but it makes life difficult. It also explains why, when we leg yield, I have to reaaaally focus or she'll lead with her shoulder. Hrm. Circles are in order.
That said, GOALS:
*Sit UP!
*Fix knee wonkiness
*Circlescirclescircles
*Work outside arena so she doesn't anticipate
*Improve engagement in upward transitions.
And there, you can see our difficulty. Although, she is looking much better since I've been letting her sort her own balance out. WAAAY on the forehand, but I think she needs a lot of transition work before I can expect her to legitimately collect (or even be on the bit...) She is lacking in booty muscle, anyway, as she *is* just a baby. (The best baby ever :D)
She's so friggin smart. It is just blowing me away. Man, she comes across so easy-going, but the better I get to know her, the more surprised I am. And bless her heart, poor girl gets so worked up when we mess up, and she tries to fix it and just falls all over herself. I am having to learn not to push her- she does better when I introduce her to something and then let her sort it out. But when she sorts it out, you can see the lightbulb. Like, in our trot-halts. Just a few, and now I say "and whoa" and she comes to a screeching halt, square and as on the bit as we can ask for right now.
On my side, I am so irritated about my position. Grr! I still have "the hunch." Oh, the hunch! The bane of my equitation classes! Mreh, I need to shove a crop down my shirt and take some dressage lessons. Also, I've started collapsing my entire right side (My mum, of all people, noticed that today.) Hrm. Stuff to work on, I guess.
Oh yeah, and we were doing long serpentines (like five down the long side), and I noticed. Mare doesn't like to go straight (even after I fixed my Pisa-esque tilt). I add leg, and she moves her barrel and goes crooked. You can literally feel her barrel shift from one side to another. I guess it's good that she's responsive, but it makes life difficult. It also explains why, when we leg yield, I have to reaaaally focus or she'll lead with her shoulder. Hrm. Circles are in order.
That said, GOALS:
*Sit UP!
*Fix knee wonkiness
*Circlescirclescircles
*Work outside arena so she doesn't anticipate
*Improve engagement in upward transitions.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Day off.
I love my little horse. She's so sharp- she's started anticipating even after one repitition, so she keeps me on my toes trying to keep her on her toes. Yesterday, we did serpentines on a loose rein. I have to work on riding off my seat, and since she's on a loose rein while she finds her balance, it's an even bargain. (Sorry, it's 12 AM and I'm a little loopy. Ignore incoherence.)
Anyways, I feel like my equitation has improved, at least at the canter. When I give her a loop in the rein, I can sit deeper and focus on my position, since she calms down considerably and will listen to my seat aids. She even lifted her back up really nicely- I can "collect" her off my lower body through corners... it's really neat to feel her back come up and start reaching, even though she's still long and low.
Here are some trot pictures. I don't have any decent stills from cantering. I seemed to pick places my camera was angled away from.
At the beginning: you can see she is a little strung out and not really "with it."
After painstaking trot-halt/serpentines:
Yay, engagement! It still weirds me out for her to carry herself that low. I'm so used to being "on the bit" traditionally, but as long as she's supple and active, I'm not horribly worried. I do ask her to lift up when we do circles and through turns, as when she is that low, we really can't bend.
And, not sure why my cropping isn't working. Dumb photobucket :/
Anyways, I feel like my equitation has improved, at least at the canter. When I give her a loop in the rein, I can sit deeper and focus on my position, since she calms down considerably and will listen to my seat aids. She even lifted her back up really nicely- I can "collect" her off my lower body through corners... it's really neat to feel her back come up and start reaching, even though she's still long and low.
Here are some trot pictures. I don't have any decent stills from cantering. I seemed to pick places my camera was angled away from.
At the beginning: you can see she is a little strung out and not really "with it."
After painstaking trot-halt/serpentines:
Yay, engagement! It still weirds me out for her to carry herself that low. I'm so used to being "on the bit" traditionally, but as long as she's supple and active, I'm not horribly worried. I do ask her to lift up when we do circles and through turns, as when she is that low, we really can't bend.
And, not sure why my cropping isn't working. Dumb photobucket :/
Thursday, June 17, 2010
New trainer, as in I'm learning all my stock horse's fun little buttons.
So I'm riding with Patti Conte now, a local hunter trainer with thirty years of experience under her belt. I've known her from here and there-she is campaigning a 17.2 gray TB.. kinda hard to miss-, and looked at one of her horses a while back- a gorgeous little black TB mare, who was a little more horse than I wanted.
And boy, for someone as exuberant and goofy as she seems when she ISN'T teaching, she can really put a whoopin' on her students. I do believe she told me something like, "I am going to smash you up into little tiny pieces and put you back together again. Now get those shoulders back!" or something to that effect. Which is perfect- just what I need. Another trainer to really get after me.
And with a veteran hunter, comes all sorts of fun little tricks. Buttons I didn't know my four year old baby even had... like a spur stop. WTF. That explains so much. She kind of left it up to me whether I wanted to use it or not, which I can understand as it *is* kind of controversial. I don't know. It's handy to have in the tool kit, for sure, and it's definitely a good safety thing. I just have to wonder who broke my little mare like that? Yett is an eventer. Hmm. Will the wonders never cease??
Apparently, she also knows that a kiss means "Lope. NOW." We were going through all her little buttons and tricks, and so Patti had me ask her for a slow canter from a halt. And yep, a kiss and she was off. That isn't to say we don't have stuff to work on, though. The little booger is so smart that she started anticipating transitions AFTER OUR FIRST TIME AROUND. What a snot *eyeroll.* Lol, at least she's willing.
Clucks to trot, not so much. We have to work on that. Also, she will throw her shoulder out and drift wherever she pleases if I let her. I have to remember my outside aids when she does that, which is so friggin' hard all of a sudden. Mreh. Time and practice. I think she just knows what she can get away with, haha. Like how my rubber reins get slippery, and she knows she doesn't have to halt if she conveniently pulls down when I say,"Whoa." So we are going to ride with gloves, like non-hooligans.
So I have a fun little repertoire of things to work on this week. She is brilliant with her frame- I tend to keep her flexed a tad to the inside, but when I let go, she will level herself out and swing. It's lovely, and I had been messing with it with a bad habit... hrm. Also, my freakish lower leg: since doing all manner of crap without stirrups for twenty minutes a day isn't helping (although I will say I am in fabulous shape, haha), she prescribed half-seat. Every ride. The whole ride, if I can keep her going well. It will reward her back, encourage me to keep my hands even, and force me to quit rotating my leg, which is just habit, I guess, since I *can* fix it when I really concentrate. I'm glad I don't have shows coming up, at least not for a few weeks.. man, the calendar is filling up, haha.
And boy, for someone as exuberant and goofy as she seems when she ISN'T teaching, she can really put a whoopin' on her students. I do believe she told me something like, "I am going to smash you up into little tiny pieces and put you back together again. Now get those shoulders back!" or something to that effect. Which is perfect- just what I need. Another trainer to really get after me.
And with a veteran hunter, comes all sorts of fun little tricks. Buttons I didn't know my four year old baby even had... like a spur stop. WTF. That explains so much. She kind of left it up to me whether I wanted to use it or not, which I can understand as it *is* kind of controversial. I don't know. It's handy to have in the tool kit, for sure, and it's definitely a good safety thing. I just have to wonder who broke my little mare like that? Yett is an eventer. Hmm. Will the wonders never cease??
Apparently, she also knows that a kiss means "Lope. NOW." We were going through all her little buttons and tricks, and so Patti had me ask her for a slow canter from a halt. And yep, a kiss and she was off. That isn't to say we don't have stuff to work on, though. The little booger is so smart that she started anticipating transitions AFTER OUR FIRST TIME AROUND. What a snot *eyeroll.* Lol, at least she's willing.
Clucks to trot, not so much. We have to work on that. Also, she will throw her shoulder out and drift wherever she pleases if I let her. I have to remember my outside aids when she does that, which is so friggin' hard all of a sudden. Mreh. Time and practice. I think she just knows what she can get away with, haha. Like how my rubber reins get slippery, and she knows she doesn't have to halt if she conveniently pulls down when I say,"Whoa." So we are going to ride with gloves, like non-hooligans.
So I have a fun little repertoire of things to work on this week. She is brilliant with her frame- I tend to keep her flexed a tad to the inside, but when I let go, she will level herself out and swing. It's lovely, and I had been messing with it with a bad habit... hrm. Also, my freakish lower leg: since doing all manner of crap without stirrups for twenty minutes a day isn't helping (although I will say I am in fabulous shape, haha), she prescribed half-seat. Every ride. The whole ride, if I can keep her going well. It will reward her back, encourage me to keep my hands even, and force me to quit rotating my leg, which is just habit, I guess, since I *can* fix it when I really concentrate. I'm glad I don't have shows coming up, at least not for a few weeks.. man, the calendar is filling up, haha.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Canterbury :D/ new trainer
Ok, so Saturday, I had a show at Canterbury. We entered in the Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter Pleasure, Equitation, and then the crossrails (hahaha).
I have photos, but first I have to whine a little. Florida is so miserably hot. Gainesville, Florida, under a covered arena, at midday, is akin to riding in the Sahara. The heat just *sits* on you. Thankfully, jackets were waived.
Katie, Sarah, Paige, and I all went together to compete, although Paige scratched her classes and decided to school. Katie showed the 3' jumpers, Sarah did uh, Children/Adults hunters? Or something? Haha, can't quite remember. Either way, we all had a lot of fun.
And here are the goods.
I love this one.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Denna, you will be missed.
Denna passed away today. She had a series of strokes coming out of surgery, and went brain-dead. They took her off life support this morning.
I don't even know how to react. She was such an amazing person- she comes across a little rough, but she had such a strong will and so much dedication to helping others. She provided Christmas and medical care, tough love to kids who needed it, kept us out of trouble and motivated us to never be satisfied with anything less than perfection. She brought some of us from crossrails to the Marshall and Sterling finals. She wasn't afraid to be honest, but you could always count on her to be understanding when you needed it.
She made us 'STRONG LIKE BULL,' challenged us to become better riders and better people. She taught us to see a goal and commit, like committing to a distance in a line. She taught us that "90% of life, riding, and everything else is just believing that you can do it." She kept us grounded, and was a second mom to so many of us.
So we keep our chins up, in honor of Denna. We strive for perfection, because that's what she would have wanted us to do. We are going to pull together and get through this- I know it. She's better off, and she wouldn't want us crying over her anyways. After all, we are strong like bull, aren't we?
In memory of Denna- we all love you so much.
More on Denna:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dennajohnson/journal
http://fullpartnersfarm.net/
Monday, June 7, 2010
Her name is Rio, and she dances on the saaannndd!
Why yes, I am singing Duran Duran. I made a playlist to school to, and an disproportionate amount of new wave on it. Here, have some overjoyed Simon le Bon.
Anyways. Prepping for the Canterbury show. Some little snit stole four or five of my bits, which makes me incredibly angry. Someone has been stealing stuff out of the tack room like you wouldn't even believe. Argh.
So we schooled a mini-course today- just 2ft. She is such a doll. I might have some pictures pinging around on my video camera. I'll upload them when I get a chance. And she's getting her changes automatically, which is awwwessomme!
Talked to the insurance agency about Berky's claim. I guess they're going to honor it. I can't believe it. It has been a month. A month. I don't even want to think about it. It makes me want to throw up.
Anyways. Prepping for the Canterbury show. Some little snit stole four or five of my bits, which makes me incredibly angry. Someone has been stealing stuff out of the tack room like you wouldn't even believe. Argh.
So we schooled a mini-course today- just 2ft. She is such a doll. I might have some pictures pinging around on my video camera. I'll upload them when I get a chance. And she's getting her changes automatically, which is awwwessomme!
Talked to the insurance agency about Berky's claim. I guess they're going to honor it. I can't believe it. It has been a month. A month. I don't even want to think about it. It makes me want to throw up.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Lead woes; the light comes on
So I seem to have a much harder time getting her right lead in the dressage arena, versus in the cross-country pasture or jumping arena. This baffled me. For one, I'd cue on a 20m circle, when she was evenly bent, and I'd give with my hands a bit so she wouldn't be confused. You know, inside flexion, inside leg at the girth like a pillar, outside leg catching the haunch, push the barrel into your outside leg, etc.
I tried spirals, asking down the long side, in the corners, leg yielding her into it. And I was banging my head against the wall. I ALWAYS check my tack and horse for damage/soreness before I get on. The barn masseuse just looked her over yesterday. So it wasn't physical- it was pilot error. ( I am SUPER paranoid about soreness. omg. No, I check backs, legs, mouths, little elbow skin places, what have you, obsessively.)
It was so strange. So. Fricking. Strange. I'd cue for the right lead, and she'd take the left and start drifting WAY out to the rail. I'd try to catch her with my outside aids, and she'd bulge. It's like her "wrong lead" radar was telling her to change directions. Now if only it would tell her to change *leads.* And this is bad, considering I was attempting to work on our transitions.
So, like any respectable horseperson, when I came home, I got on le Google.
And found a Jane Savoie article on leads, and a few threads on some forums. They kind of reinforced my sneaking suspicion that her flexion was off. She breaks at the neck, instead of at the poll, when we bend, and I was kind of thinking that it was throwing her out of balance. I found a blurb on a reining site about how their haunches travel, and how really, it's the way the haunch is oriented that determines the canter lead. I knew that the outside hind was the leg that needed to be cued, but this kind of opened up a new avenue. It said that, if the shoulder moves off the rail (rather than the poll being flexed), it negates the haunch aid and the horse will get the opposite lead. Makes sense enough to me.
And, this explains my lead trouble. I can get it on a straightaway, but not on a curve. Because she bends at the wrong place and takes too much weight on her inside foreleg. Oooooh, ooookay. *Light goes on* And the smallness of the dressage arena only adds to that, I suppose.
So now, we have application to deal with. I have been riding without stirrups most of my ride trying to tighten up my lower leg, but I think I probably need to pick them back up when I work on her canter transitions just to eliminate any unbalance on my part. I'm a lot better about my position, but I don't want to make anything worse.
Anyways, I was thinking I might want to put my nub spurs back on (not my 3/4" POW spurs- don't need those at the moment) to give her a more precise cue to move over from my leg. Also, I think it's time to bust out the in-hand work and work our flexion on the ground. The little snot is a master of evasion: she goes behind the bit on a loose rein, if I let her. She must have had some draw reins or something at one point. And I'm going to break out some simple patterns to get her lighter up front. We rode squares today, for probably ten minutes: working trot to the rail, turn on the forehand, shoulder in down rail, turn on the haunches, leg yield down the line, and turn on the forehand, and then reverse back to point A. Actually, I think I messed it up trying to write it out, but you get the general idea. You want straight lines, crisp corners, and improved response.
Lastly, I don't know if Allanah is still up to training this week. Hm. So I may be paying Patti Conte (other hunter trainer) a visit to touch things up before our show.
I tried spirals, asking down the long side, in the corners, leg yielding her into it. And I was banging my head against the wall. I ALWAYS check my tack and horse for damage/soreness before I get on. The barn masseuse just looked her over yesterday. So it wasn't physical- it was pilot error. ( I am SUPER paranoid about soreness. omg. No, I check backs, legs, mouths, little elbow skin places, what have you, obsessively.)
It was so strange. So. Fricking. Strange. I'd cue for the right lead, and she'd take the left and start drifting WAY out to the rail. I'd try to catch her with my outside aids, and she'd bulge. It's like her "wrong lead" radar was telling her to change directions. Now if only it would tell her to change *leads.* And this is bad, considering I was attempting to work on our transitions.
So, like any respectable horseperson, when I came home, I got on le Google.
And found a Jane Savoie article on leads, and a few threads on some forums. They kind of reinforced my sneaking suspicion that her flexion was off. She breaks at the neck, instead of at the poll, when we bend, and I was kind of thinking that it was throwing her out of balance. I found a blurb on a reining site about how their haunches travel, and how really, it's the way the haunch is oriented that determines the canter lead. I knew that the outside hind was the leg that needed to be cued, but this kind of opened up a new avenue. It said that, if the shoulder moves off the rail (rather than the poll being flexed), it negates the haunch aid and the horse will get the opposite lead. Makes sense enough to me.
And, this explains my lead trouble. I can get it on a straightaway, but not on a curve. Because she bends at the wrong place and takes too much weight on her inside foreleg. Oooooh, ooookay. *Light goes on* And the smallness of the dressage arena only adds to that, I suppose.
So now, we have application to deal with. I have been riding without stirrups most of my ride trying to tighten up my lower leg, but I think I probably need to pick them back up when I work on her canter transitions just to eliminate any unbalance on my part. I'm a lot better about my position, but I don't want to make anything worse.
Anyways, I was thinking I might want to put my nub spurs back on (not my 3/4" POW spurs- don't need those at the moment) to give her a more precise cue to move over from my leg. Also, I think it's time to bust out the in-hand work and work our flexion on the ground. The little snot is a master of evasion: she goes behind the bit on a loose rein, if I let her. She must have had some draw reins or something at one point. And I'm going to break out some simple patterns to get her lighter up front. We rode squares today, for probably ten minutes: working trot to the rail, turn on the forehand, shoulder in down rail, turn on the haunches, leg yield down the line, and turn on the forehand, and then reverse back to point A. Actually, I think I messed it up trying to write it out, but you get the general idea. You want straight lines, crisp corners, and improved response.
Lastly, I don't know if Allanah is still up to training this week. Hm. So I may be paying Patti Conte (other hunter trainer) a visit to touch things up before our show.
Show, and then plans for Denna's benefit show next weekend
So Denna had an aneurysm last week, and scared us all to death :/ She has been in an induced coma for several days, and all her bank accounts have been frozen, so we are trying to raise money to pay for her bills until they can wake her up. (She has 30+ horses in training, and others she is boarding.) The doctors are estimating months of recovery time, and three more weeks in the hospital. Ugh...
She is a beloved judge and trainer in Central Florida, and so the Canterbury Equestrian Park has decided to use the proceeds from their Tri-Country H/J show for Denna's farm bills. So Bunny and I are doing a show a little sooner than we thought.
I think I'm going to do these classes, if I get myself comfortable hauling my behind around a low course between now and then:
'Warm-up Classes'
21.)Crossrails Hunter over fences
23.)Crossrails Hunter u/s
24.)Crossrails Equitation flat
Legit classes:
Hunt Seat Equitation (I'm gonna get my rear end kicked if I don't fix my leg)
Hunter Pleasure
Hunter Under Saddle
Baby Green Hunter O/F 2' (both classes)
Baby Green Hunter Flat
One thing I'm really having to adapt to is the fact that Bunny is built so downhill. I look at my photos and think, "Holy croup, Batman!" But then I realize, well, there's no rocking her back just yet, because she needs some serious strength to do that with her build, so I may as well work MORE transitions/patterns and work on keeping her back up. It's a weird transition, going from super-uphill TBs to a downhill Quarter Horse, haha. Also, her canter feels really fast, but I watch the video, and she actually seems cadenced. Oh, the wonders of conformation.
ACTIVE TROT FTW.
My stirrups were so long today. I don't even know how I rode with them like that. I got a new pair of leathers, and my legs are different lengths, so, uh, yeah. It was an adventchaaa! in leg stuff. Also, the arena carnage is because we had a wicked huge windstorm and everything blew down.
In other news, the other girls went to a show today. It was an experience, most definitely. The horses were all nuts. I probably saw six or eight falls today, and countless refusals. Never have I seen so much misbehavior! One horse bucked down a line, another bolted and took out a standard, another crow hopped so violently that he sent his petite rider over his shoulder. Paige's Canadian gelding, Chagall, refused two fences in his round, and when she took him to the back ring to school, Allanah (the barn trainer), got on him to help her out.
Allanah jumps him over the plain white fence twice each way, and then has us raise it to 3'3 or so. (From 2'9. This is what they are schooling at home, and what they schooled last night.) He tried to run out, and Allanah stopped him, picked up another clean canter, and rode him to the fence. She asked for the longer spot, and he decided to chip instead and jump over his knees- like launch way up in the process.
She lost a stirrup, and when they landed, he bolted and started bucking. Really violently. He wasn't sore- Paige just had him adjusted, and he had been fine the whole rest of the trip, except for the two refusals. He threw A BIG ONE, and launched Allanah up and over. She landed on her head (yeesh) and ended up going to the hospital with a concussion.
So the rest of the show went on, trainerless.
Sarah kicked behind with How-D in her hunter classes, and did tolerably well in her 3' jumper division. She two perfectly clean rounds, and won a jump off. :D
Katie competed against her in the jumpers, and did well too, but Adeline is super hot and she had to hold her back a little more to keep her round on the approach.(Obviously, that's a good thing.) However, she messed up her striding and took a rail.
Maddie did the 2'6-2'9 hunters, and kicked behind. Jack was the only horse in the class to jump the skeery outside line without any bobbles.
Natalie had her first show with Othello, and did the short stirrup. She's our youngest rider, and we were all really on edge hoping she'd do well. She took Grand. Of course. That's how we roll at Millennium :D
She is a beloved judge and trainer in Central Florida, and so the Canterbury Equestrian Park has decided to use the proceeds from their Tri-Country H/J show for Denna's farm bills. So Bunny and I are doing a show a little sooner than we thought.
I think I'm going to do these classes, if I get myself comfortable hauling my behind around a low course between now and then:
'Warm-up Classes'
21.)Crossrails Hunter over fences
23.)Crossrails Hunter u/s
24.)Crossrails Equitation flat
Legit classes:
Hunt Seat Equitation (I'm gonna get my rear end kicked if I don't fix my leg)
Hunter Pleasure
Hunter Under Saddle
Baby Green Hunter O/F 2' (both classes)
Baby Green Hunter Flat
One thing I'm really having to adapt to is the fact that Bunny is built so downhill. I look at my photos and think, "Holy croup, Batman!" But then I realize, well, there's no rocking her back just yet, because she needs some serious strength to do that with her build, so I may as well work MORE transitions/patterns and work on keeping her back up. It's a weird transition, going from super-uphill TBs to a downhill Quarter Horse, haha. Also, her canter feels really fast, but I watch the video, and she actually seems cadenced. Oh, the wonders of conformation.
ACTIVE TROT FTW.
My stirrups were so long today. I don't even know how I rode with them like that. I got a new pair of leathers, and my legs are different lengths, so, uh, yeah. It was an adventchaaa! in leg stuff. Also, the arena carnage is because we had a wicked huge windstorm and everything blew down.
In other news, the other girls went to a show today. It was an experience, most definitely. The horses were all nuts. I probably saw six or eight falls today, and countless refusals. Never have I seen so much misbehavior! One horse bucked down a line, another bolted and took out a standard, another crow hopped so violently that he sent his petite rider over his shoulder. Paige's Canadian gelding, Chagall, refused two fences in his round, and when she took him to the back ring to school, Allanah (the barn trainer), got on him to help her out.
Allanah jumps him over the plain white fence twice each way, and then has us raise it to 3'3 or so. (From 2'9. This is what they are schooling at home, and what they schooled last night.) He tried to run out, and Allanah stopped him, picked up another clean canter, and rode him to the fence. She asked for the longer spot, and he decided to chip instead and jump over his knees- like launch way up in the process.
She lost a stirrup, and when they landed, he bolted and started bucking. Really violently. He wasn't sore- Paige just had him adjusted, and he had been fine the whole rest of the trip, except for the two refusals. He threw A BIG ONE, and launched Allanah up and over. She landed on her head (yeesh) and ended up going to the hospital with a concussion.
So the rest of the show went on, trainerless.
Sarah kicked behind with How-D in her hunter classes, and did tolerably well in her 3' jumper division. She two perfectly clean rounds, and won a jump off. :D
Katie competed against her in the jumpers, and did well too, but Adeline is super hot and she had to hold her back a little more to keep her round on the approach.(Obviously, that's a good thing.) However, she messed up her striding and took a rail.
Maddie did the 2'6-2'9 hunters, and kicked behind. Jack was the only horse in the class to jump the skeery outside line without any bobbles.
Natalie had her first show with Othello, and did the short stirrup. She's our youngest rider, and we were all really on edge hoping she'd do well. She took Grand. Of course. That's how we roll at Millennium :D
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Troubleshooting/thinking out loud
Ok, so am thinking about Ms. Mare's movement and balance. I love her trot, but I feel like she doesn't have enough development to carry the slow, sweepy motion into the canter. So I've been thinking.
1. Lateral work. We've been working a little shoulder-in from time to time, and leg yielding, but I kind of think I need to dust off my old Western knowledge and start working on our two-step and a legit turn on the forehand. I try to do turn on the haunches whenever I reverse- may as well take advantage of the change in direction, right? Hm. Also, moving the haunches over to stretch her out and get her to take a little more weight on her hind.
2. More long and low. I'm kind of teetering on the brink of allowing her to stay stretched- provided her back is up and haunch is active- and asking for briefer periods of traditional on-the-bit work, i.e. flexion at the poll. I don't want her to flop on the forehand, but I kind of feel like keeping her "up" is just going to result in tension at this point.Unless we are stretching/long and low, I DO want her poll to be the highest point. I think the looser rein might help her find her balance, if I couple it with half halts and transitions.
Obviously, it's muscular. And to be honest, she's only four, so if she had mad skillz all around, I'd be worried. She's even supposed to grow another inch-hopefully, that will level her out some, haha.
This is a confo diagram I did off her sale photo, and she has grown since whenever this was taken. Her balance was slightly more level then, as you can see.
But it's 1AM, I can't sleep (as usual haha), and I'm obsessing. So what do I know ;)
3. Other gymnastic work. Namely, cavaletti, hacking, etc. I took her out today and had her back up some hills. She was slightly confused, but compliant. I might make this part of our normal routine. Transitions. Transitions are my frieennd. Cherry Hill is my God at this point- I have all her 101 Etc. books.
Slowing her canter and trot will definitely come with time. It takes more muscle to hold together a slow movement than it does to rush through a fast one. So with that, I leave you.
1. Lateral work. We've been working a little shoulder-in from time to time, and leg yielding, but I kind of think I need to dust off my old Western knowledge and start working on our two-step and a legit turn on the forehand. I try to do turn on the haunches whenever I reverse- may as well take advantage of the change in direction, right? Hm. Also, moving the haunches over to stretch her out and get her to take a little more weight on her hind.
2. More long and low. I'm kind of teetering on the brink of allowing her to stay stretched- provided her back is up and haunch is active- and asking for briefer periods of traditional on-the-bit work, i.e. flexion at the poll. I don't want her to flop on the forehand, but I kind of feel like keeping her "up" is just going to result in tension at this point.Unless we are stretching/long and low, I DO want her poll to be the highest point. I think the looser rein might help her find her balance, if I couple it with half halts and transitions.
Obviously, it's muscular. And to be honest, she's only four, so if she had mad skillz all around, I'd be worried. She's even supposed to grow another inch-hopefully, that will level her out some, haha.
This is a confo diagram I did off her sale photo, and she has grown since whenever this was taken. Her balance was slightly more level then, as you can see.
But it's 1AM, I can't sleep (as usual haha), and I'm obsessing. So what do I know ;)
3. Other gymnastic work. Namely, cavaletti, hacking, etc. I took her out today and had her back up some hills. She was slightly confused, but compliant. I might make this part of our normal routine. Transitions. Transitions are my frieennd. Cherry Hill is my God at this point- I have all her 101 Etc. books.
Slowing her canter and trot will definitely come with time. It takes more muscle to hold together a slow movement than it does to rush through a fast one. So with that, I leave you.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Round 1 of the photospam. Mwahaha!
First dressage schooling. I don't know if she's ever been in a dressage arena, as it took her a little while to figure out that yes, the rail is tiny, but no, I shouldn't step over it. Silly mare.
I was really kind of shocked by how well behaved she was. We have been working a load of flatwork and some crossrail courses just trying to nail that rhythm. She's a bit downhill, so it's hard for her to rock back, but I've figured out how to get her to lift her back, and that's good for just a few days worth of work. The past two rides, she was a typical baby- "Ooh, look, a boy! Ooh, look, Allanah! Ooh, look, the flowerbox! I wonder if it's edible...." But today, she really came through. *insert proud parent face*
At the end, I needed to torture myself no-stirrups. My leg has somehow started twisting around at the knee- it's really strange. The flat of my thighs are correct, with them rotated toward the saddle, and I have a deep seat because I'm working a lot of sitting trot, but my lower leg is so oddly rotated. This needs to be fixed,especially because equitation is my main gig right now, haha. Anyways, as I was saying, she was a total doll about the whole thing.
It's so nice. She's really forward, and so I can push her into the bridle very nicely. This was my first time asking her for any flexion at the poll, and I think we did nicely. Not broken at the third vertebra, no gaping mouth. I'm pleased :D
My camera was set up on the fence, hence the shots all being in one place :P
*Note about the running martingale: I'm getting her used to the feel of different types of tack. I slid my stops way down to the bit, so they really wouldn't take any effect on her. I just wanted her to feel the weight of it and realize it wasn't scary.
Stretchy hunter trot.
My hands are killing me here.
She's stiff to the right, but we got our canter.
She dropped her back here. I needed to use more leg.
Whee, more stretchytimes! And I'm flobbotting. (Actually, I think this was a feeble attempt at a posting trot on the wrong diagonal, while simultaneously trainer-hunching. That takes some serious talent! :))
NGL, I am enamoured with her trot.
This is the crazy twist leg I refer to. It's obviously originating in the hip, and it goes away a little in the trot. I should probably find a way to relax my hip ligaments.
I was really kind of shocked by how well behaved she was. We have been working a load of flatwork and some crossrail courses just trying to nail that rhythm. She's a bit downhill, so it's hard for her to rock back, but I've figured out how to get her to lift her back, and that's good for just a few days worth of work. The past two rides, she was a typical baby- "Ooh, look, a boy! Ooh, look, Allanah! Ooh, look, the flowerbox! I wonder if it's edible...." But today, she really came through. *insert proud parent face*
At the end, I needed to torture myself no-stirrups. My leg has somehow started twisting around at the knee- it's really strange. The flat of my thighs are correct, with them rotated toward the saddle, and I have a deep seat because I'm working a lot of sitting trot, but my lower leg is so oddly rotated. This needs to be fixed,especially because equitation is my main gig right now, haha. Anyways, as I was saying, she was a total doll about the whole thing.
It's so nice. She's really forward, and so I can push her into the bridle very nicely. This was my first time asking her for any flexion at the poll, and I think we did nicely. Not broken at the third vertebra, no gaping mouth. I'm pleased :D
My camera was set up on the fence, hence the shots all being in one place :P
*Note about the running martingale: I'm getting her used to the feel of different types of tack. I slid my stops way down to the bit, so they really wouldn't take any effect on her. I just wanted her to feel the weight of it and realize it wasn't scary.
Stretchy hunter trot.
My hands are killing me here.
She's stiff to the right, but we got our canter.
She dropped her back here. I needed to use more leg.
Whee, more stretchytimes! And I'm flobbotting. (Actually, I think this was a feeble attempt at a posting trot on the wrong diagonal, while simultaneously trainer-hunching. That takes some serious talent! :))
NGL, I am enamoured with her trot.
This is the crazy twist leg I refer to. It's obviously originating in the hip, and it goes away a little in the trot. I should probably find a way to relax my hip ligaments.
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