Ride the horse you want

Implementing what I watched Lisa Wilcox do with the fancy-shmancy warmbloods and their riders has been gratifying. While Lance will never 'boing' with the incredible suspension seen in the clinic videos, we have moments of ballroom magic when I correctly channel what I heard and watched into my riding. As we were circling in a lovely, swinging, springing trot I thought, "Ride the horse you want."

For quite a while now, I've been "riding the horse I have" as I had no other option (plus I love my big red goober and exercise is part of his prescription). But by riding more effectively, Lance becomes the dressage partner I want – who knows; showing might even be in our future again! Most importantly, his foamy mouth tells me he's relaxed and happy in the work:

The feasting season

No, I'm not talking about Thanksgiving. 🍴

After a week of wonderful rides following the Lisa Wilcox clinic, yesterday I had a chance to audit the second day of an Anna Blake clinic! I have followed her blog for years and got to meet her at the World Cup in Omaha a year and a half ago, so when I found out late last week that she was going to be in Oregon I scrambled to find out when, where, and how much. Unfortunately I already had too many commitments in place to do more than audit one day of two two-day clinics, but that alone gave me plenty to chew on and implement at home. Here are some photos from yesterday.

Anna worked with all kinds of horses and their people, some mounted and some not. This clinic was specifically on "Calming Signals" and groundwork (you'll have to read more about those on her blog), although I have to say I got more from her work with riders. Anna is brash and funny and extremely insightful, and except for being cold all day I enjoyed watching her very much.

Feeling so in sync with my dancing partner (more on that in another post) and getting to audit TWO clinics just a week apart is exhilarating. I feel like I'm getting part of myself back, if that makes any sense.

Riding the wave

Tonight I had the third good ride in a row since the Lisa Wilcox clinic. Each time Lance has moved well, felt balanced (no tripping), and ended with a foamy mouth:

So I'm feeling pumped about that, and also about the possibility of another educational/inspirational event in the near future! I just found out about it this morning and don't want to say too much because several things are up in the air, but auditing one day of another clinic looks good and actually participating in it with Lance could happen. I should know soon....

Immersion

For the first time in a long time, I got to immerse myself in dressage this weekend. I happily hung out with horse friends and enjoyed watching some superb equines, even though it made me wistful for what once was. It seems a lifetime ago when I  advanced my skills with regular clinics and/or lessons, trained and competed with an equine partner, braided mane and wore tall boots, even won awards. Even harder is not knowing if those things will ever be a part of my life again. (I may forever stay one score away from my USDF Silver Medal....)

Saturday night was the Oregon Dressage Society awards banquet and silent auction. I picked up my friend Kate and we joined other members of our local chapter (which kindly paid for our weekend's activities) – and not a whole lot of others! The food was good, the awardees were inspiring (some of them amazingly so), the silent auction provided some great shopping (I got a long-sleeved ODS t-shirt, a fleece ODS vest, a fleece ODS headband, and an ODS magnet for my trailer), and the keynote speaker, Olympian Lisa Wilcox, made me eager to attend the next day's activities.

on the way to Kate's house

So early Sunday morning I picked up Kate again and we headed through beautiful countryside to Whip & Spur Farm, once the home and training facility of Rich Fellers, another Olympian (in Show Jumping). There we got to watch as Lisa taught eight different horse/rider combinations with a consistent message of keeping a correct position and posture while making a million and one transitions – within each gait, not between them. You could tell she was taught by a 29-year veteran of the Spanish Riding School, where students sometimes spend years without reins or stirrups, perfecting their own position in order to be able to properly influence their horse's way of going.

at Whip & Spur

I took photos of all eight horses, but video of only two, so I decided to only keep and share photos of the two I filmed. Both of these horses were poetry in motion, the chestnut a five-year-old filly (ridden by a young trainer Kate won two lessons with in the silent auction), and the other a 12-year-old gelding.

Events like this always inspire me to go home and dance with my own horse – so I did! By the time I got Lance saddled the sun had set, so we walked up the hill to capture this photo before going back to the arena to dance.

 Our schooling session felt good, and Lance ended with a foamy mouth, always a good sign.

Even if we never set foot again in a show arena, we can dance!

Long overdue

Sorry for the radio silence. A lot has happened since my last post – and not much has happened. What hasn't happened will probably take longer to tell than what has, so I'll save that for the next post.

On March 24 I hauled Lance down to the NW Horse Fair & Expo in Albany to participate in Jec Ballou's session on "Cross-Training Exercises for the Dressage Horse." I do a lot of cross-training, so this sounded right up my alley. But that session wasn't until 3:00, and Lance had to be there from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm. Thankfully, a friend came to help me pass the day, and we attended Jec's classroom lecture at noon. It was very good; I wish I'd taken better notes. I did take photos of some of her slides, though. Some take-away messages were:

1) Several different veterinary university studies have confirmed that it takes a minimum of working four days a week to keep a horse in condition. Considering how long it takes to get a horse fit, it behooves us riders to keep them fit! I feel pretty good about my long-standing policy to not let Lance stand around more than two days in a row, but am being more intentional about riding four days a week now.

2) Trail-riding, schooling, and conditioning exercises all need to be part of the mix; a well-schooled horse isn't necessarily a well-conditioned horse.

These points were confirmed in the riding session. Lance and I were one of three horse and rider teams that Jec used to demonstrate some conditioning exercises. The good news for an energy-conserver like Lance is that a lot of valuable work can be done at the walk.

Just a few days later (with no time to ride again), we flew to Omaha, NE to attend the FEI World Cup (and see family and friends). What an experience! I cannot accurately convey what it's like to see that many world-class horses and riders up close and personal; when the Grand Prix competition started, I actually teared up. Not that all the rides were beautiful to watch; I wanted to rescue some horses from harsh hands, and was once again struck by how gracious horses are to allow us on their backs. I took photos of every single test (SIXTEEN in a row!!!), but you can see far better images taken by professionals elsewhere, so I will spare you the long slideshow. I did share a few excited images on Instagram – you know, as proof I was there. ;-)

Other high points were getting to meet a blogger whose posts have inspired and challenged me, and reconnecting with an old friend I haven't seen in 26 years. There were also celebrity sightings (I kinneared a couple) in the extensive vendor area:

No shopping for me except for a few small thank-you gifts; "all I want for Christmas" is a healthy, happy horse!

And with that, I will segue into the next post . . . .

High-tech rides and the challenge of change

On Thursday I worked until time to meet up with my two friends to carpool to our clinic. Kate showed up with her husband's "magic car," so of course that became the designated transportation. We got a high-tech ride before our scheduled high-tech rides!

From the outside, the Tesla Model X looks kinda like my VW Jetta on steroids. In reality, it more closely approximates a space ship. WOW.WOW.WOW.

ANYway. Back to our scheduled programming.

I was nominated to ride the mechanical horse first. As I expected, it was humbling to see, there on the screen in front of me, how I looked on a "horse." It is a challenge to get all one's parts properly aligned, hips over heels, shoulders over hips, ears over shoulders! That last one was my particular difficulty – me and my vulture neck. Trying to correct it caused physical discomfort in my upper thoracic vertebrae area that lingered for the rest of the day, which was rather discouraging. Jessica reminded us, however, that change doesn't happen overnight.

Jane was next, and her position showed marked improvement since her demo ride at our chapter meeting – yay, Jane! Because of that, Jessica was able to put Amerika through all three gaits to fine-tune Jane's position (all my work was done at the standstill and walk).

Kate also did well; she had the best neck alignment of the three of us. Jessica was able to work with her at the halt, walk, and trot. On our ride home, Kate remarked that she had mostly signed up for an evening of camaraderie but ended up learning a LOT; she and Jane both plan on going back for more sessions.

I probably won't, only because of budget constraints. But I, too, learned a lot, and continue practicing what I learned. That didn't go so well on a moving horse yesterday; poor Lance had to put up with me battling my own poor position habits while trying to communicate clearly with him. Fortunately, working to make better alignment my new normal can be done out of the saddle – as I'm sitting and standing and walking. Surprisingly, my low back/SI is already happier because of what I'm working on! My neck and shoulders are going to take longer to retrain, but I'm going to keep working on them; some old habits die harder than others. ;-)

Happy dance

We've been getting scattered showers, so the arena was watered well enough for a proper schooling this morning – yay!

Since the mechanical horse clinic a week, I have been trying to implement things I learned there. One of the most beneficial has been using Lance's warm-up walk to warm up and stretch my own legs, specifically my hip flexors. While insisting on an energetic walk from Lance, I let my legs swing along, out of the stirrups. Then I start stretching them back, both one at a time and together, as well as lifting my legs off his sides. After at least 10 minutes of this, I stop Lance, rest my hands on his crest with elbows out to the side, and do a "cat stretch" of my lower back. I think these warm-up stretches allow me to be a much more connected, effective rider once I pick up the reins and put Lance to work.

And work nicely he did today. I had to deal with a couple little issues during our ride, and while he responded very well to my corrections, they seemed to surprise him a bit. Made me think that I need to be more intentional and less relaxed during our trail/road hacks. Perhaps my being too relaxed gives his mind less to focus on from me, allowing it to look for and focus on possible threats.

Tomorrow afternoon, three of us are going to DevonWood for back-to-back-to-back lessons on Amerika. I look forward to learning a lot more from Jessica during all three of our "rides"!

ETA: So glad I got out and rode this morning; it's raining again!

Not your drugstore dime-a-ride pony!

So I'm not going to reinvent the wheel and tell you all about the activity our dressage chapter had Monday evening, since I blogged about it on our chapter's blog. But I will tell you that I didn't expect to gain so much from the mini-clinic, and I will be taking advantage of that 50% off deal on a lesson! Jane (demo rider) and I plan to schedule lessons back-to-back so we can benefit from watching each other's sessions.

Jessica's presentation was down-to-earth; she shared her own journey as a rider, struggling to implement all the various things we dressage riders have heard (shoulder blades together, engage your core, head back, etc.).  Her efforts created a hot mess of strain and pain at a young age. She got help, and shared that help, including concepts like "stacking" one's body and "knitting down" rather than stretching up.

Amerika the mechanical horse is a fantastic tool for practicing these concepts, since she's absolutely consistent with none of the variables that a thinking, reacting creature can throw at you. Also, you can see your position in real time (from the side, or from wherever the camera is placed) on the screen in front of you. Hopefully what I learned Monday evening and will learn at my and Jane's lessons will give me a big boost towards becoming a better rider!

Riding through

I can't remember how I made my way to Anna Blake's blog, but I am enjoying following her. She recently had a post on on the change of seasons and remembering beloved horses long gone. Close to the end she exhorted: "Reward your horse for last summer by sticking with him in the winter, by riding through. Because that's how we survive, too. We ride through it." Love this! I don't know if I've thought of riding through the winter as rewarding my horse, I just think it's better for all of us to stay in shape/condition. And since we don't keep our horses out on pasture year-round (we wouldn't have any pasture left if we did!), I really do think my horse (all of them over the years) has appreciated getting out and moving as opposed to being relatively cooped up each winter (actually each fall/winter/spring, otherwise known as our rainy season).

October has made it easy to "ride through it." We have had such glorious weather! Today I took Lance out and about on our hill again, this time at a leisurely walk since we don't school on Sabbath. I plan to school tomorrow and every other day this coming week that I can fit in a ride; it's our last week of Daylight Savings Time and dry weather. Next Sunday we have a clinic with Julie, rain or shine!

Riding, not writing

I realize things have been quiet here. I've been riding Lance (still in the old Wintec), working on conditioning, improving balance, and fine-tuning his responses to my aids. He is picking up and maintaining canter better, which tells me we are making progress on all counts. I gave my camera to my son recently to get some video proof, but it didn't turn out.

The beach is still calling to me, as is the desire for some experienced eyes on the ground. The young lady that I took some clinics with on Russell, Larry and Horton is coming back to the area for the summer at the end of this month, so there is help on the horizon. My goal is to have Lance going solidly at Training Level by then so we can move on with Julie's help. Maybe she'll even want to go to the beach for a ride!

Don't do what comes naturally!

It was another dry winter day in the Willamette Valley, so of course I rode this morning! It was great to review the things Julie had Sylvia and me work on in our lessons before they flew from my middle-aged mind.

Some of what I have been doing with Horton is spot-on, like circling immediately when he braces or gets bratty. But I also have to remember to go right back to being calm and encouraging after a correction, giving him the chance to take the bit forward and down softly, so he can lift his back and swing in the walk and trot, and flatten out in the canter (he tends to brace and "climb"). This means pushing my hands forward (Jane Savoie's "short reins, long arms") while keeping my body upright and core strong. That latter point was a particular challenge for Sylvia, who has more history with Horton – including an involuntary dismount herself, and witnessing that of others. Interesting, isn't it, that when we are most insecure, our self-preservation instinct draws us into the most vulnerable position – collapsing our mid-section and leaning forward – while gripping the reins with unyielding contact?

Both of us needed reminding to keep our hands on either side of Horton's withers. As Julie noted, he is a workout for the rider's left leg because he tends to fall left. And while it is natural to try to "help" with the left hand, crossing the withers with the left hand actually has the opposite effect. I was thinking of that while riding this morning. "Crossing the centerline with my left hand means I need more leg – but I'm using my left leg as much as possible. Crossing the centerline with my left hand has the opposite effect – so what would have the desired effect? An opening hand?" BINGO! Horton moved over to the right immediately!

Another aid for keeping Horton on the rider's chosen track is "the eye in your bellybutton." Imagine that you have an eyeball in your bellybutton. Point that eye in the direction you want to go and the horse will follow!

YeeHaw, Horton!

Horton is not usually a big "cavorter." But when I turned him loose in the arena before our lesson with Julie today, he played quite a bit. I captured just a bit of it –



– before tacking him up and lunging him. He was definitely improved over last week, although he did try a bit of 'tude here and there. Nothing a verbal reprimand and a small circle couldn't fix, though.

Our pulling truck is in the shop, so Rick hauled Horton and me to Newberg with his vet truck. He unhitched the trailer and took care of a patient while I rode, then came back and picked me up. Horton and the trailer, however, are spending the night at Suzi's to ensure that Horton is there at the appointed time tomorrow morning for Sylvia's lesson. I'll drive over in my car early enough to tack Horton up and lunge him first. Then Rick will pick us up as soon as he can after the lesson ends and bring us home.

Last Thursday, Rick injected Horton's hip again, focusing that time on the S/I joints (the first injections focused more on the lumbar/sacral joints). To best evaluate any changes this might make in Horton's gaits and/or behavior, it was decided I should continue riding him for at least two weeks following the injection. The other benefit in waiting to take Horton to Sylvia's barn is that I will be able to ride him there the first time or two for Sylvia. If he went home tomorrow, I wouldn't be able to do that. So the plan now is to take Horton "home" on January 6, and possibly pick up Lance that day as well.

Happy to have made it there and back

I pulled out this morning in a driving rain mixed with wet flakes of snow after Rick rolled my truck down the hill to start it. The batteries (two; it's a diesel) were dead, so I knew that after my lesson with Julie I would be dependent on a jump start or Rick showing up with two new batteries. (It was the latter, so Merry Christmas to me, I guess!) Unfortunately, the truck needs some other work, so it may not be available next week for the next two lessons. Hopefully Rick will be free to haul us there with his big vet truck, which is supposed to be out of the shop by then. We're playing musical chairs with vehicles these days.

Anyway, Horton and I didn't blow away or melt, and I quickly forgot the weather once I was in the saddle and focused on making improvements under Julie's direction. Horton was a good boy in spite of limited schooling this week and the new environment today. We worked on keeping him soft and long through his neck and relaxed through his back, circling whenever he braced and lifted his head. Julie noted that he didn't want to load his left hind leg as much as his right, which fits with what Rick saw when he ultrasounded Horton's pelvis. We ended with some really good stretch work at the trot.

I'm looking forward building on today's work next week, and watching Sylvia have a good ride on Horton, too.

Bah humbug!

Okay, now the weather is seriously messing with my plans. If the forecast for snow continuing through Wednesday and Thursday is correct, I won't be hauling Horton down the hill for our first lesson this week. :-/

My son thinks the snow is GREAT.

Horton think my son is SCARY.

I think the timing of all this STINKS!

Wait-a-minute weather

The weather forecast this week is rather abysmal for outdoor riding, but there's always a chance for a break in the weather to coincide with a break in my schedule – and when they occur I know I have to act!

This morning while I did chores it was raining, but by the time I finished a pale winter sun was peeking through the clouds. I threw the lunging surcingle and bridle on Horton and hurried to the Land of Many Lakes, otherwise known as our puddle-filled little outdoor sand arena, to exercise the boy. Before long the clouds closed up and soon Horton was adorned (quite festively, I might add) with teeny little snowballs with a name that auto-spell-check won't let me type – which changed to cold raindrops. By the time I finished with our short lungeing session, we were both quite wet.

Today's notes:
1) No poop.
2) No evasive movement during back lift rump tucks.
3) No mysterious "goosing" incidents.

The clinician I've used for Russell and Larry is in town for the holidays, so I'm setting up three dates with her – two for Horton and me, one for Horton and his owner. After the last ride, I plan to haul Horton back to Sylvia's barn. Then I'll be off to Lincoln City to pick up my Lancelot!

May both Sylvia and I be blessed with long, happy, safe and sound relationships with our respective dancing partners. Amen.

School resumes after a short recess

Larry got a week off while we went horse-camping; "school" resumed last night and he was a star pupil.

Even though I didn't have my own horse to take on our trip, I did get in some saddle time. My friend Laura brought her horse Tang and camped with us, so my husband and I (on Brian's pony) joined her for a trail ride. The next day Laura and I rode again, this time with me on Rick's horse Oliver.

My nickname for Oliver (aka Smart Chocolate) is Oliver Twit, because he has a reputation for being, um, less than sane and sensible. But this year at Cowboy Campmeeting Mark Bolender (below) was there for a free clinic one afternoon in which my husband participated. Afterwards, Oliver behaved better than he ever has, and I actually enjoyed my ride with him!

 

Laura also had me ride her horse for awhile to see what I thought of Tang's knowledge base. I think this big, blond beauty is going to make a nice dressage/trail mount for my friend!

Reunited and it feels so GOOD!

Day by day this week I've gotten increasingly frustrated, wanting to continue Larry's reconditioning and refresher schooling but not getting any cooperation from weather and schedule. But today, in SPITE of some rain, I both lunged and rode him, and it was our best ride yet. I noticed a difference while tacking him up. He's always moved around when I start to fasten the girth, but today he stood quietly. Lunging went about the same, but under saddle he seemed more solid. I've found over the years that short breaks in training sometimes have that effect in a horse, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Tomorrow my son is planning to go to work with his dad, so I should be able to take advantage of a break in the weather if we get one. Then, starting next week is my two-week opportunity to get in some rides with a clinician who will be in the area. I'm so looking forward to some eyes on the ground to help us advance!

We're both rusty

I handed my camera to Brian yesterday while I rode Larry so he could shoot some video footage. None of the videos really turned out (operator error), but I saw enough to be unhappy with my posture. This is why regular instruction, or at the very least mirrors or a knowledgeable person on the ground are so valuable. Our perceptions can be so very different from reality! Granted, Larry's 2x4 body is a bit more challenging to balance upon than Russell's was (it would be easier if I were built like a 2x4 as well!), but that's no excuse. Part of the problem is that I've lost some of my core strength.

So when I rode this morning, I focused on bringing my shoulders back and down; stretching my neck and spine tall and straight by imagining a string from heaven attached to the top of my head; keeping my legs long and quiet and my heels down. I am also looking ahead to the end of March when Julie is in Oregon to housesit for her parents. Russell and I attended a couple clinics with her back in 2010 which were very beneficial, and in another four weeks Larry should be conditioned enough for more intensive work.

Every time I ride Larry it feels like he remembers more. At first he acted clueless about things I know he has been schooled in at some point, like reinbacks, leg yield and lateral work. His gaits are slooowly gaining some consistency. I just wish I could see some gain in his body condition score! Sometimes I call him "Larry the dairy cow" because of his prominent tailhead and hip bones....

WooHoo - TWO in 2010!

Lessons, that is. Today my friend Debbie drove us and our horses through torrential rain to our second clinic with Julie Ronning (the first was in October). We both really enjoy Julie's manner and method, and she's reasonable, too. Knowing she was coming back to Oregon to see her parents for the holidays and give lessons again has kept me committed to riding as much as possible. Not that 2-3 times a week is anything to brag about, but both Russell and I were in better shape for this clinic than we were in October, so I'm happy. We've also made progress in some of the areas we worked on last time. This time we worked quite a bit in counter-canter; it obviously needed work! Straightness is key to getting the most out of Russell (as it is with any horse), and counter-canter really addresses that. We're hoping it also helps strengthen his left hind and cleans up his flying change from left to right lead.

Julie is planning on returning in a couple months; there's my motivation for winter riding! Hopefully the weather will cooperate more than it has this week; it has been very wet, even by western Oregon standards.

Happy New Year!

We're BACK!

Okay, so Russell and I simply participated in a dressage clinic today after a lo-o-o-ong dry spell of no lessons, no clinics, no shows. But it was fun, we didn't embarrass ourselves, and I plan to do it again, so it really does feel like . . . WE'RE BACK!

Some notes to remember when we school:
• Slow his front legs down at the walk; he tends to pop his knees. Remember to relax my thighs and make my legs long to encourage this.
• Keep the trot "innocent," and "fade" into transitions within the gate. His response will tell me if he's got enough impulsion or too much tension.
• Ask for more hindquarter activity at the canter, so he lifts his back behind the saddle.
• At all gaits, shorten my reins and encourage him to go to the bit, engaging his nuchal ligament.