The Next Outing

So we are gearing up for a clinic sponsored by my local dressage chapter this coming weekend.  Ike and I will ride a dressage test of our choosing and the clinician will help us on the parts where we are the weakest.  If you have been keeping up with the recent posts, it is not hard to tell what our Achilles heels are….canter AND stretch down trot.  Here is the promised link with our attempt at a stretch down trot towards the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whk-4aCIjIo.  Don’t blink or you will miss that over-the-back-stretch into my hands (said with a facetious tone.) We will ride Training Level Test 1 to the best of our abilities.  If we find that it is just too much for Ike to handle, better to have found out at a low-key clinic than at a show.

Rode today with no dressage whip to see how our canter transitions would be.  Miraculously, we nailed every one of them; maintained the canter much longer as well in preparation for the Training Level tests.  I worked on sitting tall and following the movement with my hips.  The stretch down trot is still non-existent, but that was not a surprise.  More time and patience, much more patience, and it will come.

After our ride, we went trail blazing through the empty paddocks.  Ike is gaining confidence each time we walk them.  We then had a trailer loading session.  After a couple of false starts, Ike finally walked right up the ramp and into the trailer.  He is a smart boy and now keeps his head down when he backs off.  Thank goodness he learned that lesson quickly to avoid any further dents in the trailer or him having to wear the padded headwear (such a cool look – I’m sure the other horses would have made fun of him).

After a few peppermints, a Stud Muffin, and some ear rubs, I said goodnight to my big, handsome boy.   I will admit, it is hard to leave when you have a face like the one above watching you go…

Greed is (Not) Good

I was talking to my friend D the other day about Ike.  D had just watched the video of our rides from the dressage show last weekend and was very pleased at how well Ike did.  It would be easy to get greedy and push for more and more with Ike since he has such an easy going nature, but with apologies to Gordon Gecko, I will have to say that greed is not good in this case.

Ike just turned four this past week.  He won’t finish growing for another couple of years – eek!  The fear is that if I push too hard, too fast, there might be revolt and that is definitely not what we want to teach him.  We are not aiming to compete in the national 4-year-old-tests; we are looking for a long term dressage partner who happily brings his owner up the levels.

I did ride with the whip again yesterday and found that it does help to keep the hind end more in line with the rest of the body.  I don’t actually use the whip, its mere presence is enough.  Less is more in this case.  I did attempt to record my ride, but most of the recording is of an empty arena with glimpses of Ike.  If I can edit it appropriately, I will add a link to YouTube later so that you can see our feeble attempt at a stretch down trot following a canter.

In the spirit of not being greedy, Ike got the day off.  He has been superb the past 4 days, so a day of rest was well deserved.  Ike was happily grazing when I said goodbye.

Who is that Masked Man?

Humidity, flies, and natty bugs were out today – the trifecta of misery. Fly masks and fly spray were a must. Even with those defenses, Ike was not a happy camper and convinced Ms. C to bring him in for the sanctuary of his stall where I found him happily munching hay when I arrived. I can’t convince myself that the horses can actually see anything with the fly mask in place. I’ve held it up to my eyes before and promptly tripped because I could not see the ground in front of me. The horses must have better eyesight than me since they seem to get around just fine.  As for the humidity, all I can say is “yuck.”  This is mid-summer humidity and I’m still in the spring frame of mind.

Today was lesson day.  Decided to carry a dressage whip for the first time 1) since Ms. C was on the ground in case I got into trouble, and 2) it might help me communicate with the hind end that likes to stray.  The whip did not faze Ike at all whether I used it at his shoulder or behind my leg.  It has been a while since I’ve carried one, so I was a bit clumsy when it came time to switch sides/hands.  The ever patient Ike just kept trucking along.  [Have I mentioned lately how much I love this boy?]

We started schooling the Training Level test movements.  You pick up your canter on the second half of the circle that starts at A…that is a full 10 meter arc to lose our hind end.  If we get the correct lead, we then have to canter half way down the long side without knocking down the ring, and finally another half a circle before the down transition to trot.  But then thing get really hard – when you arrive back at A, it is time for the stretch down trot.  Seriously?!  Evil, simply evil.  Ike comes out of canter with a gorgeous, forward trot.  Trying to get him to stretch into my hands is challenging.  When I give an inch, the engines kick into another forward gear with no stretch.  Worst part is that there is a coefficient with this movement.  Like I said, evil.

We did find that with me holding the whip, I nailed my canter transitions.  Coincidence?  Or just dumb luck?  I will have to try using it a few more times before deciding.  The canter is still quick, but improving.  I still need to sit back;  Ms. C is the constant voice in my head as I try my best to comply.

Hoping for a lower dew point and fewer bugs tomorrow.

 

Whips, Chains, and Spurs

Oh, you sick minded people – minds out of the gutter…As I was cleaning and organizing the trailer after Sunday’s dressage show, I started counting the number of duplicates of various items that I have amassed over the past 7 years.  Four partially used bottles of shampoo, six pairs of gloves, nine white saddle pads, six lead ropes for two horses, four sets of spurs, four whips of various lengths, and six, count them, six stud chains.  Why does anyone need that many stud chains when you are not operating a breeding farm??  I’m fairly certain that every equestrian I know has a similar situation.  I can even guess why certain items multiply like rabbits in the depths of trailers and tack boxes around the world.

The various whips are a necessity.  Short bats, dressage whips, and lunge whips all have different uses.  USEF changes the legal whip length on occasion which then means we run out to the store to purchase one that won’t get us eliminated.

Saddle pads are one of my weaknesses.  As I peruse the 10 tack catalogs that I did not request, I inevitably see a new white pad that I must have.  Oooh, pretty trim on that one.  The stitching on that one is unusual.  I should have a new one for the show with no black stains.  Oh, this one has ThinLine material stitched onto the pad.  I wonder if there are saddle pad support groups to help with this affliction?

The other items, well, they are all relatively small which means they can easily play hide-and-seek.  Stud chains are notorious hiders.  They will start the game without your consent or knowledge.  The game usually starts just as the crazy Thoroughbred decides to misbehave.  There is then the frantic search for the chain. Come out, come out wherever you are!  The search is fruitless, so you borrow one for the moment.  Once the emergency is past, you then run to the nearest tack store and purchase one or two more and declare that you will always have one handy.  Ha!  From my collection, I’d say that I have played the game much too often and lost.

Most of this excess was accumulated due to Ike’s brother’s special needs.  Except for the lunge whip, I’ve not used any whips with Ike.  No spurs, no chains, no shampoo…I’m not one to bathe my horses all that frequently, so the four bottles of shampoo are a bit of a mystery.  At the rate I bathe them, the current stash will be a lifetime supply.

Had a quick and productive ride today.  I’ve started schooling Training Level Test 1.  It used to be that the stretch down trot did not appear until Test 3, now, you are hit with it in Test 1 AND it comes right after the left lead canter.  I can see some 4s and 5s in our future with comments like, “needs to reach more, ” and “curling.”  We have to start somewhere, right?

C is for Canter. P is for Patience.

So I’ve analyzed my scores and comments from Sunday’s dressage show.  I have already received my CD from Video Vibes so I can now see what the judges saw and hopefully have some “Aha!” moments.  They, like the photographers who were at the show, know what they are doing and the quality is evident in the videos.

I can definitely see why I needed to ask for more impulsion in my first test.  It is a fine line with Ike right now.  He can sometimes handle more oomph and truly connect, but there are days that if I push for more, he ends up strung out with the hind end flailing.  I did ask for a bit more in our second test and it was clear in our score that the judge could see that.  That being said, there is still more trot in Ike, but all in due time.

He did free walk surprisingly well on Sunday.  I figured I’d be fighting a giraffe as up as he was when we first arrived.

And the video tells the tale of woe with our canter.  Ike definitely canters like a youngster – too fast and out of balance in the up transitions.  We watched a lovely grey horse on Sunday in the warmup ring performing the quietest walk-canter transitions.  Ms. C pointed at that horse and told Ike “that is what we want.”  Too bad I cannot wave a magic wand and say abracadabra and have the balance of an older horse.  I am not wishing away these formative years, so I will practice patience and continue down the path we’ve started.  Ike will get there as will the canter scores.

Canter was going well today until the golf cart showed up.  That’s right, one of the neighbors was riding a golf cart down the fenceline.  Ike knew that it was not supposed to be there; I fought the uptight giraffe today.  We found a workable place and ended on a happy and safe note.  Tomorrow is another day.

Belated Birthday Post

Ike celebrated his 4th birthday yesterday!

The photo about sums up what the boy did all day….a lot of nothing.  He deserved a day of rest after his stellar performance at the dressage show on Sunday.

Did I get to do nothing??? Ha!  I worked all day and then had the fun chore of cleaning out the trailer and scrubbing the tack clean.  Yes, yes, some would say that it should have been done Sunday afternoon, but the nap I took was much more satisfying.  Everything is now tidy and ready for another day,

Ike did not seem too sore or too tired from his outing.  All that winter work has paid off with a good fitness level,  The only telltale signs were the spots of stonedust still clinging to his legs and a curly mane from the braids.

The professional photographer’s photos are already available for viewing.  There were a surprising number of great shots.  I want them all!http://www.picsofyou.com/store/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=16696#page=1  It is no wonder that the photographers at Pics of You stay busy!

We get back to work tomorrow.  The next outing is a clinic sponsored by my dressage chapter.  There is an indoor arena at the facility – -the next challenge to conquer.

Show Day Success

Ike’s first centerline and it most definitely won’t be his last.  I am so proud of my boy and how well he handled himself at his first dressage show ever.

The day started early – up at 4:15 and at the barn by 5:30 with a large coffee in hand.  Finished Ike’s braids, hooked up the trailer, applied a good coat of Show Sheen, and it was time to load.  All fingers were crossed that it went without protest.  Ike walked right on and we were on our way.  We arrived earlier than planned, but I’d built-in some extra time for loading.  It was good to have some extra time in the barn area.  Every horse in the stable whinnied hello when we arrived and then the cacophony and chaos ensued.  Every horse decided that we should provide their breakfast, and when we didn’t there was loud neighing and stall banging.  This got Ike worried and soon he was whinnying constantly and rearing in his stall.  Made the decision at that point to tack up and get him out of the morning madness.

Ms. C arrived as we finished tacking and we headed to warmup.  Lots of scary things to see on the show grounds.  Bleachers, jump standards, the John Deere tractor grooming the rings.  We walked for a good 20-30 minutes and Ike finally settled enough to focus.  I was glad to have Ms. C there to calm my nerves and give Ike confidence.  I also had a great cheering section with my dear friend T and her family and my husband.  What more could we have asked for on this gorgeous spring day.

The first test was Intro B – 66.2% and a blue ribbon.  (*The win should be asterisked since we were the only entry in the class.)  But, we stayed in the ring and got good feedback from Elizabeth Lewis (S).  Horses will always surprise you.  Centerlines at home have been straight and square.  This ride – first halt crooked and then a bit of canter on the final turn of the test.

The second test was Intro A – 70.9% and a blue ribbon (*).  The judge Kem Barbosa (S) commented that “you can move up!”  But we just started!  I’ll take the comment that we are on the right track with our training.

The third test was Intro C – 64.5% and a blue ribbon (*).  Ike was a bit rushed in his canter circles and got the wrong lead on the right (we were able to correct it).  This is where he struggles at home, so no surprise that we struggle at the show.  Kem Barbosa again said, “you are doing a good job.  Time to move up.”  So maybe at the next show we try one Intro and one Training test.  We shall see. [May 1st comment – Ike has asked that I mention that HE actually scored a 65.5%, but that I had an error which cost us one percentage point – I halted at X instead of G…duh.]

The only hiccup came when we were ready to go home.  Everything but Ike was loaded and he decided that he was NOT getting on the trailer.  My friend suggested that perhaps he was enjoying himself and wasn’t ready to go.  My husband and I were ready – tired and very hungry.  After 25 minutes of waiting, Ike hopped on.

Ike and I met our goals for the show.  We had fun, stayed in the ring, and I remembered to breathe.  My compliments to the Charlottesville Chapter of the Virginia Dressage Association.  This was a well run, low key show that was a perfect setting for a successful day.

Can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds.

Give Me a S, A, D, D, L, and E

So today was saddle fitting and lesson day.  Why not cram as much into one day as you possibly can?  No stress, says the girl with a mile long list of things still to be done tomorrow…

I had decided that the saddle needed to be checked based on the underside of the saddle pad.  It appeared as though there was a bit of excess pressure around Ike’s withers.  He has grown a couple of inches taller and there is a hint of muscle on his topline these days, so the thinking was that the tree might need to be adjusted or that the saddle was too narrow and I’d have to say goodbye to the current model and hunt for a new one.  I currently ride in a buffalo leather, Custom Saddlery Advantage saddle (http://mysaddle.com/Advantage.html) that was constructed for my Thoroughbred.  I LOVE my saddle.  Yes, love.  It puts me in the perfect position.  The thought of saying goodbye gave me an oogy feeling in my stomach.  If you’ve ever ridden in the perfect saddle, you know what I mean.

The saddle fitter arrived and it turns out that we know each other from the local dressage club – small horse world.  She had lovely things to say about Ike and, drumroll please, said that my saddle was still perfectly serviceable for Ike!!  Hallelujah!  [My friend A will be very sad at this news, but my pocketbook was quite pleased.]  After watching me ride, she realized that it did need some flocking towards the front of the saddle.  Watching a saddle fitter work is fascinating.  With all the modern technology available, it is still done by hand and by feel.  It is like watching an artist at work.  Once the wool flocking was added, I hopped back on for my lesson.  The saddle fitter stayed to watch, and thank god she did.  Ike was not happy with the adjustments.  I could not keep him straight and between the reins; it was like riding a writhing earthworm…not a good thing two days before a show.  Ike fell in, he fell out, he swayed like a flag in the wind.  Ugh.  We stopped, and hemmed and hawed, and Ms. A took the saddle to remove some of the flocking.  We popped another saddle on Ike and there was almost immediate improvement.  We then put my saddle back on, sans two fist fulls of flocking.  It was a night and day difference.  I would not have believed it unless I had seen and felt it for myself.  The old adage is no hoof, no horse.  I say bad saddle fit, bad ride, bad horse.

We ended on a positive note.  His canter was lovely today once the saddle fit was as he liked it.  Ride times were revised, but I’m still the first down centerline.  Thank goodness that I won’t be riding an earthworm.

Pedicure and a Ride

Back in the saddle again.  After three days out of the saddle, it was nice to slip my boots into the stirrups.  The image above is how I found Ike when I arrived at the barn.  He was contentedly eating the grass renewed by the recent rain even without his beloved Lady in the paddock next to him.  He usually has a meltdown without her, so this was a big step for him.

Today’s ride albeit short was productive.  No crankiness during warmup today – makes me wonder if it is the saddle or just a coming 4-year-old testing Mom’s patience.  Could be a bit of both.  In any case, warmup went smoothly and we drilled some turns onto and off of centerline – a really smushed figure eight.  I checked my straightness near my turns and detected a bit of drift – the kind where you would get the comment, ” fell right” when you were turning left.  Some of that is me with my non-focusing eyes, some is Ike since the hind end is still sometimes in its own separate orbit from the rest of his body.  Ms. C and I have decided that it is better than it was, but we still have some work to do.  Practiced our trot circles followed by our canter circles.  Ike did fine at the far end of the arena.  We then moved to the end of the arena with the gate through which his friend Lady had just exited…well, let’s just say that the solar system expanded at that end.  I’m circling left and I swear the hind end was going to catch up to the front end as it swung out further and further.  Not a chance in you-know-what that we could get the correct lead, let alone even consider cantering.  Sunday will be interesting since the canter circles start at A – yes, A, where there is a big, gaping hole through which to escape.  All we can do is try our best.

Our farrier arrived a short time later and gave Ike his pre-show pedicure.  We opted for the au naturale hoof.  I just don’t think that dressage judges would be all that impressed with red glittery hooves.  I don’t think I would be either.

I’m ignoring the weekend weather forecast for now.  Fingers crossed that the weather gods are kind to us.  Three more days to prepare and still much to be done:  lesson, saddle fitting, boot shining, trailer loading, bathing (weather permitting), a bit more mane taming, braiding, tack cleaning, mental test riding (there is an app for your phone with the dressage tests, but I’ve not broken down to pay for it yet), and 10 other things that I know I’m forgetting.  Why does the list seem to keep growing??

4 days to go to show day.

OMG! Another Day Closer

And another day that I did not get to ride.  Have to work to pay the bills, but Ike did get back to work today and actually spent most of the day outdoors.  Ms. C put him through his paces and he was tired when he was done.  “Can I have a nap now?”  I like having her ride him so that she can better guide us along our way.  Her aids are never two seconds late like mine.  She also better understands the subtleties of getting him to unlock his jaw and properly flex.  I am but a mere novice when teaching a horse a concept like flexion.  I swear some days unlocking his jaw is like getting concrete to bend.  He is starting to better understand the idea and be more responsive to the request at home.  It will be interesting to see how much of his training is retained in the show environment.

And speaking of the dressage show, ride times are posted!  I am the first ride down centerline on Sunday.  We will draw the line in the sand for others to follow.  Should we focus on straightness or go for a slanted or wavy line just to mess with the next riders?  Yeah, yeah, I will focus on straightness and promise to focus to prevent the drift off centerline.  And breathing, yes, breathing.  I know I keep posting about breathing, but it really is an important component of a successful ride.  It is my mantra for the next few days; I’ve also been practicing yoga on the non-riding days which also helps me with proper breathing.

The farrier comes tomorrow to get Ike’s hooves in tiptop shape.  If all goes well, I might actually get to ride as well.  Fingers are crossed for nice weather.