Down to the Wire

Yes, I know it is April, but it sure did not feel like the end of April today.  When I arrived at the barn at 3:30, it was 49 degrees, when I left 40 minutes later, it was 43 degrees and steadily raining.  Yet again, Ike decided to spend the day indoors.  The photo above is a picture of the face that greeted me, “Hi Mom, guess what I stayed inside today!  May I have more hay please?”  Sigh, how is it that a horse that is so young and so big can be so content in a 12×12 stall.  At least when he stays indoors, he cannot get muddy.  No complaints there.

So it is looking like I will only get to ride 2-3 times this week.  Thank goodness that preparing for a dressage show is not like cramming for final exams in college.  If you haven’t done your work for the past few months and developed rhythm and relaxation with each ride, taught your horse to be supple and connected, built stamina, and fed him a well balanced diet, then there is a very slim chance that you will do well on your test.  The judge sitting at C is going to know right away whether or not you’ve done your homework.  It is amazing to me how well they peg me from that 6 minute dressage test.  I might not like the comments that I receive, but if I am honest with myself, they are usually right on the mark.  “Horse needs more bend,” “Haunches slightly right in halt, ” “Rider needs to relax.”

It is nerve racking and exciting to be heading down centerline again.  I haven’t entered at A since September 2010.  Please let me remember to turn the right way at C.  Please let Ike stay in the ring.  Breath in, breath out (this one is for you SIL).

Here’s hoping for sunny weather and a dry arena tomorrow.

Six days to go…

I See You

So today it is raining, and raining, and raining some more.  No complaints since my flower beds desperately needed the water as did the paddocks and riding arena.  The ground was looking more like late June, early July hard packed ground rather than April.  It was not hard to guess where the Fair Weather Fairy was when I arrived at the barn….in his stall happily munching hay.  He lasted outside for maybe 30 minutes (if you round up generously) and then said, “Bring me in before I melt!”  No nickering, but I can tell that he was happy to see me.

We spent some quality time together while I groomed.  His winter coat has mostly shed out and his summer coat is rather lustrous and shiny.  Ike’s tail has grown about 4 inches since he moved to Virginia and all the weekly conditioning has it looking full.  His topline is finally starting to fill out and muscle up.  No wonder the saddle is getting tight at his withers.

It is peaceful time when it is just the two of us in the barn.  I share my secrets and he listens patiently and without judgment.  We talked about next Sunday’s dressage show and reviewed the test movements.  I promised Ike that I would stay relaxed and breathe.  My sister-in-law suggested that it also be one of my goals for the show.  Yes, breathing would be a good thing.  Ike promised to try his hardest to listen to me.

One week to go and still much to be done.  The farrier and saddle fitter are scheduled.  Going to try to get in two lessons if time and weather permit.  Thank goodness the show pants fit, but if I can be honest, I hate the fact that they are white.  Mark my words, there will be something on them as I head down centerline for the first time – coffee, manure, green slobber, dirt or a combination that will probably not come out.  That’s OK with me though, it will just be thrilling to be headed down centerline after a long hiatus.

Enjoy the rest of the day.

Shocking Day

Today I remember why you must be careful around hotwire.  We have hotwire strung over Ike’s new gate to keep him from crashing into the gate; just can’t afford to continually replace gates when we need to save for a bigger saddle.  I got just a wee bit too careless and let the hotwire sag down and touch the gate just as I pushed the gate open with my elbow.  POW!  Electric shock ran up my arm and made my fingers tingle and the hair on my arm stand up.  No wonder the horses avoid it.  Note to self, do not let wire touch the metal gate.  I repeat, do not let the wire touch the metal gate.

Luckily that was the only shocking news of the day.  Ike is such a good boy.  I cannot get over how lucky I am that the planets aligned at the right time for me to have such a amicable partner.  He worked well with other horses in the ring and stayed focused when they left him as he continued to work.  Now if he can only be as sane and low-key when we make our debut in public.  I’ve determined my goals for next Sunday:  Stay safe in warmup and stay on Ike’s back (it is an awfully far way to fall), Make it into the ring and past the judge’s booth, and Finish the tests with no extraneous movements.  Not lofty goals, but I’m really just hoping for a successful, positive outing.  We have many years ahead of us and many more shows to set higher expectations.

Trying to decide how to braid the giraffe’s mane.  Fewer, larger braids or smaller but more numerous ones?  Is there a better choice?  Feel free to chime in if you have any thoughts.  I’m leaning towards fewer braids because it is a task I do not enjoy.

TGIF

Two more rides behind us as we close in on the week before the show.  Ride times for our first dressage show should be posted soon.

Had a lovely ride on Ike yesterday – his friend Lady was also working while we were in the ring.  She obviously has a magnetic force field around her because I am unable to stop the drift when we get close to her.  No amount of inside rein, outside rein, weight shifting, or leg pressure can stop the force. (cue Star Wars Darth Vader music)  Even when she is not in the ring with us, we still fight the drift, but girlfriend exacerbates the problem.  At least we will be alone in the dressage ring to ride our tests.  Let us hope that we don’t drift into the dressage ring and knock it over or slip out of the ring at A for an early departure.

It is Friday which means it was lesson day.  Ike was a bit choppy to start.  Why?  Not sure, cooler weather? tight saddle?  just because?  Did part of my warm up in a half seat which does seem to help him get the engines going and the energy flowing over the back.  Ms. C had us practice turns onto and off of centerline – ”  keep your rhythm on the turn, don’t drop your hand, keep your weight to the inside, you dropped your contact, half halt and pick him up.  Sigh, I am a mess sometimes.  It is the plight of the amateur dressage enthusiast.  My aids are not always perfectly timed, and then there are times that my aids are timed correctly and Ike says, “Oh, were you talking to me?”  The centerlines are pretty darn straight IF I do not let my line of sight drift.  Focus, focus.  It was very obvious that when my eyes looked left our centerline drifted left.  Ms. C could see it as could I when I checked out the line in the sand.

Canter transitions and circles were decent.  Poor Ike tries so hard to get the correct lead even when his body betrays him.  He will even attempt a flying lead change to correct himself if he picks up the wrong lead.  I am fairly certain that a flying lead change would be frowned upon in the Intro C canter circle and would not earn us any bonus points.  When we do get our correct leads, the canter circle is round and the down transition smooth.  The trot coming out of the canter is always lovely  – just a half halt or two to slow it down a bit.

We, OK I confess, I tend to let Ike get a bit flat and strung out on our long diagonals.  Yet again, a half halt to the rescue and we present a much pretty picture.  I am beginning to believe that the half halt is the secret ingredient to a higher score.

Ike has an awesome free walk.  The pitfall comes when it is time to pick up contact – he like to show off the giraffe neck before he accepts the contact.  Again, no bonus points for having the longest neck.

Ms. C also worked on my position in the saddle.  I have many tendencies (read: flaws), none of which will be fixed in a week’s time, but one must try.

Hoping to get a ride in tomorrow before the rain arrives.  Sunday looks like a wash.  Good day to clean the tack.

9 days to go.

Where’s Ike?

So when no one is available to record your ride and you don’t have a camera stand, you have to get creative.  Since the arena shares fencing with some of the paddocks, you must also be smart in placing the camera or risk having some equine assistance with your recording efforts.  The camera was perched on a fence rail that no equine could reach, well, maybe the giraffe-necked one could, but he was working.  This was the first time I’d attempted capturing one of my rides, so I edited out much of the video that was just empty arena.  Even with what is at the link, you can play the game of “Where’s Ike?”  Now you see him, now you don’t, and now you still don’t. Oh wait, there he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxanI39ILyg

He still looks like a gangly, young dressage prospect when he moves, but there are decent, rideable gaits in the boy.  If you were patient and watched the whole video, you did get to see Ike’s more reliable left lead canter.  If you gave up, replay it and fast forward to the last 30-40 seconds.  I will repeat – we are a work in progress.  I’m sure we could be picked apart 101 ways, but hopefully a year from now, we will see forward progress, more balance, and a steadier connection.

Today was a barn-free day.  We finally got some much-needed rain, so hopefully our ride tomorrow won’t be quite so dusty.  Any guesses on whether or not Ike will be muddy??

Truisms about Ike

Ike has been with me now for almost 9 months.  Time flies by before you know it.  I know there is still much to learn about my boy and as we progress to harder and harder concepts, I’m sure there will be bumps in the road.  Webster’s dictionary defines a truism as,” An undoubted or self-evident truth; a statement which is pliantly true; a proposition needing no proof or argument.”  There are a few things that I already know for certain about him:

1) If the giraffe neck can reach it, it will end up in his mouth.  Things such as his halter, lead rope, fly mask, fly spray, brushes get tossed down the aisle.   Luckily, I was able to retrieve the camera from his mouth before it went flying.

2) If he can reach it with his mouth, he will gum it up.  There are teeth marks on his halter and chicken wire over the light switch to prevent the game, “lights on, lights off, lights on, lights off.”

2) He does not yet know his own strength, but I’m not complaining.  We are all in trouble if he realizes he is BIGGER than everyone else and decides to use that fact against us.  With the slightest of push, he broke this snap like it was a toothpick.

3) Ike will practically grab the bit to put it in his mouth.  Doesn’t hurt that he knows a peppermint will follow.  Had to do something to keep the head low.  I can’t reach high enough if the giraffe neck is fully extended.

4) Three year old horses do not yet have proprioception (body part awareness) and will place large hooves on owner’s feet and not know and/or care.  Screaming does not help.

5) Nothing from Cigar fits Ike.  Blankets, trailer, bridle, bit, girth?  All too small.  The saddle is next.  I am not pleased, but my friend A is (the saddle fits her horse).

6) He likes to create a depression in the middle of his stall to make me feel even shorter.

7) He does not like black licorice.  I cannot blame him.

8) Ike likes to sniff my head when I wrap his front legs.  Maybe it is the strawberry scented hairspray.

9) Just like his owner, Ike can trip on a perfectly flat surface while moving at a relatively slow pace.

10) Ike is a gem and I love him dearly.

Lots to do with only 12 days to go: Confirm trailer loading, trim the goat hairs that escaped beauty day, farrier visit, saddle fitting appointment, multiple lessons, clean tack, and make sure show pants still fit (always the least favorite task).

Ike’s Brother

I would be remiss if I did not post that today is Ike’s brother’s 16th birthday. My dearest Cigar is my retired OTTB (off the track Thoroughbred). He raced under the name HiHoSky for 51 starts with $42K in earnings…of which I was no part. He finished his racing career at Charlestown, WVA and then tried his hand at point-to-point races at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA. Not sure how he ended up at the farm where I was taking lessons, but he joined the family in November 2005. His heart was never really in dressage and truth be told, I think he was hoping to pop out of the trailer at the track rather than a stodgy dressage show. If he could talk, I’m sure he’d have asked me how I expected him to win with his nose on vertical when most of his life had been stretching it out as far as possible.

We battled our way to First Level before an unhealed knee fracture forced his retirement.  We really did battle the past 7 years.  He’s given me a bloody nose, a black eye, a finger that is no longer straight, bruises in the shape of hoof prints on both feet, a bruised butt, a knot on my shin from a kick, whiplash, a sprained wrist, a sprained ankle, and a total lack of ego in the saddle.  But so help me, I love my boy.  He has given me great confidence in myself that I can cope with and overcome big obstacles.

Cigar was not without his battle wounds as well.  He had a major hip injury that kept him out of work for 6 months, two emergency vet visits for stitches to his right shoulder (he likes to roughhouse a bit tooooo much with other horses), an abscess, hock issues and arthritis in both hocks from all the racing, an odd founder-like episode, sprains and strains, and the career ending knee fracture.  Let us hope his younger brother is not as accident prone.

He now lives on the same farm as Ike and lives the life of Riley.  No demands on his time.  Mares to flirt with and his buddy Dude to keep him company.  Mom hands out love and treats just because he nickers hello.  Cigar is a talker unlike his silent brother Ike.  His most endearing trait is giving kisses on demand…if I pucker and ask for a kiss, he will swipe his muzzle on my face.He and his barn buddies enjoyed cold carrots and peppermints to celebrate.  After the celebration, I got in a 20-25 minute ride.  Started off the ride in two-point because Ike was a bit fussy – we believe the saddle is getting too snug as Ike starts to muscle up and develop a topline.  I got him through and using his back; the rest of the ride was excellent.  Canter transitions were spot on…13 days left.

Choose Wisely

Today’s post has yet another movie reference.  After enjoying some barn time this morning and then spending most of the afternoon water proofing the deck (yippee for me), my husband and I rotted in the A/C and watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  It is the installment where Indiana and his father played by Sean Connery go in search of The Holy Grail.  In one of the final scenes, the Holy Grail has to be chosen from a miriad of choices.  The elderly knight tells Indiana and the Nazis to “Choose wisely.”  The Nazi chose the flashy gold Chalice and was told after his body aged, “he chose poorly.”  The Holy Grail was actually the plainest of all the choices, but was the one that offered eternal life.

I tell that story to tell the story of selecting Ike as my next dressage mount.  I spent countless hours combing the internet looking at available horses.  Virginia Equestrian (http://www.virginiaequestrian.com), Warmbloods for Sale (http://warmbloods-for-sale.com/), Dressage Star (http://www.dressagestar.com), and various private farm website were trolled looking for a horse that would meet my needs and my budget.  It was overwhelming and I hadn’t even left the house or put a foot in a stirrup.  Make the wrong choice, and I end up with a horse whose trot I cannot sit or a horse that is too much for my meager skill set.  I also wanted sanity, yes, sanity was a very important attribute.  My trainer knew of a sales barn in Wellington, Florida after finding one of her horses there.  Berktold Dressage (http://www.berktolddressage.com/) ended up being the perfect place for me to find a horse.  I had four horses to try that all were close to meeting my criteria.  Two were knocked out of the running because poor Flash’s trot had so much movement that I could not even do a decent rising trot; Gloria was a phenomenal mare, but I would have been overfaced with her powerful movement.  The two remaining choices were Ike and a mare named Dona.  Both were sane and rideable.  Dona had proven show experience.  Ike had only been under saddle for 4 weeks or so when I rode him, but there was just something about him that I liked.  Well, you already know who I picked.

Our ride today was 40 minutes of goodness.  We did some practice tests and schooled haunches in and a tiny bit of leg yield to help Ike get his weight in the correct place for canter.  I have a video that will need some editing since it is almost 10 minutes long and I’m not always in the frame.  I started the filming before I mounted and left the camera sitting on the fence for the first part of my ride.

It could be said that for dressage riders, reaching the FEI levels could be considered The Holy Grail.  It is what we all wish we could do at least once before retiring from the sport.  While I may never get there with Ike, and he might not be the flashiest mover or the horse with the most chrome, the longer Ike is part of the family, the more I realize that I “Chose Wisely.”

Beauty School Dropout

Who remembers the Frankie Avalon song Beauty School Dropout from the movie Grease?  If you Google the song name, you can find a video of it on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lcDfvcaHQw).  Well that song is now stuck in my brain as I think about my horse grooming skills.  I should never quit my day job to be a professional groom.  I would be very poor.

Here are the boys before beauty school.  As you can see, Ike’s mane got a bit long over the winter.  Cigar’s mane has always been on the wild and shaggy side.  He never could stand for me to pull it and tame it into submission (much like his personality).  So poor Ike was the guinea pig for my mane taming skills.  As an aside, I must say that until I saw this photo of the boys together, I never realized how much bigger Ike is than Cigar.

I decided to start off with the easy stuff before diving into the mane pulling/thinning.  I trimmed goat hairs, shaved whiskers, trimmed the bridle path, curried his coat, trimmed fetlocks, conditioned and banged Ike’s tail, picked hooves, and finally could stall no longer.  I started slowly since I wasn’t sure how Ike would react to the pulling.  The more I combed and pulled, the more relaxed he became.  For full disclosure, I will admit it took me over an hour to get to a stopping point. [don’t quit the day job!] Ike was a trooper and was rewarded with oats and peppermints.  So here is where we ended up….and yes, it did get a bit too short close to his withers and trying to control the cowlick up near his poll is an ongoing battle.

The photo came out a bit blurry – we will call it the Monet effect.  I will leave the mane alone for a few days and reassess.  Thank goodness the mane will be in braids at the show to hide the mistakes!

We did also practice trailer loading after beauty school.  Ike walked on and backed off like a star.  Head was down the whole time, so there were no new dents added to the trailer today.

We ride again tomorrow.  Two weeks to go.

Friday the 13th

Hi Mom, I’m waiting for you.  Silly boy was waiting in his stall when I arrived today.  He made it outside for a few hours this morning before he decided that it was time for sanctuary.  The upside to a horse that likes to be in his stall?  He was clean and grooming was simple.  I have to say that I wouldn’t mind a little mud right now because that would mean it had rained.  The ground is already hard as well…not a good sign for the summer to come.

No bad luck while under saddle today.  Ike was again spot on with his work.  Have I mentioned that he is a good boy?  Ms. C’s son was kind enough to shoot a short video of part of our ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOBR0mmaBrA&feature=youtu.be  As you can see, we got our right lead canter on the first try – you just have to squint through the dust.  I watched our canter video from February again and I do believe that there is better balance.   The only bad luck is that I’m wearing the same fleece pullover that I was wearing in the February video.  What can I say, it is comfortable and has pockets.  Pockets are the key.

My bad luck today occurred out of the saddle.  I forgot the battery to the camera (it was in the charger back home) and had to retrieve my phone out of the car to take this photo.  I know, it goes against my rule of no cell phones, but the camera feature came to the rescue today.  I also forgot the air mattress for Ms. C to borrow.

15 days to go.  Guess we need to get that mane pulled and the goat hairs trimmed.