Time To Install The Winter Brakes

ike-dec-2016

Naughty List Candidate

So after very mild and workable temperatures in November, frigid temperatures and gusty winds have arrived in Virginia with a big, “Hellllloooo you poor souls who can’t migrate south for the winter!”

What that means is that it is time to drag out the fleece lined riding breeches, Thinsulate winter boots, and thicker gloves stuffed with Hot Hands. It also means that I look like I am crying while I ride since my eyes tear in the cold, and my nose and lips will be permanently chapped and cracked until April.  I know, it is a picture-perfect look.

Those of us who weather the winter conditions also know that our horses transform into different beasts once the thermometer dips and stays well below 50 degrees. Tiny demons take up residence in their ears encouraging naughtiness and crazy antics while in their paddocks and while under saddle. Yes, even Ike can be led down the naughty road…the threat of telling Santa appears to have no effect on his behavior.

Thus far this winter, Ike has destroyed two fence boards and one fence post. You read that correctly, he snapped a fence post with not a scratch on his body.  He also decided to rear, buck and cavort up and down the fence line just as the vet was administering Cigar’s antibiotic shot.  Cigar decided that he should join the fun, so I had to let go of the lead rope rather than get dragged through the mud.  Many thanks Ike for “helping.”  He has also resumed his wood-munching habit and more chicken wire has been installed on the boards around his coop stall. 

Tacking my demon-infected horse is much more challenging given that Ike seemingly generates a generous amount of static electricity.  I do my best not to shock him, but inevitably, we both get a jolt or two as I remove mud, shavings and other unidentified material from his coat.  Ike also is less than patient as I chip out the packed mud and manure from his hooves.  I now need to be very aware of where my feet are in relation to his hooves or I get stomped on as he jerks away his hoof.  Good times.  His hatred of the tightening of the girth is also magnified in the winter.  Nipping and cow kicking are standard practices in Ike’s world.  Smacking and yelling are mine.

Unfortunately for me, my winter boots are a bit bigger than my summer boots, so my usual spurs don’t easily fit around the heel.  I tried riding without spurs and using my Prince of Wales spurs, but Ike scoffed at my leg aids, “Mom, I cannot hear you!” Fine, Ike, mom knows how to stretch my pointier spurs.  Problem solved.

Over the span of 10 days, I’ve also determined that our collected canter has gone south with the snow birds.  We have fast canter, faster canter, fastest canter, super warp speed, and no absolutely no brakes in the snaffle bridle.  These canter speeds make schooling flying changes challenging if not impossible.  It is hard to be subtle, yet clear with your aids when you are hanging on for dear life and praying that you don’t snap another fence post or your neck.  What is a girl to do if she wishes to continue working during this fun? The girl installs “the winter brakes,”  AKA The Double Bridle.  Problem curtailed if not completely solved. Of course, I cannot manage both sets of reins in puffy gloves, so I cope with cold fingers for the opportunity to stop when I want.

If anyone has any winter horse survival tips they wish to share, please pass them along!  As long as the footing is safe and the roads to the barn are clear, we will brave the cold and work towards our Third Level debut.

Stay warm my friends! Alison

When To Cry, “Uncle!”

cigar-and-me

While most of my latest riding and horse adventures are with Ike, his older brother Cigar still likes to keep me on my toes. Ike is sugar and spice and everything nice.  Cigar is piss and vinegar and, even at the age of 20, has enough chutzpah to give the most hardened New Yorker a run for their money.  But it is some yet-to-be-identified microorganisms that are currently challenging his hardy constitution.

It all started last Thursday with an early morning call about Cigar’s leg looking like an overstuffed leg of lamb with a fever of 103 degrees.  Cigar Day One  Our vet is out on medical leave,  so we called Ms. C’s vet who kindly agreed to take on the case.  She arrived at the farm before I did and had already administered some banamine to give Cigar some relief from the pain.  Unfortunately the diagnosis was lymphangitis.  From what I have been able to tell, it is a difficult condition to treat, it can take weeks to resolve, and the prognosis in many cases is guarded.

The past week has been a blur of twice daily trips to the barn, cold hosing, sore cleaning, pill grinding, syringes and needles, and praying.  I have had to face my fear of needles and put on my ass-kicking boots to give daily shots of antibiotics  (33 mLs of liquid split into 3 doses in 3 spots).  I had to remove sutures and a catheter that Cigar objected to having in his neck.  I have had to control my gag reflex as I cleaned the nasty looking sores on his leg.  Worst of all, I have had to face my worst fear of saying the final goodbye.

It is anguishing to have to look down that rabbit hole.  You worry that you are too hasty.  You worry that you will wait too long and your friend will suffer. You wonder what last ditch drug or procedure can save your horse.  Your eyes leak until there are no more tears to fall.  Where will be his final resting place?

On Wednesday, we were worried about Cigar’s leg and hoof.  The entire coronet band was engaged in an epic battle with the microbes.

Cigar hoof.jpg

Not for the faint at heart…

 

There were real concerns that the hoof was separating from the leg.  Dr. E consulted with Dr. C and they recommended x-rays for the hoof and leg.  I agreed since it would confirm or assuage our fears.  While Dr. E went to retrieve the x-ray equipment, Cigar peacefully grazed.  It was gut wrenching to realize that these could be his last hours. At least he would never know the anguishing pain.

Cigar grazing.jpg

Dr. E returned with the equipment with Dr. C right behind her to help and give a second opinion.  Cigar tried his best to be cooperative for most of the images, but he did drag me out of the barn at one point, and I like to think that it was his way of telling me that he was not yet ready to cry, “Uncle!”  Thankfully the x-rays confirmed no separation or other mitigating issues.

Yesterday, Cigar tried to kick Ms. C with the infected leg and then gave a valiant attempt to trot away from us to avoid the bute paste in his mouth.  He then wouldn’t keep his head and neck still for his antibiotic injections.  (Can’t say that I blame him since his neck has been a pin cushion for 8 straight days…)  For those who don’t know Cigar that well, all of these are very normal behaviors for him.  Cooperation is not his strong suit.  “No” is his go to position.

The return of his headstrong personality gives me hope.  This is the time of year to give thanks and feel blessed for the people and animals in our life.  I am eternally grateful that my old man will be with us for the foreseeable future.

alison

 

 

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

So show season is over.  We have submitted our year end award packets.  The trailer has been cleaned.  My show coat has been mended.  Memberships for next year have been renewed.  Fall shots have been administered.  The saddle fitter will be stopping by soon for a saddle checkup.  So what does that leave us to do with our time?  Plenty.

 Next year we (okay, okay, mostly me – Ike doesn’t much care what we do) want to make the leap to Third Level.  That means there are some mad skills that we need to acquire over these winter months to be ready for the challenges presented at this next level of dressage.  We wasted little time after the championship show to get back to work since a quick read of the Third Level tests shows that there is some work to be done.

 Having just spent the past year working on and improving our Second Level work, I have a higher degree of confidence in our collection skills, but Third Level means no more half-assed collection.  Do or die, there is no try.  Fortunately Ike is working well in the snaffle, so we can save the double bridle for another day.

 Medium gaits…coming.  Extended gaits…umm, what are those??  As long as Ike doesn’t decide that a potty break is necessary during the test, we can approximate an extended walk.  An extended trot?  We will take our 5 and hope that Ike continues to develop his pushing power.

 Half pass.  Well, I have more to learn about riding a correct half pass than Ike does.  One must move the shoulders first, the shoulders.  And much like shoulder in, the rider needs to keep their weight in the correct place despite where my horse tries to put me.

 Turn on the haunches?  Sigh, I was saddened to see that they follow us to Third Level.  We will continue our efforts on this as well.

 And then there are the flying changes. Left to right is usually easier since Ike wants to shift his weight to the right hind.  Right to left needs to be ridden a bit straighter or we only change in the front.  Thankfully we have not lost any shoes during this scrambling moments.  The downfall to teaching the changes?  Someone starts to anticipate them and gets a bit strong in the hand.  The solution?  Canter-halt transitions, canter-walk transitions, or staying in countercanter.  All of these require that I use every skill I have in my arsenal to make Ike listen.  I can thank Cigar for my ability to stay astride during Ike’s panicked moments…and I still have the double bridle available if necessary. 

Stay tuned. We will let you know how how are winter homework is progressing.

alison

 

The Power of the Horse

Well, the final hurrah of the year is over.  The show duds have been packed away until year.  The self-imposed stress of horse shows is behind us and we can get back to just training…after Ike enjoys a few days of well earned down time.
Our Second Level championship ride had a major spook, but the rest of the test was solid and our score enough for an eighth place ribbon.  While it now resides next to the two we earned at Training and First Levels, it somehow has an extra special place in my heart.

This year was a big one for us.  It was the first year ever that our shows did not include any of the lower levels.  This was the year that I felt that Ike and I truly connected – collection is possible and I have seen glimpses of the still untapped power. The falling acorns helped me find my medium trot and Ike’s passage.  It is scary and thrilling all at the same time.

But most of all, I marvel at the awesome group of friends who I have met through my equine endeavors and who share this grand adventure.  We all arrived at this point by different paths, yet as we sat together in the barn this weekend, it didn’t matter how we got there. We were all there to enjoy our horses and cheer for each other. Strangers became life long friends. Fellow competitors morph into friendly faces and you cheer for their success. You volunteer your time to help the show run smoothly and sometimes you can turn someone’s day around by wishing them luck or congratulating their nice ride.

Horsepower is a good thing, but the power of the horse is something truly amazing. To all my friends, I cherish you all and look forward to our future adventures. 

Alison 

Fight or Flight? Ike Says, “Run!”

Ike in the shade

So fall has really arrived here in Virginia.  Temperatures are cooler, humidity is lower, and you can hear acorns falling from the trees.  Leaves have a hint of fall colors. The crisp air seems to electrify the atmosphere for the horses and especially for my two. (No shock there.) The boys ramp up their gelding play – biting, kicking, running, and rearing are de rigueur.  As you try to lead them to and from their paddocks, you are either struggling to keep up with Ike’s walk or you try your best not to get run over by Cigar.  Cigar likes to demonstrate his piaffe ability if you make him slow down to walk with you; where was that skill when he was in work??

And riding can also become a bit more challenging when your horse is on edge and ready to make a run for it at any moment.  Five crows sent Ike into a tizzy earlier this week, and the invisible boogey man (or clown) had him ready to save himself yesterday.  He only saves me if I can stay astride.  Thankfully, my ability to keep my ass in the saddle has improved; perhaps it is the memory of the pain from my last fall.

But an amazing thing can happen if I can keep Ike calm and somewhat focused when he gets a bit agitated.  When the adrenaline, cortisol, and noradrenaline start flowing, Ike feels like he grows another 6 inches in the withers as he sits on his hind end and prepares to run.  I relax my seat to sit deeper in the saddle; I exhale and shake my shoulders.  If I give a couple of meaningful and well-timed half halts, I have an upper level quality passage and a real collected trot.  Ike is through, connected, and using his back.  When I ask for a medium trot, Ike can answer. My ability to sit that trot is still in question.

This adrenaline-fueled horse can also perform walk-canter and canter-walk transitions with ease.  Since he is using his back correctly, we have more jump in our canter stride.  The only downside is that sometimes someone doesn’t want to slow down.

So now I ponder how to achieve this fear-motivated, connected feeling during my finals class…anyone have some pet crows that we can borrow next week?

alison

 

 

 

Four Down…One To Go

So a glance at the calendar today made me realize that exactly three weeks from today I will be headed down centerline for the last time this year at the CBLM USDF Region 1 Finals.
It has been a challenging show year, but not because our work. Mother Nature conspired to make the weather front and center at most of our licensed shows. She has a sick sense of humor…torrential rains right before our first and second shows made footing an issue. And hellish heat invaded the second two shows.  So, Mother N, what is in store for October?  Snow? Hail? Locusts?

Ike and I have made steady progress in our Second Level work as the season progressed.  I finally feel like I have a grasp on the concept of collection…we might not be 100% committed to our collected work, but we are seeing Ike gain more stamina and musculature to hold the collection for longer than the short side of the arena.  Today during my lesson, we actually found another gear in his trot work. (I am not sure I am quite as ready for that gear!!)

And while some would be disappointed to end up with three red ribbons (we scratched our last ride because we ran out of gas), I could not be more pleased with the results of our most recent show two weeks ago.  

Our scores from the Rose Mount show were our personal best for the tests we rode. Our first class was Second Level test 2 and we managed a 68.834%.  Yes, I know, it almost seems like I typed the wrong numbers. I was warming up for test 3 when I heard my score.  Pretty sure my mouth was a big fat O.  Holy moly!! I had whispered to Ike right before we entered that we should shoot for a 68%, but I didn’t think we’d actually pull it off. 

Our two test 3 scores were also our personal best – a 65.8 % and a 65%. Woo hoo! We held both canter serpentines. Another woo hoo! Ike’s attempted potty break almost caused me to giggle during my Saturday ride. He kept trying to stop during our turn on the haunches, then we botched our first canter transition while he finished  his business. Oh well.  I am still tickled with the overall effort, and we now have both scores we need for the 2017 GAIGS if we chose to attend. (The two days are run as two separate events so competitors can do exactly what we did.)

With those scores, Ike earned the final score necessary to complete his USDF Second Level Horse Performance Certificate. Not sure he is as proud of that as I am. He seemed to be more thrilled with the free treat samples we got in the competitor’s gift bag.

So now we are doing our final preparations for October 14th.  Ike’s pedicure is done. His winter coat is coming in fast and furious, so he has hair on his face again.  Ms. C  will hop on him once or twice for some fine tuning on his lateral work. Our lessons will be intense. I need to keep my eye on our goal: our best ride of the season.

Alison 

The Crooked Way

ike-and-alison-at-culpeper-aug-2016

Photo by Melana Krivitsky

 

We are all crooked in some way, shape or form.  Your left side is more dominant or maybe it’s your right side. Maybe you have an old or even a new injury that causes one leg to be weaker than the other. Maybe you had a Big Wheel accident as a child and chipped a bone in your wrist.  Or, perhaps, like me, you have some minor scoliosis that for the most part is a non-issue…until you are trying to train a horse.  And let us not forget we also ride half ton animals that have their own crookedness and stiffness to manage.

Add the two together and you have a recipe for a challenging, crooked path up the levels…a path that looks like it was cleared with a plastic butter knife.  The talented riders know how to compensate for their body’s issues and can easily address the issues of their horses…but where does that leave the rest of us?

There have been a multitude of books and articles written about straightening the crooked horse.  I particularly like the image that Lilo Fore paints in her article for Practical Horsemen of the horse moving in a “crooked, crab-like position.”  I have ridden that crab and left many points in the sandbox due to that crookedness.  Reading about how to straighten your horse is one thing.  Actually putting those words into practice can be much more challenging.  How can you effectively straighten your horse’s shoulders when you are collapsed to the left/right due to your body issues?

My scoliosis is not a new issue for me. It has been a lifelong conformation fault.  But it is only recently in my riding that I noticed my imbalance and it’s effect on my riding. Guess it took developing an independent seat to realize that the range of motion of my left hip is different than that of the right hip.  It comes across most in my struggle to help Ike with the left lead countercanter. Try as I might, I cannot move my left hip as easily as the right. While we can earn 7’s for our right lead countercanter serpentine; the left is a hot mess with me flailing about and praying that Ike can interpret what I want. Even when I consciously try and make my movement more pronounced,  it is still barely enough. I often wonder how this will affect our progress to the other levels.  Our goal in dressage is to show straightness and equivalent movement on the right and left sides. Hmm, when you don’t have the same range of motion with the left hip that you have with the right, how do you compensate when your seat is such an important piece of the puzzle? Ugh, the struggle is real.

There is no quick fix for this issue and there will be no cumbersome back braces to correct the alignment. I practice yoga which helps me focus on my body alignment and balance. Yoga quickly exposes your “weaker side” when you are balancing on one leg.  The wall has saved me more than once.  But if you fall down, just get right back up and try again.  Eventually the balance poses get easier (only took me 7 years to master scorpion pose…) Yoga helps me to maintain my flexibility, and I focus on deepening the hip stretches to increase the range of motion.  The warrior poses are all in my repertoire; and pigeon pose (http://www.yogajournal.com/article/beginners/pigeon-pose/) and I have a love/hate relationship.  Pigeon pose is the ultimate hip opener especially as you move towards the bound king pigeon pose.  Lotus pose (http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/lotus-pose/) is for those days when you just don’t feel as flexible.

I will continue to try Ms. C’s patience as she repeatedly screams, “move that left hip!”  For that, I must apologize.  Thank goodness she is a patient trainer!!  Acknowledging the problem is a start, and making an effort to minimize its damage on our progress up the levels is the goal.

Time to go practice that countercanter!

alison

The Art of Being Consistent

Ike at VADACH Aug 2016

Second Level work is H-A-R-D.  There, I said it.  It was such a thrill last year when I rode my first Second Level test ever.  It was a bigger thrill to earn my two Second Level scores for my USDF Bronze Medal.  The biggest thrill is that we are only one score away from Ike earning his Second Level USDF Horse Performance Certificate.  So why after all of these milestones do I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of  being an accomplished dressage rider at this level?  Well, it is because I came to the realization that we are not yet proficient or consistent in our Second Level work.

Merriam-Webster defines the word consistent as, “always acting or behaving in the same way, ” or “of the same quality; especially: good each time.”  You can look at either our marks for the individual movements or even the array of ribbon colors from the shows this year to know that we are still lacking in a consistent performance in our Second Level tests.

Overall, I am pleased with our work at the shows this year.  After our latest show, we came home with a blue, 2 reds, and a yellow.  And while it is nice to have the ribbons to show for our efforts, it is the score sheets and comments from the judges that are the most meaningful in our quest for consistency.  All four of our latest scores were in the 60th percentile.  For us, that is a huge accomplishment at Second Level.

Both of our Test 2 scores hit at or close to the 65% mark.  That is a huge improvement from last year.  Our marks for the two 10-meter half circles are improving, but I still need to figure out how to show more bend in Ike’s midsection as we ride our half circles.  I am finding it challenging to show the correct bend without over-bending the giraffe neck.  We are also successfully holding our countercanter in both directions in Test 2.  These two scores were confidence builders and I feel much more prepared to ride this test at the Region 1 CBLM Championship show in October.

Our marks for the dreaded turn on the haunches are also going up…except for the one when (yet again) the rider turned the WRONG WAY.  Seriously, what the eff is wrong with me?!  I have no doubt that the judge before my next ride chuckled as my husband yelled, “the left hand makes the L, Al” as I trotted around waiting for the bell to ring.  It really does help your overall score when you can get a 6.5 or a 7 rather than a 4 for these turns.  I have learned that the judge would rather see your turns be a little larger with active hind legs rather than your horse’s hind leg getting stuck and pivoting around that leg.  They might like that in the quarter horse world, but pivoting is frowned upon in dressage world.  I am also doing better at maintaining my weight on the inside rather than getting left behind as Ike makes the turn.  Hmm, funny how when the rider finally rides the movement rather than coasting along how the scores go up…

And while there is much improved with our Second Level work, there is still work to be done.  The left lead serpentine of Test 3 is our current arch nemesis.  We are holding the countercanter on the second loop, but it sure isn’t pretty.  I also struggle to get the correct angle for my shoulder in and haunches in – “too much angle,” “stiff movement,” and “too little angle shown” are common comments.  The best way to get those scores higher?  Practice, practice, practice.

Just like with anything you want to master – repetition of the skill is necessary in order to achieve proficiency and consistency.  A baker makes thousands of cookies in order to master a recipe.  A chef will slice and dice hundreds of vegetables to hone his/her knife skills. An archer will shoot arrow after arrow to improve their accuracy. And so a rider must spend hours upon hours in the saddle to master each skill necessary to move up the levels.

And while it would be easy to say it is time for Third Level, the perfectionist in me reminds me to slow down and hone our Second Level skills for a little longer.  Be consistent in our angle, be proficient at countercanter, be stable in our collected trot.  It only gets harder from here, so slow down and enjoy the ride.

alison

Happy Gotcha Day!

Ike medium trot So Heritage April 2016

Photo by Katherine Turnbull

When I was in my early 20’s and looking for gainful employment, I always hated the question, “Where do you want to be in five years?”  Umm, employed and no longer living in my childhood bedroom?  I never felt like I gave a meaningful answer to that question.  At that age, I hardly knew what I wanted to do the following weekend!

Five years.  1,825 days.  43,800 hours.  It can seem like a very long time, but as I have aged (slightly past 21), it seems that time moves faster and faster.  Five years can go by in the blink of an eye.  It is hard to believe that it was five years ago today that Ike arrived in Virginia.  His baby face is gone as are the pencil neck and narrow shoulders; they have been replaced by very broad shoulders and a stately look that can be quite striking when not riddled with battle wounds or spider bites.  I am hopeful that he is finally done growing taller and longer.

We are now two thirds of the way to our USDF Bronze Medal.  My gangly 3 year old who couldn’t canter without threatening harm to my knees on the fence is now a strapping 8 year old who can canter a 10 meter circle.  We are on the threshold of beginning Third Level work in earnest.  Whhhaaattt?!! Our progress has been more tortoise like than hare, but it is steady and on an upward incline.  And truth be told, I am the weaker link in this partnership, but thankfully Ike is a patient partner and is gracious when I make mistakes.

I thank my lucky stars that I have the privilege of owning and riding such a willing partner.  I am thankful that I have a supportive husband who stands by me on this crazy dressage journey.  This adventure would not be possible without Ms. C’s unwavering support and knowledge. Thank you to everyone who cheers us on when we win and provides moral support when we falter.

Here’s to another anniversary on Ike’s centerline adventures!

alison

Dear Mr. Spider,

Spider Bite 1

I am writing to you today to thank you for the extensive damage that you have wrought on Ike’s face.  You probably thought nothing of the consequences when you decided to bite poor Ike on the left side of his face.  Ever since you did it, I have not been able to stop thinking about it.

The bite seemed innocent enough at first.  I dabbed it with anti-itch cream and headed home.  By day two, Ike had multiple bumps on the entire left side of his face and the hair started falling out.  By day four, most of the left side is now hairless and he has rubbed a few spots raw.  None of the topicals we have applied have stopped the madness.  I am now buying Zyrtec by the case (Ike needs 10 pills twice a day) in hopes of tempering the itching as the reaction subsides and heals.

Please note that if I ever find you or your offspring, there will be immediate consequences felt.  There will be no trial.  I will be judge and jury rolled into one maniacal package.  Punishment will be death by shoe/boot/brush/broom/any other inanimate object within striking distance. I will feel no remorse for my actions.

I am not looking forward to the disapproving stares and snide comments by the DQs at this weekend’s show.  I have started to work on Ike’s Phantom-of-the-Opera-style mask to hide the damage; I feel certain that the TD will accept it without question.  I might add a cape for dramatic effect.  The first person who asks, “Why did you let this happen?” will be pummeled with my piaffe whip.

You have fair warning Mr. Spider.  You’d better pack your bags and find a new home.

Alison