It is Friday, so the weekend is officially here and to many folks that means Happy Hour!  I remember in my younger days planning with my girlfriends which bar to head to based on which had the best free happy hour food.  Sound familiar?  Hey, we were poor, and that free food was dinner to go with our reduced cost beverages.  Now, my Happy Hour is spent at the barn with the horses making sure that their buckets are filled with fresh water and that they get their fair share of peppermints and horse treats.  Of course, that doesn’t stop me from having a glass of wine (or two) once I get home.  My how the times have changed.

Ike and I had a short ride, since our lesson was yesterday and the clinic is tomorrow.  He’d had a bad day because the adjacent farm was cutting hay and had spent most of this gorgeous day in his stall.  I wonder about the boy sometimes.  Anyway, I could tell he was on edge while I rode him, but with Mom astride, he tried his best to listen and be brave.  After 20 minutes and solid trot work and multiple successful canter up and down transitions, we called it an afternoon.  There were two feeble attempts at a stretch down trot——-we will leave it at that.

I’m still trying to find the balance of work and time off for Ike.  I typically ride 4 to 5 days a week right now usually for 20-45 minutes depending on the other demands of life.  Is that too much?  Not enough?  Feel free to weigh in if you have a system that you have found works for oversized four-year-olds.  I’m sure that our progress could be greater if I could devote all my time to the pursuit, but unless there is a miracle and we either win the lottery or some long-lost rich relative appears, my barn time will continue to get squeezed in with the rest of the to-do list.  Of course, not everything on that list is a fun as Barn Happy Hour.  Cheers!

Ms. C passed along an interesting observation of Ike.  First picture in your mind a dog sitting, then substitute a 1200 pound horse in place of the dog.  Yes, Ike was sitting like a dog.  Not for a long period of time and of course not long enough for a camera to be located, but long enough for Ms. C to take notice.  It was not an AKC obedience quality sit, but a kickstand-style casual sit.  I still cannot picture where exactly all the leg parts were during this.  But I digress…

Today was lesson day and overall, I am pleased with how Ike and I did.  As Ike gets stronger, we are looking for a steadier connection.  The days of his head being a little higher, a little lower, even lower still, and then back up are getting fewer and fewer as he develops his topline.  His trot work is a pretty solid “7” and we are working on finding the “8.”  It is there in fits and spurts.  And can I just say, where the heck was the canter I rode today when we were at the show??  The right lead was very balanced and I was able to sit back and follow the motion – just like a rocking horse.  The left lead was a little bit less balanced, but it too was better than what I had in my test.  Must be show nerves and green horse nerves.  At least we know it is in that big hulking body.  We started to introduce shoulder in with some limited success.  We also schooled turn on the haunches to help Ike learn to weight the inside hind.

One final note – the countdown has started to our next show – a schooling show at Chestnut Oak Stable (http://chestnutoak.net/shows.html) 10 days from today.  Schooling shows are so much easier on the pocketbook.  I do plan to braid and play beauty shop so that we make a good impression headed down centerline.  I will also wear my show attire since the dressage coat beautifully hides a multitude of sins.  I had some success at their schooling show series with Cigar as well as some embarrassing moments that many folks can still recall.  I’m excited to be headed back with Ike – hoping for the success without the drama and hijinks.

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…

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.