Tag Archives for Horse

We Need More Time to Acclimatize

Ike and I are looking for a free ride to somewhere warm.  If possible we will need free boarding, food, and living quarters for the duration of our stay.  My parents have a condo in Florida, but Ike would be a bit cramped in their guest room.  I’m also figuring that the upstairs neighbors would begin to complain after a day or two of Ike in residence.  Where did our nice weather go???  I rode in summer clothes on Monday with a high temperature of 77 degrees.  Yesterday, I had on winter riding pants, winter boots and multiple layers.  48 degrees was the high.  After only 30 minutes, my ears were numb, my nose was running, and eyes were tearing.  Supermodel material…not.

Oh how I wish we could have a gradual transition from summer to fall to winter.  It seems that Virginia weather is bipolar.  It swings from one extreme to the other on a whim.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a few weeks in the mid-60’s then a gradual drop to more winter-like temperatures.  And the wind could give us a break as well.  It really gets the nose flowing and I routinely forget to stuff tissues in my gloves, so my gloves or shirt become the unwitting recipient of the nasal offerings.  Such a pretty picture don’t you think?  You never see the rider’s in Smartpak or Dover with runny noses.  I’m so jealous.

So let’s just say that I’m a fair-weather loving rider.  I suffer through the summer heat and struggle in the cold of winter.  Half halting is a challenge when your fingers are non-responsive and bloodless.  My Raynaud’s Syndrome can make winter riding challenging.  I’ve lost count of the days that I had to stop what I was doing, and sit in my car holding my hands in front of the vents while waiting for the circulation to return.  Winter gloves do little to help.  It is what it is and I just don’t ride on the coldest days.

While my two rides this week were extremes in the weather, Ike was consistent between the two rides.  He continues to amaze me with his capacity to learn.  His strength, stamina, and balance are ten times what they were this time last year.  My Florida boy has obviously acclimated to his Virginia home.

Quality vs. Quantity

As I’ve progressed through life, as many people before me have also discovered, that it is better to have fewer, but better quality things over lots of cheap crap that won’t last the year.  The better quality stuff also stands the test of time and the rigors of daily barn use.  I tried the “pleather” tall boots about six years ago.  If they had only been used once a week, they would have probably have been just fine and stuck around for a while.  They departed this world and into the bowels of the local landfill after only six months.  What can I say, Bigfoot is hard on her shoes.  Interestingly enough, my pricier Ariat leather tall boots have been with me for over 5 years now and still look fabulous even with regular use.  I am definitely getting my money’s worth out of them.

I’m also learning that the same holds true for training a young horse.  Even with fewer days of work and shorter time spans when working, you can see positive progress IF the time is used wisely.  (Cue the wise old owl.)  And lets face it, most of us have to work full-time to support our equine obsession, and we have families, and a house to take care of, and all the other To-Do’s in our lives.  I can’t spend all day every day with my horses.  My barn time is limited, so I’ve got to make the most of the time I do get in the saddle.  Ms. C also keeps me focused and is always reminding me that Ike will only be as good as I am.  If I space out while riding and paddle around in a half-hearted trot, then we aren’t really accomplishing anything with our training.  If I mount with a game plan in mind, and keep myself focused, then we can accomplish a lot in a 30 minute ride.

And probably like many others out there, I do my best riding while under close scrutiny of my trainer.  Am I right?  There is no wasted time during my lesson.  It is most definitely high quality saddle time.  Got my weekly lesson in today since it was a day off for me.  Since show season is over, we’ve stopped schooling the test movements and are focusing on getting Ike through and really using his back.  There is also quite a bit of time spent making me a better rider.  I’ve got to work on the timing of my half halts if I ever hope to progress beyond First Level.  Luckily for me, Ms. C is a patient woman.  She is also generous with her verbal instructions – it is almost like she is riding the horse and performing the aids herself.  If I’m struggling to figure out which aids to use and when, she will call out the sequence as if she was calling a dressage test, “Squeeze outside rein, put you inside leg at the girth, relax your shoulders, look up, half halt, half halt again, remember to release after you half halt (oh, yeah, oops).”  Those verbal instructions plus her saying, “Do you feel that?  Do you feel what you have right now?”  Um, yeah, sure.  “That is your 8 trot.  That trot is through; Ike is coming up and out of his withers and you are recycling the energy.”  Okay, I think I’ve got it.  Then we take a break, and then Ms. C tells me to try to recreate what we had.  Sigh, sometimes I nail it and sometimes I struggle.

Ike’s work was spot on today and I didn’t do too badly either.  Fewer struggles today which always makes me happy, but  almost all days at the barn are days to smile.  Love that quality barn time with my equine partner.

Turn off the Cruise Control

So Ike and I had our weekly lesson yesterday and the take away message for the day: turn off the cruise control and be present with every stride, i.e., get better timing for and be more frequent with my half halts.  Aaargghh!  Those darn half halts will be the end of me, but I do realize that they are what Ike needs to learn to become more balanced and use his topline.  I need to learn how to teach Ike the concept of a half halt.  There are days he does seems to do well with the concept and other days, like yesterday, he steamrolls along, singing, “La, la, la, I can’t hear you.”

Ms. C and I have many discussions about half halts and how I need to execute them.  Subtle finger squeezes are not always the answer when riding a steamroller.  Full body half halts are still commonplace.  I assume that we will eventually move beyond them, but that day seems so very, very far away.  Ms. C always tells me to try the quiet, invisible half halt first, but if Ike ignores it, then I have the right to be a little louder with my request to get the intended response.  Of course that means that we are well into the turn before Ike responds rather than getting the response before we turn or feed off onto a circle.

And I must confess, that once we get going, my mind will wander.  I will gaze at the trees or at the horses in their paddocks until I hear, “where was your half halt?”  Umm, well, ah, I then have no good excuse and must admit my digression.  Ms. C then talks me through what I should have done which is always much different from what I actually did.  Cruise control is great for trail rides, but not for training a four-year old horse dressage concepts.  Her explanations involve half halts every 2-3 strides.  Oh.  Sometimes I’m lucky to do one successfully before the mind wanders and I worry about the sweat dripping in my eyes or trying to sit the trot.

Yesterday we practiced square turns at the trot and attempted them at the canter.  This exercise really made me focus and stay on task…the fear of running into the fence kept me motivated to execute the turns rather than crush the fence.  If we were scored on successful turns at the trot, we’d have been given a 55% at the most.  I’m too late with my half halt to make the proper turn.  Ike can’t bear the blame for my error, but he can take the heat for lack of listening when I do give the correct aids.  I guess equine four-year olds aren’t that different than human four-year olds.  They are starting to develop their own identity and will challenge authority from time to time.  Hopefully Ike’s challenges won’t go much beyond the current level.  I don’t think I could handle a 1,200 pound tantrum.

Vote for Ike

Ike got his presidential campaign started very late this year.  Funds were very limited, so he was unable to mail any flyers or hire a producer and director to record any television advertisements.  He was also unable to get his fellow equines to make phone calls to drum up support.  They claimed that they had better things to do with their time.  Ike thinks he should win just because he was one of the only candidates to not bother you during your family dinner or clog your recycling container with glossy postcards.

Ike is a man of few words, so there would be few news conferences to interrupt your favorite television programming.  He supports a vegetarian society with a diet heavy in grains and raw fruits and vegetables…but candy would also be an important part of the White House menu.  Every visitor would receive a bag of peppermints.  How can you not want more candy in your life?!?  If Ike wins, exercise would be an integral part to everyone’s day.  Nothing better than an early morning romp to get the blood flowing and legs muscles stretched.  Midday naps would be mandated by law or by Constitutional amendment if necessary.  Playtime (call it recess if you like) would also be required to be part of everyone’s day – adults and children alike.  Why should daily fun be confined to your childhood days?

While fun is an integral part of Ike’s philosophy, he also has a very strong work ethic.  Fun is fun, but when it is time to work, Ike believes that you should put forth your best effort whether you are at home or in public.  Try your best every time and no one can criticize your efforts, except maybe your brother who thinks that you are a big suck up.

Ike thanks you for your support.  No matter who you vote for or have voted for, be thankful for the opportunity and privilege.

Ike Feels the Need, The Need for Speed

So I know that Ike’s brother Cigar likes to run; he is a Thoroughbred who had 51 starts in his racing career.  In his younger days, Cigar could scoot and I mean, he was really fast.  He was never happier than when he was running.  My friend L took him for a gallop on one of the local cross-country courses a few years ago.  I’ve never seen him look so pleased with himself as he did after they finished that gallop.  Cigar must be sharing this love with his younger brother, because Ike continues to gallop laps around the big paddock and as well as while under saddle.

I’m all for his paddock gallops.  Have at it.  Enjoy yourself. Run, Ikey, Run.

The hijinks under saddle.  Not so cool.  And he can be rather sneaky about doing it.  We start in a lovely canter and within one stride, Ike has seized control before I can even say whoa.  I might get “wh…” out of my mouth, but quickly close it for fear of consuming a bug or two during our romp.  My biggest fear is losing a knee on the fence since turning while at a full gallop is tentative at best.  An inside, direct rein is my only hope for turning.  No subtle half halts.  No squeezing of the fingers.  No inside leg to outside rein connection.  Just hunkering down in the saddle, pulling and barely releasing the reins while trying to keep an eye on how close we are to the end of the ring and how close my outside knee is to getting obliterated.

It doesn’t happen every day, and not always certain what triggers the urge.  Youthful exuberance?  Perhaps.  A cool breeze blows up his butt? Doubt it. Me carrying the whip?  Maybe.  Ike isn’t sharing the why.  At least so far, he confines this behavior to home.  I can only imagine the judge’s reaction if it happened in the middle of our dressage test.  I can hear the judge ringing the bell because we are off course and demanding that I stop, whilst I yell, “I’m trying to stop, thanks!!”  Minus two points for use of voice.  More banshee running and eventual elimination for failure to listen to the judge.  Fingers are crossed that we never have to cross that bridge of embarrassment.

Needless to say, my abs are feeling better since there was little sit trot to be had the past two days.  The only casualty are my windburned cheeks and chapped lips.  It is always something.

Best Abdominal Workout EVER

My abdominal muscles are still in recovery mode today.  Yesterday was my weekly lesson with Ms. C and it was not our usual lesson.  Before I explain, I feel I must tell you this.  I have never ridden above First Level.  Yes, that’s right.  You could say that I really know next to nothing about dressage.  I’ve never ridden half pass or done tempi changes.  I only imagine what piaffe and passage would feel like.  Collected gaits have not been part of my riding repertoire, so it was a complete shock when Ike decided that he was going to work in a “collected” trot for my lesson.

Now I realize that it was not a true collected trot, but what can you expect from a four-year old horse.  Trust me, it was lovely for a young horse with a loooong back and looooonger legs.  He came up and out of his withers and engaged his hind end.  We took advantage of his generosity.  I understand now why you ride collected trot while sitting.  Thank goodness it happened during a lesson so Ms. C was able to talk me through my aids (half halt, half halt) to use it as a learning experience for both Ike and me.  We even attempted to lengthen the trot down the long side and collect it at the short ends.  Poor Ike had no idea what we wanted.  I kept trying and he finally started to figure out the game.

I finally had to cry, “Uncle!” and take a walk break.  I thought I was in pretty good physical shape for a middle-aged woman.  I walk, do Zumba, practice yoga, ride my exercise bike, and still use my 8 Minute Abs DVD.  But man, none of my other workouts have prepared me for riding in sit trot for long periods of time.  Rising trot?  No big deal.  Two point?  I’ve got that.  Sit trot?  Yikes!!  Feels like I did a 30 minute abdominal workout two or three times in one day.  Keep this workout in mind if you are trying to get ready for bathing suit season.  I’m fully expecting to have ripped middle by next summer.  Hmm, hopefully wine consumption will not impede this…cheers!

 

 

Frankenstorm Report

I am happy to report that all is well after Sandy blew through our area.  The only damage to our home or Ms. C’s farm is the phone line to our house is partially down in the backyard.  I am thankful.  My heart goes out to all those who faced the full effects of the Heartless Wench as I’ve dubbed Sandy.  There is coastal damage from Florida to Rhode Island and everywhere in between.

The horses had very limited turn out yesterday morning before the rain and wind picked up and had them begging for the safety and dryness of the barn.  I can tell you – they knew the storm was coming.  Ms. C and Mr. D said that they were keyed up as they were led to their paddocks and most confined their antics to their own paddock….and then there was Ike’s brother Cigar.  Cigar is one of those Thoroughbreds, you know the ones I mean, the screw is loose and sometimes falls out and rattles around the brain.  Cigar jigged on the way to his paddock, reared up, and pulled away from Ms. C as if he was breaking from a starting gate.  He managed to get into a brawl with Ms. C’s mare who was being led to her paddock.  They fought like banshees.  Ms. C and Mr. D finally got them separated and Cigar herded back to his paddock.  By this time, he was fired up and passaged over to one of the ponies and kicked at the fence.  Somehow, during the melee, he managed to tear up the front of his left hind leg…great.  Frankenstorm is on her way and I’m headed to the barn praying that I don’t have to call the vet for the fool.

By the time I arrived at the barn, the horses were safely tucked in their stalls.  They were all happy to see me, “the treat lady is here!”  I quickly handed out treats (the bucket bangers would have been inconsolable had they not been given a snack…yes, I’m well-trained).  I put Cigar’s halter on and did my best to get a close look at the leg.  Yes, it was bloody looking, but thankfully, Ms. C and Mr. D had already cold-hosed the leg, sprayed it with a topical medicated spray, and given Cigar some bute.  Unfortunately for me, Cigar knew my motive for being in his stall, so he was less than cooperative.  Every time I got too close to the leg, he would cock it as if to say, “go ahead, I dare you to touch it.”  Hmm,  I did managed to snap a grainy photo with my phone (forgot the camera in my rush). It was right in the stifle area in the fleshy front part of the leg.  Hmm, what to do.  I sprayed the wound with additional medicated spray while chasing Cigar’s hind end around the stall while holding onto the lead rope…a modified ring around horsey mom, if you will.  I keep Wonder Dust on hand in the first aid kit, so I decided to apply it as well to help stop the bleeding and dry up the wound.  Interesting process dumping the dust into the palm of my right hand while holding the bottle and the lead rope in my left hand.  I then attempted to aim at the wound and just as I would throw the dust towards the leg, Cigar would move.  By the time I got the dust on the wound, his entire leg was a chalky, blue color.  Pretty.

Went back today and was pleased with how the leg looked.  The swelling was minimal. Cigar was placing his weight on the leg and continued to be uncooperative as I redressed the wound.  Ah, he was his normal self.  Good sign.  Since the swelling was slight, it leads me to believe that he got his leg hung on the fence as he was kicking, and left the hide on a fence board.  I’ll take that over a kick any day.  Thank goodness we averted the emergency vet visit this time.

As you can see from Ike’s photo, the horses were able to escape the confines of the barn for a few hours today, and Ike fully enjoyed the muddy slop.  He learned that trick from Cigar.  They were both contentedly eating hay in the drizzle when I left the barn.

I’m headed to the office tomorrow, but it will be good for Ike to have a full day of turnout after being cooped up for most of the past two days.  If life cooperates, I’ll be back in the saddle on Thursday.

Happy Halloween!

Master of the Dark

                                                                                           A+++

That would be Ike’s grade for his performance yesterday even if our scores had been awful.  How, you ask, would that be possible since dressage schooling show success is typically judged by your score and ribbons earned?  Let me explain.

I last rode on Tuesday at our lesson.  Life intervened the rest of the week and kept me out of the saddle and away from the barn until Friday.  My job which pays the bills, general life maintenance (read, laundry and house work), and ACL surgery on my dog Tim’s knee demanded my attention.  I managed to make it to the barn long enough on Friday to load the trailer and groom big man.  I put in the basic braids so all I had to do in the morning was roll them into our cheater buttons.  Ike would have had every right to act out since he’d had limited work.

Yesterday started at 3:30 a.m. in the DARK of night.  Had to tend to Tim – getting medicine to go down and a morning walk were necessary.  A quick stop for coffee was also necessary and then the 25 minute drive to the barn in the DARK.  Arrived at the barn at 4:30 a.m.  It is very DARK in the country.  The horses all nickered to me as I opened the barn doors and turned on the light; not sure if it was “good to see you” nickers or  “turn off the lights, we are sleeping” nickers.  In either case, all eyes were wide open when I fed Ike, so everyone got some oats and hay.  Ike balked at getting on the trailer.  I’m assuming because it was DARK and way too early to be going anywhere.  Since he is such a good sport, he finally conceeded and we were on our way at 5:00 a.m.

We arrived at the show barn at 6:15 a.m. in the DARK.  We parked in the field in the DARK.  Did we remember a flashlight?  Of course not.  So we unloaded Ike and tacked in the DARK.  Since it was DARK and there was no one else at the show, I opted to not put Ike and I in our Halloween costumes.  What was the point?  It was DARK and no one could see it.  We then walked through the field and down the path in the DARK.  Checked in with the show secretary in the DARK.  The one advantage to being there at this early hour – since there were no lights in the field where warmup was to be, they let me warm up in the competition arena since it had lights.  The lights did a decent job at providing light, but there were still DARK, boogie man corners and shadows.  Ike, being the star that he is, didn’t spook at anything.

I should also mention that we rode by ourselves for most of warm up.  Thank goodness my husband and Ms. C were also there so Ike had some ground support.  About 7:00 a.m. another horse showed up; it was the other horse in our class.  As it turns out, the other competitor in our group scratched…I’m betting it was because they did not wish to ride in the DARK.  Ike’s warm up went fairly well.  We had tense moments and some stumbling.  Hey when it is DARK, I tend to have trouble as well.

It was finally time for Training Level Test 2.  Not our best effort.  Ike was inconsistent in his rhythm and even felt “off” during half of the test.  He also kept trying to break into canter.  The judge took some time to talk to us after our ride since the scratches opened up a block of time.  She also noticed the odd movement, but told me there were some nice moments.  She complimented my riding and Ike’s stellar performance in the early morning DARKNESS.  We ended up with a 62.5% but it came with a blue ribbon.

They let me and the other competitor do another 5 minutes of warm up in the competition ring before our second rides.  The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon, so the field was still pretty DARK.  During this five minute period, Ms. C had us trot in a circle around her and she checked Ike’s shoes.  Maybe he stepped on a rock?  Maybe when he tripped in the DARK, he torqued something?  His movement was still not quite right…..and then he finally pooped……..and my happy horse returned.  Ah!

I could feel the difference as we headed down centerline for our second test.  Ike’s rhythm was steady, there was no hitch in his giddyup, and there was no general ickiness in any of his movement.  His canter transitions were prompt (a good thing since they have a coefficient in Test 3).  His trot loops were smooth.  We even nailed our canter turn onto the long diagonal and the down transition at X.  His walk was marching and forward.  I was tickled with our test.  The judge was as well.  Her oral comment, “WOW! What a difference!  What did you do??”  LOL, I told her what made the difference.  She laughed.  She was very complimentary of our test and the score reflected her comments – 68.6%!!  Way to go big man.

As we headed back to the trailer, we finally saw more competitors.  We also could see the path back to the trailer parking and the fields and the ground and the tack room.  The sun had made its daily appearance and night was over as was our work for the day.  I joked that our experience prepared us for riding under the lights at Devon.  Ha!  Although we didn’t make it to the 70% mark, I cannot complain.  My big man proved to me that he is a rising star.

Quite the Conundrum

Phew!  Ike and I sweated our way through our weekly lesson today.  Who would have thought that we’d be riding in 83 degree weather at the end of October.  Poor Ike is sporting a heavier winter coat so he was a hot mess when we were done.  Cooler days are only a few days away and I will again be able to wear my winter riding boots (grin) that don’t need to be cleaned every day (bigger grin).

Ms. C made the astute observation that I need to achieve a better outside rein connection to help Ike learn to be straight.  He is so long and gangly that he tends to “leak” if I don’t maintain a steady connection with that outside shoulder.  We get a crooked look which is good for a scarecrow, but not so much for a dressage horse.  My connection with my inside rein is also suspect.  I’m told I throw away the inside rein or take too much contact and pull backwards.  Sheesh.  I’m a hot mess in more ways than one.

I can achieve a better connection when I’m in sit trot – go figure.  In my rising trot, my connection is more on again, off again.   So I can help Ike more from sit trot, but since he is young, his back isn’t quite sit trot ready.  Do you know what I mean?  So there is the problem.  Well, let’s be honest, it is really my problem.  Sigh.  How do I help big man learn when I can’t be the perfect rider with every stride?  I suppose that I could knuckle down on his withers or hook a couple of fingers through my SOS strap, but while that would help Ike with a steadier connection, it really doesn’t help me learn to have better hands.  I could try the technique I learned at the last clinic (bridging the reins), but my hands still tend to bob around a bit too much.  If you have any tips for help through this struggle, please share!  I know I can’t be the only one with this problem.

The rest of the lesson went well.  Ike continues to improve his stretch down trot and his canter rhythm.  Rode Test 3 with Ms. C as the judge.  She is a tough one, but spot on with her comments.  The take away message is always Ike can only get better and learn to move correctly if you show him how.  So we muster our strength and live to ride another day.

Ike’s Turn Again

Hello Everyone!  My darling mother has been hogging the blog, so I haven’t had a chance to check in with you in recent months.  She really should be a little more cognizant of my need to share my point of view.  Maybe Santa will bring me a laptop of my very own so I don’t have to hijack Mom’s.  Hmm, guess I’ll have to suggest that WiFi access be installed at the barn as well.  I’m sure Mom will be willing to pay extra for this small convenience.

But I digress.  Mom has been very focused on the “tests” that we perform when we leave the farm.  I sometimes don’t see the point of them.  What fun is it to do the same thing as the horse before you and the horses that go after you.  Bo-ring.  My paddock is sort of shaped like the riding arena and I try to show Mom and Ms. C what I think would be fun to do.  I run really, really fast, kick up my heels and end with a high-stepping trot.  But no, the two fuddy-duddies frown upon my antics.  When I do try to cut loose under saddle, Mom gets a very stern tone to her voice.  She then tries to squelch my creativity and slow me down.  It just makes me want to try harder to impress upon her my thoughts and suggestions.  I’ve got one more chance this coming weekend to break free from the pedestrian walk/trot/canter.  What do you think my chances of success will be??

And speaking of paddocks, I have been granted the privilege of spending time in the BEST paddock at the farm.  Ms. C calls it sanctuary.  I call it heaven.  It is smaller than my normal paddock – more of a square than a rectangle.  I can visit with two pony girls, the chestnut mare that sometimes is kind to me when she thinks no one is looking, and my brother Cigar.  Most of the fences have hot wire, but I’m tall enough that I can just arc over the wire and visit with anyone I want.  The little bay pony likes to squeal at me.  Cigar likes to rough house.  I could stay in this little paddock all the time, but they make me share.  I’m not always good at sharing.  I try but it is hard when I see Mom paying attention to others and giving away my candy.  Hmmph.  She can pet the others, but my candy is mine.  Mine, mine, mine.  I wonder how Santa would feel about this.

I’ve also been told that the scores from the prancing routines have been good enough to qualify for awards.  I think Mom tried to explain them to me, but I was too busy dunking my hay to really pay attention.  I guess they can be a good thing if it means there are more bags of treats or peppermints.  Usually awards mean ribbons.  I tasted one once.  Not worth the effort.  Definitely not as tasty as candy.

I did behave for Mom these past two days.  She is so easily flustered, so I like to be kind to her most of the time.  We worked on the routines we are planning to do this coming weekend.  That Test 3 is a hard one, especially the left lead canter turn onto the long diagonal.  If we’ve got a good clip going, it is even harder.  Thank goodness Mom’s knee is there to buffer me from the fence.

So nice catching up with you!  Come see us at the show and tell Mom to breathe and have fun.

Ike