Tag Archives for Horse

“What You BS?”

Say what?!?

Me: ” I have no idea what you are asking.”

Former supervisor: ” That is because you blocking.”

Huh? What the ___?

Me: “Blocking what?”  (My smart mouth started at a young age.)

Supervisor: “You BS.”

Imagine a look of bewilderment.

Assistant Supervisor: “What was your college degree?”

Ah.  My Bachelor of Science.  BS.

I share this actual account from my first job after college, because even though it occurred over 20 years ago, I have never forgotten that exchange or the take away message – Clear communication is key if you wish someone to know what you are asking.  The same is true all these years later as I train and ride a young horse.  If I am not clear with my aids, Ike’s response is one of bewilderment as he attempts to fathom what I have asked him to do….Haunches in? Haunches out?  leg yield?  Ball up and get gnarly?  Halt out of frustration?

As we begin to introduce new concepts to Ike, Ms. C keeps me on my toes to make sure I am using my aids appropriately.  And as I’ve admitted before, I’m not always as sharp as I need to be.  I honestly try to time my squeeze/weight shift/leg movement, but as a girl who walked into the bathroom door yesterday (I’m pretty sure it moved on purpose), I sadly admit that I’m not always the most coordinated.  Poor Ike.  He is held back by my spastic appendages.  Luckily, he is a very forgiving fellow since we have shown progress over the past year.

Had an awesome ride today.  A full 45 minutes of solid work.  Since we are just over a week away from our last schooling show of the season, I did ride Training Level Test 3 in its entirety to 1) See if I could remember the sequence and 2) to remind Ike that he must respond at a specific time and place – not just when he wants.  We had more gor-ge-ous canter work.  If only we could have this canter when we are out in public.  We will just keep trying and practicing.  We’ve been nailing our centerlines the past few weeks.  I can almost tell you as we make the turn whether or not we will halt square.  That is a great feeling since it is the final impression we leave with the judge.

Alison

P.S.  My B.S. is in Biochemistry.

Preview of Things to Come

Sooooooo, the past few days have had non-equine activities to occupy my time and wallet.  My SUV decided that it was feeling neglected, so it blew a tire.  I spent Sunday morning having new tires installed – cha-ching.  My poor therapy dog had been nursing a hind leg injury for a few weeks and went three-legged lame Sunday morning.  He spent the day yesterday at the vet’s office.  At his pick-up appointment our vet broke the great news that he blew the ACL and he needed surgery.  We are well versed in doggie knee surgeries since we nursed him back to health two years ago from his first surgery.  Awesome.  We were sent home with Rimadyl and Tramadol and a surgery date.  Sigh.  Just to keep things interesting, my husband’s cold reappeared.  I’m hoping that the cooties don’t make a reappearance for me, but I’m glad that Ike and I had our weekly lesson today in case they come calling.

We started off slowly with absolutely no rhythm, connection or energy.  Ike even decided to pin his ears when I asked for a little more gas.  Multiple transitions later, Ike decided to pass gas.  Ah, so that was the issue.  Now let’s continue our lesson unencumbered.  Ms. C really had me focus on riding a circle – not puttering in a round like shape – riding every stride, looking ahead, planning my half halts, asking for the correct flexion and bend.  To the left, we nailed it with very little effort on my part.  To the right, well, hmm, let’s just say that if I put on the cruise control, Ike doesn’t turn, and Ms. C fusses at me (and rightly so) for not maintaining focus and letting Ike straighten.  Her words, “He is ready to learn this, but it is up to you to help him learn.  You let him leak to the left and You lost that outside shoulder.”  Double sigh.  So much work.  But she is right, so I tried again and we nailed it.

Lateral work is progressing.  We don’t get too greedy and Ike’s tolerance for sit trot is helping our progression.  This rider definitely maintains a better connection from sit trot and has better control of her aids.  A Grand Prix rider I am not.

Our canters today were delightful.  I can’t wait for the day that we can achieve this caliber canter strides in public.  Ike came up and out of his withers and the hind end came up and under that loooong back.  The right lead canter was aaah-maazzz-ingggg.  “Ride that canter!”  I heard as we nailed the transition.  The right lead was collected, rhythmic, and through.  Ooooh.  I want more of that.  But I am riding a four-year-old, and soon Ike said he could give no more.  That is okay, he gave us a preview of what is to come.

Horse Show Rant

Today Ike had a day of rest and reflection (why do we keep trying to take the reins from mom and act like a racehorse?), and I went to a local horse show to support one of my young rider friends.  She has had some unfortunate struggles with her quarter horse, but after almost a year of rehab and steadfast devotion, they are back on track.  No one deserves it more and I was glad to get to see them in action.  Although it was not a rated show, she still took the time to braid, had her horse impeccably groomed, and tack cleaned.  She was also well prepared and collected two blues and a red ribbon while I watched.

So now I must vent about some of the others I saw at the show…I cringed, averted my eyes and had to walk away a few times to keep my mouth from saying something that it shouldn’t.  The sad part is that most of the poor behavior and decisions were by the people who should know better…”adults” and “trainers.”  I will share my observations here because I won’t be able to sleep if I can’t get the images out of my head.

1) Yes, I do understand that it was cold last night so a full bath was not in the cards and that coats are getting shaggy as the winter coat comes in, but is it too much to ask that you at least comb your horse’s mane and tail???  I saw some Bob Marley wannabes, knots that could tie an aircraft carrier to the dock, and a lot of unkempt bridle paths.  Please teach your children and students that having a well-groomed horse to present in the ring demonstrates respect for the judge.

2) Part Two of show ring preparation – Clean your tack, wipe your boots, and tuck in your shirt.  Most everyone who knows me would agree that I’m a stickler for clean tack.  And if I am getting ready to be seen in public?  Extra scrubbing and wiping.  I’m a big fan of disposable boot wipes.  Very portable and do a decent job at removing dust and slobber.  The untucked shirt just looks slovenly.  Period.  Does it need any further explanation?

3) One of my biggest cringe moments came as I watched a “trainer” school a horse.  Can someone please explain to me how constant yanks on the reins while digging the rowels (big ones) of your spurs into the horse’s sides non-stop is supposed to bring out the best in your horse?  I don’t recall reading that particular training method in any of my books or equine periodicals.  Riding is supposed to be a partnership with mutual respect.  Leaving hairless, red spur marks means you are not holding up your end of the deal.

4) Please learn schooling ring etiqutte: pass left shoulder to left shoulder unless one horse is traveling at a faster gait and then yield the rail to them, if you must stop and have a conversation with someone then leave the ring or get off the rail, and the biggie – if you screw up and make a mistake, which we all have, then learn to use the words, “I’m sorry.”  My young rider friend was almost unseated by an adult who could not control her horse and ran into my friend’s horse; the sad part was that this adult said nothing.  Yes, it is sad that basic manners aren’t used.

5) Be a good sport when you don’t win.  The sour pusses of some of the adults were enough to turn your stomach.  The silver lining? It was heartening to watch the younger competitors clap for each other as the class was placed.  There is dim hope.

Now don’t think that this show was all ungroomed, ill-mannered individuals.  There were just as many well turned out pairs with supportive parents and trainers.  It is a true pleasure to watch a youngster on their steadfast, been-there-done-that mount enjoying their time with their horse.  They might not be the flashiest pair, but there is a true partnership and love between the two.  You see it on the child’s face when they pat their horse as they collect their ribbon (never mind what color it is) and that is what this sport is all about.

The Terrible Twos Arrive

Yes Ike is a four-year-old, but he is just now working his way through the terrible twos.  The Mayo Clinic website notes that human two-year-old toddler development is characterized “by mood changes, temper tantrums, and a familiarity with the word no.”  Hmm, this behavior sounds very familiar except that my toddler weighs close to 1200 pounds and can knock me off my feet with a push of his oversized head.

Under saddle the terrible twos are evident with Ike ignoring my half halts or bracing into the contact followed by a quick head flick to try to jerk the reins from my hands.  He also has started to bolt as I’ve mentioned before and will not slow down until he is good and ready.  I’m having to think on the fly and come up with suitable punishment.  Putting him in a time out in the corner of the arena just doesn’t seem feasible.  When the naughtiness rears its ugly head, Ike is subjected to one-rein flexes or repetitive walk-halt transitions.

Half halts were the focus of our lesson today.  The take away?  I need to work on my timing and be more black and white in my request until the lesson sinks in with Ike.  He likes to put on the cruise control and truck on while I’m squeezing/releasing/breathing hard from all the exertion.  Ms. C was calling out when I was to be executing my half halt.  Phew!  My arms were burning, and I’ve got a blister on my hand where my wedding ring and my rubber reins rubbed.  I’d say that Ike heard and responded to about 60% of the half halts today. At least I can finally do more and more sit trot since that is when I achieve the best response.  The rest of the time I’m pretty sure he said, “la, la, la, I can’t hear you!”

Ms. C also had us work on some shoulder in which also tested my ability to time my half halts while also achieving the appropriate angle.  It is a shame that we just can’t track to the left all the time…yes, that is the easy side.  But Ms. C knows our weaknesses too well so we spent the majority of this portion of the lesson tracking right.  Ugh, that dominant right shoulder did battle with my body today.  Too much bend in the neck, hindquarters falling in and falling out, the left shoulder unable to move because Ike’s right shoulder said no.  We could get about 5-6 steps and that was it.  Guess that is better than not getting any at all.  It is going to be a while before we are ready for Second Level!

Canter is also coming along.  Ms. C told me the secret to improving Ike’s canter……can you guess?…..I know you will be shocked by the answer……….yes, it is the half halt.  Felt like I used my entire body with each stride and by the aches in my muscles tonight, I’d say that I did use ever fiber of my being.  Going to do it all again tomorrow if I can creep out of bed in the morning.

We are Dressed as a Four Year Old

We are calling yesterday’s schooling show a success.  The weather, albeit cold and drizzly, cooperated enough to let us get both tests completed and Ike loaded before the rain restarted in earnest.  Ms. C’s schedule was flexible enough this weekend that she was able to accompany us for schooling and moral support.  My dearest husband was the best cheerleader and chauffeur.  And Ike?  He was again a superstar and demonstrated a maturity well beyond his four years.

Since our ride times were some of the last rides of the show, we didn’t need to leave the barn until close to 1:00 p.m.  That meant that there was plenty of time to groom in the morning, but my lazy side kicked in and I only braided Ike’s forelock.  What can I say?  The motivation wasn’t there to even attempt my cheater braids (http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.asp?KEY=14985).  We did make sure that Ike had no big hunks of dirt on him and that he had plenty of hay to munch since the ride would take almost an hour and a half.  Ms. C rode with us which meant my hubby had to endure an hour and a half of horse talk and test strategies.  Have I mentioned that he is a saint?

The drive was uneventful and we arrived in plenty of time.  The facility was lovely and big, so there was a lot for Ike to take in and process, including riders and horses in costume.  Once I checked in with the show secretary, I went ahead and tacked up and hopped aboard.  Well, okay, there is no hopping aboard Baby Huey – even my legs aren’t long enough to reach the stirrups without a mounting block.  My clever husband with great foresight purchased a portable mounting block for the trailer last Christmas.

Warmup went well.  Ike got a bit tense when the herd of deer (it is a herd isn’t it?) appeared out of the woods and bounded through the field, but a proffered peppermint from Ms. C soothed his nervous soul.  Food motivation can be such a useful tool to have available.  We stayed in the warmup ring for most of the time since the warmup area near the competition ring was grass which was still a bit wet from the morning rain.  Didn’t want to tempt fate and slip.

We were able to ride early because of some scratches.  As we headed around the ring waiting for the bell, the judge asked, “Where is your costume?”  I smiled since she is dressed as a judge in a black robe and answered, “We are dressed as a four-year old.”  Wasn’t going to tell her that if I was too lazy to braid, there was no way that I’d had motivation to make a costume.  Also didn’t want to deal with costume malfunctions since I didn’t know how Ike would do at a show in the cooler weather.  I should have know that he’d rise to the occasion and perform like the champ he is.  Training Level Test 2 went well and we came home with a 65.2% and third place.  The judge liked Ike and commented what a good boy he was for his young age.

Then came time for Test 3.  My biggest worry was knocking over the ring as we attempted to make the canter turn off the short end and onto the long diagonal.  I had visions of the entire arena falling like dominoes and the ring having to be reset while the volunteers cursed us under their breath.  We nailed our centerlines and achieved 7’s for our trot loops which I never expected.  It is our canter that still lacks good engagement in the hind end (more half halts was the judge’s comment), but we did manage to canter onto the long diagonal without hitting the rail.  Final score – 65% and second place – not bad for Ike’s first attempt at Test 3.  And if I can just say that the first place rider rode Test 1 while the other three riders in the class rode Test 3.  Hmm, not sure how I feel about that.

So we now have six decent Training Level scores from schooling shows which are enough scores to submit for year-end awards.  The competitor in me really wanted to have at least one score that eked over the 70% mark – we only had one that even came close with a 69.375% – missed it by that much.  So today I asked my saintly husband for one last show at the end of the month…god bless him, he said yes.  We will head back out on October 27th for two more rides/attempts to cross that 70% mark.  And who knows, we just might try it in costume…

The Coefficients are Out to Get Us

Sooooo I finally sat down and looked at Training Level Test 3 a little bit more closely…the coefficients are again on the free walk and stretch down trot (shocking), but there are also coefficients for the canter transitions.  Hmm,  that could be a good thing for us IF we are having a good day, and the planets align, I remember to breathe, and we can keep Ike focused.  Test 2 has coefficients on the canter circles and we tend to get a bit strung out and one the forehand by the last quarter of the circle, and of course, our marks reflect that fact.  It is a double whammy when the scorer doubles that tiny number.  When Ike and I are in sync, we tend to get higher marks on the canter transitions than the circles.  I must emphasize the “when,” since if you have kept up with our progress, you are well aware that in an instant Ike can shift his weight to that outside hind leg and (boom) we score a 4 for that right lead transition since Ike picked up the left lead.  Ah the struggles of a young, big boy.

The weather is going to be another challenge for Sunday.  Tomorrow the temperature will be 80 degrees and sunny with evening showers.  What about Sunday??  Well let me tell you….the HIGH temperature on Sunday will be 51 degrees with a 70% chance of rain.  Yuck, double yuck.  That is a huge swing in temperature in a very short time.  Maybe I am glad that we don’t have an early morning ride time.  Ike has been full of himself in the morning and has been demonstrating his gallop stride regularly.  I don’t recall seeing that as a movement in the Training Level tests.

Ike and I struggled through our lesson with Ms. C.   We rode pieces and parts of our two tests, and then Ms. C would ask, “So what did you think of that work?”  Ugh, do I pretend that we are the best thing since sliced bread or admit that I know the work was not up to par?  The little Catholic girl in me decided that I’d better confess the truth.  The work was 5.5 to 6.0 work at best.  Ms. C concurred.  It took us a good 30 minutes before we found a steady connection and rhythm.  Lots of quick walk/trot transitions with constant half halts while in sit trot finally helped us click.  Why did it take so long?  Ike isn’t sharing that detail.

Tomorrow shall be a day off for Ike, but we will spend some time tidying the wild whiskers and unruly mane.  Guess I’d better load the rubber boots and rain gear as well…

Dear Santa, Define Good?

So here we are at the beginning of October.  You expect to see Halloween items in the store right now, but I’ve been in two stores recently and there right next to the Halloween costumes and decor, are the Christmas ornaments and the inflatable Santas.  Before we know it, Santa will be toting gifts in a pumpkin while riding a turkey.  I mention Christmas because both my equine boys will be getting new halters from Santa this year since they are hell-bent on destroying their current ones.  Well, if they behave, they will be getting gifts.  Cigar’s motto is “go ahead and put me on the naughty list.”  He likes to live on the edge.  Ike has been listening to his brother way too much recently.  His behavior today exceeded expectations for naughty.  When I yelled at him, Ike asked for clarification on the definition of good – I informed him that public outings top the list for good behavior expectations as well as listening to my aids while astride.  He was non-committal. and tried to steal the treats in my pocket.

From his forward thinking behavior today, I am led to believe that Ike is feeling better.  Mr. D watched my warm up and the first part of my ride and noted that he saw no abnormal movement or kinks.  That was the good news of the day.  Most of my ride was quality work today.  We nailed our canter transitions that have bugged us the past week.  Our trot loops were smoother and Ike actually reached into my contact for the stretch down trot circle.  So since things are going so well, I say to myself, “Self, let’s try some shoulder in and see if we can get that right hind to really come up and under.”  Maybe I got too greedy.  When I tapped Ike with the whip behind my right leg, that is when things got a little out of control.  That slight tap was obviously the signal for “let’s practice our canter lengthening…oh heck, let’s just run really, really fast.”  We were off to the races, and Ike wasn’t going to listen to anything I had to say until he was good and ready.  After close to 5 minutes, Ike finally heard my request to SLOW DOWN!  Spent the next 10 minutes walking him on a long rein to cool him down.  It was a bit warm and humid today and Ike was lathered after his jaunt;  I actually had to hose him down before tucking him in for the night.

Quite the day.  I’m hoping that this breaking bad behavior is temporary and that the schooling show on Sunday will be smooth sailing.  If Ike decides to test the definition of good again, I am doomed.

The Horse World Shrinks to the Size of My Laptop

The internet is a double-edged sword.  It is a way to waste hours and have nothing to show for your time, but it is also an amazing place where I have helped network animals needing homes, learned of the amazing work animal rescues do on a daily basis, and interacted with some cool horse-minded people who I would never have met otherwise.  Case in point, I’m cruising Facebook one night recently and come across a group called Dressage for Adult Amateurs.  There are only 504 members currently.  When you join, they ask you to share something about yourself, so I mention that I’m bringing along a Dutch Harness Horse in dressage and post a photo of Ike…and this is where the world shrinks to about 2 degrees of separation or whatever the proper number is.  A fellow adult amateur posts that she knows my horse, has ridden other horses belonging to his breeder, that he sold before she could ride him and that he is a snuggler and very sweet.  Say what?!  Amazing.  There are millions and millions of people on Facebook, and I find someone who has met Ike.

And speaking of the big man, he and I have a date on Sunday and our ride times arrived yesterday evening.  We ride at 4:08 and 4:50 p.m.  We are the final horse down centerline on Sunday.  Is that a good or a bad thing?  We have been the first down centerline this year, first in our class order, but never the last rider of the day.  Saving the best for last?  Ha!  Our competition includes a horse that earned a 77% for Training Level Test 2 in the class that Ike received a 66%.  We have our work cut out for us.

Luckily Ike is getting back to his fighting form.  For the past two days, we practiced our trot loops, trot circles, centerline halts, turns onto and off of centerline, canter transitions, and the dreaded canter turn onto long diagonal and trot at X.  The stiffness is waning, but if it is still noticeable next week, I will have the vet come out to see if chiropractic adjustment or acupuncture can help speed the healing process.  Since Ike is doing his part for the team, I suppose I will do my part and memorize Test 3.  This will be our first time out for Test 3 – turn left off centerline, trot loop (it is a loop, not a triangle, a smooth curve, not an abrupt change of direction), canter after A..circle….half halt constantly on the short end to prevent knocking the arena over, SCREECH- turn onto the long diagonal, then the dreaded trot transition at X…..or in the general vicinity if we are lucky.  Sunday is going to be an interesting day!

Who is That Horse Staring at Me?

It has been a busy couple of days for Ike and now he is tucked safely into his stall for the night…and don’t worry, that pile of hay is now on the other side of the stall.  There would have been loud protests if it wasn’t.

I was down for the count yesterday.  My snot gland kicked into overdrive, and I spent the day in bed begging the cooties to go away.  They have been around for a week and have outstayed their welcome.  Since I wasn’t riding, I had Ms. C pop on Ike to help gauge his recovery and our progress.  Ms. C felt some wobbliness in Ike’s right hind to start especially when she tracked to the right at the trot.  She would stop and restart and gave Ike the chance to work out the kinks.  Ike was stable tracking left.  By the end of her ride, Ms. C felt that Ike had improved and that we must be still dealing with some stiffness from the vaccines.  Thankfully, it is not lameness.  Too bad I can’t fire up the hot tub and let Ike take a soak.  Now that would be a sight to see.

When I awoke today, the first thing I did was breathe in and out through my nose!  It is sad the things that can make me happy.  But having had to mouth breathe for the past week, it was nice to know that I’m now on the road to recovery…hope I can walk fast enough to catch up to Ike.  I arrived at the barn with about an hour to groom Ike and load the trailer.  Wouldn’t you know it, today was the day that Ike decided to wallow in the new mud like a pig.  Worst part was that it was still wet when I had to start grooming, so all the curry comb did was smear the mud into pretty swirls.  I broke out the bucket and rag and did my best to wipe away the offending mud.  [Note: As I was riding Ike today, I noticed the clumps of mud I missed in his mane.  Nice touch.]  Poor Ike was also doused in show sheen – it was my feeble attempt to disguise his filthy condition.  Perhaps Becky would be blinded by the gleam of his coat…fat chance.  Beauty shop time was over and I quickly loaded the trailer.  Wish I could have two of everything to avoid this process, but the long-lost rich uncle has still not materialized, so we load and unload with each outing.

Today was another milestone for Ike – his first experience in an indoor arena.  The indoor today is large and bright, the doors were open, and I hoped for the best.  Ike would not stand still at the mounting block.  He kept sidepassing away from it, so Becky finally suggested I walk him around a couple of times to let him check things out.  It wasn’t until the ride home that I realized that Ike saw his reflection in the mirror near the mounting block and didn’t realize that he was staring at and moving away from himself.  Silly boy.  Ike made me a very proud horsey mom today.  Becky liked his look, his demeanor, and his movement.  She repeated the same things I hear from Ms. C on a regular basis – too much inside rein, you are overbending the neck, sit up, your weight is too much to the inside/outside, don’t lean back in the halt…hmm, yet again rider error is the source of the problem.  Too help with my tendency to be too strong with one rein, she had me bridge my reins and ride.  Ah, a bit of a light bulb moment and what a difference it made to Ike’s straightness.  It forced me to keep my hands quieter and steadier.  Not something I had even considered trying, but I will continue to bridge the reins on subsequent rides to rethink my overuse of the inside rein.

I thoroughly enjoyed the clinic today.  Got to visit with old friends, see some lovely horses, and come away with some new tips and the feeling that Ike’s journey down centerline is going to be a blast as he matures.

Trot, Skip, and a Trot

Before I update you on Ike’s condition, I feel I must apologize for my less than humorous posts the past few days.  It is sometimes hard to see the glass as half full when life is siphoning the water out before your eyes.  But Ike and I are rallying and are back to work with good spirits.  Two outings are in the works in the next couple of weeks, and we’d like to put our best hoof forward as we venture back out under public scrutiny.  We have a clinic with Rebecca Langwost Barlow on Friday and our next schooling show is on October 7th.  Dare I say that I’m more nervous about the clinic with Becky than I am about riding the two tests?

I popped on Ike after work on Monday.  Mid-to-late afternoon can be challenging because that is feeding time.  Ike, being the strapping young man that he is, HATES to miss a meal or have it delayed because his uncaring owner choses that moment to ride.  We try to fool him with a handful of oats, but he is no dummy and knows he has been jipped.  He was a good sport, and I’m happy to report that he felt even stronger than he did during my Sunday ride.  He even gave me a more forward-thinking trot without any argument.  My half halts were a bit half-assed since I’m still not back up to full speed either (nursing a cold with a dry hacking cough), but Ike did hear my pitiful efforts and tried his best to comply with my requests.

Tuesday dawned a cool and glorious fall day.  Had to be at the barn early for Ike’s pedicure.  Sadly, his feet are much more presentable than mine…maybe I should try some bell boots to hide their wretched condition.  I then went home and finished my work day.  It was too nice a day to not ride, so I headed back to the barn after work to have my first lesson with Ms. C in over two weeks.  She has an incredible eye for the movement of a horse and can see things that people like me miss.  Right away she spotted a small hitch in the movement of Ike’s right hind leg…the one that had the worst trouble last week.  She asked if I could feel it, but it was so slight sometimes that I felt nothing.  Other times it felt like Ike would trot a few steps, take one skip step, and then get right back to trot.  There was nothing screaming “ouch,” but Ike definitely is not back to full steam yet.  And since we are laying it all out there, my skills were a bit rusty today as well.  It is very clear that I require weekly adult supervision to keep me on my toes with my fingers closed, legs relaxed, and reins the proper length.  Ike and I started off with work that would have earned us a 5.5, but ended the lesson with work that could get us a 7.5.  It was agreed that Ike’s movement improved over the course of the lesson, so hopefully it is just a matter of working out the kinks to get us back to show form.

Hopefully Ike will be done skipping before our October 7th show.  I just don’t see the judge giving us extra credit for our interpretive trot.