Dakota shows first one and first two

As I mentioned before, Dakota got a 65% on first one and a 63% on first two. The main things to work on with him will be more prompt canter departs, more relaxation in canter, and trot and canter lengthenings. Everything else went great, especially considering I had barely ridden him for a couple months. Now that I'm riding him three days a week, we'll be more in tune with each other. I've been messing around with walk-canter-walk, and it's pretty good given how new he is to it. Walk-canter especially is going to come quickly for him.

He is just such a fun, honest ride!

A red and a blue for Dakota at the schooling show

Dakota was a superstar at today's little show. He was tense in his first test, and I missed that he picked up a wrong lead until far too late. He also seemed to forget that he really does know canter depart. Overall, though, he was such a good boy. We got a 59 on first-one for second place and a 64 on first-two for first place.

Dakota shows off all he has learned!

Dakota is doing so well! R has been out of town getting married (yay, R!) for the past couple of weeks, so I've been keeping him going. He's such a fun little guy! I'm going to show him in a schooling show in ten days at first level (unless R changes her mind and decides she wants to ride after all). He's pretty solid on everything we need for first one and first two. In the videos below you'll also see the shallow counter-canter loop, shoulder in, and the start of travers.

Very first try: third level test one

We got a very generous 58% on our first try at third level test one! I'm so pleased. All mistakes were my own -- especially my choice to simply hand-walk Clair in her home arena once it was set up with judge's stand in place. She snuffled everything and seemed fine with it, but when I sent her down center line I could feel she was looky, unfocused, and just not through. I should have schooled her under saddle during the lunch break. Live and learn!

Half passes were too labored, trot and canter mediums and extensions were not defined enough, canter was a bit of a rodeo overall, and she jigged in extended walk. But we got our flying change left to right, hallelujah! And overall I feel like we look very close to being ready for third level. It's nice to have a third level test under my belt just for psychological reasons.

Yay, Clair mare! Love my girl.

Wherein I judge a schooling show

The barn I board at is h/j focused. R and I are the only ones who mainly focus on dressage. It's a great barn with great care and plenty of places to ride, so we're both very content there. The barn owner/trainer decided to put on a little schooling show with the morning reserved for dressage. After casting about for an available judge (we're in West Texas; they are few and far between) I decided to offer myself up. I'm qualified enough to judge a schooling show up to first level, which is what this one was. I've scribed dozens of times and watched probably thousands of hours of dressage. So I offered, and they said Yes. I've never judged before and was hoping it didn't prove to be overwhelming. It really didn't! I felt comfortable, and most of the scores ended up in the low sixties, with the better riders scoring mid to upper sixties. It's funny -- as a novice judge you throw out scores for each movement and hope the overall percentage is appropriate for the ride. I'm sure experienced judges have a much better sense of where the percentage will fall.

I also judged dressage seat equitation and sport horse under saddle. Luckily I felt like there were very clear differences between first, second, and third, so I didn't have to agonize.

R and Dakota made their first-level debut and had two very respectable rides. The trot work is lovely; Dakota gets a little tense and distracted in the canter. Once Dakota and R find their harmony in canter, I'd say they'll be ready to try first level at a rated show, and start their journey towards a bronze medal!

Just before the very first ride of the day, one horse spooked and bolted out of the indoor into the outdoor, which in turn caused a little girl's horse to spook, dump her in the gravel parking lot, and high-tail it for home (about a quarter-mile away). With an Arab, they quite literally high-tail it! The little girl (maybe seven years old?) was tough as nails -- there were tears for about ten seconds; then she took a deep breath and said she would go ahead and ride just as soon as they collected her horse and walked him on back, which took about ten minutes. Then she went in and rode both her intro-level tests like a champ. It was her first show away from home and her first fall; I was impressed with her grit.

I most definitely do not want to be a full-time judge; but I would love to do it every so often. I had a good time.

Second-level bronze scores: check!

We are home from the Texas Rose Dressage Classic, and utterly exhausted. I've never shown three days in a row before. My first schooling ride, Thursday evening, was challenging. Clair was pawing and cow-kicking all through tacking-up, and then some more as I mounted, and then she was a live wire for the first ten minutes. I don't know why my brain shuts down at shows, but it does. I realize now I should have just pushed her forward, and then more forward. But instead I tried to contain her, and I'm sure I just irritated the crap out of her. In any case, we settled into a decent ride after a bit, and I was pleased.

My two rides on Friday were pleasant and obedient, but not nearly forward enough. I deserved the 57% and 58% I got. Trainer Suzanne hadn't arrived yet -- she would have gotten me forward right off the bat. She arrived Friday afternoon and helped me school that evening. Forwardness achieved!

My second-one test Saturday went really well. I had the same judge as the day before and he rewarded our new energy with a 63.4%. Second-level bronze score number one achieved! My second-two test was going sort of ok, and then I went off course (it was really windy, I couldn't hear my reader, and even though I had the test memorized I forgot where I was), and then things fell apart. 54%.

On Sunday I decided to scratch my second-one test since it was in front of the same judge as the day before. Plus, Clair and I were tired. So we put all our eggs in the second-two basket, in front of the toughest judge at the show. The test went really well, with just a few small mistakes. None of us was at all sure it was going to be good enough. We went to lunch, and I asked a friend who stayed behind to text me with the score, no matter what it was. As we were waiting to be seated at the restaurant, the text came through: 61.5%! Second-level bronze score number two achieved! And there was much rejoicing in the Mexican restaurant. I really have to give so much credit to Suzanne, who coached me Saturday and Sunday and fixed enough of our issues to get us our scores.

Third level, here we come!

Less than two weeks to Texas Rose Dressage Classic

Clair and I are going for our second-level bronze scores in Tyler April 7-9. I'm feeling fairly optimistic. Unless Clair acts very different at the show, we should be able to squeak out a couple 60%s. Trainer Holly will be debuting at fourth level! She's bringing a couple of her students so we'll have a group to hang out with. My only real concern is day one, Friday, when I may not have a reader for my tests. I have second-one memorized and know that I can do the same with second-two, but my brain is also famous for fizzling out under pressure. That would be embarrassing.

I liked Clair's work today in spite of her being little miss spooky. I can't really blame her -- the West Texas winds were howling, causing lots of strange buzzing and banging in the arena. We have a clinic with Suzanne next weekend so we can work out any kinks.

First level bronze scores: check!

Clair and I competed at the Texas Rose Dressage Fall Classic I & II in Tyler this past weekend. It was my first rated show in a decade and Clair's first rated show ever. My goal was to get our first level bronze scores and to give second level a try--and maybe get those scores too, or at least see what the judges felt about our skills. Suzanne met up with us and provided such great coaching and support! She also brought along one of her students, L, who helped groom and provided moral support. My husband also came, so I had quite the cheering section.

Clair handled the whole weekend like a pro. She is such a self-sufficient mare. She settled right into her stall, and ate, drank, and pooped like a champion. She was a little difficult during the first test on the first day, but then she rode pretty much like her usual self. She wasn't a bit spooky; she's definitely an outdoor-arena sort of horse. I had some trouble with her picking up wrong canter leads, which she never does at home, but those mistakes were simply due to rider complacency. Overall I was thrilled with her attitude.

I got a 65 and 63 on first-one, which will count as my first level bronze scores, and got a 55 and 58.7 on second one (so close!). I'm not entirely happy with my sitting trot--you can see in the videos that my lower half has way too much motion going on. I also lean too far back sometimes. And I don't have Clair moving big enough. I'm going to start working without stirrups on both Clair and Wylie to see if I can't stabilize myself. I have all winter to work on my seat, and I'll hope to knock out second level at an early spring show. Clair can do it, no question. I mostly need to work on me.

This is the amazing disappearing dressage test. The humidity was 90% and the lens fogged over within seconds :)

Schooling show with Clair and Wylie

Last Sunday was the schooling show at the barn around the corner. I showed Clair second-one and second-two, and Wylie training-one and training-two. I didn't ask enough of Clair, and our scores were just mediocre. We got a 60% on second-one and a 63% on second-two. I'd never shown second-two before, so I actually wasn't too disappointed with a 63%. But if I'd had my head in the game better, I think we'd have scored five percent higher on each test. I cringe a little to see how far I'm leaning back!





I shared the videos with clinician Suzanne, and she responded immediately with a boatload of wonderful, specific advice. I thought y'all might be interested in watch the videos above and then reading the two messages and one texted exercise Suzanne sent me:

Message one:

O.K. I'm going to start with generalities. Clair seemed a little deep and needs to be more forward - more metronome-like, more air time. This all indicates a lack of balance. Half-halts are not making it thru to the hind fetlock. This leads to you leaning back too far in an effort to push her. It results, occasionally, in an "S" shape in your back. You have to sit up straight and bear down (tighten your core) and follow the movement but not try to push her. She just gets more behind the leg.

This got a little better as the test went on. Lateral work (shoulder-in and travers) looked pretty darn good, too. Also, counter-canter. She was very crooked in the rein back, though, stepped out in right turn on haunches and got a little "mouthy" by the end.

Half-halts really, really need to come thru. Everyone says it, everyone's heard it. I don't care if she throws her head up at first as long as she sits. Sometimes many steps of rein back help. Until she carries herself, she doesn't get much of a medium trot. I know she has it in her. We just have to get it consistently so it becomes the norm.

Wish I was there talking in your ear every stride! Hugs, Sue

Texted exercise:

OK! It's done in one end of the arena. Could think of it as a big circle or square. Trot, do a few steps of shoulder-in along the rail, use the bend to do a nice corner softening the inside rein and straightening with the outside rein. Another corner or part of circle onto the center line. Then lengthen or medium for a half dozen strides on centerline into a half-halt before turn and turn the opposite way. Repeat on that side. Can be done toward the short side or, later, away from the short side. Make sense? I used it with 2 riders with very different horses. One was heavy and strung out, but the other was forward and lighter. Worked for both. I thought about Clair and her tendency to curl and if this would help or hurt. Wish I was there to watch you do this and tweak if necessary.

Message two:

Exactly! Always ask a little more than she offers! One thing I want to mention because I have been clarifying it with E. Half-halts! Legs on for half-halts. Both hands ask. Keep the neck as straight as possible. We want to stabilize the neck between the shoulders. Remember when Wolf used to say to bend "in spite of" the outside rein? That's what he meant. To pull on the stiff rein over and over, for instance, without the soft rein acting as resistance, does nothing in the softening process or in getting the horse to take more hold on the soft rein. Give rather quickly, even if you don't think she softened much or at all. When you give, stop squeezing with your legs, too. Sit in instead (bear down, use your seat) with soft hands and legs. If it works, you will experience at least a few steps of self-carriage. If it doesn't, repeat!

I think I have been unclear when I say "outside rein along the neck and open inside rein". I just wanted to get across the idea of bend, but the bend is in the body. Anytime there is bend in the neck, the half-halt escapes to the outside of the neck instead of making it all the way through the body of the horse.

I can understand not wanting to do too much rein back. When you do it, make sure your upper body stays back and you block or push with whatever leg you need to keep her straight (she tends to overreact to the stiff rein sending her haunches the opposite direction).

When you do halt, drive her into it by closing both legs and pumping the brakes with the hands. As soon as she halts, drop the reins and soften the legs immediately. Just become a "sack of potatoes". Of course this is at home. At the show it will be the same idea but not as drastic. The halt really isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's not frantic or gnashing or anything. It'll come around.

Hope this clarifies and helps! Hugs, Sue

P.S. The purpose of the exercise is to be able to change promptly and smoothly. Don't do anything too long or lull her into doing something from repetition or boredom.

I've had three rides after receiving this help, and wowza. Clair is moving big, and I'm staying with her in sitting trot. The biggest clue that something is more correct is that I'm getting a true stretchy trot circle with a connection over her back to the bit -- for the first time since I've owned her. I just sent in my entry for a show in Tyler, Texas, in four weeks, and I'm hopeful that we'll get our first and second level scores for our bronze.

I also showed Wylie, and surprise! We got a 76% on training-one, which was high point for the show. We also got a 67% on training-two. What a wonderful boy Wylie is! I could not be more proud of him going so well for me after just three weeks of riding him.





In other news, we had a little rain on Wednesday. This was the parking lot:

And this was the pasture:

Thankfully, we are already well on our way to drying out.

Successful schooling show!

I rode my three tests last night and scribed for 4+ hours today, so I'm too tired to write much about the show other than that both Clair and Dakota were rock stars! Clair can be spooky in indoor arenas, but she didn't blink an eye at this arena. We had a wonderfully relaxed warmup and got a 64 on First Two, a 67 on First Three, and a 68 on Second One. We've gotta work on halt, reinback, and canter-walk, but I was nothing but thrilled with how she went for me!

Dakota was utterly chill about being back in the arena he showed in back in February. He's such a sensible man. He got a 69% and Reserve High Point for Training Two!

Schooling show in less than two weeks!

R and I will be competing at a schooling show on June 5. I plan to show First 2 and 3 and Second 1, and R plans on all three Training level tests. This past weekend we both ran through our tests. It was my first time running Clair through Second 1, and R's first time running Dakota (and herself!) through Training level.

The trot work for Second 1 was pretty darn good for our first attempts. I need to work on our halts, our reinback, and a relaxed walk. I also need to make sure Clair isn't ducking. Other than that, I think we'll score ok on the trot.



The canter work is way iffier. We're getting quite good at canter to walk, but only when I get to choose the exact right time to ask. As I found out on Sunday, when I have to do it at a letter, I usually don't get it. On the plus side, walk to canter is good, and the counter canter was fine. We have two weeks to see if we can't get the canter-walk transitions more reliably. Clair was so sweet about doing her best in spite of me getting overly handsy in this ride.



R is new to dressage and works without a trainer almost exclusively. I offer some tips from time to time, but for the most part she's figuring this dressage stuff out on her own. She's really progressing quickly! Below are her first ever attempts at riding training level tests. She has work to do, of course, but there are so many moments where they look fabulous. She's working on getting the feel for creating bend with her seat and legs. I like that she's very tactful with her hands. Dakota is picking up the canter very reliably in both directions and much more promptly. R is doing such a good job with him!