Is it August?

I haven't posted since the spring -- boo! And so much has happened since then! In addition to giving lessons at the barn where I keep my horses, I'm also now the head instructor at a Western barn south of town. I started that gig in July and it's really taking off. I'm basically just teaching dressage fundamentals in a Western saddle. I have two lovely school horses to work with: Yeller, a very elderly palomino with a crazy sway back, who takes care of the little beginners (but still has a lope in him!), and Mojo, a nicely-put-together, solid little paint who does it all, from toting around beginners to becoming a zippy little sports car for the more advanced folks. I am very proud of a recent creation of mine: I sewed a fluffy bed pillow to the underside of a Western saddle blanket to fill in the gap in Yeller's extreme swayback. I think he'll be a lot more comfortable now that the saddle won't be bridging.

J., the awesome grad student who had been leasing Dakota, had a sudden opportunity to study in Australia, so in addition to Clair I'm riding Dakota full time as well. Dakota is schooling all of second level, and Clair is schooling all of third level. Clair threw out a crazy double spook in early June and dumped me hard. I fell with my full weight on the back of my left ilium, and boy did it hurt. Luckily I didn't fracture my pelvis. I did pass out later in the day and fell face forward onto my jaw, knocking it sideways out of alignment for a few days. But I was back in the saddle after a week! The injury did slow me down a bit, riding-wise, for part of the summer. I'm still stiff and sore but better every day.

Clair's trot half pass is just super these days. I also have a reliable, decent medium trot. At third level they want extended, so we'll just have to see how we score. Canter half pass is starting to come. The canter overall is becoming highly collectible. On the lunge she's offering pirouette canter. I've decided to push my third-level score attempt to a show in the spring. We might be able to squeak our scores this fall, but I'd like to feel solid. The next Suzanne & Gwen clinic will likely be in early October.

My husband and I successfully sold our last flip and bought the next one in mid-June. We've been working on it like mad and hope to have it on the market in 3-4 weeks. Hard work, but so fulfilling!

Updates

Dakota's situation has changed. His previous leaser, R, gave up the lease at the end of October. We will both miss her! R hooked us up with a possible new leaser, J, who rides Dakota very well. She has an extensive riding background in h/j with a sprinkling of dressage. J has taken a couple lessons from me that went great, and she has ridden Kota on her own a couple times. She has to have a medical procedure in a week that will keep her from riding for a month or more, but I think there's a good chance she'll pick up at least a half-lease as soon as she's able.

I've been riding Kota quite a bit, and he's just delightful. He's very sensitive and reacts honestly to everything the rider does. Shoulder in is very good, and travers is coming right along. I've started working on walk-canter-walk. He's starting to get the idea of lengthening the stride in trot. Canter lengthening is great! Canter in general has improved so much in the last few months.

I've been working hard on canter with Clair as well. The left lead has always been the weaker lead, so I've been doing my best to strengthen her on that side. We don't have a reliable flying change right to left yet (I'm sure that's due to my lack of experience putting in changes). On the plus side, the change left to right is basically confirmed! We need to improve our extensions in both trot and canter. Will we be ready to try to get our third level scores in April? Fingers crossed!

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.

Second-two and second-three at local schooling show

Suzanne May clinic videos: day one

This clinic actually took place the week before the show, so I'm posting out of order, but whaddya gonna do. It has been busy. Was a great clinic!

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.

Sunday videos

Dressage truth bomb from Suzanne: canter!

This one is mostly about canter:

I've always felt that correct canter departs are extremely important. They affect a rider's true understanding of inside leg to outside rein, but more than that, they develop the FEEL (feel is everything and the only thing) for balance, throughness, and self-carriage. Maybe it's the impulsion that a canter supplies that allows or helps some of the rider's aids to succeed. I think we've all tried to bend and soften and achieve movements at walk that don't really succeed because we can't generate enough impulsion. Many times instructors say to trot or canter to regain forward impulsion before attempting some new movement or concept again. Having said that, a correct depart is very different than just achieving the canter gait. It is not running into canter or falling over the inside shoulder into canter. I guess it's because most of us didn't come directly into dressage but came through other disciplines such as h/j or saddle seat or just trail riding. Those other disciplines (at least at low or beginner levels) teach cantering from outside rein and outside leg back (kicking). This causes the horse to sort of leg yield into the canter and fall over the inside shoulder. The unintended consequence of this is that the horse uses its neck as a lever (and comes above the aids) in order to help bring its forehand back up. Then the rider has the more difficult task (or at least added task) of "packaging" the horse in the canter after the depart for proper uphill balance and "jump" and throughness, softness, and collection. The reason some of this happens is that in "falling" over the inside shoulder, the outside hind is left out behind the horse. It should be under the horse supporting the first stride of the canter. It should be the "one" of the "one, two, three" of the canter stride. When we allow the horse to fall over the inside shoulder, we are really kind of coming in on "two" (inside hind, outside front) and falling further to inside front.

Please bear with me. I know I am long and wordy, but I so want riders to get this that I maybe explain or "draw pictures" too much. Anyway, riders develop this way of beginning their canter from their previous experience and body memory and, frankly, from riding a lot of young, green, or messed up horses (rather than the ideal schoolmaster) where just achieving a canter at all is a success. Might get by with this at low levels, but as we move up the levels, more quality is demanded. I always say "inside leg forward, outside leg back, shove with the inside seatbone forward, hold until the horse lifts into the canter, and release thru the inside rein". That's already a lot to think about, but what's missing is timing. I know this but don't say it enough. Often, too, I think the rider released or "dropped" the horse too early, when in reality, the rider asked when the horse's outside hind is on the way back instead of on the way forward. It's a feel that must be developed. Too much else suffers from this one little oversight: bad things like coming above the aids at the withers, falling on the forehand, losing the back, total loss of uphill balance which, in turn, causes contentious downward (non-existent?) (crappy?) transitions. In conclusion (Woohoo! Yay!), you can count on me stressing this timing more from now on:).

Saturday videos

Sunday trot work

Schooling January 7, 2017

Louisiana clinic day four

Our week in Louisiana flew by, and now we are all home again. Everyone, that is, except Dakota, who decided to refuse to load for the trip home. I had really been working with him on loading in the weeks leading up to the trip, and when we left Lubbock he hopped on board like a pro. I expected no trouble, but after ninety minutes of trying we left him behind at Holly's barn. We had ten hours of driving in front of us and couldn't spend the whole day loading Mr. D. I've got a call in to Equine Express to pick him up ASAP. We didn't let that little hiccup put a damper on our wonderful visit and clinic.

Here are the videos from the final day of the clinic. Clair gave me some BIG trot and I got better control of my body in canter, most of the time. Dakota was feeling almost 100% and was wonderfully relaxed and responsive. The biggest homework for him is to work on canter by working on canter departs. Lots and lots of trot-canter-trot-canter on a circle, with just a few strides of canter at a time. R rides him almost 100% of the time, so all credit to her for how great he's going! I'm hoping to be able to get on him maybe once a week now that my little gig with Wylie the OTTB has ended.

We'll also be doing some INTENSIVE work on trailer loading :)

Louisiana clinic day three

Clair and Dakota are really enjoying their vacation pasture. :)

Here are the videos from day three. Dakota was a little sore behind so we only did walk and a little gentle trot; didn't get any video of that. Clair was super! I worked very hard on flapping my upper body less in canter. Always something to improve.

Louisiana clinic day two video dump

Louisiana clinic day one -- Christmas Day

Ted and I had a problem-free trip to Louisiana on Christmas Eve. We left Lubbock around 8:30 a.m. and arrived in Monroe just after 6 pm. The horses happily munched grass hay the whole way, and their poops looked nice and healthy upon arrival. Clair leaped off the trailer with her usual enthusiasm, and Dakota hopped off like a gentleman. They're staying at trainer Holly's barn, and they're getting to have a whole hilly pasture to themselves. What could be better after ten hours stuck on a trailer?

Suzanne was completely up for giving me lessons on Christmas Day! What a dedicated trainer! And personally, there's probably nothing I'd rather be doing on Christmas Day than training with Suzanne. It was a warmish, humid day, so I rode in a t-shirt. Clair was up first. Ted wasn't able to get a lot of video of that ride because he was busy trying to unstick the tack room door lock on our trailer. I couldn't get any of my tack out, or gloves, helmet, whip... But luckily Holly has multiples of everything to try so we got a saddle and bridle to fit, and a helmet, and gloves. Clair didn't bat an eye and went happily under a different saddle, with a different bit, and a flash, which she normally doesn't wear. She's such a trouper. She settled right into work. The trot work went super well, and Ted did manage to unstick the lock and make it back to get video of canter. Right lead canter felt really good, and left got better as we went. I need to stop moving back and forth so much. Less pumping with the upper body, and less sliding of the butt forward and back in the saddle. We've got three more days of lessons to improve the canter.





Dakota was fence walking in the pasture the whole time I was working Clair. He didn't holler much, but he was anxious and in a full lather. It used to be that Dakota would scream for Clair, and Clair couldn't care less, but today when I popped Clair in the pasture and grabbed Dakota, Clair hollered frantically for quite awhile, and Dakota kept answering. He was a bit of a challenge to tack up as all he could think about was getting back to Clair. But we got 'er done, and after about twenty minutes of walking to let him settle (which still involved some screaming) he finally found his focus and we got some work done. There's some actual decent shoulder-in in the video (and some not-so-great shoulder-in). The canter departs were pretty terrible, but I was proud of him for pulling himself together and going to work after being in near-panic mode during tack-up. Tomorrow should go a lot better.

Merry Christmas!

Focus on sitting trot

Ever since the September show in Tyler I've been quite focused on improving my sitting trot. When I watched the second-level tests from the show, I was aghast at my wobbly thighs! I was crabbing my legs upward, no weight in heels, unsteady in my core. Yikes. Clair doesn't have the easiest trot to sit -- it's not bad, but it's not the laz-e-boy comfort of Dakota's trot, or even Wylie's. I'm going to have to develop a strong, classical seat to get all I can out of Clair's trot. Her sire has a beautiful extension, and I can get a nice extension from her in posting trot, but now it's time to expect more from myself.

These videos are from a couple weeks ago.









I'm so much happier with how I'm sitting. Suzanne was kind enough to watch the videos, and this was her feedback:

Much, much improved in sitting (especially in canter and last trot video). Transitions are much better, too. As a side note, turn on haunch left is good. Right she didn't have enough bend in body and also stepped back. Much less curling overall (good stretchy), but would like her a bit more off forehand. I would warm her up in rising trot, but occasionally do a few half-steps sitting with lower leg on and long to drive hind legs under. Be sure to soften reins (without leaning forward) to see if she offers a moment of self-carriage. Then forward again rising. After that, stay sitting for forward trans. Also, think medium in lateral work. There has to be more "urgency" to it. Not "oh, OK, how's this?". Try to tighten core/abs even more as if you are trying to prevent rib cage from collapsing down onto hip bones - all with chest open and shoulders back. Great progress toward that end! You still actively move in sitting, but it is more proactive (driving) than reactive (collapsing).

So since then, I'm working on a bigger trot and a prompt reaction when I ask for half steps, then another prompt reaction to forward when I give. It's going great! I love the feeling when I tighten my core and stretch up and down, tall as I can, and Clair coils up like a spring. Then I drive with my seat and give a bit with the reins, and she moves out big. And I feel like I'm staying with her! Shoulder in is getting big and floaty. Now I'm trying to play around with the same feeling in canter. The next clinic is coming up December 10-11!

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.

Suzanne & Holly clinic video dump #1

I can't believe I haven't posted in seven weeks. Bad blogger. Much has happened, including prepping to ride Second One and Second Two at a schooling show next weekend, and me taking on another horse to ride while said horse's mom, M, is in Houston working on a college internship. The new guy's name is Wylie, and he's an eventer. I'll just be doing dressage with him. He's the sweetest OTTB that ever was. We had a clinic last weekend and I rode both Clair and Wylie. I'll include vids of Wylie in an upcoming post. For now, here's Clair, day one (the third video has trainer Holly Cook on board).

Clinic with Suzanne and Holly, part 1

Clair and I made huge progress in the canter during the clinic this past weekend. My canter-walk transitions were a bit hit and miss, and I knew it was due to the quality of the canter. Suzanne worked me through getting Clair straight and back on her haunches in canter, and wow. I think you can see the ghost of an upper-level canter from time to time in this video. And when the quality of the canter was good, the transition to walk was easy. This video shows day two. My homework is mainly to keep Clair up in front, and keep my hands low. I'm so excited about how things are going!