Gus is doing so so well! I backed up a little bit this week and spent three days lunging with the vienna reins. The first day Gus did not think he could go around in a circle, he was not so sure about the pressure on his mouth, and canter? What? The circle was way to small to canter. But on day two? He was like a completely different horse. He’s a smart boy.
Over the weekend I got Eric to come out and take some photos and, of course, get on Gus himself. Despite being so relaxed during the week, Gus was a little spitfire on Saturday! The good part: Gus was forward and picked up his leads when asked. The bad part: Gus thought he was back on the race track and burst into a canter.
I had to spend a lot of time just trotting, half-halting, trotting, halting, walking, trotting… you get the idea. And of course then when Gus would bolt into a canter we would come back and start over again. It was exhausting, especially in this GA heat! And of course, Gus is still learning what a half-halt is so it’s a bit more like “I’m going to strangle you for half a second” then the polite “listen please, I’m still up here” that a half-halt is supposed to be.
But eventually we got a few good trot-canter transitions. I love that he does react to my leg. I just wish it wasn’t quiet so crazy of a response. Even better, he was listening to my outside leg and actually turning! Eric says it still feels like trying to turn a semi truck but it used to be like turing a semi truck with flat tires so, I’ll take it.
Because I had Eric out to help me, we even put Gus over his first ground poles and his first mini x-rail! He was a superstar, the poles didn’t phase him at all. Once we get a little bit more consistent with steering and our transitions I’ll start doing a lot of pole work.
To end, because Gus was getting a little anxious at this point, we went on a nice relaxing walk around the property. I really love this place and I can’t wait to get on the trails this week (I had planned to on Sunday but forgot to bring any saddle pads with me…fail!). I love this horse, he’s such a good egg. He gets today off and then this week we start hacking on the trails!
It was raining pretty heavily and consistently this morning when I got to the barn. This made me sad because it was only misting at my house and I had been really looking forward to a trail ride. Bummer.
But, at least I know that Dandy’s blanket *IS* waterproof. Lol.
Like my lesson on Friday I started with ground work. It’s amazing to see the difference in Dandy’s manners on the lunge. When I say “woah” and give a quick tug on the lunge he throws on the breaks. He still likes to turn into me a bit but I worked on getting him to move those front feet over. And when I cluck (or kiss) he GOES.
It translates on his back too which is making me so happy. For the first time I was able to do leg yields across half the arena and our canter transitions were sharp. In fact, I was even able to do a walk canter transition. I just love how soft he was being.
It’s days like this that make me hopeful that things will work out and I can somehow get through that lazy attitude. I love my OTTB. I don’t want to give up on him.
My lesson last night, the first in quite a few weeks, was amazing. Dandy has been in full training for the last two weeks and has been learning quite a lot. JLE is the right trainer for him at this moment in time and I’m so pleased with the progress she’s already made in such a short time.
It’s amazing to me how none of my trainers have ever really liked Dandy when they first met him. With Madchen she thought he was a skinny gangly ottb and it wasn’t until I really started working with her that she realized how talented he was. I feel like it’s the same with JLE. It’s not that either of them disliked Dandy but the minute they start really working with him that they realize they love him. JLE told me yesterday that Dandy is incredibly athletic, catty and smart. That he had more talent then I’d probably ever need or utilize. And while I always figured he had the raw talent to get to the upper levels, it’s nice to hear that from someone who has been there.
But then she ruined it by saying I was lucky he wasn’t a mare because then he’d probably be too opinionated to be an good amateur horse.
Anyway, back to the lesson. It started with me wanting to discuss what I wanted out of all of this. Yes I want Dandy to be a better horse and to not go to rearing as his answer. More than that though, I’ve realized that I want this. I want to event. I want to get to prelim. I want an independent seat and soft hands. And I don’t want to let my fear ruin this for me. So I told JLE to give me her worst, don’t take it easy on me. And she did.
I was really amazed at how much more connection I was able to get from Dandy, even with my unsteady and unmoving elbows. For once I actually felt like Dandy was willing to take the outside rein and it was a beautiful feeling. I have to be very conscious when I’m riding to mis things up. With Dandy I can’t stay on the circle indefinitely because he gets bored. So that might mean two loops of the circle and then going large down the full arena to circle on the other end. Or mix it up with serpentines and change of directions.
We can now also start really working on doing the leg yields. I know the basics of how to do a leg yield but I don’t think anyone has every really told me where my legs should be or my hands or my seat. JLE finally did. While I was correctly exaggerating the opening of the outside rein so Dandy would have something to move into, I was also blocking him from going anywhere by trying to enforce the bend with my inside hand. Instead JLE had me not really open my inside rein but to hold it out. Magically Dandy moved over. They’re clearly not 10s yet (or even 7s) but I’m so happy we actually got them!
Next we went back to my dreaded canter transitions. Ugh. While JLE had said that my confidence and comfort was way better at getting Dandy’s new, large striding working trot, my canter transitions had gone a little backwards. Ooops. To be fair, I was also trying to do it more from my seat and less from every other part of my body. Dandy’s canter is just so huge and it’s a lot to put together.
This weekend I hope to do some jumping with Dandy. Next week he’ll get a trainer ride Monday – Thursday and then I’ll ride Friday and Saturday while the barn is at a HT. Should be a good week. That’s if I can keep everything together now that I’m working full time. It’s hard to go from having my entire day free to having a job!
Despite my lack of motivation, I am really enjoying my lessons. I had one yesterday and managed to convince the boy to come out since it was memorial day and take a video. I’m really glad I did because I’m seeing a LOT I have to work on! It felt so nice when I was on him but it doesn’t look nearly as nice as it felt.
This is the best bit where we’re working on changing direction without an over reaction on either of our parts:
Unfortunately all I can really focus on in this video is my bad posture. I thought my hands were getting steadier but clearly they’re not so I guess I’ll have to get the twine back out. Also I’m going to have to do a little bit of no stirrup work to strengthen those legs.
Besides this, we worked on starting leg yields at the trot. We turned up just off the rail and worked on getting back to it. I didn’t manage it, but we did learn a lot. Dandy can yield over there but instead of doing nice big crosses like we want, he just leans his shoulder in and drifts. Clearly this is not correct. However, when I do try to correct this, I over react with my hands which gets both of us all out of whack. So while we didn’t get anywhere close to having a nice cross over, we did work on quietness in my cues. I could really feel the improvement in how nice and quiet he was when I was nice and quiet.
To finish the lesson we again worked on the canter transitions. Instead of the spiral exercise, JLE taught us a new one: Trot down the long length of the arena and when we get through the corner turn back (like a half 10m circle) to the long side facing the opposite direction and head back to the rail (sort of pointing for the far corner). When you get there your bend should now be the opposite way and as you hit the rail, ask for a canter. It took me a time or two to get the exercise as I was getting to the wall too early, but once I had it, I really liked it. Not only is it working on balance through small circles (which is something Dandy and I need) but it also sets us up perfectly for the transition. It’s also nice to have something that isn’t just practice on a circle. I get really bored of doing that over and over again.
I had a lesson that I really did not want to go to. Dandy has had the past two days off because I’ve just not been feeling it. The standard Seattle rain wasn’t helping the motivation to get off the couch. But I dragged myself out there.
Dandy was a pill. I could tell the minute I got on that he wasn’t feeling like working either. Guess that’s what happens when he gets an extra day off! He wasn’t doing anything worse while I was warming up then running through my aids until he randomly slammed on the breaks at X and went up. WTH horse? It wasn’t high and I didn’t feel scared, just annoyed. I pushed him on and we continued without any other incident, thankfully. JLE was training a horse while I rode and her working student was also in the ring and Dandy was not happy about it. We’re discovering that he’s not really a fan of riding in tight quarters with other horses. Just another thing I’m going to have to deal with.
JLE helped me work through the crabbiness and it ended up being a pretty good lesson. It was the standard flat work stuff we’re working on: straightness, the spiral circle, maintaining contact when asking for a canter, collecting the canter. We had a few issues with Dandy not cantering so JLE actually had me just kick Dandy into a canter since he’s using the “not perfect” excuse to not work. He did NOT like that! I got an explosive transition and a very humped back but thankfully no buck. But the canter transition after that was much better. Dandy is slowing training me to allow him to run through my leg among other things. I’m going to have to be better at making sure I make myself clear.
I’m feeling a little more motivated after that lesson and talking with JLE afterwards. Hopefully that continues. I think I might do a few long trails this week to give us both a bit of a break. Maybe not tomorrow though as it’s supposed to be thunder stormy. 🙂
That’s how much pressure I’m supposed to have in each rein at all times. You know, I’ve been told to have even pressure before. I’ve had the discussion of how much rein is currently in my hands before. But I’ve never had the whole concept explained so clearly. JLE is doing a great job in teaching me to handle every aspect of Dandy’s body at every point of a circle or at any point in the arena. I really feel like I’m understanding what to do, even if I’m still not reliably doing it at all points. I’m trying, but I start focusing on one thing and forget the others.
Today we worked on our straightness again and getting more impulsion. I’m having a really hard time getting him in front of my legs but it will come. We also started the spiraling exercise. I used to do this exercise with Shelly and Sheena and it was the bane of my existence, but surprisingly not so with Dandy. It was hard and we clearly have a lot to work on but we actually could do the exercise. JLE had me use the spiraling out to do a canter transition. Or she tried. It was hard work, and for some reason my transitions are a million times worse in my lessons than when I’m working by myself.
Our show is coming up pretty fast this weekend and I’m very nervous. The way he’s been acting lately is like he’s a completely different horse. I’m afraid that this is going to be a repeat of our Franktown Meadows show when I’d much rather have a repeat of our Pumpkin Roll Dressage Show. I have to remember how much things have changed for both of us and give us both some slack. Things don’t have to be perfect. At the same time, I need to keep things easy. Ask for what I know he can do.
We went down to watch some of the XC at the N.W.E.C. last Saturday and I feel confident that Dandy will be able to go over any of the starter jumps. The only thing that I was still worried about was the attitude. But Dandy really proved that he’s a steady head today, and that if I just give him the appropriate amount of pressure that he’ll be a good boy. Right after I brought him in for our lesson, it started pouring. No big deal. Dandy didn’t care about the rain pounding on the tin roof at all. However, halfway through our lesson, that rain turned into thunder. Loud thunder. What did Dandy do? Nothing. Not a flinch or anything.
I love my pony. He takes such good care of me. And he will on Saturday too.
Even though it has only been a week, I am already feeling a difference. Dandy is getting straighter and I’m getting better at feeling and adjusting accordingly when he wants to get wiggly. My elbows are softer and my hands more willing to follow. It helps when you have someone on the ground constantly reminding you to be soft.
Today we did a quick ride in the outdoor. For me it was working on softness and I wanted to get a few nice canter transitions in. Thankfully we did. I kept my outside rein super steady and really worked on bend. They still took longer than I would have liked but they were much better.
Once I got the transitions, we went on a quick trail ride. I stayed in the woods and decided to not go very far. Dandy was on edge. He even refused to go down a small ledge (think like 6 inches) and decided to get light on this feet. Oh no. We’re not having none of that! He got spun a few times and I asked again. And again. Finally he stepped down and got a ton of praise.
Since the trail was quicker than I had planned for, we went back to the arena and worked on canter transitions more. Didn’t really know what else to do. It looks like we’ll be adding small trail rides to our daily tasks. He wasn’t bad for the trail, just tense. He needs to learn to relax and trust that I’m not going to make him do anything he can’t.
One of the farriers was scheduled to come out after my lesson yesterday so I stuck around to meet him but he was running late and I had to get back to Harley. Hopefully I’ll get to meet him next time. Dandy was overdue for a trim and was going to get shoes on. While I will always prefer to keep a horse barefoot, the ground here is so rocky that Dandy can’t even walk to the outdoor without getting uncomfortable. So shoes went on.
I hope I made the right decision.
Coming home the puppy and I got stuck in the worst traffic I’ve seen in Seattle yet. I guess there was an accident on I-405. Ugh. I got off as soon as I could and things went much faster on the back roads (after being stuck on 520 for an hour).
I was finally able to get back on Dandy after more than a weeks vacation for the both of us. Stupid cold and eye infection! At least both of those seem to be all healed up. I even got proof of the ride in the form of pictures all because I managed to convince Eric to come out with me.
I love when Eric comes out with me, and not just because I get lots of good pictures that way. I genuinely like watching him ride and he gets along with Dandy really well, maybe even better than I do!
So Dandy and I had a good ride. Nothing too exciting, just trying to get back in shape so I don’t waste any of my upcoming lessons. Worked on collection, stretching and walk-canter transitions. I have to be careful with those as it’s easy for us both to get frustrated! But we got them and they’ll keep getting better. I got some nice stretching at the end in our trot, I just need to work on my core and my leg muscles to make things more consistent. (Oh, is that all?!)
Working on our free walk.
Best shot of the canter due to the lighting.
Stretchy trot!
And then Eric thought it would be fun to take a picture while I was hacking up a lung:
But look at that beautiful square halt! Now if only we could do that at X.
If I thought my last ride was swoon worthy, I thought too soon. Today’s lesson was amazing. Or maybe I’m swooning because I can’t physically stand up anymore…
Riding with a new instructor is always nerve wracking for me. It’s an evaluation for both me and the new instructor and I’m always worried that I’ll do something silly. Today I was even more nervous because this is the first horse I’ve brought up from scratch, even if I did have help. I just wanted Dandy to make a good first impression. I think it went really well! Kristen immediately saw what kind of horse he was and got a feel for his personality (anxious but an overachiever). I got the impression that she wouldn’t have a problem working with us.
Kristen started us at a walk on 20 meter circle. We worked on several things but the goals were to get Dandy to bend, round and use his hind end. An outside goal that would come from getting these three things was to get all his attention on me so that if a random horse came in he wouldn’t even care. I had to use a lot of my inside seat-bone to get Dandy to bend the direction we were going and I was constantly pushing him into the rein by moving my belly button. Wait, what? Yes, my belly button. Kristen showed me how moving your belly button from side to side opens up your hips. Using this trick let me encourage Dandy to move into a nicer walk and even engaged his hind end. The roundness came in bits and pieces as I got my act together and it was beautiful. I could feel his back open and his legs flow. Kristen even said that the few moments I had brought his walk from a 6 to a 7. How cool is that?
Even the bending went well. I have never really been able to get Dandy to move off my leg like I thought he should but with Kristen’s help I did. I think it might be even better if I put my spurs back on but I want to make sure my leg is a bit steadier first.
We moved on to the trot, working on the transitions and keeping that nice roundness through them. This was really hard for me as I like to tense up coming down from the trot to the walk. Kristen is having me work on my breathing to help with that. I’m supposed to exhale when driving him forward into the walk, sort of like yoga.
While we were working on getting the roundness at the trot, I also had to teach Dandy to move off my leg and bend. This wasn’t so bad to the left but it was very hard at the right. The first few times, Dandy did not get it at all and was starting to get anxious that he wasn’t finding the right answer so we slowed to a walk and went through bending again. This time, when we went back to a trot, Dandy figured it out. What a good boy!
What Kristen explained to me, and made perfect sense as soon as she said it, was that I need to teach Dandy that it’s okay to make a mistake and not be anxious about it. That he’s not going to get in trouble for trying but being wrong. Basically, I have to build his confidence so we both don’t get frustrated.
One thing I noticed after the lesson while watching video, that is not so good, is that I was so focused on Dandy that I let my posture out to dry. My elbows are locked, heels up. It will all come together eventually. I just have to be conscious of the problems. The other issue I’m having that was noticeable while I was riding, and that Kristen pointed out several times, I’m letting go of the reins. I’m letting Dandy pull them from my fingers or just letting them slide out and this has got to stop.
The hardest part of the lesson, for me, was asking for the canter not only from a walk but using only my seat to scoop Dandy into the canter while my leg is just used as a guide. Now, I know this is a standard of good dressage riders, and big time riders, but I have never been asked to do this before and now I’m being asked to do this from a walk?! There was a brief moment of panic as I gawped at Kristen but I tried. And sort of got it. I keep looking down which of course screws everything up. Didn’t drumline teach me anything? The ground horse isn’t going anywhere…
It’s a really cool feeling when I did get the transition though because I feel like he’s “popping” into the canter instead of running. What was also cool to learn was that I’m the one making him drop back into a trot. The minute I stopped riding, aka got tense or distracted, Dandy dropped back down.
Once we were in the canter, we worked on getting roundness. Again, it was a lot of pushing him into my hands but Kristen also had me ride with my hands down by my thighs so I was acting like side reins. The difference in him was insane! Again. While the roundness was not nearly as good as it had been at the trot or canter, for the first time, I felt Dandy collect for just a few steps. I’ve got to work on my strength just so I can keep up with him. Pushing him over and making him bend at the canter was even harder than the trot.
Finally. Finally! we were done and I got a break. Except we weren’t quite done because Kristen wanted to teach me how to get Dandy to go long and low. Remember my horse that I’ve never really been able to get to stretch? Take a look!
I am so so happy with all the work LG put into him. Without it, I’d never be able to take him to the next step like this.
Also, a big thank you needs to go out to the boy who agreed to dvr the Eagles game so he could come and get all these awesome videos of me and Dandy. He pretty much recorded my entire lesson just so I could go back and watch them and learn more. LOVE YOU!
See the baby tooth? Right there… the small one. Apparently the grown up tooth never grew in so it never came out. Weird.
And just a picture of his tattoo for posterity’s sake.
Anyway, I made a promise to myself that I was going to get out of the office and ride tonight and I did it! Yay! Go me. I got to watch LG work with him first and then had a chance to practice my equitation which maybe needs a whole of improvement. Really, I just need to start doing my workout again. Jillian Michaels, I hate you but I’m putting you back in the dvd player tomorrow morning.
I was so so impressed with how well Dandy was doing. Not only does he look normal and not emaciated, he was starting to come onto the bit and using his body correctly. He’s still fighting with LG about bending to the left and picking up his left lead but it’s to be expected, I suppose.
I am just cringing watching myself in this video. When I had Sheena, I had a GREAT seat and I could sit the trot with ease. Clearly I’ve lost a lot of that. I will get back there. My new plan is to get out two times during the week and once on the weekends. Yoga and Jillian Michaels on the days I don’t ride. Should get me fit.
I only cantered Dandy a few laps of the arena, and only to the right, and honestly, I think it was harder for me than it was for him. Between trying to figure out what I was supposed to do to get him to collect and my general lack of muscles, it wasn’t the prettiest looking. But I do love to canter him and his transition into the canter was so much cleaner. I actually probably over cued him.
The best part? He’s starting to relax at the walk. Dandy actually stretches out and down. I love my boy.
Going to get back out tomorrow and ride a bit. Eric’s taking a lesson on William so I will probably clean tack during that. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now but I am just being lazy.
I love this horse, he’s such a good egg. He gets today off and then this week we start hacking on the trails!
Gray Horse Problems 