I’ll take six pounds, please.

July 18, 2012 Leave a comment

My list of things I must do in order to ride effectively is getting longer with each lesson.  But, happily, my riding is getting better so I’m not complaining.

Derbs and I have been busting our butts despite the heat.  Tonight we got a little relief, riding outside as a storm was blowing in. The temps were dropping and the strong breeze felt great.

At the outset, though, we were a bit stuck.  Derby was strung out, on his forehand, with his nose poking determinedly out. Like a cute little hunter.   See?

Looking like a hunter. Not a dressager. (Trashy pink outfit notwithstanding.)

After watching us go around ineffectually, unable to really change our way of going, Christy zeroed in on the problem du jour.  “Feather light contact is for finished Grand Prix horses and finished Grand Prix riders.  At the lower levels, you need a lot more contact.  If it feels like you have 2 lbs on the reins right now, increase it.  Take 6 lbs of contact.”

So I did.  Yes, I shortened the reins, but no, I didn’t crank Derby’s head in.  That’s not the way we roll at Rettger Dressage.  With my reins the appropriate length (over the withers, and not in my lap, for a change), I closed my fingers, and resolved to keep them closed. Moving off into a trot, I kept my elbows softly by my sides, not allowing them to creep forward.  At the same time, I checked my position to ensure I wasn’t blocking Derby’s movement, and I used my inside leg to get the back legs to really move.  The effect was immediate and profound.

The contact was steady, Derby rounded nicely and and was responsive, bending very nicely and correctly when asked.  The improvement was night and day.  Here’s a video clip Christy grabbed right after I made the change to taking more contact on the reins:

So, without further ado, here is my revised riding checklist:

  • Use the inside rein.  If he doesn’t respond to a softening of the inside rein, and continues to hang, get busy with the inside leg while insisting with the inside rein (e.g. a direct rein).  My desire to not hang on the inside rein has gone a bit too far.  I am allowed to use it.
  • When Derby feels “stuck” and braced against me, I need to mix it up.  Flex him, do serpentines and leg yields – anything to get that neck unbraced and softer.
  • Do as little as you can do but as much as you need to do to get the response you want – but be mindful.  If the horse doesn’t respond when I ask nicely, I have to next ask not-so-nicely.  Accepting no response results in a dull horse that’s dead to the aids.
  • Ride with my core engaged, and my leg long and draping around Derby’s sides.
  • Take – and hold – plenty of contact.  And don’t give it away by riding with loose elbows.

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The Path

July 15, 2012 1 Comment

Derby and I have finally broken through a plateau, and I’m really excited about my lesson tomorrow night.  Last week we finally started producing a show-ring quality trot with real bend, roundness and connection.  We’ve just passed our one-year anniversary together, and we’re putting in some good work – finally.

Saturday and Sunday I rode on my own (not in a lesson.) I swore to myself that I would build on my progress over the last week, focusing on maintaining energy and roundness simultaneously.  I’ve also been working on sharpening Derby’s responsiveness to my aids,  which takes a lot of very deliberate and focused riding from me.

I got out the barn early on Saturday.  All the horses were inside due to some storms that rolled through earlier, and Derby had quite a bit of extra energy to burn.  I actually considered longing him at the outset, but then decided that I needed to work on dealing with extra energy, like I have to do at shows.  Could I get him to focus on me, stay on the aids and work correctly?

The answer is yes.  I put Derbs to work immediately, instead of walking around on the buckle.  I loosened his jaw, poll and neck, moving him around and flexing him right and left.  We stretched down.  We spiraled in and out.  We did serpentines.  And pretty soon, I had a nice, responsive horse.  Once that was achieved, I focused on the trot work, riding lots of patterns and maintaining the energy and forward, while also working in some torture in two-point and some sitting trot too.  Derby’s back was up for the most part and things felt pretty good.

Sunday I was tired, and I’ll admit it, a bit hung over after a late night out with some friends.  The sun was beating down and I wasn’t very motivated, but we ended up having a really good ride.  After warming up inside, I took Derbs to the outdoor, to see if we could replicate our work outside, in a different and more distracting environment.  I put him straight to work in the outdoor, not taking a minute to walk around and look at things.  We didn’t have the energy we did on Saturday, but it was hot as Hell out there in the sun, and I settled for round, steady contact, and we achieved it pretty quickly. We did several laps and some excerpts from some tests, and Derby’s back stayed up, and the contact was steady.  Between the heat and the deeper outside footing, I didn’t push it.  We hit the showers after accomplishing what I set out to do.

It’s been a process to get to this point.  And now that I’m starting to get correct work, I know the next steps will be to take the time to build the correct muscling that will enable Derby to carry us nicely into Training level, while building the trot and then repeating everything for the canter. So, a lot remains to be done, certainly, but the path doesn’t look as steep and bumpy as it did three weeks ago.

 

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More core.

July 14, 2012 2 Comments

New green duds

I’ve spent a fair amount of time watching Christy ride her horses, and while I always learn a lot, watching her develop Remy over the last year has been especially informative, chiefly because in taking the skinny young OTTB from the track to the dressage ring required her to instill rhythm, contact and cadence in the horse.  Within a few months of his arrival, Christy had Remy going well, and I especially enjoyed watching her work the long-legged boy at the trot, improving his use of his back.  They would go around the arena, doing circles and serpentines at a spanking gait, with Remy staying round and yielding nicely when Christy asked for bend.   I memorized what that looked like.  And I’m trying to emulate it.

I know that she really had to work for that nice gait on Remy when he was greener, and part of that work was finding – and holding – her balance.  While Derbs is no Remy, he is similarly sensitive to my position, providing me instant feedback on how I’m sitting.  The degree of his forward motion varies directly with my balance and position on his back.

So instead of “trotting like Remy,” really, I need to be thinking “sit like Christy” in order to produce the big, forward, flowing gaits I seek.   And I got a bit closer to getting there this week.

Thursday night’s lesson focused on many of the same things I noted in my post on Wednesday, and once we got warmed up, I had a very decent working trot going that Derby was pretty much sustaining.  But I have struggled with maintaining that gait when we do anything other than go down the long side.  So I was paying particular attention to my position (and the horse’s feedback) in my lesson.

As we continued working, things improved, until finally, we were doing a very nice 20m circle around Christy, who had become effusive in her praise.  I had contact, I had forward, I had bend — and it was all pretty easy, I didn’t have to work to hold it. What had I done?  Well, in addition to the checklist I noted in my blog post on Wednesday, I had added one more thing.  Core engagement.  When I engaged my core, I could feel my hip angles opening as my leg lengthened and I sat up taller.  Derby immediately responds to this – when I finally put myself into the right position, he rewards me immediately by rounding and carrying himself nicely.

So here’s my updated checklist:

  • Use the inside rein.  If he doesn’t respond to a softening of the inside rein, and continues to hang, get busy with the inside leg while insisting with the inside rein (e.g. a direct rein).  My desire to not hang on the inside rein has gone a bit too far.  I am allowed to use it.
  • When Derby feels “stuck” and braced against me, I need to mix it up.  Flex him, do serpentines and leg yields – anything to get that neck unbraced and softer.
  • Do as little as you can do but as much as you need to do to get the response you want – but be mindful.  If the horse doesn’t respond when I ask nicely, I have to next ask not-so-nicely.  Accepting no response results in a dull horse that’s dead to the aids.
  • Ride with my core engaged, and my leg long and draping around Derby’s sides. 

In other words, sit like Christy!

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You get what you ask for…and what you accept

July 11, 2012 Leave a comment

We worked on bend tonight, and made some progress.

I’m finally getting my strength back to the point where I can start worrying about other things than not banging the saddle when I post or steadying my hands.  Gait quality has been better of late, but I’m still allowing Derby to go around with his nose poked out like a little hunter.  So staying round, through, bending and forward are very much on my mind these days.

Christy really zeroed in on a couple key issues tonight when it comes to bending and staying round and on the aids.  I’m either not asking for the response I want, or I’m accepting a “meh” response from the horse.   In other words (and this sure sounds familiar) I need to “fix it now.” Some key takeaways from tonight that I must remember:

  • Use the inside rein.  If he doesn’t respond to a softening of the inside rein, and continues to hang, get busy with the inside leg while insisting with the inside rein (e.g. a direct rein).  My desire to not hang on the inside rein has gone a bit too far.  I am allowed to use it.
  • When Derby feels “stuck” and braced against me, I need to mix it up.  Flex him, do serpentines and leg yields – anything to get that neck unbraced and softer.
  • Do as little as you can do but as much as you need to do to get the response you want – but be mindful.  If the horse doesn’t respond when I ask nicely, I have to next ask not-so-nicely.  Accepting no response results in a dull horse that’s dead to the aids.

This video from my lesson captures some of Christy’s advice to me.  By the end of the lesson I was getting much better and faster responses from Derby, and we really started to get it together.  This clip is still chock full of the uglies but I love it because it captures Christy’s advice, and shows that when I follow it, I get the responses that I want from the horse. Until, at least, I stop riding in the last seconds and collapse …

I had to work my butt off but by the end of the ride we managed to get ourselves together more consistently.  Overall, I’m happy with the progress recently, especially with the improvement in the horse’s gaits.  We had a really nice canter tonight that felt fresh and forward, and the trot work across the board has also improved.  I’m putting myself into almost-full training and am excited about my ride tomorrow.  Progress is so motivating. 🙂

 

 

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Reset

July 8, 2012 1 Comment

My riding has been on hiatus for a few weeks.  Derby was back sore after the last show, and then I went away for more than a week. Between the two of us, we’ve had a bit of a vacation from work.  Excruciatingly hot weather last week derailed my plans for Derby – I was going to put him into full training while I was away.  But a week of 100+ temperatures really slowed down Christy’s schedule. So while I loafed on the beach, Derby spent his days sunbathing and enjoying attention from Caitlin and Hanna, who groomed him and gave him refreshing showers while I was away.

Thankfully, temperatures have swung downward, and today was a beautiful, breezy day in the mid-80’s. I started the day with a visit to Jag, who really enjoyed the vigorous currying and brisk shower I gave him.  Then I met Christy at the barn to go look at some Thoroughbreds that are coming off the track.  We saw some real beauties and some solid-citizens in the making.  We were like kids in a candy store!

Finally, we made it back to Silver Fern.   I fetched Derbs, cleaned him up and hopped on.  There’s something to be said for taking a little break from riding – it helps still the chattering voices that tend co accompany most rides.  I simply focused riding Derbs forward and out into the contact.  That was it.  I kept my hands still, and made a point of staying out of his face, focusing instead on inviting him to stretch into the bit.  His back came up and we had a pretty decent ride.  We cantered a bit too, and I almost got a canter-walk transition (Derbs threw a single trot step in) when I half halted and asked for the downward.  I took it easy, only riding about a half-hour, to ensure we both have plenty in the tank for our lesson tomorrow.

Even though today was a lot cooler than it’s been, it’s clear that the heat has taken a toll on the horses.  Jag, who has been in full dappled bloom, has lost some weight.  So has Derby, to the point where I had the vet out to look at him and pull blood. Everything looks normal, so she’s having me keep him in at night, and keep up the supplemental feeding (extra hay, beet pulp, soaked alfalfa, etc.).  We’re set to have cooler temperatures all week.  I’m looking forward to riding, and I think we’ll all enjoy the more moderate weather.

 

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Video from last week’s show

June 19, 2012 1 Comment

Christy kindly took video of my rides at last week’s show.  Here’s our winning ride (60.6%) at Intro A.   We were really unsteady going down the centerline – a huge horsefly was buzzing Derby’s head, and at one point you can see his head pop straight up. Argh.  But once we get off the centerline, things improve.  Toward the end of the test we develop a bit more energy across the diagonal and into the second trot circle.

What I like most about this test was the fact that I was able to make quick corrections, getting him back on the bit pretty quickly.  We do need to get a lot more energy and connection going, which is the subject of this week’s lessons!  Overall the test was pretty steady but lackluster.  While Derby is no Totilas, I’m not showing off his best gaits.  On a non-fancy OTTB, I will have to learn to show his gaits to the very best advantage if I hope to get some really good scores.

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Redemption

June 17, 2012 1 Comment

Derby showing off his ribbons. He won a blue one, and a yellow one. Good boy, Derby!

We went out to our third show yesterday, with better results all around.  My riding improved, and there were no unscheduled dismounts.  Along the way, we picked up our second qualifying score for the IDCTA schooling show championships, so we’re now qualified at Intro.  Derby and I also won our first blue ribbon together.  It was a good day!

This artsy shot is courtesy of fellow rider (and now working student) Caitlin.

Upon arrival at Cross Winds Farm, I got Derby settled in then took him for a walk.  He was pretty chill at first, and enjoyed picking the clover growing near the rings.  When Boomer and Peaches (who were showing with us) came out with their riders to have a look around, he became a bit unhinged.  He reared and levitated and was doing his impression of a 1,000 lb kite.  I regretted not bringing a regular (or even a rope) halter with me, because I didn’t have a lot of control in the padded shipping halter.  Luckily, Derby didn’t yank the shank out of my hands, and he eventually settled down.

We had plenty of time before our ride, so I braided him, groomed him and then got on for our warm up.  The day threatened to grow warm, but it was still pretty cool and breezy when I mounted up.  We did a light warm up, and things were okay but not great.  He was a bit distracted (but not naughty at all) and I will admit right off the bat that I was feeling a bit defensive.  I really didn’t want to wind up in the dirt again! Life would be easier if I could just turn off my internal worrier.

The first test was okay.  Derby was obedient, but we weren’t dazzling.  He (and I) were both bit tense but I was able to get a decent free walk out of him and some decent moments of roundness.  We finished with 57% and change, good for third place.

I had almost 50 minutes until my next ride, and was thinking about getting off to rest a bit, but the Derby spooked twice in rapid succession in the warm up, so I put him to work. As we worked, I got and kept his attention, and things started feeling (and looking, according to Christy) pretty good.  In a nearby ring, the jumpers got going, and Derby was pretty interested in them, giving me a new challenge just when I thought we had everything worked out.  I doubled down on keeping him busy, and once again, got the horse to come back to me and relax.  In retrospect, both Derby and I would probably benefit from doing more work in our initial warm up.

Showing some better energy in the trot (you can see that he’s pushing a bit more with his hind legs when compared to the other trot photo.) Photo by Suzie Ridenour. (Thanks Suzie!)

A decent halt, despite the dang fly. Photo courtesy of Suzie Ridenour (http://suzanner.zenfolio.com/).

We were finally called for our second test, and I worked my half-halts after greeting the judge as I headed for A.  Derby was feeling great!  Then, as stupid luck would have it, just as we were doing our final circle and heading in, a giant B-1 bomber of a horse fly started buzzing Derby.  Up popped his head just as we entered.  Crap!   Needless to say, our first centerline and halt weren’t great.  But we got right to task and had a much better ride in our second test.   The energy and connection and consistency were all improved.  Our trot diagonal was solid and our circles felt pretty good.  Christy was grinning like a skunk and on our way out told me that we looked better in the ring than we had in long time, even at home.

I hopped off Derby and back to the barn we went.  He was definitely pooped and his saddle pad was dripping.  After untacking him, I peeled my show clothes off and then gave him a quick currying, fresh water and hay, and then stuffed him with cookies before running out to watch some of the others ride so he could have a well-deserved nap.  After the lunch break, I went to the office to pick up my test, and was delighted to learn that we had won the class with a score of 60.6%, which is just enough to qualify for the schooling show championships.

The judge echoed what I hear from Christy almost every day – that I have to get that hind end engaged and improve my connection.  I will be focusing on that in coming weeks.

We don’t have any shows planned in the near term, but I’m very happy that it’s not even (technically) summer yet and I’ve been out 3 times and have my qualifying scores.  I would still very much like to get out at Training this year, but to get there I’m going to have to really work hard on getting Derby forward into the contact (which really means that I need to ride confidently).  And I have to keep working on improving my seat.  Always that.   So, a lot lies ahead, but we are off to a decent start.

I’m itching to ride today, but Derby’s getting the day off.  He worked hard yesterday so I’m going to let him chill and roll in the mud (it finally rained last night.) Work begins anew on Monday!

We were both happy to be done with the last test! Photo courtesy of Suzie Ridenour.

Photo note:  My friend Suzie Ridenour took some of the pictures you see above.  She’s a professional photographer and graciously allowed me to use some shots here on the blog.  She does some amazing work, ranging from nature shots to portraits.  View her work here: Suzie Ridenour Photography. Enjoy!

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An Ode, and Some Inspiration

June 10, 2012 Leave a comment

Christy and Liam

I spent a blissful day up at Silverwood yesterday, watching Christy and Liam, as well as a few other friends and lots of area pros.  It was a big “two shows in one” weekend, running three days, and some big names were in attendance.  Ken Borden was there with Rashka, who’s been a USDF HOTY for the last three years running, at Training, First and Second, and it’s easy to see why this horse has more than 20 scores in excess of 80%.  Yvonne Barteau and and her Grand Prix powerhouse GP Raymeister (who, incidentally, is Rashka’s sire) are always fun to watch, and they didn’t disappoint in the musical freestyle I caught.

As much fun as it is to watch grand prix riders on fancy warmbloods, more than anything I still enjoy watching OTTBs go down the centerline.  For me, Christy and Liam stole the show, garnering two more scores toward the bronze medal (yay!!!!) and really illustrating what teamwork is all about. It was a hot day, and the footing at Silverwood is deeper than at home. Christy rode her first test conservatively, to ensure she had gas in the tank for her debut at Second Level.  They put in a good ride and got the score they needed before going back for round two.

During that second warm up, Christy commented that she could feel that Liam was getting tired.  It really didn’t show during the test, however – as usual, the two were in beautiful synch and harmony.  After the ride, however, it became clear that Liam had given Christy his all.  When I took him out to graze and cool off, he was reluctant to leave his stall, trudging slowly (that’s so unlike him) with his head drooping.  Poor boy!   He had been right there in the zone with Christy, and had left it all on the field.  He perked up when we showered him with treats after he had a bath, though.  He knew he had done well! I was overjoyed when we learned that Christy had indeed earned a score in excess of 60% at Second.  She’s halfway to her bronze!  It’s pretty exciting.

I also watched two other OTTBs.  Linus, a 10 year old that evented Prelim last year, went out at PSG and I-1.  He is a magnificent athlete and is a tempi-change machine.  His owner, Carol, says he’s the most athletic horse she’s ever had, and that dressage comes naturally for him.  Watching Linus, who carries a spectacular amount of muscle on his light Thoroughbred frame, is truly exciting and inspirational for anyone who loves Thoroughbreds.  What he lacks in extravagant gaits he makes up in athleticism and enthusiasm.  It’s going to be a fun summer watching him.

Kelly and Bubba execute a very pretty stretchy trot.

Our friend Kelly also had her green bean, a 5 year old OTTB she’s nicknamed Bubba, out for his first dressage show at Training.  He’s done a couple baby combined tests, and is showing a lot of promise.  However, he had some greenie moments during his test, taking exception to the judges booth and spooking whenever he came near C. Kelly rode with tact and empathy, staying quiet but insisting upon forward.  As much as I loved watching Liam and Linus, Bubba’s test was inspiring for me.  Kelly did a wonderful job of keeping the horse on the aids, and had some very nice moments, including the pretty stretchy trot pictured to the left.

The Thoroughbreds all acquitted themselves very well, and garnered compliments from onlookers, who admired how light and refined they appeared in the ring – the differences really are evident because most of the horses doing rated dressage shows are heavier warmbloods and draft crosses.

This morning I uploaded all the video I took yesterday, and watched all the rides once again.  Then I put on my britches and headed out to the barn, where I rousted Derby from a late-morning nap in the sun.  With visions of Bubba’s stretchy trot in my head and Christy’s words from last week’s lessons ringing in my ears (“He needs to be rounder.  Rounder still.  Half halt.  Again.  Again. Soften the inside rein.  Inside leg on. Half halt. Again!!! MAKE IT HAPPEN!”) I paid attention to differentiating between bracing contact and good, roundness. I half halted, and half halted, and half halted, but I was able to get Derby’s back up, and best of all, I was able to hold it.  Getting and maintaining roundness will be the absolute key for us in the coming weeks.  Everything is so much easier when you’re operating from that essential “ready” position, with a forward, round, connected horse.

 

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Lemonade

June 8, 2012 3 Comments

Good man.

 

It’s been a while since I posted, and I don’t have too much that’s new to report.  Right after the show, my husband and I went away for a few days. Some of the teenagers at the barn rode Derby while I was away – and he got some real work in with them.

Unfortunately, my unscheduled dismount at the show left me with a pulled groin muscle and a very sore sprained ankle – I think my foot hung in the stirrup a bit on my way down, rolling my foot over and injuring the ankle.  It’s better but not healed.  I have to be careful when I ride not to aggravate it.

I’ve had a couple lessons that were pretty ‘eh’ – it’s hard to ride well when things hurt!  And last weekend me made an attempt at a trail ride, but I threw in the towel when Derby refused to go by through a gap in a fence that is right next to a culvert.  He wasn’t being bad about it, and a rider with more intestinal fortitude would have kicked him through it, but that day, that rider wasn’t me.  I hate to give in but I didn’t have a whip with me (mistake) and, as previously mentioned, I’m not at 100%.

Last night the ankle was really bugging me, so Christy had me drop my stirrups. Needless to say, posting without stirrups isn’t something I do enough of and I didn’t last too long – those muscles are weak, and I’m feeling it today!  We also did some sitting trot work that was pretty fun.  I was able to get Derby to round for just a moment, enabling me to experience what sitting on a back that’s up feels like.  It’s much better than sitting on one that’s hollow.  But the no-stirrups work was great and informative.  I love how Christy can make lemonade when I hand her a lemon.

We’re entered in another schooling show next weekend.  It’s another unfamiliar venue, which is great practice for us.  Despite the tumble two weeks ago, we are making progress.  The key, when we’re away at home, isn’t to try to get Derby to relax.  It’s to take charge and really ride him.  When he is convinced that the human is in charge, he’s fine.  It’s convincing him that’s the challenge.

 

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A #FAIL, a win and a second.

May 26, 2012 8 Comments

We got some good work done in the warm up.

God, where to start.  What a day!  Today we went with a few barnmates to a nearby schooling show.  It had a great turnout, which you always like to see – but the warm up ring was chaotic.  All of the Green as Grass/Intro classes went in the morning, meaning that the ring was full of either green riders or green horses (or in some cases, both.)  There were two horses I was steering clear of, and a handful of kids that weren’t really watching where they were going.

The warm up ring was a zoo. I hated it but Derby was totally cool.

It sucked.  It was crazy and I hated it, but Derby was a total star.  He was as cool as a cucumber, and we had a great warm up.  I was really excited about our test, because he felt great and things were going very well.

Until they weren’t.

Things became very un-okay in a heartbeat, when Derby spooked – and spooked hard – at something in the corner.  Normally, he takes me with him but I simply couldn’t stick this one.   Nope.  I wound up in the dirt, scarily close to one of the horses I’d studiously been trying to avoid – a hot-potato giant green warmblood that was spending most of its time light on its front end and backing up.  I did think for a minute that I was in for a good stomping.

 

…and here we go.

On my way down.  The horse to my right is the stompy warmblood.

It took me a minute to determine that I was okay, and initially I told Christy that I was going to scratch. But really, the fall didn’t hurt and I didn’t get stomped by the big scary warmblood.   I felt fine, so I shouted to Christy that I had changed my mind, and she managed it with the show crew.  I got back on and out we went.

Derby was pretty tense but we had some nice moments.  I was able to get him to listen and round and engage – not consistently, but more than I did at Silverwood two weeks ago.   We brought in a 55%  which would up being good for fourth, out of a class of eight.  Not bad, after all.

My next ride was a bit more than an hour after my first, so I untacked Derbs so we could both chill a bit.  We did a minimal warm up (but were able to go by that corner with no further incidents) and rode a better test, garnering a 60.3%.  This second ride netted us the red ribbon for second place.

We got a 7 on this free walk. 🙂

It was a fun day, and we made some good steps forward, not the least of which was managing a decent test after that harrowing warm up. I’m going to shoot for another outing mid-June.

 

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