Coming through

August 7, 2013 1 Comment

I thought we were still trotting but evidently not.

I thought we were still trotting but evidently not. It turned out for the best though – he finally got in front of my leg after this spook.

Progress continues, but some days it seems painfully slow, while on others I can see improvement and am encouraged.

We’ve been working on reconnecting me to my inside leg, and also improving Derby’s response.  While our lesson last Wednesday wasn’t anything to really write home about,  we were able to achieve a degree of throughness  after a couple spooks and after using simple leg yields to get my inner leg working, and Derby connected into the outside rein.

In addition to riding Derbs, I’ve also picked up a partial shareboard on my little buddy Tucker.  We had a nice ride over the weekend, after I had one a fellow rider take a quick look and offer me some advice on how to get Tucker to stretch down into contact (he’s happy to give you a headset.)  I did a lesson on him last night, and then rode Derbs (and then went home and collapsed.)

Happily, Tucker is telling me that my position and strength are both getting  back in balance. He’s sensitive and has a lot of training.  I got on him a couple months ago and couldn’t ride him in a straight line.  My last two rides, while far from perfect, have been better.  He’s not staggering like a drunk across the arena and I’m able to actually get him to go where I want to go with my seat and legs, which is a nice change of pace.

We’re picking at my position again, as I’ve started clamping my knees and closing my hips.  Riding forward with legs draping, hips open and hands steady is the focus this week.

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Motivation^2

July 30, 2013 Leave a comment

Last week I hopped on Manny for couple rides, and admired the way he moved easily off my left leg. I mentioned this to Christy, who noted that my left leg, which is a bit unsteady, ‘nags’ at Derby’s side.  She theorized that he’s dead to my leg on that side as a result.

So responsiveness has been on my mind.  As my strength is coming back, I’m riding the horse more forwardly, and am correcting him when he stalls out and slows down.  I’m getting better gaits out of Derbs, but lateral response can be best described as “meh.”

I also tend to second-guess myself, thinking “I must not have asked correctly” if Derby fails to respond to a request I make.  However, Christy has proven to me repeatedly in the past that for love of all things good and holy, I know how to move a horse off my leg and bend.  Zero response, she reminded me, is not an option.  “He didn’t even swish his tail!” she commented after observing one lame attempt.

austin yield

Christy executes an enviable leg-yield on Austin.

So she set me to work, trotting laps down the long side, and abbreviating the end of the arena by turning deliberately before the end.  She asked told me to start down the long side on the quarter line, and to leg yield to the rail before getting to our turn on the short end.  “Do not turn unless you are on the rail. GET THERE,” she insisted.

The first couple attempts were ugly, and I dropped back to the walk to get my ducks in a row.  After one “listen to me!” correction with the whip, Derby yielded nicely off my left leg.  We picked up the trot, and things were immediately better, and they continued to improve.  Derby became downright responsive, and as I gained better control over the inside hind, his gait quality improved too.

It was a particularly illuminating lesson, and very motivating.  The results – improved responsiveness and better gaits – were pretty immediate, once I got the horse properly motivated.  I’m going to be adding the leg-yield exercises to all of my warm ups.  I now know where those buttons are, and I need to keep fine-tuning them!

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The big toe and the collarbone

July 24, 2013 1 Comment

IMG_0710

Even dry arena sand looks good from this point of view.

Within the last week or so my knee has finally stopped hurting. I’ve been in physical therapy for an IT band injury since March, and I’m happy to report it’s finally paying off.  The therapy of late has really focused on hip and core strength. Of course, this is good for my riding or at least I believe will be. However, despite the improvements in my right leg, I still need to work on evening up my strength and flexibility on both sides. During this time of rebuilding and reconditioning myself, the unevenness in my strength has had a pronounced effect on my riding. If I ride in my default, unbalanced position, the horse will stagger off to the left. While this is less pronounced on Derby, when I had a lesson on Christy’s horse Austin, who is much more sensitive, we were drawn to  the middle of the arena as if by a magnet.

Christy is having me remedy this situation a few ways. First and foremost, she is absolutely requiring me to ride the horse forward. Secondly, she’s focusing on having me use what we’re now calling my “everything muscle,”  — which is really another way of saying riding with my body fully engaged.  The checklist I’ve been running through in my head (because this is not yet have it and I have to remind myself continually) goes something like this:  “Head straight, shoulders back, chest lifted, hips even, core engaged, no, core really engaged, hips open, legs long, calf draping and toes up.”  Rinse and repeat.

Remembering to keep my toes up rather than my heels down actually has a profound effect on my leg, we’ve discovered. For me at least, when I’m thinking toes up, I engage my whole leg, especially my quadriceps and hip flexors, which also has the effect of opening my hips. We discovered this one night when rather hilariously Christie asked me what adjustment I made when I managed to improve my position, you done to and I told her I flexed my big toes. Sounds silly, but you try it next time you’re in the saddle. The act of flexing your toes upward, rather than just letting gravity pull your heels down, engages a different range of muscles. This is a happy accident, because for me, these are muscles I needed to engage, and I didn’t realize I was failing to do so.

Tonight, we discovered the connection that exists between my collarbone and my big toes. I have a bad habit of slouching through the waist, especially slumping to one side. It’s really hard to ride with decent contact when your waist is engaged, and my solution to this problem, instead of writing correctly, tends to be too harsh word and pull back with my hands. Christy noticed that recently I’ve been really reverting to this position when I go through turns. So she reminded me to turn from the waist, and basically keep my head, hands and shoulders aligned.

“Put your collarbone in the direction you want to go,” she insisted. “Make side reins out of your hands, and close your fingers, keep your hands in front of you and not pulling!”

As most of you know that this elementary exercise results in the rider using the outside ring correctly and softening the inside rain and generally speaking good things happen. Such was the case for me. However, there was another benefit as well. Christy noticed that my posture kept improving as I worked through the exercises while deliberately holding my rein and leading with my collarbones. Simply put, you cannot turn from the waist, and keep your head, shoulders and hands all aligned if you are slumped through your midsection. Additionally, for whatever reason, probably because I’m focused on the collarbones, I was  keeping my chest open too, which also helped me keep my shoulders back. Another problem solved!

IT band exercises 

I have long promised but failed to deliver to a number of you an outline of the exercises that I’ve been doing physical therapy for my IT band. If you don’t do anything to actively strengthen those important outside muscles, and the things they are attached to, I encourage you to do start doing so forthwith.  An IT band injury is really painful and takes forever to heal – I strongly recommend avoiding it at all costs!

Exercises that the physical therapist is having me focus on include:

  • Side planks – Holding for 30 seconds and also going up and down repeatedly in sets of 10
  • Regular planks
  • Clamshells: plan your side bend your knees and align yourself shoulder hips heal. Keeping your feet together open your legs leading with the knee that is on top. For extra resistance put a rubber band around your knees.
  • Sidesteps: Put the rubber resistance band around your ankles. Do a partial squat like you’re in ready position for playing tennis. Keeping your knees bent, move laterally.  This is best done down a long hallway or in your basement where no one is watching. If you’re doing it correctly, in addition to your adductors on the outside of your leading leg,  you’ll also feel your gluteus medius working on that side too.  Do 10-15 steps each direction, and repeat.

Here are some links with additional exercises and details, if you’re interested.

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/knee-pain/iliotibial-band-syndrome/strengthening-iliotibial-band-syndrome

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/knee-pain/iliotibial-band-syndrome/strengthening-iliotibial-band-syndrome (see the 7 exercise routine the author developed – this is very similar to what one of my PT sessions looks like (though I do a bit more core, by adding the planks.)

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Back to the Isabel – for now

May 26, 2013 4 Comments

IMG_9694 It’s been that kind of week.  You know the kind – when the fact that you brushed out you horse’s tail (oh, and it looked awesome!) for the first time in months, and you were too gratified – waaaayyyy too gratified – by the results.   It *is* looking pretty good.

In reality my angst was driven by the realization that my Albion saddle – with it’s deep seat, big blocks and sticky leather – has turned me into a lazy and less-effective rider.  I’ve pulled my old Isabel out, found a half-pad (a Mattes with ThinLine shims) that works for Derby, and put myself to work.

I’m still dealing with IT band issues on my right leg – that injury isn’t resolved – but as I’m working in the Isabel, I’m also working on my right-side weakness.  After a few frankly ugly rides, I was finally able to put things together somewhat today.   I got to the barn early and rode Derby outside, working in the deeper footing, and I was able to keep him round and engaged for most of the ride.  It’s progress. The Isabel works my core and helps me find my balance in ways the Albion doesn’t, as evidenced by the grossly ineffective ride I hand when giving the Isabel a shot a week ago.  I’m planning to keep the Isabel in the rotation, because it requires so much more of me as a rider.

 

 

 

 

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A Breakthrough

May 15, 2013 1 Comment

Himself.

Himself.

I finished last season a more than a little frustrated with myself.  Despite managing to qualify for my local GMO’s championships, we didn’t make it to the ring – Derbs had a meltdown that I couldn’t manage.   There were some other failures – let’s just go ahead and use this word – too, including my inability to get Derby past a couple culverts on the way to the forest preserve trails near the barn.

There’s a common element in these failures, and it was this – I was abdicating most of the ride to Derby.  I wasn’t riding him forward, round, into contact and on the bit.  I wasn’t using a shoulder-in strategically, I wasn’t keeping control of the inside hind leg.

On paper, I knew all of this but for any combination of reasons I had never executed the theories in a real-life situation.

At the same time, I’ve continued to observe lots of Christy’s rides, and (since she’s the cerebral sort) we’ve talked through these issues as well.  Numerous times I’ve heard her how she can feel when the horse she’s riding is going to spook, and instead of simply riding it, she manages it – and capitalizes it, channeling the energy into even more powerful forward movement.

Tonight – at the end of a ride that I was planning on shortening due to my still painful knee, I had the unexpected (aren’t they always) opportunity to test my learning.

I had given up on really riding and hopped up into two point to get a bit more work into Derby while also working a bit on my lower leg. We were in the outdoor ring, and as we came around the short side closest to the barn, Derby spooked and took off across the arena.  Secure in my two-point, I went right with him, almost effortlessly.

Instead of being discombobulated by the abrupt change of course, I was able to ride it.  I kept him cantering and then put him on a trot circle.

“Wow,” said Christy as we looped around her.   It was a nice trot – he was through and connected.  I pushed him off the circle and headed toward the other end, keeping him connected.   He spooked again, and I caught sight of the source of his willies – a fly sheet left on the ground by another friend who was off hand grazing her horse.   Sheesh.

I kept him at that end of the arena, and put him on another circle, insisting on bend and that he step under himself with his hind leg. Going back around, he tried to spook again but I was able to catch him and manage it.  On the next go-round, he didn’t bat an eye.  on the next go round, we stopped near the offending fly sheet, and Derbs stood nicely as I treated him to all manner of scritches up and down his neck.  Then we walked off, turn around the other way, and I put him into a shoulder-in.  Sure enough, he wanted to give the sheet the hairy eyeball but I was able to keep that inside hind where I wanted it.  We maintained the bend, and walked by with little fuss.  I asked for the trot, and we went by the sheet in an energetic shoulder in.  I was holding him together, and helping him keep his marbles in their bag.  We went by again.  No problem this time.  On the next pass, I stopped him again, and again he stood sensibly, and was the recipient of more scritches.

There was a time when I could ride the spook,  but I wasn’t managing it.  Tonight, finally, I felt effective.  Derby was connected nicely, and I could feel the behavior coming and I could do something other than just let it happen.  Which is kind of the whole point of dressage, when you get down to brass tacks.  Those war horses of old had to gallop headlong into some scary situations.

As we walked a bit, Christy and I chatted.  She said – and I agreed – that this was the best riding I’ve produced in terms of effectiveness.  I was able to use the tools she’s given me, and apply them correctly to the situation.  My instincts – and reactions – were correct.

“Now, we just have to get that kind of riding from you all the time,” Christy said as I dismounted.   Which means she has some ideas brewing…

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Core muscles, meet the half-halt

May 9, 2013 6 Comments

We had another nice ride last night, and another incremental improvement. In my lesson, I worked on getting Derby’s hind legs more active and pushing, rather than pulling himself along on the forehand. To do this, Christy introduced my core to my half-halt, and pretty quickly I was able to get the feel of rebalancing the horse.  It was one of those lightbulb moments in which you consciously do something, and feel the results.  Cause and effect – it’s powerful stuff.

Compare to yesterdsy's effort

Last night

righthind

Yesterday

Here’s a still from last night’s ride (pink t-shirt).  There’s a big difference in hind end engagement when compared to my ride the night before (blue saddle pad.)

The differences are subtle but clear visually – Derby is more up, off his forehand in the picture from last night, and he’s pushing more with his hind legs – you can see he’s stepping more forwardly with his hind legs, rather than trailing them behind (as he does when he’s on the forehand.)

The difference in feeling between the trots is more stark.  The connected trot last night feels so powerful.  The less-connected trot from last night just feels fast.

Christy had me work on channeling our forward energy and controlling it with my seat, core and half-halts.  One thing I have to work on is using the half halt correctly – to rebalance – rather than slow down.  I generally allow Derby to lose energy in the half halt.  And I remember what Robert Dover said about half-halts – they’re additive, you gather and coil the energy in the half halt.  Now, to put that into practice and make it a habit.

Screen Shot 2013-05-08 at 11.25.50 PMWith Christy coaching me about every other step of the way, I worked on half-halting with my core and then immediately putting my leg on to say “Go!” while increasing my post to get a bigger (not faster) stride.  And we were able to start to generate more of a trot – one that someday could be suspended and fancy.  We have a long way to go, though, in terms of fitness and muscling of both horse and rider.  Still, it will be fun to put a dressage neck on Derbs – he’s pretty burly as TBs go already and tends to carry heavy muscle. He’s a big handsome critter already but with good dressage muscling, my plain bay will be a standout!

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Weak right side

May 7, 2013 1 Comment

righthind

Working the right legs – all three of them

I’ve not had much to report, since I’m continuing to slowly recover from problems with my IT band.  My right knee still hurts but I can feel it growing stronger, and most happily, I’m able to do more than perch desperately in two-point, clutching handfuls of mane and gritting my teeth. In retrospect, this downtime has in fact been a bit of a gift – I’ve been doing work on my seat and engaging my core.  I’m finally able to put things back together on Derby, and am reasonably happy with how things are going. 

Through the different tests they put me through at physical therapy to benchmark my progress, I’ve learned that my right side is significantly weaker than my left – probably due to my protecting the leg as the IT band became more and more of a problem over the winter.  Derby’s right side is weaker too -that’s the side the chiro really has to work on, and we know that he has to build up more strength. So working our right legs is very much on the agenda for Derbs and me. 

canterleftThe PT I’m doing for the injury is focusing on strengthening my hips and glutes.  Needless to say, my hips especially are working hard, and the muscles are tight.  I’m not even bothering to try sitting the canter – my seat just isn’t following at the moment.  So when I needed to wake Derby up today, I ended up back in two point and let him roll a bit.  We got solid trot work both directions, and I left the lesson a happy camper. 

Anyway, it’s not terribly much to report, but for us, at the moment, it’s pretty good, given the weaknesses in our right legs.  

 

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Downtime

April 15, 2013 2 Comments

Upper level dressage and event prospect for sale.

Kisses from Derby’s pasturemate, Remy. If you’re looking for an athletic dressage horse (or eventing prospect) you should check out my buddy Rems. He’s for sale.

Well, as you’ve undoubtedly surmised, I’m taking a bit of downtime to help my knee recover.  Interestingly, I was diagnosed with a tight (and angrily inflamed) iliotibial (IT) band.  I say “interestingly” because if you’ve read a few of my posts, you know that I kvetch about tightness in my hips – and that’s where the IT band starts.

The physical therapy is focused on loosening that band, improving its strength and flexibility, and the prescribed exercises concentrate on the hip.  As I work through them,  I can feel the entire band working, down to my knees, which is interesting.   Needless to say, in addition resolving the pain, I’m interested in seeing the benefits that accrue from this work when I’m back in the saddle and really riding. Right now, when I do get on, I’m riding very defensively, protecting the knee.  Which pretty much means hanging out in two point and getting off when it hurts too much.  I’ve actually taken the last few days off, and have a call in to the doc to clarify exactly what I should/shouldn’t be doing during this time.

In other news, I thought I’d take a second to write about my good buddy Remy.  Remy is Christy’s fancy young horse.  He’s also Derby’s pasture mate.   Remy didn’t get the memo that he’s a horse.  He thinks he’s a Golden Retriever, albeit a 17-hand one.  I have never met such a friendly, goofy horse.  Whenever I go to get Derby out of the field, I have to first receive welcome kisses from Remy.  I don’t mind, he’s such a sweet and gentle fellow. The goodbye kisses, on the other hand, I am not looking forward to.  Doe anyone else fall in love with their trainer’s sale horses?   And no, don’t look at me.  Remy is a big, fancy, athletic horse with powerful gaits that I am certain I could not ride.   Personally, I am dreaming of the day that I see him at Rolex.  He’s doing most of the dressage needed for a 4-star already.  He also loves jumping and has a big, ground-eating stride that seems suited for long-format three-day events.   Anyway, Rems is for sale.   You can see fancy pictures and video of him over on his sale page.  As nice as those are, though, I think I like the one of him kissing me best!

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Full body effort

April 8, 2013 2 Comments

I’m back in the saddle, but as I mentioned earlier, am dealing with a very painful knee that is limiting my riding.  However, I discovered tonight that my Albion saddle, with its thigh blocks, aggravates the knee.  I jumped on Manny in my Isabel after  a meh lesson on Derbs in the Albion. I was much more comfortable in the Isabel.  Derby is going to give that saddle another shot tomorrow night, needless to say.

Anyway, over the weekend we had our first ride outside. It was lovely to get back out in the sunshine, and Derby comported himself like a gentleman.

Tonight in my lesson we did some nice work, but I was focused mostly on continuing to strengthen my position while not killing my knee.  We had a few nice moments but it wasn’t much of a ride, though we did have a bit of a breakthrough, when I was going around on a loopy rein, concentrating on keeping my hands still, and my right leg back a little.  It wants to creep forward on turns which works against my attempts at balance and bend.  I was struggling but finally managed to align myself, and engage my core.

“There it is!” said Christy, who had watched numerous fruitless attempts.  I continued on, bug-eyed from the full body effort of keeping hands still hip open heels down legs draping hips to hands outside  shoulder and leg back where they belong and core engaged.

I finished up by doing a little no stirrup work but everything was uncomfortable and I didn’t give it my all

Things were different on Manny, though.  I was much, much more comfortable in the Isabel with no blocks, and actually could ride him forward. We did four laps of the arena with no stirrups, we cantered around and we did some good trot work.  IT was a much better ride.  So tomorrow we’ll see how Derbs goes in the Isabel, because goodness knows it works better for me.

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Getting back in the swing of things

April 4, 2013 2 Comments

It was a gorgeous evening!

It was a gorgeous evening!

I’m back home (for a few weeks at least) and am getting back onto my daily schedule. I’m creaky, my bad knee is playing hell with me and I feel like a soup sandwich up there in the saddle, but nonetheless, enough good things are happening that I feel encouraged.

In my lesson tonight we were able to diagnose what I was doing that was causing some problems with left bend.  I love the fact that Christy makes “headroom” in lessons, taking time to think rather than just yelling “Bend! More bend! Come on, bend him!” as I’ve seen other trainers do.  At the walk, as we talked, I was moving Derby all over the arena, doing little serpentines, small circles and changes of direction from my seat and legs.  However, at the trot, I was a mess going left. We picked at it, and I realized that I was allowing my outside leg to creep forward, which pretty much negated my aids.  Once I repositioned myself, and made a point of keeping that leg long with the hip open, placing it a bit further back than my inside leg, things improved quickly for us.

My endurance is for crap at the moment but it’s getting a bit better each ride.  I’m hoping to be back at full strength soon.

In other news, over the last month, Derby has also had two chiro visits. Remember the awful canter video from a couple posts ago, in which he was swapping behind? I had Dr. Heinze of Fox Valley Equine see him, and he adjusted him, with immediate results.  The very next day Derby cantered comfortably both directions.  However, a few weeks later, he started showing signs of discomfort again.  I had Dr. Heinze back out,  and we’re hoping that Derbs will be able to go longer between adjustments, especially as he builds strength on his right side.

It should be pretty nice this weekend.  If I have time, I know two stinky horses that are at risk for bubble baths!

I ended the evening watching Christy ride Austin bareback.   She was having a great time – his gaits are smooth and very comfy, and according to her, his back is soft and comfy too.  Both definitely enjoyed themselves.

We also found out this week that this cute red boy can jump like the dickens.  He’s a cute and versatile horse and looks like he could be a cute children’s hunter, pony club wonder horse or a fun mount for an ammy who wants to dabble in everything.  He’s also for sale, but I get the sneaking feeling that Christy wouldn’t mind to much if he hung around for a while. 😉

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