This is Gaucho III- Carmen's sire. If you watch it you will see some similarities to Carmen. I can see the same reactivity and sensitive nature that she has.
Here's a good example:
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| from back in August |
I would say that it depends on her mood. Some days she wanted to play and others she didn't.
We can debate whether relaxation should be on the bottom or second step but to me they are so closely entwined that it's a moot discussion. I had this idea that relaxation would come as we worked. As she understood the job and got used to the ring. I kept waiting for her to get there on her own.
But it appears that it is a difficult concept for Carmen. One technique is to 'work' her through it. And that does work but it's tiring and not pleasant for either of us. So we have dialled things back and are working on the second part of the pyramid- relaxation.
My goal in my work with Carmen in between Shanea is to not screw things up continue the work as best I can. And it starts in the barn. Saturday I was alone again and I was torn about working with Carmen. I decided that I could work her and decide if I was going to ride or not in the ring.
As I was getting her ready I felt that old familiar knot in my stomach. And she was being restless- looking around, moving her feet and generally being annoying. I know that we were feeding off each others negative energy.
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| definite negative energy |
I was putting her bridle on and it felt more like a wrestling match.
no. I said. This is not the way to start.
I took it off and stood there with her. She was completely free to go (if she chose). I stood there and just breathed until she brought her head to me. Then I put on the bridle and it was so much better. We headed to the ring and I walked her around on the line just breathing and feeling the ground.
Carmen was startled by something (butterfly, bird, ghost troll..... who knows?) and leaped sideways. I stopped and looked at her and she was standing completely still and braced. I stood still and breathed. After what seemed like a long time she gave a sigh and looked at me. I then walked on. I lunged her and she was fine. I decided to get on and see how things would go.
It's not like I was perfect. But I did the whole ride at a walk asking her to find relaxation. My only ask the whole ride was for her to step forward into contact in a relaxed way. when her head came up I would put on my leg and pulse the inside rein. If she fell in our out I straightened her out. It took a while but I finally had her walking relaxed in every area of the ring. I then halted and got off. It felt like a good ride.
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| the smaller hunter ring. I love this place |
On Sunday I spent the morning with Tanya watching a hunter/jumper show at Coveside. It was lovely weather and some really lovely horses and ponies. It was fun to catch up with some old friends too. In the afternoon I tacked Carmen up and she was much more relaxed. In the ring I repeated the same things but this time introduced trot. Relaxation came and went. When it came I tried to be quiet and ride it forward. When it wasn't relaxed I asked her to bend and give without getting tight or upset. When I had her stretching into contact and swinging back in every corner of the ring and then I dismounted.
It seems so simple but is more nuanced then I ever appreciated.
Poor Johanna. I think that this is what she's been trying to get me to understand for a long long time. Sorry Johanna, sometimes I'm a really slow learner.
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| see- she can be relaxed |
She is a complicated mare. Your approach to her has always been well thought out, methodical and with her best interests in mind. I hope she appreciates that! :)
ReplyDeleteha! It's like kids- they don't appreciate it until they are much older. Irish seems to appreciate me more now. So there's that.
DeleteRelaxation is so hard. Charlie can also be quite tense, tho it looks different with him than it does with Carmen. We’ve made some breakthroughs in our warm ups lately (inc mostly walking) but it doesn’t always translate thru the full ride.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear. I am okay with it coming and going- they just need to know to look for it. Rather than looking to get the hell out of dodge!
DeleteThis is all very true (love the pyramid!!) but it is not easy to achieve. Knowing when and how to turn back the dial to get relaxation is not yet intuitive for me. I’ve been searching for this for years with Leah. It’s not an issue on the trails, but it is when we go back to the ring. Bareback work has helped because I can really feel her heart. When it starts that frightened, stressed beating, I can stop and go back a few steps, break it down into smaller, easier increments, and give her praise to let her know she’s on the right path and we’re a team. If, at any point, Leah starts to feel I’ve missed her anxiety and pushed her too hard, she shuts down. (She has done the same for three different trainers.) her bridling has gotten worse and worse lately, even at the trail. So, maybe I need to go back even further and try for relaxation earlier, too. That’s tough at the trail, because I always have a group waiting to head out. Having a rigid agenda, and a time crunch, is the enemy of relaxation
ReplyDeleteIt is a judgement call and can be wrong. I feel that I have a really good sense of this doing ground work. Under saddle she very clearly telegraphs when she's uncomfortable. It's about knowing when to push and when to dial it back that's hard.
DeleteYes, the ground work is easier. Here's an example of the dilemma--the other day I was opening and closing cattle gates on our trail ride. On the way back to the trailer, she opened one of the first gates, but when it came to closing it--she wouldn't even get close.
Delete1. She wanted to go back to the trailer.
2. She was working herself up about the gate and giving me bigger and bigger refusals.
The two things became intertwined, but at the heart of it, it was a battle of the wills--and she wanted to go home and eat.
I have had those- Carmen will sometimes try to barge through the gate rather then letting me open it all the way. I try to fix and then if it's ramping up I go away and do something else and then return or ask her to stand and do nothing for a minute.
DeleteNot sure if you've visited Anna Blake's blog before. I think you might really appreciate her approach. Here's a sample...
ReplyDeleteI do follow her blog. I quite enjoy her.
DeleteI don't think you're a slow learner at all! You just had to reach the conclusion in your own way. We all do that. Sara said it perfectly above - you've always been so thoughtful with everything for Carmen. It's definitely made your partnership a strong one through even the roughest times - if it wasn't, you probably wouldn't bounce back from the "Moments" as strongly. =)
ReplyDeleteThank you. We hear things through our own lens and experience so it can take a while for it to truly come through.
DeleteRelaxation is a hard thing. The negative resistance comes in so many forms, as Emma said. In Annie, it's her tail-swishing, tight-back, and her cross firing. With Carmen, its her spooking.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a process for me to find out what makes Annie tick and how to mitigate our issues while still being productive. Sometimes, we go around at a trot and I ask her to poke her nose out until she lets her back swing and steps freely. Other times, I push her through and past her resistance - pushing her into the contact, pulsing the outside rein to bring her attention on me and not giving her any options.
Of course, depending on how she feels that day depends on what kind of arsenal I bring with me, haha.
yup. Riding is hard. :)
DeleteI truly admire your tenacity. Learning always takes time and I don't think slow or fast really matters. You have learned so much just during the time I have been reading your blog. And you also had to get to know and understand Carmen.
ReplyDeleteif I am anything it is tenacious! :) I like learning.
DeleteFortunately for me, when I got Lucy her/my trainer told me that the most important thing about Lucy is to get relaxation. At first, it took forever. You are going about it exactly right by getting relaxation at each step along the way from bridle to riding. Some days she won’t get there and that’s okay. Carmen is a sensitive mare and this is part of her package.
ReplyDelete