Way back when I first started riding with Jane I made a comment in this blog along the lines of 'I know I'll plateau at some point but for now I'm enjoying the progress'.
Jane told me after that I was not going to plateau, not on her watch. And she has not been wrong. I've been riding with her now since 2021 and I don't want it to end. Honestly, it seems that every lesson I have I say 'that was the best gait or movement yet'. According to Jane, if you continue to show up and do the work there is no plateau, there is only moving ahead.
This weekend I have a 2 day clinic with Jane at Krista's place (about 40 minutes away) and both horses are going in it. I'm excited because:
1. I'll be riding with friends
2. Having 2 days in a row helps move things ahead
3. Quaid will have lessons away.
I had to write out my goals for the clinic for both horses and here's what I wrote:
Carmen: Continue to work on forward, straightness and self-carriage. Julia will be riding Carmen on Sunday but I'll have her on Saturday.
Quaid: be able to work in anew location, straightness and rhythm, improve walk-trot transitions, canter work.
two horses getting ready for work but with very different feelings about it
Of course, once you write down goals it's impossible to not think about them in the rides leading up to the clinic. Quaid continues to impress me with his basic ridableness (new word but I like it. If it irritates you maybe ridability is a better word. Spellcheck doesn't recognise either one). I can ride him with Carmen or alone and he's fine. It's not that he's not sensitive. He is, I would argue, as sensitive as Carmen. But his reaction differs. While Carmen tends to do the big spook/spin/bolt his are more a quick splay of the legs or small scoot and then back to work. The other day Julia was riding Carmen and she had lots of feelings to express. Quaid reacted to none of it. Even when she did a big spook/bolt he barely flicked an ear. He does worry about going by her in the ring but that's just it- he worries and then does the thing. At one point I said to Julia, would you like to trade horses and ride the easier one? Which is hilarious given that she's 14 and he's 4.
Today I put out 3 trot poles. I hand walked and trotted him over them then did them under saddle. I expected some tripping/stepping on the poles at the trot. Instead he looked at them and was very careful with his feet. We only did a few passes over them and I let it alone.
Carmen with some feelings over walking into contact
now she's over it
Yesterday we went out hacking with Julia and Carmen after our work. He was great, following along. Today I wanted to see if he'd let me open the gate to leave. He was unsure and once the board fell and he scooted. But then we went back and, step by step, opened the gate and stood there waiting. I looked at Julia and said 'I should be in the dirt and he should be over there' . But Quaid likes to think his way through pressure which is great. Then he led the entire hack out. I was super impressed.
leading is a great way to get him to being able to be solo
I know that Quaid's progress is a result of his basic temperament and all the work I've done. Like I've said, he's quite sensitive and could be, I think, pushed into being a hot horse. Our canter work is our biggest issue right now. Partly a balance issue and partly me letting go. I definitely need some help with it before it becomes a thing. We may not be able to work on that at the clinic but I will book a lesson soon at home to focus on that.
Carmen is also the result of her temperament and the hard work I've done (with so much help thank god). Last week I actually took her out on a solo hack. I have done that at times but with a feeling of taking my life in my hands which is not fun. Now I have confidence in my riding ability and her understanding to not worry overmuch.
When I first titled this blog 'Journey with a Dancing Horse' I didn't really understand how much of a journey this really is and how exciting it is to discover what's around the bend.
If you clicked on this thinking I was going to give you some wonderful wisdom about making horses and this sport affordable, you are going to be severely disappointed. And while there are some things that save money it really is all relative and, let's face it, horses are incompatible with a life filled with fine wine, food and travel unless you have a small fortune of your own. And you probably shouldn't control it because it will just result in more expensive horses and equine related purchases. ...
no regrets though
So, yeah, I got off on a little tangent there. Sorry.
Anyway, this is more about riding in this heat and making training sessions short and economical in terms of training. With the heat and humidity resulting in high temperatures I'm finding I can usually one get one ride in and for only about 30 minutes.
Cordelia waiting for me to fill the pool
It's made me more focussed and spending much less time fussing. Instead I get on and we get on with it. Of course Quaid still requires a few minutes of groundwork. Or I do. But whatever. Knowing that we have limited time means that I can pick a few things to work on and so I need to prioritise. With Quaid I'm keeping the focus on forward, straight and our walk/trot transition. It is improving but it takes some concentration. He has a habit now of lifting his front and hopping into the trot rather than pushing. He does it when lunging so it's not just me causing it. I need to make sure we have a marching walk and then ask him to pick up the trot. If he tries to do it fast he'll launch so I let him have the time to sort out his feet and not get after him to respond quicker. The nice thing is that when I correct him he figures it out.
Today I noticed that he was getting distracted and even spooked. I realised that I was not occupying his interest enough so I needed to be asking more. As soon as I did that he flipped his focus back to me and we carried on with a good ride. Quaid minds the heat more than Carmen. And the deer flies really bother him. As soon as they start swarming I try to finish up pretty quickly so I'm not torturing him. I haven't put his fly sheet on because it's so hot.
With Carmen I've been focussing on her responding to my half-halts. A lot of the time she'll completely blow them off and lean on the bit. As soon as Jane dialled in on this for us I realised how much I was letting her decide if she wanted to rebalance or not. So now I'm not and she's not always happy with me even though she's a lot more balanced. Funnily enough, since I've been working on her rebalancing our canter-walk transitions have improved tremendously.
After our rides I hose her off and let her graze while I put her tack away. When she's ready to go back in the field and I'm not done she'll come in and find me.
Carmen: I have to do everything around here!
Carmen doesn't mind the heat as much as Quaid does so we sometimes finish hot and sweaty. Which is why I typically have only ridden one of them. Today I rode both because it was cloudy. By the time I was done with Carmen I had to peel off my breeches.
I've been enjoying the short, focussed rides a lot. No more endless walking and seeing if Carmen feels ready to trot. We walk, and then get on with it. I think she likes it better too, but it's Carmen so I'm reading between the lines here.
Carmen: oh my god woman have you not looked at the forecast? There's a heat warning out. Why are we even standing here.
Me: well it's not really hot yet and I figure we could get some work in.
Carmen: *sigh*
Me: Remember you're a desert horse
Carmen: Virginia? I don't remember any deserts there.....
Me: I meant your heritage and, for the record, your mom was from Spain.
Carmen: Well I'm a Canadian now, used to cold winters and mild seasons. Not a humidex of 39!
Me: And we don't have to work hard, there's no need to be spicy. Just sayin'
Carmen: I swear you don't even know me.....
*Editors note: Carmen was fine, with a couple little tests. We were able to get our work done and cool off.
**Carmen's note: I'm always fine. I just didn't feel like making her work too hard, she seemed awfully warm and I didn't want her to have heat stroke. You're welcome.
First of all, thank you to everyone who reached out and commented with encouragement, support and empathy. I really appreciated it.
This morning the vet clinic I had reached out to called me. They are working hard on a plan to support the horse owners in our area. The woman I talked to was professional and kind. She said that they are looking at setting 1-2 days a month to come to our area for routine care/calls. She outlined the emergency procedure and generally made me feel a lot better. They also have a great set up for hauling in so I might do that. The big worry is that if there's a major emergency and the horse can't be trailered because of how far away they are but I won't borrow that trouble. It feels like a huge burden has been lifted. I'm hoping that we will see equine services in our area again.
I love this screen shot from my lesson last weekend
Last week we got our small square bales in. It was a lovely day and it was fairly easy. I usually get a mix of square and round bales. This year I'm doing a mix of small and large squares. I'm hoping that this will be easier for storage and less dust.
Cordelia approves of the hay
Ed and I also went strawberry picking the next day. I love strawberries and we are currently feasting on strawberry shortcake, putting strawberries in yogurt and I want to back some things with them. I made jam and will freeze some berries in baggies to add to my breakfast over the winter.
summer deliciousness
I've been riding both horses fairly regularly. With the summer heat settling in I have to get it done in the morning. But I don't mind. Quaid and I growing in confidence and it's a lot of fun. We have some great conversations. He developed this hop into his trot transition which was making me uncomfortable and trying to figure out how to fix it. As with moth things, there's not one answer. He needs to be forward thinking and a little flexed to the inside. The last two rides I've been working on correcting it. When he'd hop, I'd say 'no' and bring him back, reset and ask again. When he'd simply trot without the hop I'd praise and reward. I can really see him thinking it through. He's so cool in how he tries. Today was pretty hot so he enjoyed a good hosing after.
He's filling out nicely
The deer flies are awful this year and driving him a little crazy. I finally caved and bought him a fly sheet. I hope this will help him. But man he looks hilarious.
Serious Mrs. Roper vibes here
The flysheet was a bargain and is a cheetah pattern. The fly boots are hot pink because he usually comes in with just 1 and the hot pink is easy to find in the field. Carmen's expression when she saw him was hilarious. I don't have a fly sheet for Carmen. The flies bother her but not too bad and I don't like how hot they can get in them. The longer I have horses the less I'm inclined towards blankets and sheets in general. (but I do use them when I think it's necessary).
I've signed both horses into a clinic at the end of the month. I'm looking forward to riding them both. Based on last year's experience it should be a lot of fun.
I've been hesitant to even think about this, let alone write about it.
Two weeks ago we received notification from the vet clinic we've used since we moved to the area in 1996:
As you may know, we are experiencing veterinary staffing shortages. Unfortunately, we do not have enough Equine or Livestock Veterinarians to continue these services this fall. This has been a hard decision for us, however, effective August 1st we will be discontinuing livestock services (both clinic and farm calls for cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, goats), as well as temporarily suspending equine services effective August 16th, 2024.
This means that as of August 16th, I will not have any vet for my two horses. This is incredibly frightening to me. So much so that when Ed tried to talk to me about it I told him I couldn't. I have reached out to the clinic they said might be able to provide coverage. I have yet to hear back.
There is a crisis in equine medical care and it's bad. It is estimated that 4.9% of private practice vets practice equine medicine (https://horsesport.com/horse-news/conference-addresses-critical-vet-shortage-canada/). There are lots of reasons: cost of education, limited enrolment possibilities, demanding and rude clients and an impossible to maintain work-life balance.
I believe that the other factor is the current trend of private vet practices being bought out by large corporations (https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/veterinarians-corporate-consolidation-1.7207186). My clinic used to be privately owned. Now it belongs to Vet Strategy which is 70% owned by a large conglomerate in Boston.
Pets are now big business. I have my doubts that a large business in the U.S. cares whether my horses have access to care and this worries me. Most vets and technicians do not enter this profession to make money. They enter because they love animals and want to make their lives better. But the reality of trying to operate a practice on your own (or with partners) must be daunting. And I believe that while having someone run the practice makes it easier for vets, not being able to guide the practice in a way you want must just add to the pressure (this is just my opinion and observations, I have no direct evidence of this).
In the meantime I have to figure out what to do. I will continue to reach out to other clinics. Last year my local vets saved Quaid's life. If I have an emergency what do I do? What about ongoing vaccines? I am comfortable to give my horses needles but I can't float their teeth. And I can't buy vaccines without a vet prescription in Canada; unless I figure out how to get to the states and get them. Which I 100% will do if I have to.
Do I buy a shotgun and learn how to shoot my horses in case I have to euthanise? I've even considered selling and moving away to where I can get a vet. Do I keep moving then?
the communication from my vet clinic said:
We understand that there will be feelings of support and understanding as well as disappointment. We understand that some may be interested in contacting us to express their feedback. We encourage you to contact us at (email) so that we can best direct your concerns as well as leave our phone lines open for emergencies. We would like to remind you that verbal abuse or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated or elicit a response.
It is our intent to resume Equine Services as soon as staffing permits, however we will not be resuming Livestock services.
I have sent two emails asking for clarity on the vaccine issue. I have yet to hear back.
It is hard to not fall into despair over this situation. I honestly don't know what to do or where to turn. All I'm left with is to hope that equine services will resume at the clinic or that someone take me on or someone else will fill the void here.
I had a lesson on Saturday and, spoiler alert, it was really good. Carmen was just coming off a heat so I knew it would be better. Now that she and I are working calmly it's a lot easier for me to identify patterns that affect behaviour. I will say that it's pretty clear that she's less willing to ' do the thing' (or anything really that doesn't involve rubbing her tail and eating) when she's in heat. Sometime I consider using medication but I've decided that we can figure this out without messing with her hormones (she is on chaste berry but nothing else).
Our lesson was early and it was a truly lovely morning. The focus continues to be on helping Carmen and I to be in more self carriage. It is no longer sufficient that we are not careening about, now we have to elevate our game. This requires me to be consistent in my aid, reins and expectations. It is hard work, for both of us. Like a really hard pilates class. Although I am grateful for my pilates classes because it's making this easier for me to do.
I have to share this sequence of photos from the video. We were walking around, something spooked her and then we went right back to work. This is really good for us.
falalala
oops!
false alarm
I have to say that when I rewatch the video I can see a marked improvement in Carmen's gaits. She is tracking up and staying much steadier than even from 2 months ago. We even did a serpentine counter canter and it was pretty balanced.
Jane is having us work on shoulder in on the circle. I would swear that I'm doing it but when I look at the video we are not. But we're trying. Carmen is funny- when she's uncertain (or unwilling) she will tighten everything up and then leg yield around the circle. Jane, I'm sure was getting frustrated with us. I did say at one point 'I don't know what we're doing but I'm pretty sure it's not what you want'. Not that she gets mad, I just know that if she were riding it would be sorted while I flail about. (Instructing is not for the faint of heart).
square halts at least
Canter is coming too
We changed direction and she became even stiffer doing some sort of leg yield crab walk thing. I could definitely feel it be wrong. I can feel what she's doing I said, then I muttered 'now I fucking do something about it'. Jane laughed. I put on my leg and tapped Carmen with the whip. She needed to go forward and then bend. And she did. We came around again. Oh I took off my outside leg, no wonder she went sideways! I know, Jane said (a little smugly but that was fair).
The goal, as Jane explained, is to take the weight off her front legs by half-halting into the transition. It also means riding her forward without going faster. This way she'll step more under with her hind legs.
so much lighter
This mare is not easy. I doubt she'll ever be easy and I don't think I could have done this last year, she requires a level of fitness that Jane says wouldn't be necessary with a more sanguine horse. But she's taught me so much and made me elevate my game. When I worry that maybe this is too hard I look at the videos and see how this training is helping her to be balanced and soft which will only help her stay sound.
It always seems like it's feast or famine with horse blogging. Not much is happening and then everything is happening. Which gives a lot to blog about but less time to actually, you know, write. Rather than procrastinate (any more than I have already) I thought I'd do a summary of what we've been up to.
First Hack:
Right before we headed off to the show Julia and I took the two horses for a hack. Last year the woods were so soft and wet we couldn't hack at all. So this was Carmen's first in 2 years and Quaid's first under saddle.
Carmen was really happy to head out of the ring and into the woods. Quaid was a little excited and needed a lot of half-halting to not run up Carmen's butt. He did not like that but he has to learn.
There are a couple logs across the path that are easy to walk over. One is a bit bigger. I had Julia go first and then halt on the other side. I didn't want Quaid to get overexcited and do a big jump. He was uncertain so I just stayed calm and urged him to go forward backing off when I felt him incline forward. He went over after a little bit of dithering. We looped again and this time he jumped with his front feet and walked over with his hind. It was funny. He liked the stopping to graze part.
We've been able to hack a second time since then and he was much calmer and relaxed. Which is his style- each time he gets better. Carmen was a perfect babysitter.
Quaid: this is all very interesting
Post Show Lesson (Carmen):
I gave both of them a couple days off after the show. I did book a lesson with Jane for Sunday (June 16). Jane shared how she had been so proud of all her students at the show. We talked about how good Carmen was and the judge's comments. Overall the judge said that Carmen needs to carry more behind and improve her ability to collect and lengthen. All of which is totally legit.
We spent the lesson working of having Carmen flex and bend because that's what is going to help her with this. It was a really good lesson and Carmen was right with me. Jane said something that made me pretty happy. I was along the lines of 'She's going so nice and calm because of your riding, not just because she's older'. Not gonna lie, I had a little glow of pride with that.
I can really feel Carmen understanding what's being asked and, when she's not sure, she's looking for the answer. I still have a lot to work on. I keep seeing the videos of my shoulders super tight and raising them. I hate that I still do that but I'll keep working on it.
Schooling Quaid:
I am really enjoying working with this guy. He tries so hard. Each ride is better than the one before. We've been struggling with the right bend but I keep working at it. His straightness is really good. We even trotted down the quarter line without wobbling. He is building his understanding of the tasks. I do groundwork before every ride. What we do varies but the purpose remains the same: to have his attention and willingness. It honestly doesn't take long but I don't skip it, I think it's critical. We've added in cantering on both reins (just on the circle).
Johanna Clinic (the readers digest edition)
If you've followed this blog for a while you know that I attend clinics with Johanna Beattie Batista. She is a classically trained Centered Riding instructor - from Spain but now lives in Portugal. I always enjoy these clinics. I love the pace and hanging out with the other riders. They are arranged by Karen who is a very close friend. Typically I travel about 2 hours away to do the clinics but there was a glitch and it was in danger of being cancelled. Fortunately, Stepehanie and I came forward and hosted it this time. That made is easier in terms of travel. And it was fun to host Johanna and Karen. The location was split between my place and Stephanie's. I rode both of my horses and there were 2 riders at Stephanie. There were another 2 riders who had lessons on Friday and Sunday as karen was transporting Johanna. I know this sounds confusing but it all made sense, trust me.
My rides were first and both days I started with Quaid. There were people there with lawn chairs watching and we had Johanna but he took all in stride. The ride was really good. Johanna helped me to be really consistent on asking for the flexion and having him understand bend (for a baby horse). As we worked he became more and more consistent in the contact.
Johanna talked about making sure that I was a steady rider and to let him find me. Which is also want Jane tells me. So how can I argue? Day 2 was very similar (as you would expect) but we rode longer and did more trotting. Johanna had me work with him and she made comments as we went. There was a lot of positive things.
His trot was the steadiest it's been. Like I said, every ride is better than the one before.
look at this :)
With Carmen I told her about working on Carmen carrying more from behind. I was fascinated that Johanna's approach was very similar to Jane's with different nuances. As we warmed up we did this exercise of shoulder in to haunches in to shoulder in, with a turn on the haunches and repeat. It was tricky to keep everything organised. I remember Johanna saying 'if you want quality gaits you need to ride with quality'. Like I always say, riding is hard. But fun. I could feel Carmen getting more under me.
Funny story: we went to canter and Carmen was NOT feeling it. She didn't want to go forward. This is not new. I probably asked a bit strong and I think I surprised her with the transition. What she does when she doesn't want to canter forward is to pin her ears and suck back. She'll even give little bucks but those are NBD. I gave the rein forward to make sure I didn't pull and urged her to go forward. Johanna had me take her large encouraging her to open her stride.
You can see in the video Carmen changing from feeling pissy to having fun. The next day she was a bit sore from the work and/or because she was coming into heat. So we kept the work lighter and ended at a good place. We finished with walking half pass making sure that Carmen was bending. I have learned that when I think the bend is good it's still not enough. Johanna reminded me that it was an exercise, not necessarily what I want in competition,
Saturday night we all got together and shared food (so.much.food) and talked horses and laughed. I think I was in bed by 9:15.
patting her for cantering forward
When I look at my photos and videos of Carmen this year I can see how her top-line is really developing.
It was fun, if tiring, weekend. I was pleasantly surprised that I could ride two horses back to back for 2 days and not fade. At least not until I sat down. And I definitely had a nap after everyone left and Johanna and Karen were on the road.
There's still a lot of summer ahead to keep working and I'm excited.
Sunday morning dawned warm and sunny. I was still feeling good about Saturday and I was looking forward to another day at the show. Both horses appeared to have had a good night. Quaid was a lot more quiet then he had been on Saturday but as the activity picked up he got excited again. Whenever I went into his stall he'd totally relax so I tried to be systematic in moving away so he could learn to settle. It actually worked pretty good even though he'd answer any horse that called. This annoyed one competitor (whose horse was also calling) and she was a bit snappy with me. But what can you do? A lot of horses were calling and it's all part of the learning. I tried to be zen about it all. Carmen was pretty chill though.
from Friday's ride in the show ring
I was trying to decide if I should ride him in the warm up ring or not. I kept my eye on the warm up because I didn't want to interfere with anyone wanting to show. I realised that it would likely be empty at lunch time and I would simply do my one step at a time approach. With that in mind I tacked him up and started to lead him out of the barn. Jane asked if I wanted her to come and I told her that she had been working hard all morning and it was okay to sit and rest. Ilka asked if I wanted help and I asked if she could come and stand while I mounted. I led him around the ring and he seemed pretty good so I left the ring and lined him up to the mounting block. Ilka stayed closed but he didn't need to be held. We walked into the warm up ring and I tried to be relaxed and supportive. After a couple walks around I looked at the door and saw all of my friends standing there making sure we were okay. It was very heart warming. I don't know if I would want to show if I didn't have such a great circle. At the far side of the ring the door was open and there was a guy there with a portable hot water washer. Quaid was quite worried about it. Jane began to coach us and even had us trotting around. She told me to give the rein up by the spooky item so he didn't feel restrained. It worked a charm. I was over the moon about how well Quaid listened and tried his heart out.
I was sooo happy
Soon it was time to warm up Carmen. She felt a little more tired and less keen to work. Which was totally fair. I got tight trying to get her forward and soft. Jane really helped us so that we didn't dissolve into a battle of wills. She warned me that because yesterday was so good I wanted even more but I needed to still be fair. Soon it was our turn to go in and do our test.
the best mare doing her best
I was really happy with our test. We had a flubbed lead but corrected it and carried on. Our score was 61.29 and earned us a first place ribbon.
Our ride times were exactly the same as the day before so I walked her around again. Carmen (and I) were tired and hot so I didn't ask a ton until right before. But I didn't let her just plop around either because then she'd think she was done and get cranky with me. (Carmen here, I do not get cranky I simply expect her to treat me like the magnificent creature I am).
I took a deep breath and brought her in for her last class. I was really really happy with it. Still lots of room for improvement but still a solid effort from both of us. Carmen tried her heart out for me and I tried my heart out for her. Our score was 61.15.
In the end Carmen and I were reserve at Second Level. However, there were only two of us at this level. Normally there wouldn't be a champion/reserve but the committee decided to do it for everyone. I don't care that I came second out of 2. This was the first time I showed and didn't feel like an imposter. I was happy with how I rode and how mature and good Carmen was for all 3 days. There hadn't been one spook.
the first saddle pad I've ever won
I felt like this was a huge triumph for us. I had so much fun at the show and didn't feel unsafe riding even once. That is a huge win for us.
Last weekend Carmen, Quaid and I headed to our first show of the season. Julia also planned to join us. She came early Friday and helped me finish the packing. Remembering the last time when Carmen refused to load I started a little early. It wasn't necessary- Carmen looked at the trailer, gave a small sigh and walked right on and then so did Quaid.
This was the first time I towed them with the new truck (I had done a test run with the empty trailer) and I was really impressed with how easily it handled.
I love this set up
The drive was uneventful until we arrived. Just as we were starting to unload Julia got a call that her grandfather had passed away. A good friend of hers came and picked her up to take her home to go to her family. I felt so bad that I couldn't take her but it all worked out.
I had requested that Carmen and Quaid not be beside each other and they were two stalls apart. Neither was happy with this but it's all part of helping them not get too attached when we travel. At home they are fine separated. However, I realised that I need to work on this more because there was a lot of calling.
Quaid quite liked his neighbour Archie
I had booked time in the show ring for both of them. My plan with Quaid was to take it one step at a time. For him the purpose of this weekend was to learn about being a show horse without actually showing. A dress rehearsal if you will. I tacked him up and took him in only planning to mount if he seemed okay. Which he was. Although definitely up he was really able to focus on me and so I mounted outside and had Julia help lead us into the ring.
little horse in a big world
He was definitely tense and uncertain, but tried really hard. I tried a little trot but he was a bit too excited for either of us to feel safe so I settled for just walking. Here's a quick video if you want to see:
Then it was Carmen's turn! I tacked her up and brought her out. And she was fabulous. We got straight to work and she didn't even look at anything. Which was (spoiler alert) how she was all weekend in both the show ring and warm up ring.
On Saturday I wasn't riding until 2:30 which gave me lots of time to organise myself and the horses. Quaid really struggled on Saturday with all the horses coming and going and the excited atmosphere. He would call a lot and spin in his stall. My goal is for him to learn that this is all okay and how to settle. As soon as I would go in his stall he'd calm right down and start to relax. Of course it's not practical for me to spend the day there so I worked on increasing my distance and leaving at times. By Sunday he was a LOT better. Both horses would get upset when the other left but by Sunday they were pretty much over it.
I took Quaid in the warm up ring to lunge at lunch time when there weren't any riders. He was excited but it was easy to get his attention on me and he relaxed over time. I was quite happy. I left it at that.
When it was time to warm up Carmen it was a bit warm but not too bad. And our warm up was incredible. She was with me right from the beginning. Jane helped us warm up and she kept saying how good she was. It felt fabulous and like we were truly partners. I kept saying I'm having the best time! And I was. The warm up alone was enough to make me happy.
When it was time for us to go I I felt really ready. I walked in and heard the announcer say our name and number. I looked at her bridle and was horrified to realise I didn't have her number on her bridle. I swore out loud. Krista (who was reading my test) ran to get it while I quickly left the ring trotting after her. She grabbed it, put it on and I trotted back to the ring hoping I wasn't going to be disqualified. As I trotted back in the judge rang the bell for us to start. Totally fair. But now we were a bit unsettled. We never got our groove completely back but you know what? It didn't matter, Carmen was still awesome. We have a *hem* history in that ring of being tight and spooky but she was not remotely stressed by anything, although slightly peeved that I trotted her to the barn and then back to the ring. Fortunately, Paula videoed my rides:
I was thrilled with our test. Definitely a whole bunch to work on and our final score was 60.14. The judge is a strict marker but every comment was spot on and helpful.
Our next test was less than 30 minutes so I stayed on and walked her around for a bit before doing a warm up before going in to do our next test: Second level test 2. Again it felt like we were a true partnership.
I was really happy with this test and the score was 62.56.
At the end I walked out of the ring smiling. I untacked her and hosed her off before putting her back in the stall.
In the end I had two second place ribbons, which was the icing on the cake.
That night a bunch of us got together for a potluck bbq on the show grounds. It was so much fun to sit around laughing and talking. We teased each other, complimented each other and generally were just enjoying being in each other's company. I got a lot of ribbing about forgetting my bridle number. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. That night I slept like a log.
All of a sudden it's June and this weekend we are heading to our first show. Normally I'm freaking out about not being ready. But this year I find myself feeling more relaxed about it all.
not Quaid level relaxed, but still....
Which makes me start thinking about what I mean by 'ready'. I used to think it meant that I could go and score well.
Now I think about it more about my horse being able to go, understand the job and be able (emotionally and physically) to do it. This makes me think about any horse activity (show, clinic, etc) differently.
Carmen has been really good since I had to draw a line for her. This week Ed was mowing the fields and it was breezy which made her quite spicy. This made our ride a lot harder and by the end we were both sweaty. I jumped off by the end of the ring near where Ed was mowing. I always take her bridle off so she's free to go. She never does leave.
Carmen: I don't like it down here. The leaves are blowing and the male servant is making noise in my paddock
Me: You can go if you like.
Carmen: but I know you have carrots in your pockets.
Me: yes I do but you have choices.
Carmen: damnit!
(in the end she stayed and enjoyed the carrots).
Remember when I was trying to decide if I should take Quaid in a work/trot test. After chatting with Jane I decided to not do that. He's just not quite ready to be judged (the judge might miss his genius). But I did reserve a warm up spot in the who ring. So my plan is to take him to the show and ride him (or not) in the arm up ring and show ring so he can have the full experience minus the satin. It gives me the ability to curate his experience to keep it positive. It's a good dry run for me to practice showing 2 horses. At my age, what am thinking? However, I am in the best shape I've been in in years.
He's looking so good these days
Carmen is definitely ready. She understands her job, I understand how to support her and be clear in my aids. Is our medium trot/canter confirmed? Well no. How about our Shoulder in/haunches in? Those are pretty good.
Will we be able to do this in the moment? Well that is the unknown piece. There is always potential that things will go off the rails (like with the pigeon of doom). I am not too worried. Can things go wrong? Sure. Things can go right too. I also get to hang out with a great bunch of people so it's more like a fun weekend away with ponies.
Riding a green bean is definitely an experience. The last green horse I rode was Steele.
Quaid reminds me a lot of Steele in many ways. Both of them are pretty easy going. Quaid worries more than Steele but tries really hard and has excellent concentration skills. Like Steele he has an 'old soul'.
the apple trees are blooming
I've been working with him regularly just quietly building on the skills. Linda has been doing a lot of posts on what makes a horsewoman. One thing that stands out for me is to work towards being better not perfect. When I used to try to for perfect I did a lot of drilling. Now I aim for whatever I'm working on to be a bit better. I find that this pays off with a happier horse who tries (even Carmen).
When I first started riding him at home I started on the 20 metre circle at the top of the ring. I then added in the centre. Each ride I tried to expand it. Why like that? I didn't want him to be worried about the various parts and to be tempted to gallop off. Now I can get on and walk him all over the ring. And this week we trotted the entire ring. Green horses are so honest. Not that trained horses are NOT honest. But there are lot more layers to things. With Quaid I know right away when he's trying, tired, distracted, happy, etc. He really tries to figure things out.
Halting at X (ish)
Straightness is always fun with a green horse. I've been taking Jane's teaching to heart and making sure that my reins are not unbalancing him. I've started to introduce walking on a straight line on the quarter and center lines. It really helps him to figure out that the legs mean more than just go and to balance himself. I'll introduce trot on the quarter line soon.
One thing I haven't done with Quaid is canter. I've been waiting for our balance to improve and to feel like we won't be flailing too much. I wasn't worried about it, I figured the time would come. And it did this week. We were working and he was being great. It was a hot day and he had more whoa than go, which I don't mind. We were near the end and were trotting a circle and it felt right. So I sat up, grabbed a bit of mane and said 'and caanter'. He flicked an ear back and trotted faster. I stayed balanced (as best I could) and asked again with a kiss. He picked up a canter and we did about 1/2 a circle when I asked him to come back and I hopped off.
Each ride we are building our confidence. In ourselves, in each other.
On Sunday I had 2 lessons again- 30 minutes for Quaid and an hour for Carmen. My friend Stephanie offered to come and help which was great. The plan was to lunge/groundwork with Quaid and then ride. I had them both tacked up and Stephanie held Carmen while she grazed. The weather turned cold for the weekend (of course). Sunday was a bit better but it was foggy, cold and windy. Because of the weather I didn't set up my Pivo so there's no media.
the pasture is doing great
Quaid was a bit up and required more lunging and moving out then is typical but I felt he was in a good place when I went to mount, just as Jane was arriving. I lined him up but as I started to mount he walked off. I hopped off the block, brought him around and lined up again. This time he walked off as I swung my leg over. With the high cantle of the Spanish saddle I hit it with my leg and he got a bit upset as I tried to find my balance. Fortunately, he didn't do anything and I got him to whoa. I hopped off and lined him up again. For me, standing while being mounted or dismounted is a non-negotiable for me. I hate feeling unbalanced and I'm not nimble enough to just go with it. This time he stood and we did our usual stand there and flex to the rein before walking off.
He was tight and because of the mounting issue I was also tense. When we walked down the long side two blue jays burst out of the brush screeching. I got to experience his spook. Which turned out to be a sudden jerking stop, splay of the feet and then breathe and carry on. So that was nice.
Jane was getting on my case to follow with the reins. I thought I was but she said my elbows were moving too much and if I'd just put my elbows at my side they would move naturally with him. Turns out that as soon as I did that his fussiness in the bit ended. We worked on the circle at walk and trot teaching him about the outside leg and steering. I was also to ride him forward, especially at the trot. I was riding him too slow. As soon as we got forward everything smoothed out. I could definitely feel things falling into place. The 30 minutes went really fast.
I untacked him quickly and turned him out. I then put on Carmen's bridle and hopped on. You may recall that I said she was being challenging lately. When she was a bit a strong to start I honestly didn't think anything of it. Until we went to walk down the long side and she began to throw the haunches around.
interrupting the wall of text with Me and Mini Me
We went on a circle working on bend and half-halting. Carmen totally blew off my half-halts requiring me to get quite strong. But about 5 minutes in when I was supposed to leg yield down the long side Carmen threw a massive hissy fit. She tried to bolt, throwing her shoulders around. When that didn't work she began to spin. I did not feel safe. I asked Jane to come in and hold her so I could get off. I apologised to Jane and said that I needed to lunge her before riding and it was okay if she had to leave.
I'm pretty sure that there were a few things going on with Carmen,. One was that she's now on grass which always gives more energy. But the big thing was that she was in a massive heat and frankly didn't want to fucking do the thing. What she wasn't was scared. Before I got on she was grazing calmly and without issue. It was a big middle finger at me. I put on her halter over her bridle and brought her down to the end of the ring she didn't want to go to. She immediately picked up this relaxed jog.
Nope I said. You had energy and you are going to move your ass. I worked her butt for a solid 10-15 minutes at a trot and canter. She was to go forward with energy and when she tried to be lazy I chased her. I was, understandably pissed but I wasn't looking to punish her. I was looking to match my energy to her resistance. As we worked I was able to begin to use softer and more subtle aids. And she was not ignoring those. When she did (at first), I raised my energy and got after her. Carmen is really good at giving me half (or less) of her attention. If she was human we'd be talking while she scrolled on her phone.
Jane was still there when I mounted again. This time we were able to have an actual lesson with Carmen. We worked on getting her to bend and maintain it while half-halting on the outside so she wasn't blasting off. She was not allowed to bend herself into a pretzel to carry on a circle while looking out. Only once did she act like she wanted to bolt. Fuck around and find out I growled because we'll go. And that was the end of that.
it was hot today so she had a bath
In the end it was a really good lesson and Carmen had some great work. My body felt like I had done an intense workout. Which I guesss I had. My abs were actually sore.
I usually give her the next day off or just do a stretchy walk. But I knew that I would obsess about the debacle of Sunday, and I needed to follow up. I tacked her up and went for a ride. And she was letter perfect. Not a hint of any hissy fits. That felt like vindication. I know we've come a long way and I've done a lot of work. Carmen will always be Carmen and at times her feelings overwhelm her. Add in her tendency to be dominant and she can be challenging. It helps that I don't buy into the feelings nor do I buy that she's frightened. She just, well, Carmen.
Fortunately, Quaid is a little more easy going because I'm not getting younger.
I realise it's been a while since my last post. Part of the reason is shortly after I wrote it I came down with Covid. Believe it or not it was my first time. I have to appreciate the irony of dodging it for four years and all the travel to actually get it after a single visit to the local rec centre. It knocked me on my ass for a bit and even after it was gone I had zero stamina. Fortunately, it's all gone and I'm feeling normal. I was happy that I was all better in time for my birthday. It was a big one:
It feels weird to be 60. Like, I officially have more years behind me than in front. Which was true when I was in my 50's too but it felt different. Anyway, I had a small party to celebrate with my family and friends and asked that people bring donations to the local animal shelter rather than gifts. The balloons though- I kept those. I don't feel old even I'm officially a senior. I guess that's the key.
We also lost our OG hen, Beth about 10 days ago. She was such a lovely hen and my favourite. I believe she had heart failure. She lived to be 4 which is fairly aged for a commercial layer. I will miss her hanging out with me.
The weather has finally decided to cooperate and I've been getting more riding in, now that I'm feeling better. Carmen and I had a lesson last week. While I was sick I transitioned them to the back pasture. AS always, when Carmen is full time on grass she gets a bit strong and pushy. In my lesson Jane commented that, while she was definitely challenging, she wasn't out of control and we worked through it.
We had some nice moments
and some hilariously bad ones. Like what are we even doing here?
After Carmen and I had previously worked through her going forward she's decided that she needs to do everything at speed. And still not stepping up behind. So we're trying to find that middle ground of a working pace and pushing from behind. It's hard work. I realised that we've learned that if she goes fast when I put on my leg I'll take them off. Sigh. So I have to fix that screw up with the idea that my leg means more than go faster. We shall get there.
Quaid, however, is being a superstar. Every ride is better than the one before. There was one day when he was quite up that I decided to not get on. I'm thrilled that it was just one. The next day he was great. We can actually travel in a sort of straight line. Our travel on the right rein is getting better. I love how he tries to figure stuff out. Most rides are 20-30 minutes.
It's fun to see how quickly things can progress with a young horse. He reminds me a lot of Steele in that way.
Cordelia is growing like a weed. She's very smart and sweet. Most of the time. Every now and then she gets overexcited and turns into a nipping/hyper puppy. It usually means she needs a nap. We're going to puppy classes and she's super smart.
do you like her new tag?
I can't believe May is almost over. There's our usual show the beginning of June and, as usual, I don't feel ready. But I'll go. I'm trying to decide if I should register Quaid for 1 or 2 walk/trot classes for the experience. He'll be there anyway. We'll see.
