Better Balance Clinic Recap

 The clinic weekend is over and Sunday night I was too tired to write anything. 

First of all the clinic was a great success (from my perspective anyway). There were a variety of riders and horses and everyone learned something new or got clarity on things. What I love about Centered Riding is how it focuses on increasing your awareness of your body and how to make small (and large) adjustments to help your horse. 

was surprised about how tiring it can be to host and ride in a clinic. Even a relatively easy one like this where everyone was friendly and easy going. I was able to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones. With COVID-19 we had precautions and the clinic was basically split between my place and Krista's. 

What I love about Karen is that each lesson was different while all were on the same principals. I saw some big changes in horses and riders over the weekend. I don't like to talk about others because I want to respect their privacy. So I thought I'd share what I learned over the weekend. 

Friday night we all got together and Karen reviewed the principles of CR:

•  soft eyes- a hard gaze increases tension and the horses can feel it. 
•  anatomy of the rider with a focus on the pelvis. We all talked about the imaginary ball of energy (or the center) in the pelvis that we can spin or rotate to help the horse. I've always struggled with this concept in terms of putting it into practice but more on that later. 
• Center, ground and grow: the idea is to balance yourself physically and mentally so that you are able to influence the horse. 
•  energy and mental states: energy and mental states can be positive or negative and will create a different 'state' that must be recognized and then dealt with. We also talked about how our horses also can be in the different quadrants and how that can affect our rides. 

We had wine (well most of us) and got on our yoga  mats to try exercises. There was a lot more detail (obviously but that's the bare bones).  Part way through it started to rain (we were out on the deck) so we moved into the loft of the garage to carry on. Then we had cupcakes. Frankly I think every clinic should start with wine and cupcakes, right? 

Paula brought Georgie, her beautiful warmblood mare. This created a lot of excitement in both horses and Irish turned into a major level creeper. He would just stare and stare at her. If she or Carmen wen in he would lose his mind. 

Full on Creeper 

Saturday was cool and breezy- there was a definite feeling of fall in the air. I had put myself first in the schedule so that I could then be available to host. Carmen was definitely up. In terms of energy she was in the high energy/negative state which leads to her being spooky, reactive and ready to fight me. I was probably there too (but not as high as Carmen) because i was tired, worried it wasn't to go well and wanting everything to be perfect. I was up 30 minutes before to do groundwork and lunge. 

tension anyone? tight neck and back, short steps

She was much better when I got on but still felt a bit like a powder keg. Karen had me a do a lot of centering (finding my ball and having a neutral pelvis - not tipped forward like I do when I'm worried), grounding through a deep breath and growing (lengthening my spine and stabilizing my core). It worked really well to bring Carmen back to me and keep her underneath. As the lesson progressed I began to feel more in control of myself and, therefore, in control of her. Carmen likes to drop out her hind end and then fling her shoulders to get away. She may not be big but she's pretty powerful. The key is to use my seat/core to keep her under and stay balanced. Here's a video of her doing a pretty big spook and us recovering. 

I didn't know what set her off and then I saw Willow cutting across the ring with a rodent in her mouth. Well that's what I saw. Carmen maintains it was a grey tiger carrying the carcass of a horse. We agreed to disagree on that. However, I was impressed with how quickly we were able to recover and carry on. 

Getting on our listening ears

Julia rode Irish in the clinic and he was really good. Julia did a great job keeping him on task and listening to her. Georgie was really good for Paula too. She is a big strong mare and there's a lot of distractions at my place (and one creepy, staring horse). But she was listening and responsive. They looked stunning. 

We had a quick lunch and then I drove everyone to Krista's for the second half. It was fun to sit and watch the others take in what Karen was teaching and I saw a lot of good work and happy horses. One horse and rider opted to do an in-hand session and that was fascinating to watch Karen teach and then the rider apply the strategies. I filed what I saw away for future use. A half-sister to Steele was in the clinic too. She is a lovely half-andalusian black mare and I was so excited to see her go. There was an adorable 'medicine hat' paint mare and Krista's horse was adorable. He was a rescue and the hypothesis is that he's a draft/paint cross. He has beautiful feathers and looks a bit like a gypsy vanner. He looked fun to ride. 

That evening I had a bit of stress moment. Ed had dinner ready for when we arrived but the horses needed the stalls done and to be fed, I had to drag the ring and the water pump for the barn decided to conk out. I thought that the well was dry (the barn has a dug well). And I also needed to make dessert. I felt a little overwhelmed and snapped at Ed when he came to tell me supper was done. I then went in the house and vented with my friends who then stepped up and helped get dinner on the table (Ed ws dealing with the pump) and threw dessert together. After a good meal I felt a little better. So next time I will plan a bit better. 

I had a better sleep Saturday night and Sunday was nice and sunny. I did groundwork with Carmen and then some in hand work while I practiced my centering and grounding. It was interesting to see how that worked on the ground as well as in the saddle. 

When Karen arrived I told her that I wanted to practice centering, grounding and growing at all three gaits so I can learn how to use it to control her speed/tension.  I also played a lot with my 'center/ball'. It was fascinating to see that visualizing the ball turning left or right resulted in Carmen turning left and right without me using leg or rein (at least not conciously). We were able to stay light in the contact throughout the whole ride with only a few times of her leaning.  

I was holding Irish while Julia practiced using her core 
to prevent being pulled forward in the saddle. Those lines are
Irish's whiskers because he kept photo bombing. FYI, that was
a great exercise 

From the trail clinic a few weeks ago I began to visualize our path as being on a 2 foot wide balance beam so that we wouldn't fall in. I find that visualization worked really well for both of us. But I struggled to keep both the ball and the track in my head at the same time. Then I started visualizing a marble track to combine the two and that worked really well for me. I said excitedly 'I got it! It's a mable track!' Which I then had to explain to Karen. She humoured me about this but honestly it went well. The idea is that my center was a marble running along a track. I suppose a bobsled track would be a similar idea. 

Looking much better

Here's a video of using centering, grounding and growing at the trot and walk to keep her from speeding up. I can definitely see a change in her coming back to me. This will really help us with our lengthens. 

And canter...

In this video I am asking her to come back to me and not speed off across the center line using my core. It's not perfect but it's so much better. 

And here I'm using my core to guide her on a smaller canter circle and then transition:

I was really happy with this lesson. I felt like I had developed some skills and made some progress. Plus I had a lot of fun with horse people. I will definitely do this again. 

Clinic Report or Things That Make Me Go HMMMM

Last weekend I loaded up my trailer and Carmen and I headed off to a Trail Clinic with Mike and Nikki Porter. I've done one of these every year and LOVED them. Each time I go I leave with some new insights and confidence.

This time was going to be special because my two amazing friends, Paula and Karen, were also coming. I was looking forward to getting some insight into Carmen and what was going on. I was also worried that her behaviour would be off the charts. But I figured that it would be a great time to get their help.

The format of this clinic is pretty straightforward. We all meet early Saturday morning and talk about our horses and our goals. Then we are broken into the two groups. In the morning we all do groundwork. In the afternoon we practice the obstacles in hand and ride if we're ready. Sunday is a mix of in-hand and riding over the obstacles. Everyone gets attention from either Mike or Nikki. I have to say that it's totally worth the money. Not that it's expensive- it's not. Lunch is also provided.

Friday night I wanted to ride. I was a bit worried because the ring can be quite spooky. The far end is covered with a tarp and there is plastic covering windows that also have holes in them. Karen helped me and Carmen to stay on task but I was really tense which was not helping. I have to say that my self-confidence was at a low ebb.

Saturday morning and Carmen was feeling pretty

In the morning 'chat' I shared that I had been having some challenges with Carmen's behaviour and I was looking for insight. We then started our work in hand. I made sure to be at the far 'spooky' end. My groundwork skills are basically solid. Nikki gave me some good pointers to clean things up, which I really appreciated. We were asked to do this one exercise that I absolutely loved: 

Mike drew a rectangle about 8-10 feet away from each of us. The goal was to move the horse to that rectangle and have them stand there. Easy enough when you can lead the horse there. But we weren't allowed to change our position. It really made you focus on what you were asking and adjust the cues. It took a few minutes but then TA-DAH!

look at her- like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth
 (also you can see what  I mean about the far end being a spooky place) 

Carmen was soft and easy. Not completely but, really she was a doll. 

And that was how she was all weekend. Not a hoof out of place. No big explosions, no bolting, no balking. 

See: 

Standing in the water box:
Carmen: my toes are getting wet and this water is dirty
Me: just stand here, K?
Carmen: okay.
Mike: are you sure that this is the mare you described? 

celebrating a good day's work on Saturday. 

Sunday she was even better than Saturday. Perhaps I was too- definitely my confidence was up. 

Here's a video of us riding part of the pattern. 

Clearly her issues are not physical- if they were then it would also be present at the clinic. I spent some time over the weekend trying to explain what I was dealing with at home. They listened to me carefully. What they hypothesized is that Carmen is using this behaviour to escape work. And that I should make her work harder where she acts up. 

I also think that perhaps my intention is not always clear. 

Armed with this knowledge I feel that I can move forward. It's always a worry when you think you are making horse work when they are in pain. Now that that is off the list I can move ahead. I'm also on 2 weeks vacation so I can take as much time as it takes to work through our stuff. 

So, yay. 

I think. 

Two Birds, One Stone

I've started working on my goals for 2020. Particularly the one on supporting horse events.

 I live in an area with quite a few horses but all of the events I attend require me to travel at least an hour by trailer. For me, a dressage person, it doesn't feel that there's a real community in my, well, community. But I know that they are out there. Some I even know personally.

Riding with friends is fun

I really enjoyed attending Karen's clinic last year. I was hoping that there would be one this year. And then I realized that I could just try to host one. I reached out to a fellow rider who takes lessons from Shanea and she was quite interested. I spoke to Karen and she was game.

screen shot from last year's clinic

After a bit of back and forth we settled on a date and a format. It will be a little different because it will be split between mine and Krista's stable. But I think it's completely doable. Right now we have 3 people signed up and more interested.

It's been years since I planned a clinic. I'm not really sure what I'm doing but I'm sure that we'll figure it out.

It also helps me to target my other goal of working on my seat.

I'm quite excited to see if we can get this going. And it will be fun to have something happening here.  If you're interested check out the event page on FB or drop me a line. I'll send you the info.

2020 here we come.

Clinic Recap: Slow Dance

Last weekend I attended a clinic with Johanna Beattie Batista . You may recall that Carmen and I have attended her clinics pretty regularly the last five years. Each time I take away something new that has a profound impact on my riding and relationship with Carmen.Add to that the fun we all have and the food we eat and it makes for a pretty positive clinic experience.

 Johanna is a classical dressage and Centered Riding coach. Which means, of course, that my seat is going to be messed with. While my flaws and the corrections are not new to me, she always finds a way to build on what we did before. It's never overwhelming but it is often right at the edge of my abilities and forces me to push myself.

Work was pretty intense right up to the day I wanted to leave for the clinic which didn't leave much time to prepare. So I parked the trailer by the barn (sorry Ed, I know that's not where it goes) and packed it over the week with the last stuff going in Friday morning. Julia came to help to which was awesome. Carmen was a bit tense about the trailer which is opposite to what I want. Rather then load her right away I let her graze for about 10 minutes until I saw her begin to relax and then I loaded her.

When we arrived at the clinic site she backed out, looked around and said 'oh, here. Okay then'. And that was her attitude through the entire three clinics. There were no meltdowns, spooks, tension or issues. It was incredible.

pretty much her approach to the weekend

Of course it could be because she was flirting with Kalimo all weekend. Which is hilarious given her thoughts about him at the show. I'm sure that he was all like 'bitches be crazy'.

I'm not going to do a lesson by lesson recap. Instead I'm going to focus on my learning and how it impacted my riding and Carmen's way of going. This means I may skip around a bit to help it sound cohesive (well at least that's my goal).

My goal for the clinic was to really figure out the bend for Carmen and I. She tends to get tight and really stiff. To sort this out for us the focus of the three lessons for Carmen and I was on two main things:

1. slow Carmen down. Don't worry about impulsion because it makes her rush. Instead slow her right down so that she and I can feel each step. Then add impulsion. (all of this is an oversimplification but I'll talk about it later).

2. Use my seat to control speed and transitions (then add leg/rein as needed).

Slowing down is hard for both of us- we both tend to want to hurry. Which I realize is counter productive but I wasn't being effective in slowing her down without an argument. The first lesson we spent a lot of time on it and it was hard. However, I could feel how soft and easy it was really helping with her bend. At first she was a bit resistant but as she began to understand it Carmen became quite obedient.

screen shot of us doing a shoulder in on the first lesson. Look how
correct and soft everything is! 

I was still struggling quite a bit with using my seat (pelvic area) effectively. I also know how important it was. At the beginning of the second lesson Johanna showed me how tight my knees and ankles were. By keeping them loose I was able to feel my seat lock in place and could use it much more effectively. I know about the soft joints but this time I could feel my body understand it. Here's a clip from the third day showing how easy it was to get her into shoulder in and straighten and then leg yield (the clicking your hear is the mike rattling against my helmet as we trot):

I love how soft everything is. It's not that she didn't try to take advantage at times- she totally did (she is Carmen after all) but it wasn't major and it was more like 'okay okay'. 

I'm giving Carmen a massage while listening to
Johanna explain something. Look at her face. 

Our canter work was incredible. Starting on the first lesson- I asked her to step into canter and she did with the lightest and fluffiest of canters. It felt balanced and together and was so easy to sit- it took very little muscle to stay centered and balanced.  I honestly didn't want any of my lessons to end.

from Saturday's lesson

and Sunday. I loved the lighting in this one

There was no flailing or carrying on. I could steer her with my seat and keep her flexed/bent without hauling on her. Here's a video from Saturday showing how soft the transitions were:

I would find the feel, lose it, regroup, find it. Johanna always gives you time to figure it out. Once she  has you doing something she tells you to go off and play with it while she advises in the background. It's different and can be difficult to get used to not having someone direct your turns, shapes etc but it's so valuable. It creates independence and understanding with her there to mentor you. On the third day I spoke with her about what I was feeling in my warm up and wanted to know if that was what she was seeing as well. Fortunately she confirmed it which made me happy because I need to know if I'm doing it right when I'm riding on my own.

I told Johanna that I really wanted to work on having my seat so engaged and having Carmen respond to just the seat but that I was likely going to have to use my legs and hand to help her understand and to make sure I get what I'm asking. She said that of course I would because Carmen needs to build her understanding. She then said 'but I know you will get this' with total confidence. Which made me feel really good because she doesn't say things like that willy-nilly.

In my last ride (on Sunday) right at the end, Carmen and I were in the groove when Johanna called out 'now add impulsion'' . I sat up and asked her with just my seat and a little leg. Carmen lifted her whither and went into what felt like an extended trot. At the very least it was an awesome lengthen trot. I was able to sit it half-way down the long side and then had to post. Her front legs were flying in front of her and her hind legs were pushing us. It was like being in a plane at take off. Unfortunately,  there was a glitch and this did not get recorded. But that's okay. I have the feeling in my head. I brought her back to a walk and told Johanna that that felt like a good place to end. Which is also what Johanna encourages- stop when the horse understands and feels good about herself.

While Carmen is often difficult on the third day of an event this was not the case this weekend. She must be starting to understand better or feel okay with the new place. Because she never spooked once (I know I already said that but it bears repeating). She loaded quietly and unloaded calmly as well. In the stall I took off her halter and she gave me a gentle nudge before ambling out to the pasture. In the past she usually trots off without so much as a 'see you'.

What a great experience. Thank you Johanna for teaching us (and Karen for organizing, and Stacie for hosting and Jill and Angie for being supportive and fun).

"Riding is Hard!"

I had a really fun weekend of fun and learning. Friday I trailered Carmen to the barn and settled her in.  I swear that she remembered the last time we were there, despite it being pretty close to exactly 2 years ago. 

she was fascinated by this orange cat who was completely
unfazed over being snuffled all over. 

That night all of the ones participating got together for the evening 'lecture'. We started by introducing ourselves and our goals for the clinic. When it was my turn I started on my laundry list of flaws and then realized how I sounded. I stopped myself and simply said 'riding is hard'. 

Everyone laughed and that became the motto for the weekend. I know I called it a lecture that night but it wasn't.  Karen had us share and practice things like balance and using our centre to signal. Karen shared a really interesting quadrant to help think about our rides:

The vertical line is energy and the horizontal one is mental state (note, this is not Karen's drawing but it is the same concept). I really liked it and it helped me to think about my rides on Carmen. 

We played with ropes to practice how subtle signals need to be and we even practiced 'riding' each other to see how little change in our posture is required to send a strong signal (no we didn't sit on each other, we just stood over top). 

My goal for the weekend was to really find some tool to target my tendency to lean forward. Karen helped me to feel my seat bones and to feel when I rock back. The goal is to let the horse move my seat bones but to not let them go back too far. I am sure that I'm not explaining it well but the idea is the if we let our seat bones go back too far it encourages the horse to let their legs go out behind and not step under. Karen used the phrase 'close the back door' which seemed to help. 

At first it was really hard to keep that way. Like really hard. Because riding is hard.  But I could feel Carmen respond. It was easier on day 2 but it still required a lot of mental focus. Karen had me stand next to her and she put her hand on my back between the shoulder blades and had me resist her pushing me forward. This helped me to feel where I need to be:

It really helped. When I lost it Karen would remind to feel her hand. 

look at that uphill canter and erect rider! 

On day one we even tried a little baby half-pass:

One of the tools is focusing on the 'X' that is in our back (you can find it by drawing an imaginary line from your shoulders to the opposite hip. The idea is not to use muscle tension (which was what I thought at first) but to pulse the energy down.  Again this really helped.

sitting up, carmen is forward and in the bridle but
I am not pulling. 

I found that I had to keep cycling through my body: core, loose pelvis, back, shoulders. 

It was such a great learning experience. At no time did Karen get frustrated with me or lose her sense of humour. I feel that I got some tools to help me in my rides.  

I plan to keep practicing. 

So I can target the next thing. 

Because, (say it with me): riding is hard. 

But (like I said at the end of the clinic), it is also so much fun. 

Which is why we do it. Because, otherwise we would just be masochists. 

And that can't be true. Right? 

Trade Secrets: Clinic Recap

Last weekend I attended a clinic on test riding and judging. It was a clinic designed to support educating judges but it was also to assist the riders in improving their test scores.

You may have read Austen's experience with attending an L Program. I thought that her experience sounded a bit, well, harrowing. But when I saw this clinic posted by The Fraser Equestrian Centre (a great place) and at Coveside (another great place. You may recall my posts on riding there on the trails) it was a no-brainer to sign up to audit.

despite a night of torrential rain, the ring on Saturday was perfect

But Teresa, I can hear you say, why didn't you sign up to ride in it?

Honestly, because at the time I had no idea where Carmen and I would be in terms of riding. I figured that I didn't need to throw a large chunk of money at a clinician to be told that bolting half-way through the test would impact my scores. This is also assuming that I would have been accepted anyway. Also, I knew that I would gain more by being able to focus on watching and listening and not having to care for a horse too.

Spoiler alert: it was awesome.

The format was as follows:
- Movement demo on the first day to show the upper level movements
-test rides: training through PSG.

The judge was Elizabeth McMullen (her qualifications include FEI 5*, EC/USEF Senior  and FEI young horse dressage judge). She sounds intimidating. But I actually quite liked her: she had a dry sense of humour which I really enjoyed.

Each rider rode their test while the judge scored and commented over a sound system. Then there was time for a coaching session focusing on some key 'issues'. This was supposed to be with the rider's coach (if he/she was there). Often though, Lib (she likes to be called 'Lib', not 'Libby') couldn't resist  and she would take it over and coach the rider.

Lib coaching a rider

Her comments were pointed but never mean. I liked her dry sense of humour. In one test a horse began to shake her head cantering down the long side and she commented 'needs more fly spray'. Another time a horse was quite enthusiastic in his canter departs. In reviewing the test Lib said 'he was dicking around in the canter depart. But you can't write 'dicking around' so you need to find a different way to say it'.

Everything always boiled down to the basics (doesn't it always?):

• don't throw away points by being inaccurate (clearly she had read my last post)
• the answer is almost always more leg 
• unless it's more bend
• except in leg yield- people bend too much
• at home practice how much you can push so you know at a show- this related mostly to the free walk and lengthened/medium trots
• you keep a horse steady in the rein by being steady with the leg
• most people have too long reins: Lib had them shorten them and then leave the mouth alone
• more snaffle less curb
• transitions need to be clear. Judges hate fuzzy transitions- especially with lengthen to working gaits.
• in the free walk a swinging back is critical to a good mark 
• ride the horse up to the bit don't use your hands
• 
  

A lot of people had trouble with the stretchy trot. Which made me feel better in that I felt less alone. The exercise Lib used was to get a good trot on the circle, bend, and then exaggerate the bend. As the horse began to reach for the bit offer the a little rein and see if the horse will follow it down. If they do, reward. If not don't get upset, just repeat the exercise.

Not every rider had great rides. A couple horses had a bit of a melt down in the ring. Lib did not get on their case- instead she did her best to help them and to figure out what was causing the difficulty. A lot of time she urged the rider to be patient because the horse was trying to figure it out. 

Every rider was given something to work on. Most of the times Lib was clear that there were no quick fixes (well except for being accurate). So she helped them to get things 'better' and then gave them some things to work on at home. 

What was also great was how supportive the auditors were. Even though we were 'judging' and giving scores, everyone was on the side of the rider. During the coaching part, when a rider was successful (like with a good flying change) we all would cheer and clap.  

I enjoyed the clinic so much and learned a ton. It was also lovely to not have to drive for 2 hours to audit a clinic. I took some of my learnings and put it to use in my ride Sunday afternoon. I shortened my reins and when Carmen sucked back put my leg on. It worked really well and I wasn't pulling any more. 

I am profoundly grateful to all the people who signed up to be the riders. They really helped us learn. I hope that they got something out of it too. 

Transformations: Clinic Recap Day 3

Saturday evening we all went out to dinner. I was so very tired that I am surprised that I didn't fall asleep into my plate. It's not that I had worked super hard physically, it was more that my brain and body were tired.

After a solid sleep I was ready to tackle Sunday. It was rainy and cold (again. sigh. when will this end?) and I had the first ride of the day at 8:30. Before I got ready I took Carmen out to the arena to free lunge and to let her just move around. She was super mellow about it all.

Cute story: at one end of the ring is divided into 3 sections: a space for people to watch and two 'stalls' that hold all kinds of equipment. It is, objectively, a spooky area so I on Friday I worked with Carmen (in our groundwork) that this was were all pressure came off and she could relax. As I was asking her trot around the ring she made a beeline for this area and then stopped, looking at me: see, this is where we have breaks. It was adorable how pleased with herself she looked.

I saw some large balls in one of the stalls and I took it out to play. She was curious and nudged it around a bit but really was not worried.

is this a large apple?

nope. Not an apple

I put it away and left her free to wander around and I went over to the corner to chat with Julia and Dominique (her sister). Carmen came right over and stood with us. I will hang out with you guys. This warmed my heart on so many levels. I expected her to go and roll or to go over to the gate to look at the grass (like she did on Friday). Instead she chose to be with me (*heart swells two sizes*).

I then tacked her up and started warming her up before Johanna came. Her walk was not rushed but she felt a little stiff. When I asked for a trot she was a bit uncomfortable. I realized that she was in heat - not surprising since there are two stallions at this facility. I just let her trot around nice and relaxed so she could warm up.

When Johanna came she asked (as always) what I wanted to work on. I said that I wanted to keep working on the soft seat and hands but add in transitions so that I am supporting her properly through them. Carmen can get a bit stuck in her downwards where all her energy seems to go into the ground rather then carry forward into the lower gait.

Here's a short video of our starting out. You can see the stall area I was speaking about. You can also see her ask me a question about the jacket on the mounting block and her responding when I tell her it's okay (this is important for later).

One of the many 'aha' moments for me was on day 1 when Johanna explained that you can use the outside seat bone to help the horse turn on the circle. As the outside hind comes under you move it ever so slightly towards the inside ear in time with the horse. And it really works (also helps me to stop using the inside rein to turn). You can also hear me ask a question the role of the seat bone during shoulder in. I probably should have known the answer but I wanted to be sure. :)

As we began to trot and work, the jacket on the mounting block became an issue. I tried to help her relax about it but, in hindsight, I put pressure on to go by and I should have backed off. In any event, despite the fact that I could get her to go up to it and sniff it, trotting by it was far too big an ask. I know that when she is in heat she is far more aware and reactive to things in her environment. I am actually impressed that, while it was an issue, it wasn't a huge issue. Johanna decided to take the jacket away. I protested a bit (because I'm stubborn) but she explained that we would be spending our time on the jacket and not on what she wanted me to learn. Which was valid.

practicing our halts

We then moved up to the far part of the ring and I circled her many times in trot but she was getting more revved up and less listening.

Here you can see her resistance to bend and forward and could I just please piss off.

But I didn't piss off, I persisted. Finally, I started to drop into walk, got the bend and the bend and softness and then went back to trot. A few times like this and she settled into work again.

While it was not as good as the day before it was still really good on a lot of levels. I was able to get Carmen back without a huge battle. Once we settled things down she was trying to listen.

At the end of the lesson I spoke to Johanna about what I need to remember when I get home:

• soft eyes
• following hands
• my pelvis needs to be relaxed in order to be effective
• remember to loosen my hips.
• bringing her back down to establish what I want
• when I tighten I straighten my leg
• Now that Carmen has self-confidence and can be calm it's time to ask more of her. 

When I brought Carmen back to the aisle to untack her she immediately squatted and started to pee. Which she's never done. I quickly put her in the stall and she no longer peed. So either it was heat related or she really had to pee during our ride. Since itwas right outside the stallion's stall I'm thinking that was heat related. Anyway I informed her that no one was having sex this weekend. 

I have to say that I was absolutely thrilled with our clinic this weekend. Here are the highlights for me: 

• there was only some teeny spooking at the jacket, otherwise she was fine
• overall her manner was calm and relaxed
• it felt that we were truly communicating with each other. 
• she has grown in her self-confidence and it really showed. 
• we can fun together. I truly believe that both of us enjoyed the time together. 

She is so very pretty

Transformations: Clinic Recap Day 2

I know it might make more sense to put these all together, but honestly each day was so very different that I'm separating them.

Friday night we had an amazing dinner, thanks to Karen supreme husband picking power: grilled steak, potatoes, veggies and salad. There was even a choice of desserts! I slept the sleep of one who had done a lot of exercise and then gorged herself.

In the morning I did chores and turned both horses out to enjoy the sunshine. Finally, we had a glorious sunny day that was NOT rainy or cold (unlike Friday or Sunday or any other frigging day this spring). I loved that I could turn them out to relax and move around. It makes life better for them and easier for me.

Carmen is clearly basking. Irish was until he saw me watching. 

Karen was having a lunge lesson her mare with the goal of feeling the hind leg in the reins. Partway through the lesson she found that she could totally feel the hind leg in her arms even though she was not holding reins.

There was much nerdy dressage excitement. And I said I WANT TO FEEL THAT! LET ME TRY! Because I am 12, apparently and had no sense that this was not my lesson.

However, Karen was kind enough to let me get on when she was done. It was so cool to let go of the steering need and just focus on what was happening with my seat.

My ride on Carmen was at 3:00 and ended up being more like 3:15. That's because the clinic is very low key and we all had no other plans so things could be flexible.

As soon as I got on I could feel that Carmen was relaxed and easy. The rushing of the day before was much less. Even though Irish was screaming his head off in his stall. Karen offered to hold him for me outside the ring and I said 'thanks but no. She's fine with it'. And she was. Also, Irish is 19 and used to this happening to him (#problemchild). And she was fine. She clearly gave zero cares about Irish and his existential angst.

screen shot of a video. Love her
expression here. 

The goal for this lesson was for me to have soft and following hands (probably my goal until I die). When I was on Karen's mare Johanna took the reins and I was to follow her moving them- not do it on my own but let my arms swing free with the movement. Honestly, this is so hard to not hold or to move my arms rather than let Carmen move them (control issues I am sure). I need to have my elbows a bit in front of the vertical.

The cool thing about riding with Johanna is that you can decide the figures and directions. If she has something specific she wants you to do she will tell you. Otherwise if you want to transition or circle or change directions she is fine with it. She might ask why you did something or how did it feel. That took some time to get used to but now I just do it. Here I am practicing the softness with a leg yield. And it was so easy. Not perfect, but very flow-y.

And also breathe deeply, have soft eyes, soft joints and keep my legs under me. You know- juggling. I would focus on one and forget the others.

And the lesson was amazing. Carmen was the softest she has ever been. Ever. About half-way through I could feel her back come up underneath of me. All transitions simply required a breath. Breathe in and then release and she would trot. Breathe in and hold for a sec and she would walk.

I was having so much fun up there. It's not like everything was easy- it wasn't. And I would screw up my balance or pinch with my knees and it would fall apart. But Carmen stayed with me and listened to me every step of the way. The communication was fluid and clean. I would apologize and she would say 'fine, let's go again'.

Mistakes were because of trying to do not trying to avoid. And the difference this makes in training is transformational.

I didn't want to get off. But then I turned down the long side, shifted my hips oh so slightly and she went into the most soft and perfect shoulder in all the way down the long side. I halted, looked at Johanna and said I think we need to stop here. 
Okay then  she said. And I hopped off, with a few tears in my eyes. I have been dreaming of this level of communication for a long long long time. And to have it on this day, with my friends, made it magical. I could have kept going and she would have stayed with me. But it felt like we both had made such strides that ending it when we did was perfect.

 I don't even know how long I rode. And it doesn't matter. Because it was the perfect amount of time.

another screenshot. I love everything about this photo

Transformations: Clinic Recap Day 1

Oh my god. I had the best weekend. It was fun, amazing and full of learning (and soooo much food).

Let me go back. This weekend Carmen, Irish, Julia and I went to a Johanna Beattie Batista clinic. I have done at least one every year and Carmen and I always make gains. This time Julia wanted to come. She could only ride on Sunday but came out to audit on Saturday.

Friday we hit the road around 9:30. Other than running into road construction it was an uneventful journey. Carmen came off the trailer like a pro. Irish was much more 'up' about the whole thing. I settled them in their stalls for a bit while I unpacked and then I put them out in a paddock to stretch their legs.

Carmen was all 'oh, okay. it's not bad but it needs more grass'
Irish was OH MY GOD, WHERE ARE WE? WHAT'S GOING ON? Do we live here now? Who's that over there? 

I had packed my training 'toys' (flag, plastic bag and clappers) with me. Before our ride I brought her into the arena and we worked through our patterns. She was awesome- totally unconcerned about the arena or Irish screaming his head off outside (even though there were other horses. I thought about brining him in but figured he would be worse in a stall).

I tacked her up and began to warm up waiting for Johanna. Honestly, by now it's all a blur. Carmen was relaxed, mostly, but not completely because she was walking very fast and it was hard to rate her.

Truthfully, I am used to balking Carmen and spooking Carmen. Speedy Carmen was a new kettle of fish. So much of the lesson was about helping Carmen to go slow without pulling on the reins. We started off with a lot of bending getting her to do shoulder in. The idea is to connect her back to front.  You can see int he video that, while she is tight, she is also trying really hard to pay attention to me. Rather than it being 'go away!' she was more like this is really hard, are you sure? Okay, I'll try. 

And it slowly paid off. Johanna is a Level 2 Centered Riding Instructor and working on her Level 3. She stopped me at one point and did an adjustment to my hip and bam! my legs were right where they were supposed to be.

It was wonderful to be able to work on loose joints and a following seat.

a blurry screen shot but I love the moment it captured

Near the end we cantered and it was so uphill and, well, fun.

I need to get my hand more in front but still....

One thing that Johanna helped me to see was that I didn''t need to take any 'sass' from Carmen. She was periodically yanking on the rein. I thought it was my fault but it turns out that she was just taking advantage. Once I gave myself permission to correct her for things, everything became much better.

As we worked she became softer and softer. Contrast this shoulder in to the one earlier in  the ride:

We found a spot to end it and I was so happy. Not once did she spook. A couple times she got a little tense and worried, but responded right away to me asking her to soften. At the end of the ride I ask Johanna is she saw improvement from last year.
Oh yes, 1000 percent!  she exclaimed and I was so happy. Carmen meanwhile was relaxed and ready to go relax.

Clinic Adventures: So Much Learning (and food)

When I wasn't catching up with old friends, meeting new friends and eating a ton of food (really, so very much eating), I actually sat and watched Cindy Ishoy teach a bunch of riders. And I tried to absorb all the knowledge I could. Now I'm going to try to write it out to help me rember and have something to refer back to.

***
Standard Disclaimer: as always, these are my interpretations of what I saw and heard. If you think it's brilliant then Cindy gets the credit. If you think it's incredibly wrong then it's my fault- I probably misunderstood.
****

from back in August when the weather was hot

There were a variety of horse breeds and levels. Cindy gave every single one her undivided attention. It seems to me that Cindy does not care if you have a fancy horse or not or if you are the best rider in the universe. She cares if you are willing to work.

The lessons were 45 minutes and each minute was fully used. It's not that there were not breaks, there were. But they were short and then back at it. The work built over the course of the ride as the horse and rider warmed up. I am not sure, given where Carmen and I are right now, whether that would have been good for us or not.  Either way, we were not ready for the clinic and I was happy to audit.

Each ride I watched had the same principles of targeting straightness, forward, rhtyhm etc (i.e., the dressage pyramid). How these were targeted depended on the horse and rider. So one rider might be working on straightness through a serpentine while another through tempi changes. Cindy is so full of little wisdomes that struck a chord with me that I started writing them down. I think that they apply to pretty much any level:

• don't micro-manage. Nothing pretty comes out of it. In other words, don't try to control every single part of the horse, let them figure it out.
• Give and let him figure out his balance.  This was said to riders doing legnthens, half passes etc. I interpreted this to mean that we shouldn't use the reins (or heaven forbid the curb, she said a few times to get off of it) to hold them in a frame. The frame comes from self-carriage, which comes from balance. 
• Don't worry about mistakes. Every GP rider and horse team has made thousands of mistakes. This probably relates to the micro managing above. 
• There's a gymnastic correction for every mistake. I really liked this idea. Cindy would use shapes and patterns to fix if the horse was losing their balance or contact. Rather than pull or be sharp. Use the exercise to help the horse understand. 
• It's not strength, it's timing: I think I heard this the first time with a rider working on changes. But it also came up with other maneuvers. It helped me to think that when an aid is not successful is it resistance? confusion? my timing? I suspect that it's often the last one. 
• Bend - if I heard that once I heard it 1000 times. Along with Outside rein. 
• Soften inside rein. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Circle going to crap? Pull on the inside rein, it will fix everything! It was also helpful to me to see how letting go made things so much better. 
• Use shoulder not arm to take back. Using the arm creates too much tension.  It has no give and horses pull against it. Using the shoulder is softer and more fluid. While I don't claim to understand the mechanics of it, I could see the difference. 
• Don't give away contact when you ask for forward.  This I know and understand. Yet still it's hard to avoid. The idea is to soften but not throw the contact away. 

me, not throwing the contact away.
Evidence that sometimes I can get it right 

Other things I noticed:

• Cindy made great use of bending exercises: circles, trot loops, serpentines. Many of the horses would try to not engage their hind end and the riders were to keep it together so that the horses pushed from behind. 
• If the rider struggled in the half-pass she would have them half-pass a few strides then leg yield and then back again. Or vice versa. I don't know why she chose which sequence but it worked- I could see it. 
• If the horse was escaping through the outside shoulder Cindy had riders move their hands to the 'inside' (Not really inside, they didn't cross the withers). It worked to keep them straight. 
• A lot of transitions were to be ridden through bend. Which was really really hard. Again it was nice to see that it wasn't just me. 
• If the half-pass is going wonky, slow the shoulder don't try to speed up the haunches. That upsets the balance. 

There was more. Also lots of food. Sue makes the best baked beans I have ever had. Between the learning and the eating (and thievery) it was money well spent. If you have a chance to audit or ride in one, do  it.

Clinic Adventures: That Time I Tried to Steal a Trailer

This weekend I was off auditing a Cindy Ishoy clinic. I was really looking forward to it. Not only was I going to hang out with my horse friends and learn a lot but I was getting a weekend away. I really needed a break after the last 3 weeks of endless rain and crazy work.

Shanea had signed up to bring her mare and I was excited to see them go. I didn't arrive until noon on Saturday (I wanted to ride first). When I got there I found out that Shanea was having trouble getting here. The trailer that she had lined up had been damaged in a recent wind storm. People were trying to figure out a solution but it sounded confusing.

So I called Shanea and she said that she had found a trailer but needed a truck. Paula and I spoke and she got a truck (Susan volunteered her dually). Next was to get a ball. Paula got that and we jumped into the trailer on our rescue mission.

When we got to the farm where the trailer was we saw two trailers but no one was there. I called Shanea and she thought that it was the white one. I looked at both and the gray one had a lock on it.
So Paula and I decided to risk taking the white one.

Paula was nervous to back up so I backed the truck up while waved her hand to direct me. Paula is small and the truck was tall so all I saw was her arm. Clearly she trusts me.

Alas, when we got everything aligned it turned out that the ball was too large.

So that's how I ended up NOT stealing a trailer.

Fortunately though Shanea still got her lesson. Cindy agreed to travel to Julia's arena (who kindly offered it up for Shanea).

The moral of the story? How about:

• I'm clearly not meant for a life of crime?

or

• There is no way to stop really determined horse women? 

The Benefits of Clinics and a Give Away!

In full disclosure, Carol at Dressage Training Journal asked me if I would write a blog post about clinics. In exchange I am getting a free pass to Audit one of the All Canadian Dressage Master Series that Five Fires is hosting this year (in partnership with Jo Duston).

It was an interesting request and one I had to think about. As I pondered I realized that I did have things that I wanted to say so decided to take her up on the offer. However, I am going to be true to myself and not say things that I do not believe (Carole was clear that she agreed with this).

I am a firm believer that a rider will get more out $500 in lessons then spending $500 on a single clinic. However, I also believe that there is a lot to be gained from a clinic whether you are auditing or a rider.

I have done a number of clinics already this year that covered a wide range of skills and from every single one of them I have left with a valuable tool in my tool box.

In many ways having a  regular coach is like having a  family Doctor. Shanea knows Carmen's and my history together. She knows where we've been, what my ambitions are, what helps us and what holds us back. Shanea has worked with us for a couple years now and can bring great insights to our lessons.

Sometimes though, I get bogged down in that history and way of going.

An outside clinician is like a specialist.  A good clinician brings a laser focus to a particular issue/topic that they see in the few minutes of warm up that they watch.  They are able to put aside some of the baggage and help the rider hone in specifically on something that will move them forward. Sometimes they have a way of expressing something that resonates.

For example, Cindy Ishoy helped me understand how bend is critical to engaging the hind end and the brain. Johanna helped me be more aware of my seat and how it contributes to Carmen's tension (creating a negative feedback loop) and Mike and Nikki helped me see the importance of attention.

Putting together my learning from the clinics and my my regular lessons has really helped me develop as a rider.

So, while I used to be sceptical about attending clinics,  I have learned that they are like every other learning experience. If I am prepared to put aside my baggage and focus on what is being taught I can usually take something away. Are there less effective clinicians? Of course. I have had some bad experiences and have read of others.

 I think if you are planning to attend a clinic google can be your friend. Auditing is also a great way to figure out if that person's style is right for you. Word of mouth can be helpful but I find that I need to ask for details. Learning that someone loved or hated an experience is not helpful until I understand the 'why'.

Here in Nova Scotia clinic attendance can be hit or miss.  I am not sure why. It could be financial or worry about looking like a fool or just lack of time. I have certainly experienced all of these reasons. I admire the people who put on clinics because it is a ton of work and effort with often little financial gain. I really admire the riders who put themselves on display so that they and others can learn from the experience.

I love that the ones that Carole and Jo are bringing in are all Canadian. Brittany Fraser is from NS (and I think I remember her from my early forays into Dressage but let's not talk about how she's young enough to be my daughter...). I was excited to read that Janine Little has experience with showing and training Friesians and Andalusians! I had not really heard of  Jaimey Irwin but in reading about him, he seems to be a straightforward and honest clinician.  All seem to have knowledge to offer and I am hopeful that I will be able to see all of them.

And now for the Giveaway!

I have free Audit passess to the upcoming clinics:

• Janine Little Dressage Clinic – July 24, 25, 26
• Jaimey Irwin Dressage Clinic – August 18, 19
• Brittany Fraser Beaulieu Dressage Clinic – October 27, 28
• Jaimey Irwin Dressage Clinic – November 3, 4

To win: 

• comment on this blog (or on the FB post)  about your views or experiences in clinics (good or bad) or what makes you choose a specific clinic to attend. 
• tell me which clinic(s) you would like to audit 

I will do a random draw and contact the winners by Saturday, July 21st. Even if you cannot benefit from winning I'd still love to hear about your experiences. 

Happy Riding.



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