Riding High

Not that I would.

Ride high I mean.

Mind you, I might be using wine as a calming agent at our first show (in 2 months, OHMYGOD) but I would not be high.

where are you going with this? 

Okay, now that I've totally lost control of this post let me try to get back on track.

It poured all day saturday but Sunday dawned clear and sunny. It was a stunning morning- a light mist over grass the was starting to green and singing birds. It was a morning that promised good things.

I checked the weather and it was forecast to change so I quickly texted Cynthia to let her know that there was a riding window in the morning. Her husband answered that she was still asleep but woke her for me. She donned her riding clothes, grabbed some coffee and hit the road. While I waited for her to come I dug some rocks out of the ring and sent up some cavalettis for walking. My goal was to begin introducing some honest-to-goodness dressage stuff. I was no longer going to be happy with just that she steered, trotted and didn't spook (much). 

When Irish and Carmen were happy and relaxed getting ready. In the ring I showed Carmen the cavalettis and we walked through them in hand a few times. She was not worried. I didn't do much work on the lunge because she was tuned in from the beginning. I mounted and we went to work. Based on what I saw on the lunge I carried the crop from the beginning. When she hesitated walking towards a specific location I gave her  a leg cue and then if she ignored it the lightest of taps behind the leg. Soon we were moving forward and working at a nice steady walk and then trot. She gave a bit of a spook in troll corner but I ignored it and we carried on working. 

We walked over the poles on both reins. She struggled a bit with them - not sure how to carry me and time her pacing but I kept it low key. The idea was not perfection- the idea was to introduce the concept of carrying herself.  I was enjoying doing patterns with her: walk over the poles, pick up a trot, trot to short side, turn down the quarter line, leg yield left to the rail, trot about 20 strides, transition to walk, turn up the quarter line and walk over the poles. Repeat. It was busy enough to occupy her mind but not so busy that I became impatient with the aids. 

We did some trot-canter- trot transitions and those are improving all the time. If I ask too tightly or at the wrong time she will kick out to let me know so I try to be subtle. We then walked and practiced our stretchy walk. I was happy with how she stretched out and marched. She comes back to the shorter rein without fussing. I finished up with some 10 metre circles into shoulder in. when we were getting it to the left I asked her to trot. She was not impressed. 

Carmen: um. excuse me? We were done. 

Me: Not yet. 

Carmen: what part of WE'RE FINISHED are you not understanding? 

Me: The part that says 'finished'. There's just a bit more to do. 

Carmen: *sigh* fine. 

Me: Good girl. 

Our SI's were more shoulder fore but I accepted the try. I then switched direction. She had a much easier time to the left. After a few minutes I brought her back to walk and patted her. We walked up to the gate. I halted and reached over and dropped the rail to the ground. She didn't bat an eye. I picked it up and moved it forward a bit. She stood and chewed the bit. I walked her forward and hopped off. 

I was thrilled with our work. She and worked as a team without a battle or fuss. 

We might actually make a dressage team after all. 

A Fine Balance

Riding Carmen is bit like walking a knife edge- I have to find the balance between keeping her calm but challenging her to trust my guidance. I find myself going too far one way and then the other and, sometimes, I get it just right.

I was able to ride again on Thursday and I'm not sure that was a good idea. It was a very windy day - the trees were almost bent over.  Carmen does not like the wind. She doesn't trust seeing everything moving around. However, Cynthia had come and I thought that it would be good for her to learn that she can be worked in less than ideal conditions and the world doesn't end. She was very tense. i could get moments of relaxation but they were fleeting. I finished on a good note.

Friday I was not feeling well at all so I didn't do anything with her.

Saturday I felt better and thought that I should ride. When I went out the barn Carmen was in the small paddock but when she saw me she quietly walked away out the bigger paddock with Irish. I got things ready and went out to the paddock. Irish came right up and Carmen followed. I was able to get her halter on with no fuss and she followed me quietly enough.

It was clear in the barn that she was a bit tense and worried. I worked on staying quiet and calm as I groomed and tacked her up. When I went to put her bridle on she flung her head up - with an Andalusian that is pretty high. It took 3 tries and I got it on. But I wasn't happy so I took it off to do it again. This time she threw up head and back away. I felt myself get frustrated so I took a deep breath and put the bit up to her mouth. This time, instead of trying to get her to open her mouth with my finger I simply head the bit against her lips and decided that I would wait for as long as it took. In a few seconds she opened her mouth and took it as nice as you please.  It was raining but not hard so I decided to carry on.

Up in the ring I was very careful with the ground work. I tried to be the calm center but expect that she work around me and stay focussed. If I am too strong and firm she feels trapped between what makes her nervous out of the ring and me in the middle. If I'm too coddling she just wants to hang close to me and not go out on the line. I was able to find the balance and get her working through her back and listening to me.

I was just standing her by the gate while I took  off the lunge line and got her ready to work when Irish started running around like a fool in his paddock. He ran the fence line, charged it, raised his head and generally carried on.
Great I thought. I decided that I would some work in hand with Carmen to make sure that she was tuned into me. But she really didn't seem too worried by Irish- mildly curious would be how I would describe it.
Me: Does he do this often?
Carmen: You have no idea. He's quite dramatic at times. 
I did some work getting her to yield to the bit and some turns on the forehand. We made it down to the mounting block and she seemed, well, fine. So I got on.

As we walked off she was a bit tense so I worked on breathing deep and keeping my seat in the saddle. She started to meet me half way and we carried on down the ring working on bend and leg yielding. I asked her to trot and she stepped off smartly. She hesitated a bit on the die of the ring. I went and picked up the crop. I asked her again and when she hesitated I gave the lightest of taps behind my leg and she came more forward. I didn't need it after that.

I realized that as we were working I was chasing the contact- it would come and she would fuss and I would lose it and try to get it back. I realized that that was not the way to do it. I instead steadied my hand and let her find me. It didn't take long for her to do just that and things improved immeasurably.

We finished with some walk-halt transitions. She raises her head in those and I was trying to figure out what I was doing to cause this. After a a few I noticed that I was tensing my thighs as I asked for the halt. Aha! So I worked on asking and making sure my thighs were relaxed and not tight. After a few transitions she stopped square and in the bridle. I was very happy with our work and hopped off.

In the barn she was whole new horse- relaxed and happy. I slipped the bridle off her ears and she opened her mouth to drop the bit.

Out in the paddock as I cleaned up she and Irish hung out by the water cooler  hay net.
Carmen: what was up with all the running around?
Irish: I was trying to get you out of work. I thought she might give up the idea of riding. 
Carmen: well it didn't work.
Irish: *sigh* no. It rarely does. 
Carmen: don't tell her but it really wasn't so bad.

from last year. Still smiling

She's Back

The last post ended on a dramatic cliff hanger- our heroine was in serious danger.


Well not really.

But if you recall Carmen had become a spooky, reactive mess and I was less than impressed.

I had added alfalfa to the night feed and wondered if that was part of the problem. That night I stopped feeding it to her. I didn't ride Tuesday- the weather was awful and I was tired from work.

Today (Weds) was sunny and warm. I love daylight savings time- I much prefer it to be light later than earlier (if I was supreme ruler we would leave it at DST) because it allows me to ride in the evening without rushing after work.

There was no one home when I got her ready and, to be honest, I was a little concerned. I figured I would take it one step at a time. However, I could tell as soon as we got in the ring that she was a different horse. She was a bit 'looky' in the spots that were terrifying on Monday but not the mess she was.  I was careful in my ground work to make sure that I had her attention and that she was listening. In fact she was a bit sluggish.
Me: You know Carmen there is a happy medium between bolting and moseying. 
Carmen: You are far too fussy. 

I mounted and I made sure that from the beginning I had her attention. I didn't take the approach of 'force' to get her into spots but rather let the work carry us there. When she hesitated to look I brought her back to work. I didn't get harsh but I didn't accept that any wandering of attention. Irish dozed in the sun while we worked. When I asked her to trot she was a bit sluggish so I gave her a light tap with the crop. She kicked out but I kept asking until she moved out.

She was a bit fussy in the contact but that was my fault- I was being cautious and ready for her to spin and bolt. If I was a professional who rode tons of horses I could probably relax right away. But I'm an AA and depend on my job to pay the bills. So I was being defensive. I was able to finally relax my elbows and her acceptance of contact improved.

 We were able to walk, trot and canter in all areas of the ring. When I dismounted she stood quietly, totally relaxed. I allowed us to mosey down to the barn and she hung out with me while I did my chores. The hard look was gone from her eye.

I know that it wasn't a clean experiment- but I've decided that Carmen does not respond well to Alfalfa and doesn't need it in her diet.

As the World Turns

Training a young horse is a bit of a soap opera at times- long periods of time where nothing happens and then a ridiculous level of dramatics.

Let me back up a bit. I was reading Annette's blog: http://aspenmeadows.blogspot.ca/2016/03/tex-visits-vet.html. In it she said that her horse responded to the pressure points for ulcers. That got me curious and I did a google search. I found a bunch of information including this video:

As I watched it, I realized that Carmen had a few of those symptom and it might explain the balking in the saddle. I decided to try her on a herbal supplement for her stomach and I added more alfalfa to her diet.

She showed immediate improvement and within 3 days all of her symptoms disappeared- including the balking under saddle. Which brings me to today.

Carmen was good in the barn and in our initial ground work. When I mounted she walked off. Oh-oh. I dismounted and got back on. She stood this time but as soon as I moved walked off. Within 3 minutes she was freaking out about something down the road and I had to get off. I lunged her some more this time making sure that she was truly focussed. When I got on, again, she stood still and we went to work. She was being spooky at the far side of the ring. I was determined that the trolls were not moving back. I worked my butt off trying to get her to focus on me rather then outside the ring.

What happens when she does this is that her attention is completely focussed on outside and she blows off all my aids. I have to get very very firm and then she gets annoyed with me. It is not fun. I am good at staying calm (mostly) with this and just working away.

Then Irish came bolting up the field and she went into full flight mode. I had to quickly dismount before we wrecked. I walked her in hand would not let her bend away or raise up and focus on the the people walking down the road. She was not happy about this but I stayed firm and finally she softened. I got back on again and we went to work. Again.

I refused to stay on the middle circle. We would work there and then I would peel off. I was NOT going to baby her past the areas that she had no issue with the last few weeks. I am NOT buying into that mind set. Instead, we worked on bending in and staying focussed on the aids. I could feel it working. I started a circle where half was in the 'scary' spot. I trotted firmly in the 'safe zone' and her walk in the 'scary zone'. The idea being that the scary area becomes the rest area. Finally she began to blow and relax in that area. I then asked her to canter and we moved forward.

We finished by walking the entire ring. I was okay if she was tense but we were going there. By the time were done we were a hot mess. Instead of the short session I planned on we had been working for 90 minutes. I gave her a massage and she relaxed fully. I was not happy with the change in her. A few things come to mind:

• spring fever
• heat (showing no real signs of it yet)
• the increase alfalfa
• she feels better in her tummy

I've cut out the the alfalfa and we'll see if that makes a difference. 

Princess Diva

The Accidental Trainer

I hope everyone is enjoying a lovely Easter Weekend. Or Ishtar Weekend. Whichever one you celebrate.

My plans for the weekend are simple- I want to ride every day. I began yesterday. I wasn't sure that I would be able to as it was forecast to rain all day. However, I managed to squeeze in a ride between the showers. It wasn't a great schooling session- she was a bit tense but we worked through it and ended on a good note (and before the rain started again).

Today was sunny but the wind had an icy edge. Cynthia and waited until the afternoon to ride. In the meantime I emptied the manure cart and dragged the ring. The wind bit into us as we walked up to the ring but Carmen didn't seem too upset by the wind but she was a bit on edge. As we settled in to  work   heard Cynthia say 'Be careful with your whip'
I was puzzling over what she meant when all of a sudden BONSAI!  Chester Cat came leaping across the ring chasing the tip of my lunge whip.

All of sudden I was lunging two creatures- Carmen on the outer circle, Chester in the middle gleefully pouncing on the trailing whip and me in the centre. Since I didn't know what to do I simply carried on.

I was very impressed with Miss Carmen- she kept working but her attention was on Chester. I realized that by shifting her attention to what was happening in the circle rather than outside she was much more tuned in to me. We went up and down the ring - she had a zip in her step but was not upset at all- more bemused then anything.
Chester: wheee. I got it! I got it! Darn it got away. 
Carmen: What kind of circus are you running here? 
Me:  Honestly, I have no idea. 
Irish: Don't mind me- I'll just keep working while you children play. 

After a bit Chester went off to frolic in the grass beside the ring and I got on Carmen. It was a great to have a chance to work with her while a small kitty kept appearing in new places. She did very well- not one spook.

As we went on she became  a bit balky as we got working. We were walking and I asked for a trot. She politely refused. I asked again. She impolitely refused. I went over and picked up the crop and then asked again. I got an emphatic 'no!' and I gave her light tap behind my leg. She kicked out and then trotted off. After that we had no more discussion. Our trot-canter transitions have greatly improved as well.

So I have to thank Chester for my successful training session.

Of course I can train horses. Cats can do anything they set their paw to

Gotcha Day

Today marks the one year anniversary that Carmen came home. Last year I was bundle of nerves- excitement, worry, sadness and pure raw emotion made me a bit of wreck. Fortunately I had Cynthia, Ashley and Ed to keep me calm. The day Carmen came home.

The weather was horrible and we were, literally, buried in snow:

It has been quite the year for the two of us. Full of ups and downs as we got to know one another. Having a mare was a whole new kettle of fish. There were so many people who reached out to help Carmen and I as we stumbled on the first steps of our journey: Karen, Johanna, Roz, to name a few. 

It's interesting to contrast to where we are now. I can honestly say that Carmen is coming into her own- she's calmer, more relaxed and more self-confident. In the morning after she's finished her grain she wants to greet me (first things first after all). Where last year she was watchful and wary, she's now quiet and curious. Not that she can't run around or spook or be silly. She can but it's different then before. She greets me when I get home. As my car comes up the driveway she comes down by the fence. I get out of the car and say hello to her and she nods her head and watches me as I go into the house to change. 

The other evening I brought her out of her stall to give her a groom. She's shedding and was really enjoying the brushing. When I finished one side she gave a shake like after a roll. It was adorable. I then brushed out her mane and practiced braiding it. She has the idea with the ground tie to not move her feet but she figures that she can move her head around to check stuff out. But when I brought her back to centre so I could carry on with my braiding she just gave a sigh and humoured me. 

If I had to sum it up I would say that she's content. 

Me too. 

Meeting Expectations

I ended my last post by saying that I knew I was going to have a good ride.

About an hour after the 'parade' passed by Cynthia came we went to get the horses. Both watched us with ears pricked but waited for us to come to them rather than meet us part way. In the barn Carmen was a bit grouchy about me grooming her belly. It's quite sensitive but I do need to clean it with all the mud we have. She's getting used to it but did bring her head around once to say 'watch it'.

In the ring she started by looking for my guidance. This is  change from before where I had to insist on her attention, now it's on me if I lose it. I realized that I wouldn't need to do much ground work and I was right. I mounted after a few minutes of lunging.

Irish was feeling pretty good but was a bit stiff. It's harder for him to loosen up and he will start stiff and short strided. Carmen was flowing at the walk and I worked on changes of direction and then walk-halt-walk transitions. She was a bit sticky going up but nailed the halts. It made me think that I was being following enough with my seat. I asked for a trot and she moved out right away. No balking. We trotted down the long side. I didn't have to stay on the center circle and move out- we moved out right away. We did a little leg yielding and she was moving over nicely. Still leading too much with her shoulder but she has the idea and we will finesse it.

There were a couple places where she sucked back- the corners and the gate. I would ask with my legs and mostly she moved forward. A couple times she sucked back more and I gave her a little tap with my heels. Carmen broke into canter but since that was a good answer (forward) even if not the gait I wanted I let her canter for a few strides and then brought her back. Once she gave a start at some brush down by R but it really was just a quick half-step and then we carried on.

As I trotted down to the end of the ring that faces the road Carmen's head shot up. I saw that the parade they saw earlier was now making it's way back the way they had come. I gave a warning to Cynthia and then carried on but moved down the other side of the ring. I was very happy that Carmen turned her mind back to work right away and ignored the toy car, dogs and people making their way down the road. Irish was a bit more of a handful but Cynthia got him working through it.

The nice thing about it was it put a bit of a zing in her step. I started doing serpentines with her. Our switch of bend from right to left is to abrupt and I need to be better at the half-halts and cues. I asked her to do a free walk on a long rein across the diagonal and she did. It's good practice for our showing this year. As we approached the corner and she became tense I slowly gathered her back up. It's early for movement when we show but I wanted to build her confidence with it and you lose fewer points gathering your horse up early then you do if your horse spooks and takes off. While our free walk was not perfect by any means she didn't tug the reins loose from my hand and she stretched out nicely.

I began to ask for some light canter work. It felt a bit sluggish and she kept breaking. I thought that it was a balance and strength issue so didn't worry. We took a break and then returned to work. I started asking for walk-trot transitions but I wasn't getting them. It didn't feel like a lack of understanding, instead it felt like 'I'm tired and think we should just walk now'. I was using far too much leg so I asked Cynthia if I could borrow her whip. I don't usually carry one- partly because Carmen is seriously offended by a tap with a whip. As soon as I had it we had some very crisp walk-trot transitions and I didn't have to use it. Either she knew I had it (but she's not that experienced) or I was being more confident because I knew I had back up. Either way it worked. We did a few transitions and I let her walk out. She tried to snatch the reins out of my hand and I put my leg on and gave her a tap. She moved out nicely. I then went back to canter work. We picked it up at the centre circle and it was a bit laboured. As we rounded the circle Irish was coming up the long side and I felt her suck back. I put my leg on and she sucked back more so I gave her a tap with the whip. BAM. She kicked out, lost the lead behind, switched in front but was now on the wrong lead and became all discombobulated. I brought her back to trot and asked her to canter. And then we had a great flowing, FORWARD canter. I realized that my problems earlier weren't due to balance issues (not totally) but by a lack of forward impulsion. Now that we had that I could work with it. We cantered up the long side and it felt lovely. Now I had something to ask her to use her hind with. We cantered a bit more and then I sat up and stilled my seat. She immediately came back to trot, then walk. I patted her and let her walk out.

I was very happy with our work. Mostly because I was working on stuff. Cynthia and Irish walked beside us on the inside and we chatted as we let them walk out. As we walked by R Carmen gave a big spook and spun inside, scaring the crap out of Irish. I pulled her up with a one rein stop (it was only a few strides). She turned around to look back at what scared her. I couldn't see anything. I decided to stand there until she relaxed. Meanwhile Irish is losing it. Poor Cynthia, but she handled it well and got him working until her relaxed again. I did overhear her telling him that he was 'going senile'.  Carmen was a bit tense because of Irish but since she caused it to begin with I figured it was fair. I sat on her with two hands on the reins, keeping them short but relaxed. Finally she gave a breath and lowered her head. I then walked her forward a few steps and stopped when she tensed again. I suspect there was a 'critter' in the grass that startled her. When she relaxed again I hopped off and loosened her girth.

In the barn she stood quietly while I fussed with her and then I put her in her stall. Cynthia let them both out and Carmen stopped to greet her
Carmen: Hey, sorry about the excitement, I didn't mean to upset Irish. 


Not bad for a horse that was last ridden one week ago.

if you look closely you can just make out the halo