..........right out from under me. OUCH! Three displaced and sprained ribs. Ah, at least nothing is broken. I suppose I had it coming as it's been about 10 years since I hit the dirt.
Still not sure what happened. One second we were traveling to the right and the next I was facing the other way, hitting the dirt, thinking "don't step on me" as Blackie was flying backwards/sideways. Man, that was fast! The good thing, he didn't run away. He ran two laps around the arena and stopped by the barn door. I grabbed him, walked around a couple laps. Hopped back on and finished my ride. So now we know what he does when you fall off!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Finding our Schwung
So I think we're starting to get our Schwung back. Blackie really has felt better the last few rides. Better rythm, relaxation and regularity. We've had some great trot work. And since I'm not trying nearly so hard to get him going, I'm getting to focus even more on myself........which absolutely has to be helping him!!
I've been reviewing some reading lately for ideas. Went back through my Kyra K book ( which, by the way, her techniques and style are sooo similar to Janet's ) and that has given me some good food for thought. Also reread the DT article which featured Robert Dover's assistant trainer. The article was on creating throughness. Good article. And she made a point in there about the difference between creating a forward horse and a through horse. It was right on par. You can't have through without forward, but at some point you can't ask for only forward. Anyways, I took some tips there as well. It has been paying off. The last two rides I really felt like Blackie was forward and coming through.........which meant I had a trot to sit!! Of course, I can't sit it very long as I'm still not strong enough. But this was probably the first time EVER where I didn't feel like his trot was too hard to sit. Yeah!!!
I've also been reviewing some old lesson videos. Thank God for Videos!!!!! Really seeing some of my old problems and how I was instructed to correct them. Taking that back to the barn with me to make sure they are NOT happening again.
I do think however that Blackie is a one horse rider (with the exception of you Janet). The last week it's like he has really put his guard down with me. It's in the little things.....like brushing his face or touching his ears. If he's not being trusting, well, have fun with that. But he is being trusting. Being much more friendly. Heck, Monday I rode without lunging first and he hadn't been ridden in three days. He was HOT, but he also seemed like he had enough confidence in my to NOT go crazy. Oh gosh, maybe my boy is growing up :) (blushing)
- Walk/Trot and Trot/Canter Transitions
-Short Loop Serpentines
-Lots of Change of Direction
-Even Contact (especially NOT letting him hang on the left rein)
-Inside Leg to Outside Rein
-Focus - Not Letting Black Man Dink Around
-Heels Down Toes Up
-Shoulders Down
-Relaxed Ankles
-Position of the Lower Leg
-Making Sure I DON'T sit to the outside and lean to the inside
I've been reviewing some reading lately for ideas. Went back through my Kyra K book ( which, by the way, her techniques and style are sooo similar to Janet's ) and that has given me some good food for thought. Also reread the DT article which featured Robert Dover's assistant trainer. The article was on creating throughness. Good article. And she made a point in there about the difference between creating a forward horse and a through horse. It was right on par. You can't have through without forward, but at some point you can't ask for only forward. Anyways, I took some tips there as well. It has been paying off. The last two rides I really felt like Blackie was forward and coming through.........which meant I had a trot to sit!! Of course, I can't sit it very long as I'm still not strong enough. But this was probably the first time EVER where I didn't feel like his trot was too hard to sit. Yeah!!!
I've also been reviewing some old lesson videos. Thank God for Videos!!!!! Really seeing some of my old problems and how I was instructed to correct them. Taking that back to the barn with me to make sure they are NOT happening again.
I do think however that Blackie is a one horse rider (with the exception of you Janet). The last week it's like he has really put his guard down with me. It's in the little things.....like brushing his face or touching his ears. If he's not being trusting, well, have fun with that. But he is being trusting. Being much more friendly. Heck, Monday I rode without lunging first and he hadn't been ridden in three days. He was HOT, but he also seemed like he had enough confidence in my to NOT go crazy. Oh gosh, maybe my boy is growing up :) (blushing)
- Walk/Trot and Trot/Canter Transitions
-Short Loop Serpentines
-Lots of Change of Direction
-Even Contact (especially NOT letting him hang on the left rein)
-Inside Leg to Outside Rein
-Focus - Not Letting Black Man Dink Around
-Heels Down Toes Up
-Shoulders Down
-Relaxed Ankles
-Position of the Lower Leg
-Making Sure I DON'T sit to the outside and lean to the inside
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Another Good Ride
Blackie was quite nice tonight. A little jumpy, it's pretty cold and that always makes him feel fresh. We walked 10min in hand for warm up. Got on and he actually felt pretty good. Got some inspiration today from an article I read.
This is a piece from an article on Anky & Sjef. I don't like alot of what they do, but I can't agree with this more: "Timing is really important if you want to have a conversation with your horse, a lot of riders have terrible timing. If you can't time, you can't talk, if you react too late on something the horse is trying to tell you, the horse doesn't understand the answer any more. You have to be very quick, if he presents you with something, you have to give an immediate reaction, then he can understand. If you do the 'good' reaction but you do it two or three seconds too late, there is no connection any more, it is very important to get the timing right, so that you can talk with each other."
"Say you are standing still, and you want the horse to walk. If you watch a lot of riders, they put the leg on, but nothing happens for one or two seconds, so they actually teach the horse to be late to the aids. "
So I got on tonight with that in mind. I want FORWARD RIGHT NOW! And that is what I focused on, along with simply staying even between the aids.
-Even and balanced in the reins
-Not avoiding the left rein/outside rein
-Legs draped like a wet towel
-Toes Up
-Shoulders Down
-Lots of Give
I really wanted Blackie to KNOW that I was going to send him forward into soft/giving hands, but that I meant he really needed to go forward. It only took a few minutes for him to take the contact and stay with me. I kept telling myself " I will NOT drag you around the arena" - So he needed to go and I made sure to give where needed. All in all is was quite a nice ride.
This is a piece from an article on Anky & Sjef. I don't like alot of what they do, but I can't agree with this more: "Timing is really important if you want to have a conversation with your horse, a lot of riders have terrible timing. If you can't time, you can't talk, if you react too late on something the horse is trying to tell you, the horse doesn't understand the answer any more. You have to be very quick, if he presents you with something, you have to give an immediate reaction, then he can understand. If you do the 'good' reaction but you do it two or three seconds too late, there is no connection any more, it is very important to get the timing right, so that you can talk with each other."
"Say you are standing still, and you want the horse to walk. If you watch a lot of riders, they put the leg on, but nothing happens for one or two seconds, so they actually teach the horse to be late to the aids. "
So I got on tonight with that in mind. I want FORWARD RIGHT NOW! And that is what I focused on, along with simply staying even between the aids.
-Even and balanced in the reins
-Not avoiding the left rein/outside rein
-Legs draped like a wet towel
-Toes Up
-Shoulders Down
-Lots of Give
I really wanted Blackie to KNOW that I was going to send him forward into soft/giving hands, but that I meant he really needed to go forward. It only took a few minutes for him to take the contact and stay with me. I kept telling myself " I will NOT drag you around the arena" - So he needed to go and I made sure to give where needed. All in all is was quite a nice ride.
Cool Weather....Good Horse
Go Figure! It was way cooler last night and Blackie was much better. Hand walked for 10 min (this really works!). Earl had just worked the arena, so I could see his foot falls. Only two sets next to my two sets. His back print was stepping perfectly into his front print. I took this as him being relaxed!
Got on, cantered a few and then went to work. Big issue tonight was that connection on the left rein. He doesn't want to give to it. He's either avoiding and not connecting to it or wants to pull on it. So we did lots of counter bending as needed so help sustain the right connection. I was also trying to be conscious that I was using the right amount of inside leg to outside rein. Man, get that horse going forward and I forget how sensitive he can be. Note to self: don't use too much inside leg! So by the end of the ride he was willing to chew the reins out of my hand and stretch.
Worked on:
-figure eights for change of bend
-left rein contact
-forward, in front of the leg
-trot canter transistion (keeping the energy and connection good through both up and down transitions)
-toes pressed up for better leg position
-my shoulders down for better body position
Got on, cantered a few and then went to work. Big issue tonight was that connection on the left rein. He doesn't want to give to it. He's either avoiding and not connecting to it or wants to pull on it. So we did lots of counter bending as needed so help sustain the right connection. I was also trying to be conscious that I was using the right amount of inside leg to outside rein. Man, get that horse going forward and I forget how sensitive he can be. Note to self: don't use too much inside leg! So by the end of the ride he was willing to chew the reins out of my hand and stretch.
Worked on:
-figure eights for change of bend
-left rein contact
-forward, in front of the leg
-trot canter transistion (keeping the energy and connection good through both up and down transitions)
-toes pressed up for better leg position
-my shoulders down for better body position
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
3 Steps Forward, 2 Back???
The weather warmed up and Blackie was kinda lazy again (he seems to be sooo sensitive to the temp). This made it difficult to get him in front of the leg yesterday. That combined with me choosing to lunge him first. He'd had a couple days off and was acting kinda crazy in his stall and cross ties. And he was a bronc on the lunge. But 5 min into it was like he ran out of steam. So we mainly cantered during the ride. This really is the best way to get him forward and in front of the leg. He was pulling on me a bit too. Something he really hasn't ever done. In hindsight I think he needed some walk breaks to stretch. Since I am doing my gymnastic in/out of the gaits, I think this is more difficult for him. So I gotta try a few walk/stretch breaks.
Riding Welt's is getting better. Some of the good similarities between him and Blackie is that they both warm up best in the canter and they are both sensitive. But there are some real differences. W kinda needs to be pumped along with the spur. He's explosive by nature and lazy at the same time. So you've got to get him really forward to keep his attention. But getting him there is still proving to be a struggle. A good kick with the spur and he'll surge forward. But if you don't keep after him he looses all momentum. I'm not used to this. B has more of a cruise control. I get him in gear, at the pace I want him to go and he needs only minor infrequent reminders to stay there. W you could literally bump him with the spur every stride to keep him active. Laterally though, W is quite sensitive. Super easy to get haunches in, shoulder in, etc. So a great opportunity to fine tune those skills. That and the sitting trot. Good for strengthening. My stomach has actually hurt so much after my rides that I feel naseauted. I'm suppose to practice halt to trot with W. She wants him to being really "electric" in the transition. But since I can't get him as forward as he needs to be yet. I found it a bit easier to change pace within the gait. So collected canter to medium. This is easier for me. Walk to canter if obviously fairly easy too. It's that halt to trot that I can't get near enough energy to do right. Practice, practice, practice.
Riding Welt's is getting better. Some of the good similarities between him and Blackie is that they both warm up best in the canter and they are both sensitive. But there are some real differences. W kinda needs to be pumped along with the spur. He's explosive by nature and lazy at the same time. So you've got to get him really forward to keep his attention. But getting him there is still proving to be a struggle. A good kick with the spur and he'll surge forward. But if you don't keep after him he looses all momentum. I'm not used to this. B has more of a cruise control. I get him in gear, at the pace I want him to go and he needs only minor infrequent reminders to stay there. W you could literally bump him with the spur every stride to keep him active. Laterally though, W is quite sensitive. Super easy to get haunches in, shoulder in, etc. So a great opportunity to fine tune those skills. That and the sitting trot. Good for strengthening. My stomach has actually hurt so much after my rides that I feel naseauted. I'm suppose to practice halt to trot with W. She wants him to being really "electric" in the transition. But since I can't get him as forward as he needs to be yet. I found it a bit easier to change pace within the gait. So collected canter to medium. This is easier for me. Walk to canter if obviously fairly easy too. It's that halt to trot that I can't get near enough energy to do right. Practice, practice, practice.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Found My Spine....And My Horse
After 7 months off from riding I've been back in the saddle for about 10 weeks now. I have to say, when I first got back on Blackie he felt "broken". Nothing was like it had been before I had to stop riding. He was not forward, resisiting the leg, resisting going forward, stopping, kicking out at the whip, pulling on the bit and just plain tense, ugh. I thought I was going to cry.
I am a thinking and feeling rider - and I've been using both to get back on track.
Monday night I had finally "had it" with him. I've managed to get the stopping as a whole to stop. But as soon as he has to work a little too much (especially in bending lines to the left) it would rear it's ugly head. Not being forward is the real reason why. So that was it! He tried pulling the reins from me and stopping on Monday ........... and let's just say, I got my spine back! I let him have. Enough is enough. This was NOT rider error, this was horse bad attitude. So Tuesday was a small repeat of Monday. Tried to stop once. Both days though I still got him more forward.
But last night, FANTASTIC!!!! It was like having my old horse back! I hand walked for about 10min (new warm up) before getting on. I think the lunging for warmup has seen it's days. Getting on him straight cold doesn't work real well either. But this hand walking seems to be doing the trick. So I got on. He felt a bit tense. I trotted a couple circles. Trot did NOT feel good and was NOT forward. So, canter here we come. Canter, trot, canter, trot, canter, trot............finally he was ooh so alive. Felt hot, felt forward, felt just on the fence of explosive but still totally controllable - that my friend is the BEST!!! Now I could do something! Now I had a horse to ride! This is what I'm talking about.
What we worked on:
-going FORWARD
-quickness of canter departs
-figure 8's with a shallow bend (diagnol lines)
-staying on the outside rein
-lots of give on the inside rein
-trot lengthenings on the diagnol
-canter lengthenings on the rail
-all transitions
-leg yield at trot
-shoulder in at walk
I am a thinking and feeling rider - and I've been using both to get back on track.
Monday night I had finally "had it" with him. I've managed to get the stopping as a whole to stop. But as soon as he has to work a little too much (especially in bending lines to the left) it would rear it's ugly head. Not being forward is the real reason why. So that was it! He tried pulling the reins from me and stopping on Monday ........... and let's just say, I got my spine back! I let him have. Enough is enough. This was NOT rider error, this was horse bad attitude. So Tuesday was a small repeat of Monday. Tried to stop once. Both days though I still got him more forward.
But last night, FANTASTIC!!!! It was like having my old horse back! I hand walked for about 10min (new warm up) before getting on. I think the lunging for warmup has seen it's days. Getting on him straight cold doesn't work real well either. But this hand walking seems to be doing the trick. So I got on. He felt a bit tense. I trotted a couple circles. Trot did NOT feel good and was NOT forward. So, canter here we come. Canter, trot, canter, trot, canter, trot............finally he was ooh so alive. Felt hot, felt forward, felt just on the fence of explosive but still totally controllable - that my friend is the BEST!!! Now I could do something! Now I had a horse to ride! This is what I'm talking about.
What we worked on:
-going FORWARD
-quickness of canter departs
-figure 8's with a shallow bend (diagnol lines)
-staying on the outside rein
-lots of give on the inside rein
-trot lengthenings on the diagnol
-canter lengthenings on the rail
-all transitions
-leg yield at trot
-shoulder in at walk
Monday, October 8, 2007
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