No lessons today (Monday).
Not sure about tomorrow (Tuesday).
Looks like it may warm up enough by Wednesday to do some light lessons like last week.
May do some make up lessons on Friday if anyone is interested.
Karen
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Ok, it is very cold out. Sunny, but cold.
Elk Island Weather
I am teaching the 5:30 lesson, but that is likely it...it is supposed to cool down very quickly tonight.
If you want to ride at 5:30, let me know. I will offer make up lessons Tuesday at 6:30 if you would rather ride then.
Karen
Elk Island Weather
I am teaching the 5:30 lesson, but that is likely it...it is supposed to cool down very quickly tonight.
If you want to ride at 5:30, let me know. I will offer make up lessons Tuesday at 6:30 if you would rather ride then.
Karen
A catastrophy!
Yes, it is a bad pun, but forgive me. It was a stressful few hours.
It is supposed to get very cold out tonight (7:30 lessons are for sure cancelled, not sure about others), so when I saw Rolo out in the cold, I thought today might be a good day to bring him into the barn and put him in the blanket stall. I figured I could then take him to be neutered tomorrow to decrease his urges to wander.
So I put him in the stall where he hid behind blankets. I took him food and water and let him be. I then made the mistake of checking on him later. I could not see him anywhere, so I began tossing blankets aside...but he was in one of them. My searching did not sit well with him, so he ran to the back of the stall, climbed up the flower boxes leaning on the wall, jumped over the the blankets hanging up, climbed the blankets to be on top of the stall divider, then proceeded to walk along the back wall above Magnus's stall. I was amazed at his athletics.
But then his fear got the better of him, and he decided to hide...in the nice dark whole that was the wall. And down he went. About a 7 foot drop IN the wall. Fortunately there was insulation to cushion the fall...unfortunately he was too heavy to stay on top of the insulation, so trying to reach in from above was futile.
So now what? That wall is double lined, and would require taking the stall down to get at! Thankfully I called Rob, and he pointed out the obvious; go in from the other side.
So, Natalie, Sydney (who is here from Cold Lake) and I got some tools, and set to work. First we took of a sheet of plywood. This allowed us to pull out the insulation and find which space Rolo was in...but alas, he was still to far to reach. Natalie and I tried to think of a way to scoop him out, but we gave up, and it became apparent more of the wall had to come down.
Rob however did not build those walls to come down easily! Many removed screws and bent hoof picks later and we were able to pry the board enough so I could reach in to get Rolo...but wow, was he wedged! It took some ungraceful maneuvering, but at last (about 80 minutes later), Rolo was free from the wall...and quickly stuffed into a cat carrier.
I didn't want to risk putting him back in the stall, nor could I put him outside lest he is suffering from shock...and locking him in a small space after being locked in the wall seemed cruel...so I now have a feral cat roaming the house.
He thinks windows are escape routes, and flowery curtains are for climbing. Fortunately the flowery curtains are old and unattractive, so not a huge loss.
I think he is hiding in the living room now with Kit Kat keeping watch.
When I have to head back out to feed I will need to lock him in our basement bathroom or something.
At least the poor traumatized kitty won't have to be cold tonight...
Must make a note to pick up some new hoof picks though...the ones I have are all bent now!
Karen
It is supposed to get very cold out tonight (7:30 lessons are for sure cancelled, not sure about others), so when I saw Rolo out in the cold, I thought today might be a good day to bring him into the barn and put him in the blanket stall. I figured I could then take him to be neutered tomorrow to decrease his urges to wander.
So I put him in the stall where he hid behind blankets. I took him food and water and let him be. I then made the mistake of checking on him later. I could not see him anywhere, so I began tossing blankets aside...but he was in one of them. My searching did not sit well with him, so he ran to the back of the stall, climbed up the flower boxes leaning on the wall, jumped over the the blankets hanging up, climbed the blankets to be on top of the stall divider, then proceeded to walk along the back wall above Magnus's stall. I was amazed at his athletics.
But then his fear got the better of him, and he decided to hide...in the nice dark whole that was the wall. And down he went. About a 7 foot drop IN the wall. Fortunately there was insulation to cushion the fall...unfortunately he was too heavy to stay on top of the insulation, so trying to reach in from above was futile.
So now what? That wall is double lined, and would require taking the stall down to get at! Thankfully I called Rob, and he pointed out the obvious; go in from the other side.
So, Natalie, Sydney (who is here from Cold Lake) and I got some tools, and set to work. First we took of a sheet of plywood. This allowed us to pull out the insulation and find which space Rolo was in...but alas, he was still to far to reach. Natalie and I tried to think of a way to scoop him out, but we gave up, and it became apparent more of the wall had to come down.
Rob however did not build those walls to come down easily! Many removed screws and bent hoof picks later and we were able to pry the board enough so I could reach in to get Rolo...but wow, was he wedged! It took some ungraceful maneuvering, but at last (about 80 minutes later), Rolo was free from the wall...and quickly stuffed into a cat carrier.
I didn't want to risk putting him back in the stall, nor could I put him outside lest he is suffering from shock...and locking him in a small space after being locked in the wall seemed cruel...so I now have a feral cat roaming the house.
He thinks windows are escape routes, and flowery curtains are for climbing. Fortunately the flowery curtains are old and unattractive, so not a huge loss.
I think he is hiding in the living room now with Kit Kat keeping watch.
When I have to head back out to feed I will need to lock him in our basement bathroom or something.
At least the poor traumatized kitty won't have to be cold tonight...
Must make a note to pick up some new hoof picks though...the ones I have are all bent now!
Karen
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Weather
It is cold once again, but I am hopeful the wind chill/temperature drop holds off long enough so I can teach tonight. Call or text me if you aren't planning to come for lessons.
Tomorrow on the other hand is expected to be brutally cold. May still teach the earlier lessons (5:30 and 6:30), but likely NOT the 7:30 lesson. If you are in the 7:30 lesson, and still want to ride tomorrow, please let me know and rebook for an earlier time.
Karen
Tomorrow on the other hand is expected to be brutally cold. May still teach the earlier lessons (5:30 and 6:30), but likely NOT the 7:30 lesson. If you are in the 7:30 lesson, and still want to ride tomorrow, please let me know and rebook for an earlier time.
Karen
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The cat came back?
Rolo (the stray cat) returned in the night! My first clue was little kitty prints in the snow outside the door. My second clue was the very vocal meows as a passed the hay shed...Rolo was back and was hungry!
Not sure where he was, but it apparently didn't offer the same plentiful cat food that we do, as he lost a lot of weight.
Poor little cold kitty. I am glad he wasn't eaten by the fox.
Karen
Not sure where he was, but it apparently didn't offer the same plentiful cat food that we do, as he lost a lot of weight.
Poor little cold kitty. I am glad he wasn't eaten by the fox.
Karen
Sunday, February 20, 2011
This week in lessons
This week in dressage lessons we will be moving on to EC Training Level test 3.
It is very similar (if not the same) as the previous Training level test 4, with the loops from corner to x and back to corner. We worked on that loop at bit at free walk, so now we will work on it at trot. This loop is leading up to the canter loop in First level test 3 that introduces counter canter.
I like the loop as it is a good exercise to work on change of bend, so we will also be focusing a little on bend, and changing bend, with more on this next week when I see what the issues are this week!
This week in jumping will be working to correct the issues that I caught on camera over the last two weeks. Stirrups will be tied to girths again this week, and we will be doing a LOT in two point, including transition exercises similar to last week. We will also be jumping a simple line of three jumps, maintaining the two point throughout and learning to balance/adjust our horses in two point. Neck straps may be involved...I am not 100% decided if we will do that this week or wait until next week....
Karen
It is very similar (if not the same) as the previous Training level test 4, with the loops from corner to x and back to corner. We worked on that loop at bit at free walk, so now we will work on it at trot. This loop is leading up to the canter loop in First level test 3 that introduces counter canter.
I like the loop as it is a good exercise to work on change of bend, so we will also be focusing a little on bend, and changing bend, with more on this next week when I see what the issues are this week!
This week in jumping will be working to correct the issues that I caught on camera over the last two weeks. Stirrups will be tied to girths again this week, and we will be doing a LOT in two point, including transition exercises similar to last week. We will also be jumping a simple line of three jumps, maintaining the two point throughout and learning to balance/adjust our horses in two point. Neck straps may be involved...I am not 100% decided if we will do that this week or wait until next week....
Karen
Hillside Is Hiring!
We have an opening for a barn cat (or cats). I had hoped Rolo would fit that roll, as he had become quite tame and bossy, but alas, he vanished during the last warm spell. Hoping he wandered off in search of a girl friend and found some other suckers to feed him, but also worried he mistook the fox for Ginger.
I contacted NASAP, but they won't adopt to anything other than an indoor environment. The SPCA has their barn cat program, but those are cats that are unsuitable to being indoor cats due to poor litter box habits...do I really want a cat that sprays in the barn?
Milo and Henry will be hard cats to follow, but hopefully we can find someone suitable before the word spreads to all the mice that we have a catless barn!
Karen
I contacted NASAP, but they won't adopt to anything other than an indoor environment. The SPCA has their barn cat program, but those are cats that are unsuitable to being indoor cats due to poor litter box habits...do I really want a cat that sprays in the barn?
Milo and Henry will be hard cats to follow, but hopefully we can find someone suitable before the word spreads to all the mice that we have a catless barn!
Karen
Friday, February 18, 2011
Funny for the over 18 crowd...
http://damnyouautocorrect.com/
Who am I kidding, this is funny for anyone, I just feel morally responsible to limit the reading to over 18 year olds to preserve the innocence of today's youth....
Who am I kidding, this is funny for anyone, I just feel morally responsible to limit the reading to over 18 year olds to preserve the innocence of today's youth....
Kijiji has some gems today:
Horse board, with a "riding rink" available in the spring.
Pony filly for sale that is expected to mature to "5-6 feet tall" (that is 15-18 hands tall....)
There is also the "Homesagis" stallion with a $350 stud fee.
Then there is the 10 month old that is "STILL GROWING!" Amazing....
Good old kijiji.
Horse board, with a "riding rink" available in the spring.
Pony filly for sale that is expected to mature to "5-6 feet tall" (that is 15-18 hands tall....)
There is also the "Homesagis" stallion with a $350 stud fee.
Then there is the 10 month old that is "STILL GROWING!" Amazing....
Good old kijiji.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Don't let the bright sunshine reflecting off of pristine white snow convince you otherwise; it is frickin cold out today.
I am still teaching lessons if you want to come out, but we will be taking it very easy on the horses so they do not get overly warm and sweaty.
Looks like this nasty weather is going to encroach on the weekend too...that is not fair.
Karen
I am still teaching lessons if you want to come out, but we will be taking it very easy on the horses so they do not get overly warm and sweaty.
Looks like this nasty weather is going to encroach on the weekend too...that is not fair.
Karen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
I am in the process of reading Micheal Schaffer's new book "Riding in the Moment". It is my first ebook, and although I do like real books and paper, it is kind of neat to have a video in the middle of the book to further explain processes and expected results!
I like to read horse training and riding books, as sometimes hearing something in a new way, or put forth from a different angle can be illuminating. In one of Schaffer's chapters, he refers to two types of horse commands; mechanical and cognitive. Mechanical aids are basically those that are obvious to the horse, and exert some form of force that will cause the desired outcome. An example of this is pulling the left rein back and out to get the horse to turn its head to the left.
Mechanical aids are what most riders learn to ride with at first, and are what most horse's learn to be ridden with at first.
He then talks about Cognitive aids; these are the aids that we teach the horse how to respond to. An example of a cognitive aid would be halting with seat and leg, and a softened arm. There is nothing really intuitive about this aid, it is something the horse (and rider) must be taught.
Reading these two types of aids broken down and defined like this was illuminating, despite being somewhat obvious once I thought about it.
Let's go back in time to yesterday. I was showing an owner some ground work moves they could do with their horse. We started with a basic; getting the horse to walk beside their shoulder. This is a simple cognitive aid. The mechanical version would be leading the horse behind us. In order to teach the horse to walk beside the shoulder, the handler had to be ready to send the horse forward with a flick of the dressage whip so that the horse had a clear understanding of expectation.
The owner next did some simple figures leading in this manner, and some stops. Horse picked up on the exercises quickly, as the owner was consistent and observant.
Next we moved on to teaching the horse to do a turn on the forehand from the ground. This involves 3 steps; tip horse's nose left, stand at shoulder to block shoulder, and tap hock to engage horse behind. Horse has no reason to know off the bat that these three cues = turn on the forehand, so horse at first walked forward. No big deal. Tell horse to stop, and try again. Once horse attempted the exercises at all correctly, she got a lot of praise and a short break. This is how we teach cognitive aids, with then blend together to form patterns from which we can do complicated things!
But it was the next thing that happened that interested me; horse started to do a turn on the forehand when I did only steps one and two. She no longer waited until step three. Owner was right in her assessment that horse was smart and getting ahead of herself, and I think we often let our horses do this; they recognize a pattern, and start to get ahead of our actually asking. The problem is, this can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration down the road.
So in my example, if horse assumed that tip nose left, and blocked shoulder means turn on the forehand, how on earth will we teach her how to do a shoulder in? She is going to feel the ask for inside bend, the inside leg go on...and then throw her bum out, as that is what she was allowed, and therefore taught to do!
Rather, we have to make sure the horse waits for all the applicable steps; not by punishing, but by stopping horse, and trying again, and only praising when all the correct aids are given.
Karen
I like to read horse training and riding books, as sometimes hearing something in a new way, or put forth from a different angle can be illuminating. In one of Schaffer's chapters, he refers to two types of horse commands; mechanical and cognitive. Mechanical aids are basically those that are obvious to the horse, and exert some form of force that will cause the desired outcome. An example of this is pulling the left rein back and out to get the horse to turn its head to the left.
Mechanical aids are what most riders learn to ride with at first, and are what most horse's learn to be ridden with at first.
He then talks about Cognitive aids; these are the aids that we teach the horse how to respond to. An example of a cognitive aid would be halting with seat and leg, and a softened arm. There is nothing really intuitive about this aid, it is something the horse (and rider) must be taught.
Reading these two types of aids broken down and defined like this was illuminating, despite being somewhat obvious once I thought about it.
Let's go back in time to yesterday. I was showing an owner some ground work moves they could do with their horse. We started with a basic; getting the horse to walk beside their shoulder. This is a simple cognitive aid. The mechanical version would be leading the horse behind us. In order to teach the horse to walk beside the shoulder, the handler had to be ready to send the horse forward with a flick of the dressage whip so that the horse had a clear understanding of expectation.
The owner next did some simple figures leading in this manner, and some stops. Horse picked up on the exercises quickly, as the owner was consistent and observant.
Next we moved on to teaching the horse to do a turn on the forehand from the ground. This involves 3 steps; tip horse's nose left, stand at shoulder to block shoulder, and tap hock to engage horse behind. Horse has no reason to know off the bat that these three cues = turn on the forehand, so horse at first walked forward. No big deal. Tell horse to stop, and try again. Once horse attempted the exercises at all correctly, she got a lot of praise and a short break. This is how we teach cognitive aids, with then blend together to form patterns from which we can do complicated things!
But it was the next thing that happened that interested me; horse started to do a turn on the forehand when I did only steps one and two. She no longer waited until step three. Owner was right in her assessment that horse was smart and getting ahead of herself, and I think we often let our horses do this; they recognize a pattern, and start to get ahead of our actually asking. The problem is, this can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration down the road.
So in my example, if horse assumed that tip nose left, and blocked shoulder means turn on the forehand, how on earth will we teach her how to do a shoulder in? She is going to feel the ask for inside bend, the inside leg go on...and then throw her bum out, as that is what she was allowed, and therefore taught to do!
Rather, we have to make sure the horse waits for all the applicable steps; not by punishing, but by stopping horse, and trying again, and only praising when all the correct aids are given.
Karen
This week in lessons
This week in lessons; for flat work and dressage work we are going to take a break from learning tests, and work a lot on transitions and having high expectations of our horses and their response time. If we cannot get our horse to respond in a timely manner, we are going to look at why by going back to basics. Some of the horses (and riders) have been getting lazy about transitions and expectations, and this muddles up the horse's training as they are no longer clear on what is expected of them. For some riders, this may even mean going back to ground work!
For jumping, we are going to again do some video, this time with the rider's stirrups tied to the girths as we didn't get around to that last week. it will then be interesting to compare week 1 and week 2 positions. More work on lead changes too, as some of the trickier horses are really coming around!
Karen
For jumping, we are going to again do some video, this time with the rider's stirrups tied to the girths as we didn't get around to that last week. it will then be interesting to compare week 1 and week 2 positions. More work on lead changes too, as some of the trickier horses are really coming around!
Karen
Friday, February 11, 2011
Some good things
Had some good things happen this week; all the horses have been dewormed; Coregel gets to spend her days back out with her sister and the pinto girls; Percy and Java both figured out how to do lead changes BOTH ways, and my photos of Brie finally came!
And...it finally looks like a decent weather weekend for those of you who are stuck working all week and who have had to suffer through the nice weekdays followed by icky weekends!
Enjoy the weather! You know it won't last long....
Karen
And...it finally looks like a decent weather weekend for those of you who are stuck working all week and who have had to suffer through the nice weekdays followed by icky weekends!
Enjoy the weather! You know it won't last long....
Karen
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Mental Aspect of riding
Riding is a sport that is both physically demanding and mentally demanding. On the mental side, it requires us to trust another being that we can't communicate clearly with, and that is very large. We also have to set aside our own way of thinking, and communicate and react in a way that makes sense to the horse.
A quote was recently shared with me that I really appreciated: "In order to get the most out of a horse, you need to put aside all negativity -- about the horse, about yourself, and about anyone who previously handled the horse" Bill Dorrance.
I am sure we have all had bad days at work or at school, which seem to follow us to other aspects of our lives. Those bad feelings will creep into the riding, and set a negative tone, where you will be harder on your horse, harder on yourself, and less receptive to learning. At some time or another you may have been asked to ride a horse that you have seen be naughty previously, and so get on with apprehension even though the horse hasn't done anything bad with you.
This isn't just about being positive when you first get on either, but it is also means retaining a positive outlook as the ride goes along. You have to continually hit the reset button on your attitude towards your horse and yourself.
An example would be yesterday. A certain horse was being spooky and fresh on the flat. Once she got some energy out she was being much better behaved and so we started jumping. The rider wasn't able to ride the moment though, and was still riding the spooky/fresh horse she first got on, so ended up clutching the reins a bit too much, and not allowing the horse to jump as it expected. As a result the horse felt trapped and pinned in an uncomfortable position, and so the horse got a little grouchy on the land and was a bit naughty. The horse was fulfilling the expectation of naughtiness. When the rider was able to set aside her nerves and trust the horse enough to let her canter down to the jump with confidence and some freedom, the horse jumped as per usual and the two were fine.
I don't mean by this that you should toss the reins away on a horse that is having an excitable day as that could be dangerous. You should still ride a little defensively in your position, and perhaps grab mane just in case, but the horse should be given the benefit of the doubt with respect to how much you hold them back or chastise them. Holding a nervous horse too much will just reinforce their nervousness!
Same thing if you do have a horse that is perpetually hot/forward. Sometimes people who ride hot horses get in the habit of always telling them to slow down, slow down, slow down, and make the horse crawl around at a useless pace, frustrating the both of them. I think this is done as the rider feels that if they stay at 10 km per hour, then if the horse rushes a bit, they will only increase to 15km per hour and they will be ok. From the horse's prospective though, it likely feels trapped at 10 km per hour, and feels it has to argue/fight the restraint and then does bully the rider and panic when aimed at a jump. The rider in this case needs to go to the jump at course pace, and correct the increase in speed if/when it happens, not go slow so the rates in speed when the horse runs off averages out to a decent speed. As well in this case, the rider has gotten so used to the 10 km per hour speed, that 15 km per hour feels crazy fast!
In general, you just do what is right, and correct what is wrong. You don't ride the opposite side of wrong hoping you and the horse meet in the middle.
.
But this takes trust in your horse, and trust in your ability. You need to reset the positive feeling after each and every trouble spot. Ride smart and perhaps ride defensively, but don't punish a horse for something it may be about to do but hasn't yet, and don't let past issues override feeling and reacting to what is actually happening in the present.
Get rid of the negativity.
Karen
A quote was recently shared with me that I really appreciated: "In order to get the most out of a horse, you need to put aside all negativity -- about the horse, about yourself, and about anyone who previously handled the horse" Bill Dorrance.
I am sure we have all had bad days at work or at school, which seem to follow us to other aspects of our lives. Those bad feelings will creep into the riding, and set a negative tone, where you will be harder on your horse, harder on yourself, and less receptive to learning. At some time or another you may have been asked to ride a horse that you have seen be naughty previously, and so get on with apprehension even though the horse hasn't done anything bad with you.
This isn't just about being positive when you first get on either, but it is also means retaining a positive outlook as the ride goes along. You have to continually hit the reset button on your attitude towards your horse and yourself.
An example would be yesterday. A certain horse was being spooky and fresh on the flat. Once she got some energy out she was being much better behaved and so we started jumping. The rider wasn't able to ride the moment though, and was still riding the spooky/fresh horse she first got on, so ended up clutching the reins a bit too much, and not allowing the horse to jump as it expected. As a result the horse felt trapped and pinned in an uncomfortable position, and so the horse got a little grouchy on the land and was a bit naughty. The horse was fulfilling the expectation of naughtiness. When the rider was able to set aside her nerves and trust the horse enough to let her canter down to the jump with confidence and some freedom, the horse jumped as per usual and the two were fine.
I don't mean by this that you should toss the reins away on a horse that is having an excitable day as that could be dangerous. You should still ride a little defensively in your position, and perhaps grab mane just in case, but the horse should be given the benefit of the doubt with respect to how much you hold them back or chastise them. Holding a nervous horse too much will just reinforce their nervousness!
Same thing if you do have a horse that is perpetually hot/forward. Sometimes people who ride hot horses get in the habit of always telling them to slow down, slow down, slow down, and make the horse crawl around at a useless pace, frustrating the both of them. I think this is done as the rider feels that if they stay at 10 km per hour, then if the horse rushes a bit, they will only increase to 15km per hour and they will be ok. From the horse's prospective though, it likely feels trapped at 10 km per hour, and feels it has to argue/fight the restraint and then does bully the rider and panic when aimed at a jump. The rider in this case needs to go to the jump at course pace, and correct the increase in speed if/when it happens, not go slow so the rates in speed when the horse runs off averages out to a decent speed. As well in this case, the rider has gotten so used to the 10 km per hour speed, that 15 km per hour feels crazy fast!
In general, you just do what is right, and correct what is wrong. You don't ride the opposite side of wrong hoping you and the horse meet in the middle.
.
But this takes trust in your horse, and trust in your ability. You need to reset the positive feeling after each and every trouble spot. Ride smart and perhaps ride defensively, but don't punish a horse for something it may be about to do but hasn't yet, and don't let past issues override feeling and reacting to what is actually happening in the present.
Get rid of the negativity.
Karen
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Jumping lessons
Laureen mentioned this link to me last week, and given this weeks lesson plan, I thought it was timely:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUsJpLejrf4
Once I get some video clips to analyse, I will also be posting a document for you to read to help you better understand my analysis of your riding and why it is an issue, as well as the potential cause.
Karen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUsJpLejrf4
Once I get some video clips to analyse, I will also be posting a document for you to read to help you better understand my analysis of your riding and why it is an issue, as well as the potential cause.
Karen
Monday, February 7, 2011
This week in lessons; jumping
In jumping this week we are going to work on upper body balance. I will be posting more information on this on the blog and in the barn so that riders can understand a little more about what I am talking about!
For the lesson, we will have some jumping exercises set up, that I will then video tape. Then, I will tie stirrups to the girth, and again video tape. Later in the week I will analyse the videos to identify jumping position errors, and compare the jumps with legs loose, vs stirrups tied as many upper body issues stem from leg issues.
Riders can either view the video via private YouTube link, or can provide me with a CD or data stick to copy the video onto. In the following weeks we will work on exercises to correct the base issues. From there we will work on positions that help with different scenarios; spooking fences, spread jumps, tight turns and so on.
We will also have the ring set up to again work on lead changes in the corners. I think this is also helping riders sit up and balance for the corners!
Karen
For the lesson, we will have some jumping exercises set up, that I will then video tape. Then, I will tie stirrups to the girth, and again video tape. Later in the week I will analyse the videos to identify jumping position errors, and compare the jumps with legs loose, vs stirrups tied as many upper body issues stem from leg issues.
Riders can either view the video via private YouTube link, or can provide me with a CD or data stick to copy the video onto. In the following weeks we will work on exercises to correct the base issues. From there we will work on positions that help with different scenarios; spooking fences, spread jumps, tight turns and so on.
We will also have the ring set up to again work on lead changes in the corners. I think this is also helping riders sit up and balance for the corners!
Karen
The week in lessons; Dressage
This week in dressage lessons we are going to run through Training Level test 2 or Walk Trot test 2.
The training level test has changed very little from last year, just the addition of the stretchy circle.
Walk trot test 2 is the same as last year.
Diagram of walk/trot test 2
The training level test has changed very little from last year, just the addition of the stretchy circle.
Walk trot test 2 is the same as last year.
Diagram of walk/trot test 2
Both tests have the free walk with a bend in the middle. This is not easy to do if you plan for it. The mistake most people make is to not turn enough out of the corner. Let's say the free walk is from FXM. What is common, is for the rider to just turn at F as though heading across the long diagonal to H, the problem with this though, is that you want the turn at X to be smooth, with a moment when you are looking at the judge at C. You are also on long/loose rein, with a long stretchy walk, so your turning radius will be larger than you may expect.
The best way to approach this element, is to turn and aim at between E and H, while keeping C in your peripheral vision. Once you approach the center line, look to C, then look to the right of M. By aiming for the right of M, you are compensating for the horse's natural drift to center, and for the fact the horse's head and neck need room to turn (remember you want your shoulder to reach M). You then shorten your reins as you ask for the bend at M. I find it easiest to shorten the inside rein first to get the bend/lateral tuck, and then take up the slack in the outside rein.
The other element to work on is the transitions on the short side; all too often the rider will work to get the horse into the first corner, but neglect to use enough outside leg to keep the horse's hind end in line and engaged. The horse ends up falling out through the hind quarters and bouncing off the end of the ring. At this same moment the rider is trying to do their transition, which further throws the horse of balance resulting in a cut of second corner.
When riding the transition on the short side, you need to remember a few things;
1) The long and faster the stride you have, the less deep you will want to go into the corners. So if you are on a well balanced and collected horse, your corners may be 6 meter quarter circles at all gaits, if you are on a less balanced/strung out horse, then your corners may be 6 meter quarter circles at walk, 10 meter quarter circles at trot, and 15 meter quarter circles at canter. Find out what your horse is able to do, then plan for it. In the training level 2 test, where your canter transition is in the second corner of the long side, this may mean you have to plan to do a more gentle corner than your first corner which was at trot. If you try to go too deep into the second corner and do the transition, your horse may loose its balance and its forward.
2) You have to remember to BALANCE for turns. All turns, even at the walk. Your horse needs to increase the engagement of its hind end to prepare to turn in a balanced manner. If you do not balance before the turns, your horse will brace and balance on its front end. A horse on its front end is hard to transition upwards!
3) Outside leg. Complete the turn with your outside leg so your horse is sent forward and straight into the short side. Keeping the bum slightly in for an extra stride will help prevent the horse "bouncing' off the short stride and falling in for the second corner.
Karen
Friday, February 4, 2011
Back in the saddle again!
It is good to be back riding! Was able to ride three horses today, with just one major neck twinge (not surprisingly it was on jack hammer Tango...) and it feels good to be back in the saddle. Interestingly it was Mother Nature that helped with my recovery; on Monday I had a little slip on the snow/ice and it resulted in just the right tweaking to cause a loud POP in my neck...and suddenly I could look up again! More than just gaining movement it also cleared much of the fog that had settled in my noggin. The "cure" reminded me of the Simpson's episode where Homer hurts his back and fixes it by falling backwards over a dented metal garbage can. He was able to market the can...not sure I can market ice.
Still not jumping yet, as I am worried that a good pop over the jump might knock me back out of it, but with time I am sure I will be back to 100%.
Meanwhile I am trying to start Coregel under saddle without my typical routine of lunging. The vet wants me to get her going so as to help her ankle scar down securely and properly, but at the same time I should not do too much lunging which may strain the area...so to get her used to voice commands and the feel of the tack I am doing in hand work...which is me leading her around with her tack on (she looks so grown up in her dressage saddle, white pad and dressage bridle!). Apparently I am very unfit though; two laps around the indoor and I feel faint! Apparently it has been too long since I last had to chase Rocket around with a beginner. Rocket has been good for my fitness...always looking after me that one.
Note to boarders: we are deworming next week; cost to deworm with Exodus is $8.00 for inside horses, and $10.00 for outside boarders. Please call, email or sign up on the white board if you wish for me to deworm your horse!
Karen
Still not jumping yet, as I am worried that a good pop over the jump might knock me back out of it, but with time I am sure I will be back to 100%.
Meanwhile I am trying to start Coregel under saddle without my typical routine of lunging. The vet wants me to get her going so as to help her ankle scar down securely and properly, but at the same time I should not do too much lunging which may strain the area...so to get her used to voice commands and the feel of the tack I am doing in hand work...which is me leading her around with her tack on (she looks so grown up in her dressage saddle, white pad and dressage bridle!). Apparently I am very unfit though; two laps around the indoor and I feel faint! Apparently it has been too long since I last had to chase Rocket around with a beginner. Rocket has been good for my fitness...always looking after me that one.
Note to boarders: we are deworming next week; cost to deworm with Exodus is $8.00 for inside horses, and $10.00 for outside boarders. Please call, email or sign up on the white board if you wish for me to deworm your horse!
Karen
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ground Hogs Day
Today is the day we look to a large rodent to tell is if we are going to have an early spring. What a silly notion. Today is partially cloudy, so I am guessing some will see their shadows, and some will not. How often do all the little rodents actually agree?
In Sherwood Park they don't even have a Ground Hog...they have a bunny. Yes, a bunny. Not sure how that works.
But it doesn't matter, the horses have already told me to prepare for a long winter. How? By waiting until January to start shedding....normally the indoor horses start to shed their mid winter coat in December, but this year they waited an extra 2-4 weeks....so hang in their folks, it is going to be a while yet until spring is here!
Now lets see if bunny and ground hogs agree with the equines...
Karen
In Sherwood Park they don't even have a Ground Hog...they have a bunny. Yes, a bunny. Not sure how that works.
But it doesn't matter, the horses have already told me to prepare for a long winter. How? By waiting until January to start shedding....normally the indoor horses start to shed their mid winter coat in December, but this year they waited an extra 2-4 weeks....so hang in their folks, it is going to be a while yet until spring is here!
Now lets see if bunny and ground hogs agree with the equines...
Karen
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