Board is DUE!
Horse & Rider Tack shop has their Grand Opening on Saturday: details in the barn. They are located behind Earls on Wye in Sherwood Park.
There are some shows we will be going to in June towards the end of the month. Please talk to me if you are interested in attending these shows. Details in barn.
Please bring your own (human) bug spray if you think we will be riding outside. I do have some in the barn in case you forget, but prefer you bring your own. Hillside has spray for the Hillside Owned horses, but owners must provide their own fly spray for their own horses. We spend WAY too much on bug spray last year!
Karen
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
lessons this week
I spent some of Sunday scribing at the Amberlea Meadows Dressage show. Scribing is a good way to learn from someone who gets to see so many dressage tests ridden and so gains to much insight. Getting to see a variety of horses, and all quite well ridden, was motivational and inspirational.
A key element that was mentioned, and that I know certain Hillside horses need to work on, is IMPULSION. The desire to move forward and push from behind. This increase in push, doesn't mean an increase in speed, but it does mean an increase in power. It means the rider can't be LAZY, and must push the horse into a waiting outside rein, while maintaining suppleness with the inside rein and active inside leg. The rider should feel (and the horse should appear) as if going slightly up hill.
We will likely be jumping indoors again this week, as copious rain is forecast, but we will be working on a basic hunter course again, and I am hoping that riders will show me correct approaches to the diagonal singles and lines.
We will also working a bit on hand position.
Hands should hold the reins as if holding a baby bird: with purpose but without tension. Reins should be held as though valuable, and as if not wanting to be dropped. The thumb should hold the reins from slipping, but the fingers should be folded such that only the back of the hand, and not the knuckles of the fingers are visible.
The wrist should be held straight, with the thumb flat along the forearm. If your hand is in the correct position, the little hand bones should not be visible along the back of your hand! If you can see the bones poking out the back of your hand, your hand has tension that the horse will be able to feel, and you will have issue getting the horse to relax and give to your hand!
Karen
A key element that was mentioned, and that I know certain Hillside horses need to work on, is IMPULSION. The desire to move forward and push from behind. This increase in push, doesn't mean an increase in speed, but it does mean an increase in power. It means the rider can't be LAZY, and must push the horse into a waiting outside rein, while maintaining suppleness with the inside rein and active inside leg. The rider should feel (and the horse should appear) as if going slightly up hill.
We will likely be jumping indoors again this week, as copious rain is forecast, but we will be working on a basic hunter course again, and I am hoping that riders will show me correct approaches to the diagonal singles and lines.
We will also working a bit on hand position.
Hands should hold the reins as if holding a baby bird: with purpose but without tension. Reins should be held as though valuable, and as if not wanting to be dropped. The thumb should hold the reins from slipping, but the fingers should be folded such that only the back of the hand, and not the knuckles of the fingers are visible.
The wrist should be held straight, with the thumb flat along the forearm. If your hand is in the correct position, the little hand bones should not be visible along the back of your hand! If you can see the bones poking out the back of your hand, your hand has tension that the horse will be able to feel, and you will have issue getting the horse to relax and give to your hand!
Karen
Monday, May 20, 2013
This week in lessons
This week in lessons we will be focused on avoiding mosquitos!
I really want to be able to jump outside, but making the horses stand around between rounds seems unfair given the insane amount of insects.
We CAN warm-up outside for the lessons that want to, but we will again come in to jump.
Lessons will include some spookier jumps and some inside turns. We will work on seeing how short we can make the turn, while still keeping the turn wide enough so that the horse has time to see and adjust for the fence.
We are also going to work on using our eyes in the AIR, not just on the land. This seems to be an issue for a few riders, and looking while in the air can really aid with landing the leads and making turns.
Karen
I really want to be able to jump outside, but making the horses stand around between rounds seems unfair given the insane amount of insects.
We CAN warm-up outside for the lessons that want to, but we will again come in to jump.
Lessons will include some spookier jumps and some inside turns. We will work on seeing how short we can make the turn, while still keeping the turn wide enough so that the horse has time to see and adjust for the fence.
We are also going to work on using our eyes in the AIR, not just on the land. This seems to be an issue for a few riders, and looking while in the air can really aid with landing the leads and making turns.
Karen
Monday, May 13, 2013
This week in lessons...
This week in jumping lessons:
If it is nice out, we will try jumping outside! I think what we will do is hack and do some warm up jumps outside, and then come in to do a course. The course will be a timed "make your own course" jumper challenge! People that were able to do last week's challenge successfully will get a second taken off their time....and there will be a prize for the top three.
For the hack portion (if outside) we will be doing trot and canter poles to help keep the horses in a steady rhythm, and to maintain that stead rhythm through turns and such.
For the dressage we will also be working on this. If outside, we will be doing leg yield - trot poles - leg yield, to keep the horses thinking forward even through the laterals, and may also incorporate some shoulder fore to get the horses really using their hind ends.
it is important as we start to ride outside again, that you remember that in a bigger space your horse can be going much more forward without feeling like it is, so you have to be able to monitor and moderate your horse. Transitions, circles and serpentines are good for this!
I can't wait to be outside again!
Karen
If it is nice out, we will try jumping outside! I think what we will do is hack and do some warm up jumps outside, and then come in to do a course. The course will be a timed "make your own course" jumper challenge! People that were able to do last week's challenge successfully will get a second taken off their time....and there will be a prize for the top three.
For the hack portion (if outside) we will be doing trot and canter poles to help keep the horses in a steady rhythm, and to maintain that stead rhythm through turns and such.
For the dressage we will also be working on this. If outside, we will be doing leg yield - trot poles - leg yield, to keep the horses thinking forward even through the laterals, and may also incorporate some shoulder fore to get the horses really using their hind ends.
it is important as we start to ride outside again, that you remember that in a bigger space your horse can be going much more forward without feeling like it is, so you have to be able to monitor and moderate your horse. Transitions, circles and serpentines are good for this!
I can't wait to be outside again!
Karen
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The geldings have gone crazy..
The East pen dried up enough, so I felt it made sense to move the geldings around: Magnus, Shawn and Percy are now in that pen, and Wiley is now in the West pen. I didn't think this would be that exciting as the horses all know each other, but holy cow! There was much running and calling and nuttiness and Zander seems determined to keep the strange coloured horse away from the "normals". Rocky is back out with Rocket and friends, and they are all bravely heading out back for grass throughout the day, so I will have to start shutting the gate at night so students don't have to go searching for their horse at night.
We are still lessoning inside, but hopefully the outdoor arena will be suitable for hacking in by this weekend, and jumping in as soon as the sun is a little higher at night...and we are no longer in a wind tunnel!
We are still lessoning inside, but hopefully the outdoor arena will be suitable for hacking in by this weekend, and jumping in as soon as the sun is a little higher at night...and we are no longer in a wind tunnel!
Monday, May 6, 2013
On the weekend
On the weekend I judged a fun little open show at the Fultonvale arena, put on by the folks at Colchester stables. It was great weather, and very suitable for my big floppy hat!
The show was well run, but the warm up rings were somewhat chaotic...this is something we need to work on at Hillside as our horses are used to having only a few horses in the ring at once. They need to get used to horses beside, in front, and behind them. I am thinking a soccer match later this month? Say a Saturday afternoon?
I wouldn't mind taking some students to one of the smaller fun shows, say the one at Hastings, if anyone is interested later in the year. If you think you may want to try this type of show, I recommend going to watch one first...there is another one at Fultonvale this Saturday.
Anyway, the key things that messed people up were trying to do more than their horse was capable of. For example: doing the 3 foot course rather than the 2 foot one, and having their horse refuse the first jump 3 times. Or trying too hard to do a lengthened trot and breaking to canter. Or showing in a curb when your horse isn't ready and should be in a snaffle.
The other major mistakes were in the jumping: horses would start out great, but the rider's would fail to rebalance during the course, and would FLY at the last jump (which was in a line going to the out-gate). This went hand in hand with not using the corner adequately. Coincidence? I think not.
Highlight of the show was the last class: walk-trot equitation. A little girl on a lovely bay horse was second place in a very large class. She rode well on a suitable mount and very much deserved it. When her name and number was called in second her face lit up like she has won Olympic gold. Good for her, and I hope she keeps that joy for a long, long time.
And that is another secret to showing...if you are nice to your horse, look like you are having fun and are overall a nice competitor, the judge will want you to do well. If you act/look like a spoiled princess, well...not so much.
I hope everyone else had a great weekend!
Karen
The show was well run, but the warm up rings were somewhat chaotic...this is something we need to work on at Hillside as our horses are used to having only a few horses in the ring at once. They need to get used to horses beside, in front, and behind them. I am thinking a soccer match later this month? Say a Saturday afternoon?
I wouldn't mind taking some students to one of the smaller fun shows, say the one at Hastings, if anyone is interested later in the year. If you think you may want to try this type of show, I recommend going to watch one first...there is another one at Fultonvale this Saturday.
Anyway, the key things that messed people up were trying to do more than their horse was capable of. For example: doing the 3 foot course rather than the 2 foot one, and having their horse refuse the first jump 3 times. Or trying too hard to do a lengthened trot and breaking to canter. Or showing in a curb when your horse isn't ready and should be in a snaffle.
The other major mistakes were in the jumping: horses would start out great, but the rider's would fail to rebalance during the course, and would FLY at the last jump (which was in a line going to the out-gate). This went hand in hand with not using the corner adequately. Coincidence? I think not.
Highlight of the show was the last class: walk-trot equitation. A little girl on a lovely bay horse was second place in a very large class. She rode well on a suitable mount and very much deserved it. When her name and number was called in second her face lit up like she has won Olympic gold. Good for her, and I hope she keeps that joy for a long, long time.
And that is another secret to showing...if you are nice to your horse, look like you are having fun and are overall a nice competitor, the judge will want you to do well. If you act/look like a spoiled princess, well...not so much.
I hope everyone else had a great weekend!
Karen
This week in lessons
This week in lessons I am bringing back the Hillside Challenge!
This week's challenge is a flat work challenge. I am going to attempt it on Izzy today and will try to video to give you an idea of what we are doing and how. The challenge will incorporate the ideas of pushing your horse around rather than pulling it, and also rating speed to make steering easier.
For jumping, we are going to continue to work on finding the straight line to diagonal jumps, and also to finding the straight line while doing inside turns. This means keeping control of your horse's outside shoulder through the turns so that your horse feels in balance coming out of the turn, and so can jump the fence with its hips behind its shoulders, and able to see the jump from both eyes.
The keys to being straight are:
- USING OUTSIDE AIDS TO PUSH THE HORSE AROUND THE TURN RATHER THAN INSIDE TO PULL IT INTO THE TURN.
- RATING THE HORSE'S SPEED SO THAT IT IS IN BALANCE, AND ABLE TO BE ADJUSTED TO BE MORE FORWARD, OR MORE BACK.
- BEING STRAIGHT IN YOUR OWN BODY.
- And perhaps the hardest of all.... PATIENCE
It is important when turning that your horse should turn in around your inside leg, and not push out from your inside leg. I need to figure out how to illustrate this as it is key to so many things for jumping and dressage.
Also note:
Geldings MAY be moving pens this week. The east pen is dry so I will be putting 3 geldings out there, and taking Wiley and Rocky out of the isolation pen. (Rocky will be thrilled to see the last of Wiley!). I have not yet decided who will go where, but will likely be making the moves on Wednesday. Talk to me before then if you have any requests.
Karen
This week's challenge is a flat work challenge. I am going to attempt it on Izzy today and will try to video to give you an idea of what we are doing and how. The challenge will incorporate the ideas of pushing your horse around rather than pulling it, and also rating speed to make steering easier.
For jumping, we are going to continue to work on finding the straight line to diagonal jumps, and also to finding the straight line while doing inside turns. This means keeping control of your horse's outside shoulder through the turns so that your horse feels in balance coming out of the turn, and so can jump the fence with its hips behind its shoulders, and able to see the jump from both eyes.
The keys to being straight are:
- USING OUTSIDE AIDS TO PUSH THE HORSE AROUND THE TURN RATHER THAN INSIDE TO PULL IT INTO THE TURN.
- RATING THE HORSE'S SPEED SO THAT IT IS IN BALANCE, AND ABLE TO BE ADJUSTED TO BE MORE FORWARD, OR MORE BACK.
- BEING STRAIGHT IN YOUR OWN BODY.
- And perhaps the hardest of all.... PATIENCE
It is important when turning that your horse should turn in around your inside leg, and not push out from your inside leg. I need to figure out how to illustrate this as it is key to so many things for jumping and dressage.
Also note:
Geldings MAY be moving pens this week. The east pen is dry so I will be putting 3 geldings out there, and taking Wiley and Rocky out of the isolation pen. (Rocky will be thrilled to see the last of Wiley!). I have not yet decided who will go where, but will likely be making the moves on Wednesday. Talk to me before then if you have any requests.
Karen
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Oh good
I thought this type of ad was limited to American Craigs list...
"
2yr old broke to ride,very quiet and good with children can ride him single or double on him,He has been started on barrels,good with his feet,easy to catch and good with other horses,can ride him bareback or with the saddle,has been treated for lice and dewormed,Around 12.3 H.H."
So the text is bad enough...a two year old that is being ridden on barrels and doubled on? That is a lot of weight bearing/wear and tear on a baby.
But you have to see the pictures.
I think there are a total of three laying down with children photos, three of helmetless kids standing on pony, and two of sad baby pony being ridden in a CURB bit by helmetless child whose feet don't even reach the stirrups.
Yes, you too can buy a pony that will lay down while you ride! And you can use it to pick apples from the tall branches!
Poor pony. At least it looks healthy.
Karen
"
2yr old broke to ride,very quiet and good with children can ride him single or double on him,He has been started on barrels,good with his feet,easy to catch and good with other horses,can ride him bareback or with the saddle,has been treated for lice and dewormed,Around 12.3 H.H."
So the text is bad enough...a two year old that is being ridden on barrels and doubled on? That is a lot of weight bearing/wear and tear on a baby.
But you have to see the pictures.
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Yes, you too can buy a pony that will lay down while you ride! And you can use it to pick apples from the tall branches!
Poor pony. At least it looks healthy.
Karen
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Silly people
As many of you know, I have Gody advertised for sale. In some ads I also mention a willingness to take a lesson suitable horse in part trade, because really, that would be ideal for me as I wouldn't be without a horse, and it could really work for someone who wants a more athletic horse, as I don't need a horse as athletic as Gody for lessons, and would be more than happy with a 2'6" horse, with sporadic lead changes.
For some reason though, people seem to think it makes sense to offer me their teenaged, needing to step down to little jumps horse, for straight trade...no cash on top. Why on earth would I want to trade my younger, sound, very athletic and very simple horse for their older and less athletic equine?
Really, if I was interested in such a trade, shouldn't that raise a whole pile of red flags?
Silly people.
If he doesn't sell soon Lindsay is going to add Western Pleasure shown to his resume...that would be an interesting mix of skills for a warmblood!
Karen
For some reason though, people seem to think it makes sense to offer me their teenaged, needing to step down to little jumps horse, for straight trade...no cash on top. Why on earth would I want to trade my younger, sound, very athletic and very simple horse for their older and less athletic equine?
Really, if I was interested in such a trade, shouldn't that raise a whole pile of red flags?
Silly people.
If he doesn't sell soon Lindsay is going to add Western Pleasure shown to his resume...that would be an interesting mix of skills for a warmblood!
Karen
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