Update.

Sorry for the long absence for blogging, but I have been working on the NEW Hillside website. The new website is a little more simple, but I am hoping it will be more user friendly for people using smaller devices to search the web, and easier for me to update. I am still looking for photos to use, so if you have any you would like to share, email them to me at info@hillsidestable.ca

Let me know if you have trouble with the website, or have any suggestions. It is still a work in progress as I wanted to see how it would look "live" before putting on the finishing touches.

This new site will also be host to the blog (link on left side).

Also wanted to note that we will be having the Hillside Christmas party on Sunday December 14th, at 1pm. As usual it will be a potluck, with people encouraged to bring whatever they want. Hillside will provide cutlery, plates and beverages. It will also include a gift exchange thingy...where you pick a number and then pick a wrapped gift or pick something someone already unwrapped....you know what I am talking about right? $30 limit, does not have to be horse related, and friends/family can be involved. More details will be posted in the barn! Friends of Hillside welcome!

Karen

Kitten D Mitten and "Toothless" Spock (and a mouse...he was not eaten)

No...you aren't seeing things...

If you see what looks like a new Kitten, you aren't seeing things. In honour of Halloween month, we have adopted a new black kitty. His name is Spock and he is ADORABLE. He is currently spending most of his time in the house, but I think he is destined to share his time with the barn. He loves attention...and food...so keep any edibles safely out of his reach if you don't want them taken!

Spock was first seen by Janine when she was out back riding Duncan. Spock was following her and meowing. We assumed it was the neighbour's kitty. Then he followed Jessie and Amigo back to the barn...and he has been here ever since.  Originally he was staying with our neighbours, but once we brought him in to our house to hold on to him before his vet visit it became apparent that he belongs as a house cat (he loves youtube). He is now neutered and vaccinated, but still trying to fit in with the existing kitties. I had originally planned to find him a home, but I think he is here to stay.

Karen

Enjoying the last days of summer.

Such a lovely September so far! To enjoy it, and to have a maiden voyage for the new trailer, Laureen (Shawn), Janine (Duncan), Margie (Friday) and I (Izzy) took off to the Blackfoot nature reserve for some trail riding!

Our intrepid team covered 12 km, with Duncan in the lead for most of the ride (yes, we were all shocked). Izzy was a prancing, foaming mess for the first 30 minutes or so, but then was a pretty decent mount...as long as she wasn't out in front (OMG a LOG). Friday thought it was a timed event, and Shawn seemed to be happy to be included.

The weekend!

Had a great time on the weekend! What lovely weather for horse stuff: On Saturday, Rob and I went to the Delaney Vet Services open house. I really enjoyed watching the Mounted Troops do their musical ride...in particular I liked the "tent pegging" at the end! If I wasn't sure I would stab myself or the horse with the lance/sword while mounting or dismounting I would love to try it! It seems Rob and I both got door prizes too...ironically we both got the same prize: hay cubes! I am sure the horses won't complain though.

On Sunday I spent the day judging an Open show for the Colchester Ag Society. Great weather, albeit a little windy and my hat kept wanting to blow off. Thanks to Sara for coming last minute to be ring master and scribe for the western dressage. Lots of riders at the show: over 70! Made for some chaotic moments, but overall went very well and they always seem to run a smooth show.

This week in lessons we will likely be inside as the sun is setting so early. I still need to come up with a lesson plan though! I miss being outside already...

Karen

Delaney open house this Saturday!

Reminder that the Delaney Vet Services has an open house this Saturday from noon until 4 pm.

Schedule of events:

Delaney Veterinary Services Ltd.

If you are planning on attending our annual open house this Saturday, here is a schedule of events to help you plan what time to come. With door prize draws throughout the day and Taco in a bag as our feature food again because it was such a hit last year.

12:00 -Open house start time
12:30 -Myoplast information sessi...on by Boehringer
1:00 -1st Door prize draw
1:00 -Wagon rides by long riders begin (ends at 3:00)
1:30 -Equine insurance talk by Greg Knox of Taylor Made Insurance
2:00 - 2nd Door prize draw
2:00 Strathcona Mounted Troops musical ride
2:30 -Horse Legality talk by Lawyer Carol Robinson
3:00 -3rd Door prize draw
3:00 -Prascend & Cushings disease info session by Boehringer
3:30 -Mounted shooting demonstration
4:00 -Final door prize draw

 

Karen

MLM Horse show!

 

Thank you Rob for taking pictures! It was a weekend of firsts for Team Hillside! Dani and Friday had their first show experience, as did Margie and Roberta! All three horses came home with ribbons including a first for Shawn and Roberta! It was a great show, with more entries than I expected. The weather was lovely, and as usual, the group at Mapleleaf Meadows made sure we had a good experience.

 

Friday settled down pretty quickly, although he was a little extra springy for Margie's first two classes. The ribbon presentation was traumatic too! By their later classes he seemed more relaxed and was happy to nap by the edge of the ring.

 

Dani was scandalized by the ponies, and thought the little black and white pinto was an abomination that needed close watch. I am sure that is the most horses she has ever seen in one place!

 

Shawn seemed thrilled to be on display and was much perkier and responsive than his usual self.

 

It was lots of fun and a good experience all around. Thanks also to Janine for coming to cheer us on, and Laureen for bringing Shawn.

 

Karen

This week in lessons

Supposed to be a hot beginning to the week! Still planning to have jumping outside, but if it is too hot, we can warm up inside, and then come out just to jump. Either way, I recommend bringing a bottle of water to stay hydrated!

Going to work more on landing leads over jumps, and on canter to walk transitions.

Remember when trying to land a lead over a jump, you must have control of the horse's shoulder on the approach, so that they can push off squarely with both hinds and the jump. This makes it easier for them to switch leads in the air. Then, as they are taking off, the rider must look in the direction they wish to go on the land, open that rein, and put weight in the opposite stirrup.

Outside, I will have a jumper course set up so we can practice landing the lead with more obvious turns.

Karen

Wall of Shame

When we were at Maple Leaf Meadows I saw they had a "Wall of Shame" where they listed clients that had apparently broken the rule of not sweeping up after themselves.

If we had a "Wall of Shame" at Hillside, I would use it differently:

THE HILLSIDE WALL OF SHAME:
           - Java: for not wanting to be caught on the hottest day of the year.
           - Rocket: for ripping his expensive new fly sheet in the first week of wearing it.
           - Charlie: for leaving a mouse bum in the arena.
           - Phelps: for digging hoof trimmings out of the manure pile, eating them, and then throwing them up in the living room at 2 am.

What a lot of rain over the weekend! Over 2 inches of rain fell on Hillside over the weekend! The week is supposed to be sunny though, so hopefully the outdoor has a chance to dry.

Stephanie, Roman and I went to the Maple Leaf show on Saturday, and they too were hit by the heavy rains the night before. Fortunately they were able to move the classes to the indoor arena rather than cancel, and we had a good show with nice weather during the day. I look forward to returning there in August for their development show which I am hoping with be Dani's debut!

This week in lessons we are going to work some more on counter canter and also on lead changes. Being able to do a correct counter canter helps the horse learn to balance at the canter, so the horse can do its lead change in one piece rather than changing in front first like they tend to do.

For jumping we are going to work on finding the correct approach to diagonal fences. Turning too early remains an issue for many riders, and this nicely ties in to the lead changes: much easier to have a nice corner, or even get the change in the air, with a proper approach to the jump!

Karen

This week in lessons

It looks like an other annoying weather week meaning I have to have jumps set both inside and out....hopefully not though! Really enjoying the sun today and yesterday. For fun I decided to put Izzy over a few of the jumps...I have jumped her in the past over ankle high jumps, but this was her first time over something higher than her knees. She definitely has a unique jumping style: head down, body way up and over! Not sure what her knees where doing, but it didn't feel all that pretty. Still, likely good for her fitness and to help her work off her big belly.

This week in lessons we are going to work on diagonal jumps. How to find the proper approach in order to get the horse to the jump straight/perpendicular. We will also be doing a two stride combination if we are outside. Assessing which lead you are on will also continue to be a priority.

The easiest way I find to feel or even see the leads, is just to focus on the order of the footfalls. When a horse is on the left lead, they go right hind, diagonal pair, left front. So to know you are on the left lead, just feel the rhythm of the canter, and make sure it is the left front leg that is the last one to hit the ground. Usually on the left lead you will also feel your weight pushed more to your right leg, so your left leg will feel less steady.

Picture of Izzy from the last show

Linda Finstead from Sharper Images took some lovely photos of Izzy at the Arabian show in Ponoka! I ordered a few and will have to frame them and put at least one in the barn. This is the only one I bought the digital rights to though. This was our first dressage class (first level test: we are doing a 10 meter half circle at the start of the test).

 

 

This week in lessons

Well the Killerney show was fun with nice weather, but it was much bigger than I expected with over a hundred entrants on the Sunday! I was expecting to be home by 2pm, but we didn't roll home until after four!

Our next show is Maple Leaf the first weekend in July. Jumping on Saturday and dressage on Sunday. Let me know ASAP if you want to attend!

This week in lessons I am really hoping we can be outside! Janine helped me build a course today, and we will be working on adjusting strides and on getting in corners.

At the show they had some mud at the one end, so the jumps were all kind of squished at the top end so not a lot of room in the corners. The horses could see the approaching fence line and reacted by dropping a shoulder and turning early...which of course made getting on the correct lead and getting a good approach to the next jump difficult!

Karen

After last weekends somewhat demoralizing horse show, I wasn't all that sure I wanted to go to a show again so soon, but I am glad I did. I had a GREAT time at the Aurora Arabian show in Ponoka. People were so friendly and helpful when they realized I was new to the circuit.

Izzy wasn't so sure about the first day. We got there mid afternoon, with our class running after the supper break. I took her for lots of walks for grass to try to convince her that showing is fun...she is a great dandelion hunter. Then we warmed up in the main ring during the supper break. We were in there with western horses, saddleseat horses and other horses preparing for the sport horse classes....poor Izzy did NOT like that ring. She didn't like the people in the stands, the "play pen" they had set up in the middle, or the man sweeping the stands. There was threats of rearing and tantrums...but she eventually seemed reasonable, and by the time of our class she went pretty good...only falling apart when one horse in the class started to buck, setting off a second horse and then Izzy. The class was quite big with over 20 horses, but it was a fun experience.

Day two was the dressage classes, running in the afternoon. The class was kind of in a far corner of the show grounds in a made last minute show ring...and I think that worked well for us. Aside from bolting when the judge blew the start whistle, and spooking at the show photographer, she did SO much better than the last show, with both our tests scoring above 60% and a second and a fifth.

I am sure most of the improvement came because it was a more relaxed atmosphere, but I had also switched her from my super expensive KK Ultra snaffle, to a simple eggbutt snaffle I have owned for close to 30 years...ungrateful horse seems to vastly prefer this simple bit! Maybe she also liked being around her kin.

-----

It looks  like there is a lot of rain in the forecast, but hoping to start getting horses out on grass this week.

For lessons, not sure if we will be stuck in the indoor again or not...I hope not! Keen to be back outside. If inside we will do some more precision type courses, with jumps coming up quickly and poles to make sure you keep the horse balanced and attentive. We will also do a little more counter canter work, and trying to feel the lead we are on when jumping.

Karen

This week in lessons

Well we needed rain, but I was hoping it would be on non-lesson days and happen all at once rather than all week, but it looks like it is going to be a wet week and we will be stuck inside again. So for this week we are going to do some controlled work combining flat work and jumping.

I want to work on some bending exercises, and changing bend at the trot while maintaining the trot. We are going to do some leg yielding at the canter, and some mild counter canter loops. For jumping there will be some controlled bending lines to work on changing bend over fences, looking for the turns over fences, and keeping/getting the horses straight out of a bend. We will also be doing a fence on an angle which requires the rider to really hold the horse straight between leg and hand.

Remember, no lessons on Saturday!

Karen

this week in lessons

Today is the only day I think we might be stuck inside, but the rest of the week looks great! I don't really want to build a full course in both rings, so if we are inside tonight I will keep the lesson simple.

I think we will work on counting 3-2-1 to the jumps. Not just counting down to the jump, but also thinking about how our position changes as we approach the jump. We will also do some tighter turns, focusing on seeing our distance (counting down) as we approach on an arc as well as making sure we still meet the jump at a perpendicular angle.

There may also be some leg yielding, as making sure a horse is listening laterally to leg aids really helps be able to control the arc and keep the horse from collapsing in or bulging out.

See you soon!

Karen

this week in lessons

This week in lessons I am hoping to teach all classes outside! Thursday and Saturday seem iffy though, but fingers crossed. It has been nice so far, and the horses seem happy to be in the larger ring and fresh air!

I kept the course simple with no related distances as I expected more naughtiness, but the horses so far seem to be staying focused. We have a serpentine to trot and then jump, and a simple course. Keeping the horses and riders turning and bending was meant to help keep the horses from getting stiff and strong, and to keep their focus on the exercise rather than giving them time to look around the countryside.

Karen

More Adventures in horse shopping

Went to look at another horse yesterday. Sounded ideal in the ad: experience western & English. Trail ridden and jumped by a child. Cute, registered and a decent price. Useless pictures and no video, but close enough to be worth going to see.

So we pull up at the facility, and my first thought is that this place is way to chaotic for me to want to try out a horse! Children everywhere. On big horses in the dirt arena (gymkhana night apparently), running around playing, on horses in the pens....everywhere. It was like an after school care with horses program.

We manage to locate the horse and owner quickly, and it seemed odd, but the horse was already saddled, yet not really well groomed...still had little bits of "stuff" on its neck and back. Usually this is for a reason, and sure enough, when I felt under the saddle pad, she was thin. Not rack of bones thin like the one Rhiannon looked at, but definitely had no extra fat either. Seller's answer? "They all are". No idea what that means. Still, cute horse, albeit finer than I expected.

Seller led horse to the indoor which we hoped was quieter than the crazy outdoor, albeit very small. Unfortunately there were two more small children on big horses careening around what was pretty much large round pen, stirring up an insane amount of dust. You could literally hardly see the horses! Fortunately the children were willing to head outside so we could have the space to ourselves and the dust could settle a little.

Unfortunately, as those horses left and the seller started to pull down stirrups and such, the little mare leapt forward and spun around. She got a little better, but remained jumpy and spooky for the time the seller rode, and the seller couldn't really get her to canter. It hardly seemed like a horse that was being jumped by a young child! Still, the horse wasn't looking dangerous, and I kind of  wanted to see how Jessie would look on such a refined horse, so she went to get her helmet.

Meanwhile one of the young riders came back to the arena to see if we were done:
"Are you riding Princess now?"

                            "Princess is actually my horse."

" Keyanna used to ride Princess but just couldn't stay on her. I don't know why, but she just kept coming off."

                             "Oh" (subtitle would read "please just go away and shut up little kid!)

I said nothing.

At that point Jessie came back with her helmet, and went to get on Princess, but again she went nutty, so we opted to not bother. I then filled Jessie in with what the little girl had said...out of the mouths of babes comes the truth! To be fair I don't know if the owner knew the kid that was jumping her was coming off her regularly, but her single syllable response made me think yes.

Sad thing is I think this was actually a nice horse, who at one point was a kind horse, but just couldn't handle her current environment and lost it. While the seller had been riding I had been standing just outside the door to avoid the dust and was half watching the "lesson" in the outdoor. It made me cringe on so many levels. Kids with toes down just hanging on by the safety of the big western saddle, yanking their mount around by the curb bits in their mouths. Cantering around with only semi control, likely kept safe mostly by the small confines of the arena. I don't imagine the jumping lessons were much more safety orientated.

I can see why the place was popular with parents though: just kids having fun on horses or running around, but I don't think the horses were having much fun. None of the kids looked mean or anything, just cruel through ignorance.

Still, I have to wonder...where did they find all those saintly big horses?

On to the next one!

Karen

This week in lessons

I keep hoping that we will be able to move outside for lessons, but it looks like nature has other plans...hopefully soon though! Alberta weather is such a tease.

Meanwhile I am being tortured by a Robin that is attacking our house from 5:25am until nightfall. Thunk thunk thunk. This is the reason for the garbage bag décor in front of the house. Sadly it just finds a different window. At least the cats are entertained as indicated for the window screens pulled off the windows, however I am sleep deprived. Robin stew anyone?

For lessons this week we are going to do some work on leg position both on the flat and over fences. We want the heals stretched down, with the heel below the hip. The inside of the entire leg should drape along the horse's side. The leg should be secure regardless of what your body is doing.

We will do bounces and one strides to help work on this, and some of you may find your stirrups tied to the girth to help you feel where your leg should be. We may also play with stirrup length as I think some riders might be helped by a shorter stirrup over fences.

Karen

This week in lessons...

Sadly, but hopefully not surprisingly, it will likely be too muddy to lesson outside still, so we will remain indoors. It is still April, so keeping with my April theme there will be  a spooky jump or two in the ring so keep preparing horses and riders for dealing with the unexpected jumps!

For flat work, we are going to be doing canter and trot leg yields, but moving away from the rail. At the canter this will resemble a half pass, but with a straight neck. This will require a little more preparation by the rider, as you will need to (for the trot leg yield) get the horse flexed slightly to the outside before asking them to step over. You will also need to fight the magnetic pull of the wall! At the canter, you will not do a counter bend, but rather keep the neck straight, and ask them to move over with each jump between strides.

Being able to leg yield at the canter helps with straightening a horse in a line, or fixing a poor approach.

I think we will also work at jumping a fence at a specific point: picking to jump the center, the left, or the right side. This can be useful in the jumpers when a certain side of the jump offers and advantage for a turn or because of  how it is built.

We will also jump a combination as we haven't done one of those in a while! A combination is a series of 3-4 jumps ridden with usually only 1-3 strides in between. Very common in jumpers, but also sometimes seen in jumpers...MLM had a 3 to a 4 stride combination last year in their hunters.

Karen

Went with Rhiannon to look at a horse this weekend. It was at a newish facility that I had never been to, but was interested to see. It had a decent/big indoor, but unheated so once again I realized how spoiled I am at home! Anyway, she brings the horse in and we pull the blanket off...and it is skinny. Play the xylophone on its ribs skinny, but not SPCA skinny. Her response to my question of why? "the barn owners only feed for maintenance".

Really?!?

First off, how stupid to bad mouth the barn you currently board at, and secondly how stupid do you look for leaving your horse somewhere that doesn't feed it enough? And trying to sell it that way (and not cheaply either!)?

I won't name the barn because I question if the barn is really at fault: obviously the horse isn't being fed enough, but the horse is blanketed and on outside board, so it is possible that the barn staff just don't know the horse needs more food.

Which reminded me of the "Tell all" currently of Facebook, where someone is bashing a local boarding stable for endangering the horses in various ways, lying to boarders, and not feeding the horses for days at a time. She listed many good reasons to leave the barn and months and months of incidents...so why did she finally leave? She was told to get out by the barn owners. Why did she stay? By the sounds of it she liked being in the center of the drama.

I remember when we had that barn up the  road (not Pleasant View) that would turn out super thin horses. Hillside rehabbed a few of them. The barn owners were clever and would point that most of the horses looked good, so would blame the horse owner, or say the horse had some ailment. In reality it was because the idiots would only put out four piles of hay for twelve horses, so only the strong got to eat. So why would people stay? It was cheap and close and they bought the barn owners stories/excuses. But once they left they would bash the old barn and not take any accountability for letting their horse get skeletal. Smart people would leave as soon as they noticed weight loss, and not leave it for months and months!

Edmonton has lots of boarding stables. There is no excuse to be at one that doesn't provide the basics of life such as feed and water, and if you leave your horse at one to get crazy thin, don't look to me for support on Facebook or the like. Its your horse. accept the responsibility!

Karen

Horse show update and this week in lessons

Had fun at the horse show on Saturday! Nice weather, although still a little muddy. Wolf and Duncan both behaved and came home with a pretty assortment of ribbons. There were quite a few horses that looked a little shocked to be at a show, with may run outs and refusals in the 2'3" division...some of these riders should have been reading this blog to know how to handle the run outs, and instead of stopping and reassessing and/or letting the horse look at the jump, they would just keep going at a canter and loop back and try again...and again...and again... trying the same thing over and over is just going to get you the same result!

I am still not sure about going to jumping shows this early in the year though...it was awkward to not be able to warm up properly before the classes and to have to get off to get into the show ring, and then get on again to show...and we didn't exactly bring short horses! I so look forward to being outside again!

This week in lessons we will still have some spooky jumps, but it will be more of a jumper course vs the hunter type courses we have been doing. This means some bending lines and complex turns. You still want to get the horse straight to the spooky jumps, so it is important to hold the horse out on the turns and keep control of the horse's shoulder so they are straight when they get to the jumps. To this end we will do some flat work to make sure the horses are listening to the leg aids and bending around the inside leg rather than falling in.

Karen

This week in lessons

This week in lessons we will be doing a hunter course to prepare for show season. To school the horses on their rhythm, balance and straightness, we will first jump the courses small and slow (adding strides) before raising the jumps and riding at course pace. I will have the jumps decorated like at a show, and we will continue to practice riding the spooky jumps by staying back with our body, and straight with the horse.

Hunter courses should always be started and finished with at least 3/4 of a circle to look polished and to allow you to develop a course pace, and to finish in an organized fashion. You don't want the horse to just fall apart into a walk/trot when done!

Rhythm, pace, and straightness are the key ingredients to a hunter course, with the details of lead changes and distances made easier by paying attention to these basics.

See you this week!

(and if you ride Wednesday, apparently I may have trouble talking loudly as I will have a tube up my nose...should be fun)

Karen

This week in lessons

This week in lessons we are going to continue to work on some tricky looking jumps. This helps make sure rider's have a strong position that can keep their horse confidence even if they are sceptical about the jump.

Spooky jumps really highlight rider issues such as dropping their eye, or dropping their body. Riding a spooky jump needs a rider that has a deep and secure seat, but that isn't so much behind the motion that they will get left behind if the horse jumps. Basically, just make sure it is your CORE and not your lower back holding you up, and that you can feel your seat bones in the saddle. They rider's eye must stay up, as must the rider keep the horse's eye up so they don't fixate and focus on the spooky jump, and instead both horse and rider must look up and past the jump.

Looking  up and past the jump also helps the rider FEEL if the horses starts to wiggle or get crooked. It is important to hold the horse straight, and to maintain the same rhythm to the jump. If the horse gets quicker on the approach, chances are the horse is nervous, and planning to run out past the jump rather than over.

It is far better the horse stops straight in front of the jump, than runs by.  A horse that stops in front of the jump is at least still thinking about the jump. When this happens I usually hold the horse in front of the jump, let them look a moment, give them a bump with my legs to remind them to GO, and then try again. On the next approach I will sit a little deeper, possibly cluck as well, but keep them from getting quicker, and be ready for a BIG leap over by grabbing mane and/or slipping the reins as it is very important to not catch the horse in the mouth when it finally jumps!

If the horse tries to run by the jump, the rider needs to do their best to NOT let them go past by pulling on the rein to keep the nose pointing at the jump, even if they bonk their (the horse's) nose on the standard! If the horse goes to run out left, pull right! Simple as that. If they DO get past the jump, pull them up as soon as possible, bring them back to the jump, bump with the heels, then turn away to the opposite side and come again, protecting the side that they ran out on, making extra sure to not let them get quick as that almost always precedes the run out! As with stopping, make sure you are ready for them to jump by being ready to grab mane or slip the reins!

Karen

(remember no lessons on Tuesday night!)

This week in lessons

March.
In like a lion our like a lynx
This spring weather really stinks!

But...tomorrow is April! This must mean better weather! So this week we will have to surprise jumps to really test that we have our horses connected on both sides, straight, and obedient (aka narrow & spooky jumps) so be prepared! On a plus side, these jumps will both be soft if you come off into them...

The course will involve these jumps along with poles to create a technical course that  will require rider's to make sure they have the horse's balance, attention and focus. Last week's course which finished on the same skinny grid it started on, really showed how much some horse's become a little less straight, and a little less attentive as they go through a course. It is really important to establish and use a reset button so every jump is taken with a balanced, straight and attentive horse!

Karen

This week in lessons

One of the main themes of the clinic was the importance of straightness. The horse needs its hind legs following in the tracks of its front legs in order to maximize its power and balance. This is important both for flat work and for jumping.

This week in lessons we are going to continue to work on this skill, both on the flat, and over fences.

Making it a habit to hack off the rail as much as possible really helps in this, as it forces you to use your outside leg and rein rather than the wall to keep your horse straight.

We will bring out the skinny boxes again, and use leg to keep the horse forward and straight to approach them without wiggling out either side. This is helped by looking UP as you will feel the wiggle sooner than if you look down and try to see it.

There will also be bending lines similar to in the clinic to work on turning straight to the first jump, then catching the horse with the outside leg to get it straight to jump two.

Karen

Clinic Summary.

Good clinic. Learned Lots. Need nap.

Karen

This week in lessons

This week is a short week for lessons, with the clinic starting on Friday! I have a schedule mostly done, although it is likely Sunday's will change, just waiting to hear from one person.

For the flat portion of lessons we will be working on counter canter around an end/corner. To do this well, and to not let it turn into a wrong lead, it is really important to not let the horse get quicker, or let the inside shoulder drop. To help with both these things is a strong supporting "inside" rein (the rein on the inside of the arena).

For jumping we will be doing some bounces and working on corners. It is important to really keep that outside rein ready to support the horse through the turns, while maintaining enough of the inside aids to counter balance so the horse keeps a relatively straight neck/body. Corners become issues when the horse pops a shoulder in or out, and it is no longer in line with the power of the haunches, nor in line with the control of the nose!

Karen

Saturday!

A reminder that Saturday after lessons (11:30 ish) there will be a tack cleaning party in the barn...and I brought cookies! Also, if your horse needs a bridle path, I can help with that as well. This is in preparation for the clinic next weekend. There is still room if anyone wants to ride Zander or Rocket!

Karen

Beware the shedding!

Is spring really here? I hope so, maybe it will melt my brain! I really cannot wait to get riding outside although I am sure that is still a ways off.

This week in lessons we are introducing haunches out and picking up the counter canter on the long side. Haunches out is where the horse is travelling straight and slightly off the track with its neck and shoulders, but its hip is bent around the "outside" leg and angled towards the wall. The front legs travel straight, but the hind legs cross over. This will result in the horse being bent to the outside, and is an easy way to set up to pick up the outside canter lead.

Jumping wise I have set up a course with a couple bending lines. We will work on making sure the horse's don't try to change leads in the bending lines as that throws off the striding. We will also try to land the leads when possible to further smooth out the course.

Karen

Congratulations! & this week in lessons

Hillside wants to congratulate Chelsea on her new twins, Wynter and William. As I pointed out, she will now have to be careful to never say "I hate winter" ever again! Both babies are a healthy 5+ lbs and are at home. Finally, someone has a girl!

This week will be a short week in lessons as I am not teaching Saturday. Any Saturday clients who really want a lesson can contact Kyla for a Sunday lesson.

We are going to continue this week to work on equitation and equitation type courses. This week though, we will be looking at some of the short "tests" a judge can use once he has narrowed down his top riders. These can include jumping without stirrups, trotting or walking a jump, switching horses among other options as listed in the Equine Canada rules.

How this works, is the riders will have already competed over a full jumping course, and possibly (depending on the class) a flat portion. The judge will then have the top riders come back in for a more challenging test. They perform this in order, so that the "winning" rider goes last. Usually (maybe always) the judge just tells the riders what they want done while they are in the ring: their coach cannot help them decipher the judge's orders, nor come up with a plan. This makes it a good test of how flexible and accommodating the rider can be on their own.

Hopefully the weather continues to warm, and we stop getting these brutal lows at night!

Karen

RIP STORM

It is with overwhelming sadness that I would like to pass on the news that Stephanie lost her boy Storm to colic on Saturday. (for those of you who don't know Storm/Stephanie, they boarded with us until she left for school in the fall). They had far too short a time together and I mourn not only the loss of this very lovely and charismatic equine, but I also mourn the loss of all the tomorrows they should of had. He was quite a character, with his goofy jumping style when the jumps were small.

Karen & Rob

This week in lessons

This week in lessons is Equitation week! This means a course similar to last week's Handy Hunter course, only this week you will be asked  to take more challenging and bold approaches. We will also work on sitting trot, and cantering from a sitting trot, as well as positional fixes and fine tuning. Be prepared to work! For some of you, this will involve no stirrup work too...

Equitation classes are judged on the rider. These still means you need to find a good distance to each jump, and do the correct leads and striding, but it means a horse that is less talented can still be competitive, while a rider that is typically a passenger on their packer horse will struggle. The horse does still need to be obedient though, as the horse's obedience is a reflection of the skill of the rider.

A typical equitation course is set up to allow a rider to be bold. The entrance is often the rider coming in at sitting trot, picking up a good canter, and then heading directly to the first fence. Diagonal lines and tricky distances give the rider the option to leave strides out, and to carry a forward, but not rushed, pace. The rider should look for places they can do inside turns, or more direct lines, while still looking composed and "huntery". Position is important, but being effective is more important than "sitting pretty". A rider that LOOKS like they are confident will impress the judge and score higher than one that looks uncertain, or too much like a passenger on their horse.

A key element of looking confident is looking up and where you are going, and always focusing on what is next. Another is to have a good and effective contact with your horse, and a hand that does not interfere anymore than needed. The judge wants to see a rider that only does as much as needed, and otherwise remains effectively quiet. They don't want to see a rider who is quiet to the point of being ineffective though, so a tap with a stick, or a cluck, is much better than letting the horse poke around, as would be a strong half halt be better than let a horse get progressively quicker.

As always, it will be fun!

Karen

Waving the white flag...and this week in lessons

This last week of cold has finally beat me. And let's add snow and wind chill! Yay! At least it seems the worst is past us, and it should be nice by the end of the week...unless the weather prognosticators are just teasing us...in which case you can find me back in bed.

Assuming it is decent enough for people to show up to lessons this week, we will be doing more along the lines of last week, but moving from a standard hunter course to a handy hunter type, with some simple inside turns and bending lines.

Karen

Good examples of shoulder in and haunches in....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTVUrl77YRE

Making mistakes

I am in the process of reading Chris Hadfield's book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth". The book started out with a disjointed feeling, but it is starting to come together, and is full of his experiences, and then the life lessons to be taken from them. One of the chapters discusses how Astronauts tend to be high achievers used to success, but that part of the routine of being in the Space program, is that everything you do, in particular mistakes, is analysed to death. So to cope with their "failures" being highlighted and discussed to death, they have to change their mindset to thinking of them not as mistakes, but rather as teaching/learning moments.

I think this is important for riders too. How often do riders just want to pretend that chip never happened, or rush to get the horse cantering again when it breaks? By trying to ignore or cover up the "mistake", you don't give your brain a chance to think about what went wrong, then analyse WHY it went wrong, and finally come up with the fix so it doesn't happen again. And so we end up making the same "embarrassing" mistake over and over again.

We don't want to make the mistake bigger than it was though, by giving it too much importance, and we definitely don't want to dwell on it, but by giving it appropriate consideration, and coming up with an alternative approach to solve the issue, it will increase a rider's ability to self correct, and will result in increased confidence. Think about it...if you consider mistakes to be learning moments, then your ride will only be full of good things and moments where you get your monies worth in lessons!

Here is an example: a horse is cantering, but keeps breaking to a trot at the out gate. One solution would be to just chase the horse forward at the out gate, but this is a "covering up" solution. A learning moment would mean trying to analyse why the horse keeps breaking to the trot at this point. Is the horse distracted by activity in the barn? Is the rider? Is the horse loosing its balance and falling in/out at that point so it is trotting to rebalance? Is the horse acting gate sour? By figuring out why the failure is happening, a more productive solution can be found; more active inside aids to keep the horse's focus; rider looking into turn to keep their own focus; increased rebalancing aids heading into corner, and supporting aids through the corner; using a crop to get the horse past the out gate, but then working on why the horse is sour.

By looking at the problem and solution in depth, the rider can then take that solution, and use it in different locations and situations, and can then come up with their own list of fixes and thereby become a better rider!

So next time you do a crotch jarring chip, don't get embarrassed, be proud that you set yourself up for a learning moment! (and if you are in the lesson with someone who does the crotch jarring chip, try to steal their learning moment so you can avoid the same fate!)

Karen

This week in lessons

It looks like we are in for a bout of chilly weather: if you aren't planning to make your lesson, I understand, but please let me know, preferably by text, but alternatively by email or regular old phone call!

For flat work, I will try to keep it simple so that the horses don't get overly worked up. For dressage lessons we will work on some walk-trot transitions in shoulder fore, to get the idea of holding the horse bent around the inside leg and reaching up with their inside hind during the transitions. We may also ride through some CADORA tests.

For jumping, I plan to make you think: we are going to be working on courses and a bit on strategy when it comes to riding that course. For this I will draw out some courses on paper, and you will need to interpret the course and plan the best pattern. We will do this at trot over poles first, so you can try to take what you thought would work for turns and approaches, and see if it worked in actuality, before trying it over fences. This will mean some inside turn options, some complicated diagonal lines, and who knows what else.

Karen

This week in lessons

It looks like we are back to more normal winter temperatures for most of the week. Unfortunately it cooled off before the sun could finish melting the snow, so now we are left with a winter wonderland of ice. I find myself wishing for more snow just to have some traction outside! It must be frustrating for the horses too, to have to think so carefully about their footing, so be prepared for some peppy ponies.

This week in lessons we are again going to work on a course, starting again with a low course or trot poles to get the pattern down, and then progressing to a normal sized course. The focus is going to be challenging turns to diagonal singles or lines.

Last  week, the turn across the diagonal that required rider's to go down the quarter line to make the turn caused more than its share of difficulties, so I need to continue to work on helping rider's find the perpendicular turn regardless of what other obstacles are in the way. Being perpendicular, or even a little past that turn is the only way to allow the horse to get a clear view of the jump, and to allow them to find a good take off spot.

We are also going to revisit the turn down centerline, and then leg yield to the quarterline to see if last week's exercise helped riders at all.

Karen

This week in lessons

It seems that the biggest difficulty people had with the leg yield exercise last week was the turn down centerline. Unless you are walking, or on a really well collected horse, it is easiest to think of it as a 10 meter half circle. For most horses, if you wait and try to do a tight 90 degree turn, they end up either falling out through their shoulder and go past center, or fall in on their shoulder...either way, you end up with a crooked horse. This made it take longer to prepare for the leg yield, although the leg yields themselves were quite good.

So this week we are going to turn down centerline, and then loop back to the track, like a sideways figure eight. This will give riders more practice for the turn down centerline, and the turn back to the track will help riders feel the balance and turn needed with the wall for help. Preparing and looking sooner for the turn, and remembering that the turn should start from the long side and flow to the center line should help.

For jumping we are going to do a course similar to last week, but add some more jumps to work not only on horse and rider jumping fitness, but also to work on rider's ability to ride more jumps in a row while still paying attention to the details (aka corners).

Karen

Herd Health

I will be booking dental appointments for February, and vaccination appointments for March. I would also like to encourage all horses getting a Fecal Egg Test to see if who needs deworming this spring and to make sure our current deworming protocol is working. Owners just need to leave me a poo sample (their horse's, not their own) in a ziplock bag, labeled with their horse's name.

I will be posting a sign up sheet for dental and vaccinations on the bulletin board: please fill out for your horse as soon as possible so I can book appropriate appointment times. If you don't remember what your horse was vaccinated for last year, and want the same thing, just right "same as last year".

Karen

This week in lessons

This week in lessons we are going to  work on corners, where you, the rider, control the corner. Who else would control the corner you ask? Well, for most of you, I think it is the wall. The horse either sees the wall and decided to drop its shoulder and turn early, OR the rider holds the horse into the wall to get a deep corner, but the wall is definitely what is keeping the horse from falling out. Basically the wall is acting as the outside leg/rein!

To practice this on the flat, we will be turning down the centerline, and leg yielding to the 1/4 line, then keeping the horse straight using our outside leg solid on their barrel to send them forward and straight, and the outside rein, solid against their neck. These outside aids act like a wall, balance the horse, and control the shoulder from dropping.

We will then ride the end of the ring like it is a 1/4 circle, straight line, and 1/4 circle, rather than a funky loop with maybe a straight step at "A" or "C". Think of good corners like the brown line on the left, and the typical end of the arena ridden line the red line on the right. The red line is just someone letting the wall steer the horse, the other end is a 1/4 circle then a straight line. (I drew a full circle so you get the idea that the 1/4 circle is a 1/4 of a 10 meter circle...all horses should be able to do a 1/4 of a 10 meter circle, and better trained ones should be able to go smaller!)

 

In jumping lessons, we are going to be doing a full course, seeing if you can carry forward the skills we have been working on to do a smooth and pleasant hunter course. We will carry forward the flat work exercise, and we will be paying special attention to the corners, and to making sure it is the rider not the wall balancing the horse in the ends! This will also help with lead changes.

 

Karen

Clinic anyone?

Considering organizing a clinic for March or April, and wanted to put feelers out for interest. I am considering getting Jane Stone who is an Eventer and Dressage rider in BC. She comes with high recommendation as a patient and effective coach for all levels of jumping and for dressage.

I am hoping to have a clinic format similar to last year, where riders can ride either dressage or jumping, and where levels will suite from beginner to advanced. This is geared to being a good kick start to the show season, and a start to spring!

Not sure prices yet, as that will depend on interest and formatting, but likely will be similar to last year's prices for Dale Irwin. Also will be offering a discount to anyone who can offer to host Jane for the clinic.

Karen

This week in jumping lessons

To follow up to last week's work on an arc/circle, we are working this week on changes of direction.

The key is to set the horse up for the change of direction before you think you need to, by getting control of their shoulder before the turn. If you don't do this, the horse will feel pulled off balance, and will typically get quicker to find their balance, and go past the turn with their shoulder. I think rider's take it for granted that a horse can change direction as quickly as they can, but as horses are horizontal four legged creature, they have a lot of body to control, and it is easier to throw them off balance...like a truck pulling a trailer on ice!

To introduce the concept of balancing the horse correctly and preparing for the change in direction, I have a walk pole exercise that will require riders to really keep control of the horse's speed and their shoulder. The idea is to look up and focus on getting to the center of the poles, and to maintain a slow rhythm. When you come in on a right circle, you should have your head turned right, your right leg at the girth to bend the horse's body, the left leg back to hold the hind quarters from swinging wide. The right leg is off the neck to get the bend through the neck, and the left rein is against the neck to keep that shoulder from popping out.

As you approach the point where you change direction, you should look in the new direction, straighten the horse with the outside rein, switch which of your legs is forward vs back, and make sure your horse doesn't speed up. It is important to start this BEFORE you actually need to turn, so your horse is ready to turn.

Then we will do a more generous figure-8 over trot poles, and more experienced riders will continue to doing the figure-8 over jumps. The jumps come up quickly, but the basic preparation work that will get you over all 6 jumps are the same as for the walk exercise. The main keys will be not letting the horse get quick, looking ahead to where you are going, and keeping control of the horse's outside shoulder!

Karen

2014!

A new year is upon us, with more crappy weather. I enjoyed a brief break from the computer, and lots of naps curled up with a cat, but the holidays are now over, with everyone back at work or school.

Something new for 2014 will be our Best Unplanned Dismount of the Month award. Blame Emma. She got me a fancy ribbon to award. I figure there will be a reward for anyone who manages to keep the title for 3 months...of course I now feel pressure to create the first "winner"... :)

Laureen printed off the show schedules for Amberlea and Maple Leaf Meadows, so it is also a good time to set goals and plans for the year. As part of this, I am looking to get a clinician in for this spring, but still looking for someone suitable.

I also need to get back into writing lesson plans, but my brain is still in vacation mode, so look for the weekly lesson plan tomorrow!

Karen