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.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
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).
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
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
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
Sunday, June 1, 2014
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.
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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
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
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