It's been an exciting couple of days here on the ranch. Yesterday was my first day off in six days. That felt like a long time to be working. And by day off I mean I get the time between morning and afternoon chores off. None the less we went to Colorado Springs and went biking. It felt really good to be on a bike again and it was a nice 10 mile loop. After that we went up to the Garden of the Gods and went rock climbing. There were some great views, but the altitude starts to hit you when you're climbing at 10,000 feet. We ended with lunch at this really cute little place in Old Colorado City. It was very nice to get off the farm for a little bit.
God has blessed me in remarkable ways. All I could think yesterday was how fortunate I was for all He had done for me. Bringing me to Colorado, learning this horsemanship that brings the meaning of riding to an entire new level, and getting to see all of these places. The sky and the clouds out here scream God to me when I look at them. The Garden of the Gods was really created by one God, my God. His handy work is all over it. Being in such a beautiful place was truly a sign of how great my God can be. I never would have thought that my life would turn out how it has to this point, and I am thankful for a God that can create better plans for my life than I can.
Being on this ranch it is clear that I am the least experienced with this kind of stuff. Give me a dressage saddle, sure I can do that. Dressage people have this way of doing things that just makes sense in my mind, probably because that was my foundation. But doing things out here is completely different. Things that were logical back at dressage farms are not the same here. Like at every other barn you got off your horse and led them to be untacked, here you ride them everywhere you can and open all of the gaits on top of them. There are just enough little things like that that can really wear you down after awhile. I would start to get frustrated that I wasn't taught this way from the beginning, because it is not easy jumping into it and being expected to do it. But then I have to stop and think about what Jesus has done. Jesus has prepared me for my path. Not Mindy's, Terry's, or Erin's journey, but my own. He has given me every experience that I will need to fulfill His plan. And ultimately, if I'm doing what God intended for me to do than that is all that matters.
Oh, and He has certainly given me some control over a rope. Slowly but surely it's coming.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Today was the first full day riding on the ranch. I rode Duncan first, we went in the prairie and checked some cows and looked for a calf. That was fun and Duncan settled down quickly. It was amazing to me how I could just get on him and not be scared at all. If that was when I first went to Terry's last year I would have been crying. The second ride was Concho. He is a steady guy and always a good ride. My saddle was not fitting him though so I did not do too much after I finally got a saddle to fit him. The third ride was Butter. I really enjoy that horse. He is drafty, but Mindy has done a lot of work with him and I really enjoy riding him. Today we worked on walk to canters, transitions and leg yielding. Fun stuff and good to play around with. By the end little Butter (who is almost the size of a dinosaur) was going pretty well. Overall a pretty good day.
I still feel a little out of place, not because I'm in Colorado, but because everything is different out here. The people are very direct and to the point. Those relationships tend to be great in their own way, but are not what I am used to. Also, NO ONE TALKS. Except for the girl who doesn't speak much English. I probably wouldn't notice it as much if I didn't just come from college where there were a million people around to do stuff with all the time. But I'm getting better at the silence thing... but it's a struggle sometimes. Some rides I get off feeling great and some I feel like I am never going to be as good as those around me. This is day one, and I've already learned a ton, so I'm trying to tell myself it will get better and I will learn a lot more than I expect.
Oh and Kevin told us today that we better start practicing roping because we're all he's got for branding.... So in other words I should pick up a rope.
I still feel a little out of place, not because I'm in Colorado, but because everything is different out here. The people are very direct and to the point. Those relationships tend to be great in their own way, but are not what I am used to. Also, NO ONE TALKS. Except for the girl who doesn't speak much English. I probably wouldn't notice it as much if I didn't just come from college where there were a million people around to do stuff with all the time. But I'm getting better at the silence thing... but it's a struggle sometimes. Some rides I get off feeling great and some I feel like I am never going to be as good as those around me. This is day one, and I've already learned a ton, so I'm trying to tell myself it will get better and I will learn a lot more than I expect.
Oh and Kevin told us today that we better start practicing roping because we're all he's got for branding.... So in other words I should pick up a rope.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Random Ramblings
Instead of Giving yourself reasons why you can't, give yourself reasons why you can.
We live in a world where everyone is quick to tell you that you can't do something. We live with people who do not believe in the power of God and the miracles He can preform. We live in a world who believes in them self, but sometimes that just does not give you what you need.
For myself I often believe that I will not matter if I am not the best. What does it mean to do something well if someone else can just do it better?
It is hard to move 2,000 miles away from home and pick up where you left off. The West is a different way of life, and one I want to embrace. It is hard... I am scared, but I know that my God put me on this path and He did not make me to fail me. His plan may not be what I want, but it is a plan that will serve Him. I have to learn how to rope in a month... That terrifies me. But that's okay. That does not mean I should listen to the voice in side my head that tells me I can't. I should give it everything I have. Be vulnerable. Learn. Listen to the Lord. Rely on Him.
What would you do if you knew you would not fail?
We live in a world where everyone is quick to tell you that you can't do something. We live with people who do not believe in the power of God and the miracles He can preform. We live in a world who believes in them self, but sometimes that just does not give you what you need.
For myself I often believe that I will not matter if I am not the best. What does it mean to do something well if someone else can just do it better?
It is hard to move 2,000 miles away from home and pick up where you left off. The West is a different way of life, and one I want to embrace. It is hard... I am scared, but I know that my God put me on this path and He did not make me to fail me. His plan may not be what I want, but it is a plan that will serve Him. I have to learn how to rope in a month... That terrifies me. But that's okay. That does not mean I should listen to the voice in side my head that tells me I can't. I should give it everything I have. Be vulnerable. Learn. Listen to the Lord. Rely on Him.
What would you do if you knew you would not fail?
Monday, April 28, 2014
Dressage Show
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the LORD.” -Jeremiah 9:23-24
I rode in four classes at the dressage show. The first was Intro B, which I received a a 69 at, and the second was Intro C, which I also received a 69 at. Those were both with Duncan. The third was 1st 1, which I received a 72 at, and the last one was quadrille, which we received a 100. Overall I was very pleased with this show. Here is a run down of my classes...
My first test with Duncan I was a bit nervous for. I hadn't ridden him in the indoor in awhile and he can be spooky about some sides. Well, I can be spooky about some sides if we're being honest. But in a show I know I have no other choice, and we do it. This leads me to believe that we could do a lot more if I would just tell him we could. He does play off me a bit too for his own good sometimes. I was soft and waited for him to go round and then I gave. If he didn't, I used my leg to get his attention and did not force him at all. It was really a calming ride after a hectic warm up, and was actually fun. the judge helped a lot as she was so kind and really looked for the best in everyone. I can not tell you how much I appreciated her kindness. Duncan had a great first test and was very calm. The warmup there was a lot going on, but I remembered what I did when I first started riding with Walter, and mimicked that in the warmup. I started by petting him when he relaxed and just calmly walking him around and letting him relax. One he was relaxed I picked up on the reins gently, and waited for him to come to me. He had moments, but when he was distracted I slowly brought him back. He was able to do a free walk with his head down and stretching in the chaos. I was proud of him.
For Intro C it was a bit of a mess. I did not warm him up at all for a few reasons. The first being that he did not like the warm up ring and it added way too much stress, and the second being that Et needed to be braided and that was the only time I had to do it. It was very hectic there for a little while. I put my bridle back on him and walked into the ring, mounted and proceeded to do my test. I did not memorize it fully because I had 4 tests to memorize and that was the one that got neglected. My friend attempted to read it, but read it very wrong and late and quietly, so I did not do the pattern exactly as it called. I still ended with a 69 in the class because the judge liked the way I rode him. He was more relaxed in this test and was listening pretty well. He had very nice moments where he gave and was round. He only missed his lead once and did the free walk beautifully. The judge said it was refreshing to see a horse who trusted their rider and was not forced. It was nice to hear, as I was anticipating a bad test. I loved how the judge appreciated true riding that was in progress over bad riding that appeared fancy.
My first level test with Et was AMAZING. I have never ridden a test so powerful and true. The night before I was praying for both tests, and truly feel that God enabled us in that test. I was worried that Et would be tired after his first rider got on him and rode her first level test, as he is older and does get tired easily. It was also intimidating because I was going up against everyone from the upper level dressage class who had worked on this test a lot more than I had. Not to mention I had missed a few classes for vet things and wisdom teeth issues, so I had not gotten much help on the test. I have ridden first level before, but it was not a very good score and I was a lot younger. My basic thing for riding Et was to give to him. Every time he did what I asked I would give in my elbow, just enough to give him a release without throwing him away. The more I gave to him, the more willing he was to give to me. I spent the entire warmup walking him on a loose rein. He did not need to work, he was warmed up from his previous test and knew what he was doing. When we went into the ring I worked on transitions at the walk and trot. And then would almost walk him and then trot. This seems to help keep his attention and keep the energy. When we went into the test he perked up quite a bit and knew his job. He was alive and ready to preform. We entered the centerline and halted square. Our trot work went well and we did a good one loop, which we had struggled with inside before. The first lengthening was good, and then came the canter. That canter was incredible. I asked for power, and he gave me power, and then some. My abs have never worked so hard to ride everything that horse was pouring out to me. I asked for a lengthen in the canter and that boy gave me that and more. He was going so much I could barley keep my but in the saddle to ride it. He started to get a little tired at the second canter, but luckily I had spurs to give him a little encouragement and we were off again. He did break a few steps early, which brought us down half a point, but I don't think he's cantered that well all year, so he was pretty tired. When I looked up I saw people coming over just to watch this test. The power that horse gave me was unreal. The last lengthening I let him go as much as he could since we had nothing left but the centerline. Just as we got over X his legs were flying off the ground and I could feel him flying. It was so big I could almost not post it anymore. He knew what he was doing and he gave it to me. This test was profound and a gift from God. It was almost as thought I could feel the mighty hand of God picking Et and I off the ground as he carried us through the movements. Nothing felt better than saluting that test not only to the judge, but to the creator of the horse who had just places his heart in my hand.
I will never forget that moment. This leaves me in awe of the power of God with horses, and the only thing I can do is boast in His greatness. It was not me who rode that horse from my talent, but God who gave me that opportunity. The people he gave me to learn form starting when I was 11. The combination of horsemanship and dressage in order to know how the horse works best. The passion He gave for this sport, and the horses He made, knowing that one day I would be on him and have that very test to His glory. I want to ride in a way that honors Him, and today I did.
I rode in four classes at the dressage show. The first was Intro B, which I received a a 69 at, and the second was Intro C, which I also received a 69 at. Those were both with Duncan. The third was 1st 1, which I received a 72 at, and the last one was quadrille, which we received a 100. Overall I was very pleased with this show. Here is a run down of my classes...
My first test with Duncan I was a bit nervous for. I hadn't ridden him in the indoor in awhile and he can be spooky about some sides. Well, I can be spooky about some sides if we're being honest. But in a show I know I have no other choice, and we do it. This leads me to believe that we could do a lot more if I would just tell him we could. He does play off me a bit too for his own good sometimes. I was soft and waited for him to go round and then I gave. If he didn't, I used my leg to get his attention and did not force him at all. It was really a calming ride after a hectic warm up, and was actually fun. the judge helped a lot as she was so kind and really looked for the best in everyone. I can not tell you how much I appreciated her kindness. Duncan had a great first test and was very calm. The warmup there was a lot going on, but I remembered what I did when I first started riding with Walter, and mimicked that in the warmup. I started by petting him when he relaxed and just calmly walking him around and letting him relax. One he was relaxed I picked up on the reins gently, and waited for him to come to me. He had moments, but when he was distracted I slowly brought him back. He was able to do a free walk with his head down and stretching in the chaos. I was proud of him.
For Intro C it was a bit of a mess. I did not warm him up at all for a few reasons. The first being that he did not like the warm up ring and it added way too much stress, and the second being that Et needed to be braided and that was the only time I had to do it. It was very hectic there for a little while. I put my bridle back on him and walked into the ring, mounted and proceeded to do my test. I did not memorize it fully because I had 4 tests to memorize and that was the one that got neglected. My friend attempted to read it, but read it very wrong and late and quietly, so I did not do the pattern exactly as it called. I still ended with a 69 in the class because the judge liked the way I rode him. He was more relaxed in this test and was listening pretty well. He had very nice moments where he gave and was round. He only missed his lead once and did the free walk beautifully. The judge said it was refreshing to see a horse who trusted their rider and was not forced. It was nice to hear, as I was anticipating a bad test. I loved how the judge appreciated true riding that was in progress over bad riding that appeared fancy.
My first level test with Et was AMAZING. I have never ridden a test so powerful and true. The night before I was praying for both tests, and truly feel that God enabled us in that test. I was worried that Et would be tired after his first rider got on him and rode her first level test, as he is older and does get tired easily. It was also intimidating because I was going up against everyone from the upper level dressage class who had worked on this test a lot more than I had. Not to mention I had missed a few classes for vet things and wisdom teeth issues, so I had not gotten much help on the test. I have ridden first level before, but it was not a very good score and I was a lot younger. My basic thing for riding Et was to give to him. Every time he did what I asked I would give in my elbow, just enough to give him a release without throwing him away. The more I gave to him, the more willing he was to give to me. I spent the entire warmup walking him on a loose rein. He did not need to work, he was warmed up from his previous test and knew what he was doing. When we went into the ring I worked on transitions at the walk and trot. And then would almost walk him and then trot. This seems to help keep his attention and keep the energy. When we went into the test he perked up quite a bit and knew his job. He was alive and ready to preform. We entered the centerline and halted square. Our trot work went well and we did a good one loop, which we had struggled with inside before. The first lengthening was good, and then came the canter. That canter was incredible. I asked for power, and he gave me power, and then some. My abs have never worked so hard to ride everything that horse was pouring out to me. I asked for a lengthen in the canter and that boy gave me that and more. He was going so much I could barley keep my but in the saddle to ride it. He started to get a little tired at the second canter, but luckily I had spurs to give him a little encouragement and we were off again. He did break a few steps early, which brought us down half a point, but I don't think he's cantered that well all year, so he was pretty tired. When I looked up I saw people coming over just to watch this test. The power that horse gave me was unreal. The last lengthening I let him go as much as he could since we had nothing left but the centerline. Just as we got over X his legs were flying off the ground and I could feel him flying. It was so big I could almost not post it anymore. He knew what he was doing and he gave it to me. This test was profound and a gift from God. It was almost as thought I could feel the mighty hand of God picking Et and I off the ground as he carried us through the movements. Nothing felt better than saluting that test not only to the judge, but to the creator of the horse who had just places his heart in my hand.
I will never forget that moment. This leaves me in awe of the power of God with horses, and the only thing I can do is boast in His greatness. It was not me who rode that horse from my talent, but God who gave me that opportunity. The people he gave me to learn form starting when I was 11. The combination of horsemanship and dressage in order to know how the horse works best. The passion He gave for this sport, and the horses He made, knowing that one day I would be on him and have that very test to His glory. I want to ride in a way that honors Him, and today I did.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Nate
After much procrastination I rode Nate today. When I first got on him it was a little rough. I didn't pick up on the reins at all because he seems so touchy about them. I asked him to trot - with literally no contact and he bucked, so I sat down and squeezed him again - and he threw his hind end a little and did a little canter step, and then continued on his way trotting. This is the exact same thing he did with Jalene in her lesson with Steve. I'm not really sure why he does it, or what command I was giving him incorrectly. After that I had a lesson on him, which was very helpful!
We started out by just giving him as much time as he needed to loosen up, and it was colder than normal so I'm sure that wasn't making it any easier on the poor guy. We walked a lot and then picked him up in the trot, with contact but nothing more than a light contact, asking him to think about going round, but not forcing it. As the time went on he naturally put himself there when I got my aids correct. It started out as a split second in the trot where I would get everything correct and he would lower his bead and relax his back. As we went on those moments became longer and longer until eventually he stayed round pretty consistently. The canter could have used a little more forward, but he seemed relaxed and comfortable. I attempted a flying change, but tensed up and wouldn't let him finish it, so we got half of one. Poor guy was really trying, and I completely got in his way. But just the fact that we could even attempt one after the beginning of our ride made me really happy. He certainly isn't an easy ride, but one that will definitely improve your riding skills! Very thankful for the opportunity to ride him and look forward to learning more from this great teacher.
We started out by just giving him as much time as he needed to loosen up, and it was colder than normal so I'm sure that wasn't making it any easier on the poor guy. We walked a lot and then picked him up in the trot, with contact but nothing more than a light contact, asking him to think about going round, but not forcing it. As the time went on he naturally put himself there when I got my aids correct. It started out as a split second in the trot where I would get everything correct and he would lower his bead and relax his back. As we went on those moments became longer and longer until eventually he stayed round pretty consistently. The canter could have used a little more forward, but he seemed relaxed and comfortable. I attempted a flying change, but tensed up and wouldn't let him finish it, so we got half of one. Poor guy was really trying, and I completely got in his way. But just the fact that we could even attempt one after the beginning of our ride made me really happy. He certainly isn't an easy ride, but one that will definitely improve your riding skills! Very thankful for the opportunity to ride him and look forward to learning more from this great teacher.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Greatness
5 Great Things About Today!
1.) Chapel was fantastic and totally prepared for what was to come. Inspirational. Emotional. Godly.
2.) How fortunate am I to have a God who not only gave me Duncan, but made Duncan? And I believe the creator who made him can do whatever He chooses to him. What no vet can.
3.) Running is so much more enjoyable when not running up Mt. Centerville.
4.) A God who gives verses, songs, stories, and hearts at the timing we need.
5.) Breakfast was actually pretty fantastic. Ezekiel bread and coffee. mmm :)
This one doesn't have a number. God. God is enough. Always. People disappoint you, horses hurt you (or themselves), and life is unpredictable. But Jesus - he died for me. He loved me so much that he died to save me. And he continues to love me through all of my failures, and when I walk away. God alone is enough to be happy. It is well with my soul.
1.) Chapel was fantastic and totally prepared for what was to come. Inspirational. Emotional. Godly.
2.) How fortunate am I to have a God who not only gave me Duncan, but made Duncan? And I believe the creator who made him can do whatever He chooses to him. What no vet can.
3.) Running is so much more enjoyable when not running up Mt. Centerville.
4.) A God who gives verses, songs, stories, and hearts at the timing we need.
5.) Breakfast was actually pretty fantastic. Ezekiel bread and coffee. mmm :)
This one doesn't have a number. God. God is enough. Always. People disappoint you, horses hurt you (or themselves), and life is unpredictable. But Jesus - he died for me. He loved me so much that he died to save me. And he continues to love me through all of my failures, and when I walk away. God alone is enough to be happy. It is well with my soul.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Duncan Shenanigans
3/14/14
Meghan and I rode our ponies in the outdoor today. There was a little snow to tromp through, but still a little slick, as it was melting. Mostly walking and a little trotting. Riding outside lightens our spirits. It’s great to be able to just be outside and have a new set of things to look at. Duncan likes it too. We did some walk and got the hind and the front. Then some trotting where he was happy to go round and stay there. Simple. Easy. Fun.
3/15/14
Today I rode Duncan and we did the herd-bound exercise. This is where you have a group of horses standing in the middle on one side of the arena (in this case the victims were Levi and Molly). You can not steer at all with your reins, and can only use seat and leg. You make them go forward when they stay with the herd and pet and praise them when they leave the herd. I had never done this before, but thought it was a great exercise when I saw it at the University of Montana in their colt class. Duncan responded pretty well to it. At first he would be going in a 20 meter circle around Levi and Molly and look at the other side of the arena. I would pet him and then he would look away, and off we went. This continued for a little while and he slowly made his way further down the ring. He isn’t a huge fan of that side of the arena so he does like to avoid it. He made up his mind that he was sick of running and marched straight down to the other end of the arena. The dirt then hit the jump standard and off we went back to the other side. Luckily he went right back down there and stood as I hopped off and pet him. It was incredible to see that he would go down to the “scary end” by his own will, with me using no reins. I love that I can trust him that much.
Simple Changes Never Felt so Good
I had a really fun ride on ET after quadrille Friday. He was all warmed up from the walk and trot in quadrille. I really like how in control of your horse you have to be in quadrille because it forces you to really think about where your horses feet are and where to place them. This a great warm up, as it gets you really in tune with your horse. Et and I worked on some simple changes. I can really feel my core working with his, as just a few months ago the walk to canters were not all there. It was such an amazing feelings to change my body and know he is all there with me. We did it twice really well. I think Et gets a little excited too. It's kind of like he wakes up and is all there, as opposed to some other stuff we do where he's half faking it, half giving you what he can. I love doing these moves where he likes his job and wants to please. I also am so thankful for how great of a teacher he is. I'm not doing those things perfectly, but he knows what I'm asking and fills in all of my gaps. A truly great equine.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
I miss the West
What a spring break it was! So much horse education went on in that week! It was intended to be a week of riding, but it turned out there was plenty to see both on and off a horse. I started my trip in Kentucky and was able to go to the Kentucky Horse Park and Keeneland Racetrack. It was incredible to see such a vast history of the horse at Keeneland, and to see just how many different breeds and sports are involved in the equine industry at the park. There are also pretty great places to shop around there.
The next part of my journey was to Colorado. After a 5 am flight out I arrived nice and early to Denver. The first day at the Ranch was just chores as Sunday is everyone's day off (from riding). I did walk in on a sheep giving birth to two lambs, which was a pretty incredible sight. I had never seen anything being born before, and was awestruck at just how incredible it was.
The second day I had a lesson with Mindy on Butters. Butters is a draft cross in training at the Ranch. He was sent here when he was first broke and is back again for some training. It's pretty clear no one has done a lot with him since he was last here. I started out doing some groundwork. Mindy, the owner of the ranch, came out and gave me a lesson on him. She gave me some really helpful tips on ground work. Instead of driving with the outside hand I need to use more leading hand and have them going off of feel. Also, I stop moving my feet after I get the hind end and need to continue to ask for the front and keep moving to the hip. After the ground work I got on and really worked on getting the reins connected to the feet so that they mean something. Butters is the kind of horse that you can get to go really nicely if you know how to ride him, but if you don't have it all together he is kind of a mess. He is sensitive, but only when you have him with you. Mindy said fewer horses have frustrated her more than Butters... and I understand why. He has a bit of a thick skull and it takes him awhile to get the message across. It was even more challenging to me when my timing was not spot on. When you ask him to trot he can get so heavy and barrel around, so it is really important to get his hind end over. However, he is really not all that interested in work, so keeping him steady is another thing in itself. Honestly, I learned a lot in that lesson, but I can't recall most of it. It was all feel and watching for little things.
Right after that my trainer Terry and I decided to go on a road trip all around the West! We started Monday by going to Buck Brannaman's house in Wyoming and stayed there for the night. It was a great experience to see his farm, how they operate it, and get to talk with his family. He was on the road but his wife and working student were there. After that we went to the famous King's Saddlery (well famous in my head anyway) and went to the museum with all of the old Indian saddles and Mexican saddles. It was crazy that stuff they used to ride in. Your eyes could never look at all of the things that museum held. After Kings we headed north to Montana. Our first stop in Montana was to the Montana State University colt starting class, taught by Reata Brannaman. There we got to see them doing a herd bound exercise where they took off their bridles (if they chose) and got their colts to go to the other end of the arena by choice. It was unbelievable to see how simply blocking the wrong thing (staying with their friends at the other end of the ring) and rewarding the correct thing (going to the end without the other horses) could result in the horses really learning. There was no force involved, just giving the clues they needed to make the right choice. That is why I love this kind of horsemanship. It digs into what the horse really thinks of as second nature.
On Wednesday we looked around Bozeman Montana for the first half of the day and then went to the University of Montana Western in Dillion. I got to see their horsemanship program and how they start colts. Both schools are founded on natural horsemanship, but they each follow different paths. Since Reata has been a student at MSU they have been doing a lot more of the Buck, Ray, and Tom style, while MSU Western takes in ideas from Parelli and other leaders. We picked up our friend who goes to that school and then proceeded to pick up some horses t bring back to the ranch in Colorado. The other working student at the ranch was boarding her horses in Montana and wanted us to bring them back with us. What was supposed to be a nice easy trip to pick up the horses got a little confusing. After we finally got there in the dark, and backed up what seemed like the mile long driveway, we got more horse education than we bargained for. My friend and I went to get the horses out of their paddock only to find they had lice... and hadn't been touched in a good year. They haltered well, but trailer loading was another story. I had the 17 hand thoroughbred who needed to go in first... and lets just say he wasn't planning on getting in that trailer. Terry coached me through getting him in the trailer and I proceeded, even though I was pretty convinced he was going to hop right in my lap when he finally did decide to load. Luckily they both got on and all was well :)
On our way back we went through Jackson Hole and some mountain passes, which was an unbelievable sight, and found tons of little tack stores along the way! Quite an adventures 4 day trek!
When we returned to the ranch on Friday the riding continued. We only got to ride once as it was getting dark and stormy, but it was good ride at that. I rode Concho. He is a quarter horse who is pretty much the most amazing QH I have ever sat on. When people think of quarter horses they think of these horses who are built downhill and can not do anything. They are so wrong. Quarter horses kick butt. This horse can pick up so well, and do a better leg yield than half of the warmbloods I've ridden. I warmed up a little bit in the ring and then headed out on the trail. In my warm up I got his hind and his front, and did some w/t/c. After that we headed out on a trail ride through the prairie. We worked on some counter canter and shoulder in on the trail. He had a lot of energy and needed to put it to good use. We did a look around the cattle and made sure all of the fences were up. Pretty good ride over all, and I'm very glad I got to ride this guy!
The last day at the Ranch was my first full taste of what it's all about out there. It's about, work, work, some more work, and a lot of fun along the way. After waking up at 6:30 and doing chores for about 40 horses you ride as many horses as you can fit in before night chores. I'm not kidding when I say these people work horses... they don't even eat lunch. They stop togo to the bathroom and get more water - once. I don't even remember how many horses I road in that day, but I'll recap the rides I remember. Concho was first. We road out on the prairie and did a loop. They have an old river bed with sand better than you find at any beach. It's perfect for the young horse with energy, as they can run to their heart's content. Concho however is not young, and certainly ran to his heart's content in about two minutes. But the rest of the way we got to work on fun stuff like counter canter, so I was more than okay with not galloping.
After Concho was my boy Butters. Butters and I had a much better ride than the first time. We worked on getting the hind and the front, which really was my skills needing refining. I get frustrated with Duncan because I can't do it right. It's not that it wouldn't work if done correctly, because I've seen it work plenty, it's that I haven't done it enough to really know how to fix the holes. She told me to keep my inside rein steady and to open and bump to get the front. She also told me I shouldn't have to rely on the outside rein, because after all in the groundwork we don't use an outside rein. Also, she told me that to get Duncan to the other end of the arena I should take my flag and block every area but forward. This works similar to the colt starting exercise mentioned above, where you make the right choice easy and the wrong one difficult. Lastly, she told me to stop pulling on my reins, which I have gotten in the habit of with Duncan. Instead she told me to widen them in order to get them straight, and to pick up a soft feel (when I apply pressure release when he gives to it). We did this with Butters by getting him to give to the pick up the soft feel and go round, and directly after he did I gave him his head and asked him to go forward. This made him willing to go round and eventually he started to do so more and more.
Lastly I road an older horse named Tripper. He was Mindy's bridle horse in his day, and was a treat to get on. He is responsive and easy off the aids. I went out on a trail ride with Terry and we did the whole look around the Ranch. We checked all of the cattle, and Terry let me work a few of the young ones. She just had me get them to the point that they were submissive and would allow me to steer them, and then we let them go off. She explained how to do it correctly, and not to crowd the calf, but to sit back and wait for them, but still apply pressure so they will go. This keeps them out of stress. Tripper certainly knew his way around a cow and was more than happy to play around a little. I think the old man was happy to be back in work for a little bit.
God was certainly at work through all of this as well. I was upset after leaving Colorado as I really did not want to come back to Houghton after a spring break like that. I was sad to leave my friend and really unsure of what the next step in my life should be. I have struggled with homesickness since being at school, and this break seemed to bring me back to those first few days in September when it was all I could do to get through a day of classes without crying. This time was different though. God has been showing me so many things in this past year, and His love is only the beginning. God showed that it is indeed alright to cry, and be sad, but to know that He is holding me though it all. I cried in Jesus' arms that night, and have been fine since. I think just knowing that it is okay to be sad, but also knowing that God loves me more than anyone on Earth ever could made it all okay. I felt secure. This brought me back to a section of Walter Zettl's book where he was talking about the spooking horse. He recommended a shoulder in so that the horse was angled to get away if need be, but also advise letting the horse know he is okay. The love, and security horses need from us is the same thing we crave from Jesus. As humans we need to know it is okay to be upset, but that Jesus will protect us, and for horses they need to know they can get away, but trust that we will protect them. As that is something Duncan and I have struggled with time and time again, it is amazing to know that my God will protect both Duncan and I, holding us in His arms.
All in all my horse education was well rounded over the trip and I am so thankful for all of the opportunities God gave me through Terry to expand my horizons and knowledge.
The next part of my journey was to Colorado. After a 5 am flight out I arrived nice and early to Denver. The first day at the Ranch was just chores as Sunday is everyone's day off (from riding). I did walk in on a sheep giving birth to two lambs, which was a pretty incredible sight. I had never seen anything being born before, and was awestruck at just how incredible it was.
The second day I had a lesson with Mindy on Butters. Butters is a draft cross in training at the Ranch. He was sent here when he was first broke and is back again for some training. It's pretty clear no one has done a lot with him since he was last here. I started out doing some groundwork. Mindy, the owner of the ranch, came out and gave me a lesson on him. She gave me some really helpful tips on ground work. Instead of driving with the outside hand I need to use more leading hand and have them going off of feel. Also, I stop moving my feet after I get the hind end and need to continue to ask for the front and keep moving to the hip. After the ground work I got on and really worked on getting the reins connected to the feet so that they mean something. Butters is the kind of horse that you can get to go really nicely if you know how to ride him, but if you don't have it all together he is kind of a mess. He is sensitive, but only when you have him with you. Mindy said fewer horses have frustrated her more than Butters... and I understand why. He has a bit of a thick skull and it takes him awhile to get the message across. It was even more challenging to me when my timing was not spot on. When you ask him to trot he can get so heavy and barrel around, so it is really important to get his hind end over. However, he is really not all that interested in work, so keeping him steady is another thing in itself. Honestly, I learned a lot in that lesson, but I can't recall most of it. It was all feel and watching for little things.
Right after that my trainer Terry and I decided to go on a road trip all around the West! We started Monday by going to Buck Brannaman's house in Wyoming and stayed there for the night. It was a great experience to see his farm, how they operate it, and get to talk with his family. He was on the road but his wife and working student were there. After that we went to the famous King's Saddlery (well famous in my head anyway) and went to the museum with all of the old Indian saddles and Mexican saddles. It was crazy that stuff they used to ride in. Your eyes could never look at all of the things that museum held. After Kings we headed north to Montana. Our first stop in Montana was to the Montana State University colt starting class, taught by Reata Brannaman. There we got to see them doing a herd bound exercise where they took off their bridles (if they chose) and got their colts to go to the other end of the arena by choice. It was unbelievable to see how simply blocking the wrong thing (staying with their friends at the other end of the ring) and rewarding the correct thing (going to the end without the other horses) could result in the horses really learning. There was no force involved, just giving the clues they needed to make the right choice. That is why I love this kind of horsemanship. It digs into what the horse really thinks of as second nature.
On Wednesday we looked around Bozeman Montana for the first half of the day and then went to the University of Montana Western in Dillion. I got to see their horsemanship program and how they start colts. Both schools are founded on natural horsemanship, but they each follow different paths. Since Reata has been a student at MSU they have been doing a lot more of the Buck, Ray, and Tom style, while MSU Western takes in ideas from Parelli and other leaders. We picked up our friend who goes to that school and then proceeded to pick up some horses t bring back to the ranch in Colorado. The other working student at the ranch was boarding her horses in Montana and wanted us to bring them back with us. What was supposed to be a nice easy trip to pick up the horses got a little confusing. After we finally got there in the dark, and backed up what seemed like the mile long driveway, we got more horse education than we bargained for. My friend and I went to get the horses out of their paddock only to find they had lice... and hadn't been touched in a good year. They haltered well, but trailer loading was another story. I had the 17 hand thoroughbred who needed to go in first... and lets just say he wasn't planning on getting in that trailer. Terry coached me through getting him in the trailer and I proceeded, even though I was pretty convinced he was going to hop right in my lap when he finally did decide to load. Luckily they both got on and all was well :)
On our way back we went through Jackson Hole and some mountain passes, which was an unbelievable sight, and found tons of little tack stores along the way! Quite an adventures 4 day trek!
When we returned to the ranch on Friday the riding continued. We only got to ride once as it was getting dark and stormy, but it was good ride at that. I rode Concho. He is a quarter horse who is pretty much the most amazing QH I have ever sat on. When people think of quarter horses they think of these horses who are built downhill and can not do anything. They are so wrong. Quarter horses kick butt. This horse can pick up so well, and do a better leg yield than half of the warmbloods I've ridden. I warmed up a little bit in the ring and then headed out on the trail. In my warm up I got his hind and his front, and did some w/t/c. After that we headed out on a trail ride through the prairie. We worked on some counter canter and shoulder in on the trail. He had a lot of energy and needed to put it to good use. We did a look around the cattle and made sure all of the fences were up. Pretty good ride over all, and I'm very glad I got to ride this guy!
The last day at the Ranch was my first full taste of what it's all about out there. It's about, work, work, some more work, and a lot of fun along the way. After waking up at 6:30 and doing chores for about 40 horses you ride as many horses as you can fit in before night chores. I'm not kidding when I say these people work horses... they don't even eat lunch. They stop togo to the bathroom and get more water - once. I don't even remember how many horses I road in that day, but I'll recap the rides I remember. Concho was first. We road out on the prairie and did a loop. They have an old river bed with sand better than you find at any beach. It's perfect for the young horse with energy, as they can run to their heart's content. Concho however is not young, and certainly ran to his heart's content in about two minutes. But the rest of the way we got to work on fun stuff like counter canter, so I was more than okay with not galloping.
After Concho was my boy Butters. Butters and I had a much better ride than the first time. We worked on getting the hind and the front, which really was my skills needing refining. I get frustrated with Duncan because I can't do it right. It's not that it wouldn't work if done correctly, because I've seen it work plenty, it's that I haven't done it enough to really know how to fix the holes. She told me to keep my inside rein steady and to open and bump to get the front. She also told me I shouldn't have to rely on the outside rein, because after all in the groundwork we don't use an outside rein. Also, she told me that to get Duncan to the other end of the arena I should take my flag and block every area but forward. This works similar to the colt starting exercise mentioned above, where you make the right choice easy and the wrong one difficult. Lastly, she told me to stop pulling on my reins, which I have gotten in the habit of with Duncan. Instead she told me to widen them in order to get them straight, and to pick up a soft feel (when I apply pressure release when he gives to it). We did this with Butters by getting him to give to the pick up the soft feel and go round, and directly after he did I gave him his head and asked him to go forward. This made him willing to go round and eventually he started to do so more and more.
Lastly I road an older horse named Tripper. He was Mindy's bridle horse in his day, and was a treat to get on. He is responsive and easy off the aids. I went out on a trail ride with Terry and we did the whole look around the Ranch. We checked all of the cattle, and Terry let me work a few of the young ones. She just had me get them to the point that they were submissive and would allow me to steer them, and then we let them go off. She explained how to do it correctly, and not to crowd the calf, but to sit back and wait for them, but still apply pressure so they will go. This keeps them out of stress. Tripper certainly knew his way around a cow and was more than happy to play around a little. I think the old man was happy to be back in work for a little bit.
God was certainly at work through all of this as well. I was upset after leaving Colorado as I really did not want to come back to Houghton after a spring break like that. I was sad to leave my friend and really unsure of what the next step in my life should be. I have struggled with homesickness since being at school, and this break seemed to bring me back to those first few days in September when it was all I could do to get through a day of classes without crying. This time was different though. God has been showing me so many things in this past year, and His love is only the beginning. God showed that it is indeed alright to cry, and be sad, but to know that He is holding me though it all. I cried in Jesus' arms that night, and have been fine since. I think just knowing that it is okay to be sad, but also knowing that God loves me more than anyone on Earth ever could made it all okay. I felt secure. This brought me back to a section of Walter Zettl's book where he was talking about the spooking horse. He recommended a shoulder in so that the horse was angled to get away if need be, but also advise letting the horse know he is okay. The love, and security horses need from us is the same thing we crave from Jesus. As humans we need to know it is okay to be upset, but that Jesus will protect us, and for horses they need to know they can get away, but trust that we will protect them. As that is something Duncan and I have struggled with time and time again, it is amazing to know that my God will protect both Duncan and I, holding us in His arms.
All in all my horse education was well rounded over the trip and I am so thankful for all of the opportunities God gave me through Terry to expand my horizons and knowledge.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Butters. Concho.
I rode Butters today. Butters is a draft cross in training at the Ranch. He was sent here when he was first broke and is back again for some training. It's pretty clear no one has done a lot with him since he was last here. I started out doing some groundwork. Mindy, the owner of the ranch, came out and gave me a lesson on him. She gave me some really helpful tips on ground work. Instead of driving with the outside hand I need to use more leading hand and have them going off of feel. Also, I stop moving my feet after I get the hind end and need to continue to ask for the front and keep moving to the hip. After the ground work I got on and really worked on getting the reigns connected to the feet so that they mean something. Butters is the kind of horse that you can get to go really nicely if you know how to ride him, but if you don't have it all together he is kind of a mess. He is sensitive, but only when you have him with you. Mindy said fewer horses have frustrated her more than Butters... and I understand why. He has a bit of a thick skull and it takes him awhile to get the message across. It was even more challenging to me when my timing was not spot on. When you ask him to trot he can get so heavy and barrel around, so it is really important to get his hind end over. However, he is really not all that interested in work, so keeping him steady is another thing in itself. Honestly, I learned a lot in that lesson, but I can't recall most of it. It was all feel and watching for little things.
Today I rode Concho. He is a quarter horse who is pretty much the most amazing QH I have ever sat on. When people think of quarter horses they think of these horses who are built downhill and can not do anything. They are so wrong. Quarter horses kick butt. This horse can pick up so well, and do a better leg yield than half of the warmbloods I've ridden. I warmed up a little bit in the ring and then headed out on the trail. In my warm up I got his hind and his front, and did some w/t/c. After that we headed out on a trail ride through the prairie. We worked on some counter canter and shoulder in on the trail. He had a lot of energy and needed to put it to good use. We did a look around the cattle and made sure all of the fences were up. Pretty good ride over all, and I'm very glad I got to ride this guy!
Today I rode Concho. He is a quarter horse who is pretty much the most amazing QH I have ever sat on. When people think of quarter horses they think of these horses who are built downhill and can not do anything. They are so wrong. Quarter horses kick butt. This horse can pick up so well, and do a better leg yield than half of the warmbloods I've ridden. I warmed up a little bit in the ring and then headed out on the trail. In my warm up I got his hind and his front, and did some w/t/c. After that we headed out on a trail ride through the prairie. We worked on some counter canter and shoulder in on the trail. He had a lot of energy and needed to put it to good use. We did a look around the cattle and made sure all of the fences were up. Pretty good ride over all, and I'm very glad I got to ride this guy!
Monday, March 3, 2014
First day in Colorado
Arrived at Oh-Oh yesterday. My flight finally got in and baggage was a mess, but after that everything went smoothly. We stopped for lunch at a cute little town outside of Simla, and then went to the farm. Terry was giving me a tour when we walked into a sheep giving birth. She had twin lambs, so that was really cool to watch. After that we did chores and I went to bed quickly after supper.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Dressage Midterm Wah??
Dressage Midterm Exam
Answer all questions on separate paper. Cite sources used for answers within
answers (ex.: Dressage in Harmony, p.12) List sources consulted at the end of
your exam
1. Explain the meaning of the phrase “inside leg to outside rein”.
The concept of inside leg to outside reign is a phrase many trainers throw around far too often. It becomes a phrase that students hear so often they tend to forget the true meaning of it. The idea of the inside leg going to the outside reign brings me back to the days when I was first learning about dressage. I was in middle school, and my definition of steering a horse was pulling on the left rein to go left. The thought of creating energy with the inside leg and having it flow to the outside reign did not make sense at first, but the more I learned the more the concept applied. The outside rein is crucial to maintaining a steady connection between your hand and the horses mouth, that also helps allow a flow of energy starting from the hind end, and going through the back and up to the poll. The outside rein functions as the rein that controls the direction of the horse (along with your body). As the horse progresses in age or up the training scale the outside reign is less prominent, and the rider and horses bodies work in tune to each other. In the young horse the outside rein lends great support, and a simple thing like touching the reign to the horse’s neck grants extra support. As they grow they become less dependent on this aid, and move more off your seat.
However, simply using the outside reign will not achieve the results you want. In order to create a horse that is able to bend while staying balanced, while being both straight and bent, you need an appropriate amount of power. This power cannot be obtained from a rein alone, as that would just shut the horse down after a time. The leg is a crucial part of keeping the energy flowing through the entire body of the horse. Your leg will create energy and ask the horse to move forward. When the horse is younger and working at the bottom on the training scale they will need more leg, but as they advance the seat becomes more clear to them. The inside leg specifically ask the body to bend around it, and move to keep his hind end engaged and not lagging behind. This is where the balance of the outside rein contributes to the horse’s balance and straightness. If you did not have an outside reign and were asking the horse to bend around your inside leg, all of the energy would flow out of the outside shoulder, instead up through the horse’s body. When using the outside rein it prevents the energy from escaping out the shoulder and balances the horse. The combination of both aids creates a well balanced and supple horse, but when used incorrectly the horse either becomes too stuck in the bridle, or constantly off balance. This is why it is crucial to maintain harmony with both aids.
2. How does the effect of the cavesson noseband with a full cheek snaffle differ from the effect of the drop or flash noseband with a loose ring snaffle bit?
Both the cavesson noseband and the drop noseband differ tremendously, just as the full cheek snaffle differs from the loose ring snaffle. The full cheek snaffle is specifically designed so that it will not slip through the horse’s mouth. The full cheek piece makes it so you can pull as hard as you want without the bit slipping through, as it would with a loose ring snaffle. The full cheek snaffle has long bars sticking out from the rings that go along the horse’s face. This makes it virtually impossible for it to slip, as there is pressure from the opposite side you are pulling. This bit also has more leverage than your average snaffle, as it attaches in different places. When putting the full cheek on a bridle you attach it to both the reins and cheek pieces. The part of the cheek piece that attaches to the bit also has a keeper on it, connecting it to bar sticking out from the bit. This makes the bit apply pressure to the poll. When the rider goes to put pressure on the bit, through the reins, it also puts pressure on the poll - forcing the head down further. If you must use this torture device because you can simply find no other way to get your horse’s head down then you must use it with a cavesson noseband. The caveson will not interfere with the bit, as the flash or dropped noseband would.
With a loose ring snaffle you have a snaffle mouthpiece that is attached to a circular bit ring. The mouthpiece can move freely around the ring, and when attached to a horse does not provide extra leverage to force the horse’s head down, like the full cheek snaffle does. The drop down noseband goes where the flash noseband would sit on the horse’s mouth (right below the bit) and does not allow the horse to open their mouth very wide. The drop noseband or flash is more safely used with this kind of snaffle, as it does not have rods poking out of the rings that could get caught in a dropped noseband or flash noseband. However, my beliefs are still in line with Walter Zettl when he states, “They say if the rider consequently needs a strong bit or special reins to control the horse, this is just the horse’s problem. But these things are never necessary for the rider who knows the right way. (Dressage in Harmony, p. 2).” This also follows the adapted vaquero style of riding performed by the late Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, as well as Buck Brannaman. These men believe that any extra devices around the horse’s mouth, such as cavesons, but especially drop or flash nosebands only work to force the horse’s mouth closed. Both the dropped noseband and flash noseband force the horse’s mouth closed, thus causing more problems than there were originally. The fact that the horse is having so much trouble that they are unable to keep their mouths quiet shows there is a pre existing rider error. By adding more pressure it only inhibits the horse’s ability to move its tongue freely, causing it to not be able to swallow properly, thus creating white foam from the mouth. Therefore not solving any problem, but just creating new ones.
3. Describe the correct fitting of the dressage saddle to the horse, including
correct placement of the saddle on the horse’s back and all guidelines to know if the size and design of the saddle are correct for that particular horse. Also include what symptoms one looks for that indicate that previously correctly fitted saddle needs to be re-stuffed.
Correct saddle fit is essential to horse’s well being, and contributes greatly to the way in which they are able to work. A correctly fit saddle will allow the horse to move over its topline without causing pain or pinching the back at any spot, while a poorly fit saddle causes the horse’s back to become tight and rigid. This directly relates to their performance because when the saddle does not fit, the horse’s back is hollow, thus causing their head to up in the air and sending them off balance and disengaging the hind end.
When fitting a saddle it is important to look at where the saddle lays on the back. A perfectly fitted saddle will appear unstable if places in the wrong position. An appropriate place for the saddle is just behind the shoulder (you can determine the shoulder point by moving your horses shoulder around), but never going past their last rib. The withers should be below the pommel, while the cantle should be still landing in the rib’s range. This will allow the horse to freely move its shoulders and the back will be able to support the saddle. When fitting the saddle to the horse one wants to ensure that it has the correct tree size. For example, a thoroughbred with high withers and a back that is not as rounded as a draft horse’s would typically require a narrow gullet, while a draft horse would need an extra wide gullet to get across their broad back. Once the saddle is on the horse and the correct gullet is installed there are a few other things you want to look out for. The first would be the stability of the saddle. If you place one hand on the pommel and one on the cantle and move your hands up and down the saddle should not rise and fall. Another thing to watch out for is the space provided between the horse’s back and the pommel/cantle. You want to have around three fingers width between the withers and the pommel, and a few fingers below the cantle. The saddle at no point should make contact with the horse’s spine. A way to test this while sitting in the saddle (as the stuffing will readjust when you sit in the saddle) is to stick a whip from front to back and make sure it glides smoothly. Lastly, it is important to make sure the sides of the saddle are touching the horse evenly and not pinching anywhere. Lunging the horse can test these basics and making sure the saddle stays securely in place, as well as by checking for sweat marks on saddle pads to make sure the weight is being distributed evenly.
Unfortunately we can take all the precautions in the world, and saddles will still not fit our horses sometimes. If your horse is bucking for no apparent reason in their training, having trouble coming round or stretching, rearing, or their back is sore when you run your fingers down it, it is most likely time to call the saddle doctor. Over time the wool stuffing in the saddles can wear down, and become unevenly distributed. Other times the horse will loose weight, or gain muscle, changing the shape of their topline. This is when the saddle doctor can add or remove stuffing in appropriate places in order to fit your horse again.
4. What movements and figures are required in training level dressage?
The purpose of a training level dressage test is to fulfill the basic levels of the training scale, and prepare the horse for further education. In a training level test the judges are looking for mainly rhythm, relaxation and suppleness, with the beginnings of contact. This is shown in the collective marks at the end of each test. The judge scores a rider on a few key aspects such as: the horse’s gaits, impulsion, and submission, as well as the rider’s position and effective use of the aids, and lastly the harmony found between the horse and rider pair. These scores are showing that both the horse and rider are moving in a direction that leads to a soft horse who is off the aids, and a rider who is communicating well to their partner.
As more specific movements emerge in the training level test they will vary from test to test. Training level test one is more basic than training level test three for example. In the first test the horse is asked to perform at the walk, trot, and canter. This is mainly done in twenty meter circles at various points in the arena. In the canter they allow the horse to have ample amounts of time to pick up the canter (half a twenty meter circle), and give the horse room to move by having him do only a half circle while cantering. They also ask the horse to come down from the center while heading into a corner, thus helping the horse slow down, and not speed up at the sight of an open arena in front of them. There is also a stretchy trot involved at this level. When going into the training level three test the movements get a little more advanced. Instead of just twenty meter circles the horse is now asked to do a one loop in both directions, and have the horse do a different stretch pattern. At the trot the stretchy chewy circle is still ridden in a twenty meter circle, but the walk is a V shape, going from KXH. This insures that the rider is able to direct the horse off of their seat and not just with the reigns, and that is also why this point is worth twice as much weight in the final score. The canter work also gets a little trickier, as they ask you to not only complete a twenty meter circle, but also have you canter to X. This is preparing you for first level, and eventually setting you up for a simple change. Training level dressage allows the horse to demonstrate the beginnings of dressage movements and allows the rider to receive comments from an outside source on how their horse’s training is going in these crucial first stages.
5. What movements and figures are required in first level dressage?
As one enters the first level dressage tests they are expected to be further along in their training than in the training level tests. First level is still a lower level of dressage, where one is still laying down a foundation and preparing for the more in depth levels of second level. In this test the judge is still looking at similar collective marks to training level. The gaits, submission, impulsion, rider’s position and use of aids, as well as the harmony are still heavily evaluated.
As you look deeper into the tests themselves you see much more difficult tasks being asked of the horse and rider. In first level test one a few new things are introduced. There is now a 10 meter half circle ridden at the trot, a 15 meter circle ridden at the canter, and a lengthening of the trot and canter. These movements may seem easy when written on paper, but they are actually much more sophisticated. For example, a 15 meter circle does not seem much harder than a 20 meter, but it will place much more pressure on the horse’s hocks and call for a greater level of balance and softness in order to perform it smoothly and softly. The lengthening is also a test of control for both the horse and rider. In the lengthening you are asking the horse to step deeper on to its hocks and compel itself more forward, lengthening the stride, while still maintaining balance and softness. After the lengthening the horse has to come back to the rider and do so softly and easily. The pace doesn’t slow down in first level test three either - many more things are being introduced and asked of the horse. A full 10 meter circle is now asked at the trot, a change of lead through the trot (on the diagonal), a great deal of leg yielding and the counter canter are now expected. These movements are entering true dressage and really testing the horse and rider team.
6. What are the elements of the pyramid of basics in dressage? (They are clearly defined in your text Dressage in Harmony and in various videos and other books.)
The dressage training scale goes step by step to explain the process in which a horse develops over time with correct training. This ensures that the horse is learning all of the necessary movements to get to the highest level of dressage. The foundation of the training scale is rhythm, with energy and tempo. Rhythm is essential to both the baby horse and horse new to dressage. The horse must have a consistent gait with motivation to move forward. After rhythm is relaxation, with elasticity and suppleness. Relaxation is very important and often times overlooked. After the young or green horse has a standard tempo the horse is now asked to be relaxed and not tense. Walter Zettl explains shying horses in this passage, “One should never forget however that the horse evolved as a grazing animal whose main defense against predators is flight… To cure shying, the horse must be brought to trust his rider and himself, (Dressage in Harmony, p. 80).” This is important to realize in relaxation. You can never force a horse to not spook, but rather guide him and show him he will be okay. This is so the horse will be able to go over his back and ultimately enjoy his work while feeling safe. The third step in the training scale is connection. With true connection the horse should accept the bit and the aids. During this stage the horse should understand contact and start to really search for it. They should also understand leg as more than just go, but also as placing the feet. Last but not least the horse should also start to go off the seat with the help of extra aids.
As you move on to the top half of the training scale the horse is asked much more. If you do not have a firm foundation of rhythm, relaxation and connection these things cannot be achieved naturally. This takes quite a bit of time and muscle in the horse, and should not be asked of the horse unless they are ready. The fourth step in the training scale is impulsion, or shwung as Walter Zettl says. In this step the horses are expected to have increased energy and thrust, and really pick themselves up. After impulsion there is straightness. Straightness is improved alignment and balance through the entire body, not just in the neck or back. This leads into the very last stage of the training scale, which is collection. Collection is self carriage at its finest. This is asking the horse to come completely off the forehand and engage their hind end. This movement is shown at its finest at the Grand Prix level, but also in the Prix St. George and both Intermediaries I and II.
7. How do the basics inter-relate? (And why does Walter Zettl give one more basic than anyone else?)
The basics all inter-relate simply because you cannot get one without the other. At the very foundation of the training scale is rhythm. This ensures that the horse can have a consistent beat of four at the walk, two at the trot, and three at the canter. When first getting on a baby horse they do not have a natural rhythm… they are so confused by the added weight on their back that they are not really aware of how to move normally under it. If the horse never reaches the next stage, relaxation, they would never be able to pick up a consistent tempo, because they would be more worried about survival than being able to walk, trot, and canter to any beat. The same applies to contact. Many people use extra devices to make their horse put their head down, because in reality they are far too bothered to offer it on their own. When a horse puts their head down they are allowing themselves to be vulnerable. This vulnerability only happens when they are relaxed and trusting in the rider enough to allow it to happen. Without a balance of all three basics the horse will not move freely and correctly.
Zettl also adds shwung to the training scale. I feel that shwung is something that many people assume to happen with the formal training scale, but is good that he spells it out so clearly for us. Shwung, as Zettl defines it is, “The power of the hindquarters that carries the horse forward and its transmission over the back, (Dressage in Harmony, p.13).” This is the idea that when the horse engages his hind end and compels forward from energy created in the hind, it can then carry the energy up through the back and to the neck and poll. This is the very epitome of dressage that one works to obtain through out their entire career.
8. What is a half halt and how does one perform it? When is it needed?
The half halt is a crucial tool for the rider to enhance communication with the horse. When thinking of a half halt some may think you are just pulling a little less than a halt on the horse to get them to slow down, but this is not true. The half halt is used very carefully, always reinforced, and can prepare the horse for many things. To start with: the reason for a half halt is either to regain what you had lost in terms of balance and the horse’s frame, or to let the horse know that something new is coming and they are to prepare for it. This can be while in the transition from a walk to trot, trot to canter, canter to trot, and so on. This carries on through the leg yield, lateral movements and further up the training scale. It is how we as the rider tell the horse something is coming or something needs to be fixed. Walter Zettl describes his conversation with another horsemen about half halts here, “He said he had never counted, but he was quite sure it was more than five hundred (half halts) in a single training session! (Dressage in Harmony, p.64)” This shows that in a sport where the only communication you have is through your body it is crucial to master the aid that allows you to warn your horse for what is coming.
When performing the half halt it is important to not only communicate through your reins, but also through your leg. If you just pulled back on the rein it would shut the horse down and take the energy away. But when you apply pressure for a second and also apply leg it makes the horse alert and brings them up slightly. Another key aspect of a half halt is to release immediately. If you hold too long and bring the horse to a complete halt you will lose all energy and have to start over. Lastly, it is crucial to get the timing of the half halt perfectly. As mentioned below, the aid can be perfect, but if it is at the wrong time it means nothing to the horse. If one can complete all of these steps successfully the half halt should yield great results and aid your horse in preparing for what you are asking.
9. Why is the timing of the aids important? (Give specific examples to support your statement of the general principle.)
Timing of the aids is more important than most people realize. When first learning how to ride the rider is more focused on sitting the horse’s movement. After the rider progresses from the passenger stage, and is more actively riding the horse, timing is extremely important. I remember when I was starting to play with some leg yielding and other first level movements my riding instructor put me on a lunge line and asked me when each foot left the ground. I was completely dumfounded. Was I supposed to know when their right hind was leaving the ground, and how that would determine the timing of the canter? This idea initially blew my mind. The more I thought about it though, the more it started to take shape in my mind. Every time I asked for a canter and got it a few strides after was not because the horse was being disobedient to my leg, but because the horse did not have its feet in the right place to canter. If they had picked up the canter the second I asked they probably would have fallen on their face. This concept continues to both confuse and enthrall me as I continue trying to gain a full understanding of it.
The timing of the hind legs I have always struggled with. This is very prominent in my riding with Duncan, as he is green and needs so much guidance from the rider. Especially as he struggles with his left lead, the timing on my part is so important. In order for him to pick up the lead I need to be asking at the exact moment his outside hind foot is leaving the ground. A second too late and he will have the perfect opportunity to pick up the counter canter. The timing of the hind legs is also important with the leg yield. When the horse’s inside leg is leaving the ground you apply your inside leg and hip, asking him to go sideways. If you wait until after the foot has left the ground the horse can no longer alter its course, and will have to wait until it hits the ground again. This concept applies all of the way up the training scale. As one starts the tempi changes the timing must be dead on or the horse will not be able to change leads. Walter Zettl states, “I hear so often from students, ‘I definitely gave the right aids!’ That may be. But the best aids will produce nothing correct if not given in the right moment. Aids that were appropriate a few meters back might need to be altered slightly because the situation has changed in this short length of time,” (Dressage in Harmony, p.47). Without proper timing the horse will not be able to properly do the required movements and it is unfair to ask them to do so.
10. Describe your strongest skill in riding, then describe the area where you feel you need the most improvement. Give reasons for your analysis. Describe an exercise that would help you improve. Give sufficient detail that a reader would be able to follow your directions accurately.
I feel that my strongest skill in riding is my determination. It is true that I will complain and whine along the way, but I will never give up. There were many times when I wanted to sell Duncan. It was not an easy start by any means. He did not know what a halter was and I did not know how to ride a young horse… or break one for that matter. I was pretty clueless in that regard, and Duncan needed someone who knew what they were doing. With that being said, I would not give that horse up for the world. I do not recommend anyone going out and buying the greenest horse they could find… but the lessons I learned along the way have been life changing. It took perseverance to spend two hours every day in the paddock just to get a halter on his face. It took tears, prayers, and many nights just showing him that a human was not a thing to be feared. It took time to teach him to lunge, put a saddle on, and to get him around the arena. It took trust to get on him and faith that God would protect both of us.
And still, after all of that it was time to switch barns. After moving to a new training facility Duncan was put in a stall and turned out in the equivalent of an equine sized sandbox during the day. He became spooky and virtually not able to be ridden. Through God’s guidance and expression of His timing and sovereignty I kept Duncan. My perseverance is certainly a gift from God. When I was just about to sell Duncan I got on my floor and cried out. I read my devotional book that night and it told me exactly what I needed to hear. God told me not to push His timing, and that when I chose a path in line with His will, nothing on heaven or on Earth could stop me. That proved true as just a week later I attended a natural horsemanship clinic and moved Duncan to that facility after the clinic. I went from being too scared to get on him to galloping down the trails in a week. I have determination from God, which proved to be a necessity with Duncan.
Along with my strong suit are also the things I need to improve on. My timing, balance, and feel are areas I struggle in. Riding does not come easily to me, and I certainly have a long way to go before I am where I want to be. I have spent hours trying to feel when a horse picks up their hind leg, and still I cannot tell you unless I focus on that only. I do not always know when a horse’s ribs are leaning to the left, and still struggle connecting the reigns to the feet. Also, I do not have the greatest seat on a spooking horse. I find it challenging to move my hips in the right direction at the canter, and can barely tell when to ask the horse for the canter (when their outside hind is leaving the ground). I am extremely thankful for all of the horses that have put up with all of my bad habits and continue to perform, and often pick up my slack. The only way you can master those skills is to continue riding, and the only way to learn is to make mistakes. I’m glad horses are so forgiving of us and allow us to keep making those crucial mistakes on their backs.
*According to Terry my strongest skill is determination and my weakest skill is whining... apparently I make whining a skill.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Lesson
Today I had a lesson with Larissa. I really love her teaching style. I just understand what she wants and I like the way she does things. She is the first dressage trainer who has thought my little flag was not a bad idea! Also, I really like the way she structured the lesson. She definitely understands baby horses, and it is helpful to have a full hour of working on different things. To start we let him stretch a bit and I also stretched out my legs. After that we picked him up at the walk and did some shoulder in. We then moved on to trot work. We worked on the leg yield and then did some cantering both leads. The left lead he got pretty quickly the first time, but was a little stuck the second time. About the third time asking he picked it up, and then we were done.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
ET is cool... cooler than Duncan.
I have to be honest, the first time I rode ET, I was not very impressed. I thought to myself, "I got the old horse who was something in his day, but probably won't amount to much now." I think I used that as my defense for not knowing how to ride him. He was a different kind of horse, and one I didn't know how to ride. Sure, he has a few extra years on him, but those extra years are what make him a prime horse to learn on. He will give you what you ask for... and I mean exactly what you ask for. If you ask for a leg yield when his hind foot has already left the ground, he will maybe move it, but most likely you'll get an on the forehand, shoulder leading leg yield. If you ask for the canter from a walk and don't half halt and let him know what you're asking, he will canter - at his convenience. I love that about him. I love how he will still give you something, but not what you want, and still be kind enough to do it.
I honestly do so much in one ride with him it's hard to look back and describe it all. I start out by walking him around and allowing him to stretch out a bit, while I take my stirrups out and do some exercises myself to loosed up. After that I pick him up at the walk and do some 20 meter circles, make sure he can bend around my leg both ways, throw in some counter bend, do a little turn on the forehand to get his hind end over. After that I picked him up at the trot. He was pretty stiff at first so I did transitions, making sure he was off his forehand and wasn't hanging on my hands. Transitions are your friend with a horse like ET... but at the same time your enemy. They get him engaged and off the leg, but are not easy to keep him up and motivated in. After I did some transitions I worked a little more on some steady trot work. While doing that I did a few twenty meter circles, and then worked on some leg yielding. I definitely need to get my seat in tune for lateral work. My timing is awful. I decided I'm going to spend five minutes ever ride just walking or trotting around, saying when each foot leaves the ground. The front ones are pretty easy, but the back ones are a mystery to me. I want to get better at this, as it will also help with Duncan picking up correct leads at the canter. After trot work with ET I gave him a break and he stretched at the trot and walk. After walking a few minutes I did some trot to canter transitions, and then did some walk/canter, canter/walks. After that I did some simple changes, which are so fun!! He needed to be straighter coming across at x, as well as off his forehand coming down from the canter, but over all they were good changes, so I walked him out and gave him a big pat! I love the feeling of lightness and self carriage out rides have been getting lately.
Duncan
There was a spot open in club time tonight so I grabbed Duncan and got on him. I like riding ET first because my body is loose and I get on Duncan expecting him to have the same feel as ET. I mean obviously ET is trained to PSG and Duncan is not, but I feel like if you get on with a finely tuned seat the horse will be more receptive to your aids. I only had a short ride on him tonight, as there was not a whole lot of time left in club time. The walk and trot work was spot on. He was soft, accepting contact, stopping, moving off my leg, getting his hind end engaged. He is still a little sticky backing up, but he is starting to understand it. I go to ask for a left lead canter - right lead every time. I go to the right and work his little butt off to the right. After doing a lot of transitions (yes, my timing again is hideous here and poor Duncan has to put up with it) I ask for the right lead canter, he gives me the left, and on a spur of the moment decision I changed directions in the canter and did a few circles on the left lead. Certainly not the ideal way, but I was running out of time and we achieved the goal: canter on the left lead, to the left. After that I got off and walked him out.
I honestly do so much in one ride with him it's hard to look back and describe it all. I start out by walking him around and allowing him to stretch out a bit, while I take my stirrups out and do some exercises myself to loosed up. After that I pick him up at the walk and do some 20 meter circles, make sure he can bend around my leg both ways, throw in some counter bend, do a little turn on the forehand to get his hind end over. After that I picked him up at the trot. He was pretty stiff at first so I did transitions, making sure he was off his forehand and wasn't hanging on my hands. Transitions are your friend with a horse like ET... but at the same time your enemy. They get him engaged and off the leg, but are not easy to keep him up and motivated in. After I did some transitions I worked a little more on some steady trot work. While doing that I did a few twenty meter circles, and then worked on some leg yielding. I definitely need to get my seat in tune for lateral work. My timing is awful. I decided I'm going to spend five minutes ever ride just walking or trotting around, saying when each foot leaves the ground. The front ones are pretty easy, but the back ones are a mystery to me. I want to get better at this, as it will also help with Duncan picking up correct leads at the canter. After trot work with ET I gave him a break and he stretched at the trot and walk. After walking a few minutes I did some trot to canter transitions, and then did some walk/canter, canter/walks. After that I did some simple changes, which are so fun!! He needed to be straighter coming across at x, as well as off his forehand coming down from the canter, but over all they were good changes, so I walked him out and gave him a big pat! I love the feeling of lightness and self carriage out rides have been getting lately.
Duncan
There was a spot open in club time tonight so I grabbed Duncan and got on him. I like riding ET first because my body is loose and I get on Duncan expecting him to have the same feel as ET. I mean obviously ET is trained to PSG and Duncan is not, but I feel like if you get on with a finely tuned seat the horse will be more receptive to your aids. I only had a short ride on him tonight, as there was not a whole lot of time left in club time. The walk and trot work was spot on. He was soft, accepting contact, stopping, moving off my leg, getting his hind end engaged. He is still a little sticky backing up, but he is starting to understand it. I go to ask for a left lead canter - right lead every time. I go to the right and work his little butt off to the right. After doing a lot of transitions (yes, my timing again is hideous here and poor Duncan has to put up with it) I ask for the right lead canter, he gives me the left, and on a spur of the moment decision I changed directions in the canter and did a few circles on the left lead. Certainly not the ideal way, but I was running out of time and we achieved the goal: canter on the left lead, to the left. After that I got off and walked him out.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Quadrille and Duncan
On Friday I rode Et for quadrille practice. I was relieved that I had spent some time studying and memorizing the pattern, since my partner was not there on Friday. It was a pretty good quadrille practice. ET knows the pattern pretty well, and doesn't have much of a reaction to horses coming and going near him. I'm thankful he is so good about it, he can compensate for my dumb mistakes. He is, however harder to keep with you in quadrille. When riding him it's very important to keep him on his toes and always thinking, so it will be a new challenge do ride him in quadrille and keep him with me all the time. It's not super strenuous, but it isn't like I can do a lot of transitions when I feel they are needed, and you can't ride with a long whip because it will hit the other horses. I don't want to fake it through quadrille, I want to really ride him and be together. He can very easily just do enough to get by, and be okay, but I want to do better than that. I want to ride him to the best of my abilities and show him in a way that he can be shown.
After quadrille I rode Duncan quickly. It wasn't a very long ride, as I hadn't ridden him a lot that week. It was mainly conditioning work. Just at the walk and trot. I rode in the dressage saddle. I half like riding in that... to be continued.
After quadrille I rode Duncan quickly. It wasn't a very long ride, as I hadn't ridden him a lot that week. It was mainly conditioning work. Just at the walk and trot. I rode in the dressage saddle. I half like riding in that... to be continued.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Normalcy
Today I rode Duncan. This was the first time I've ridden him in a week and a half since it's been so cold out. It was a pretty awesome ride. I just did some light walk and trot, since it was still pretty cold, and he was a little stiff, probably from not being worked. I free lunged him and had him hook on (I would say join up, but my horsemanship trainer from home tells me that's a "yuppie" term). After that I did a little ground work and then got on. He was pretty soft in his mouth, and didn't give me much trouble. Aside from being a little out of shape, I really didn't notice much. I did some walking on a long reign, then picked him up and did some turn on the forehand. I notice that Duncan doesn't have much trouble getting his butt over, but does have a problem staying straight and doing it, he likes to bend. I also worked on a lot of transition and not letting him brace in the transition. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here... throwing my position away, not using enough leg? Probably a combination of the above. I worked on backing up and going forward and got him pretty soft in that. I saw in the mirrors that he really throws his hind end out way to the right, so then we worked on keeping him straight in the halt. After that I just hopped off because he was being really good and I wanted to reward him for it. A very peaceful ride.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Mediocre people will see you and feel themselves wilting in your shadow. Do not shrink to counsel them.
Mediocre people will see you and feel themselves wilting in your shadow. Do not shrink to counsel them.
Today we had class and it was warm enough to put the heaters on and ride, which was nice. I rode ET, who is always a good citizen. Class was pretty laid back. We did some trot and each cantered once. I was really mad at myself today, which made it challenging to put everything aside and work towards riding my best. I’m glad I had ET, because you can’t just go around the ring not trying, or he will pound on his forehand, and I couldn’t let my bad mood hurt him. I was frustrated because I wanted to ride Nate, and was really looking forward to it, but it was only myself who screwed it up. I know that Zach does not want anyone on him, and I didn’t want to ride him because I didn’t want to upset Zach. But as I tacked ET up, it was not Zach who was unhappy, but me. I do love ET and I feel so fortunate to get to learn from him, but it’s also fun to ride other horses as well. When I am limiting myself for fear of making others unhappy, that is not okay. Other’s inferiorities may limit them, but I will not let them limit me again. Also, it irritates me further when the TA is telling me how to ride. When I watch someone ride who is going to be teaching me, I want to be thinking, “wow, I would love to ride like her,” but it’s actually the opposite. If my horse ever gets to the point that the only way I can get him to stop is by putting a harsh bit in his mouth and running him into a wall, I would seriously be looking at my riding and how I have trained him. Never do I want my horse to question when we go around a corner if he is going to get his face slammed into the wall, or keep going. I have a problem with someone who trains there horse in that way teaching me. I don’t know about you, but I want to do the exact opposite of that.
My ride on ET was mediocre. I find it hard to really get into a groove during class, I prefer club time. That way you really get to ride the horse. Problems I noticed from my ride: he’s not forward, but he’s not impossible to make forward. I need to stop begging him to move, but rather ask once, and then use the whip. He will listen once he figures out what you want, but won’t just give it to you either. It is really hard though to get him to go off my leg when all I’m allowed to do is walk. I can vary speeds in the walk, but that can only take you so far. I don’t feel like it really sets us up for success when I spend most of my time at the walk. There are so many things you can enhance at the walk, but since I’m not allowed to do anything but literally walk, it’s awful. Also, I don’t think he was really warmed up, and certainly not off my leg when we did walk to canter and canter walks. I would have liked more trotting first. I still feel like I’m off balance. I really do think my stirrups can go up a hole. They are so long and I’m reaching to get any stirrup, which causes my heel to go up and me to grab with my knees.
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