Left Seat Bone

Exercise:  Piaffe -- very challenging today.  Weird.

Exercise:  Trot Squares:  Sit up. Lead with inside rein, really ask.  Put inside leg on to catch her.  Don't let the haunches fall right.

Exercise:  Canter Squares:  Challenging, but better.  I have to sit back, lead with my inside rein.  Really ask.  Keep legs on, esp. inside leg.  Prepare -- very collected canter going into the corner.

Exercise:  changing lead through walk on a straight line:  Also challenging, but entirely rider-error.  I had a terrible time moving my left hip forward for the left lead.  I couldn't even move her haunches over to the left because I couldn't get off that seat bone. Yeesh.  Right lead is a piece of cake.

Exercise:  Shoulder in fan down center line.  Absolutely impossible today.  Her hindquarters were all over the place.  Trying to move the shoulders around them was .....  well never happened even in the walk.  I think we fried her brain on the earlier exercises.

Around the loop on Pico looking for the elusive nice trot. Not a lot of work, but at least I sat on him.

Jumping

Headed up to Platinum this morning to jump -- me on Pico and Lindsey on Demi.  (Note - even Rochelle says it's time for Lindsey to ride more than Demi.)  

Pico was awesome, especially considering I hadn't ridden him since last Sunday at Platinum.  He settled down right away and found an okay trot.  Same advice as always -- lots of leg into the jump, lots of leg out of the jump and go straight.  Time to wear spurs so he really does listen to my leg.  Funny that less than a year ago he would leap away from a touch of my leg and now he is perfectly capable of completely ignoring a boot in the side.  We need to spend 20 or 30 minutes every day on dressage -- bend bend bend and light off the leg.  I had a little okay canter today.  It takes so much leg to put him together so the canter isn't just racing around -- much like the trot experience only faster. :^)  So lots of transitions and bendy exercises in our future.

Came home and rode Gracie around the loop.  We worked on half steps and a little tiny bit of half pass.  The ground is pretty hard though, so she wasn't anything that resembled forward.  Still, the half-steps are fun and really are working their way towards piaffe.  I read an interview of Rafael de Soto on piaffe and passage.  He likes piaffe to be confirmed for at least 6 months before moving on to passage. 

Howling wind

It's warmish, but he wind is howling and I really wanted to sit on Pico at least once between monthly jumping lessons.  Sigh.  Not inspired in this though.

Looked around a little more for Pas De Deux music for Jenny and me.  Frances seemed to think we could stretch for a third level freestyle.  That's going to be challenging though!  We need some fun, upbeat music that will get toes tapping and help people miss the errors....

Saw a good first element online - they started head-to-tail with one facing X and the other B.  It was cuter than the standard face-the-judge salute. 

Canter Squares

or how Piaffe will fix everything.

Warm-up, then walked into Piaffe.  My that is easier than trotting into it.  Gracie still wants to throw her haunches right, so to the right is easier (wall).  To left I have to finesse the whip and leg a bit.  She has figured out how to make small corrections though, so doesn't lose her balance.

Started with canter to left - canter "piaffe" then ease out to collected canter, back to very small canter, ease out.  Works when I keep my seat moving -- I can't get to super collection by stiffening.  To move out I just let relax a bit -- can't throw her away or she trots.  Had lovely down transition to walk.  

Then turned the circle into a square with canter piaffe in corners.  Not too bad to left.

Right canter was much more challenging.  I ask for collection, Gracie throws her haunches so far to the right they are practically up by her ears.  My.  Had to put my right leg waaaaay back and seriously on, drop right rein, use left rein to turn.  She really doesn't go counter bent even with no right rein at all.  Very challenging.

(Before trying this in canter we actually did walk squares thinking trot piaffe in the corners.  Very cool.)

Piaffe

Lesson this morning on Gracie with Frances.  Warm-up was 10M circle to shoulder in along long side to 10m circle, across in shoulder-in, 10m circle, should-in, etc.  Gracie needs that to convince her to bend and actually use her stomach muscles.  Once she was warmed u we went directly to piaffe along the wall.  Frances used her long whip on Gracie's hindquarters.   Started out a little pissy, then really moved up to the piaffe.  Next I trotted around the circle then tried to gradually move into piaffe.  That is harder -- it's a lot easier for me to get it from walk than from trot.  Have to move my legs back, click, and sit a little forward all at the same time and all sort of gradually.  

On to canter work -- just a few moments really, but asked for very very collected canter while still maintaining roundness, then jump out to longer canter.  She was great to right and after three tries great to left. 

Back to trot -- to right I can ask her to move her haunches to my whip and we zip right into amazingly good half-pass.  To left she is still confused and I have the worst time ever sitting in the direction of travel.  I fall off to the right.  I start using an indirect left rein.  All wrong and all bad.  No wonder Gracie has trouble!  So..  I need to think about stretching my left side.  That puts my right shoulder back where it belongs and makes it barely possible for me to use my left rein to lead her over.  Her haunches do go over, it's the shoulders I have trouble with and I think the problem is what my left hand is doing. Yeesh.  When I get it together for a few minutes - keep my left thigh on her so she has something to move into and so I am almost sitting on the left instead of falling off the right she does go over.

Jumping at Platinum

Went up to Platinum this morning with Lindsay K to take a jumping lesson.  She rode Gracie and I rode Pico. (Lindsey Joy came with us and rode Demi, but she has a sore neck, so only walked around.)  Started out with poles on the ground.  Goal is to trot along and just ignore the poles, keeping the tempo the same.  The right tempo on Pico is really really slow.  When he slows down he lengthens his stride and begins to engage his hindquarters.  Until then he rushes around with very very short steps, legs going all over the place.  

The poles on the ground turned into cross rails, then cross rails with flowers and pumpkins in front of them, and finally into tiny little verticals.

Big take-away -- I have to put my leg on way before the jump -- like 20 or 30 feet in front of the jump.  I also have to leave my reins long, even when his head pops up. Go to the leg first for steering, then the reins.  If they are spooking (which Pico actually doesn't) the leg on will help them focus on the jump whereas going to the reins focuses them on the reins or the spooky thing and they forget there is a jump.

Long reins, lots of leg, straight after the jump.

It was very fun to watch Lindsay ride Gracie.  Her trot was looking great.  Canter was iffy.  Her jump was fairly nice when Lindsay used a huge amount of leg.  Even at its worst though the upside down deer jump is gone.  She looks like a dressage horse these days, which is kind of cool.

Loopy

Lindsay K came over and we rode around the loop on Gracie and Demi.  I was explaining the piaffe lesson Thursday and reached back to tap Gracie's right hind --- and over it came, right to the whip, just like she learned on Thursday.  So amazing.  

We chatted about how horses learn and how they learn how to learn.  Gracie, who I thought would be tense and easily upset forever has figured it out.  She sometimes doesn't want to work at an exercise, but she no longer gets worried when she doesn't get it right.  (Pissy yes, panicked no).  That's a far cry from Demi who just shuts down if you try something new that she can't do and thinks is too difficult.  She never learned how to learn.

I only hope Pico makes it into the first category of horses.  

(Side note - Filled the stall with hay again Thursday. In theory that will carry them through February and into March.  March 7 should be the last day - 53 days - if they ate a perfect 25 lbs of hay each every day.)

Loop Day

Trotted around the loop on Pico today.  He has moments of suspension. Lots of moments of relaxation.  I just have to figure out how to go back and forth between them. :^)

Rode both horses!

Lesson with Frances on Gracie:

Warm-up:  changes of bend across the arena, small serpentines (about 10m).

Fan Exercise:  Down center-line in shoulder-in right, straighten, change to shoulder-in left.  She should stay forward, on the bit, round, now fishtailing of hindquarters.  That was really difficult two weeks ago, pretty straight-forward today. Go figure.  I need to really ask, not a wishy-washy ask, for the change of bend and remember to give with my new outside hand, so she has room to bend.

On to piaffe:  First we circled with shoulders in and haunches outside, then moved to renvers.  Moved whip to outside, tapped outside haunch to ask for quickened movement while maintaining renvers.  Stay seated to inside, not outside and don't twist shoulders wrong!  Gracie wanted the whip to mean move haunches inside, but really it meant come to the whip and quicken your steps.  When she figured that out and quickened, I asked her to move haunches over. In some magical way that turned into move haunches up underneath herself and piaffe.  Very very cool -- she sat, she moved her hind feet properly, she stayed round, she relaxed as soon as I relaxed.  Frances fed her a treat and of course Gracie will do anything for treats, so it was all downhill from there.  4 or 5 tries later it was only taking her a step or three of "what?" before she moved her hind quarters under her, sat, and gave me the beginnings of true piaffe.  

It amazes me that there is really no tension and she doesn't get stuck at all.  Also that a couple of treats seem to unlock her brain completely.  Nothing is difficult if there is food at the end of it I guess.

Came home and rode Pico also -- not a lot, just saddled him and worked in the snowy arena for half an hour.  Walk and trot serpentines with that change of bend.  He still wants to pop up at the change, but not really as much as Gracie even. :^)  I can shove him forwards now without a small panic attack.  He is so fat and out of shape that half an hour in the snow pretty much did him in.  

I was very pleased with is attitude though.  I think it's been 2 full weeks since he was ridden, but the horse I got on was the same horse I climbed off of after riding 5 or 6 days in a row. No flaky, jumpy, idiot behavior at all.  And I am fairly sure treats are going to be the key to his training as well.  We have a theme going here.....

 

Still Frigid

Actually it was warmer today, so I reblanketed (heavy back to mid-weight) everyone and scooped poop.  That was as close as I got to riding. Last year I rode all through this period....  I was busier though, so clearly both more organized and more inspired.

Started a new scarf instead Mock Mobius Cowl out of a chunky alpaca yarn.  Size 11 needles, so it should knit up quickly.

Purchasing ride time

I picked up a blanket from the repair shop ---  that's as close as I got to a ride today.  I think the high was around 20.

Frigid

So today we proved that I don't even want to walk out to the barn when the high is 14, never mind consider riding.

Went to the Reining freestyle at the stock show yesterday. What they have right:

• bling
• glitter
• fun music
• audience participation
• lots of noise
• costumes
• no bridles for three performers and once no saddle either.

But (you knew there was a but) leg yield was a big hairy deal.  Even my girls thought they ought to go to half pass.  One person had sequences, most had bad single changes.  The slides and spins are fun, but they need more difficulty. 

Dressage people really need to clue into the fun, noisy part though.  Lots of people loved Fuego at the WEG bcz his rider worked the audience (and bcz he is a cool horse of course). 

Time Flies

Spent Monday and Tuesday on a frozen pipe, then Wednesday/Thursday in Glenwood Springs... so here it is Friday and I haven't sat on a horse yet this week.  Urgh.  Working this morning and I have to try to fix the barn this afternoon.  More Urghs.

 

Blanket Swap

The car thinks it's only 8 degrees out now, so Lindsey and I re-blanketed -- Gracie has the heavy-weight, Demi has the mid-weight, and Pico is still naked. 

Snow Day

Only not quite all day....  it was beautiful this morning, so Lindsey and I got a ride in then.  Now it's snowing.  I know we need some snow.  Am trying to be cheerful about it.  Louses up my riding a lot though. :^(

Yesterday my barn time was spent holding horses while Rochelle trimmed their toes.  We went ahead and pulled Gracie's front shoes and left her barefoot.  She hasn't been without front shoes for any significant time for over a year now.  Last year I pulled them for about three weeks, couldn't stand it, and put them back on. Back when she broke her coffin bone she was barefoot for 7 or 8 months and was still tippy-toeing around at the end of that time.  Yeesh.  

This morning we tippy-toed up the road about 3/4 mile and back again as a warm-up, then spent some time in the arena.  Half-steps are slowly getting better.  I begin to wonder if she will get worse at getting out of them as she gets better at getting into them.  Not sure how to dodge that issue. Left canter is *so* *much* *work*.  It helps to keep my left hand high, right hand low.  She really wants to fall on her left shoulder the moment I let down my guard.  Today she wasn't particularly interested in taking the right rein.  That said, we did have some okay canter squares.  I just have to ride every stride.  every stride.  Print that on the insides of my eyelids will you please.

Yesterday

Back to the loop with Gracie, but followed by a short time in the arena.  Left lead canters are getting better, but we were distracted by the ogre that sometimes visits the far end of the arena or maybe it was Erin's Mad Rapist Murderer. At any rate it was clearly searching for a chestnut mare to eat for lunch and Gracie didn't want to have anything to do with it.  Yeesh.  Back to the old "bend is non-negotiable" discussions for awhile.  

Once that was taken care of we worked on canter serpentines.  So perfect on the right.  Getting better on the left, but that right rein thing...  Eventually we worked our way down to the walk and spent time turning on the right rein and lifting the left front leg instead of falling on the left shoulder.  Seems to help if I hold that hand up much higher than normal and keep the right rein very steady (and yet remain soft and following).  Worked hard on sitting in the direction of travel in the corners.

The loop is easy

Schooled Gracie yesterday - lots of left lead canter work.  We can find that left hind leg faster now.  Then worked on canter-walk-canter.  Still really hard.  I mean really hard.  She pops me right out of the saddle, drops the right rein completely, throws her haunches all over the place.  sigh.

A little half-pass, trot and canter.  Sit in the direction of travel.  Not the outside.  The inside.  Also hard.  Left canter half-pass to straight to leg yield was better.  I am catching the hind quarters before they go flying off into the distance better.

Today I rode around the loop twice on Pico and once on Gracie.  Pico did a little leg yield at the walk and a little shoulder fore at the walk.  Mostly worked on tempo at the trot.  And relaxation of course.  He was his usual cute and adorable self.  Gracie loped a bit -- still amazes me that she can hold herself up well enough to lope now.   

Piaffe and Right Rein

I think it's going to be right rein all spring....

Started with Piaffe today -- I can stand in the barn aisle-way and get Gracie to lift her hind legs fairly quickly and without fuss, but to sit on her and let Frances ask for the same thing is much more difficult!  We did get some good steps, but it's much more challenging.  I need to get someone else to work on it with me at home.  From that we moved to half-steps.  I need to ask very slowly, keep my legs well back, and click in a good rhythm - that clicking part is really really difficult for me.  I think I need music in my ear that is approximately the correct beat, so I don't lose rhythm as I click.  So, in and out of half steps.  We did get some good ones and Gracie's trot is better after working on them.

Next we cantered around - 20m circles with a change of direction, so we focused on the canter-walk-canter transitions.  When I know I am changing directions I keep the outside rein, when I am not planning a change of direction I pull on the inside rein.  

On to trot half-pass.  Trot left,  turn on to center line, half pass a few steps left, straighten for 4 or 5 steps, change bend, half-pass right 3 or 4 steps.   Keep that right leg on her to keep the hind legs engaged and stop the hind end from swinging right as soon as I try to change the bend.  The change of bend is the shoulders coming around my leg not the hind end wiggling all over.  

Last, Canter half-pass.  Exercise is to come around the end of the arena, half-pass to center line, canter straight up center line 5 or 6 strides, then half-circle to wall, half-pass to center line, etc.  Nice and repetitive. Relaxing.  On the right we were pretty good - nice, balanced half-pass, if I held my left rein we could be straight up the center line and could get a decent half circle.  To the left......  the right rein issue reared its ugly head again.  It takes the right rein to hold the hind quarters straight in the straight part of the exercise.  I didn't usually have right rein, so we changed the exercise.  half-pass to center line, then leg yield back to rail.  I have to think haunches for to get the hind end over where it belongs in the leg yield (straight behind the shoulders).  We did that once successfully and by then Gracie was cooked.

Great lesson with a lot of stuff to work on at home.  Next lesson Thursday after Christmas.

Right Rein

Round the loop with Lindsay K today, then into the arena to locate the right rein.  I am really good at letting myself be sucked into sitting left and pulling on the left rein.  We worked on half steps bcz that seems to help Gracie find her balance, which in turn helps with the right rein.  Then 10m canter circles to the left.  She did sit right away, but still leans in and sucks me onto my left seat bone, talks me into dropping my left shoulder, etc.  A little shoulder in helped a lot, and is getting much better.  

One flying change each way.  Not fantastic, but not awful.  We are ending up a little more balanced after the left to right change.  Long ways from sequences.  I need to close my eyes to feel her hind legs, so I can ask properly. (tiny ask or she kicks out).

Half steps -- legs way back, sit forward.  In is hard, out is easy.  Also worked a tad on lifting hing legs at the trailer.  She offers the front steps, so if I get the back steps we will have piaffe. :^)

Loop on Pico yesterday.  Working on standing up instead of leaning on shoulders one way and then the other.  Did the hind leg lifts on him also just in case he wants to start piaffe soon.

Piaffe

Spent yesterday's lesson on Piaffe.  Started with Frances on the ground tapping the front of Gracie's hind legs one at a time with the Piaffe whip.  The goal was to get her to lift them, hold them up and forward, with no stress.  Gracie started out irritated, but as long as she got a treat every time she lifted her leg politely she was ultimately happy.  I did the same thing with her today and she obviously figured it out yesterday (especially the treat part).  

From there we moved on to half-steps.  Trot on a circle, collect, collect, collect, then move on.  To collect I have to shift my legs waaaay back and sit more forward, off Gracie's loins.  It's challenging to get her in and sitting, but then she moves off well.  I had more and more right rein as we went on. 

Then today I worked on the same, plus some 10 meter canter circles.  Left lead is going much better! There is some engagement of the left hind and a little right rein -- I still need more finesse, so I don't hold her up with the left rein.