Fuming - the saddle saga continues

My long awaited "completely reworked" saddle arrived at last. I was very excited but also nervous to try it on Friday. Somehow I just had a feeling... but I sure hoped my feeling would be off.


Sure enough, though, my gut was right (once again, I might add). As soon as I got on Remy I knew: Nothing had changed. I was so frustrated and angry I almost cried. I mean - I ordered the saddle last August!! it felt horrible when I tried it a couple of months ago, then it went back to the saddle maker... only to show up again practically unchanged. I still felt I needed to give it more time so I rode in it during my lesson. The good news: Remy was fine. The bad news: It killed my seat bones and my back, especially in the walk. So, once again, the saddle has to go back, but this time for good.


"Plan B" is that I try other styles, but I'm not very hopeful, as the Triumph is really the one I absolutely love and that fits me. Adding the relief wedge to make it better for Remy's back hurts my back in return. This should not be the case, obviously, so I'm not sure what happened. Argh! And note to self: Do NOT pay major investments with a check, obviously, I won't get my down payment (50% of the total cost) back. Credit card is the way to go.


Remy has been working really well, even doing three clean changes on the diagonal. He is humming along, and I just try to keep us together. A few things to remember: I need to keep the RPMs revved up. For the turns on the haunches I have to picture haunches in on the long side. In the half-passes Remy's head has to point to where we are going, and the haunches have to follow, thinking haunches in.


With all the good work behind us the weekend sunshine beckoned for a trail ride, the first of this year. Incredibly the temps were in the 50s (remember, this is Michigan). Chambord, as always, was the trail blazer, bravely marching through the mud. Clearly both boys were uneasy with the squishy footing. Remy started out grumpy and looking for excuses to jump around. I knew it: He had to pee. Sure enough, once he found the right spot to relieve himself I had a different horse: Soft, supple, happy and relaxed.


I jokingly chided him for being difficult, and I could almost hear him respond: "Well, YOU try to navigate muddy footing with your legs crossed!" Well, Remy, perhaps you can learn to go BEFORE, so we don't have to desperately search for a bathroom for you in the middle of nowhere. And no, I won't carry tissues.

Where grocery stores sell horse feed - and perhaps we should go to Margaritaville

Friday morning it was 14F when I took the dogs out for a quick run in the snow and slush before heading to the airport. Friday evening a balmy 76F welcomed me to West Palm Beach. Let the weekend in the "Winter Horse Capital of the World" begin!


Saturday I had signed up for a workshop with Colonel Teisserenc, Ecuyer-en-chef de Cadre noir in Saumur. First hurdle to overcome: Finding the place. My GPS was completely overwhelmed, and no wonder, the Equestrian Community of White Fences comprises about 400 acres well guarded by various gates that can only be opened with special codes. Neither "Open Sesame", nor "F..you" did the trick. So I cruised around, looking for a human to ask for directions. No luck, I was on my own. German stubbornness kicked in and I found the target.


It was interesting to see Colonel Teisserenc teach various levels of students and horses. He was very kind and patient with both horses and riders. I took copious notes I will need to decipher. Clearly, shoulder-ins and haunches-ins were the go-to exercises. Colonel Teisserenc also stressed the importance of rewarding the horse with both hands and clearly release.


Saturday I was invited to visit Jan's and Amy's brand spanking new facility and watch Judy's lesson. WOW! is about what comes to mind. State of the art design plus great attention to detail in the stables and riding arena. Quintesse, Judy's young mare, looked fabulous. For me, the beautiful setting was only marred by a lack of turnout, but the large stalls and open windows on both sides of the stalls seemed to keep the horses happy. 


Judy and I had fun in the afternoon going on the "Lion Safari Tour", it is a zoo without cages, the animals are loose, the people are in cars. One huge ostrich took a fancy to Judy and I worried about the safety of my rental car ("Should I have purchased extra insurance against ostrich damage??").


I also got to visit the equestrian equivalent of "Margaritaville*", a more economical approach of winter boarding. It looked like a Hodge Podge of different stabling versions with turnout. I guess Remy and I would be candidates for Margaritaville if we ever were to spend time in Florida.


Almost got to meet Mickey on the way back: We were barely at cruising altitude when we heard a loud noise and then the plane lost a bit of altitude. Sure enough, the pilot came on and informed us calmly that the compressor of one engine failed. We landed safely in Orlando, and were told not to worry about the fire trucks escorting the plane "they want to make sure the engine is not in fire". Good call! Mickey Mouse did not greet us, but there is no denying I was in Disney-country. Six hours in the nice Delta Sky Lounge and I was finally en route to Detroit, where the sun seemingly never shines in January and February, but where JP and the critters were happy to see me.


While I played in the sun Remy played in the snow and mud with Chambord. He had five days off - so getting on this afternoon should be quite interesting. I wonder what happens if I gently whisper "Let's go to Margaritaville!" in his ear??


*Jimmy Buffet song: Named for the cocktail Margarita, with lyrics reflecting a laid-back lifestyle in a tropical climate, "Margaritaville" has come to define Buffett's music and career.

Sunday is Fun-Day - play time and hay cubes

Remy didn't get his weekend-pass, despite good behavior. The weather forecast was a bit iffy, and I didn't want to take the risk to trailer him in ice and snow. So we made it a play day instead.


Sunday afternoons at Judy's are usually quiet, and so we had the entire indoor arena to ourselves. I put Remy on the longe line with his halter only, and he was very happy to get some bucks out. The footing outside does not invite running and bucking, so I think the horses just need sometimes room to get the kinks out. It wasn't all just fun and play, we put in some 'work', focusing on transitions, and ground work. Remy backs up beautifully just by voice command. We also re-visited the "whoa" to stop. A well functioning "whoa" can be a life saver. I wish I'd thought about that before I ended up hugging the fence at Waterloo!


To top Remy's play day off, I served him hay cubes in warm water, mixed with bananas and carrots. Yum! Then I continued with my 'fun-day': A run to the feed store followed by doing laundry. However, no hay cubes in water for me: JP served dinner accompanied by a lovely Bordeaux!

"No one raises to low expectations" - and just keep the cookies coming

On the way back this morning from Ziggy's obedience training (where he was a star, BTW) I saw this quote "No one raises to low expectations" posted at a church noticeboard.


It made me think. Of course, if you set your expectations low then there is no disappointment. On the other hand, with low expectations no one will never stretch the limits and live up to the full potential.


I had a pretty awesome ride with Remy today. He was soft in my hand, responsive, on the aids, and things pretty much just flowed. With Judy's encouragement and help I have come to set my expectations high. They are high -  but realistic, which is key. Of course, I don't expect to do one-tempis overnight. I can, however, expect to get clean changes. If I would set my expectations low (i.e. saying "well, if we happen to get a change that's good enough") we'd never get to the one-tempis.


Admittedly, this took some time for me to get used to. I tend to be happy with (too) little effort when it comes to my animals (animals only!). Setting high expectations also does not mean ignoring small progress and rewarding the accomplishments.


Remy is doing very well with this concept, his confidence has greatly improved. He clearly shows that he is proud of himself after a good schooling session or when he has mastered a new skill. As long as I keep the cookies coming he will try to raise to my high expectations.


Note to JP: Keep the Teuscher Champagne truffles coming and I might make an effort to raise to your high expectations :-)!

New bit new luck - And traveling towards the sun

The "New Bit - New Luck" is adapted from the German saying "Neue Liebe - Neues Glueck" ("New Love - New Luck"). And it seems we have found a new flame (wouldn't call it love yet). I am talking about the Sprenger Duo bit, it is soft, but strong, not too thick or thin, and the 5 1/4 size fits Remy's mouth well. So far, Remy has given his stamp of approval, no fussing, no resistance, keeping his mouth closed without a noseband. All good.


The only negative remark I could make is that in the beginning Remy starts out heavier in the hand than I would like. But with lots of lateral/suppling work this goes away. We had a very good lesson today, one of those that give you the "Life Is Good"! feeling afterwards. Collected canter: Check! Flying changes, clean and forward: Check! Canter half-passes: Check! Medium trots: Check! Big grin and lots of treats afterwards: Check!!


A nice surprise arrived via email: An invitation to the awards luncheon at the annual convention of the American Morgan Horse Association as Remy and I have earned our Bronze Medallion. Yay! And double yay because the convention is in California, close to Palm Springs. Both JP and I were excited about the thought of ditching the Michigan winter, even for a few days. Alas, we won't be making it as we do not have a farmsitter for that time.


No worries (for me, that is): I'll be heading to sunny Florida for a horsey weekend next week. Fortunately, I do have the best and most reliable of all farmsitters: JP! (Hmm, I see difficult salary negotiations on the horizon...).

Too foggy to ride - and my clock is stuck

Yes, it's Michigan and our weather is known to be unpredictable, to say the least. While we should have snow and ice we are currently getting 'treated' to mud, mud, more mud, and fog. I feel like living in the old black and white Edgar Wallace movies from the 60s ("Der Hexer", Der Gruene Bogenschuetze"). There is not a ray of sunshine to be seen in those movies, and it's exactly the same here.


I took this picture during our walk this morning, it's our favorite oak tree in Kensington park. The fog was so dense that I put reflective bandanas on the dogs so they would not be mistaken for wildlife.



So, not braving the fog with the horses I went to a Feldenkrais-class instead "Awareness through Movement". It is held in an old, musty township hall. Slow is not my thing (that's the understatement of the year) and all the movements have to be done in slow motion.  While laying in my yoga mat trying to move my pelvis like a clock, the heat and dust blew full strength in my face. Someone had set the heat to 80F and the poor old heating system was trying it's darndest to comply by spewing hot dust. Make a long story short, between my non-complying pelvis ("clock - what clock??"), lack of oxygen, and the dust I was done.


On the bright side: The boys enjoyed their uninterrupted playtime tremendously while I was gone. They turned themselves from well-groomed, sleek horses into very muddy -and merry!- vagrants.