Dressage at Copper Creek in 90+F weather, at a place where shade is almost non-existent. Am I nuts?? Some of my friends sure think so. The weekend had some highs and some lows...
I remember an interview with Karen O'Connor, when she was asked after a fall how she deals with the disappointments. In essence she said "if you do it long enough then the highs are not as high and the lows are not as low". The woman has an excellent point (as an Olympian with plenty of highs and lows during her long career she sure knows what she is talking about).
Sandy, Francis, Saumur, Daughtry and Hopper had quite the adventure getting to the showgrounds. The trailer sported a flat tire! Francis expertly inched the large trailer (it has a kitchenette, bathroom, sitting and sleeping area, not to mention the horses) to the nearest tire store. The horses couldn't be unloaded so the trailer was hydraulically hoisted up. Due to the flat tire some metal at the fender was bent and needed to be pried loose. Amazingly, all three of the horses handled the commotion like champs! Considering that Daughtry is a baby, Hopper hasn't trailered much, and Saumur has his trailer phobias - WOW! Sandy prudently didn't email me about the adventure, she only told me once I showed up at the show. Looking at the horses there you wouldn't have known anything out of the ordinary happened: they all looked happy, munching hay and enjoying the 'room service'.
Schooling Friday night went well, we kept it short due to the heat and also because it was JP's birthday. So much for a romantic dinner: I came home tired and sweaty. That didn't keep me away from the champagne, though... dehydrated and on an empty stomach, it sent me straight into Morpheus' arms!
Both competition days I felt I had some of the best rides in a show ring I've produced so far. We bungled the flying change in 3-3 and had some minor inaccuracies but all in all I was happy. Not so with the scoring: what a difference from the last show. Yes, it is one person's opinion, and that person might not fancy a Morgan, or our looks or whatever. It's also true that Saumur doesn't have spectacular gaits, but still - we have proven that we can perform very respectably. Ah, that's the challenge, not getting bogged down when getting 'creamed'. Still .. it hurts and I feel like I'm letting everybody down when the scores are low.
I scratched today's afternoon ride due to the heat and we took Saumur in our trailer to pick up Chambord at Sandy's, and now both boys are happily standing in their run-in under the fan.
So onward we go, focusing on the positive experiences: no panic on the trailer, a relaxed, sound and happy horse, no spooks, support and encouragement from wonderful people! That sure outweighs the scores.
Next weekend is the George Williams clinic at Sandy's: onward we go --
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Another educational lunch hour – Things I wish I would have done…
I attended today SmartPaks webinar on “Care and Feed for the Senior Horse”.
- Controlled exercise
- Longer warm up and cool down (up to 20 min each)
- Vitamin C is highly recommended, 5g (= 5000 mg) daily
o When giving Vitamin C it needs to be given continually, and if the decision is made to no longer give Vitamin C the dose needs to be gradually declined, so the body can get used to it
o Vitamin C is also recommended (with MSM) for treating respiratory problems, like heaves
- If the muscle mass declines, amino acids are key: Lysine, Methionine, Threonine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein
- If the horse looks like it has a pronounced hay belly it does not necessarily indicate a weight problem. It could be due to the loss of abdominal muscles (intestines weigh a lot)
- Supplements to be considered: Antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, digestive supplements
Note to Saumur: No long vacations or early retirement in your future, buddy! Sorry - but you are getting losts of 'tasty' supplements instead.
A large part of this presentation was nothing new for me, but some things I wish I’d realized and done when I retired Crissy. That part refers to exercise. The recommendation was to continue to exercise the arthritic horse, at least on a longe line, or hand walking, instead of just pasture turnout. Now I feel bad, because I wonder if more exercise could have slowed Crissy’s decline. At the time, I thought I did the right (kind) thing by just giving her turnout, and not working her any longer.
Exercise related recommendations for senior horses:
- Controlled exercise
- Longer warm up and cool down (up to 20 min each)
- Daily exercise, not random
- And most importantly: No prolonged time off! It is difficult bringing an older horse back (building muscles back up) and often might not even be possible. So that idea of for example “giving them the winter off” is really not good at all
Other notes:
- Vitamin C is highly recommended, 5g (= 5000 mg) daily
o When giving Vitamin C it needs to be given continually, and if the decision is made to no longer give Vitamin C the dose needs to be gradually declined, so the body can get used to it
o Vitamin C is also recommended (with MSM) for treating respiratory problems, like heaves
- If the muscle mass declines, amino acids are key: Lysine, Methionine, Threonine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein
- If the horse looks like it has a pronounced hay belly it does not necessarily indicate a weight problem. It could be due to the loss of abdominal muscles (intestines weigh a lot)
- Supplements to be considered: Antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, digestive supplements
Note to Saumur: No long vacations or early retirement in your future, buddy! Sorry - but you are getting losts of 'tasty' supplements instead.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
When your horse is just too smart...
We are still in the midst of the heatwave, but that didn't deter me from riding: two lessons yesterday and one today, each in 90+F. Of course, to some professionals it's nothing, but to an office dweller it is quite a work out.
Saumur is just too smart, we had to stop practising movements from the test, because he anticipates and then takes over. It goes like "oh, here's a diagonal, let's go for extended trot", or "ah, yes, we are changing directions in the canter, I need to throw in a flying change". So we tried to do flying changes off the beaten path. Problem was, as soon as Sandy said "change" Saumur did it - clearly he thought he could do the job faster without waiting for my (sometimes inadequate or late) aids! So then, no more talking, just doing.
We also worked on the canter pirouettes again, which really were fun. The other exercise we worked on were the half-pass zig-zags. Very neat! Just have to remember to have him straight before changing the bend.
Today we spend a lot of time on keeping Saumur in the counter canter. Sandy felt that that would really help to make him wait for my aids. We hadn't done much counter canter since 2nd level, so I was amazed how well it went and how easy I could get the transitions into the counter canter on the long side. This turned out a perfect exercise for Mr. Smarty-Pants, he waited for my aids (at least most of the time).
We also had the best extended trots ever. In the beginning I lacked in the half-halts and Saumur broke into the canter, but when we were on - we were ON! I could really feel the thrust from his hind end. So it was all worth sweating buckets and looking like somebody pulled me out of a mud puddle.
I also rode Chambord yesterday, after he had a week off. In the beginning he was rather sluggish, but when this boy gets going, he goes. He is really a lot of fun. We worked on turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, transitions, steadiness in the trot. Today I just warmed him up (OK in this weather maybe not the right expression) for JP. I was really tickled that Chambord just started were we left off yesterday, and JP had a really good lesson. Happiness all around :-)!
Saumur is just too smart, we had to stop practising movements from the test, because he anticipates and then takes over. It goes like "oh, here's a diagonal, let's go for extended trot", or "ah, yes, we are changing directions in the canter, I need to throw in a flying change". So we tried to do flying changes off the beaten path. Problem was, as soon as Sandy said "change" Saumur did it - clearly he thought he could do the job faster without waiting for my (sometimes inadequate or late) aids! So then, no more talking, just doing.
We also worked on the canter pirouettes again, which really were fun. The other exercise we worked on were the half-pass zig-zags. Very neat! Just have to remember to have him straight before changing the bend.
Today we spend a lot of time on keeping Saumur in the counter canter. Sandy felt that that would really help to make him wait for my aids. We hadn't done much counter canter since 2nd level, so I was amazed how well it went and how easy I could get the transitions into the counter canter on the long side. This turned out a perfect exercise for Mr. Smarty-Pants, he waited for my aids (at least most of the time).
We also had the best extended trots ever. In the beginning I lacked in the half-halts and Saumur broke into the canter, but when we were on - we were ON! I could really feel the thrust from his hind end. So it was all worth sweating buckets and looking like somebody pulled me out of a mud puddle.
I also rode Chambord yesterday, after he had a week off. In the beginning he was rather sluggish, but when this boy gets going, he goes. He is really a lot of fun. We worked on turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, transitions, steadiness in the trot. Today I just warmed him up (OK in this weather maybe not the right expression) for JP. I was really tickled that Chambord just started were we left off yesterday, and JP had a really good lesson. Happiness all around :-)!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Another kind of gambling addiction: Dressage Shows!
We had a very good show at Waterloo this weekend, Saumur received his highest score to date at 3rd level: a 65.12%. We won two classes, got a third place, and ended up overall with the 3rd level reserve championship. I was just so thrilled!
Our schooling on Thursday, however, was quite tough and it didn’t bode well, IMO, for the things to come. It started out nice, but then both Saumur and I (OK, me more than him) got distracted when a Grand Prix rider schooled in the same arena and always seemed to cross our path. Without focus the movements, especially the flying changes, didn’t happen (duh!). Sandy’s remedy: TRANSITIONS. To quote her: “It’s NOT about the flying changes, it’s about the TRANSITIONS!”. I swear, I drove home that night with nothing but the repeat beat of “Canter-Walk-Canter-Walk” in my head. Good thing it didn’t affect my driving (I’m not fond of transitions when driving either, it’s more speed than transitioning down in into a slow gear!).
The Friday classes went well, despite the heat. Sandy, Francis, Cindy, JP and I had a fun dinner at Metzger’s, a German restaurant, that evening. Two Warsteiner (beers) and I was feeling no pain.
Saturday noon brought the high score 3-2 ride. Unfortunately, the next ride was at 5 p.m. – and a qualifying one to boot. Despite the cooling vest I had no energy left. I literally wilted in the over 90F weather. Of course, it might have helped if I had eaten something since breakfast... We missed the qualifying score by 0.6%. The goal for next time: Electrolytes and Food (BEFORE the ride).
The great thing about the weekend was that this was really the first show where I was relaxed and happy to be there. I didn’t get nervous, and not a panic attack in sight! It was fun chatting with the other competitors, and of course it didn’t hurt that I got a lot of compliments on Saumur’s progress. I am never tired to point out that we wouldn’t be where we are without Sandy, Jean-Paul, and yes, of course, Francis. His pep-talks are legendary!
So, now I know how gamblers feel: First comes the anticipation (going to a show), then the action (riding), followed by the suspense of waiting for the result (what’s the score?) to the high of winning – or the low of losing. Good thing I ‘only’ have the horse addiction!
Our schooling on Thursday, however, was quite tough and it didn’t bode well, IMO, for the things to come. It started out nice, but then both Saumur and I (OK, me more than him) got distracted when a Grand Prix rider schooled in the same arena and always seemed to cross our path. Without focus the movements, especially the flying changes, didn’t happen (duh!). Sandy’s remedy: TRANSITIONS. To quote her: “It’s NOT about the flying changes, it’s about the TRANSITIONS!”. I swear, I drove home that night with nothing but the repeat beat of “Canter-Walk-Canter-Walk” in my head. Good thing it didn’t affect my driving (I’m not fond of transitions when driving either, it’s more speed than transitioning down in into a slow gear!).
The Friday classes went well, despite the heat. Sandy, Francis, Cindy, JP and I had a fun dinner at Metzger’s, a German restaurant, that evening. Two Warsteiner (beers) and I was feeling no pain.
Saturday noon brought the high score 3-2 ride. Unfortunately, the next ride was at 5 p.m. – and a qualifying one to boot. Despite the cooling vest I had no energy left. I literally wilted in the over 90F weather. Of course, it might have helped if I had eaten something since breakfast... We missed the qualifying score by 0.6%. The goal for next time: Electrolytes and Food (BEFORE the ride).
The great thing about the weekend was that this was really the first show where I was relaxed and happy to be there. I didn’t get nervous, and not a panic attack in sight! It was fun chatting with the other competitors, and of course it didn’t hurt that I got a lot of compliments on Saumur’s progress. I am never tired to point out that we wouldn’t be where we are without Sandy, Jean-Paul, and yes, of course, Francis. His pep-talks are legendary!
So, now I know how gamblers feel: First comes the anticipation (going to a show), then the action (riding), followed by the suspense of waiting for the result (what’s the score?) to the high of winning – or the low of losing. Good thing I ‘only’ have the horse addiction!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Riding "with authority" - and JOY
My last two lessons were really good. Somehow it seems something 'clicked' -- Sandy thinks that getting through the Traverse City experience had something to do with it. I am really riding with more purpose, what Sandy calls "with authority".
Yesterday we did our 'angst-exercise' (flying changes) all over the arena. No drama! They key is that I have to remember is that the half halt has to work, otherwise Saumur falls on his forehand and loses his balance.
Well, off to Waterloo we go today. Saumur is traveling with Daughtry again and I'll join them tonight for a schooling session.
Here is something I read in Catherine Haddad's blog yesterday, and it really hit home:
Yesterday we did our 'angst-exercise' (flying changes) all over the arena. No drama! They key is that I have to remember is that the half halt has to work, otherwise Saumur falls on his forehand and loses his balance.
Well, off to Waterloo we go today. Saumur is traveling with Daughtry again and I'll join them tonight for a schooling session.
Here is something I read in Catherine Haddad's blog yesterday, and it really hit home:
"The key here is JOY, Rita. I train my horses in the art/sport of dressage because it creates joy—in both my horses and me. My goal in competing has always been to bring that joy to the show ring and present it for the public to see. And when I can achieve that, I am always successful no matter what marks are given at the end of the day. But when I lose the joy of riding because I am traveling too much to maintain my level of excellence, I cannot find solace in anything I do."
Sunday, July 10, 2011
'Forced' into a morale boost
We took the boys to Sandy's today, to continue our lessons and also prepare for the upcoming Waterloo show this weekend.
Before JP's lesson Sandy showed up with her laptop. She tried to get me to watch my tests from Traverse City before, but I always evaded her. I really didn't want to see my (perceived sub par) riding on screen.. So today Sandy 'forced' me, by insisting JP had to wait for his lesson until I watched the tape. No pressure here - considering my rather impatient husband. I cringed but then watched the ride together with Sandy. Hmm, actually, I have to admit, neither I nor Saumur seemed like we were out of our league. Actually we looked pretty darn good :-). Sandy pointed out the minor mistakes the marred the scores (not finishing the half passes, early flying changes, circles too big..) but really nothing that can't get fixed.
That really put things in perspective. I've been pondering quitting showing altogether, it is always such a struggle to manage it with my work schedule, but mainly because I am very hard on myself. I expect to be always on top of the game, and if that doesn't happen I beat myself up relentlessly. I also feel like I let everybody around me down with not being up to snuff. Now this will get me going at least until the next show ;-)
JP had a very good lesson. Chambord is a really nice mover, and once he gets his -quite substantial- body moving he looks wonderful. It is pretty amazing to see him work so well with JP, considering the rodeo bucks and race track gallops he performs so freely (so far, knock on wood, not under saddle!).
My lesson with Saumur was from the beginning very positive. Saumur started all ready to work, and Sandy focused on precision. She pointed out (for the umpteenth time it seems) that I have to be more consequent, to get immediate reactions to my aids, not "maybe's"and I have to be the boss. We can't both be leading at the same time. I do have to RIDE him. It really helps to ride in a slight shoulder fore position. Saumur has a tendency to swing his haunches to the inside, so be putting him in a slight shoulder fore it actually gets him straight. That also sets him up much better for the half pass.
JP and I decided that our good rides called for a celebration, so we headed straight for the ice cream place with the home made waffle cones. The boys had gotten their sugar rush from the ample carrot rations earlier, so we felt that in the spirit of equality we needed to have some sugar, too.
Before JP's lesson Sandy showed up with her laptop. She tried to get me to watch my tests from Traverse City before, but I always evaded her. I really didn't want to see my (perceived sub par) riding on screen.. So today Sandy 'forced' me, by insisting JP had to wait for his lesson until I watched the tape. No pressure here - considering my rather impatient husband. I cringed but then watched the ride together with Sandy. Hmm, actually, I have to admit, neither I nor Saumur seemed like we were out of our league. Actually we looked pretty darn good :-). Sandy pointed out the minor mistakes the marred the scores (not finishing the half passes, early flying changes, circles too big..) but really nothing that can't get fixed.
That really put things in perspective. I've been pondering quitting showing altogether, it is always such a struggle to manage it with my work schedule, but mainly because I am very hard on myself. I expect to be always on top of the game, and if that doesn't happen I beat myself up relentlessly. I also feel like I let everybody around me down with not being up to snuff. Now this will get me going at least until the next show ;-)
JP had a very good lesson. Chambord is a really nice mover, and once he gets his -quite substantial- body moving he looks wonderful. It is pretty amazing to see him work so well with JP, considering the rodeo bucks and race track gallops he performs so freely (so far, knock on wood, not under saddle!).
My lesson with Saumur was from the beginning very positive. Saumur started all ready to work, and Sandy focused on precision. She pointed out (for the umpteenth time it seems) that I have to be more consequent, to get immediate reactions to my aids, not "maybe's"and I have to be the boss. We can't both be leading at the same time. I do have to RIDE him. It really helps to ride in a slight shoulder fore position. Saumur has a tendency to swing his haunches to the inside, so be putting him in a slight shoulder fore it actually gets him straight. That also sets him up much better for the half pass.
JP and I decided that our good rides called for a celebration, so we headed straight for the ice cream place with the home made waffle cones. The boys had gotten their sugar rush from the ample carrot rations earlier, so we felt that in the spirit of equality we needed to have some sugar, too.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A bump in the road - and a stint at a mental hospital
The much anticipated Traverse City show turned out to be quite a disappointment.
Sandy and Francis took Saumur and Daughtry to TC on Wednesday. Later that day Sandy sent me an email trying to tactfully tell me that Saumur was not dealing well (quite the understatement!) with all the construction going on. Saumur wasn’t even able to walk around, he jigged the whole time, ready jump and blow at any moment – and Sandy and Francis had him out for over 2 hours.
JP and I got there Thursday, and were just amazed at all the commotion. Building of the stall tents was in full swing (stabling for 3,000 horses, in anticipation of the five weeks of Hunter/Jumper competition). The rings were under construction, with huge earth movers and water trucks constantly driving around. Oh, boy...
I prudently started with just hand walking Saumur. From there we progressed to longing, and then I finally got on. Back to the “barrel filled with black powder, ready to explode-” feeling. It took almost all I had plus Sandy’s patient coaching to get us through. Three hours later we finally managed to work around the rings. Sandy called me a “brave woman”, because she really never had seen Saumur in this state, so being able to get on and just ride him was already an accomplishment in her eyes.
My first test on Friday was marred by a lot of tension, and tongue issues (due to the tension). The second test was better, we got a deduction for error due to a missed change in 3-3, but all in all it was OK. It was nice that Megan, Kat and Judy came to visit, and they were very encouraging because I felt pretty lousy about not being able to do better. It definitely helped when they called me their “hero” for trying to ride through it.
The Saturday morning test felt good, but I made a lot of stupid blunders by just not being accurate. I was so focused on keeping Saumur on me that I missed a lot of easy things, like keeping a 10m circle at 10m. But afterwards Saumur walked off on a long rein, totally relaxed, which was great.
Unfortunately, for the last test we had to go to another area of the showgrounds where the earth movers and water trucks were at full swing. Saumur saw that and his whole body tensed up. He started to jig and was very close to losing it again. I opted to scratch, because I wanted to end on a decent note and not have everything falling apart at the end.
So all in all, I wish I could have done better, but we got through it and I'll chuck it under “experience”.
At least we had a lovely dinner with Sandy and Francis at a mental hospital. Yes, that's right. This seemed to be a very fitting place for me! -- OK, it was a FORMER mental hospital, now an upscale Italian restaurant .. but still.. one can’t help but wonder..
Sandy and Francis took Saumur and Daughtry to TC on Wednesday. Later that day Sandy sent me an email trying to tactfully tell me that Saumur was not dealing well (quite the understatement!) with all the construction going on. Saumur wasn’t even able to walk around, he jigged the whole time, ready jump and blow at any moment – and Sandy and Francis had him out for over 2 hours.
JP and I got there Thursday, and were just amazed at all the commotion. Building of the stall tents was in full swing (stabling for 3,000 horses, in anticipation of the five weeks of Hunter/Jumper competition). The rings were under construction, with huge earth movers and water trucks constantly driving around. Oh, boy...
I prudently started with just hand walking Saumur. From there we progressed to longing, and then I finally got on. Back to the “barrel filled with black powder, ready to explode-” feeling. It took almost all I had plus Sandy’s patient coaching to get us through. Three hours later we finally managed to work around the rings. Sandy called me a “brave woman”, because she really never had seen Saumur in this state, so being able to get on and just ride him was already an accomplishment in her eyes.
My first test on Friday was marred by a lot of tension, and tongue issues (due to the tension). The second test was better, we got a deduction for error due to a missed change in 3-3, but all in all it was OK. It was nice that Megan, Kat and Judy came to visit, and they were very encouraging because I felt pretty lousy about not being able to do better. It definitely helped when they called me their “hero” for trying to ride through it.
The Saturday morning test felt good, but I made a lot of stupid blunders by just not being accurate. I was so focused on keeping Saumur on me that I missed a lot of easy things, like keeping a 10m circle at 10m. But afterwards Saumur walked off on a long rein, totally relaxed, which was great.
Unfortunately, for the last test we had to go to another area of the showgrounds where the earth movers and water trucks were at full swing. Saumur saw that and his whole body tensed up. He started to jig and was very close to losing it again. I opted to scratch, because I wanted to end on a decent note and not have everything falling apart at the end.
So all in all, I wish I could have done better, but we got through it and I'll chuck it under “experience”.
At least we had a lovely dinner with Sandy and Francis at a mental hospital. Yes, that's right. This seemed to be a very fitting place for me! -- OK, it was a FORMER mental hospital, now an upscale Italian restaurant .. but still.. one can’t help but wonder..
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