Sun, sand - but no horses... or... cold, snow - and horses

Well, we are back in the dreary, cold Michigan weather. Going from applying SPF 45 sunblock to popping Vitamin D3 pills (to make up for lack of sunlight) was quite the shock; and exchanging flip flops for boots and socks somehow lacks a certain appeal.

But the good part is being back with the boys. They sure provide a lot of balance in my life. I realized (once again!) how much I miss it when I’m not riding. I had a lesson on Saumur last night, and we continued to work on our two key items: improving his self-carriage, and my position, and I am happy to say that we both inched our way towards progress. Saumur felt good, much better than before I left. I also longed Remy and was happy how well he took all the activity in the indoor, with horses coming close, and cantering around him. He’s just too cute! (Yeah, I know… way too ‘mushy’).

By the time the boys were tucked in their stalls, fruit baskets in front of them, I truly was happy and relaxed without worries about the grim weather or all the stress at work. What more could I ask?

Here is a very fitting quote:

Feel free to let your riding distract you from a crazy life,

But never let a crazy life distract you from your riding.

                                             Daniel Stewart

 

Although Daniel better explains to me how not to get distracted from my riding when I’m in China (or Mexico, or Europe) while the boys are in Michigan!

'Kissed' by a stingray, loving seahorses - and wondering about my legs

We went to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center today. Part of the visit was a lecture about stingrays followed by hand-feeding them. The zoologist assured us that it would feel like a 'wet kiss'. Hmm, I've never been a fan of wet, sloppy kisses - but what the heck, the stingray won't kiss me on the mouth ... I sure hoped so! I was not disappointed when I put my hand holding a shrimp in the water: The stingray took the shrimp very gently, and it felt indeed like a wet kiss on the hand. No "yuk", I went back for more!

The big draw for me were the sea-horses - well, yes, of course: they really resemble horses! The little guys in the aquarium just looked so intelligent and awfully cute. I want some at home, finally horses that can live in the house!

During the days we've been here I spent hours walking in the surf on the beach. I love feeling the sand, wind and ocean. Sometimes the waves caught me, and I was grateful for having strong legs that kept me grounded. Pretty interesting, I hardly wear skirts because I think my legs are too muscular, but then when it counts I don't mind the muscles at all!

Still, riding or the boys are never far from my mind. So I asked myself why I have such a hard time putting these muscular, athletic legs of mine on a horse? Judy has been after me ever since we started working together to put my legs on, especially the inside leg. I guess Saumur has trained me well, in the early days putting a leg on him was like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube: fast and no return. Now he takes the leg well, but my brain has not caught up with it, and I project the same reluctance onto Remy. So - insight gained from my time on the beach: If these legs of mine can keep me from being swept to sea they sure can give the correct aids to a horse!

Sand, surf, crab cakes, key lime pie - but no horses

We are on Hutchinson Island, about an hour north of West Palm Beach. JP and I escaped the Michigan deep freeze for a long weekend. Our hotel is right on a private beach, so the Atlantic Ocean is literally on our door step. My snow white skin has already taken a distinct pink hue, and I twisted my knee in the surf: vacation greenhorn!

Initially we wanted  to see the Wellington Dressage Masters but there were only tickets available for four days, to the tune of $530 for two people! Needless to say we decided to skip,  my inquiry about day tickets netted me a rather arrogant reply from the show office. In that case I rather support the shows  in Europe with my money, they are much more 'customer-friendly', offering tickets per day or even half-day.

Speaking of Wellington/West Palm Beach: ever since I heard of the famous horse shows and top names wintering there I was secretly wishing I could one day join in.. Visiting WP made me quickly realize that this is not my scene. Worth Ave. features every luxury retailer from Chanel, Ferragamo to Tiffany's but to me the atmosphere is distinctly "nouveau riche",  with an artificial charm. Hard to explain, but interesting to observe the 'ladies that lunch and shop'. I sure can not picture myself there - broken fingernails and do it yourself  hair and make-up don't blend in!

We are having a great time on the Treasure Coast, visiting wildlife sanctuaries and nature centers, enjoying the beach, great food (my favorites: crab cakes and key lime pie), basking in 78F temps while shivering when remembering the 5F in MI.  Still, all I can think of when looking at the near endless, empty, sandy beaches: long gallops with the boys!

"You should take a roll - it's fun!"

Too cold to ride or longe - what to do? Not many options left aside from the obvious: staying home in front of the fireplace with a good book and a nice glass of red. Alas, as always, boys first. I bundled myself up until I could have given the Michelin Man a run for his money and drove to the barn.

In the interest of efficiency (i.e. to get back to warmth and said glass of red) I decided to walk and jog both at the same time. Well, Saumur was hardly in the arena when he did what he always does: roll. Remy stood next to me, keenly observing, while my thoughts went along the lines of "get it over with, will ya, I'm freezing!" Remy must have liked what he saw, because as soon as Saumur was standing on all four legs again he decided to take a turn in the sand. Yes, Judy, now we have two "dead horse" marks in the arena.

After both had done what they wanted (who asks me anyway?) they stood and looked at me as if to say "Well, what about you?? It's great fun and sure gets the itch out!" No, thanks, boys - I don't have my personal groom with me, the one that brushes the dirt off, massages me, feeds me treats and tells me that I'm pretty wonderful ... where is he anyway? Oh, yeah, in front of the fireplace, with a nice glass of red!

A lesson in horse underwear - and Dressage Arena Letter Mystery solved?

-5F this morning didn’t sound that bad (“cold is cold”) -- until I converted it into Celsius: minus 20.55C! Yikes!

No wonder the ‘underwear for horses’ subject is important. Of course, I went straight to the tack store after work to get more undies for the boys. There is an advantage in going to a real store as opposed to a virtual one: You can talk with knowledgeable people (aside from buying extra stuff you didn’t even think you needed). And sure enough, I learned something new: Polarfleece does NOT make good underwear, because it causes static if topped with another blanket. Horses do not care for that at all. There is a reason for ‘Naughty Nighties’ after all! Who knew? Obviously not me.

 

But luckily there is even a more cost effective way to layer: Just throw a turnout sheet over the winter-blanket, and voila, warmth without static! That’s exactly what I did last night, although the boys were more interested in the goodies that I had to offer: Carrots, apples, bananas and granola bars. I felt a bit like Little Red Riding Hood, chased by the Big Bad Wolf (in this case the cold).

And finally – I came across an explanation on dressage arena letters (courtesy of the Morgan Dressage Association):

In the Old Imperial German Court the walls of the Royal Stable yard were initially marked with letters indicating where each member of the court was to be seated:

K = Kaiser (Emperor)

F = Fuerst (Prince)

P = Pferdeknecht (Groom)

V = Vassal

E = Ehrengast (Guest of Honor)

B = Bannentraeger (Standard Bearer)

S = Schatzkanzler (Chancellor of Treasury)

R = Ritter (Knight)

M = Meier (Steward)

H = Hofmarshall (Lord Chancellor)

The center line was added for the 1920 Olympics so the judges had a common map. The logic on A I X G C is not exactly defined.

What - the boys have no underclothes?? Polarfleece or Naughty Nighties?

With temps dropping into the single digits Judy was asking me “Do the boys have underwear?”, in a voice that implied they better had drawers full. Uh, actually, no, they usually “go commando”. I immediately felt bad, in my minimalist mindset regarding horse clothes I hadn’t considered underwear for the boys.

At home a winter blanket does the trick. They can get out of the wind and in the run-in shed, whereas their paddock at Judy’s doesn’t have shelter. So, quick scrambling – what kind of underwear do they need?? We barely made it through the blanket and sheet decisions, now this! The catalogs are not helping, even offering ‘Naughty Nighties’ for horses. I mean, what do horses do with a ‘naughty’ outfit, show it off to their friends??

In a pinch, I threw polar fleece sheets underneath their winter blankets – which means that now we are short on coolers. Argh! At least I don’t have to shop in Europe for their underwear (as I do for mine). We’ll skip the ‘Naughty Nighties’ for them, though: More polar fleece undies for the boys, less Chantelle and La Perla for me… one has to have priorities!

No, I'm not going to keel over - and riding like a surgeon

We never saw 20F today. It was another reminder that my Nordic genes are no match for Michigan's deep freeze. I had warned Judy before that in very cold weather there is a chance I might get light-headed or even faint. Blame it on my chronically low blood pressure. While there is a good chance it increases my life-expectancy (yay!), the bad news is when it's low, it's really low.

I got through my lesson on Saumur fairly well, despite the howling winds and freezing cold he didn't tense up much. At the end, though, I barely made it off without falling, because I felt so faint. Poor Judy, I had to assure her several times that no, I'm not going to keel over and croak on her!  Once outside the arena I sat on my tack box in the aisle way, head between my legs. Saumur put his head on my shoulder, patiently waiting until I got myself together. When it counts, he is there for me!

Remy doesn't wonder too much how I feel, today he decided it would be a good day to test me. On the right canter circle I worked hard to keep him soft and round, with Judy getting after me to get a better inside leg to outside rein connection. Obviously, I didn't do to well - suddenly we went left instead of right! Once I sorted it out (ok, once I got sorted out) we had lovely work with good transitions.

Judy said I should "ride like a surgeon". That really helped me visualize what she is after my riding: precise, soft yet firm, determined, seeing it through, staying cool when things heat up, keeping the leadership at all times. And perhaps I might add a soupçon of arrogance, better yet self-assurance, paired with humility, which should see us through the show season!

Is he an octagon or octopus? - and "true guys or ladies men"?

Today tested our focus, horses and riders alike. We had a group of spectators that are potentially new clients for Judy. Previously, this would have given me performance anxiety. Even under normal circumstances I put a lot of pressure on myself to do the best I can. Adding spectators to this plus the thought of not wanting to embarrass Judy in front of potential clients... does not exactly sound like a recipe for success. However, I amazed myself by staying absolutely cool, and having fun showing off the boys!

Saumur felt good today, it sure helped that Judy had worked with him on "yes, you can do half-halts and listen!" on Thursday. He felt much softer and 'with it'. As always, I can't afford to let my mind wander even for a second, it's a constant check and balance. We were joking today that he is not like a 'normal' horse that has four sides: Front, back, left and right - with Saumur it feels like he has at least double that number. Judy and I blurted out almost at the same time: "He's an octagon!".

Actually, come to think of it now, it feels more like riding an octopus, where I have to ride all these many arms moving in different directions at the same time (while wondering if I get ink spit on me in the form of a spook).  Needless to say, I was very happy that we were able do nice canter half-passes, finishing with a clean flying change, staying soft while moving towards the peanut gallery.

Remy, ham that he is, almost always guarantees a good time. Today we improved our transitions and overall balance. His canter is so much fun, I can see us galloping off into the sunset, a bit too literally at times, so Judy has to bring us back to reality: We are in an indoor arena, and the goal is to stay balanced and having half-halts. Ach, ja, if you must insist -- we'll take it a notch down, just for you!

JP and Chambord didn't get rattled by the ladies checking them out. Neither of them feels intimidated by strutting their stuff (and they do it well) in a top dressage barn surrounded by women,  "true guys" or "ladies men"?? I guess a bit of both!

How long can you groom a tail? Long enough to have to bake a cake

Yesterday I showed up to my lesson with Remy sporting a tail that would have given George Morris the coronary of his life. Mud season wreaks havoc on long, luscious tails. I was pressed for time and apologized to Judy: "I had the choice between timeliness and cleanliness - and timeliness won!" Luckily, Judy agreed - and I neglected to tell her that at a German barn it would have meant buying a round of drinks for everyone!

So today I decided to groom both boys thoroughly. Hours and a bottle of 'Cowboy Magic' later (while contemplating if there actually is such a thing as a cowboy conditioning his horse's tail?) both boys' coats shone and their tails looked splendid. The irony was not lost on me: I do my make up in 10 min. flat, and 'hairstyling' boils down to: wash, gel, air dry.

Between grooming, riding, and puttering around the barn I got home five hours after I had left... and then I  did horse laundry. In the meantime JP had cleaned the house, did the grocery shopping, and bought flowers. I do like this job sharing! Then it hit me - something non-horsey might be called for: Cake! I baked a mean German red wine-chocolate cake to make up for focusing on horse keeping instead of housekeeping. That worked!

If you don't like the front - fix the back!

What's  wrong with this picture: It's the middle of January in Michigan - and we have 60F! I  call it 'teaser weather' - it makes you feel like Spring is just around the corner, only to put you in deep freeze the next day.

An unwelcome side effect to this thaw is the mud, everything gets sucked in and looks disgusting. The boys stand in the mud wondering where the nice fluffy white stuff went and why the ball they play with is so icky.

Nevertheless, we braved the heat wave during our lessons today. Judy had send me an email after riding Saumur this week saying "he likes to be carried". Umh - yeah, just look at my upper arms (jokingly, I hope) referred to by JP as "rivaling Popeye's"'. It's always been tough to get Saumur to carry himself and he tends to be heavy in the bridle. What really made a difference today in my riding was Judy's advise:

"If you don't like the front end you have to fix the hind end!" This translates into Saumur engaging his hindquarters , carrying more weight behind and therefore being able to lighten the forehand.
     
Sure enough, the same applied to my ride on Remy. Remy doesn't get heavy, he sometimes fusses with with the bit in the trot. Prescription from 'Dr. Judy': More engagement!

As the honeymoon is really over (darn it!) Judy's attention to detail (aka pickiness) has considerably increased. Just when I think my shoulders are finally open, she points out the incorrect placement of my lower legs.... and so it goes on, and on..... BUT: I love the intensity!  The boys are improving and I smile while working MY HIND END off: We are on the right track!

And for the record: The mud-stained Palomino and his French cavalier earned an 'A' today for a stellar  lesson. Who needs to be clean to work well, anyway? Chambord says  being clean is highly overrated!

The honeymoon is over - but the relationship is getting stronger

Riding Remy today was the highlight of my day. I never thought I could have that much fun! There is no better cure for stress and winter blues than having a great ride (OK, there might be one other thing...). 

Saumur has been just so slightly off, very tight, and 'looky'. He had his chiropractic treatment and is currently half-way through the Adequan cycle. Hopefully, that will make him feel better. So I have been very careful with him, trying to make him more supple while trying not to worry too much about him. After all, if he were human the AARP would have long ago tried to get his membership!

During my lesson on Remy today I struggled again (!) with keeping my weight in the saddle, especially in the transitions. Judy has been really on me about that, and today I felt I got her pretty close to the edge of her rope. I don't know why I always try to lighten my seat. Neither of the boys has back issues. Especially with Remy I think "he's just a baby and I shouldn't put my weight down".  Which really makes people snicker, because I am hardly overweight. So, what to do, putting a diver's weight belt on?? Well, finally Judy got to me, and wouldn't you know it, Remy improved remarkably. Judy told me that he's a really nice horse and he needs a good rider. Oh.. kay - I'll get my act together!

Which made me think about how important the trainer/coach - student relationship is. In the beginning both Judy and I were very careful, trying to feel each other out. Not only both need to have the same 'big picture' regarding horsemanship and training, but also the chemistry has to jive. Also, there are times in one's life where different relationships work for different stages of life.

I have been very fortunate in that I had outstanding professionals helping me along the way, from my fearless beginnings jumping whatever came my way, to dealing with Saumur's trauma's, then furthering Saumur's dressage career. Now I am at a stage where I have to manage Saumur's 'twilight years'; and also giving Remy the best foundation possible.

So, when Judy half-jokingly said today "the honeymoon is over" I thought afterwards: Good! We are now moving along in the relationship to the stage where the teacher feels comfortable to demand more and the student will see the pressure as positive. (A real honeymoon probably ends differently, so let's stick to it figuratively).

And lucky for all concerned - the chemistry between these two 'Type A's' works!

The Emperor’s –uh, horses’- (new) clothes… and being naked is not an option

January thaw is happening this week, which brings the question of:  “What to wear?” or better “How to dress the boys?”. Saumur and Remy are typical guys and hate being too hot. I, OTOH, am almost always cold. People with offices next to mine are not too thrilled that the control for the air-conditioning is in my office; the young guy (type T-shirt in the midst of winter) complained that “it’s like in a sauna”. OK, point taken, but I honestly think he’s never been in a sauna!

So, back to the boys. If Saumur get’s too hot he just rolls, and rolls, and rolls some more. Preferably in any muddy spot he can find. Remy has found another solution: he takes his clothes off! A couple of weeks ago JP found Remy’s blanket in the pasture. He somehow had slipped out, the belly buckles were still closed and the leg straps attached. No idea how Remy managed that! Now, any other horse would have panicked when feeling the blanket sliding down the legs and then trying to untangle himself. Not so Remy, he actually looked darn pleased with himself! Then last week Lisa, Judy’s barn manager, noticed that Remy had his head stuck inside the blanket while turned out. Lucky for Remy, the girls straightened the blanket –and him!- out.

When I first brought the boys to Judy’s and temps were in the 40s I left them without clothes. Sure enough, I got a concerned email from Judy “Do the boys stay naked??”. Don’t I wish! But I rushed to the barn with a load of freshly laundered blankets and sheets.  Realistically, with Saumur being trace clipped and Remy not sporting a woolly coat, adding the usual Michigan winter freeze into the equation… being naked is just not an option. 

And the first checks of the year go to... Paying horse expenses!

Happy New Year - It will be a great one!

JP and I started the new year well.. A bit too well for me, I'm a so called "cheap date" - meaning I don't need much alcohol to feel no pain, and I definitely suffer the after effects the next day. Today though was the day Luanne, our saddle fitter, was available to check Remy's saddle.

So at 11 am in 19F weather I bundled up and trudged to the barn. The boys were eagerly waiting for me at the gate. Remy was extremely patient with the whole measuring - trying on  - adjusting - retry the saddle procedure. Turns out his shoulders broadened over the last couple of months, therefore pushing the saddle up too high in front and putting my seat too low behind. Luanne expertly adjusted it. She also commented on the fact that I put even pressure on the saddle. How could she tell? Apparently my seat bones left marks on the wool flocking (too many cookies?? No, Luanne assured me that this is normal). Still, I'm not sure how I feel about leaving 'indentations'!?

So, the saddle is fixed (check number 1), Board and lesson bill is due (check number 2), Saumur has an appointment with the chiropractor (check number 3)... No need to wonder if I should go back to work tomorrow or not!