Getting over the hump - and please swallow the tube

After last week’s less than stellar lesson with Remy (all my fault) I was pondering alternate avenues that could help get me over my mental hump. Several years back I had a few sessions with a hypnotherapist that helped me deal with the anxieties that developed after Chambord had planted his hoof in my face, and Saumur’s panic attacks in the indoor arena were getting almost unmanageable. I had instantly clicked with the therapist, and low and behold, the sessions had made a huge difference.

So, Monday night it was time for a ‘refresher’ appointment. Not to go into too many details, but basically the session was geared towards replacing bad memories (Lamplight!) with pleasant ones in the subconscious mind. And I loved the ‘side effect’ of the session – deep relaxation that stayed with me long after. Very neat! And of course, the proof of the pudding came yesterday: Another lesson on Remy – and may I say it was a stellar one J Big relief all around, that’s for sure!

Still glowing from that highlight of the day I came home, not expecting JPs call from the barn that Teddy (our pony) seemed ill. The poor little guy was obviously in a lot of pain, thrashing around, eyes rolled back in his head. Quick call to my vet’s office revealed that Mike, our regular vet, was off that night. The one covering for him recommended a dose of Banamine. That usually does the trick in about 30 min, but not so with Teddy. I got pretty desperate and called Mike at home, luckily he picked up my message and came right away, armed with bucket, mineral oil, tubes and sedation. After administering the tranquilizer and pain killer Mike threaded the tube through Teddy’s nose into his stomach in order to pump water and mineral oil down. Luckily that did the trick, subsequent night checks found Teddy drousy but apparently pain free. He seemed fine this morning. 

Note to self: Don’t complain next time you are sick and have to throw up – having a tube stuffed down your nose is much worse! Note to JP: Finding lots of manure in a stall is a good thing! 

How tall are you? - And a surprising flashback to the past

Last weekend Susanne and I went to large used tack sale. It is always fun to see what’s out there. Last year I got some really awesome deals, a new hunter bridle with matching martingale plus some other things. This year it was small pickings, but I scored a new high tech measurement stick to determine height (in hands, inches, and meters). Up to now we more or less guessed the boys’ sizes, so I figured it would be nice to know for sure.

Here are the numbers: Remy = 16.1H (1.65m), Chambord = 15.3H (1.60m), Teddy = 11.2H (1.20m). Saumur = 16.2H – best guess

Well, Saumur’s height we can only guess. He’s a tad taller than Remy, so that should make him about 16.2. Very surprisingly, the measuring stick must have triggered some very bad memories in Saumur. One look at it and he freaked out, piaffing, trying to bolt, trembling. It was quite the surprise, as Saumur has been doing so well for a long time now. Nothing could calm him down, so we didn’t force it on him. Saumur has been with us for 13 years, and still, he gets flashbacks. I guess if he were human he would have needed a shrink – but then, as opposed to Chambord (who likes any opportunity for a snooze) Saumur wouldn’t like to lie on a couch!

Sometimes I just can't fake it - will there be a "Happy Ending"??

Last night was one of the worst times riding Remy I had in a long time. Not to find excuses, but my mind was racing around the upcoming travels (“how do I find time to ride???”) which literally take me out of town and/or country every week until almost Christmas. To top it off, Remy was not to thrilled to see me, it was feeding time and he figured out that he had to wait for dinner. Not a happy thought for him!

Remy was fidgeting while I was preparing him and not paying attention. My gut told me to longe him, but then I thought a bit of groundwork would to the trick. Well, it didn’t. Between him and me last night: It wasn’t going to happen, no chemistry. The more I failed to get his attention, the more I got frustrated. Having a huge warmblood cantering around us for what seemed an eternity didn’t help. To the point where I actually got off and said to Judy “I just can’t do this”. She’s seen her share of difficult students, so luckily she didn’t lay into me.

I know I should have faked it – confidence and take charge that is.. and Judy said as much. But sometimes I just can’t do it. With the last bit of resolve I was able to scrounge up I got back on, and finished on a somewhat decent note. Not a “Happy Ending” but not total frustration either.  The nagging feeling hasn’t left yet, though: Would it be better to find Remy a good home and myself a trained horse that I can just hop on and have fun with??

As always, Judy will support whatever I decide to do. JP not so much, he loves Remy and wants this to work. Deep down I know I would see the whole thing differently with less pressure – but alas, it is what it is. Guess for right now I have to work harder on the ‘faking it’ part. There must be a “Happy Ending” in there somewhere!

Improving one canter stride at the time – and should we dress alike?

First lesson on Remy after 10 days. I rode both boys at home on the weekend, and while Saumur was –for his standards- pretty laid back, Remy showed a bit of his feisty side. Just for good measure he had to throw in some bucks on the longe line, but then he was fine.

Tuesday he went back to Judy’s, and she reported a good ride on him. Last night then it was my turn. Still having the video from my lesson with Jan in mind I tried hard to apply the ‘lessons learned’. Judy told me that she and Jan discussed my ride also, and basically pinpointed the same issues. Ah, nothing like an Olympian and a Grand Prix rider/trainer pointing out your weak spots. Talk about taking “self-conscious” to the next level.

Remy was a good boy yesterday and didn’t argue as he sometimes does. While our canter departs still are works in progress the canter work itself was so much better. I was able to be quiet in the saddle, focusing on having him on my outside rein and keeping my darn legs on. Progress – one canter stride at a time. I’ll take it!

A rather ‘dangerous’ item of mail was awaiting me at home: the new catalog from Loesdau, my favorite tack store, had arrived from Germany. Ah, all the good stuff… and what every girl needs: matching outfits for horse and rider - hey, it beats dressing like your poodle! 

Reliving my ride thousands of miles away - and how to relax those muscles

It's good to be home, especially when you are eagerly awaited by nine critters plus one husband, and home greets you with perfect fall weather. My trip to France went well, and luckily there was a bit of free time to take the Autoroute du Soleil to Avignon for a visit of the Palais du Papes (Palace of the Popes), and a bit farther away, the Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct). Ah, it makes you understand all the people that want to live in Provence.

Don't think it was all fun and touristy stuff though - the days were full with meetings and plant tours, followed by late dinners and delicious wine (the tough part). As 'entertainment' I had taken the memory card from the Camcorder to watch the Jan clinic. I really appreciated JP recording my ride, despite being attacked constantly by flies (as evidenced by the occasional "m...e"  on record).

Right after the lesson I had written down Jan's comments, but hearing the comments while watching the recording is perfect. What can I say: Remy was awesome, and he tried hard to follow the program without discussions. Me, OTOH, more room for improvement. Especially in the canter I sometimes still look like there is an oxer waiting for us. The jumpers say "throw your heart over the fence, the rest will follow" - it sure looks like I'm throwing not only my heart but my entire upper body forward (the more the merrier). All that forward positioning doesn't give me a good canter transition, of course. Jan didn't let me off the hook until we had the transitions down pat, and there was success at last. Jan pointed out that after a forward trot I have to bring Remy down a stride (collect him more) before asking for the transition off the outside leg. And the transition better be prompt.

Another eye opener was the position of my spurs. I am always super concerned about using too much spur. Judy has been trying to convince me that my spurs are not making any contact with Remy's hide. Well, guess what, right she is: My spurs never touched Remy the entire ride! And I wonder why he sometimes ignores my leg?

What was great about the lesson was that Jan and Judy are so in sync. One might have a slightly different approach or explanation, but the big lines are entirely the same. I must have done a fairly decent job with my ride because afterwards Judy asked me why I don't ride that well in her lessons?! Ouch! It is certainly not because I put less effort in my lessons during the week. But the fact is that after work and the commute I show up tight and tense and it often takes the better part of the lesson to get my tight muscles to cooperate. What to do? I might have to resort to "Emil's Finest" before the ride (uh, what I sometimes do a shows) - taking a sip of my dad's homemade secret recipe brew. So, if I anyone detects alcohol on my breath: It's only to please my riding instructor :-)!

"You pay a lot of money... to let go of control" - and a "Two for One" Deal

Last lesson before the ride with Jan tomorrow. By the time I got to the barn I was tense and stressed, and Remy picked up on it immediately. So to get us both into the swing of things I did some groundwork which settled both of us.

Our lesson was a continuation of the previous one, getting to “more”. We finished with a really lovely trots on both diagonals. The trot work is getting good, canter is still a work in progress for both of us. During the lesson Judy had to remind me to relax my shoulders, and really use them for the half-halts. That really helped a lot. The other area she ‘picked’ on was that I’m too controlling, I do need to let go. It’s hard for me to let go (mentally) when all day I try to keep everything together and under control as much as possible. (No need to mention that I’m pretty much a “Type A” personality!) So then I get on my horse and I’m told to be less controlling. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean that I am supposed to throw the reins away and let him go his merry ways – even though Remy certainly would say “yes, please, I’m a big boy now!” The idea is to give him the correct aids and then let him figure it out.

Yes, I’m paying a chunk of money for my riding lessons (which are worth every penny of it!) to learn how to be less of a control freak.  However, I truly believe it is a job requirement for excellent instructors and coaches to be also part shrink, so viewed from that perspective: We have a ‘Two-for-One’ Deal, or as the Americans say ‘Buy one – get one free’!

I'll have a big juicy burger...

Nothing like an upcoming lesson with an Olympic rider to get you going. Jan is coming this weekend to Topline, and Judy offered me a spot. Timing isn’t the greatest for me, as the same night I’m flying out to France. On the bright side, having audited Jan’s clinics before, I’m sure I’ll be tired enough to sleep on the plane.

With two horses the question of course begged “who do I ride?” Ideal would have been a day on Remy and one on Saumur. That’s a no-go due to the trip to Europe, so who to chose?? And the winner is… Remy! It really forces me to concentrate on him, while my tendency is to favor Saumur. After all, Saumur is “my man”. That doesn’t mean I’m neglecting Remy by any means, but Judy training him the main part of the week allowed me to be less engaged. No more, I have to get my act together so I don’t embarrass myself, Remy – or, heaven forbid - Judy!

We had a good lesson last night, with Judy going into ‘prep’ mode, asking for more, more, more… More uphill, more engagement, quicker reaction to my half-halts, more bend in the shoulder-in, more accuracy in the leg yields, more and better transitions. How often can you ask for “more” and “better”?? I’m still struggling to make Remy listen to my seat and leg, and it was quite the effort getting him into the left lead canter. “Over and Out” is the goal, meaning get a quick reaction and then leave it be: No nagging! By the end of the lesson I was getting exhausted (it didn't help that I had to hit the road at 6 a.m. that morning, and was stuck in meetings the better part of the day).

I was glad that we ended on a good note, tired but good. I jokingly texted Judy “Next time I’ll have a big juicy burger before riding” (something I NEVER eat). My ride time with Jan is in the morning, so I can safely forgo the burger and just have a heap of Nutella for the additional oomph. Remy, you'll get some extra oats, and then:  We'll both be ready!