Wow, I think I trained my own schoolmaster - and here is to Active Retirement

Saumur is in his last "teen-year" - if he were human he would be getting social security by now. He does not look his age, the boy is still strapping and healthy, some white in his mane just improves his looks. Sean Connery comes to mind, still sexy ... OK, I digress!

Realistically, it would be unfair to push Saumur along further. I don't see any reason why I should force his aging body into the high degree of collection needed for the upper level movements. He is comfortable where he is. Now, that doesn't mean Saumur will be a pasture ornament. His new job is to be my schoolmaster! Yes, it sounds strange, usually people buy dressage schoolmasters (highly trained upper level horses that let the rider get the correct feel). Seems I've made my own (Selbst ist die Frau :-)! )

As my 'schoolmaster' Saumur will help me work on my position, give me the right feel for the lateral work, collection, extension, and the occasional flying change. All this is going to help me tremendously while bringing Remy up the levels. And yes, for Saumur it will mean less work, more time to spend hanging out with his best bud Teddy. Here's to active retirement, my man!

Just the other day I thought how lucky we are to be able to have the horses at home. There are so many people with equine retirees that can't afford to board two horses, so it is the difficult choice to either pay for the retiree and stop riding - or trying to place the old guy for free (or doing the unmentionable) in order to afford another horse.

Off to the movies, buying tickets for "one adult - and one (other) active retiree"!

A different kind of "couples therapy" - and leave the front door open

She: "He doesn't listen at all to me"
He: "She's always nagging and I don't know what she wants"
She: "He's blowing me completely off!"
He: "I'd rather be shooting the breeze with my buddies!"

Enter *Dr. Judy*:
"OK, now, Birgit: Make sure your aids are very clear, no grey zone at all. He has to be on your aids, in front of your leg and on the outside rein at all times. Remy: You have got to listen. Blowing her off is not an option, even if it's sometimes understandable ;-)"

Ah, the joys of riding lessons - aka couples therapy! Good thing *Dr. Judy* is helping us moving our relationship forward. I am looking for -the sometimes very elusive- feeling of harmony with my four-legged partner. Once it's there it's awesome, but when one of us or -heaven forbid- both are not 'in the zone' it feels like we would rather slam the door and walk away in different directions. Luckily it hardly ever comes to that. With Judy's help, Remy and I are becoming more and more like a really solid couple, forgiving little blunders and helping each other out when needed.

It was great observing Judy working with Remy on Monday, I could see how lovely the boy can go. It helps me to have the right 'film' in my mind, in order to recreate what I need to do. Our lessons are going really well, with more and more "yes, we can do this!" moments. We have been working on lengthenings, and what made it click was Judy's advice "You have to leave the front door a bit open!", meaning Remy needs to have room to move out. It seems I am sometimes a tad over-controlling (me??, Nah, no way!!). Sure enough, when I leave the front door ajar, Remy has the freedom to move nicely out, using his entire body.

At home though, the front door stays closed. Of course, only because it's freezing!

"Take control of your brain - don't let your brain control you"

Ah, another ‘pearl of wisdom’ I picked up during my lesson on Remy last night. I have been struggling with the canter departs, having a hard time getting my outside leg and half-halt just right for Remy to move smoothly off into the canter. Instead, I tend to do too much on the inside and then try to move him off my upper body. It nets me… a faster trot on the forehand.

I’ve been thinking (OK, some might say fretting) over it quite a bit. Why do I automatically go for more inside rein? Is it because that way I can do an easy one-rein stop to the inside when things go south? I learned the one-rein stop eons ago from a cowboy, it proved extremely useful to stop Saumur when he was bolting, but alas I got overly dependent on it. Sort of like taking “something to relax” when needed but soon you take it “just in case” – not that I would have personal experience with that, of course!

Judy nailed it with her “take control of your brain – don’t let your brain control you” advise. My brain has to go on autopilot, like “OK, canter depart: keep him on the outside rein, outside leg slides back, and off we go”. Needless to say, it should be a no-brainer at this stage of my training. With Saumur it takes the slightest of aides to get him moving off my leg. But Remy of course is still a work in progress, and he actually shows me where my holes are. (Ugh, I guess I do have some?!).

Yes, Jude, it’s high time to fix those potholes and take control of this blonde brain of mine J

Reflecting on the National Championships - 'Likes' and 'Dislikes'

We just came back from KY - JP and I had a great weekend. However, I felt there was definitely room for improvement at the National Dressage Championships. I knew full well that I couldn't expect something along the lines of German National Championships, but still....

So here I go with my very own personal list of thumbs up and thumbs down.

Likes:
1) Watching a beautiful, classy lady stay cool under pressure on her amazing mare: Judy! (Several thumbs up!)
2) Carolyn, Chris, and Barbara all doing well in their FEI classes
3) Watching Team Topline work together like a well oiled machine
4) Kentucky Horse Park and the International Museum of the Horse
5) Kentucky Bourbon Ale Brewery; Bluegrass Sundown: Yumm!
6) Amazing dinners at Le Deauville
7) My new PJs (*grin*)
8) Weather complied, meaning there was some sun and it didn't rain, we won't mention the freezing wind
9) Driving the golf cart - It was my maiden voyage. Thanks, Gerry!
10) George inviting Remy and me back for a training week in Ohio next year 

Dislikes:
1) Showgrounds difficult to navigate for spectators
2) Lack of spectators! (Several thumbs down)
3) Lousy food (or better: almost no food) for spectators. If you didn't sign up for VIP seating you were relegated to a choice of hot dog or burger
4) Limited shopping, nothing compared to Rolex (my credit card was spared a work out)
5) Awards ceremonies not worth mentioning
6) Last but not least: Politics in judging...

Let's see, the likes still outweigh the dislikes.

I really loved watching how Judy very focused went through the warm up;  and ride with the quiet determination, grace, and beauty that lies in the harmony she has with Benise. The score in her championship ride did not reflect this, but she did not complain. (It didn't keep the rest of us from grumbling, though).

It's that "complete package" that separates the "Spreu vom Weizen" (OK, I make it easy for you, literally translated it means separating the chaff from the wheat). The good stuff stands out: Many Thumbs Up for you, Jude!

A colicky pony gets a break - and a date

Teddy colicked again on Tuesday evening. This time I wanted to spare him the twitch/tube experience and called the Equine Homeopath that helped us with Crissy. Sue came right away (luckily she doesn't live far from us) and got to work examining Teddy and administering different remedies (I.e. Nux Vomica, Arnica M) and probiotics. Teddy seemed to get pain relief quickly, but it took him a while to really turned the corner. Around and around we went on our circular driveway, with Sue carrying the flashlight. When finally it seemed like he turned the corner we tucked him into his bed and kept checking.

By the next morning he seemed fine but I was very reluctant to leave as planned for Kentucky to cheer for Judy at the National Dressage Championships. Sue came to the rescue: she offered Teddy a sleepover at her barn, hot date included! How could I deny the pony-man that?! So Teddy traveled like a Pro in our trailer,  swaggered up to the very cute pony-mare... And wouldn't you know it: they immediately hit it off! Bet lots of people wish their first dates would go that well...

So, with our far sitter Dolores taking care of the rest of the crew we made it to the Kentucky Horse  Park today. Just in time to watch Judy win her PSG class with 71.18%. Now she just has repeat it on Sunday in her Championship class: Piece of cake! (how's that for a vote of confidence, Jude?)

It was a beautiful day in the KY Horse Park, but clearly Dressage has a long way to go in the heartland of racing. Very few spectators, nothing compared to European shows. Hopefully, over time this will change.

Over and out - JP and I are off to Le Deauville for a lovely French dinner. Romance is not just for the ponies!

Wish I could go into hibernation – and of Books, Baths and the ‘Con Trick’

OK, here we go again, a cold and rainy weekend, with the time change to boot. Saturday was just miserable, our outdoor arena made me think of high tide. There was no way we could work the horses in that muck. So I bit the bullet and went shoe shopping instead. Heels, to be more precise, to go with my evening gown. I’m invited to a private event at the Tower of London end of November, and in typical fashion “I have nothing to wear!”. OK, yes, I do have a “suitable frock” as the Brigadier General organizing the event calls it. And now I also have killer heels to go with it. How I will negotiate the cobble stones in and around the Tower remains to be seen, though. I’ll probably go barefoot half-way through the event. But my mind is never far off horses, while at the shoe store I couldn’t stop thinking how I’d rather buy Dubarry boots than sexy heels.

Sunday the rain stopped and we decided to take Chambord and Saumur out for a spin in the woods. It was COLD, not even a mile in and I couldn’t feel my fingers. That time my mind actually wandered off the horses and on to my bathtub. Ah, nothing like luxuriating in 100F water with a great book. I am reading Clare Balding’s autobiography “My Animals and Other Family”. It is absolutely wonderful, and there are so many things that hit home.

One paragraph gripped me especially, it’s the advise Clare gets from her father’s French assistant trainer: “Life, you see”, said Erwan, “it is all – ‘ow do you say? – a con trick.” (Here I paused reading, because in French ‘con’ is not a nice word, ‘Idiot’ is one of the more tame translations).

“I mean ‘con’ as in ‘confidence’. The more confident you are, the more people will believe in you; and the more they believe in you, the more confident you will actually become.” 

I couldn’t agree more!