Icy temps and 'pushy playtime' make a little renegade

Argh, Michigan winter. Yes, I know, can't change it, so don't complain. But after spending altogether more than 5 hours yesterday in frigid conditions, I have to seriously catch myself not to whine.

I was bundled up and poised for my rides on Remy and Saumur, with the saddle tryout for Chambord thrown in for good measure. Ah, the best laid plans.. My little guy had other ideas, from the beginning Remy was argumentative and tried to push me around. He felt like he was looking for an excuse to loosen up with some serious bucks. So Judy and I decided it would be best to put him on the longeline. I had thought about it because of the cold but then Remy was so good the last days that it didn't seem necessary.

Well, he sure was forward on the longeline. Initially he blew through my half-halts and voice commands, all he wanted to do was canter. It took him a good 30 min. to blow off enough steam. I am careful not to let him buck on the longeline, while some people think it might help getting the kinks out I want my horses to understand that work is work, and bucking is not allowed when I am working with them. There is a time and a place for everything, and in this case: Take it to the turnout, guys! Speaking of turnout... seems Remy was seriously bossing Saumur around during the turnout in the morning, so that even got him more full of himself. Note to Remy: I am NOT a pushover as Saumur -- and don't even think about trying it with "Aunt Jude"!

After Remy's longing session finished on a good note, Judy offered to get on. And Wow: "The Little Renegade has left the arena" - Remy was as good as could be (OK, yes, he is also very smart and doesn't pick the wrong person to play the 'pushing game'). It really was a joy watching them.

By the time Remy was tucked back into his stall with treats I had turned into an icicle, and we still had the saddle to try for Chambord, and Saumur needed his exercise, too. Make a long story short: The saddle was great for Chambord, but didn't fit JP. Bummer. By the time I got to Saumur all I had left in me was putting him on the longeline. And wouldn't you know it, my 'Active Retiree' had as much fun playing as the 'Little Renegade'.

The saddle that grows with the horse - and might even bring a relative

Remy's muscling has changed a lot in the last months - that's what regular workouts will do for you. The down side is: Saddle fit!? It had been a while since Remy's saddle was adjusted, and to me it just didn't look and feel 'right' anymore. There were also some clues, such as uncharacteristically, I seemed to have to push Remy more forward lately; and the saddle pad bunching up under the saddle. So it was time: Luanne to the rescue! Luanne is our tried and trusted saddle-fitter, having helped us since I first purchased a custom-made Schleese saddle for Saumur eons ago.

Sure enough, Remy's saddle was becoming too tight in front, thus pinching his shoulders (sorry, buddy!), and therefore not enough weight-bearing behind. Once Luanne did her magic it was like Remy and I were simultaneously saying: "Aaah - that feels sooo much better!" We are ready again to gallop into the sunset (well, OK, for now around the arena - but only due to the ice).

Later I overheard Luanne talking with another client that had several used Schleese saddles for sale, due to her horse retiring. So I asked if by chance one of them would be a fit for JP and Chambord. Seems there might be a good candidate. We'll find out tomorrow when we'll try it out.

The good thing is that you only bite the bullet once when you purchase a saddle that can and will grow with the horse (being maintained by an expert fitter); paying the adjustment fee beats having to buy a new saddle everytime the horse's muscles change. However, I didn't expect the prospect of having a 'saddle-relative' move into our barn that soon!

"Yes, those hind legs" and the need for making a deposit

Remy was a gem in my lesson, we were able to start where we had left off. He was nicely forward, and I could feel a real push from behind. It prompted Judy to exclaim "Yes, THOSE hind legs, you found them!". Yay, finally! It means that Remy is working over his back, carrying more weight behind. One of the main aims when training a horse.

The other "aha" moment had to do with half-halts. You can't do a correct half-halt if the horse is not in front of your leg. As Judy put it: "It's like the bank, you have to put a deposit in before you can withdraw" (Well, Jude, unless I go to a loan shark, but that's a different idea -- or perhaps not, the humongous penalty would correlate to driving the horse on the forehand).

So, the idea of putting a deposit down  (having Remy nicely in front of my leg) before I make a withdrawal (half-halt)  made perfect sense. It  allowed me to use the half-halt as re-balancing aid, and voila, we were centered.

Banking and Riding 101: Don't spend more than you have!

A bit more 'warm and fuzzy' for the year end - beautifully expressed

I received the following from one of my colleagues at work. It really touched me - and so I would like to share it with my friends:

"I salute you. I am your friend and my love for you goes deep. There is nothing I can give you, which you have not got. But there is much, very much, that while I cannot give it, you can take. No Heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today. Take Heaven. No peace lies in the future, which is not hidden in this present little instance. Take peace. The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. 

There is radiance and glory in the darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look. Life is so generous a giver that we judging its gifts by their covering cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering and you will find beneath a living splendor, woven of love by wisdom, with power. Welcome it, grasp it.. and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you. Everything we call a trial or a sorrow or a duty, believe me that angel's hand is there. The gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Our joy is too. Be not content with them as joys... they too conceal diviner gifts. Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering that you will find Earth but cloaks your heaven.

Courage then to claim it... that is all. But courage you have, and the knowledge that we are pilgrims together, winding through unknown country... home. And so at this Christmas time, I greet you. Not quite as the world sends greetings, but with a profound esteem and with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.

Fra Giovanni Giocondo - 1513 A.D."

Just to clarify, I am not trying to 'push religion' here. I found the poetry and spirituality absolutely beautiful. It was written in 1513 by Fra Giocondo. Fra stands for "Friar". In case you wondered about the difference between friars and monks: Whereas monks live in a self-sufficient community, friars work among laypeople and are supported by donations or other charitable support. A monk or nun makes their vows and commits to a particular community in a particular place. Friars commit to a community spread across a wider geographical area known as a province, and so they will typically move around, spending time in different houses of the community within his province.

"Don't ask another question if he hasn't answered the previous one"

Remy enjoyed a week off, hanging out with his best buds at home. But he went back to work without so much as a grumble. I didn't even longe him before the lesson, and Remy was still fine.

The problem we ran into was that he made me work much harder than he did. OK, obviously that's MY problem. Breaking a sweat in 20F for me is quite remarkable, usually I am turning into an ice sculpture at those temps.

Judy took pity on me (or more likely she was tired of telling me constantly to make Remy move off my leg), so she had me take my little jumping bat. Remy is not overly fond of whips, even though he never had a bad experience. I think he takes exception to the fact that someone would DARE to think he needs it.

A little tap on the shoulder with the bat was all the encouragement he needed, then Judy had me put it away to see if Remy got the message. Yes, Ma'am! So that's where the advise "don't ask another question if he hasn't answered the last one" came in. Meaning it's no use 'dying on the vine' trying a different exercise when he clearly is sucked back and not in front of my leg. Not going anywhere with that. Get the right answer and move on!

The little guy is also pretty good at reading my mood (they all do at some level, but both Saumur and now also Remy read me better then I sometimes like). I was quite sad because by sheer coincidence just before my lesson I found out that someone I had dated for five years (a long time ago, I was 17 when we met)  had unexpectedly died. Granted, it was a long time ago, but still... I never regretted that I ended the relationship, but I did carry a lingering guilt on the 'how'.

Perhaps making me work so hard was Remy's way of trying to get my focus back on him "Hey, Lady, it's MY time". This question has been answered.

'Tis the season - for a bit of warm and fuzzy

“My Equestrian Hero” was the theme of a recent writing competition that caught my eye and made me think some more about the subject.

According to Wikipedia: A hero is defined by “the display of courage and the will for self sacrifice for some greater good of all… More generally it is now extended to moral excellence...” 

The ‘ideal equestrian professional’ (according to me): With riders and horses alike he/she is encouraging whenever possible and strict when called for. There is no bickering or backstabbing at his/her place (rather uncommon in a sport that coined the name “Dressage Queen”). The horse care is meticulous and all the horses are trained with compassion to high standards. There are no short cuts, and no exotic gadgets for quick-fixes. But all this comes at a price, and by price I mean the unwavering commitment,  dedication –and yes, quite literally- the blood, sweat and tears of the owner-trainer.

We all know that dealing with horses can be incredibly rewarding but also extremely frustrating. Horses come with their own baggage, they get injured, have colic, short attention spans, likes and dislikes, friends and foes. Throw the owners into the mix and things get really interesting. Naturally, people’s lives spill into the barn. Reason sometimes gets left by the wayside when it comes to horses. Owner’s expectations of progress can be ludicrous; and if they are not met who to fault if not the professional? 

During decades of riding and owning horses I have come across enough burned out and frustrated professionals of all riding disciplines. Some just shut down; others become abusive to the very horses in their care.

Being able to keep the ‘inner fire’ burning with the same intensity year over year, through injuries and illnesses (horse and human), successes and failures, staying true to oneself through all of life’s ups and downs and never waver from the chosen path is truly remarkable; this pretty much is the definition of ‘My Equestrian Hero’.

Merry Christmas, Jude!

Take your shoes off - and a New Year's Resolution straight from the judge

It's great to have the Christmas vacation. The boys are home until the 26th, then it's time for work again. Not exactly riding weather anyway, it was 9F this morning. But now the sun is out and the snow looks very pretty. However, pretty is as pretty does -- it's still 'saukalt' (the Germans will know what I mean).

Every year with winter comes: 'Take your shoes off'. I really believe that it is important for the horses to go barefoot in the winter. It gives much better traction on snow and ice, and the hooves get a chance to grow naturally. Of course, it all depends on the horses and the quality of their hooves. No use forcing crumbling and cracking hooves to go 'naked'. We are fortunate in that all our guys have really good feet, the only one that sometimes throws a shoe or gets cracks is Chambord, but what can I say - He's blond :-)! 

We were at a lovely Christmas party the other day (thanks, Minde!) and I got to chat some eminent veterinarians from Michigan State University. One of the top researchers told me that her horses have been barefoot for 15 years; and she competes up to Grand Prix. 

Oh, and I got a great piece of advice from Maryal, an USDF "C" and USEF "S" judge. She happened to be one of the judges at Lamplight. With a twinkle in her eye she said: "Next time, Birgit, stay in the ring!" Yes, Maryal, that is indeed my intention! It was all in great fun though, and we had a good laugh. 

So, I've got a New Year's Resolution that's way more helpful than "eat less chocolate" (which I wouldn't do anyway).

MERRY CHRISTMAS

My bubble still has holes - and a birthday gift to myself

What better way to spend part of the birthday (or any other day) at the barn? OK, that’s a rhetorical question for those of us infected with the horse virus.

After spending a lovely morning lounging around enjoying calls from friends and family in Europe I eagerly went for my lesson with Remy in the afternoon. Somehow I expected it to be fairly quiet, but alas, it turned out that not only did I have to share the arena with another lesson being taught by a different instructor; but in addition also with an additional rider and my least favorite horse (to share the arena with). Oh, great.

It meant I had to face my nemesis head on: crowded and busy arenas. The warmup at Lamplight was Remy’s and my undoing this summer, in hindsight now I know that I didn’t give the kid the support he needed. It was really unreasonable to expect an –albeit very cool- five year old to figure it out for both of us. Chuck that one under “experience”.

Back to the task at hand, I kept it together for most of the lesson, heeding Judy’s advice of “Stay in your bubble, pick your line and stick to it!” Kind of difficult if you have a fire-breathing ‘dragon’ cutting through your path in an earth-shattering canter. It was OK, until I lost my concentration, that is. Listening to the other lesson, and at the same time trying to stay out of the path of the ‘dragon’ got me flustered: “Where the heck should I go??” Voila, we were stuck. Remy was sucking back. In an effort to get Remy in front of my leg again I poked him a bit and he clearly showed me what he thought about it: “That is SO NOT COOL at all!”. No big deal, we got our act together again and finished well. Time to breathe again.

And where’s the gift in all that, you may ask? Well, it’s the realization that even though my bubble has still holes, they are getting smaller, and we have much better tools to fix the few remaining ones. Hand the industrial strength duct tape, please!

Early birthday and Christmas presents - and Rossbolla in the Adventskalender

I feel like Remy is giving me early Birthday and Christmas presents this year. My rides the last days have been just great, we finally are coming closer to the harmony I am always striving for and that seems so elusive at times. I wasn't sure what to expect as the day before yesterday it was too cold to ride and Judy's comment after longing him was that he was quite 'frisky'.  Uh, uh.  I rode Remy in the company of JP and Chambord, and he was soft, supple, forward AND obedient. Just a happy camper. He didn't even flinch when Chambord left him alone in the arena. The little rascal is growing up.

Today I had a lesson and we were able to build on yesterday's work. Judy is upping the ante, we are now working more on transitions within the gaits, -precursors to collection-, as well as trot leg yields that encompass small zig-zags, and head to the wall yields (basically the first step to haunches in). It was a wonderful feeling having Remy working with me, what can I say: it just flowed. My position is finally finding it's 'Zen'.

Of course, I am very cognizant of the fact that I am benefiting from Judy's work with Remy. I wouldn't know anyone else that could have helped us mesh together like she does. It's one thing for the horse to go well for a professional, it's another story for the horse to keep it together for the amateur, and for the amateur to be able to build on it.

Not many people realize that riding well and teaching well are two different shoes (as we say in German), and there are lots of people out there better in one area than the other. That also is the reason why some clinicians fail. Riding well doesn't automatically translate into teaching well. Some famous international caliber riders might not be able to teach a lick because he/she rides by feel and doesn't know how to transmit it to the amateurs. Lucky us, we found the rare 'ambidextrous' professional! Yay, Jude, you'll be in Hanuta for a long time :-)!

Speaking of gifts: My dear friend Stephanie has been sending me the most amazing 'Adventskalenders' every year from Germany. There is a lovingly selected and wrapped gift for each day from December 1 until Christmas Eve. Well, Friday's gift was a bucket of Rossbolla! OK, not real manure, the small metal bucket contained chocolates shaped like horse manure balls.The name of my home town Stuttgart comes from 'Stutengarten', loosely translated it means "mares' pasture". So the local bakeries sell 'Rossbolla' (manure balls) made out of chocolate. And with "Mares' Pasture" as place of birth it's officially stated on my birth certificate that I'm into horses :-)

No "drunken sailor trot" for this loverboy - and glad I didn't call a 'Freeze Day'

Today's temps came close to my "cut off riding" weather. Usually at 20F (-6F) I contemplate not riding, calling a 'Freeze Day' for sure in the lower teens (-10C). However, during the week I hadn't had a chance to ride at all, so today I was more than ready to bite the bullet at 18F. And good thing I did!

Remy is just such a cool traveler, all you have to do is open the trailer door and point him to it. In he goes, waits politely for the doors to close and you won't hear a peep (or hoof banging) the entire trip. Perhaps he figures that if he travels well he gets to have more playtime at home. I am very grateful that Judy is so flexible and open to work with us on the schedule. This way Remy gets his own work/life balance!

Remy warmed up well, and the ride only got better from there. I remembered to "close the side door", meaning keeping him on the outside rein and not let him fall on the shoulder. That sure improved our leg yields. We were happily trotting along until.... soon enough, the bliss hit a hitch. Ah, there is just always something that will 'tattle' on you when the horse is not honestly between your legs and on your seat. Today it was a beautiful ray of light coming through the windows. I used it to practice center lines. Left rein: No problem. Right rein: Uh, where are we going?? Left? Right? It didn't take the peanut gallery (sorry!) to tell me that we had a "drunken sailor trot", I was almost getting seasick myself. Dramamine, anyone?

Obviously, I did not have Remy evenly between my legs and on my seat. As Judy pointed out, this is not something to be fixed with the reins. Several 'sunshine lines' later, and I got it (uff!). The icing on the cake at the end of this exercise was a square and straight halt on the bit.

Our canter work is also improving, I'm less tense and keep my position better. Thinking of some advise from DeKunffy really helped my position: "Lift your rib cage". I read this article some time ago and had to chuckle on how he put it that the old masters had no idea of 'Pilates for Riding', 'Rider's Workout', core strengthening exercises, etc. They positioned themselves correctly, for example lifting of the rib cage to straighten the torso. So I figure, if it worked for them - it sure can work for me!

Of course, our major improvements are entirely due to 'Judy's bootcamp' (and I mean that in the most loving way!).  Needless to say 'Drunken Sailor Trot' will result in several "give me 20s!"

There is always a trade-off - and happily trading money for time

As the saying goes “you will get nothing from nothing”, or sometimes better described as “no pain, no gain”. I’ve been contemplating that for a long time. I had to face the fact that I wouldn’t be getting to where I’d like to be with my riding by relying on sporadic lessons and rides.

So, after much soul searching and examination of the options (not working obviously not being an option) I figured out that a four-day work week with some additional home office days for flexibility would allow me to successfully tackle both my riding and working goals. Part-time executives are not very common in this industry, so I was rather doubtful how my (granted, well prepared) proposal would be received. And really, my reason for asking was purely “for pleasure”, not for any major issues (child care, health problems, etc.).

I ran the proposal by our HR manager, and he was very supportive, but the real hurdles were the president of the division, and the heir apparent of the company. If they were jumps I’d say one is a straight forward fence, the other one a more tricky combination. But luckily they both turned out to be good distances and heights, to stay with the jumping jargon.

Make a long story short, the amendment to my contract was approved! I am very grateful for the support and willingness to help with my work/life balance.

So yes, effective January 1, 2014 I am trading money for time, but I am super excited about having the extra time for the boys. And, JP, there might even be a bit left over for you J

My alternative to the Black Friday Buying Frenzy: Read horse books and watch a good movie

The next best thing to all my critters (equine, canine, feline, human... :-) ) for me is reading. I am devouring books with a certain ferocity, always have, always will. So this week I ditched the shopping frenzy in favor of some good old fashioned 'hardcover entertainment'.

I started with "The Dressage Chronicles" by Karen McGoldrick. The two books follow working student Lizzy on her journey into the 'inner sanctum' of life in the dressage world. The stories are very entertaining, and easy to assimilate. (Who hasn't met a dressage queen yet?) There are some nuggets of good advise and excellent observations. It gives you a glimpse of the hard work/low pay/politics/dependencies in the dressage world. Some episodes are rather far fetched (a rival trainer is trying to kill the horse of Lizzy's boss and Lizzy herself and his punishment is being sent to China to train dressage horses??). But again, it's fun entertainment.

The other book had me shaken and bothered almost all the way through. It is a novel based on a true story "Mares Nest" by Lesley Kagen. It is based the mother/daughter journey in the Hunter/Jumper world, and what a crooked world it is. The sad part is, it is easily believable, from abusive trainers, drug addictions, horse show moms that try to sabotage other competitor's chances, to horses that get 'Ace'd' (given Acepromazine, a tranquilizer) every time before they are ridden. You name it, it's there. Luckily there is a silver lining all through the story, the strong mother/daughter bond. And yes, there is a happy ending!

And to top it off, not horse related but "Must See" nevertheless  - at least  in my (not so humble) opinion: "The Dallas Buyer's Club". That is a movie not to be missed, and I do hope that Matthew McConaughey gets the Oscar he so deserves for portraying Ron Woodroof, an electrician and rodeo cowboy, who is diagnosed with HIV in the 1985 and given 30 days to live. No happy ending here (I cried) but VERY powerful. 

"Schoolmaster?... Active Retirement??" - "I'll give you 'Schoolmaster' and 'Retirement!'"

What a wonderful week! I hardly ever have an entire week off, so it was absolutely great to have this Thanksgiving week to do the things I love. The week started with our trip to Chicago and the German Consulate - and yes, now I am the proud holder of the coveted "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung", which means I received the document stating that the German government grants me the right to have dual citizenship.We also had time to explore the Field Museum and enjoy a lovely dinner at "Le Petit Paris".

Back home it was spending lots of quality time with the boys - and yes, JP, that includes the two-legged one ;-). Oh, and let's not forget the lone girl in the equation: Jaas. She and Max got their daily extended run through the woods, which all three of us thoroughly enjoyed.

Judy fit me into her busy schedule with several lessons. Friday and Saturday I had two lessons each day, which was exhausting but also a fabulous learning experience. Remy is coming along so nicely, it is a treat to ride him. And then... Saumur. What can I say? Friday he started really worried, breathing heavily, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Luckily he calmed down quickly, and worked well, no spook in sight.

The big surprise was yesterday's lesson with Saumur. It was one of the best rides I ever had on him! He was on the aids, on my seat, light and easy. It truly felt like a dance. It had us all flummoxed, and Judy jokingly asked  "Where did you find that horse??". "Umh, in my backyard :-)"! It made me think of the DVDs featuring a German trainer: "Scrape off the mud and ride Grand Prix". OK, maybe not Grand Prix, but you get the gist.

It was like Saumur wanted to show me what he thinks about 'retirement' - he definitely doesn't want to be in the 'senior citizen' bracket yet. No AARP membership for him!