Sunburned and bitten - but still a good day

The "happy vegan couple" lives up to the name. The morning started well with excellent coffee and the best oatmeal I ever had, courtesy of Georgie. A 45 minute drive took me to TROT, the therapeutic riding center in Tucson. I was relieved to meet an interesting group, both students and instructors. We are six students and had three instructors today.

What my fragile winter skin didn't appreciate was temps close to 80F with high winds - and the entire day spent outdoors. Yep, that's complaining on a high level ... while my fellow Michiganders are digging out of yet another snow storm.

We reviewed the basics and then the first part of the individual techniques and got to practice under the helpful watch of the instructors. Ringo, a 17 year old QH took exception to me putting my thumb on the roof of his mouth, moved his tongue around and took a chunk of the skin of my thumb off. Ouch! I was a bit embarrassed but later on one of the instructors confirmed  Ringo has sharp edges on some of his back teeth ... Whew - it wasn't just my (inadequate) technique that caused the mutilated thumb.

Tomorrow I'll tackle the training better prepared: With high octane sunscreen and plenty of bandages..

Sunday morning 5am - off to Tucson

I am on my way to the Masterson Method Advanced class in Tucson, leaving JP and the critters to fend for themselves. Which is no problem for JP, my long-suffering husband is used to me traveling. Remy will be at school all week, probably doing one tempis by the time I get back. Too bad I am not keeping up with him, I will have to go to "flying changes boot camp"! It's so frustrating for me not being able to get the timing right - and also a bit humiliating when I get to hear "you just practice, I'll fix him for you". I know It's said with the best intentions but I still gnaw on it.

Well, I worry about it when I'm back! Let's see how the week will shape up. If the planes are on time I'll visit the Sonora Desert Museum this afternoon, then on to the "Happy Vegan Couple" that will host me in their Airbnb. Grocery shopping is also on the list as we are required to bring lunch. Oatmeal and fruit for lunch, salad for dinner...

It will be a very healthy week, regarding food and exercise (all day working on horses plus hiking): Watch out Remy (and JP!) I'll be raring to go when I'm back.

Some 'wakey-wakey' and melted chocolate instead of slushy hay cubes?

Busy day today, it was time for the annual equine dental check up. Judy rode Remy in the morning instead of me having my lesson in the afternoon.  Obviously, riding a drugged horse is NOT the thing to do.

Remy was working well, but again, I got treated to what could be if I would raise my standards. I just don't ask for that level of commitment (yet). It's how Judy puts it "wakey-wakey" - meaning Remy has to wake up and use his hind legs to power him forward. It got me to thinking about a blog I read some time ago, the professional trainer had the word "Grit" tattooed on her arm as motivation. Should I get "wakey-wakey" inked?? Nah - that just leaves room for way too many interpretations.

Lucky Remy got sedation for his dental work - I was about to ask Dr. DeWitt if she can take me on as a patient as my dentist only gives me Novocain. He might add Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) when I start to hit him. But then I looked at the size of her power tools and decided better not! It was interesting to see how Remy was constantly trying to look at me while he got worked on. His head was held up by a sling, his mouth was held open by a speculum, the power tools were grinding, Remy was drugged and still his eye was on me. Very sweet - and also a super way of guilting me into forking over some extra yummy treats.

Well, it worked - once done Remy got to enjoy slushy hay cubes. Perhaps I can talk my dentist into treating me to some gourmet melted chocolate (which will have the added bonus of future job security for him) instead of slushy hay cubes??

"You need to watch the good, the bad and the ugly" - and learning about saddle fit

During my last lesson JP whipped out his phone and videoed us. I struggled quite a bit and got rather frustrated with myself. The concept of keeping Remy coming from behind, keeping him together and round while still giving in front sounds easy enough - unfortunately, only in theory for me. He either is behind my leg, or I'm holding too much in front, or we are not straight, or... Ugh! We did have some good moments and finished on a very good note, which is always the goal.

So Judy sent me home with the advise "you have to watch the good, the bad, and the ugly". Oh, Jude, I would prefer to see a nice, relaxing movie instead. Don't want to see myself in a 'Rotten Tomato' no star movie! But OK, I need to learn, and seeing my ride is a great tool. While Remy enjoys his R&R lounging around with Chambord at home I analyze my issues (at least for this I don't have to pay a shrink). On the "bad and ugly" side:  Outside leg too far back, Remy not enough from behind, my half-halts not coming through... oh, cr*p! On the "good" side: Nice canter work, some clean changes, good transitions, especially canter to halt on the centerline. Repeat after me: It is the journey, it is the journey, it is... Rome wasn't built in a day... etc. etc.  And hey, we finished on a good note!

To complement the Masterson training I had asked Luanne (certified Schleese saddle fitter and absolute expert anything saddle related)  if she would be willing to teach me about saddle fit. Not that I want to become a saddle fitter, but I want to be able to identify saddle issues so I can tell my future clients if the saddle is causing issues for their horses. Luanne came out yesterday to fit Remy's Triumph to Kathy's mare Lyra as Kathy is interested in the saddle. Luanne did a thorough analysis of Lyra and I learned a ton. I found it especially interesting that there is a spot close to the withers where the stallion bites the mare during mating so she won't move. Now imagine a saddle presses on that spot - of course the horse won't go forward. I am looking forward to learn more from Luanne after I am back from Tucson.

I told Luanne afterwards that while I have to miss Jochen's presentation at the Masterson conference I am very happy to be able to learn from her and joked "Who needs Jochen when you can have Luanne?" Luanne told me to better never say that to her boss...

Adding to the account - and getting a lesson in how it should be done

At the same time I walked into the arena yesterday two of Judy's new clients showed up with their rather 'lively moving' Andalusians. Great - hand me my parachute, please!

Judy looked at me and gave me the option to scratch my lesson, which I appreciated. However, I decided it was time to pull up the big girl pants and get on with it. Remy started immediately to swivel his ears around and tried to crane his neck to check out the newcomers. Lateral work to the rescue. I was able to keep his focus on me and my focus on him, and we had a good lesson. It helped that the two other riders were nice enough to keep their distance. It's good preparation for the shows, although there people are often less considerate and way more erratic. One step at a time we are chipping away at our anxieties. I look at it like putting deposits in our savings account. We will have to make withdrawals from time to time, but the goal is to always have enough in petto to never run into an overdraft situation. Currently the account is very healthy, yay!

Today I was able to observe Judy riding Remy. I had asked her about it because I am a visual person, so I need to see to have the imagine in mind of what I need to create. It's very educationl to observe the right professional at work, but also a bit humiliating. With Judy, it's like Remy immediately stands tall and at attention, she has his ears (and the rest) right away. With me it's more like "maybe, perhaps, if I feel like it" until I get more demanding. Judy -of course- showed me how it's done: Clean 4s (tempi changes every four strides) and WOW canter pirouettes. Well, now that I have the pictures in my head, I "only" have to recreate them, right??

What Judy's ride showed the right level of submission (which incidentally I find is not a good translation of the German word Durchlaessigkeit). I was very happy when I saw a posting from Manolo Mendez Dressage on the definition of submission (and yes, it's based on German guidelines):

Submission does not mean subordination, but an obedience revealing its presence by a constant attention, willingness and confidence in the whole behaviour of the horse as well as by the harmony, lightness and ease he is displaying in the execution of the different movements.  The degree of submission is also manifested by the way the horse accepts the bridle with a light and soft contact and a supple poll, or with resistance to or evasion of the rider's hand being either "above the bit" or "behind the bit" respectively.

Dressage guidelines 1912, article 416

Another snow storm - More time to study and find inspiration

In preparation of the Advanced Masterson Seminar in Tucson end of the month I am completing the online class plus working my way through horse anatomy. The weather basically took my excuses for procrastinating away. I am really looking forward to the training, and not just because Arizona has 350 days of sunshine a year! We will be six students with two instructors, working in different barns every day on a variety of horses: Therapy, Western, Hunter/Jumper, and Dressage.

It will also be my first experience staying at an AirBnB. Interestingly, the couple I will be staying with has a Vegan cooking show, and the stipulation for staying with them is that only plant based food is allowed in the house. I will have to smuggle in some contraband Nutella*... Good thing that wine is completely plant based!

Aside from the Masterson studies I am also finding inspiration in a variety of training books and texts. Here is a good example:

*Nutella contains milk powder, which of course doesn't fall under "plant based".

A mixed week - both riding and weather wise

It's been a week of ups and downs, both for riding and the weather. Remy and I started the week with a good ride on Monday, had a major slump on Tuesday, and today we worked our way up again. Of course, today we benefited from Judy's ride on Remy yesterday. She even got solid 4s (tempis = fliegende Galoppwechsel).

The weather is following about the same blueprint, without the benefit of a 'Judy-fix' mid-week. We went from deep freeze to today's 55F and are now looking forward to ice tomorrow and a weekend in the deep freeze again.

Luckily, our riding was not at all that extreme. The slump on Tuesday was due to me not having Remy in front of my leg. Thus the half-halts didn't go through and everything was labored and no fun for anyone involved. I missed setting the tone in the beginning, and we went downhill from there. Nothing bad happened, don't get me wrong, just me getting frustrated with myself when I'm not living up to my standards. OK, that's something I am darn good at: Beating myself up.

Today Remy and I were back in business (thanks, Jude!), and with the help of the copious usage of half-halts and transitions we were humming along in the fog just fine. Yes, we had such high humidity that the arena reminded me of foggy days in London.

BTW, in German we call it "durchwachsen" when there are good and not so good parts. And actually, if you are a meat eater you like your steak "durchwachsen" - it means there is some fat in it to make it juicy. I'm a vegetarian, so don't take my word for it :-) What I know, though, is that it's good to have the mixed experiences. How to grow if everything is only ever going swimmingly? It's the low points that force us to work on issues and thus make us improve. We need the fat to keep things juicy!

At least that applies to riding. As for the weather - I could live without outdoing Alaska and Arizona in the same week.

 Detroit Free Press

In need of a pony tail holder - and not bad for five days off

Finally - a break in the weather! I plowed through the snow slush and wondered during the drive how Remy would be after five days of only hand walking and ground work.

First things first: A good grooming session, now that we don't have to fear frostbite on exposed skin. I also always take great care to pick shavings by hand out of the tail. Remy has a very thick and luscious tail - so imagine my horror when I discovered large strands being chewed off! Clearly, one of his pasture mates is bored. Aargh! What to do?? "No Chew? Well, that product is for fences and not for tails. Tabasco? Cayenne pepper? I'll try braiding the tail first, hoping that it will make it less enticing to be chewed on. If that doesn't help on goes the tail bag. I don't like those things, but hey, if it can save the tail, so be it.

Riding wise Remy had a pleasant surprise in store for me, we basically continued where we had left off last week. Five days off - and he went back to work without any funny shenanigans, supple and responsive (after he threw in his usual "are you sure??"). We nailed a flying change on the first try, and it even was to Judy's liking. Yes, ma'am! I think I am figuring out how to be more precise with my aids and the kind of canter quality we need before attempting a change.

I took my sweaty self to the local pharmacy to buy pony tail holders. The clerk took a double take checking out my short cropped hair, probably wondering what exactly I was planning to braid..

Perfect time to curl up and read - give "Braintraining for Riders" a try

Here is a book review I wrote for the Morgan Dressage Association and I thought I'd share my thoughts about it. I have shelved numerous half-read sports psychology books (text and work books) - too complicated, lost interest, too far out there... so I was skeptical at first. 

Brain Training for Riders by Andrea Monsarrat Waldo

"Unlock Your Riding Potential with StressLess Techniques for Conquering Fear, Improving Performance, and Finding Focused Calm"

When I first read the heading "Tame That Lizard Brain!" I wasn't too enthused about reading the book. Somehow it sounded like too much 'psycho babble'. OK, I admit I was wrong. This is actually one of the best books I have ever read on sports psychology for riders.

The author of this book, Andrea Monsarrat Waldo, has a Master's Degree in Counseling, was a practicing psychotherapist and is a USEA certified riding instructor. She currently competes through Advanced in Eventing and has shown through 3rd Level dressage.

The author explains clearly how the human brain evolved over millions of years, how our brain's fear response operates and how to deal with it by controlling our fight or flight response. She gives good advice on how to prevent the fear from getting so big that it takes over the ride. I love it that the author gives plenty of personal examples. It is a very 'relatable' read and makes you want to get to know her personally.

Here is just one example of the many topics that really hit home: Focused calm versus relaxation.

Lots of advise generally centers around "being relaxed". In this book, the author points out that "Relaxation is a feeling I have when I'm having dinner with friends; it's not what I experience when I'm riding my dressage test or navigating a difficult show-jumping course. It's definitely not how I feel when I'm sitting on a green horse who is thinking about going on a bucking spree, either! Focused Calm makes much more sense to me as an ideal performance state: alert, present in the moment, with a supple body that is free of anticipatory tension."

www.HorseandRiderBooks.com

ISBN: 978-1-57076-751-7

What's a "grounded" rider to do? - And the first compliment of the year

We never got above 3F today. Yesterday wasn't much better and tomorrow doesn't look good, either. What's a "grounded" rider to do?

Well, there are plenty of other things to do. Usually I do the bare minimum of ground work before getting on (yielding the hind quarters, checking the whoa, backing). As we are relegated to hand walking this presents a great opportunity to revisit groundwork more, drawing on horsemanship clinics from long ago. "How fast can you go? How slow can you go? Does he stay with you? Can you back in a circle? Do you control his feet?"

Remy was game for it and we spend an enjoyable time together in the indoor arena, cold be damned. We even trotted and cantered over cavalettis - needless to say, his form was much better than mine. The afternoon finished with Remy happily chowing down hay cubes soaked in hot water (yummy, he says) and me appreciating my ride home on a heated seat while unthawing my hands on the heated steering wheel.

While I was getting ready to leave the house earlier today I complained to JP that I looked like the Michelin Man wearing several polarfleece layers plus snow pants, down vest and snow jacket.

Wouldn't you know it, it earned me the first compliment of the year (after all, it's January 5): JP noted that "even with all these layers you don't look chubby". Well, then, take this, Michelin Man - thanks, JP!

When you are happy that it's 10F - and a smile on my face

Michigan is in a deep freeze. That is not uncommon for this time of the year, but it doesn't make it any more fun. Forecast for the next days are highs (!) of about 3F (minus 16 C). My cut off used to be much more generous, as in "no riding if it's below 20F". Well, in the last weeks this would have meant hardly any riding. The new threshold is "no riding in single digits".

So now any day above 10F is a good riding day. All the horses are coping well with the cold. We make sure to feed hay four times a day, plus soaked hay cubes at night check. But I can feel there is some boredom setting in as they don't run and play as much outside when it's icy (luckily!!).

Remy has been surprising me lately, even when high winds smashed snow and ice against the arena walls he kept his focus and worked well. He feels supple and relaxed. We always do our routine of lots of warm up with lateral work in the walk, which gets both of us 'in the mood' (most of the time...).

Today Remy started where we left off yesterday - supple and relaxed. I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling despite having to gasp for air. In this extreme cold the arena can't be watered so the dust just aggravates my allergies even more. Judy got worried and told me several times that it would be absolutely OK to stop: "I don't want you to die here!".
No worries, Jude, "If I die here today then at least I die with a smile on my face!".