The Last Hurrah before winter? - and 'borrowing' from the horses' kit

We had beautiful fall weather on Monday, just perfect for trail riding. Looking out of our kitchen window made me smile: the boys in front, gorgeous 'flaming' trees in the back.

I felt super lucky that we were able to squeeze in a trail ride between my client appointments, how cool!

The Last Hurrah before winter?

Not so cool was the 'companion' I had apparently acquired...  During Taco Tuesday dinner with our friends Angie and Ed at the local brewery I noticed my hip hurt, and I joked that I probably got bumped into a stall wall and didn't even register it. Well, when I took my jeans off that night I almost shrieked (OK, I did) because I was so grossed out: There was a tick. Yikes! I got JP out from under the shower and he had to go to work with tweezers STAT to get the offending thing off me. It was very small, so hopefully it hadn't been on me for too long. But still, right away I fretted about Lyme disease.

As I had my annual check up this morning I thought, OK, I'll ask the doctor about it. Well, my check up was with the OB/GYN, and the poor guy was clearly puzzled. I joked that after all it could have been a FEMALE tick, but it was still way out of his comfort zone. He got his phone and did a google search - Guess he better sticks to delivering babies!

I called my primary physician and she recommended that I  watch what happens, fever, chills, swellings, rashes, etc. As the tick was very small chances are good that we got it off in time.

The interesting part was that -once again- the horses are way better outfitted than I am. I have a few band aids in the bathroom drawers, that's about it. However, the equine first aid kit is comprehensive (of course!). That's where I dug in to get rubbing alcohol and antibiotic ointment that MY google search revealed as recommended first line treatment of tick bites. I'm sure the boys won't mind - as long as I don't eat their cookies they are fine!

And yes, as I am writing this it seems that fall gave us a Last Hurrah indeed. It's cold, raining, with snow flurries in the forecast for the next days. Only six more months till Spring!

Busy times - and yes, I can count to three

I really appreciate the 'gentle reminders' from friends that like to read the blog when I haven't written in a while. It's been busy, but good busy. Horse and Sense LLC is doing very well, and word of mouth has brought many new clients. Yesterday for example I spent the day at a lovely farm in Michigan Horse Country (Metamora), working with wonderful horses that responded beautifully to the bodywork. The gamut ran from the equine equivalent of a Ferrari to an adorable QH. At the end I was cold, tired, hungry - and very happy.

On our 'horse side' Chambord gave us a bit of a scare as all of a sudden his hind legs had completely stocked up and he refused to move much. Kidney or liver issues came to mind, so we had his blood tested. Luckily the test came back negative but it left is scratching our heads. We checked the pastures for any strange things but couldn't find anything. (And the other guys were perfectly fine). I wrapped his legs overnight with Uptite poultice and by the next morning the spook was gone. Legs were nice and tight. The only thing I could come up with was that Chambord had been munching on too many leaves and this had affected his system somehow. I mean, why eat the yummy hay when you can have decaying leaves??

Remy has been doing well in our lessons. We are increasing the difficulties and so far -knock on wood- he hasn't thrown a temper tantrum. His canter is improving steadily, to the right has always been more of a balance issue. The funny thing is, I keep the canter in a really good rhythm when I count: Eins, zwei, drei, eins, zwei, drei,... I quipped to Roz, well, at least I can count to three! - there is saying in German "kann nicht bis auf drei zaehlen" (can't count to three, which means not the smartest).

The weather adds a bit of excitement to the riding, it can go from mid 60sF to mid 30sF. And those cold mornings are excellent for adding 'airs above the ground':

I do get on - but only after longing first :-)

Benefitting from the experts in the expert's life - and wish my dad could have seen me

Remy and I finished our dressage week with a fun exercise: Half pass to center line, pirouette, continue half pass. Roz explained that this is an exercise she learned from Conrad Schumacher, an expert dressage trainer. It's great to have a coach/trainer with a broad background because you benefit from his/her education. The long lining expertise Roz bestows on us comes from Cathy Connelly. And that are just a few examples on how we benefit from someone with an excellent background, education, and network.

The other day I saw a FB posting from a trainer, saying something along the lines "you don't just pay for an hour of my time, you pay for my expertise, my years of training, the sleepless nights fretting about a training problem,  the blood, sweat and tears of my learning to become the horseperson that I am". I think that is so true and people tend to forget this.

On a complete different note last night I went way out of my comfort zone … to the gun range for an intro on hand guns. My dad's rifles and handgun have arrived at the gun store, and while I intend to sell the rifles I am thinking of keeping the small .22 Astra hand gun. It's an old model and might not even work anymore, but I thought I might as well get a feel of the whole "gun thing". It was actually fun, and we got to try a variety of models. Kind of cool when the guy tells you: "Bullseye!".  But I'm definitely a small caliber kind of gal and even though the Austrian Gaston Glock is a huge dressage sponsor (his riders were a pin in the shape of a Glock) I'd rather stick to the Germans. Give me one from the Swabian manufacturer, please.

It's sad that I can't tell my dad. He would have been proud.

I won a nice remembrance of the evening:

Never thought I would wear a shell casing on my wrist, but I love it!

"He's MY horse" - and lots of variety

Remy has been doing really well in our lessons (or should I say both of us have been doing well?). I am trusting him more and more, thus relaxing my tight back and thighs, which in turn makes him more supple. Chicken and the egg, I guess?

Yesterday especially I could feel him really being WITH me. He took me on the canter, in a nice contact, instead of me having to push him along. We are getting more and more  -gasp- suspension! And we had some added 'spice' in our outdoor lesson: A small plane doing acrobatics right over us, it was below the tree line. Actually, we thought it would crash, and Roz was ready to call the firefighters, but in the end the pilot apparently enjoyed a game of "Kamikaze". While all this was going on Remy stayed right on task, listening to me, and never put a foot wrong. He really was MY horse that time.

It reminds me what Glenda always said about her training with Gabor Foltenyi: You should feel like the horse is ready to ride into battle with you - because he is with you and he trusts you. Luckily, no battles have to be fought here, only our mental ones.

We are having glorious October weather ("Goldener Oktober" in German), and the four of us are enjoying the trails. The boys are getting very brave, even other horses galloping up to them are no longer seen as threat. They both spooked at something in the bushes yesterday, but it was a "nice and easy" spook, no bolting, just a jump both JP and I could sit. Yay!

Remy can't complain about a boring program:
Sunday - Trail Ride
Monday - Long Reining
Tuesday - Dressage Lesson (morning),  Trailride (afternoon)
Wednesday - Jumping
Thursday - Dressage
Friday - Dressage
Saturday - Off
(Every day turnout in large field with friends, either at home or at Down Under Stables)

Snack or Olive Branch?

Our lovely Morgan boys  (25 year old Saumur is on the right)

A new tool in my kit - hated by some, recommended by others

It's been a very good riding week. Remy and I (amazingly) stayed on the same page the entire time, and things are really chucking along.

While our walk and trot work are right on, the canter is still a bit of a work in progress. I'm trusting Remy most of the time, but when I feel him tightening up or slowing down I tend grab with my thighs in order to (1) stay on and (2) in a wrong attempt to make him go forward. This works for staying on but not on making him forward. Instead, Remy slows down and often breaks into a trot.

So Roz had an idea and asked me "have you ever posted the canter?" "Umh, no..." That was the first time I heard of this in my long life as a rider. Canter is a three beat gait, so how can you post it? I sometimes count to stay in the rhythm: Eins, zwei, drei, eins, zwei, drei, and so on (yes, I still do all numbers and counting in German even though I think in the language I speak at a given moment). So where does the eins, zwei, eins, zwei, of the posting trot fit into this?

Well, turns out it doesn't. You just have to go with the flow. And sure enough -as it happens for Roz' instructions- it worked. It prevented me from grabbing with my thighs and we were able to stay smoothly forward. Admittedly, it felt a bit weird at first.

So, then I got curious and of course did what everyone does: I googled it. Interestingly, I found that the Hunter judges and trainers seem to overwhelmingly hate it, while other disciplines appreciate the benefit.

Well, I'm not planning to be the next equitation champion, so we are in the clear (whew!). It does work for us and it is good to incorporate when yours truly gets stuck. Note to self: Remember not to do this in a) a dressage test or b) on a Hunter course.

The best coverage of the subject I found was posted (I know, I know..) by the Cottonwood Riding Club in Denver:

How to Post the Canter

If you’ve ever watched a polo chukker or just happened by while the Denver Polo Club folks are riding, chances are you’ve seen them posting the canter. They do that pretty much all the time.

We eventing, hunter-jumper and dressage riders—not to mention Western riders—almost never do this, though! (We sit, we ride light seat or we’re in full half seat, out of the saddle.)

But learning to post the canter has some great benefits. It helps with balance, rhythm and developing an independent seat, and it’s not rocket science why those things are hugely helpful for any rider!

If you can post the canter, you’ll become a stronger, more tuned-in rider. You can also use it as a tool to stabilize your horse’s speed without using the reins.

Unlike posting the trot, the canter motion doesn’t toss you out of the saddle. This exercise is all about rhythm. It’s still 1-2-1-2, but slower.

The canter is a three-beat rhythm, though! So you may be wondering, how to get a 1-2 post out of it. Well, try it! You’ll figure it out.

Remember, the canter rhythm is like ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum. Think “One, two, buckle-my-shoe.” Just divide that song rhythm into twos and you’ll find a post that feels longer and slower than a posting trot. It swings along easily.

There isn’t one proper leg to rise with akin to the trot diagonal—just pick a beat to rise on and then stay consistent.

As you learn to post the canter, your balance and strength will improve as well as your awareness of your horse’s strides. For certain horses, this exercise can also help a lot with establishing and maintaining consistent rhythm.

A note: while polo players post the canter almost all the time, generally in the English disciplines we don’t do this at shows. Simply use it as a training exercise during your schooling rides.

By Cottonwood|June 6th, 2016

Four leaf clover in Remy's paddock - And get this turbo into gear!

This morning when I got Remy from his paddock I looked down to avoid the water puddles - and found a four leaf clover. JP is convinced that I am super lucky, because I have a knack for finding them. Sometimes even five leaf ones. 

Found in Remy's pasture - let's just believe it brings good fortune!

Roz was running late from her previous lesson, so I used the time to play around a bit with Remy, and warmed him up with lots of  bending lines in rising trot and two-point canter. By the time we started our lesson we both were limbered up and ready to work. Roz is asking for more precision, and a more upper level frame ("He can do this! All he has to do use his Rear Wheel Drive"). And sure enough, when it all comes together and the RWD is engaged it is pretty amazing. The withers 'grow' in front of me, the haunches lower and there is more thrust from behind. Come to think of, Remy is a bit like my GTI: Easily underestimated, but wait until the Turbo kicks in!

What made my day was when Roz said "I can now see the FEI potential in him". Insert big smile from me here. Even though we are a looong way away, it's so encouraging that things are moving in the right direction. Ever so often I have my doubts if it is all worth it when it feels like we are stuck in first gear, while my friends are off to Europe buying fancy and talented horses. Roz then -unlike other trainers and coaches who would happily recommend a shopping trip- reminds me:  "Well, this is the horse you have, let's make the best of it".

She wouldn't say it if we were a hopeless case. It is clear that Remy and I are not going to the Olympics (duh!), Remy is not a "Lampenaustreter" (a horse that has so much leg action that he -figuratively- hits the lights), and I have my limitations, too (shocking, I know!). Nevertheless, we strive to be good at what we do, and my long term goal is to do a credible job at PSG.

And yes, that was my mantra with Saumur: "Take what you have and do the best you can with it". However, it was different with Saumur as I knew of his difficult and abusive past. With Saumur, any small progress was huge as he constantly had to overcome his demons.  Remy, OTOH, has no excuses, he has led a charmed life, first in Montana, and then with us. So it's high time for him to hitch up those big boy pants, put the driving gloves on*, and get his turbo in gear! 

*I did have a boy friend in college that never drove his 911 Porsche without driving gloves. His mantra was "you are only as good as you sell yourself" :-) Food for thought...

A nice reminder from Carl Hester that surrounding yourself with the right support can be more important than owning an expensive horse. (Dressage Today)