He's no Ferrari - and it seems counting is the way to go

Judy rode Remy so I could see how she approaches the changes with him. Of course, he can do threes with her, while the singles are hit and miss with me. Before Judy got on Remy I watched her ride another training horse. It was like seeing a Ferrari at work, ready to hit the Francorchamps* track. Yes, I had to admit I let out a sigh, not out of envy, but the realization hit me that even with all the training in the world Remy and I will never be the Ferraris, we are the Volkswagens in comparison - but hey, at least we are the GTI (turbo) version.

I always wondered if it would have helped me having a schoolmaster that could let me feel how it should be - but alas, that's not in the cards either. I came across an interview with Kyra Kirklund about training tips, and number 7 was right on:

"I have had to work to get flying changes because I didn't have a schoolmaster when I was learning. I count the steps: 1, 2, 3. Here is what I do:
- I check that my horse is listening to me by doing a big half halt. If he is not listening I don't ask for the change until he is sharper.
- I take my new outside leg back
- I ask for the change"

 Now at least I now I am in good company - I have been counting all along: Eins, zwei, drei...und hop. I think the step I've been missing is that Remy is not sharp enough (we've been struggling with that all along).

Last but not least I will have to tattoo her number 1 in my brain:

A good rider lives on the small number of good steps and he builds on them. He forgets about the bad things. 


*The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps motor-racing circuit is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, and of the Spa 24 Hours and 1000 km Spa endurance races

Flashback - Oh, so true!

Wonder if the cartoon artist knows us??

No high heels, no chance of getting bored - and limited "staging"

Yesterday I 'manned' (what's the female version of manning??) the Detroit Horse Power booth at the Michigan Horse Expo at MSU (Michigan State University). I had volunteered to do the afternoon to closing shift, but honestly was dreading it a bit. Images of Automotive Tech Shows from long ago came to mind, where I was either desperately trying not to look bored and/or secretly slipping the high heels off my aching feet. Well, this time was different: No high heels and no chance of getting bored.

Things went swimmingly and I had fun! Lots of very nice and interested people stopped by to talk, sign up for the mailing list, volunteering, donations. The time just flew by. I got to catch up with people I hadn't seen in ages. Bubbly Marian, whom I met eons ago, wanted to take a picture. She cracked me up because she insisted on "staging the set". Obviously, Marian can't deny that she lives and breathes real estate- she is a very successful agent- in addition to horses.

Well, the best "staging" I could do was holding up a T-shirt.

Despite myself .. I am "making haste slowly" - at least in one area

I'm always in 'rush hour' it seems, even it I have all the time in the world. Well, decades of running around multi-tasking will do that to you. I'm obviously not weaned off it yet. Case in point: My equine anatomy class. I have until August to complete it, but what do I do? I rush and get anxious that I'm not farther ahead already. Oh, yes, and I won't have to mention that anything below a score of 100% on the tests and fieldwork is disappointing.

At least in one area I am taking the "make haste slowly" to heart: Remy. The last few days we've scaled it down a notch, focusing on good transitions in all gaits. How well is he listening? The transitions have to be clear, prompt, and no 'in between steps' (meaning no trot steps if the task is canter - walk). It shows exactly where we are weak. Down transitions - I lighten my seat and Remy falls on the forehand: No-no. Walk to canter - I lean forward and Remy raises his head: No-no. Canter to walk -I am not precise and Remy either 'stutters' into the walk through the trot: No-no.

Remy is responding well to it, we are getting better self-carriage and we are learning to do the movements with precision instead of "let's get it over with". This of course will pay in the long term with tempis and all the other upper level work (I do hope so!).

As for the rest ... I am still making haste - but perhaps a bit more slowly, maybe, eventually I could even be relaxed?? JP says: Jamais (translation: not gonna happen!)

We can't seem to live up to expectations - and "make haste slowly"

While I visited an urban equestrian center with David (the founder of Detroit Horse Power) yesterday, Judy rode Remy. He didn't exactly get a stellar report card - quite the contrary. It included a major frowny face. JP immediately surmised that Remy was unhappy that he didn't get to come home this weekend. I think that's anthropomorphizing a bit, but who knows?

Today was a new day, but unfortunately, still a major struggle to get Remy to come to the party. He just wasn't in the mood, and while I think he has to make an effort I certainly won't beat him into it. It's a fine line to find the right motivation "come on, slacker, you can do it!" Perhaps he wants a different job, like more jumping? Or could it be the winter doldrums due to limited turn out, no grazing, no trail rides?

While I can't change the weather I can change my warm up routine, introducing canter earlier in the program to get Remy more forward and loose. It's worth a try. And then the weather forecast for the weekend is -so far- quite decent, so we might be able to swing a trail ride. At the very least, he can hang out with his BFF Chambord.

In the meantime, I am taking "Lessons with Margot". It's a book by Karen McGoldrick* I am currently reading. Great timing, here is an excerpt that fits to a T:

Each ride should not be given too much importance, at least until you are riding with your countries flag on your saddle pad. One needs to learn to "make haste slowly". The horse has no ambition, but only knows each day how they feel. 

I am always overanalyzing things (yep, guilty as charged), so perhaps a tattoo that reads "Make haste slowly" might be in order? Remy says we better avoid that country flag on the saddle pad!

*Love the book! The subtitle is "Notes on Dressage from the author of the Dressage Chronicles". Deeds Publishing

We lost a great friend and neighbor this weekend - the horses lost the lady that watched over them

It's been a very sad weekend, our friend and neighbor Gabriele passed away unexpectedly on Saturday.

Gabriele was the first one to welcome us to the neighborhood when we moved here. She truly was the glue that kept our handful of neighbors together, always ready to help with whatever anyone needed.

Gabriele came to the US as a war bride, she met her future husband Virgil while he was stationed in Germany. She was the embodiment of German efficiency, changing a tractor tire, making her own sausages, cooking, baking, gardening... you name it, she could and would do it. Once she hit a deer with her car, and then asked the sheriff if she could take the carcass home. Sure enough, the meat ended up neatly vacuum wrapped in her freezer.

I still remember vividly when Gabriele introduced me to Houdini - her son's snake. The sons grew up and moved away, Houdini stayed, lovingly tended to by Gabriele. He got a mouse a week (glad I didn't get to see that), and even was treated to outings in the garden "of course, Houdini needs fresh air".

Gabriele 'failed' in one thing - despite her outstanding example - I never became a 'Good German housewife'. I still see her face when she offered to teach me sausage making and I blurted out "Yikes!, ahem, I mean thanks, but no thanks, I'm a vegetarian".  That didn't impact our friendship, although I think she had a softer spot for JP (well deserved!).

Gabriele and Virgil's property is adjacent to our lower pasture. Gabriele told me that when the boys  would come to the fence line she'd always talk to them. It was a good to know someone was watching over the boys as we can't see them from the house. One day Gabriele became their life-saver: She spotted a low hanging wasp nest right were the boys were grazing. If one of them would have hit the nest by accident they most likely would have been killed by the wasps. Gabriele not only made sure we got the horses out right away, she and Virgil came at night to take the nest down. Another 'Gabriele teaching moment': At night when the wasps are not active use a water hose to take the nest down, then leave it on the ground for the raccoons to clean up.

Not only the horses chatted with Gabriele over the fence - some days JP would come in the house with a sunburn, somewhat sheepishly admitting that while he was cleaning the pastures Gabriele caught up with him and they ended up standing in the sun for hours talking about "Gott und die Welt*" (*German expression for talking about everything).

Goodspeed Gabriele - we miss you dearly and you will always be in our hearts.

And yes, much to JP's delight I finally mastered the art of baking a German Red Wine and Chocolate Cake according to your guidance and recipe!

Well, the view is stunning - however, I have another dream

We 'got socked' with another snowstorm, accumulating up to 9 inches of the nice and fluffy stuff. Here is the view we had this morning from the kitchen table. Pretty stunning!

Unfortunately, the downside was that one of our mature trees was uprooted by the heavy snow and fell - you guessed it - on a fence line. Didn't humor JP at all.

I was looking at the masses of snow accumulating on the roof, imagining them sliding off the indoor arena with a loud thud right when Remy and where cantering by. Not in the mood for a rodeo. We kept it short and easy, good walk work and done. Sometimes it's just better to err on the side of caution. (And sure enough, when I longed Remy afterwards so he could stretch his legs more I was indeed treated to an athletic display of his Airs above the Ground).

Just recently I read an excellent article by Dr. Marcella Becker, I highly recommend it:
https://www.artisticdressage.com/blog-content/riding-and-emotions. It's really right on.

I have a dream of another stunning view: Sunshine and green pastures... pretty please!!