It's almost perfect riding weather, only the pesky mosquitoes are a bit of a pain. Last night we took the boys out on a trailride and had a very relaxing time. I was wondering a bit how Saumur would deal with it, after having spent the last months less on the trails and more in the arenas. Turned out he took to it like he'd never done anyting else!
First we encountered our neighbor Jim 'speeding' on his lawn mower. Then, as we had barely hit the trails, a huge coyote ran right in front of us. And sure enough, Chambord took exception to some large boulders (that incidentally had the same coloring as he has). Hmm... But with some encouragement from JP he marched right by.
Further along we came across a buck and two does (men!), and as it goes with deer, they really waited until the last moment before deciding to go back into the woods.
Now that the season is over, it's time to look ahead. I really want to do a freestyle, that was my goal all along. A 3rd level freestyle and then showing 4th next season seems to be a good plan. There is a freestyle clinic coming up in November, and I am thinking of signing up. I rode with that freestyle designer before, and unfortunately things in the past didn't go so well as Saumur was spooking all over the place in the unfamiliar arena. Time to give in another try!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
What a week - what a season!
Good news first: Saumur won the 3rd level series championship (comprised of five shows) at Waterloo Dressage. Yeah!!! We got to do our victory lap to the tunes of "Ghostbusters" - very fitting! But I am jumping ahead...
Last Sunday we trailered the boys to Sandy's for lessons. It was one of my more frustrating moments, nothing really seemed to 'click'. As I had to leave for a business trip on Monday we left the boys at Sandy's until Tuesday night.
We took Saumur to the show Thursday night, after a struggle getting Chambord settled in time at his 'sleepover' with equine companions at Colleen's. As soon as JP and Chambord left, Saumur started to scream his head off. I was afraid he would come through the stall door. Argh, having two horses that do not want to stay alone is no fun. Good thing Saumur loaded fine and off we went. Which brings us the the above mentioned fitting music of 'ghostbusters'. Saumur definitely saw ghosts all over the place at the showgrounds. Sandy had her work cut out to keep both horse and rider in check and together.
First class on Friday we scored low, but then we hit the 65's! Wow. We got from both judges '8s' for our entry, halt salute, and one judge gave us a '9' for the turn on the haunches. Saturday another 65% in 3-3! We were done by noon, and JP was ready to load and go before I even had a chance to catch my breath (the man does not waste ANY time!). Luckily Carrie from the showoffice came up to me and asked that we stay for the awards ceremony because "You won the series championship, and by a large margin!" Well, of course, we stay and do the victory gallop!!!
It was so much fun, especially after all the hard work, ups and downs during the season, and the constant juggle to find time to do it all. And, yes, I have to admit, leaving some expensive imports "in the dust" was just the icing on the cake. Go Morgan!! I can't say it often enough that this success is really a team effort. Without Sandy we wouldn't have come that far, and yes, the encouragement (read: butt-kicking) from JP and Francis had a major impact, too. I am also truly grateful to have JP and friends that are there with encouragement when the going gets tough and to cheer me on when things are great. And to top it off: a horse that truly touches my soul.
Last Sunday we trailered the boys to Sandy's for lessons. It was one of my more frustrating moments, nothing really seemed to 'click'. As I had to leave for a business trip on Monday we left the boys at Sandy's until Tuesday night.
We took Saumur to the show Thursday night, after a struggle getting Chambord settled in time at his 'sleepover' with equine companions at Colleen's. As soon as JP and Chambord left, Saumur started to scream his head off. I was afraid he would come through the stall door. Argh, having two horses that do not want to stay alone is no fun. Good thing Saumur loaded fine and off we went. Which brings us the the above mentioned fitting music of 'ghostbusters'. Saumur definitely saw ghosts all over the place at the showgrounds. Sandy had her work cut out to keep both horse and rider in check and together.
First class on Friday we scored low, but then we hit the 65's! Wow. We got from both judges '8s' for our entry, halt salute, and one judge gave us a '9' for the turn on the haunches. Saturday another 65% in 3-3! We were done by noon, and JP was ready to load and go before I even had a chance to catch my breath (the man does not waste ANY time!). Luckily Carrie from the showoffice came up to me and asked that we stay for the awards ceremony because "You won the series championship, and by a large margin!" Well, of course, we stay and do the victory gallop!!!
It was so much fun, especially after all the hard work, ups and downs during the season, and the constant juggle to find time to do it all. And, yes, I have to admit, leaving some expensive imports "in the dust" was just the icing on the cake. Go Morgan!! I can't say it often enough that this success is really a team effort. Without Sandy we wouldn't have come that far, and yes, the encouragement (read: butt-kicking) from JP and Francis had a major impact, too. I am also truly grateful to have JP and friends that are there with encouragement when the going gets tough and to cheer me on when things are great. And to top it off: a horse that truly touches my soul.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A revelation : "Sticky is good" - and a horse that had to pee in a cup
We had a very good Waterloo show this weekend, despite a bit of a rocky start. Thursday night I was pretty stressed out about work and the possibility that our (long awaited) vacation in Montana might not happen due to a meeting in France at the same time.
First ride Friday felt good but the judge didn't share my feelings. We got dinged all the way through because Saumur had his mouth open at times. Sandy recommended we go back to the old curb bit. Uh, here I thought I was doing Saumur a favor, buying an expensive Hermann Sprenger bit because I didn't want to subject him to cheap Chinese metal. Guess what - we switched the bits and he was fine. There goes the vote for the fine German quality. Second ride went really well, we got 7s on the changes with the comment "straight" - a true first for us!
Yesterdays rides were good, too, but I managed to bungle the last ride a bit with not enough collection before the 'V' changes. Oh, well, it still netted us a 63%. After the first ride the official USEF vet came up to us "Congratulations - and you have been selected for drug testing". That was a first for us. The vet explained that Saumur had to pee in a cup and give blood. Oh, great. Well, Saumur handled it like true athlete (at least the ones not doped). As soon as he went his stall he peed and the vet tech collected with a cup. Then the female vet did a really wonderful job drawing the vials of blood from " Mr. Do-Not-Poke-Me-With-A-Needle'.
As I had only entered Friday and Saturday the plan was that JP drives Saumur to Sandy's, picks up Chambord and brings the boys home. So far, so good. I stayed for a bit to load the equipment and catch the freestyle exhibitions, when JP called to tell me he wouldn't make it to Sandy's due to a horrible Thunderstorm. I was barely off the phone with him the show canceled the rides, issued a severe storm warning, and the sirens went off. I was REALLY worried about JP and Saumur on the freeway in this torrential weather. The horses at the showgrounds were all very calm. As soon as the weather let up a bit I drove home. Saumur was clearly worried about being alone, but settled in for the night. Unfortunately, this morning he woke the entire neighborhood, better than any rooster could have done. JP set off to pick up Chambord and as I write this I look out the window and see the boys grazing. Life is complete again!
The big revelation I had this weekend was that what I feel and what the judges see are two different pair of shoes. I used to wonder why I got good scores for something that felt "sticky" to me, and not so good scores for movements I thought went well. It started during the George clinic, where I consistently had the feeling that Saumur was not 'forward' enough but George liked it. Then this weekend it happened again. Sandy explained what felt "sticky" to me was collection, what felt "forward" was running. Big lightbulb moment: "Sticky" is good!
First ride Friday felt good but the judge didn't share my feelings. We got dinged all the way through because Saumur had his mouth open at times. Sandy recommended we go back to the old curb bit. Uh, here I thought I was doing Saumur a favor, buying an expensive Hermann Sprenger bit because I didn't want to subject him to cheap Chinese metal. Guess what - we switched the bits and he was fine. There goes the vote for the fine German quality. Second ride went really well, we got 7s on the changes with the comment "straight" - a true first for us!
Yesterdays rides were good, too, but I managed to bungle the last ride a bit with not enough collection before the 'V' changes. Oh, well, it still netted us a 63%. After the first ride the official USEF vet came up to us "Congratulations - and you have been selected for drug testing". That was a first for us. The vet explained that Saumur had to pee in a cup and give blood. Oh, great. Well, Saumur handled it like true athlete (at least the ones not doped). As soon as he went his stall he peed and the vet tech collected with a cup. Then the female vet did a really wonderful job drawing the vials of blood from " Mr. Do-Not-Poke-Me-With-A-Needle'.
As I had only entered Friday and Saturday the plan was that JP drives Saumur to Sandy's, picks up Chambord and brings the boys home. So far, so good. I stayed for a bit to load the equipment and catch the freestyle exhibitions, when JP called to tell me he wouldn't make it to Sandy's due to a horrible Thunderstorm. I was barely off the phone with him the show canceled the rides, issued a severe storm warning, and the sirens went off. I was REALLY worried about JP and Saumur on the freeway in this torrential weather. The horses at the showgrounds were all very calm. As soon as the weather let up a bit I drove home. Saumur was clearly worried about being alone, but settled in for the night. Unfortunately, this morning he woke the entire neighborhood, better than any rooster could have done. JP set off to pick up Chambord and as I write this I look out the window and see the boys grazing. Life is complete again!
The big revelation I had this weekend was that what I feel and what the judges see are two different pair of shoes. I used to wonder why I got good scores for something that felt "sticky" to me, and not so good scores for movements I thought went well. It started during the George clinic, where I consistently had the feeling that Saumur was not 'forward' enough but George liked it. Then this weekend it happened again. Sandy explained what felt "sticky" to me was collection, what felt "forward" was running. Big lightbulb moment: "Sticky" is good!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Hard work, morale boost, and a proud horse
George Williams clinic at Southview Farm: Intense instruction in 90F Heat and Humidity – and I had two of the best rides ever!
Saturday George focused almost entirely on our canter work. I had told him of the difficulties I am still having with the 3-3 movements of halfpass to X, straight ahead, then change. George had us work on it differently: canter halfpass to X, straight, then halt and rein back. He agreed that especially with Saumur we cannot practice elements exactly as they are in the test, as Mr. SmartyPants figures it out right away and takes over. George recommended that especially in the warm up at the shows not to ride exact sections of the tests. We also worked on collecting the canter, getting Saumur to carry more weight behind, with me really taking a risk of Saumur breaking into to the trot.
I was so focused I didn’t notice the intense heat and humidity or anything else. I truly felt like I could ride! Saumur tried his big heart out, and sure enjoyed the applause he received after the lesson. Sandy told me she was really proud of us, and that somebody came up to her and asked “who is this woman, is she your student? She is riding really well”. Of course, that went down like oil (not sure if that is an expression used in English?). Boy, after the depressing judges at Copper Creek I really needed that!!
Sunday George had us work on the canter again, this time with the flying changes. Key is to have Saumur really on the aids (that, of course, is nothing new, I just have to DO it). It is all in the preparation. I need to remember to really collect Saumur in the corners before the half passes, then we just float. We also worked on trot shoulder in to 10 m half circles to half pass. Another exercise we did (really fun!) was medium canter along the long side, with a collected 10 m circle at the end. All this while a huge thunderstorm was pelting down on his, with rain so hard it drowned George’s voice out despite the speakers. Saumur unflinchingly focused and didn’t put one foot down wrong, despite the noise and rain coming through the doors.
It is so rare having two great rides in a row and I sure will savor it for a very long time! My only regret is that I didn’t have it on tape. I would have loved to actually see my rides. It also gave me a big boost when George told me not to listen to any judge telling me that Saumur is not ready for that level, that this is just not true. According to him, Saumur talented and able to do the work. It was funny to see Saumur after our lesson: he was craning his neck left and right “I was good, wasn’t I?! Where are the treats?? Please admire me!”
JP, of course, went in for the kill… he rode Chambord in the arena after the clinic while George was in the observation room watching. George told him that Chambord is a nice horse and JP is doing a good job with him. So JP deadpanned and asked George to promise not to retire in the next 15 years, so he can sign up to ride with him!
Saturday George focused almost entirely on our canter work. I had told him of the difficulties I am still having with the 3-3 movements of halfpass to X, straight ahead, then change. George had us work on it differently: canter halfpass to X, straight, then halt and rein back. He agreed that especially with Saumur we cannot practice elements exactly as they are in the test, as Mr. SmartyPants figures it out right away and takes over. George recommended that especially in the warm up at the shows not to ride exact sections of the tests. We also worked on collecting the canter, getting Saumur to carry more weight behind, with me really taking a risk of Saumur breaking into to the trot.
I was so focused I didn’t notice the intense heat and humidity or anything else. I truly felt like I could ride! Saumur tried his big heart out, and sure enjoyed the applause he received after the lesson. Sandy told me she was really proud of us, and that somebody came up to her and asked “who is this woman, is she your student? She is riding really well”. Of course, that went down like oil (not sure if that is an expression used in English?). Boy, after the depressing judges at Copper Creek I really needed that!!
Sunday George had us work on the canter again, this time with the flying changes. Key is to have Saumur really on the aids (that, of course, is nothing new, I just have to DO it). It is all in the preparation. I need to remember to really collect Saumur in the corners before the half passes, then we just float. We also worked on trot shoulder in to 10 m half circles to half pass. Another exercise we did (really fun!) was medium canter along the long side, with a collected 10 m circle at the end. All this while a huge thunderstorm was pelting down on his, with rain so hard it drowned George’s voice out despite the speakers. Saumur unflinchingly focused and didn’t put one foot down wrong, despite the noise and rain coming through the doors.
It is so rare having two great rides in a row and I sure will savor it for a very long time! My only regret is that I didn’t have it on tape. I would have loved to actually see my rides. It also gave me a big boost when George told me not to listen to any judge telling me that Saumur is not ready for that level, that this is just not true. According to him, Saumur talented and able to do the work. It was funny to see Saumur after our lesson: he was craning his neck left and right “I was good, wasn’t I?! Where are the treats?? Please admire me!”
JP, of course, went in for the kill… he rode Chambord in the arena after the clinic while George was in the observation room watching. George told him that Chambord is a nice horse and JP is doing a good job with him. So JP deadpanned and asked George to promise not to retire in the next 15 years, so he can sign up to ride with him!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Onward - and (hopefully!) upward
Dressage at Copper Creek in 90+F weather, at a place where shade is almost non-existent. Am I nuts?? Some of my friends sure think so. The weekend had some highs and some lows...
I remember an interview with Karen O'Connor, when she was asked after a fall how she deals with the disappointments. In essence she said "if you do it long enough then the highs are not as high and the lows are not as low". The woman has an excellent point (as an Olympian with plenty of highs and lows during her long career she sure knows what she is talking about).
Sandy, Francis, Saumur, Daughtry and Hopper had quite the adventure getting to the showgrounds. The trailer sported a flat tire! Francis expertly inched the large trailer (it has a kitchenette, bathroom, sitting and sleeping area, not to mention the horses) to the nearest tire store. The horses couldn't be unloaded so the trailer was hydraulically hoisted up. Due to the flat tire some metal at the fender was bent and needed to be pried loose. Amazingly, all three of the horses handled the commotion like champs! Considering that Daughtry is a baby, Hopper hasn't trailered much, and Saumur has his trailer phobias - WOW! Sandy prudently didn't email me about the adventure, she only told me once I showed up at the show. Looking at the horses there you wouldn't have known anything out of the ordinary happened: they all looked happy, munching hay and enjoying the 'room service'.
Schooling Friday night went well, we kept it short due to the heat and also because it was JP's birthday. So much for a romantic dinner: I came home tired and sweaty. That didn't keep me away from the champagne, though... dehydrated and on an empty stomach, it sent me straight into Morpheus' arms!
Both competition days I felt I had some of the best rides in a show ring I've produced so far. We bungled the flying change in 3-3 and had some minor inaccuracies but all in all I was happy. Not so with the scoring: what a difference from the last show. Yes, it is one person's opinion, and that person might not fancy a Morgan, or our looks or whatever. It's also true that Saumur doesn't have spectacular gaits, but still - we have proven that we can perform very respectably. Ah, that's the challenge, not getting bogged down when getting 'creamed'. Still .. it hurts and I feel like I'm letting everybody down when the scores are low.
I scratched today's afternoon ride due to the heat and we took Saumur in our trailer to pick up Chambord at Sandy's, and now both boys are happily standing in their run-in under the fan.
So onward we go, focusing on the positive experiences: no panic on the trailer, a relaxed, sound and happy horse, no spooks, support and encouragement from wonderful people! That sure outweighs the scores.
Next weekend is the George Williams clinic at Sandy's: onward we go --
I remember an interview with Karen O'Connor, when she was asked after a fall how she deals with the disappointments. In essence she said "if you do it long enough then the highs are not as high and the lows are not as low". The woman has an excellent point (as an Olympian with plenty of highs and lows during her long career she sure knows what she is talking about).
Sandy, Francis, Saumur, Daughtry and Hopper had quite the adventure getting to the showgrounds. The trailer sported a flat tire! Francis expertly inched the large trailer (it has a kitchenette, bathroom, sitting and sleeping area, not to mention the horses) to the nearest tire store. The horses couldn't be unloaded so the trailer was hydraulically hoisted up. Due to the flat tire some metal at the fender was bent and needed to be pried loose. Amazingly, all three of the horses handled the commotion like champs! Considering that Daughtry is a baby, Hopper hasn't trailered much, and Saumur has his trailer phobias - WOW! Sandy prudently didn't email me about the adventure, she only told me once I showed up at the show. Looking at the horses there you wouldn't have known anything out of the ordinary happened: they all looked happy, munching hay and enjoying the 'room service'.
Schooling Friday night went well, we kept it short due to the heat and also because it was JP's birthday. So much for a romantic dinner: I came home tired and sweaty. That didn't keep me away from the champagne, though... dehydrated and on an empty stomach, it sent me straight into Morpheus' arms!
Both competition days I felt I had some of the best rides in a show ring I've produced so far. We bungled the flying change in 3-3 and had some minor inaccuracies but all in all I was happy. Not so with the scoring: what a difference from the last show. Yes, it is one person's opinion, and that person might not fancy a Morgan, or our looks or whatever. It's also true that Saumur doesn't have spectacular gaits, but still - we have proven that we can perform very respectably. Ah, that's the challenge, not getting bogged down when getting 'creamed'. Still .. it hurts and I feel like I'm letting everybody down when the scores are low.
I scratched today's afternoon ride due to the heat and we took Saumur in our trailer to pick up Chambord at Sandy's, and now both boys are happily standing in their run-in under the fan.
So onward we go, focusing on the positive experiences: no panic on the trailer, a relaxed, sound and happy horse, no spooks, support and encouragement from wonderful people! That sure outweighs the scores.
Next weekend is the George Williams clinic at Sandy's: onward we go --
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Another educational lunch hour – Things I wish I would have done…
I attended today SmartPaks webinar on “Care and Feed for the Senior Horse”.
- Controlled exercise
- Longer warm up and cool down (up to 20 min each)
- Vitamin C is highly recommended, 5g (= 5000 mg) daily
o When giving Vitamin C it needs to be given continually, and if the decision is made to no longer give Vitamin C the dose needs to be gradually declined, so the body can get used to it
o Vitamin C is also recommended (with MSM) for treating respiratory problems, like heaves
- If the muscle mass declines, amino acids are key: Lysine, Methionine, Threonine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein
- If the horse looks like it has a pronounced hay belly it does not necessarily indicate a weight problem. It could be due to the loss of abdominal muscles (intestines weigh a lot)
- Supplements to be considered: Antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, digestive supplements
Note to Saumur: No long vacations or early retirement in your future, buddy! Sorry - but you are getting losts of 'tasty' supplements instead.
A large part of this presentation was nothing new for me, but some things I wish I’d realized and done when I retired Crissy. That part refers to exercise. The recommendation was to continue to exercise the arthritic horse, at least on a longe line, or hand walking, instead of just pasture turnout. Now I feel bad, because I wonder if more exercise could have slowed Crissy’s decline. At the time, I thought I did the right (kind) thing by just giving her turnout, and not working her any longer.
Exercise related recommendations for senior horses:
- Controlled exercise
- Longer warm up and cool down (up to 20 min each)
- Daily exercise, not random
- And most importantly: No prolonged time off! It is difficult bringing an older horse back (building muscles back up) and often might not even be possible. So that idea of for example “giving them the winter off” is really not good at all
Other notes:
- Vitamin C is highly recommended, 5g (= 5000 mg) daily
o When giving Vitamin C it needs to be given continually, and if the decision is made to no longer give Vitamin C the dose needs to be gradually declined, so the body can get used to it
o Vitamin C is also recommended (with MSM) for treating respiratory problems, like heaves
- If the muscle mass declines, amino acids are key: Lysine, Methionine, Threonine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein
- If the horse looks like it has a pronounced hay belly it does not necessarily indicate a weight problem. It could be due to the loss of abdominal muscles (intestines weigh a lot)
- Supplements to be considered: Antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, digestive supplements
Note to Saumur: No long vacations or early retirement in your future, buddy! Sorry - but you are getting losts of 'tasty' supplements instead.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
When your horse is just too smart...
We are still in the midst of the heatwave, but that didn't deter me from riding: two lessons yesterday and one today, each in 90+F. Of course, to some professionals it's nothing, but to an office dweller it is quite a work out.
Saumur is just too smart, we had to stop practising movements from the test, because he anticipates and then takes over. It goes like "oh, here's a diagonal, let's go for extended trot", or "ah, yes, we are changing directions in the canter, I need to throw in a flying change". So we tried to do flying changes off the beaten path. Problem was, as soon as Sandy said "change" Saumur did it - clearly he thought he could do the job faster without waiting for my (sometimes inadequate or late) aids! So then, no more talking, just doing.
We also worked on the canter pirouettes again, which really were fun. The other exercise we worked on were the half-pass zig-zags. Very neat! Just have to remember to have him straight before changing the bend.
Today we spend a lot of time on keeping Saumur in the counter canter. Sandy felt that that would really help to make him wait for my aids. We hadn't done much counter canter since 2nd level, so I was amazed how well it went and how easy I could get the transitions into the counter canter on the long side. This turned out a perfect exercise for Mr. Smarty-Pants, he waited for my aids (at least most of the time).
We also had the best extended trots ever. In the beginning I lacked in the half-halts and Saumur broke into the canter, but when we were on - we were ON! I could really feel the thrust from his hind end. So it was all worth sweating buckets and looking like somebody pulled me out of a mud puddle.
I also rode Chambord yesterday, after he had a week off. In the beginning he was rather sluggish, but when this boy gets going, he goes. He is really a lot of fun. We worked on turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, transitions, steadiness in the trot. Today I just warmed him up (OK in this weather maybe not the right expression) for JP. I was really tickled that Chambord just started were we left off yesterday, and JP had a really good lesson. Happiness all around :-)!
Saumur is just too smart, we had to stop practising movements from the test, because he anticipates and then takes over. It goes like "oh, here's a diagonal, let's go for extended trot", or "ah, yes, we are changing directions in the canter, I need to throw in a flying change". So we tried to do flying changes off the beaten path. Problem was, as soon as Sandy said "change" Saumur did it - clearly he thought he could do the job faster without waiting for my (sometimes inadequate or late) aids! So then, no more talking, just doing.
We also worked on the canter pirouettes again, which really were fun. The other exercise we worked on were the half-pass zig-zags. Very neat! Just have to remember to have him straight before changing the bend.
Today we spend a lot of time on keeping Saumur in the counter canter. Sandy felt that that would really help to make him wait for my aids. We hadn't done much counter canter since 2nd level, so I was amazed how well it went and how easy I could get the transitions into the counter canter on the long side. This turned out a perfect exercise for Mr. Smarty-Pants, he waited for my aids (at least most of the time).
We also had the best extended trots ever. In the beginning I lacked in the half-halts and Saumur broke into the canter, but when we were on - we were ON! I could really feel the thrust from his hind end. So it was all worth sweating buckets and looking like somebody pulled me out of a mud puddle.
I also rode Chambord yesterday, after he had a week off. In the beginning he was rather sluggish, but when this boy gets going, he goes. He is really a lot of fun. We worked on turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, transitions, steadiness in the trot. Today I just warmed him up (OK in this weather maybe not the right expression) for JP. I was really tickled that Chambord just started were we left off yesterday, and JP had a really good lesson. Happiness all around :-)!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)