Eventers are a tough crowd. Actually, horse folk in general are pretty tough, but since I primarily event, I'm a bit biased. My late spring event of choice was a no-go this year due to the upcoming Mary Wanless clinic, so a group of us had a choice to make- drive 10 hours to Arizona to St. Johns HT, or drive 16 hours to Ram Tap in Fresno, CA. We weighed the pros and cons, and decided that since none of the experienced horses really needed a run, we'd forgo the rail road tracks, power lines, and police shooting range at Ram Tap, and head to St. Johns, on the promise of a nice local event, and great showers. Then, Cha Cha needed a run after his Galway escapade, Page needed a run with me on board, and I heard that the course was nice for babies, so I threw Aileen Christensen's horse, Isis, into the mix (she's for sale and needs to start amassing a show record), and decided to ride Coco in the pre-comp! Suddenly, I was riding 1/10th of the horses I anticipated being at the show. With the addition of Marley (doing her first training), Grace, Hannah, Summer, and Gabby (doing her first event), our group was really rather huge! Luckily, I had Aileen and Suzi Curtis along to groom- they out-did themselves, and I'm very spoiled now! Lani also came to coach, so really, I had four to ride and two to coach, which was relatively do-able.
The day before we left, Lani's mare came up a bit off, so we decided to leave her home until she could get a visit from the vet, so I was down to three to ride. The trailers pulled out at 4am on thursday morning, and immediately, Lani called in with brake trouble... Crisis #1. They got it sorted, and we were only half an hour or so late to pick up Summer. On the side of the road. In the dark. The drive was easy, and as soon as Coco discovered that she wasn't going to be able to get off the trailer just because she wanted to and going thru the window wasn't REALLY an option, all the horses traveled really well. We arrived in St. John's, AZ and unloaded the horses into fairly nice stalls, with slightly questionable gates for silly baby ponies with attitudes. Up went the fancy schmancy Thunder Mountain stall guards, the Kimball ranch banner, and the Schleese Saddlery banner. Damn, but we looked pretty good! I went to unhook the trailer and... nothing. No battery at all. No lights, no pump, no electric jack. Crisis #2. I think the rough roads the last 50 or so miles jiggled some connection loose. Those who know me know I'm not completely un-handy, but I try to avoid messing around with things that can either blow up or electrocute me. I wiggled and jiggled wires and batteries, to no avail, and we resigned ourselves to having to start the generator every time we wanted to turn on a light.
Friday morning I schooled Cha Cha (who was MUCH improved from Galway), Coco (who was darling, and really very good for her first out), Isis (who did some nice dressage work), and Bob, Hannah's horse (who benefits from regular tune-ups). The event is small and the organizers want everyone to have a successful weekend, so they offer schooling jumping rounds on Friday. I rode both Isis and Coco over fences, and all the girls schooled as well. Summer schooled Jake on the flat, and he (in keeping with the Thunder Mountain theme of the day) was really good. By the afternoon, the wind was picking up, with strong winds and cold temps forecasted for Saturday. We got our first (and ultimately only) look at the courses at 3pm, and after 6 rides, 5 course walks, and helping multiple riders, I was ready to partake of the admittedly wonderful showers and eat some of Aileen's excellent tortellini for dinner.
5am rolled around all too soon, and Lani, Suzi, and Aileen, had fed and done stalls before I managed to drag myself out of bed. I was planning on riding Cha Cha at 6:30am, before his 8am dressage test. As we sat in the trailer eating breakfast, it started to blow. Then it started to snow. A lot. Sideways. Yuck. I ditched the first ride, and we got Cha Cha braided. Technically, Lani got Cha Cha braided. And Coco. I don't think I touched a mane all weekend except to keep myself from falling off! I was on at 7:15, warming up with a blanket on Cha Cha. He was wonderful, the most relaxed he's ever been, and I was thrilled with his test. Part of the ring did blow over while we were doing our test, my helmet was completely white, and at one point, my stock tie blew up from inside my jacket (bad Pony Clubber- I didn't pin the ends down), but I had a rideable, forward, connected horse, and I couldn't have been happier. Suzi and Aileen took care of Cha Cha, and I retreated to the trailer to try and thaw out my feet, and put on several more layers, including long underwear under my breeches. Next up was Marley, who did a respectable test in difficult conditions in her first Training level start. In between rides, I walked the show jumping course in preparation for my 12:00 ride. Or, I walked the wreckage of the show jumping course- the fences simply wouldn't stay up in the wind. By 10:30 am, the wind chill was 15 F, and still snowing intermittently. Brrrrr. The organizers and officials decided to run show jumping immediately before XC on Sunday. It is great when events can be flexible and really try to make it all work in spite of challenging conditions.
The weather got more and more windy, and the horses got sillier and sillier. Summer did an admirable job with Jake, who was tight as a tick and could easily have launched into orbit at any time. Isis was really quite good, and much better in the ring than in the warm-up. She finished the day in 2nd place! I decided not to ride Coco- she's young, hot, and reactive, and nothing good was going to come of pushing her to compete in such terrible weather. The president of the ground jury and organizers agreed to let me do all three phases on Sunday, so off we all went to the showers (heavenly!) and the competitors party, which would have been amazing if everyone hadn't been so cold. The peach cobbler was a thing of beauty, and with full stomachs, the furnace cranked in the trailer, and cozy ponies, we all hit the sack at 8pm!
Sunday morning we (and by we, I mean EVERYONE except me!) had a packing extravaganza. We had considered driving home monday, but frankly, and through no fault of the organizers or officials, we couldn't wait to get out of frozen Arizona. Cha Cha did his show jumping at 8am- he was much better at the end than in the beginning, and I felt like I really ironed our some of the kinks from Galway two weeks prior. Cross country was fantastic- I had total control (hurrah!) and it was a great last run before the CCI* at Colorado in June. I felt like I could have easily put my foot down and made time, and he galloped in much better balance than he has previously. In keeping with the cold weather theme, I rode in two long underwear tops, my vest, a soft shell jacket, and my airvest- finally warm! Marley had a good first training, and Summer managed to get a VERY spooky Jake around- he didn't learn anything this weekend, but she did a super job of not having him go a bit downhill in tough conditions. Isis was a bit wobbly in the show jumping, but redeemed herself on cross country, where I would have put a kid on her! She was really fantastic, and got better as she went along. Hannah, Grace, and Gabby all had good goes, and Hannah was rewarded for all her hard work with a 2nd place!
Coco got lunged twice, and I got on her with the idea to jump the pre-comp sj course and then withdraw her. And... she was a ding-dong! Summer ended up leading me around the show jumping arena, which was far more educational for her than me kicking her around a 2 foot course while she was so tense. She did manage to spook/rear/spin enough in the parking lot that I half bailed, half fell- she was spooking at... wait for it.... a pick-up truck. Terrifying. Just being there, schooling on friday and doing a jumping round, and trailering was a huge education for her. I have no doubt that she will be a fierce competitor some day, but it wasn't to be this weekend.
We hit the road ASAP, and Summer drove for several hours while I slept. After dropping off Summer and then Aileen (who had an 8am final monday morning- talk about dedication!), Suzi and I made it to my apartment at 1:30am. Of course, I'd drunk a cup of super caffeinated coffee, so I lay awake for an hour or so. Too much excitement in frozen Arizona, I guess...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
TGIF!
What a week! We drove home from Galway on Monday, leaving southern california just before 4am, with four horses, three people, and the dog. Leaving that early does have the advantage of avoiding almost all of the bad traffic, but it also means I don't get a cup of coffee until I stop for fuel in Barstow, two hours into the drive... What a way to start the week! To make things worse, we had terrible winds, and at one point I was stuck doing 50 mph, despite having the pedal to the floor!
Thankfully, the weekend itself had been relativley successful. Cha Cha was a wild man on thursday, nearly unloading me twice when I rode him in the morning. I rode him again in the afternoon, and he was much better, although still very full of himself. I had a 10:30 dressage ride, and Lani had a 8:40 dressage ride, so I got Cha Cha out friday morning at 7am as soon as I had him braided. His first ride was quite tense, and I ended up spending the entire time trying to get him more supple. He went back to the barns while I warmed Lani up, and then I got on him again. Much better! He then went back to the barns AGAIN for a final polish, and I got on him 15 minutes before my test. Success! He was very good, and scored a 30!
Saturday he was back to being a wild beast, and towed me around cross country like a Mac truck. Bad boy, Cha Cha. We jumped clear (and he was brilliant to all the hard things), but picked up 12.6 time due to the wrestling match we had to have 20 strides out from each fence. Sunday was a bit of the same, so its back to some good gymnastics work and placing rails for him this week. I can't be too annoyed with him, however. He hadn't galloped or jumped properly since Twin due to an abscess, and he was truly feeling very good and enthusiastic. Hopefully, I can get the rideablity sorted out so we can move up to intermediate this summer.
So, I arrived home Monday evening, and subsequently spent all day tuesday cleaning up my parents pasture and moving some of the old boys to their house. I didn't do my grocery shopping, I didn't do laundry, I didn't get my taxes together for my Thursday tax appointment. I DID manage to catch Sarge, although I realized when I got to the field he was living in, I hadn't remembered to bring a halter with me... I rigged one out of a set of roping reins and loaded him up in the trailer and brought him home. He won't let me anywhere near him now, but mom reports that he is letting her pet him. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch him in time to get his shots, etc.
By wednesday, I still didn't have any food in the house and ate frozen yogurt for breakfast and ice cream for dinner (healthy, huh?), and remembered at 8pm that I had a 11:30 tax appointment on thursday, after my 9am lesson, and feeding the horses at mom's. ARRRGH!!! Luckily, I managed to get it all together, taught, fed, got to the tax appointment, got back to teach two lessons and ride four horses, and realized I had forgotten to pick up a bit I'm going to try on Cha Cha when I was down in Salt Lake. Mom to the rescue, she picked it up for me! I finally got to the grocery store last night at 9pm, so now I have real food in the house (which is good, because I'm out of ice cream.) Today brings some lessons, 5 horses to ride, and a trip to Salt Lake to gallop Cha Cha. Its snowing. Damn it!
Thankfully, the weekend itself had been relativley successful. Cha Cha was a wild man on thursday, nearly unloading me twice when I rode him in the morning. I rode him again in the afternoon, and he was much better, although still very full of himself. I had a 10:30 dressage ride, and Lani had a 8:40 dressage ride, so I got Cha Cha out friday morning at 7am as soon as I had him braided. His first ride was quite tense, and I ended up spending the entire time trying to get him more supple. He went back to the barns while I warmed Lani up, and then I got on him again. Much better! He then went back to the barns AGAIN for a final polish, and I got on him 15 minutes before my test. Success! He was very good, and scored a 30!
Saturday he was back to being a wild beast, and towed me around cross country like a Mac truck. Bad boy, Cha Cha. We jumped clear (and he was brilliant to all the hard things), but picked up 12.6 time due to the wrestling match we had to have 20 strides out from each fence. Sunday was a bit of the same, so its back to some good gymnastics work and placing rails for him this week. I can't be too annoyed with him, however. He hadn't galloped or jumped properly since Twin due to an abscess, and he was truly feeling very good and enthusiastic. Hopefully, I can get the rideablity sorted out so we can move up to intermediate this summer.
So, I arrived home Monday evening, and subsequently spent all day tuesday cleaning up my parents pasture and moving some of the old boys to their house. I didn't do my grocery shopping, I didn't do laundry, I didn't get my taxes together for my Thursday tax appointment. I DID manage to catch Sarge, although I realized when I got to the field he was living in, I hadn't remembered to bring a halter with me... I rigged one out of a set of roping reins and loaded him up in the trailer and brought him home. He won't let me anywhere near him now, but mom reports that he is letting her pet him. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch him in time to get his shots, etc.
By wednesday, I still didn't have any food in the house and ate frozen yogurt for breakfast and ice cream for dinner (healthy, huh?), and remembered at 8pm that I had a 11:30 tax appointment on thursday, after my 9am lesson, and feeding the horses at mom's. ARRRGH!!! Luckily, I managed to get it all together, taught, fed, got to the tax appointment, got back to teach two lessons and ride four horses, and realized I had forgotten to pick up a bit I'm going to try on Cha Cha when I was down in Salt Lake. Mom to the rescue, she picked it up for me! I finally got to the grocery store last night at 9pm, so now I have real food in the house (which is good, because I'm out of ice cream.) Today brings some lessons, 5 horses to ride, and a trip to Salt Lake to gallop Cha Cha. Its snowing. Damn it!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Things that make the business run
I'm a pretty lucky person. Make that a very lucky person. I get to do a job I love, surrounded by amazing people and wonderful animals. All day, every day. Yeah, sometimes its not quite all fun, like yesterday, when I did my last gallop before Galway in a full on, white out blizzard. Or when my horse is lame (as he was after Twin Rivers, when he popped a huge abscess which kept him out of work for a week). Or when I spend over 12 hours at the barn, riding, cleaning, grooming, riding, and riding, until I'm so tired I forego dinner altogether and fall asleep on the couch. But for every time I'm feeling overwhelmed or harried or exhausted, I can name at least three times that my friends, family, and clients have stepped up to help me out.
The lead up to this trip to Galway has not been nearly as smooth as I would have liked. Between the lame horse, a crammed teaching schedule, the winter that finally came, causing said teaching schedule to become even more wild, cross country schooling, and a clinic with Alfredo Hernandez, I was just toeing the line which divides moderate insanity from utter chaos. Then, I plugged my trailer into my truck to drive to the car wash on Sunday. No trailer brakes. I did have a flashing red light on my brake controller, and when I used the manual trailer brake lever, I did actually have brakes, although the computer didn't think so. Uh-oh. I called the trailer repair guy first thing on Monday morning and made an appointment for that day. I arranged for Steph to pick me up and take me back to the barn. I put the dog in the car, and fired up the truck. Bingo. Brakes. I called the trailer guy back and we decided to try it again later and see if it was still working. He rightly (and honestly!) pointed out that he couldn't fix what wasn't broken. Crisis averted.
But, yesterday was supposed to be Cha Cha's final (and only- stupid abscess!) gallop before Galway. He's finally feeling very fit and no longer looking like a prelim Thelwell, and I was loath to miss another gallop. But... It was blizzarding. Seriously. And windy enough in the valley to blow rain gutters off of houses. I can do canter sets in the indoor, but we'd set up the dressage arena on Sunday, and I'd need to take most of it down in order to make the corners, and even then, its a very controlled canter, and not really very beneficial from a fitness standpoint. The footing in the outdoor was surprisingly good, in spite of the moisture, and the ring is much bigger, and therefor more suitable for a more serious canter work-out. Brian, our wonderful barn manager agreed to harrow the outdoor for me in the blinding, driving snow. So, Cha Cha did his gallop, and recovered very quickly, so I'm thinking he hasn't lost too much in the way of fitness due to his unplanned layoff.
Today was predictably the craziest of all. I started teaching at 9am, and went pretty much straight through until 2pm. Plus, I had several horses to ride before leaving for the weekend, and the trailer wasn't loaded. Lani came up and spent the day, and did the lions share of the work, loading hay, bedding the trailer, adding feed, loading tack, and trunks, and grain, and blankets... Plus, she cleaned and vacuumed the living quarters! What a gal!
So now I'm getting ready to head to bed, after going out to dinner with my mom. I'm just waiting on my last load of laundry to finish drying so I can finish packing. Oh, and I'm waiting for Lani to get here to spend the night before our 3am wake-up. She had a family party to get to, on top of everything else. Oh, and she's stopping by the grocery store on the way up- because, like most of the people I'm lucky enough to have in my life, she's awesome like that!
The lead up to this trip to Galway has not been nearly as smooth as I would have liked. Between the lame horse, a crammed teaching schedule, the winter that finally came, causing said teaching schedule to become even more wild, cross country schooling, and a clinic with Alfredo Hernandez, I was just toeing the line which divides moderate insanity from utter chaos. Then, I plugged my trailer into my truck to drive to the car wash on Sunday. No trailer brakes. I did have a flashing red light on my brake controller, and when I used the manual trailer brake lever, I did actually have brakes, although the computer didn't think so. Uh-oh. I called the trailer repair guy first thing on Monday morning and made an appointment for that day. I arranged for Steph to pick me up and take me back to the barn. I put the dog in the car, and fired up the truck. Bingo. Brakes. I called the trailer guy back and we decided to try it again later and see if it was still working. He rightly (and honestly!) pointed out that he couldn't fix what wasn't broken. Crisis averted.
But, yesterday was supposed to be Cha Cha's final (and only- stupid abscess!) gallop before Galway. He's finally feeling very fit and no longer looking like a prelim Thelwell, and I was loath to miss another gallop. But... It was blizzarding. Seriously. And windy enough in the valley to blow rain gutters off of houses. I can do canter sets in the indoor, but we'd set up the dressage arena on Sunday, and I'd need to take most of it down in order to make the corners, and even then, its a very controlled canter, and not really very beneficial from a fitness standpoint. The footing in the outdoor was surprisingly good, in spite of the moisture, and the ring is much bigger, and therefor more suitable for a more serious canter work-out. Brian, our wonderful barn manager agreed to harrow the outdoor for me in the blinding, driving snow. So, Cha Cha did his gallop, and recovered very quickly, so I'm thinking he hasn't lost too much in the way of fitness due to his unplanned layoff.
Today was predictably the craziest of all. I started teaching at 9am, and went pretty much straight through until 2pm. Plus, I had several horses to ride before leaving for the weekend, and the trailer wasn't loaded. Lani came up and spent the day, and did the lions share of the work, loading hay, bedding the trailer, adding feed, loading tack, and trunks, and grain, and blankets... Plus, she cleaned and vacuumed the living quarters! What a gal!
So now I'm getting ready to head to bed, after going out to dinner with my mom. I'm just waiting on my last load of laundry to finish drying so I can finish packing. Oh, and I'm waiting for Lani to get here to spend the night before our 3am wake-up. She had a family party to get to, on top of everything else. Oh, and she's stopping by the grocery store on the way up- because, like most of the people I'm lucky enough to have in my life, she's awesome like that!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Twin Rivers Recap
I am happy to be writing this blog entry from the comfort of my couch, finally home from the first event of the season at Twin Rivers, in Paso Robles, CA. Twin is one of my favorite events, and once again, I wasn't disappointed. The Baxter's have an amazing facility, and really go above and beyond to make the event a great time for everyone. Oh, and it was 80 degrees, and I got a sunburn... that helps me feel even better about the weekend.
Lani Taylor and I (wisely) left monday afternoon, and missed the huge snow storm that pummeled Utah, although we didn't miss the cold and rain on for the first two days in California. The horses all traveled well, and after a morning of riding and bathing ponies, Lani and I spent some quality time getting lost in Paso Robles (don't laugh, I've been conditioned to a grid street system by none other than Joseph Smith!) By Wednesday night all 8 horses had arrived, and I spent Thursday alternating between the schooling ring and the dressage ring, where most of us spent some time knocking the rust off and remembering how to do complicated things, like ride a 20 meter circle... Cha Cha found himself possessed for our first schooling test, so I turned right around and rode again, with a much better result.
Friday morning started out early, with Summer and Lani having 9ish am dressage rides. Both of them are much improved from last year, and finished pretty well. Both of their horses have had the benefit of a full season of competing, and came out like old pro's (albeit with a few new quirks). Next up were Marley riding Adelaide, and Summer riding her young horse, Jake. Both the horses were good, and although neither got the score that their riders were hoping for, it was a promising start to the season. Cha Cha got ridden once at 7:30 am, and he was pretty amazing, so I got on hoping for a good ride. It wasn't to be... Cha Cha got tighter and tighter as the warm-up went on, and despite many walk breaks and attempts at stretching, I never quite managed to get his back moving to my satisfaction. The test was as obedient as possible, given I was sitting on a ticking time bomb, and I am re-examining my horse care routine to rule out physical problems such as ulcers, as well as taking a good, hard look at my warm-up routine and training. He has been going so well at home that the test was disappointing, to say the least. The day wrapped up with three beginner novice rides- Grace and her new horse, Luke, Hannah and Bob, and Alexis, riding Skip. All three girls kept their focus in their test, and rode really thoughtfully and well.
Saturday was CRAZY!! The beginner novice show jumped starting at 8:30 am, and Cha Cha went out XC at 9. The first time out cross country is always a bit surprising. We don't have the opportunity to school at all before the first several events of the year, so both horses and riders go out a bit "cold." Having natural fences in the warm-up is a huge help, and Cha Cha felt fit and focused when we went out of the box. He settled quickly, which was one of my goals for the weekend, and was right on time at the minute markers. The course was riding really well, with a fairly equal spattering of stops here and there. Cha Cha jumped everything really well- the coffin, the table to arrowhead, the sunken road, his first real Weldon's Wall. I cantered through the water, just to get his feet wet, and came around to the rails into the water, and promptly dropped poor Cha Cha in a classic "Save yourself!" move. Needless to say, he stopped, and I deserved it. I re-presented, and he hopped right in. Obviously the first cross country round of the year was more about knocking the rust off the rider- the horse was fine. The rest of the course was amazing, he never put a foot wrong, and finished feeling stronger and fitter than ever. I really can't be at all disappointed in my horse. The stop was all mine, and I know what I need to do to fix the problem. I have no doubt that Intermediate is well within our grasp this year, which is really exciting! I just have to remember to kick AND hold onto my reins...
The novice and training horses show-jumped on Saturday, and the beginner novice did cross country as well. I ran back and forth between the show jump warm-up for Summer and Lani, and the cross country warm-up for Grace, Hannah, and Alexis. Thankfully, Novice had show jumped a bit earlier- whew! Both Summer and Lani had great rides, and both are looking really strong at training level and ready to move up. The novice horses were very good and all three girls in beginner novice were great on cross country. Everyone finished the day happy and with healthy, sound horses, and a bunch of us headed off to the competitors party in good spirits and surrounded by great friends.
Sunday started off early with Cha Cha show jumping at 8:30. He was very strong (good strong, but still a handful), and jumped really well. We had one legitimate rail, and one unlucky rail, but the feeling of power and scope he gave me was new, and really fantastic! Lani and Summer both went cross country shortly after I was finished, so it was back to the warm-up ring for me. Tim was good for Summer, answering several new questions boldly, and she was rightfully very happy with him. Page and Lani headed out looking pretty good, although a bit sticky to some early fences. Page decided not to play at the double down banks, and Lani's day ended there. We were planning on staying Monday morning to school, so Page got added to the schooling list... Adelaide and Jake both went well, although Marley did pick up a stop at the coffin. Jake was a bit wild in the warm-up, and Summer did a good job to stay on him a few times, as he leaped sideways and bucked enthusiastically. Summer had the best finishes of the group, with a 3rd on Tim and a 5th on Jake.
We schooled Page, Skip, Tim, and Jake on Monday morning, and then headed back to Utah, arriving at the barn at 3:30 am on Tuesday. I spent most of Tuesday sleeping and doing laundry, and I'm mostly organized again. We leave in three weeks for Galway, so in the between time, I'm hoping to do a lot of teaching, work on my dressage warm-up, and keep my horses fit and sound. So far, the season is off to a pretty great start!
Lani Taylor and I (wisely) left monday afternoon, and missed the huge snow storm that pummeled Utah, although we didn't miss the cold and rain on for the first two days in California. The horses all traveled well, and after a morning of riding and bathing ponies, Lani and I spent some quality time getting lost in Paso Robles (don't laugh, I've been conditioned to a grid street system by none other than Joseph Smith!) By Wednesday night all 8 horses had arrived, and I spent Thursday alternating between the schooling ring and the dressage ring, where most of us spent some time knocking the rust off and remembering how to do complicated things, like ride a 20 meter circle... Cha Cha found himself possessed for our first schooling test, so I turned right around and rode again, with a much better result.
Friday morning started out early, with Summer and Lani having 9ish am dressage rides. Both of them are much improved from last year, and finished pretty well. Both of their horses have had the benefit of a full season of competing, and came out like old pro's (albeit with a few new quirks). Next up were Marley riding Adelaide, and Summer riding her young horse, Jake. Both the horses were good, and although neither got the score that their riders were hoping for, it was a promising start to the season. Cha Cha got ridden once at 7:30 am, and he was pretty amazing, so I got on hoping for a good ride. It wasn't to be... Cha Cha got tighter and tighter as the warm-up went on, and despite many walk breaks and attempts at stretching, I never quite managed to get his back moving to my satisfaction. The test was as obedient as possible, given I was sitting on a ticking time bomb, and I am re-examining my horse care routine to rule out physical problems such as ulcers, as well as taking a good, hard look at my warm-up routine and training. He has been going so well at home that the test was disappointing, to say the least. The day wrapped up with three beginner novice rides- Grace and her new horse, Luke, Hannah and Bob, and Alexis, riding Skip. All three girls kept their focus in their test, and rode really thoughtfully and well.
Saturday was CRAZY!! The beginner novice show jumped starting at 8:30 am, and Cha Cha went out XC at 9. The first time out cross country is always a bit surprising. We don't have the opportunity to school at all before the first several events of the year, so both horses and riders go out a bit "cold." Having natural fences in the warm-up is a huge help, and Cha Cha felt fit and focused when we went out of the box. He settled quickly, which was one of my goals for the weekend, and was right on time at the minute markers. The course was riding really well, with a fairly equal spattering of stops here and there. Cha Cha jumped everything really well- the coffin, the table to arrowhead, the sunken road, his first real Weldon's Wall. I cantered through the water, just to get his feet wet, and came around to the rails into the water, and promptly dropped poor Cha Cha in a classic "Save yourself!" move. Needless to say, he stopped, and I deserved it. I re-presented, and he hopped right in. Obviously the first cross country round of the year was more about knocking the rust off the rider- the horse was fine. The rest of the course was amazing, he never put a foot wrong, and finished feeling stronger and fitter than ever. I really can't be at all disappointed in my horse. The stop was all mine, and I know what I need to do to fix the problem. I have no doubt that Intermediate is well within our grasp this year, which is really exciting! I just have to remember to kick AND hold onto my reins...
The novice and training horses show-jumped on Saturday, and the beginner novice did cross country as well. I ran back and forth between the show jump warm-up for Summer and Lani, and the cross country warm-up for Grace, Hannah, and Alexis. Thankfully, Novice had show jumped a bit earlier- whew! Both Summer and Lani had great rides, and both are looking really strong at training level and ready to move up. The novice horses were very good and all three girls in beginner novice were great on cross country. Everyone finished the day happy and with healthy, sound horses, and a bunch of us headed off to the competitors party in good spirits and surrounded by great friends.
Sunday started off early with Cha Cha show jumping at 8:30. He was very strong (good strong, but still a handful), and jumped really well. We had one legitimate rail, and one unlucky rail, but the feeling of power and scope he gave me was new, and really fantastic! Lani and Summer both went cross country shortly after I was finished, so it was back to the warm-up ring for me. Tim was good for Summer, answering several new questions boldly, and she was rightfully very happy with him. Page and Lani headed out looking pretty good, although a bit sticky to some early fences. Page decided not to play at the double down banks, and Lani's day ended there. We were planning on staying Monday morning to school, so Page got added to the schooling list... Adelaide and Jake both went well, although Marley did pick up a stop at the coffin. Jake was a bit wild in the warm-up, and Summer did a good job to stay on him a few times, as he leaped sideways and bucked enthusiastically. Summer had the best finishes of the group, with a 3rd on Tim and a 5th on Jake.
We schooled Page, Skip, Tim, and Jake on Monday morning, and then headed back to Utah, arriving at the barn at 3:30 am on Tuesday. I spent most of Tuesday sleeping and doing laundry, and I'm mostly organized again. We leave in three weeks for Galway, so in the between time, I'm hoping to do a lot of teaching, work on my dressage warm-up, and keep my horses fit and sound. So far, the season is off to a pretty great start!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Merry Christmas... In February...
So, it appears that winter has finally arrived. Don't get me wrong- I love winter. I love the holidays, the cold, the snow, and the way the world becomes muted when the clouds are low and the snow if falling. I just don't love winter when I'm two weeks out from the first event of the year and trying to fit in a few gallops.
Next week, a troop of us are heading to California for the first event of the year at Twin Rivers. I love this event- its well organized, the courses are nice, the footing is good (its California, after all), and... it doesn't snow. I did miss the year the whole event got rained out, so cross your fingers for no repeat of that! The only problem with Twin Rivers is that it runs on California time. No, dressage doesn't start 15 minutes late, the whole event is frankly, too early! Ok, only early for those of us coming from the frozen tundra of anywhere except California and Arizona, but still. None of the horses have been out schooling at all, although thanks to the up till now, mild winter, all the horses have been out of the indoor arena in the past several months (this is a huge upgrade- usually I head off for the first California event and have to plan in an extra day just to get the sillies out!)
The game plan heading into the first event of the year is a good, confidence-building run for everyone. Improve on the things you can, and take the rest in stride. If that means taking the time to trot through the corner of the water to get your horse's feet wet for the first time since last fall, thats fine. All the lower level horses are plenty fit to cruise around the cross-country, but I anticipate a few time faults with Cha Cha, who isn't as fit as he will be later in the season. I'm hoping to get him settled early on course and work on developing a good, forward rhythm. I've been working hard at keeping a more forward canter to my fences, so I hope I'll be able to establish a canter with the same quality as I've had at home. I've been through my dressage test several times now (yay for New Years resolutions!), and my goal is to maintain the rideability throughout the test, and to keep riding forward, even when things (inevitably) go south.
If everyone comes away from this first event more confident than before the show, and with a real idea of what they need to improve for next time, I'll be a very happy trainer, regardless of final placings. After all, there is plenty of time for that later in the year- the 2012 season is just starting, and spring is just around the corner, which is good, because I really need to get a few more gallops in!
Next week, a troop of us are heading to California for the first event of the year at Twin Rivers. I love this event- its well organized, the courses are nice, the footing is good (its California, after all), and... it doesn't snow. I did miss the year the whole event got rained out, so cross your fingers for no repeat of that! The only problem with Twin Rivers is that it runs on California time. No, dressage doesn't start 15 minutes late, the whole event is frankly, too early! Ok, only early for those of us coming from the frozen tundra of anywhere except California and Arizona, but still. None of the horses have been out schooling at all, although thanks to the up till now, mild winter, all the horses have been out of the indoor arena in the past several months (this is a huge upgrade- usually I head off for the first California event and have to plan in an extra day just to get the sillies out!)
The game plan heading into the first event of the year is a good, confidence-building run for everyone. Improve on the things you can, and take the rest in stride. If that means taking the time to trot through the corner of the water to get your horse's feet wet for the first time since last fall, thats fine. All the lower level horses are plenty fit to cruise around the cross-country, but I anticipate a few time faults with Cha Cha, who isn't as fit as he will be later in the season. I'm hoping to get him settled early on course and work on developing a good, forward rhythm. I've been working hard at keeping a more forward canter to my fences, so I hope I'll be able to establish a canter with the same quality as I've had at home. I've been through my dressage test several times now (yay for New Years resolutions!), and my goal is to maintain the rideability throughout the test, and to keep riding forward, even when things (inevitably) go south.
If everyone comes away from this first event more confident than before the show, and with a real idea of what they need to improve for next time, I'll be a very happy trainer, regardless of final placings. After all, there is plenty of time for that later in the year- the 2012 season is just starting, and spring is just around the corner, which is good, because I really need to get a few more gallops in!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Learning to teach and learning to learn
I have to start off by saying that I truly enjoyed the 70+ degree weather in Watsonville, CA this past week- I even got a sunburn! I was not in California to enjoy the sun, however- I was there to become a better teacher and to expand my understanding of not only riding, but learning, at Sandy Howard's American Sport Horse facility. The three day clinic is spearheaded by Mary Wanless and Sandy Howard- you can't get much better than those two! The real fun (and benefit) of the clinic, however, comes in the form of the unbelievable collaboration among the roughly two dozen participant trainers. Ideas are exchanged, observations are made, suggestions are given to riders, suggestions are given to trainers, philosophy, cutting edge research, and things far outside the normal box are broken into tiny bits for discussion, old theories are embraced or debunked, hot topics are discussed, and connections are made.
A day at teacher training goes roughly like this... 9am- find a seat, with coffee in hand, watch a few minutes of Mary and/or Sandy interacting with the two demo riders for the first session. Think about what where the rider and horse are in THIS moment. Listen to Mary's fix (often an amazing visual metaphor, based on real biomechanics research). Sit on the edge of your chair, trying to recreate the described feeling in your own body while stationary. Wonder if you've ever done that, and how you would describe it. Listen to Mary ask for, coax, or cajole feedback from the riders. Some riders (usually those who are firmly rooted in Mary's system) can give unbelievably detailed feedback about their bodies and how they are influencing their horses. Some need some serious leading. Wonder how you can get your students to interact and give you feedback like that. Resolve to watch that detail more closely in the next session. Watch Mary and Sandy continue to build on whatever skill has been started. Watch the watchers- there are multiple FEI dressage trainers here, so you try to sit behind or beside them and listen in on their observations and feedback. Follow when they get up to help a rider- its always good information, even if its about piaffe, or tempi changes, or pirouettes... The beauty of Mary's system is that its so systematic- If you pay attention, you can even apply all the concepts to jumping. Watch the riders to see what changes they are going to be able to maintain- is is physically challenging? Mentally challenging? Are they on board with the changes being made? Listen to the other participants... "I used to," or "So and So big name does," or "I have a student who," or "To me, it feels like..." or "What language would you use to best describe this feeling?" Realize you have drunk three cups of coffee this morning. Run to the porta-potty and hope it isn't occupied so you can get back to your seat before you miss something really important.
This goes on for 4 more session a day, for a total of 30 rides over three days! Demo riders range from local Pony Club instructors to serious FEI dressage competitors. Mary has this saying... "The rosebud is no worse than the rose." Meaning, EVERYONE is capable and deserving of good, thoughtful instruction, and EVERYONE is capable of becoming a better rider, no matter if they are beginners or Olympic competitors. In order to achieve this, our students have to become good learners, which means we, as instructors, must become very good at teaching our students how to learn. Without learning as a skill, our students are at risk of becoming stuck in our rut. As an instructor, I hope that my students will someday out ride me, out teach me, and out think me. That is when I will know I have arrived.
In the meantime, I'm eagerly awaiting Mary's clinic at Kimball Ranch in May, Sandy's multiple yearly clinics, and next years Teacher Training in sunny California!
A day at teacher training goes roughly like this... 9am- find a seat, with coffee in hand, watch a few minutes of Mary and/or Sandy interacting with the two demo riders for the first session. Think about what where the rider and horse are in THIS moment. Listen to Mary's fix (often an amazing visual metaphor, based on real biomechanics research). Sit on the edge of your chair, trying to recreate the described feeling in your own body while stationary. Wonder if you've ever done that, and how you would describe it. Listen to Mary ask for, coax, or cajole feedback from the riders. Some riders (usually those who are firmly rooted in Mary's system) can give unbelievably detailed feedback about their bodies and how they are influencing their horses. Some need some serious leading. Wonder how you can get your students to interact and give you feedback like that. Resolve to watch that detail more closely in the next session. Watch Mary and Sandy continue to build on whatever skill has been started. Watch the watchers- there are multiple FEI dressage trainers here, so you try to sit behind or beside them and listen in on their observations and feedback. Follow when they get up to help a rider- its always good information, even if its about piaffe, or tempi changes, or pirouettes... The beauty of Mary's system is that its so systematic- If you pay attention, you can even apply all the concepts to jumping. Watch the riders to see what changes they are going to be able to maintain- is is physically challenging? Mentally challenging? Are they on board with the changes being made? Listen to the other participants... "I used to," or "So and So big name does," or "I have a student who," or "To me, it feels like..." or "What language would you use to best describe this feeling?" Realize you have drunk three cups of coffee this morning. Run to the porta-potty and hope it isn't occupied so you can get back to your seat before you miss something really important.
This goes on for 4 more session a day, for a total of 30 rides over three days! Demo riders range from local Pony Club instructors to serious FEI dressage competitors. Mary has this saying... "The rosebud is no worse than the rose." Meaning, EVERYONE is capable and deserving of good, thoughtful instruction, and EVERYONE is capable of becoming a better rider, no matter if they are beginners or Olympic competitors. In order to achieve this, our students have to become good learners, which means we, as instructors, must become very good at teaching our students how to learn. Without learning as a skill, our students are at risk of becoming stuck in our rut. As an instructor, I hope that my students will someday out ride me, out teach me, and out think me. That is when I will know I have arrived.
In the meantime, I'm eagerly awaiting Mary's clinic at Kimball Ranch in May, Sandy's multiple yearly clinics, and next years Teacher Training in sunny California!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Getting set for the spring season!
Its hard to believe that this coming weekend is the start of the event season on the west coast. Galway Downs kicks things off on Saturday, and although I won't be going, I do wish I could be spending the weekend in warm Southern California!
Here in the semi-frozen tundra the preparation for the first event of the year (Twin Rivers) is well underway. Cha Cha managed to pop an abscess, which took him out of commission for a few days, but he's all healed now and back in work. We have had such a dry winter that I think maybe he got a bruise from running around barefoot on the frozen ground- usually the snow covers up all those pesky rocks. At any rate, he gets his shoes on today, and our first gallop is scheduled for thursday (or Sunday, if it snows)- the joys of winter in the mountains...
Baby CoCo (I need to stop calling her that- she's five this year, for crying out loud!) continues to learn the meaning of work, and most of her fussing and carrying on is disappearing with consistent riding. She is set to make her competition debut at St. John's HT in April. The year is shaping up to be a busy one, with several young horses coming in for training and competition. I love bringing along green horses- they are so rewarding because EVERYTHING is a cool new lesson or skill.
One of the biggest drawbacks to trying to bring along young horses in Utah is the lack of schooling opportunities. In a perfect world, the young horses would go to some schooling events, maybe a dressage show or two, and go do jumpers for a while before setting off at a recognized event. In a perfect world, ALL the shows in the entire state of Utah wouldn't end up on the same weekend! Arrgh! So, we create a mini-show here at the farm- courses set up in the indoor some days, dressage court set up other days, riding out in the field (once the ice melts and we can safely cross the creek to get there), and the occasional foray to Ogden for some cross-country schooling. Its not perfect, but having fewer showing opportunities has forced me to become more creative in my training and teaching, so everyone, horse and human, gets the most out of the time spent in the saddle.
In other news, my parents bought a house up here in Heber, so they will be moving up at the end of February. I'm gone to Twin Rivers at the end of February- how convenient is that?! Of course, I'll be helping with the move, and since the house has 16 irrigated acres of pasture, I'll be helping with the moving of a couple of horses, as well! Plans are for a small "horse retirement" business, and a home for mom's pony, Heidi. Dad has bought a tractor, so they should be all set to take on their new occupation!
That's all for now- remember to send in your entries for Twin Rivers if you are going, and keep looking ahead to warmer weather!
Here in the semi-frozen tundra the preparation for the first event of the year (Twin Rivers) is well underway. Cha Cha managed to pop an abscess, which took him out of commission for a few days, but he's all healed now and back in work. We have had such a dry winter that I think maybe he got a bruise from running around barefoot on the frozen ground- usually the snow covers up all those pesky rocks. At any rate, he gets his shoes on today, and our first gallop is scheduled for thursday (or Sunday, if it snows)- the joys of winter in the mountains...
Baby CoCo (I need to stop calling her that- she's five this year, for crying out loud!) continues to learn the meaning of work, and most of her fussing and carrying on is disappearing with consistent riding. She is set to make her competition debut at St. John's HT in April. The year is shaping up to be a busy one, with several young horses coming in for training and competition. I love bringing along green horses- they are so rewarding because EVERYTHING is a cool new lesson or skill.
One of the biggest drawbacks to trying to bring along young horses in Utah is the lack of schooling opportunities. In a perfect world, the young horses would go to some schooling events, maybe a dressage show or two, and go do jumpers for a while before setting off at a recognized event. In a perfect world, ALL the shows in the entire state of Utah wouldn't end up on the same weekend! Arrgh! So, we create a mini-show here at the farm- courses set up in the indoor some days, dressage court set up other days, riding out in the field (once the ice melts and we can safely cross the creek to get there), and the occasional foray to Ogden for some cross-country schooling. Its not perfect, but having fewer showing opportunities has forced me to become more creative in my training and teaching, so everyone, horse and human, gets the most out of the time spent in the saddle.
In other news, my parents bought a house up here in Heber, so they will be moving up at the end of February. I'm gone to Twin Rivers at the end of February- how convenient is that?! Of course, I'll be helping with the move, and since the house has 16 irrigated acres of pasture, I'll be helping with the moving of a couple of horses, as well! Plans are for a small "horse retirement" business, and a home for mom's pony, Heidi. Dad has bought a tractor, so they should be all set to take on their new occupation!
That's all for now- remember to send in your entries for Twin Rivers if you are going, and keep looking ahead to warmer weather!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Only 2 years later...
OK- So I promised a blog. And a new name for said blog. Here you go!!
We are ready to kick of the 2012 season here at TME, and I promise I will keep everyone updated with the comings and goings!
2011 was a great season, both for me, and for my students. I started the year far too early at the Feb. Galway, and although the horses weren't really fit enough, schooled enough, or out of hibernation enough, we had a pretty good show and managed to miss the -40million degree weather at home in Utah. Unfortunatley, Cha Cha came up lame just before Twin Rivers, so Delilah was left to carry the torch for the entire spring season. She stepped up to the plate, and had some great finishes at training level. By July, Cha Cha was back to competition, and we spent a great two weeks at Coconio HT in Flagstaff, AZ. Delilah was phenominal in the Training 3-day, although I need practice counting and walking courses... She has no idea that I got her eliminated by jumping the wrong 3rd to last XC fence, however. Cha Cha had his first event back, and was super at training level, although he picked up a stop at the water. I don't blame him- I couldn't see the fence, either, with the sun angle...
The season went on- we went to Knox Farm camp (always a riot!), some schooling shows, did some dressage, went to some events, go run away with at Goose Downs (thank you, Cha Cha). Along the way, I had two students qualify for the Galway T-3day, had two students win at two different events (yeah, Susan and Lani), had a student win the Charles Owens Technical Merit XC award (congrats, Summer), scored a 25 in dressage with Delilah (and was subsequently given a technical stop on XC- oh well), and had a fall in the XC warm-up.
We finished the season at Galway. Cha Cha got his final qualifying score in the prelim, and Delilah was a super-star to finish 5th in the Training 3-Day division A. Lani and Summer also finished really well in the T-3Day (the first long format for both of them). The weekend was horrifically wet, muddy, and fairly miserable, but everyone had a good time nevertheless.
After Galway, the horses had a few weeks off, and came back in to work after thanksgiving. Cha Cha is working better than ever (and is learning both piaffe and passage in hand!), and baby Coco is training for her competition debut in April. Teaching is starting to pick back up, and I'm excited to see some students for the first time in 2012!
Until next time... remember training is about what we forgive
Ingrid
We are ready to kick of the 2012 season here at TME, and I promise I will keep everyone updated with the comings and goings!
2011 was a great season, both for me, and for my students. I started the year far too early at the Feb. Galway, and although the horses weren't really fit enough, schooled enough, or out of hibernation enough, we had a pretty good show and managed to miss the -40million degree weather at home in Utah. Unfortunatley, Cha Cha came up lame just before Twin Rivers, so Delilah was left to carry the torch for the entire spring season. She stepped up to the plate, and had some great finishes at training level. By July, Cha Cha was back to competition, and we spent a great two weeks at Coconio HT in Flagstaff, AZ. Delilah was phenominal in the Training 3-day, although I need practice counting and walking courses... She has no idea that I got her eliminated by jumping the wrong 3rd to last XC fence, however. Cha Cha had his first event back, and was super at training level, although he picked up a stop at the water. I don't blame him- I couldn't see the fence, either, with the sun angle...
The season went on- we went to Knox Farm camp (always a riot!), some schooling shows, did some dressage, went to some events, go run away with at Goose Downs (thank you, Cha Cha). Along the way, I had two students qualify for the Galway T-3day, had two students win at two different events (yeah, Susan and Lani), had a student win the Charles Owens Technical Merit XC award (congrats, Summer), scored a 25 in dressage with Delilah (and was subsequently given a technical stop on XC- oh well), and had a fall in the XC warm-up.
We finished the season at Galway. Cha Cha got his final qualifying score in the prelim, and Delilah was a super-star to finish 5th in the Training 3-Day division A. Lani and Summer also finished really well in the T-3Day (the first long format for both of them). The weekend was horrifically wet, muddy, and fairly miserable, but everyone had a good time nevertheless.
After Galway, the horses had a few weeks off, and came back in to work after thanksgiving. Cha Cha is working better than ever (and is learning both piaffe and passage in hand!), and baby Coco is training for her competition debut in April. Teaching is starting to pick back up, and I'm excited to see some students for the first time in 2012!
Until next time... remember training is about what we forgive
Ingrid
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