Throwback Thursday and Lungeing Lesson

  I don't normally follow any trends like Throwback Thursday, but the coming summer brought back memories Chester, the TB/Percheron gelding I leased last summer, and made me realize how far I have come in a year. When I began leasing him, I was still a "newbie" that couldn't canter, and I didn't even know what "on the bit" was. He was a very hot and challenging horse, teaching me a lot and making me into a brave and confident rider that won't completely lose her head at the challenging behavior of a hot horse. Though it was only a year ago, it seems like a lifetime ago because I have changed so much and have become a much better rider and horsewoman since then. Now my riding is much more fine-tuned and I am more subtle in my aids. I have also learned more of the training aspect of riding. I have learned how to lunge a horse to teach him/her to use his/her body correctly(for dressage but all horses benefit from being round and off the forehand) and to move in an even rhythm.

 For reference, here are a few pictures of the first time I rode Chester. I still had that awkward newbie style because I had only been riding off and on for six months at that point, with rides spaced a week or more apart. Below them are pictures from my last ride on Lucky.

Chester in June 2014

Chester

 My most recent lesson with Laura was a ground lesson on lungeing. I was working on getting myself in the correct position while lungeing, as well as getting Lucky to bend to the inside and use her body correctly. The major takeaway was that just like in riding, when my body is correct, it is easy to get Lucky's body to be correct. It took until the end to learn this, but it was a great lesson to learn.

Lucky May 2015

  I started by directing Lucky's thoughts in the direction I wanted her to go. Gently, I pointed her face out and to the left, then let her go out in a small walk circle around me. When I started lungeing her, Lucky was for the most part not really focused on me. She listened, but she wasn't "with" me. I held my hands with my elbows at my side, just like when riding, and squeezed the lunge line to get Lucky to bend her head to the inside. It was important that when I did this, I released the pressure the moment Lucky flexed to the inside so she understood that she had done what I wanted. This was something that I had to do almost every other stride throughout the lesson.

Lungeing Lucky the other day

  I found throughout the lesson that I kept getting behind the driveline. In other words, I was not in the position that I should be relative to the horse when lungeing, which is across from the saddle. There is a fine line of where to stand. Standing in front of that line blocks the horse and slows her down; standing behind it drives her forward. I was told to fix my position multiple times, but towards the end I began to notice it myself. The reason I bring this up is because position plays an essential in riding and lungeing. When I was correct in my position, both when riding and when lungeing, it was easier for Lucky to become correct in her position, balanced, and soft. It was one of those revelatory moments when things just click. You might be thinking " Well, duh. " Even so, I think it is amazing how rider and horse balance are interconnected. The rider's balance affects the horse's balance.

Lucky

 When Lucky was correct in her body, it just felt amazing. She was soft in my hand and moving freely in her body. Of course, this didn't happen the entire time. Mostly, it happened in brief moments. It was(and is) important that I waited until these moments to ask for a transition, down or up. Staying round through transitions is important because it builds the correct muscles, and also because you don't want the horse hollow through the transitions. Many horses and riders struggle with this. Of course to stay round through a transition the horse needs to be round in the first place, so I waited until one of those moments when Lucky became round to ask for any transition, up or down.

Lucky is bending her neck here

 It can be difficult to know when a horse is correct in her body. However, one trait that Laura has told me  I have is "feel." I can feel when both the horse and I are right in our bodies, even if I don't know exactly how to make things right. I could tell when Lucky was balanced and correct in her position, so I when I was ready to ask her canter, I waited until I saw that she balanced.

 I also tried to be as do as little as possible when asking her to trot and canter, and only needed to touch the ground with the whip to encourage her once or twice. The lesson was very productive, and I'm so happy how things just clicked. Position and balance affect your horse too, and for the better if you are in balance.

Dilemma

I have some good news, but also a slight dilemma. The good news is, my trainer found a barn for the horses to move to. It is an nice eventing place called Third Day Farms that has multiple arenas, a beautiful barn, and a cross country course. It would be a nice place for me to start eventing later on. Going there will work out well so my trainer can be the dressage trainer there. However, only seven horses, the full training horses, will go there, which makes sense since that's where Meghan will train out of. The rest of the horses will go to a place called Parker's that is not too far away. Both seem like nice places and are actually a bit closer than Silver Rose.

 Chester will be going to Parker's, leaving my in a slight dilemma. It's not exactly a good idea for me to tack up Chester in a new place without my trainer nearby, and she might not be able to make it to the place until my lesson starts since she would be teaching lessons at Third Day. Plus, all the girls my age are going to Third Day since they are the ones showing. Most likely we will end the lease with Chester. I was beginning to outgrow him anyways and even had to take a step back by riding him on a loose rein to make him happy, rather than keeping a firm dressage contact. Chester is a great horse to learn on, but walk/trot/canter are the extent of what he can teach me, making him great for beginnings or people not interested in showing. I have learned a lot, but it is time to move on. This leaves me with two options to consider. 

Option #1: I can partial lease Mo, one of the lesson horses. Mo is a small bay Thoroughbred mare trained through 3rd level dressage, so she definitely has quite a bit to teach me. The only downside is that she is in her early twenties and will most likely need some shots to keep in regular work. These shots could be around $100 or a bit more or less depending on what's needed. We might have to be partly responsible for providing veterinary care depending how the lease works out. She doesn't have many physical problems but is a little out of shape. I rode her earlier this week.

Option #2: My second option is that I can take a break from my regular several times a week lessons and reduce them to once a week on Mo. This will allow me to set aside more money to get a horse of my own, hopefully around November or December if everything works out and if trainer finds a good one. Who knows, maybe I will find a buy or lease situation at Third Day.

Both options have their pros and cons. If I pick option one I would be able to ride a horse that can teach me a lot, yet my family would have to be responsible for taking care of some of her needs, meaning less money to set aside for my own horse. Option two allows me to ride and save more money for a horse of my own. What is your opinion on the matter? I'd love to hear your input on this decision.

Pony Club Jumping

 Saturday was the last Pony Club at Silver Rose. Four other girls, including two from the barn and two young girls on ponies, as well as myself, were participating that day. We started with the group meeting, discussing what we have done this summer and introducing ourselves to new girls, then mounted. As a group, we began walking and then trotting around the arena. Since we were using the entire arena, it was much easier to navigate with other horses. We did some two-point in the trot before picking up the canter. Chester was a good mood. He enjoys riding in groups.

A very small x

 To be safe, we took turns cantering. One girl after another cantered around the arena in the two point to prepare for jumping. When it was my turn, I circled around Meghan, sat up, and tried holding my two point position. I was better then than I was Friday, which is good.

 Next, we all changed directions and did the same things, trotting and then cantering. Once all the horses were sufficiently warmed up, we began riding over ground poles. I trotted, but the other girls cantered, counting strides between each pole. After everyone had had a few turns, we again switched directions, heading right, and began jumping.

 As I have been doing before, I jumped small x's at the trot. I didn't get ahead of Chester's motion when he went over the rails and didn't end up pulling on his face either. Some of the girls jumped a bit bigger, but we all jumped around the same the height.

Heading over a trot pole

 Meghan set up a course where we would start at one fence, head almost to the end of the arena, then make a wide u-turn and jump two consecutive jumps, finally making a tight u-turn and to jump the original jump. Chester was happy, and everyone seemed to do well. Towards the end a girl named Anica jumped a fairly good-sized vertical(2' 6" maybe?). that was placed at the beginning of the course. A few strides before that was another jump.

 Meghan lowered the last jump for me, but I was still able to jump a small vertical, which I enjoyed. It was a fun productive day. To finish all the girls hacked around the property, following a small track.

Assembling a bridle with my friends.

 Afterward, we had a horsemanship lesson where we assembled bridles and learned about types of bits, flashes, and parts of bridles. I was able to help my group because I had assembled my bridle when I first got it. I learned that the part that holds the end of a strap on the bridle, is called a runner. The curved part that goes over the tongue, found in some bridles, is called the port. The finish I learned how to figure eight a bridle to properly store. You have to wrap the throatlatch around the bridle. looping the reins through it, and attach it to the other end of the the throatlatch. You do not however hook the buckles as that wears the tack out by increasing the stress on the point. I learned a few things about bridles that day.

Riding on a Loose Rein

 First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for the kind comments on my previous post.

For Friday's lesson, I worked Chester on a loose rein because he has been a bit irritated lately when I take more contact. This may sound contradictory, but he is much more calm and controllable when`the reins are looser. Of course this means I need to use my body and voice as well to maintain his tempo and half-halt him. It's not always easy to keep the reins loose like that and I often found myself tightening them to slow Chester down, which in turn made him faster since too much of contact sometimes makes him a bit claustrophobic.

Riding one handed.

  I rode around the arena, across several diagonals, and then made several serpentines, all on a loose rein. While doing so, I talked to Chester and tried to use my body to balance and voice slow him down a bit when necessary.

Two-point

 Then I made a circle right at A to begin the canter, starting with half the circle as I had done last time. His canter was surprisingly balanced and controlled when I started. After a few trot circles in between, I once again cantered half the circle, then an entire circle.

 Afterward, I changed directions and did the same thing in the other way. Like last time, there were a few times when he picked up the wrong lead or avoided the circle, but I was able to get a few good ones.

 Since I would be doing Pony Club stadium jumping the next day, I also practiced two-point in the canter, starting to the right. It takes a lot of balance to be able to hold your position. I rode quite a few circles, at one point lifting my inside hand in the air. The purpose of this was to learn to steer more with my body than only my hands, something that still needs work. I wasn't able to keep a good circle when I did this, but was still able to turn. I next did the same thing with my outside hand up. Chester went to the outside a bit a few times, showing the importance of using my weight to turn. After getting one good circle where I used my weight in addition to hands to turn, my lesson ended.

Devastating News--Silver Rose Ranch Has Been Sold

 I'm going to talk about my lesson and Pony Club, but for now I'm going to share some devastating news that has really left me completely broken. Silver Rose Ranch, the place where I have been riding for the past year, has been sold as of September 12. Every horse on the property--all 20 something--has to leave the facility by the first of the month. That leaves two weeks to find a place that will accept at least twelve new horses, which includes the three lesson/therapy horses and ones in full training with Meghan(and a few others owned by her students that are not in the training schedule). This number doesn't even include Chester, who is not in her training program with his owner, and various other horses. Not to mention that there was so much else planned these next few months for the barn(Pony Club, therapy riding fundraiser, etc). The news couldn't have come at a worse time.

 Right now, Meghan is looking for a facility without much luck. Anywhere we go will be already established with other trainers, higher prices, and will not accept or doesn't have room for such a large number of horses in such short notice. Silver Rose was a bit cheaper than the other places in the area, but still. It also mostly contained girls my age who trained with Meghan, knew each other well, and didn't have any drama. What now?

 It leaves me with so many questions. Where will the horses go? Will Chester go to the same place? Will I continue to lease him? How far will the place be from the my home, which is already a 45 minute drive? How are we even going to find a place and get everything moved, including horses, tack, jumps, dressage cones, and more, in two weeks? How will that place compare to Silver Rose, not just by facilities but also by the atmosphere? So many more questions are flooding my mind.

 The situation makes me even more sad because the place I spent much of this past summer and even this past year is going to be used for development. The place that means so much to me because I learned most of what I know about riding and experienced dozens of "firsts" in riding--all my firsts in riding--will be gone. It may not be the fanciest, high-end facility but I love it so much and have so many happy memories of that place, memories I will cherish forever. Now, it's going to be gone. It makes me cry. I going to miss the place.

Picking Up Wrong Leads

 Wednesday I went back to the kimberwick for Chester since I'm still not quite able to ride him well in the snaffle. I warmed him up bu riding across diagonals and around the dressage arena, as I normally do, then began riding him a trot serpentine, no canter this time. He was nice for the serpentines, so I soon began a circle at A to begin cantering, heading right first.

 To get make sure Chester was responsive and that I was able to recreate the calm, controlled canter I had several times before, I only rode half of the circle, from K to F, canter. Getting a calm canter is much easier to the right because Chester is more comfortable cantering that direction, so it only took a few circles to get the desired canter. Once I did, I rode a few full circles, then headed across the diagonal of the arena so I could try the exercise the other way. When doing this, I pulled the left rein a bit to straighten Chester, so he tried to give a lead change. He's not really trained how to do it properly; he just tried to pick up the lead of the way I turned him.

 I returned to the trot, the rode around the dressage arena to make another circle at A, this time heading left. I had more difficulty heading this way. Chester picked up the wrong lead, time after time. He is not intentionally being naughty when he does this, he is simply uncomfortable cantering that direction and from time to time doesn't pick up the correct lead.

 Instead of getting mad at him, which may make him irritated and frustrated, I returned to the trot every time he picked up the wrong lead and started over, as Meghan instructed. I also loosened my reins a bit so their wasn't too much tension on the right rein. There was one time when Chester tried to head right and made a funky canter leg yield with his hind end towards the poles that marked the dressage arena.

After a little bit I tried asking Chester for the canter right after K, while I was in the middle of turning to F so he had some bend to him. this ended up working and he picked up the correct lead. I patted him and rewarded him with a short break.

 Next, I went through the Training Level dressage. The downward canter transitions need a bit of work, and I still need more flexion on the loops, but the test went without incidents, other than Chester just once picking up the wrong lead as I neared the canter circle to the left. I know the pattern now, I just need to focus on fine-tuning in and riding it well.

Group Lesson

 Friday I had a group dressage lesson with two other girls: Anica and Kaylee. I rode Chester in the snaffle bit again. I haven't been using it every ride because Chester is very fast and much less calm than he is in the other bit. Simply having the stronger bit calms him down. To begin, I started by trotting Chester around the arena(after walking), halting at every letter to make sure I had control over him. He is more challenging to ride in this bit so it is important I have complete control over him, especially in a group.

 I asked for the canter on the middle section, working up to cantering the whole thing, with trot transitions in between to change directions. Canter serpentines still need some work, but I was able to do them.

 Next, everyone took turns riding the dressage test's they are working on. Chester had been a bit hot earlier, but I decided to keep his snaffle bridle and work it out. I began my test, tracking left at C to ride the loop. Everything was fine for the first half of the test, but as I rode the loop to begin the second canter part, Chester became a little faster. I was able to control him for the canter part until I almost finished the circle to the right. I must have glanced down or something because the next thing I knew I was slipping off--again. Somehow I managed to land on my feet beside him, holding the reins. I guess it's just one of those weeks. Horses have a way of showing us that we have a lot more to learn, especially when we begin to think we have improved a lot. I'm still amazed that I landed on my feet. Maybe I should be a vaulter, ha ha.

 Anyways, I remounted and resumed the test at the part when I rode the MXF loop. The rest of the test went fine with a controlled canter. After watching the other girls ride their tests again. I rode the test once more. It was much more successful and more calm and controlled.

 When I finished, I hacked around the property with the other girls, riding across one of the fields rather than taking the usual path that loops around the barn and paddocks. I like riding with other girls, but still like having private lessons since I can have more focus on what how I am riding and what I'm learning. I'm going to do group lessons every other Friday for now.

Hanging on Like A Cross Country Rider

 Wednesday's lesson started out nicely enough. I was trotting around the dressage arena, heading across diagonals and doing what I usually do for  warm up. I made a circle at , asking for  slight bit of connection, then began cantering on  circle. It went nicely enough at first until I glanced down when Chester and I reached  a pole. I've been good about not looking down lately, until then, and when I did, everything went crazy. I lost my balance and fell onto Chester's neck. He continued to move around while I clung to his neck, trying to stay on like you would see someone do during cross country. I managed to hang there for several seconds while Chester wondered why I was still on his back. Unfortunately, it didn't end the way it often does when top riders do it. I ended up hitting the ground. I missed the pole, landing in unhurt on the arena sand. Meghan was impressed with how well I was able to stay on, saying that I held on like an event rider trying to stay on as they begin to fall in cross country. A little bit like the third video of Andrew Nicholson on this page, except without the jump and the save. :)

I got up and remounted, the went on a circle again to begin the canter. There was another rough time when Chester stopped by the same spot because he was afraid of getting in trouble, but I sat back, stayed on, and continued riding. A few times he picked up the wrong lead since he was still  bit worried, but was fine after that. I asked for the canter by the rail instead so he(and myself) would forget about the incident. Once I calmed him down, he was much better.

This one is beautiful

 Next, I rode through my Training Level Test 3. It went nicely, a little fast over the cantering diagonal from H to F, causing a rough downward transition, but the rest went okay. After finishing that, I tried  new test: First Level 1. It will be while before I'm showing at that level, but Meghan wanted me to try it to both prepare me for the future and teach me new movements. The First Level Tests introduce the ten meter circles, and Test 1 has the half circles. The test itself goes like this: Enter working trot, X halt salute, C track left. At E, half circle to X, the to B. At K ride diagonal to M, stretchy 20m circle at C. Free walk from H to P, medium walk from P to F. At F working trot, at A canter right lead, and at E 15 m circle. Canter round the arena, head across the diagonal when you reach K, trot at X. C working canter left lead, E 15m circle, canter round arena with trot at C. Ride a diagonal from h to F, then up centerline.

Chester being cute while I learn my new dressage test.

 The test is complicated and a big step up from Training Level. The purpose of me trying it now, as I mentioned earlier, was to prepare me for when I have a horse of my own. It was fun giving it a try.

Bringing a Horse to His "Happy Place"

 Monday's lesson brought a great learning experience. It started with me riding canter serpentines with a trot transition in between to change leads. This is actually very difficult, much more so than riding on the straight because you need to do a quick downward transition, turn, then canter again. I worked up to doing this by cantering one part, the two, then the entire serpentine.  It is difficult to focus on everything all once and still keep your geometry correct. I found myself not quite making it to the letters after the canter transitions.

 After a few ones with a controlled canter and good geometry, I went across the diagonal to change directions, riding the same exercise in the other direction. Like last time, it was difficult. Focusing on riding transitions and directions takes practice, but I got a few good ones.

 Next, I rode through the dressage test I recently started working on, Training Level Test 3. It not go well at. In short, it was tense, wild, fast, and not very controlled. Chester was in one of his energetic moods and was completely running off, causing me to keep a tighter hold on the reins, which irritated him more. I kept him on the pattern, but it was anything but the balanced and calm test the judges are looking for.

 The next time through, my focus was mostly on calming Chester and getting him back to his "happy place." Rather than nagging at him by constantly half-halting, I decided to relax, take a breath, and talk softly to him. The result was successful. I was able to get Chester relaxed and happy, and it wasn't just by holding him back, the latter of which may slow him down, but not truly get him back to his "happy place."

 This test turned out much more smoothly and controlled. Chester was reassured when I talked to him and gained confidence. Meghan says that being able to relax a horse that quickly takes a good rider, so I must have really improved over the summer. If something like that happened three months ago, I probably wouldn't  have stayed on and would likely have dismounted  and tried again another day.

Dressage Loops & Riding Training Level Test 3!

 Saturday, I Chester in his snaffle bit since Meghan thinks I'm ready to try him in that, which will make getting him on the bit easier since the bit is less severe than what I normally ride him in. To begin with, I worked on testing my brakes. I rode on a circle and did some walk-halt transitions. Those went well enough, so I began the trot. I worked on connecting Chester to the bit. He is a lot more willing to use his back and connect when I use this bit, which is because it doesn't hurt his mouth if I use too much pressure. It still wasn't easy, but I was able to get him to connect much faster than last time.

 Once I had tried this I both directions, on a circle, I asked for the canter. Chester did seem ready to canter yet a took off, giving a small buck(just a small one---not even close to a rodeo buck). I managed to stay and wasn't very tense afterward. A month ago I would've come off, but I have developed a better seat since then.

 After the unsuccessful canter, I began working on controlling Chester's tempo in the trot. He tends to run off if his tempo is checked, so I gave him a lot of strong half-halts, nearly bringing him to a halt before pushing him forward. I then did this same thing on a serpentine, giving the strong half-halts on the parts in between each part of the serpentine. Once I had a controlled trot, I cantered on a circle left at A. Chester's canter was controlled and balanced. I even managed to get a fairly balanced canter the other way.

 Next, I went through Training Test 1. The test still needs some polishing, but it is a work in progress. When I had finished the test, I began learning a new skill: loops. A loop goes something like: Start at H(or F, M, or K) reach X, then turn towards K. If you start at F, you hit X and head to M, and so on. The pattern itself is pretty straightforward, but the tricky part is having the correct flexion. The horse has to look the way he is going without going off course, so you need to add leg to keep on track. I rode several loops, from H to X to K, then the FXM loop. The flexion part is what I need to practice.

 Once I had ridden several loops, I learned a new test: Training Test 3. It goes like this: Enter A working tort, X halt salute. At C, track left, ride a HXK loop, then canter at the corner before F. Head down the long side, circle at B, round the corner after M, making a diagonal from H to F. At X is the trot transition. Medium walk at A, then free walk the KXH loop. Trot at C, ride a MXF loop, canter in the corner before K. Head down the long side, circle at E, trot at C. Stretchy circle at B, then up centerline.

 This test is much longer and more complicated than Test 1. It asks more from the horse and rider because the horse must have the correct flexion and not just go through the movements. The flexion is still a thing to work on, and I went off course a couple times but I am beginning to remember it. I tried it twice that day. As I familiarize myself with the pattern, the test will become more smooth. By looking through the test, I realize that the judges ask a lot for good geometry and balanced gaits, transitions,and turns. These are what I should focus on once I have the test memorized. I'm looking forward to practicing it.

Lots of on the Bit Work

 For Friday's lesson, I worked mostly and getting Chester on the bit, which can be a hard skill to learn. He knows how to bend his neck very well, but often doesn't use his back and really connect to the bit. I spent most of the lesson trotting Chester on a circle and trying to get him on the bit.  I supported with my outside rein and squeezed with the inside rein, holding my hands apart to keep connection with the bit. It is important that the reins are not floppy, a way to tell if you have a connection. After a lot of effort, I was able to briefly feel what Have a horse to truly on the bit feels like. The reins are straight and taut, not loose, and you feel a gentle, steady pressure from the bit.

Toward the beginning

 I had only experienced it briefly, so I continued to work on the skill, heeding in the other direction this time. Chester was getting a bit irritated about working and began evading to the side and not moving forward. My outside hand had followed his head,of course giving him what he wanted. Since he didn't quite want to stay on the circle, Meghan had me ride him around the dressage arena instead.

Trying to get him on bit.

 This made him happier, so I continued to work on getting him on the bit. Those brief moments that he did actually round up and come on the bit, I rewarded him. I was able to, even for short moments, connect him, so I began working on cantering instead to give him something fun to do.

This looks nice!

 I cantered on a circle at A, trying to achieve his slow canter, managing to be successful before heading across the diagonal to ride a circle at A in the opposite direction. I had to ride this circle several times because I needed to use more leg to keep him in canter.

 Next, I rode through the dressage test I'm working on. Since I already know the pattern well, I focused on fine tuning it by fixing little details, such as taking my time, going into the corners, and making the geometry perfect. Some of my figures were more accurate than others, and I made it into the corners better for the second half, but though it still needs a lot more improvement, it went fairly well.

 It's exciting to be learning all this new things, especially considering the fact that I have only been riding consistently since the beginning of the summer.

Controlling the Canter

 Wednesday, I worked more on controlling the canter, one of my goals, so Chester doesn't go full speed. I did this by working on a serpentine, cantering for the middle section. It took quite a few tries, but I was finally able to get that slow, easy canter I had achieved earlier this week. I rode the same serpentine a few more times because I had lost the perfect geometry and wasn't pushing Chester to all the points, particularly at the canter parts, but I before long I got a better serpentine.

This one looks beautiful!

 I then changed directions, doing the same exercise, except in the other directions. This time I was heading left, toward Chester's faster side. Again it took some tries, with Chester getting a bit irritated when I asked too strongly with my legs, so I then began asking using mostly my voice. Things were better after that, and with a few half-halts I was able to slow him down before begin my dressage test.

 The first time through, I felt that Chester was too fast and energetic, causing me to focusing to much on controlling his tempo rather than making a good test. The next time around, however, I worked on maintaining an consistent, slow tempo. I went into the corners and tried to reach all the points on the pattern. It turned out better than before and wasn't as rushed. I seem to be good at riding through the pattern correctly, I just need to work on the finer details, Meghan says, such as going into the corners and maintaining a consistent tempo. All this will come in time.

 I ended the lesson with a hack around the property, which Chester enjoys. Besides being a little energetic, Chester was good for the lesson.

Roundness and New Riding Goals

 For Monday's lesson, I worked on my position, mostly on gripping with my calves to give my body more support. I rode Chester on a trot circle as I tried this. It's amazing how much better and easier posting becomes when I actually support myself with my calves rather than the stirrup irons. I also focused on landing lightly in the saddle when I post the trot and not going up so high,which takes a lot of thigh muscles and a solid support from my calves gripping Chester's sides.

Next, I worked more on getting Chester on the bit. Luckily, Chester is fairly easy to get on the bit, yet it still takes a lot of work and coordination to get things right. If I don't add enough leg, he would go into a slow trot. Too much and he almost canters. Not holding the outside rein would make Chester's head go to the inside. After a few minutes, I was able to get him to round up for a little at a time. Once I began squeezing the inside rein until he lowers his head, rather than using short bursts, I discovered that getting him to round up became a little bit easier. He also held it for longer once he noticed that I would stop asking when he rounded up. It's such a nice and rewarding experience to have a horse that is round and connected.

 I did this exercise on a circle in both directions, then tried it on straight. I wasn't able to get him round as well on the straight; I need to work on that and remember that rounding him is the same on the straight or on a circle. To help, I probably need to hold the outside rein more so he doesn't turn to the inside. Nevertheless, I am still learning and connecting a horse perfectly takes years of practice. I'm going to look in my dressage book to see if I can get better understanding of the subject.

 Next did some cantering, also on a circle to begin. I am improving at relaxing into the canter and letting myself flow with the motion, one of the goals I had for myself, though it still needs a bit more work. As long as I remember to sit up, put my shoulders back, and grip with my calves, my position is better. There's a reason why we are all told that.

 After a short walk break, I cantered again, this time working on half-halt for a more controlled canter. I was able to have more influence on what speed Chester cantered, rather than riding the pace he chose, thus become a more active of a rider. I was even able to control his left lead canter, which is faster than his right lead canter, ending on that good note.

 Meghan and I also discussed some goals for the next six months, coming with these ones together:
-Swing my hips with the motion of the canter and have better control of the canter
This one Meghan thinks it won't take too long to achieve. I already almost there.
-Be more comfortable riding in groups
Another easily attainable one seeing as I will take group lessons soon.
-Reach Pony Club D-3 level
At this level I can actually canter in Pony Club and thus be able to participate more
-Do more jumping and improve at that
-Get my first few shows under my belt, even if they are the small local flat classes.
-Possibly get me my own horse.
Meghan thinks that I'm getting to the point that I need my own horse pretty soon(next six months)

That is what I will be working these next six months. The first two are easily attainable and would likely be accomplished long before February, but the last four are more long term. What are you working toward these next six months?

Getting Chester on the Bit

  For Wednesday's lesson, I practiced getting Chester to round up and connect to the bit, I new skill that Meghan thinks I am ready to learn. Before that, I started my lesson by warming up around the dressage arena, trotting across diagonals and riding several serpentines. Chester was being nice, which was good.

  After the warm up, I went through my Training level test. It went smoothly, though I still need to make him straight when cantering down the long sides. Also, I need to swing my hips with the motion of the gait. It needs some work, but I am much more comfortable and confident and mostly need to work on my position, such as learning to keep my shoulders back.

 I finished the test, letting Chester stretch before working on leg yields. I did them trotting now that I have been able to accomplish them walking. The patter I rode went like this: start at K, leg yield to centerline, head to C, track right, then at M leg yield back to centerline. At A, track right to begin the pattern once more. I rode through pattern a few times, pushing Chester over with my leg. The leg yields are starting to improve from how they were about a month ago, when they were more like diagonals. By using more leg and slowing Chester done with half halts, I can get better leg yields.

 After the leg yields, I made a circle to the right at C and began learning how to make a horse round and connected. You do this by holding the outside rein and squeezing the inside rein. When the horse listens and lowers his head, stop asking and reward him with softness, which doesn't mean loosen or give Chester the reins back, losing all you work for, which is what I did at first. It took a few minutes to get Chester to understand what I wanted. He thought something like, "Slow down? Turn to the inside? Go faster?" Before long he began to lower his head for a little bit at a time. As he found that rounding up with earn him softness, he held it for a bit longer. I did this at the walk and then the trot. The tricky part with doing it at the trot is that you must be able to balance with your legs and body and not your hands; hanging on the horse's mouth is uncomfortable for him and can make him irritated. I'm at a level now that I balance without hanging on the reins.

Look at his frame is rounding up. 

Looking nice. This is what I need to create in the test.

 There were a fews time that Chester went in on the circle because I didn't push him out with my inside leg, or slowed because I didn't use enough leg, but I soon found a good balance. When I did, Meghan told me to practice my test and try to keep this feeling throughout(except for the canter parts; I'm not ready to try it cantering yet.). The test feels smoother when Chester is connected like that. For the canter parts and stretchy circle, I loosened my reins. Chester even lowered his head for the stretchy circle, which is nice. While he wasn't connected throughout the entire test, there were parts that he was.

Jumping Course!

 I had another great lesson Friday, riding with Anica for part of it again. First, though, I warmed Chester up in the arena and trotted around the dressage part. I worked on lengthening and shortening his trot(not really extending like in dressage test, just making his gait a bit bigger or smaller) as I rode across diagonals and around the arena. I also did some trot leg yields in both directions. I got Chester to leg yield, though I need to slow him down a bit so he goes a bit more sideways. Other than that, it was successful and not just a diagonal.

 Next, I started a serpentine, heading right on the outside circles and left in the middle part. When I reach the P-V(or S-R on the way back) I asked for the canter transitions. My transitions are getting a lot better and more immediate, which is good. I rode several serpentines, then headed across the diagonal of the arena to change directions, making a serpentine the other way. I did the same thing, this time cantering the right for the middle part. Since I would be jumping later that lesson, Meghan had me hold my two-point for the canter part and for several trot steps. I'm getting better at holding my two-point trotting, though it took a little bit to find my balance in the canter until I put my hands more forward as I remembered from a previous lesson. Now that I've done a lot of cantering throughout my lessons, I am much more comfortable at that gait.

 Once I had done some canter work, I began the Training Level Test that I am working on, test 1. The upward and downward transitions were better than last time, which is good, but I need to work on relaxing a bit more and not rushing through the test. As Meghan said, my test time at a show is my time in the arena, so I can take my time. For the second half of the test, after going across the diagonal from F to H at the walk, I focused on taking my time, not cutting corners, and making the 20 m circles the correct size. This part went better. I  also found that I'm better at controlling Chester's fast canter tempo.

Chester decides the jump is too small and steps over it.

 After I finished my test, Anica came in on Roxy and we began practicing a small jump course consisting of four jumps. We started out with just ground poles, though. The course went like this: go over one jump, then another several strides away, turn left after the second and looping back, in between the first two jumps, over another one placed near the rail, and final over the last one around the corner. It probably sounds complicated so I'll share a diagram.

Here's how the course looked like. Note: Image not subject to scale; it's just a picture to give you an idea how it looked.

 I rode through it several times at the trot without any jumps in it. After both Anica and I had gone through it several times, Meghan began adding one jump at a time until there were four jumps, two cross rails and a small vertical that was a foot and a half to two feet(all the jumps were about that range; I'm just estimating.

More like jumping! This looks like the slightly bigger one.

 I kept Chester at a good tempo as I rode through the course. It's fun doing an course of jumps. As I rode I learn to focus on safely and efficiently maneuvering the course and lining Chester up for the jumps. For example, I needed to take one turn wide to line Chester up for one cross rail, so when I started doing that he was able to jump more easily and get better aligned for the last cross rail. The last cross rail was a bit bigger than the others, so he needed to to get to it straight. Jumping it was fun!

Jump!

After going through the course quite a few times, I started cooling Chester out. He had been bumping several of the jumps with his hind end, which we suspect is because he is sore from all the times he has been out this week. He was even more sore Saturday, but he should be okay after a day off.

 The lesson was really fun. It's great that I can progress at this rate, which is partly because I get to ride with a more experienced rider, watch her, and do the same thing. Meghan plans something that's sufficiently challenging for both of us. I'll be riding with others more often this fall because all the girls come out for a weekly group lesson during school time. While taking private lessons is great, riding in groups is fun as well since you can learn from what others do. It's not going to be a very huge group either so I can still get personal instruction as I ride. I'm looking forward to these lessons!

Two Rides, One Day(Ride on Ronnie)

 For Wednesday's lesson I rode Ronnie, the bay mare I mentioned earlier, riding Chester on my own just before so he wouldn't sit until my next lesson. On Chester I didn't do any hard work, just letting him stretch his legs in walk and trot. I did walk leg yields, which are improving, serpentines, and rode through my test pattern. Then, after putting him away, I got on Ronnie for my lesson.

 Ronnie had been ridden earlier and was a little tired, not moving very quickly, so Meghan let me use a crop just in case Ronnie needed some encouraging to get her going. I used is several times, but only when she didn't respond to my leg.

 I started the lesson as I often do, riding around the dressage arena and across several diagonals to change directions. Then, I did some serpentines on her in the trot, working on keeping her looking to the inside as I do with Chester. Meghan says my position seems better in the dressage saddle, possibly because I'm more supported and balancing is easier.

 I tried my new dressage test on Ronnie. The downward transitions from the canter weren't really good at first; it took a couple strides to slow her down. The other parts went more smoothly, though I needed to used a bit more leg to keep her going to the points of the circle. Ronnie really stretched down for the stretchy trot part, as the test says. I went through the test twice. At one point I needed to circle again and give her a tap because she didn't canter right away, but the other upward transitions were good.

 Then I made a serpentine to work on the canter to trot transitions, which needed some work before I tried my test again. I trotted the outside parts of the serpentine, the picked up the right lead canter upon reaching the middle part. When I asked for the downward transition to the trot, I tried using my voice to slow Ronnie, which worked well. The transitions became more smooth as I rode the serpentines, though somewhere along the line I lost my geometry and wasn't going straight on the lines in between the circles of the serpentines. I adjusted that, did another serpentine, and let Ronnie walk before beginning the test.

 The next time trying the test was a lot better. Though her canter was a little fast on the straight parts and half circles, I was able to slow her down to the trot right away using my voice. Ronnie is trained to respond well to voice commands, so she listened when I used them.

 I like Ronnie. She's a sweet, level-headed mare and I enjoy riding her.

Moving up to Training Level! And Barn Slumber Party

 Friday I rode without my trainer again because some of the other girls were at a show, preparing for dressage championships. I trotted around the dressage arena, working on serpentines and then leg yields at the walk. They are getting better! I'm able to get Chester to actually go sideways, which is good. After a successful one, I did some more trotting to reward Chester, then went through my dressage test, Intro Test C, without cantering because Meghan wasn't there. I've been doing a lot of cantering lately though so maybe next time I can do a little bit without my trainer. As I rode I worked more on getting Chester to look to the inside.

 Monday, I had a really good lesson. Before trotting, I did some walk legs-yields in both directions. I seem to be better at going right, but I am improving at getting Chester to go over not take a diagonal. After some trotting and serpentines, I began a new dressage test, Training Level 1. Meghan says I should work on this one so that when I do get a horse, I can start competing at Training and skip Intro altogether. Training level tests have a lot more cantering. The test goes like this: Enter at A working trot, X halt salute. At C, track left, circle at E, then begin another circle at A. When at centerline, canter the rest of the circle, down the long side of the arena, doing a half circle at B, trotting at E, and heading back to A. Stretchy trot at A and walk at the corner by F. Head across the diagonal to H and do the same thing the other way, heading up centerline after the stretchy trot.

  The test went fairly well the first time I went through, except for me loosing my stirrup during the circle right. I continued to canter because I hadn't really lost my balance, but at E Chester began evading the circle. I pushed him back on the circle and continued the test.

 The second time through was better. The canter transitions were good and my geometry was for the most part correct. I focused on getting ready for the half circle at E before I reached the letter so Chester wouldn't move to the side again. I also pushed him with my outside leg. I love this test and can't wait to try it some more.

 After the test, I put Chester on a circle left at A and worked on getting his head to lower for the stretchy trot. It is much like getting a horse one the bit; I squeezed the inside rein to encourage him to lower his head. He doesn't always lower his head because it's harder form him to balance, but I managed to get his head to lower a bit.

 I stayed after my lesson because all the girls Meghan trained were sleeping at the barn that night. I gave Chester a shampoo bath, then Anica and I washed the lesson horses to cool them down. We also helped feed them grain and supplements before cleaning tack. When everyone was there, all the girls got on bareback, including myself. Chester has a bareback pad so it's more comfortable than without. We all took turns trying to see if we could sit the trot all the way around. I gave it a try, and manage to do it. It's fun, though it makes my legs sore.

After swapping mounts. I'm on Roxy, the bay with the blue ear bonnet.

 The more experienced girls cantered, and then we all swapped mounts until everyone had gotten a chance to ride every horse, except two of them(one had come home from a show the day before and was tired, and other is a more hot tempered Thoroughbred). I rode a bay gelding named Bentley first. Bentley is trained to 2nd level and has smooth gaits. Next, I rode Roxy, the speedy bay Thoroughbred mare that Anica owns. I had to slow her down because she went so fast she half-cantered. Finally, I rode Frankie, an older bay that doesn't have a lot of go. His back was a bit bony, but his trot is smooth and easy to sit.

 Swapping mounts was fun; we all gained experience riding a new horse, especially bareback.We cooled out around the property on our own mounts and had a scavenger hunt at night.

 In the morning, several other girls and I rode(with saddles, except for Anica) and took turns practicing our dressage tests. It was nice to ride together. I had a lot of fun and I love the new dressage test.

 Also, if any of you are on Facebook you can find me here. Just let me know that you read my blog and I'll accept your request.

Leg Yields and More Jumping

  For Wednesday's lesson, I worked a lot on leg yields, a new skill I'm working on. I first trotted Chester around the dressage arena and across several diagonals. Then I did some serpentines, working on making Chester look to the inside of the circle as I rode, using my inside leg to keep him on the correct path. I'm getting better, but it still needs some work.

 I started practicing the leg yields at the trot, heading up centerline every time I reached A or C. At first I began heading left in the dressage arena. When I reached A, I turned up centerline and tried pushing Chester over to B. Then at C I again went up centerline and pushed him over to E, and so on. I had trouble doing this at first. Chester mostly tried to do a diagonal, not a leg yield, so Meghan told me to slow him down with some half halts when I was leg yielding.

 After trying quite a few times in each direction without a real leg yield, Meghan suggested trying the same thing at a walk. She said to not let Chester go forward unless he went sideways and to increase my leg aid to push him over. Meghan helped me a couple times by pushing over. Finally, when I tried on my own, I got Chester to do a leg yield to the right. To reward Chester, I changed the subject and began trotting him around the dressage arena.

Trying to do a leg yield

 After that, I did more canter work, heading both directions all the way around the dressage arena. I'm getting much more confident at the canter, which is good, but I still need to work on controlling Chester when cantering straight; his canter is pretty fast. Additionally, I need to find my rhythm at the canter and work on letting my hips swing with the motion. All that will come with more practice. Anica had joined the lesson again, so she showed me how to ride the canter. Now I have a visual so I can do it better.

Cantering left lead

 Next, Anica and I both did jumping again. I approached the cross rail a slow trot like last time, this time landing in the canter left and slowing back to the trot as I neared the jump again. I tried to keep my eyes up, though I couple times I glanced at the jump as I approached it. The jumps turn out better if I keep my eyes up, which of course is why I'm told that.

Jumping.  I behind me is another cross rail I had jumped.

 After jumping several jumps, I changed directions. This time I would be riding toward the gate. the challenge with this is that horses tend to go faster as they near the gate. Luckily, I didn't seem to have a problem.While I jumped I worked on putting my hands forward so I didn't yank chester in the mouth. There were several times that went very smoothly: my hands were forward, my eyes were up, my heels down, and I didn't slam into Chester back as he landed. I didn't even grab his mane for balance. I had a lot of fun.

Landing from the cross rail.

 I ended by jumping to cross rails placed close enough together that Chester would land then jump the next one. When I went fairly well over the two jumps, I ended the lesson on that good note and cooled Chester out with Anica and her horse, Roxie. I enjoy jumping. It's especially good that Chester doesn't over-jump and clear the jump with feet to spare as some horses may do. That way it's easier for me to find my balance while I learn to jump. The lesson was fun and successful.

Jumping for the First Time!

 I had a great, successful lesson Monday. It started with me practicing my two point at the walk on a circle. At first it was hard to find my balance, but I got a little bit better as I went on.  After doing it at the walk, I rode two point at the trot and leaned over like I am going over a jump. Then, I rode through three sets of jump standards with ground poles in between each. I held my two point and leaned forward as I went through the jump standards. I had to go through the sequence quite a few times before I was balanced and relaxed.

 After trying it both directions, Meghan raised the last pole in the sequence just a bit. Chester wasn't very impressed and merely trotted over the pole, so Meghan made a small cross rail instead. The next time I went around, Chester jumped over it. It was fun jumping for the first time! I went over the small jump several times  before Anica joined the lesson. We both trotted and worked on holding the two point all the way around the arena. It's hard to hold it that long! When I was about half way I had to sit for a little bit and try again. I was finally able to hold it for most of the way around the arena.

 Then, I started heading left and began cantering around the entire arena. Chester's canter is fast when not on a circle, probably due to his thoroughbred blood. I'm a lot better at sitting the canter than I was a few weeks ago, but I have to work on controlling his speed more. After going all the way around, Chester slowed to the trot. I began cantering again and worked on my cantering two point, which is easier than trotting. I was bounced around a bit as I two pointed and lost my balance. when I had almost done two laps, Meghan instructed me to shorten my reins, put my hands higher up on Chester's neck, and bend my elbows more, which helped. I cantered around the arena like that for a little more than a lap.

Next, I watched Anica ride the two point. She was putting her hands higher up on her horse's(Roxie) neck and shortening the reins as she did it, which is what Meghan told me to do but it is great to have a visual. I did some more two point, then cantered right several laps in the dressage arena. two pointing for some of it.

I'm jumping a small cross rail!

 Then, Anica and I both worked on jumping. I only trotted over the jumps, though Chester landed cantering a couple times. There were several times when Chester was going a bit fast, so I had to slow him. He knocked down the jump one time because I hadn't slowed him down and hadn't balanced well. I tried to keep him in a slow trot so he would go over the jumps carefully. Once, I even walked through the first two sets of standards, then trotted just before the last one.

Jumping! My position looks better in this picture

 As the lesson progressed, Meghan added a slanting rail to the in the middle and made the last one a bit bigger. Chester would jumped the middle one, take a stride, the jump the next one. I need to work on looking up though, because once I looked down over the first jump and ended up banging Chester's back as I landed. The next time around, I looked up at the mountains ahead, and the jump was much better. It's amazing how much a difference looking up makes.

 Toward the end of the lesson, Meghan made two cross rails, one on the last jump and one of the first, so I would jump, take a few strides, then jump again. The last time through, when I focused on looking up again, was the best. I love jumping and enjoy riding with Anica. Riding with someone more experienced than myself let's me have good visuals. Also, I am pushed more because I do the same things Anica does, except at a little lower level. I had a lot of fun this lesson and have lots of videos to study so I become better.

Canter Serpentines and Cantering Straight

I had a great, productive lesson today with lots of cantering, even in a straight line for the first time on Chester. Another girl, Anica, was riding with me on her horse, Roxie. Other than not having much go and acting a little bit lazy(I had to push him a lot to get him to canter), Chester was nice today.

 I started with a trot circle to the left at A. As I have been for these past few lessons, I worked on getting Chester to look to the inside and get to all the points on the circle. I did fairly good for just that circle, but when I started a serpentine a little later after trotting around the dressage arena, I didn't always go completely  to the points while keeping his head to the inside. I need to use a lot more inside leg to keep him on the serpentine.

This picture is nice.

  After that, I watched Anica ride a canter serpentine with simple changes of a walk stride in between each part of the serpentine. Then, I gave it a try, except with a trot transition to change leads in between. It took quite a bit of kicking to get Chester going because he wasn't as fresh and energetic as usual. This time I put my outside leg behind the girth and squeezed rather than using mainly my voice to get him to canter. It went well, though I had to do it several times because I couldn't get him to canter for the last circle of the serpentine. The other parts went well though. Finally, I managed to get the full serpentine with cantering in the right places. It was great!

Part of my serpentine

 The next exercise Anica and I worked on went like this: Trot up centerline, leg yield to B, then canter through the corner to H and head across the short diagonal back to B. Next, canter to the corner, turn up centerline, and do a canter leg yield to E. At C, walk.

I'm sitting up in the saddle, but I love this picture. Chester's head position even looks nice.

 I had to practice this pattern quite a few times to get it right. The first two times I looked down at B and ran into the cone, so I focused and started another time. At B I put my leg back and kicked him into the canter. There were a couple times when he just trotted quickly, but the final time I rode the pattern it went as planned. I leg yielded to B by putting my leg behind the girth and pushing him over. Then, I kicked him into the canter, rode around the corner, and crossed the diagonal to B after reaching H. Next, I cantered around the corner and up centerline, pushing Chester over to E while still cantering. Finally, I reached C and walked.

Trotting

 It's fun cantering straight and off the circle, and I really enjoyed the serpentine and pattern. I watched Annica ride her 2nd level test, then ended the lesson by riding through my Intro level test. The halt at X was nice, the temp was great, but I took a few circles at A to get him to canter, even with putting my leg behind the girth. The circle left went much better; he cantered right away.

Cantering around the corner, heading toward H.

 After ending my test, I rode around the property with Anica to cool out both horses. We went behind the paddocks, passed some trees, which is a way I haven't gone before, then after turning at the barn we went around the arena and towards the dirt track the girls sometimes ride on. We hosed our horses off then put them away. I gave Chester four cookies for working so hard. It was a fun lesson. I can't wait to do more cantering straight and on serpentines like I did.