Bath Day and Mane Clipping with Laura

 Thursday, when I went to help Laura I learned how to clip a mule's mane. Mules have manes that stick straight up, like donkeys do(just like Fjords too). For shows, it is conventional to trim the mane to abut an inch long, rather than braiding. Laura demonstrated on BB first. To begin with, she clipped along the neckline of the mule, heading the direction the hairs go. For shorter necked horses, like BB, you clip further done the neck to make it appear longer(similar to adding more braids). Then she began shaving off the outer hairs of the mane to make it thinner. BB has chestnut hairs along the outside of her mane and grey hairs in the middle, so Laura clipped the red hairs off. Next she let me try. It's really easy and simple, and I had no problem doing it. When I had finished, Laura decided to leave BB's mane long because it looked really cute.

 Next, we gave BB and Moxie baths because it was a warm day and we wanted to take advantage of it. Laura showed me how to do it first, and then I did it myself. We used a special horse shampoo that attaches to the hose to spray them down(we gave BB a bath first), then I sponged BB down with a shampoo made for palominos, put the same shampoo in her mane and tail, and finally rinsed her off and put conditioner in her mane and tail. I did the same process with Moxie. BB was a much brighter, golden color by the time we were down, and both mules were soft and clean. Laura trimmed both mules tails, demonstrating how to do it. Bathing horses or mules takes a long time, so by the time we were done it was evening.

  Laura explained how important it is that your horse is well groomed, even if you are just trail riding with friends. You want to give a good impression and show how much you care for your horse. You also want to give a good representation of horses in general, or maybe the breed you have if you have a rare breed, a breed maybe most people have misconceptions about, or in Laura's case a mule. She wants her mules to give a good representation of mules since mules have a bad reputation to some people. She wants to always groom her equines like they are going to be photographed for the Olympics she says.

 We organized the tack room for a few minutes too. I enjoyed giving the muse a bath, and the next warm ay I might be able to give Lucky a bath too. I also might be able come when the veterinarian comes Monday, which will be great because I someday want to be an equine vet so it will be interesting to talk to and watch the vet work.

Equine Chiropractor

 Wednesday, the equine chiropractor came to work on Laura's equine, so I got to watch what a chiropractor does. Basically, a chiropractor fixes the blocked neuro-impulses in the spine and muscles and bringing them back into alignment if needed. This helps with stiffness and joint and back pain, making the equine more comfortable using their back in dressage work. Often scar tissue can build up under the skin, becoming stuck to the spine and making it uncomfortable for the horse because the tissue is restricting the movement. The chiropractor had a special, flat metal tool that she rubbed on the equine's back to detect this tissue. Equine chiropractors have to study at a human chiropractor school or veterinary school after their undergrad, and then take a course specializing in an chiropractic work for animals to get their animal chiropractic license, so becoming one takes quite a bit of schooling.

 It was fascinating to watch the chiropractor work and ask her questions about what she was doing. It was neat to see the tension in the spine relax as she pushed and squeezed the spine, and i could even hear the back pop a few times. After working on the back and hips, the chiropractor would lift the legs, one at a time, and bend it back at the knee(or hock), rotating in and then out. She did this on all four legs. She also worked on the neck, and on one mule she worked on the temporomandibular joint(TMJ), the joint that controls chewing.

This is Lucky. She's putting her ears back a it because she is getting adjusted, but has a very cute face.

 I helped with brining the equines to the chiropractor when she was ready, holding them for the leg and neck work, and putting them away when she was done. When she began working on the last mule, I went to the pasture to grab Lucky and began brushing her out. When Lucky was all brushed out, I worked with turning her on her forehand as I had with Dyna, then brought her to the chiropractor. Great news–the chiropractor gave the clear to start working her, so Lucky will have a week off to recover from the chiropractor and then I'll be able to state riding her!

 After the chiropractor was done, we picked up some wormers and new clippers, so I'll soon be able to learn how to worm and them clip all the equines so they look neat and show ready(there isn't a show soon but Laura wants her equines looking nice).

 I also learned what hay and supplements the equines get, so I an start feeding them too. Also I learned an interesting fact about mules: they have an affinity for mares, more so than most geldings.

Learning to Lunge with Laura and Meeting Lucky

 Tuesday, when working with Laura, I learned how to actually do the lunging. Laura lunged BB first, demonstrating how it looks when a horse/mule in trotting in balance, with their head down as if on a stretchy circle. I was able to see how when a horse/mule is balanced without tension, their loin area springs up and down. It's fascinating to watch. Laura also demonstrated one of the basics of what she does with equines–being able to direct their attention where you want. If you direct their mind somewhere, their feet will follow. She showed me how she can select an object, then gently nudge BB's head toward that object to get her to focus. She then let me try the same thing. This concept is important, especially when I learned to lunged, which I soon did.

 Once I put BB away, I brought Dyna to the round pen, and Laura demonstrated another piece needed for lunging: being able to move the equine's feet. She showed how he can walk toward Dyna's hindquarters to get her to do a turn on the forehand. Then she showed how she can direct dyna's attention to the way she wants Dyna to go, say the right, face Dyna's left should, and get Dyna to turn on her hindquarters. Once I practiced the same thing, she put it together into lunging.

Dyna in the evening sun.

 She started with Dyna facing her, directing her attention the way she wanted, and then have Dyna move her shoulder and go around in a circle. When lunging, she did this without moving her feet because with equines, the one who moves first is lower ranked. to turn Dyna around, she shortens the rope, pointing the whip, which is an extension of the arm, not a punishment, towards Dyna's hindquarters to get Dyna to face her, then switches to lead rope to the other and points toward Dyna's shoulder and directs her attention to the new direction. She does this fluidly. To get Dyna to walk on, she gets more energy in her body and Dyna walks. To trot, she increases her energy and gets the rhythm of the trot her body.

 Then I tried. I was uncoordinated at first, and it took me a while to find the right way to ask for trot without being too energetic and without stepping in front of the drive line, the part of the horse's body you stand next when you lunge, which is right where you sit when riding. it felt really amazing when I got a great trot transition and a smooth change of directions.

Clipping Lucky's muzzle and jaw.

 Next I met Lucky, the mare I will be riding. Lucky is a 17 year old bay Hanoverian/Thoroughbred that was once a jumper in Southern California. She had a few problems and emotional baggage, but Laura took her and began training her about eight years ago. Lucky is a really nice, well behaved mare now. Since she has been out in the pasture for a while, we took her out, gave her a nice grooming(I even clipped her muzzle), and Laura lunged her at liberty, meaning without any tack–no halter or lunge line/lead rope. Lucky was a bit frisky, but otherwise really nice. After working her for a bit, Laura let me come in. First Laura turned Lucky's haunches and front just like she had done with Dyna, with me following. Then I did the same thing, turning her around, then walking a few steps away from her, with Lucky following as if I had an invisible alter and lead. It is really extraordinary and I love how I can learn to build a connection with horses rather than ride and leave.

Interview: Event/OTTB Trainer Laurie Canty

 Today I have an interview with Laurie Canty, an eventing trainer in Southern California with a passion for OTTBs. She also trains Sarah and Hemie, so I met her through them at a horse trial just before I started riding and again last April.  Laurie is really knowledgeable about horses–read this great interview.

How did you get started in eventing?
 When it was time for me to go to college, I had a choice of going to college or going to Ireland to a riding school and getting my teaching certificate. Their called the British Horsemaster's Assistant Instructorship. I chose to go to Ireland to get my teaching certificate when I was out of high school, so I had just turned 18. I went to a school in Ireland. That is where I learned about eventing. I went to a couple of events while I was there with my Irish friends, and I fell in love with it. I got my teaching certificate six months later, returned home, and wanting to be able to do eventing. My first job that I got was with eventing trainer Cory Walkey. She owned one of the first la large barns in Southern California that taught eventing. It happened sort of by chance. I had never heard of eventing before going to Ireland, and that's how I fell in love with it.

Laurie's first event horse. She had since he was born and evented to Preliminary.

What caused you to become interested in OTTBs?
  When I was growing up, at about age six or seven, my father had a racing stable in Chino, California. He bred and raised racehorses. At the time, in the '40s and '50s, he raced Mexico. My father took me to the racetrack whenever he had a horse running. I was his partner in crime, so to speak. I got my first off-the-track racehorse when I was about 15 or 16. It was one of my father's horses, who couldn't run, that he brought back to me in order to ride. I can only say, he's lucky I didn't die. I was young, and had never ridden anything off the racetrack--I didn't have a clue. That was when I first got interested. My father was my very first connection to off-the-track racehorses, so before I even reached 17, I had another one that he got that had only raced a few times, and my next one he got for me from auction as a three year old for $500, and after that I went to Ireland. I had three off-the-track racehorses, and my father had the racehorse barn, so that's how became interested in OTTBs.

 What do like most about OTTBs?
 It's heart, mostly, and I think knowledge that the two foundation sires for the Thoroughbred were three Arabians. I have great respect for what Arabians can do, particularly the ones that are in the Thoroughbred. They have great heart and endurance, with ability to withstand high temperatures when you're riding. Warmbloods cannot handle heat as well as Thoroughbreds. I'd say I love their hearts, their stamina, and their desire to work with you.

What are some challenges training and competing OTTBs?
  The first year is the biggest challenge, because the first thing they ever did in their life was learn to be a racehorse. I've seen too many people be annoyed with what the thought was the right thing to do. They take hold of the bit and try to train then in ways that are confusing to the horse, rather than letting them maybe have six months in the pasture for on the trail, or something that allows the horse understand it has a new job. Especially for eventing, you never want to take that competitive spirit away.
 Could you tell me about your favorite OTTB you have ridden?
  My favorite was probably Attitude Approved. He was just incredibly intelligent and really a first class horse. He did go on later with Jil Walton to be a Four Star horse at Rolex Kentucky under the name Truly Triton.

Attitude Approved at a Novice at Pebble Beach.

 Could you tell me about an OTTB you are currently training?
 One of the horses we got from the HBO show called Luck. He's unusually because he does not have to wear shoes--he has very strong feet. He also did many miles of racing and has a completely sound body. He's one of the lovely horse's that you can get from the track that can be very useful for a long time.He has the natural ability to want to jump, and like a lot racehorses or Thoroughbreds, he finds the flatwork a little frustrating. That's only because they tendency to be horses that want to have a job. They want to working at all times, and sometimes dressage can just be dull, and they become off balance. tHis is what happens to the horse I'm training. Fortunately, we're able to put work into and he's become much better. I can also say that this horse is a perfect example that less is more. When something is hard, he doesn't want to pay attention. Because of this, we have rot take more time with than the average horse.

 I have a Thoroughbred I can probably get to Training Level in six months. Unfortunately he has a racing injury, so I can't do that, but he has the mentality to do it. With horses, you have to make sure the journey is just as much fun as the destination, and as we all know, with horse's there's no such thing as destination.

 Laurie has eventing at Pebble Beach Preliminary.

What do you look for in an OTTB event prospect?
 I look for a horse that has walk with a lot of overstep. There are a lot of lovely horses without a lot of overstep, but that is something I personally look for. As far as conformation goes, I like a shorter back. I'm not terribly picky about the trots that the event people sometimes die for that look like a warmblood trot. I would prefer to have an excellent canter because that's how we jump. The trot can either be average or a 7, because a 7 you can turn into an 8 with training. You can never fix a bad canter. I like a horse that is uphill, of course. That does not mean I would not take a horse that isn't uphill because sometimes with an excellent hind end and a short back, a horse that doesn't have a neck sticking up out of it's shoulders is still easy to get balanced. Of course I want a horse with an intelligent eye. I don't like a horse that stall walks or has some kind of a nervous disorder.

 They need to not be hot right off the bat. I don't mind a little bit of excitement, but you are going to exert them under a lot stress. I don't like a horse with some sort of stress issues, like herd bound problems. I like a horse that when I get on and canter it, it doesn't have a problem in canter. That usually happens if you get the conformation you want. It should have a very balanced canter and you don't have to teach it to go slow.

Shaula, mare Laurie rescued and evented to Preliminary, and later jumpers.
In this picture, they are at Foxfield Jumping Derby in 1982.

What advice do you have for a young rider who aspires to compete in the upper levels of eventing?
Try to find a job when you are a working student. You have to really careful of people taking advantage of you if you do that. The working student situation is something people are less likely to want to do these days. They may want more than knowledge. They don't understand that knowledge is power and that if you work at this barn and have that understanding, then the trainer will do everything they can to teach you. Find a trainer that's passionate. The most important thing is that you are learning, no matter how unfair it is. Be a sponge. Never question, keep your lips sealed, and listen.

 Anything else? 
 The sooner you can start reading books, especially on safety–there's a lot of Pony Club books–the better. Make yourself knowledgeable. Safety is most important, because I've seen people who should know better but don't.

First Day Working with Laura!

 Thursday I had my first real day working with Laura. Since I'm a homeschooler, I can work during the day, which is awesome. This time I learned a lot about how Laura trains and had the chance to watch her ride so I could see her do similar things under saddle as she had on the ground. For the next week or so, I will be practicing groundwork, and once I learn those, I can apply them under saddle. Basically I'll be learning not just how to ride, but more in depth on training and why to do certain things. I'll be learning how to recognize when the horse is in balance and the other finer points of dressage and riding.

 I started out my learning how to clip a muzzle. Laura had brought out BB, one of her mules, who I would clip. BB is a cute mare(she looks like a dark palomino). First, Laura demonstrated how to clip just the long whiskers on BB, only using enough pressure to take off the longer hairs and going toward the end of the muzzle. She showed how to clip the long, fuzzy hairs under the BB's head and little up the cheek, and then I tried. I shaved off the really long hairs to clean up BB's face and make her look nice. Clipping the face is not too hard at all.

 I then put BB"s boots on and turned her out in the big paddock so she could run and play if she wanted to. Next, I got Moxie ready for Laura too lunge and went to watch her ride Dyna. What she does under saddle is similar to what she taught me when lungeing. She showed me at the halt the difference between the horse/mule that is truly round and one simply bending the head. A truly round horse uses his/her back and steps up underneath himself/herself. Staying halted, Laura applied just a bit a leg, and Dyna stepped under herself with her hind legs, becoming truly round. Laura always wants to ask as lightly as possible so the horse/mule is responsive. Laura is also using creating energy in her seat to go faster, and relaxing to go slower.

 At the walk, she showed my how she flexes her mount's head slightly to the inside, then outside a few times to test how flexible the horse/mule is at the moment. She makes sure the horse/mule is in self-carraige(balancing with the weight shifted to the hindquarters without help from the rider) by putting her inside hand forward and patting her mounts neck. If the horse/mule stays round, balance, and on the bit, he/she is in self carriage. Then she trots. She does the same thing a the trot, flexing the horse/mule and then putting her inside hand forward to test if the horse/mule is in self carriage. She then canters a bit, doing the same. She then does the same thing the other way. This is really neat stuff that will take my riding to the next level. I'll be more in tune with the equines I ride, and someday when I much better it will be useful in training horses.

 After that, she lunged Moxie. Again, she wanted him to become balanced at each gait, teaching me to recognize when he was balance. I recognized it a few times, but not every time. At the end of the lungeing session, though, I was able to see a clear difference in his walk from the beginning: he took bigger, more free strides, and his hind legs stepped underneath him more. She rode Moxie for a bit too, doing the same thing as with Dyna.

 I really love be a working student for Laura already. I'm learning something new each time I'm there..

I'm a Working Student for Laura Hermanson!

 I have some very exciting news! I've been offered a working student position with Laura Hermanson, a local rider. As you may remember, Laura Hermanson went to the last year's U.S. Dressage Finals with her mule, Dyna, the first rider to ever do so. She also owns the local tack shop, so I met her there. Just this past weekend, she offered me a position as working student, and today I went to see her! First, I told her about myself and my experience, then I met one of her mules, Moxie, a dark bay Thoroughbred mule trained through 3rd level. He's a big, sweet one.

  As a working student, I will help take care of her mules for her, brushing and tacking them, and maybe lunging them before she rides in exchange for lessons. I may even be a groom at shows. I will be learning almost constantly, and not just when riding. I'll learn the really important but often overlooked details of caring for the horse and being on the ground with them. I learned that from the time you take the horse(or mule in this case) out of the pasture, you are training him/her. Laura believes in setting the horse up for success and n asking the horse as lightly and subtly as possible, only increasing when needed. One really important thing she stressed as we talked is preparing the horse for anything you do, whether that means leading the horse, stopping, or riding. She demonstrated how she can lead the mules, halting or speeding up, using only her body language---mainly changing the way she breathes(inhaling deeply when going faster and healing to slow down) and creating more or less energy as needed. These things are small, almost imperceptible to people, but horses and mules notice them.

Laura and Moxie

 After demonstrating this with her mule, she let me try. She told me to focus on a spot, the walk purposefully to that place, creating energy as I prepared to go forward. I also walked back and forth, alternating between going slow, fast, even trotting a bit. It's something that takes a while to learn, but I was starting to get it. Personal space and respect are also very important things she mentioned, and Moxie is really good about it. To back an equine up, she simply walks toward him/her, adding energy if needed. There's no need to yank the lead rope.

 Next, she showed my how she tacks up. Again, she stressed the importance of preparing the horse,(mule) running her hands down the legs before putting the boots on. She also showed me the way she places the saddle so that it doesn't restrict the equine's movement. She taught me to feel the scapula(point of shoulder), placing the pad and saddle a bit behind it. This way, the shoulder is covered by the saddle. Then, she taught me the way she bridles, by gently turning Moxie's head toward her, lowering it a bit,   putting the bridle one. She showed me where the noseband should sit, two fingers under the cheekbone, and also where the brow band should be, by the indent over the eye. She taught me how to put the surcingle on, the showed me how she lunges.

Moxie and I.

 As she lunged, she used the same concept of changing the way she breathes and her body position to change the pace of Moxie. She prefers to lunge to train the horse to use his body properly and to build muscle without having the interference of a rider, rather than just to wear them out for get the bucks out. She wanted Moxie to find his balance in each and step underneath himself with his hind legs. Every time Moxie did this in the trot, she would quietly ask for canter, working him just a few circles until he balanced properly, even for a bit, then returning to trot. She also gave him time to stretch. By the end I began to see when he became relaxed and balanced. Laura can tell just by lunging how her ride will be and what to work on. This is just a brief, not so in depth summary of what I learned about lunging. When she was done, I untacked Moxie, helped Laura brush him, led him to his paddock. Laura showed my how she puts her equines away by simply standing out the gait and having them turn around to face her.

  To start out with, I'll be going maybe twice a week to work. I can tell I'll be learning a lot. I will be taking lesson on her 17 year old mare(not a mule), but more in depth on that later as this post is long. I'm really excited about this!

Like Pieces of a Puzzle

 Friday I rode Moe again. Unfortunately, I won't be able to work out something with Ronnie as it looks now, but my plan that I mentioned in an earlier post may help. Again stay tuned because it's almost ready.

For most of my lesson, I was focusing on relaxing my body, keeping my legs soft and sit up tall with my shoulders back. I started out by doing simple leg yields from quarter line to the rail on a loose rein. At first, since by body was tense I ended up twisting my entire body and letting my position slip each time I leg yielded, rather than simple apply more pressure with my inside leg. As I rode, I thought I lot about my position, and my leg becoming much better. I began gripping Moe with the inside of my calf, not my knee. I was also sitting up taller. Once I had sorted out my balance, I cantered right.

 After the canter, which I did at a circle at C, I focused on balancing Moe with half halts, asking for roundness, and keeping her at a constant, steady tempo. She tends to anticipate doing more cantering after the first time cantering, so I had keeping her from breaking into canter. I started to develop a feel for when she was about to speed up and half halted accordingly. After working on this for quite a bit, I managed to get a really nice balanced trot.

 Once I did, I tried to repeat that during the dressage test, which went smoothly. I didn't do the canter left, but the canter right was really nice and Meghan said it was the best it's been with me riding her. She was balanced, not taking off and went a nice tempo. It's amazing how nicely things go once the small(but important) details are sorted out. I had also recently read an article about the arms, hands, and outside rein, which helped my a lot because I struggle with the same thing the author of the article does.

 At the end of the lesson, I did the leg yield on a loose rein from quarter line to the rail. The difference was amazing! I was more relaxed and confident and only had to use a light squeeze with my inside leg to push Moe over. My body was straight and moving my leg didn't affect the rest of my body at all.

 Monday, Moe was pretty relaxed, except she freaked out a bit when I got on because I may have put my toe in her on accident. She quickly moved sideways, away from the mounting block. Before riding Chester I might have fallen, but I've developed a better seat since I started riding him in June from learning to ride him through his challenges.

 I did a similar thing, starting with leg yields and then riding on a serpentine, canter in the middle. Moe didn't pick up the correct lead heading left, so I tried again on the way back, and when she still didn't, Meghan told to me do a diagonal and serpentine the other way. The other way around, I go a nice canter, and made a circle at E rather than moving on to the next part of the serpentine. I focused on sitting deep in the saddle rather than leaving air between my bum and the saddle. I managed to get it for a few strides and felt much more secure.

 Practicing the test went smoothly, too. and I even got Moe to pick up the left lead. To finish, I did leg yields in the trot. Several of them were really nice and smooth--it felt great. Meghan also said that my elbows were much better Monday! It also feels great that the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to come together. My position is improving, my seat is becoming more independent, and the smaller details are coming together now that I can fairly confidently walk, trot, and canter and have control over the horse.
P.S. Couldn't post the pictures yet.

New Years and Christmas Eve Rides

I haven't done much riding these past few weeks with Christmas and New Years going on, but I did ride on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Christmas Eve, I rode Ronnie in the arena outside of a lesson for the first time. When I was getting, she wasn't wanting to stand still and was impatient, so my more experienced friend Maddie lead her around one side of the arena with me on, then gave me advice. She said to keep Ronnie on a loose rein and not be nervous.

 Surprisingly, Ronnie was just the opposite for the rest of t he ride and needed a lot of leg to go forward. However, her canter was really nice. It was balanced, without being too fast or slow, and I kept her on the 20 meter circle without using my outside hand. It felt great and was one of those rides I didn't want to end.

 New Year's Eve, I rode Moe instead. I was geared up in my new boots, breeches, and belt that I had got for Christmas. Moe was relaxed and wasn't her usual racehorse fast self. It took my a bit to get used to my new boots, but by the end of the lesson, I was even gripping with calves, which I have been struggling with these past two months.

 I wasn't able to get left lead canter, which Moe has some difficulty with. She's likely sore on one side because she's an older horse. When she gave right lead on a left circle, I simply made a diagonal to fix it. At one point she cross cantered and it was hard to maintain my balance,so I returned to trot and changed direction to canter right instead.

 At the end of my lesson, I practiced my dressage test, Training Level 1. It went very well, except for the left lead canter part. Moe just wouldn't canter left. Only just before the canter was supposed to be over did she canter on the left lead for a few strides. I patted and praised her, then completed the test,which went smoothly the rest of the way.

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. and have a great 2015! Also I have something exciting planned but won't let the cat out of the bag until February so stay tuned!I'm just getting the last few details planned out.

Communication Error

 Friday I had yet another lesson on Ronnie. Once again, she was frisky and even a bit spooky. She kept looking at a pallet that had recently been put on the side of the arena, spooking at it a couple times and swaying away from it when I didn't keep her looking to inside. As I rode I focused on keeping her focus on what we were doing, not the pallet.

Circle is cut small.

 We had quite of bit of communication error that day. I guess it's just one of those days when I'm not riding at my best. I had trouble mostly with not using my inside leg or calves, and I wasn't able to keep her cantering on a full 20 meter circle, which instead became more like 10 meters. I haven't had this trouble so much with the lesson horses and Chester, who are more chill with the rider not being completely correct because that is how they were trained. I really need to relax my knees so I can use my calf to push her over instead. Otherwise Ronnie becomes frustrated and confused. Any suggestions on how to relax the knee and use the lower leg and seat as support instead? It's the main thing I need to polish up about my riding right now.

 After working and improving a bit with communicating to Ronnie, I began my dressage test. Both of us seemed to be more focused and ready to get down to business. I thought to myself, "I need to try extra hard when doing the test." Ronnie seemed to respond,"Okay got it."

Leaning forward and using too much outside rein.

 The circles were more full and I was able to communicate better with her. The test ran fairly smoothly, except for when she freaked out a bit when I passed Mom, who had moved to another side of the arena to film. Meghan said that Ronnie was probably just using that as an excuse, because before I started the test I had turned Ronnie to show her where Mom was. I continued on. She swayed out a bot when I passed the pallet but didn't do anything naughty. I need to think more about his for my next lesson and what I did differently when things went well.

 I also need to work on relaxing my knee and using the lower leg and seat as support instead, so if you have any suggestions please let me know. Thanks! Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Trot Poles and Canter Transition on Ronnie

Wednesday I rode Ronnie in the jumping arena because the dressage arena had standing puddles of water in it from the recent rain. Ronnie was quite frisky, as horses tend to get when it is cold and rainy, or when the weather changes, but not enough that she was difficult to ride. At one long side of the arena, beyond a line of trees,were dogs and horses that belonged to the neighboring place, so I stuck to the other side. It was only my first time in that arena and Ronnie's second, and Meghan didn't want Ronnie to spook.

 There was one point when Ronnie got nervous about something and broke into trot from the walk, but it wasn't a major spook when the horse jumps up and to the side. I returned to walk, reassured her, and continued on. I walked, then trotted in each direction, being cautious when I changed directions because things can look scarier in the other direction. 

After trotting in both directions, I circled one of the many jumps, which were arranged throughout the arena in a course, and prepared to ask for canter. When I asked for canter, Ronnie leaped into canter, kicking out her hind leg. and squealing. I've seen her do the several times and she has done it to me once or twice before this lesson. Ronnie is sensitive and gets fussy when her rider looks down, shifting her weight forward and possibly even pulling on Ronnie's mouth during the transition,  making it hard to her to balance. This is exactly what I've been doing and is the major part that needs work to polish up my canter. I find myself looking down and leaning forward, just during the transition. I cantered a lot for the next 15 or so minutes of the lesson, taking short trot breaks in between. Ronnie got a bit fast to, and would all out of canter if I half halted too much. 

 To fix my transition, Meghan had me sit the trot, circling a cross rail on the far end of the arena. As I sat several times around, I had to use my muscles to hold myself in the saddle so I didn't bounce around,and amazing, when I sat the trot into the canter, the transition was much better and my position as well. While cantering, I also had to use more inside, another thing I have to work on. I have to push Ronnie out with my inside leg, not the outside rein, not letting her lean on my leg instead. 

Trot poles

 After my successful transition, I worked on trot poles. I tend to look down at trot poles just as I pass over then. The two trot poles were parallel to the long side of the arena, so I would have to head into the half near to the dogs, heading straight to the round pen with the barn on my right(remember the dressage arena is to the left if you're facing the barn). I started by tracking left and heading over the trot poles, always from the same side whether I turned left or right to get to them. The first several times, Ronnie hopped over them. After going over it multiple times, Meghan told me to look at the trailer in front of the dressage arena and tell her whether it had a vent or not so I could keep my eyes up. She had done a similar thing when I was jumping at Silver Rose. This time around went smoothly. When I had something to focus on, I didn't glance down at the last moment. I went over the poles quite a few times, changing directions regularly, and finally ending once I got a few good ones in a row. 

 I had a good lesson and it was nice to try trot poles again. I am going to be riding Ronnie two days a week for now. Her owner is being very generous because I'm not leasing her,; she just lets me ride Ronnie. Also, check out this giveaway and win a saddle! Click these two(contest,contest) as well because you have enter at each day. 

Lessoning on Ronnie!(Pontential Lease/Own)

  This past summer, Meghan had me ride Ronnie, a bay Belgian/TB mare, several times, though I had primarily been riding Chester. Ronnie is a nice mare, levelheaded, and has dressage training through Second Level(has been schooled in some Third Level with Meghan). Each time I've ridden her, I have enjoyed her and have become even more comfortable on her too. Ronnie has been to many dressage shows with her owner, Ann.

 Monday, Megan put me on Ronnie another time. This is only the fourth time I've ridden her, but I felt like I did well. As I rode, I focused on making her round, going through the corners, and keeping me arms and body soft and relaxed, the latter which is something I tend to have trouble with at the canter.

 I put Ronnie on a 20 meter trot circle at B so I could prepare for canter, but I had to work on the circle multiple times because I had trouble making the circle round enough. To fix this, I needed to use more inside leg to push her out, rather than using the outside rein, which should be supporting. Once I had everything worked out, I put my leg back and asked for canter, riding around the circle multiple times. I found myself bracing and not relaxing my body, which made my hands less soft.

A heart clipped on her haunches. 

 The next time cantering, after more trot circles, I took a deep breath and relaxed my body. It was amazing how much better my canter was, and the ones after when I did the same thing. Ronnie is a really nice horse and I feel very confident on her. Her transitions are very smooth as well.

This one and the ones after are from Wednesday. Look at her cute face!

 After cantering on a circle both ways, I cantered straight down the arena, then began learning one of the new 2015 dressage tests, Training Level Test 1.  The test is pretty simple: A down centerline, X halt salute. C track left, 20 meter circle at E. At A, make another 20 meter circle, cantering in the first corner, which is between A and F, continuing on the circle and down the long side with the trot after B. C is the medium walk all down to E, with a short diagonal in free walk to F. At A is the trot, at E a circle right, at C another 20 meter circle right, with the right lead canter in between C and M. Trot at B, then up centerline once at A.

On the bit, and my position is pretty good. I just need to keep my elbows bent and my leg needs to go a teensy bit back.

 In that test, the judges look for a horse that is supple, moving freely in steady tempo and clear rhythm and accepting contact with the bit.  I'm happy to say the test went well and met all that criteria, except accepting contact with the bit still needs more practice on my part. Meghan says it was show quality!

 Wednesday I rode her again. I had another great ride and have really been making progress. I feel comfortable and confident on her, which is good, and enjoy riding her. Throughout my lesson, I continued to ask Ronnie to become to round, which is difficult, but I was able to get her on the bit multiple times throughout the lesson, managing to hold it for longer amounts.

Happy horse!

 I still had difficulty using enough inside leg to keep Ronnie at all the points on the 20 meter circles, so I worked on this a lot. When you do dressage, my trainer said, the reins are for connecting the horse on the bit, not steering. I especially needed to remember this for the canter transition on the circle. Ronnie is sensitive, so I needed to use more inside leg rather than outside leg in the canter so she doesn't get confused.

 Once I had done a lot of walking, trotting, and cantering in both directions and had worked on getting Ronnie on the bit, I rode the Training Level Test 1 through twice. Besides the fact that I wasn't using enough inside leg for the canter circle at C, I felt it went really well. I was able to get her on the bit and she was relaxed and moving in a consistent tempo.

Cantering! California winters can be grey and chilly.

 I had two really great lessons on Ronnie. Ronnie's owner has been serious about finding a home for  her and has offered her to me for a great deal that includes all the equipment and is half of what she is worth, but I still need to talk with my parents. They are not quite sure their ready to make the investment. However, I might, might be able to full lease her until May and then my parents will make a decision. I'm all for having Ronnie. I love Ronnie, enjoy riding her, and Meghan believes she is a great match for me. Ronnie performs very well when I ride her and because she is young(about 13) and already has been schooled through Third Level by Meghan, I can move up the levels with her and hopefully even qualify for the junior state championships in 2015! As I said we have reached no decisions yet, but I will keep the blog posted!

More on Getting Moe on the Bit

 I had a nice ride Friday, even though Moe started out by being nervous to pass a small dog. To remedy this, Meghan had me ride only in the far half of the arena, turning at E or B, depending on which way I was going, rather than by the dog. As Moe got calmer and I began to grip with my calves, pushing her forwards and putting her on the bit, I began to turn closer to that end, finally using the whole arena.

This one is nice!

 For a lot of the lesson, I worked on putting her on the bit as I rode,  making her go forward enough to do so. She wasn't as speedy as she often is, so I had to push her forward into the connection. I also had to work on holding the outside rein so that her head wouldn't go to the inside when I squeezed the inside rein. Once my position is in order, Moe is forward, and I'm hold enough outside rein, I am able to get her to look quite nice, though it takes a lot of work. I was able to get her to come round for short parts of the lesson, and even kept her on the bit once around the arena and across a diagonal.

 My canter is coming along nicely, too. I have more control and can keep Moe in a nice, collected canter while on the bit for a lot of the time. I cantered her down the long side of the arena, making a half circle at B to head back to C, where I had asked for the canter depart.  After doing this several times with trot in between, I asked for the left lead canter on the circle. Moe didn't give it after a few tries, so I worked on something else.

 I went up centerline, tracking right, then making a diagonal at K. Then at E, I made a half 10 meter circle to centerline, leg yielding to M. I made another diagonal and did a couple more half 10 meter circles, diagonals, and leg yields. I didn't manage to get Moe straight in the leg yield at first, but I straightened her. Meghan had created this test using some First Level movements so I could practice them.

 Another one I did went like this: I trotted up centerline, which I had to do twice because I hadn't put Moe on the bit, but once I had gone successfully up centerline, on the bit, I tracked left, making a 20 meter circle at E. Then, at A, I asked for canter left, making sure my leg was back s Moe would pick up the correct lead. She did, and I made a diagonal at H, trotting at X. I did the same thing the other after a free walk.

I love the angle of this one.

 After I had put Moe away, I helped Meghan clean paddocks, then went home. I had a productive lesson, though I still need to work on keeping my toes straight and calves on. A lot of other parts, including controlling the canter and putting the horse on the bit are coming together.

Be Soft

 Moe was much more calmer for this lesson. In fact, I had to push her so she would be going forward enough to get on the bit, something I worked with a lot this lesson. I worked both on a circle and on the straight, in both directions. Even though Moe was calmer, I still had trouble getting her on the bit. She wanted to put her head up in the air, but I continued asking her to lower her and become round. It can be difficult to push the horse forward, while still thinking about having outside connection and inside flexion, using your inside leg to keep her on the circle. When I softened my aids a lot more, gently alternating which rein I squeezed, I was able to get her to become round for a few moments. I patted her, praised her, I stopped asking until she raised her head again.

Canter left.

 Another thing I did was ride down the long side at the walk, halting at each letter. While halted, I gently squeezed the inside rein to get her to drop her head. Then, I would gently squeeze her with calves, using primarily my voice to get her walk on, stopping when I reached the next letter and repeating.

Walking on a shortened rein to get her on the bit.

 When I returned to trot, Moe was much more responsive and willing. I made a 20 meter circle to the right, and asked for canter. Moe picked up the left lead instead, but Meghan said to use that opportunity to make a short diagonal to E, then a half circle to change directions. I half halted to keep her at a comfortable pace, because now that we were cantering. Moe was becoming her usual energetic self. Moe ended up returning to trot when I momentarily lost my balance. I asked for canter, then made another short diagonal to canter right.

Part of my nice, calm canter.

 It was when I cantered to the right on circle that I did really well. I focused on sitting up straight and deep in the saddle, keeping my calves on and outside leg back, and on half halting the outside rein while squeezing the inside rein to keep her on the circle. It felt amazing! Moe was in a smooth, collected canter that was neither fast or slow. Meghan said I looked very good! However, as I focused on keeping my position correct and aids effective, the geometry of me circle began to slack. I pushed Moe out to the correct parts, and once I had made an entire correct circle, I returned to trot.

 The lesson felt very productive, despite the fact that Moe wasn't as easy to get on the bit as she often is. I just need to focus on gripping with calves more, softening my elbows, and keeping my toes straight. My left foot seems to always point slightly out, so I need to practicing refining my position and keeping my feet straight without letting the rest of my position slip.

Give and Take

 For my ride yesterday, Moe was extremely energetic and all go, acting as if she was half her age. When I walked her she wanted to trot, and when I was finally ready trot, she was ready to canter or just speed away, becoming all twisted and crooked when I tried to slow her down. She had so much go that Meghan had to get on her to slow her down and to show me how best to handle such a situation. My trainer usually doesn't get on and has done so only once before, when Chester was giving me some trouble. Nevertheless it was a good learning experience to watch my trainer ride.

 Rather than using pulling the reins every time Moe sped up or tried to canter, Meghan half halted with her seat and gently pulled the outside rein. Whenever Moe slowed down, Meghan rewarded her with softness, telling me to do the same. Riding has a lot to do with giving and taking, and it is essentially to learn when to do which to get the desired result.

Cantering for real now!

 I remounted, keeping all this advice in mind, and focused on keeping my hands soft and light while I rode Moe on a circle to the right, Meghan said I looked really good and soft when I first got on. Whenever Moe tried to take off, I held the outside rein, softening my connection when she responded by slowing down.

Here's the cute one.

Making funny faces while being groomed!

 After doing this for a bit. I asked for canter right on a circle. Moe picked up the left lead, strangely enough as she usually prefers the right left, so I did a simple change the pick up the correct lead. As I rode, I focused on sitting deep in the saddle, keeping my outside leg back, and half halting the outside rein to keep her at a comfortable pace.



 Even though I had to spend the entire lesson keeping Moe under control, it was a good learning experience, because after all, challenging horses teach you a lot. Not every horse I'll ever ride will be easy.

Rolling--right after I gave her a thorough grooming

She looks so cute laying down.

 After I gave Moe a thorough grooming because she was very sweaty, dirty, and hasn't been trimmed yet, Moe decided to roll, the first time I've seen her do so.

Great Ride on Moe!

 I had a great ride on Moe yesterday for my lesson. I was a lot more balanced and was gripping with my calf rather than my knee as I had found myself doing during my last lesson. Also, I was a lot more relaxed and so was Moe, though she was still just as speedy as usual.

I love this one!

 Throughout my lesson, I asked her come round and on the bit, working on that the entire lesson. I rode her around the dressage arena at the trot, changing directions several times and asking her to drop her head. When it came time to canter, I sat back, asked for the transition, and managed to get a left lead canter on a 20 meter circle. As I cantered, I held the outside rein to slow her down. The second time I cantered, she picked up the right lead rather than the left lead, so I made a diagonal and circled to the right on the other side of arena instead.

Toward the end of the lesson, I tried one of the new Training Level dressage tests, the 2015 Training Level Test 2. I gathered up my reins at A, then circled, gradually shortening the reins as I circled until Moe had lowered her head and relaxed. Then I went up centerline, Besides Moe not picking up the correct lead on the left lead canter part, the test when smoothly and seemed like one of the best tests I've done. Moe was relaxed and wasn't taking off. In fact she was going quite slow, probably because I had shortened the reins to get her to lower her head and become round.

 One of her best traits is her walk. She has an excellent, smooth walk, with her legs reaching forward and her hips swinging. If she went to a show, she'd likely get a ten for her walk---it's that nice.

The test went like this: Up centerline, X halt salute. C track right. At B 20 meter circle, at K across the diagonal, then canter between C and H. As I said this is where we had the problem of Moe not picking up the correct lead, so I returned to trot to try again. When she still didn't pick up the correct lead, Meghan said to go ahead and stay in counter-canter. I made a 20 meter circle at E, then before K returned to trot. I made a circle at A, then I free walked a loop from F to X to M, then trotted again, circled left at E, made a diagonal at H, cantered before M, circled at B, then returned to trot and turned up centerline.

  I had a great ride and test, and Meghan said that I had done great. It was a much more successful ride than last time, when I first rode after some time off.

This is what winter riding clothes looks like in California.

Interview with Dressage Rider Laura Hermanson

If have been following the dressage world lately, or have looked at my recent post on the topic, you probably heard about the mule, Dyna, and her owner Laura Hermanson competing in the U.S. Dressage Finals. The pair earned 67% in Training level. I have actually met Laura before; she's local and owns the tack store in town, so I decided to interview her for my blog. You can watch the video I embedded, or read the interview below if it doesn't work.

How did you get started in dressage?
Laura: I got started riding hunter jumpers and dressage as a child at the LA Equestrian Center at Foxfield Riding Academy down in southern California.

 How did you first become interested in riding and competing mules?
 Laura: I've ridden horses my whole life and I spent a summer packing mules up in Yosemite National Park, and that was when I was first introduced to mules, and they were fascinating. They were just so interesting to watch and to work with and so I thought, "This might be kind of interest to try and teach them dressage and to be ridden."

What made you decide to use a mule for dressage, rather than the more conventional warmbloods?
Laura:  I think it was 2004 when they allowed mules into the USDF I had some clients who had some mules and liked mules and wanted some to go do dressage. They said to start looking for some that had the qualities for dressage. It took a long time and I ended up finding two mules, CR Moxie J and BB Magee. In the mean time, I also had my own personal mule, who I had been training in dressage, and that was Dyna. I waited for a while with her. She was tricky minded, and when I felt that she was ready it was time to show her dressage as well.

What is your favorite thing about mules?
Laura: That's a tough question! There are so many wonderful things about mules, but the first thing that comes to mind is their ears. That is what sets them apart in a lot of ways from horses, because they really let you know how there're feeling through there ears. The best thing is that when you're riding a mule, you look down and see these giant radars. your hope is for the relaxation and when you get it when the mule's ears start flapping, then you know you're in a good place.

Could you tell me about your mules?
Laura: Right now I'm currently riding four mules. one. he's pretty much retired and only get's exercised for conditioning. He was my first mule, Stretch, who I used for jumping. Then I have Dyna, who has just competed at the Finals but who also competes in hunters, reining, cutting, and cow working. Then I have the two I mentioned, CR Moxie J who competed at First Level, who I have been working at Second and Third Level movements for hopefully next year; and BB Magee, who is also at First Level.



How did you meet Dyna and what made you want to do dressage with her?
Laura: I found Dyna after I had worked with Stretch in jumping. He was a thirteen year old pack mule when I started, so he was a bit of a challenge, and I thought, "I'd like to try to find something younger and try to train it to be a performance horse or mule. I started looking for good breeders and found the Heart B Ranch in Idaho and chose Dyna. I  was at a show in Nevada and saw Dyna and immediately knew that she was the one that was supposed to be in my life.

 Dressage is my background, my basics. Whatever discipline I train for with my horses and mules, dressage is the basis for it all.  She was mentally a tricky one and was very reactionary, spooky, difficult to get shown so I knew that it would take a while for her to mature before I was comfortable showing her at USDF rated shows. with horses. I just kept working on all of basics, trying to get good dressage basics in her, and when I felt she was mentally ready, which was this year, I went ahead and shoed her.

Training any equine for dressage can be difficult, but what are specific challenges you face when training a mule? 
Laura: Mules are tricky in the sense that you just have to have a lot of patience. Their very smart, so you have to be clever in the sense of not overdoing something. Once they understand something, it's time to move on. You don't want to reiterate things. But also you have to have a really good sense of humor, because their dads are donkeys, so every once in a while they have days when they decide they just don't want to do something and you need to be willing to not get frustrated, be able to laugh about it, and creatively find a way to work with what you want to do that day. 

Is riding and training them more difficult than riding and training horses?
Laura: In some aspects I think it is. I just think ti takes the right kind of personality. you have be someone that's not going to try to force something. You have to, like I said, have a great sense of humor, so in that sense I think they can be somewhat trickier, but at the same time there are a lot of tricky minded horses as well. I think just trying to get a good basis of good horsemanship helps with all equines.

What did qualifying for the U.S Dressage Finals include? 
Laura: Originally, I had to qualify for the state finals, which was the CDS since I live California, so I had to go for the state qualifying, which was five scores of 65% or higher. For the U.S. dressage Finals you first have to qualify for the regional finals, which as an Open Rider I had to have two scores of 68% or higher at the highest test of the level. So I qualified for those scores and went to the regional championships. From the regional championships, of the horses and mules that declare nomination for the U.S. Dresage Finals, they take the top two and one wild card. By placing I was actually originally on the long list, the alternate list, which was exciting. Then I got the email that said the other horses had decided not to go, so we had an invitation to the finals.

What was your best experience in Kentucky for the finals?
Laura: There were so many incredible experiences. I think the thing that was most exciting for me was meeting al, the other competitors. There was a real comradery. Sometimes I think dressage can be looked upon as an elitist sport or as a very solo sport, but it really is about the coaches, and the grooms, and the emotional support, and friends. I think that everyone who rides dressage recognizes how difficult it is, what a group effort it is to just even get those five minutes of showing accomplished. I think there was a real sense of comradery amongst all of the competitors and their help. I think everyone in my barn aisle cam and watched each other's classes. There was a real sense of meeting people from all over the United States who share the same passion as we all do for dressage.

What are your future plans for Dyna?
Laura: My future plans are to just continue. I hope to be a better rider and continue to learn from her. We're just going to keep on our track of improving and moving up the levels as far we're able to go. This trip really taught me how there is no impossible dream. This was the impossible dream for me to go to the Finals, and the fact that it happened showed that there are no limits. I feel like I'm just trying to stay open minded and to not set boundaries and see how far we can go.

Do you have any advice to give to young dressage riders?
Laura: I think the best advice I can give is to just keep at it. I hope that my story has helped inspire other riders to want to learn dressage. I want dressage riders to realize that no matter what horse you have, what breed it is, what stage of life your horse is, to just recognize that there is something to be learned from every animal you ride, whether it's a mule, a horse, and to just stick with it because there's lessons your going to learn from riding that animal that will carry you on and teach you invaluable life lessons as well.