San Francisco Trip

I apologize for being MIA these past couple months; I've been terribly busy getting ready for moving overseas to Sweden.  I have been out to the barn, helping Laura get ready for Bishop Mule Days and watching her ride with her trainer, who rides FEI horses.

On Friday the 20th, my family went to San Francisco to get our passports finalized.  We took the BART from Colma into town. While in San Francisco, we wandered all around town. Below are some of the photos that I took while there.

 Fishing Pier

Bay Bridge viewed from Pier

The things below here come from Fisherman's Warf.

This is the Sorting Hat.  I found it in the Mechanical Museum, where there are many old arcade games.   Most of the games are mechanically operated and are from before the days of video games.  I also played a mechanical bike race game with my brother(you had to twist nobs to move the bikes) and won.  My brother played Pong with my dad and was defeated by many points. I watched a mechanical galloping horse, but I haven't uploaded the video.   It was very exciting to see the museum, and I highly recommend going there next time you go to San Francisco. 

From right outside, by the WWII submarine and ship. 

WWII ship called the O'Brien.  My dad told me that many of those ships split in half and sunk because of a design flaw(the ports were squares, not circles).

 Then we to the Norwegian Church, where my parents were married 18 years ago.  It has a marvelous view.

Of course we went to Lombard Street just after, and I took a picture.

We then walked back to the BART station, returned to our car, and headed.  Except for spending about an hour getting our passports, another hour in the Norwegian Church, and about 20 minutes eating lunch, we spent the entire day walking or standing.

Moss Beach, near Pacifica

My parents lived in Pacifica before I was born, and my mom worked in Half Moon Bay.

Dune Beach, not very far from Half Moon Bay

Donkey Days 2016

Last weekend was an exciting weekend filled with donkey riding in the annual Donkey Days clinic taught by JoDe Colllins.  I rode a green jenny named Flo, who was a sensitive and willing.  She willingly tried many of the obstacles, even though some were new to her.  As I rode, I noticed that I was better at guiding Flo through the obstacles and asking her to do what I wanted than I had been the last time I had ridden a donkey, which was a year ago.  It goes to show that I have learned a lot in the past year, and that I have really fine-tuned my riding skills.  I was able to keep my hands in front of me, rather pulling them out to the side to turn. This kept my aids more effective.  I also tried to use my leg to ask Flo to do certain things.  Over the weekend,  the other clients and I worked on several obstacles courses.  Since I had practiced some of these obstacles last year, I was prepared to take them on.

Pool noodles

I first rode through some pool noodles.  Flo was hesitant to try at first, but I was instructed to  ask her closer one step at a time.  With donkeys, patience is required.  You cannot force them through something if they decide they do not want to do something, because once they decide to tune everything out, they are impervious to everything.  Flo did not get to this point.  I asked her closer to the noodles one step at a time, until she leapt through.

I next went over a tarp with the same process, and then the cavaletti and a small wooden box,  and finally a ramp. Everyone tried more obstacles on their before we went on a trail ride down a dirt road. On the trail ride, Flo really started walking out, taking huge walk strides and staying near the front of the group. I didn't need to apply leg or really use many aids at all.

Tarp obstacle

Pole bending

 The next day also included a variety of obstacles and ended with a trail down a different road.  It was fun to ride a donkey; they are so very different than horses.  If you would like to learn more about them, look at the AMA website, or you can ask me and I can try to find out the answer.

True Harmony

When riding Lucky, there have been times when I had glimpses of harmony.  However, during my most recent rides, things seemed to align perfectly and I had more than just a few moments of harmony with Lucky.  During the trot, I had more harmony than I have ever had with any horse, and kept it for more than a few strides at a time.  It felt phenomenal.  I was effortless posting at the trot and directing Lucky, without having tension and without my leg flying all over the place.  Lucky was in front of my left and available to me, ready to do what I asked.

That is ultimately what my goal is during every ride.  I want myself to be in balance, and to be able to help whatever animal I am riding to be in balance, relaxed, and  round.  When they get to this supple "sweet spot", they are ready to do anything for the rider because they are set up to do so.  This is something that I have observed every time Laura lunges or rides.  Most clearly and recently, I have observed this when Laura had worked on introducing a mule to dressage.  This mule has and a lot of great training, in various disciplines, but he has never been taught to weight his hind end and use his back in the way dressage horses should.   Watching him figure out how use his body has been fascinating and educational.  When his body position does become correct, he becomes eager to make a transition.  It is important to note, however, that it is not about getting him in a frame.  It's about him using his hind end and his back and becoming supple and free in his body.

Her walk was also probably the best walk I have ever had on her.  She took long strides, and her back and hips were free and swinging.  She did not become "stuck" behind my leg.  The fact that Laura and ridden first had helped that.

I did have some difficulties in the canter, however.  I became a bit twisted, and she did not canter right when I asked.  However, instead of forcing the issue, I calmly regained a rhythmic, unhurried trot before asking again.  It is much better to have a correct transition than a rushed, unbalanced one. I later on got a few nice sets of cantering, and ended the lesson there.

Loss of Prancer

Yesterday was the most difficult day of my life.  The Rhodesian Ridgeback that my family has had for many years has passed away.

To me she was more than just a dog.  She was a person, with many quirks, and was a treasured member of my family.  Prancer was a loving, cuddly dog.  In spite of her size, she believed that she was a lapdog and would always climb unto the couch to cuddle and to give hugs.  Like a cat, she would rub her face against people that she loved.  She was friendly with strangers and always wanted to jump up and say hello.

She was a real drama queen and attention hound. When she wasn't in the center of attention, or when she wanted something, she would whine.  She had a different whine for different situations.  She also seemed to understand so much of English, and would understand when we were talking about food, or going on a journey in the car.  Both were things that she loved so much.  She also and a strange love of chips, sweet breads, and crunchy, salty foods.

 She was truly as unique and as loved as any person.  I have never lost anyone as close to me as she was; I've never cried so much.  My home and my heart seems so empty without. It will difficult to come home everyday, expecting her to come greet my family at the door only to find the place empty, or to wake up in the morning and hoping that she will be on her bed.  Sometimes I hear a sound that reminds me of her, and my throughout constricts as tears come to my eyes.  You'll be missed, precious Prancer.  I hope you are happy, and that your spirit is playing up there in animal heaven.

Moving Up the Scale

This past year, I have mostly been working on asking Lucky to stretch down and lift her back hone riding and lunging her.  In my most recent ride, I took this a step further and began asking for her to truly be "on the bit."  This is something i have read about many times before, but it can be difficult to do correctly.  However, Lucky is a great horse to learn this on because she would only become truly round if I am balanced and my aids are exactly correct.  Once there, she typically stays there.

My learning started on the ground in the round pen.  Laura worked Lucky for a while in just a halter and lunge line to demonstrate, and then gave me a try.  I worked Lucky on a small circle, keeping a short and consistent feel on the lunge line.  I kept me hands steady in front of me with my elbows at my side, just like when riding.  The object was for me to keep this feel, neither giving or taking as Lucky went along.  If she were to get heavy in my hands, I would cluck her along so that she would she would be pushed onto the "bit"(the lunge line attached to her halter). True roundness comes from the back coming up and the neck rounding and reaching for the contact, but not leaning on it.  I also yielded her to help her to reach for the contact.

 Once I got a feel for it, I rode in the dressage tack and used stirrups for the first time since November.  An entire winter of riding without stirrups has done wonders for my leg.  Most of the time, my leg was soft and relaxed, and I didn't grip with my knees or cause my legs to slip all over the place during the trot.  Even my canter leg position was improved, all though my inside did creep up a bit during some of the cantering as it always has.

Throughout the ride, I worked on rhythm and relaxation as I always do. However, I finally added the element of connection.  I had to remember to keep my leg on as I shortened the reins, but since Laura had schooled Lucky for a few minutes before I rode, I had less trouble than usual keeping Lucky in front of my leg.  I also rode with a crop, which provided assistance in stopping Lucky from leaning on her inside shoulder.

As I rode, I applied the same principles as on the ground.  I kept a consistent feel as my elbows remained at my side, encouraged Lucky to be more forward if she leaned on the bit, and yielded her onto the outside rein as I asked for her to come on the bit. There were times during the ride when I felt her come on the bit fro several strides at a time.  I did, however, have difficulty for a while even when it seemed like I had been doing everything correctly.  It turns out that I have been relying on my hands much more than I have realized, so I walked and trotted on a long rein for while so that I would use my legs and seat to turn rather than my hands.  

Finally, I ended by cantering.  It was necessary for me to assist Lucky in remaining straight and not leaning on her inside shoulder during the canter, which is usually the case with Lucky. This caused my inside leg to creep up, a problem I have had in the past when I previously rode with stirrups.  I then decided to use the crop to lightly tap her inside  shoulder when necessary. This stopped my inside leg from working too and becoming tight.  In the end, I and some nice canters.

I'm really pleased with what riding without stirrups has done for my leg. I'll probably continue to ride without them, but this ride has been a great way to assess my progress.  Laura is putting on a mule show in the spring, and is offering an all breeds dressage class.  I hope to be ready by then to ride in my first dressage class.  Even if my ability to get Lucky on the bit is not completely consistent by then, it will be a great class to enter since it will be a both convenient and fun schooling event.  I know that I ride accurate geometry and keep Lucky in a consistent rhythm if I work at it and focus, so I can make up for lack of on the bit consistency with that.That isn't to say that I won't work hard at getting Lucky on the bit, because I will.  I just mean that I know I can be ready if I work at it.

Oh, and I started a Swedish study blog(which will alter have Swedish recipes, traditions, and stories about me adjusting to life in Sweden) for those interested.

Fancy Dressage Horse

I had an amazing ride earlier this, but didn't write about it until now.  Before riding, I spent a lot of time grooming and braiding Lucky to get her looking fancy, and even put the dressage saddle and bridle on her.  Laura felt that riding in a dressage saddle with knee blocks could help put my leg in the correct position.  As I have been doing since November, I rode without stirrups for a full lesson.  During the trot, I would alternate between the sitting and rising trot.

I started out by working on Lucky's rhythm at the walk.  It is my responsibility as the rider to set the rhythm, and it all beings at the walk.  There was a corner of the arena that had a puddle in it, so I had to be prepared to give her extra support to keep her going, for she wanted to slow down at the puddle.

Someone is looking fancy(it's not me).

Most of the lesson, I worked in a clover leaf pattern.  There were four cones set up with two parallel poles set in the middle, and I had circle the cones and go over or between the poles, depending on which direction I was going, of course.  I began at the walk.  At first, I did not go directly over the center of the poles. When I remembered to look at the center of poles only until Lucky was lined up, and then look ahead, I was more successful.

Also, per usual, Lucky had the most difficultly going right and often cut the circle in.  This did not set me up for making a straight line on the poles.  However, when I applied inside leg, lifted my inside hand, and looked directly where I wanted her to go, Lucky made a big, wide circle and hit the pole in the dead center.  This exercise requires a great deal of patience.  There is so much to think about because it requires a coordination of every single aid.

She is beginning to be in the right place for trotting here.

I took break from the exercise for a while to trot along the rail.  I did not just fro right off whenever I wanted to.  Before making a transition, I made sure that Lucky was in front of my leg by asking her to walk more quickly. Only once she was paying attention did I ask her to trot.  Some of the trots she did that day were simply amazing.  I could feel her stretching down and using her back, bounding as she trotted.  During the sitting trot a few times, I even felt like I was really with her.  I was not just sitting on her back trying to balance.  I felt like my hips were moving and melting with the motion of her back.  It was amazing.

I then did the clover leaf pattern at the trot, alternating between trotting and walking as I rode the exercise.  Sometimes, I only trotted for the straight line between the cones, walked a circle, then trotted again.  Other times I trotted around circle and then walked, or trotted for a a bit longer.  Laura was constantly changing it up.

My position is awful her, but look at roundness and stretching.

To finish a great lesson, I worked on cantering.  I started to the left, because Lucky trots best that direction.  Like when I began trotting, I started by making sure that Lucky was in front of my leg.  I trotted for a few strides, then walked, then trotted again, working several transitions before finally asking for the canter.  Lucky bounded right off.  I cantered for a few strides to begin with, but the next time, I cantered an entire lap.  That day, I cantered the best I have ever cantered, which is why Laura let me canter so long.  I was really with her as she cantered.  It was an incredible feeling.  Then, I cantered to the right with the same success. To finish off, I went for a trail ride in the empty pasture.

Braiding Practice!

These last two times at the barn,  after doing my usual chores of feeding and grooming, I began learning how to braid.  I have wanted braid for a while now, and since I got a wonderful braiding kit a couple of weeks ago, I decided to watch a few videos and practice.

The amen after being pulled.  Trust me, it was much longer before.

The first day I worked on braiding Lucky.  Lucky's mane was extremely long, wild, and unruly: it went almost all the way done her neck in some places. Before braiding her, I pulled her mane, but did not shorten it nearly enough, I soon found.  Even though it is much shorter, it is still quite long.  when I braided it, the braids ended up out being about an inch long instead of the desired bauble.  Nevertheless, they turned out better than I expected.

Round one of braiding 

The second time I worked on Moxie, the big black dressage mule.  His mane is the perfect length for braiding.  My braids were much rounder this time around, although they could have been just a bit tighter.  I'm pleased with how they turned out.

Princess Lucky poses to show off her braids.

I also went for a quick ride on Lucky.  Like I had done when I first started riding with Laura, I rode a pole exercises in which I made a figure eight with the pole at the center.  My accuracy had improved since the last time I did this exercises.  I was able to keep Lucky in between my legs,  ride her to the exact center of the pole, and turn her using my legs.  Furthermore, my upward transitions were succinct and smooth.  Before making them, I asked Lucky to be round to prepare her for a smooth transition.

Round two is much improved.

Finally, I cantered on Lucky for a few minutes.  My canter transitions come much more readily now than they did in the past, because have fill confidence that they will happen, and that they will go smoothly.  Unfortunately, I have been falling forward when Lucky stops.  I really need to remember to keep my legs on, especially when riding without stirrups, so I can prevent this from happening.

Big Changes

 I've been busy and have had a lot of changes in my life.  Most importantly,  I will be moving to Stockholm, Sweden in the June–back to the country where my mom is from.  For a while, my parents have wanted to move back to Sweden, and now it will actually happen.  I will be much closer to my grandmother and my uncle.  Also, there will be many opportunities.  High schools there are more like junior colleges or trade schools, and there are several horse high schools where one can get a certificate in horse care.  As someone who wants to work with horses, this will be a great and exciting opportunity.  I will miss the friends that I have here, but I'm looking forward to this new adventure.

 I have finished the first week of 30 Day Horse Rider Workout that I mentioned earlier.  Mostly, it has included squats, crunches, and other basic exercise, increasing the repetitions as the week progressed.  Week two will include jogging. Physical fitness is challenging,  but it has been satisfying to feel the soreness in muscles every evening.

What Dean said, ha ha. I'm still motivated though.

Anyways, this is just a short little update.  Hopefully next week I can get back in the swing of things!

30 Day Rider Fitness Challenge

This year, I have decided that I really want to work on my physical fitness.  Particularly,  I want to increase my core strength, as my arms have stayed strong through all the work at I have done at the barn.   My plan has been to go running and to work on crunches, squats, push-ups, and other exercise that I have found in a Workout called the 7 Minute Workout(look it up).  While browsing the internet,  however, I found another exercise program that I want to try out.

http://stridesforsuccess.com/30-day-rider-fitness-challenge/

 It is called the 30 Day Rider Fitness Challenge, and as the name suggests, is geared towards riders.  However,  a horse is not necessary for the challenge, so I will not have to be at the barn every day.   The workouts target muscles groups necessary for stability and balance in the saddle.  The goal of the challenge is to work on strengthening those muscle groups so the time spent in the saddle can be focused on working on the rider's technique, rather than simply trying to stay balanced.  No-stirrup work has certainly helped me with this, but I noticed that I lost my balance a few times during the canter.  I need to improve my core strength to help hold me in position.

The Challenge has many different kinds of exercises done each day, and it is recommended that they are down at least six days a week.  I plan to utilize this Challenge and give it a try.  Once a week, I'll post an update on how my Challenge is going, so if I do not get time in the saddle because of the weather, I'll at least have something to write about.  I'll plan on starting after the weekend.

Canter Revelations

Monday,  I kicked off the New Year with a a great first ride of the year.  I rode Lucky stirrup-less in a group listen with one other women, Loni.  This was the first time riding without stirrups outside of the round pen; I now had complete control over Lucky.  Additionally, it was the longest I had spent riding without stirrups(if you don't count a couple bareback rides in 2014).  I lunged Lucky for a few minutes before to let her buck and expend a little energy.  She actually stretched and came round for most of the time, which was unusual for her and very satisfying.

During the lesson,  Laura taught about controlling the horse's rhythm.  As riders, it is our responsibility to set the rhythm we want at all gaits, rather than letting the horse meander or rush off at the pace they desire.  Loni and I started by asking for different lengths of walk: collected, medium, extended.  The goal was to do as little as possible, and to ideally ask for the change of pace with just a change in our hips or a light touch of the calf.  Though Lucky was fresh and fairly forward,  she prefers to move in a short, slow walk.  Every time I ride her,  I usually have to remind her to pick up the pace often throughout the ride.   Furthermore,  with her there is a fine line between an lengthened walk and a trot.  I had to experiment with varying degrees of pressure.   For a while,  I worked in the walk,  shifting from collected, medium, and lengthened "gears."

My first between-the-ears shot!

I then did the same in the posting trot.  My thighs burned after a while, but I feel much stronger than I was in November, and I could hold the posting trot for much longer without getting tired than I could before.

My position has improved so much since last year! Look at my leg!

The most successful part, however, was the canter.  As I stated on my blog a while ago, I've been having difficulties riding with the motion of the canter.  However, when reading an article about the sitting trot recently,  I had a revelation.  The article said to move your hips with the motion of the horse's hips.  Previously,  I had thought that I had to move my hips forward when the horse tipped forward.  Upon reading this article, I realized that I had had it all wrong.  My hips had to move with the horse's.  Therefore,  when the horses pelvis tucked under, I and to allow my pelvis to tuck under.

Let's critique my position in these two pictures from May 2015 and January 2016, respectively.  I realize that they are in different gaits and that Lucky is facing different directions, and I appear to be on a bending line in the first, but I think that they really illustrate the improvement of my position.  In the first, my leg has crept up and is tight, there is a sway in my back(maybe it's just the angle that makes it look deep, but I still think it is due to a fault in my position),  my wrists are not straight, and my hands are all over the place(it looks like I'm steering with my hands).  In the second, my leg is supple and relaxed(but not floppy),  my ankle is stretched down, and my hands are together.  It appears as if I am leaning back ever so slightly(or maybe it's just me), but I otherwise think my position is close to correct.  I'm open to any thoughts and suggestions from readers as well! Respectful and constructive critiquing from my readers is always welcome!

Armed with this new piece of information,  I felt ready to canter without stirrups.  Loni cantered in front of me to help me to asked Lucky to canter.  At first, I overthought things,  and became tense like usual.  Then I got a few strides, but accidentally forgot to steer.  However, that sort success gave me the confidence and belief I needed to canter.  On my own, I asked for the canter, fully believing that it would happen, and Lucky bounded into canter.  Previously, I had expected cantering without stirrups to be more difficult than cantering with stirrups.  Though I didn't give it much thought during the ride,  I and imagine before that I would have to grab mane to balance myself.  I could not have been more wrong.  In fact, I found cantering without stirrups much easier than cantering without them.  The absence of stirrups seemed to place my legs in just the right position, and my hips swayed with the motion of the canter.  It was probably the nicest cantering!  I was able to go around the entire arena without straying from the path.

I did have a few slip-ups where I lost my balance, causing her to fall out of canter, but those did not mar the success of the canter.  One time, I believe I took my leg off.  Since I didn't have stirrups to hold me, I fell onto her neck when she stopped, and decided to let myself slip off and land on my feet.  It wasn't falling off–she was at a complete stand still,  and I voluntarily disembarked rather than trying to scramble up her neck.  I led her to the mounting block, remounted, and cantered one last time.  This time, I cantered once around the ring then asked her to stop.

 Afterward, I rode her around in the walk for at least 20 more minutes before putting her away.  It will be raining for the rest of the week, so I'm happy I had this one great ride this week.  I cannot wait to canter again.  The thrill of cantering correctly can become addicting!

Welcome, 2016!

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season; I had a great one and spent a lot of time playing board games with my brothers.  Now that the holidays are over and a new year has begun,  my brief hiatus from riding and blogging should be over, so I can start getting back on track.  Last year brought so many changes and new experiences, and I hope 2016 does as well!

In January of 2015,  I was offered a working student position Laura Hermanson, a professional dressage rider who specializes in riding and training mules.  She is the first person to ever ride a mule in the US Dressage Finals, which she did in 2014.  Before riding with her, I didn't know much about mules at all.

Myself and one of Laura's mules, Moxie.

I also didn't know much about riding and training.  At the beginning of last year, I was still very much a beginner.  I was still piecing together the most basic elements of riding, and my riding and handling style were uncoordinated.  I'm still not completely fluid in my aids, but training with Laura has opened a completely new dimension to riding: communication and training.  With her,  I learned how to better communicate and build a relationship with a horse, and how to better understand the nuances of a horse's behavior.  I learned that horses are aware of the subtle, almost imperceptible changes in our bodies and energy,  and was taught how to channel that energy and how to move my body in ways that influence the horses.  Furthermore, I learned how to teach and train a horse.  Before this year,  I was a rider who would simply hop on and go.  This year, I learned how to work with a horse on the ground to teach them and to set them up for success under saddle.  By lungeing a horse before riding, one can watch how the horse moves and ask them to become round.  Then, when I finally mounted, the horse would already be warmed up and would have already stretched and become round.

May 2015–I'll get another to compare later on!

In addition to learning so much, I have also experienced many new things.  In March, I rode a donkey named Buddy, which was an interesting experience.  Donkeys are kind, gentle creatures,  but they also do not like to work harder than necessary, so many do not go faster than a jog.

In April, I rode a mule in a western trail clinic(part 2).  Before then, I had only ridden western a handful of times, and riding a mule was a completely new experience.  I learned so much in that clinic.   I continued riding western over the summer.

Finally, in October I rode a mule named Ruby in western pleasure and trail at my first show.  By then, my aids were a bit more refined, and I had learned to move a horse more with my legs and less with my hands.  The show was an extraordinary experience.

This year, I hope to continue refining and honing my skills.  In the spring, I want to ride in a few hunter classes at another mule show, so I'll be working on no-stirrup work to gain a more solid position.  I hope this new year brings many more experiences and successes for myself and all my readers!