Getting to Know Dyna

 I went to Laura's both Thursday and Friday. To begin both days, I cleaned Dyna's stall. Dyna is one of those equines that takes time to trust people, so by being around her in her space for a little bit each day, I can slowly build her trust. Then when I handle her we can both be conformable around each other and she will trust and have confidence in me.  When I first entered her paddock, I focused on getting her attention on me and drawing her toward me as I do when lungeing. I got her attention by tapping my leg and clucking. It took me a few minutes to get her to come to me. I had to walk toward her hips, cluck, wait until she looked, then took a small step back. Dyna then took a few steps toward me and focused on me. When she did, I approached her, petting her and letting her know that it feels good to be with me.  I then went on to clean the paddock. Friday, Dyna actually came up to me without me asking her when I was in the middle of cleaning. She waited beside me for a few minutes.

 Thursday, I lunged Lucky on my own, without Laura watching until the end. I'm getting better at asking Lucky to do what I want using small cues. I focused on controlling my breathing, too, to get Lucky to relax and breathe.  Laura recommended I do this, and I used a technique in the book Centered Riding. Sometimes, by unconsciously holding our breathes or not breathing deeply, we can make the horse do the same and become tense. When Laura came, she told me to turn Lucky's head to the inside by squeezing the lunge line and pointing at Lucky's side with the whip to get her bend. Laura demonstrated this, and then I tried. I kept Lucky on a small circle at the walk, squeezing and releasing when needed. When Lucky was bending really nicely, Laura decided I should finish there. It's always good to end when the horse is going nicely.

Thursday, we also began preparing for a donkey clinic that Laura will be hosting at the end of March. It's going to be a fun day,  and I am looking forward to it! I will mention more as it draws near.

 Friday, Lucky was at the other end of her pasture, which is pretty big, and didn't want to come all the way up to me when I shook a bucket of grain, stopping when she was about maybe 20 to 30 yards away. Laura decided to let me try on my to catch her so that I can learn. I decided to try what I did with Dyna, taking a few steps toward Lucky and making a sound by clucking and clapping my leg. I waited a few moments. Lucky stared at me, her ear perked, so I took a step back. She then began approaching me. It's really neat how everything I am learning with Laura fits together and helps with all aspects of horsemanship, not just riding.

Jumping Position Lessons!

 For my past two rides on Lucky, I rode in a jumping saddle, and will continue to do so for the next few months. This can help me develop a better balance because jumping saddles are harder to balance in than dressage saddles, the latter of which are meant to carry a rider in an upright position and good balance.

Nice picture from Saturday. Lucky is actually
coming round(which I hadn't tried to do),
and the fog on the hills adds a pretty touch.

 Friday, before riding, Laura and I dragged the two arenas and the round pen. We first had to partly deconstruct the dressage arena and remove some panels on the round pen and the other arena. Then we hooked the truck to the arena drag, which looked something like a giant rake. We circled the inside of the arenas until the footing was soft and nicely drug. Then I got out BB for Laura to ride. While she rode, I took out Lucky and began lungeing her. She has been getting much more responsive to my slightest aids each time I have worked her. Her trot was really big and nice.

 Most of my ride, I focused on my two-point position. I rose out of the saddle and leaned forward, pressing my hands into her neck. Lucky had a jump strap on, so I held onto that for balance. It took a while to find my balance, and I wasn't able to hold it for two long–sometimes my legs would slip back or I just wouldn't be in balance. However, when I put my legs forward and underneath me, sank my weight into my heels, and opened my chest, coming into balance, I could really feel the difference. I could feel Lucky's back swing freely underneath her. It was a great feeling. I kept on transitioning between posting trot and two-point throughout the lesson.

What went well:

Working on two-point

• Lucky was responding more to my aids at a forward pace. I think this is because of the lungeing work I have been doing, which caused her to gain respect for me and caused me to grow more confident in what I was asking.

I have good elbows here!

Saturday, I rode Lucky again. This time she was also intone and listening to me. I was in two-point for a lot of the lesson and was in pretty good balance for some of the ride. Again, I could really feel these moments because Lucky's back would swing and her stride would become more free. I did an exercise much like I had done in one of my first rides on Lucky. There was a pole in the center of the arena, and cones parallel to it. This time there were two cones on each side so that I would make a larger circle. I would circle the cones on one side, head across the pole at an angle, then circle the other cones, continuing the figure eight. While circling the cones I rode in a posting trot. Then I would point Lucky toward the center of the pole, rise into my two point, and continue the exercise. This exercise will help with making straight lines toward a jump when I begin jumping. I had difficultly riding Lucky over the center of the pole–I drifted to one side. I was able to get her closer to the center when weighted the other stirrup to get her to go the other way.

 I also cantered Lucky for the first time! I had trouble getting her to canter at first, and I was all over the place and not on the rail, but Lucky had a really nice canter. She doesn't take off or jump into canter. For the most part, though, I will be working on getting a balanced two-point these next few months, which will come with time as I continue to build the correct muscles and strength.

What went well Saturday:

• Better balance at two-point
• More in tune with Lucky
• I kept her straight most of the time.

Centered Riding

 Laura recently lent me a book called Centered Riding, by Sally Swift. This book is one of lLaura's favorites, and I can tell just by looking through it and reading the first few chapters that some of what Laura has taught me comes from this book. Centered Riding isn't a book that tells you how to ride. rather, it is a book the uses phycological images to give a more centered approach to riding. I am going to study this book and write posts about the notes that I take and what I learn. Mostly for myself because writing down what I learn helps me to learn, but I also hope that my readers can learn from it too.

 What is centered riding?
 Centered riding is a centered approach to riding based on mental and physical images. It focuses on how your body works, your ability to function unhampered, and your awareness and use of your energy. This is something that makes this book and its author unique. While many trainers and books focus on what to do to get a certain result, which is of course important, Sally Swift focuses on how to use your body to do things.

From Amazon

 Unbalanced, tense riders drop down heavily into the saddle when mounting, or thump into the saddle at the trot, making the horse uncomfortable and irritated. They may also use conflicting aids, such as pulling and kicking and the same time, which confuses and frustrates the horse because they cannot do what the rider is asking them to do since the rider is unintentionally preventing them to do so. This like someone tying your elbows behind your back and asking to throw a ball, as the author writes.

However, a balanced rider makes a horse much more comfortable, allowing their backs to swing more freely and their body to become round more easily. A horse that seems unbalanced and resistant with an unbalanced rider can seem to change completely.

 By learning how to their bodies work, using their knowledge of how correct form balance looks like, a rider can improve coordination and balance. This is where the concepts in the book come in.  As I read, I will share what I learn about these concepts.

Lucky Cleared for Canter Work!

 I had a fun day at Laura's on Monday, spending most of the day there. There was a lot going on that day: the farrier, chiropractor, and a woman who does equine body works was there. Before they arrived, though, I lunged and rode Lucky.

 The lungeing went so much better after I had established to Lucky that I was the leader the time before. Horses and mules really do start off where we left off and remember what they did last time. This time around Lucky respond to more subtle, quieter cues. I didn't have to even use the whip. My focus for that lungeing session was to ask Lucky to do what I wanted in the smallest way possible, and it worked well. After the first few minutes, she listened vey carefully to the slight changes in my body. In fact, just by looking in the direction I wanted her to go, what Laura does when preparing to ask for trot(to the left lungeing when to the left and right when going right), Lucky responded by trotting right away. It's such as great feeling for a horse to be in tune with you enough to trot off at just slight change in your body.

No new pictures so here's one of Lucky I took  couple weeks ago.

 Since Lucky was listening nicely, Laura recommended asking for bigger and smaller trot strides. for smaller strides I would relax my energy, and for bigger trot strides I would look where I wanted lucky to go and give a cluck if needed. There was one time when I asked a little too strongly(I slightly lifted the whip by accident), and Lucky broke into canter and kicked up her heels. I remain calmed and lowered the energy in my body, calmly saying "whoa." After that, Lucky's trot was actually much nicer and bigger, like a fancy dressage trot. It actually made her feel good to get her adrenaline going.

 Afterward, I rode Lucky for a little bit on the lunge line(Lucky still can't work too long). Laura was controlling the steering, and I just controlled the speed. I wasn't completely without reins but kept them at the buckle just in case I need to stop her. I worked on keeping my elbows bent and hands the right distance apart. In the posting trot I focused on bring the center of my body up and towards my hands. I also tired to establish an even two beat rhythm. I then tried staying up for two beats and sitting for one, but I had trouble with it. I certainly need to work on my two point! I'l be doing more lunge lessons in the future.

 After that, the chiropractor and farrier came, so I helped fetch and hold horses and mules. There was also someone there who does equine body work(massage and other things that release tension in the body). She demonstrated on Lucky how she gently squeezes the muscles behind the poll to release tension. Blinking, snorting, and chewing are all signs that tension has been released. Here is a more in-depth description of what she did. Lucky also was work on by the chiropractor. The chiropractor gave exciting news: Lucky is cleared for canter work under saddle! Woo-hoo! I'm so excited.

 Also, Laura was featured in a Horse Illustrated article. Check out my post about it.

Laura Hermanson in Horse Illustrated Article!

 As soon as I got my March Horse Illustrated magazine, I turned straight to page 16. Why, you may ask? An article written by Laura just appeared in it, that's why. Laura sent ant article to the magazine about her trip to the Dressage Finals in 2014 and how she became interested in mules. She actually fell in love with mules while working at the pack station in Yosemite National Park, later buying one of the pack mules, Stretch. Stretch is a real character and has lots of personality. Laura jumped Stretch and I think she did some reining too. Now that he is retired, he roams around the ranch. He's an obnoxious little mule as she says in the article.

On the cover page, too!

 More importantly, Laura explains her love for mules and what makes them unique. Mules are smart with a lot personality, which is one reason why they are labeled as "stubborn," when in fact they are just smart. Training them is challenging because of this, but also rewarding. They just require a lot more time and patience than horses do. She also goes on to explain how she found Dyna and began going to dressage shows with her. Laura actually did a lot of other disciplines with Dyna first to get her mentally prepared, including reining, cutting, and jumping. Laura really loves trying all kinds of disciplines, Western and English, learning more about horses and riding that way. Furthermore, horses and mules enjoy variety rather than doing the same thing over and over.

First page on the article.

Secretariat quote. <3

 It's also amazing how much support she got when going to the Finals, from competitors and fans alike, but I won't spoil it! If you are subscribed to Horse Illustrated, or can find it in your local tack/feed store, just check out the article so you can learn more about Laura, Dyna, and mules. I think it is really amazing that Laura was featured in Horse Illustrated, a magazine that a wide range of horse people around the country have access to. I think it is so great that mules can be seen in a positive light through Laura's article, because many people have misconceptions about them. Her story also inspires many mule owners and riders with unusual mounts, as well as many other people, and shows them that anything is possible. Laura even told me that people from Slovenia wrote her letters telling her how inspired they were and that now they feel that their riding goals can come true, even though they they don't have the best fancy warmbloods, and their horses are mostly mixed breeds. She inspires me, too. Turn to page 16 and read this amazing article.

Follow the Leader

 Friday at Laura's, after grooming the mule BB and tacking her for Laura to lunge while she worked with Dyna, I lunged Lucky. This time I was really focusing on being her leader and getting her to respond right away to my cues. Lucky still needs to get more forward when asked. She likes to settle into a western jog pace or perhaps a slow hunter hack pace when I ask for trot. However, we want a big, expressive movement in dressage.

 Previously, and for most of yesterday's lungeing, I had been clucking multiple times in a row before slapping the ground with the whip. However, to get a more immediate response I should cluck once with meaning and then follow with the whip if needed, smacking the ground. Clucking while lungeing is like asking nicely with your calf. Smacking the ground with the whip is like giving the horse a kick under saddle.You don't want to continuously kick, kick, kick. Similarly, you don't want to chase the horse with the whip.

What I learned is that you can't babysit them. By this Laura means that you can't constantly ask them to go forward every stride. You want to give them a chance to make a mistake, let them make it, and then correct them. Otherwise the won't learn how to do things on their own without being asked every stride. Laura demonstrated this with Lucky. She would cluck once to ask Lucky to trot, immediately smacking the ground with the whip if Lucky didn't respond or if Lucky responded with a slow jog. This way, she established herself as the leader.

 Then, I tried. While early, Lucky had been responding a bit half-heartedly because she didn't see me as the boss, once I asked the way Laura did, Lucky's responses were more immediate. If she slowed down her trot even a bit, I again asked. However, it was until Lucky went into my space without me asking, and I actually had to give her a smack with the whip, that she listened. Going into my space, especially when I wanted her to go around me, isa big no-no.

 After that, she intend nicely and it took only the slightest commands to get her moving forward. If she didn't respond to the cluck, I could barely lift the whip and she'd respond. Laura decided that it was best to end with that without me riding because I had gained Lucky's respect and she say me as her leader. It's always good to end when the horses finally get something or do something really well rather than push them too hard. There would be no sense in me riding her and asking more after she had done so well, so Laura decided to save it for another day. Soon, I might be doing a lesson with me riding on the lunge line with no reins to work on my balance and seat.

Asking Clearly to Get What You Want

 Wednesday, when I went to ride Lucky and help Laura, I lunged Lucky by myself while Laura rode Dyna. Now that I had an idea of what I was supposed to do and what I was asking for, the lungeing went much better. I looked for the moments when Lucky was balanced, stretching her neck down. At these moments I asked for a transition, because it is important for horses to remain balanced throughout transitions, and to do this they must already be balanced! I did lots of transitions and changed directions multiple times to work both sides. Laura watched me for a few minutes to see what I had been doing, and said that I had done a good job!

 This also applies to riding. You have to know what it is you want, and how to ask for it, because if you don't know what you want your horse doesn't either. I was able to get Lucky forward and on the bit. I needed to get her to the pace I wanted by asking softly at first, and then stronger, and then soft again rather than kicking every stride. I worked mostly on a 20 meter circle, using my body to turn and my inside leg to keep her bending.

Picture of me riding Lucky!

 Something I have been struggling with is keeping my elbows bent. I keep making my arms straight, which jars the horses mouth and does anything but give an elastic connection. At these moments, of course, Lucky didn't come round and forward. However, when I really focused on keeping my elbows aligned, my legs stretching down and my body stretching nice and tall, everything came to place. Laura likes to use the figurative description on your legs stretching way into the earth like trees, and your upper body stretching way up to the sky. This description really helps.

 Now, the quick break down. What to work on:

• Elbows bent!
• Don't let the reins slip–fingers shut.

What went well:

• I was asking more clearly
• I didn't rely on my hands
• I had good geometry on my circle

Also, in other news spring is on it's way! Large clumps of hair came out when I curried Lucky. It won't be long until she has a nice, sleek summer coat.

Practicing Lungeing

 Monday, I only lunged Lucky. I was pouring done rain all weekend, so Laura decided I would ride Wednesday instead. Since Lucky is a very sensitive horse, by lungeing her I can develop my lunging cues and position when lungeing her. Just by being a bit in front of the driveline, towards the middle of the horse where you stand when lungeing, Lucky will slow down. Laura was with me in the round pen to help and instruct me.

 Before starting, I stood beside Lucky, entry tossing the lunge whip over her back to make sure she would stand still and not be worried. When Laura got her, Lucky was afraid of whips. She's fine now, but it's good practice even if a horse is totally fine with them. Lucky didn't move at all, so I moved my left hand to the side to point her forward and gently tapped her shoulder to push her out on the circle. At first I struggled with finding the right position on the ground and staying there. I kept getting far in front of the driveline, which of course slowed her done. As she walked around me, I tried asking for a bigger walk and then for the trot. I did this by gaining more energy in my body, looking where I wanted her to go, and clucking, tapping the whip on the ground when necessary to reinforce this.

  I did lots of transitions because Laura does a lot of them to teach the horse to stay balanced as the gait changes. To return to the walk I relaxed in my body and gave slight squeezes to the lunge line when I needed to. I also changed Lucky's directions multiple times. To do this I pointed to Lucky's hip with the hand my rope was in, shortened the rope, and took a step back to encourage Lucky to draw into me. It took a while for me to get this coordinated, but I had a nice one at the end. Laura lunged her afterward with the side reins, and I stayed in the round pen to watch what Laura does more closely.

 I also lunged BB, the palomino mule, doing the same thing I did with Lucky. I sometimes had to tap BB's shoulder when she leaned in a bit,  and I actually started to notice thee subtle changes without being told. There were also a couple times when BB glanced towards us and offered to come in towards us. Knowing that BB was ready to listen, Laura said to watch for these moments and simple back off without pointing towards BB's hips to turn them. Sure enough, BB walked toward me when I invited her in.Laura said that I have good natural intuition("feel" as it is sometimes called) with horses, even if don't know a lot. I  just need to learn how develop it and use it.

 It was really great to be able to feel some of these moments and to practice lungeing. Lunging is a great and useful technique to learn and can help the under saddle things, too, as I have learned. Also, update n the mule that the vet came to see: the had an inflamed tendon sheath, which covers the tendon, and is now back to work. It was only a minor injury.

First Two Rides on Lucky!

 Thursday, I rode Lucky for the first time. Laura lunged her first, focusing on getting Lucky to become balanced and relaxed, without having a lot of tension in her body. When Lucky was ready, I led her to the arena and mounted. For my first ride on her, she was a bit slow and behind my leg.

I gave Lucky a bath after Thursday's ride.

The first lesson was mainly focusing on me, my position, and my turning. Laura said that I have good leg position and equation and that my leg is very still, which is great! I rode Lucky on a figure eight around to cones, with two parallel poles in the middle part where I changed directions. the poles would help me to keep Lucky straight.

 Laura taught me how to use me body, not my hands to turn when riding, by slightly turning my shoulders and looking where I want to go. Lucky is really sensitive, so I didn't need to turn much. In fact, I ended up turning to much at first, going to the inside of the cone by accident instead of the outside. I tried this at the walk and trot. Learning this also gives me the ability to turn a horse's hips the same way I learned on the ground. By turning to face Lucky's hip, I could make her do a turn on the forehand. Laura helped on the ground at first, and then I was able to do it on my own.

Lucky drying after her bath.

 Friday's ride went better. Lucky was forward and in front of my leg, was better balanced, and more loose in her back. I worked motley on the rail, trying to keep the rhythm I wanted, rather than let Lucky set the rhythm. I did this by slowing my posting to get a shorter stride, quickening it to for a larger stride. It's amazing how little things in the body can affect the horse. I was also able to get her on the bits few times.

 To finish the lesson, I rode exercise that helped me ride straight and make better turns. There was a single pole near the middle of the arena, with a cone near each end of the arena. At the center of the pole was an orange flower. In the exercise, which I started at the walk, I would start at one end with a cone to my left, pointing Lucky toward the middle of the pole. When was heading there, I focus beyond it. I would them turn around the other cone and repeat the exercise, like doing a figure eight. I focused on using my body to turn, not my hands. First, walked the exercise, then trotted. I was actually fairly close to the flower during the exercise and was able to use my body. One time, when trotting around the cone to the left, Lucky was balanced and the turn was coming from my turning my body to face the pole. It felt great, so Laura decided to end on the good note.

Diagram of the exercise. Not to scale.

 After every ride, Laura likes to find a few things that went well or the things she accomplished, no matter how frustrating the ride was, whether it is something her horse did well or something she did well. This can be getting a good distance over a jump, or your horse going the whole ride without freaking out at something if you have a hotter horse. We came up with these things together:

Cute Lucky after the ride.

• Lucky was more forward and balanced
• My hands and body were more quiet than the first time riding her
• I used my body to turn her, not completely relying on moving my hands everywhere
  
  
  .

 I really love riding Lucky' she's a fun horse

A Visit from the Vet

 Monday, the vet came to see one of Laura's mules because the has lately been holding her right hind leg off the ground, hardly err putting weight on it. While it's not unusual for an equine to not put weight on one foot, it is unusual for Laura's mule to only rest one leg. While the mule hasn't taken an unsound step, Laura wanted to the vet to come just in case something was wrong. Because I someday want to an equine veterinarian, Laura invited me to come watch. The vet who came is really great. Not only does she really care about horses, but when she heard that I was interested in being a vet, she took the time to explain everything she was doing.

 First, she put special sensors on the mule: one on the right front leg, one on the head, and on on the croup. This device, called the Equinosis Lameness Locator(the link takes you to the website), has revolutionized veterinary medicine. As a horse or mule trots, the device senses the take off and impact pressures of each leg, as well as irregularities in the gait, helping to diagnose which leg the lameness is on and whether it is likely mild or severe. The vet has a computer screen that instantly shows the results of the test. It's a really awesome tool that can help narrow down the lameness diagnosis to a specific leg, detecting things that the humans eye can't see. Then, the vet can work on that leg. The vet said the being a vet is like being a detective–you have to hunt for clues and solve the mystery. The Locator helps with that.

  Laura led the mule on flat ground at the trot while the device tracked the mules steps. The prognosis was that the mule right hind lameness. The vet then decided to block some of the nerves in the leg, making that part of the leg numb and thus pinpointing where the lameness is. As she worked, she explained what she was doing, showing me how the nerves look like in a book that she has. She first started by blocking everything below the fetlock, which would eliminate lameness in the ankle in the device still showed the mule to be lame. She let me be her assistant by holding the needles until she was ready and operating the Lameness Locator.

 After letting the mule adjust to having the numb leg, Laura once more led the mule at the trot. The device still showed right hind lameness. The vet suspected that the stifle may have a problem, so she decided to numb it as well. A stifle injection is a joint injection is a joint injection not a nerve injection like the other one, and is similar to the knee joint in people. When injecting the stifle, the vet injects the two cushions between the joints in that area. She feels for the three tendons running down the leg to help locate these areas.

 Again the numbing didn't help, so the vet recommended doing an ultrasound rather than continuing to guess and give more injections. Nobody likes having lots of shots put in them, mules and horses included. I don't know the result yet, but hopeful it's nothing too serious! It was a great experience to talk and learn from the vet; she was great at explaining and teaching. Now I won't be completely clueless when I go to vet school!

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!