Great Two-Point Lessons!

 These last two lessons, I have been working on improving my two point position since my goal is to be able to jump within a few months from now, providing my jumping position because solid enough that I can remained balanced at all gaits without leaning on Lucky's mouth. The lesson before last, practiced my two-point in both the trot and canter. I transitioned between two-point and posting at the trot, and two point and sitting at the canter.

 I still can't remain in correct balanced the whole time, but both I'm getting stronger, so I can stay out of the saddle without getting tired for much longer than I could in January.

 I worked on a lot of serpentines during my most recent lesson. Since serpentines have many changes of direction and bend, I really have to be prepared to change my inside leg as well as the flexion when I reach the part in the serpentine where the direction is changed. One of the problems I have is letting my inside hand drop, which does not help the horse to flex to the inside and come round. However, when I remember to lift my hand and have enough inside leg, Lucky flexes and comes round. Lucky is a really good teacher because she only does what her rider asks if it is asked correctly. When riding her I can know if I am asking for something incorrectly.

 I also did an exercise that helped both with my two point and my turning. I had to turn left up centerline, without pulling on the reins, and start my two point at the cone set up between S and R. The first few time I used too much hand, so I went back and started the turn again, this time with less hands and more legs.

 For most of the ride, I struggled to find my balance at the two-point, and when returning to the posting trot before C, I hastily made the transition rather than relaxing and taking my time to make a fluid, seamless transition. This resulted in an unbalanced transition, and it took several strides to recover.

 It was my last ride through the exercise, this time to the right, that really stuck out. This time through, I didn't rush and become unbalanced. Instead, I breathed and relaxed, determined to ride through it nicely. This time through, I had a great, balanced two-point, holding it and transitioning smoothly to the posting. It felt effortless, and was one of those moments when everything goes well and correctly. I'd say for sure that it was the best, standout moment of the ride.

Oak Star Ranch Mule and Donkey Derby

 Last weekend, from the 17th to 19th, was the Oak Star Ranch Mule and Donkey Derby, which Laura has been planning and preparing for these past few months. As the name suggests, it was a show specifically for mules and donkeys. Never before have I ever seen so many mules and donkeys in one place. There were at least 30 altogether, I think.

 The first day of the show was the gymkhana and packing day. There were several different classes, including a donkey class. There were various different events, including pole bending, single stake(the horse and rider go to the pole, turning around and heading back the starting line), speed ball(they go to a gone, drop a golf ball in it, and run back), speed barrels(similar to pole bending except three barrels set further apart than pole bending poles), and keyhole(riders have to enter a small circle marked by flour, turn around without crossing the line, and head back). All these events are timed, and the fastest pair wins. I was one of the timers for these events.

 They are really exciting to watch! There were two sisters that were really good, winning or placing in most of the gymkhanas. They literally galloped their mules through each event, finishing most in around ten seconds, at least five seconds faster than most, depending on the event. During the speed ball event, they didn't even to stop to drop the golf in the cone. They just slowed down enough to drop it in and not next to the cone. The donkey classes were hilarious! Donkeys are often stubborn and a little lazy, not wanting to work so hard. Many of them didn't go faster than the walk or a slow jog. It was funny!

None of the pictures turned out too well. Here are a couple dressage pictures.
The jumping one didn't turn out.

 In the late afternoon was the packing competition. Mules are often used for packing because they are smart and surefooted. In fact, the nearby Yosemite National Park has a pack station, which is where Laura worked and first became interested in mules. The object of the packing competition is to correctly tie the packs on the mule faster than anyone else. It was really interesting because I have never seen this before. In another of the packing competitions, the each competitors had to actually load their mule, tie the packs one, and mount their horse, leading the mule to then end of the arena and back. I timed these events too, and really enjoyed watching them.

 The next day was all the English events. There was dressage, followed by hunters and jumpers, ending with the flat classes(English pleasure and equitation). Some of the rides from the clinic were riding in the dressage classes. One of the mules I really like was Señor Grande, a 17 hand mule. He was really consistent in the contact, not once coming off the bit, and he had big movements because of his size.

 I also enjoyed watching the hunters and jumpers. There were so many hunter classes at different fence sizes, with the final hunter class of the day being a 2' 6" class. Some of those mules were really good jumpers and tucked their knees nicely over the fences. I helped fix the fences if needed and timed the jumper classes. The most exciting jumper class to watch was the Gambler's Choice class. In this event, the rider has to jump as many fences as possible within 45 seconds. Each jump is worth a certain amount of points, depending on the difficulty of the jump, and each jump can only be jumped twice. The time goes by quickly, but the riders found creative ways to jump as many fences as possible. It is a really exciting competition to watch!

 The final classes were hunter hack, English pleasure, and equitation. Even the donkeys has their own flat class. Sunday was all the western classes, but I did not get to watch those. It was a very busy yet exciting weekend!

Auditing Conrad Schumacher Clinic

 Last week, I had the opportunity to audit a Conrad Schumacher clinic. Conrad Schumacher is a German dressage rider who has coached the Dutch Olympic, World Championships, and European Championships dressage teams for many years. Many of the riders he has coached have earned individual and team silver and bronze medals. 

 All the horses and riders in this clinic were very advanced and have competed at Grand Prix. It was amazing to see so many excellent horses and riders. In fact, these horses were the nicest horses I have ever seen in person. I have never seen a Grand Prix horse before the clinic, except in pictures and videos, and I believe that the piaffe, passage, and Grand Prix movements look even more spectacular in person. 

 The riders were all really great too. Many of them had trained multiple horses up to Grand Prix level. One of the horses there, Vinnie, was actually stabled next to Dyna at the U.S. Dressage Finals, so Laura, who was with me, knows the rider. Laura's trainer, Grand Prix rider and judge Renee Johnson, was also riding in the clinic. Renee actually lives in the area. I didn't relayed until recently that there is a Grand Prix rider living within an hour from me!

 A lot of the things Schumacher talked about during the clinic was very advanced and applied to the particular rider he was teaching(they rode one at a time). Even so, there were some things I can understand and apply to my riding now, and it was awesome to watch those great riders. It's not everyday that I see so many Grand Prix riders and horses, and very rarely do some many Grand Prix riders and horses come to this area.

Vinnie

 One of the things he said during the clinic was that your leg is very important when riding. It is what clearly tells the horse what to do(or at least it should clearly tell the horse what to do). When one of the horses was a bit nervous and not really paying attention, Schumacher told the rider that in your relationship with your horse, you have to be the alpha mare. Horses need someone to be their leader, or they will be the leader. When you are there leader, it is important not to react when they spook or get nervous. If you do, then the horse will react as well. I also watched Schumacher lunge, getting the horse to use his body correctly as he did so, which is what Laura does when lungeing as well.

I really loved to see these fancy horses and great riders. Seeing a great trainer who has taught many Olympic teams was also awesome.

Dyna Does Dressage Documentary

I have exciting news! The story of Laura Hermanson and Dyna is being told by Sarah Crowe and Amy Enser in a documentary called Dyna Does Dressage. Their story is an incredible, inspiring one that needs to be told. Last year, at the U.S. Dressage Finals, Laura and Dyna made history. To think that a mule, which is normally thought of as a pack animal, beat many horses and competed against the best horses in the country at her level is incredible. It goes to show that nothing is impossible if you work hard and believe.

                 

The movie poster

 What is also awesome is that I know Laura, and I know Dyna. Furthermore, I met Sarah and Amy over the weekend. Take a few minutes to watch beautiful trailer and learn more about Laura. The video is touching, inspiring and moved me close to tears. Also check out the Go Fund Me page if you would like to support this documentary and this story that needs to be told. Check out the Facebook page for regular updates on how the filming is going. Finally, please share with your friends on social media

Laura Hermanson Dressage Clinic

 Before the western clinic, I rode in Laura's dressage clinic. This time, too, I rode Anna, and I was still getting used to her as I had only ridden her one time before that. Laura started by checking everyone's bridles to make sure the nosebands and flashes were correctly tightened. Then she talked about the proper way a horse(or mule) should flex. She always flexes her mules slightly to both the inside and then the outside before a transition. After everyone had tried this, Laura talked about roundness. When a horse or mule becomes round, it's back should come out and the neck should bend. Laura flexed every mules(and the one horse's) back by gently pressing on the haunches so that each rider could feel what it feels like when an equine becomes round.

The group. I am third from the left.

 Next, we worked on getting our equine's in a forward, steady rhythm. We did this by using poles. We started with walk poles. Heading around the arena, we rode in a free walk, but just before we had to shorten our reins and push our equine forward if needed. I had to push Anna forward several times, because I had trouble keeping her in front of my leg.

Getting Anna to stretch down at the walk(free walk).

 After doing it at the walk, everyone tried the exercise over trot poles. It was a sharp turn to get to the poles, so we had to make sure to keep the correct rhythm around the turn and over the poles. The first few time, I made it over the poles but not in a very good rhythm. The last time heading over the poles, I kicked Anna forward. This time, she really reached forward, keeping a good rhythm over the poles and on the straight line after it as well. Laura said that that was the rhythm I need to have all the time.

More free walking

Over the walk poles

During the break time, a saddle fitter taught about fitting both western and English saddles, particularly focusing on mules. Mules have straighter backs than horses, and their ribs start out narrow then widen out, so they are built much differently than horses. Consequently, saddles are much harder to fit. It is hard to fit English saddles made for Thoroughbreds, or western saddles made for stock horses. To fit English saddles, the fitter uses special half pads with three pockets on each side. She inserts foam pads into the pockets to adjust the saddles fit and fill in the empty spaces between the saddle and the horses back. Thus doesn't fix a too big saddle, but it helps a saddle to be custom fitted to a horse or mule. I don't think any saddle you would by online would fit perfectly without some minor adjusting. She also flocks saddles to help the fit as well.

Over the trot poles. Straight-arming though

 In the afternoon, we worked on pats of Dressage Training Level Test 3, the test ridden at Bishop Mule Days, the mule world show(look Mule Days up). We practiced a serpentine loop, which is a loop that goes from H to X to K. The judge looks for a change of bend in this loop. The first few times I didn't quite get to X, and I used to much outside rein rather than inside leg, but the last time I tried it I got a fairly nice bend.

 Connie then decided that I should rest Anna for the day because I Anna would have to work a lot over the weekend at the western clinic(1, 2).

Connie Lara Western Clinic, Part II

 The second day of the clinic was a lot about reining and western pleasure, and I learned a lot. We started by learning some of the warm-up exercises that Connie does. We combined both arenas for more room. One of these exercises was one in you ride down the side of the arena, making a large circle at each corner. This is one way of getting the horse to be responsive to the aids. We did the exercise at the jog and the lope, working both ways. Another exercises Connie uses is the counter canter. Counter canter is difficult, but it helps the horse to become responsive and more balanced. First, we started on the left lead, cantered down the side of the arena, made a diagonal, circled, then headed back. This was very difficult, and the first time I intentionally counter cantered. Nevertheless, I could keep Anna in the counter canter without her falling into the trot/jog. the next exercise was more difficult: we had to ask for canter right away, rather than making a diagonal. Connie said to think of it as just asking for a right lead or left lead and not asking for a "wrong lead." Since I was heading left, I used my left leg when asking for the canter(from the walk) so that Anna would ice up the right side lead. She picked up the counter canter, but I difficulty maintaining for the circle and across the diagonal. It was great that I was able to get the counter canter right away, though.

Next, we rode some western pleasure. Western pleasure is a discipline that is very different than dressage. In western pleasure, you the horse to be in a low frame and you want the horse to take short, slow steps, rather than the big, expressive strides of dressage. I did a pretty good job at this,  except I need to lower my hands a bit to allow Anna to stretch down like the horses do in western pleasure.

 We also worked on reining circles. There were lots of cones that were it up into one large circle and two small circles within the larger one, and we would ride the big circle, then break it down into smaller ones. The practice of the day before had prepared me for this. I tried the exercise in the jog and the lope. However, I had a little trouble when I returned to the jog because I didn't continue to make a wide turn all the way out to the edge of the arena. I instead let Anna cut the circle small. I loped off and tried again, this time continue to focus as I returned to the jog, making a good, wide circle.

 In the afternoon, the riders who had done more reining practiced the reining spins. Since one other rider and I had never done this before, we watched the other riders instead. Then, we rode a mulemanship pattern. This is something at Bishop Mule Days where the riders ride down a koine of cones, following a set pattern where they have to walk, jog, and lope, circling some of the cones. I think the rider is judged in this one, as well as if they do do the pattern correctly(of course) and make even circles. The first pattern was simple: walk from the first cone to the second, jog to the third cone, lope off, circle to the left, return to jog and halt at the last cone. I did pretty good, except I came into the circle a little tight and halted a little early.

The next pattern was similar, except the lope circle was a figure eight first to the right and then to the left, with a simple change in between. Again, I cut the circle tight rather than going deep into the turn.  It's harder than it looks! The last time I did it, though, I did really well. I made transitions at the right moment, and made a great figure eight with large circles. Connie was so happy and proud of me for doing so well with her mule, especially considering that I had only ridden western a handful of times before that weekend, never before trying reining, western pleasure, or trail course. Furthermore, I was new to the mule, who isn't green but is only six and doesn't have much experience. I was the only teenager there, and held my own against experienced riders, many of which had been riding for 20+ years.

By the end of the weekend Anna and I had gotten the hang of each and my riding was greatly improved. A lot of the exercises I had done that weekend really helped me make better circles and to ride much less with my hands. Plus, I got to try a lot new things. Also, I just turned 15 on the 8th.

Connie Lara Western Clinic, Part I

 Over this past weekend, I rode in a western clinic taught by Connie Lara, a friend of Laura's. Connie let me ride Annalissa, her bay six year old mule that is actually very horse-like. At the start of the clinic, I learned about riding a good warm-up. If you have a warm-up plan, you will be better prepared to ride, and you will be more prepared when warming up at a show. Connie has a list of several things she wants in her mule when warming up. She wants her mule to be responsive on a small circle, driving from the hind end with impulsion. She also wants to be able halt and reverse her mule, and to be able to control both the front end and the hind end. If she loses any of these, she goes back to the beginning.

 Everyone warmed up together, moving the hind end and the front end after circling. I had some difficulty moving the haunches at first, but once I relaxed I was able to do it. We next worked on circles, a very important aspect of riding because every pattern in riding consists of either straight lines or circles. The goal was for the mule or horse to have a nice bend and to be in the proper western frame, where the equine's head is low. She also wanted each rider to be looking two cones ahead(there were four evenly spaced cones on the circle). When it was my turn, I made sure to use enough inside leg to keep Anna bent on the circle. Connie thought I did a good job and commented that I made her mule look nice. Because I had done so well, she had me break the circle down into very small circles at each of the four points. I had no problem doing this either and made the circles.

Spiraling it in. Each layer of cones represents a circle. This is before the circle was made into the smaller version.

 Next, we worked on adjusting our mounts by spiraling circles in. There was a large circle marked by cones, with several smaller ones inside, the smallest being only several meters in length. I spiraled in and out of this, making a fill circle at each layer. Then Connie made the circles even smaller, with the innermost circle being just large enough to put a barrel standing up in the center. I didn't have much trouble with this either.

Heading around the box

Before the box was made smaller

 In yet another exercise, we had to enter a box made of four poles, circle a cone within it, then exit the box. I did it well the first time. Connie made the box even smaller, and I tried again. It was a tight squeeze, but I made the circle. However, I rushed getting of of the box, going out at a steep angle and heading over the pole rather than going in between the corners. The next time around, I focused more, making the turn and heading out nicely.

The cone exercise in which I circle around several cones. I go to the middle cone on the right after this and circle twice to the left.

 The final exercise of the morning was one in which we had circle around multiple cones set in a pattern. Basically there was a row of several pairs set at an angle, and we had to circle the top one in the pattern, head to one set at an angle to it, circle it twice and continue. To do it successfully, one had to go straight across and not right next to the cone that would be circled, making a wide turn around. I did well on the first two cones, but in two tight heading toward the third cone and couldn't finish the pattern. The second time, the same thing happened. The third time, however, I really focused and made nice turns around all of them.

Going between the tall poles

 After lunch, we worked on straight lines. The first exercise was a straight line between several pole-bending poles. It was very narrow, and I almost bumped my legs on the poles, but I kept Anna going straight. There were also several sets of parallel poles set in a straight line, with each of these chutes set in front of and a little off to the side of each other. The object was for each rider to use their legs to push their mule over into each chute. The first few times, I was weaving in between them rather than leg-yielding over. Then I tried to use more leg and was able to push Anna over when I wanted to. Next with did the same thing, except for with cones set close together(like pole bending). The object was to push the mule over, rather than pull them and weave around the cones. I did well for the first few cones, but then Anna rushed off and I couldn't use my legs to push her over. This happened a couple of times, so Connie got on Anna, and it turned out that it was something Anna was doing wrong, not me.

Moving sideways from the poles to between the cones

 When I remounted, I was prepared to ask Ann to stay at a nice slow jog. I went through the pattern nicely, and could even wind my way back. I later tried the same thing with even closer cones that had poles set between then. I tried the exercise at the walk first, doing it successfully, then jogged it. It went well! It's amazing how much better I was at using my legs to move Anna than I was when I started the clinic.

The figure-eight after the poles.

 The final exercises involved poles set in a step pattern. We had to do some circles over each of poles, starting at the top and working our way down, so circles got larger further through the exercise. That wasn't too hard after the small circles from earlier that day. next, the poles were moved into steeper angles. This time, we had to jog a diagonal across all the poles in one line, then turn left and go across the sharp angle made by two of the poles. After that, we would make a shape u-turn go across another angle made by two poles, the jog to two barrels and figure eight around them. This was challenging, but I could do it.

 It's amazing how much better my riding was by the end of the day. I was better and more refined at turning without relying completely on my hands. Laura thought I did a great job holding my own against adult riders who had been riding for much longer than I have. Stay tuned for part II, where I try reining. Also, another highlight of the clinic was meeting Olivia from DIY Horse Ownership. It's always fun to meet a fellow blogger!

I Rode Western!

 I don't think I've mentioned this before, but Laura loves trying all kinds of disciplines, English and western. She believes that there is something to be learned from every discipline. Furthermore, she believes that it is great for horses and mules to try different, not only to relieve boredom from doing the same thing but also so the horse/mule can cross train and gain skills helpful to their main discipline. For example, she has done cutting, reining, western trail course, and hunters with Dyna.

 So I can try new things, I will be riding in a western trail course clinic later this month. One of Laura's friends is teaching, and I will get to ride the clinician's well-trained western mule. It's going to be exciting! The name is pretty self-explanatory, but for those of you who don't know, western trail course is a competition in which horse and rider go through a series of obstacles. The obstacles can be logs, poles bending, gates, and so much more. Riding western trail course can help me prepare for jumping because I need to prepare for each obstacle, like preparing for a jump, and the horse has to be responsive too.

She looks so cute in western! She has a nice jog too.

 To prepare for this clinic, I rode Lucky in a western saddle. I learned how to but a western saddle on and to to tighten the cinch. Basically there is a long strap that hangs from the saddle, and you put it through a loop at the end of the cinch and another below the flap of the saddle several times and tighten. I also rode in split reins, where the reins are in two pieces rather than being buckled together. As I was riding western, I sat for the trot and kept it at a slower, western jog.

 I tried to keep my position correct and get Lucky round. It's amazing how simply bending my elbows can get her to drop her and relax. Mostly, I need to let my legs go long without pinching, especially in the canter/lope. The first time cantering, my legs were stiff, and I braced. Consequently, Lucky's movements were not free. When I tried again, I really focused on letting my legs go long, and voila, her canter was more free.

 The most fun part was riding the trail course. The course started with a figure eight around two barrels, which were so close together that Lucky could just barely go between them. Then I would ride straight to the end of the arena, which wasn't very many strides off, canter straight and around the corner, past three pole bending poles, returning to trot and bending throughout the last few in the line, then bending back, turning right just before the last pole, and making a hair-pin turn to go between two cones and walk.

 The barrels were difficult, and I had to make a wide turn around each barrel so Lucky wouldn't return to trot. I started to the right, her most difficult side, then turned left and went down the arena. I sat back and asked her canter. Because I knew that she is easy to get to return to trot, I waited until she was at the third pole to ask her to make a downward transition, then began bending around the poles. Pole bending is really not all that different than serpentines. For both, your horse has to be balanced enough to change directions multiple times. It can be difficult to keep a horse going through a serpentine/pole bending, but I had no trouble keeping Lucky in the trot, even there were only small gaps between the poles. Finally, I make a sharp right turn just before the last pole, heading toward the side of the arena. Then I made a sharp, hairpin u-turn to two parallel pole. I halted in between them then walked off.

 I really had fun riding western and I can't wait for the clinic. Has anyone else tried western trail course before?

I Rode a Donkey!

 I had a very exciting weekend at the Donkey Days Clinic, which was taught by a donkey expert named JoDee. At the clinic, I rode a seven year old donkey named Buddy. Donkeys are quite different than horses. They take a lot more patience to work with, and typically do not want to work very hard, yet they are the safest equines because they don't bolt or buck. They are very fun to ride and be around. They aren't as sensitive in the mouth as horses are, so when riding donkey you can't just pull on their faces, which will only make them brace, which I noticed as I watched other riders. You ask for something, like circling, with the leg aids and pull only if needed.

 One characteristic necessary for riding donkeys is patience. It can take a long time for them to understand what you are asking if you ask something new, but you have to keep asking until they make an effort. I experienced this first hand when I was asked by JoDee to back Buddy up. I cued Buddy to back up, but he only opened his mouth and braced, and then began evading by doing a turn on the forehand. He wasn't doing this to be naughty, he just didn't know what to do. It is important with donkeys just to hang in there and keep asking. I continued to ask, and used my left leg to keep him from spinning, but he just decided to go the other way. JoDee stood nearby helping by holding the reins near the bit.

The group and I(I'm on the left).

 It took a long time before Buddy backed up. After a while, I began to get a little frustrated, so I took a deep breath and tried to relax. Finally, I managed to get him to back up a few steps. I praised and patted Buddy. He didn't back up straightly, which was okay, and JoDee reiterated the importance of rewarding the effort. The allow Buddy to think about what had happened, she went on to work on the other donkeys and riders. I even watched her ride a beautiful dark brown(it looked like something you would see in a painting) male donkey. He had not been ridden in a year, and had only been ridden about fifteen times prior, so he was pretty green. It was neat to watch.

 A little later on, I witnessed some funny donkey behavior. While everyone was sitting on their donkeys, watching the clinician work on a young, on of the donkeys laid down–with a rider on her. It was hilarious! I had never seen that happen before! After watching for a while, I again attempted to back Buddy up, this time with a lot more success. He backed quite a few strides, which was great!

A donkey all the way from Nevada! I rode in an Australian saddle.

 Next, I rode a Western trail course for the first time. There were several obstacles, including a rope gate, two barrels to figure eight around, a box to do a turn on the forehand in, and two parallel poles to back out of. I had some difficultly at the rope gate, not being able to keep Buddy standing still parallel to the gate. Buddy seemed to be a little nervous as he was one of the least experienced of the group. I tried quite a few times, to no avail, so JoDee helped by opening the gate and having me follow her through the gate and back. We did this several times, and them I moved on.

 The rest was pretty straight-forward. I trotted him in a figure eight pattern around two barrels, then halted in a box made of white poles. I spun Buddy around first one war, and then the other, before exiting. I then walked through two parallel poles, halted a few seconds, and asked Buddy to back. He did it, and well too! It was so rewarding. To finish off, I went to the rail and headed towards the group. I kicked him into a fast trot and tried to get him to canter. I managed to get him to canter a few strides and trot the rest of the way, which was great because as I said donkeys don't always want to world hard.

 I had such an amazing and educational time riding Buddy! Now, I have ridden a horse, a mule, and donkey, all in one month! If you ever get the chance to ride a donkey, you should. It's fun and can be a learning experience.

Donkey Days This Weekend

These past two weeks, Laura and I have been busy preparing for the events coming up, including Donkey Days, a clinic taught by a donkey expert, which takes place this weekend. Until recently I wasn’t aware people really rode donkeys, but it there will be quite a few people there. I may even get the chance to ride a donkey, which I think will be really awesome! It is going to be really exciting!

 Friday, after some hard work in the blazing sun, Laura and I went for a ride. We were joined by a women who has a donkey. While Laura rode in the arena, the woman on the donkey and I warmed up on the trailsI worked on getting Lucky up in front of my leg as we warmed up. 

 I spent the last few minutes of my ride on the level ground where the dressage arena once was(we had taken it down last week). At the trot, I continued working on getting her forward. She was actually pretty good about moving at a steady tempo and at the speed I wanted. 

 Before cantering, I put her on a circle. Since she is much better to the left, I started her in that direction. Lucky has a really nice, easy to sit canter. On Moe and Chester, I stubble to keep seated in the saddle, but I had no problem on Lucky. I went around and around several times, working on getting my position and moving my hips with her movement. The last few strides felt really great! 

We moved all these panels( and a few more) last week, thing them apart
and then reconstructing them into box stalls for the clinic and then next month's show. 

 We decided to try to see how well Lucky went to right since she had done so good to the left. Going right was more difficult. Lucky doesn't go very well to the right and often leans in. Because of this, I and to really focus on using my inside leg to get her to not lean. Whenever she leaned in, I pointed my toes in, tapping her shoulder with the whip if necessary. Before long I began to feel when she leaned in. All this was done at the trot. I noticed that at one side of the circle, Lucky land in more than the other parts, so I decided to ask for canter a little bit after she passed that side to set her up for success. She had a good transition, but began leaning in and fell out of canter after a few circles. 

 After spending a few minutes getting her ready and not leaning, I again asked for canter. This time was much better! I even felt when she was about to leaned in on my leg again, tapping her inside shoulder before it happened. As she cantered, I let my legs stretch long, lifting my hands to bend my elbows and putting my hands close together. All three are things I need to work on, which is why I focuses on them. What went well: 

• I had a really great canter on Lucky!

I'll definitely share about the donkey clinic. have a great weekend everyone!

Driving Show Recap

 This weekend, I was navigator at a local driving event with Pistachio the pony and Gretchen, his owner, who just moved up to Preliminary level. It was a small event, but was loads of fun. We brought Pistachio there the day before to allow him time to settle in and save time in the morning. We drove him for a few minutes, and he was very relaxed, which looked promising.

Dressage

 Like eventing, driving has three phases: dressage, cones(stadium), and marathon(cross country). Saturday morning was dressage. Unfortunately, things didn't go as well as the day before. He was rushing and wasn't quiet in the halt–he was fidgety. However, the judge did like his forward trot and his nice bend. After our go, a bay Hackney went, followed by a dark bay German Sport Horse(the driver said it was a German Riding Pony that got too big) with a white blaze and white socks. Both are driven by very good drivers, and the one with the German horse has competed in Intermediate and Advanced competitions overseas, though not with the same horse. The horses were very good movers, and the Hackney had the high stepping trot. It was neat to see.

Cones course

Pistachio didn't relax any more for the cones course in the afternoon. For cones, there are pairs of cones that you go between, forming gates, with 20  gates on the course. The course was a fun, windy course. Gate two was a serpentine with three cones to wind around. There was even a bridge and deep indent(a downhill followed immediately by an uphill) that is filled with water when it rains, which didn't happened this weekend. Unfortunately, we had a refusal at gate 10, which was heading into the indent.

 For marathon, the driving equivalent of cross country, he was fast and didn't want to relax. Marathon was a long windy, 3.81 kilometer course with 40 gates and two hazards, obstacles you wind around, placed in the course. The hazards had A, B, C, and D parts. They were tricky because had to make several rollbacks and turn around a few time to go through them in the correct direction with the red on the right. Those went pretty well. However, after the first hazard, the strap on his back came undone and the strap that goes behind him fell down to his hocks. He was good about not panicking while I fixed it. This caused us major time faults. We ended up driving the course in 21:19, and OT was 17:35.

Driving through hazard 1.

The blues are from dressage and marathon(each class was judged separately) and the yellow
is for the overall placing.

 The classes were judged separately at that event, and we earned two blue ribbons, one for dressage and one for marathon(we were actually the only large pony at Prelim). Overall, we placed third, behind the Hackney and German Sport Horse.

Trot Poles and Show This Weekend

Monday was a very busy day, with preparations for the coming show and donkey clinic underway. Laura and I spent most of the day deconstructing the dressage arena and moving the metal corral fences that aren't being used. A tractor came Wednesday to level the ground, and then we will set up 12X12 and 16X16 stalls with the fences with mules going to the show to stay in. t was a lot of hard work, but I didn't mind it. 

 Tuesday was more of the same thing, but since we had finished most of it the day before, we had time to ride. I worked on riding through a line of trot poles to work on rhythm. The two pairs of cones were there, like last time. I rode in a four leaf clover pattern, trotting over the poles, then going to the outside of either of the cones, make a rollback to go between them, and repeating the pattern. This is also a good exercise to prepare for jumping. When turning around the cone, I need to: 

• Make a wide enough

• Find a good, straight line to the poles

• Keep Lucky moving with enough  impulsion and reaching underneath herself her hind legs

• Prepare to make the next turn around the cone

As you can see, a big part of jumping(or going over trot poles in my case) is the preparation before the jump. Starting out, I did not prepare for the turn around the cones in time, my turn wasn't wide enough, and Lucky wasn't moving with enough impulsion and reaching underneath herself with her hind legs. I had to start over several times. After a few times, I began to really focused on preparing and lining Lucky up for the turn. As early as when I was heading over the poles, I looked for the cone I would circled and prepared to go there. 

 I also had trouble making a wide enough turn around the cones, especially to the right, Lucky's hard side. Each time, I started out wide, but made a sharp turn right after the cone. I had to really work on using my inside leg to push Lucky out onto a wider circle. It wasn't until near the end that I managed to get a nice, wide turn to the right.

 What I really had trouble with, though, was getting Lucky to take long enough strides to get over the poles. I have been working a lot on asking Lucky to move forward with light cues. When she didn't respond, I would kick her. I didn't get enough of a response. Since I wasn't getting her to open her stride more, her hind leg didn't quite reach over the second pole, and as a result, she stumbled over it. 

 It wasn't until the end of the lesson that I achieved a nice, rhythmic trot over the poles. Approaching the poles, I squeezed Lucky with my calves to get her get her moving forward. When she didn't respond, I gave her a tap with the whip I had been handed. She responded by lengthening her stride and trotting beautifully over the poles. I headed to the right cone, applying inside leg and flexion to make a nice, wide turn. I made sure to have enough calf on to keep her forward motion. 

 The driving show is this weekend. I can't wait!

Interview with Equine Bodyworker Loni Langdon

This month, I interview equine bodyworker Loni Langdon. Equine bodyworks uses massage and acupressure/acupuncture to relieve tension in a horse, mule, or donkey. I'll give it over to Loni to explain it more in depth.

1. What is equine bodyworks?
To me equine bodywork uses human touch, movement and intention to communicate with an animal to help them feel better on both a physical and emotional level. Equine bodywork involves using feel, timing, intuition, patience and communication. When I work with a horse, mule or donkey it is my goal to relax and/or stimulate muscles and systems in their body that benefit their overall wellbeing and address specific performance issues. Bodywork involves understanding anatomy, biomechanics and different equine disciplines. Being able to recognize patterns that may develop based on each animal’s individual conformation and the jobs they do is essential. In general, there are many techniques and combinations of modalities used by equine bodyworkers. Some examples include but are not limited to: acupuncture/pressure, massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, passive stretching. There are also specific methods developed by folks in the equine industry such as TTouch and the Masterson Method of Integrated Equine Performance BodyworkTM.

2. How does equine bodyworks benefit horses? Bodywork can benefit equines by alleviating soreness, muscle strain and tension creating more comfort for the equine. Additional benefits include improved performance, suppleness, and mobility. Long-term benefits of regular bodywork can help reduce incidents of lameness. When done with the animal, bodywork can help them relax significantly and can create behavioral changes such as better attitude. Many owners say their horses are more willing to do their jobs or are more relaxed or energetic after having bodywork.

Working on the neck/poll

3. How can equine bodyworks help detect and relieve tension in the horse’s body that may be causing problems, such as resistance to the bit, difficulty bending on a circle, or trouble picking up the correct canter lead one way, etc?

I’m going to quote Mr. Jim Masterson here because he sums it up really well… “Repetitive work, pain, lameness, or compensation for any discomfort can cause tension patterns to develop in muscles and connective tissues that can restrict movement in joints and major junctions of the body. This accumulated tension and restricted movement can negatively affect performance and comfort. These tension patterns can themselves eventually contribute to lameness.” The Masterson MethodTM focuses on three key junctions of the body that most affect performance. They are the Poll/neck, shoulders & withers junction/hind-end junction.  

“When tension is released in any of these key junctions, tension is release in muscles and connective tissues in the larger areas of that junction and often in more remote areas of the horse’s body. The most important junction in relation to overall mobility and comfort in the horse is the poll. In my experience, tension, pain or discomfort anywhere in the horse’s body shows up in the poll.”

“The other two main junctions are junctions where the horse’s limbs join the body, so it makes sense that the forces exerted by the horse’s limbs as well as concussion during movement transfer to the body here. And when tension patterns begin to accumulate unilaterally – meaning more to one side than the other – then forces are exerted in an unbalanced manner. And performance problems can become apparent in bending, lead change, and movement.”

4. What kind of issues do client’s horses commonly have? The most common issues I see have to do with unilateral imbalances. For example, many owners say their animal has difficulty picking up or maintaining a lead or is stiffer bending to one side than the other. In these cases, I usually find there is tension in the poll and restricted range of motion through the cervical vertebrae. By working slowly and staying under an animals’ bracing response I can help loosen and relax the connective tissue between the vertebrae and in small increments increase range of motion, which in turn helps with the imbalance.

5. How did you become interested in equine bodyworks? I became interested in equine bodywork in 2013 when I was training and showing my mule Feather. She started developing tenderness in her lumber region. At that time, I had a friend who was studying the Masterson Method so I asked her to come and do some work with Feather. What she discovered was that Feather had a more primary issue in her right hind limb that was creating tension and soreness in her loin. Terry worked with Feather and I saw Feather relax and release tension like I’d never experienced with any equine (my mule being especially skeptical & introverted was challenging!). Terry showed me how to do some range of motion exercises with Feather and also showed me how to help release the tension that Feather carried in her jaw which directly affected other parts of her body. I did the exercises daily with Feather and it really helped improve her range of motion but it also helped create a deeper bond and trust in our relationship. Since then I have been fascinated and intrigued with how equine bodies work and how to help equines via bodywork.

6. How does someone become an equine bodyworks professional? People enter into the equine bodywork profession by a variety of ways. Some are physical therapists or licensed human massage therapists that expand their practice to equines. Some people go to school specifically to study equine anatomy and biomechanics and then work as sports therapists on their own or in conjunction with veterinarians. Others get certified via various programs such as massage schools or through organizations such as Equinology, or The Masterson Method. I also know people who have apprenticed with practitioners, learned from them and then gone out on their own.

For me, I find that the Masterson Method is a great fit for my style of horsemanship and personality. I have attended advanced coursework in the Masterson Method and am currently working on my certification through that program. I started by working on horses at the barn where I keep Feather and then started offered bodywork to friends outside the barn. I have expanded my practice to working on horses, mules and donkeys for other folks while getting paid to do something that I love! Right now my goal is to become a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner and use that knowledge to help my friends in having the best performance with their equine partners that bodywork can support.

Working on the hindquarters

7. What is your favorite thing about doing equine bodyworks? I am excited by what I can learn from all equines through bodywork because it is really a cooperative process. There’s a deep level of trust and communication established when a horse allows you to take their head in your arms and puts all their weight onto your shoulder. I love, love, love it when an animals says “yes! that’s the spot! stay there! or please do more!”. It’s like you are a detective searching for clues that lead you on a path towards knowledge about what’s going on in their bodies. The results can be very profound for the equine and for me it’s one more way to study horsemanship on a deeper level.

Here’s an example: I recently worked on my boyfriend’s mule, Tomas. I’d been working on him for about an hour and a half when I found an area on his sternum that just sent him into distress. It caused him to try to take off my head with his hind foot! I couldn’t even touch that area. So I focused my intention and energy where he could tolerate it and that was about 3 inches from his sternum just between his front legs. If I touched his guard hairs he would brace hard through his whole body. Luckily, he stayed with me and didn’t leave the scene (which is his typical mode of operation when he doesn’t like what’s going on). By focusing my intention and energy with my hand to this area, after about 3 minutes, he let out a big sigh then licked and chewed for about a minute. That was his way of showing me that he had released, so I decided that was a good time to quit him. Tomas walked over to the trough, had a big drink of water then proceeded to yawn repeatedly, over & over for 15 minutes! The next day I was able to palpate his sternum with no signs of tension or a big reaction like the day prior. For me, that’s hitting the jackpot! Very satisfying. My boyfriend Zack, also reported that Tomas has not been sensitive in that area since nor has he shown any signs of pain in any other areas. Considering that he ropes from Tomas regularly, it’s really pretty amazing.

I also really enjoy interacting with equine owners. The session with Tomas really made Zack, my boyfriend a believer in bodywork even though he admits he doesn’t quite get it. When I get to interact with owners who care for their equine and listen to their concerns, I’m offered a great opportunity to be of service. By listening to what the owner is saying and by feeling what an equine presents in their body, I’m able to piece together a picture of the whole horse, mule or donkey. It challenges me to think critically, keeps me wanting to learn more and is very gratifying when there’s a positive outcome. It’s great when the equine shows you they feel better and lovely when an owner gets to see & feel the results of the bodywork. I love it when an owner asks what they can do to help their equine through bodywork.

Loni releasing the sacrum by putting her hand under the tail and just barely moving it up and down.
This is called the sacral float.

8. How do you use equine bodyworks on your own mule? I have a routine each time I go to ride or work with Feather. My routine involves a quick palpation of her body to see where she might be sore or tense. If I find a place that’s very sensitive, I’ll work with her to release it. Before I turn her out to pasture, I usually do some under the tail points that release endorphins and help her relax her hind end. She loves the sacral float and a little massage to her groin. It keeps our relationship predictable and helps maintains connection that goes beyond riding. After all, equines are comfort seekers and if I can offer my mule some comfort, hopefully she’ll continue to seek me out.

9. Anything else? Anyone can learn simple and effective bodywork techniques to support their equine partner’s overall wellbeing. Touch is a language unto it’s own and bodywork can be a very positive and fun experience with your horse, mule or donkey. Who doesn’t enjoy a good massage or hug? The Masterson Method website is a great place to start with lots of video tutorials, resources and examples.

Schooling for Driving Show

 Saturday, I went with Pistachio and his owner, Gretchen to practice for the coming show, which is this coming weekend. Since the facility is nearby, we took Pistachio there to practice. I groomed and lunged him before we began driving.

 We started by driving through the cones course, a course of twenty pairs of cones that you drive between. It is the driving version of stadium jumping. The cones course went well; Pistachio was pretty relaxed throughout the day.

 Next we practiced hazards course, where we wind around wooden poles. Hazards have several "gates" in each one. You go through them in alphabetical order, making sure to keep the red and the right and not go through the wrong one. Sometimes you have to make a turn right after going through one or you will go through another obstacle by accident because one is right after it. The hazards practice also went well.

 After that, we rode on some of the trails that are part of the 4K marathon course. Pistachio was more relaxed this time than he was last time, which is really great. The course cannot be driven at the canter, so it is import an that the horse/pony is relaxed enough not to break into canter. I hope he is that relaxed at the show!

Sweaty after the drive

 We also drove through the dressage test. Driving tests are done in a 40 by 80 arena. The test contains several half circles that go from the wall to centerline or centerline to the wall(like the half ten meter circles in the 2011 dressage First Level), lengthenings
at walk and trot, and rein back. Besides the fact that Pistachio didn't keep his head still at the halt, it went well.

 We will be competing at Preliminary Level, the equivalent of eventing Preliminary. It is going to be Pistachio and Gretchen's first event at this level. It is going to be fun! I will also be wearing show clothes this time because this show is a driving trial and not a for fun event. I can't wait!