Monday, November 28, 2011
Lendon Gray?
Lendon Gray is doing a clinic series an hour south of the barn... I really, really want to ride in it. I'm thinking I could get away with asking for it as my Christmas present, so it's more realistic than if I were tossing this idea around any other time of year. My only thought is that I may get more out of it in a few months (she's doing them monthly) than right now, when Gali will have only really been in work for a month or two. Thoughts?
November 27th
Yesterday, Bekka and I woke up at 7 am and drove out to the farm. She was asked to jog a thoroughbred filly that came off of the track last week, and is prepping to run next week. The filly's name is Devil, and after Bekka was legged up the trainer looked at me and said "Well, I'm glad she agreed to do this, because nobody on the track will touch this filly."
Despite Devil's reputation, she went well, while a friend of ours jogged Katie around the track with her. After the filly was put up, we played with Katie a bit over fences, and she was a total rockstar, jumping probably the best I've ever seen her.
Gali was next, and he was a total jackass. I wasn't that upset with my ride, because despite the fact that he was popping his shoulder and dragging me out of the figures I was trying to execute, he was working on the bit and from his hind end more in our few good moments than he has in the past, I could clearly see that he was straighter. One thing my trainer mentioned in our lesson was that she notices people are so focused on lateral work and getting the bend, but she really likes to get the horse working on the bit when they are straight, because then they'll excel at the other work, and you won't have to fix anything that gets sloppy as a habit. I totally agree, and I can really feel now how Gali is straightening out. When he gives me those good moments his movement is so huge and powerful, and I can really feel him so much better than when he's "on the bit" and overbent. He's really resisting straightening out, and he over bends and uses that to pop his shoulder, and despite the fact that he tucks his head, he's totally faking it. He had me fooled. I know that because we are undoing some bad habits now, he's going to put up a fight, but I told my trainer when I went out to see him today that I'd rather him be difficult while getting some good work in than for him to be perfect for la-ti-da riding, That's partially true - I wish he'd be normal, like Katie, when asked to work on the bit, but I know that comes with hard work. I'm willing to put it in, and I hope I don't get frustrated and ruin our rides in the meantime.
I went out to see him on my way back from school today, and he seemed perfectly happy to just eat treats, do carrot stretches, and get his itchies scratched, without having to go in to The Barn and be worked.
Despite Devil's reputation, she went well, while a friend of ours jogged Katie around the track with her. After the filly was put up, we played with Katie a bit over fences, and she was a total rockstar, jumping probably the best I've ever seen her.
Gali was next, and he was a total jackass. I wasn't that upset with my ride, because despite the fact that he was popping his shoulder and dragging me out of the figures I was trying to execute, he was working on the bit and from his hind end more in our few good moments than he has in the past, I could clearly see that he was straighter. One thing my trainer mentioned in our lesson was that she notices people are so focused on lateral work and getting the bend, but she really likes to get the horse working on the bit when they are straight, because then they'll excel at the other work, and you won't have to fix anything that gets sloppy as a habit. I totally agree, and I can really feel now how Gali is straightening out. When he gives me those good moments his movement is so huge and powerful, and I can really feel him so much better than when he's "on the bit" and overbent. He's really resisting straightening out, and he over bends and uses that to pop his shoulder, and despite the fact that he tucks his head, he's totally faking it. He had me fooled. I know that because we are undoing some bad habits now, he's going to put up a fight, but I told my trainer when I went out to see him today that I'd rather him be difficult while getting some good work in than for him to be perfect for la-ti-da riding, That's partially true - I wish he'd be normal, like Katie, when asked to work on the bit, but I know that comes with hard work. I'm willing to put it in, and I hope I don't get frustrated and ruin our rides in the meantime.
I went out to see him on my way back from school today, and he seemed perfectly happy to just eat treats, do carrot stretches, and get his itchies scratched, without having to go in to The Barn and be worked.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Lesson - 11/26 or The Off-Track Percheron
I had my first lesson this month earlier today. Before it began, I warmed up with no stirrups at the walk, trot and canter, keeping with my No Stirrups November resolution. I felt a lot better than I had in the last few no-stirrups sessions, and Gali was totally okay with warming up with a sack of potatoes on his back. Perhaps that's why the rest of the lesson went as it did.
Gali was a handful - he got away from me twice and bolted off, but we got a lot of good work in between the fits. Almost our entire lesson was on a 20-30 meter circle, but at times it looked more like an egg, or a pirate ship. Gali was taking advantage of my position weaknesses and leaning on the inside rein. When I would try to correct him with inside leg, he'd pop his outside shoulder and overbend, blowing off my outside aids. Ginette noticed a sort-of-new position flaw in that my outside leg comes up when I use it, and as soon as I began to step down in to the stirrup before using that leg, he began to get straighter. I think this is a result of me trying to bring my leg underneath of myself, keeping a bend in my knee and avoiding bracing the leg. I also think it has to do with how inflexible I am. Darn - back to stretches it is!
I had two really awful moments in the lesson - I was working the walk and had him in a great spot, and I was asked to trot forward. I felt him tense up like "Oh, yes. Please, ask me to trot." I shortened my reins and he said "HA! Gotcha now!" and launched into a fitsy, head tossing, heavy trot on the forehand. Ginette immediately called me out on it, and despite my insistance that it would've been a bolt if I had not, I knew that I had been wrong to shorten up on him and that I really should have just ridden through it. She believed he would have just transitioned into a Great Big Trot, but I'm not convinced it would've gone that way. Either way, her point was that choking up and getting into two point isn't going to fix anything, and that while I need to be prepared for the bad moments, I cannot ride defensively and expect them.
My second bad moment was when he took off for the second time of the lesson - I got after him about blowing off my leg and he just lost it. I insisted he canter/bolt on the circle, expecting him to ask for the trot as he usually does when he takes off, but he called me out and dragged me down to the end of the ring. When I got him back to the the middle and back to the trot, I was asked to halt him, and because I was so pissed I ripped him into a halt, and he threw his head up, sucked back, and tried to fly backwards/sideways. I shouldn't have ripped him to a halt, and I know that. I also totally collapsed and threw my reins away when he threatened to come back against them - I chickened out of what I pulled him in to. Bad Kimi. G's advice was that while yes I can get mad at him for being a dick and misbehaving, I can't let that continue past the isolated incidents. So true.
Despite the fits and bolts, we got a lot of great on the bit work at the walk and the trot. After I was exhausted and the lesson was over, I legged Bekka up and she took him for a little bit of a work. She originally planned on just walking him out for me after some play canters, but he took off on her three different times and she had to run him up to the side of the run-in twice, and the fence once. Ginette came out with her next lesson, and just as I was saying "LOOK IT'S NOT JUST ME!" Gali put on his fluff button and pranced around like he was ready for the show ring. Horses.
We walked him down to the lake and back by the trails before letting him be done. He's convinced that boats are the worst things ever, and tried to climb up the bank on the side of the road when he saw the boat, and landed himself nearly in a tree. Maybe trail horse isn't in his future... photos behind the jump.
Gali was a handful - he got away from me twice and bolted off, but we got a lot of good work in between the fits. Almost our entire lesson was on a 20-30 meter circle, but at times it looked more like an egg, or a pirate ship. Gali was taking advantage of my position weaknesses and leaning on the inside rein. When I would try to correct him with inside leg, he'd pop his outside shoulder and overbend, blowing off my outside aids. Ginette noticed a sort-of-new position flaw in that my outside leg comes up when I use it, and as soon as I began to step down in to the stirrup before using that leg, he began to get straighter. I think this is a result of me trying to bring my leg underneath of myself, keeping a bend in my knee and avoiding bracing the leg. I also think it has to do with how inflexible I am. Darn - back to stretches it is!
I had two really awful moments in the lesson - I was working the walk and had him in a great spot, and I was asked to trot forward. I felt him tense up like "Oh, yes. Please, ask me to trot." I shortened my reins and he said "HA! Gotcha now!" and launched into a fitsy, head tossing, heavy trot on the forehand. Ginette immediately called me out on it, and despite my insistance that it would've been a bolt if I had not, I knew that I had been wrong to shorten up on him and that I really should have just ridden through it. She believed he would have just transitioned into a Great Big Trot, but I'm not convinced it would've gone that way. Either way, her point was that choking up and getting into two point isn't going to fix anything, and that while I need to be prepared for the bad moments, I cannot ride defensively and expect them.
My second bad moment was when he took off for the second time of the lesson - I got after him about blowing off my leg and he just lost it. I insisted he canter/bolt on the circle, expecting him to ask for the trot as he usually does when he takes off, but he called me out and dragged me down to the end of the ring. When I got him back to the the middle and back to the trot, I was asked to halt him, and because I was so pissed I ripped him into a halt, and he threw his head up, sucked back, and tried to fly backwards/sideways. I shouldn't have ripped him to a halt, and I know that. I also totally collapsed and threw my reins away when he threatened to come back against them - I chickened out of what I pulled him in to. Bad Kimi. G's advice was that while yes I can get mad at him for being a dick and misbehaving, I can't let that continue past the isolated incidents. So true.
Despite the fits and bolts, we got a lot of great on the bit work at the walk and the trot. After I was exhausted and the lesson was over, I legged Bekka up and she took him for a little bit of a work. She originally planned on just walking him out for me after some play canters, but he took off on her three different times and she had to run him up to the side of the run-in twice, and the fence once. Ginette came out with her next lesson, and just as I was saying "LOOK IT'S NOT JUST ME!" Gali put on his fluff button and pranced around like he was ready for the show ring. Horses.
We walked him down to the lake and back by the trails before letting him be done. He's convinced that boats are the worst things ever, and tried to climb up the bank on the side of the road when he saw the boat, and landed himself nearly in a tree. Maybe trail horse isn't in his future... photos behind the jump.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Introduction; Goals and a Plan
Hello Blogspot! My name is Kim. My horse is Gali. All of the information you could possibly want to know is in the sidebar and in my pages above. I started this blog as a riding and training progress log for myself, mainly. Gali and I have had some serious time off in 2011 - first because of my appendectomy, and then because of a flare up of his ringbone - and now we're both getting back in shape and getting ready for Real dressage work.
My goal for 2012 can be simplified to this: I want our Bronze ECRDA medal. This is awarded through my local dressage group organization, and it is given after a rider has obtained SIX scores of 60% or above at Training Level. Two of these scores must be at Traiing Level Test 3. They must be from four different judges, at four different shows.
Beyond that, I want to begin to venture out on to trails. I'm not a brave rider, and Gali notices, so we haven't had much success on the trails in the past. I am now at a farm with a track and big safe fields to ride in, so I can start there. This farm also has trails directly connected to the property, so really, I have no excuse.
I know you can't have goals without having a plan for them, so I'd like to loosely lay out my plan for the next year or so!
There are four full weeks until winter break. These weeks include finals time, but I should be able to ride minimally twice a week. Most weeks I should hit three, or four. It's not ideal, but it's what I can work with. Because my schedule is so inconsistant right now, I think I'm going to designate this month to working on my "Trailhorse!" goal. I won't be able to avoid ring work entirely, but I don't want to stress about it. I'll need the winding down because of school-related stress. Beginning at the end of December, I have a full month off of school. I should be able to ride four to five times a week, and I think that is when I will begin to really get back into dressage mode. We'll still take breaks from the ring to explore, but our ring work will be the focus.
Show Calendars aren't out yet, but based on last year's, I'll lay out a rough draft of my schedule hopes.
In March, I would like to go to Bit o Woods, and show either Intro 1 & 2 or Training 1 & 2. I don't have high hopes for my first show of the season, I just want to use it as a way to test the waters, and determine our strengths and weaknesses.
April, I hope, will bring Gali and I with the rest of the farm to Island Beach State Park. I also want it to be a training and lessons month, working up towards...
May. I'd like to show once in May, hopefully at Saddlebrook. I hope by that point, Gali and I can go in to Training 1 and 2 confidently. We'll still need work, because I'll still be in school, but I'm hoping to pick up my first 60 in May.
June will be a fun month, because I won't have school. Two shows is my goal! I don't really care where they are, but the Meadow is usually early in June, so that might work out with a later show date, and give me some time to cushion my bank account between. I think I can expect two 60s at Training 1 or 2 if I really work my ass off.
July is another fun month! Two shows, again, hoping for two more 60s at T1 or T2. I'll be at 5 by now, if this holds true to the plan.
August is my daring month - dare I enter a T3? I think so. I'd like to do at least one show in August, and do Training 2 and 3. If I could enter two shows in August, I could hopefully pick up my first T3 60, but my hopes aren't too high.
September is crunch month! I'm back at school, but I should be able to keep riding regularly before the semester hits full swing. One show is a reasonable goal, and I'd like to do T2 and T3, and pick up a 60 in T3.
October is the last month to meet my goal... so, if I need it, T2 and T3 it is! Cross your fingers that this all goes as scheduled.
My goal for 2012 can be simplified to this: I want our Bronze ECRDA medal. This is awarded through my local dressage group organization, and it is given after a rider has obtained SIX scores of 60% or above at Training Level. Two of these scores must be at Traiing Level Test 3. They must be from four different judges, at four different shows.
Beyond that, I want to begin to venture out on to trails. I'm not a brave rider, and Gali notices, so we haven't had much success on the trails in the past. I am now at a farm with a track and big safe fields to ride in, so I can start there. This farm also has trails directly connected to the property, so really, I have no excuse.
I know you can't have goals without having a plan for them, so I'd like to loosely lay out my plan for the next year or so!
There are four full weeks until winter break. These weeks include finals time, but I should be able to ride minimally twice a week. Most weeks I should hit three, or four. It's not ideal, but it's what I can work with. Because my schedule is so inconsistant right now, I think I'm going to designate this month to working on my "Trailhorse!" goal. I won't be able to avoid ring work entirely, but I don't want to stress about it. I'll need the winding down because of school-related stress. Beginning at the end of December, I have a full month off of school. I should be able to ride four to five times a week, and I think that is when I will begin to really get back into dressage mode. We'll still take breaks from the ring to explore, but our ring work will be the focus.
Show Calendars aren't out yet, but based on last year's, I'll lay out a rough draft of my schedule hopes.
In March, I would like to go to Bit o Woods, and show either Intro 1 & 2 or Training 1 & 2. I don't have high hopes for my first show of the season, I just want to use it as a way to test the waters, and determine our strengths and weaknesses.
April, I hope, will bring Gali and I with the rest of the farm to Island Beach State Park. I also want it to be a training and lessons month, working up towards...
May. I'd like to show once in May, hopefully at Saddlebrook. I hope by that point, Gali and I can go in to Training 1 and 2 confidently. We'll still need work, because I'll still be in school, but I'm hoping to pick up my first 60 in May.
June will be a fun month, because I won't have school. Two shows is my goal! I don't really care where they are, but the Meadow is usually early in June, so that might work out with a later show date, and give me some time to cushion my bank account between. I think I can expect two 60s at Training 1 or 2 if I really work my ass off.
July is another fun month! Two shows, again, hoping for two more 60s at T1 or T2. I'll be at 5 by now, if this holds true to the plan.
August is my daring month - dare I enter a T3? I think so. I'd like to do at least one show in August, and do Training 2 and 3. If I could enter two shows in August, I could hopefully pick up my first T3 60, but my hopes aren't too high.
September is crunch month! I'm back at school, but I should be able to keep riding regularly before the semester hits full swing. One show is a reasonable goal, and I'd like to do T2 and T3, and pick up a 60 in T3.
October is the last month to meet my goal... so, if I need it, T2 and T3 it is! Cross your fingers that this all goes as scheduled.
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