Pleasant Day

What we did: groom, no stirrups posting trot for my strength in Try's field, obstacle course for fun, shower--clean ears and teats. Lovely day--cloudy, not hot, enjoyable activities, etc.

Obstacles: Kathy Cheever made me think of it after talking about ACTHA obstacles--see photo below. Anyway to have a no stress day I set up
1. Barrel to side pass--Try offered to sidepass it away and then come back.
2. Cavaletti pole--vertical straddle--wait until she figures it out--she knows it
3. Ball to kick--nice pleasant energy
4. Small jump--walk/trot and offered canter.

These are all things Try knows, does well and that we haven't done lately. Carrot slice treat to accomplish each well.

If I do this again any time soon, do not repeat--mix it up, different obstacles or do different things with the obstacle or do them riding, etc.

More canter exploration in bareback pad.

Groom, games out back for relaxation--stuff low energy that Try does well. Bareback pad: Long easy passenger walk in the ring. Exploration of body position in bareback pad--walk, trot, canter, downward transitions. canter: Forward position is good for my strength and learning rather than slumping and relaxing everything way back on pockets but Try prefers the latter and has more relaxed canter in that posture. Online sticking together clean ups leaving the ring. Finished with shower and dwell time.

note: watch my arms moving at trot, I can see the need to get back to 3 laps no stirrups. Note also...canter rhythm always lost in same places ie coming off the rail and away from the gate suggesting my need to anticipate and an emotional thing for Try.

 Warmup on my pockets: western pleasure walk and jog.

Try really prefers the western pleasure slouch, everything loose and relaxed in my body sitting way back and super loose rein. I still want to be able to have a  good position--even bareback.

Comparison of video of today my attempts for a solid position with the relaxed on the pockets video from last week:

I am striving for..sitting nearly vertical but slightly forward, legs in proper alignment rather than forward of the girth, open solid torso. Below is the on-the-pockets video--walk/jog/lope.

Monday

Groom, games in the field online and liberty: circling, figure 8, backing, shoulder and HQ flexibility. Dwell. Long freestyle ride in her pasture: walk/trot/flexibility. Canter in dressage saddle in the ring playing with my position and quality of canter alternated with walk for relaxation. Walked around the farm after. Then shower and bath and more dwell.

Try had a lot of tense energy and the plan had to go out the window.
1. She was great at matching different energies I set in circling.
2. Some nice backing. Sideways--driving her front end when the HQ lagged really worked.
3. Played gently with cutting game at liberty with two sticks.
4. I wanted to do a true passenger ride and Try really did not so we trotted in her field full out for a good while until her energy changed.
5. Then we went to the ring for concentration in cantering (dressage saddle)--played with interrelation of my body position and quality of canter. Changed exercise to--when the canter is good we walk til she relaxes--took a while to get the relaxation and the canter got better and better.
6. Went to back paddock and hung out a while and Try ate grass gradually moving up close to me.
7. The wash stall was still busy so went for a ride around the farm and stopped and talked to Jim and Try ate grass.
8. EQ bath and hangout while BA and I talked about body positions for canter.
9. Treats and rubs in Try's stall.

Planning for Monday

My plan for today is to study my notes from Dan's lessons and come up with some really different things for Try and I to do today. Tomorrow I will likely play with bareback canter some more from the stand point of my position. BA said she would take a quick look. 

1. I have been playing with being on my balance point and completely relax my legs down especially my thighs as well as checking that I am opening my chest as Kathy has noted these issues.
2. BUT what body position from me does Try prefer? what body position brings relaxation for Try--really using her HQ rather than pounding on her front end. Actually, even on her own in the pasture she pounds with big energy on the front end--having the lessons with Kathy has helped a lot and I get intermittent ?15 strides or so that are nice and soft then something happens and we lose it. 
3. I have been studying Karen Rohlf's book this summer and concentrating so far on the relaxation and energy issues and perhaps should dig into balance as well as in--how can I help Try find the balance of HQ/FQ or how can I correct myself to avoid getting in Try's way?

Saturday with Try

Connection: I thought this would be important and was not sure we would get to riding. Liberty--simple, responded quickly. Figure 8 did a couple times and reward a nice clean one at the walk. Then one nice one trotting the circles and drawing to me. Quit as the connection felt nice, she was relaxed and pretty responsive.

In the ring bareback: did not touch bridle for walk and jog laps--used carrot stick just a couple times. Worked on energy and gait transitions--Try gaining energy all the time. Then canter laps--about 1.3 miles worth--this was confusing as I had a plan and goals and it got thrown out the window to work on different stuff going on in my body position. Will see if I can clarify it for myself this week.

Steps 2 right, forward, left, forward: sorta.

1. HQ: even bareback I want to be able to ask Try to use HQ and not be falling on forehand.
2. If she does get heavy on forehand then remember to use circling.
3. I have learned: I am absolutely secure and can move away from being concerned to focus on other things while cantering in the bareback pad.

considering Try

I woke this morning with the thought that Try is always unhappy this time of the year. It is hot and the insects of various types are bad so being in her pasture late afternoon, overnight and into the morning is not necessarily relaxing and pleasant. The greatest comfort is being in her stall during the day under the fans etc and she tends to stand in one place and sleep. The problem with that is boredom. She seems cranky about leaving her stall part of the time and annoyed that I am not taking her out of the stall to do things (graze? especially) as much as she wants. Short term play with a task--riding and on the ground and in the ring and back paddock have been going well. She does seem much happier after a good workout and shower--takes away the tension and irritation she feels.

She has been particularly disinterested in dressage work--of course, issues with my tension/body position when something goes awry does not help. (Homework for me relaxing my position in the canter especially and if something changes that threatens my lower back to go to 1/2 seat.) In the lesson Thursday with Kathy it took 1/2 the lesson for Try to quit focusing on the gate and escape--if fact, if Kathy had not been coaching me I likely would not have broken through  to get the nice trot we finally found. The trick for me is being to anticipate and give Try other things to think about than the gate. Try was relaxed after we finished the lesson and when I saw her later--after her shower and in her stall, she seemed very pleasant and content.

Devon - filming and photos before he leaves for horse show

Video is soft touch only--did not ask for flexion and he maintained both directions for several minutes. No wonder people buy horses that are well trained for a purpose--what a revelation.

Thursday - Try and I had a "trying" lesson

Try did not want to have a lesson with Kathy and I in the big field. It took 1/2 of the lesson for me with Kathy's help to get Try to settle in and concentrate on the lesson rather than the gate.

1. Homework: play with studying how Try feels with my balance and imbalance.
2. Make a new habit: If Try's canter is too rough to sit go to 1/2 seat. It will protect my lower back and still allow a weight aid to help Try find a rebalance.
3. Homework: repeat the exercise of slow crossing walk (forward and sideways) two strides, then two strides forward, then two in the other direction. Remember--my leg moves back to get a good HQ crossing step and opposite rein.
4. Ride with relaxation. Start with relaxation and visualize.
5. Next lesson: bring bareback pad.
6. Riding in that field was not such a great idea.

Wednesday - Energy - Try

Today was supposed to be a day off but I dug into Karen Rohlf's book on the topic of energy after seeing some lackluster energy in videos lately. Then played with Try in pasture on line with energy. See below. Also lovely long grooming, clip, spa bath, graze/dwell.

Energy Thoughts

1. High energies--looking for powerful but not impulsive (negative emotion). At any time I can think "you are sooooooo perfect" and have Try melt to a stop without residual tension or fear.
2. In front of the leg--Try is carrying me forward. Behind the leg: just jostling up and down. 
3. Clear precise steps in cueing
1. relax and visualize
2. ready?
3. my intention and energy to cue
4. other phases/tools
4. NOT about maintaining an energy in the beginning. If Try knows she is going to have to keep going, she will go into efficiency mode and do as little as possible. Amazing what a difference this made in Try--real change in the effort behind the energy.
5. Try was not always matching my energy intention in the moment of the send. Also I was sometimes overdoing the HQ disengage to stop, creating tension tho I did wait til she relaxed and she did so quickly. Better take the pressure off and allow her to melt to a stop???
6. Reward/thank Try for the effort. (Kathy does this and Try loves it.)
7. Repeat until Try's first thought is to match my energy/intention 100%.
8. "Thank you for that, but lets try again."
9. Maybe just ask for energy on scale of 1-10 and not a specific gait??
10. Reward any big energy from Try!!! She is not wrong--it is wonderful!!
11. I had some "yes, yes, yes" moments.
12. I can choose to NOT be very particular. Lets travel to the other end of the pasture at a trot. and let Try choose the rest.

Here is the exercise:

What I learned:
1. We did a send on the circle game about 4 times each for walk/trot/canter and I came up with a number in advance of the send.
2. In the beginning I did start from relaxation, picture the energy and warn Try before sending--then it got cloudier and in face I found it hard to know what a walk at a 4 is or trot at a 7. I asked for trot at 7 I thought and got a canter.
3. We stopped in between to graze, think, treat or two. But I was not careful to melt to a stop.
4. Try did relax in between and did surprise me with a snappier go than usual.
5. I did remember to get game over and reward when I got what I thought I pictured tho it wasn't always there from the send.
6. Try was definitely moving toward offering a 100% effort to give me the energy she thought I was asking for.

Idea: do this a few more times and film it. Ask Dan for help.
Thought: I have been settling for i.e. a trot at any energy/tempo as long as she wasn't just shuffling along or emotional impulsive. Now I can learn to be more specific. Trot at a 4.5?? wow. This will require my memorizing the feeling of the various trots. i.e. slow, medium, fast.

Friday July 12 - Tuesday July 16

Friday: Ring wet and soggy footing and full day(s) of rain coming so early and quick ride with Devon for strength and fitness then shower/dwell. Hung out for a while with Try in her stall.

Monday: 2 horse day
Try: bareback ride with on line circling to get a good canter before mounting. working on my confidence. better energy in the canter than last week but more needed.

Devon: Basic ride but I was tired and spacey and it wasn't one of our better times together.

Tuesday:
Great session with Devon and got some good video. Worked especially on downward transitions from intention. Trot to walk: think/visualize, keep posting but take legs off, check Devon's ears to see if he is ready. Canter to walk--sit back and do not cave in my torso. Watching video energy was good at times but spotty. Found that spurs will only be needed for warmup.

Thursday - bareback canter video

Today I thought it would be good to video bareback canter as I have been working on myself from the stand point of fears as well as relaxing my thighs and not holding them on her for balance. When I got to the barn Katie was agreeable but the girls were leaving to swim at 10:30 so Try and I hurried up the grooming, 5-10 minutes in the back paddock and Try was really with me on connection--sticking together varying energy and circling at liberty so tacked up and off to the ring. Five minutes or so of walk and jog warmup--not enough--then canter--I was urging Try on as she wasn't really ready.

To progress
1. more energy--true canter
2. keep relaxing thighs--letting go
3. check upper body position
4. how close can I come to not using reins?
5. add patterns and other things to think about
6. music?

Then we went for 15-20 minute true passenger walk around the farm and out onto the road, checking out the tall corn and checking out Karen's house etc.--all places Try could see from her pasture but not approach close up like today. Finished with shower, graze out back, Try in bonding frame of mind.

Wednesday - Try - connection

Today Try was not happy about leaving her stall and I felt guilty for neglecting her.

We went to back paddock for fairly relaxed join up to help with getting a good attitude. Then she was super at a couple liberty games: circling me and offered to straddle the cavaletti pole.

Then groom and tack up, semi-passenger walk up the drive--she wanted to detour into the big boys pasture, then down the road a ways. Back to the pasture with the hill for some trot/canter. Then to her pasture to review for Kathy and she was having none of it. Back to paddock and she quickly said yes ma'am so to speak. Changed to bareback pad and went to arena for dwell time, lots of walking and canter laps. Finished with shower.

Tuesday - first contact/finesse day with Devon

Nice long grooming...tack up first time with dressage saddle. I started the warmup with waaaay too much energy for Devon.

Which means I need to rethink what I am doing with Try!!

Downward transition from trot to walk: Devon will recognize my life down/releasing legs better if I am massaging him gently while we are trotting then completely releasing legs rather than legs being away from his body while trotting. Something to consider??

Then warmup on the buckle walk and trot. Played for the first time with contact on small circle at a trot...need to remember soft touch but keep my legs on to keep the impulse on and keep the top line coming up. We did really well for the first go.

Then canter in dressage saddle felt really good...especially sitting back on my balance point and relaxing my legs.

Finished with shower, grazing and a couple carrot slices.

Sunday - Day 6 Devon

Good ride. Warmup on the buckle, No stirrups, 2 point and double/triple posting for my strength then 4 laps of canter: sitting and standing.

Try - spurs and bareback

Arrived to ride Devon and BA and Devon were riding in the field. Did not have a plan for Try but figured it should be something fun and easy. So decided to play with spurs for the first time and only did so walk and jog and lots of lateral/shoulder flexibility stuff that I had neglected early in the week. I was really careful about when to touch her lightly with spur (round end) and she was more responsive. We also cantered bareback and although it went pretty well and I was able to keep telling myself to relax it would be good for me to do this more often and laps on the rail.

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Kathy's photos and comments from lesson today in which Lisa rode Try

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  Kathleen Glielmi

  

   Moving Try's shoulders and using counter bend to loo smooth the canter — at Rollover Downs.

  

   We also played at slow walk/fast walk that Gretchen Thompson demo'ed and taught Lisa — at Rollover Downs.

  

  I had Lisa work on trot on the spot where you visualize you ride in a spotlight, as you "slow" the spotlight you begin to collect the horse until you stop the spotlight and the collection is such that the horse waits in pre passage steps until you soften and allow the energy to carry the horse with alot of engagement — at Rollover Downs.
  Chris Shallcross likes this.

  I asked Lisa to come ride Try so Elizabeth Pope could see what Try looks like showing off what she has learned — Lisa rode Try today (3 photos)

  
  

Lisa rode Try

Homework
Snappy departure
Spurs
Slow walk
Relax before asking for counter bend at canter
Me meditate visualize and lower back flexibility

Wednesday - Day 5 Devon

Groom/dwell, w/t/c including 1 lap (each way) of no stirrups--feeling stronger and more in sync--warmup w/t on the buckle/casual rein, downward transitions from intention. Finished with shower, graze and more dwell.

Day 5

I am getting stronger and we are communicating better.

1.      I can do one lap each way of no stirrups with walk in between.

2.      I can do laps of 2 point and double and triple posting and keep us together.

3.      Devon and I are learning downward transition from trot to walk from intention.

4.      Warmup walk and trot on casual rein using other hand to correct if leg is not enough to keep the follow my focus.

5.      Our upward transitions are going well and being cued lighter each time.

Try: friend of Jen's rode Try and I was very uncomfortable. She has been a student at Gables Run and lacked strength and wanted to balance on the reins. Try was quite unhappy and went into herself.

pic of Devon and write up about BA

Monday rain and Tuesday Try

Monday: barn chores and groomed both Try and Devon.

Tuesday: Try 2.5 hours - groom/dwell then w/t/c working on my relaxation and sitting the canter. Then bath and grazing for Try.

Pictures from Kathy from Williamston weekend: