Tuesday - Easy Day

When I arrived, BA's daughter Katie, got Try out of her stall for me--I did not ask. Then she helped me and I gave Try a quick tidy-up clip then the three of us went out back so Try could graze. Katie then began grooming Try--again without my asking--how can you not love that. So Try and I taught Katie the sticking together game and she and Try played while I got my saddle/etc out and caught up with BA. She has lots of good news--new horse Webster and Devon is doing great, etc. Then Try and I went to the lovely freshly groomed ring and walk/trot/canter a bit--stopping in the shade--no the buckle--no contact--nice easy ride. Followed that with a ride up the drive and road a bit and back. When we got back to the barn area I took my feet out of the stirrups and Try stopped knowing the next thing I would have asked for would be a halt. Lastly, I gave Try a bath and we grazed to dry off a bit before I left and she went back to her stall and got treats.

Friday May 24 Lesson with Kathy

Nice weather and horses out today. Try and I spent an hour together before Kathy came--easy groom, liberty few warmup games, dwell, easy freestyle warmup, more dwell and then lesson.

1. Try was sluggish in the beginning and we went ahead and cantered at 2 point to gain some energy.
2. Then we did walk then 1/4 turn on both HQ and FQ and KEEP walking on both sides. A new pattern as we generally do them in place from a halt.
3. Then we repeated that at a trot as a turn on the HQ to lift the FQ.
4. We used partial displacement of the HQ to slow a choppy trot when going downhill especially.
5. We used cueing the outside shoulder: ??to steady her in her gait.
6. We used cueing with the outside leg for ?? more energy and to ??
7. Try and I stretched in the canter for the first time and it helped so much to find a nice rhythm.
8. I do not need to use the big exaggerated fluid rein to ask her to stretch.
9. When she begins to stretch in the canter, I can feed her just a big of rein to see if she will maintain self carriage.

Wednesday May 22

Today Try and I spent an hour and a half together just catching up. The horses have started being inside in the middle of the day so Try and I changed things around. We spent dwell, grooming, tacking up and some games all at liberty in the back paddock then went to the ring for some easy freestyle riding following up on things from our last lesson then a lovely shower and grazing time to dry a bit before she went back to her stall.

Tuesday lesson with Kathy

I was tired not feeling well and sad...happily Try understood and helped me out. First time even seeing Try in a week.

All liberty...dwell, groom, tack up more dwell etc then easy games and freestyle warmup for lesson.

Really good lesson
1. I can use fluid rein and stretching to improve gait, track up and get looser shoulders. I don't need Kathy for this even.
2. Mirroring...I have a habit of trying to control the gait etc instead of following Try. When I follow we are both happier.

Thursday

Groom, preparation for lesson: at liberty: HQ/FQ/yoyo/sideways, dwell then freestyle riding prep for lesson, dwell, dressage lesson centering on longer and shorter strides at the trot and finding a good rhythm at the canter.

Discussed using patterns and my not great ability to stick with a pattern with so many things going on in my brain. Kathy suggested 1001 Dressage Exercises book I have on ipad. Later I thought I can pick a pattern--best not too small, nor too many quick changes of rein/direction and Try and I can do it freestyle first to establish it--then later with contact.

Steps in change of rein
1. half halt in my core
2. go straight
3. ask for new bend/turn by turning my shoulders then leg/reins if needed

Lengthening: yes Try and I are far enough along to be doing this. I would ask with increased energy and hips posting at the trot and then ask for relaxation to go back to a regular or working trot.

Types of dressage trots
working/regular
medium
extended (longest, most suspension and highest energy level)
collected

All trots tempo doesn't change just energy and power and through ness.
Lengthening working trot to have more ground coverage, overtracking and top line stretch
Extension is 10x more, medium trot is 5x more.

I did not get time to ask about "back to front"--next time.

Review: I did review notes from lessons with Kathy in 2013

Jan1: Forward energy, long lines to get the energy, finding the happy rhythm. For me more forward in posting trot, chest open, hands quiet cueing from elbows.

Jan 2: Transitions happen from the HQ. Walk/rising trot, sitting trot, walk pattern. When I relaxed and concentrated on me Try really got it. BUT my reins were not short enough for Try to seek a good vertical flexion.

Feb: Rhythm: If sluggish use long lines, my energy, outside leg, laterals. If fast/choppy use shorter lines, relaxation and slowing myself, bending and half halts.

Mar: Watched Lisa last lesson. Soft touch, shorter reins. My abs for dn transitions (half halt), tracking up as part of our warmup. Used HQ partial displacement to bend to get away from always using reins to ask for the bend.

Mar2: When Try gets fast she likely needs help to rebalance and it may not be negative emotion directed to me. Using patterns, staying square in my body, let Try's motion cause my posting. Use my shoulders to turn.

Apr1: Used sideways around the barrel for Try to be straight between my legs with great energy in change of rein. Stay with it when its just Try and I. Importance of backing.

Apr2: Using 1/2 halts to rebalance. Using hill and transitions. Beginning to be able to canter with contact.

Monday and Tuesday

Getting myself back into horsemanship after long weekend hosting high school girl friends.

Monday:
Exhausted so Try and I just groomed, tacked up with western saddle and rode in the big pasture with BA and Gretsky. Try was majorly in season and full of energy.

Tuesday:
Caught a break in the weather and prepped for Thursday lesson with Kathy. Groomed, played with distance on the circle and I think we made progress. Then in the ring--walk, trot syncing with Try, HQ/FQ backing and sideways and a bit of finesse/contact. Finished with some time moving out trotting in the field with the hill.

Catching up

Because partly sad over Keystone and partly waaaaaaaaay too much stuff going on, I have not only been behind in posting but haven't been to the barn much for two weeks.

Last week: two trips to let Try know I still exist, pedestal, etc.

       Thur after keystone gone 15 min liberty

              Mon Tue?? 20 min liberty

               Wed w/Try prep for Dan 2 hr groom, liberty/online, ride freestyle

              

             Thur Dan 3+1 hours groom dwell then lesson talk 1 hour 1 hour on line and one freestyle

• What I learned
• 1.      Distance on the circle from intention supported with carrot stick lift, lift higher, slap ground, tag even for draw!! Diff use of stick/string
• 2.      Apply to sticking together and to weave. Weave ok to use rope and stick to cue at first. Try was great 1^st time then bored and messing it up—moving farther away should be putting it to purpose.
• 3.      Balance of tightening and loosening the spring: as we learn to use hq and come up thru topline with dressage lessons with Kathy then Try and I need to balance it with long trot—trail, cavaletti poles. Ask Kathy/BA
• 4.      Topic: keeping Try happy and progressing with Keystone gone.
• 5.      Review riding Falling leaf and S bend and getting good swing of FQ then caveletti poles
• 6.      Building strength happily
• 7.      How to get lbi to want to be fit
• 8.      Balance try assumes responsibility
• 9.      If its repetitive it must be a high priority
• 10.   Try gets to win some games—again priority
• 11.   Obedience vs responsiveness
• 12.   Bit as friendly game
•