Possibly the best ride yet with Sephira. The first ride since the clinic, the first ride in the new dressage ring in the field and a weekend of watching Dressage at Devon show all led to more confidence on my part as well as more impulsion from Sephira.
What we did: groom, test responsiveness on the ground FQ--good, backup less so. Mount at picnic table (another first)--she wasn't really any different. Warmup with easy walk and trot. Walk for impulsion was great in the beginning but when I tried to add contact it all failed. Stopping at letters was good. I don't know how to cue her backup?? The trot was best good energy and better contact. Some extended trot and serpentines, leg yields and shoulder in. Then we rode the first intro test which was good until the last walk up the center line. Much more connected and relaxed when we finished than when we started.
Midway when big dump trucks rolled in and dumped dirt etc. I dismounted and we played with golden ribbon/see meTM cue--at first Sephira didn't get it but when she really did focus in on me with zone one we quit. (??something like the find my focus game??)
After Try and I "helped" BA fill a hole in the new ring and then played with GM/TM see me, align and got improvement in a bit of added energy in coming to me when I let more line out.
I would like next time to watch the FLOW of energy more.
2013-2014 Horsemanship Journey
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
News
Rollover was crazy yesterday so much going on...
1. I spent much of the weekend watching video feed of Dressage at Devon show. Friday MH's Prix St. George was not on the feed--she got 68 and 9th/50. Saturday I got to watch MH--she and Richmond were great--again 68/9th/50. Sunday was the coolest--freestyle--MH got 5th and a score of 70. So interesting--I just could not watch riders/horses who were not a part of their music. Also some music seemed cobbled together with abrupt transitions, and tacky with vocals, etc. MH music was beautifully done but did not match Richmond in places as he has progressed so much this year. Great pirouettes and extended canter. He seemed a bit tired in places both days. They all got back to the barn from Pennsylvania at 4am!
2. As I drove into the barn I saw Try has a pasture mate!! Grey 3 y/o TB mare fresh off the track--very skinny and sweet. Try was very happy, up and distracted. I gave Try a lovely long grooming, casual ride in her pasture with the new mare and a long, lovely shower. The new mare and a grey gelding arrived ?? sometime over the weekend--their boarding facility in Williamston had a fire. The owner is Olivia ??--who has known BA for many years.
3. BA and Devon were champions both days at their hunter show over the weekend Thursday thru Sunday.
4. The ring: BA was busy leveling and then packing crush and run before screenings arrive tomorrow.
1. I spent much of the weekend watching video feed of Dressage at Devon show. Friday MH's Prix St. George was not on the feed--she got 68 and 9th/50. Saturday I got to watch MH--she and Richmond were great--again 68/9th/50. Sunday was the coolest--freestyle--MH got 5th and a score of 70. So interesting--I just could not watch riders/horses who were not a part of their music. Also some music seemed cobbled together with abrupt transitions, and tacky with vocals, etc. MH music was beautifully done but did not match Richmond in places as he has progressed so much this year. Great pirouettes and extended canter. He seemed a bit tired in places both days. They all got back to the barn from Pennsylvania at 4am!
2. As I drove into the barn I saw Try has a pasture mate!! Grey 3 y/o TB mare fresh off the track--very skinny and sweet. Try was very happy, up and distracted. I gave Try a lovely long grooming, casual ride in her pasture with the new mare and a long, lovely shower. The new mare and a grey gelding arrived ?? sometime over the weekend--their boarding facility in Williamston had a fire. The owner is Olivia ??--who has known BA for many years.
3. BA and Devon were champions both days at their hunter show over the weekend Thursday thru Sunday.
4. The ring: BA was busy leveling and then packing crush and run before screenings arrive tomorrow.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday - Marie Pruden - freestyle notes
2014 9/27/Marie/Freestyle
·
Warmup:
o
Mount, sit and do nothing
o
Test lateral flexion commitment
o
Test hq/fq flexibility and backup
o
Walk til she blows plus my pilates
·
Warmup patterns to test connection and
responsiveness:
o
Straight line follow my focus
§
The fewer corrections the more rest
o
Circle and figure 8
o
Start with visualization/intention
o
All corrections to pattern made with hq/leg not
reins
o
For dressage/finesse—we do not want to have to
use reins to stay on the pattern
·
Warmup for impulsion/relaxation
·
Warmup for suppleness: lateral and vertical
Misc
·
Check how light is light with leg at girth for
HQ/FQ/sideways movement
·
Green cow—would Try like to chase green ball out
of the ring when we finish?
·
Check my R/L balance/brushing my teeth
·
Use scale of 1-10 to check for progress
·
Round turn/circle is inside leg; square is
outside leg pushing
·
Neutral is a fixed position for freestyle,
?steady contact for finesse?
·
Believe I can do it
·
The plan
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Sunday and Monday Dennis Callin clinic
This clinic was a revelation. I was scared to death to ride Sephira in a high pressure clinic but we did it and I learned lots from riding and from watching.
1. The first segment of 13 minutes I was working hard as I didn't have spurs. I thought because of my energy level, that Sephira would pick up on that and we wouldn't have the issues with lack of impulsion. Wrong--guess she isn't that effected by the atmosphere--Try surely would have been. Also though I know Sephira knows well about rounding up--I haven't been doing this--I have really been riding here in a pre-hunter way. SO I was surprised that Denny asked for a head set as even though I know we can both do it I have hesitated to do so because of her baggage/history etc. She has been doing this for MH and Bethanna lately as they rode her while I was out of town etc. Anyway, in the Denny clinic Sephira was in and out of it--showing a lack of respect or a lack of leadership on my part. Each time I had something new to think about up came her head. Walk/trot--rounding up and impulsion. Also we did shoulder in and it was not crisp and clear like the next day when Bethanna rode Sephira. Another homework item. Also I don't look like a dressage rider--guess it is time to assess why.
There was one place in this section where things seemed to be coming together: trot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhiaPQwYhOw&feature=youtu.be
2. The next segment of 4+4+2 minutes included serpentines, leg yields and extended trot. Leg yields again could be more clear. Extended trot--we did extend some but I confused her with my aids and she also offered canter and passage. LOL The crowd watching got a kick out of that.
Section 2 - 4 minutes
http://youtu.be/poXjIgPGBt0
Extending trot - few seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FShuZAB9cHg&list=UU-eu-CX2dh5WAjMzyVVHRsQ
Video to compare: Bethanna riding Sephira 3 minutes 23 seconds. Trot and halt, Shoulders in, haunches in, leg yield or 1/2 pass and extended trot. Check comparative clarity. (note: full footage in file including lead changes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoO_WWW0yQ0&feature=youtu.be
MORE: patterns: simple changes every # strides? Counter canter the serpentine. Serpentine with simple changes over the center line. Canter the diagonal and do turn on haunches in the corner.
Notes from talking with Kathy about Sunday:
1. spurs - YES LOL
2. contact - yes for language and leadership that Sephira needs--soon test self-carriage etc
3. Sephira - needs conditioning to be ready to help her maintain her balance and support herself.
4. lots of gait transitions good to build muscle, walking out in the field, trotting but not too much
5. boredom - patterns change it up like we do with Try
Try: remember the process--how choppy she was, now using her HQ and rounding up on her own, opened her mind to movement possibilities. 2.5 years. Kathy did not realize that she was bred as halter horse. Sephira of course is smoother than Try with swingy stride.
1. The first segment of 13 minutes I was working hard as I didn't have spurs. I thought because of my energy level, that Sephira would pick up on that and we wouldn't have the issues with lack of impulsion. Wrong--guess she isn't that effected by the atmosphere--Try surely would have been. Also though I know Sephira knows well about rounding up--I haven't been doing this--I have really been riding here in a pre-hunter way. SO I was surprised that Denny asked for a head set as even though I know we can both do it I have hesitated to do so because of her baggage/history etc. She has been doing this for MH and Bethanna lately as they rode her while I was out of town etc. Anyway, in the Denny clinic Sephira was in and out of it--showing a lack of respect or a lack of leadership on my part. Each time I had something new to think about up came her head. Walk/trot--rounding up and impulsion. Also we did shoulder in and it was not crisp and clear like the next day when Bethanna rode Sephira. Another homework item. Also I don't look like a dressage rider--guess it is time to assess why.
There was one place in this section where things seemed to be coming together: trot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhiaPQwYhOw&feature=youtu.be
2. The next segment of 4+4+2 minutes included serpentines, leg yields and extended trot. Leg yields again could be more clear. Extended trot--we did extend some but I confused her with my aids and she also offered canter and passage. LOL The crowd watching got a kick out of that.
Section 2 - 4 minutes
http://youtu.be/poXjIgPGBt0
Extending trot - few seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FShuZAB9cHg&list=UU-eu-CX2dh5WAjMzyVVHRsQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoO_WWW0yQ0&feature=youtu.be
MORE: patterns: simple changes every # strides? Counter canter the serpentine. Serpentine with simple changes over the center line. Canter the diagonal and do turn on haunches in the corner.
Notes from talking with Kathy about Sunday:
1. spurs - YES LOL
2. contact - yes for language and leadership that Sephira needs--soon test self-carriage etc
3. Sephira - needs conditioning to be ready to help her maintain her balance and support herself.
4. lots of gait transitions good to build muscle, walking out in the field, trotting but not too much
5. boredom - patterns change it up like we do with Try
Try: remember the process--how choppy she was, now using her HQ and rounding up on her own, opened her mind to movement possibilities. 2.5 years. Kathy did not realize that she was bred as halter horse. Sephira of course is smoother than Try with swingy stride.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday - Kathy, Try and MMJ
Perfectly marvelous lesson with Kathy and Try. I have for about 4 lessons now made my relaxation a first priority and Try has been happy and offering all sorts of great stuff. Whoda thought Try would be happy in dressage study??
Self carriage in shoulder fore on the rail, really nice 1/4 turn on the haunches at the canter, good corners at the trot, etc. Kathy said Try is physically capable of doing 3rd level and has done 3rd level tasks/moves etc. This of course does NOT mean that we have our sights on any sort of competition nor ready to do a test. I did suggest at the beginning of the lesson that I thought it would be fun for Try and I to memorize the simplest possible test and do it for Kathy and have her judge it as a measure for me of where we are at.
In the afternoon Kathy and I were back at the barn for MMJ to come and help me with B Me with both Try and Sephira. More on this to come.
MMJ -- video transcript 55 min with Try, no footage with Sephira but teaching of concepts with Try.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-NSR53tMP4&feature=youtu.be
Self carriage in shoulder fore on the rail, really nice 1/4 turn on the haunches at the canter, good corners at the trot, etc. Kathy said Try is physically capable of doing 3rd level and has done 3rd level tasks/moves etc. This of course does NOT mean that we have our sights on any sort of competition nor ready to do a test. I did suggest at the beginning of the lesson that I thought it would be fun for Try and I to memorize the simplest possible test and do it for Kathy and have her judge it as a measure for me of where we are at.
In the afternoon Kathy and I were back at the barn for MMJ to come and help me with B Me with both Try and Sephira. More on this to come.
MMJ -- video transcript 55 min with Try, no footage with Sephira but teaching of concepts with Try.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-NSR53tMP4&feature=youtu.be
Summary – MMJ visit
- · Check Try lifts her head when I first lift the ribbon in GM
- · No huge release without something big to come down from. What was Try’s something? Anticipation of big pressure with guest instructor/fear?
- · Pressure: goal is to learn that it is ok, that she can successfully figure out answers and release that pressure and get her GM cookie
- · GM: for me—keep repeating the GM energy ribbon and check my level of GM in my body until we find deeper and deeper relaxation
- · Check my rhythm
- · Can move to different spots checking for reaction and finding relaxation in the new spots. Look for the edge at which she reacts.
- · Exhale to relax cue—watch this to be sure we are using it as a cue to allow and not to Make
- · Take the time it takes—tolerating the ribbon is not the goal—melting into the ground is
- · If she melts completely—grows roots into the ground—it is important to give her time to pleasantly transition out of it into doing something
- · GM if she is tuning me out, I can use a little slice with the ribbon to bring her back. (Sephira) Do not overuse or it will lose its power. Also I do not want her to be a slave—momentary distractions are just fine.
- · Tiger Mode TM—important that I am still in GM and that I am directing focus to ?6 inches away from stifle not directing TM at her!!
- · TM asking for alignment and draw to me from intention first, TM with energy ribbon next, then my backing up causing rope to make contact last. We may not need ribbon or rope—for both Try and Sephira but check that their energy is coming from HQ first i.e. sincere desire on their part to align.
- · I give her a place to go simultaneous with asking energy from her HQ to align with me
- · Circle of energy from my intention to her HQ, over her topline and FQ and moving the energy back to me in alignment
- · As soon as she aligns—I see energy from her HQ—let off Tm back into GM
- · When she draw/aligns I want a smooth transition of energy back into the GM energy ribbon—slow my feet and melt smoothly. All of this process should be smooth, danced energy transitions on my part
- · It helps in melting back into GM to give her room to come to a stop
- · As we are moving in alignment, if she begins to tune out I can add a little energy ribbon out to the side directed at HQ.
- · The purpose is only alignment and connection!
- · We can test the alignment by backing more and turning into her etc.
- · Also I can give her more room between us and see if she will put more energy into closing the gap and staying with me.
- · SINCERE THOUGHT, DESIRE TO ALIGN—ENERGY COMES 1ST FROM HQ
- · Stick to me/zone3—we would be one magnet—it is about our shared alignment and energy NOT about my Making her do something—shared leadership, maintain the strong energy connection
- ·
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