I blogged in my my non-riding blog about having purchased a bodybugg and my frustration that I am NOT a calorie burner.
Nothing much has changed except this one astounding truth:
I burn as many calories while riding AT THE WALK as I do at the most intense part of my workout at the gym, and when we start doing REAL work, I'm burning a whopping 600 calories an hour, which is MORE THAN DOUBLE what I burn during the most intense part of ANY of my gym workouts. So there!!!
Let anybody try to say that riding isn't a sport and that we're not exercising hard now, I double dog dare them!
And that's riding Tequila, my "easy" horse, the one I save for the days when my gym workouts have taken everything out of me and I don't have the stamina and/or endurance to be effective. I can't wait to see what kind of calorie burn I get when I ride Jacco or Facet, though it may be a while until I get that chance because we're so understaffed right now and Jacco has been high as a kite with this weather. Efficiency-wise, it's a lot easier to let Jessi ride him (and no one's got time to give me a lesson on him and I'm not so egotistical to believe that without a lesson I would get much done since I'm still figuring out the buttons and only just beginning to get them straight).
Until Jürgen returns from Christmas with his ailing father, and Birthe from vacation with her parents (and of course, Candice has moved on to her mammal training), life is whacko around here. I understand. At least I've got my old faithful, who is not only fun to ride even after all these years, but she's the best darn calorie burner around and at Christmastime especially, we all need one of those now, don't we?
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
A Whirlwind of Activity
Life's been so busy, I haven't had time to update my blog....
I'm having a blast with Jacco, who is turning out to be a real star--and Jürgen is so smug about it, he's impossible! Jacco's hindleg has always been amazing. Since we removed his wolf tooth and continued with the basic work on the training scale, his shoulder is becoming wonderfully expressive, too, and his mind, well, I won't bore everyone by waxing eloquent. Let me just say that he's been to four shows now, and he's undefeated at 3rd Level with the exception of a single class where he was 2nd (but they went off course twice, and only lost by a single point).
I'm riding him at home 4 days a week now (of my 6 days in the saddle), with one day on Facet and one on Quila. I think Facet probably tells tales in the barn aisle about my mistaken aids. He'll ignore my request for flying changes, or give me half-pass when we've been working on shoulder-in and I decide I want to do canter work, because he doesn't think my aids were clear enough (or he thinks I'm going in the wrong sequence--I'm never quite sure which...) and I'll catch him looking back at me with one eye and shaking his head. I tell Jürgen that maybe it's a good thing horses can't talk, because sometimes I'm not sure I want to know what Facet has to say about me, LOL. You have to love the old man, though, who at 21 is still the world's most patient (and exacting) teacher.
I need my day on Quila--it comes on Friday, after I've been to the gym 5 days in a row, and that morning, I've had my hardest workout class of the week with all the endurance runners and triathletes. I can manage precise aids or I can manage forward, but not both. Quila, at least, will go forward on her own, unless I ask her not to, and she'll take pity on me and give me the benefit of the doubt in the aids department. Facet is a demanding task master, and he wants his i's dotted precisely in the middle--not the slightest drift to the right or the left--which is as it should be for where I am right now. Jacco? He's not hard so much as he's a big mover. My core is exhausted after a ride on him, just from staying firmly in the saddle--and if I don't sit quietly, then he refuses to go forward. So riding him is tiring in and of itself. And it takes all my concentration to give him the correct aids while I'm sitting nicely up there so he'll go forward without me having to push him.
I know that when I've mastered everything with him, riding him will be a piece of cake. He's really quite forward... but he's also sensitive, and he does NOT like to be ridden from the seat, and he especially does NOT like to be pinched or to have a seat that isn't quiet and nice on him. So, my priorities have become an adhesive but not driving seat first, then we work from there. He's more like a mare than any mare... very particular, but if I ride him his way, then he'll do anything. If I don't, he's obstinate, and it takes muscle. You can still get your way (not like a mare in that regard), but then it's not finesse riding, and I would rather not have to go to the gym ten times a week to prepare to ride him!!!
Jessie, who has been riding him at home and who competes him, showed me the secrets to getting him light and easy and forward, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! So different, though, than any other horse I've ridden, especially for picking up the canter. He hates it if I use my seat. Just leg, please. With Quila and Facet, if I don't use my seat, they'll canter flat... so much to remember. But I love him, and his goofy personality. And I'm so grateful that his previous owner let him come with me and be mine!
The only other news is that the Breyer horse that Quila was the model for is FINALLY out. Here it is:
And here's a video of Jacco at the last show:
I'm having a blast with Jacco, who is turning out to be a real star--and Jürgen is so smug about it, he's impossible! Jacco's hindleg has always been amazing. Since we removed his wolf tooth and continued with the basic work on the training scale, his shoulder is becoming wonderfully expressive, too, and his mind, well, I won't bore everyone by waxing eloquent. Let me just say that he's been to four shows now, and he's undefeated at 3rd Level with the exception of a single class where he was 2nd (but they went off course twice, and only lost by a single point).
I'm riding him at home 4 days a week now (of my 6 days in the saddle), with one day on Facet and one on Quila. I think Facet probably tells tales in the barn aisle about my mistaken aids. He'll ignore my request for flying changes, or give me half-pass when we've been working on shoulder-in and I decide I want to do canter work, because he doesn't think my aids were clear enough (or he thinks I'm going in the wrong sequence--I'm never quite sure which...) and I'll catch him looking back at me with one eye and shaking his head. I tell Jürgen that maybe it's a good thing horses can't talk, because sometimes I'm not sure I want to know what Facet has to say about me, LOL. You have to love the old man, though, who at 21 is still the world's most patient (and exacting) teacher.
I need my day on Quila--it comes on Friday, after I've been to the gym 5 days in a row, and that morning, I've had my hardest workout class of the week with all the endurance runners and triathletes. I can manage precise aids or I can manage forward, but not both. Quila, at least, will go forward on her own, unless I ask her not to, and she'll take pity on me and give me the benefit of the doubt in the aids department. Facet is a demanding task master, and he wants his i's dotted precisely in the middle--not the slightest drift to the right or the left--which is as it should be for where I am right now. Jacco? He's not hard so much as he's a big mover. My core is exhausted after a ride on him, just from staying firmly in the saddle--and if I don't sit quietly, then he refuses to go forward. So riding him is tiring in and of itself. And it takes all my concentration to give him the correct aids while I'm sitting nicely up there so he'll go forward without me having to push him.
I know that when I've mastered everything with him, riding him will be a piece of cake. He's really quite forward... but he's also sensitive, and he does NOT like to be ridden from the seat, and he especially does NOT like to be pinched or to have a seat that isn't quiet and nice on him. So, my priorities have become an adhesive but not driving seat first, then we work from there. He's more like a mare than any mare... very particular, but if I ride him his way, then he'll do anything. If I don't, he's obstinate, and it takes muscle. You can still get your way (not like a mare in that regard), but then it's not finesse riding, and I would rather not have to go to the gym ten times a week to prepare to ride him!!!
Jessie, who has been riding him at home and who competes him, showed me the secrets to getting him light and easy and forward, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! So different, though, than any other horse I've ridden, especially for picking up the canter. He hates it if I use my seat. Just leg, please. With Quila and Facet, if I don't use my seat, they'll canter flat... so much to remember. But I love him, and his goofy personality. And I'm so grateful that his previous owner let him come with me and be mine!
The only other news is that the Breyer horse that Quila was the model for is FINALLY out. Here it is:
And here's a video of Jacco at the last show:
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Jennifer and Farinelli at San Juan
I love YouTube. Some wonderful soul filmed Jennifer's rides in the Intermediaire-1 and the Freestyle and put them online, so I can post them here. I was too busy being the thrilled-to-the-gills owner to even think about filming them myself.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Not as Easy as I Thought
I love Purple Rain, aka Jacco (I always call him Jacco), and I'm having fun riding him--and learning to ride him well--but we're a long way from being ready to show. I'd hoped it would be otherwise, but it's not, in part because I found a whole other trot than what I originally knew was there--a big, beautiful trot that is a real challenge to ride well, but now that I know it is there, I'm not willing to settle for anything less. The same with his canter.
I wish I had the natural coordination that Susan and Emma have, but I don't. In order to ride with enough leg supporting his "super" gaits, I struggle not to tense up in my hips. When I get it right, riding him is sheer heaven. When I don't, it's like driving with the parking brake on, and I'm working MUCH harder than the horse, especially now that the weather's getting hot. If I'm telling him stop with one aid and go with the other, quite reasonably, he picks the one he prefers, and it usually isn't the "go" one.
The biggest obstacle I've had, however, has been consistency in the saddle. I'll just start to get some momentum going, just start to make some progress and something will come up to derail me. First it was wolf teeth. Poor Jacco's mouth hurt him so bad he'd toss his head every time I half-halted on the right, and he'd throw in explosive spooks for no reason. It wasn't characteristic for him, so I had the vet check him and sure enough, he had an inflamed wolf tooth (I figured it was either that or a sharp hook). She pulled the tooth, but because of his age, it took a few weeks to heal, so that kept me off him. Then I moved... and then I started the new gym program and I couldn't manage more than a few rides a week because I was so body sore.
But I got better--and I got back on track--until a series of horse shows interrupted us. I couldn't ride because I was at the shows all day. On track again, things were going great, and then he twisted a shoe and it was 3 days until we could get the farrier out.
This week, only 2 rides because of another show (but what a show! It's the Olympic Selection Trials a mere 45 minutes from home, and the PSG/Int-1 Championships are being held at the same time. Jennifer is riding Susan's horse, Farinelli, in the PSG/Int-1 Championships and he is looking mighty fine right now. We feel like he could place near the top, though we don't expect a win).
Next week, though, FINALLY life should be back to normal and I should be able to get 5 rides in a week. This week seemed to turn a corner for me... and I'm starting to feel good from the gym without too much muscle pain or fatigue, so crossing fingers that we'll see our learning curve shoot skyward. I'm ready to make some real progress. I know we will... it's just filling in those basics and getting the foundation right, and me learning a new horse after having spent so many years with Quila who didn't need aids because she could read my mind.
I wish I had the natural coordination that Susan and Emma have, but I don't. In order to ride with enough leg supporting his "super" gaits, I struggle not to tense up in my hips. When I get it right, riding him is sheer heaven. When I don't, it's like driving with the parking brake on, and I'm working MUCH harder than the horse, especially now that the weather's getting hot. If I'm telling him stop with one aid and go with the other, quite reasonably, he picks the one he prefers, and it usually isn't the "go" one.
The biggest obstacle I've had, however, has been consistency in the saddle. I'll just start to get some momentum going, just start to make some progress and something will come up to derail me. First it was wolf teeth. Poor Jacco's mouth hurt him so bad he'd toss his head every time I half-halted on the right, and he'd throw in explosive spooks for no reason. It wasn't characteristic for him, so I had the vet check him and sure enough, he had an inflamed wolf tooth (I figured it was either that or a sharp hook). She pulled the tooth, but because of his age, it took a few weeks to heal, so that kept me off him. Then I moved... and then I started the new gym program and I couldn't manage more than a few rides a week because I was so body sore.
But I got better--and I got back on track--until a series of horse shows interrupted us. I couldn't ride because I was at the shows all day. On track again, things were going great, and then he twisted a shoe and it was 3 days until we could get the farrier out.
This week, only 2 rides because of another show (but what a show! It's the Olympic Selection Trials a mere 45 minutes from home, and the PSG/Int-1 Championships are being held at the same time. Jennifer is riding Susan's horse, Farinelli, in the PSG/Int-1 Championships and he is looking mighty fine right now. We feel like he could place near the top, though we don't expect a win).
Next week, though, FINALLY life should be back to normal and I should be able to get 5 rides in a week. This week seemed to turn a corner for me... and I'm starting to feel good from the gym without too much muscle pain or fatigue, so crossing fingers that we'll see our learning curve shoot skyward. I'm ready to make some real progress. I know we will... it's just filling in those basics and getting the foundation right, and me learning a new horse after having spent so many years with Quila who didn't need aids because she could read my mind.
Monday, June 2, 2008
A Dose of Humility
Quila broke her all-time high scores twice this weekend at the tender age of 19, without me. (69.666% and 71.000%) The fifteen year-old girl she's fallen in love with was in the saddle, and I have to honestly say that I've never seen Quila put in in a better performance. She was certainly never that nice for me. We had a few rides that were that close, perhaps, but when she was that quiet and that easy, we lacked the forward energy that she gave to Emma.
Maybe I can take some of the credit, though (along with Fabian and Birthe)--Quila has finally, after all, learned to half halt from the seat and leg. But an even greater amount of credit goes to the rider who not only showed the mare well, but had the grace and tact to tell me, "Well, it was only because you told me what she'd try to get away with and how to keep her from doing it."
I wish it were that easy. I knew for a long, long time what Quila would try to get away with at a show, but knowing and keeping her from doing it (even when I knew what tools I SHOULD use) were two entirely different things. The difference, I think, is that Emma is stronger than I am, with faster reaction times, and she is also more athletic. Quila never had a chance to "freight train" which is what Emma and I laughingly call Quila's penchant for the medium paces. Every time Quila even hinted at taking over the test, Emma caught it. Quila didn't get things her way for more than half a stride. I was usually several strides too late in trying to nip things in the bud, no matter how much I resolved otherwise, because I'd be focusing on the next movement, or keeping her straight and not losing her shoulders or haunches, or I don't know what...
No, I have to hand it to Emma. Quila is NOT an easy horse to show. She thinks she is smarter than you are and she knows the tests by heart, so if you relax for one tiny second, by golly she's going to take over (meaning well, mind you--she really does believe she's raising your score by at least 20 or 30 points), because she sooooo wants to help you out. The problem is that no matter how hard I try, I've never been able to convince her that judges don't quite see things her way. Perhaps it's just as well. I think it would break her heart to know she's been wrong all these years. Perhaps it's better that she just finish her career with Emma, who stays ahead of her, so she finishes a winner, still believing that she's been a heroine for both of us and knowing how much we both love her.
I'm glad Quila has Emma, too, because I'm so totally head over heels for Jacco. He had some time off with a wolf tooth, but now we're going like gang busters. We've been working on getting him supple and through, and now his trot is sooooo amazing. People stop and stare, with their jaws bouncing off the ground. I rather like that, and like it even more when I get comments like, "Gee, I never knew you could sit the trot like that!"
We're working on our foundation, perfecting our transitions and making sure our connection is correct and that I've got him straight and so forth. He's tipping his head a bit now on the right (that showed up just before the wolf tooth and got a lot better after the tooth was out, but it's not quite gone)--we want to see that gone and everything just right before we introduce him to the show world, but honestly, I don't mind.
I'm used to paying my dues... I did it for years with Quila. This, however, is paying my dues at quite a different (and much more fun) level, and he's such a terrific boy--great work ethic, lovely on the aids, willing. I look goofy when I'm riding because I can't wipe the grin off my face, even when I'm panting and out of breath because he's such a mover it takes a ton of core muscle to stay with him and not impede that movement. He even makes me look forward to going to the gym, just because I know I'll ride him better. Now that's saying something!
Maybe I can take some of the credit, though (along with Fabian and Birthe)--Quila has finally, after all, learned to half halt from the seat and leg. But an even greater amount of credit goes to the rider who not only showed the mare well, but had the grace and tact to tell me, "Well, it was only because you told me what she'd try to get away with and how to keep her from doing it."
I wish it were that easy. I knew for a long, long time what Quila would try to get away with at a show, but knowing and keeping her from doing it (even when I knew what tools I SHOULD use) were two entirely different things. The difference, I think, is that Emma is stronger than I am, with faster reaction times, and she is also more athletic. Quila never had a chance to "freight train" which is what Emma and I laughingly call Quila's penchant for the medium paces. Every time Quila even hinted at taking over the test, Emma caught it. Quila didn't get things her way for more than half a stride. I was usually several strides too late in trying to nip things in the bud, no matter how much I resolved otherwise, because I'd be focusing on the next movement, or keeping her straight and not losing her shoulders or haunches, or I don't know what...
No, I have to hand it to Emma. Quila is NOT an easy horse to show. She thinks she is smarter than you are and she knows the tests by heart, so if you relax for one tiny second, by golly she's going to take over (meaning well, mind you--she really does believe she's raising your score by at least 20 or 30 points), because she sooooo wants to help you out. The problem is that no matter how hard I try, I've never been able to convince her that judges don't quite see things her way. Perhaps it's just as well. I think it would break her heart to know she's been wrong all these years. Perhaps it's better that she just finish her career with Emma, who stays ahead of her, so she finishes a winner, still believing that she's been a heroine for both of us and knowing how much we both love her.
I'm glad Quila has Emma, too, because I'm so totally head over heels for Jacco. He had some time off with a wolf tooth, but now we're going like gang busters. We've been working on getting him supple and through, and now his trot is sooooo amazing. People stop and stare, with their jaws bouncing off the ground. I rather like that, and like it even more when I get comments like, "Gee, I never knew you could sit the trot like that!"
We're working on our foundation, perfecting our transitions and making sure our connection is correct and that I've got him straight and so forth. He's tipping his head a bit now on the right (that showed up just before the wolf tooth and got a lot better after the tooth was out, but it's not quite gone)--we want to see that gone and everything just right before we introduce him to the show world, but honestly, I don't mind.
I'm used to paying my dues... I did it for years with Quila. This, however, is paying my dues at quite a different (and much more fun) level, and he's such a terrific boy--great work ethic, lovely on the aids, willing. I look goofy when I'm riding because I can't wipe the grin off my face, even when I'm panting and out of breath because he's such a mover it takes a ton of core muscle to stay with him and not impede that movement. He even makes me look forward to going to the gym, just because I know I'll ride him better. Now that's saying something!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Oh, WOW!
I am having such a BLAST riding Jacco.
Although the temptation is there to start riding movements (and it is a HUGE temptation), I'm being good and focusing on really learning to ride his gaits--and it is paying off. You could hear jaws thudding left and right yesterday when we were trotting around the arena in our WORKING trot because he has such expression and elegance if I don't get in his way, and I'm not in his way the majority of the time now. One of the benefits to having been stuck at First Level so long with Quila is that I did have the opportunity to really focus on my seat, and on riding those P-E-R-F-E-C-T circles. It's all paying off now with Jacco, in that I'm finding that riding those super gaits of his isn't going to be impossible for me (though I sure am glad I'm also investing all that time at the gym--I had no idea how much Jennifer must be using those abs of hers when she rides every day--she makes it look so EASY when she sits on those huge moving horses of hers, and while I think Jacco is the bees knees, I have a sneaking suspicion that his movement is still an order of magnitude less than her mounts.)
Still, Jacco is super honest and willing, very forward (haven't picked up a whip since I got him), and lovely off the leg. He WANTS to do the job, and now that we've figured out the difference between the "Dutch" aids and the "German" aids and explained it to him, he's been very quick to adapt to our system of cues and life is going smoothly. His two goals in life seem to be 1) to be told he's a good boy, and 2) to be cuddled and scratched all over. Food isn't nearly as important to him as #1 and #2, though he's not a poor eater by any means, LOL.
Susan went to LAEC to compete this weekend, but I stayed home to ride. She's pouting. "My mom got a new horse, and she loves him more than me!" she tells anybody who will listen. She isn't getting much sympathy, though. It's reported that pretty much everybody is answering her, "Well, it's about time!"
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The Best Horse Ever!
Sorry, Quila.
Tequila Sunrise is, and always will be, "The Mare of My Heart," and I will love her as I have loved no other horse, but I have had more fun riding the last two days than I have ever had in my life--and I was riding Jacco. Of course, in a tribute to her, much that I love about him is because he is so much like her only more so...
His trot has that same smoothness to it that you could sit all day, only he has suspension and loft that she lacks, at least in recent years, and when I ask for a lengthening, those afterburners kick in and I get a breath-taking trip across the diagonal that I know is beautiful to watch, too (I've seen Alena ride him).
His canter is large and uphill, also smooth and easy to ride, but with a natural jump to it that I had to work hard to help Quila learn to achieve (and which is still a struggle for Quila some days--though to Quila's credit, she proved the savants wrong: you CAN improve the canter, because hers went from flat and ordinary to becoming one of her best gaits, surprising everybody who knew her before and after, and even now at 19, it remains lovely to watch).
Both horses have equally fabulous walks.
And lovable? Same. Both would rather be loved on than eat. Both EXPECT to be adored. Jacco is King to Quila's Queen, but he makes dorky faces that are endearing, while Quila maintains her regal appearance except to flash her Ugly Mare Face at horses who dare intrude on her territory. Jacco isn't territorial. He just assumes he's so cute you'd never dream of sharing your affections with anyone else. By and large, he's right. The only horse he hasn't been able to steal attention from is Quila, and that's because no one dares. He has successfully stolen the hearts of all the other horse owners in the barn, much to their horses chagrin.
Jacco's had many surprises for me--he's my little Maserati, with handling that is far more sensitive and responsive than any other horse I've ever ridden. He's quite kind about it (thank goodness, otherwise I might find myself the riding-equivalent of wrapped around a tree, LOL), but I have found myself riding a 6 meter circle in travers when I'd intended a perfectly normal 10 meter volte, simply because I'd given him the aids it would have required to get Quila to do a 10 meter volte without losing her haunches. Oops. I'm adjusting, and learning not to "shout" and he's teaching me.
Can't wait until Wednesday, which will be my next ride, though I had so much fun this weekend, I've got "rollover grins" (think "rollover minutes" a la the phone company) in the bank, and I won't run out until long after I'm dead at the rate we'll be piling them on.
Jürgen tried to tell me that we're going to hit snags down the road, and not to expect every ride to be as rosy as the ones were this weekend. I told him, "Of course not, but somehow, I think my worst ride on Jacco will still be better than a lot of my ordinary rides up until now. All I have to do is remind myself what it took to get to this point, and a "bad" ride won't seem bad at all. I have a feeling riding Jacco is going to go from good to very good to great to damn exceptional."
In case you haven't guessed, I'm smiling.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Purple Rain in the United States!
It sounds like an environmental disaster, doesn't it? But it's not. It's about the greatest thing to happen this century!!! And here he is:
The second photo includes his former owner, Lydie, who loved him and trained him and made him the wonderful horse that he is--and who was so incredibly kind to me to send me a letter, a book of photos (including from when he was a newborn, and from his sire, dam and grandsires!), a full set of wraps and his blanket. She and her entire family also insisted on driving him to the airport in Amsterdam themselves to see him off, rather than asking us to send shippers to their farm for him. It's obvious that he meant a great deal to them and that he was a member of the family in the 8+ years she owned him. I hope she realizes that he will be no less loved and cared for now that he's become a member of my family. I think she must... she saw me bawling for joy when I finished riding him, and must have known that I appreciated how truly wonderful he was.
I've waffled and waffled and waffled--and waffled some more--and I've come to the conclusion that I will stick with his original names. I've loved "Purple Rain" from the moment I heard it (I've always been a Prince fan), and I think "Jacco" suits him. That, and I already own a 3 year-old gelding with the barn name Prince, and I don't think I want to own a 3 year-old gelding known as "The Horse Formerly Known as Prince." I'm certain Jacco is a Prince of a horse, but Lydie called him Jacco, and I also think it's a tribute to Lydie to leave his name as she gave it to him... and that, more than anything, is my reasoning. If he'd belonged to some big breeder who hadn't put any thought into anything and just handed the horses off to a trainer who rode (nicely) a dozen horses or more daily, without any strong attachment to any because they could be sold at any time, that would be different. But that's not Jacco. He was named out of love, and those names shouldn't change--ever.
I can't wait to put my arms around him tomorrow and give him a hug and a kiss, and to whisper, "Welcome home, Jacco. I love you."
The second photo includes his former owner, Lydie, who loved him and trained him and made him the wonderful horse that he is--and who was so incredibly kind to me to send me a letter, a book of photos (including from when he was a newborn, and from his sire, dam and grandsires!), a full set of wraps and his blanket. She and her entire family also insisted on driving him to the airport in Amsterdam themselves to see him off, rather than asking us to send shippers to their farm for him. It's obvious that he meant a great deal to them and that he was a member of the family in the 8+ years she owned him. I hope she realizes that he will be no less loved and cared for now that he's become a member of my family. I think she must... she saw me bawling for joy when I finished riding him, and must have known that I appreciated how truly wonderful he was.
I've waffled and waffled and waffled--and waffled some more--and I've come to the conclusion that I will stick with his original names. I've loved "Purple Rain" from the moment I heard it (I've always been a Prince fan), and I think "Jacco" suits him. That, and I already own a 3 year-old gelding with the barn name Prince, and I don't think I want to own a 3 year-old gelding known as "The Horse Formerly Known as Prince." I'm certain Jacco is a Prince of a horse, but Lydie called him Jacco, and I also think it's a tribute to Lydie to leave his name as she gave it to him... and that, more than anything, is my reasoning. If he'd belonged to some big breeder who hadn't put any thought into anything and just handed the horses off to a trainer who rode (nicely) a dozen horses or more daily, without any strong attachment to any because they could be sold at any time, that would be different. But that's not Jacco. He was named out of love, and those names shouldn't change--ever.
I can't wait to put my arms around him tomorrow and give him a hug and a kiss, and to whisper, "Welcome home, Jacco. I love you."
Monday, February 4, 2008
We Have a Date...
So, we have a tentative date for shipping... and it seems like forever and a day from now to me. Of course, I wanted him here yesterday. I even volunteered to leave all my clothes behind and stuff him in my suitcase. I would gladly have paid the $50 overweight charge. But Jürgen said I couldn't do that, that the airlines frowned on the practice and that we had to vet him first. Damn. I tried.
So now, I have to wait until February 20. That's more than two weeks away. And then the folks in Los Angeles will want to keep him until February 22. They call it "quarantine," but I know the truth--they want to make moon eyes at him and tell him how lovely he is, and on top of that, they want me to pay THEM for the privilege. Don't you think it should be the other way around?
I can hardly wait for February 22, when I can pick him up in Los Angeles and drive him to our facility. I hope it's a sunny day. Coming from Holland, that would be such a treat for him. He's not going to believe his good fortune, landing some place where the sun actually SHINES and where he can work outside without getting soaking wet. He'll also get to share a barn with a famous Dutch stallion (Facet), so he'll have a friend that speaks the language while he learns to converse with the Germans (that should help him feel at home), and he'll have a beautiful brand new bridle and blankets, and he's going to get lots of love and attention. He'll get used to the grey mare that makes the ugly faces at him... I'm sure Facet will explain about HER. Facet learned to ignore Quila a long time ago. (She saves her "best" faces for him, but my guess is she'll transfer them to Jacco, or split them equally between the two boys--she is a jealous one!)
So now, I have to wait until February 20. That's more than two weeks away. And then the folks in Los Angeles will want to keep him until February 22. They call it "quarantine," but I know the truth--they want to make moon eyes at him and tell him how lovely he is, and on top of that, they want me to pay THEM for the privilege. Don't you think it should be the other way around?
I can hardly wait for February 22, when I can pick him up in Los Angeles and drive him to our facility. I hope it's a sunny day. Coming from Holland, that would be such a treat for him. He's not going to believe his good fortune, landing some place where the sun actually SHINES and where he can work outside without getting soaking wet. He'll also get to share a barn with a famous Dutch stallion (Facet), so he'll have a friend that speaks the language while he learns to converse with the Germans (that should help him feel at home), and he'll have a beautiful brand new bridle and blankets, and he's going to get lots of love and attention. He'll get used to the grey mare that makes the ugly faces at him... I'm sure Facet will explain about HER. Facet learned to ignore Quila a long time ago. (She saves her "best" faces for him, but my guess is she'll transfer them to Jacco, or split them equally between the two boys--she is a jealous one!)
Saturday, February 2, 2008
A New Horse!
It took some looking (and two trips to Europe after the horse from the first trip didn't vet and we didn't find a suitable back-up), and countless hours spent watching videos of completely unsuitable horses. In fact, for me, the search seemed so endless as to be hopeless but Jürgen and Susan didn't give up hope. (My budget was low, since I only had the insurance money from Promise and she was under-insured, and Jürgen insisted that I needed a horse that would get me OFF those damn circles, one that I could show right away and start moving forward with; he wanted confirmed changes, show experience, a good mind. He said he'd lost enough hair already, that he didn't need to worry about my safety, LOL. Susan strongly agreed with him, and both were determined to find me just such a mount. I didn't think one existed at my budget, not that was healthy and not close to retirement.)
We made our second trip to Europe January 21 - 28. Susan had bilateral knee surgery on December 28, so we didn't think she'd be able to join us. She recovered so quickly, however, that we were able to bring her along (Want cheap last minute plane fare? Check out www.cheapflights.com to find the best bargains. I got her flights on Delta for less than I paid for mine 3 weeks in advance!) It was great having her along (and educational for her, too, since she's studying German at the University of San Diego. We laughed a lot and had a great time, and she was VERY opinionated (what else is new?) about the horses we tried. She rode the horses we considered for me before I did (so did Jürgen on most of them, but not on the day that we found my new boy--he could tell as much by watching Susan ride and he trusted Susan not to get herself killed in making sure they were safe enough for me). The first we tried was lovely--I could have been very happy with him. The second, not so much (I didn't ride him after he bolted with Susan. She giggled and said she loved him but he was NOT for me--"I like my mom" was her comment), and then I rode the love of my life.
I didn't know there WAS such a horse... so beautiful and elegant, and so uphill that he'd need stilts for his hindlegs in order to go on his forehand. Kind, patient, well-trained. Needs to be ridden more through, but we're pros at that at my barn, so two or three weeks and that issue will be history. The big thing is he was so much FUN and he met all of our criteria. When I got off of him, I had a wrap around grin on my face and tears in my eyes... and I was a giggling idiot. I knew, absolutely, that he was the one. I was 100% hopelessly in love, and there was no going back.
Thankfully, he has passed vet and now I can call him mine (or at least I'll be able to as soon as the bank transfer goes through.., but that's just a formality).
So, I'm pleased to introduce PURPLE RAIN, an 11 year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Jaccardo. He's dark bay (nearly black) with 3 small ermines and a tiny tiny tiny star on his forehead, and he's going to be the most loved gelding on the planet. I can't wait until I can introduce him to everybody in person.
Thank you, Jürgen and Susan, for not giving up. My dreams are coming true.
Friday, November 16, 2007
A Little Help From My Friends
I was touched by the thoughtfulness of my daughter, Jürgen and several of my boarders today. As far as I know, they don't read my blog, (I don't think anybody really reads it, given how few visitors I get--and I've never had anyone leave a comment) and I hadn't said anything to them about how I've been feeling, but I guess they noticed.
They've been asking regularly, "How are you doing? Are you okay?" My answer has been, "Yeah, sure." Because I am okay. I'm healthy. I'm fitter than I've ever been. I actually like my personal trainer nearly all the time (although there were a few minutes last night when I told him that I took back all the nice things I'd said--he made me do two quadriceps exercises back-to-back, three sets each to exhaustion, so it was really 6 quadriceps exercises to exhaustion, with only a 10 second break between them. My quads won't speak to him at least until Monday, and they probably won't speak to me again until then, either.)
Anyway, I can't complain about too much, except that I miss Promise. I miss having her to look forward to, and there just isn't much joy in riding anymore as a result. I love Quila. She's a great mare, but age has caught up with her, and I've faced the fact that First Level is her limit. She is a First Level horse, and the perfect volté (which we can now do) is about the best she can manage at trot. At canter, we've got counter canter and simple changes, but that won't buy us a ticket to Second Level. Not without shoulder-in. So... it's been tough dragging myself to the barn. Tough getting enthused about running the place.
What have they done, these beloved people? First, they talked to dear, less-than-enthusiastic-about-this-whole-horse-ownership-business-hubby (hubby, who has put me on restriction for horse purchases and trips to Europe), and laid out a plan for selling horses I own, setting out to buy a horse that I can ride and compete this coming year, and allowing me to retire Quila as I'd originally planned. And they've set the wheels in motion for doing so and begun to search. I'm grateful, because I haven't the heart or energy to look myself (nor did I have the nerve to ask hubby, who has been more than gracious over the years with my horse addiction) about another horse. Not with a kid in college.
And, they also came up with a business plan for the ranch, aimed at filling it with boarders and starting new programs that will be fun for everyone, programs they want to help run. They're infusing the place, and me, with a new energy.
Even though I'm crying as I type this, I don't feel quite so lost and hopeless. They gave me just what I needed.
They've been asking regularly, "How are you doing? Are you okay?" My answer has been, "Yeah, sure." Because I am okay. I'm healthy. I'm fitter than I've ever been. I actually like my personal trainer nearly all the time (although there were a few minutes last night when I told him that I took back all the nice things I'd said--he made me do two quadriceps exercises back-to-back, three sets each to exhaustion, so it was really 6 quadriceps exercises to exhaustion, with only a 10 second break between them. My quads won't speak to him at least until Monday, and they probably won't speak to me again until then, either.)
Anyway, I can't complain about too much, except that I miss Promise. I miss having her to look forward to, and there just isn't much joy in riding anymore as a result. I love Quila. She's a great mare, but age has caught up with her, and I've faced the fact that First Level is her limit. She is a First Level horse, and the perfect volté (which we can now do) is about the best she can manage at trot. At canter, we've got counter canter and simple changes, but that won't buy us a ticket to Second Level. Not without shoulder-in. So... it's been tough dragging myself to the barn. Tough getting enthused about running the place.
What have they done, these beloved people? First, they talked to dear, less-than-enthusiastic-about-this-whole-horse-ownership-business-hubby (hubby, who has put me on restriction for horse purchases and trips to Europe), and laid out a plan for selling horses I own, setting out to buy a horse that I can ride and compete this coming year, and allowing me to retire Quila as I'd originally planned. And they've set the wheels in motion for doing so and begun to search. I'm grateful, because I haven't the heart or energy to look myself (nor did I have the nerve to ask hubby, who has been more than gracious over the years with my horse addiction) about another horse. Not with a kid in college.
And, they also came up with a business plan for the ranch, aimed at filling it with boarders and starting new programs that will be fun for everyone, programs they want to help run. They're infusing the place, and me, with a new energy.
Even though I'm crying as I type this, I don't feel quite so lost and hopeless. They gave me just what I needed.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
It's Still Hard
This was the first weekend I've been back "in circulation" since I lost Promise. It wasn't easy.
I really haven't been riding much. I wouldn't be riding at all if it weren't for Quila... I don't have the heart for it right now... but she needs me. In her life, she's been through so much, and she's come to where she completely trusts again and she tries so hard for me--I could never let her feel abandoned. So I go out and ride her, at least 4 days a week, anyway. She likes Alena, and one of the barn moms spoils her, so I don't mind skipping one or two days, but never two in a row. It wouldn't be fair.
But it feels like all of my goals vanished overnight, like I have nothing to work toward for the first time ever, and I don't know how to deal with that. And with Quila, I'm still working on the same old things I've been working on forever. Her age, now, has put a ceiling on our achievements together, I'm afraid. The only difference in our riding is that my voltés are round and I don't lose the shoulders or the haunches anymore (or when I do, I know it and I know what I need to do in order to correct it). Small consolation.
I've been avoiding the horse world.
But this weekend was our chapter's first CDI***, and I'm on the board. I promised I'd scribe for the weekend a long time ago, and I didn't want to let the volunteer coordinator down. I saw some pretty amazing horses and some pretty amazing rides (and, unfortunately, some pretty painful ones, too). It wasn't easy. I enjoyed seeing my friends again, and a beautiful horse ridden well is always a joy to behold, but I couldn't help feeling my loss more sharply. The ache, which had started to subside just a little, came back even more powerfully, because I know what I lost.
I know grief is like that. I know it will pass, lessen and I'll be able to find joy in my sport again, but I sure can't find it now. I just want that mare back. The one I waited for, watched enter the world, and fussed over for those 5 long years until it would be my turn to ride her, and then my turn never came. The one whose hugs were almost as good as her mother's. Times like this I wonder "Why horses?" Mountain biking and wind surfing never broke my heart.
I really haven't been riding much. I wouldn't be riding at all if it weren't for Quila... I don't have the heart for it right now... but she needs me. In her life, she's been through so much, and she's come to where she completely trusts again and she tries so hard for me--I could never let her feel abandoned. So I go out and ride her, at least 4 days a week, anyway. She likes Alena, and one of the barn moms spoils her, so I don't mind skipping one or two days, but never two in a row. It wouldn't be fair.
But it feels like all of my goals vanished overnight, like I have nothing to work toward for the first time ever, and I don't know how to deal with that. And with Quila, I'm still working on the same old things I've been working on forever. Her age, now, has put a ceiling on our achievements together, I'm afraid. The only difference in our riding is that my voltés are round and I don't lose the shoulders or the haunches anymore (or when I do, I know it and I know what I need to do in order to correct it). Small consolation.
I've been avoiding the horse world.
But this weekend was our chapter's first CDI***, and I'm on the board. I promised I'd scribe for the weekend a long time ago, and I didn't want to let the volunteer coordinator down. I saw some pretty amazing horses and some pretty amazing rides (and, unfortunately, some pretty painful ones, too). It wasn't easy. I enjoyed seeing my friends again, and a beautiful horse ridden well is always a joy to behold, but I couldn't help feeling my loss more sharply. The ache, which had started to subside just a little, came back even more powerfully, because I know what I lost.
I know grief is like that. I know it will pass, lessen and I'll be able to find joy in my sport again, but I sure can't find it now. I just want that mare back. The one I waited for, watched enter the world, and fussed over for those 5 long years until it would be my turn to ride her, and then my turn never came. The one whose hugs were almost as good as her mother's. Times like this I wonder "Why horses?" Mountain biking and wind surfing never broke my heart.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Pik's Promise RIP 5/2002 - 10/12/2007
This is probably the most difficult post I will ever write.
Her name said it all. She was full of promise and hope and talent and beauty, everything I had hoped and dreamed, and all too soon, she has gone to join the angels. I never even had my chance to ride her, except the one time at the walk.
Promise sustained an extremely rare traumatic injury--so rare that her two primary vets, in 40+ years of combined experience between them have only seen a total of five cases--resulting in a catastrophic breakdown. It could not have been foreseen or prevented, and there was no treatment. She was relieved of her suffering on October 12, 2007, when the extent of the injury became clear. I am grateful to Richard Markell, DVM, who cared for her during her illness--kinder, more compassionate veterinarians do not exist, nor do veterinarians that work harder or more intelligently to look for miracles. If there had been one to be found, I have no doubt that he would have found it. He's the best. I'm also grateful to consultants Mark Martinelli, DVM and Lynn Richardson, DVM. It was not for lack of care or caring that we lost my precious girl.
Pik's Promise was a Gold Medal Premium foal with the Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar who fulfilled that initial potential when she matured. As a mare, she received straight 8's across the board for all aspects of conformation and gaits at her Mare Inspection. Her score was the highest in the United States for the Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar in 2005. No mare scored as high or higher in 2004, 2006 or 2007, either. Even though she was from a "non-recognized" studbook, the NA/WPN agreed to inspect her for possible entry (no guarantees) into their Auxiliary Mare Book. They liked what they saw so much that they awarded her a First Premium, and once she fulfilled their x-ray and endoscopy requirements, she was entered into their Main Mare Book with the coveted Ster and PROK Predicates. She has a lovely yearling foal that fell just short of a Premium with the NA/WPN, which didn't surprise us, since the foal was born almost a month premature and hadn't caught up on her growth at the time of the inspection.
But Promise wasn't just lovely to look at. She was amazing in the show ring, too. She was a little shaky at her first show, where she went all by herself, with no friends for reassurance--but she still kept her scores in the mid-60's. She was in the high 60's at the second, and at her third show, she won the high point award for the show with a score of 74.4% at Training Level Test 4. Every score was better than the previous, and her confidence level was skyrocketing.
I had my first lesson on her scheduled for October 16, after my trainers returned from vacation.
I have lost a beloved friend and I no longer see bright future in front of me. Right now, I thank God that Quila is healthy (and I pray that she remains so), and I will take each day as it comes, but I have no plans to show. I'm afraid to push my luck with Quila and I need her at home.
Her name said it all. She was full of promise and hope and talent and beauty, everything I had hoped and dreamed, and all too soon, she has gone to join the angels. I never even had my chance to ride her, except the one time at the walk.
Promise sustained an extremely rare traumatic injury--so rare that her two primary vets, in 40+ years of combined experience between them have only seen a total of five cases--resulting in a catastrophic breakdown. It could not have been foreseen or prevented, and there was no treatment. She was relieved of her suffering on October 12, 2007, when the extent of the injury became clear. I am grateful to Richard Markell, DVM, who cared for her during her illness--kinder, more compassionate veterinarians do not exist, nor do veterinarians that work harder or more intelligently to look for miracles. If there had been one to be found, I have no doubt that he would have found it. He's the best. I'm also grateful to consultants Mark Martinelli, DVM and Lynn Richardson, DVM. It was not for lack of care or caring that we lost my precious girl.
Pik's Promise was a Gold Medal Premium foal with the Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar who fulfilled that initial potential when she matured. As a mare, she received straight 8's across the board for all aspects of conformation and gaits at her Mare Inspection. Her score was the highest in the United States for the Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar in 2005. No mare scored as high or higher in 2004, 2006 or 2007, either. Even though she was from a "non-recognized" studbook, the NA/WPN agreed to inspect her for possible entry (no guarantees) into their Auxiliary Mare Book. They liked what they saw so much that they awarded her a First Premium, and once she fulfilled their x-ray and endoscopy requirements, she was entered into their Main Mare Book with the coveted Ster and PROK Predicates. She has a lovely yearling foal that fell just short of a Premium with the NA/WPN, which didn't surprise us, since the foal was born almost a month premature and hadn't caught up on her growth at the time of the inspection.
But Promise wasn't just lovely to look at. She was amazing in the show ring, too. She was a little shaky at her first show, where she went all by herself, with no friends for reassurance--but she still kept her scores in the mid-60's. She was in the high 60's at the second, and at her third show, she won the high point award for the show with a score of 74.4% at Training Level Test 4. Every score was better than the previous, and her confidence level was skyrocketing.
I had my first lesson on her scheduled for October 16, after my trainers returned from vacation.
I have lost a beloved friend and I no longer see bright future in front of me. Right now, I thank God that Quila is healthy (and I pray that she remains so), and I will take each day as it comes, but I have no plans to show. I'm afraid to push my luck with Quila and I need her at home.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A Little Insight
It had been nearly three weeks since I'd ridden, probably the longest time I've been out of the saddle in several years. Ordinarily, that would be a bad thing. This time, however, it was not. It was very, very good.
The first 10 days, I was working feverishly to prepare for the Maui Writer's Conference. Not many of my equestrian friends realize that I write, but I do. (It's sometimes easier to keep my riding and writing lives separate, otherwise I end up spelling all the time, since the words sound so similar). I'm a published author--of short stories--and I hope to have my first novel published very soon. In Maui, I rubbed elbows with Pulitzer Prize winners and NY Times Best-selling authors, who generously shared their wisdom, and helped me hone my craft. And who showed me that my novel, which I thought was pretty damn good--and finished--could be made better and still had work left to do. It was the vacation of a lifetime. I've never worked so hard (or been so tired) in my life. Up at 6 A.M. and either writing, talking about writing, or listening to others talk about writing until midnight (except for drinks in the hotel bar for an hour or so around 4 P.M.; we couldn't cope without a little bit of blowing off steam). I've also never enjoyed myself half so much. I'm already signed up again for next year. As a result of the trip, I have some top-name agents and publishing houses interested in my book. I'm still walking in the clouds and struggling to find my way back to earth.
The trip almost didn't happen. My father (87 years old), broke his leg 4 days before I was supposed to leave, but the doctors caring for him were skilled, and I was born into a family of saints who gathered around and did all that was necessary to watch over him so I could leave, without once complaining that I wasn't shouldering my share of the load. In fact, they never once let on just how much load they were shouldering until after my return. I appreciate how much they sheltered me from the guilt... the peace they gave me to be who I needed to be and do what I needed to do. What a gift!
Now that I'm back, I'm riding again. Miss Quila is now back to full work, and she's feeling pretty darn fit. Alena has been riding her, and she's done a lovely job. I hardly recognize the mare... she's so straight in her body, soft on the bit, good to the half halts. It's a miracle, really. Of course, it's the first time she's ever come back without my interference, and when I do ride her, I'm so much more educated now (Thank you, Facet!), so I don't re-teach her bad habits.
I realized, since I rode yesterday for the first time since I don't know when without any pain anywhere in my body, that the trouble I have with my left leg in canter doesn't stem from the left leg... it's actually a result of tightness in my right hip. Today, I focused on keeping the right hip open, and using it correctly, and the left leg issues corrected themselves.
Jürgen and Alena also had another revelation, to which I say HALLELUJAH! Ever since I began showing Quila, I've been saying that she becomes a different horse when she goes down centerline, that she knows I'm riding a test and she changes. Jürgen and Jennifer and Susan humor me, but I know that behind my back, they are rolling their collective eyes (and Susan, as a teenager, doesn't even bother to wait until she's behind my back--she's right up front about it). I'm told I just need more show experience, that I need to "ride my horse," that I need to stop getting nervous... a litany of things.
I've always been certain that there were things I could do to counteract what she was doing, but I've always been just as certain that it was HER problem, not mine. I don't have show nerves. I don't. Well, perhaps in the barn aisle, because I hate being pressed for time. BUT--the minute my foot hits the stirrup iron, I become intently focused and the rest of the world ceases to exist for me, and especially once I'm going around the outside of the ring... I neither look right nor left, and I couldn't tell you who is even watching, or what is going on outside. I lose all awareness outside of the moment and what the horse and I are doing. I am not nervous, because that isn't a helpful emotion. I am just analyzing information and making decisions.
AND, I know that sometimes, probably most of the time, the second we turn up centerline, Quila starts to pull through the bit. It feels a lot like waterskiing when you yell "hit it"--she just motors up. I've gotten to where I can control her at the trot, and usually at the walk, so it isn't a big deal, and most of the time, by the time we canter now, she's with me... but not always. It depends on her mood. And the day I tried to ride Second Level Test 1 (which is too similar to First Level Test 1), she came totally undone. She KNEW the difference.
Well, Jürgen decided to have Alena ride First Level Test 4, to see if Quila was ready to return to the show ring. If she was, he was going to have me enter a small local show this upcoming weekend. Alena turned her up centerline, and even she couldn't control the mare! Quila did to Alena AT HOME what she always does to me, and I guess Alena had a helluva time trying to school her out of it... wasn't even the slightest bit successful because Quila got so excited.
Jürgen wasn't happy about it. I, on the other hand, was relieved to hear the story. I feel so much better about myself and about my riding. IT IS NOT ME!
I'm not mad at Quila. She's had a tough life, and she's come a long way. At one time, I didn't think she'd ever be able to show at all, but we were Circuit Champions last year. And at home, I'm continuing to learn from her, despite the fact she's pushing 19. She's my best friend and faithful companion, and she tries hard. But she worries, and rushing in tests is how the worry manifests itself. It's a residual neurosis from how she'd been treated before I owned her.
At least it is human-induced. Promise has no such issues, nor does Margarita, who is doing incredibly well. Two days under saddle now, and she looks like a pro! Quila has another date with Pik's Pride in the spring. I suspect there will be a long line for this next foal--which will be for sale.
The first 10 days, I was working feverishly to prepare for the Maui Writer's Conference. Not many of my equestrian friends realize that I write, but I do. (It's sometimes easier to keep my riding and writing lives separate, otherwise I end up spelling all the time, since the words sound so similar). I'm a published author--of short stories--and I hope to have my first novel published very soon. In Maui, I rubbed elbows with Pulitzer Prize winners and NY Times Best-selling authors, who generously shared their wisdom, and helped me hone my craft. And who showed me that my novel, which I thought was pretty damn good--and finished--could be made better and still had work left to do. It was the vacation of a lifetime. I've never worked so hard (or been so tired) in my life. Up at 6 A.M. and either writing, talking about writing, or listening to others talk about writing until midnight (except for drinks in the hotel bar for an hour or so around 4 P.M.; we couldn't cope without a little bit of blowing off steam). I've also never enjoyed myself half so much. I'm already signed up again for next year. As a result of the trip, I have some top-name agents and publishing houses interested in my book. I'm still walking in the clouds and struggling to find my way back to earth.
The trip almost didn't happen. My father (87 years old), broke his leg 4 days before I was supposed to leave, but the doctors caring for him were skilled, and I was born into a family of saints who gathered around and did all that was necessary to watch over him so I could leave, without once complaining that I wasn't shouldering my share of the load. In fact, they never once let on just how much load they were shouldering until after my return. I appreciate how much they sheltered me from the guilt... the peace they gave me to be who I needed to be and do what I needed to do. What a gift!
Now that I'm back, I'm riding again. Miss Quila is now back to full work, and she's feeling pretty darn fit. Alena has been riding her, and she's done a lovely job. I hardly recognize the mare... she's so straight in her body, soft on the bit, good to the half halts. It's a miracle, really. Of course, it's the first time she's ever come back without my interference, and when I do ride her, I'm so much more educated now (Thank you, Facet!), so I don't re-teach her bad habits.
I realized, since I rode yesterday for the first time since I don't know when without any pain anywhere in my body, that the trouble I have with my left leg in canter doesn't stem from the left leg... it's actually a result of tightness in my right hip. Today, I focused on keeping the right hip open, and using it correctly, and the left leg issues corrected themselves.
Jürgen and Alena also had another revelation, to which I say HALLELUJAH! Ever since I began showing Quila, I've been saying that she becomes a different horse when she goes down centerline, that she knows I'm riding a test and she changes. Jürgen and Jennifer and Susan humor me, but I know that behind my back, they are rolling their collective eyes (and Susan, as a teenager, doesn't even bother to wait until she's behind my back--she's right up front about it). I'm told I just need more show experience, that I need to "ride my horse," that I need to stop getting nervous... a litany of things.
I've always been certain that there were things I could do to counteract what she was doing, but I've always been just as certain that it was HER problem, not mine. I don't have show nerves. I don't. Well, perhaps in the barn aisle, because I hate being pressed for time. BUT--the minute my foot hits the stirrup iron, I become intently focused and the rest of the world ceases to exist for me, and especially once I'm going around the outside of the ring... I neither look right nor left, and I couldn't tell you who is even watching, or what is going on outside. I lose all awareness outside of the moment and what the horse and I are doing. I am not nervous, because that isn't a helpful emotion. I am just analyzing information and making decisions.
AND, I know that sometimes, probably most of the time, the second we turn up centerline, Quila starts to pull through the bit. It feels a lot like waterskiing when you yell "hit it"--she just motors up. I've gotten to where I can control her at the trot, and usually at the walk, so it isn't a big deal, and most of the time, by the time we canter now, she's with me... but not always. It depends on her mood. And the day I tried to ride Second Level Test 1 (which is too similar to First Level Test 1), she came totally undone. She KNEW the difference.
Well, Jürgen decided to have Alena ride First Level Test 4, to see if Quila was ready to return to the show ring. If she was, he was going to have me enter a small local show this upcoming weekend. Alena turned her up centerline, and even she couldn't control the mare! Quila did to Alena AT HOME what she always does to me, and I guess Alena had a helluva time trying to school her out of it... wasn't even the slightest bit successful because Quila got so excited.
Jürgen wasn't happy about it. I, on the other hand, was relieved to hear the story. I feel so much better about myself and about my riding. IT IS NOT ME!
I'm not mad at Quila. She's had a tough life, and she's come a long way. At one time, I didn't think she'd ever be able to show at all, but we were Circuit Champions last year. And at home, I'm continuing to learn from her, despite the fact she's pushing 19. She's my best friend and faithful companion, and she tries hard. But she worries, and rushing in tests is how the worry manifests itself. It's a residual neurosis from how she'd been treated before I owned her.
At least it is human-induced. Promise has no such issues, nor does Margarita, who is doing incredibly well. Two days under saddle now, and she looks like a pro! Quila has another date with Pik's Pride in the spring. I suspect there will be a long line for this next foal--which will be for sale.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
My Girls
Tequila Sunrise might not be up to snuff yet (but we're trotting again, at least, which is good news!), but her kids are making up for it.
Promise, the older of the two, attended her 3rd show this past weekend. When she scored 68% in her first test, I was quite pleased--it was her best performance yet, and she had no major mistakes. (A few transitions could have used better balance, but hey--doesn't that happen to the best of us at times?) Then she came back and did Training Level Test 4, improved on the problem spots, and laid down a 70%. I was thrilled. She wasn't satisfied. On Sunday, she repeated Training Level Test 3 (just the one test because I figured with the heat and it being a two day show, she'd be tired), she nailed it... every bit of it, and won High Point with a 74.4%!!! I'm still floating sky high on that one.
Then, we started Quila's other daughter, three year-old Pik's Margarita, in training this week. What a darling "The Little Terrorist" has turned out to be... She is the sweetest, easiest youngster we've ever worked with! You'd think she'd had a bit in her mouth a thousand times before, she took it so easily and once it was in, she showed no reaction. AND, when we asked to her to lunge, it took all of 15 seconds for her to figure out what it was that we wanted, and for her to agree that it was a perfectly reasonable thing for us to want her to do. I daresay, if she'd had the strength, we could have placed a saddle and girth on her today, then put a rider on her back, and she would not have batted an eye--not as long as we told her she was a good girl and gave her a scratch on the forehead. She lives for praise and extra love and attention. It breaks my heart that I have to sell her, but the reality of the number of horses I own (and particularly the number of horses that require my attention and the fact that God has only given me 24 hours in a day) has become painfully obvious, and I'm having trouble keeping up with Quila and Facet right now. I've realized adding Endor to the list will be beyond me, so a junior rider at our barn is going to get a few extra rides on him (which should do her riding career wonders while her young horse is learning the ropes) during those periods when Susan is too busy with college. I will MAKE time for Promise this Fall, but there is no way in heck that I could manage Margarita, too, even if I do retire Quila. No way. And I can't forget that I've got Vittoria growing up out in the pasture, too.
(And what kind of sense would it make to have two full sisters, anyway? Because really, it would be a choice between Vittoria and Margarita... and Vittoria has Facet in her, too. Oh, I hate this. I truly do... Why can't I have everything--the old my cake and eat it, too, syndrome). The best I can hope for, I guess, is a home where Margarita will get the love and affection I would give her, and I hope it will be someone that appreciates her talent and that will show her. (And that lives close by, so I can watch her grow. In a perfect world, they would get help from Jürgen, so I would know that she's getting the right training and progressing according to the correct methods...)
Just look at the two photos. You can see how identical Promise and Margarita are... same active hindleg, and Margarita will develop the same lovely topline. I whispered in Quila's ear that I would breed her again this spring--I'll bet you can guess which stallion I picked.
There are links to videos of Promise's SUPER TEST and Margarita's SECOND DAY LUNGEING here.
Promise, the older of the two, attended her 3rd show this past weekend. When she scored 68% in her first test, I was quite pleased--it was her best performance yet, and she had no major mistakes. (A few transitions could have used better balance, but hey--doesn't that happen to the best of us at times?) Then she came back and did Training Level Test 4, improved on the problem spots, and laid down a 70%. I was thrilled. She wasn't satisfied. On Sunday, she repeated Training Level Test 3 (just the one test because I figured with the heat and it being a two day show, she'd be tired), she nailed it... every bit of it, and won High Point with a 74.4%!!! I'm still floating sky high on that one.
Then, we started Quila's other daughter, three year-old Pik's Margarita, in training this week. What a darling "The Little Terrorist" has turned out to be... She is the sweetest, easiest youngster we've ever worked with! You'd think she'd had a bit in her mouth a thousand times before, she took it so easily and once it was in, she showed no reaction. AND, when we asked to her to lunge, it took all of 15 seconds for her to figure out what it was that we wanted, and for her to agree that it was a perfectly reasonable thing for us to want her to do. I daresay, if she'd had the strength, we could have placed a saddle and girth on her today, then put a rider on her back, and she would not have batted an eye--not as long as we told her she was a good girl and gave her a scratch on the forehead. She lives for praise and extra love and attention. It breaks my heart that I have to sell her, but the reality of the number of horses I own (and particularly the number of horses that require my attention and the fact that God has only given me 24 hours in a day) has become painfully obvious, and I'm having trouble keeping up with Quila and Facet right now. I've realized adding Endor to the list will be beyond me, so a junior rider at our barn is going to get a few extra rides on him (which should do her riding career wonders while her young horse is learning the ropes) during those periods when Susan is too busy with college. I will MAKE time for Promise this Fall, but there is no way in heck that I could manage Margarita, too, even if I do retire Quila. No way. And I can't forget that I've got Vittoria growing up out in the pasture, too.(And what kind of sense would it make to have two full sisters, anyway? Because really, it would be a choice between Vittoria and Margarita... and Vittoria has Facet in her, too. Oh, I hate this. I truly do... Why can't I have everything--the old my cake and eat it, too, syndrome). The best I can hope for, I guess, is a home where Margarita will get the love and affection I would give her, and I hope it will be someone that appreciates her talent and that will show her. (And that lives close by, so I can watch her grow. In a perfect world, they would get help from Jürgen, so I would know that she's getting the right training and progressing according to the correct methods...)
Just look at the two photos. You can see how identical Promise and Margarita are... same active hindleg, and Margarita will develop the same lovely topline. I whispered in Quila's ear that I would breed her again this spring--I'll bet you can guess which stallion I picked.
There are links to videos of Promise's SUPER TEST and Margarita's SECOND DAY LUNGEING here.
Friday, August 3, 2007
The German Riding Fairy
The bad news: it was more than tempo.
The good news: I don't care. The German riding fairy has paid me a visit and granted my wish, so I had a fabulous ride on Facet today anyway. I actually FELT like I knew what I was doing (there are days when I'm told I look like it, but I've yet to feel half as good as I'm told I look).
You see, after that great ride last week where I made the breakthrough with tempo, I could never quite reproduce it again. Sure, things got BETTER, but not better enough... I was still struggling to do Training Level work, just struggling a little bit closer to my goal.
Today, however, I actually rode SECOND LEVEL WORK. And, I haven't ridden a horse since Saturday. Clearly, I've been blessed by the GERMAN RIDING FAIRY. Actually, the real difference is that Facet's saddle is in the shop, so I had to ride him in Quila's saddle, and for the first time EVER, I forgot I was even sitting in a saddle. I forgot about my seat, forgot about trying to sit on his back, forgot that I had ever had difficulty sitting his gaits... it was like I'd been riding him all my life. IT FELT LIKE HOME.
Can a saddle make that much difference? Obviously it can. Because it did. I didn't struggle today, not one little bit. I rode shoulder in--and like Quila, I'm a helluva lot better to the right than I am to the left, so I guess it MUST be my problem since Facet's stiff side is opposite hers--and I was able to COLLECT the canter, ride counter canter and do some canter-walk-canter transitions. (We won't discuss my requests for flying changes that he studiously ignored--as in completely 100% ignored my aids, "I'll counter canter for you all day lady, but until you get your aids and timing right, I'm not even going to think about changing" ignored. We decided to try again another day.)
Last week, I struggled to even maintain working canter. Today, I was riding COLLECTED CANTER, and I could do it. Mostly. I was admittedly pushing the envelope, and there were times I pushed the envelope too far and we ended up trotting, but that's part of learning (and once I'd done it a few times, Facet started to play with me and started to fall out of canter earlier and earlier until I gave him a smack with the whip, then he was back to his good old gentlemanly self). I also extended and collected in the canter and felt my sporty stallion respond to leg and seat in a way Quila never has (and that he's never done for me before)--GREAT FEELING--and I rode a trot lengthening.
You cannot imagine what today did for my self-confidence. I do not feel like the same rider that I was last week. I still need to learn his buttons--he responds so differently than Quila--but I was actually able to RIDE him, something I'd been struggling to do before. I'm not a klutz, I'm not, I'm not. Jürgen hasn't been wasting his time on me.
I hope they never fix Facet's old saddle (which interestingly is SUPPOSED to be the same make and model as Quila's, but it sure doesn't ride like it)... or rather, that when they do, it feels just like hers. If it doesn't, I think I'll pretend I never saw it. I will not go back to the struggle. Why should I? Her saddle fits him well, and I don't think she'll mind sharing.
Her saddle is the equine equivalent, I think, of the pants in the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. So far, it has fit every horse I've tried riding in it on. Jürgen says that saddles like that come along once in a lifetime, and that I should cherish it. I do. It will have a spa day on Monday, with a nice mineral oil bath.
The good news: I don't care. The German riding fairy has paid me a visit and granted my wish, so I had a fabulous ride on Facet today anyway. I actually FELT like I knew what I was doing (there are days when I'm told I look like it, but I've yet to feel half as good as I'm told I look).
You see, after that great ride last week where I made the breakthrough with tempo, I could never quite reproduce it again. Sure, things got BETTER, but not better enough... I was still struggling to do Training Level work, just struggling a little bit closer to my goal.
Today, however, I actually rode SECOND LEVEL WORK. And, I haven't ridden a horse since Saturday. Clearly, I've been blessed by the GERMAN RIDING FAIRY. Actually, the real difference is that Facet's saddle is in the shop, so I had to ride him in Quila's saddle, and for the first time EVER, I forgot I was even sitting in a saddle. I forgot about my seat, forgot about trying to sit on his back, forgot that I had ever had difficulty sitting his gaits... it was like I'd been riding him all my life. IT FELT LIKE HOME.
Can a saddle make that much difference? Obviously it can. Because it did. I didn't struggle today, not one little bit. I rode shoulder in--and like Quila, I'm a helluva lot better to the right than I am to the left, so I guess it MUST be my problem since Facet's stiff side is opposite hers--and I was able to COLLECT the canter, ride counter canter and do some canter-walk-canter transitions. (We won't discuss my requests for flying changes that he studiously ignored--as in completely 100% ignored my aids, "I'll counter canter for you all day lady, but until you get your aids and timing right, I'm not even going to think about changing" ignored. We decided to try again another day.)
Last week, I struggled to even maintain working canter. Today, I was riding COLLECTED CANTER, and I could do it. Mostly. I was admittedly pushing the envelope, and there were times I pushed the envelope too far and we ended up trotting, but that's part of learning (and once I'd done it a few times, Facet started to play with me and started to fall out of canter earlier and earlier until I gave him a smack with the whip, then he was back to his good old gentlemanly self). I also extended and collected in the canter and felt my sporty stallion respond to leg and seat in a way Quila never has (and that he's never done for me before)--GREAT FEELING--and I rode a trot lengthening.
You cannot imagine what today did for my self-confidence. I do not feel like the same rider that I was last week. I still need to learn his buttons--he responds so differently than Quila--but I was actually able to RIDE him, something I'd been struggling to do before. I'm not a klutz, I'm not, I'm not. Jürgen hasn't been wasting his time on me.
I hope they never fix Facet's old saddle (which interestingly is SUPPOSED to be the same make and model as Quila's, but it sure doesn't ride like it)... or rather, that when they do, it feels just like hers. If it doesn't, I think I'll pretend I never saw it. I will not go back to the struggle. Why should I? Her saddle fits him well, and I don't think she'll mind sharing.
Her saddle is the equine equivalent, I think, of the pants in the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. So far, it has fit every horse I've tried riding in it on. Jürgen says that saddles like that come along once in a lifetime, and that I should cherish it. I do. It will have a spa day on Monday, with a nice mineral oil bath.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Aha! Tempo...
I had a lightbulb moment today. I'm always hesitant to report them, because I know if/when Susan reads them, she'll call one of her YR friends, and the two of them will point and laugh, and try not to fall over. Susan can never believe how slow I am on the uptake, but usually it is all a matter of misunderstanding. I hear the words, but I don't assign the proper context.
Forever, now, Jürgen has said to make Facet "quick to my leg" and to "keep the jump" in the canter. He tells me "more canter" and I'm "losing the canter." I know I'm losing the canter (fortunately for matters of propriety, I can curse silently... Jürgen would not care to hear the names I call him when he states the obvious, and I am not able to do anything to correct it :sheepish grin:).
Today, however, there was no music playing in the dressage court, and that magnified the problem. You see, I'm very much aware of the music. I tend to breathe by it, and if the wrong music is playing, it can really screw me up if I'm not careful. The right music can really help my riding. (Is the fact that my trot work is absolutely at its finest when Quila and I ride to Ricky Martin my issue or hers???)
Anyway, at canter today with Facet, it became obvious we were getting slower and slower in canter until we fell back into trot. I don't know why... because Jürgen didn't particularly say anything different, but somehow, I noticed it in conjunction with his usual phrases. I tried adding leg a split second or two EARLIER than I wanted to, tried to think about speeding up the tempo. Magically, Facet stopped requiring any particular energy at all on my part to stay in the canter. I didn't need much squeeze. I just had to keep adding the cue whenever he started to lose energy. WOW!
So, I discovered I'd been waiting for Facet to set the tempo, and he was waiting for me... and we were slowing down to nothing as a result. I vaguely remember having had this really really problematically at trot when I first started riding him, but it felt different back then, and I no longer have an issue with trot. (And by first started riding him, I'm thinking about 2003, when I first imported him!). I had lots of problems with lots of things back then.
This will make a big difference, I think. I'm looking forward to my next ride with the gentleman.
Forever, now, Jürgen has said to make Facet "quick to my leg" and to "keep the jump" in the canter. He tells me "more canter" and I'm "losing the canter." I know I'm losing the canter (fortunately for matters of propriety, I can curse silently... Jürgen would not care to hear the names I call him when he states the obvious, and I am not able to do anything to correct it :sheepish grin:).
Today, however, there was no music playing in the dressage court, and that magnified the problem. You see, I'm very much aware of the music. I tend to breathe by it, and if the wrong music is playing, it can really screw me up if I'm not careful. The right music can really help my riding. (Is the fact that my trot work is absolutely at its finest when Quila and I ride to Ricky Martin my issue or hers???)
Anyway, at canter today with Facet, it became obvious we were getting slower and slower in canter until we fell back into trot. I don't know why... because Jürgen didn't particularly say anything different, but somehow, I noticed it in conjunction with his usual phrases. I tried adding leg a split second or two EARLIER than I wanted to, tried to think about speeding up the tempo. Magically, Facet stopped requiring any particular energy at all on my part to stay in the canter. I didn't need much squeeze. I just had to keep adding the cue whenever he started to lose energy. WOW!
So, I discovered I'd been waiting for Facet to set the tempo, and he was waiting for me... and we were slowing down to nothing as a result. I vaguely remember having had this really really problematically at trot when I first started riding him, but it felt different back then, and I no longer have an issue with trot. (And by first started riding him, I'm thinking about 2003, when I first imported him!). I had lots of problems with lots of things back then.
This will make a big difference, I think. I'm looking forward to my next ride with the gentleman.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Frustrated
This has not been a good competition year for me. In fact, it hasn't been a competition year at all. Quila and I just can't seem to get it together... or rather, I can't seem to get her sound long enough to get her fit. She's trying, and I get glimpses of how wonderful she can be, but nothing has been sustainable.
The upside is that Facet looks as if he's found the fountain of youth. His coat is shiny, his muscling is wonderful, and there is a bounce in his step that I, for one, thought I'd never see again. I've been able to ride him when Quila has been unavailable, and even when I can ride Quila, I've alternated between the two. As a result, I feel as if there would be a demonstrable difference in my riding... if only I had the chance to prove it. I can't, really, on Facet. I still look like a beginner much of the time. Not that I haven't improved by leaps and bounds with him (I can sit his gaits with ease now, and the transitions between gaits are generally smooth), but keeping him in front of my leg, particularly at the canter, remains a challenge. The skill I'm working on now is learning how to keep him soft in the jaw/poll, and round/through, without losing forward energy. There's a delicate balance there, and it's so easy to lose it, and not support enough with the leg. Too much, and I'm told, "He's not a four year-old, and this is not a materiale class--collect him!" Not enough, and we break gait. Sigh. But I'm getting a better feel. Of course, if I would ride him in the double, it would be easier... it would remove the jaw/poll from the equation... but I refuse. I hate the double bridle, and if he continues to go as well as he has been, I could conceivably show him. But not for some time in a double... (i.e., I'd have to be able to ride to Third Level, and I'm a ways from there), so I keep working in the snaffle. I figure the extra effort now will pay off for me in the long run, even if Jürgen is pulling out his hair in frustration.
But, while I may struggle with Facet, who insists that I do everything "just so," I get on Quila, and she's become a dream to ride. Every thing I learn on him transfers over to her, and she becomes that much better, that much easier to ride. I've hardly cantered her at all since April, but the quality of her trot is vastly improved. So much more "through" and she's so much lighter in the bridle. I can ride her from the seat now, collect her with seat and leg and minimum of hand, and really insist on my tempo by sitting in and using my core. It's a great feeling. And I have a much better sense of using my leg to shape her, and for controlling my seatbones.
When we did canter, that was better, too. The balance was better, and the single day of counter canter we did before the last setback was fabulous. But more recently, she had a problem trim from the old farrier... just a little short, but it took ten days for her to grow long enough to where she could be really worked again. And now, yesterday, her right fetlock was swollen. I iced and poulticed, and gave her Bute. And I said a prayer. I hope it is nothing, but her fetlocks have plagued us in the past.
The bright side, I guess, is that Facet is doing so spectacularly well, and I really could start riding Promise. She is becoming solid as a rock. I would like for her to have more show experience before I start showing her, but just because I start riding her doesn't mean I have to be the one showing her... at least not yet. So, I have options even though I'm not ready to give Quila up yet. On the other hand, I am getting tired of beating my head against the wall, and that's certainly what this year has felt like.
The upside is that Facet looks as if he's found the fountain of youth. His coat is shiny, his muscling is wonderful, and there is a bounce in his step that I, for one, thought I'd never see again. I've been able to ride him when Quila has been unavailable, and even when I can ride Quila, I've alternated between the two. As a result, I feel as if there would be a demonstrable difference in my riding... if only I had the chance to prove it. I can't, really, on Facet. I still look like a beginner much of the time. Not that I haven't improved by leaps and bounds with him (I can sit his gaits with ease now, and the transitions between gaits are generally smooth), but keeping him in front of my leg, particularly at the canter, remains a challenge. The skill I'm working on now is learning how to keep him soft in the jaw/poll, and round/through, without losing forward energy. There's a delicate balance there, and it's so easy to lose it, and not support enough with the leg. Too much, and I'm told, "He's not a four year-old, and this is not a materiale class--collect him!" Not enough, and we break gait. Sigh. But I'm getting a better feel. Of course, if I would ride him in the double, it would be easier... it would remove the jaw/poll from the equation... but I refuse. I hate the double bridle, and if he continues to go as well as he has been, I could conceivably show him. But not for some time in a double... (i.e., I'd have to be able to ride to Third Level, and I'm a ways from there), so I keep working in the snaffle. I figure the extra effort now will pay off for me in the long run, even if Jürgen is pulling out his hair in frustration.
But, while I may struggle with Facet, who insists that I do everything "just so," I get on Quila, and she's become a dream to ride. Every thing I learn on him transfers over to her, and she becomes that much better, that much easier to ride. I've hardly cantered her at all since April, but the quality of her trot is vastly improved. So much more "through" and she's so much lighter in the bridle. I can ride her from the seat now, collect her with seat and leg and minimum of hand, and really insist on my tempo by sitting in and using my core. It's a great feeling. And I have a much better sense of using my leg to shape her, and for controlling my seatbones.
When we did canter, that was better, too. The balance was better, and the single day of counter canter we did before the last setback was fabulous. But more recently, she had a problem trim from the old farrier... just a little short, but it took ten days for her to grow long enough to where she could be really worked again. And now, yesterday, her right fetlock was swollen. I iced and poulticed, and gave her Bute. And I said a prayer. I hope it is nothing, but her fetlocks have plagued us in the past.
The bright side, I guess, is that Facet is doing so spectacularly well, and I really could start riding Promise. She is becoming solid as a rock. I would like for her to have more show experience before I start showing her, but just because I start riding her doesn't mean I have to be the one showing her... at least not yet. So, I have options even though I'm not ready to give Quila up yet. On the other hand, I am getting tired of beating my head against the wall, and that's certainly what this year has felt like.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
My Winner
Pik's Promise (Pik's Pride x Top of Class x Der Radetzky) went to her second show this past weekend. Is was a radically different experience than her first show because we set her up for success. Amazing how that works, isn't it? She trailered there with 3 friends, was in a warm-up ring full of horses, surrounded by horses who lived on the property that were looking on while they contentedly sunned themselves and/or ate their lunch (she's used to that at home), and the show ring was immediately adjacent to the warm-up, so she didn't feel like she was leaving anybody. Simple.
She was relaxed and confident, except the large letters had her a bit "curious" at first--not spooky, but she did want to take a closer look. She was a very good girl in the ring, if a bit tired from the trailer ride and a longer warm-up than we needed. We've still got a learning curve there. But I was VERY pleased with her, and with her rider. Promise has a great mind, and she's going to be a solid performer. And after two shows, I can confidently say that I will be very comfortable riding and showing her when I get my turn--but I remain committed to leaving her in professional hands for this all-important year.
(Besides, I'm having a wonderful time riding Facet. He feels younger than ever, and he's teaching me a lot. He's a devil for the details. The smallest things--a shoulder an inch too far back, for example--make a BIG difference to him and how he goes for me. I've got his trot figured out now, in that I can sit it just fine. Now I'm working on getting it nicely forward, and I'm working on getting crisp transitions between gaits, plus keeping the jump in the canter. I still don't feel like I'm anywhere close to where I'd want to show him, even at First Level (and really, I want to wait until we're doing Second Level work), but I'm learning more and more about my own body and my own riding every day that I ride him and I feel like I'm making lots of progress. That seems so funny to say... I'm not ready to show First Level with him yet, but I'm making lots of progress, when I was schooling Second with Quila in mid-March. How can I be riding so much better/stronger now when I'm performing at a lower level??? Well, when Quila is fit again, she's not going to know what hit her, because I'm going to be more correct, and as a result, she's going to have to be, too (and I won't need her to cheat for me anymore--I had no idea how "good" to me she was and how much she fudged for me because she knew what I wanted).
She's trotting again, we'll canter this week. I can hardly wait to get her all the way back, but will take my time... no sense in taking any steps backward. But the true measure of progress for me has always been whether or not I can take what I learn and translate it into performance with her.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Proud Mom
I was up painfully early today (4 A.M.) and at the barn by 5:30 A.M. to take Promise to her first show. Somehow, we managed to have the bad luck to draw the first ride of the day. And it was bad luck for a young horse's first show... Promise rode alone in the trailer to the show and was alone in the stabling area. It was a one-day show, so the majority of the horses didn't even bother to rent stalls, though the fee was only $10 more than hauling in, and stalls give the horses a place to relax and roll while waiting for scores and for other horses to finish... The other horse in our barn didn't show until 10 A.M.--nearly two hours after us--so his lucky owner got to sleep-in by comparison.
Promise was also alone in the warm-up and in the show-ring. She was anxious, but she didn't call out and she trusted Birthe. She was fine until a gust of wind blew and rattled the doors on the indoor arena--then she decided that it wasn't safe down by "A". She wasn't horrible, though--she just refused to stay on the rail and became a bit distracted. I was encouraged by two things. First, she didn't do anything that was at all dangerous to herself or her rider. (Gotta love a horse that doesn't buck, bolt or spin when frightened!) And second, she calmed again and returned her attention to Birthe as soon as she left the scary area.
I've watched more than a few tests that have gone from bad to worse once a horse has become frightened--tests where you find yourself praying that it would just end soon. That was not the case with Promise. She kept pulling herself together again, and would have nice long sections that were lovely, but then the test would make her go down "there" again. If only she could have shown in a shortened 20 x 40 meter arena and cut off the 20 meters on "that end," then life would have been good, ya know?
She only lacks experience. She's been away from home only once before (except to go to the hospital, and I don't think she thought very much of THAT particular trip), and she's NEVER seen an indoor arena before in her life. That she handled it as well as she did is remarkable. She'll be a trooper with more experience, I'm certain. She acted like she's been riding in a trailer all her life, and didn't seem the slightest bit stressed about that part of the adventure.
She placed 2nd and 4th.
Photo album online here.
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