Medium Canter?

I thought we had our issues figured out, and I was right for walk and trot.

We'd have consistently scored between 68 and 75% if we could have stopped our tests at the end of the free walk. Maybe we can get a special allowance from USEF??? We even had trot EXTENSIONS at this show! (We've been working on them, and while they aren't beautiful--never will be--at least you can tell we're doing one now, and we're getting 6's and 7's on them instead of 4's and 5's!)

Our problems were in the canter work. Tequila had it in her head that she was going to do it all in medium canter, and on the first and third days, she was successful at taking over. On the first day, she pulled me out of position from the very beginning, and I wasn't able to regain the upper hand, ever. In fact, I was so discombobulated that I went off course. Had I had my wits about me, when I stopped for the judge to give me instructions, I could have used that as an opportunity to regain control--but no, I think I had mentally given up. It was ugly. The 4's and 5's in the canter dropped what had been a lovely test down to a 59%. We still placed 2nd (the other poor AA's had days that were even worse, spooking and bolting through the arena at flowers and decorations that were blowing around).

The second day, there were moments when she DID listen (we had a tug of war of control in the canter) so our score wasn't quite so bad (plus we had seven scores of '8' in our TROT work!) to finish with a 63. Unfortunately, the rest of the class of 12 pulled it together, too, so no ribbon for us (and no qualifying score, since the judge was the ONLY one I'd received a qualifying score from already--just my luck!).

The third day, Quila was determined to take back control. I held on through the first two canter movements, but then she launched a surprise attack and jerked me forward. She won. It was ugly. Back to a despicable 59% and a major case of the doldrums for me. I was truly ready to give up on showing... We did so well with the trot and walk, but the canter thing was really bugging me. And canter is our strong suit at home. Our warm-up went well--I'd schooled simple changes and canter-halt, and she'd been soft: the half halts worked then. Of course, at home, if she misbehaves like this, I can halt her on her behind and have a little talk with her. That's hard to do in the show ring, and she's smart enough to know it, to know that once we go down centerline, she's in the clear. But maybe not... After discussing it with Birthe, Cynthia Collins and a few friends (and I should have discussed it with Jürgen, but he was coaching Leslie Morse, and she's so much more important than I am that I didn't want to distract him and get in his way. I know that he would have cared, but I was the one that made that choice. Leslie is important--to me, too--and I wanted him to keep his focus on her. What Quila and I did at this show was inconsequential compared to getting Leslie and TipTop performing at their best and headed towards World Cup), I resolved that I would stop her if she pulled it again, and if it meant that I was DQ'd, so be it. I'd absolutely had it.

As it turned out, Jennifer coached me on the final day. She arrived after Leslie's ride, so for the last 20 minutes or so of my warm-up. I had already determined that our trot was fine, and was riding canter-trot and canter-walk transitions. She had me up the ante and ride canter lengthening to halt transitions, and to do immediate reinbacks if Quila wasn't paying attention. Well, that made Quila sit up and take notice. Quila didn't like it much--not much at all. Especially the reinback part. By the time we rode our test, she had a whole lot more respect for my seat and leg in the half halts, and while she wasn't an angel, she was much much better. There were still a few areas where she tried to do it her way (including one entire (double coefficient--damn her!) movement, but for the most part, it was my test, and a huge improvement from the three previous days. The trot work wasn't as brilliant as it had been--she was starting to tire a bit there--but overal she was much better, and she was listening.

I plan to continue this work over the next two weeks leading up to the LA CDI*** because I have absolutely had it. It's a great feeling to have confidence in the walk and trot now--but I want to feel that way about the canter, too. AND, if we're going to have any hope at all of showing Second Level, she needs to collect.

The Big Test

I look pretty happy, don't I? That's me, picking up my 2006 Circuit Champion ribbon and jacket, hard-earned (more by Jürgen than me, I think, with grey hairs where he still has hair remaining* to prove it!) by years spent correcting problems in both Tequila's and my foundation. *I'm afraid I may be the cause of his baldness, too.

The Dressage Affaire is this coming week, March 15 - 18, and with any luck, we'll get the go ahead to test the waters at Second Level on Saturday March 17. I say "with any luck" because the test requires collection, and as of the last show, we had not demonstrated the ability to collect consistently in the canter (my injured hamstring largely to blame). Jürgen has been riding Quila more this past week (every few days), and I've been conscientious about using heat and stretching the hamstring, so while it's not back to 100%, I'm able to perform pretty much up to snuff in lessons--Quila isn't able to get away with anything. I think I'll be able to hold up through 4 days of showing, especially since I'll have access to heat throughout the show this time (and because Jürgen knows what he's up against, and can plan our warm-ups accordingly).

Our rides at home have gone well. We (Quila and I) did have a bit of an argument over what was to be done in Second Level Test 1 coming out of the corner at M in the canter and going across the short diagonal towards E. In First Level Test 4, the movement calls for a down transition to trot as you cross the center-line, but at Second/1 it is a simple change at the quarter-line. Quila was ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED that Mom was STUPID and so she decided she would take care of it for me, giving me an unrequested down transition. I got after her for it, put more leg on, and tried to tell her "No, stay in canter." She decided I'd lost my mind and that I really meant, "No, come under yourself more in the down transition to trot," so she gave me a spectacular canter-trot transition. IF she gives me that when we ride First Level Test 4, we should get at least a 9--but if she insists on the same in Second Level Test 1, all is lost. I had to smack her with the whip and scold her to get her to listen and wait for the aids. Finaly I saw her ears prick up-- a sign that the wheels were turning: "Oh, you really MEANT simple change, and not at the center-line. I get it." Good girl. After that, life was fine.

I just hope now she won't think we're doing simple changes in the First Level Test 4 tests... Sometimes it's a royal PITA riding a mare that THINKS, but I haven't quite figured out how to avoid it. I tell her and tell her and tell her what it is that I REALLY mean, but she still seems to think that she has to help, and she tries anyway. She's too damn smart. Grrrrr.

At least the shoulder-in went really well yesterday, both directions. So, in general, I'm feeling really good about the show. But then again, this is still horses. You just never know.

War and Peace

For those who can't read the small print:
Hobbes: How come we play war and not peace?
Calvin: Too few role models.
Calvin: I'll be the fearless American defender of liberty and democracy.
Calvin: ...and you can be the loathsome godless communist oppressor.
Calvin: We're at war, so if you get hit with a dart, you're dead and the other side wins. OK?
Hobbes: Gotcha.
Calvin: Go!
Calvin: Kind of a stupid game, isn't it?

Ain't that the truth?

First Show of the Season--A Mixed Bag

I would be dishonest if I didn't admit that our first show was a little disappointing, though I set myself up for disappointment by having such high hopes.

Quila was excited. I knew she would be because we hadn't shown in so long--and I can't fault her for that. She didn't do anything stupid, though, and she tried. She really did. A great deal of the problem was mine. I am riding right now with a strained right hamstring. It isn't torn, but it is weak, and I don't have the stamina in it that I should. I can ride up to a certain point, and I'll have pain, but not so bad that I can't get the job done. The problem is that after a point, the muscle plain old gives out, and I can't be effective any longer--and when I get off the horse, it is spasming, and I walk with a limp until I can stretch it out and relax it.

We had a great warm-up. A really great one. If we'd have been judged on the warm-up, our score would have been a good 6 or 7% higher--but the damn judge had to wait until we went inside the ring. Don't you just hate it when you leave your ride in the warm-up? Ordinarily, Jürgen is the master of timing warm-ups, and he would have been this time, too, if I hadn't been too proud to let him in on what was going on with my hamstring... but I didn't want to be labelled a complainer, or someone that just liked to give excuses for poor performance. I hate that in other people, and refused to let it happen with me. So I ride through the pain, and just keep working. He had no idea I've had a problem, because at home, I've been able to stretch, and use ice/heat, and it hasn't really affected me so much. At the show, the ice/heat just hadn't been available--nor the trusty tennis ball to really get in there at the attachment point.

Our trot work was great. I was thrilled with it. Quila was excited, but she listened, came back after the lengthenings, and it was exactly MY pace but still active behind, and I kept perfect control of her shoulders and haunches in the voltés. We also had GREAT leg yields both sides. Should have been straight 7's (emphasis on should--this judge seemed to have been throwing out random scores, since the sucky part of my ride scored higher than the good part!) I went off course during the walk but the judge didn't notice. Then came canter. Quila LOVES canter, and she was, shall we say, joyous. Too joyous. I couldn't keep her collected enough, and all the work resembled a medium, except for the extensions, which resembled out-of-hand gallops--and the one counter-canter squiggle where I begged her to come back just a little and she broke to the trot. (We got a 7 for that--"some loss of rhythm but well-formed" was the comment). The canter work was a disaster, and it's usually the strongest part of our test. I had no right leg... it felt like it was flapping the breeze. As I told Bill, it had the same sensation as when I'd skiied far too many moguls, and I barely had the leg strength to stand, let alone walk. Talk about frustration. I KNEW what I needed to do. I have the skills now to do it, but I couldn't because my body wasn't able to perform.

Yesterday, we rode again. Quila was her normal self, and Jürgen had me ride a much shorter warm-up--perhaps only 1/3 as much. Quila seemed to know that I couldn't ride as well and needed her help, too, because she was MUCH softer in the bridle and to the aids. It didn't take much warm-up to get her through and listening, and she needed far less leg to bend and stay round. Our test went really well, I thought. The judge was fair, given her own personal peeves--she killed us for our lengthenings. The trot lengthening that Quila didn't run, we got a 4 on because there was little difference (but I felt her lift and TRY to push--you just can't see much). The lengthening that Quila really moved out on, she fell on her forehand and we got a 4 there, too. She only has the two versions: forehand/moving out or lifting/little difference. They are NOT her forté. We didn't do much canter lengthening, because I didn't have the leg to either ask or control it. And we lost points in canter because I asked for too much collection without using enough leg to maintain the jump. BUT, she was on my aids, and the points we lost (besides the lengthenings) were my points to lose. She was a VERY GOOD girl, and I'll gladly take the heat for it. It was a controlled test, and I was the boss.

I'm adjusting my attitude. Quila is an older horse and she doesn't have the greatest gaits. What's important for both of us is not the ultimate score, but how much I can learn. If I can control the ride, and learn to ride the movements, then I have accomplished my goal. I think what's been hard for me is that I go to shows with Susan and Jennifer all the time, and I get used to the fact that a "good" score is one in the mid-60's. And that's true, if you're on a horse that can perform. But we don't all have horses with that degree of talent, and to expect Quila to score mid-60's every time isn't fair to either one of us. I'm not a failure if I put in a 60% performance. Not at these levels on a limited horse. What matters is that I put in a respectable test, and that I don't look like I didn't know what the hell I was doing--that I eliminate the mental and riding errors. I'm not there to win everything with Quila (though winning is nice)--I'm there to learn everything with her so that when I start riding Promise, I'm ready. I need to keep reminding myself of that. Over and over and over again.

Another Good Day

Wow! I got to be the boss two days in a row! (More, actually, but I'm only counting test days here).

Even though it was Monday, I rode Quila today because of the rain day last Friday. She's getting a bit sticky in her poll again--we'll want to treat it again after the Dressage Affaire--but she warms out of it. After the basic trot/canter work, we practiced forward/back in trot and canter, and she showed me that she's on the aids and listening... and that her engine is really working, too. We had a German farrier here a few weeks to do a tune-up on the horses. He's an expert that works on some of the top horses there, and he showed a few secrets to our regular shoer. He didn't need to make any changes with Quila in front, but he finessed a few things in back, and since then I've noticed that she's naturally travelled straighter and has more push from behind, and slowly, that has translated into an improvement in lengthenings.

In canter, she showed great balance in collection today, too. We rode some very tiny voltés, bordering on working pirouettes, to work on sit, and also did some simple changes--even though neither is needed at First Level. She will need the simple changes at Second Level, and the bending helps us in our work all around.

Then we did a few leg yields. She's starting to do better to the right. I'm realizing that I need to help her by keeping greater contact on the inside rein in both leg yield to the right and shoulder-in yield left (both of which require moving into the right rein)... although she needs to move into the right rein, she still needs an even contact with the left rein in order to maintain roundness and avoid falling onto the forehand. My instinct is to try to ride the movements into the right rein alone--and perhaps that's the ideal--but it doesn't work with her. She needs contact to be perhaps 60:40 right rein to left rein, or maybe even 55:45.

It's not that I'm using the inside rein to flex or overflex her--I'm not. I need her to keep exactly the correct bend in the neck. It's more that I need the rein to help her balance. Perhaps the real problem is just that she hasn't developed the natural balance, and needs more help at this point. I don't know.

Once we were done with our warm-up, though, I rode the test and it was even better today. She stayed at my pace throughout, and today, I tried to concentrate really hard on keeping her round (very round) and on using my corners. Except for one spook in the corner by M, she was very good--well behaved, on the aids and listening. Such a nice change to be the one calling the shots and not having her question my leadership! I felt really good about how it went. It should be a great show.

February 25, 2007: UP TO DATE!

I just migrated this blog from my iWeb-managed site http://web.mac.com/gmwalkersd/iWeb/RidingHorsesLife/Welcome.html because it was getting too unwieldy to publish the site there every time I wanted to make changes--the software insisted on re-creating ALL of the individual blog pages, and just couldn't leave well enough alone with the archived pages. Whew! What a task. This will be much easier, though, now that the job is done.

One of the benefits of having gone to the trouble, though, is that it forced me to at least skim through my old posts... and to realize how far Quila and I have come. There are times, when I look at how far there is yet to go, that I feel like I've been spinning my wheels and that we haven't accomplished anything at all, especially since we're starting the year out showing First Level. Again. But that isn't true at all.

I rode through First Level Test 4 with Quila at home today. It was the first time we've ridden a test since September. And while our ride was not perfect (she could have been a bit rounder in the frame, and her leg yield to the right could have been a bit more prompt), I was still VERY pleased. Why? Because we went MY pace for the entire ride, and she was listening to me. Not once did she start to think, jump ahead, anticipate or second guess. She stayed on the aids, waited, and agreed that I could be the boss. Now, I know that was NOT because she's forgotten the test. I saw her ears flicker when I didn't do a stretch circle between the trot and the walk, I felt the surge of energy, ready for my command... but she waited, ready, UNTIL I asked for what I wanted. That has NEVER happened before. Not once. Ever. At home or at a show. We've had shows where she has been relaxed, quiet and well-behaved, but she's always had those wheels spinning--they were just spinning at a speed that was somewhere close to the one I wanted.

I think a large reason for this is that I've finally LEARNED and TRULY UNDERSTAND what it means to ride her. I know how to demand that she pay attention if she tries to work off her own agenda, so I no longer have the sense that things could spiral out of control. There will be no more prayers as we go down center line of "Please, God, let me ride the same horse I had in the warm-up." Other prayers, perhaps... because prayer isn't a bad thing, but I can at least dispense with the need to say that particular prayer of desperation. In fact, I've come to enjoy the extra energy that I use to despise, because I know how to channel it into improved, more expressive performance.

A few weeks ago, Quila was reacting to a pocket of spectators watching one of our boarders try saddles. The extra saddles perched on the rail, combined with the railbirds had her upset (though I can't exactly say why), and she was all huffed up and blowing steam out her ears. I had one of the best rides of the week, once I got her through--and getting her through took no longer than it normally would. And I was able to ride her from my seat and legs, without using an inordinate amount of hand. BIG change in my skill set. BIGGER change in our partnership and performance.

This will, I think, be an entirely different year. And we're signed up to show Second Level on March 17. BIG GRIN.

January 28, 2007: They WEREN'T Hallucinating...

There was a story on the CNN newswire today about a “Guide Horse for the Blind” with the photo above. Actually, I’m surprised that it’s just now getting picked up, because we met one of these horses in Los Angeles last year--it was staying at the Courtyard Embassy Suites with us.

But we (Susan and I) didn’t believe it at first, because the only ones who had seen it were Bill, Jürgen and Dirk, who had stayed up late drinking in the bar. We’d gone to bed--we had to compete in the morning. So, the next day at breakfast, when the guys tried to tell us that they’d shared the elevator with a horse on their way up to bed, we’d nodded our heads knowingly and said, “Yeah, sure. Sure you did, boys. And just how many drinks did you have after we left? And, by any chance, were there pink elephants, too?”

We teased them for days, right up until we saw the blind woman and her horse checking out in the hotel lobby. Can’t say much for eating crow. Kinda rubbery.