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.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
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.
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