Let me explain better, although I doubt I really have to. I want to incorporate more video into Of Horses and Humans, and video is far more entertaining than my writing, I'm certain. But unfortunately, I don't really have anyone to video my rides, and sticking the video camera up doesn't do it for me any more.
Riding Nikita's trot is now much easier, and I can ride it without feeling out of breath or any such issue that was happening before. The difference is just that I took my knees off and used a super deep seat. It feels sometimes super bouncy, and like my legs are banging, although they're not. It's just how the loft in her gaits feel.
We got 4 tempis very good yesterday. For about 2 minutes I had a blonde moment and struggled with the counting - what can I say, sometimes my hair color just takes over and I had a "whoops" moment.
Note: to do an expressive single flying change, push the canter out the last 3 strides before the change.
Nic is doing much better. Only 1 out of every 10 strides is funny, instead of the opposite. She sees Steffan the masseuse guy on Saturday, and I hear he will set that rogue muscle right, and maybe I can get back to riding my mare. She's mentally ready to work, that's for sure. The look on her face when I lunge her says it all.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
July 15, 2009
I finally got the vet in since Nicole has been lame for about 3 weeks with no improvement. Apparently she has some opaque injury to the deep tissue muscles that connect her neck to her shoulders that appears to amount to a muscle strain. Those muscles in her neck/shoulder were stretched somehow, most likely resulting from the marriage between a pre-existing condition and an incline in her turnout paddock.
It's nice to know this since we spent, oh, I don't know, 3 weeks guessing whether it was the right front or the left hind, only to find out it's basically both legs. No problem with the actual legs, but the "off-ness" of the limbs is symptomatic of this neck/shoulder issue. I had a feeling it the issue was in that area. She's on banamine and injectable steriods, and hopefully we won't be dealing with any mare roid-rage. She probably hasn't been in any pain, as indicated by her willingness to work, but she's off because the strain makes everything a little more clunky.
On another note, after a near nervous breakdown, I've finally figured out how to ride Nikita's enormous trot. This just re-affirms my belief that dressage shouldn't be this hard, and when it becomes this hard, it's time to reevaluate what I'm doing. If it's hard, I'm probably doing it wrong. Which I was. Now I can ride the mare's powerful trot all day long with no problem, whereas before I was huffing and puffing and wanting to put the Colt 45 to my head to end my misery.
What's interesting is that the riding ideology I've been using espouses that the knees should remain closed in order to produce a powerful show trot. I've found the opposite is true - closing the knees interferes with producing a deep seat - which is why I couldn't ride Nikita without wanting to blow my head off. Take off the knees (or reduce the pressure) and maintaining a deep seat is easy. And the mare doesn't want to kill me. And now riding is fun again. And there you have it.
It's nice to know this since we spent, oh, I don't know, 3 weeks guessing whether it was the right front or the left hind, only to find out it's basically both legs. No problem with the actual legs, but the "off-ness" of the limbs is symptomatic of this neck/shoulder issue. I had a feeling it the issue was in that area. She's on banamine and injectable steriods, and hopefully we won't be dealing with any mare roid-rage. She probably hasn't been in any pain, as indicated by her willingness to work, but she's off because the strain makes everything a little more clunky.
On another note, after a near nervous breakdown, I've finally figured out how to ride Nikita's enormous trot. This just re-affirms my belief that dressage shouldn't be this hard, and when it becomes this hard, it's time to reevaluate what I'm doing. If it's hard, I'm probably doing it wrong. Which I was. Now I can ride the mare's powerful trot all day long with no problem, whereas before I was huffing and puffing and wanting to put the Colt 45 to my head to end my misery.
What's interesting is that the riding ideology I've been using espouses that the knees should remain closed in order to produce a powerful show trot. I've found the opposite is true - closing the knees interferes with producing a deep seat - which is why I couldn't ride Nikita without wanting to blow my head off. Take off the knees (or reduce the pressure) and maintaining a deep seat is easy. And the mare doesn't want to kill me. And now riding is fun again. And there you have it.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
July 5, 2009
Nicole's been lame for about a week. I refuse to call the vet, because I'm certain it's not something the vet can readily fix, in other words, something along the lines of a muscle strain. As first I thought it was this stone bruise, because the farrier saw one on her hoof, and the horse likes to jump in and out of trailers, but that went away after 2 days, and there was no heat, so the stone bruise was ruled out. So I had the farrier come out again, in case we could put a pad on the foot, but he deduced the issue is not in the hoof, and likely further up.
So, Papa Smurf suggested flexing all the joints to see what happened, and BOOM. HUGE reaction about the shoulder, which, after the foot, would have been my next guess. After stretching her shoulder the first time, she became a little less lame on the lunge line, so I'm doing some stretches an equine masseuse showed me.
What's interesting is about 18 months ago, I had a masseuse and a chiro out for Nicole, which I hate admitting because I see that stuff as superfluous. The only thing, in my opinion, that really helps a horse is correct training. However, both those people pointed out an issue with Nicole's shoulder (which is how I know the stretches to do for her shoulder). But, again, I blew them off because she improved to rapidly and dramatically through training, and after 15 months of correct training. no shoulder issue manifested.
So, the mare is doing a form of horsey yoga, and hopefully this will improve the issue. She is probably sound to ride, but not sound on the lunge.
On the other hand, I need new boots, and I'm REALLY not happy about it, but the Ariat's have completely decomposed. I'm getting custom boots, which will be nice for my feet given my special-needs feet.
So, Papa Smurf suggested flexing all the joints to see what happened, and BOOM. HUGE reaction about the shoulder, which, after the foot, would have been my next guess. After stretching her shoulder the first time, she became a little less lame on the lunge line, so I'm doing some stretches an equine masseuse showed me.
What's interesting is about 18 months ago, I had a masseuse and a chiro out for Nicole, which I hate admitting because I see that stuff as superfluous. The only thing, in my opinion, that really helps a horse is correct training. However, both those people pointed out an issue with Nicole's shoulder (which is how I know the stretches to do for her shoulder). But, again, I blew them off because she improved to rapidly and dramatically through training, and after 15 months of correct training. no shoulder issue manifested.
So, the mare is doing a form of horsey yoga, and hopefully this will improve the issue. She is probably sound to ride, but not sound on the lunge.
On the other hand, I need new boots, and I'm REALLY not happy about it, but the Ariat's have completely decomposed. I'm getting custom boots, which will be nice for my feet given my special-needs feet.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
June 27, 2009
Someone has a stone bruise. Probably because she can't exit or enter a trailer like a normal horse. No, Miss Thang has to jump on and off the trailer, regardless of footing and what's in front of her (like me). She still doesn't get that she can't jump in to my lap without painful and flattening consequences. I really hope it's just a stone bruise. The mare hasn't been lame in the 3 years I've owned her.
To add insanity to the insanity that is already in my life, I've acquired a souped-up Grand Prix schoolmaster by the name of Nikita. Yes, that's right, I have 2 horses named Nic (or Nik). It takes a special kind of stupid to get to this point. You'll probably be hearing about my adventures with Nikita along with the continued adventures I have with Nic.
On another topic, Nicole has a Twitter page. http://twitter.com/Nicolbria It's time she got her own voice.
To add insanity to the insanity that is already in my life, I've acquired a souped-up Grand Prix schoolmaster by the name of Nikita. Yes, that's right, I have 2 horses named Nic (or Nik). It takes a special kind of stupid to get to this point. You'll probably be hearing about my adventures with Nikita along with the continued adventures I have with Nic.
On another topic, Nicole has a Twitter page. http://twitter.com/Nicolbria It's time she got her own voice.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
June 13, 2009
Owwwww...brat tried bucking me off several times at the canter. "Several times" meaning around 20 times. She was just funnin' me, but geez my back hurts. Yay Motrin. She also tried to kick a small dog today. Guess what. Someone's in heat.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
June 11, 2009
I'm back, I promise. I've been off losing my mind for the past few months, and it's been fun living the high life of a lunatic, but since intellectualism and reason still reigns supreme in my brain, I can't get lost in insanity for too long. In other words, I've been distracted, but now I'm back.
Nic is doing great, but the real thing to talk about is that oft-revered yet more-than-frequently-overlooked aspect of training: the lunge lesson. For the past couple months, that's what I've been off doing. Still riding Nic of course, yet indulging in lunge lessons at the same time. I'd say improvements in my riding and training have taken place. I decided that although I'm fairly effective in the saddle, I hate how my legs are and definitely feel some weaknesses in my position there. I wish to attain a deeper seat, which I feel is totally not connected to Nic. Things have been much improved by the attention.
Nic is doing great, but the real thing to talk about is that oft-revered yet more-than-frequently-overlooked aspect of training: the lunge lesson. For the past couple months, that's what I've been off doing. Still riding Nic of course, yet indulging in lunge lessons at the same time. I'd say improvements in my riding and training have taken place. I decided that although I'm fairly effective in the saddle, I hate how my legs are and definitely feel some weaknesses in my position there. I wish to attain a deeper seat, which I feel is totally not connected to Nic. Things have been much improved by the attention.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)