Nicole, Self-Portraits, and Dressage Today: July 18, 2007

Technically, all these photos are failures, but I challenge anyone who complains to do self-portraits with their horse without a remote shutter release. I got more exercise taking these than I did actually riding the mare.

I'm in a super bad mood today, so I'm going to vent for a second. I HATE the Lisa Wilcox clinic articles in Dressage Today. Too much of each article is centered on the rider's apparel. I'm not trying to be pedantic, but WHY can't the woman make more comments about the rider's position and how to improve the horse? I realize that there is only so much you can comment about in a photo, but lay off the rider's appearance already.

From an editorial perspective (which I believe I've earned some right to profess upon, having spent almost 10 years as a writer/editor), each article is just a regurgitation of the last - isn't there anything more constructive to say? Honey, don't you have more of your wealth of knowledge to impart on the horsey set than "wear gloves?"

It's obvious that the Lisa Wilcox Clinic articles are based on the George Morris Jumping Clinic articles in Practical Horseman. For those who aren't familiar with Morris's articles, he routinely discusses both the rider's and horse's appearance in these monthly articles. Since western civilization is founded on the borrowing of ideas, I can't find fault with Dressage Today for borrowing the ideas of Practical Horseman (especially since they are owned by the same company, Primedia Equine Network).

Dressage being the bluestocking-ed intellectual half-sister to Hunters, you'd think Dressage Today would want to put more theoretical thought into these brief discussions of the photos. Dressage people take pride in the fact that the sport is all about the improving the horse and the horse's movement, rather than just "sitting pretty," as it were.

The dressage rider, by nature of the sport, is SUPPOSED to be secondary; that's why we are supposed to move so little, why our competition outfits are so regimented and spartan. To harp on the rider's vêtements in each article runs counter to what dressage is really about - IMPROVING the HORSE.

Lord help us all of Lisa just gets paid a royalty for using her name and image while a ghost writer is the true author of these clinics. That would be even more of a disgrace.

It's perfectly fine for George Morris to spout off in Practical Horseman about appearances, since so much of Hunters is based on that, but, really, Lisa, we get the hint. Move on to something more educational. It's simply patronizing discussing turnout as much as you do.

Canter/Walk Transitions: July 17, 2007

Walk/Canter transitions:



Now, to remember to keep my hips open when I ask for them...

Canter comparison, February 2007 to July 2007:

Nicole, BFF Steph, and BFF Steph's Brief Myocardial Infarction: July 14, 2007

9:28 PM BFF Steph: :) how was your ride today

9:29 PM me: better

9:30 PM BFF Steph: who's your lesson with tomorrow?

me: Trainer

9:31 PM BFF Steph: ah. Trainer?!!!! are you shitting me?

me: no I’m serious
i called him today

9:32 PM BFF Steph: wow. what brought that on?

me: oh i dunno. that underneck muscle is getting smaller, so i think it needs a pro to build it back up again. he said he was sorry for making her do stuff that was too hard for her and for accusing her of being bad when she was merely unbalanced

BFF Steph: well didn't we think that he was part of the problem before
ahhh ok
just read the other part

me: yes and he apologized for all that and said he was wrong and that he isnt as good as he thought

BFF Steph: oook. wow dear. just be careful. this is such a volatile situation

me: what do you mean?
how is it volatile?

9:36 PM BFF Steph: how you two can fight that's all. just trying to minimize the drama but of course it's your choice

9:37 PM me: well you know how much i believe making her underneck muscle bigger is a top priority

9:38 PM BFF Steph: you mean smaller right?

me: and how much i believe forcing her into a frame is the proper method
no i want it bigger
strong like bull

BFF Steph: fight like chipmunk?

me: i'll be kind now
my lesson is with lula may

9:39 PM BFF Steph: you are a shit!!!!

me: HAHAHAHHAHAHAH

BFF Steph: you had me. DAMN YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

me: i cant believe you took me seriously
i so had you

BFF Steph: yeah you did. I was floored

me: i thought about dragging it out and seeing if you'd ask him how my lesson with him went tomorrow but i want to talk to you about the video and i have the feeling you would have left soon if i had kept you believing me

BFF Steph: ROFL
I honestly thought you were off your rocker
but I was going to try and be supportive
:p

me: do you really think he would ever admit any wrongdoing with nic?
anyway, do you think she showed better movement today?

9:42 PM BFF Steph: yeah a little bit. she was carrying more weight on her hocks but still needs to come through more. I say this of course fully aware that I sound like a broken record and you need to feel her out on a daily basis to see what she can give you

9:43 PM me: yeah. in the beginning, she felt like she was going through more willingly
i think moving the saddle made a difference because when i went from posting to sitting, her head didnt move, meaning she didnt tense her back

BFF Steph: she is. just keeping heading in that direction
yeah. that's a good sign
her head shouldn't move
ok. I'm starting to get over my coronary

me: and it was easier to compress her then lengthen her. im not saying she took more weight onto her hocks, just that she was more responsive
more supple i guess you could say
what did your blood pressure go through the roof?
did Mr. BFF Steph have to get the smelling salts?

BFF Steph: a little. because I figured you’d be bitching to me about that decision in a couple of weeks
:)

me: oh i see. its ALL about you

BFF Steph: ROFL
but of course!!!
:)

Nicole, Lateral Work, and the Anti-Movement Movement: July 13, 2007

Horse people truly are a strange breed of human. As the movers and shakers of the livestock industry, we've built a glamorous Cult of Beauty out of what essentially equates to the daily farm work practiced by the everyday rustic. As horsepeople, we've gone for the Trifecta of the looney bin: In no other social microcosm would you find such pillers of society as doctors and lawyers discussing feed composition like prophets or romanticing stall cleaning into the rites of priests. To the rest of the world, it's shit shoveling, but for us, it's the work of soothsayers.

Since it's been hot this week, and since last Sunday I almost fainted from sun exposure, I've been riding in the indoor. The fine layer of dust I manage to accrue in the indoor does nothing for my pores, and it appears this week I've had the dubious choice between re-experiencing heat stroke or acquiring black lung disease.

Yesterday's ride was probably the dullest I've experienced, and how I managed to fill an hour just walking remains one of those mysteries of the ages. In reality, I think I worked her too hard on Wednesday, so yesterday we worked on lateral work at the walk. I'm tired of shoving her through leg yields, so making her more sensitive to those aids (and consequently, making me think hard about where I'm putting my weight) seemed in order anyway. In general, I'm tired of moving as much as I am on the horse - it's too much effort and it's too hot to ride that way. The hands need to stay in one place and the horse needs to respond to quieter aids. Finis.

I'm starting a different kind of movement as a protest against moving too much while on the horse. I'm calling it the "anti-movement movement." With dressage riders already staging sit-ins on horses throughout the world, I'm sure the movement will be quick to catch on.

I did about 5 min of trot work at the end, and here are the results:

If the lateral work doesn't exactly bring tears to the eyes, the dust cloud kicked up certainly will.

Meanwhile, I figured out an easy way to braid her mane quickly and more professional-looking. Thank God, because there was no way I was going to go through braiding again using the same methods as I had in the past. WHY do the kids at the old barn (hereafter referred to as "R") sew in braids? It's unnecessary (see, this is how they get you in the Cult of Beauty).

Yet Another Mare Moment: July 9, 2007

Brought to you by Nicole:

That sound you heard was BM shutting, not slamming, shutting, her car door. So, this is what dressage people refer to as "electric," right?

At least Nic doesn't commit the 8th deadly sin of being terribly boring.

Nicole, Ferris Bueller, and the Grinnin' Fool: July 6, 2007

Question: Why do flies exist? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Comparing Stretchy Circles: July 5, 2007

So the heroine of "Of Horses and Humans," meaning Nic, has had diarrhea for the past 24 hours thanks to the quite considerate neighbors next to the farm. I guess the fireworks they were setting off didn't agree with her, and as soon as I arrived at the farm today, as soon as I stepped out of my car, she stuck her head out of her window, and made the grunting noise which effectively means "thank God you're here," and pretty much crawled in my lap for the remainder of our visit (except when she tried to take a piece of me as I put on a side rein).

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something that will forever mark me as a crazy lady: I swear when the horse has a problem, I have the same problem. I swear, I spent all last night with the worst belly ache. I've had menstrual cramps the same day the mare has cramps from being in heat. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Some people are gelding people, and some people are mare people, and then there's people like me that take it all one step further and internalize their horse's pain.

I wanted to take a moment to compare stretchy circles taken from 2 different periods of time.

May 11, 2007:



July 4, 2007:

The difference is obvious. I've noticed upon reviewing older videos that Nic had a lot more impulsion before I made her slow down and relax. However, that impulsion came from being tense and rushing, and was effectively uncontrollable, as evidenced in the stretchy circle dated May 11, 2007.

However, one of the best parts of Nic is how she can be very electric, so now the task is to figure out how to regain that impulsion while ensuring the mare stays relaxed and carries herself. I'll be damned if I know how to do that, but a month ago I was damned if I knew how to slow her down and make her relax. Any takers want to help solve this dilemma?