Nicole has started doing something similar to tempis. They aren't tempis because we aren't counting anything out, just doing lead changes down the long side as she feels through and capable of doing them correctly. But tempis are just a step away from that. Oddly enough, her left-to-right lead changes are better than the right-to-left lead changes.
Her trot work is getting more consistent. She isn't afraid of the bit anymore, although her favorite evasion is still to suck up like this little rubber ball and not go forward. Those moments are becoming fewer as she realizes that going forward isn't the scary event she makes it out to be and is more comfortable pushing into the bridle. Now to start getting a more uphill and floating trot...not as easy as it sounds to convince a horse that she should move her energy up and not just out and forward.
My trot work with Nikita is getting better. I've had to learn that blasting around at full power doesn't equate to a relaxed dancing trot. All things being equal, blasting around at full power is easier and more relaxing to ME, but drives the poor mare up the wall, and is counter-producive to the tenets of dressage to which we all aspire. So, I've had a lesson in learning to do nothing and to become more comfortable with a more dancing trot. :-/ I guess mediums and extended trots will be my favorite exercises.
Nikita and I are working on canter pirouettes and collecting the canter well enough to do those expressively. And I feel like killing myself. We do great to the left, but I can't bring that same level of competence to the right side. I'm having trouble keeping her through properly to the right AND keeping a forward canter. The issue is that I'm not using my left leg enough to get her properly forward. It just about kills me when the horse isn't through and I'm dealing with this board underneath me that won't bend because I haven't made her forward enough, and I'm momentarily lacking the skill to keep it all together.
I've learned that I have this comfort zone - I'm most comfortable when I don't have to work to get the horse forward, but instead focus all my attention on bringing the horse back. I'm also pretty comfortable with a horse that is tense and jumping out of its skin; a relaxed horse leaves me feeling lost and confused. That's nice, but it doesn't really work to my advantage. I've learned with Nikita - who isn't nervous like Nicole - that I'm not that good at getting a horse to go forward from my leg. I've never had to learn - Nicole has always been extremely forward thinking and my job has always been to bring her back and hold the energy. These days I live in this paradox that I'm just beginning to resolve; it just about kills me to have to work to get a horse forward, yet sitting and doing nothing (i.e., to stop asking for more when the horse is going well) produces a restless confusion. Making Nikita crazy has been a lesson; when the mare is going well, I'm having to learn to let her relax and not ask for more more more all the time. The relaxed dancing trot is the aim. I'm also having to learn to ask for more forward from my leg and to insist on it when my request goes unheard. This has helped with Nicole, because another lesson I've learned is that forward does not equal "forward with power into the bridle". In other words, as Nicole has been asked to go forward into the bridle, using the legs to keep her forward and through has been necessary, and at times she has ignored the request in favor of getting out of the work.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
September 29, 2009
Nicole's lead changes are starting to become more consistent. They are totally consistent from right to left, sometimes a little short, but never late. We've started left to right lead changes, and sometimes they're clean and sometimes not. She's figured out that right to left changes won't kill her, but now she needs to figure out left to right will leave her living as well.
The thing about Nicole (and I guess every horse at her stage) is that because her training and therefore her level of sophistication is evolving, her needs evolve, which means the game plan with her is always changing. For months she has been freaky-light in the mouth, now suddenly she is totally the opposite and it takes a lot more hand to get her through and pushing into the bridle correctly (by "a lot more hand" I mean the same amount of hand it takes for Nikita, which technically speaking isn't a lot, but much more than I can usually use with Nicole). I think she had to figure out, again, that pushing into the bridle and being through isn't going to kill her. I'd been feeling for months that particular sensation that tells me the horse isn't through at the trot, but figured her "through" just felt different than Nikita's, since if I used more hand, Nicole got upset.
I finally feel like my legs are becoming more correct. I'm starting to feel more contact between the horse and my calves, which means my legs aren't flapping around in that irritating manner anymore, and the horses are starting to push better into the bridle under me. I put spurs on for the first time in a couple months with Nikita (I've been denied spurs for the past couple months with the purpose to learn more effective leg position). Nikita was hot-hot-hot, which I like in a horse. My leg position is now getting good enough to put the spurs back on, and I'm consistent enough in my 4, 3, and 2 tempis to start on the ones again, but I haven't been able to start them without the spurs. They went fine, we just did sets of 2 one-time changes, then cantered until the canter is good enough again, then another set of 2 one-time changes for the most part. We did 4 one-time changes in a row, but I didn't want to push it - sets of 2 one-time changes is good enough for me right now.
The thing about Nicole (and I guess every horse at her stage) is that because her training and therefore her level of sophistication is evolving, her needs evolve, which means the game plan with her is always changing. For months she has been freaky-light in the mouth, now suddenly she is totally the opposite and it takes a lot more hand to get her through and pushing into the bridle correctly (by "a lot more hand" I mean the same amount of hand it takes for Nikita, which technically speaking isn't a lot, but much more than I can usually use with Nicole). I think she had to figure out, again, that pushing into the bridle and being through isn't going to kill her. I'd been feeling for months that particular sensation that tells me the horse isn't through at the trot, but figured her "through" just felt different than Nikita's, since if I used more hand, Nicole got upset.
I finally feel like my legs are becoming more correct. I'm starting to feel more contact between the horse and my calves, which means my legs aren't flapping around in that irritating manner anymore, and the horses are starting to push better into the bridle under me. I put spurs on for the first time in a couple months with Nikita (I've been denied spurs for the past couple months with the purpose to learn more effective leg position). Nikita was hot-hot-hot, which I like in a horse. My leg position is now getting good enough to put the spurs back on, and I'm consistent enough in my 4, 3, and 2 tempis to start on the ones again, but I haven't been able to start them without the spurs. They went fine, we just did sets of 2 one-time changes, then cantered until the canter is good enough again, then another set of 2 one-time changes for the most part. We did 4 one-time changes in a row, but I didn't want to push it - sets of 2 one-time changes is good enough for me right now.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
September 27, 2009
Video of tempis on Nikita. 4, 3, & 2 tempis.
Passage, collected trot, medium trot transitions on Nikita.
I don't like the passage in this video because I don't think she's underneath herself enough, but it's a start.
Current trot video on Nicole.
Passage, collected trot, medium trot transitions on Nikita.
I don't like the passage in this video because I don't think she's underneath herself enough, but it's a start.
Current trot video on Nicole.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Laziest Dressage Rider Ever: September 16, 2009
I've been working on my leg position with Nikita. I'm sure my legs are effective enough, but I can't stand the way they look. As the mare tends to fly, my legs start flapping around, and eventually my heels go up and my toes point out. I've been trying to keep my knees on these imaginary parallel lines pointing forwards to keep my knees on Nikita and my calves in the right position.
On a related but sort of different topic, Nikita seems to enjoy blowing off my leg. I'm starting to get the drift that the mare doesn't take me seriously, so some "yes, I'm completely serious" schooling has taken place. In other words, when she doesn't respond to a light leg aid, she gets the whip. And like Nicole, she's terrified of the whip. It's in times like this that I become the laziest dressage queen ever, and since it's too much work to keep kicking her, she really needs to respond to the light aid. My motto with dressage has always been "if it's that hard, then I'm probably doing it wrong" and sweating just to make the mare go is making me sweat buckets. I'm starting to get somewhere, but I think part of the reason she blows me off is because of my leg position. It screams "take advantage of me!", and so the mare does. Who can blame her?
Nicole's lead changes are becoming more solid. She's finally realized a more collected canter isn't the same thing as being hung, drawn, and quartered, and is relaxing more into and out of the lead changes. Of course, Nicole wouldn't be Nicole without some heavy fire breathing, but she's starting to have fun with the exercise.
On a related but sort of different topic, Nikita seems to enjoy blowing off my leg. I'm starting to get the drift that the mare doesn't take me seriously, so some "yes, I'm completely serious" schooling has taken place. In other words, when she doesn't respond to a light leg aid, she gets the whip. And like Nicole, she's terrified of the whip. It's in times like this that I become the laziest dressage queen ever, and since it's too much work to keep kicking her, she really needs to respond to the light aid. My motto with dressage has always been "if it's that hard, then I'm probably doing it wrong" and sweating just to make the mare go is making me sweat buckets. I'm starting to get somewhere, but I think part of the reason she blows me off is because of my leg position. It screams "take advantage of me!", and so the mare does. Who can blame her?
Nicole's lead changes are becoming more solid. She's finally realized a more collected canter isn't the same thing as being hung, drawn, and quartered, and is relaxing more into and out of the lead changes. Of course, Nicole wouldn't be Nicole without some heavy fire breathing, but she's starting to have fun with the exercise.
Monday, September 7, 2009
September 7, 2009
We've restarted the lead changes on Nicole, and the good news is that she understands what's being asked of her - she consistently changes correctly and on the signal. She needs to come more underneath herself, and that's been difficult for her. She prefers to stay camped out behind, as she has done for 14 years, but this produced consistently short changes, which obviously we don't want. So we've been working on making her right canter more collected. Which has been an adventure. An almost rearing adventure.
Nicole, of course, is Nicole, which means she's hot and likes to avoid the bit by sucking back into herself. This habit has caused the mare to almost rear a few times, and come somewhat close to flipping over, had I not released the reins and sent her forward. She isn't being bad, just stuck in the collected canter, and needed to be driven forward. But yesterday she did 5 absolutely clean changes, so we're getting somewhere.
To the left, she does a great collected canter, but to the right she isn't quite there yet. She doesn't like to use her right hind leg. But she does a great working pirouette to the right, so go figure that one out.
I'm finally getting somewhere with passage-collected trot-passage transitions with Nikita. I did them fine initially, but lost the ability to keep the rhythm and relaxation for a brief while. The passage is always fine, but the collected trot started to feel wild, flat, and not through, but I wasn't sure how to keep the throughness and uphillness in the transition.
Nicole, of course, is Nicole, which means she's hot and likes to avoid the bit by sucking back into herself. This habit has caused the mare to almost rear a few times, and come somewhat close to flipping over, had I not released the reins and sent her forward. She isn't being bad, just stuck in the collected canter, and needed to be driven forward. But yesterday she did 5 absolutely clean changes, so we're getting somewhere.
To the left, she does a great collected canter, but to the right she isn't quite there yet. She doesn't like to use her right hind leg. But she does a great working pirouette to the right, so go figure that one out.
I'm finally getting somewhere with passage-collected trot-passage transitions with Nikita. I did them fine initially, but lost the ability to keep the rhythm and relaxation for a brief while. The passage is always fine, but the collected trot started to feel wild, flat, and not through, but I wasn't sure how to keep the throughness and uphillness in the transition.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
August 27, 2009
Nicole is officially back from her layup, and is fit enough to go back into fulltime work. I'm not pushing it as hard now, she gets 3 or so days a week off right now, just to keep her mentally happy.
The first couple weeks with her canter were just odd. The first time I rode her canter (the first time in 2 or so months), I was just lost. It felt completely different, with her hindend 100% under my butt (meaning she was tracking completely under herself) and about 1000 pounds of weight in my hand. Couple weeks (and a few "Wahoo! I'm back in work! Wait, crap! I'm back in work!" moments) later, and she's back to normal.
So I took her out for a test drive. For the first time in months, we did canter half passes and lead changes. Nicole was born knowing how to do a canter half pass, and she did them perfectly both directions each time, on a fairly steep diagonal. She held herself in perfect self-carriage the whole time. Not bad for a horse that a year ago was barely able to hold a decent canter.
The lead changes are the next project with her. It feels like now is the first time that she is truly ready to work on them. We've been doing this for 10 months or something, but she honestly wasn't ready before, except I didn't know that she wasn't ready, and I was getting sunshine blown up my butt by a trainer attempting to keep me interested in her training. Never one for the garden path of fantasy, it's annoying that I wasn't given proper information at the time, but the horse is no worse for the wear, except she had undue pressure put on her.
The difference between ready and not ready lies in self-carriage and throughness. Nicole is now able to hold herself without help, and requires only small changes in weight to produce throughness and self-carriage. Before this stage, she was like a 3 year old human - you tell them to do something (or not do something, as the case may be) and immediately you have to remind them again. I'd ask for throughness, then immediately she would need help again. Not a good breeding ground to introduce higher concepts.
The time I spent only riding Nikita has served me well. When riding Nicole at the trot, I now know what I'm looking for in order to produce a more uphill, cadenced collected trot with Nicole. I understand how to get Nicole to push into the bridle so her hindend comes more underneath her. Nicole's favorite trick is to either put too much pressure on the bridle (so the rider ends up holding her) or to suck back so the bridle becomes super light (and not correctly loaded) and not push correctly. We still aren't at the point where she's pushing 100% correctly into the bridle, but I'm also at a point where I'm not 100% sure how to train that into her. I'm still feeling my way through how to get from Point A to Point B.
I'm lucky I have Nikita, but I think I'm also lucky I have Nicole, who is forgiving and has a short memory for bad training and mistakes. I'm lucky I have Nicole who I know so well that I can learn to train these higher-level concepts without also having to navigate an unknown psyche. It's not that often that someone has the opportunity to have a horse like Nikita to learn to ride on and also to have a horse they know very well to learn to TRAIN on.
The first couple weeks with her canter were just odd. The first time I rode her canter (the first time in 2 or so months), I was just lost. It felt completely different, with her hindend 100% under my butt (meaning she was tracking completely under herself) and about 1000 pounds of weight in my hand. Couple weeks (and a few "Wahoo! I'm back in work! Wait, crap! I'm back in work!" moments) later, and she's back to normal.
So I took her out for a test drive. For the first time in months, we did canter half passes and lead changes. Nicole was born knowing how to do a canter half pass, and she did them perfectly both directions each time, on a fairly steep diagonal. She held herself in perfect self-carriage the whole time. Not bad for a horse that a year ago was barely able to hold a decent canter.
The lead changes are the next project with her. It feels like now is the first time that she is truly ready to work on them. We've been doing this for 10 months or something, but she honestly wasn't ready before, except I didn't know that she wasn't ready, and I was getting sunshine blown up my butt by a trainer attempting to keep me interested in her training. Never one for the garden path of fantasy, it's annoying that I wasn't given proper information at the time, but the horse is no worse for the wear, except she had undue pressure put on her.
The difference between ready and not ready lies in self-carriage and throughness. Nicole is now able to hold herself without help, and requires only small changes in weight to produce throughness and self-carriage. Before this stage, she was like a 3 year old human - you tell them to do something (or not do something, as the case may be) and immediately you have to remind them again. I'd ask for throughness, then immediately she would need help again. Not a good breeding ground to introduce higher concepts.
The time I spent only riding Nikita has served me well. When riding Nicole at the trot, I now know what I'm looking for in order to produce a more uphill, cadenced collected trot with Nicole. I understand how to get Nicole to push into the bridle so her hindend comes more underneath her. Nicole's favorite trick is to either put too much pressure on the bridle (so the rider ends up holding her) or to suck back so the bridle becomes super light (and not correctly loaded) and not push correctly. We still aren't at the point where she's pushing 100% correctly into the bridle, but I'm also at a point where I'm not 100% sure how to train that into her. I'm still feeling my way through how to get from Point A to Point B.
I'm lucky I have Nikita, but I think I'm also lucky I have Nicole, who is forgiving and has a short memory for bad training and mistakes. I'm lucky I have Nicole who I know so well that I can learn to train these higher-level concepts without also having to navigate an unknown psyche. It's not that often that someone has the opportunity to have a horse like Nikita to learn to ride on and also to have a horse they know very well to learn to TRAIN on.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
August 6, 2009
For right now Nic seems to be sound under saddle. But do you want to know what hell is? Having an FEI-level horse that has no muscle and no balance. Suffice to say, riding Nicole is tantamount to watching a drunken sailor try to walk, only less entertaining. Nicole is in the habit that if she doesn't have the muscle or the knowledge to perform up to her expectations, she rushes. So we've been off to the races the past couple days, and I'm getting my mint juleps ready (that is, if I actually drank mint juleps, which, let's face it, isn't hardcore enough for this audience) because I think we have a good shot at next years Derby. Actually, even more depressing, she feels like she felt when I got her 3 years ago. Except now I know that she's rushing because of lack of balance.
What sucks even further is that she has no neck muscle, so despite her best attempts, she can't really remain through. So we have the rehab blues. It's going to take a couple months before she's strong enough to do anything, and probably longer than that before she's ready to work on more advanced stuff. Yipee.
The main difference between Nicole and Nikita, besides the fact that Nicole clearly has a form of dwarfism and Nikita is gigantic, and that one is chestnut and one is black, is that Nicole is Speedy Gonzales on cocaine while Nikita has a normal amount of energy for a horse. I've never, ever had to use leg on Nicole except for bending and collecting, and because she's so short, if I move only slightly, that's enough of an aid to get a reaction.
So the fact that I have to actually use leg on Nikita is a new concept for me. And dealing with the varying degrees of leg pressure has been, well, interesting.
What sucks even further is that she has no neck muscle, so despite her best attempts, she can't really remain through. So we have the rehab blues. It's going to take a couple months before she's strong enough to do anything, and probably longer than that before she's ready to work on more advanced stuff. Yipee.
The main difference between Nicole and Nikita, besides the fact that Nicole clearly has a form of dwarfism and Nikita is gigantic, and that one is chestnut and one is black, is that Nicole is Speedy Gonzales on cocaine while Nikita has a normal amount of energy for a horse. I've never, ever had to use leg on Nicole except for bending and collecting, and because she's so short, if I move only slightly, that's enough of an aid to get a reaction.
So the fact that I have to actually use leg on Nikita is a new concept for me. And dealing with the varying degrees of leg pressure has been, well, interesting.
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