Pushing Too Hard...

Today went well. I had great plans for doing the next chapter of Lessons With Lendon. It's actually an exercise that Courtney King (or Courtney King-Dye) had a few riders do during the dressage demos at Equine Affaire in April. Courtney called it flexing and Lendong calls it bending though, extreme bending to the inside and the outside as you ride a circle. But we didn't really get to that. But, the chapter is called Active Hands, which is what I'd been playing with on my own, so it was good to read a more detailed account of what I should be doing. I was pretty much ok on my own, I'd realized after the first day that I needed to not pull my hand down when flexing my fingers because I didn't want to force her head down, I wanted her to feel safe putting it down, and just encourage it. Lendon emphasized that it's better to lift the hand, and away from the neck a bit while you do it to ensure you are effecting the lips, not the bars. So we did work on that section.

Sophie was trying *very* hard today, and she started out better than yesterday, we were doing stretchy circles after just a couple spiral circles at the trot. It was actually easier for her to do stretchy circles than to do the spiral circles. So we went large to trot past the scary end of the arena (where the light shines through the crack between the door and the wall) and did a few circles down there until her head didn't fly up when approaching the light. As soon as we were past the light, her head would come down and she would relax. Then up when approaching the light again. But she did start to relax and not counterbend on the circle, once she did that we moved on from the light.

We went to the left first, and then reversed and did the spiral circles and stretchy circles to the right after a walk break. Sophie was having a lot of trouble balancing though, even through the leg yield out, which is not normal for her at all. So we did a couple of circles by the light and then had another walk break. We finished up with a canter circle in each direction, which she was very good for. After I untacked her I went ahead and curried her really good. I always do her face with the soft side of the jelly brush first because she's always itchy and is always super and doesn't rub her head on me after we're done working now. Then I used the hard curry on her body and she was actually leaning into the curry comb. She never does that. She's normally pretty standoffish when it comes to brushing, doesn't dislike it, but doesn't really seem to like it either. Except for her face when she's sweaty, her chest curried, her mane brushed, and her udder cleaned. Those things she gets droopy eyed and lowers her head or leans as appropriate.

This leads me to the conclusion that riding four days in a row and really working these last couple of days was a little much for her. So I'm going to cut back to two days riding, one day off and see how that goes, while she gets legged up. She'll have tomorrow and Saturday off because I'm going home tomorrow. If the weather cooperates I'm going to take Jessie for a spin while home and see how he feels under saddle. At least get some new pictures of him!

Meanwhile, I've exchanged a couple of emails with Sophie's breeder, and her daddy's owner (her daddy is Advocate). They're both very nice and seemed to like getting the updates. I also sent an email to her old trainer with links to pictures and letting her know that everything's going well, I'm also hoping that she shares the email with Sophie's old owner. Tomorrow I'm dropping off two saddles at Equus Now to be sold on consignment, the money will be nice and I can't use either of them on the two horses I own (and the dressage saddle will never work for me).

Saturday morning...

Saturday Morning-Exercises to Create a More Responsive Dressage Horse
Horse 1-Haflinger gelding (from yesterday)

Warm Up
-practice transitions within the gaits, should get bigger through just a squeeze
-to shorten-play the bit, bend, use some sideways, don't just pull back

Exercise
medium trot down long side
walk
walk pirouette
medium trot
repeat

Horse 2-not sure on this horse's breed, it was new

Improving the Trot
This horse had a nice, but flat trot, it wasn't very impressive
-horses with a flat trot are often improved through work at the canter
-use haunches in then shoulder in on a circle. Maintain contact with the outside leg to keep the horse on the shoulder in, not haunches out.
-then big canter/small canter; keep inside leg on to keep him from finding the inside rein

Contact
It's up to you to keep the contact, even if the horse loses the contact and bounces the mouth on the bit when refinding it it's still abrasive to him (whether it's his "fault" or yours)--you need to keep the contact steady no matter what.

Shoulder In
Sometimes when schooling you need to start with dishonest bend and try to make it honest (referring to more bend in the neck than is correct).

Other
-the horse's back needs to be warmed up through lateral work prior to using a big kick to ask for more
-"slap" a tight horse with the leg(s) because nudging gives the horse something to brace against
-an exercise she had this rider do was take the leg off and after the horse wasn't anticipating a kick when the leg was removed it suddenly turned bouncy and springy. It was very cool to watch, Courtney told the rider that she could stop and the rider kept going, wanting to enjoy the new trot she'd just found. It was really neat to watch the progression to that point in just a 30 minute lesson.

Saturday Afternoon-Getting the Most Out of Your Dressage Test: Tips to Help You Showcase Your Horse to Your Best Advantage
Horse 1-Danish Gelding from the day before

General
-work on things you *can* improve. For example, Courtney said that Idocus will never get an 8 on extended trot so she focuses more on the things that she can get 9's on than trying to fix something that is already so hard for him.
-pick up the stride *at* that letter, not when the hindquarters are at it; so ask a stride earlier; work it out at home how long it will take

Medium Trots on the Diagonal
Turn like a steamship (with little bend) in the corner when approaching the diagonal so that the horse comes onto the diagonal straight and ready to go, you lose precious time when you have to straighten the horse on the diagonal and then ask for medium trot.

Horse 2-Dutch Mare from the day before

Flying Changes
If the horse changes on its own without you asking for it, stop, pick up the correct lead, volte, and try again.

Miscellaneous
-really perfect going from halt to trot, it's a silly place to lose points in a test
-practice standing in the halt
-make transitions between gaits very clear (medium to collected, etc)

Collected to Medium Canter Tips
-be bold! Make sure the horse respects half halts; when collecting give as you collect so that you have something to take again
-if shoulder fore is lost then you won't have control over the outside rein to respond to a half halt

"It's not going to happen better in the show ring than it does at home"

Horse 3-Oldenburg from the day before

Miscellaneous
Whenever you're in schooling don't be committed to the movement, be committed to doing it right.

Beating Nerves (response to a question from the audience)
When going to a horse show ride to show off your horse; it's not a rider show, so just do your best to show off your horse...don't worry about others judging you and thinking badly of you.

Friday Afternoon

Friday Afternoon-Using Dressage Movements to Improve the Horse Rather than Focusing on the Dressage Movements Themselves
Horse 1-Haflinger Gelding

This horse was the 3rd level horse, he was adorable and very nice, but very tense in the neck and tight across the back (he looked very flat at the beginning of the ride). The rider usually rode with a longer rein than Courtney wanted to see, but improved a lot between the first day and the second day in that aspect.

Warming up the Tight Horse
-stretching out won't help loosen the horse's back; the horse needs to stretch *down* (long and low)
-to warm up, extra bend the horse's neck to the inside, then bend to the outside, and repeat as needed, this is a great loosening exercise
-take the horse in round and deep for a few strides because then stretching out feels good (this was the only horse Courtney suggested this for, and they only did it once or twice the whole weekend, and it wasn't nose to the chest deep--just a bit behind the vertical)
-deep doesn't stretch the back; it can be a temporary fix for getting the horse to stretch (after the few strides of deep)
-volte and haunches in help with a stiff horse
-if the horse is strong when picking up the bit push it sideways
-counterbending is good to make sure the horse is supple (on a circle)

Suppling
-trot around the arena and volte (8-10 m circle) at every letter
-inside rein bobbing is a good sign (off the inner rein)
-can do this exercise with any horse (15 m circles if a young horse)

Haunches In
-continue to play the bit throughout
-if you ride each movement thinking of making the next one better you're going to train the horse; if you ride it thinking about this movement the horse will train you
-you have to set your standards high the first time, the horse will never improve if you keep doing it and don't say "Wait, this is what I don't like"
-it's natural for a non-supple horse to go faster at the haunches in; it's easier to go faster than it is to bend
-when cantering-have extra bend before you stop; if horse rushes then walk, put haunches in at walk; then canter again and try it

Suppling
-big canter then smaller canter, push horse to the outside as you go smaller
-best thing to do when collecting the horse is stay soft and supple
-keep playing the bit, give a little, bend a little, take a little, big half halt, etc--play the whole time

"Mistakes are going to happen, fix them! Don't avoid mistakes, train the horse."

Horse 2-Oldenburg Gelding

Haunches In
-difficult to get more bend once you're already in the Haunches In
-start out with too much bend if anything
-keep inside leg on the horse in order to keep the horse bending
-normally if the rider has to pull the inside rein over across the neck it means the inside leg isn't doing its job

Half Pass
-haunches leading stifles the movement; puts weight on the front legs
-sideways, then straight while doing shoulder fore, then sideways again
-outside rein has to push the shoulders over if horse leads with haunches, seen especially in horses super sensitive to the outside leg and moves the haunches over
-horse's angle should be same whether half passing or shoulder ining-don't push haunches to the outside

Flying Changes
-you learn what you practice, do not practice it wrong
-make each change better, jump through each change
-don't shorten the stride leading to each change

Courtney King Notes...

And now, my notes from the Courtney King clinics I spectated over the weekend at Equine Affaire. There were two clinics each of the two days. I hadn't known much about Courtney King going into the clinics, just that she was a Grand Prix rider.


Friday Morning-Dressage, How to Ride More Precisely
Horse 1-Dutch Mare

Collected Canter-keep the same jump and cadence throughout, always need a sense of forward

• Keep the collection by doing shoulder fore throughout the exercise
• When beginning schooling ask for 3 or 4 strides and then go forward again

Flying Changes-let the canter flow between the changes, there should not be a change in the canter prior to each change, the approach to a change should be the same as the departure from the change

Walking-(especially the free walk to working walk transition)-to loosen the back ask for sideways as you pick the horse back up. Ask for extra bend and a little sideways as transitioning from the free walk to the working walk to prevent the horse from stiffening and to keep you from just pulling back as you do it

• Never rush when picking the horse up at the walk

Miscellaneous-to get the horse more "up" use walk-trot transitions-not shorter reins and more leg.

Humorous Sidenote (this rider had said that she needs help with her half passes, and Courtney had a great sense of humor and was very witty).

Courtney: "Now lets see that horrendous half pass"

Rider half passes

Courtney: "It's not horrendous, but it's boring"

Grand Prix-the horse's understanding...

Leg=collect and sit

Hand=extend

Miscellaneous

In dressage, you should always ride shoulder fore, it encourages the inside hind to track between the front legs; weights the inside hind leg while keeping the haunches from being toward the center of the ring

Half Pass

-go into it with extra bend

-use inside leg to prevent too much sideways

-need to keep the horse from falling onto the shoulder, keep her upright with the inside leg

• will help with rushing the sidepass when walk-trot transitions within it don't

-if your half pass is honest and in self carriage the inside rein will become loose

-if horse leads with its haunches go straight while in shoulder fore and then half pass again

• don't wait until the haunches lead though, shoulder fore *before* the haunches lead, if you do it before there's a problem you might only need to do it for a stride or so, if you wait, it'll take a few strides before you can go back to half pass

Training-do a movement with precision and quality for a few strides and then change when quality deteriorates to improve the movement--then try again

• don't just keep going while doing it badly, horses learn through muscle memory and they'll learn it wrong if you do

Canter Half Pass

-if losing it *push* the horse straight, don't just allow the horse to stop going sideways

-make sure the horse keeps reaching

-do it on the 3/4 line because you'll already have the horse balanced on your outside leg, rather than beginning from the wall

General

-if the horse gets too up play a little with the reins, don't hold it in; up is what allows the horse to be expressive

-after doing canter work make sure you get a good trot before stopping for a break

• make sure the horse is supple and loose in a way that encourages expression because horses are trained on muscle memory, so don't throw the trot away on the way to the walk

-if the horse picks up the wrong gait when you are asking for something correct it right away because otherwise next time the horse will think "I was right, that is what she wanted" and will be more likely to repeat the incorrect reaction

Horse 2-Danish Gelding

Lendon Gray's #1 rule for riding--Learn to do nothing (be part of the horse); until you can do that you have no right to ask the horse to conform to your body

Sidenote

Courtney would give the horses 3 or 4 walk breaks during each 45 minutes session, I found that interesting because quite a few on the internet seem to think that the horse should never be allowed to walk and rest during a schooling session

Light hand is not because you give it; it's your ability to react

• Some horses want a heavier connection, which is ok, as long as it's consistent

"Don't do anything artificial with your hands, let the horse have control"

Shoulder In

-can be corrected when you're not in the shoulder in; do a volte halway through

-start it when the horse is already good

Collected Canter

-move the bit a little

-sit a little deeper

-sometimes just need to relax and stop focusing on being perfect

-the horse has got to pull your arms, you don't push it's mouth

Other

Low hands look nicer, are more elegant and effortless (not to mention that the two riders prone to holding their hands too high had much nicer rides when they lowered their hands so that there was a straight line from elbow to mouth). Another thing I noticed was that the two riders that tended to ride mainly off the curb were the two that held their hands too high. Almost everyone was told shorten the snaffles (those two to lengthen the curbs too) at some point, a couple because the snaffle rein seemed to slip through their fingers; the other two were told to lengthen the curb and shorten the snaffle (sometimes the curb would be taught for them and the snaffle rein loose). Courtney got very tired of telling one person to get off the curb.

Teeth...check. Coggins...check.

Linda emailed and Sophie (notice the ph now, lol) is all set for her coggins and teeth floating, so she should be ready to go by the 30th of April. I spent all day today at Equine Affaire, Courtney King was *awesome*. Buck Davidson...not so much, but Courtney King was fantastic. I learned so much, even though the riders were 3rd level or higher. I took lots of notes and plan on typing them up as soon as I can and then posting them on this blog.