Lesson #158: Snort, Sigh, Relax

Hello out there, from underneath all this snow and cold. It's finally stopped and we're in the process of cleaning up this city.

Blargh!! Welcome to winter in Canada.

It is currently -15C in the GTA and likely colder in Hillsburgh/Erin. With windchill, we're looking at closer to -25C or -30C. It wasn't very different yesterday... less snow but just as frigid. And there we go, trekking out bright and early Sunday morning for our weekly lesson. In come the horses with ice hooves that we were lucky to have J grab some sort of hammer to help us save 10-15 minutes of chiselling away at the ice with puny hoof picks.

We enter the indoor arena and it is -10C. Lots of warm up time. My aim this time is to listen enough to Ariel relaxation signs such as loosening of her body, the pace and even snorts and sighing. I am looking for that moment/position that elicits those responses from Ariel that tell me what she's looking for. I add in curves to my warm up and do a few shallow loop serpentine and circles throughout the arena. All the jumps have been put away today so I figured it was going to be a flat lesson. I am told to get Ariel to relax in an extended relaxed trot with a low head carriage; I am holding the rein at the buckle but the trick now is to maintain that head carriage while keeping deep corners and the pace/rhythm.

Next, canter. The canter was such a mess at the get go. I was not collected myself and Ariel was thus not starting up. After recollecting myself in a proper trot, I initiated the canter and things were pretty good! I did ride it in the half seat again just so that I got off her back and got out of her way and she seemed far more relaxed about that and we went round and round but keeping her in the corners on the right rein had its occasional challenges. Not only that, keeping her straight was something I had to focus on maintaining because she was keen on falling into the centre--which probably meant that I need to be more aware of what I'm doing when I lose focus.

The transitions are cleaner than they used to be when we'd go speeding down the long end with me bouncing around trying to get her to pick up the canter. But things have gotten smoother, even though that doesn't mean I know what exactly I'm doing differently.

In an effort to return to the previous goal of keeping straight and relaxed, we are told to get into seated trot without stirrups and keeping pace and ensuring relaxation and looseness. My hips were awful; everything was tight and I was flapping in the seat and Ariel was clearly not enjoying things and started to act up by telling me I was doing things wrong. It took some time but eventually, something came and went and I got a few steps. A few times moving forward from the halt, she would raise her head and back up a step or two when I asked her to move forward. Sheri pointed out that when I ask her to move on, my hips actually lock up and pretty much everything in that 'seat' area gets rigid and for Ariel, that's confusing because I'm telling her to go but not, all at the same time. I need to learn to use my calves to urge her on and not tighten my entire seat. That's going to be tough b/c I haven't quite figured out exactly how to... it's so natural to just tense everything to push her forward because my body just tends to go that way!

Despite that though, the improvement in transitions, snorts and relaxation sighs and having a relaxed trot with a flowing canter was progress enough for me!

Lesson #75: More Jumping

Today is the first day that I had a moment where I found myself grumbling "winter really needs to be over. I am so done with you, winter". I'm a winter baby and I'd take the cool weather over the hot, any time. But, I think I've had enough today. What prompted this flip of perspective? I skated to the stable today. There was recently a dumping of snow and then rain and then melt on top of that, finished off with a great old freeze. The driveway to the stable was a skating rink and getting Ariel from the paddock today was a careful dance to the stable door.

I didn't come up with ADW, so rode with the novice girls who have been riding since they were tots. A rattle to my confidence? You betcha. The only thing I can take heart in is that one of the girls (she's not even in high school yet...) is nearly half a foot taller than me so I feel like we're not that far in age.

Sheri sets up a bunch of standards and a few jumps. We continue to work on bending and turning; reminded that "even turns should be like circles" and shouldn't be sharp or abrupt. This is not as easy because consistently bending the horse can be tricky. Ariel is quick to tell me when I'm not doing something right... she tenses up and raises her head in protest. We continue to do this a bit longer and then move into a long canter around the arena. We focus on keeping our pace and not zooming around the arena like mad rider and horse. There are moments when my hips aren't relaxed and my seat is smacking the saddle instead of scooping through smoothly with little space between bottom and saddle.

Our next step is working up to simple jumps. I have the low x-jumps and the other girls have a variety of x-jumps and straight jumps. The first try I have a trot not fast enough and Ariel is so good to just hop over but it was both awkward and unhappy looking; increase the pace but keep it consistent right up to the take-off. I work on my crest release with a quicker recovery, following the landing because I'm often all over Ariel's neck. My crest release is better today because something clicked and I understood what I was to do: 2 point and extend your arms forward... what was I doing before? I was keeping my arms locked closer to an angle from my body and actually tipping forward. At least that's what I evaluated the error to me. But that being said, not once was I left behind today so something was right. I did have wobbly jumps and Ariel likes to cut corners and take the jump off-center but these are all things I should be able to fix... soon. As soon as I stop focusing on everything leading up to the jump and just focus on getting through the jump as a whole, not pieces.

A few things I found did help, when Sheri had me focused on 1 thing to fix each round...

• Have a target you're looking at when you're jumping... don't look down. I have to remember my dragon boat steering days...
• If I know she's tending one way, look towards other and be prepared to have the appropriate aids to counter that possibility.

The couple of things that I will incorporate into my workouts (which are only so-so, btw :( ) are 1) opening my chest so that when I give with my hands, for Ariel's head/mouth, I don't collapse my shoulders forward and actually move my arms/hands forward while keeping my chest open and proud. 2) I also need to loosen my legs and hips more... the desk jockey syndrome is really starting to take a toll.

Posting Diagonal Jar Tally: = 3 x $2.00 = $6.00
To date: $97.00

My Winter Riding Wardrobe on a Budget

I've been meaning to compose this post for a couple weeks now... especially with the last very cold spell. Since last winter wasn't as cold and snowy as this one, I didn't pay much attention to winter-specific clothing other than a down vest; I got that from MEC at clearance because I squeezed into the size 14 kid's version! Goooo me!! Anyways, I don't show and probably won't do it for a little while so my focus this chilly and snowy winter has been on schooling clothes that can double as outdoor active clothes. I know that this is already a relatively costly endeavour compared to some of the other activities I've done/do so I try to work with what I've got and consider alternatives for my riding wardrobe.

It's good that I'm active outside of horseback riding and I've amassed plenty of active clothing. I paddled and steered a dragon boat team for several seasons in my previous years but have since stopped, but I do continue to kayak in the summers for leisure. I also cycle in the warmer months and have a substantial arrangement of cycling clothes for someone who cycles once... maybe twice a week. Primarily, I am an avid yogini for many years and find enjoyment in this activity. However, these are all warm weather activities and don't accommodate for cooler weather. So, I have been riding with the same clothes I ride with during the summer; with one amendment: many more layers.

This year, I've been thinking about the "gaps" in my winter riding wardrobe without breaking the bank. I already have many t-shirts and a few long sleeve shirts that I usually pull over my tshirt; this past few months, I've gotten a moisture-wicking active shirt from MEC as well as a very warm and soft fleece pull over top I picked up at Le Baron, all during the Boxing Day week sales. We'll talk gloves another time because I've realized that having the appropriate gloves are key.

While we tack-up in the main stable, the horses are often in the adjacent fields and some of the tack is in the other smaller stable. I find myself trekking into the snow driftswhere there are few trees to keep the snow from blowing around and turning into snow dunes. To mitigate this, I put on my paddock boots and half chaps then make my way out rather successfully. No snow in my boots and I'm dry by the time I start lesson.

The only thing that has gotten to me though, is being cold. I layer my top and slip on wool socks, but my bottom and legs (particularly my thighs) are perpetually chilly. I tried to get long johns on underneath but clearly I've had too much fun over Christmas and things aren't fitting the way they could and so I'm considering winter chaps. Wiarton Willie says that we're getting another 6 weeks of winter so these will likely come in useful. Stay tuned for my post about how it's like, riding with them :)

Wearing My Flood Pants

It's been an interesting two days. We had a black swan event with the crazy downpour on Monday evening and my area still doesn't have power. The food in the fridge is likely on the verge of being a bio-hazard and I complete this post through my blackberry.

To keep things upbeat, positive and somehow fitting to the theme of being under water (though Torontonians generally had a walk in the park compared with their Calgarian counterparts): I present my first on-screen debut as an audience member of the Marilyn Denis Show: http://www.marilyn.ca/Video and search for the July 8th episode (doing this on my Blackberry has serious limitations)

Have fun and stay dry!

Lesson #33: Perfect Birthday

It's not my birthday today. It's ADW's: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This Sunday morning was a bit rough for me to get up... in fact, Sunday mornings are always tough for me to get up. I love sleeping in and since getting Buckingham, that's become a rarity. I'm lucky if I can sleep in till 9am. But upon getting outside, I see that the day is literally... perfect. The weather is comfortable with the sun out and just a few clouds scattered across the blue sky.

Despite having to get up early, Sunday mornings are always a treat to get up to Greyden; especially when the weather is clear. ADW is with me today and we get up being a bit late but since there's little traffic to fight, it's not a problem and we're not really limited. We get up in good time.

I'm riding Nikki and ADW is on our twisty friend Indy. Wanna know the best part about this mare? She's out in a paddock (I didn't post about my last Sunday riding her) but she was difficult to catch to come in. She gave Michelle a run for her money. And the paddock was small. Anyways... today I go out with some pellet food and she neighs when she sees me and actually walks over... as if she can already smell it. It's impressive, really. I'm not fooling myself to believe this little Connemara cross actually likes me, because she usually is rather mareish and I don't think she really likes anyone unless you're a carrot or another kind of treat.

This morning, Lenka is teaching us. A slightly different style than Sheri but another style of the same thing, none-the-less. We work on our gaits and 20-50 m circles. These circles require a great deal of precision... well, that's not entirely true. It only feels that way because we don't do them often. The smaller the circle, the tougher it is, to do. I would say that balance and precision are both factors which still escape me.

We work on getting our heels down by practicing the 2-point position during trot and interestingly enough, it comes quickly once you stretch yourself for it. We continue to work on trotting through seated trot or regular trot. Then Lenka has us do an exercise of figure 8s in the large lumpy circles style; versus the hourglass shape. She reminds us that these circles need to be relatively the same size as one another and that we are not to cut the corners, despite what the horse wants to do. The first try Nikki is not immediately responsive so I give her a smack too and she bolts forward into a pony trot. *siiiigh* and there I am holding on for life and probably looking like a darned sack of potatoes. Try again and remember to slow her down to tell her what YOU want her to do, says Lenka. This time, it works much better. I manage to slow her down and the seated and posting trot are much better.

We move onwards to the canter. Internally, I dread the canter on Nikki because she actually tends to do the fast pony trot before getting into the canter. It's either I have no idea what I"m doing, or she's just taking advantage of the situation--either one: I am not fond of the outcome! Her canter is fine to ride but getting her going into it is a real pain in the butt. I go back to the sack of potatoes ontop while pitching forward and losing proper alignment. It's incredible how little it takes to frazzle me up there. She even tries these deeks to the right rein while we're moving and because I'm still trying to collect myself, I often can't keep up with her and my body has to catch up with her! What a total mess.

Eventually, something clicks momentarily and she gets going enough to actually canter for me in a full circle. Hurray! My next goal is going to be to skip that pony trot and get into the canter....

Our lessons end after a few more tries of this and ADW and I head out for the day. I tell him I want to check out the Caledon Equestrian Park again (we went last weekend and it was a Dressage Show but it was rainy). When we get there, we see that they have another show this weekend but there look like there are jumpers too. One of the rings have these HUGE jumps and we see a horse sail over. It's incredible to watch in person--really. These huge sport horses that are probably a minimum of 16 HH seem to stroll into the jumps and then tuck their limbs underneath and become this meatloaf that sails through the air and effortlessly land. It's equally impressive that their riders are capable of staying balanced enough through the entire motion and continue to go forward. We watch a few of these jumpers (I'm not sure if it's a hunter-jumper or just a jumper class) and call it a day.

When we get into the car, a large truck pulls in and I a familiar logo on the side of the door and think, wouldn't it be funny if that's J and Sheri. And what do you know! It is J and Sheri! What an unexpected coincidence!!! We say hi and tell them that we were there watching the show and having lunch and were on our way home. They had come in, to see the Grand Prix class coming up so we wish them a good day and head on home.

Hopefully we can make another trip to the Equestrian Park to watch another show. I had a lot of fun actually physically being able to witness some of these finely honed athletes just do their thing and look so poised.

Parking lot mayhem

Ah. It's finally winter! I woke up to white on the rooftops, ground and cars. It's nice to have old man winter return. It's also Saturday morning and for once, it's quiet and I don't have plans. So I've decided to do something useful. Right after I snapped a photo of the snow that's still sitting around.

Prime 50 lens with low aperture and fast shutter speed (~1/1000).

I used to go with my mom for grocery shopping. It's just something I did when I was younger. I still do sometimes but I think as I've gotten older, it's become more and more a test of patience.

People get their license to drive on the road. They have to pass a test--several, in fact. And you'd think that's good enough. Afterall, driving is a privilege, not a right. Though, you'd think with the state of the public transit in this city, it should be.

Well, I strongly think (and would advocate) that they need a licensing system for buggy parking, driving and having children. Oh wait, the last one was just an outloud thought. Nix that thought (for now...).

It's as if without lines, rules outlined and directional arrows painted on the floors, people get creative; it's particularly frustrating at Costco. I don't know if it's because it's giant everything--including lanes and carts but I'll turn a corner and then get jammed because 5 people have decided to stop their cart in the middle of the lane and then disappear somewhere to get something. It makes me want to scream and cry, all at the same time. I usually don't have it in me, to push the carts aside so I have to turn around. And the worst is when the person standing with their cart gives you cut eye for making eye contact to ask to be excused as you try to squeeze by. As if it's a big effort to move to the side of the lane instead of standing in the middle of it. Really, people?

When you leave the comfort of your home, you have to interact with other people--at least while living in the city. So, why not make everyone's experience pleasant and be considerate of others by being aware of what you're doing?

I don't think any of this is a stretch of the imagination or even of one's physical capabilities. If someone like me can do this, so can everyone else.

Architechture for a Masked Vigilante

I was out shovelling the snow last night. We got a substantial amount of snow and I even considered bringing out my snow boots (which are lost, btw). I was excited to have the opportunity to snap a few photos of the accumulated snow the following day only to be disappointed with the spring weather!

That's right folks, I'm annoyed that it isn't feeling like winter--complete with snow. What gives?

But, there is never a lost opportunity. I snapped some photos of Commerce Court North after work. I wrote about CCN last week (?) sometime. I took a snap shot of the commemorative Heritage Toronto plaque and you'll see some more history available:

The observation gallery is closed right now, if I'm not mistaken, so I wouldn't have the chance to head out that way. But if you're Maggie Q, you might get the chance to zip-line from the roof while filming Nikita (by far the best series I'm following--I live vicariously).

So, I went to the main entrance to find those squirrels...

The aperture is like 1.8 or 2.0 here. You can see the rooster and the corn and the beehive as well as the fleur de lys... all intentionally chosen symbols for hard work, agriculture, collective work, our french brothers and sisters etc...

This image is just looking up at the ship... which i believe is to represent merchants.

Then I find it... the squirrel. Thrift and savings!

Nothing is complete without our beloved beaver.

I have to admit, my photos just don't do justice for the beauty of this building. I noticed that even the exterior window frames have that detail of the carved friezes and pillars.

The interior is always the cherry on top. Just look at the ceiling. Some people think it's old and antiquated but I always feel like I'm Bruce Wayne heading up to the top floor of Wayne Enterprises.

Outlier

It's raining today and it's nearly the middle of January. It should be noted that I live in the land of ice and snow--Canada.

Any eye-rolls there? or perhaps little yelps of glee at there not being any snow on the ground so far. That's right folks, no snow. We barely even had a white Christmas. It's not just the lack of snow, but the temperatures have been really mild for January.

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of rain--I really hate going out in the rain (there goes my chances of ever living in Brazil or Ireland?) even with galoshes, umbrella, rain hat and rain coat. It's by far, one of the least favourite experiences for me. It's even more of a PITA when it's part winter and part rain.

I ran out of the house with my favourite umbrella I bought on a trip to Quebec City.

(this photo is from my last photo challenge so it doesn't technically count for 2012 but it happens to be one of my favourite ones)

When I tried to close it this morning, it popped open again! The stopper-clip thingy is broken so it doesn't get caught on the hook!!! I also noticed a pin-hole. Woe is me :(

I saw a pile of umbrellas in the rubbish bin in the subway station and had a thought... "most people probably don't even realize that the umbrella is broken until they use it". They discover it's broken and dispose of it. Like many things I own, my first thought was how I could get it repaired. Am I the only one who thinks like this? I don't think it's because I'm a hippy-dippy type of person but I usually try to find a way to repair things that are broken. Maybe because when I get something, I genuinely enjoy it for purposes beyond its practical uses. Or, maybe people are just of a disposable mind-set.

How many people do you know, would pick an orange and magenta skull and hearts umbrella with purple lace fringe? Gotta be someone with an uncommon mind-set.