Lesson #109 & #110: The Downsides of Summer

Another double blog instalment! Last Thursday, I didn't have a formal lesson and instead, went out on a hack with J and G. It's fly season in Ontario, everybody. I didn't realize that or at least didn't realize how bad it could be. My past experiences with the bush and flies was fairly limited to a small facility and we never went out on hacks. The horses there were typical schoolies and were used in many lessons a week so someone else was usually first at getting them fly sprayed etc. Since moving to Gosling Stables, that has changed and there are so many more opportunities to learn about caring for the horse and what exactly is involved from a rider. The facility (in terms of number of students/boarders going through) is much smaller and more of a family atmosphere so riders have many more opportunities to "get your hands dirty" and do it all.

Getting back to the ride... I didn't realize what a challenge it might be, with a sensitive bossy-pants like Ariel sans fly spray (newbie mistake!). I didn't realize it right away but as soon as we entered the bush, Ariel lost her sh*t. She was bunny hopping and stomping her feet, shaking her head and telling me she wanted to just go home (sounds a little like what I'd do...). It made for a frustrating, nerve-wrecking first part of the ride and I was really not having a good time because it's impossible to out-muscle a +900lbs animal that had her thoughts centered on NOT being itchy. Challenge accepted, Ariel. I was determined to get through this hack without losing my cool or tumbling off, again. I had to be reminded to keep my heels down when Ariel was yanking her head down and trying to scratch against anything she could. Eventually, we came to a semi-mutual understanding where I compromised and let her walk through the tall grasses when we could, but did remind her that we're going my way whether she likes it or not. It was a challenging hack because I had more focus on trying to maintain my butt in the saddle and also keeping Miss Ariel's mind off being so darned itchy. To try and alleviate the itching for her, whenever I saw a bug land on her neck, shoulders or rump, I was killing these critters. When we did emerge from the bush, both Ariel and I were covered in spots of blood where I killed the bugs and both itching like we took a liberal tumble through a patch of poison ivy.

I have not since stopped itching and there are red welts and my knees look chewed up. By Sunday, I was determined to get fly spray and not head back on a hack until we were both generously coated with fly spray. But, bugs weren't the problem, come Sunday... the heat and humidity was thick and I was sticking to EVERYTHING I had on, and Ariel was taking a nap in the cross-ties during tack-up. When K, +ADW and I entered the ring (thank heavens we weren't riding outside...), the three of us were just standing there with our horses looking like the lesson had just ended. LOL. Not only were the horses ready to call it a day, but we were already drenched in our own sweat!

Getting started was tough for everyone... the horses weren't the only ones who didn't feel like working. The warm-up was practically not necessary with the heat lingering in the air which was actually a good thing because we quickly moved into the canter. Ariel is falling in on the right rein even though I was using as much inside leg as humanly possible! I think I'll try a "pulsing action" with my leg instead so that she doesn't have the opportunity to lean on my leg while I'm trying to get her to straighten up, and even MORE prep time before getting into corners. This was a rather fruitful lesson because next, I'm told to canter into the vertical jump and just ride it through again and again... it was the perfect height of low intimidation so I wasn't cursing while riding into the fence. I managed two very successful rides over the jump even with a crappy turn in and a shorting of the end of the line. I was very pleased with myself and realized that at a canter, everything comes sooner! You have little time to think about what's coming up next and just have to react. It was exactly as I needed. Next, we get into the simple changes again... and let me tell you, it was a miserable mess for all three of us. The horses were taking short corners and the nice plump 8 turned into a very skinny linear looking 8. So, gears down and we trotted the pattern instead. Hopefully by next lesson, that figure will look as intended and at the canter.

I finally made the effort to download a photo (not mine) of Ariel for those who are curious about this sassy little mare that has been teaching me so much about patience, listening, communicating clearly and just learning about horses and riding.

Ariel sussing you out.

Lesson #107 & #108: PPE-R with Miss Bossy-Pants

I really enjoy having two lessons a week (and I'd like even more, to be able to ride more frequently *hint hint*) but how could I possibly keep up with all the blogging? This post alone is detailing the accounts of two lessons because I forgot about posting Thursday's lesson. Getting right into it...

Thursday's lesson was focused on jumping. I tend to do a lot of jumping when G rides. It makes sense since she's been riding for well over 5 years and that's her main focus. So, today's eventual aim was a small course of X's at a controlled pace. G's horse, Molson, (the same one that +ADW rides too) likes to rush his fences and Ariel speeds up and just "wants me to shut up, sit there and let her do her thing". We started in pieces with a single jump first at the trot, then cantering out and coming back. Then we proceeded to add one jump after another where we would canter out and trot in until we finally have 4 jumps set-up throughout the arena.

The rides in and out continue to be issues for me to get Ariel listening to what I want and once, she almost threw me because I wasn't looking where I wanted to go and she insisted on going the other way and I wasn't prepared. I was fortunate that I didn't land on my butt. My 2-point was also lacking some where I would occasionally jump before Ariel or got left behind. It's as if I have to stop anticipating the jump and just let things happen... it's what Sheri said to us before... "...a jump is just another stride. Don't think about it as anything else." When I don't, I over-think and the anticipation interferes with my position. I need to work on my ride out to ensure that Ariel listens to me and doesn't get any of her bossy-pants ideas about what SHOULD be done. I'm reminded that I should be the boss and whatever I want, I get. A tough lesson to think about because she's mostly good but there are occasions where I let her do the thinking and that's exactly when we get into trouble. It's kind of like when you and your partner both are doing something and say nothing about the next steps but expect the other to know and when it doesn't go as you (and they) anticipated, then things get messy because you're trying to fix the incorrect outcome.

That was just Thursday's lesson and now we talk about today's lesson... I went in reminding myself that I am boss and what I want, I get Ariel to do for us. So, while she was falling in on some corners, I take the next return round to ask her to do exactly as I wanted. I went into this lesson thinking, every movement is an opportunity to reinforce what I want her to do. Plan, prepare, execute and sometimes reinforce (PPE-R). I notice that the lesson started out a bit messy but each time I took to PPE-R with Ariel meant more success the next turn and she was indeed, listening to me. We still disagreed some--especially at the more complicated exercise but she was doing as I asked and control was regained on my part.

The exercise we did today was a continuation of the simple changes we were doing last week and the objective was to have them do a couple trot steps over the trot poles places on the diagonal and the simple change would be executed. My transitions were pretty good today because I managed to set Ariel up for the canter transition up and the only problem was that she was getting snarky about falling in or cutting corners so I had to remember to remind her to do the correct action (e.g. staying straight instead of falling in). It was certainly a tough lesson but I realized one thing: I have to employ my process of PPE-R at all times and anticipate when Ariel might try and do something tricksy so I could appropriately act with "R" before she got her way.

Lesson #106: Horse on Top

This post is a bit late so I'm not sure what exactly I recall from the lesson. What I remember is that we have to get to the stable earlier still. We rode in the outdoor arena our goal for the lesson was simple changes on the diagonal this time. Last time we were doing them on a figure 8 so there was a corner to use to get out. That helps the horse to pick up the correct diagonal because they are already bending the direction they need to be. But, with a diagonal, it's a straight away because the objective is to take 2-3 strides in the middle and then re-initiate the canter as you are coming into the corner. I had trouble last time so it wasn't encouraging that I'd be able to do what's necessary this time either.

And surprise! (not really) I had difficulty getting this exercise done as outlined. Ariel was being her usual "know it all" self and was doing auto lead changes instead of slowing to a trot over the arena diagonal... *siiigh* It got to the point where we had to walk across the diagonal and then pick up the canter coming out of the corner. Ugh, I was so frustrated though... because not only was I struggling with the exercise, but initiating the canter with her on the right rein was not going well at all! I was apparently not giving the appropriate aids and we were falling all over the place. I'm not surprised because she was really screwing around with me up there!!! She actually made it difficult for me to get set-up properly!

All in all, I managed to get the diagonal part right but the rest of it was a mess. I have to take even more control of Ariel because she keeps taking control of the situation and insisting on her way.

Lesson #105: Bareback Double Time

I took a half day Thursday to get some bridal related things done and to vote for the new provincial leader of Ontario. It was really productive and I got to the stable early too.

When I got in, Sheri said "guess what you'll be doing today!.... Riding bareback!" haha I wasn't sure if that was going to be a good thing or not b/c the last times I've ridden bareback, I remember being rather uncomfortable in terms of the withers being um... in the way. But, lucky for me that Ariel doesn't really have much withers so it's a little easier to ride. That said though, I saw the student who part-boards Ariel and she was cantering circles and jumping cavalettis on bareback like it wasn't a problem at all. I really wasn't sure that I would be able to accomplish much of anything close to that.

Sheri points out that this should help with my crazy right side that falls in and does all sorts of uneven things because let's face it, Ariel hates my crazy right side. When we got on, I found my seat and Sheri pointed out that all her Trillium competing students are required to jump an entire course bareback before she would allow them to compete at that level. Needless to say, I'm way far from it and I doubt I'll be even remotely close to getting there. It's okay though, we start at the beginning and take the baby steps and see what I am able to do.

I'm asked to just walk around and loosen my hips to the motion of Ariel's back. At first, Sheri says she sees no movement at all in my hips or lower back; she tells me to loosen up and just breathe and relax. I feel my hips tip side to side and I feel like I need to push my heels down but Sheri tells me just to sit deep and let my legs dangle. She says that while my hips are tipping side to side, it isn't the action I'm looking for: my hips actually should travel like walking feet. Each hip should "take a step" forward with Ariel. Sheri tells me to swing my legs in tandem with Ariel's front legs as if I'm walking the same pace as Ariel. I feel a little silly, I admit but continue to do as she asks (all at the walk still). Next, she tells me that my hips should eventually flow in that manner because that's what Ariel's body is doing. In essence, the objective is to ultimately have your seat mould to the horse's back and motions.

I struggle a good portion of the start of class just at the walk, to get what she's taking about. I don't know how she might have seen it but at one point, she asks me to move into the sitting trot while letting my legs swing back and forth with my hips 'taking those steps'. I seriously am starting to wonder if my body is even capable of doing that.

I'm reminded to grab Ariel's mane if I feel unbalanced or nervous so that I don't tumble off. The first little while, I have no idea what is expected of me (still) and we do short bursts of the sitting trot and I just bounce up and down and when I lose balance, I clamp down with my knees--not what we want. She continues to remind me to let my hips loose and to sit tall and let me legs dangle downwards while just going with it.

During one of the bursts, my body manages to let go (somehow!) and my legs are doing exactly what Sheri was telling me to do! Literally, my mind is going "okay, breathe, relax and sit up tall... okay... wait! I think it's happening!!" When I stop, I see Sheri smiling and she says "you got it!!" I was so stoaked when I realized that I was capable of doing this task! Now, on the right side too... this became more challenging at the get go because both Ariel and myself have trouble on the right side. For me, I know it's because my right seat bone doesn't drop enough so I have to make an extra effort to drop that right bone even more than usual. It definitely feels weird but eventually, it too comes together and I manage to get the right motion with my hips! :)

This is certainly a challenging endeavour but the best part is that I think my right hip actually stretched open enough and dropped a bit because the tightness I've been feeling lately has eased up considerably and I don't feel that tightness in my side, front and back! What an awesome thing to do... take a lesson and a massage simultaneously :P

REPOST: Contest: Two Horse Tack bridle giveaway

Hello readers! A fellow blogger has a contest running on her blog, for a Two Horse Tack Bridle!! I've never used their stuff but it sure sounds like it's durable and long lasting. Plus, I <3 +Laura because I feel like we're learning together, even though we're on opposite ends of our vast country :)

How do you enter?
You just need to leave a comment and enter through the widget.
http://www.talesofanewbiehorsebackrider.com/2014/06/contest-two-horse-tack-bridle-giveaway.html

Good luck!