Dressage Day by Day

So I managed to win 2 lessons at Hilltop in a charity auction. I've ridden with Michael in clinics and have enjoyed the lessons so much. Having seen him work with young horses, I knew he would be fantastic to help me with Iggy. Hani trekked the 5 hours to Hilltop in the freezing and snowy December weather with me. The main barn was full, so we stabled at the breeding barn. It's on top of a hill and there is a small bridle path down the hill to get to the main barn. With a fresh coating of snow, it was a beautiful walk. And the barn itself was beautiful and airy. Iggy handled the slick walk and the giant, new arena with total aplomb. He walked in and I could feel that he was looking around, but he went right to work. My heart was bursting with pride. In the first lesson, Michael watched me warm up a bit and then very quickly zeroed in on our issues. I was riding Iggy in a working trot with a fairly stretchy frame. The rhythm felt good and Iggy felt swingy, ...

End of year Wrap-up and Goals for 2018 As I say every year, I love to start planning for a fresh year. With a fun young horse, it's even more exciting this year. However, when I started writing this post, Gadget was healthy and I was feeling so optimistic for both horses. Now, Gadget has been hospitalized with a large abscess on his hock. So my number one goal is to get Gadget healthy and back home asap.  First, I want to look back at the goals that I set for 2017 because I feel like I accomplished so much this year! 2017 Goals:     Get my last score of 60% at PSG for Silver Medal.   This seems very obtainable, but I still don't think it will be easy. To get bronze and silver on Gadget will be so fulfilling, if it happens.  CHECK! At our first show in March of 2017, we scored a 65% to finish my silver medal! I'm still so incredibly proud of Gadget.  Nail the Tempis!   I think I am getting the timing and feeling how uphill he needs to be to g...

November Clinic with Ryan Part 2 -- Iggy! The last two clinics, I have lunged Iggy before hopping on him as that was my practice at home. In early November I did away with the lunging before getting on him. It seemed that he really didn't need it and I would rather influence his balance while on him as opposed to letting him play on the lunge. So I walk Iggy into the arena and Ryan holds him while I get on and remarks that it seems like he has grown again. Ryan said this at the last clinic as well. I laughed and said he is growing like a weed. He was around 16.2 when I tried him in Holland and he is around 17 hands now. I love his size currently, but I'm hoping he is about done growing! Anyway, we got to work with a bit of free walk to let him acclimate to the arena. Then moved into a medium walk with contact. Ryan wants him to feel the reins in the walk, but not to back him off from the rhythm or contact. Iggy goes nicely forward in the walk now and is happy in the bridle...

It was a bitter sweet clinic as it was the last time we will see Ryan until next Spring. It's amazing the progress that both horses have made this year. 1. Gadget Over the last month, I'd tried to make Gadget more responsive to my leg in an attempt to get him a bit hotter for the twos. Last weekend, I had a couple great rides where Gadget was getting the twos relatively easily. Then, he didn't want to let me catch him from the field. I decided a couple days off were warranted since he hasn't been that skittish in the field in years. On Wednesday I rode him and he felt like crap. The canter felt like it had no life, so I put him away and hoped it was just an off day. By Friday, I felt like Gadget was feeling much improved. Our ride on Saturday, Gadget felt pretty good but he did not want to keep the activity in the collection. So we focused on riding movements that would loosen him -- haunches in on a circle in canter, big sweeping and forward canter halfpasses, l...

I have fallen into the bad habit of not updating this blog, but I think it's been because things have been going relatively well (touch wood). September was a wonderfully horsey month for me. I rode with Ryan the second weekend of the month and had very good rides on both horses. Gadget felt stiff but actually gave me some very good work. I had a breakthrough ride on Iggy just before arriving at the clinic, so I was able to confirm that we were still on the right path. I realize that by riding Iggy's canter more forward, he will stay more balanced and less likely to lose his lead or swap leads. It is completely common sense, but I think it took a bit of bravery on my part and strength on Iggy's part to figure this out. At the Ryan clinic, we positioned Iggy with a bit of flexion and bend to the right going both directions. He is weak on that side, so tends to drift or lean that way. This positioning makes him stand up on that shoulder and helps me keep him straighter. ...

Iggy is the first horse that I've bought with the help of a trainer. Gadget I rode for roughly 6 months before buying him. I knew his quirks, knew he'd been lame with a stone bruise for several months, knew his fear issues, and I also knew what a solid citizen he was. I had a local vet flex him and trot him up and down the concrete aisle, and we declared him sound. It's actually kind of funny. Of course, as soon as I bought Gadget, he looked rein lame for months. I spent lots of time worrying about him, but eventually we got a better connection back to front and that particular issue disappeared. Lovely 7 year old by Briar that we tried. So I tried a few horses solo before heading to Holland with Ryan. I watched them be groomed, ridden, and then I got on and tried the horse. Afterward, I would feel the legs. That's it.  Ryan checking a horse while being tacked. So it was a bit of an education horse shopping with Ryan. While the horse was being prepped, ...

So I had a terrible ride on Friday before the clinic. I started with playing with halfsteps on the ground before the ride, and Gadget was not in the mood. I had watched a youtube video to try to make the steps more on the spot and do a few steps rein back to get the horse on the haunches. Gadget gets fairly pushy during halfsteps, so I thought this would be a good idea. Wrong. He was so frustrated by not moving forward that he just opted to buck or rear. I gave up and moved outside to ride. I think we just couldn't shake the negative beginning and we just could not get on the same page. After a good stretch and attempting a few exercises, I called it quits. I am at least proud of myself for just ending the session and saving him for the weekend instead of trying to make a point. So on Saturday, I really didn't know whether Gadget would still be holding a grudge or sore from his antics. Lucky for me, he felt fine, if not a touch tired. He spent the night turned outside, so ...