Good Thing I Love The Little Snotrag

Midgey is in the BAD PONY HOUSE.

He's a tweaky chestnut dutch thing, and thinks spurs are just The End Of It All for trotwork; at the canter, they really help get the jump in the changes, and so I try and alternate back and forth between the two. Today, I did not wear them, and the trotwork was stellar, so I got brave and decided to try some changes. Which were late. So after trying to correct them politely, and getting run away with one too many times, I took a hold and asked him to rein back.

And the little snot stood straight up in the air.

Well, then.

I solved the issue (with the introduction of My Friend The Big Blue Whip, which I think I've only used on Midge once, so his tail was firmly between his legs at the end of the ride - didn't even try to bite me when I put some ointment on his scratches tonight, the big sissy), but I am NOT SO PLEASED that this is going on with a horse show this weekend. Bastard.

I'm starting to wonder if he needs shoes behind - the walls are definitely starting to break up at the bottom more than usual, and perhaps it's the increasing demands of collection? Maybe he's uncomfortable? Went over him from head to toe, not sore or stiff anywhere. He spent last night in turnout, so he's got nothing to whine about.

Or maybe he's just a pig-headed red DUTCH thing. Who I love. Blindly and completely.

I just don't LIKE him very much right now.

Ella and Cleo, of course, are perfect and fabulous. Had a big ah-hah in the piaffe today with Cleo, which did carry over to the last bit of canter I did, but I'd been working her for a while when I got it, so I didn't want to exhaust her. Poor Ella I think will be over-tested this weekend - I should not have signed up for the Developing Test, but I did ride through the whole thing today without any major catastrophes. She gets better and better every day, but the muscle building just takes time.

And my mom is out of town, so I'm playing with her Tres this week, and having a grand time. He's another one where his mental understanding of the work is better than his muscular ability - he can make some super canter work, but if I go on too long his back muscles hit a wall. Time, time, time. Dressage really is all about patience!

On The Brink

Scott came yesterday for a great clinic, in spite of some really dreadful weather - it's been monsooning intermittantly for the last three days. Blech.

Ella has been tricky lately - about two weeks ago she suddenly turned into a tight, pissed-off cow, and I gave her some time off and took her to our fabulous chiro/accupuncture vet, and while she's TONS better, I'm still not through it. I think she's waiting for her back to hurt (and she was working like GANGBUSTERS up until this point, so I'm confident there's nothing more serious than the Building-Towards-PSG Soreness Blues), and is still guarding herself a little. Scott was, of course, great with both of us, encouraging me to not hold her so much, and to keep my sections of workout short to keep her confidence up until she was more her usual self.

The mediocre results from the show really lit my hair on fire with Midge - I've been way braver about riding him more forward and risking the balance instead of staying "safe." He's very powerful and up-and-down, so unless I hit the throttle he looks tight and carthorsey but if I do hit the gas he sometimes catapaults onto his forehand and we're off to the races. Scott loved where I was taking him, reinforced all of my exercises, and told me to kick on. Yay!

Cleo was a rockstar. I've been starting to play with the FEI Young Rider Grand Prix test, which is sort of terrifying, and so we went through some of the trickier parts of that. I really get the passage now, and I just need to play with the transitions in and out of piaffe to find the combination of aids that makes them both smooth and active, AND keeps her confidence up. I'll find it. We also worked on keeping her through the neck and not letting me take a hold of her - sound familiar? :)

And it's back to the daily grind today. Is it the weekend yet? I could use another weekend.

(by the way - blue boots are on order. omg!)

Don't Give Me Any Lip

Dental hygenist this morning, to me: I'm getting some bleeding here in your gums. You want to make sure you're really flossing agressively, because bleeding is caused by plaque getting under your gum line.
Me, to hygenist: You know what else causes bleeding? Being STABBED REPEATEDLY IN THE GUMS by a big metal stick.

Except it didn't quite come out like that, as she had said big metal stick, and both hands, down my larynx. So really, it was more like
Me, to hygenist: mmmrph graah... (sigh.)

These Boots Are Made For Walking

My senior year of college, I lost 35 pounds. It was awesome, and I'm really, really glad I did it. One unpleasant side effect was that my lovely tall boots really didn't fit anymore. Today, I can pull them on and off with just my hands, and they're not that solid around my leg anymore - they slip while I'm in the saddle.

It's time for a new pair of boots.

I got motivated around Christmas, and I called around. One company sent me a few leather swatches, several of which were in varying shades of navy blue.

And I got to thinking.

My shadbelly is this beautiful dark navy blue, so dark you have to really look at it to see if it's blue. What would be wrong with similarly dark dark dark navy boots? I've dwelled on it for four months, I've called the best dressed people I know, and I'm still just a little hesitant - can a stuffy, stick-up-our-butts sport like dressage handle navy blue boots?

Whaddya think?

Woohoo, part two!

Poor Cleo was POOPED today. She was a very good girl, and I rode way better, and she let me fix a few things from yesterday. And then there was our last centerline:
D-X passage.
Around X, Cleo: "Can we halt here?" Lauren: "No, we have to piaffe here." Cleo: "Sigh. Ok."
X piaffe 7-10 steps.
On step 10, Cleo: "Now can we halt?" Lauren: "No, now we have to passage." Cleo: "Sigh. Ok."
X-G, passage.
One step after X, Cleo: "NOW can we halt?" Lauren: "Not yet!"
Two steps after X, Cleo: "NOW?!" Lauren: "Not yet!"
Repeat until G.
G, halt, salute. Cleo: (gasp, sputter, call for horse trailer.)

She got a 64% and change, which is just fine by me! I'm excited having these quality scores on rides with some booboos and things I know I can improve with a little more time and practice in the test. Gives me hope for Gladstone in June!

Midge was my little superstar today. I had a longer warmup with fewer walk breaks, just thinking Go to the bridle, go to the bridle, go to the bridle. No miracles occured, but it was a TON better, and he was more settled in the footing - more like wet footing instead of soup. He got a 65% and change to win the class, including 8s on his entry halt (booya), medium walk (!?), and one flying change (!!!!!!!!). He'll get better and better with more experience at this level, too. Not bad for a horse who I've shown 6 times, all at Training Level, two years ago!

I unloaded the horses from the trailer, gave them some hay, and barely made it up the stairs to pass out - I'm EXHAUSTED. Too much twitching awake with nerves at 3 am. I'm a cool cucumber once I'm on the showgrounds, but anywhere else and I'm mess. Tylenol PM next time (unless USEF decides to follow our neighbors to the North and drug test RIDERS at our Championships. Ick.)

Woohoo!

Cleo warmed up great, came down centerline, locked her neck, grabbed the bit and ran through the first centerline, entire trot tour, and first piaffe-passage. Then we walked. And then I was in charge.

And it was good!

There's obviously plenty of room for improvement. I spent the first half going ohgodohgod come baaaack!, and the second half going ohgodohgod we're actually doing this!, so a little rideability and focus will go a long way. Reasonably happy with the pirouettes and changes, very happy with the final centerline piaffe-passage (even the transitions had clear rhythm! yay!).

Of course, the test that actually counts is tomorrow, and there's miles to go before we sleep, but we got a 65%, and I am VERY excited!

Midge was a rockstar in absolutely dreadful footing that tried to swallow him whole; he desperately needed a snorkel. Got quite tight in the back trying to get out of the muck, and I got ripped a new one for riding him too short in the neck (if I could figure out how to make his neck longer, I would, promise! no points for effort, though). No suprises, just means we haven't yet finished our homework. Did get both changes though, and came back from the extended canter, and was very ameanable to teh whole thing. Good pony.

My students all lived - the weather was truly appaling this morning, but everyone put on a brave face, and everyone had a few highlights. All in all a VERY succesful day, and I'm eager to give tomorrow a go!

Yaaaaay!

Here we go, baby.

I have:
- two brand new, extra-long stock ties (on sale from my local tack shop, booya).
- sewn the neato patches one of my sponsors sent me onto my saddle pads.
- gatorade and NutriGrain bars.
- my tests memorized.
- my coats dry-cleaned.
- a full tank of diesel.
- two fine, fit horses.
- and a bottle of champagne for Saturday night, come hell or high water.


Bring it!

Prince William Returns

I had two goals with Billy. One I accomplished in February of 2007, when Conrad Schumacher told me that I was riding his neck too long. A miracle, indeed. But my second goal had not been accomplished. Until now.

Billy is fat.

He's huge. He's collosal. He's as big as a house. And it looks GREAT on him.

Of course, this has nothing to do with me. Billy just came back up from his winter in Florida with his leasor, who does a GREAT job with him and has learned a ton. But man, I went over to her place today to teach them today, and I almost didn't recognize B-man. He's GIGANTIC.

I love it!

And he does too - he's happy and shiny and totally chill. This is everything I want for him: the opportunity to keep working and teach someone else some of the great things he taught me. They're going to back off the calories a little, especially as he's now eating some proper grass (instead of the weirdo Florida plastic grass), which is probably for the best. But yay! My goals for Billy have been met. Guess I need some new goals. Like... not dying this weekend?

Actually, the kids here have been really good. Cleo and I ran through the whole test today for the first time, and it wasn't as terrifying as I'd feared (though there's some work to be done, in between the hyperventilating). And Midge is going to be what Midge is going to be, but the highlights will be highlights, which is nice. I actually put him in the snaffle today and liked it a lot - we'll see what I show him in.

Scott comes tomorrow for a quick afternoon of help before we all take off to the show. It's going to be a great show - in addition to being a Brentina, Jr and YR qualifier, it's a Young Horse qualifier too, so there's a lot of big guns around. Fun!

It's Showtime!

OH MAN. Oh man oh man oh man.

I have ride times for next weekend, which means that I am actually going to show Cleo at Grand Prix.*

*well, the Brentina Cup tests, which are pretty dang close.

OH MAN!

Three years of working towards this. I'll probably fall off.

She's working really well. The piaffe-passage transitions are still giving me heartburn. I haven't exactly run through the entire test from start to finish yet. I haven't ridden the zig-zags in a standard arena yet. Panic is starting to ensue just. a. little.

But it's ok. It'll be ok. She's REALLY white and shiny, and I look reasonably impressive in my tailcoat. Like someone said to me last week, "Fake it 'til you make it."

Oh boy.

Midge is going too, and Midge is going great. There is still a little, ahem, Orange Dutch Horse Tension that I haven't quite eradicated yet, but the quality of the work in general is quite good, particularly the trot, and the changes will either be spectacular or terrifying, and that's all ok. He also is attractive enough where as long as I don't look like a total bufoon we'll put in a perfectly adequate performance.

Almost all my clients are riding around the exact time that I am, of course, so it'll be an INSANE weekend, but in all seriousness, I'm really looking forward to it. Even if I do fall off Cleo in a rush of ohmygodwedidit, and Midge does launch me out of the tack in the change from right to left. Well, maybe not so much then.

Godspeed, Sally Swift

A great light in horsemanship has gone out: Sally Swift, a founding mother of dressage in this country, and a guru of seat and position work.

From Wendy Murdoch: "Sally changed the lives of so many people that it is difficult to grasp just how far reaching her influence has spread. Around the globe her first book sold over 500,000 copies and was translated into at least 12 different languages.

"Sally brought the rider back into the equation of equitation and partnership with the horse. For this she will never be forgotten. Her legacy lives on through each and every one of us touched by her life. Even if it is as simple as remembering to breathe.

"Sally's contribution to the horse world cannot be measured. The lives she changed, the horses that were finally understood, the very way we teach riding shifted when a little gray haired woman from Brattleboro, Vermont wanted to 'teach a few of my friends and travel a bit.'"

Sally recieved an award at the 2006 USDF Convention, and while she was physically pretty unwell at that point, she was sharp as a tack. There was not a dry eye in the house after her acceptance speech. It was an honor and a priveledge to have been there.