Marehaven Farm
Longmont, CO
Dressage
Kelton goes to another schooling show
April 28 / 2008 03:56 PM
I took Kelton to a
"ride a test" schooling show on Saturday and we did
pretty well, especially considering
(1) we were scheduled
to ride at 8:30am and 9:15am and I am NOT a morning
person; and (2) we did Training Level Test 4 for the
first time ever. I managed to remember it,
despite having learned it just a week or so earlier,
but I was confused about what was wanted on one of
the movements. Because this was a "ride a
test," each rider got 15 minutes with the judge to
discuss the test and re-ride portions as needed,
although the re-rides didn't factor into the scores.
For the first ride we did Training Level Test 2 and earned a score of 66.87%, with the main weakness being Kelton's canter. She's still a little stiff and short strided at the canter, but everyone who has seen her canter agrees that she doesn't look like she's in pain but rather that she needs more conditioning and encouragement to change her habits. I can relate to that! I've given her bute to see if that makes a difference and it doesn't, which is further evidence that it's not about pain. I need to start riding her more regularly and work on exercises to encourage her to reach under herself with her hind legs.
We earned only a 60.8% on Test 4 but that was due to several mistakes, including my misunderstanding of the loops and my not adequately preparing Kelton for the left lead canter, so she picked up the right lead. After I rode the test the judge explained the loops to me and had me ride them again, and that time she said "perfect." Oh well, now I know!
Unfortunately I have no video of this ride because I was there by myself :-(
For the first ride we did Training Level Test 2 and earned a score of 66.87%, with the main weakness being Kelton's canter. She's still a little stiff and short strided at the canter, but everyone who has seen her canter agrees that she doesn't look like she's in pain but rather that she needs more conditioning and encouragement to change her habits. I can relate to that! I've given her bute to see if that makes a difference and it doesn't, which is further evidence that it's not about pain. I need to start riding her more regularly and work on exercises to encourage her to reach under herself with her hind legs.
We earned only a 60.8% on Test 4 but that was due to several mistakes, including my misunderstanding of the loops and my not adequately preparing Kelton for the left lead canter, so she picked up the right lead. After I rode the test the judge explained the loops to me and had me ride them again, and that time she said "perfect." Oh well, now I know!
Unfortunately I have no video of this ride because I was there by myself :-(
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Our first dressage show of 2008
April 05 / 2008 05:36 PM
I took Kelton to the
schooling show at Triple Creek Ranch today to ride
Training Level Test 1 and Test 2. She was kind of
wound up in the warm up arena (it was windy and
horses out on pasture were running around and being
silly), and I think she used up all her energy there.
She was very well behaved and responsive as we rode
the tests, but I could feel that she was a little
tired. Nevertheless, we had fun! Follow
this link for a
video of
our ride.
Nice rides and good lessons
March 26 / 2008 06:51 PM
Jane and I have been
going on some nice trail rides with Belle and Kelton,
both of whom are doing great. They love getting out
and seeing the sights. We've been sticking to fairly
easy, flat trails, but I look forward to getting up
in the mountains with the Fjords later this Spring.
I've been taking Kelton to dressage lessons and we're doing pretty well, although I worry about how much of that sort of work is good for Kelton's old injury. So far, so good, but I know I should be working her more regularly in between lessons to help develop her fitness level.
I go back and forth over what degree of work is best considering that I don't want her to come up unsound again. I can see the benefit of having her work correctly, so that she uses her hind legs evenly on both sides and goes straight, rather than falling over the left shoulder, but I also know that it's hard work for her. As much as I'd love to be able to progress in dressage and go to some shows, I don't want to sacrifice Kelton's soundness to get there! And I really enjoy trail riding her. I guess I'll just continue to see how it goes. I'll have more time for regular riding this summer.
I've been taking Kelton to dressage lessons and we're doing pretty well, although I worry about how much of that sort of work is good for Kelton's old injury. So far, so good, but I know I should be working her more regularly in between lessons to help develop her fitness level.
I go back and forth over what degree of work is best considering that I don't want her to come up unsound again. I can see the benefit of having her work correctly, so that she uses her hind legs evenly on both sides and goes straight, rather than falling over the left shoulder, but I also know that it's hard work for her. As much as I'd love to be able to progress in dressage and go to some shows, I don't want to sacrifice Kelton's soundness to get there! And I really enjoy trail riding her. I guess I'll just continue to see how it goes. I'll have more time for regular riding this summer.
More good lessons
February 08 / 2008 04:34 PM
I've now had two
lessons on Kelton with the dressage instructor and
what a difference that has made. We've obviously been
doing reasonably well on our own, but there are so
many little things I didn't realize I was doing that
was affecting how Kelton moves, so I'm very glad to
be working on that again. I guess some of them are
not so little. For example, I apparently tend to ride
with my right shoulder further back than the left, so
even though my hands are on the same place on the
reins, I'm putting more pressure on the right rein. I
have in the past felt that Belle and Ivy were hanging
on my right rein, and I bet that was actually my
fault. Kelton doesn't exactly hang on the right rein,
but she does tend to fall out over the left shoulder,
and that could be because she's bending too much in
response to my right rein. Oops.
I also apparently tip forward in my pelvis during downward transitions in a way I wasn't aware of. I'm very conscious of keeping most of my upper body solid and centered and upright, but I had missed the pelvis part. My pelvis is poorly behaved in other ways as well! Ah, the trials and tribulations of riding with a crooked pelvis and spine... Kelton is incredibly tolerant and forgiving of my physical flaws, but I'm glad I'm now taking lessons so I can make things easier on her by improving my position.
I also apparently tip forward in my pelvis during downward transitions in a way I wasn't aware of. I'm very conscious of keeping most of my upper body solid and centered and upright, but I had missed the pelvis part. My pelvis is poorly behaved in other ways as well! Ah, the trials and tribulations of riding with a crooked pelvis and spine... Kelton is incredibly tolerant and forgiving of my physical flaws, but I'm glad I'm now taking lessons so I can make things easier on her by improving my position.
Good lessons
December 10 / 2007 11:40 AM
I took Ivy for a lesson
with a local Fjord breeder who has a natural
horsemanship and classical dressage background, and
she really helped us along. Ivy is pretty green when
it comes to arena basics, like bending to the inside
and leg yielding, and the instructor helped me
simplify what I was asking for so that Ivy could more
easily comply. Ivy was completely at ease in the new
location and remained her lively, friendly self. She
didn't even mind when another horse left the indoor
arena just as she was arriving; she just went to
work. What a good girl!
I also took Belle for a lesson with the same instructor to get some help with encouraging Belle to relax. Ivy is just green, but Belle is confused, and I'm not sure why. I had some success working through her confusion by riding her regularly when I first got her, but then I gave her a year off to have and raise her filly and didn't start riding her again until this past summer. And then I mostly took her on trails. She's super on the trails but gets tense and worried in the arena, as though she thinks I'm going to ask her to do something like run barrels or chase cows -- and I've never done any such thing! She will start trotting and then go faster and faster, even if I use smaller circles to slow her down, so then I sometimes end up using a fairly abrupt one-rein stop. I don't like doing that, and it's not helping her relax, but I can't seem to stop her otherwise!
So the instructor helped me break down what was probably going on for Belle and showed me what to do when she started to get nervous or tense. Belle is emotionally complicated for a Fjord, but that also means she has the potential to be pretty light and responsive (if we can work through the confusion).
We worked in a large circle the whole time and kept things very simple, working on concepts at the walk and trot, and by the end I was amazed by the improvement in Belle. Not only was she more relaxed, she was moving much better than I thought she could, with longer strides, a round frame, and softness in her neck. I was so delighted! Belle is by far the most comfortable horse I've ever ridden, but I would say that the quality of her movement is just "OK." However, if I can get her to move like I did in the lesson, then I'd say we would probably do well at Training Level -- provided she's relaxed and on the aids and all those other things!
I look forward to taking more lessons after the holiday break.
I also took Belle for a lesson with the same instructor to get some help with encouraging Belle to relax. Ivy is just green, but Belle is confused, and I'm not sure why. I had some success working through her confusion by riding her regularly when I first got her, but then I gave her a year off to have and raise her filly and didn't start riding her again until this past summer. And then I mostly took her on trails. She's super on the trails but gets tense and worried in the arena, as though she thinks I'm going to ask her to do something like run barrels or chase cows -- and I've never done any such thing! She will start trotting and then go faster and faster, even if I use smaller circles to slow her down, so then I sometimes end up using a fairly abrupt one-rein stop. I don't like doing that, and it's not helping her relax, but I can't seem to stop her otherwise!
So the instructor helped me break down what was probably going on for Belle and showed me what to do when she started to get nervous or tense. Belle is emotionally complicated for a Fjord, but that also means she has the potential to be pretty light and responsive (if we can work through the confusion).
We worked in a large circle the whole time and kept things very simple, working on concepts at the walk and trot, and by the end I was amazed by the improvement in Belle. Not only was she more relaxed, she was moving much better than I thought she could, with longer strides, a round frame, and softness in her neck. I was so delighted! Belle is by far the most comfortable horse I've ever ridden, but I would say that the quality of her movement is just "OK." However, if I can get her to move like I did in the lesson, then I'd say we would probably do well at Training Level -- provided she's relaxed and on the aids and all those other things!
I look forward to taking more lessons after the holiday break.
Video footage
September 05 / 2007 03:00 PM