Winter Diaries

[Funky MeerKAT]

I just read through some of pintopiaffe's journals and thought what a great idea!! I shall start one myself!! You are welcome to read it, comment and make suggestions if you want, but by no means do you have to!!

My horses have been turned out for a month over the really wet time in winter, I have been going insane without them!! So while they were out I have been doing lots of research on classical dressage.

Books that I have found helpful:
The Dressage Formula - Eric Herbermann
                                               Dressage in Lightness - Sylvia Loch
                                               Classical Dressage - Nuno Oliveira
                                               Riding Towards The Light - Paul Belasik
                                               Dressage With Kyra - Kyra Kyrklund
                                               Ride With Your Mind Masterclass - Mary Wanless

Videos that I have found helpful:
The Kyra Series
                                               The Parelli Seven Games
                                               Dressage for Jumping
                                               Anky's videos
                                               Videos of The Dressage World Cup

Websites:
Lots of chat sites!!
               http://www.classicaldressage.net/index.html
               http://www.cremebrulee.be/inge/artikels/index.html
               http://www.harmony-project.net/skin.asp?user=katefarmer
               http://www.parelli.com/literature/articles.htm (no longer seems to work)

So I have learnt a lot, so much about the riders postion, riding the horse from behind, bending the horse and a major one, poll at the top, nose infront of the vertical. A lot of this stuff I already knew, but now I have a much deeper understanding of it. Also another major is using the school figures and corners.

Edit: Just incase anyone does read this I thought I should quickly introduce my horses so you don't get confused!!

Blackie 16.1hh, 15yo, black with no white, unraced TB. Intermediate eventer. I got him in Jan 05 as an eventing school master I did one training event on him which he won.


Mate 16.1hh, 8yo, brown with one hind sock and a tiny star. 3/4 TB X 1/4 Irish Hunter. Hunted 2 seasons, SJed to 1.15m as a 5yo, medium dressage. Got him in Sept 04 to event on. I have evented him to Open level last season, we did four training events and two Opens (open is the pony club equivalent of novice) and he won all of them, also did some dressage at elementary and got some placings, and won a champion Working Hunter.


Please don't look at my postion to much in that second one!! I tend to let my reins get too long, it's worse when I'm competeing than at home as I concentrate more on the course rather than me. Just another thing to work on...

My goal this season is to compete at Novice Horse Trials and 1.15 - 1.20m SJ.

[Funky MeerKAT]

Blackie I gave him a longe for the first three days, was looking a lot at what sides he is weaker on, what sort of contact he takes on the sides reins. On the left rein he falls out on the right rein he falls in, sometimes on the right canter he can suddenly 'freak out', stick his head up and panic a bit. He sits little behind the contact he is a bit unsure of it. He has been ridden by men all his life so I think he has been ridden too much in the hand and has never really softened over the back.

Rode him yesterday and I was very pleased!! Did about 10 mins of walk letting him settle into the contact. Just used the outside track of the arena and diagonals, using the corners to bend and soften him. Then did about 10 mins trotting and the same type of work. He ended up settling really well into a steady contact and starting to soften over his back, also developed very nice rhythm. Can't wait to do more!!

Mate He has had two rides now, I have been using the same school figures as with Blackie and started some 20m circles. He is normally very lazy and will not go forward, leans on the forhand (although he is very nice and is medium dressage before I got him). He seems very happy after his holiday and is going very forward and very responsive!! So I am doing nothing to dampen him down and praising all forward movement and natural exuberance!!

His first ride was much the same as Blackies. I should mention that he had a bad head tilt due to the last rider being crooked. I just kept my hands forward thinking and asked him to 'fill the reins evenly'. Also turning right he would fall out badly and turning left he would cut in. I concetrated on filling the reins and getting him more responsive to my legs in the corners so that he stayed straight and he got much better!!

Second ride I warmed up the same and then introduced some very progressive half halts and trasitions with in the pace. He was super responsive and came back under my seat and went straight of my legs. I could really feel his legs swing out infront of him and power thru behind and he was light in front and heading uphill!! Also let him stretch out at the end towards the bit and he did it great (when I got him he only had one frame).

I'm also working on square halts with both horses by doing a halt at the end of their work and getting off when they do it right, I think this will work well.

[Funky MeerKAT]

Took them both out for a hack today, it rained all night so the arena was too wet to ride in, the paddocks weren't great either.

Mate was really 'alive', he was very interested in everything. He kept wanting to trot of or canter up or down a hill, which is great as when I got him he was a bit dull, very obidient and he has a great attitude, but he was just missing a bit of spark, so I want to make sure that I keep that.

Blackie was also keen and pleased to have a hack out. He was calm and was happy to walk, which is good, being a TB eventer he has been a bit tense and on edge in the past, but he is settling down now. There was one point when he saw a fencer across the road on the hill, he had a good look at that and his heart was pounding away, but he settled quickly and did not try to run away.

I was really thinking today about allowing the horse to express itself. When Mate was being a bit of a dork he was just expressing himself and I really want to keep that. In dressage we want an expressive horse, but a lot of the time we suppress the horse, punish him for reacting to things, expressing his emotions, his joy, his anger, most of the time if the horse goes to bite or spook we punish him. I really want to try and listen to my horses more, not just so they express their happiness, but so that when something goes wrong they can tell me.

[Funky MeerKAT]

Erik Herbermann is my hero, so when I found that you guys have actually had lessons with him   !! I'm so jealous!! Up rears the green eyed monster!! Do you think there is any chance he would come to NZ?? I had to just copy some of those quotes into my training journal, hope you don't mind Joy!!

- Have a 'kid on a pony' attitude, tempered by wisdom and knowledge.

- Screw anyone's opinion - look to the horse. Horses don't have opinions, horses have only truth.

- Use rein aids as a ballerina uses her arms.

- Mistakes with leg and seat are not so major. Mistakes with the reins are.

- You can't cut your aids fine enough for the horse not to match you.

- Conversely, the rougher /stronger you are, the horse will match you, pound for pound.

- If, having seen this way of training, you turn away to a less horse-friendly path,you are as bad as those who have learnt with great riders of the past but took away only the technicalities, not the heart, then used those technicalities to rape the spirit of the horse.

- Truth and falsehood lie belly to belly.

- The only bad question is the unasked one.

- Show him how easy it is.
 
- Intelligent riders are always the most difficult to teach.... (!!)

- A bit of silliness is good.

Erik is one of the most 'caring' trainers I have met - tough love at times for his pupils (he is exceptionally straight talking) but I know I personally feel the strength of his intent - ' *this* is where it's at, *this* is where the heart of equitation lies'. And his love for Horse is incredible. The aim is for the horse to be a willing partner, well many say this, but Erik truly lives it. In one clinic I heard him say ?If you use your reins like that again, I can?t bear to be in the same building as you, and I ain?t leaving?. This was in response to a pupil?s slightly sharp tug on a rein to stop their horse from looking out. I have seen far, far worse from many experienced trainers!  

[Funky MeerKAT]

The arena was still really wet so I had to set up a 40x20m in the jump paddock with poles, the grass was a bit rough but not too bad.

Mate Well he didn't go so well today, we just couldn't get it together !! After I got off I thought a lot about it. Despite the fact that my ride didn't go that well I was proud that I didn't loose my temper or anything!! I didn't do him any harm, we just didn't make any progress :(.

So after my ride I thought about it and this quote came to mind "Screw anyone's opinion - look to the horse. Horses don't have opinions, horses have only Truth." So I must have been doing something wrong. I think it was because I took my stirrups off and was riding without them. And i don't think he was ready for that. His last rider was very stiff, so he never really softened his back for them. So I'll just have to have another go tomorrow, with stirrups this time  B)!!

Blackie I put my stirrups back on for him and I was very pleased with our work  ! He is starting to get better in the contact, more steady and sure. I start off just by walking around the arena, gradually picking him up using the corners to bend and soften him and he softened into a nice steady contact and frame after about 10 mins   . Then I did much the same work in trot, to start with he was rushing and hollowing a bit, but after using the corners and concentrating on the rhythm he started to swing and relax much better   YAY!!

Hopefully Mate will go better tomorrow with the stirrups back on and I can start some canter work with them both.

[Funky MeerKAT]

B) Had a good day today with both horses, we are making progress . The arena in still so wet so I was on the grass again, hopfully I will be able to use the surface again tomorrow. i want to try and get some photos of them tomorrow, and take regular photos so that I can see the changes, although they look awful at the moment  , scruffy winter ponies!! i want to get them clipped and cleaned up next week.

Mate was back on track today with my stirrups back on. Just did more very basic work with him using the corners and did some 20m circles. He warmed up well, he finds if harder in walk, and he can get a bit lateral feeling, much better in trot and way more forward than he used to be. Need to do some work on upward transitions, he does this little hop thing like he wants to srike of in canter, bobs his head and looses all the impulsion out behind, I can feel his back feet dragging... but his downards are very good and he is now staying infront of my leg.

After about 15 mins his heads gets a bit tilty again and he fidgets with the bit, it feels like he is bringing his tounge up, I think it is just because he isn't that fit yet, it gets a bit hard for him. The halts are coming much better, he is standing square, but now the transition needs more work, he comes back at me a bit and tilts and fidgets.

Blackie had a much better warm up today, he settled into a steady contact much more quickly in the walk. Again when I started trot he rushed off a bit but steadied up much better than yesterday. He needs a lot of work on transitions, his upwards are quite rushed and abrupt, he gets a bit tense. In the downwards he just wants to fall flat on his face and bore down on the bit.

Same as Mate, after about 15 mins he got a bit tired and started to curl under and wanted to lean on my hand, it is very difficult to rebalance him, I have to do very careful and gradual half halts, the problem is that when I slow him down a bit he wants to fall on his face even more, so its a bit of a balancing act to get him up again, I have to slow him down without him falling down and then ask him forward again, as I said, a very drawn out half halt, but if I come to quickly with my aids he tenses up. His halts are also getting better, the first one he usually leaves a back leg behind, but if I tap it up and then do another halt he will stand up square, also just have to be careful that he doesn't fall on his face.

All in all a good day, tomorrow I want to start some sepentines, more circles and a bit of canter. Must get onto those photos...

[Funky MeerKAT]

Since my mast post I have been on holiday in the city, so the naggs had a week in the paddock. Got back yesterday and today I clipped then both out and washed them so that they could wear their new covers. They had a zilco each that I got them last year and all the stuffing sort of split and slid down inside the covers so that they were not warm at all. I wrote to Zilco and then sent the covers to them, they replaced them for me - Thanks Zilco.

So yesterday I took some before shots of my beasts, straight out of the paddock and they look like donkeys!! You can also see how wet the place is...

Mate really didn't feel like posing, he was having a sleep in the sun. Hes so fat and blobby looking, mind you even in full work he looks fat when standing still, moving he looks quite light and elegant, his neck completely changes shape as well.


Blackie was at least keen to prick his ears for me!! Hes standing a bit funny in the second one, but you can see his huge whithers!! He is a reall tipical TB type. I am very pleased with his condition, when I got him he had a big pot belly and a weak topline due to being turned out for a year, now, the pot belly has gone and his topline has filled out a lot, and it should get much better over the season.


Can't wait to get the 'after' shots tomorrow, they look so much better!! although they will have plastered themselves in mud by morning...

[tonyhopkins]

Where abouts in NZ do you live?

[Cloud_cirrus]

Those are amzing clips, did you do them yourself?  Is that a common style of clip in New Zealand?

Tracey

[Linda Baia]

I was really thinking today about allowing the horse to express itself. When Mate was being a bit of a dork he was just expressing himself and I really want to keep that. In dressage we want an expressive horse, but a lot of the time we suppress the horse, punish him for reacting to things, expressing his emotions, his joy, his anger, most of the time if the horse goes to bite or spook we punish him. I really want to try and listen to my horses more, not just so they express their happiness, but so that when something goes wrong they can tell me.

That is a good philosophy! As long the horse respect you. Really biting is a no-no. I know because my mare is a bitter. When she is annoyed, she bites the person next to her  :ouch: I do not mind her being in a grump, but biting/nipping I do not agree.

Your clip are superb, how do you do? Do you use a pattern. I think I am going to copy them this winter.

I just understood why you wrote winter diaries. LOL! You are on the other side    Here in Italy it is 38 degrees C in the shade. We cannot ride it is too hot!

[Funky MeerKAT]

Tony - I'm in Hawkes Bay.

Cloud_cirrus - Yeah, I do all my own clips, its not hard. We used to get a 'professional' to do it, but then we had so many horses to do and they have to be done a few times each, we dicided that it would be better just to get our own clippers. Mate has been done four times now, two full clips, then that half clip and then a full yesterday. Blackie had three clips a full, a half, and a full yesterday. I just make the clips up according to what I feel like that year, and this is what I came up with this year. It has variations of course, higher/lower, and with different necks or no neck. As I do other peoples horses now as well, my clips go out and have some 'publicity' so other people copy them too. A trend setter lol   !!

Linda - I agree, you do have to have boundaries of course, but if he is biting or kicking it is for a reason, wether you are just brushing him with a brush that is too hard or his saddle doesn't fit. And the clip, see, what I said above, a trend setter  B) !! Oh, and no I don't use a pattern or chalk or anything, I just do one side and then measure with my hand where the points and stuff should be on the other side, them at the end I stand behind them to make sure everything is level.

The clip will no doubt change again next year. One year on my pony I clipped a little jumping horse silluete on to his rump, I got so many comments for that!! But I don't think anyone else managed to do it. I won't do it again, it looked great but it was so tricky, I was scared I would wreck it and I would have to clip my pony right out in mid winter!!

[Funky MeerKAT]

Yay!! My 'new' horses. I love having not wooly horses, the dirt just brushes straight off and they dry out so fast!!

Mate


Blackie

[Funky MeerKAT]

Blackie, just gave him a longe after his week off. First couple of circles he looked a bit stiff which worried me, but he had been standing around for a while and he troted out of it within a few circles and after 5mins each way without the side reins he was looking nice and loose and relaxed. Then did 5mins each way with the side reins on, to start he fiddled with the bit a lot and his jaw and neck where tense, I did lots of walk/trot transitions and kept the trot quite slow and he came a lot softer, once he relaxed I could let him go more foreward. He still has the same problem on the longe as he does ridden of falling into the 'hand' in downward trans, but not the same extent and he got better.

I used a bridle with a head collar over it, side reins on the bit, line on the side ring of the head collar. It worked really well, I really don't like clipping the line on to the bit, I feel in interfers to much with the action of the bit.

Mate, had a really good ride on him today, he has changed so much from last season!! With just over a weeks work he is so much more alive and reponsive. Used to be so dead to the leg and any forward aids, now I have to be so careful to sit still, he responds to everything and practically 'bolting', great fun!! I supose the work we did would have looked awful to an on looker, but there were moments that were just so good. I think in the past I have ridden too much in the moment, everything had to look good all of the time.

Did a bit of canter as well today, normally he canters in slow motion until I get him going, today he was so much better, although he was incosistant in his frame, coming up and tosing his nose and then diving down, but inbetween that we would get a circle were he was just awesome!! And the trans to canter was a really good jump into the canter, rather than 'ok if I have to', the down wards was totaly on my seat , where he has had a habit of getting slower and slower, but he won't trot. So I was very pleased!!

Oh and Tony, you are so right, girth are not necesary, for dressage any way, I wouldn't do XC without one. I didn't actually ride without one but it was very loose and I didn't even notice a difference most of the time, except that I think Mate was happier, he seemed a lot more free.

Also tried an SS mullen mouth on him, I'm still unsure of it, but I'll give it a few more rides and see what happens. I'll try it on Blackie tomorrow as well.

[tonyhopkins]

I've also started riding with a very loose girth now (instead of just leaving it off lol),  I think a lot of people do them up too tight, which is why I hate girths with elastic at the ends, makes it faaaar too easy to over tighten them.

[Funky MeerKAT]

Tony WHAT ON EARTH does your new signature mean?? :blink:

Yeah, I think my girth has also been pulling my saddle forwardsl, I just rode Mate with a very loose girth and my saddle sat really well, he even had a buck and it didn't slip!! I think the exception might be on small ponies, they are so round that saddles tend to just slip round, not to mention that begginers aren't that balanced. Where as my horses have plenty of whither to hold the saddle on. I'm about to have a go on Blackie now, I'll see what he thinks of it.

I don't know if I agree about elastic girths, although a lot of people do use them like a corset. I use one on my jumping saddle and my horses seem to like it better than a normal one. As long as its not really tight I think it gives the horse breathing room. And while I have my girth so loose on my dressage saddle that there is no need for elastic, I don't know that I would atempt a XC course with my girth flapping!!