It's all uphill from here!

The feeling you get after a really good lesson is euphoric. It's kind of like riding a cloud. You and the horse are completely connected, giving to each other, communicating and growing together, which makes for such a smooth ride, you almost feel like you and your horse are one being. 

Riding gives you wings. 
I was back to riding Ms. Ruby this past week; Wednesday with Megan featured only Casey, Cali and myself in the lesson. We worked extensively on serpentines. First 3 loops in the arena and then 4. The main benefit from doing serpentines, and the whole reason to do them in training, is to get the horse bending correctly in each direction, and then to fluidly and easily switch the bend in just a couple strides. Basically, it limbers the horse up, and in dressage, we are always striving for a supple horse. Rigidness is not an option. Nor is it very comfortable, for horse or rider! Ruby started out on Wednesday in her general obstinate mood..unwilling to flex in either direction, but noticeably stiffer to the left. Surprise, surprise! She warmed up quickly though, and began to loosen up as we worked the 3-loop at the trot. Then Megan instructed us to canter each time we bent right..transitioning to trot as we changed the bend to the left through the centerline. It was a fun exercise; not so easy with 3 horses of completely different sizes all in a row..and it ended up with many added circles thrown in and breaks to the trot so we didn't cause a pile up. Most of the time it was me having to deviate from the conga line, as I was on the biggest (relatively speaking) horse. Anyway, we then added a 4th loop and then switched directions so we could canter in every  leftward bend. 
The biggest thing I noticed was that after the first few canter departs Ruby really got into it, and became very round and supple. We achieved really great bend in each direction; something that has been more difficult in the past. She eventually began anticipating the canter so I had to throw in some different maneuvers to keep her guessing. The best part was that every upward transition was very uphill and thus immensely comfortable. I was very happy with Wednesday's ride.

Yesterday's ride was even better! But I'll let you hear about that tomorrow. Happy trails!

just CruZin'

driving to the valley yesterday i expected i'd be paired with Ruby once more despite the success i had with the Irish Sporthorse Cruz on wednesday. it was already 92 degrees by the time i pulled into Ride On, and bright sunshine. one of the volunteers greeted me happily as i walked into the aisle, "hey Elle you're riding Cruz today!" I felt a flutter of anticipation and excitement as this meant that i'd have the chance to show both trainers that i am skilled enough to handle this big guy. Gloria, the co-founder of Ride On, looked a bit surprised and asked if i was indeed riding Cruz that day. she's used to seeing me on the mare, since that's who i've competed with. i assured her it was true, and i'd ridden him with good success on wednesday with megan. 

tacking this horse up is difficult for a person with both hands...and let me tell you, getting a saddle up to his back (which is slightly above my head) with one hand is no easy feat. luckily i am quite strong. i was already warm by the time i mounted!

right away, Brie told me to get Cruz marching forward instead of plodding along. it's imperative with a horse like that to get their attention straight away so you don't have to beg for it later. i bumped him with both spurs, one quick kick and he immediately perked up and nearly trotted off. then i quieted and allowed him to walk nicely forward into a frame. Brie was impressed (surprised?) at his responsiveness to me. really i don't see how everyone thinks he's such a lunk! as of yet i haven't experienced any laziness or obstinance from this boy!

we did the usual bending and counter bending each direction and then moved into the trot. at first we did 20 meters at A, E, B, and C to get our horses moving off our inside legs and bending around them, as well as on the bit and in a round frame. Cruz needed a couple wake up bumps to get a quality forward trot, but again Brie complimented the responsiveness i got out of him. 

it's interesting going between those 2, Ruby is easier to collect (in a sense) because she is smaller and more upright, where Cruise is a tank of a horse, very long and used to a jumper's frame (lower and more stretched out). Ruby is more sensitive (so they say) and Cruz makes you work to get what you want. this point however, i disagree with. for me i feel that Cruz is very sensitive, but not overly so. once he knew i meant business he didn't try at all to get out of doing work. Cruz is easier in the sense that he has more training and experience than Ruby, but over all they are just 2 completely different rides. this is great for me because one teaches me how to teach her, and the other teaches me by testing my own knowledge and conviction.

i really love Cruz's canter. it is very smooth and a huge stride..but cantering down the longside he doesn't pull like Ruby does. Ruby gets very strung out and nearly pulls my arm off at times (we're getting better) but Cruz is easier on my arm and shoulder. he likes to stretch out, but he's more of a leg workout than upper body workout! i have to really hold him together with my thighs to keep him collected. it's a really cool feeling to "jump him up into the bridle" and feel his hind end come up underneath. i guess he's just so big that every move feels monstrous! 

i actually had to break in the middle of my canterwork so someone could grab my a water. it was that hot and dry. i felt like i couldn't breathe! but then we continued on, and wrapped up at the canter with brie having me do 10m circles. this forces Cruz to be more upright and collected, and forces me to really use my body to steer him. it's hardest to the right lead when my lack of strength in my outside leg allows him to bow out through the left rein. i have to crank my right shoulder back (which is naturally pulled forward by only using my right hand on the reins) and be really serious about getting that circle accurate for Cruz to know what i mean. the first attempt ended up being more like a 6m circle (almost a pirouette! lol) and Brie said it was lucky that he was able to do it. i chalk it up to his showjumping days where he'd have to make some really tight turns. 

doing the 10m circles really did help his canter on the straight aways, he held himself more upright in a dressage frame and definitely listened to me more! all in all, it was another great ride; and i'm really excited at the prospect of growing more with him. we'll see when i am asked to ride the notorious Mambo! until then i'm enjoying the pair of chestnuts. complete opposites in every way, but equally helpful in my learning. 

new beginnings and big news!

well it's been an exciting week in the equestrian field! so much to update about. i'll start with Wednesday's lesson:

i got to the stable and was expecting to ride Ruby, but to my surprise and total excitement, i was paired with Cruz. now, i have been wanting to ride Cruz since i first saw him; when i started up again at Ride On after a hiatus from an injury. the hulking gelding caught my eye not only because of his height but his warm blood confirmation, which made it clear that he was well bred and a different caliber horse than most of the others there. Cruz is a 16.3hh Irish sporthorse; a showjumper in his former life and now retired to dressage. chestnut with lots of chrome. he's a pretty guy! anyway as i mentioned i'd been wanting to ride him for a long time, but hadn't been allowed due to his habits of spooking and acting too silly for his size! but that day, it was decided i be put to the test. 

using a 3 step mounting block, it was still a climb to get up on the gelding..but once i was on i immediately felt at ease. the girl who leases him had warned me earlier that he has the tendency to be lazy and not too responsive, which slightly dampened my excitement. if i need any quality in a horse, it's sensitivity and forwardness since i only have about 3/4 of my strength. however, i found that Cruz was perfectly forward, stiff from arthritis but no lazier than Ruby for instance. also, it was immediately apparent that Cruz knew more of what i was asking of him..his training was clear! he willingly got in a frame, and bent to both sides. the problem i experienced with him was he would run out with his left shoulder when we were tracking right..not because he was taking advantage of me but because he was unused to someone without the leg strength to stand him up and create that outside wall. i worked through that problem eventually. 

megan had us try shoulder-in down both longsides, and let me tell you, that needs a LOT of work. again, lack of strength in my left leg allows the horse to drift through that left rein, which made it hard for me to keep his shoulders off the track. we had moments of acceptable shoulder-in, but there's a long way to go. then we started canterwork; and having seen other students ride Cruz with some difficulty getting him to canter,i was not expecting an easy transition. Cruz surprised me. he very willingly went into canter going each direction; it's a very ground-covering canter! he was really nicely round for me in the canter, the problem here being that he likes to canter in a jumper frame (long and stretched out) rather than the more upright dressage frame. megan had me adjust my hand, holding the reins up higher off his neck, and told me to "jump him up into the bridle" by asking simultaneously for a bigger canter and more collection. by the end Cruz and i were mostly on the same page..and it was a complete blast riding him.

the climax of the lesson was during our cool-down. we were walking nicely past the corner by A, and there happened to be (God forbid!) a cat passing the corner. one second we were walking one way, and within the blink of an eye, a split second later with no recollection of what happdened, Cruz and i were on the FAR side of the arena, completely in the opposite direction, and a pending buck on the way. the cool part was my seat didn't even BUDGE, let alone fall off..i sat tighter than superglue, and kept him under control the entire time. it's moments like those that make you feel like an accomplished rider. also, 16.3 hands is great incentive to not fall off! can't wait til my next shot at riding him. 

the other very exciting news was i went to my favorite tack store LA SADDLERY in burbank to speak with Amanda about sponsorship possibilities. i expected to talk solely about the possibility of getting some dressage boots, but when i met her, she informed me that she knows an older woman with an upper level horse that she thought may be a good competition horse for me! he is a rare breed, Akhal-Teke stallion that is perlino colored (iridescent white) with blue eyes.

the blue eyes and exotic metallic coat of this horse make it an eye catcher!

 once i saw a picture i was sold. he is stunning, a shocking looking animal but looks like a piece of art! i was so touched by the gesture of the women at LA saddlery for giving me so much support and encouragement! i certainly wasn't expecting to get a lead on a horse i may be able to use!!

the akhal-teke

while we were discussing this FEI stallion, another woman approached me and inquired if i was searching for a horse. "yes, yes i am!" i replied! she proceeded to describe an I-1 schoolmsater she knew who was owned by a woman who is not looking to compete. she thought that a life as a paraequestrian mount would be a wonderful job for him, and offered to look into THAT possibility! again i was moved beyond words at the kindness of these women. it literally made my day to receive that generosity and support from the equestrian circuit here! 2 leads in one day...it was a brilliant day! 

https://www.facebook.com/LASaddlery

BEST tack shop, with the most helpful staff in the world!

the icing on the cake was learning that i will in fact be traveling to my home state of Maine in one month to attend a para equestrian clinic with a worldclass lineup of paradressage people. trainers, coaches, qualifiers, fellow riders etc will be present, along with Hope Hand (USPEA president) for an intensive 4 day paradressage bootcamp. I will be paired with a horse and riding along with 9 others, and i literally CAN'T WAIT!!! this will be a great chance for my parents to get involved as well, and see the things i am working on as a rider and paralympic hopeful. so the ball is really rolling now, and it's only going to get faster as i improve and meet more people! it's an extremely exciting time right now. will keep you posted on my ride tomorrw! xo

flying high

Saturday's lesson was one that left me on cloud nine and stoked about life. it's an indescribable feeling when you have a ride like this, everything in life just seems perfect. the proverbial "rose colored glasses" come on and you're left with a feeling of utter peace and massive elation at the same time. 
i went in the arena completely determined to ride like i was going for gold. certain occurrences were present in my mind that day that renewed my drive to improve tenfold. for example, i had a chat with Hope Hand prior to the weekend ride and she mentioned after seeing my show video that though Ruby and I looked nice, the mare could have been quite a bit rounder..this only reinforced what i had already seen of myself in the video, how even though i had felt like i had Ruby in a very good frame, the video showed that it was not as good as i perceived! hearing this  from someone so revered in the para equestrian circuit literally tripled my sense of ambition to ride at a better level with each lesson.
Ruby started off as usual, rigid and resistant to contact. but as Brie went to check on something in the barn leaving me, Norman and Callie to warm up by ourselves, i took matters into my own [hand]. i got right to work, bending left and right, leg yielding, really forcing myself to focus on using my left leg as much as possible to get Ruby moving off it. staying at the walk i tried harder than i think i really ever have, to get the mare moving off my left seatbone and leg. i circled, did lateral work, anything to keep her guessing and get that response right off the bat instead of halfway through the lesson. it's time that i ride 100% on the bit. in a frame right out of the gate. no fooling around anymore! 
this attitude really seemed to work, and Ruby responded right away. i got her in a better frame than we have previously been able to achieve, and when Brie came back she immediately commented on the fact that Ruby was flexing and moving off my legs better than we'd been doing. 
the lesson started with 3 loop serpentines at the trot, focusing on changing the bend through the middle of each loop. it was difficult at first, as ruby likes to cut corners on my weaker side. but the more i focused hard on using that left leg, the more i was able to keep her straight between the rails and finally make a noticeable change of bend through the middle parts. Brie was extremely encouraging and really praised me when she could actually see me implementing my left side. it takes an extreme amount of mental focus and effort for me to make those commands, but the strength is there in my left leg (not as strong as my right one, but probably about 70%) and it's more about focus when it comes down to it. the thing i do appreciate about Ruby is that she's quite sensitive, and will move off of only slight pressure. 

you complete it by doing the mirror on the opposite side

throughout this exercise, the quality of Ruby's trot improved with every serpentine. when brie told us to complete the loops at sitting trot, it was bouncy still but the horse gave me her back, so i was able to sit a LITTLE better than before. she was round and supple, flexing and moving very nicely. 
then brie had me start canter work, first on a 20m, on which we had an incredibly collected, rockinghorse gait that felt wonderful. we did 6 or 8 circles and then brie told me to do the one loop canter serpentines around the perimeter of the ring. Ruby and i are still new to this maneuver, and i am still trying to wrap my head around what exactly is supposed to happen, but we went for it and i surprised myself!
the difference was that i focused more on keeping the correct bend as i steered her back to the rail in what is the beginning stage of counter-canter; and for the first time, i actually succeeded in getting her all the way back to the wall after going through X. we lapped the arena about 4 times and then did a simple lead change and repeated the exercise the other way. only once did Ruby break to a freight train trot and get all strung out and icky; otherwise we kept perfect control and roundness. the feedback i received was just a slight adjustment that needs to be made in order to make the one loops correct; which i will work on next time! this is that when i ask Ruby to steer back to the wall through X, she is doing a kind of sideways crab step instead of making 2 clear straight lines (the first from the corner to X, and the second from X to the far corner). so i know for next lesson what exactly i need to fix! 

collected canter

we ended with Brie telling me to lap the arena and keep the quality canter that we'd managed. it's Ruby's tendency to pull down the longsides and get all wobbly and strung out, but no such trick this time. we went down the rails at a perfect 3 beat and collected pace, without a hesitation or a wrong step. best ride i can remember to date! i am STOKED for wednesday :) #improvements!

transitions

i was pleasantly surprised when i went for my lesson today, to find that i would be matched with Ruby once more. megan simply stated, "yes, horses spook sometimes," when i inquired about last week's incident. cool! i was happy to be reunited with the little knucklehead, as i truly feel i'm on the verge of really excelling with her. i'll admit there was a slight flutter of trepidation before i mounted..but i am the girl with iron nerves and no regard for self-preservation..so up i went!
i must add that some crazy wind picked up just before we started to ride..prime spook conditions. but ruby seemed normal and was paying good attention to me while we warmed up. i made sure of that, by doing a lot of bending, leg yielding and flexion exercises. i wanted to ensure her mind was focused on me, keeping her on her toes so she wouldn't have the opportunity to flip out!
megan got down to business today with me getting ruby in a frame. we're at the point now where it's expected. i am progressing, and now it's time that i ride the horse round all the time, and not just now and then, or for a period of time and then allow hollowness again. we got serious straight away, lots of small circles at the trot to get her bending and softening in each direction, and then some warmup canter. 
the interesting thing here is that the quality of the trot in a canter-trot transition is a zillion times better than just trying to get Ruby in a frame IN the trot...i suppose this is because her forwardness coupled with the size of halfhalt i need to get her down makes her automatically have to give to the bridle. i'm not really sure! anyway, she was not sufficiently in a frame by that point so megan instructed me to do a million trot-walk transitions, keeping the lightness and roundness achieved in whichever gait DURING the downward transition. Ruby's number one trick is to hollow her back and poke her nose way out during a trot-walk, so we repeated the move numerous times until i could maintain the frame through the transition. once we'd mastered it in each direction, it was time for canter-trot transitions. we repeated the same exercise at the faster gait, and by the end, Ruby was certainly grunting with every stride! it was a workout. but i was ready for more. i can't describe the feeling of riding a  horse you've achieved a new level of rideability on except it's just FUN! i had a real horse under me. i was even starting to sit her trot a bit..i'd say i could go about 8 steps before needing to post..because she gave me her back. it felt amazing. we were winding the lesson down, but i was itching to do just a bit more work, despit an arm cramp..just because of the quality i was getting with Ruby. so we did one loop canter serpentines around the arena..

this is a maneuver i've mentioned several times, but i'd never managed it on Ms Ruby. it is the beginning stage of counter canter, which is required in 2nd Level. you must maintain the bend toward the inside lead whilst steering the horse the opposite way. not terribly easy, and it takes major leg power. we went to the right lead first so i'd have my stronger leg to push her back to the rail first. it went better than i expected; the best part being i managed to keep her very collected and framed around the arena a thousand times without her getting strung out or breaking. she's got an AMAZING canter when she's not hauling me along. and i did get her nearly into the corners during the counter canter bits, less so on the left lead, but like i said, the quality of her gait made up for the fact i don't have it perfectly down! 

i have much more work to do before i'll be at 2nd level, but we're at the point now where there's a noticeable improvement in every lesson. i must focus on my seat bones more! where i lack strength in my left leg, i have full motion and control in that hip, and after all, one is meant to drive with one's seat :) 
until next ride, happy trails!

trials and tribulations

as i arrived at my saturday lesson, i received some rather disturbing news. Brie told me that i would not be riding Ruby because she had caused a bad accident the day prior..so i would be riding Lusco. i pressed for details, and was informed that Ruby had an alarming spook that threw one of the strongest riders...apparently she saw a squirrel and instead of just a simple buck that most of the able bodied riders can ride through, she went into a blind panic and spun, bashing her rider's face with her neck, put her foot through the mounting block and nearly went down; which unseated the rider and cut both of them up pretty bad. now we could have chalked this up to a fluke accident, as Ruby is generally pretty steady..but she'd thrown another rider a week ago. this is not boding well for Ruby. brie was exasperated, and said she doesn't know what's gotten into this girl; but the spooking is not acceptable, especially at something so trivial as a squirrel. Ride On is not a stable where problem horses are of use. they need mounts who are bomb proof and reliable, as many of the riders are either just beginning or not strong enough to handle a true spook like that. as i mentioned, a buck is not so worrisome as a reaction in which the horse is out of control completely. and to unseat one of the strongest riders is a matter of deep concern. at this point she is on time out, until further notice. this is sad news indeed for me; as i am JUST starting to really gel with this horse. Brie luckily thinks that it's just a phase (who knows why..she is a mare after all) and that she'll get over it. but they're not letting me chance it at this point, and i'm not looking for another injury. the rider she threw is fine, and still riding; but it could have been very bad; Ruby is scraped up as well. not something i wanted to hear! 

we've all been there

anyway, i rode Lusco; which is also good practice so that i can put my learning to use on other (more difficult) horses. he really is much harder to frame; even though he's better at it than the western-trained Ruby. Lusco's had extensive dressage training, but is much more adept at avoiding the bit. it took me an arm cramp and 30+minutes to make that boy even begin to carry himself. brie had me regress a little and start from the halt to get him to give. then we tried it through all gaits, and by the end, had an acceptable frame. not great, but improved. we finished the lesson with me doing one loop canter serpentines around the entire arena; which is not simple on a horse who doesn't want to stay balanced! all in all, a good ride; tough but rewarding!
please keep ruby in your thoughts and cross your fingers that i'll still be able to show her..i think we could go through a few levels this summer if she stays sane! 

a realization

i attacked wednesday's lesson with renewed vigor and determination. after watching the video from my show, i was very eager to fix the areas i saw that needed adjusting. it was a very helpful thing to study that test, because it put a visual in my mind of what my trainers were constantly telling me to do, but that i couldn't necessarily figure out whilst riding: lean your upper body further back, you have a hunter seat, firm up the contact, your horse is above the bit, stretch your legs longer, etc. all of these issues, i feel like i've addressed during my rides, and i feel like the changes i make are adequate, but seeing it on film i can see the problem areas and thus i was very excited for my first lesson after my show, so i could put my newfound knowledge to use. 
i rode my mare (i've become fond enough of Ruby to claim her) and she was very stiff. not giving at all to the right side, and hardly to the left; bracing against the contact and avoiding flexion. we warmed up with Megan asking me to do simple changes of bend, try to get Ruby more soft etc. the mare wasn't having it. after 20 minutes or so of bending, transitions and circles, without much improvement, megan instructed me to hop off and let her school Ruby. this is very helpful because when i watch megan (an upper level rider) ride with the bar rein in one hand, i am able to see what she does and thus mimic her as much as possible. it helps Megan as well because riding in that way is a challenge, and she can see what the problem is for me, and thus find a way to instruct me in what to do when she can feel what's going on. and it helps Ruby because having a much more advanced rider on her helps her figure out what is being asked of her. megan schooled her for a good 15 minutes, and i could see that ruby was really resisting her as well; which makes me feel a bit better because it's not my lack of skill that is causing the issue!
finally i was told to mount again and there was a good difference in how Ruby was moving; i was more able to focus on my own body position. when megan told me to sink further in the saddle i would make a big effort to really "sit on my pockets," which helps EVERYTHING, i turns out, because when i sit deeper in the saddle and make sure my upper body is correct, it makes the reins shorter and i automatically take up more contact without choking the horse by rolling the bar up, and Ruby responds by becoming rounder, and everyone is happy!by the end of the lesson, ruby's canter was that rocking horse quality we strive for, and i had NO airtime between my butt and the saddle! 
what i really love about this horse is her movement. she's not very fancy but she has a lot of suspension and she can really move out. the judges love it too! in my next post i will tell you about all the drama that's happened over the weekend and how who knows if i'll be riding this mare anymore :( i'm crossing my fingers on that one!!!