I've had three lessons on Dude on Monday evenings. This week we are switching the time to Friday at around noon, so tonight I rode him for "fun." The horses didn't go out today because we've had so much rain recently, so when I got to the barn I ran him out for about 10 minutes to graze and then did Bestie. I feel bad that they're in, but really, the fields are such a mess it's just as well. Yesterday they did go out, but I brought Dude and Bestie in before I left to take Maddie back to school. Didn't want to take any chances that either might slip at turn-in time, when tensions run high. As Dude walked toward me I could hear that telltale sucking squelchy sound of deep mud at every step.
Tonight I tried to work on various things that Emma and I have been working on in lessons. Sitting up tall yet relaxed in the saddle, being firm with my commands (ask, then tap/tap with the crop if no response), and transitions. Last week we had talked about positioning and it was pretty cool because she had me ride without stirrups and with my eyes closed as she moved Dude around on the lunge line. I found my whole body shifting and realized how much I use my hands to balance, which means I probably exert a lot of pressure on the bit even when I don't mean to. I also place more weight in my left foot than my right. No surprise there; my left leg is definitely my dominant leg when I skate, too.
It is really interesting to me how philosophies float between different disciplines. For instance, she talked about grounding and using your foot placement in the saddle to ground yourself. Very yoga-like. The "bubbling spring" is that place on your foot that grounds you. My probably simplistic interpretation of Emma's explanation is that it is a tai chi philosophy and you find the spot by tapping on the bottom of the foot and identifying where the sensation of tapping feels different.
The odd thing was that when she tapped my foot, the spot that I identified as feeling different (more resonant) is the exact spot where my foot naturally shifts to after I've had my feet in the stirrups a while. I've always been instructed not to have my feet too deep in the stirrups, so that is how I place them. But after I've ridden for a while, my foot migrates forward and the stirrup ends up right behind the ball of my foot, not quite at the arch. And that is apparently my bubbling spring :). I look forward to the lessons and Dude seems to enjoy them, too. It's good for him to be "working" again; he's definitely happier.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Barn as retreat space
Sometimes as I drive to the barn I can't wait to get there. Usually something has happened during my day that has been upsetting or disturbing, and I just want to get to the barn and take care of the horses and either think it through or not think of anything else BUT taking care of the horses. And sometimes it's a process of thinking it through and then not thinking about it anymore.
Today was one of those days. I was concerned about something, and as I drove to the barn, I found myself looking forward to simply brushing Dude and Bestie. I had planned to lunge Bestie since I had ridden Dude in a lesson the day before, but on the way there that plan just didn't seem right any more. I knew that by the time I got to the barn they would have been fed, and it would be the time of night when a low-key activity would be really good.
The barn was unusually quiet. The two other people who were there were out riding. Despite the quiet, Dude didn't really get it. I put him on the cross ties while I mucked his stall and then brushed him, and he kept prancing around, clearly trying to tell me that he wanted me to take him outside; The Act of Grooming as Therapy was NOT on his agenda. He did make me laugh though, because he was just so singleminded in his efforts to let me know he did NOT want to be on those cross ties.
Bestie got it. I put her on the cross ties and she was quiet. I curried her and she relaxed and kind of pushed into the curry, and even when I brushed her face she didn't jerk her head around like she normally does. She seemed to welcome the attention, and I was glad to give it, so all in all I think it was a mutually satisfying little grooming session.
After I got them both done and the stalls cleaned, I went and grabbed a couple of flakes of hay to toss into their stalls, and they both started munching contentedly. I love to watch that. All is right with the world when a flake of hay is in front of you. I left the barn happy. Clean ponies tucked in for the night and happily munching. But then I got home and started complaining about my day to my husband and got myself all worked up again. Oh well. I've got to learn to carry Barn Zen with me longer.
Today was one of those days. I was concerned about something, and as I drove to the barn, I found myself looking forward to simply brushing Dude and Bestie. I had planned to lunge Bestie since I had ridden Dude in a lesson the day before, but on the way there that plan just didn't seem right any more. I knew that by the time I got to the barn they would have been fed, and it would be the time of night when a low-key activity would be really good.
The barn was unusually quiet. The two other people who were there were out riding. Despite the quiet, Dude didn't really get it. I put him on the cross ties while I mucked his stall and then brushed him, and he kept prancing around, clearly trying to tell me that he wanted me to take him outside; The Act of Grooming as Therapy was NOT on his agenda. He did make me laugh though, because he was just so singleminded in his efforts to let me know he did NOT want to be on those cross ties.
Bestie got it. I put her on the cross ties and she was quiet. I curried her and she relaxed and kind of pushed into the curry, and even when I brushed her face she didn't jerk her head around like she normally does. She seemed to welcome the attention, and I was glad to give it, so all in all I think it was a mutually satisfying little grooming session.
After I got them both done and the stalls cleaned, I went and grabbed a couple of flakes of hay to toss into their stalls, and they both started munching contentedly. I love to watch that. All is right with the world when a flake of hay is in front of you. I left the barn happy. Clean ponies tucked in for the night and happily munching. But then I got home and started complaining about my day to my husband and got myself all worked up again. Oh well. I've got to learn to carry Barn Zen with me longer.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Turning the key, relaxed halting, and -sort of- serpentining
First lesson on Dude tonight! Was a wee bit crazy because I had to tear home from work to let the dogs out, change, then leap into the car to get to the barn for the 5 pm lesson. I got there around 4:15, so I ran Dude and Bestie out to graze for about 10 minutes each, then got Dude tacked up. He seemed a bit ouchy on his back left hoof when I picked it out. But he had trotted going out to graze and didn't look off. I walked him down the path before heading back to go into the indoor.
When we first went in, there were three other horses in there, so he was all caught up in watching them and tucking in right behind whoever might pass us. The arena had been watered so it was a lot less dusty than yesterday when I lunged Bestie. The other horses left the arena right about the time my lesson started up, so then Dude became focused on the fact that NO OTHER EQUINES WERE IN THE ARENA. He'd stop or pause right by the door the first few times we went around, but we worked through it.
Tonight was a walk night. Fine with me. I haven't had a lesson on him in so long; years, in fact, and Emma's style is very different from those long-ago lessons so I'm happy to start at ground zero. "Turning the key" was step one: just encouraging him to turn by twisting my wrist slightly in the direction I wanted him to turn. Very little movement of my wrist, combined with looking in the intended direction. Amazingly, it worked. I say amazingly, because with Dude I often feel like I need to be heavy-handed because he is such a strong horse. I couldn't believe that such a light touch worked.
We worked on transitions at the walk, halting and starting up again in a relaxed way. Then we went on to serpentining at the walk. Which, if there could have been a line diagram of my route, would've showed the most jagged serpentine ever. No way was it a smooth s-curve; it was more like a series of z's strung together. We had a couple nice smooth curves, but overall, it was pretty crazy. So let's just say I have some things to work on. Which is good. This way I can spend 15 minutes or so in the indoor working on something concrete, then head outside. Or mix it up and do a few minutes before and a few minutes after going out in the field.
The plan was to do a lesson each week, alternating horses. Technically it should be Bestie's turn next week, but I'm going to see how it goes since I just lunged her for the first time yesterday. She looked fine and was amazingly (that word again) well behaved considering she has been off for two months. Tomorrow they are both going out in new turnout situations and I have my fingers crossed. There's been some shuffling around in the fields with a new horse's arrival and horse "issues" and horse personality differences. Dude will be with three other geldings again (different from the geldings he was with before), and Bestie will be with two mares. One of the mares she was with briefly before she got kicked and she had no problems with her, and the other one is supposed to be extremely passive. Gotta say I'm nervous. Can't deal with any more vet bills.
When we first went in, there were three other horses in there, so he was all caught up in watching them and tucking in right behind whoever might pass us. The arena had been watered so it was a lot less dusty than yesterday when I lunged Bestie. The other horses left the arena right about the time my lesson started up, so then Dude became focused on the fact that NO OTHER EQUINES WERE IN THE ARENA. He'd stop or pause right by the door the first few times we went around, but we worked through it.
Tonight was a walk night. Fine with me. I haven't had a lesson on him in so long; years, in fact, and Emma's style is very different from those long-ago lessons so I'm happy to start at ground zero. "Turning the key" was step one: just encouraging him to turn by twisting my wrist slightly in the direction I wanted him to turn. Very little movement of my wrist, combined with looking in the intended direction. Amazingly, it worked. I say amazingly, because with Dude I often feel like I need to be heavy-handed because he is such a strong horse. I couldn't believe that such a light touch worked.
We worked on transitions at the walk, halting and starting up again in a relaxed way. Then we went on to serpentining at the walk. Which, if there could have been a line diagram of my route, would've showed the most jagged serpentine ever. No way was it a smooth s-curve; it was more like a series of z's strung together. We had a couple nice smooth curves, but overall, it was pretty crazy. So let's just say I have some things to work on. Which is good. This way I can spend 15 minutes or so in the indoor working on something concrete, then head outside. Or mix it up and do a few minutes before and a few minutes after going out in the field.
The plan was to do a lesson each week, alternating horses. Technically it should be Bestie's turn next week, but I'm going to see how it goes since I just lunged her for the first time yesterday. She looked fine and was amazingly (that word again) well behaved considering she has been off for two months. Tomorrow they are both going out in new turnout situations and I have my fingers crossed. There's been some shuffling around in the fields with a new horse's arrival and horse "issues" and horse personality differences. Dude will be with three other geldings again (different from the geldings he was with before), and Bestie will be with two mares. One of the mares she was with briefly before she got kicked and she had no problems with her, and the other one is supposed to be extremely passive. Gotta say I'm nervous. Can't deal with any more vet bills.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Lesson on Monday
This whole week was nuts with late departures from work nearly every day, which means late arrivals to the barn nearly every day. And now with the time change, the dark is coming so EARLY. Bleh. I pretty much have to get there by four if I want to ride outside.
Today I had planned to lunge Bestie because Friday nights are never busy in the indoor and I was a bit nervous that she was going to be nuts. But when I got there at 3:45, she had just been fed. Not sure what was with the early feeding, but it messed up my plans. I brushed them both really well and grazed them outside for a bit.
I had talked with Emma a while ago about taking lessons, but with Bestie's injury I hadn't followed through. But after thinking about the week's "fly bys" to the barn, I decided I just need to bite the bullet and do a weekly lesson. Get it on the calendar and commit. So, 5 pm, Monday is lesson numero uno. On Dude. He likes having a job, so that will make him happy. And the following week I'll have one on Bestie; that'll give me some time to put her on the lunge line and work the kinks out. I'm sure there are lots of kinks--she's been off for two months. At least she's going out every day now. 7:30 to 3:30/4 ... you wouldn't think she'd have a lot of energy left after a full day outside to be uncooperative!
It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend with *SUN*, so I am planning on riding Dude tomorrow afternoon. I'd better factor in some time to de-cobweb his saddle. :)
Today I had planned to lunge Bestie because Friday nights are never busy in the indoor and I was a bit nervous that she was going to be nuts. But when I got there at 3:45, she had just been fed. Not sure what was with the early feeding, but it messed up my plans. I brushed them both really well and grazed them outside for a bit.
I had talked with Emma a while ago about taking lessons, but with Bestie's injury I hadn't followed through. But after thinking about the week's "fly bys" to the barn, I decided I just need to bite the bullet and do a weekly lesson. Get it on the calendar and commit. So, 5 pm, Monday is lesson numero uno. On Dude. He likes having a job, so that will make him happy. And the following week I'll have one on Bestie; that'll give me some time to put her on the lunge line and work the kinks out. I'm sure there are lots of kinks--she's been off for two months. At least she's going out every day now. 7:30 to 3:30/4 ... you wouldn't think she'd have a lot of energy left after a full day outside to be uncooperative!
It's supposed to be a beautiful weekend with *SUN*, so I am planning on riding Dude tomorrow afternoon. I'd better factor in some time to de-cobweb his saddle. :)
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