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Second Level Struggles and Successes

5/25/2018

Speedy and I are going to our third show of the season on Sunday. It will be our third attempt at Second Level. It's a CDS-rated show so the atmosphere will be a little more relaxed, but the judging will still be tough.

While I don't feel like we have Second Level down pat, I do feel more confident than I did in March. Since I hate Second Level Test 2, I've decided to jump right into Test 3. It's the one I'll have to ride at RAAC anyway, so I might as well get some practice in now.

I remind him all the time that he's now a Second Level horse.

Both Speedy and I have had some big AHAs over the past few weeks. I've shared mine, but last weekend, I realized that Speedy has had at least one too. All of a sudden, he has clued in that nearly all of our downward transitions from canter are now to the walk. Even when I am okay with a (lazy) canter to trot because he just did something really well, he's still sitting hard and walking. Good boy!

He may well be the most awkward Second Level horse out there.

The AHA that I desperately need him to have like RIGHT NOW is that he can carry his haunches to both the left and the right WHILE TROTTING. Holy heck is he being stubborn about this. I get that it's challenging, but please, horse, just try!

To his credit, he gets it at the walk. He now knows that he can maintain the inside bend AND carry his haunches in. He's getting much lighter in my hand and willing to flex his neck. Now I just need him to do it while trotting. I haven't yet told him about the fact that (eventually) he'll need to also do it at the canter. Palm to forehead.

I am not sure he WANTS to be a Second Level Horse!

It took us a month or so, but we have a three-loop serpentine. I don't know how good it is, but it rides pretty well. Just this past weekend I really worked on collecting him for the counter canter while letting him move out more for the true canter. Playing around with transitions within the gait seemed to really help him balance.

Maybe the best thing we've got going is that Speedy's collected trot is showing a lot more uphill tendency with tons more thrust. His poll is up, and he's really moving well. Unfortunately, he's stuck with a rider who is still struggling to sit his more expressive trot. Oh, and that's me in case you were wondering.

He loves his peppermint candies!

Second Level doesn't scare me anymore. In fact, it's turning out to be a lot of fun. Stringing all of the movements together so they look harmonious is our struggle now. Schooling at home with do-over after do-over is nothing like showing. In front of the judge, you get one shot.

Good thing I am good at moving on from mistakes! Next movement, please.

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Imposter Izzy?

5/24/2018

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Who is this horse, and what have you done with Izzy?

Beyond relaxed.

I know as soon as I write about how freaking awesome this horse is becoming he'll turn into a jerk, but I can't help it. Every day that I get on him, his back gets softer with more swing. On Sunday, he felt ten feet tall and fifteen feet long. He was sighing, grunting, snorting, and flopping his ears towards me at every stride.

Neck is relaxed.

He is so happy in his work that I am able to try something new every day. His leg yields are getting nicely rhythmical. His haunches in are so much better than Speedy's (sorry, Dude, but it's true). He can do most of the counter canter work from Second Level; I haven't asked for the three loop serpentine yet because I don't want to shake his confidence.

We've also been able to play around with a trot lengthening. His back has been so tight that I couldn't get a regular length of stride. To even be able to play around with lengthening the stride is huge progress.

I don't have a show plan for him yet, but I am thinking about it. There's a lot I'd have to work on before we're ready to try showing again, namely getting him into the legal bit again. That I am even thinking about it shows how much progress he's making.

As I clap my hands in glee, I am so thankful that I didn't sell him. If he never makes it to a show, it will be okay as he is so much fun to ride. I am looking forward to seeing how much more he can do!

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Show Goals

5/23/2018

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First of all, I have them, and secondly, the pressure to achieve all of them this year has disappeared.

Last year: First Level (elite) reserve champions at the CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition Central Regional.

I hate to share my goals publicly because talking about something before it happens generally results in the thing not happening. I am not sure if that is Murphy's Law or not, but it seems to be my experience. Besides that, every time I get myself all geared up for something, a horse gets broken. It seems as though I am better off not saying anything at all as I simply send in my show entries and go with the flow.

2014: Training Level (novice) Champions at the CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition Central Region

I've already met some of my goals for this year's show season. We've already earned our Second Level qualifying scores for this year's CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition. My goals do not include winning a third cooler - I have two already (see one above). Nor do they include winning yet another leather halter (see it below); one will do nicely, thank you.

Who needs two? :0)

With the pressure of winning at RAAC off the table, my plan is to first keep Speedy healthy enough to compete at this year's event. With that goal met, I'll hope we can just not embarrass ourselves. If we can do that, I'll be more than satisfied.

One down, two to go.

Another goal that Speedy and I have already achieved this year is earning the final scores for our CDS Ruby Rider Award. They're given out at the Annual Meeting Awards Banquet, so I'll send in the application later this summer. The Gem Awards are a lot like USDF Medals except they're awarded for scores earned at CDS-rated shows (which can also be USDF-rated). The award is a lapel pin that can be worn on your coat or wherever you want to pin the thing.

Half-way to the one on the left.

Strangely enough, I recently realized that I am half-way to earning my USDF Bronze Medal. There is a long, long way yet to go, but before this past month or so, I never really believed that I could earn a bronze medal. All of a sudden, I am one score away from being two-thirds of the way there. I have no doubt that I can earn that score.

While Speedy and I are nowhere near having Second Level vanquished, it no longer feels like we're hanging on by our toenails; we're actually getting it. When I realized that, it popped into my head that we're probably going to make it to Third Level ... eventually. That knowledge gave me goosebumps and a huge kick in the pants.

Before you roll your eyes, rest assured that my head is the same size as it has always been - it might even be shrinking. Crap. something new to worry about. At our most recent show, I apologized at least a thousand times to my trainer during the warm up for looking like such a disaster amongst all of the real dressage riders out there. How can they all look so put together and well-schooled?

So. Goals. Yep. I have them. Not looking stupid is always the first one. Why can't I ever check that off the list?

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Electrolytes

5/22/2018

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Back when I started endurance riding in 1996 - can it be that long ago? - there weren't a lot of electrolyte formulas from which to choose. There was Lyte Now Electrolyte Paste, Endura-Max, and a few other cheaper brands that real endurance riders scoffed at. The selection was still so small that many riders mixed their own electrolytes from table salt and other ingredients. Now, Riding Warehouse has an entire page dedicated to just electrolytes.

My very first "race" season.

I never mixed my own, but electrolytes were definitely part of my feed and maintenance program. For hundred mile events, I found Lyte Now paste to be the most convenient, especially when we rode a single loop 100-miler, meaning we never came back to camp until the finish. It was much easier to toss two or three syringes in your crew bag than to pack all the supplies necessary for administering the powdered form.

For rides where we came back to camp every few hours, it was cheaper to give powdered electrolyte and administer them at the trailer. Like many riders, I stocked up on jars of carrot and apple flavored baby food. I simply dumped the baby food into a red Solo cup, poured in my electrolytes, and thinned it all with a bit of water. Like every other rider, I administered it orally using a catheter syringe which looks like the syringe of any vaccination except it holds approximately 60cc and has a really fat tip.

Not my hand or syringe, but this is what they look like.

In those days, my choice of electrolytes was Endura-Max. Even back then its formula most closely matched the ideal combination of elements necessary to actually replace what our horses were losing due to sweat. Many of the cheaper brands contained more glucose/sugar than anything else. There are five main electrolytes required by horses, namely: Sodium (Na⁺), Chloride (Cl⁻), Potassium (K⁺), Magnesium (Mg²⁺) and Calcium (Ca²⁺) and all play important roles within the horses’ body. - Source

Today I use Summer Games Electrolyte.

Given that my horses no longer work nearly as hard nor as long as when I was training and competing in endurance races, their electrolyte needs are different. They still need them, but not at the same levels required for horses working for 10 - 24 hours at a time. Summer Games Electrolytes is made by Kentucky Performance Products, the same folks who created Endura-Max Electrolytes.

Analysis and Ingredients

Even though it is hotter than Hades here in the summertime - last year we had nearly 70 days of triple-digit temperatures with lows in the high 70s to low 80s, I don't give electrolytes every day. My horses rarely work for more than 40 minutes a day, especially when it's that hot.

Serving suggestion

During the summer (which lasts 6 -8 months here), I give electrolytes before or after a lesson, any time we trailer somewhere (my trailer does not have A/C, and it gets HOT back there), and when we show. Since I don't administer electrolytes every two to three hours like I did when endurance riding, the syringe is no longer necessary (although I still keep a few around just in case). Now-a-days, I can mix a dose in with beet pulp or LMF Senior. Since Speedy also gets Flaxseed oil, adding a scoop of electrolytes goes unnoticed.

Re-stocking my summertime supplies.

A few weeks ago I used the last bit of my electrolytes during an unseasonably hot spell. Since Riding Warehouse was running that sale on fly stuff, I tossed in a new bucket of electrolytes. Since summer is now here to stay, I'll be needing them for afternoon lessons and shows.

For those of you who live in more humid climates, do you use electrolytes, and if so, how often?

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Happy Birthday, Izzy (only 1 week late)

5/21/2018

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The only birthdays I can remember besides my own and my husband's are one of the dogs' birthdays and Speedy's. The other dog and Izzy get forgotten every time. Frankly, the only reason I remember the birthdays that I do is because Tobi's is the day before mine, and Speedy's is on tax day, April 15th.

Tobi is the black one, and Brienne is the yellow one.

The thing is, I like celebrating my four-legged family members' birthdays. I don't go all wild and crazy about them, and in fact, I don't really do anything extra special, but I still enjoy the day. For me, there's a weird sense of accomplishment in having an animal for its entire life, and I love checking off yet another year. Izzy's special day was last Monday, May 14th.

Decmeber 2015

Izzy came to me as a six-year-old, nearly an adult. In reality he was still a baby with a lot of growing up to do. Those first few years with him were tough ones. First, I had to deal with the leg that suffered that terrible laceration, and then I had to cope with all the I don't wanna attitude.

Our first day together.

This birthday, his tenth, has revealed a more mature and confident horse. Speedy did the same thing except I had to wait a lot longer before I had a horse I enjoyed. I bought Speedy as a three-year-old, so it took nearly seven years before I really liked him enough to pull down the for sale sign.

While Izzy is probably not completely finished with the temper tantrums and sassy attitude, they're definitely becoming few and far between. Even at fourteen Speedy still likes to flip me the bird.

Favorite photo, but it shows what he can now do.

I've said many times that I hope to never purchase another three-year-old, four-year-old, or even an 8-year-old. Make mine a ten-year-old, and you've got yourself a deal!

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Another Canter "AHA!"

5/18/2018

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Speedy and I are still chipping away at the elements of Second Level which most recently have included collection. While schooling the simple change through walk on Wednesday, I had the most distinct AHA.

Our walk to canter has gotten pretty show worthy. I am not going to say it's 10-worthy, but it is consistent. He still wants to pop his head occasionally, but he's starting to figure out how to really push off from his hind end when I insist on it.

September 2015 - first learning to really "sit"

The canter to walk, the other part of the simple change, is where we've had more trouble. I just can't get a true walk unless I haul back on the reins, and then it's a rather ugly transition.

One of the exercises I've been doing is cantering three strides by counting down: three, two, one. On the one, I ask for the walk. I then change the bend and pick up the other canter lead, again counting down to the walk. Sometimes he does a great downward transition, and other times not so much.

A definite "not" moment from February 2017.

While I ride, I have a running dialogue in my head. Usually it's with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, but occasionally I just talk myself through what I am trying to accomplish.

On Wednesday, I am not sure whose voice I was hearing, but I heard Speedy can't walk while he's leaning on your hands. Get him soft before you ask. That must have been Chemaine as that sounds like something she'd say. So for the next canter to walk transition, I counted down, but as I did so, I also asked for him to get soft. To my amazement, he stepped softly into a walk. I actually whooped out loud.

To make sure it wasn't simply a lucky moment, I told Speedy we were going to do a few more just to see. Sure enough, when I got him soft before I asked for the walk, the downward transition was lovely.

Canter Aids

5/17/2018

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I keep saying this, but man is Izzy really starting to figure things out. I know it's more interesting to read about train wrecks and disasters, but we just aren't having any. That doesn't mean that we don't have stuff to work on because we do, but it's all starting to be fun rather than just holding on for dear life.

From 2015

Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, says lots of things during a lesson, but sometimes I don't really get it until later. A few weeks ago, I heard her say outside leg and rein ask for the canter. In the moment, I did what she directed, and sure enough, the canter departure was much smoother. I was riding Izzy.

A few days later, I was trying to get a decent trot to canter transition and those words came back to me. I bent Izzy to the inside to put him on the outside rein (another thing she says to me over and over that I finally understand) and then I put my outside leg back, used my outside rein to get a half halt, and scooped a bit with my seat. And there was our canter.

November 2015

Holy smokes. How can something so simple make such a big impact? I've been riding the canter transition as though it comes only from my inside leg while essentially ignoring my outside aids.

It's amazing what can happen when your aids get better.

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Hair Care

5/16/2018

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I've written about Izzy's hair color a few times, but I can't find the posts I wanted to share about how much his coat fades in the summer. Suffice it to say that since we left our last barn a year and a half ago, his chocolatey coat filled with dapples is long gone.

November 2015

I have lots of photos like the one above. And the shine is just good health as I am not much of a groomer. At our old barn, Izzy had a large, two-sided covered space in which to hang out. His water and feed were positioned there, so he spent a lot of time inside.

Izzy's last stall.

Izzy now lives in a huge dry "pasture" that has trees for shelter, but no actual roof. He loves it and doesn't seem to mind standing outside during the occasional rainy day.

Half of Izzy's dry lot pasture.

While I love being able to let my boys be real horses, our 350 days of sunshine are hard on hair. Last summer, Izzy turned into a buckskin.

August 2017 - is that a buckskin I see?

He won't wear a flysheet for longer than eight minutes, and he refuses to stand in the shade even though I've begged. So this year, I am trying something different.

In the past, I've stuck with Pyranha Fly Spray as it was the most effective on our fly population. Since it's oil-based though, I think it contributed to the burned hair that Izzy gets. So for this year's fly season (all nine months of it), I've switched to Equiderma Neem and Aloe Fly Spray. I can't say yet whether it works as well as Pyranha, but it does smell good and since it's water based, I am hoping it will be kinder to his hair. I ordered two new bottles over the weekend to take advantage of Riding Warehouse's gift card promotion.

My new summer arsenal.

Another product I am trying is Knotty Horse Apricot Reconstructing Conditioner. I've been using it for nearly a month. First of all, it smells really, really good. At $28.95 though, it has to do more than just smell good. So far, I am spraying it pretty liberally all over Izzy's body each time I groom or ride.

According to the directions, you can even use it under the saddle which is great because that's the part of Izzy's coat that suffers the most from sweat and sun. Even though I hose him off, the salt in his sweat is still pretty harsh. The product claims that it repairs damaged ends and softens the hair.

Kind of shiny and not too faded yet ...

It's too early to tell how effective my new protocol will be. I like the Knotty Horse Conditioner though. It leaves Izzy's coat looking pretty shiny and feeling smooth. It's too soon to say how long the effect lasts though. Just in case it is working, I ordered a second bottle to have as soon as the first one runs out.

I'll keep you posted.

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Travers - Or Trying to Be

5/15/2018

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I have to first say that my feelings toward Second Level have changed completely. My initial frustration with the level has turned into anticipation. No, I am not joking, and no, you're not being punked. Once I figured out that the purpose of Second Level is not actually to torture lower level riders and discourage them from ever entering another dressage show, I realized that it's actually, sort of, kind of, almost ... fun(?).

This part is not fun, but it is however, FUNNY, which is not the same thing.

There are a lot of neat pieces to Second Level, and I know it sounds like I speak from long time experience, but I don't. If you're looking for that kind of experience, you'll have to read someone else's blog. If you want to know what to expect when you get to Second Level, I am happy to share what I am learning. Riders hate Second Level for a reason. It's not easy because it's loaded with all kinds of bricks to build a solid foundation for the upper levels. But, if you stick it out, Third Level should be MUCH easier. I'll let you know when I get there.

The "new" push from behind that I am getting is taking care of the curling problem. It's great to finally see his poll coming up.

Back to why I am enjoying Second Level. There's just so much more to do. At First Level, it was just leg yielding and lengthening of stride. At Second, there are at least nine new things to work on. I pick one or two or maybe even three for each ride. It's never boring, that for's sure.

So far, Speedy and I have been chipping away at the simple change - it's getting better quickly. I've also been riding the shoulder in a little better now that my aids are more correct. Our newest project is the haunches in, also known as travers.

It's still a work in progress.

When Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, was here last Tuesday, we spent most of the lesson on this deceptively (not so) easy movement. She helped me finally see that the haunches in is a precursor to the half-pass. Understanding the purpose of the movement and seeing what it leads to gave me a whole new appreciation for why it needs to be right.

While I could get Speedy's haunches to move off the track, what I wasn't able to do was keep an inside bend at the same time. And even now, a week later, we're still struggling with the suppleness needed to move that way. Speedy doesn't think he can bend that way, and he's positive that he can't do it at the trot. Just wait until I tell him he has to eventually do it at the canter!

I definitely need to work on keeping my weight on the INSIDE seat bone.

What Chemaine had me do was to bring it all down to the walk to start. She had me get the inside bend (more than I think I need) and then ask for the haunches in with my outside leg and outside rein. If I could also get good forward, that was great, but keeping Speedy soft in the bridle was more important than the forward.

Once I understood the aids, we moved on to a slow trot which we did like this: bend, haunches, GO ... adjust ... Go ... adjust ... Go. In fact, she wanted me to surprise Speedy in the GO so that he learned that being soft also means that he has to be in front of my leg. There was a lot more adjusting than going.

Besides leading to the half-pass, travers is also an excellent way to supple your horse for the collected canter and the simple change though walk. And now that I am maintaining the inside bend (better anyway), everything else is improving at the same time.

Our next CDS show is in two weeks. I feel like it should go better, but we might still be in the ugly part of it takes a lot of ugly before it gets better thing. We'll see what happens at today's lesson.

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Stocking Up On Fly Products

5/14/2018

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In case you haven't seen it yet on social media, Riding Warehouse is offering two different kinds of gift cards if you buy fly stuff. The website doesn't say how long the sale is going to last, so I placed my order over the weekend.

I took advantage of this offer before, and if I remember correctly, they sent the gift card as long as you bought something fly related. This year, you have to actually purchase a full $50 or $100 worth of fly stuff. I know because I checked. I had a fly mask and fly spray in my cart along with one or two other items that brought my total to just over $50. No gift card was listed. Hmmm ...

Knowing that I go through fly spray like it's water, I updated my cart to include a second bottle of fly spray. That bumped my total of fly products to $52. Suddenly a $10 gift card was applied to my cart.

You can't blame a girl for trying!

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About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
Welcome to my dressage journey.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse and occasional trail horse. He is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

July 2017 - Photo by Sue Dockweiler

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand Zweibrücker gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

Second Show - July 2016

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

National Awards

USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

Stuff I'm Working On ...

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Second Level Scores:
Score 1: 63.485%
Score 2: 61.282%
Score 3: 62.879%

CDS Championship Qualifying
Second Level Scores:
Score 1: 63.485%
Score 2: 61.282%
Score 3: 62.879%
Score 4:
Score 5:

CDS Ruby Rider Award
Training Level Scores:
Score 1: 70.179%
Score 2: 72.600%

First Level Scores:
Score 1: 66.093%
Score 2: 68.750%

Second Level Scores:
Score 1: 63.485%
Score 2: 62.879%

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award
Score 1 - 62.879%
Score 2 -
Score 3 -
Score 4 -

2018 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USE
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2018 Pending …
5/27/18 Tehachapi (*)
6/16-17/18 El Sueno (***)
6/24/18 Tehachapi (*)
7/22/18 Tehachapi (*)
8/11-12/18 RAAC (Q ***)
8/26/18 Tehachapi (*)

2018 Completed …
1/14/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
2/10/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
2/24/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
3/17/18 Hurtado Clinic (t)
3/18/18 GEAHS (*)
3/31/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
4/14-15/18 El Sueno (***)

Second Level Struggles and Successes

Imposter Izzy?

Show Goals

Electrolytes

Happy Birthday, Izzy (only 1 week late)

Another Canter "AHA!"

Canter Aids

Hair Care

Travers - Or Trying to Be

Stocking Up On Fly Products

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

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About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

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About the
Writer & Rider