We almost had a jump lesson on Wednesday.  It wouldn't have been a voluntary lesson either.  Here's what happened ...

Speedy likes to give a few coughs when he very first starts trotting.  I indulge him.  We walk for a bit, but then I drop the reins to the buckle and let him trot a circle or two where he clears his lungs.  We do it every single day.

In the midst of our on-the-buckle-throat-clearing trot out, the arena sprinkler popped up with a very loud PSSST!!!  You can imagine what happened.

Did you say bolt forward?  Why yes, that is exactly what happened!  As I frantically tried to take up my reins, I looked up and saw this right in front of us ...

Excuse my language, but I yelled SH*T pretty darn loudly.  I was worried that Speedy would jump it and equally worried if he didn't jump it.  Do you see the straight lines in the dirt?  Those are Speedy's skid marks as he ducked to the left and went around ... at a full gallop.  He then proceeded to weave through several more jumps before I was finally able to shorten my reins and execute a pulley halt.

Speedy's bolt, refusal, and continued bolt took maybe 5 seconds.  It happened so quickly that when JL looked up, we were already flying by her working the pulley rein.  When we laughed about it later, I told her how I was refusing to get tossed off.  She said she wasn't worrying about me coming off.  Instead, she was concentrating on my pulley-halt technique. Always the trainer!

This idea has been rolling around in my head for some time.  I may not get this completely right, so read it with the proverbial grain of salt.  It should also be kept in mind that my experience is only with Introductory and Training Level.  However, I can appreciate First through Fourth Level and the following will eventually apply.

I really, really, really like the 2011 tests.  Since I didn't ride above intro with the 2007 tests, I can't say whether the current model is worse or better, but either way, I like the 2011 tests.  What I like about the tests is how ... to use a term that we toss about in education ... how scaffolded they are.  When we use that term in the classroom, we mean the idea is supported from the bottom all the way to the top.

Now that I've gone through the Introductory and Training Level tests and am restarting the intro tests with Sydney, I constantly find myself saying, oh, I get why I am doing this!  

Here's a baby, baby example: Intro A: enter working trot rising, medium walk at X.  Intro B: enter working trot rising, halt at X.  Another example: for all of the intro tests, transitions are (mostly) done between the letters.  By Training Level, some of the trot transitions at done at the letters, but the canter work is still done between the letters.

Very cliché, I know, but I wish I knew then what I know now.  When I first started showing Speedy in the summer of 2010, I didn't know what the purpose of the tests were.  I couldn't see that the intro tests were introducing small components of the next level.  Now that I've moved up a level, I can see very clearly that what I am doing at Training Level is helping prepare us for the movements at First Level.

As I was riding Sydney on Monday morning (and what a great ride he gave me!), I kept it in mind that we won't be an Intro team forever.  We WILL move up.  So we did our twenty meter circles focusing on rhythm and relaxation, but then we did some loopy changes of direction in anticipation of the 1-loop serpentine at Training Level.  Speedy doesn't get the advantage of schooling what's ahead because I really don't know how to do what's waiting for us.  But once he and I get it, you can be sure that Sydney will reap the benefits of my knowledge.  

On Sunday, a friend and I made the drive to Los Angeles to see the stage version of War Horse at the Ahmanson Theater.

I knew I would like it, but I didn't know how much I'd like it.  It was really terrific.  I'll admit that it started out a bit slow, and I was feeling a bit nervous as I was the one who talked Janet into going with me.  I didn't want her to feel as though her money had been wasted.

I shouldn't have worried, within no time, adult Joey bust out of the blackness to a rousing applause from the audience.  From that moment on, I was literally captivated by the show.

If you've already seen it, you already know how effective the simple set and special effects were.  The simplicity of the stage literally set my imagination on fire.  The main backdrop is a torn piece of parchment paper. What they were able to do with that one shred of paper was amazing.  If you haven't yet seen War Horse, I don't want to spoil it for you.  

Both Janet and I were in awe of the horses.  They were so life-like that when they froze with the rest of the performers, I wondered at how they were able to keep the horses so still.  There were some very dark moments with the horses that were a bit creepy: the way the horses died, the carcasses left to rot, and the ghost horses who have not yet left this world, but who are very nearly gone.

If you do go and see the stage performance and you've read the book or seen the movie, ditch those images and enjoy this adaptation of the story. No, it doesn't follow the book exactly, but that's okay.  Enjoy the interpretation that this playwright chose to present.

To see some really interesting footage of Joey, visit this link.  Be sure to watch the Adaptation link.  The most interesting link can be found here. It's a great video showing how the puppets are built.  Fascinating ...

We went to a matinee showing, so there was plenty of daylight to admire the views from the theater's plaza.  Click to enlarge images.

This is from the 2005 World Cup in Las Vegas.  I don't usually post this kind of stuff, but man, oh man was this a great ride.  The last 30 seconds brought me to tears.

First things first.  Thank you so very much for refraining from offering advice the other day.  Even more thanks go to those of you who kept your criticisms to yourself.  Seriously ... thank you.  To those of you who commiserated, I really appreciate that you were willing to share your same feelings of suckiness; sucking collectively is far better than sucking alone.

And with that ...

I had THE BEST ride on Sydney on Saturday morning.

During the school year, both boys get ridden about 4 days a week.  When school is out, they each go 5 days a week.  I try to keep my weekends free so that I can hang out with Hubby, but Friday's weather was so unbelievably hot that I chose to do barn chores instead of ride.  It was so hot (and unseasonably humid) that Bakersfield earned the national extreme temperature for the day - 106℉/41℃.  No kidding.

So instead of riding on Friday, I squeezed in quick rides on Saturday morning.  The weather was seriously improved and almost felt cool.  It was 68℉/20℃ when I headed to the barn at 7:00 a.m.

Speedy and I went through our usual practice from our Wednesday lesson. We've been doing some one loop serpentines from the Training Level 3 test.  They're fun to do, and Speedy seems to enjoy them.  It's also a good way to practice our sideways movement, especially left leg to right right.

When I get to C, I do the other half of the serpentine, H-X-K, and go back to A for more.  I also like to throw in a change of direction across the diagonal to reverse the direction of the serpentines. 

But on to Sydney!  

I really took JL's advice to heart and started asking for more.  From the walk, I asked for "quicker" which meant a few taps of the whip.  No biggie. Sydney marched forward happily.  When we moved on to the trot work, I again squeezed and said, go!  Sydney happily gave me more energy.  To slow down, I simply sat back, with no rein pressure, and Sydney dropped back into the walk.  We did some 20 meter trot circles, both left and right, asking for more activity than we had the other day.  Again, no biggie.

Since all was going so well, I decided to use the long sides of my "dressage court" (it's 20m by 45m) to work on maintaining a steady rhythm without the circle.  I couldn't have been more pleased.  We trot the long side and focused on balancing and slowing for the corners.  After tracking left for a lap or two, we crossed the diagonal to repeat the exercise tracking right.  I was so proud of how happy and relaxed Sydney was in his work.  

And best of all?  I truly didn't give a damn what I looked like.  It was the most fun I've had in a while.

Pitons back in place ready for a summit bid up Mt. Self Doubt ...

I always dial 832-1150.  That's the number to Bakersfield Vet Hospital.  I've called BVH so many times over the last two decades that I have the number memorized.  I am certain that I am not the only one.

On Wednesday night, Kern River CDS hosted an Emergency Management Clinic.  The speaker was none other than my own very favorite vet, Dr. Blanton.

Most of Dr. B's lecture covered stuff that I already know, and most of the points she covered were things that I've had to call her, or one of the other doctors, to treat: 

• colic (Montoya & Speedy G), 
• lacerations and wounds (Montoya & Speedy G) 
• eye injuries (Montoya, Mickey Dee, & Speedy G) 
• sudden lameness as in hoof abscesses (Montoya DSA & Mickey Dee)
  
• allergic reactions (Mickey Dee)
• foaling emergencies (Montoya lost the fetus at 8 weeks)
• choke (hopefully never)

Even so, it's always good to hear the info again.  Since the group was small, it was a very relaxed atmosphere where questions were welcomed.  

Several friends have asked me about two different wound treatment topicals, Vetricyn and Blu-Kote, so I wanted to get Dr. B's opinion.  Her view on Vetricyn was that it's an over-priced, diluted bleach solution, and Blu-Kote is not very effective at treating wounds.  She strongly recommends Scarlet Oil as a topical wound treatment and not much else so I wasn't surprised at her assessment.

One part of the lecture that I found particularly interesting was her three page handout, specifically the back page.  I have attached a scan of it below.  It's a list of items that should be in your equine emergency kit.  I have most of the things on the list, but I am missing a few items.  I plan to add a few things over the next couple of weeks.

After my little teary-eyed pity party, JL got to work on Speedy and me.  The week before, we had practiced the correct application of the pulley-halt. She asked to see what I could do with it.  We set off at a walk and executed a smart pulley-halt with very little effort and zero hind end fall in.  We repeated the maneuver at the trot.  JL was pleased.

Now that Speedy had some respect of my outside rein and inside leg (oh, wow ... how many times do those two things go together?), JL wanted to work on keeping him off my inside leg, particularly the left side.

We practiced several exercises that were fun and very effective.  In the first one, she had me plant my inside, left hand in the pulley-halt position so that I could focus on controlling Speedy's outside shoulder as he moved sideways off my inside leg.  It wasn't easy.  What I discovered is that I frequently throw away the outside rein which allows Speedy to move forward and not sideways.

Since I was having trouble getting Speedy to move out, JL had me tap the whip just behind my inside leg.  The sequence went like this: whip tap, rock the outside rein, whip tap, rock the outside rein.  A more coordinated rider would have got the rhythm much quicker I am sure.  I was too tentative with the whip tap and too late with the outside rein.  Let's just say there was a whole lot of pivoting and no sideways movement.  Being an uncoordinated handler of the whip didn't help either!

JL's not a quitter though and had another way to teach us.  She stood at Speedy's head and took control of the reins.  My job was to tap, tap, tap until Speedy stepped sideways with the front and hind end.  JL prevented him from stepping forward with short pulls on the rein.  We finally got it.  I had been trying to use the reins to get him to step over.  That was wrong. She wanted him to move off my leg only.

After I "got it," she had me hold both reins in my right hand while I tapped behind my left leg with the whip, sort of like a western side pass.  It took a few tries, but finally I was able to prevent Speedy from stepping forward as he moved away from my inside leg.  Success!  Here's an interesting description, with short videos, of leg yield, half pass, and side pass.

Now that I could feel a real sideways motion, we tried it at the trot, spiraling out.  Almost immediately Speedy's nose was aimed inside the circle which meant that I was pushing his hindquarters around his front end and throwing away my outside rein.  We repeated the spirals over and over until I could slow Speedy's outside shoulder so that he had to move more out and less forward.  I finally, finally got the feeling.

My homework for the week is to get better coordinated with the whip and more effective with the outside rein (don't throw it away, but don't hang on it either).  I rode on Thursday and was quite pleased with our effort.  I practiced the western side pass with the whip which helped my coordination somewhat as well as helped me be more effective with the outside rein.  We did some work at the trot, but I am an idiot with the whip so we weren't fabulous.  

By next Wednesday, I hope to get an okay! from JL. 

There's bad weather brewing atop Mt. Self Doubt.  All the pitons that I had in place have been buried in manure or have simply fallen to the ground.

If you think you are the worst rider on the planet, rest assured, you're not. If you've ever thought that you have no business being on a horse, welcome to the club; I am the president.

For the last two months Sydney's been nothing but mellow and happy. When I ride him, he eagerly shoves his nose into the bridle, and his ears flop lazily to the side.  He's had a few reasons to spook and run, but after only a stride or two, he quickly returns to his happy, mellow pace.  I know he's not on the bit and he's definitely not forward, but he's relaxed and working with me.

I was feeling so pleased with his progress that I decided to do a video of our riding.  I propped my camera up on the mounting block and did my regular morning ride.  I tried really hard to ignore the camera and just do what we always do.  I finished with a happy horse who isn't anxious anymore.  That was enough.

And then I watched 35 minutes of oh geez.  Really?  That's what we look like?  Very deep sigh of frustration.  The carabiner broke and I've tumbled back to the bottom of the mountain.

There was no way I was putting that video up on my blog.  After a year, this is all we can do?  My contact is anything but steady.  My seat and legs are anything but solid.  My hands are anything but quiet.  Welcome to my pity party.

Being a perfectionist has many benefits.  I get a lot done and it's always done well.  The problem with being a perfectionist is that there's no posing; I can't fool myself.  If I know I've failed or haven't done something satisfactorily, it's impossible to shake off the cloak of failure.  Out come the boxing gloves and I proceed to beat myself up.

I took Speedy to my regular Wednesday lesson, but I wasn't feeling like taking a lesson.  I started by telling JL what Speedy and I had worked on over the week, but then I found myself spilling my guts about the video and how I have no talent and why can't I get this.  I even teared up a bit. Admitting that you suck can be a painful experience.

JL is an awesome trainer.  She listened intently without placating me or trying to stroke my ego.  She also failed to agree with me.  One of the first things she did was tell me a quick story: another student made the comment that she was unable to ride and talk at the same time like I do. She needed to stop riding before she could answer JL's questions.  When JL finished her little anecdote, I burst our laughing through my tears.  I may ride like sh*t, but at least I can walk and chew gum!

The point she was making was that we are all better at some things than others.  She asked me if dressage is easy.  Of course not.  If it were, everyone would be doing it.  She then asked me what I didn't like about the video.  I told her.  Her response had to do with form and function.  Of what value is it to look good if our horses aren't moving correctly?  She then gave me some suggestions for moving on since Sydney now seems ready for more.

After my lesson was over (more on that in the next post), I rode Sydney and tried some of the things she suggested and quit worrying about how I looked while doing it.

JL's advice was to start riding Sydney with fewer accommodations.  He's ready for me to turn up the volume without the need to panic.  One problem has been his pokey trot.  JL said to go ahead and ask for faster.  She suggested I point him forward and ask for GO.  Let him go a few strides and bring him back to slow.  It worked beautifully!  

I asked for a brisker trot and got it.  In the past, he would have bolted out from under me.  I let him go for a few strides and then slowly sank deeper into the saddle.  He immediately walked.  We did a few more of these transitions until he was happily trotting around briskly and then slowly.  We came back to the walk and cruised around the arena to check out the scary farmer pulling weeds in the orchard just beyond the fence.  Sydney gave him the one-eyed ogle but then went back to ambling along his way.

If you're still with me, thanks for letting me vent.  I find it humiliating to admit when I am not competent at something.  I read quite a few other blogs and get really discouraged to see and hear how fabulous everyone else is doing.  Don't misunderstand; I am happy for their success, but it often makes me feel even worse about my own struggle.

Here's a very short clip of my ride on Sydney.  Please don't tell me that we look great just because you want to make me feel better.  I can see for myself that it's not great.  I also don't need a bunch of advice either.  I can see what's wrong.  Part of it is definitely me, but part of it has been Sydney's inability to relax and trust me.  I think the one thing the video does show is that he is a lot more relaxed and mellow now than he has been in any other video.

The pity party's over.

I like to run, but I don't really like to exercise.  When school gets out each June, I am ready to return to running, but the heat usually keeps me indoors.  Not this summer, I swore.  On my way home from work on the last Friday of the school year, I stopped by the gym for a three month membership.  

I've managed to go for a run about five days a week.  I am even considering extending my membership through the end of the year.  It's not that I am lazy, but when I work full time, I am busy!  I leave for work by 6:30 a.m. and get home at 3:45 where I promptly change and head to the barn by 4:00.  I ride and turn out both horses as well as clean my stalls and help with feeding.  I get home around 6:00 and cook dinner.  By the time dinner is cooked and the dishes done, it's 7:30 and the bed is gently calling my name.  When will I have time to get to the gym?  I might be able to make it work if I get up at 4:30 a.m.

This is horse-related, I promise.  I've learned a lot while spending those 30 minutes each day on the treadmill.  Who would have thought a treadmill would work for dressage?

Rhythm: oh!  When the speed is set at 5.5 mph, you have to go 5.5 mph. There's no speeding up or slowing down, or you might fly off the back. Speedy likes to speed up and slow down; that's not maintaining a rhythm.  

Lengthening: I've played around with this on the treadmill.  I can go 5.5 mph with a longer stride or a shorter stride.  I discovered that I do this when the music changes on my iPod.  Instead of running faster, I just lengthen my stride and stay in the air longer.

Balance: mine stinks!  I can definitely feel how uneven my own lateral balance is.  I hit the ground much harder on my right side than I do on my left.  Both my ponies have a more unbalanced side, too.

The Walk: my maximum, sustainable walk is 4.5 mph, and it's hard to do. After that I need to break into a jog.  With more practice and training I might be able to maintain a faster pace.  I can walk out really big and loose at 4 mph.  That's when I can get my best free walk.  My stride is long and swinging.   Speedy has a lazy free walk and doesn't want to lengthen his stride.  Maybe he needs to get on the treadmill!

Looseness: I am always searching for this quality.  USDF defines looseness as, Freedom from, or release from, negative physical and mental tension. Relaxation.  This is when I get in the zone.  Chunks of time can pass where I am not even aware of the work that I am doing.  I feel powerful and empowered.  I know this is referred to as a runner's high.  I wish I could feel it more often.  

Running is mental for me.  The muscle fatigue and shortness of breath are nothing compared to the difficulty of just DOING IT!  When I feel like stopping short of my time, I repeat a favorite line from The Matrix, is that air that you're breathing?  Morpheus asks this of Neo while training.  The point is that Neo is experiencing a mental fatigue since his body is safely tucked away on the ship while his mind is in a computer program.  I know I can continue; it's all about convincing your body of what your mind believes.

How do I get my horses to be loose?  This is a biggie for Sydney.  The last few months have been spent teaching Sydney that he can trust my hands to be gentle and giving.

The last thing that has occurred to me while running is that the treadmill is the perfect place to practice my dressage tests.  I have them memorized, but when I feel stressed, it's easy to forget them.  When I start to feel fatigued and my breath is getting short, I demand the recitation of a test. It's hard to do!  But I dig deeper, and I do it.  It serves two purposes: it gets me back in the zone, and it shows me that I can remember the tests under pressure.

For $24.99 a month, I am getting a lot of dressage schooling done.

I kicked some serious butt on Sunday.  I already mentioned that I was going to be on poop patrol for the next few weeks because my Barn Owner has gone to Sweden.  Pretty cool!  She has a live-in house sitter (HS) for the duration who is sharing the chores with me.  HS is doing the morning feeding as well as cleaning when it fits her schedule.  I am doing the rest of the chores.  Of course, as soon as BO left, the temperature hit the low 100s (38 ℃).  She's probably wearing a coat in Stockholm!

On Sunday I ...

• cleaned all four stalls which if you'll remember are actually large, open air pens.  I also spread bedding in my two stalls and hosed them down.
• hosed down the barn aisle.
• turned one horse out and rode the other three horses which requires the removal and replacement of four fly masks and three fly sheets. The fly mask/fly sheet thing is a job in and of itself!
• hosed down two horses, not my own.
• watered the arena which requires the set up and removal of two large sprinklers that are connected to two very long and heavy hoses.  I first watered the area where I planned to ride.  After riding, I watered the rest of the arena and then dragged the hoses back to my preferred riding area so that they were ready to go for the next day.
• swept the cross tie area and tack room.
• fed my boys their beet pulp and tossed them some afternoon hay.

And after all of that, I went to the gym and ran over two and a half miles and followed it all up by cooking dinner!  Who said Sunday was a day of rest?