Ob*liv*i*on (noun): The state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening.

I have been having a good, repeated AHA moment with Speedy. It has to do with him leaning on my inside leg. That simple AHA has led me to a more important and complex understanding which is this:

I am finding that there are two things that hold up my progress.

1. There's a glitch somewhere, and I am either in the process of fixing it, or I don't know how to fix it in which case I consult my trainer(s).
2. There's a glitch somewhere, and I am oblivious to it in which case I need my trainer(s) to point it out.

I recently journeyed from number 2 to number 1. The reason we haven't been getting a correct inside bend is because I didn't know he was leaning on my inside leg which is actually caused by a number of other issues (not stepping deeply with the inside hind, dropping the inside shoulder, etc.).

During my last lesson with Chemaine, she helped me work on getting a correct bend by getting Speedy off my inside leg with a poke from the inside spur. As soon as Speedy jumped away from my leg, I could feel the inside bend. For so long, I thought that inside bend came from the inside rein. Now I see that the horse has to be stepping away from your inside leg in order to curve around your leg.

This is great. I now see and feel a new problem area, which brings me to number 1, but fixing this issue is proving to be hard. I am poking Speedy at nearly every stride as we enter a corner, but he has dug in and is waiting for me to let the issue drop. That's been a pretty standard attitude for him over the course of our (lengthy) relationship.

In the beginning of our dressage journey, I asked, got no response, and quit asking. Later, I asked a few more times before I quit asking. Now, I have to prove to him that I will not quit asking before he finally acquiesces to my demand.

Right now, I am working on the lack of bend by doing every curved line I can think of - loops, serpentines, tear drops, and ten-meter half circles. I think the problem is getting better, but it's frustrating that it's taking so long to explain this to him. 

Even though I feel a little bit hampered by this newest impediment, I also feel encouraged to have become aware of something new. That means there are even more things about which I am oblivious, but each time one of them reveals itself, I will have the opportunity to make even more progress on our dressage journey.

Left lead canter, we have kicked your butt into submission! That thing is rock solid, consistent every time, and pretty to boot. Even when Captain Awesome is on holiday and Mr. Hyde is visiting, I can coax out a pretty good left lead and ride any sized shape that I want.  

JL didn't have much to say about it on Monday so we moved Sydney right into the right lead canter work. OH MY GOODNESS! The first few transitions were lovely. He was uphill, balanced and very manageable. Captain Awesome was wor-k-ing it!

So we decided to try out the one loop canter from First Level. JL's working end of the arena is too small to do it correctly, but we were able to at least come off the rail for a few strides and then go back. With just that little bit of counter canter, JL was able to offer some exercises to keep Sydney on the right lead without dropping back to trot. I'll share that exercise another day. Suffice it to say, we actually could do the counter canter part of the loop without too much effort.

About half way through the lesson, Sydney's balance went to hell. He got tense and anxious which gave me a chance to really school the right lead canter. When he's relaxed, the right lead is now dependable and quite nice. It's when his neck and jaw are tight that I have so much trouble. Each week, JL has helped me deconstruct the canter so that I can build it back up. The neck and poll are now the trouble spot.

When Sydney is tense, he really wants to look to the outside which makes picking up the right lead canter impossible. I can try over and over, but I get a left lead every time. So JL had me work Sydney's neck and poll from the trot to show him what I wanted.

I've already shared (many times) the crabbing thing where I send his hindquarters in so that they line up behind his shoulders. That's the first part. I also have to have a solid feel on the outside rein so that he doesn't drop his inside shoulder and roll over. I have those two elements down pat. 

The problem now is that I need to get Sydney's neck absolutely straight so that I can't see his outside eyeball; that's my reference point. When I can see his outside eye, it means he is pulling on the inside rein and tipping his nose to the outside.

To fix this, JL had me pulse that inside rein over and over to tell Sydney to let it go. I only managed to get one correct right lead canter, but now that I have a feeling for what needs to happen to get a right lead canter when he's that stiff and anxious, I am pretty sure I'll get better and better.

The trick is to get his neck very straight, pulse that inside rein, and then sit ABSOLUTELY still as we go through the canter departure. While he's trying to get his legs coordinated, if I lean forward even a hair, he picks up the left lead.

Sydney and I are going to a schooling show on Sunday. I have one more lesson with JL before that show. Firming up the right lead canter is my goal, but I am not going to be disappointed if we flub that part of the test. We'll just keep fine tuning until we get it fixed.

Sydney and I were on a roller coaster this past two weeks - good rides, bad rides, good rides. Fortunately, we seemed to have more good than bad and even the bad were quickly resolved.

I really wanted to finish the week on a good note, especially after Thursday's dirty spooks. I've learned that with Sydney especially, I have to let go of the bad moments and expect the next one to be fabulous. So that's what I did. On Friday, I saddled up and never gave another thought to the shenanigans of the day before. The result? We had a very pleasant ride with very nice canter work to the right. 

We didn't work on anything new. I simply practiced putting together my aids to hold Sydney in the right lead canter as we head down the long sides. I am excited about today's lesson because I think JL will be happy with our progress. I can see that this is going to take a long time to develop. After just a few minutes at the right lead canter, Sydney starts to fatigue. I think he is using his body in a way that is very new for him.

I find this exciting though. It means I am on the right track! 

And … this is happening. 

I've launched a second blog! Keeping this one going seven days a week is already work enough, so why I think I need a second one remains a mystery. For this second blog, I am planning to post once or twice a week.

My second entry into the blog-o-sphere is food related; it's called The Baker Foodie. I may have mentioned that I like to cook.  You can find find it at www.thebakerfoodie.com.

Well, yeah. Speedy is so hard to fit that when I see one that I think will work, I kind of have to jump on it. I actually saw this pad a few months ago, but was too busy to order it … until now!

The size, 25" x 42" is perfect for Speedy, but not for Sydney. If you have a moose, this probably won't work for you, but if you have a smaller horse like I do, the size is perfect! (I have the problem of the edge of the pad touching the top of my girth, which is already about the shortest dressage girth they make. That's why I need the shorter drop on a pad.)

Not only does it fit perfectly, but the diamond and square quilted pattern is really eye-catching. This is the first pad like it that I've seen. It's nicely contoured, something I really like for wither clearance, and it also has billet and girth straps like you would expect on most pads. Although, as a side note, I hate the billet straps and always cut them off.

When I opened the box and pulled the pad out, I was super excited and prepared to be wowed! But then … I wasn't. In fact, I was really bummed out and quickly stuffed it back into the plastic bag, ready to return it the next day.

The quality was great, the pad had a nice weight to it, not cheap and flimsy, but the one thing that I hadn't paid much attention to while ordering, was the fleece underside.

My saddle fits both of my boys well, and according to my saddle fitter, I don't need a half pad for Speedy. A regular dressage pad is enough padding for the way my saddle is fitted for him. Sydney does require a riser pad because he is not quite as well-sprung in the ribcage as is Speedy G. This pad felt really thick, and I just didn't want all of that bulk under my leg.

Here's a photo showing the non-fleeced thickness for comparison.

I went trail riding on Saturday, had a show on Sunday, gave Speedy Monday off, went to work on Tuesday, and then I looked at the pad again in the middle of the week. By that time, my husband had tossed the shipping box so I started to think about just keeping the pad even though I didn't really like it. Getting a box seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

I went ahead and tossed it up on Speedy and saddled him up. By the time I had girthed him up all the way, I was still on the same billet holes as I would have been with a thinner pad. Hmmm. Maybe it wasn't as thick as I thought. I got on, and the first thing I noticed was that Speedy moved a little bit freer through his back. Not like 100% different, but I was expecting to feel bulk under my leg and a bit of awkwardness.

Instead, Speedy gave me some really good trot work that was buoyant, forward, and powerful. Double hmmm. I don't know if he was just well rested after the show, happy to be back to work, or if the work I've been doing with him (asking for more thrust) is really starting to show up. The pad may have given him just a bit more freedom in his back, I don't know, but it certainly didn't hinder us the way I was expecting it to.

Final critique? I really like this pad and definitely think I'll be ordering the white one for next season. 

Oh, Lordy! 

Was Sydney ever naughty on Thursday! Whenever Sydney spooks or does something odd-ball during a lesson, JL's first question is always, was that dirty?

Speedy is never dirty; his spooks are legitimate. He might buck, but it's always out of exuberance. He expresses his opinion by pinning his ears, sucking back a little, or his favorite, curling up WAY behind the bit.

Sydney on the other hand does dirty very well. When he's in a mood, he looks for ways to be a jerk. Since I've yet to come off him, (Oh, Lord, hear my prayer and know that I am not boasting. It has been through your protection that my butt has remained in the saddle. Do not take this as a prideful statement. Amen.) I don't know if his intent is to lose me, or just be an ass.

His version of dirty is to launch up and forward and then drop a shoulder and spin. It is a brutal maneuver and always gets me loose. If he would take one more step, he'd completely unseat me, but since I can usually yank him to a stop, I have time to regroup (so far).

On Thursday, I started out on the buckle and then picked a super quiet canter around the arena's edge like I had done the day before. I brought him back to a walk, took a moment, and then picked up the canter from the walk. I was working in my dressage "court" and was cantering down the long side when he "heard" something. He sucked back, and when I squeezed him forward, he let me have it.

Through much trial and error, my trainer and I have learned that when he pulls a dirty spook, it is best to rip into him. I planted his nose on my knee and sent him whipping around with my outside spur while I whaled on his neck with the flat of my hand. I stopped him. I asked for forward and continued about my business like nothing had happened.

My reaction to his "spooks" (especially the rear), is mostly to just be loud and in your face. I smack his neck with an open palm and pop him in the side with my heel or spur enough to get him moving forward. The whole thing lasts for 10 seconds or so, and then I act as though nothing has happened. The point is to let him know that rearing or threatening to do so will get you in BIG trouble.

We picked up a trot, and he did it again. The second time, I added some very stern WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? kind of comments as I used my outside leg to send him in a brisk circle and whaled on his neck. Now don't get me wrong. I am not beating my horses, and I am not spurring them to create any wounds. I don't think we accomplish much when we "punish" our horses, but in THIS case, with TWO dirty spooks, Sydney needed to understand that his reaction was not acceptable. It's dangerous and can easily get both of us hurt.

I sent him forward again at a walk on a very loose rein. He didn't spin, bolt, buck, or rear after that. We didn't have a very nice ride, BUT his brain clicked back on and he tried very hard to listen.

We spent the better of part of 20 minutes tracking left at the trot working on relaxation and submission. Once I felt him sort of relax, I changed direction. I was prepared for a ginormous fight since the right is his more unbalanced side, especially when he's anxious or tense.

Surprisingly, he relaxed very quickly to the right. All I did was ask for a very straight neck. I moved his hindquarters around and insisted that he be straight. While we didn't have much stride length, he was at least willing to listen and try. I decided not to work on the canter as I had accomplished what I wanted, which was to let him know that when he's feeling wild and crazy, he doesn't get to act on it.

After I untacked him, I turned him out hoping that he would gallop and buck it out. I don't know if it was a good thing or not, but after he rolled, he simply moseyed around and waited for me to come back and get him. I think that I was able to ride him through the wild and wooly feelings he was having and that by the time he was turned out, the tension had been resolved. I think that's a good thing.

I think she has that backwards. Isn't it inside leg to outside hand?

Well, yeah, that's how you ride a horse who doesn't try to turn himself into a pretzel. Sydney is a two-for-one deal; I got two horses for the price of one. I have a normal, decently balanced horse to the left. To the right, I have a totally different horse. That horse can barely walk straight when he's tracking right, and cantering? Aye yay yay!

This is what's been holding up our right lead canter. It takes a lot of coordination on my part to get him to straighten himself up to actually canter. He wants to carry his haunches out while dropping his inside shoulder. Sit hard on your outside seat bone and collapse your right side. That's what it feels like I am riding.

To fix this, as I've shared many times already, JL has had me "crab" Sydney into the circle by pushing his haunches in so that they track behind his shoulders. This gets him on the outside rein and lifts the inside shoulder. Put more weight on your own inside seat bone; it's hard to collapse your right side while weighting your inside seat bone. 

Some days I can ask for a little bend by holding his haunches with my outside leg and gently sponging the inside rein. This kind of pushes him up to my inside leg.  It's almost like doing a half pass (but totally not).

We had a rodeo of a ride on Monday. He just would not soften. That right lead canter just had him so tense and stiff that I went back to straight and crabbing with no inside bend. Eventually, we got a right lead canter that was acceptable, and I called it a day. He had the next day off.

When I rode him on Wednesday, I decided to try a new strategy. It has been hot as blazes and ridiculously humid so getting any forward energy has been really hard. So to wake him up, I skipped most of my regular warm up stuff and went straight to the left lead canter. But instead of staying in my dressage court (made with poles), I cantered the entire perimeter of my arena. He thought that was fun and within no time, I had him in front of my leg, relaxed and happy.

We walked for just a moment, and then we changed direction. Before giving him time to think about it, I asked Sydney for a trot while keeping his neck very straight and asked him to crab in as he picked up the trot. Again, without giving him time to think about it, I cued for a right lead canter. He gave it right away but instead of working on the 20-meter circle, I cantered around the outside of my dressage court.

At the end of my court, there isn't much room between the poles and the fence, so this is really a test of whether I can make the turn without losing the canter. To do this, I have to have my outside leg firmly on with a solid feel on the outside rein, while I ask for some flexion with the inside rein. When I feel him start to get long (which means he's going to trot), I have to add some firm inside leg to let him know to KEEP cantering.

We made two complete laps around the arena and started a third, but instead of continuing along the rail, I came back into the court and did a 20-meter circle. And then before he could get tense about that, we came back out of the court and cantered another section along the rail before cutting across the court and then doing another circle.

In all, I spent a solid five to ten minutes cantering on the right lead doing 20-meter circles in various places in my court while returning to the bigger long side of the arena's fence. He did fall back into the trot a time or two, but since we weren't stuck in a 20-meter circle, I just re-cued the canter and kept going.

He only got tense and quick for a stride or two, but then for the rest of the work he was uphill, light in my hands, and very relaxed.

I only had one lesson last week because of our trip to Vegas, and my trainer has been on vacation this whole week so I've been working on this right lead canter thing on my own. Before my trainer left for vacation though, she sent me this text.

When I knew I was going to miss three lessons in a row, I kind of panicked. I was just starting to get a feel of what aids I need to employ to get this right lead canter consistently so I worried about what I'd do on my own for essentially two weeks. JL's text gave me a much needed boost of confidence. 

At my last lesson, JL made the comment that she could clearly see that I had a great feel for when Sydney's haunches weren't behind his shoulders. She followed that up in the text by stating that I had a "good handle on it." Since she felt I could do it alone, I just assumed she was right! 

I did have a ride or two that didn't go so well, but I really appreciated having the time to work on improving my feel for the right lead canter. I get it. I know what I have to do to help Sydney get it and keep it. It's not perfect of course, and I will certainly be glad to have JL back, but it's been a confidence booster to work through this on my own.

With that said, I am definitely looking forward to Monday's lesson!