I mentioned something yesterday about JL, my trainer, moving Sydney and me on to other stuff. It's not earth-shattering, but it's subtle which is hard to write about. Basically, she wants Sydney's frame to be a lot shorter so that he can start carrying more weight on his haunches. Right now, while he may be round and quiet, he's got a lot of weight on his forehand.

Since Sydney holds so much of his tension at the base of his neck, he really can't shorten his neck, nor draw it in and up. To release the tension, JL has had me stretching Sydney's neck from the saddle like you would do in carrot stretches.

The first time I asked for the stretch, I got zero movement. JL explained that it's a lot like stretching yourself; you start small, and then you keep going, one chunk at a time. Now, several days later, I can almost get Sydney to reach my toe. I give a rocking pull, hold it for a stride, and then I give another rocking pull, hold it, and then another. By the fourth pull, Sydney will let go of his neck enough to let it come all the way around.

We've done this on the ground a million times, and he can easily touch his sides with his nose, but with me on his back, there is a level of tension that he just doesn't feel while he's naked and looking at a carrot.

Once I felt that Sydney was comfortable with the stretching at the walk, we moved on to the same stretch, but at the trot. By the fourth day, Sydney was offering a stretch with the first pull, not to my knee, but at least he was giving immediately.

After we went through the stretches, I tried another exercise that I saw in Dressage Today. The exercise was designed to help horses with too much uncontrolled power. As I read through the article, I kept thinking, uh … yep, that's my horse. In Sydney's case, the too much power comes when we transition from trot to canter; he's completely balls to the wall.

It goes like this: do about a million walk to trot transitions (yeah … got that), but as you transition from the trot to walk, leg yield into the walk as you ask for the downward transition. This helps put the horse on the outside rein so that you can ask for a quieter transition. Sydney LOVED the exercise. We've been doing lots of tiny trots that end in a leg yield to walk. This sends his inside hind leg deeper while also asking for some inside bend, which is what we really need to the left.

So when I combine the carrot stretches while mounted with the leg yield into the walk exercise, I am finding that Sydney is freer through his neck and back. When I ask for the canter departures, they have been quieter, and he's slightly more uphill in his balance. When I feel him stiffen his neck, I can now rock the rein and get some release from him, which allows me to shorten  his frame a bit. With a shorter fame, I can also add more leg to get him to take off more like an airplane rather than a wheelbarrow nosing into the dirt.

Believe it or not, all of this has been a lot of fun. I feel my skills getting better and better each day, and my confidence is growing. While Sydney still bounces around and tries to rear, he never gets away from me. I can quickly and efficiently diffuse his tension and continue on. 

I finally feel as though we are matched in our ability. For so long I felt out-horsed. Not any more!

My trainer, JL, has me working on some new stuff with Sydney. My goal for the summer was to get a consistent right lead canter. It's there, and I can get it just about every time, but occasionally, Sydney is too tense, anxious, or stiff to offer a nice canter departure. But since I can still usually eke it out, JL thinks we're ready for more, and I agree.

It took a few lessons for me to understand what she wanted from me, but after the work we did during last Wednesday's lesson, I see where we're going, and I LOVE it!. For the first time ever, I felt my horse's croup tuck under as he sat deeper on his hocks.

It was quite the sensation. Sydney's poll (and withers) came up, and his croup went down. If this is what true collection feels like, sign me up for more. Feeling all of that power underneath me, waiting for me to send it somewhere was truly an awesome moment. And now that I've felt it, believe me, I am going to be looking for it again.

What's interesting to me is that I don't feel Speedy's croup lower when he's working really well. Instead, he just feels more engaged and forward. It could be that Speedy is not carrying as much weight on his hind end, or what I think is more likely, is that Sydney has a much harder time stepping deeply underneath while it's easier for Speedy.

From the beginning, Speedy has always been able to step relatively deeply underneath. I suspect that has a lot to do with his conformation and because he put so many miles on the trail as an endurance horse. He doesn't have any hock articulation in the first photo, but at least he's stepping forward. In the second photo (excuse my horrible position - work in progress), there's more articulation, which is hopefully leading to more collection.

The first photo of Sydney is beyond horrible, but it illustrates my point exactly; he is not stepping un himself. The photo is from a clinic in October 2013. He was very tense and tried to bolt repeatedly. I wish I had a photo from our lesson this week to show the comparison, but I don't. You'll just have to believe me when I say that I truly felt his croup lower and his front end come up. And while the second (really crappy) photo shows what I was feeling, this was the first time I actually felt it myself and made it happen on my own.

JL was extremely pleased with Sydney's frame and even happier that I could feel what was happening. The only way for his croup to drop so much would be if he had finally learned to step deeply and rock back onto his haunches.

My homework for this week is to repeat the suppling exercises that she gave us so that I can continue to get the same level of work from him as during the lesson. I'll share more about those exercises in the next day or so.

With the California Dressage Society Championship show less than two weeks away, I've been trying to keep things fun, simple, yet still productive. Our performance at the RAAC a few weeks ago has proven that Speedy and I are good enough to be competitive if I don't let myself get psyched out.  

The two areas that I am focusing on right now are our inside bend to the left and our canter departures. It's not that these things are terrible, but I know that if I can polish them up a little bit, we'll have a better chance of improving our scores.

Speedy has been giving me better and better work each day. I'm trying to ride him three or for days in a row with three days off in between. Sydney would flip out with that schedule, but it works well for Speedy. For the past few days I've been working really hard on the inside bend which led to a pretty big AHA moment for both Speedy and me.

He was really stiff on Saturday morning to the left. To the right, I was delighted with how solidly he was on the outside rein. He was practically floating around the arena. We had a perfectly elastic connection that was everything you want it to be. 

As we did the working trot 1-loop from M to F, which has two right bends with a left bend in the middle, I giggled in sheer delight. He stayed connected throughout the loop with clear and consistent bend throughout. I could feel his ribcage shift as I asked for the left bend and then shift again for the right bend.

And then we changed directions.

The loop this way, HXK, starts and ends on a left bend with the right bend in the middle. Several times in a row, Speedy blew through my aids and tried to rush straight through X instead of changing the bend to track back to the rail. Suddenly, it occurred to me that his ribcage was jammed into my left leg, which meant we had no inside bend and he wasn't even close to being on my outside rein.

Instead of making the loop, I focused on ten-meter circles and really put my spur on. He immediately shifted his ribcage and started stepping under with the inside hind leg. As soon as I felt the bend, I put him on the rail and did a series of very short, shallow loops down the long side. Basically we took just two or three strides on a left bend and then switched for two or three strides to a right bend and then back to the left. When we got to the short side, I pushed him deep into the corner, trot passed C, and then pushed him deep into the next corner on a left bend. We then repeated the series of shallow loops down the opposite long side.

By then, I could really feel him changing the bend through his body so I gave him a walk break. When I shortened my reins again to continue working, he flicked his ears at me lifted his withers and walked into a very collected canter. Since he had caught me by surprise, I immediately stepped into my outside stirrup to keep him in a trot. In the next moment, after it was too late, I realized that I should have just ridden through that perfect canter departure.

Either way, it didn't matter because the trot that he gave was the best trot he has ever offered. He was on springs. I rode his unbelievably generous offering on a 20-meter circle, turned up centerline, and asked for a halt. While I wanted to school more loops, I knew it was the right moment to quit. I wanted him to feel proud of himself and successful in his work, so I let him finish on a really high note.

We're both getting better and better. I am actually really looking forward to the championship show. While winning would be fabulous, just getting this kind of work from my boy is reward enough.

Oh … so what was the AHA moment? Well, two things actually. The first was that I was actually able to identify the problem quickly and had a solution (ten-meter circles with my spur). The second was that I had another way to address the difficulty of changing the bend - the mini loops. 

Recognizing what is going wrong, and knowing how to fix it, really helps build my confidence. That problem/solution cycle tells me that I do know what I am doing, at least some of the time.

I am not complaining; I am just saying …

Honestly, I have a great job that pays well and gives me lots of time to spend with my horses, but it also has its drawbacks. I leave my house at 5:45 a.m. so that I can be there around 6:00 a.m when the custodian turns the alarm off. My official work day doesn't start until 7:20, but in order to get the job done, I get there early. Of course, the benefit is that I am off work at 2:50 p.m.

Even though I've only worked at this school for the past three weeks, the rest of the staff already teases me about how fast I exit the building when the bell rings! What can I say? They don't have two horses standing around waiting to be groomed, fed, ridden, and cleaned up after.

I get home at 3:10, and I am able to be at the barn by 3:30, if I hurry. It's hard to beat that work schedule. I am usually finished at the barn before 6:00 p.m. so that I can get home, take a shower, and get dinner going. By the time the dishes have been taken care of, it's nearly time for bed.

Now that my work schedule has finally smoothed out and I have a rhythm going, I am hoping that I won't feel so much like I am burning the candle at both ends. This horrid heat isn't helping matters though. When I finished my second ride of the afternoon on Friday, this is what our temperature looked like.

It was like that all week. Thankfully JL is game for whatever the rider is up for, so even though it was 100, I took both my lessons this week and rode every other day except for Tuesday. I am looking forward to riding in the relative cool of this weekend's mornings.

While I am looking forward to fall's cooler weather, such as it is around here, I am not looking forward to the diminishing daylight hours. But come on, summer, would you cut us a little slack?

What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Sydney has never tried to duck behind the contact like Speedy. Instead, he tries to just run right through it. On Sunday, I realized that I am developing some really good feel for what an elastic connection is. Sunday was a definitely a good riding day!

With Sydney, I am really working on transitions into the canter and then schooling the downward transition into the trot. Now that I am focusing on not just getting the transition but improving it, I have reached a whole new level of feel. I love it!

As I cued Sydney into the right lead canter, I got several out of the starting gait canter departures. It didn't even phase me. I sat up tall, and brought him back down to a trot and asked again. The third canter departure was perfect. He heard me whisper, and rather than bolt into the canter, he gave me a super soft and light departure that was quiet and lovely.

I can now maintain the contact no matter what he does. This allows me to keep him under control without ever dropping him, which gives him confidence. I am really looking forward to the next time I can take him to a show. I think we're finally getting it! 

Maybe I should title this post, FINALLY. Speedy has always wanted to go behind the vertical to escape the contact, but finally, I understand how much leg I need to use with him to encourage him to step up to the bit and take it.

We had a great schooling ride on Sunday. He's been working really nicely for the past few months, but it finally dawned on me that the reason our scores have gone up so dramatically is because I finally have him in front of my leg. It's not like things are perfect; he's now trying to get a bit heavy, but at least there is something in my hand to work with.

When I rode this weekend, I really focused on the inside bend. We did a lot of leg yielding, and I discovered that Speedy can leg yield to the right with some skill, but to the left, yikes. We stink! His right side is his more hollow side, and he really likes to blow through his left shoulder, which makes the leg yield to the left pretty difficult.

I finally got really tough (consistent) on that outside rein, and did he ever throw a fit. I stuck with it though until he finally realized that my inside leg meant move OVER not just forward. Since he's learned to move forward with leg, I think he's trying to use that as a bit of an excuse to blow through the shoulder rather than move more sideways. It's okay; he'll get it.

With the CDS Championship coming in just a few short weeks, I don't want to over-work anything or try too much that's new. I actually have a strategy, I'll share on another day, but for now, I am trying to school through our sticky spots in order to improve our overall impression.

I am pretty pleased with where we are right now. Hopefully we can continue to improve a little of this and that so that we show up sharp and ready to wow those judges!

No, no, no. The big, brown OTTB didn't go jump any fences, and neither did my rock star pony. It was just me supporting JL's students at a local schooling show.

As many times as I've gone to watch, these shows still confuse the heck out of me. And no matter how many times I ask what's going on, I never can figure out the order of go, this show was no exception. 

This show was at PDM, a local riding stable. There were two rings. One was for the jumpers and the flat classes while the other seemed to be for the hunters. JL had quite a few students showing on Sunday, at least eight. She has more students, but I didn't really get a chance to ask where everyone else was.

Even though I couldn't tell the difference between the eq classes and the classes where the horses were judged, I still enjoyed watching and supporting the riders. It was a very friendly show with a casual attitude.

Dressage or jumping, it's all the same. There were boot polishers, trainers shouting out directions, and nervous riders. Sometimes, it's a lot more fun to just be a spectator without the pressure of watching the clock!

I don't mind putting it in the washer, and I don't even object to transferring it to the dryer. It's the final step of laundry that I hate doing - taking it out of the dryer. It's the same with the dishwasher. I'll load that puppy all day long and happily get it started, but when it comes time to unload it, I am usually hiding out somewhere far, far away.

There is one type of laundry though that brings me great joy. I adore washing saddle pads and other barn items. This weekend I washed my boot rags. I keep of pile of old rags near my boots that I use to wipe off dust and to polish my tack. The rags have certainly seen better days, but there is a still a difference between a dirty rag and a clean one.

I happily folded these towels and tucked them in between my boots and spurs and my leather cleaning/conditioning arsenal. Just looking at the neatly folded stack brings me joy. By the week's end the pile will be topsy turvy and covered with dust, but for at least one afternoon I got to enjoy clean towels that smelled of Tide and Bounce.

What odd little thing brings you joy at the barn?

You know, I pride myself on being able to buy just about anything that I need or want, within reason. I don't skimp on my tack or leather purchases, and I buy breeches and riding tops whenever I feel like it. I don't go totally wild, as I do watch my pennies, but I am not broke either. I guess that's one good thing about middle age.

Slight pause … oh, hell! At 43, I think I really am middle-aged. Well that kind of sucks.

So, I am a little embarrassed at the condition of this particular item, which I finally replaced over the weekend.

This is my last remaining trailer hay bag. The others have long since been chucked due to wear and tear. But since I rarely haul two horses any more, one bag has been sufficient. And to look at it, it still looks quite functional. Let's turn it around.

Yes, this is the back of the hay bag, and no, there is not supposed to be a huge, gaping hole on this side. And even worse, this hole has been there for at least three years. You can see how I have attempted to repair the hole. And even more embarrassing, this is the third or fourth repair job.

Yes, that IS duct tape holding together my show pony's hay bag. We are a real class act when we hit the road!

I finally reached the I can't stand it anymore phase and ordered a new hay bag. It's not that I am cheap or broke, but I simply can't find hay bags that are of a design that I really like. And in truth, the one I bought isn't going to last very long. All of my hay bags have come from endurance vendors, but the one above was made by someone long since retired.

I like the shape of this one; it was easy to fill and the eating hole is a good size. What I don't like is how thin the material is and how flimsy the mesh is. I am pretty sure that someone is going to tear a new hole in this one pretty quickly, and it will probably be me. I like to shove my hay bags to CAPACITY.

For now, it will certainly work, but I am suddenly inspired to start searching for a PAIR of hay bags that suit my (very picky) needs, whatever the price.

I know it's Saturday, but Speedy was such a goofball last night that I had to tell on him. 

On days that I am just too tired to ride, usually because it's so danged hot, I like to just play around with my boys. I turned Sydney out into the arena where he bucked and galloped and squealed and acted as though he hadn't seen the light of day for weeks and weeks. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Speedy's big treat isn't the turn out, although he likes that occasionally. His go-to TGIF event is to free-graze on the lawn. I just loop his lead rope up through his halter and then toss the rope over his back so that he doesn't step on it. He's really good about it, and for the most part, he stays where he's supposed to, until he doesn't.

While Speedy grazed, I went and got Sydney so that he could have some time to nibble as well. I have to hold his lead rope or he panics at his imagined freedom. All was going well until Speedy pulled one of his I am not supposed to do this tricks.

Here's where they are supposed to graze, also known as OUR yard.

Speedy, however, is a true believer in the concept of the grass being greener anywhere else other than OUR yard. And as we all know, it never is. So as Sydney was happily tearing up chunks of green stuff, Speedy made his get-a-way through the fence into the neighbor's yard.

I called to Speedy, asking him to come back. To try and entice him back into OUR yard, I started leading Sydney back to the barn. Speedy, in a dullest crayon in the box moment, panicked at the thought that we might actually leave him and began trotting up and down the fence line. He forgot where the opening was.

I led Sydney back to his stall but kept my eye on my lost little pony. Within a very short time, Speedy remembered where the twelve foot opening in the fence was and came trotting gaily over to the lawn. By this time, Sydney was tucked back in his stall. Seeing Speedy prancing up and down across the lawn set off his run wild button which in turn encouraged my wayward pony to really put on a show.

I closed Sydney's gate and walked calmly back to the lawn to round up the fat boy. While he may show off to his buddies, he knows when the jig is up and always allows himself to be ever-so-humbly caught and led back to the barn. As we walked back, his head hanging dejectedly, I reminded him that if he'd just stay in OUR yard, he could spend lots more time out there.

He always looks like he agrees with me, but there is never a free-graze day where he doesn't sneak over to the neighbor's place. 

(And before anyone worries, we have a great relationship with the neighbor and Speedy is never in trouble with them.)

We're going up to the cabin for the weekend, so I'll see you all on Monday. Have a great weekend!