Bakersfield Dressage
  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Local
    • Shopping List
  • Home

Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Ima Rock Starr

9/30/2020

 
Speedy G is simply a rock star. There's no way around it. What I find so surprising is that I helped him get that way. It's not like I consciously planned it, but I always say it's so important for our equine partners to be good citizens because it guarantees them a long and productive life. Speedy adores attention, especially from humans, but if he weren't such a solid equine citizen, I wouldn't be able to let others ride him.
Picture
Packing a friend on a trail ride this past spring.
A month or so ago, "T" started taking a weekly lesson on Speedy. T is getting married in Montana in a few weeks, so between traveling for the wedding  and my schedule, she probably won't be back to ride for nearly a month. Since Speedy won't be happy standing around weekend after weekend, I'll probably need to hop up on him once a week or so to keep him tuned up.
Picture
One done, and one getting ready to go.
T did manage to come out on Saturday for a lesson though. She's definitely got the bug and is rearranging her schedule to ensure she makes it out at least once a week. I've told her that I don't have a formalized program for teaching, but I think I am going to need to get something a little better organized, especially if she keeps coming out. She's a very good student and learns whatever I throw at her. So far, we haven't needed to repeat a lesson.
Picture
No more collection for this pony!
For this lesson, I picked a few things that I wish I had understood from the very beginning. And the truth is, whatever trainer I was working with at the time probably tried to show me these things, but in the beginning, it's all so overwhelming that it's hard to remember what just happened.

T comes from a bit of a hunter background, so sitting up and back in the saddle is a new feeling for her. So we started out by using just her core to lengthen Speedy's stride in trot and then bring it back. I started out by asking her to adjust his stride  every quarter of the circle, but I quickly realized that was too difficult. Instead, I had her quiet her seat for half a circle and then push him forward for the next half of a circle.

What I am enjoying about teaching these lessons is that it really helps me to articulate what I have learned. It's even more impressive to see her take my words and make them a reality. Part of it is because Speedy knows the drill - being a "schoolmaster" and all, but it's also because T is listening and then doing what I am suggesting.

​The exercise was challenging for T. When we finally took a break, she was sweaty and gasping for breath, but she was smiling through the hard work. She loves that Speedy shows her when she's done it right!
Picture
I only remembered to take a few photos at the end when we did some canter work.
We also worked on crossing the diagonal at the trot with a change of bend at X. Back in 2010 when I first started dressage, I didn't realize how important crossing the diagonal correctly is. I turned the corner, changed my posting diagonal at X and then made the next corner. Now I know that using the corner effectively is how you get your best shoulder-in or your best half pass. Those corners are so valuable. I showed T how to move the shoulders in the corner so that Speedy was able to leave the corner with his haunches directly behind his shoulders. When she lined him up correctly, she was rewarded with a much more powerful "medium" trot. Each time they got it right, her face lit up and she let out a wheeeeee!
Picture
He's really happy to be working.
I think what I am most enjoying is being able to help someone else feel what it's like to get it right. I haven't ever had that experience myself. In my lifetime of riding, I've never started with a finished horse. We've always had to learn it together. Long, long ago, a friend gave my teenaged self a trailer ride somewhere. I swore right then and there that if ever the opportunity presented itself to give back to someone else, I was going do it when I was able.

Right now, I have a horse who has a hock that is fusing. He probably shouldn't be schooling Third and Fourth Level, but he is perfectly sound enough to do low level work. There is a young woman who wants to see what dressage is all about. It makes me incredibly happy to share my very wonderful horse with her. It's my chance to pay back the kindnesses that were done to my younger self.
Picture
He felt the need to show her a little bit of collection.
In the end, I really just want my horse to be happy. For him, standing around is not much fun. He loves to come out and play, and I don't think it has to be with me. As long as his rider acknowledges how fabulous he is, he's happy to work with most anyone. 

While Speedy's registered name is G Ima Starr, it really should be G Ima ROCK Starr!

A Pivo Helper

9/29/2020

 
My new Pivo Pod Silver is working out great. So far, no complaints. It seems as though the things that go wrong tend to be the result of user error although I have seen some really funny blooper moments on the Pivo Facebook page. My favorite one is when Pivo followed the shadow of a horse instead of the horse itself. That beta horse mode sure works well!
Picture
Things I don't need ... yet.
While there are lots of little add ons that you can buy for your Pivo, I bought a case - which I love, and the smart mount - which was an unnecessary purchase for my situation. You never know though. I'm adding it to the growing pile of things I don't need, but I'm holding on to anyway. The one thing I didn't buy was a tripod because we already had one here at home.
Picture
GorillaPod on the left, Ubeesize tripod on the right.
The Pivo Pod definitely needs some kind of a tripod, if only just to stabilize it for outdoor use. Long ago, my husband bought the GorillaPod pictured above (left), and I thought it would work well for the Pivo Pod while also serving to hold my document camera (which I use daily to teach math). In theory, yes, it would work, and it did except for when I forgot to peel off the document camera and toss the tripod in my barn bag. I got to the barn with no tripod which makes Pivo really hard to use. You see? User error.
Picture
Such a ghetto set up. The document camera is attached via a piece of foam and a rubber brand.
My district bought all of the teachers document cameras, but they don't have a clip end. I am not sure how they're intended to be attached, but I've seen my colleagues using rubber bands (like me), duct tape, bendable extension arms with clips, and so on. It's actually a gigantic pain because I use my MacBook's FaceTime camera for our face to face time, but when the kids need to see what I am writing, mostly during math, I have to plug in the document camera, open the FaceTime app, and share my screen. I then drag the tab with the Google Meet next to the FaceTime window so I can see the kids alongside what I am writing. They can no longer see me, but they can at least watch my hands do the math.

If you're a teacher or a parent, you know how frustrating the "mirroring" feature is. Everything is either backwards for the kids, or backwards for me. I am constantly asking the kids is this backwards or right? Is it backwards on the big screen or backwards on my picture? They ask the same thing especially when they do a video submission of an assignment. Using the document camera in FaceTime has solved the problem, but once I want the kids to be able to see me again, I have to unplug it, let my computer cycle through its camera choices until it lands on the FaceTime camera, then I have to turn my laptop's camera back on. Nothing drives me crazier then, wait, I didn't see that. Can you show it again?
Picture
Equally as flexible as the GorillaPod.
But this is about Pivo not Distance Learning. I quickly realized that it would be much more convenient to have a dedicated Pivo tripod, so I looked into buying a second GorillaPod. Unfortunately, those things are mega pricey especially compared to the competition. The Joby GorillaPod that my husband bought comes in at a hefty $50 from Amazon. Yes, it's a great tripod, but there are a lot of other tripods out there that seem to offer the same functionality for half the price. I ended up ordering the UBeesize 12 Inch Flexible Cell Phone Tripod Stand Holder with Wireless Remote Shutter & Universal Phone Mount, Compatible with iPhone/Android/DSLR/GoPro Camera. It cost $23.99 with free Prime shipping, and it arrived the next day.
Picture
Bubble Level and standard ΒΌ" screw for attaching the Pivo.
The Ubeesize tripod has all the same features as the GorillaPod, but comes in at half the price.
  • It has the flexible, bendy legs 
  • A bubble level
  • A rotating ball head
  • A built in cell phone holder nearly identical to the Smart Mount that I bought with Pivo 
  • A remote that will pair with your phone for taking photos from a distance
  • A GoPro adapter
Picture
It holds Pivo perfectly although it's definitely not level!
I haven't had the chance to try it out yet, but if the Ubeesize doesn't prove to be as stable as the GorillaPod, I can always use it for my document camera and keep the GorillaPod for the Pivo. The Ubeesize tripod has rubber coated legs which I think will actually grip better than the smooth plastic legs of the GorillaPod.

I am wondering what technology my "technology" is going to need next!

A Lesson in More Bend, More Forward

9/28/2020

 
Izzy and I have been peeling back the layers of the dressage onion for way more years than I'd like to admit, especially since we're not nearly as far along as I think we should be. With Speedy looking at retirement, I have finally been forced to start working the big brown horse in earnest. It's not like we've been doing nothing the past six years, but now I am motivated like never before.

We're going to a USDF show at the end of October whether we're "ready" or not. We've done a couple of schooling shows and a couple of CDS shows, and while those have tremendous value, they don't count in the eyes of the dressage world. It is at USDF shows where you really get to put your money where your mouth is. So when I scheduled a mid-week lesson with Chemaine Hurtado, owner at trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, we put Izzy to work with an eye to actually showing him off at a show rather than merely surviving a show. 
Picture
What he looked like at the end of the lesson. What's not to love?
While watching the video that Pivo recorded, I think I heard the words more and bend and forward at least 5,000 times. Sometimes they were used seperately, but usually they were strung together, more bend ... more, more, more, MORE BEND! MORE FORWARD! Poor Chemaine. She either thinks me deaf or dumb or possibly both. As a side note, if you are thinking about getting a Pivo, if you don't have a barn full of friends willing to record, if you ride alone, GET THIS GADGET, it really is that cool.
Picture
More forward!
Like I always do, I told Chemaine what I wanted to work on - Izzy's just so flat. I need him to have more bounce. Oh, you mean he needs more swing. Well okay, that sounds good, too! When Chemaine asked me how I thought we would get more swing, I immediately said we need more forward because that seems to be the solution to everything. I was half-way right. What Izzy needs is more sideways with forward. According to her, moving him laterally with get him more supple in the hind end which will allow him to step more deeply which will create more swing. Okay, roger that.
Picture
We did the cavaletti at every. single. corner.
Chemaine walked over to two of my corners and rearranged the poles to create a fan of three cavaletti poles. And then she put Izzy and me through five different exercises using the cavaletti poles to either start an exercise or to finish it.
  • Leg yield across the whole diagonal, get him soft and supple right before the corner, cross the cavaletti to encourage him to pick up his feet, change the bend, and repeat the leg yield. Repeat it a lot! And while you're repeating it, make it steeper so that you get to the rail at R, S, V, or P, The more he crosses his legs the more supple he will become. And while you're at it, get him a lot more forward with both legs.
Picture
Getting more hind end activity.
  • Next do a shoulder-in across the diagonal, without letting him get lazy behind. PUSH him to the bit WITH BOTH LEGS. Finish the diagonal by crossing through the cavaletti as you set up for the next diagonal, also in shoulder-in. Repeat, repeat, repeat until he thinks about softening. Each time you approach the cavaletti get him soft and supple so that he can more effectively use his neck and back to bounce through them.
Picture
There was a lot of ugly at first, but he quickly started to figure out the cavaletti.
  • When Izzy still wasn't really giving through his neck and poll, Chemaine added another exercise - down the long side, shoulder-in to haunches-in, do the caveltti, cross the diagonal, do the next cavaletti, and repeat the shoulder-in to haunches-in down the other long side. All the while, keep pushing him to the bit with BOTH LEGS.   
Picture
Those cavaletti felt like they were EVERYWHERE!
  • Then we moved on to the half pass. And just like in the other exercises, the point was to move him as steeply laterally as I could while also pushing him more forward to the bit. And like in the leg yield, we half passed to R, S, V, or P to make it steeper. We started in the corners with no cavaletti, finishing with the cavaletti poles right in front of us which required me to get Izzy soft and supple or we whacked the poles as we stumbled through them.
  • In the final exercise, we started with the cavaletti and then tried to get a trot lengthening out of the next corner. The trick was that Izzy had to be absolutely straight before he was allowed to go bigger. Since tracking up with both hind legs is hard, he fishtailed all across the diagonal with me half halting while adding a ton of leg. He wants to just tip toe his way across the diagonal without developing any of the thrust that he needs to do it well.  I insisted that no matter what his hind end was doing, it was going to do it with power. We never got a great lengthening of stride, but we got a few strides of a good lengthening.
Picture
It wasn't much, but there was a bit of thrust to it.
By the end of the lesson, Izzy was snorting and swinging. Those two things seem to go together. At least they do when he's doing them. Of course, we also did some canter, and that was just a bunch of flex in, flex out, go down if he'll take it. We did it on the circle, around the entire dressage court, on smaller circles, and on the serpentine. That's something that I need to do every single ride. He wants to be so tight in his back and neck at the canter, but it's because he doesn't quite believe me that relaxing feels so much better. He's getting there though.
Picture
I love how deeply he is stretching over his neck and back. It took a while, but he finally agreed to doit.
The Pivo gave me access to so much more information. It's tough for a trainer to teach well and capture great video. By being able to rewatch the entire lesson, I got a clearer sense of where Izzy started, and where he ended up. I was able to see the exact moment that he gave or the exact moment when he got something. An hour of video takes a long time to watch, but it's like getting a second lesson for free. 

The video also showed me that we're not as far "behind" as I think we are. We definitely have more nice moments than bad. And in another month, I am excited to see where we'll be.

Total Pivo Success!

9/25/2020

 
I'm feeling very punchy at the moment. I've been sitting at my desk working for 14 hours, so no telling what you're about to get. This is supposed to be yet another Pivo post, but my mind may wander. 
Picture
Trainer being trainer and not videographer!
I had the Pivo fully charged. My phone was fully charged. I brought both to the ranch for my Wednesday lesson. I was fully prepared. Or so I thought. The one little thing I had forgotten was my GorillaPod tripod. Well, shoot. I looked around the feed room trying to spot something tall enough upon which to rest Pivo, but nothing looked as though it would work.

Then I remembered that I have some of those super big, foamy twist tie things. I have no idea what they're called, but they worked just fine. I wrapped them around the Pivo and then twist-tied the whole thing to the top rail of the fence. I pushed all the right buttons on the app, and walked away. I never looked at the Pivo for the entire lesson. 
Picture
Pivo even stood patiently videoing our trainer-student conversation.
I scanned the entire 54 minutes and 28 seconds of video and could only find one or two very short moments when Izzy and I weren't on the screen. That's way more footage than I would ever get from a friend. And who could blame someone for not being willing to video for nearly an hour? Of course, now I need to find time to sit down this weekend and truly watch the video because we worked on some pretty hard core stuff, including a bunch of cavaletti exercises that I want to write about.

For now, my fingers are crossed that no new updates come out for a bit. I just updated my phone, so I was really glad that didn't change anything. Pivo peeps, can you give me a few weeks before you make any changes? Thanks in advance!

What Took So Long?

9/24/2020

 
This is really just silly, but I cannot figure out why it took me so long to put my Bronze Medal lapel pin on my show coat. I am not going to lie. Earning a USDF Bronze Medal is probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I've completed 100 mile endurance races. And yet, I've been staring at the pin sitting in its little plastic case on my desk ever since it arrived earlier this summer.
Picture
CDS Ruby Rider pin on the right lapel, USDF Bronze Medal pin on the left lapel.
I am deeply proud of earning a Bronze Medal, but I am also "over it." Having a Bronze Medal does not make me a better rider or a better human. I will always see myself as a struggling rider because there is no end to what I still need to learn. So while I am very proud of it, it didn't change a single thing in my life other than give me a bit more hardware to add to my jacket.

I was listening to a podcast the other day about introspection. The author being interviewed talked about how we see ourselves. It was a talk about internal versus external credit. I don't remember the exact term but what it amounted to was this: when bad things happen, do you blame the situation or the choices you made - external forces? On the flip side, when good things happen to you, do you give credit to your choices - internal forces, or do you feel that you just got lucky?

In my case, I invariably credit the good things in my life to luck and the bad things to my own ineptitude or poor judgement. This of course isn't a healthy mix. By taking all of the credit for the "bad things," I am not recognizing that some things are literally out of my control. I can't control the weather, crazy drivers, or a pandemic. Attributing all of my successes to luck isn't healthy either as doing so negates hard work, education, and good decision-making. Without acknowledging the "wins," it makes it even more challenging to build on good decisions.
Picture
That idea really hit home. I decided that I need to take less responsibility for the not-so-great things and give myself more credit for the successes I've earned. My first tangible step in doing that was to pin my USDF Bronze Medal label pin to my show coat.

Baby steps.
<<Previous

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong 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.
    Picture
    Photo by Lori Ovanessian

    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
    Picture
    July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)

    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 showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
    Picture
    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

    Picture
    Bakersfield Dressage approved!
    Picture
    My favorite breeches!
    Picture
    FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
    Picture
    I love her stuff!
    Picture
    Watercolor Artist and Friend

    National Rider Awards

    Picture
    USDF Bronze Medal - 2020
    Picture
    USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
    Picture
    USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
    Picture
    USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

    State Rider Awards
    Picture
    CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018

    State Horse Awards
    Picture
    Speedy G - 3rd Level Horse Performance Award - 2020
    Picture
    Speedy G - 2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

    Working Towards:

    CDS Sapphire Rider Award
    Third Level: 63.514%
    Third Level: 62.105%
    Fourth Level:
    Fourth Level:

    2023 Show Season

    Show Rating
    (***) CDS/USDF/USEF 
    (*) CDS
    (s) Schooling
    (c) Clinic
    (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic
    2023 Show Schedule
    TBD

    ​2023 Completed …
    Pending

    2023 Qualifying Scores 

    Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC)  
    Qualifying Training Level
    3 Scores/2 Judges/60%:
    Score 1:
    Score 2:
    Score 3:

    Archives
    ​By Topic

    All
    Abscess
    Art
    Arthritis
    Awards
    Books
    Cabin
    California Barn Life
    Captain Awesome
    CDL Class A License
    Centerlinescores
    Championships
    Chiropractor
    Clinics
    Clothing
    Cushing's Disease
    Defeating The Demon
    DIY
    Dogs
    Double Bridle
    Dressage On The Trail
    EHV-1
    Endurance Photos
    Farrier
    Find Your Joy
    First Level
    Fluphenazine
    Flying Changes
    Fourth Level
    Fox Hunting
    Freedom Feeder
    Frustration
    Gizmos
    Grooming
    Half Pass
    Headshaking
    Horse Maintenance
    Horses Are Expensive
    Horses Are Expensive 3.0
    Horses Are Expensive II
    Hunter/jumper Stuff
    Imperioso
    Introductory Level
    Izzys Leg
    Just For Fun
    Lessons With Chemaine
    Lessons With Lois
    Lessons With STC Dressage
    Local Stuff
    M.A.R.E.
    Memberships
    Micklem Bridle
    Mt. Self Doubt
    Musings
    My 5 Things
    My Horses
    Nesting
    On The Levels
    Photos
    Pivo Pod
    Platinum Performance
    Poles
    Polls
    Pulley Rein
    Raac
    Retirement?
    Rider Fitness
    Riding Figures
    Right Lead Canter
    Road ID
    Saddle Fitting
    Schooling
    Score Sheets
    Second Level
    Shopping
    Show Costs
    Showing
    Sitting Trot
    Sliding Side Reins
    Soldier
    Speedy's Leg
    Tack
    The Elephants
    The Jar
    The Warm Up Ring
    Third
    Third Level
    Tips From A Pro
    Toys
    Trailering
    Training
    Travel
    Ulcers
    Vet Care
    Video
    Videos
    Weird But True
    Year In Review


    Archives
    ​By Date

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011


Site Designed and Managed by: Karen Sweaney

Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
Contact her at bakersfielddressage@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Local
    • Shopping List
  • Home