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I am thrilled to report that I have nothing of interest to share ... Speedy is sound. We have a lesson with the always fabulous Chemaine in Moorpark tomorrow. We're going to a CDS-rated show on Sunday. See? Nothing to report. And what of Izzy? In my last post I shared how well he is doing. He got that day off that I mentioned, but then it was back to work. While it's boring to write about, I couldn't be happier slogging through the basics.  Turn out after a ride on Sunday. I've ridden my whole life. For more than thirty years my rides were about covering distance over a trail. Sometimes the way was marked with pink ribbon to guide me, other times I took whichever fork in the road looked good. I started lots of green horses, and all of them were happy and well broke to their job. Starting Izzy has been different. I am not saying I know a lot (or even a little for that matter), but it sure has been fun applying the dressage that I have learned. Someone said that starting Izzy would be a whole lot easier than it was with Sydney. Whoever you are, you were right!  He's turning out to be pretty handsome. As we've worked on those 20-meter circles this week, everything that I've learned with Speedy has been at my fingertips to help me. When Izzy starts to get unbalanced and falls forward, I know how to help him. When he starts to drift to the outside or fall to the inside, I know how to straighten him back up. We are following the pyramid carefully - right now, we're maintaining a rhythm, encouraging relaxation, and establishing a good connection. Impulsion and straightness are right around the corner!  He's got the shiny gene! A Work in Progress shared a really funny post the other day that made me laugh. It also encouraged me to stick with those basics and get them right since we'll be working on them forever. From the warm up we moved into collected work. I wish I could say that this involved half passes and tempis and Very Fancy Dressage Things, but the reality of training the upper levels is that you're basically doing the same circles you were doing at the lower levels, but with shorter reins and more sweating and cursing. I am happy to be schooling those boring basics. The better we get them now, the less sweating and cursing there will be later. At least I hope so!
Slogging through the boring basics isn't overrated and it can be fun too! I spent two months slogging through them after my 3rd level horse was cleared to be ridden again after his hock surgery. I was thrilled to walk and trot in long and low on 20m circles and around the arena. It was great for his training and he's in a much better place as we add more complicated work to our rides. 6/24/2015 07:04:48 am
I don't mind this kind of work ... as long as it's not forever. Right now, it's a fun way to get to know Izzy and how he feels about work. And from experience, I know that once he really gets this down pat, it's always a safe place to go when things are tense or scary (like at a show :0)
SprinklerBandits
6/24/2015 02:59:40 am
I've never made it to the upper levels, but the description sounds about right. ;-) Glad you're having fun! 6/24/2015 07:10:41 am
It's fun because HE'S fun. It is such a relief to ride a horse who enjoys the work and can cope when he doesn't get it. During our lesson today, he started to feel a little stressed because he was having a bit of trouble. Instead of bolting for the next country, rearing, and checking out mentally (like an OTTB that I used to own), he shook his head and giraffed it into the air and just trot straight off. 6/24/2015 07:14:40 am
It's true! While at a USDF show a few years ago, I was watching some FEI classes and I had the sudden realization that it's all still walk, trot, canter. The degree of difficulty had changed, but it's not like the horses were pooping rainbows. That really helped me to see that we're all doing the same thing, it just might be at a different level. :0) 6/30/2015 04:51:14 am
I agree. They certainly never go away as they are the foundation for everything else, so it only makes sense to be as good at them as possible. :0) Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI 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. 
Photo by Lori Ovanessian
About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently showing Third Level for the 2020 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)
About IzzyIzzy 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 and showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
September 2020
Bakersfield Dressage approved!
FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
I love her stuff!
National Awards
Lapel Pin
State Awards
Ruby Rider Award, 2018
2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2020 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic (Q) Must Qualify 2020 Pending …
10/11 A. Newcomb (c) 10/24-25 SCEC (***) 2020 Completed … 10/26-27/19 SCEC (***) 6/20-21/20 SCEC (***) 6/29 Ulf Wadeborn (c) 7/11-12 SLO-CDS (***) 7/27 Breen-Gurley (c) 8/30 Breen-Gurley (c) 9/20 Caveletti Clinic (c) 2020 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) 3rd Level Qualifying Modified for 2020 2 Scores/1 Judge: Score 1: 60.405% Atkins Score 2: 62.432% Atkins CDS Championship 3rd Level Qualifying Modified for 2020 3 Scores/2 Judges: Score 1: 60.405% Atkins Score 2: 62.432% Atkins Score 3: 61.750% Johnson Stuff I ReadBy Topic
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