Category: Third Level

It All Comes From Behind

4/16/2019

I have two bits of homework to work on with Speedy: more push from behind in the lateral movements and pushing his hind end over for the flying change. Right now, it's all about Speedy's butt.

Turn on the haunches.

Last week - I am really behind in sharing this, Speedy got to have a lesson, our first in several months. Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, came down on Sunday. My plan for the lesson was to work on the elements in Third Level Test 1. After watching a boatload of videos, I've concluded that if you have a flying change, 3-1 is much easier than 2-3.

A bit of suspension?

We ultimately worked on two exercises. The first one was designed to improve our scores at the shoulder in (and as a result, the trot half pass). While Speedy generally gets 6s and 7s on his gaits, he's not a big, bold mover like many of the warmbloods. Anything I can do to get him moving bigger with more power coming from behind will only improve our scores.

Shoulder in

For the medium trot, Chemaine has taught me to use the corner to "rev" him up. As I straighten Speedy for the medium trot across the diagonal, I can then let him "go." The stored up energy launches us forward. Chemaine wants me to use that same idea for the shoulder in.

Using the built up energy from the medium trot for shoulder in

The process is still the same: rev him up in the corner. As we approach the second letter (whichever one it is), I need to bend him and start the shoulder in. But rather than let him fly across the diagonal like I would for the medium trot, I'll release that stored up energy by directing his hind end to push stronger and deeper under his body. This will encourage Speedy to carry more weight behind so that he can free up his shoulders for a better shoulder in.

In theory, anyway. It sounds a lot easier than it was. When I "let him go" the first time, Speedy tried to veer off across the diagonal. That's when I discovered my steering needed some work.

The second exercise was for calming down the flying change of lead so that we get less of this.

I love the enthusiasm though.

I've found that Speedy needs a lot of reminding that he can't brace in the change. To address that, I do a lot of bending and counter bending on a circle. This has helped him learn that changing the bend is not the cue for the flying change.

Now that he's more comfortable changing the bend, Chemaine had me work on better positioning his hind end. As we prepared for the flying change across the diagonal, she had me change the bend and then leg yield with the outside leg. Then I asked for a walk followed by a simple change of lead from the walk.

Preparing for the change of lead.

The first time I did it, Speedy's ears flicked quite dramatically. He did the exercise well, but he was working hard to put it all together. The leg yield served to position his hind end, and the walk steps were a big half halt. When he was more willing to walk (wait!) for the cue for the flying change, I was able to skip the walk steps.

What a hunk!

I've left the flying change alone for the past few rides to give him time to process what he learned. Instead, I've focused on getting a more powerful, uphill trot for the shoulder in. For our next ride (hopefully this morning), we'll tackle the flying change again.

Speedy's a hard worker, and incidentally, so am I. We'll have the flying change down pat before I know it. I hope.

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"Flying" Changes

4/12/2019

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I had a lesson on Sunday about which I still haven't had time to write. It was a good one, too, so I will get to it. In the meantime, I am dying to show you Speedy's "flying" change when he's feeling particularly spicy.

Changing in front ...

I need a parachute for these kinds of changes.

Changing in back ...

I also need a seat belt.

What I didn't screen shot was the gallop that ensued immediately after. The good thing is that they're "clean" changes. Now we just need to work on keeping control once we're on the new canter lead.

Oh, and you can laugh. Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, was laughing her head off. This horse just tries SO hard. He thinks there are bonus points for predicting what I might ask for which is why he tries to beat me to the change. It's always a race to see who can ask for it/offer it first. He obviously won that round; smarty pants!

Second Level, you suck. Third Level, you had me at A, enter collected trot.

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A Huge FINALLY and an AHA!

4/2/2019

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The finally ...

It's not much, but at least it's happening.

I've been a wee bit worried about Speedy's lack of shedding. One symptom of Cushing's Disease is delayed coat shedding or an inability to shed at all. Speedy has been on Prascend since late January, so I wasn't really sure why he wasn't following his normal shedding routine. By now, he should have been at least halfway done shedding his annual polar bear coat.

Someone suggested that horses who aren't sweating - also known as working, might hold on to their hair longer. That may well be the cause. When I saw some loose hairs this weekend, I dragged out every shedding tool I have to help him get rid of as much hair as possible.

Not yet slicked out, but less furry.

And now the AHA!

I've been following a series in USDF Connection that was written by Hilda Gurney in 1978/79. Every month I snag at least one nugget of wisdom from the articles and usually more. As luck would have it, this month's topic was the flying change.

Hilda does an excellent job of discussing what the horse will do instead of changing the lead, all of which Speedy has tried. She also gives a variety of ways to teach the change; just before a corner, on a counter canter circle, after a change of rein across a short diagonal, or for the horse who "diligently retains the counter lead regardless of your efforts to the contrary, congratulate yourself on your fine job of schooling obedience at the counter-canter and go set up a low ... jump."

You can't even tell he's wearing braces.

The one thing that Hilda wrote that really resonated with me was this, "The tendency to change late behind is the most difficult problem to correct. In most cases it is caused by the horse changing from rein aids rather than leg aids." Speedy's changes are clean and have been from the beginning, but he does want to rush them when he knows one is coming. And he always knows when it's coming.

It occurred to me that Speedy has probably learned to change more from the rein aid rather than from my seat aid. As I prepare for the change, I maintain my seat position - inside leg at the girth, outside leg back, but I change the bend. As soon as I change the bend, Speedy starts skipping with his hind legs offering changes with every stride.

At least he's handsome while he does it!

I realized that it might be really helpful to show Speedy that just because I ask for a new bend, it doesn't mean that I want a flying change. I started out at the walk asking for a change of bend, and then I asked for a traverse or renvers. For both, he jumped into a canter. Yah for being sensitive to my leg, but that only reinforced the idea that Speedy is not cantering from my seat.

It only took a minute, but he quickly realized that I was just moving his parts around: first his shoulders, then his haunches. Counter shoulder in, regular shoulder in. Travers, renvers. When he accepted my aids at the walk, I repeated the exercise at the trot.

Speedy's opinion about being told when he can do a flying change.

Speedy's a very smart dude, so once he realized he wasn't making a mistake, he focused on his job and moved his shoulders and haunches where I asked him to. He was nicely in front of my leg so that when I asked for the canter, he stepped right into it. Almost immediately he started skipping in back as he asked how about now? what about now? and ... now?

Each time I answered with a no, but he started to take offense. He likes to help make decisions, and when he feels as though his voice isn't being heard, he gets a bit grouchy. I changed things up by cantering down the centerline, asking for changes of bend to the right and left all the way to C.

He was still rushing the change, so I put him on a circle making sure to keep my seat and legs on the lead I wanted him to stay on. And then we cantered the circle while I asked for small changes of bend. I had to work really hard to make sure that my seat and legs insisted that he hold the lead, but he did it.

As long as he gets to be right some of the time, he'll keep me as his partner.

One thing this winter has shown me is that if I want Speedy to help me earn a bronze medal, I am going to have to listen to him and help him more than I've ever needed to in the past. Frankly, he's done most of the work in this partnership. Third Level isn't easy, so we'll take it slowly and do our best.

I think that's all Speedy wants from me anyway.

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Fun Flying Changes

4/1/2019

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I didn't think I'd be writing those words this soon, or ever, frankly. Because really, if you're an adult amateur like me riding whatever you brought to this sport, or more likely riding whatever you can afford to ride, flying changes aren't easy.

But sometimes, if you're really lucky, you get a horse who wasn't purpose-bred for dressage who still really, really likes to show off. If you're that lucky, every once in a while, things can be incredibly fun.

Winning at RAAC in 2018 was incredibly fun.

Speedy's health, my health, and being an adult in general have kind of sucked the fun right out of life lately. I made it to the barn last Monday, but because of adult responsibilities, I wasn't able to get back out there until Friday. By that point, I was trying to talk myself into just wiping down a piece of tack or two and ditching the whole idea of riding. In fact, I even started with my boots. But then I looked over at Speedy, and I knew that he wanted to play.

Post-ride happy. And sweaty. But happy.

I always set my chronograph on my watch, mostly so that I don't over-ride my boys. Speedy is happy to work for a an hour if it's during a lesson with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, but if it's just me, I keep it to about a half an hour. I think this is even more important now that he's coming back into regular work. I wanted to keep the ride short and do only as much as he wanted to offer.

We started out with some suppling work, and then quickly touched on everything at Second Level and a few of the Third Level movements. Out of nowhere, Speedy broke into a balanced and collected canter. I asked for a few canter to walk to canter transitions which he had done smartly a few days before.

Speedy told me what was coming next. As we crossed the diagonal, he skipped once, skipped twice, and I giggled and told him to wait for it ... and then boom! We had the flying change. I laughed my head off, asked him to whoa, and praised the heck out of his effort. That boy has an enormous heart. And then because I knew he wanted to, we flipped around and did the exact same thing on the other lead.

Two asks, two flying lead changes. Those are fun flying changes!

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Back to Work

3/13/2019

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I mentioned that Speedy is back to work. We haven't done any cantering yet, just some walk/trot. The newest problem is that he's a bit sore on what I think is the left front, which is the leg where the smaller injury was/is. I think he's sore from the bandages and scabs.

I hate to ride a horse that's lame, but sometimes it's better for them to be ridden, especially if they get less lame while working. Right now, Speedy's energy is building, and he needs a way to get rid of it. Simple trail rides aren't quite enough to ease his growing tension. Twenty minutes in the arena lets him feel useful and valued which soothes his ego and lets him relax.

From early January

Since he was still sore on Sunday, I focused on improving the walk, both the free walk and collected. He could only stand so much collected walk though before he insisted on trotting. It was rough, but the longer he worked, the less it seemed to bother him. And then suddenly he was a fire breathing dragon, and he forgot all about being a bit sore.

We worked on getting supple, doing some shoulder in and moving the hindquarters. Over the past few months he's forgotten what a turn on the haunches is, so we rode a lot of squares and haunches in. He even felt solid enough to ask for a small medium trot. Boy does he love doing those!

Mid February

Third Level is my goal for this year. We're behind schedule, but that's okay. We'll school what we can, and then we'll tackle the flying changes again when I am sure Speedy is healed enough to do them.

Really. I can wait.

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Third Level Time Shortage

2/11/2019

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I had a funny "recall" moment the other day. I'll get to my point, but first ...

Endurance races were grueling, gritty, and hard-core affairs. If your horse crossed the finish line in last place hungrily looking for his hay bag, the day was a success. If the rider could make it to the awards dinner with only a few scratches and some seriously smelly clothes, the entire weekend was worth the multiple tanks of gas to get there. Endurance racing is an extreme sport for sure; it's raw, it's bone crushing, and it will wear you out. I loved it though.

Riding Montoya DSA at the Eastern High Sierra Classic 50 Miler in 2009.

When I first started showing dressage, I thought it was just a big party. White pants? A coat in the summer? Weird, but let's do this! Instead of being mounted for 10 - 20 hours, I rode for an hour. Maybe. Instead of looking for the ubiquitous neon pink trail ribbons, I watched for letters. I tried to get everyone I knew to come and show. It's fun. It's cheap. You'll love it. The most common "no" that I heard was My horse isn't ready.

Upon hearing the scores from my first show ever. The "trainer" I had just lessoned with warned me not to tell anyone that I had ridden with her. She predicted I'd earn a 36% and didn't want my scores to reflect on her. The joke was on her as we earned two scores of 63.5%. You can bet I didn't mention her name.

I wondered how a horse couldn't be ready. Can he walk, trot, and canter? Then he's ready. This was of course as I was making my way through Introductory Level and then Training Level. I honestly believed that any horse who was sound and could stay in the ring was ready. I still felt this way at First Level. So maybe a lengthening of stride wasn't there, but come on, it's just basic stuff.

Who wasn't quite ready for Second Level? Still one of my favorite show photos.

And now I get it. Third Level. We're just not ready, and I don't see how we will get ready. There simply isn't enough time to get everything show ready by March or April. We have a chunk of the Third Level stuff good to go. I can get a nice bouncy collected trot. Speedy loves the medium trot even if he can't really show utmost ground cover. We have a show-worthy turn on the haunches, and the 10-meter stuff is pretty easy for him.

I am pretty sure that's NOT how it's supposed to look either.

What we don't have is a reliable flying change, especially after being off for more than a month due to those two abscesses. The half pass isn't that great either. Unlike a trainer from eons ago, Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, isn't (too) worried about me embarrassing her. It's really the other way around. I don't want to get out there and make her look bad.

I've made her promise not to let me show if I am going to go out there and look stupid. She always laughs, but I am dead serious. I don't want to end up on some YouTube video or on a COTH thread about riders who are idiots.

Um? That's still a no ...

On the other hand, I refuse to succumb to the we're not ready excuse. I don't think I am ever going to feel ready for Third Level. I am going to have to settle for at least we're trying.

Besides that, we've already looked like idiots plenty of times. What's one more?

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Part 2 - Half Pass to Flying Change

1/4/2019

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Like I said yesterday, I had a great lesson with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables. For the first part of the lesson, we used the leg yield to position Speedy's haunches for the half pass. For the second part of the lesson, we used the half pass to set Speedy's haunches in position for a flying change. If you had told me two months ago that I would be writing those two sentences at the beginning of 2019, I would have laughed. Hard. Go us, I guess.

He's getting more uphill in his canter!

I am not sure how I got so lucky - good breeding?, but Speedy's changes have been clean from the very beginning. We've only been working on them since September. They're still a bit hard to control, and he has already reached the point of tossing them in any time he's not sure what I am asking for. I think this is a good problem to have though.

How about here?

The main trouble I am having with the flying change is that he thinks that when we're cantering and I touch the outside rein, it means CHANGE. Sorry to disappoint, dude, but it doesn't. This is where Chemaine used the haunches in exercise to help him out.

No?! Then what about HERE?

As we cantered down the long side, Chemaine wanted me to put him in a haunches in position so that when we made the ten-meter half circle at the end of the long side, his haunches would be in place for the half pass. Speedy felt me pick up that outside rein and then leaped into the air ready to change. When I kept my outside leg back AND maintained the bend, he hit the ground with a disappointed thud. He might have also called me a bad name.

To combat this, Chemaine showed me yet another new exercise. As we cantered down the long side, she instructed me to ask for a ten-meter circle if he even thought about changing when I touched the outside rein. We did a lot of ten-meter circles.

While we still have a lot to work on, we were able to get the flying change after a version of a canter half pass.

I just love this horse. there is no end to his try. He might express his opinions occasionally, and he can get sassy about things, but he always tries.

The moment of the change.

Today is the last day of my Christmas break. On Monday it's back to the grind, but I feel as though I got a lot done with the boys over the holiday. Enjoy your weekend. I know I will.

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Part 1 - Leg Yield to Half Pass

1/3/2019

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Now that the holidays are past us, Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, has been able to come out weekly again. After analyzing what we need at the bare minimum for Third Level, Chemaine agreed that tackling the lateral work was the game plan for the foreseeable future.

Getting those haunches to step OVER.

Speedy has never been a fan of moving his haunches to the side AND stepping forward. I get it; it's hard. Even so, he has to learn. To present it in a way that he could understand and that I could enforce, Chemaine had us start the half pass in a leg yield. She also had me move the whip to the outside hand every time we changed direction. See the part about enforcing.

Chemaine had us begin at the walk. We started in the corner From A to K where we prepared for a leg yield right. The purpose was to get the haunches leading which is not how you'd typically ride a leg yield. This does two things. First, it gets your horse moving off your outside leg, and it allows you to set up the haunches for the half pass. By getting the haunches to lead, they will ultimately be in the correct position as you change the bend for the half pass.

While also getting the front legs to cross over.

Once Speedy's haunches were leading, I changed the bend. I had to keep my outside leg on and ask for forward with the inside leg. Chemaine had to remind me numerous times to keep the inside leg on. I always want to pull it off thinking I am giving him space into which to move. This is wrong. Don't do that. It's important to keep the inside leg on and use both legs to ask for forward. Anytime I lost the haunches or when Speedy got too heavy on the outside rein, I changed the bend and turned it back into a leg yield.

Hey! We're doing it!

After we crossed the diagonal (I was always short as my arena is really wide), we then turned left and did the same thing through the corner at C and H. I had to remember to change the whip, and then we did a leg yield H to F, changing to half pass once I had Speedy's haunches leading.

Once Speedy and I had it mostly figured out, we moved to the trot and started the half pass without doing the leg yield first. To help me set it up correctly - after I had started it as a hot mess, Chemaine reminded me to ride into the corner thinking shoulder in. This put Speedy on the outside rein so that I could then use the rein to send his haunches over. I'll let Chemaine explain it better:

We definitely made a ton of improvement with her nuts and bolts explanation, but we clearly need more practice. That's okay as I have plenty of time for that. Here's one more go at the trot half pass:

Chemaine is definitely able to get Speedy and me to places that I never thought possible. We're no Grand Prix pair (yet), but this horse has really developed into a fancy little mover. Check out this medium trot. He actually has a moment of suspension!

Is it four off the floor?

After I felt like I had my homework for the trot half pass figured out, we worked on canter half pass to the flying change. I'll try to get to that tomorrow.

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Third Level Challenges

12/27/2018

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I swear I write this exact same post year after year. Not that it's entitled Third Level Challenges. One year I am sure it was called something like Training Level Terrors or First Level Fraud. I know it was called Second Level Sucks last year. The point is that each year that I've made the decision for Speedy and I to move up, I've regretted it immediately.

Proof that we can actually move up successfully.

Second Level will always be my reminder that that we can overcome. I started the season terrified to ride in a local show for fear of looking like the world's greatest hack. Scarier than that was the thought of not being able to earn at least one 60% for my CDS plaque. I was certain that we were way out of our league. Imagine my surprise when instead of earning just one qualifying score during the year, Speedy and I managed to earn 15 scores above 60%, our second best of any season so far! Take that, self doubt!

We thought this medium was pretty decent. I have no idea how we'll get an extended trot!

I've been riding Speedy all week even though he didn't start out perfectly sound; the abscess is/was still healing. He felt 100% sound yesterday though, so I finally started re-schooling the medium trot with an eye toward the extended trot. Uh-oh. We're in trouble.

Rather than let myself feel defeated, I decided to get to work studying the tests. There's a lot to learn for sure. I read the purpose of Third Level and gulped. The part that got me was engagement. The word is used twice, but then they throw in self-carriage which requires, you guessed it, engagement.

Second Level engagement. We have a lot of work to do.

There are almost no changes for the 2019 Third Level tests, which tells me the tests must flow pretty well. There are a lot of double coefficients though, Including a new one for the flying change. On the other hand, there is also one for the rein back which we do well. I took a deep breath, and instead of panicking over what we can't do, I separated what we can already do from what we need to work on.

We definitely need to work on bending.

Here are the movements required for each test at the level and how I feel about it:
Test 1

Extended gaits - we don't have any ... yet, although I started schooling the medium canter yesterday and was happy with how much more uphill it felt compared to this summer.
Half pass at trot - we have it, barely, and it's pretty weak.
Single Flying Change - we have them, but they're still very dramatic.

Test 2

Renvers - the same as our travers which is to say we struggled with bend AND forward last year. Same issue with renvers.
Release of reins at canter - I do this ALL THE TIME with Izzy, but I am not sure how to do it during a test.
Half pass at canter - nope, okay we sort of have one, sometimes.

Test 3

Rein back to trot - I tried this for the first time the other day and got it immediately. That doesn't mean it's perfect, but Speedy caught on to that concept without even trying. Maybe this will be one of those movements where can make up points.

If I had to ride Third Level Test 1 tomorrow, I feel like we could at least do all of the movements. The extended gaits would come with the comment "need to show more". The half pass would read, "needs more bend and engagement". We might get lucky and get clean flying changes, but in all likelihood, the comment would read "tense and explosive".

He is pretty cute though!

It's a good thing I like to work hard because I see a lot of hard work in front of us. Don't tell Speedy though; he's not a fan of manual labor. Third Level? We got this (sort of, almost, probably).

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Ready to Feel Better About Your Own Riding?

12/4/2018

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I first started this blog back in February of 2011 because I couldn't find the answers to my dressage questions. I figured if I had unanswered questions, so must a lot of other local riders. After a bit of a stuttery start, I launched Bakersfield Dressage.com and soon after, this blog. My goal from the beginning was two-fold: First, I wanted to provide information about how to get started showing, and equally as important, I wanted to share what I learned while on my dressage journey. I think most riders feel that everyone else is way better than they themselves are. I am here to tell you, it's not true.

20 Mule Team 35 Miler - February 2010

Most of you already know that I started off at Introductory Level, Test A on my endurance Arabian. I had never shown before, nor had I ever taken lessons. Although that's not quite true. As a small child, I took a handful of lessons from my grandma who ran a small lesson/boarding barn. Outside of those few lessons, I was completely brand new to the world of lessons and showing.

From one of our very first shows - Introductory Level 2010.

So here I am, eight and a half years later, on the same endurance-turned-dressage horse, Speedy G. A number of years ago I changed my blog's title to what it is today: Not-So-Speedy Dressage. The moniker fits us perfectly. With Speedy as my partner, we've labored through each level, advancing slowly but methodically. We've been sidelined here and there due to injuries, but in 2019, we plan to show at Third Level with the goal of finally earning a USDF Bronze Medal; we're two scores away.

The next year, 2011, but still at Introductory Level.

Speedy has not had an easy go of things. He's had to learn all of the movements along with me. When things don't go well, I always, always assume the error is mine. If he won't do it, it's because I am not asking correctly.

When this past summer's show season ended, we started schooling some of the Third Level movements, especially those in Test 1. By the way, I've created links to all of the 2019 tests if you ever need to look at them. The movements introduced in Third Level, Test 1 include extended gaits, half pass at trot, and the single flying change. When I read the directives for the extended gaits - Utmost ground cover with lengthening of frame; I kind of laughed - the only thing Speedy can do to the "utmost" is beg for treats!

2018 - Second Level. Doing his "utmost" to lengthen his stride.

So where are we on our preparations for Third Level? Well, the simple answer is that I could probably/maybe eke out a score in the 50s if the judge squinted. The more complicated answer is that we are firmly in the Land of Inconsistent.

Some days, I frantically text Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, begging her to fix whatever is currently wrong with my riding and aids. Her task is monumental because my shortcomings rotate on an unpredictable schedule. Sometimes, it's my hands that are causing the problem, other times it's seat. It is more accurate to say that all of it is due to my lack of knowing what the heck it is I am supposed to be doing.

Like I said - who's driving that rig?

Sometimes, like this Sunday, Speedy and I are show moments of brilliance. We have a shoulder in that is now more forward. His travers is getting better, and since we need to ride renvers in a later test, I ride the movement off the rail asking for the haunches in both directions.

Speedy's rein back is getting quite nice, and he has even learned that it's four steps back and then forward. I haven't tried rein back to trot yet, but I have a feeling he'll get that pretty quickly. The hardest movement of the level, the flying change, is coming along. They're still a bit ... explosive, but he gets it. He's even arrived at the stage where he wants to throw them in any time I even tweak the bend.

A less explosive flying change.

In the end, it's really the journey that is the most important. I am frustrated often, but every once in a while, Speedy and I will ride a movement better than we have before. It is those moments for which I live. Third Level or Introductory, it's about finding those harmonious moments when it all feels easy.

We rarely get there, but when we do, the struggle is all worth it!

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About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime 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

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

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 schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

March 2019

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

State Awards

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

Ruby Rider Award, 2018

2019 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2019 Pending …

5/11-12/19 - Cavaletti Clinic (c)
5/26/19 - TMC (*)
6/15-16/19 - El Sueno (***)
6/22-23/19 - SCEC (***)
6/23/19 - TMC (*)
7/13-14/19 - El Sueno (***)
7/28/19 - TMC (*)
8/10/19 - RAAC (Q) (***)
8/25/19 - TMC (*)
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

2019 Completed …

Qualifying Scores for 2019

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:

CDS Championship Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:
Score 4:
Score 5:

Working Towards:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level:
Third Level:
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level -
Third Level -

It All Comes From Behind

"Flying" Changes

A Huge FINALLY and an AHA!

Fun Flying Changes

Back to Work

Third Level Time Shortage

Part 2 - Half Pass to Flying Change

Part 1 - Leg Yield to Half Pass

Third Level Challenges

Ready to Feel Better About Your Own Riding?

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

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About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the
Writer & Rider