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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Even More New Trails

7/31/2015

 
At this point, I think I could load Izzy up and do a trail ride by myself. He was super good for Monday's trail ride. Eventually. We had to school through a naughty moment or two, but KG and Taz hung out behind while we worked through the issue, and that was it!

For this trip, we decided to park at the barn in Hart Park. I've parked here many times and shared pictures before. There are a few corrals, a wash rack, hitching posts, and picnic tables. There's not a lot of room for multiple trailers, but for a small group of three or four rigs, it's perfect. We generally head east and go around Lake Ming and come back in front of the California Living Museum (CALM), a small zoo for indigenous animals.
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The road loops around behind the barn for a bit more parking.
Unlike the other two trails that we've ridden this month, this trail has lots of potential to be scary and a bit technical for a green bean. To access the trails, you have to walk down the gravel road to cross Hart Park's main road, two lanes that carry a fair amount of traffic. 

The way Izzy halted so quickly at the lines painted on the blacktop suggested that he probably hasn't crossed a lot of actual roads in his life. We ended up crossing the road a few different times, so that by the time we returned to the barn, he only eye-balled the bright yellow lines, but he crossed them willingly.

Because this is a multi-use park, there are a lot of people-friendly structures like a soccer field complex, a campground with TENTS, frisbee baskets, bridges, stand alone restrooms, playground equipment, boat docks, water pumps, parking areas, and so on. Every inch of the trail offers something new and unusual to look at. Most of the time Izzy was pretty solid, but there were a few booger moments.
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The back side of Lake Ming was VERY over grown.
When we crossed the road and made it onto the trail, we had to follow the bike path for a bit. For some reason walking along the pavement got Izzy more and more excited. While he didn't try to bolt or rear, he jigged pretty consistently for 20 solid minutes. I was able to get him round though so while he was jigging, he wasn't pulling; it was just a super short-strided movement that was a bit rough on my back.

When we got to the back side of CALM, there is a small stream that flows through a culvert beneath the dirt road. The stream is surrounded by trees, so if you didn't know it was there, you'd walk right past it. Izzy heard it though and hit the brakes HARD. 

And then he backed up ... fast! And suddenly, he realized he had learned a new trick. Instead of just stopping and staring at whatever was scary, he decided that it was much more effective to go from marching forward to a mach ten reverse. KG kindly stood back while Izzy and I had a little discussion.

Now, before I hear all of the when they want to back up make them back up even further comments (sorry, but I know they're coming), that is simply not a safe option on most trails. It's even less safe in a line of horses. The trails we ride can be steep, have drop offs, or be lined with wire fences, among numerous other obstacles. In my neck of the woods, going forward (or simply stopping) is the only correct answer.

In the arena, we can back up all day, but that's another situation.
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I wouldn't want to be backing up here ...
So what did our discussion look like? Well, it looked a lot like me kicking the crap out of Izzy's sides while smacking him across his withers with the reins and growling very loudly. Taz just stood to the side while providing zero support for his buddy. He's not stupid.

It took about three of these discussions before Izzy returned to the land of stop and wait when I'm nervous. Good boy! 

Once I saw that this backing up thing was looking to be his go-to answer, I started to play around with fixing it. When I spotted something ahead that looked funky, I asked him to stop. I patted his neck and gave him lots of good boys and then asked him to walk on. If he even rocked back slightly, I goosed him and smacked him on the shoulder. KG agreed that my timing was impeccable.

You should have seen the wheels turning. After about the third time he got smacked, he started re-thinking his new answer and quickly decided that his old answer was better. I agreed. Stopping and standing still when you're scared is perfectly fine. Eventually, he would simply slow down but with a gentle squeeze, he would again start moving forward. I think our Trust Bank got a pretty hefty deposit.
Other than the issue with the backing up at full throttle, Izzy was amazing. And we really challenged him. We did several long trots through the bushes, which he seemed to enjoy. We walked along the edge of the camp ground which can even make me nervous. Sometimes people pop out of those tents right under your nose and start stampeding toward the horses. I sometimes think our version of naturalists have never seen a horse up close!
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The eastern edge of Lake Ming
We also did some serious bushwhacking that would have frightened a lot of horses. The trail simply disappeared at one point until I was forced to hang over Izzy's neck while he dragged his nose along the ground. Rather than get scraped off, I opted to lead him on foot. There was a wire fence to our right and deep brush to the left and over us. Had he begun to feel claustrophobic, we could have had big trouble on our hands.

We also rode past the golf course, which makes both KG and I jumpy. When the balls are hit, they make a whistling sound that is a bit unnerving, especially when you're not sure where the ball is headed.

There was one steep descent that proved too technical for Izzy. Even though we sent Taz down first, Izzy spun up the incline. I made the executive decision to dismount quickly. I'd rather he feel safe than over-faced and off balance. As soon as I hopped off, he followed me willing all the way to the bottom. There was a steep slope off to the side, and the trail is only about two feet wide. We'll try again on another day.
Picture
More of that over grown trail. I eventually had to get off and lead as the trees had covered the trail and were too low for me to get under!
I go back to work next week and KG has some vacation plans lined up, so we may have time for only one more trail ride before I am limited to the occasional weekend ride. I am so grateful for the rides I've been able to put on this horse over the past month though. At this point, I feel as safe on him as I do on Speedy. He's proven to be level-headed, brave, and happy to be working in new places.

I would feel quite comfortable marketing him as a safe and sane trail horse. Not that he's for sale, but knowing that I could throw him in the trailer and join a group for a trail ride makes him worth a lot more to me than if he was only safe in the arena.
Picture
Can't ask for better than that!
Mia
7/31/2015 12:31:01 am

You're going to have Izzy so used to everything that when he starts showing it'll be all old hat to him.
When are you coming to up to train Joy? ;)

Bakersfield Dressage link
7/31/2015 03:13:40 am

That's the genreal plan, Mia, but you know how THOSE go. :0)

And I think you are doing a pretty fine job with Joy. I won't even bother you by making you come HERE. I'll just ship Izzy to you, so you can finish him off for me. :0)

SprinklerBandits
7/31/2015 03:29:48 am

Trail riding changes a lot of the available options, but then at least you can use the terrain to help you train. :-) Glad Izzy is turning into a solid guy.

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/1/2015 12:32:00 am

It does, but it presents the horses with things that you can't find in the arena. That can of course be scary (motorcycles, poor drivers, etc.), but it can also give them a chance to build their confidence. :0)

Jan link
7/31/2015 04:16:31 am

I completely agree that 'keep backing him up' is the wrong solution on the trail! It's the one place that if any of ours do it, we are on them like flies on poop about moving forward again. Anyone who would say to do that while out on the trail hasn't trail ridden enough. Or only trail ridden in flat open spaces. In the arena, the keep backing up is also an option of last resort for me- unless we ask for it, the only option should be forward. Not to say I haven't backed Mikey the entire length of our arena when he's being an obstinate beast, but it's not something I do unless he's plowing through me!

I love how Izzy is coming along. Trail riding is by far one of the best things for young horses. They get some confidence and some world experience. He's going to be quite a star!

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/1/2015 12:34:25 am

Agreed! I want my horses to think FORWARD, although, not at mach 10. :0)

I wish I had trail available from my barn, but alas, I don't. I can walk around our neighborhood, but it just isn't the same. Hopefully we'll be able to trailer out now and again during the fall once I am back to work.

Sarah link
7/31/2015 06:50:16 am

Great productive training ride as well as fun trail ride with a friend. =)

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/1/2015 12:35:05 am

That's really the best part, Sarah - hanging out with KG. :0)

Teresa link
7/31/2015 10:19:59 am

I love how you help him find the right answer and never seem to freak out. good for you

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/1/2015 12:39:32 am

I am not much of a "freak out" type in general. Afterwards, I may get weak in the knees, but I am pretty good at keeping it together. I may be scared as hell, but I do keep my focus. Chemaine did tell me I had to quite yelling "Oh shit!" when I was riding Sydney. That was the closest I got to freaking out.

The good thing about Izzy is that while he is pretty opinionated, he doesn't have the gumption to really fight it out. It's just not worth it to him to hold on to the argument. And it seems that each time I "win," he gets less and less willing to disagree.

Alanna link
8/1/2015 03:28:41 am

I'm so with you! Backing up with no regard for what's behind them is not my favorite trick!

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/1/2015 08:22:38 am

And it's scary how many will try it!


Comments are closed.

    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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