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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Show Prep ...

6/25/2011

 
This is not what I had intended for today's post.  If you want to read that, scroll down and find the read more link and you can see what I was about to complain about.  Instead, I want to, no, I NEED to write about Friday's ride.  In short?  It was AWESOME!!!!!!!

With a show on Sunday and this horrible heat, I decided to get to the barn early and just hit the trail.  We haven't left the barn in at least five weeks (EHV-1/vacation), so I was eager to do something besides ride in the arena.

Going back a bit ... dear friend Taz's mom, who looked after Speedy while I was on vacation, had nothing but wonderful things to say about Speedy when I got home.  She was so impressed with how friendly and polite he was and how willing to do whatever was asked of him.  She's known him since day 1, and frankly, he was a bit of a stinker as a three and four-year-old. Even during his five and six-year-old years he was known to pull a few naughty tricks.  But now, as a blooming seven-year-old, he appears to have turned into a right nice fellow.

So as I headed out onto the trail, I kept her words in my mind and realized that I am no longer riding that undependable four-year-old.  I quit worrying that he was going to fall down or flip out.  A few cars roared by which in the past would have sent him straight up into the air.  He flicked an eye and stiffened his neck a bit, but onward and forward he went.  The only thing he had real reason to freak out about, which he didn't, was a LARGE, YELLOW school bus that pulled up behind us pretty quietly and released its air brakes.  That would scare ANY seasoned pony.  Speedy did stop, tense his whole body, and step quickly away, but he did it with control.  I was so proud of him!

That's all real nice, but it's not even what I wanted to write about.  What I want to scream and shout and dance about is that on the way home, while Speedy was moving very nicely forward, we had some of the absolutely best strides of back to front connection that we have yet managed.  I felt his back come up under me, my legs turned into melted ice cream as I gently hugged his barrel, I felt the most wonderful connection from the bit to my hands, and I RODE MY HORSE WITH MY SEAT! Can I get an AMEN sister?! 
With wrapping up the school year, losing Kirby, the arrival and subsequent departure of EHV-1, and going to Europe for two weeks, show season had kind of come to a halt for Speedy G and me.  But, we're ready to get back in the game.  Our third show of the season is this Sunday.  My ride times are 9:15 and 9:38.

Am I ready?  Nope.  And by ready I don't mean is my tack clean and the horse braided.  I gassed up the truck Friday and I'll give my tack a quick clean up in the afternoon.  My clothes are always cleaned and ready in their plastic tub along with my show pad, boots, and velvet helmet.  That's not what I mean by ready, either.

By ready, what I mean is am I prepared to show a well-schooled horse to a judge with the knowledge that he can perform the movements on cue and correctly.  It is so frustrating to be at Introductory Level and STILL not feel prepared.  I know that my seat has improved tremendously and my hands are getting steadier.  And I know we are better than last summer, but we still can't ride the Introductory tests consistently.  If Speedy feels good, he does great.  If he's feeling "pissy," he fusses with the bit and resists.

My goals for Sunday are this:
  1. First and foremost, I have to remember to have fun even if we do a terrible job.  Smile, laugh, no big deal!
  2. I will bend my elbows and keep my thumbs up.  Half the time I look like a zombie with my arms stuck straight out!
  3. I will maintain a steady contact, especially with the outside rein.  Frequently it is seen flapping in the breeze.
  4. I will open my pelvis by sitting up, not leaning forward.  Why is that so difficult?
  5. I will relax my leg so that I am not gripping/pinching with my knees and thighs.  A la clothespin style ...
  6. I will remember the "feeling" of riding with my seat.  This is a feeling I get when I know I'm doing it correctly.

If I do these things, I can keep Speedy moving forward nicely, he will be less resistant, and our figures will be more accurate. 

And, if we can get the canter departure without bucking, we'll be in good shape!
Mia
7/10/2011 01:33:29 am

It's so good to read about someone who's combining trails and dressage. I just moved my dressage horse to a farm where there are no rings. Our only options are the tall grass field with rolling hills, or the wooded trails. I really believe my mare needs the mental break from the ring, but I've been so agitated about not knowing how to continue our dressage training. I have noticed, in the week I've been here, that my mare seems more relaxed and happy.
Please post more! You write well, and your stories are very compelling. I'm really enjoying reading them.

Karen Sweaney
7/10/2011 07:10:20 am

Mia - thank you so much for writing! I love to hear from people around the country. We all just assume that the way we do it is the right and only way. Through the blog I've "met" people from all parts of the country and am always curious to know what it's like where they live.

Moving from the trail/endurance side of things to the dressage/ring type of riding, I am especially aware of the need to keep my ponies happy with the mixing-it-up thing. I know Speedy G LOVES the trail and gets bored and frustrated if I spend too many days in a row schooling in the arena (no dressage court for me - just a big fenced oval). Since he and I are at such a low level in dressage, the skills we're working on can easily be done on the trail: softening, leg yielding, extensions, canter to trot, and so on. Tempi changes and canter pirouettes might be tough on the trail, but since we're not there yet, no biggie!

I've said many times that I write as therapy, but if someone is entertained in the process, I guess a greater need has been met. :0) You're very kind to pass on the compliment. Feel free to write any time!

Happy trails,
Karen


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.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
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    Photo by Lori Ovanessian
    Email Karen

    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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    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.
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    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

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    FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
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    National Rider Awards

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    Speedy G - 2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

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