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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Sydney Update

12/20/2012

 
So here's where we are.
Picture
Yet another "borrowed" internet photo.
We're making forward progress. We obviously have a long way to go, but the good news is that we are on the right road.

Just a few months ago I was feeling really, really frustrated. I just couldn't see any forward progress at all. I would think that we had made progress, but then the same crap would present itself again and again. I watched a video from my first ride on Sydney and was so discouraged to see that we looked better on that ride than we do now, a year and a half later.

I started looking at how much I was spending on a horse that was turning out to be a bad fit for me. I wasn't afraid to ride him anymore, but I just didn't seem to be a good enough rider to really ride him well. Selling him seemed like the smartest thing to do. I placed a very lean ad on an online site and decided to leave the whole mess in the Divine's hands. Seriously. 

Do you know what happened? Within a DAY of posting that ad, I had one of the best rides I have ever had on Sydney. Of course. I immediately thought about pulling the ad, but then I didn't. One good ride couldn't change a year and a half of not really getting anywhere. I continued to look at him as a sale horse, but I reasoned that I might as well learn what I could from him while I waited for the right interested buyer.

I felt good about my decision and was absolutely honest about giving the issue to the Man Upstairs. I quit "outlining" what I wanted to happen. I never even revisited the ad to see if anyone was showing interest. I simply let the whole thing go. 

Hand your problems over to someone else, and all of a sudden you're free of the burden. Figures. Since placing that ad, my rides on Sydney have gotten really, really good. That's not to say that he's soft and round as soon as I get on, but within just a few minutes, he is bending and moving away from my leg, and we are cantering every day. 

On Sunday, I rode him in the "scary corner" where little Tommy was climbing the tree right next to the arena. Tommy and I were chatting about how many gifts under the tree were for him while Sydney and I cantered around and around. Take that you puny, little elephant!

After Tommy disappeared to do little boy things, Sydney and I continued to work. I asked for a right lead canter and got a whole lot of oh, my - that's not right. I brought him back to a trot and just focused on rebalancing him to the right. I focused on pushing him sideways, sideways, sideways as we worked on a 20-meter circle. After a few minutes I realized that he was nicely balanced and hitting the rail at exactly the right spot. 

I asked for a right lead canter and was pleasantly surprised by what he gave me. At first, I needed to sponge the outside rein to keep him straight, but then I was able to switch to sponging the inside rein to encourage a bit of flexion. It was a lovely, balanced canter. His downward transition was soft and quiet and he immediately stretched his neck down at the walk. I had a huge smile on my face and realized that I had made all of that happen.

So where are we? Sydney is still for sale until he isn't. God will let me know if something changes. My shoulders feel a lot lighter since I ditched that burden of worry. Sydney's demon seems to have been defeated (or was it my own?), my elephant seems to have moved to a new home, and Mt. Self-Doubt is suffering from erosion. Today, all is right in my world.
Judy
12/19/2012 11:20:50 pm

You make me proud! Have a great day!

Karen
12/20/2012 12:46:56 am

Aw. Thank you. :0)

Angela
12/20/2012 04:20:21 am

Great Update!
I love the “you are here” analogy. It reminded me of another one that has a similar moving forward/driving motif. Often while driving you glance in the side mirrors and may or may not notice the small transparent words printed on the bottom which say, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” Years ago when I was impatiently anticipating a particular result, this little, common place, ever present saying hit me like a sledge hammer. For some strange reason it flipped in my mind and I interpreted it as meaning that the object/result that I’ve been longing for is actually “closer than it appears.” Isn’t it great that you often don’t realize how far you’ve really gone or how close you really are to your desired goal until you look back- whether you use the side mirror or not, you just might be closer to your heart’s desire than you appear. 
What a relief it is when the “burden of worry” is ditched by the road side and we speed away with just the image of the heavy load in the rear view mirror… Just reflecting out loud…hehe…( I couldn’t resist).

And, of course, none of this would be possible without a lot of hard work...:0

Karen
12/20/2012 04:47:23 am

As always, Angela, your insight is so thoughtful. Thank you so much for the analogy: objects are closer than they appear. That is such a powerful, inspiring, and motivating viewpoint. I almost cried when I read your comment. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Angela
12/20/2012 02:50:50 pm

;)

Val
12/20/2012 05:12:29 am

Letting go definitely makes a difference. Since you are so goal-oriented, this is probably very difficult for you to do, but you did it!

I do not view progress with horses as linear. It is cyclical. You must keep returning to each part of the training scale. Sometimes this feels like backpedaling, but often it is really refinement. This is something that I love about riding and dressage.

Angela
12/20/2012 03:22:56 pm

Training/ Riding as Cyclical - I like it! Refinement as apposed to regression. What a concept...I think a light bulb just came on. Maybe holding a mental image of a spiral staircase will help me from getting discouraged when I need to "go back" and re-work something. Yeah, it's a lot of going around and around, but there is definitely progress in refinement. Thanks for this refreshing approach to moving forward, or shall I say, upward.

Karen
12/21/2012 10:50:22 pm

I probably don't give myself enough credit as I know all learning is cyclical. I do it for my students in the classroom all the time. We attempt to learn something, and then we come back to it again and again. Each time, especially in math, they get better and better (hopefully), or one of them will finally say, OH, I GET IT!

So yes, refinement is probably a good word choice! :0)


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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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
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    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Local
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