Dressage at Portofino
This year has been a big one for Foster and I. After the crappiest winter ever basically the whole winter off, we started our spring season with him being lame and myself being busy (wedding planning > riding, and that’s just the way it goes). So it wasn’t until May that we really started to figure out the problem, but after a plethora of treatments he was finally serviceably sound and ready to go.
After that, it was a matter of rebuilding the lost muscle and teaching him to be confident and trust that the movements wouldn’t be painful. We tried very hard to find zen and I rediscovered how much my horse thrives on positive (vocal) reinforcement.
After that things started moving quite quickly, so without writing a novel here are some of our accomplishments this year:
Dressage
- Acheiving straightness
- Leg Yields at the trot
- Shoulder-in at the trot
- Becoming steady in the bridle
Shoulder In
At a dressage show over the summer
Show jumping
- First gymnastics
- Cantering an entire course
- 1 & 2 stride combinations
- Jumping 3’6″
- 3′-3’3″ courses
Standing next to our first 3’6″ fence
Showjumping at the Carolina Horse Park
Cross Country
- Baby ‘trakehner’
- Jumping in/out water
- Galloping/making time!
- Novice & Training fences
- Jumping downhill/terrain
Before: Our first XC school in Feb 2012. We’re jumping the log- note my non-existent release
After: Training Table Nov 2013
For myself too, I have seen some improvements:
- Sitting more, using core
- Better elbow-to-bit line
- Looking straight
- Leg Position
- Better release during and after fences
- Better use of positive reinforcement
Shameful photo of me jumping Merry in a dressage saddle circa 2007
Look ma! Soft hands!
Overall I am quite proud of what we have done in essentially 6 months of the year. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but of course that is the nature of owning and training a horse. I can’t wait to see what he does next year!
Red on the Right 
Oh awesome! This is a nice way to recap the year 🙂 You all have definitely improved since I started following! Can’t wait to see where you go next year 🙂
P.S. I’ll probably steal this little blog idea, ha!
Thanks! Youngsters can be so rewarding to work with because you get to see them grow so quickly, and this was definitely Foster’s ‘maturing’ year.
Steal away! Speaking of borrowing ideas, I’ve been thinking of doing the 5 day challenge idea you and She Moved To Texas have had! Looks like fun 🙂
It was! Especially when not much is happening bc of the weather. We stole it from fly on over. She started it to give people something to blog about in the crappy weather, ha!
And it definitely is fun working with the babies! Wiz made so much progress this year as well. How old is foster again? I always forget.
He’s 6. It’s a little weird, because I bought him 2 years ago thinking he was a 3 year old (which he looked like- bum high and all gangly), and then the dentist told me he was actually 4… So he started out being trained like a real baby for about long time before I realized he could do more! Apparently I need to learn more about teeth!
Well wiz just turned five but I’m pretty sure he’s going to continue finalizing and maturing through six! Idk how they race horses at 2, so young and undeveloped!! Nothing wrong with a slow start 🙂
You guys have accomplished so much! Next year is going to be even better 🙂
Thank you! 2014 here we come!
What a huge year for you two! 🙂
😀
Aye that 3’6 fence is BIG!! Go girl!
Thanks! It was FUN!
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The positive change in your jump position is awesome! The before after photos are remarkable. You have made huge leaps (pun intended) I’m proud of you 🙂
Thank you! I have to give a lot of credit to you and Ali for helping me with my equitation! Belly button to pommel!
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