Show Recap: Carolina Horse Park Horse Trials – Dressage + Course Walk

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Britt

It would be sufficient to say that this week did not go as planned. Not that I’m terribly upset; all is well and the world isn’t going to end, but if I’m honest it is not the way I wanted to end the season. But before we get to all that, let’s start at the beginning!

Thanks to J for taking the beautiful photos!

Saturday Dressage Schooling
Our schooling Saturday was utter crap. Foster started out nicely but progressively got heavier and heavier in my hands. He bounced between my aids like no one’s business- if he leaned on his right shoulder, I would block it, and he would lean on my left hand, and so on and so forth. Not wanting to get myself or him into a tizzy, I said a few bad words, found a decent note to end on, and called it a day.

The Course walk
We got out on course with just a little daylight to spare. Just like at the last course, which made it clear that it was a recognized course from a maximum height first fence, this course was evident that we were once again at a schooling show. Fence 1 was shared with beginner novice, and the following 3 fences were quite straightforward. Fence 5 was on a downhill slope, then 6A-B was the sunken road where the B element was on the tougher uphill side. Then breeze over 7, attack the scary brush fence (not so scary since we jumped it last time!), and the rest of the course was somewhat nondescript fences from there, with the addition of a bank and a water element. We definitely ran out of daylight about halfway around, and as you can see, it was really tough to spot the last several fences!

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Dressage
Warming up Sunday for the real deal, he felt not quite as heavy, but I bit stiff in my hands. His jaw was not nearly as supple as it has been, and there was not a hint of foam from my normally-rabid-appearing horse. Sitting him back on his butt and lightening up front was just not happening, so I made the decision to post the test, even though my normal preference is to sit.

Pissy pony with a pretty purple tail

The test itself felt mediocre at best. I felt like I had him forward, but not at all supple. Because of his wandering haunches, I sat both centerlines, as well as before both canter transitions to try and keep him round through the transition itself. Here is the video of the test itself:

The test definitely looks better than it felt, which was really surprising to me. The judge’s comments are kind of a mixed bag. We got our first 6 on our free walk, two 5’s (wtf?), but a 7 on a canter transition (yay) and an 8 on a canter circle (double yay). Here’s the test in its entirety:

Our score of 35.7 tied us for 2nd out of 18, which made pretty much every competitor I talked to think that scores were a bit harsher than normal. I definitely wonder how this test may have scored under another judge, but of course, we’ll never know.

Following dressage was a short reprieve, and then it was onto jumping, where the going gets a little more interesting!

Pre-show test practice

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Britt

Last night during my dressage school, I had the opportunity to have someone video my test. I find this super helpful, having a visual to compare against and fix any niggling issues before (or at) the show. Obviously I don’t expect to be able to change anything drastic, but there are plenty of mental reminders for myself that will make a big difference in the way we score.

It’s not our best test, but considering the conditions, I’m plenty pleased. It started raining as we went down centerline, then within a minute it was sideways raining into the arena, which quickly escalated into a downpour accompanied by tremendous wind- it’s a testament to A’s sweetness that she was willing to sit and video the whole thing (Thank you, A)! There are some moments where Foster was distracted by the elements (particularly near the mirrors, as that’s where it was coming in), and he gets a little behind me leg. The free walk stinks, but again, we’re heading into the rain. I feel pretty confident that this will not be the case this weekend. Also, look at those canter transitions! Not that they are perfect, but definitely a far cry from the completely hollow moments of the past. We’re getting there!

I took a moment to watch a little bit of the video while in the saddle, and immediately decided that we looked as though we were trudging down centerline. The whole test (with a couple exceptions) could be more forward, but it’s a fine line between forward and tense, so I’ll just have to feel that out. I asked A to video one more centerline so I could push the trot a bit and see what it looked like:

I think it’s worth pushing for a little more brilliance down centerline, as long as I can keep him straight, so this will be a change I attempt in the test on Sunday. You can see that I push it a little too far in the 20 meter circle afterwards, though, so I will need to remember to back up my leg with half-halts so as to not get his head to pop up expecting a canter transition.

I’m feeling a little unprepared for the show in that I haven’t made a single list yet, and normally at this point it would be made and double checked a thousand times over. Hopefully I’ve done this enough that I won’t forget anything, but I just hate not having my list!

I hope you guys all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll shamefully ask for good juju sent our way! Recaps next week!

Dressage Lesson Recap: Renvers and Lengthenings

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Britt

You know when you have one of those days when it seems like the people around you are simply determined to make your life just a little bit more difficult? Yeah, I had one of those days last week, and of course it fell on the evening of a lesson.

Sit, stay.

Without going into a rant again (because a couple people have already heard it), Foster twisted a shoe when someone spun out on the gravel just behind him, and he skidded in the cross ties. Awesome. Then we shared the arena with another lesson that was supposed to be long gone, and spent the majority of my lesson distracted, either in fear that we were going to be mowed over or that the other rider would fall off *again*.

Still, we were able to do some work nonetheless. Here’s my quick bullet list of personal reminders/exercises we worked on…

Renvers (haunches out), weight in the direction of the bend, shoulder in the renvers transition
Shoulder-fore in test to keep him straight (especially going right)
Haunches-in/haunches out at canter, releasing on the reins to keep suppleness
Equitate: Hold my hands closed so I can get a proper feel on his mouth (I am *so* bad about this!)
Thinking piaffe in walk transition/don’t let him run away with front-end
Rebalancing (sitting him back) for every transition
Lengthening- focus on quality of start and finish

Since the twisted-shoe fiasco, unfortunately the farrier has not been able to come see us until today. Thankfully Foster is sound on it, and we’ve been doing some flat work with a lot of success. The dip in temperature has definitely improved his workouts, and he’s been feeling much more forward without being fresh.

Tonight we’ve got a jumping lesson, and it will be our first time jumping since the show- not ideal, but of course life and shoe issues get in the way!

Tooling around

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Britt

My philosophy when it comes to dressage and riding in general is pretty classical. I believe in creating a solid foundation of basics, and try to be disciplined in not skipping steps before progressing to the next thing. Sometimes my insistence on perfecting the basics of dressage holds me back from practicing new skills, but that’s another story for another time.

In general, I abhor tools that help riders cut corners. I’ll never be impressed by the horse that only goes ’round’ in side reins, or in an elevator bit. (Side story- when I first started riding Ivan I spent months retraining him in a snaffle, because his former trainer/consigner was trying to sell him as a 1st level horse in an elevator bit.) However, there are times when these ‘tools’ can find a place in a classically influenced program.

After many discussions with my dressage trainer, we decided to try riding Foster in draw reins to improve his canter transitions. Traditionally the weakest part of our tests, Foster loves earning 6’s by using his neck to pull himself into the transition, causing him to go momentarily hollow before coming back into the bridle. It’s been very hard to train out of him, because conformationally his underneck is a very big, strong muscle (though much smaller than it used to be). While he is not trying to be disobedient, I struggle physically with showing him how not to engage those muscles for balance. The use of draw reins in these transitions helps me maintain a round topline and connection, and I am quick to release and praise him, hopefully teaching him that this is the correct approach to transitions.

Coming back into the bridle

My last lesson was in draw reins, as I wanted a professional to watch the way I rode and confirm that I am using them in a correct way. I feel quite clumsy having so much in my hands, but I feel I’ve got the hang of it now. The plan is to ride in this way for 4 rides before taking them off, because obviously I don’t want to create dependency on them. This weekend was ride #2 in the reins, and I’m anxious to see how he goes in that first ride away from them.

Round canter is round

Similarly in the jumping world, I have been exploring new bits. Generally I ride in a full cheek Waterford, which solved the issue of Foster’s bracing and rushing a couple years ago. Now that I feel like I have solid brakes, and need something with leverage to break the poll. I previously tried the Waterford Baucher, which made Foster break at the poll but also lowered his neck and sent him on the forehand. At the advice of my last lesson, we discussed a Wonder Bit, and I finally was able to try the below model yesterday.

Color me impressed- he was uphill, softer, and engaged, and I felt like I had good control without going overboard. I set up some fun jumps in the arena, including a faux (tarp) liverpool and fan oxer and played with bending lines and collection/lengthenings. Everything rode really well, and I’m hoping to repeat the experience and make sure it wasn’t just a fluke!

So overall, it’s been a weekend of experimenting and twinging our regular program to incorporate new tools.

Show Recap: Novice @ Carolina Horse Walk – Competition day

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Britt

After walking the cross country course Saturday, the sky opened up and it poured. And poured. And poured. Luckily this provided excellent opportunity to huddle in Foster’s stall, do a bit of braiding, mentally run through my test, and try not to think about what was happening to the footing all through the deluge.

No dressage photos, so look at us in our snazzy new colors!

Dressage
Needless to say, it was still very very wet Sunday morning. The dressage warm-up quickly turned to slop, which my poor pony is not so used to working in. I attribute his being slightly stiff in his neck because of this, as he attempted to pick his way through the mud and muck. Still, I was happy with the test he put in, and I was pretty confident it would score in the low 30’s.

The test earned us a 31.7, good for 5^th place. Looking at the test, I’m pleased with the number of 8’s on there, and it appears we were off to a pretty good start. I am, however, a little bummed with how the test finished, and I didn’t feel some of the things the judge remarked on. Similarly, I wish I could have seen my ride, so I could understand why our overall scores dropped so much from the last show just a couple weeks ago. So we’ll be chalking it up to experience and trying to improve even more for the next outing.

Showjumping
Because of the slop, I was a little worried about how showjumping would go. Foster looked just a hair too relaxed hanging out in his stall, and I knew he would need some extra oomph to push out of the steadily deteriorating footing. I gave myself about 15 minutes of warm up, starting by trying to get him really moving forward (kind of successful), before hopping over a couple fences. He was a bit sticky to the fences, but I decided to take the risk of not jumping further in order to save our energy for the fences that would count.

I’ll say this in regards to our round- thank goodness you don’t get pretty points in eventing. He jumped me out of the tack over fence 7, which I got him a little unprepared to and he made a huge effort over. He didn’t pick up the correct leads 100% of the time, and once I brought him back to a trot to switch leads. Because of this, I think, we got 1 time fault, but went otherwise clear through a course that was definitely taking names. I saw 1 fall, and 2 refusals just while I was waiting- an unusual pattern for these lower levels.

Fence 7

Cross Country
When I got to cross country, I was more than a little worried about the footing on course. Foster does not have studs, and though the sandy footing holds up pretty well, I still wondered about jumping these large fences like #3 right from the start. Combine that with watching 2 different horses have refusals at that fence, and thought I was going to puke. But a quick hop over the couple cross country warm-up fences and Foster perked up substantially, and I decided to give it a go.

I won’t rehash the entire experience, when you can watch the helmet cam!

Obviously the course ran pretty well. Other than getting in deep to 8A, we got all our spots and while being forward, Foster was adjustable and able to come back to me when I needed to rebalance him, such as down the hill and through some turns. We came in right under time because of my more conservative ride.

Breezing over fence 3

In Conclusion
Overall, we finished 4^th out of a field of 15 or so horses. I am super happy with how the day went, and again, know there are things to improve which is a great place to be. It was a great relief to finally conquer the trakehner and brush that have been worrying me all year. We’re still waiting to break into the 20s for dressage, but between this and the last show I feel like Foster can confidently be described as a solid Novice horse. I’m thankful for the opportunity to put in another confidence-giving run, and look forward to our last show of the season, next month!

Patterns in Training

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Britt

I ride with two different trainers, one for dressage and the other for jumping. I find both of their methods to be helpful, encouraging, and effective in improving both the way I ride Foster, and Foster’s way of going. However, they have two very different backgrounds, and very different ways of teaching. So imagine my surprise when recently my lessons feel like déjà vu over and over again.

A couple lesson cycles ago, the emphasis on the flat and within our jumping canter was on the under neck. Specifically, re-teaching Foster how to balance himself within and between the gaits with a more correct, supple topline. At the same time, again in both lessons, we were also asked to create a much more active canter behind. Coincidence? I think not. Since then, I have been working hard to make his canter ‘bounce’ and not get flat like he wants to do. It was a mark of success to me, then, that when a very talented dressage rider at my barn hopped on him last week while I took a breather she specifically called out the quality of his canter in a complimentary way. An 8 on a canter circle at the last show, and an improved feeling in showjumping similarly confirm some improvement.

Yeah, I’d say our showjumping canter has improved…

Now, in the last week or so, yet again I am hearing similar advice in my lessons. In our jumping warm-up, legthening-to-collected transitions help get him listening and in front of my leg, but I am constantly being told that the transition is not sharp enough, and that he shouldn’t take so long to transition within the gait. On the same note, in my dressage lesson Wednesday, I learned that I need to make him more reactive. Coasting along in a pretty frame is not going to cut it anymore, and I should feel like I have both a halt and lengthening accessible at any point in my ride. Right now, I have those tools, but within a matter of 2 to 3 strides.

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Seeing these patterns within my lessons tells me several things. The first being that these issues are not to be ignored, and that solidifying these skills will make his job easier whether it be over fences or in the dressage court. The second is a sense of confidence in the training program I have, that there is consistency between the trainers I employ even though we are not working on the same things.

It is now my responsibility to school him in the way they advise, and raise my standards so that Foster and I can continue to grow together and improve our abilities. Time to expect more from him, and myself as a rider/trainer. Adult amateur though I may be, it’s my influence that will over time have the greatest impact on him, as it’s my butt in the saddle first and foremost. It’s our moment to up the ante!

Recognized Show Recap: Course Walk + Dressage

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Britt

Because this weekend was long and certainly adventure filled, I’ll be breaking up this recap into sections. Trying to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome and all that.

Thanks B for the photos!

So we start our journey Friday morning, where J picked us up in her awesome rig to make the 4 hr trip down to Tryon. Minus one instance of yelling at rude drivers honking into our horses’ ears, the drive was rather uneventful. We settled the boys in briefly before hopping on to school some dressage. Foster had a lovely dressage school, and was attentive and extremely supple in the bridle, and I was definitely pleased with his attitude, and truly looking forward to dressage in the morning!

Then we headed out to walk the cross country course.

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YIKES.

From fence 2, it was immediately clear we weren’t at a schooling show any longer. Fence 2 was a tactical question, where the rider had to choose their approach carefully- a straightish approach that required a ride around another fence, or a more direct angled approach. From fence 3 on, the course was max height and held still further questions. A combination at 5A and B, four strides from a barn to a log but with lots to look at surrounding it. A 3’2″ (ish) brush fence at fence 7, two strides before the water. A half coffin at 12A and B, ditch then two strides to a fence. A hairpin turn to fence 13. A rather scary fence 14 that just beckoned for a run-out left. This course was going to demand an active ride, and had little let up in between questions.

I was pretty much terrified. So while nightmares of getting eliminated at the brush fence simmered in my mind, I did my best to ignore all and focus on dressage in the morning.

Luckily, a great friend and former dressage teammate came and visited me Saturday morning, which did a lot to distract me from visions of lawn darting on course. We were having so much fun chatting that I ended up running just a tad behind schedule for the dressage, but still had a nice warmup for the test. He wasn’t quite as supple as he has been the night before, and I think if I had given him 5 more minutes of good work I would have gotten the quality that I wanted. But he was relaxed, and listening, and I felt like he would put in a pretty good test!

And old photo of B and I from our IDA days!

The test itself did end up feeling pretty nice. As I was riding, I knew there were places where I was maybe leaving some points on the table, so I tried to make the test as accurate as possible. I was a bit bummed with the free walk, as it wasn’t nearly as nice as what I have been achieving at home, but otherwise put in a workman-like effort. I tried to remind myself to keep my elbows by my side and practice better equitation, which ended up paying off.

Attempts at equitation

As you can see below, there are parts that were super successful (8 on a canter circle! The work is starting to pay off!) and also- my first 8 on rider (ah, that’s me?!), and Foster’s first 8 on gaits (yay pony!). Also an 8 on the medium walk transition. For the rest, I feel confident that we can bring up the 6’s will soon become 7’s and the free walk will become an 8. The test as is earned us a 30, which is also a new best score for us as a team. Our first 70% dressage score since debuting at Intro when I first bought him!

Sorry for the video quality/don’t watch if you are epileptic!

Whereas at a normal show (i.e, no prize money), a 30 would land me near the top of the leaderboard, my awesome-for-me score landed us in a 3-way tie for 6th place. Sitting at the top were scores of 16, 18, 19, and 20 – a couple of these ridden by former professional riders who are now (I’m told, I don’t know these people personally) too scared to move up to Training. But, whatever! My pony put in a great show and now we were out to tackle the daunting cross country course!

The Pep Talk

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Britt

Since I’m feeling particularly wilty today thanks to a very ill-timed cold, I find myself trying to get syked for the coming weekend. Catching up with friends! Pony time! Nice weather! All things to look forward to! And yet, still the little mean thoughts about embarrassing myself creep into my mind.

That’s when it’s time for a pep talk.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m obviously a visual person. While mind over matter is certainly a principle I subscribe to, the quickest and easiest way to regain confidence is to show myself I’ve done it before. Evidence that it has been done is proof that it can be done again. So here are some of the highlights of Foster’s career, my video pep talk for myself!

We can do this!

How do you mentally prepare for a show?

Lesson Recap: Dressage

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Britt

You know that feeling when you just had a really good lesson? To me, a really great lesson is a mixture of mistakes, so you can obtain the advice that makes the lesson worthwhile, and success. Too much success (not an often occurence!) and you wonder why you paid for the lesson. Too many mistakes, and you get disheartened.

To start with, Eliza hopped on and really loosened Foster up at the base of the neck, which is what we have been striving for over the last few weeks. Lots of changes in direction, and upward and downward transitions insisting that he stay soft and balanced. I was glad to hear (and see) that he was already improving from her training ride, which means I am able to replicate the concept on my own with some success.

Looking snazzy for his lesson in all black

Then I hopped on and we worked on transitions with the soft neck and balanced connection. Lots of very small releases kept him from getting on the forehand or becoming stiff in the trot and canter work.

Afterwards we headed to the covered arena (mirrors!) to run through the Novice B test. For the most part I was able to keep the quality of work the same, though it was a lot harder in the small arena- transitions come up very fast! I even got to watch a video of it all afterwards, which was super helpful in seeing exactly what she was telling us. I’ve got a game plan for every movement, and if I can replicate that ride at the show, I will be very, very, pleased!

Novice B test

As usual, for my own benefit, here are the main points to remember (yeah, there’s a lot):

Warmup: Get him loose in the neck (changes in direction), then collect/balance (transitions between/within gaits), then push forward into the show frame
Rider issues: Engage my core to keep him balanced (and at the walk- I let my hips swing too much!), and elbows by my side! No need to look like a durn duck. Keep the reins short.
Think shoulder-fore down centerline to keep him straight
Miniscule releases to keep him balanced (at canter too!)
Following hand in the free walk
Push more forward in the 20 meter trot circles to show a bit more brilliance
Prepare for every. transition. (Including turns!)
Sit into the canter to trot transition, even if it feels like crap
Stay a hair off the rail in the free walk to medium walk transition, leg yield to wall, using outside rein to keep him together
Leg on in the final halt, don’t let him go splat!

Phew! That’s a lot to remember! (Un)Luckily, our lesson with Doug for tonight was cancelled, so I’ll be practicing the above work instead to really cement it in our brains. Then another jump school tomorrow, light dressage Thursday, and off to the show we go!