12/19/12 Lesson

So sore, but a GREAT lesson!

Started off rocky. Jerk face has a footing fetish. We recently got new footing in our Dressage arena and I decided to warm her up in there before our lesson. Bad idea. Every time we get new footing in an arena, she HAS to roll in it. With or without me on her back. No amount of bending her, urging her forward, or even a firm spur would get her to budge and change her mind. Down she went while I was on her and I immediately hopped off while yelling a string of obscenities trying to get her up. Got my saddle pretty good, then she hopped up and gave one big buck, pulled the reins out of my hands and took off running around the property. Broke her bridle and probably pulled on her own mouth. Lucky little idiot nothing worse happened. Like breaking her damn neck or a leg or two. Thankfully, the bridle she broke was one that she had broken previously from pulling another stunt and it's fixable. After escaping our clutches a few times, the four of us (my friend, instructor, myself, and another trainer's groom) were able to grab her. It took every ounce of me not to beat the living crud out of her.

Put the bit on another bridle and off we went for the lesson.

And it was awesome, hahaha. She must have yanked on her own mouth while running around like an idiot, because she was so soft in the mouth and hardly tried pulling on my hands. A good half-halt is all she needed to get off my hands. She was forward and round, patient, and really thinking about her feet placement through a canter pole line. Moved off my legs pretty well, though I still catch myself (and my instructor does too) hanging onto that inside rein instead giving her a bump with it. Not as bad as I used to be, but still. This habit is dying hard, lol! I'm really happy with my position and inner thigh effectiveness. Much better and so much improvement! That darn left leg of mine moves around quite a bit, moreso when I'm in my half seat, but I just need to keep work on strengthening that inner thigh. It doesn't swing or anything, just doesn't stay well against mare's side. It'll get there in time! It's a lot better than it used to be too. We were working on keeping her straight through the line and finding the canter tempo and staying with it, encouraging her to keep it. I do tend to take my leg off right before the pole (and jumps too) so uh, yeah. What a beginner move, hahaha! I totally know better too, fail! When I keep it on, she finds her own feet and striding much better on her own if I just stay out of her darn way. I am starting to not be as controlling and trusting her to get the job done and not hold her back or hold onto her, but softening and giving her the go ahead. When I do, it's like, BAM... perfect. She actually did much better once I went into my half seat, keeping my legs and inner thigh on her is much easier that way, but BOY does it BURN! I am still not as strong, but I'm working that as my homework off and on as well. No rush, it'll get there, but it's on my list. I'm sitting up straighter these days and have been working on opening up my shoulders, but that still proves to be the hardest habit to break--shrinking up and closing up my chest. I have ALWAYS done that, ugh! At least I'm not chicken winging it like I used to way back in the day, hahahaha!

Good thing Christmas is coming up. We are probably due to have a week off. Though, having time off makes me feel anxious, lol. It's well deserved, we have really been working hard for the last three months and it's paying off! I feel much more confident, less insecure in my riding ability...etc. I know I've done a great job with Gertie on my own, but having such awesome instruction from Denise has helped me become more the rider I know I can be and she is helping me bring the best out of my girl as well.

We also celebrated our 5 Year Anniversary together on the 15th. 5 years ago, on that day, it was the same day she turned 6 months old and the day I brought her home from Oklahoma to New Mexico. It's been an amazing adventure and learning experience. I wouldn't have changed anything, she is my heart horse.

Here is a video my friend Alana took of my lesson:

Some pictures from the lesson:

12/11/12 Lesson

Had a pretty good lesson today! Was so-so on my part but still good progress!

This will be short and sweet. I just want to critique myself a bit. One of mah besties came out and took video today, so awesome! It's been a while since I've watched myself. My other friend's grandpa took video a few weeks ago and I got to watch that today as well. So I have a better idea of what I look like and of what I want to fix.

My instructor is fabulous but it helps to see myself as well.

For some reason, when she tells me "hands down" I keep them at her withers. The jumps are small enough that don't require a bigger release and what I'm doing isn't popping her in the mouth, but it is something I don't like. Though, it has helped me stop throwing my reins at her. It's been a long time since I've done smaller jumps, figures they give me a harder time than bigger jumps, hahaha! It's a good thing I am going back to basics. Not only is it giving my young mare a better and more solid foundation, it's helping me get out of bad habits and solidify my own form.

Now that she is really working more on her own (she pulls sometimes and hangs on my hands but not nearly as often as she used to), I really need to work on:

1. Maintaining our canter tempo and keeping her forward and between my legs and hands.
2. LETTING GO--trusting her more (I'm getting better about this but still more work) and not holding/pulling her to the jump
3. Softening after half-halting. -- Sometimes when I half-halt her, she will pull and try to fight back. I need to remember not to give into the attention and fight she wants, but give her a firm half-halt or stop her and back her up. It worked today when she kept grabbing and pulling at the reins. She got the message after that.
4. What I couldn't stand the most watching the video, was while I was sitting up and tall, I wasn't sitting up and tall through my core. I slouched my head and let my shoulders come forward a LOT. Disgusting. It really disturbed me, lmao!
5. Snuggling up to her with my inner thigh through the jump instead of just my inner leg and "standing" with it. It's not too bad and easy enough to fix. I think that started when I was working on keeping out of her way and letting her figure out her feet to, over, and after each jump. Gotta work on that half seat some more!

I will admit that I have totally been slacking with really using my core like I had been. I think it's stronger now and maybe it just doesn't feel like I'm using it like I used to, but I am. If that makes sense?

So my homework for the week (I have one lesson a week) is to work mostly on 1 and 3. I am going to set up a line of canter poles, through the green jump in the video, to a single ground pole (that would serve as a mock jump--no actual jumping during homework) through those little standards with the flower box next to it. And one day of working on my half seat at the trot and canter.

You'd think with all the work in the past three months of one lesson a week, I'd have my form a bit better. Goes to show how much harder it can be to get your form back as you get older -_- LOL Jk, could just be my "skill" :p too!

Oh, and I think I am going to shorten my stirrups a hole. I like where they're at, it's comfy, but they need to come up, lol.

Anyway, video :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k17z164Z9WU

Called Out

I totally just got called out by one of my besties -_- that I haven't updated this blog since Gertie's first show when teasing her about not updating hers.

Might as well get my butt in gear and update, hahaha!

After that first show, we had a few more lessons and then another show. this show was off site at another facility. She had been there once before and schooled perfectly and even did her first grid! Unfortunately my instructor was out of town that same weekend/day and I had to go the show alone. I'm blessed to have had my husband and wonderful friends there to help, support, and encourage me through the day! You know who you are <3 You all have no idea how much it meant to me to have you there.

I decided to do Hunters at 2'3". Warm up, Hunters, and Eq. Well, the first two didn't go so well at all. She was schooling nicely in the schooling ring, warmed up nicely and was listening well, confident over the schooling jumps. Went into the ring for our class and I seemed to have forgotten how to ride, hahaha. The first jump was going away from the barn, other horses, people, etc., and with my nerves, probably lost her confidence--refused the first jump a few times and were excused. How embarrassing, LOL! Schooled her some more, then tried again and same thing. I didn't keep enough leg (especially left) on her and she veered left again ... see pictures to come. My brain was elsewhere and didn't hear everyone, and the judge, suggesting to take the jump going the opposite way the first class. It didn't help that it was SO DARN WINDY I couldn't hear a dang thing, lololol. I finally heard the second time and did as they said. She jumped it just fine -_- So we went back to schooling and I decided it might help her confidence to go to a lower division. Instead of doing the 2'3 Eq, we went into the 2' Hunters. Got her over the first jump, then towards the outside line she did NOT like a boat that was parked outside of the arena and spooked at it (lmao). Circled her and brought her back and she went down the line super well and jumped every single jump after that and did so like a super star! She was a bit fast, but at that time, I didn't care to rate her too much as she was going over when asked and actually listening.

Didn't bother to do the 2' Eq, best to end it on a positive and good note! I was SO DAMN PROUD of her! A whole new place with a bunch of new things around her and she got over her fears, grabbed a hold of her confidence, and jumped her little heart out while actually listening to me. Could not have ended it on a better note!

Since then we have been taking it easy. Two and a half months ago, I started taking one lesson a week and I have to say, I am a completely different rider now. She is and moves like a completely different horse...all in an amazing way. I love my instructor. She has done so much to help get me out of my bad habits and ask more of my mare. The improvement in such a short time just amazes me and I am so excited for our first Dressage show in February. We also plan to school XC in January. I would REALLY like to take her in her first Horse Trials/Event at the Pre-Comp level. We will see how things go before deciding.

First, pictures from our last show:

 My Dressage horse in Hunters

 Last jump: Good Girl! And my own eq. isn't too shabby.

And some pictures Alana took a few weeks ago:

And Alana on Gertie!

The end :)

Gertie's FIRST Jumper Show!!

She was FANTASTIC!! Not only was it her first jumper show, but her first real under-saddle show ever.

My goal was to keep her mostly at a trot and get through the course and over everything. She jumped huge, LOL. She was listening SO well that she almost broke into a walk at some small half-halts, hahaha. I would trot her right up to each fence and she popped over it, usually popping me out of my tack, she has such a powerful rear-end that I'm still not used to--that and she is still figuring herself out. I couldn't grab mane because she has none, I roached it the other day--and was kicking myself for it. I was planning to get a neck strap or even use a strap from a martingale to help keep myself out of her way, but became so frazzled I completely forgot about it and how to ride it seems, hahaha!

There was a bending line that she did well on and we've never schooled a bending line like that. I had to circle her in the first two trips before the same fence because she was trying to run at the jump and I wanted her calm. So no jump off, but that was okay! I didn't even bother to look at the jump off course because it wasn't a priority.

My last trip, I did the wrong course, LOL. But the jump judge (someone I know) just let me continue and finish because G was doing so good. I knew there was a course change, and I knew my course. I had gone to school her a bit more and when I came back for my last trip, I was just so determined to fix our previous errors, I had it in my head that it was the same course, hahaha. And she did it BETTER than the first two! So, when I realized i had done the wrong course, I didn't even care, I was so ecstatic that she learned and did it better that time.

I'm beyond thrilled. This is a HUGE milestone for us. Not only her first real show under saddle, also her first jumping show, first time jumping at night under the covered arena with lights. My coach had more trouble with two of the green horses she was on, same with a few others. I am SO SO SO blessed with my horse. She tries her heart out to please me and she did such an amazing job. I honestly expected it to be a bit more interesting (it was when we were hacking in the arena, omg she was bucking and crow hopping like a mad woman, hahaha--got into a lot of trouble but once I put her over a cross-rail in the schooling ring and gave her a job, her attitude switched) and she was much better than I could ever have possibly expected, to be honest. She continues to prove me and others so wrong.

My friend, Camille, took video, but it's not up yet. I DID almost die at one point. She veered to the right and we almost crashed into the standard. I don't know how I managed to stay on over the jump (this was that bending line) or scoot her over enough to get us over--but we did it. Hahaha. That was our scary moment.

I cried like a big blubbering baby when I put her away in her stall. Many of you know, I have had her since she was 6 months old and have done all of her training 100% on my own, and now having had less than 10 jumping lessons under my new coach's guidance. My emotions hit me like a rock. My baby is amazing and we have come so far together. She has taught me so much. About myself, about horsemanship, about horseownership, love, kindness, patience, appreciation... God has blessed me so much by putting her in my life. I'm proud of her and proud of myself. Her and I did this together. I've ridden and trained/helped train other horses that I loved, some I disliked, but THIS... this was a completely different feeling and emotion; different kind of accomplishment. She is my HEART horse.

We still have a lot to work on, but we will take it one step at a time. There is no rush.

**Please no one take this the wrong way, but: I am just sharing our first under-saddle and jumper show experience as many here have followed Gertie since the day I got her almost 5 years ago; I am not looking for or wanting advice on how to improve, what I did wrong, so on and so forth--I have a wonderful coach for this reason. Thank you : )

Most photos by Alana Carden, some others by my husband.

                Where we almost crashed into the standard and I almost came off. I didn't though!

                                                             My favorite picture

Equisilk putting my Gertie blog up reminded me that I should probably update it, hahaha! Thank you, Equisilk, for lighting a fire under my tush!

Gertie is really turning into a fine little equine citizen. I am SO over the moon with her, I just can't get over it. Our rides are getting better and better, constantly refining her basics, and now that her trot is much more consistently correct, we have began to focus on the canter. What once was her easy side has become her hard side over the last few months, but with diligent work, she is really coming along fantastically with it. She is such a fast learner, it amazes me! Her little tantrums and "moments" are short-lived these days, but she still has them now and again. It makes it easier for me to focus on the work rather than her naughty behavior, we just push right through it.

Anyway, I had been having a hard time sitting her canter to the left (probably had a lot to do with my weak left leg), but since I have been working on strengthening my left leg, I'm having a much easier time of it and it has, in turn, made a huge difference in my riding/training, and her response to my cues--harder for her to ignore ;) Sure, that's a "duh" statement, but after developing a huge knot in my left pelvic muscle area, it's been a frustrating few months.

Lately, I've been working on getting her off her forehand (at the canter) and more on her haunches, using her hind-end and working through her back. She was pulling/relying on my hands a lot at first to hold her up going to the left, but with a lot of walk-trot-halt/trot-halt-trot-halt/halt-canter-halt transition work, it has really helped to understand and get her on her hind-end more. When I feel her lifting her front and being more up, light, and supple... BIG SMILES!!! The last few days has been much more consistent in her canter work and I am so proud of her. She's really happy when she gets it right and wants to keep going, I just love her enthusiasm.

Some piktahs courtesy of my friend, Alana Carden.

Enthusiastic flying change

Letting her do her own thang for being such a good girl