Patience Young Padawan

So Whin and I are on the right track.  My leg is doing better, I have realized that if I can feel my shin touching the girth that seems to be the right spot.

In our lesson yesterday we worked on going forward and back in the canter, with much better results than before. It seems that if I use my outside hand and follow it up with a little inside spur we collect better.  Also I need to think of the collected canter as still being big I tend to squash it a bit.   We also did some walk canter's with better success than before.  there are a few trot steps to the right but we aren't completely dying and splatting on the forehand.

Also in the trot walk transition I found that if I give an encouraging tap with the whip her hind end jumps underneath her.

We are just working on basics and my trainer says we will slowly work our way in to doing movements but hopefully they will be much easier once we fill in the holes. And who knows maybe we will finally get those flying changes that we were working so long for.

I just need to have patience!

New Lesson Update

Hey all  Thougtht I would write a quick post before I forget everything that we went over in my lesson.  Went for a lesson with my trainer yesterday and it was so good. However my muscles are rebelling today.

We arrived and Whin knew she had to be on best behavior...so she automatically went round (the last lesson with this trainer we really worked on working her through her whole body instead of just setting her head) And stayed there for most of the ride. So we moved on to things like my position.

It is so much easier to Fix Whins problems than it is to fix mine. Stirrups were lengthened and I was reminded frequently to keep weight in my heels even when reminding Whin not to flirt with the handsome Intermediate gelding.

Also I have mentioned on here about my rouge right hand, It wobbles all about, because my elbow isn't close enough to my side.

I also need to push my hands towards Willow at the canter and walk more.  

And boy did we go forward, I have never asked a horse to go so forward in my life. We started in the canter and and my trainer said "give her a pop" at first I was unsure what she wanted because it was a comfortable canter... then she repeated it, I figured out she wanted me to ask Whin forward, so I asked and she repeated it 2 more times, boy were we flying and the most magical thing happened, Whins harder side at the canter got more balanced and uphill.  

So lots of things to work on, mainly me... but I am just thrilled. We have been focusing so much on basics, seriously I have hardly asked for any real movements in the last couple of months, but I feel so much more confident now that Whin is really through, I think it will improve even more when I have my position and Whin going forward!

So its just after the new year and every one is making resolutions, but I feel like I am in a bit of a transition period with my riding. I would like to push on to third level but we are so unpreppared.  Some holes were discovered in my training and riding so until those are filled we need to step back from competition and really get those right.

Come show season, if we are not schooling changes I might try second level again, and attempt to redeem myself (;, but if we are schooling changes I would rather not confuse Whin with the counter canter.

In short my goals are all entirely training based. Right now they are to to continue to get Whin truly through and over the top line, and build strength. To have Whin in front of my leg, and to get weight into my heels and my rouge elbow by my side!

Still Alive

Hey all I haven't blogged in a long time, after that last so every thing sort of went out the window for the rest of the season.

I got really busy and flustered and as a result Whins brain went away and we spent the rest of the summer literally going backwards, so after some dreadful shows (please do not even tell me what I scored) we took some time to hack out and unwind, and now we are back to work.

I had a lesson with my second trainer (who had just gotten back from 2 weeks of training with Debbie McDonald, I am hoping those good riding skills seep through to me eventually.) It was a great lesson and I learned a lot, it was a bit different then usual so I wanted to blog about it before I forget. We worked  on Whin being really through an honest to the bit. I didn't realize how dishonest she was being until that lesson ( and boy does she regret that I ever learned).

My trainer had us do leg yeilds to the outside when she was honest to the outside rien then we would go straight and really let her take some nice big steps, when she lost the honesty or if she wasn't through on the inside rein we would do a Renver. 

I need to remeber to really make her be through and accepting of the bridle at the walk before I ask for anything else.

Also I need to expect more of her from the begining and even in warm up have her have a nice shape in her neck instead of just dropping her head.

So now that we are both tired and soar, we will continue on so that we can keep the connection through movements as well!

It's Show Time!

I am terribly sorry I have not updated for so long, Whin and I went to a show a few weeks back on the 5th of July.

The situation was not ideal, Whin had been a bit on edge because of fireworks celebrating independence day the night before and then she went into heat. resulting in her not eating a thing that morning. And it was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Well like a trooper Whin went to the show anyways, and I felt she really did try, and we did not have the stop and pout shenanigans of last year, so I suppose I shouldn't complain... but we were not on our A game.

It felt as though the footing was molasses's.( it was actually superb footing, the facility is very nice) and poor Whin was very slow and on the forehand.

I was sure we wouldn't pull a 60%

We did a bit of mad canter in between classes to wake up a bit and I feel it helped but all in all poor Whin was hot, tired and hungry, she really was a star to make such an effort.

In the end our scores were not as miserable as I thought they would be, in fact they are scores I would take any day, we got a 66% in second level test 1 and a 64% in second level test 2. We came in first in both so, although it was not our best show Whin showed a lot of heart, and I guess the judges just can't resist that cute big old head of hers!

lesson

My trainer was out of town this week so I set up a lesson with another trainer  who is a bit farther away but a very accomplished.

It was a very good lesson, I learned a bunch. I think it is good to get another opinion on things because, a new trainer my have a different technique or say something differently that just clicks.

This lesson was all that I hoped it would be.

we worked alot on the canter walk transition, as Whin falls on the forehand.

It turns out Whin curls her haunches to the inside and locks up and falls on to her forehand so in order to fix it  we started riding leg yields through the transition. And I mean we rode a leg yield. At first I thought she meant to ride a leg yield feeling, No she wanted side ways steps.

The downwards transitions improved and became more up hill but we will really need to work on them! The trainer also said that in 2 weeks Whin will always want to leg yield over and then I will need to work on getting her straight again.

I guess its like Painting, there is always a point when you are part way through where the painting looks terrible its just blobs of color here and there, but you have to go through that point to make the painting good.

Things that were emphasised were the bend, really asking her to bend around my inside leg, and always riding a leg yield to the outside while on the circle 

(I guess leg yielding is kinda important)

Another thing that I noticed was everything had to be done well.  every turn on to center line and every transition had to be done right or it was repeated until it was good, even when we were all done and I let her walk, that trot walk transition needed to be ridden well.

That is defiantly something I need to work on!

All King Edwards Horses Call Me Blessed Fool

Monday, Monday

Whin has decided that she is a very, very good girl.

While my trainer was out of town she tried on the evil twin shoes (she actually does have a twin but is more of a free spirit so she doesn't wear shoes.)

However when my trainer got back in town and told me to get after her for bucking and throwing herself about while I rode her, and it has all stopped and I am quite sure she has become some sort of magic creature who can read my thoughts.

(my mood towards Whin was not hurt at all by her earning a 70% last weekend)

But she has continued her superb attitude and we had a quick little ride yesterday 1. because no one turned on the lights in the arena (I don't have access to the room where the light switch is) 2. because she was an angel!

our second level test said that we didn't have enough bend in the 10 meter circles so we worked on that a bit. Did oodles of transitions (Carl Hester says do 200 transitions a day) and worked on half pass. She did every thing very nicely  so we stopped and I feed Whin copious amounts of cookies!

 Which Brings me to a product review

 

Mrs. Pastures horse cookies!

According to Whin they are the most delicious thing in the world along side her Safe Choice Performance.

Seriously, I think I have mentioned on this blog that Whin is a bit of a flirt, ok a huge flirt, so Whin was flirting with all the horses and calling an carrying on when  I unscrewed the lid of the cookie jar.

NOTHING else in the world mattered to Whin. Geldings who cares, all of her focus was on me and these cookies. She loves them!

The only down side is that they are a little large and hard to fit in your teeny tiny breeches pockets.

They may even play a roll in Whins angelic behavior.

so 4 hooves up for Mrs. Pastures!

All King Edwards Horses Can Make Best Friends

Second Level Debut

Whin and I went to our first Rated Show together.  I have only been to 2 rated shows and that was nearly 10 years ago!

I don't know why but sometimes it seems like things just go wrong when preparing for horse shows. I was going to try wire to Braid Whins mane but I couldn't find it so I threw in some rubber bands which I was less than thrilled about.

So by this time I am running late due to the braiding issue and Panda finding a dead mouse and using it as a chew toy. She knew I was going to try to get it away from her so she escaped and I had to chase her down.

Then as  I was trailering I ran into a Parade and drove around for 15 minutes before I decided to double back and take another route.

I finally made it to the show late and flustered, but a really nice lady helped me back my trailer in  which helped relieve stress, however I managed to lose my phone, It had dropped down into the parking lot dirt, I found it before an one ran it over thank goodness.

Whin came off the trailer like a fire breathing dragon, So I threw her tack on her and we went into warm up.

I was still quite flustered and Whin was still a bit fire breathing so we walked for a long time. There was a Friesan in the warm up that Whin didn't like and so we had little mini meltdowns every time we passed him. but finally he went to do his test and both me and Whin settled down.

Whin really started to go well and all of my nerves melted away. I actually learned a really good thing in that warm up. half halts need to come from the leg, almost completely for Whin she just sort of compresses her self if I do that.

I also periodical need to push my hands forward to help her come over the back more.

So our turn came up and we entered the ring. I did feel that it was the best test I had ridden.  we had a spook in the stretchy circle  but she came back to me really quickly and stretched way down but the circle was a weird shape and then on our 15 meter canter circle I got so caught up on getting her more through that I forgot to steer. but every thing else I felt good about.

As we were warming up for our second test my friend came over to the rail with a big smile on her face. I stopped to talk to her and she congratulated me, I guess I didn't respond correctly because she asked me If I had seen my test I answered no, she gave me the good news that I had gotten a 70%.  I was over the moon, its the highest score I have ever gotten and we got it at our first rated show!

Whin felt with me in the second warm up which she isn't always on the second one. and we went in to do our Second Level debut. as we were rounding the corner to enter at A Whin spooked and took off head in the air at a wild gallop into the arena.

I couldn't help but grin madly at our modification to the test , enter A Wild gallop x halt salute.  She came back to me quickly but It threw off the first 2 scores.  I felt pretty good about the second test there was still some steering errors (really when I learn how to steer it will help my scores) Whin was willing but tiered so we lost some of the spark, but I felt we put in a good test.

We scored 62% my goal had been to get above a 60% so goal achieved, Now if I can learn to steer we will be doing great!

Also It was a secret goal of mine to score a 70% at first level before I moved on so It was a great day for achieving goals!

All King Edwards Horses Can Make Best Friends