Ask a Friend to Ride or Not?

'is there anyone here who COULD handle pony?"

Greetings from Sunset Beach, NC! One of the hardest parts of vacationing is leaving the pets behind (Thank you Erin for watching my cat and lizard this week)!

When should you decide to ask a friend to ride your horse while you are away? In my particular experience- never. At one point I was working on site for a project for 3 months...when I came home to ride my horse after having asked 3 other girls to exercise her for me, she was a complete train wreck. It seems someone did not know how to ride her and she got to the point where she was refusing trot poles...TROT POLES?! I know have some serious reservations about letting others get on her especially when I am not there to supervise...

For those with horses who aren't quite as complicated, all I can suggest is this: find someone you really trust and who knows your horse before you ask them to hop on unattended. I encourage you to watch your friend ride a few times to make sure things are going smoothly. Make a list of things you want them to work on with your horse, and make sure they know the limits (i.e., no jumping above X height or Y spread). I tend to be on the controlling side, so I would ask 'how did the ride go' to get some feedback. In cases where I have been asked to ride someone's horse (or even show), I followed up and let the owner know how the ride went- it is just polite.


Since I will only be gone for a week, it did not make sense for me to bother with the situation. For longer periods of time, you will have to think about if the risk is worth it! Remember though, sometimes a short break can be good for your horse :)

Can't wait to see my pony when I get home!

Dressage: Because Gibberish is Cool

"make a circle at x"

Let me make something very clear: I have been riding for close to 10 years now- sure, I have seen dressage letters in the ring or out at a show, but I did not spend any time at all actually looking at them. I was the perfect hunter snob... why would I care?

So, naturally, when Debi asked me to make a circle at x, I had absolutely no clue where that was (and I decided not to wear my glasses to the lesson- they always steam up!), which meant I was wandering around the ring squinting like an idiot trying to see if I could spot the x before she realized I had no clue what I was doing. Unfortunately, the x is not one of the nice big letters that I might have been able to see- it was a small smudge underneath another letter (okay, seriously? How is anyone supposed to be able to see that, especially when trotting around the ring?)

From USDF:



















This led to a discussion about the letters- which are arranged in no apparent order...in my mind. Might as well try memorizing jibberish! There are a few theories that speculate as to why the letters are the way they are now. The most common belief is that they are arranged based on Imperial German court, where the stable yard was marked to indicate where a rider's horse was to stand to wait for the rider. The letters would then be as follows:

A = Ausgang /Exit
K = Kaiser/King
F = Furst/Prince
P = Pferdknecht/Ostler
V = Vassal
E = Edeling/Ehrengast/Guest of Honour
B = Bannertrager/Standard Bearer
S = Schzkanzler/Chancellor of Exchequer
R = Ritter/Knight
M = Meier/Steward
H = Hofsmarshall/Lord Chancellor

In the 1932 the Olympic committee added: D, L, X, I, G, and C. The only research I could find in regards to these letters suggested that they came from French terms, where:
X = cross or center
G = gauche (left)
D = droit (right)

I found nothing on L, I, and C...


A second theory suggests that the original letters represented the first cities conquered by the Roman empire. However, no one bothers to state what these cities were called. Upon a quick Google search of "early Roman conquests," I discovered that early Romans did not keep a written history, and much of what was written in later years was mixed in with fables and myths (even the name of Rome's founder, Romulus, is fantastical). Furthermore, my research suggests that Rome's first conquests were the Etruscan towns, named Arretium, Casira, Clevsin, Curtun, Perusna, Pupluna, Veii, Tarchna, Vetluna, Volterra, Velzna, and Velch...no correlation there.

There are other theories with German origins, but I found them to be inconclusive and not particularly interesting. It seems to me that it all comes down to tradition, although I would have liked to know for sure why things are the way they are.

Getting in Frame

"Nope, that won't work"

The hardest part about riding with someone new is that you have to rebuild that trust and relationship not just between you and the trainer but between your horse and the trainer. 

And then, of course, there is me set in my ways who was being introduced to things that I had never done before. 

I have always been against 'tools' (spurs, draw reins, side reins, chains, etc.) not because I am against those tools in general, but because I knew I was not an experienced enough rider to be using tools that could easily become shortcuts. More than that, Ruby has a personality such that I know she will freak out when put in a position when she feels 'trapped' (i.e. side reins are a hard pass). 

So, what seems to have worked for us (in our dressage newness without those tools) is to get her moving forward off the leg, keep contact, and encourage her to drop her head and bring her nose in (by 'in' I mean 'tucked in') by using the outside rein. However, she gets tight and will resist on her right side, so going left (counter-clockwise), I have to use my inside rein as well so she doesn't end up bracing. Technically, I think you are 'supposed' to ask using the outside rein only, but for now any positive response to the pressure is good, so we will work out the kinks later.

I have a tendency to lock up on her, so I will check myself by giving on the inside. Unfortunately, I do this by "dropping my hand" which you really should not do -keep those hands up and elbows bent!, but hey, I am focusing on her more than me at the moment. Remember to take and release- the goal is the have the horse carry his/her head this way without yanking or bracing. If your horse resists and throws his/her head up, correct it! That is rude and should not be tolerated: keep your hands still and do not give if your horse tries that. On the other hand, if your horse gets frustrated/upset in the early stages, relax and let him/her know that they have a place to go.

 

The opposite side of head throwing is curling- it is hard to see from this angle, but Ruby is actually giving me too much tuck here. In this case, release and reset your aids.

It is especially important in the early stages not to expect too much. Get a few strides then relax. As both of you get more comfortable, expand the number of steps until you can keep it regularly.

Also keep in mind that (in my experience) these training techniques are not the law: work with your trainer and horse to figure out what your particular horse responds best to. Some trainers will scream and tell you there is only one way- leave and find one that understands that cookie-cutter does not work. If nothing else, Ruby has certainly taught me that!

Homesick

"How many times can we start over?"

After any setback (time off, injury, or my case 'major change'), getting the motivation to get back on your horse knowing where you were before, can be a challenge.

I did have a mini Ruby-meltdown last night. Why? Well, let's look at our riding history:

Purchased Ruby and rode with same team for years- gained lots of confidence and jumped little courses no problem. Barn goes out of business= new management and uncertain future. Moved Ruby away from the horses and riders with whom we had grown together. Meltdown. Couldn't do anything, and found owner's son throwing WolfPack fireworks at my horse. Went back to previous barn (which had survived management change). Met Connie. Started over with training, and got to jumping 3' 3'3" courses after about a year- Ruby and I jumped everything from picnic benches, chairs, mounting block, tires, everything! Barn went under, so we moved. Meltdown. Started over (again). I left for VA Beach for work for 3 months and had other riders ride Ruby for me...came home and she refused EVERYTHING- cross rails, trot poles= our confidence was crushed (either Ruby was holding some major grudge or my riders asked her to do something she didn't want to/couldn't do). Moved barns again to get a fresh start. That barn closed shorty after our move (Jesus!) so we moved to be with CJ. Stared over (we're pretty good at this now). After about 6 moths, we were back to jumping 2'-2'3" with minor confidence issues (all on my end), but no more refusals. Moved 700 miles away, and now...

New trainer, new barn, new climate, new everything. I gave Ruby 2 months off to adjust (for both of us) to the move -my second ride on her since was last night. It has been hard, because I know I will have to start over again to build us both back up. After so many hurdles (pun not intended), sometimes I feel like we just can't win. Finding Heldergate (with CJ and Olivia), Connie, and Harry was the best thing that had happened to Ruby and I. CJ and Connie weren't just trainers- they were friends. I could show up to a lesson with CJ in tears about boy problems, work problems, whatever, and we would have a beer and chat at the barn (she always joked that I didn't need to pay for therapy, which I was doing at the time, because she and Ruby were better for me than any 'therapist'- so I did drop the psychologist and took more lessons/rode more- best decision ever). If you ever want to learn about the political situation in Zimbabwe, discuss government types, or just have an ear, CJ is your go-to on that front! Connie was the same way, and I actually stayed at her place for a bit after a really bad breakup (stacking hay beats moping). She didn't just teach me about riding/training, but about economics, politics, and finances. At either barn, I could spend all day with either trainer knowing that they cared not just about training, but about Ruby and I personally. This new barn is all about business so far, and I have only seen the owner/trainer a handful of times. I never realized how much a great group of trainers/friends made a difference in my riding! 

Ruby and I are still the new kids at this barn though, I am hoping we can find what we lost in the move.

(left): CJ and I sharing some jokes during the Heldergate "Friends and Family" horse show. I'm pretty sure someone could walk into the middle of one of our conversations and think we were both insane...add Olivia to the mix and witty snarky comments were flying all over the place!

(right): Connie and either I discussing changing riding standards in hunter shows, or me saying something funny about the people watching I did in the city. 

Lesson with Harry, where he constantly yelled (if you could call that 'yelling') 'plenty time, plenty time' and 'don't worry so much!' throughout my lesson.

What used to be 'heels down' was then 'chill out' as the most commonly heard phrase in my lessons by all three of them.




Change, although necessary, honestly can suck hardcore. Either way, I can always count on Ruby to be there for me through it all; everything else can change, but our bond won't. No matter what difficulties lie ahead, always remember that  if you can't go out and pick yourself back up for YOU, do if for your horse.

Ruby's Arrival

"Your pony is such a doll!"

Doug (Peace of Mind Equine Care & Transport) arrived with Ruby at about 7pm- he had nothing but nice things to say about her!

Top: Ruby getting ready to go in her new stall
Left: Edna (my car) and I made it to the new barn
Right: Ruby's first time seeing a mirror- she had better get used to them,  since both the indoor and outdoor rings are lined with them.

It was miserably cold (polar vortex and whatnot)- temperatures are well below the average. hopefully it will start warming up soon so Ruby and I can get back to our usual work schedule.

Last Lessons in Virginia

"When you get a plane ticket, come back and ride with me"

I had a lesson with Harry de Leyer last Thursday, riding his horse Sunday. She was a squirmy baby (only 3 1/2 years old!) but man could she jump! Very point-and-shoot. Harry's horses go with all leg and no hands which is always a hard concept for me to grasp, but Sunday and I worked out the kinks in the beginning of the lesson and ended with a job well done.

This picture was taken after the 4th fence in a diagonal line. As I mentioned in my previous post about Harry, there is no babysitting! As terrifying as this might be (I am used to doing hunter courses-6 or 8 jumps with plenty of time between, whereas these were 13 jump courses with maximum of 2 or 3 strides between each fence!) Harry's positivity really helps my confidence. I figured he wouldn't ask me to do something unless he really believed I could.

My last lesson with Connie was this past Sunday. I sure am going to miss her and Sully! We worked on Sully's jumping confidence- when you have a few jumps right next to each other, he will get worried when he is unsure which fence he is supposed to jump. Mad Tack also finished Connie's order of 'spooky jumps'- which ended up being spookier for me than they were for Sully. Can't wait to see how he has progressed next time I see him!

Barn Shopping in Alabama

"You flew down here to look for a horse barn...but didn't look at apartments for yourself?"

Funny story- I was super picky about where Ruby would be living, but not where I would be living. Granted, I know my place is going to be at least somewhat decent since Dan is living there, but my requirements are not quite as specific as Ruby's- I just need a bed and a kitchen really.

I have spent the past week touring facilities in the Huntsville area. My findings are as follows:

1. Flint Ridge Farm- nice looking facility, well-kept, lesson program. Won't work for Ruby and I because there are barn hours and I would have to be rush to be off the property by closing time.
2. Kildare Farm- smaller farm, very nice trainer, lots of riding opportunities if I wanted to ride something other than Ruby, good de-worming schedule, lesson program. Won't work for us because there are no lights in the outdoor and no indoor ring, so we would be unable to ride at night. Unfortunate because I really like both the farm and the trainer!
3. River Pine Farm- One of the nicest looking facilities with both and indoor and outdoor, lights outside, lesson program, trail access. Although this barn was nice, I did not agree with the de-worming schedule (not based on fecal floats), and the horses are not led back into the barn- the gates are opened and they all run to their stalls. Considering Ruby's issues with the field anyway, this is not a habit I want her to get used to. This is also the only Hunter barn I considered- trying to get away from trainers who still think the crest release is good riding form!
4. Cotton Meadows Farm- our new home!

Cotton Meadows is owned by the trainer Debi Crowley. Debi was very considerate, friendly, and helpful when I told her about Ruby's catching issues. She clearly knows horses! The barn is nice and has two outdoor rings and an indoor (with mirrors). Although I did not get to see her teach a lesson, she did offer help to a young rider in the ring- any time you see a trainer helping someone when they are not being paid for it, you know they have you and your horse's best interest at heart. I think both Ruby and I will fit in at this barn. Lessons are offered here, but it is a boarder barn which gets me away from the kiddie scene.