The Muscles Don't Lie
Apr. 28th, 2006 10:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancinghorseThanks to all you kind people who said such lovely and comforting words about Shadow. They are all, every one, much appreciated. I've been quite taken aback by how hard this has hit; I was significantly out of it for a couple of days and am still a little disconnected. It's not as if this hasn't been long expected and prepared for. But there it is. Any member of the family, regardless of species, takes a piece of you when she goes.
It's been quiet here without her intermittent commentary from outside, and the Cardis have been much less barky and bouncy than usual. Kaz misses his longtime friend. Spot probably doesn't care, but she knows we're feeling sad and is throttling herself down to accommodate.
But life goes on. Book the latest is in the final blitz with hopes of being done right after the Nebulas (not attending that: no time, no money, no one to look after the horses). The July clinic in Dallas has gone into high gear. I sent out application forms on Tuesday to everyone who had expressed interest to that point, and by the next morning had half the available rides booked with deposits paid. We've had additional signups and requests since, and a promise of auditors--one whole training barn wants to come. The rides will be at all levels including beyond Grand Prix (the famous performer Bana Conversano was the first horse to be signed up) and all breeds from Quarab to Warmblood to, of course, Lipizzan. If you want to come, it's in Waxahachie near Dallas, July 19th-23rd, email for details.
Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm affording it. The clinic ain't bad but hauling there will be killer. But the Mother Ship is on notice and we persevere. (I have openings for new mentees if anyone is thinking about it.)
In the meantime we continue to prepare the local group for the clinic. Camilla is out of lessons and I'll be working her one on one starting this weekend. Pooka has her slot as he will, feet permitting, be going to do in-hand work. Pandora continues her program of Total Fitness. She is getting buff and her attitude is wonderful.
In fact she's a poster child for the correctness of her training. This is determined not by how good the hype is, how many show ribbons or dressage-federation medals you've won, or how many Old Dead Guys you can quote in the original language, but quite simply and inarguably by the development of the horse's musculature. A properly developed dressage horse has certain distinctive characteristics. The neck is developed over the crest but soft below--if the underside of the neck bulges or is overdeveloped, he's being ridden with a strong hand from front to back. Likewise if he has a dip in front of or behind the withers (allowing for conformation--but the more correct work he does, the less he will show), he's not working right. And if his back is dropped and he has no development over the loin, ditto. He should have a smooth, rounded topline with a broadened back and loin and strong, rounded haunches.
Pandora came to us in pasture condition: i.e. pretty much a potato. She had a pencil neck, a visible spine, and a rough coupling over the loin, and very little muscle in the shoulders or butt. She now has clear muscling along the top of her neck, her withers have filled in to the point that she's gone up a saddle size, and her back is starting to rise and flatten. Her loin is almost smooth and her shoulders and butt have grown wider and more distinctly muscled. This reflects the amount of work she's doing to sit down, raise her forehand, and carry herself both on the longe and under a rider. On the longe she raises her back so much that her high withers almost disappear--and that, believe me, is a joy to see.
Our goal for July is to have her going decently at training level (walk-trot-canter and the start of a little lateral work, plus being able to maintain herself on the bit for at least four 20m circles at a time). I'm ruthlessly exploiting Teacher's superior seat and aids for this. I work her three days on and a day off, for now, with walkies, longeing, and riding, then she gets a lesson in which Teacher will up the ante. I'll ride her, then when things get tricky, Teacher jumps on. This is a lot to ask of her really, but she's eating it up. She's able to go on the bit for several strides now in walk, which is the most difficult gait for this because it's slow and has no suspension: the moment of suspension is when you can most influence the horse. When she gets it together I suddenly have rocket thrusters and antigravity, and she becomes very, very light and responsive. She really likes it, too, though it's hard work and she can't keep it up for very long yet.
Yesterday she was having trouble starting up in trot--when she has to sit down like that, it's enough work that she gets stuck. Pooka has been known to have a similar problem. It's common with collectamatics. I opened her up in long trots and big figures, then Teacher took over and showed her how to channel that energy into work on the circle to the point of simple collection. I.e., low second level done right as opposed to riding patterns in a modified Western jog with the head set on the vertical. (Classical collection is the lowering of the haunches and the lift of the front end. It's a power maneuver and takes years to build up correctly. Versus what we most often see in the show ring, with slowing and shortening of stride without shift of weight to the rear. This is why the piaffe gets stuck or doesn't happen: the horse can't raise his withers and therefore the best he can do is a sort of hop in place.)
Pandora not only can collect, within the limits of her current level of fitness it's easy for her and comes naturally to her. She was really coiling her loin for Teacher, and really lifting her front end. It was beautiful when she had it, and then Teacher would let her stretch and relax and then bring her together again in the "accordion" exercise. She'll do more and more of that as she goes on, and it will help to keep her sound and strong. And happy. She's having a great time. I'm working on her canter on the longe and she has a beautiful one, smooth and flowing, with natural rhythm and steadily improving balance.
So, here are the notes for this lesson:
Pandora
Thursday 4-27-06
More graphics. Picture of energy flow diagonally through the horse (right hind to left rein, and vice versa). If horse is already falling on/over outside shoulder, pulling inside rein pushes horse harder over outside shoulder. [by blocking inside hind from coming up and taking the weight so the horse can balance]
Picture of horse with haunches in, shoulders and neck out, energy flow crooked and off line of travel: Crooked horse but energy flowing over right shoulder pulling right rein causes horse to follow more right [this is really tricky, is a favorite of keed's, and Pandora's, and Pooka's]
-Keep shoulders, neck, ears directly in front of belly button and in direct line of sight in low peripheral vision
-When turning, bring shoulders, neck, ears with you using outside aids so that the above alignment does not get compromised. VERY IMPORTANT.
-Horse can't bend or come on bit when crooked.
-Adhere to line of travel--"Own" it as you say. [I was muttering as I rode, "I own this circle. It's MINE! You can't have it!" when Pandora tried to fall inward or follow her outside shoulder to the next county.]
-Falling and waveing back and forth on line of travel symptom of one or more of the following:
+crookedness
+unequal use of hindlegs
+lack of regard for aids
-blowing off
-blowing through
+inconsistent aids
Kudos
-Pandora is continuing to develop and get stronger
-Keep up the "can-do" and patient attitude
-Although still not easy, there is definite and noticeable improvement in your focus and attention [So she says--I still feel as if I have major ADD.]
***The above is very difficult for one and all, myself included, and will require constant practice--think on Buddhist monks and meditation. They devote entire lifetimes to training their minds to both (and simultaneously) be open yet focused.
Khepera is my guru walking around the meditation ready to thwap me with a pain stick to bring me back to present. :D
She is having a blast with ze keed, and he seems to be having a great time with her. We are pleased.
Meanwhile, back at DHF, Pandora worked her big white butt off. They say the sweat patterns on a horse in work will tell you how correct the work is--and yesterday, on a cool day, she had a clear sheen of sweat in the flanks right where we wanted it to be, showing that she really and truly was using her hind end.
Pooka then got his turn with in-hand work. The Wonder Shoer says he can have long-lining and ground-driving now, so I'll start that this weekend. For the lesson Teacher checked out his flexions in his new bit--his mouth is so much quieter and his relaxation so much more notable--and then sent me out to "ride" him on the circle in walk, just like Pandora, but walking beside him holding the reins over his neck. It's easy with him, he's so small I can drape my arm over his back and cruise right along. I had to make sure I didn't pull the inside rein but kept it short and up and close to his cheek, and also that I kept the outside rein steady with no loops or loss of contact. When he had a good walk on the bit, we started doing lots of 10m circles. If he lost the right rein I had to up the tempo and step to the outside, which he would mirror--and that would engage the hind end.
He was really plugged in, and I was using ridden aids through the seat and trunk and getting the same response as if I'd been sitting on him. (This is the secret of the longrein master at the SRS: the horse doesn't care if you're on or off him, he responds to the body signals either way.) I could literally bulge my ribcage and he would step over. My job was to keep an eye on his neck and jaw (had to move back about six inches to where I would really be sitting if I rode him, versus walking at his shoulder) and make sure the neck was long and relaxed and the head was flexed correctly. The rest of him would follow thanks to me using outside rein and touches of whip plus body language to keep him in gear.
It was lovely to be working with him again; I really have missed it. Though Camilla is Snorked and must be mollified this weekend Or Else.
Altogether a happy lesson day with happy horses. Capria is happy, too: I've had wonderful rides on her the past few days, really round and soft and together, better than we've ever had outside of lessons. Me sitting straight and keeping my elbows bent has made all the difference. She's going to be lesson pony for my neighbor whose horse has has to retire due to age and arthritis; so she'll get a little work there until my neighbor finds a new horse.
And finally, today is Tia's birthday. She's One Year Old. She's suddenly grown from fuzzy round baby into slender, elegant adolescent--she's quite the beauty. She gets carrots and hugs and attention today, as they all do on their birthdays.
It's been quiet here without her intermittent commentary from outside, and the Cardis have been much less barky and bouncy than usual. Kaz misses his longtime friend. Spot probably doesn't care, but she knows we're feeling sad and is throttling herself down to accommodate.
But life goes on. Book the latest is in the final blitz with hopes of being done right after the Nebulas (not attending that: no time, no money, no one to look after the horses). The July clinic in Dallas has gone into high gear. I sent out application forms on Tuesday to everyone who had expressed interest to that point, and by the next morning had half the available rides booked with deposits paid. We've had additional signups and requests since, and a promise of auditors--one whole training barn wants to come. The rides will be at all levels including beyond Grand Prix (the famous performer Bana Conversano was the first horse to be signed up) and all breeds from Quarab to Warmblood to, of course, Lipizzan. If you want to come, it's in Waxahachie near Dallas, July 19th-23rd, email for details.
Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm affording it. The clinic ain't bad but hauling there will be killer. But the Mother Ship is on notice and we persevere. (I have openings for new mentees if anyone is thinking about it.)
In the meantime we continue to prepare the local group for the clinic. Camilla is out of lessons and I'll be working her one on one starting this weekend. Pooka has her slot as he will, feet permitting, be going to do in-hand work. Pandora continues her program of Total Fitness. She is getting buff and her attitude is wonderful.
In fact she's a poster child for the correctness of her training. This is determined not by how good the hype is, how many show ribbons or dressage-federation medals you've won, or how many Old Dead Guys you can quote in the original language, but quite simply and inarguably by the development of the horse's musculature. A properly developed dressage horse has certain distinctive characteristics. The neck is developed over the crest but soft below--if the underside of the neck bulges or is overdeveloped, he's being ridden with a strong hand from front to back. Likewise if he has a dip in front of or behind the withers (allowing for conformation--but the more correct work he does, the less he will show), he's not working right. And if his back is dropped and he has no development over the loin, ditto. He should have a smooth, rounded topline with a broadened back and loin and strong, rounded haunches.
Pandora came to us in pasture condition: i.e. pretty much a potato. She had a pencil neck, a visible spine, and a rough coupling over the loin, and very little muscle in the shoulders or butt. She now has clear muscling along the top of her neck, her withers have filled in to the point that she's gone up a saddle size, and her back is starting to rise and flatten. Her loin is almost smooth and her shoulders and butt have grown wider and more distinctly muscled. This reflects the amount of work she's doing to sit down, raise her forehand, and carry herself both on the longe and under a rider. On the longe she raises her back so much that her high withers almost disappear--and that, believe me, is a joy to see.
Our goal for July is to have her going decently at training level (walk-trot-canter and the start of a little lateral work, plus being able to maintain herself on the bit for at least four 20m circles at a time). I'm ruthlessly exploiting Teacher's superior seat and aids for this. I work her three days on and a day off, for now, with walkies, longeing, and riding, then she gets a lesson in which Teacher will up the ante. I'll ride her, then when things get tricky, Teacher jumps on. This is a lot to ask of her really, but she's eating it up. She's able to go on the bit for several strides now in walk, which is the most difficult gait for this because it's slow and has no suspension: the moment of suspension is when you can most influence the horse. When she gets it together I suddenly have rocket thrusters and antigravity, and she becomes very, very light and responsive. She really likes it, too, though it's hard work and she can't keep it up for very long yet.
Yesterday she was having trouble starting up in trot--when she has to sit down like that, it's enough work that she gets stuck. Pooka has been known to have a similar problem. It's common with collectamatics. I opened her up in long trots and big figures, then Teacher took over and showed her how to channel that energy into work on the circle to the point of simple collection. I.e., low second level done right as opposed to riding patterns in a modified Western jog with the head set on the vertical. (Classical collection is the lowering of the haunches and the lift of the front end. It's a power maneuver and takes years to build up correctly. Versus what we most often see in the show ring, with slowing and shortening of stride without shift of weight to the rear. This is why the piaffe gets stuck or doesn't happen: the horse can't raise his withers and therefore the best he can do is a sort of hop in place.)
Pandora not only can collect, within the limits of her current level of fitness it's easy for her and comes naturally to her. She was really coiling her loin for Teacher, and really lifting her front end. It was beautiful when she had it, and then Teacher would let her stretch and relax and then bring her together again in the "accordion" exercise. She'll do more and more of that as she goes on, and it will help to keep her sound and strong. And happy. She's having a great time. I'm working on her canter on the longe and she has a beautiful one, smooth and flowing, with natural rhythm and steadily improving balance.
So, here are the notes for this lesson:
Pandora
Thursday 4-27-06
More graphics. Picture of energy flow diagonally through the horse (right hind to left rein, and vice versa). If horse is already falling on/over outside shoulder, pulling inside rein pushes horse harder over outside shoulder. [by blocking inside hind from coming up and taking the weight so the horse can balance]
Picture of horse with haunches in, shoulders and neck out, energy flow crooked and off line of travel: Crooked horse but energy flowing over right shoulder pulling right rein causes horse to follow more right [this is really tricky, is a favorite of keed's, and Pandora's, and Pooka's]
-Keep shoulders, neck, ears directly in front of belly button and in direct line of sight in low peripheral vision
-When turning, bring shoulders, neck, ears with you using outside aids so that the above alignment does not get compromised. VERY IMPORTANT.
-Horse can't bend or come on bit when crooked.
-Adhere to line of travel--"Own" it as you say. [I was muttering as I rode, "I own this circle. It's MINE! You can't have it!" when Pandora tried to fall inward or follow her outside shoulder to the next county.]
-Falling and waveing back and forth on line of travel symptom of one or more of the following:
+crookedness
+unequal use of hindlegs
+lack of regard for aids
-blowing off
-blowing through
+inconsistent aids
Kudos
-Pandora is continuing to develop and get stronger
-Keep up the "can-do" and patient attitude
-Although still not easy, there is definite and noticeable improvement in your focus and attention [So she says--I still feel as if I have major ADD.]
***The above is very difficult for one and all, myself included, and will require constant practice--think on Buddhist monks and meditation. They devote entire lifetimes to training their minds to both (and simultaneously) be open yet focused.
Khepera is my guru walking around the meditation ready to thwap me with a pain stick to bring me back to present. :D
She is having a blast with ze keed, and he seems to be having a great time with her. We are pleased.
Meanwhile, back at DHF, Pandora worked her big white butt off. They say the sweat patterns on a horse in work will tell you how correct the work is--and yesterday, on a cool day, she had a clear sheen of sweat in the flanks right where we wanted it to be, showing that she really and truly was using her hind end.
Pooka then got his turn with in-hand work. The Wonder Shoer says he can have long-lining and ground-driving now, so I'll start that this weekend. For the lesson Teacher checked out his flexions in his new bit--his mouth is so much quieter and his relaxation so much more notable--and then sent me out to "ride" him on the circle in walk, just like Pandora, but walking beside him holding the reins over his neck. It's easy with him, he's so small I can drape my arm over his back and cruise right along. I had to make sure I didn't pull the inside rein but kept it short and up and close to his cheek, and also that I kept the outside rein steady with no loops or loss of contact. When he had a good walk on the bit, we started doing lots of 10m circles. If he lost the right rein I had to up the tempo and step to the outside, which he would mirror--and that would engage the hind end.
He was really plugged in, and I was using ridden aids through the seat and trunk and getting the same response as if I'd been sitting on him. (This is the secret of the longrein master at the SRS: the horse doesn't care if you're on or off him, he responds to the body signals either way.) I could literally bulge my ribcage and he would step over. My job was to keep an eye on his neck and jaw (had to move back about six inches to where I would really be sitting if I rode him, versus walking at his shoulder) and make sure the neck was long and relaxed and the head was flexed correctly. The rest of him would follow thanks to me using outside rein and touches of whip plus body language to keep him in gear.
It was lovely to be working with him again; I really have missed it. Though Camilla is Snorked and must be mollified this weekend Or Else.
Altogether a happy lesson day with happy horses. Capria is happy, too: I've had wonderful rides on her the past few days, really round and soft and together, better than we've ever had outside of lessons. Me sitting straight and keeping my elbows bent has made all the difference. She's going to be lesson pony for my neighbor whose horse has has to retire due to age and arthritis; so she'll get a little work there until my neighbor finds a new horse.
And finally, today is Tia's birthday. She's One Year Old. She's suddenly grown from fuzzy round baby into slender, elegant adolescent--she's quite the beauty. She gets carrots and hugs and attention today, as they all do on their birthdays.
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 09:29 am (UTC)(The things we do to foil the spambots....)
Auditor space is pretty much unlimited, though if you want to go for all 5 days, it's cheaper if you pay in advance ($15/day or $60 in advance for the whole thing). Do bring a chair and a lunch (though we will be taking orders first thing and calling in to the local sandwich shop for those who want to take that route).
We're getting a great group so far. There's a horse who is beyond Grand Prix, plus a bunch at various lower levels, and all breeds and types. Some Lipizzans, of course, but they're not in the majority.