Gym Days of Summer

The past couple days have been very hot and hazy, temperatures tipping into the low thirties with the humidex factored in.

Needless to say my drive to drag out the standards, fillers and poles from the indoor has been waning. However, Friday, I was determined to get in a small gymnastic before Mich and my venture Sunday with the ponies to school some bigger fences at a local stable.

So, I trudged out at 5:30am Friday following my two poles/standards per trip rule and set up a gym with what has been brought out thus far. (Figures Mich and I made/bought all the stuff and bring in it and out every year yet everyone else uses it...go figure.)

The morning was lovely as far at 5am can go but the grass was still dewy and slick. Keeping the conditions of the grass ring in mind I settled on trot poles to bounce x's, one stride to the 'Black Hole of Death', so named by Paloma, and two strides to a 2'9 oxer. Simple, tidy but effective.

Despite my hate on for gymnastics, (sea of poles seriously freak my pea brain), I find them to be extremely valuable for working on my position and setting Paloma's pace and rhythm without my involvement and.... sometimes detriment.

After a twenty minute flat we took our first shot at the exercise.

I kept in mind the things I have been learning since I started eventing last year.

'Push my shopping cart'... ie in front of my leg

'Hiney to heel, no neck diving' ...or I rather call it 'The Flinstone'

'Let it happen..'  *insert Frozen theme song, I mean what....*

Instantly, I felt Paloma lock on to the 'Black Hole of Death'. But more of a 'mmm not sure I want to' lock. So I held my 'shopping cart' more firmly.

Despite a bit of an extravagant jump over BHD, Paloma felt forward, off the forehand and finally lifting in the shoulder which is a GREAT help for achieving that feeling of 'the jump roll' feeling. By 'Jump Roll', I mean that IT feeling where it feels as though the horses body just curls up beneath you and lifts your body into your two point rather than the rider actually making the move per say. 

We came through a couple more times off the right then swapped to the left. Each time without a blip. I couldn't help but wake the neighbors with my cheering and neck patting and called it a day.

"You should not drill perfection", I told P.

Good giraffe.

Sunday.

I finally convinced DH to allow me to use the new truck to tow the trailer. And by me I mean him, followed by him making the ground rule of 'no stinky horse crap in the truck'.

Me- I said, "nothing stinks, shy of fresh road apples, so no problem!"

We got out the door around 8:15am and arrived at the barn at 8:30am to hook up, pack up and go. Oh wait, load the horse too! Oops... I knew I was forgetting something! This is why you feed me coffee first...

The stable we booked a training ride at is only about seven minutes down the road so we made good time and set up another gym since it was scorching and someone else had already done most of the leg work by setting up a gym for themselves.

We were met by a trot in with four trot poles, 'X', one stride oxer, and one stride to vertical.

After a few adjustments distance wise, we kept the gym the same but nixed the vertical due to the air quality warning. It was only quarter after 10 and already 28*c BEFORE humidex.

Mich and I added a single liver pool vertical on the quarter line for warm up and settled on that after two minutes of work and sweat already flying.

Both horses had a basic warm up and were well behaved.

Paloma was not spooky which was a nice treat but was distracted by the herd of horses turned out beside the ring. I swear this mare was a stud in her past life!

For my warm up with her I focused on regaining that attention using things we use at home when I need her to focus on me. Lots of transitions with quick, well prepped aids. None of the trot off my face in three seconds crap. Engage, aid-now! Use thy stifle!

Two reminders that I meant business and we were in the game.

We kept the warm-up short, tossed in a few leg yields, half passes and shoulder-in's when I could feel Paloma pop her shoulder through corners as something caught her eye. Though, Hey! if this is the new 'spook' I will take it.

We kept the vertical low, 2'6, took a couple shots, no qualms. Good distance, good forward, good shopping cart pushing on my part and carried on to the line. Easy peasy chicken cheesy. 

Too easy for Thunder. So much so that Thunder would not grace the jumps with leaving them up. "Too beneath me", he said.

I slid off, parked P with a firm 'Stay.', and said with enthusiasm to Mich, "Too low for Mr Thunder? No respect Mr Thunder? Okay!", and jacked up the oxer and vertical six inches. Pretty sure Mich cursed silently but I said 'Hey, Thunder asked for it'.

They came again and Thunder was clearly much more pleased. His little pony ears on the perch and a much nicer expression. Good lad.

I mounted up again, unparked P up with a couple short transitions and headed to take a shot at the higher line.

P also noticed the line was larger and despite my hold on my 'cart', P decided it was necessary to canter the four trot poles. Somehow it happened and we jumped into the line, but I hastily pulled up. Thankfully P listened.

My philosophy for P, 'I ask, you jump. I will never ask if it isn't safe. So trust me.'

I asked Mich after if it looked like a mess. She never questioned if P could have made it out safely but agreed that I made the better decision for P.

Some horses you let make the mistake, make a mess and clean it up themselves. Some remember and blame you. ie P. She is a woman and my mare after all.... like mother like ... horse?

We half circled the arena, came again, I half-halted to remind that the trot stays on and came through.

The gym felt lovely! The oxer felt a bit large but P's effort was perfectly executed.

I did however, make the mistake of glancing down half way over and immediately felt my heel come up. Bad me! Big oxer's have that affect on me.

After a couple more noteworthy efforts over the now 3' Liverpool and larger line (2'9) we were all drenched in sweat. Jointly Mich and I called it a day and headed to cool out and make the journey home.

... I was supposed to drive back but DH again refused...

Me- 'again no problem, I always wanted a chauffer. Guess what hubby, you have just volunteered to be a horse show caddy *wink*'

All in all, great weekend of horses and jumping. 

It was a full moon after all...

Roaches; Impossible to Abolish

Despite the title I don't have roaches per say, however, I did tank and finally roach Paloma's mane!

I know, truly shocking right!!

I have always struggled with Paloma's mane and I, personally, despise pulling. Not only do I think it is almost cruel, yes I know, no nerves, but it just a sheer pain in the ***. A nicely pulled mane, looks lovely for a few weeks and yes Paloma does look smashing with a tidy pulled mane but the issue with her mane is not the mane itself but Paloma's chunky crest inherited from her father dearest.

While this passed down trait is very visually appealing, it spells nightmares for pulled manes.

Why? When pulled, whether all in a, long mind you, day or over several weeks it will look like the image of perfection... for a few days. Until the top two-thirds begin to stand straight up and push the first third of her mane towards her poll.

This in turn produces two problems, an unsightly Fjord look complete with the two toned white and black hair, (..yup, oddly enough we have that too, dang dilute gene) and secondly Paloma literally has a mental breakdown thinking there are a million and one unescapable flies hovering her ears. This spells trouble for potential good rides.

So, why now you ask?

Well, to toss a third reason into the mix, it appears as though a pasture mate has taken up the fun past time of mane pulling. Ugh.

ZIPPPP! It is now alll... gone. Despite nearly and I meanly super nearly chickening out.

The internal mental battle hashing out in my brain pulled on her brave girl panties and took a big snip right in the center so to avoid further hesitation and time wasting.

And now! I have an initially embarassed horse who within ten minutes was truly embracing and loving her new do. I swear she grew two inches and fancy pranced the entire ride AND didn't even sweat an inch!

Woot!

I am honestly not sure why people are so opposed to roaching, it is just SO CUTE! 

I simply cannot wait for a small bit of growth so I can have a Trogan horse! 

'Faux Cold' Horse Takes It Back to Basics for Umphness.



Exhibit 'A' of 'Faux Cold' horse



Looking back at my rides last year I was just beginning to learn more about equine brain works and how to categorize each horse-nality into simple groups in order to tweak my aids just so to get the desired outcome, accompanied by the desired effort.

I think in our lessons when we are young we are taught you do 'this' to get 'this' and 'that' to get 'that' and quality/effort is lost somewhere in all the noise. Then, as we get older and we continue what we have learned through the years we eventually hit a wall. That wall is the barrier standing between you/your horse and better/tougher items that are already on your agenda.
You think, 'I just need to get, *points*, over there!' So we kick, plead, cry... toddler tantrum. It doesn't help trust me.

After some time the clouds pass and the clearer thinking, more mature version of you comes to the rescue... by use of ten fingers, a keyboard and the wonderful word "Google".

Many hours, a few bottles of wine later you hit the wall again, but this time, you find a ladder. Ah Hah!
You climb the ladder....
Then find yourself starring at a "NO EXIT, DEAD END". *Insert kicking, pleading toddler again*

Finally, you swallow your pride and your determination/maturity, (need both, trust me), takes hold and you attempt to inconspicuously saunter back to square numero uno. The Basics. *Dun Dun DUNNNNN*


Sigh, yes, I too feel your pain but fear not. These 'Basics' are not the same basics you once learned those many years ago, no, these basics are the Foundation.

Yeah, I know, just a fancier label but it makes me ego feel better about it. It will yours too!


If you have read my posts before you know about my beef with Paloma. 'Faux Cold'.
From what I have learned, there are generally three types of horse-nalities when it comes to energy/effort levels. There is 'Cold' .... the lesson horse from yester-year, 'Hot'.... the horse you thought you wanted when you started watching the Calgary Stampedes or the went a few too many times to the races, and finally the 'Faux Cold' horse.... the horse who is neither 'Cold' nor 'Hot' but a combination of both. The culprit? The brain.
Paloma, falls into 'Faux Cold'. She can be a reliable form of 'Hot', as in I know exactly what is coming and how to knock it down quickly with minimal incident. A encouragable but nagging form of 'Cold'.
However! She can also be an excellent blend of both .... WHEN you put in the effort to unmask it.


Point of my thesis here... Now, in this past year, I have discovered where Paloma falls into these categories and how to unmask it I have hit 'The Wall' in my training.
In these past few months, together, we have learned what 'forward' is, we have gone on to learn shoulder-in's, haunches-in/out, shoulder fore, real leg yields, half pass, canter-walk's (sounds easy but not!), etc. But there is still something missing.... 'UMPH' is the only way to describe it and I do think most understand my cunundrum.

The answer is, as stated above, The Basics.
It isn't all bad though. As I review our progress, despite my lack of attention to detail by means of over-excitement when something went in the right direction rather than wrong, I don't think Paloma would have been able to either comprehend let alone physcially give me what I want now. The said task but with 'umphness'.

Knowing that teaching Paloma or readying Paloma, is what I should say, to anticipate in my daily schooling sessions is the key to unlocking the 'Sparkle', I am now able to fold in the 'Sparkle' with 'The Basics' which in turn produces 'The Umph'.

Back to square one with a kick. Transitions with Sparkle!