Grace is a Really Nice Horse!

Grace and I are as ready as we going to be for the show this weekend. We leave on Friday to overnight at the show grounds so we can particiapate in the clinics on Saturday. I ended each ride this week with a big smile on my face while repeating the words “that’s a really nice horse!” The mare continues to impress me by how cool and collected she is each ride, this is as level headed as I ever remember her being. Oh wait – maybe I’m the one who finally settled down. Either way it’s working.

Tonight I brought the Liberty Neck Ring with me with plans to reward the two of us with some bridleless work. There were two other riders in the arena finishing up a jumping session, which is a rare treat for us as we usually have the place to ourselves. Grace and I behaved ourselves and kept our tack on while the other riders jumped an oxer in the center of the arena. I stayed out closer to the rail and was pleased by how steady Grace remained when we started loping. She never once got excited or tense about what the other horses were doing, but then again neither did I. It gives me hope that one day we may be able to handle a pleasure class at the lope in an arena full of traffic.

I kept Graces bridle on when I slipped the neck ring over her head. The other riders were finished, but still needed to move out their jumps. I tied the reins to the horn, with no intention of actually using them. I always tune Grace up a little with my spur stop when I go to the neck ring, I’m sure it’s not the same methods that other people use, but for me it establishes my emergency break and ensures that I will not have to go to my hand. As we jogged off I felt Grace drift out with her right shoulder. With no rein to pick at her with I stopped her and made her do a 360 to the left with my body. I was thrilled with how she stayed in the ground and didn’t step out in the turn. She jogged off straight on my cue and made it halfway around the circle before I had to correct her with another 360. When we changed direction she dropped her right shoulder in so I stopped and did another 360 turn to the left. With each correction she held her shoulders up longer. That is the  exercise that I am supposed to be doing in the bridle, but I still find myself making small corrections with my hand. Without the bridle I feel the change in her shoulder much sooner and I have no choice but to stop and fix it or things will go downhill quick.

We moved up to the lope and Grace was as quiet and relaxed as she had been with the bridle. Her transitions were much smoother as my hand wasn’t there to get in the way. I used my body to control the pace, following Grace’s rhythm. We worked around the people moving jumps out of the arena with Grace never missing a beat. Just for fun I threw in a few flying changes and was once again left in awe of how relaxed and rock steady Grace was. We ended the ride with a nice smooth stop followed by lots of big pets and lots of praise for the “really nice horse” I was sitting on. As excited as I am about this weekend I know that we’ve already won at home.

It’s a good ride until I get greedy

Grace and I have had some stellar rides the last few days. The weather has been picture perfect, sunny and up to 60 degrees. I dragged the arena on Saturday morning and had first tracks for our ride that morning. I rode in the bridle and bridleless both days and thought I had filmed some of our best work yet. Much to my disappointment the video turned out blurry, so tonight when I had the right SD card, I set off to capture what we had been working on.


The jog work was really nice, I’m able to steer Grace all over the arena with just my body. My free hand is starting to make sense to me; it turns out having my elbow bent like I would when I ride two handed isn’t just for looks, it makes a huge difference in my balance. I’d still like to see us both loosen up and not be so stiff, but then again I have to remember the giant strides we’ve made in the last year.

I could have stopped there and called it a day, but we had such a good lope the day before without the bridle I just had to try it again. Grace gave me 5 strides of a really nice in the ground lope before breaking to a jog. I should have listened to her then, and known that she was working hard. But no, I had to push it – this happens every time we achieve something new – I get greedy.

I pushed Grace past the spot where she felt the need to break, she then lost her balance. Since I wasn’t able to pick her up with my hands, she started to rush. Fear stepped in and I used my spur stop to bring her to a halt. We loped off again, had a good stride or two before it fell apart again, this time when I asked Grace to stop she let me know loud and clear that I had pushed it too far. I didn’t get on her case because I knew immediately that it was my fault. I got caught up with the bells and whistles and stepped away from the foundation. The difference this time is that it only lasted for 30 seconds, before I got off, but the bridle back on and fixed the damage. I hope there is a day in my horsemanship journey when I can learn something new without getting greedy with it.

Look what I ordered!

I saw the Liberty Neck Ring in a Linda Tellington Jones book years ago. Penny had shared the book with me when I first started riding with her. 10+ years ago it was only a far fetched dream, this idea of riding bridleless.

 Last night at the end of our ride, I took the bridle off again. This time we loped in both directions, changed directions all over the arena at the jog and even did a lead change. I'm learning pretty darn quick where the holding issues are in my body. The left lead issues are actually in my right hip.I also have found that without the bridle I have to fix anything that is out of balance on the first stride, with the bridle I tend to let it go halfway down the arena before correcting it. Now as soon as I feel a change in rhythm or my horse drop her back, I know I have to get it back. I also now understand how my hand position totally relates to my horse's way of going. When my hands are too low as they often are when I hold the reins it causes my upper body to collapse which puts my horse on her front end. When I hold my hands a few inches above the horn, keeping my elbows bent, it allows me to keep my upper body upright - this allows my horse to step up further from behind. Turns out every little thing I do in my body really does effect my horse's movement.

Merry Bridleless Christmas

A dear friend of mind emailed me a video of her dancing with her horse who also happens to be named "Grace" to Christmas music. Today I pulled out the video camera so Grace and I could send her and her Grace our Christmas best.

Our rides have been so good in the past week and I was pleased to see that I didn't throw it all away just because the camera was rolling. At the end of the ride I finally said "Why not" and took off the bridle. I could not be more thrilled with the results. Actually I do believe that Grace moved even better when I didn't have the ability to touch her mouth. Looks like we will be working this into our regularly scheduled training program.

Merry Christmas!