On Time

Grace showed up to work on time today. The horse I had underneath me during my ride this afternoon was incredibly businesslike. The only thing that changed between today and yesterday were my expectations of her. Starting out at that walk her movement was cleaner and she was stepping underneath herself. Her lope transitions continued to improve especially when I remembered to hold her through it. From there I was able to put my hand down and allow her to carry herself at the lope with only the occasional reminder to keep her head down. It took very little hand to accomplish my goal as the leg started to become the cue. You know what, my back stayed soft the entire ride. Amazing how I don't hollow my back when my horse doesn't hollow hers.

Mario Boisjoli Lesson 5/15/2013

For the last month I’ve worked on being “less vague” in the saddle. This new focus has allowed me to keep my horse between my legs and my hands consistently. I am able to catch issues like a drifting shoulder or dropped back on the first or second stride that it happens and not halfway across the arena. My new go to aid is my leg with a goal to push my horse up to my hand. The result is a softer, happier, suppler horse that is less prone to take over.  I had one of my best horse show patterns earlier in the month, yesterday was the true test of my work when we had our follow up lesson with Mario.

Sarah told me that at the last Mario lesson that I wasn’t really present that I had gone to the place in my head that I go to at horse shows. He had started that lesson with a pattern and watched us ride a like a judge would and yes I more than likely went to the Bahamas. I was determined not to let that happen this time. Mario entered the arena while I was warming up, after a quick hello I ignored him so I could go back to focusing on each step. When the lesson started he asked me to repeat the counter canter pattern we did at our last lesson, he said he was sure I had practiced it at home and he wanted to see it. No pressure or anything! This time I rode each stride of the walk up to the lope transition and had an uneventful departure. From there the pattern was smooth; I made sure to use the arena keeping my circles big, leads changes were clean, counter canter was steady and downward transitions were purposeful. Mario complimented me on the big improvement over last month. He was pleased with how steady Grace was with her head compared to last time when she was all over the place. The only thing he critiqued were my arms which tend to turn inward. It wasn’t the worst case he had seen but it was something I needed to work on.  

Sarah brought a different horse to this lesson so instead of working on the pattern Mario worked with her on lope transitions, he told me to pay attention. Again he talked about the importance of riding each stride up to the lope transition, winding up the coil and then releasing it for the transition. He gave Sarah a series of things to do which all involved timing. I have to admit it was great to see her struggle a little as she admitted that she understood what he was asking for but it would take her a try or too to get the timing. This is exactly what I go through when she throws new things at me so it was wonderful to see that my trainer is human after all! By the end of the lesson the horse that Sarah was on not only had a much improved lope transition but his lope over all had improved dramatically.

When Mario asked me what I wanted to work on I told him I wanted to do the same lope transition exercises he was doing with Sarah and that one of my goals it to improve my lope departure on pattern as I know how important it is. Again the focus was riding each stride up to the lope transition, I kept getting this moment where my horse would get fussy and my reaction was to separate my hands. I had no idea I had been doing this until it was pointed out. The new reaction was to keep my hands together and drive Grace up to the bridle. Within in a few transitions I had what Mario called a 0 score lope departure. This was a big improvement over the negative scores I would have received for each previous lope transition. This led to a discussion about scores on a pattern. Mario said that at the amateur level most people receive negative scores on their pattern, that if you think about walking into the show ring with $70 in your pocket and that with each negative score you lose a dollar. He went on to say that if you consistently scored a 70 for the entire show season you would win quite a bit at the amateur level and that people give it away in the negative scores. This changed the focus from working to get a +1 maneuver to focusing on a 0. This made a lot of sense as he talked about the idea of pushing a horse that can consistently score a 0 to score a +1 puts you at greater risk of making a mistake of now going negative. This is why I love riding with Mario; he not only has the trainer perspective but the eye of a multiple carded judge who watches thousands of patterns a year. I have plenty of homework to work on between now and our next lesson. Mario left me with the reminder that from now on each lope transition counts, which of course means I have to ride each and every step to get there.

The Lope Appears at a Schooling Show!

Today I experienced the best lope that Grace has to offer so far and it happened in the show pen! I could not more pleased with the mare right now. I know the lope I had today was an accumulation of all of the work we’ve done over the last year. Then there were the lead changes that I can only describe as mind blowing. I smile every time I think of them and how amazing they felt underneath me. I am once again in awe of the quality of horse I had in my back yard for all these years. She is just now at 15 starting to tap into her potential. Someone made a comment to me today about her being a push button horse. That might just be the greatest compliment Grace has ever received as we know she is anything but push button.

The numbers were small at the schooling show today. The 4-H kids are off at state fair and I think other families are done for the season. I like this show series, they offer a good selection of classes at different levels including trail, advanced stock seat equitation and a pattern class. Grace was great in trail; I was thrilled with her lope transitions and lope overs.  She just stepped into the lope, and hit her lope overs in stride never making a big deal out of them. It was during one of our rail classes that I realized the nice lope was there to stay. It was great during the warm up, but I didn’t expect in the class. Again she just stepped right into it, no head toss, swish of the tail or squeal. I was able to ride her on a loose rein while she kept the same rhythm all around the arena, both directions. It was just a lovely ride! Throughout our classes the lope was asked for out of the walk, jog and halt, every time it was there; just stepped right into it. Where has that been?

The lead changes came in both the pattern class and the advanced stock seat class. After a counter lope the judge asked for a lead change, ok it was a simple and we did a flying I’ll take the heat for that one. After that flying change the judge asked for an actual flying change on the long side of the arena. I set Grace up like I had with Sarah out in the field as if we were doing a line change; I half passed her a step to the left, created a wall with the rain and asked with my seat.  The change was so nice the people in the crowed started hooting; we got to do another one for them which was just as nice. Grace’s pace never changed, not after the change, not during, not when the little kid came running down the hill next to the arena. It was a nice ride!

The one thing I focused on at the show today was to “keep the bones moving” just like Peggy said. I felt the change in my seat she had talked about the first time I walked through the in gate, it was me not the horse that was initiating the tension! I adjusted my seat many times in each class kept my thigh bones moving and at times rotated my torso. Not enough that anyone could really see it, but enough to keep the lines of communication open with my horse. I need to work on getting some updated video of our rides. I would love to compare it to where we were a year ago. It feels like I am sitting on a different horse, maybe one that might get accused of being push button!

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.

The Lope

I love my horse, but have not always loved her lope. It has been stiff, ridged and difficult to ride at times. For years Grace’s left lead has felt like a sitting on a completely different horse than her right lead. Her left lead was unbalanced, even more stiff and choppy. The “V” made by Grace’s hind legs at the lope has always been small. On her really bad days she would double foot almost hopping behind on the left lead. Like all things Grace related there have been some tremendous improvements to her lope in the last year and a half. There are now days that I cannot tell her left lead from her right, I’ve had to question the direction I was riding in more than once lately. I can now sit her lope; it is quickly becoming my favorite gait. The V behind is larger and more consistent from day to day. Grace lives for lead changes and they often help her loosen up her end even more. Still, there is a stiffness to Grace’s lope and it becomes very apparent in the show pen, which is the last place I want to ride it.


After the trot work at our last lesson Sarah had me bring Grace up to the lope. She asked me to come down the rail towards the middle of the arena. When we hit the center of the arena, I was to point Grace back to the rail, but to keep her on the same lead. The exercise looked like a big on the long side of the arena. We’ve done those before, but not while holding the same lead. Grace and I were both convinced that she could not have her head going one direction while holding her lead going the other direction. Sarah told me to take Grace’s nose back to the direction of the lead as soon as I felt that she was going to change. My goal was to catch it before the lead change. We started on the right lead and I was surprised by my ability to get Grace before she changed. After the second time I found that I could point Grace’s nose to the left for longer periods of time before bringing her back to the right. The third time – I felt something change underneath me. Grace’s shoulder and wither felt like they let go and lifted, the back and forth movement in her shoulder became fluid and her hind end drove up underneath me. All I could say was “Wow!”


The left lead was understandably more of a challenge. Once again both Grace and I were convinced that we couldn’t possibly keep the nose to the right while holding the left lead. Each time I moved her nose to the right Grace changed her lead. Sarah told me to use more right spur and to make it very clear to Grace that she was not to change lead, she pointed out that Grace had to get in trouble for changing without being asked. It took a couple of laps around the arena and one princess fit before it happened, but Grace moved her nose to the right while keeping the left lead. It wasn’t long before I was able to move her front end all over the arena while she continued to hold the left lead. With each stride the quality of her lope improved. The V behind became larger as Grace kept her hoofs in contact with the ground for longer periods of time. Grace’s left lead was lovely to ride. I’ve practiced the exercise a few times now since the lesson and each time the lope improves. It makes me wonder; what else do Grace and I think we can’t possibly do?

Results under saddle

My legs not only make sense to me now when walking, but it has translated in the saddle. For years I have been told to close my leg on my horse. I had a tendency to keep my lower leg off my horse; my legs were often jutted out in front of the girth. My leg position has improved tremendously over the last year, but I won’t lie to you, it has been a lot of work. I had to consciously think about it every time I rode. I first had to take the arch out of my low back,breathe,  soften my lower back, breathe, focus on my abs, breathe, reposition my seat, breathe, and then I could find my leg position. I had to correct it several times throughout a ride. Just as soon as I thought I was getting somewhere it would be time to lope and it would all go to hell. Still with a 6 day a week riding schedule, regular lessons with Sarah and the occasional lesson with Peggy, I’ve really made some progress. My butt no longer slaps the saddle in the lope, something I thought I might never overcome. The biggest difference I’ve noticed in the saddle after my sessions at the Strength Lab is that I don’t have to work near as hard to achieve a balanced, efficient position in the saddle.

I rode Grace when I got home from the cranial sacral session with James. For the most part I didn’t ask anything of Grace, I really just wanted to see what my body would do. As soon as I settled into the saddle I noticed that my legs were in contact with my horse’s side. My feet were pointed forward, just like on the ground I couldn’t quit staring at them. I was in awe of the fact that I didn’t have to force them into this position, it was natural and comfortable. My ankles, knees and hips were all soft and relaxed, ready to absorb shock, just as they were intended to. For the first time ever I was able to utilize the “come along” leg cue that Peggy Cummings taught me. It has been a source of frustration for me for the last 6 months; I had finally decided that it just wasn’t for me or my horse. Even with Peggy standing there I wasn’t able to get my leg to do the subtle cue without becoming tense and losing the softness in my back. Now for the first time I understood exactly what she was talking about when she told me that she should not be able to see the movement in my thigh when I moved them within my jeans for the cue. This time when I gave the cue Grace’s hind end seemed to wake up underneath me as she lengthened her stride behind stepping up into the contact. Gone was the ear pinning and head toss that had been her answer to me every time I had applied the cue in the past. We were getting somewhere.


Grace has been lovely to ride since her appointment with the dentist, but on the ground she has been less than pleasant. She’s been biting at the halter when I bring it towards her face, she bites at the air when I brush her and tack her up. If I didn’t know this mare so well my response would be to immediately discipline her, going after her total lack of respect. But I do know my mare, and when she behaves this badly she is screaming at me that something isn’t right, it’s her way of saying “fix it dammit!” Sarah had mentioned that Grace could use some cranial sacral work the week after her dentist appointment. I had let two weeks slip by and I was pretty sure I was paying for it. I set up a time to have Sarah work on Grace. I couldn’t help but notice that during her session Grace didn’t bite at the air, the halter or at Sarah. Grace can be very untrusting about having work done on her head and face, but she was totally into it, she was more than ready for uncovering this layer of the onion.


Sarah had me get on Grace after the session. When I arrived at the barn Sarah was riding Joe, one of her rehab horses. She was working him at the jog, constantly changing directions. From there she put him into the lope. Joe’s movements became more fluid with each bend. I noticed at the lope that Joe holds the ground longer with his hoofs, the mechanical movements that he arrived with in Sarah's program are now gone. Sarah had me practice the jog exercise on Grace. I was to change directions while really asking her to bend, and keeping her driving up from behind. The exercise had to be fluid and forward, the goal was to not give Grace a chance to stiffen her jaw while changing from one direction to the other. After a few reminders from Sarah about keeping my body soft, holding the ball in my lap and breathing, it started to come together. The softer Grace became in her face, the bigger her movement was behind. When she forgot to stiffen her jaw she also forgot to stiffen her hock. Never one’s to leave well enough alone we moved onto the lope…..

Was that really the left lead?

I had a moment of total confusion during last night’s ride. Both my body and my brain did not know what to do. Grace’s left lead was so balanced and correct that I had to double check the direction I was going in and ask “Was that really the left lead?”


I took Grace out of her pasture in the Connected Groundwork halter. After tacking her up I walked her to the arena combing the line and stretching the bow along the way. Out on the line Grace was plodding along at the walk, not really using her body. It wasn’t long before I noticed a change in her walk. At first I thought it was even slower, but then I recognized that the footfalls were sequenced, a very clear 1,2,3,4. Grace’s trot work was as nice as it was the day before, and I saw an improvement on the line at the lope. I would like to see a better stop from the walk, she still has a tendency to bring her head up, but I know if I stay consistent with the groundwork that it won’t take long for her to figure it out.

I rode Grace in my Les Vogt elevator bit. I knew I wanted it for the work at the lope, but I was pleased to see how light she was in it at the jog. As soon as I got on she was moving better than she has been. When I get a groundwork session in before my ride it tends to take away those first 10 minutes of stiffness that I would otherwise encounter.
When I brought Grace up to the lope I put her back on the same exercise that Sarah and I had worked on Friday night. We started on the left lead which is the more difficult side. For years loping Grace has felt like riding two different horses, the left is never as nice as the right. She tends to stick her nose to the outside and swing her hip in, it is crooked, unbalanced and I have a hard time sitting it. It has improved tremendously in the last 6 months, but it still isn’t up to par with the right lead. Last night I loped Grace down the center line in a straight line, I took her nose to the left and brought my left shoulder back, I then drove her up. I felt Grace’s hind end come up underneath me and could feel that she was straight all the way to the rail. When I turned her left to continue down the rail, I allowed her to carry herself. The first time I felt myself get ahead of Grace’s movement – almost like I was anticipating something that did not happen. The next time after the straight line, I stayed with her. As I allowed her to carry herself she stayed in the same body that she had down the straight line. She was straight, even and working off her hind end. My butt was able to stay in the saddle. I actually had to ask myself what direction I was in and what lead I was on. It felt nothing like Grace’s left lead. It felt incredible! After a walk break I changed direction and did the same exercise to the right. This time when I allowed her to carry herself all I could do was smile. It was by far the best lope my horse has ever produced! Or maybe it was the best lope that I have ever allowed?