Bridleless Lead Change

I had the camera out yesterday to film my ride. It wasn't until I looked at the footage later that night that I realized that the camera wasn't pointed at the poles I had been working for most of the ride. They did capture the bridleless lead change at the end of my ride. This was the first time I've ridden bridleless without spurs. In the past I have used them for most of my steering and as my emergency break. I was able to jog a pattern through the poles, lead change and stop without the bridle or the spurs. The thing in my hand is a wand, similar to a dressage whip but stiffer. I held it between my hands to help keep my shoulders balanced.

Mario Boisjoli Lesson 4.14.2013

“Don’t this the wrong way, you are too vague. Your legs, seat, hands all of it is vague” Those were Mario’s words to me after running though the counter canter exercise during our lesson on Sunday. He went on to tell me that I “leave a lot of money on the table” during my patterns. He is absolutely right; my conversations with Grace go something like this “So maybe if you wanted to pick up the left lead we could do that in a stride or two, or three you know whatever you feel is best”. It should be no surprise that the mare’s answer is to throw her head in the air when she does pick up the lope; I forgot to also ask if maybe she would like to keep her down.

When Sarah and I were warmed up and ready to go Mario asked us to ride a pattern. It was a counter canter exercise that he had been using. One thing I appreciate about his lessons is that he allows you to work the exercise with no input – very judge like. We then talk through what could have been improved and run the exercise again. This exercise was to pick up the left lead on the wall, tear drop into a circle to the right while on the left lead – 3 circles, lead change to the right lead 3 circles to the left, lead change to the left lead one circle to the right, tear drop to the left while still on the left lead, trot halfway down the walk then walk. I had to work hard during the first pattern to keep Grace on the counter leads without my spurs. Her head was in the air for most of the pattern. I was surprised by the quality of lead change from counter lead to counter lead, but still I knew there was a ton of room for improvement. Mario pointed out that I didn’t use the arena like he had told me to, and I transitioned too early into the trot. I fessed up that Grace actually broke at that point. 

The second run through of the pattern was much better and I didn’t seem to have to work as hard to keep her on the counter lead, still there was that darn lope transition with Grace’s nose in the air. Mario told me that if he were me he would have spent the time in between pattern runs doing everything to make sure she would have a better lope transition the next time.  That really hit me, I don’t do that, I just hope for the best next time which never seems to work out. Before the next exercise I walked and jogged Grace asking her to drive up into the bridle. Mario had me riding on a much shorter rein and explained that if my horse won’t take the contact on a shorter rein it doesn’t make sense for me to ride on a longer rein at this time. When I moved Grace up into the jog she stiffened so I added more leg, I could hear her mouthing the bit and making her snarky noises. This is usually when I back off with a longer rein and less contact. This time I kept pushing her through it, I didn’t back off. It took another minute before I felt a change; Grace relaxed her neck and shoulder and gently pushed into the bit. I was able to soften my hand but keep my leg. The next lope transition was the best one of the day. 

Mario repeated a lot of what Sarah tells me, he just used different words. I walked away from the lesson with the realization that I can ask much more of my horse and she might even appreciate the clarity.  One of my fears of riding on a shorter rein with more contact is that I will hang on my horse’s face. Sarah assured me that I have the feel now and will know the difference; leg will also make a big impact. I also have some cool new exercises to add into our arena rides. Mario encouraged Sarah and I to find times that we can move our horses out to get them moving forward. We have our next lesson in one month and I have every intention of arriving with a +1 lope departure.

Slow?

2 weeks ago Grace found her 1^st gear. I still seemed to be searching for mine. I found myself kicking her with my legs at the jog in attempt to boot her up to the pace I was accustom to. She wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere; gone was my tense, sensitive, over reactive horse. After confirming that Grace was not sick, lame or dying I started to wonder what brought on the change. Why did she decide to slow down 10 years into my asking, wanting and nagging? The timing was interesting – 3 weeks after I took my spurs off, 2 weeks after I found my legs. There was one problem; I had no freaking clue how to ride it!

I’ve watched Western Pleasure for years and always assumed that it was easy for the riders. I still believe that those sitting on a dead broke horse that the trainer sits on 90% of the time have it easy, but that is not what I experienced when my own horse slowed down. My body was totally confused – missing was the tension radiating off my horse. I’m not ashamed to admit that more than once I slapped the mare on the hind end with the reins in frustration. The result wasn’t an improvement but at least the hurried pace was familiar. Did I have a 1^st gear? Did I want one?

I think I might have found my slower gear tonight. Our first lope transition was really pleasant; Grace stepped into it with no squealing, pinned ears or tail swishing. I didn’t have to readjust my body after the transition; I just sat where I was and added more leg. The gait was an actual lope, not the usual canter in a Western saddle. I was able to engage my abdominal muscles to lighten my seat, not just the muscles beneath my belly button but all of them. I felt the obliques that I worked during side planks today; I’ve never felt them while riding before. I’m not sure that I’m ready to admit that the trainer was right, but it could be that all this time I’ve been pushing the mare with my spurs and seat. It could be that because I was riding off my spurs I couldn’t engage my abs and soften my back. It maybe, just maybe could be that the horse wouldn’t find her slow gear until I found mine.

Back On Cows

 

Grace and I attended a sorting clinic today followed by a jackpot sorting. This is something I’ve been looking forward to for the last two weeks. It’s been far too long since I’ve had the mare on cows. I knew how much she loved it, but I had forgotten just how much I loved it. I believe I am on the cusp of one of those grown up moments where I might just decide to change my path when it comes to where I spend my horse show dollars. If I could sort cows every weekend right now I would. Horse shows – not so much.

I should step back for a moment and explain I’m not bashing horse shows here. I enjoy showing and it gives me goals to train towards. Horse shows - specifically multiday breed show formats are cost prohibitive and time consuming. I have a job that I find difficult to walk away from. I supposed I have some control issues I need to let go of so I can take more time off, but I actually love what I do at the office 50 hours a week. I currently have 180 hours of paid time off that I have yet to use. For the first time in my life my job is more to me than a means to pay the hay bill. I have entered the grown up world of the career. This week was especially intense at the office and included more than one 6:00am – 5:00pm work day. Luckily it was the first week of daylight savings time so I still had the chance to ride. By Friday afternoon my brain had turned to mush, yet I was still looking forward to the sorting clinic on Saturday. I cannot say the same for a horse show. I love shows, but there are times that they just seem like more work. Last year the only vacation days I took were for horse shows, which were more or less working vacations. I remember being mentally exhausted at the end of a 5 day show only to go back to work the next day. When the grown up inside my head adds up the cost of a multiday show, I am almost sick to my stomach. Entry fees and stall are only a part of the equation, trainer’s fees, fuel, food, extra shavings and a place to stay all add up. I am incredibly fortunate to show with a group that feeds me well and a trainer that shares her LQ trailer space with me. Still I have to wonder what the purpose of dropping that kind of money on a horse show is. Can I really justify the expense? These are the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head since last August.

Today for 6 hours I forgot all about my intense week at work and I smiled to the point that my face hurt. The event was low key and the people I met were all genuine. The clinician did a wonderful job with the entire group, instilling confidence in everyone. My little mare was so comfortable being back on cows, she was very much in the zone. Grace locked in on each cow I pointed her at and didn’t let up until she either pushed it out the gate or time was up. Our team had the best round with 5 clean cows. The flow of that run was incredible. We were 3 man sorting and my team members and I came up with a plan on how we would round robin. We also talked to each other the entire time which kept us in the groove. Every time I get Grace on cows I see all of our arena work come to fruition. We are not undoing our training while sorting; we are actually using it. Grace was so light and soft in the bridle today. I rode in a snaffle and only had to guide her. She stayed calm and cool and she just had the neatest workman like attitude. There was no questioning me or sass, we were a team getting a job done together. I might enjoy horse shows more if we could follow a cow around the arena. Oh wait, I think that call that class working cow. Hmmmmm……..

 

The Finer Points of Hair Care

Grace's mane and I are at a bit of a stand off. It doesn't look any longer to me than it did a the end of the summer. I wash and condition it weekly if the temperatures will allow. It looks beautiful the day after I wash it, but give it two days of pasture living and it is a frizzy muddy mess. I've braided it in the past, but I always took the braids out after a day because I couldn't stand how messy they would look at the top. I know all the reiners and barrel racers are doing it, but the messy braids bothered me more than the frizz. I spent some quality time with Google searching for long mane care tips and I learned that just like in human hair care it is all about the product. More than one long mane aficionado brought up Bio Silk Silk Therapy at the tune of $25 a bottle, which Walmart carried for less. I wasn't thrilled at the idea of spending more than $20 for my horse's hair product, but maybe if I added to the grocery bill my husband wouldn't noticed that I skipped buying toilet paper that month.

Then I lucked out! Right under the shelve with the high end brand name hair products where the "Compare to, Same As" hair products. I found SilkWorks for $9 and it promised to be just as wonderful as BioSilk. The instructions claim it can be used on wet or dry hair and can be used on skin. I tested it on my own hair first; it removed all tangles, gave it a silky smooth texture and tamed annoying fly aways. I then tried it on my skin, which absolutely loved it. I ended up back at the store a week later to buy my own bottle. Don't tell Grace that I used hers first!

For Grace's mane I've learned that she does better with the braids if I but them in after the mane is dry. If I braid it wet she shakes her head slapping them against her neck. I've always kept the top of the braids loose so the hair doesn't get pulled out. I add the Silk Works product to Grace's mane while it is still wet and then again to each section before I braid it. I like it better than Cowboy Magic Detangle and Shine. The Silk Works isn't sticky and it doesn't seem to attract dirt.

Here the braids are still going strong a few days later. I didn't feel the need to pull them all out. I've been told the the reason for braiding is to keep the mane from getting tangled. Grace's mane doesn't get the chance to get tangled because I brush it daily. I would imagine the braids will help it grow as it will keep me from obsessively brushing it.

Look Ma No Spurs!

I’ve been without my spurs for two weeks now and I’m pretty darn pleased with the improvement. I have a much happier horse who has become even more of a joy to ride. The first few days were rough; there were times when I felt like I was learning to ride all over again. The lope transition was especially frustrating; it seems my previous cue involved the  nailing my horse with my outside spur while popping her in the mouth with the inside rein. It’s a wonder that sweet mare doesn’t pile drive me into the ground. I can see now why she grunted and swished her tail going into the lope.

At my last lesson Sarah got on me about my inside rein. It was very busy; when I wasn’t hanging on it I was annoying my horse with it. I finally figured out how to use my leg where I thought I needed the inside rein. I am getting an idea of what it feels like to “bring the horse to the bit” as opposed to bringing the bit to the horse. I’ve also started fixing things at the walk. Grace tends to anticipate upward transitions by sucking back and lifting her head. I used to just push her through it up to the next gait, but now I take a soft square hold and push her up at the walk. We don’t jog until I have the quality walk with her back lifted and her shoulders up. The lope is getting there; I feel like I am being asked to chew gum, pat my belly, rub my head, and do algebra at the same time at the lope. Keeping my leg on is still counter intuitive but I am getting better. When I watch the video I see so many things that I could improve on, which is the point of filming my ride. Before I get too hard on myself I have to remember that I am doing this with no spurs and in a snaffle. I know one horse that is very happy about that.

Taking A Vacation From My Spurs

“If you jab that mare with your spur one more time I’m taking them off!” Those were Sarah’s words to me seconds before I lost the privilege of wearing my spurs yesterday. We were working on lope transitions and I found myself totally unable to ask for one without using my right spur. After I removed my spurs Sarah had me climb on her 4 year old gelding “Max” to get a better feel of what I was looking for. Max was started by Sarah; he is just lovely to watch and I found myself admiring his steady way of going at the horse show the weekend before. Max told on me every time I went to my hand without using my leg by lifting his head, he told on me every time I used too much hand or didn’t give to him when he gave to me, Max told on me every time I tensed and hollowed my back. Max is a tattletale! Max also told on me when I got it right by softly going to the bit and lifting his back. It didn’t take long before I was enjoying his rocking horse rhythmic lope with a smile on my face. I was then able to get back on Grace sans spurs and have a really beautiful ride. Looks like the spurs are back in my tack truck for an unforeseen amount of time while I get back in contact with my lower leg.

Sarah is out of town for the next several weekends so Grace and I will be working hard to have something to show her when she gets back. I’ve been riding with Sarah for years, but for the past year have been more consistent, rarely missing a week; it will be odd to go a few weeks without her. At the same time I am looking forward to working through some things on my own. I’ve found that the more my feel develops I ride more like a trainer at home; more proactive as opposed to reactive. I had a very affirming moment with the outside rein on Thursday that I look forward to exploring further. I was asking for a lope and decided to wait until I knew that I had Grace on the outside rein before giving the lope cue. Each time I did this I had a clean departure. There were times that I had to circle at the jog before getting a true connection on the outside rein going to the left, but the extra patience was well worth the quality that came from it.

On Sunday Grace and I hauled out to hit the trails with my good friend Jeanni. Grace was very well behaved and relaxed out on the trail. It was so nice to get to walk along and have a conversation with Jeanni and not have to micromanage every step. We ended the ride with the same statement we make each time “we need to do this more often!” Not bad for a weekend in February.