I have a lot of fun exciting things to look forward to this weekend...and a lot going on between now and then. All good things and as much as being busy can be a bit of a whirlwind, I tend to thrive.
We have been lucky to have quite warm weather move in so its been easy to stay motivated to ride.
Much to Tillie's dismay
I hopped on last night after showing my old trailer to a few interested people and I am reallllly hopeful it sells so I can go get my new trailer for the weekend. I kept the ride pretty light and just pushing some buttons to be sure we were agreeable and on the same page.
She started off a bit distracted since there was a lot going on...amazing when its warm how lessons pick up, leasers are around etc. So when I initially started connecting her at the walk she was a bit fussy.
floppy ears!
But I focused on using my legs and getting her forward in the walk to concentrate. Once I had a reasonable walk and she could bend and counterbend off my leg I ask for a trot. I did some gradual leg yields to help get her testing her balance and was really impressed with how well she settled into them. She stayed much straighter BOTH ways too!!
I will not look at you
I did some ground poles and felt her fill up the contact even more and it felt really nice. She even offered stretch and stated on the contact while doing it for an entire circle!!! I let her catch her breath before cantering and she did beautiful transitions into both leads and I really forced myself to not stay on a 20m circle and stay large around the ring. It paid off!! While she got a big a few times, it was never unbalanced or out of control. She came right back and down to a nice trot after a few rebalancing steps.
After another walk break, I picked her back up and we worked on lengthening around the whole ring and Tillie really seemed to enjoy it. She did break into the canter (albeit a lovely one!) but I dont hate that...she was really trying and I just need to figure out the balance of toeing the line without breaking. I know it will come.
showing off her newly trimmed mane
From here I decided to pop over a few little jumps just to test if we could keep it chill...and Tillie actually offered to jump the cross rails and come back to trot without me even asking...it felt more or less like I thought it and it happened :) So we upped the height a bit and jumped around at about 2'9 and Tillie just felt flawless.
We jump jumps!!!
She really cracked her back over a few and really enjoyed herself. After the last fence she dug down and was a bit heavy, but she came back after a short "victory" lap that wasnt out of control, warp speed or containing any airs above the ground.
All in all it was a great brief ride. I could really get used to these! Now we need to practice for the dressage show this weekend!!!!
Besides trying to sell allllll my random horse related crap I am not using, in addition to my TWO dressage saddles that dont fit my mare, I actually rode a good bit this weekend! Lately thats a big deal with the winter blues, especially since P was out of town so we didnt have our usual jump lesson.
Tillie happily schooling at home like its no big deal
I took the opportunity to school at home again...so this is the second weekend in a row without a lesson and jumping on our own. While it may not be a big deal for most, it is for me...because there was a time I was genuinely afraid I would die if I tried to jump Tillie at all.
Last weekend we did the grids, which always makes me feel safer...this week we did a bit more course work and single jumps which tends to open the door for building or sass. BUT much to my delight, Tillie was a gem. This leads me to feel incredibly bad for doubting her still...call it self preservation or PTSD, but I still dont always give her the benefit of the doubt.
The moment Tillie realized we were jumping a kids toy table
I admit, I need to be better in these situations really schooling...not just hopping on jumping around and basically coasting and overly enjoying Tillie being quiet by being a big kid and turning off my brain. My equitation goes out the window, My releases arent there, I dont do as good a job setting her up...etc. So basically I need to start having more purpose jumping at home.
Tillie couldnt have been better though and we did some bending lines, some jumps here and there. She wanted to get behind my leg and contact but be quick like she has the tendency to do, but I tried realllllly hard to not fuss with her and just let her sort it out over the height I had set.
Anyway, Emma was excited and pulled out the fun kid table for us to try which Tillie didnt even blink at.
Ignore my horrid equitation...Ill be beating myself the next few jump schools to force me to be better even when "having fun".
I almost wimped out of riding on sunday after teaching all day, but realllllly glad I did because I tried a friends dressage saddle on Tillie and it was one of the better dressage schools we have had on our own that felt similar to what I get when I go to C.
Tillie could actually canter without bracing on the reins...I had no idea how wrong it felt until I felt how right it could be in a better fitting saddle. I could do lengthenings and maneuver her better in the canter...it was all just so lovely.
We ended the short ride with a quick stroll through the gremlin field (most of the horses freak out up there) But Tillie was a solid citizen and walked around cool and calm! I was so proud of her :)
So now on to try to sell my saddles so I can get a new, better fitting one :/
Just when I thought my saddles were fitted and I didnt have to worry about having a fitter well yea...I was wrong. I may need an entirely new dressage saddle. This makes me really sad. Like so sad.
I love my dressage saddle!!!
Its my very first dressage saddle...and its brown. So its unique and looks good on Tillie and she really hasnt told me shes uncomfortable in it. BUT we went to a C lesson weds and rode around and was describing to her a bit more what Tillie felt like in canter as we were working on the counter canter exercise.
I hadnt realized how chunky Tillie is until this photo...
She nodded and said if you arent in a rush, let me grab one of mine that I think will fit both of you...so off she runs and brings back a gorgeous Custom Saddlery saddle. Its the same one I actually rode in when I rode her mare Star.
I climbed on Tillie and the difference even at the walk was immediate. She had way more swing in her back and was more willing to move out. I chalked it up to just the saddle feeling new to me and since we already had an almost full lesson so she was nice and loose.
Then we moved into trot...and I found myself really having a hard time sitting the trot. Sitting trot has never been nice since we are just starting, but C started laughing because Tillie's back was just that much more loose, so it was night and day....kind of like trying to sit the trot on Star. I felt like a kid, I just couldnt do it.
All ready to go in her new halter!!!
The biggest difference of all came when C said ok now try a canter. Tillie had the most balance uphill canter...there was no leaning or bracing on the reins, it was just nice. I expressed how just awesome it felt and C said she had a hunch my saddle was causing me to tilt my pelvis down essentially riding Tillie downhill...
Munching before the lesson
So I ask her what her saddle cost....a whomping $2500 used. Le sigh. I really cant afford that right now with just buying a trailer. Of course things like this happen when you least expect them to I guess. Tillie has really filled out a lot since I first got that saddle....
Look at that thick neck!!
This image below is from the summer...she just looks so good in this tack!
Well I guess my first thing to try is have a fitter out to see if I can have my current one widened enough to fit...if not then on the hunt for a cheaper version of the one I tried.
#marefaces
Side note, my husband actually came to watch the lesson....hes maybe seen me ride less then 10 times and he was kinda adorable asking C questions. Oh and the fact she mentioned I needed a saddle in front of him so I didnt have to come home and tell him I was looking for yet another saddle. LOL
So I am trying to sell my PF dressage saddle....that one is also too narrow for Tillie :(
I have been up to my eyeballs...and trying to keep up!!! It is all good, just stressful.
We have snow in the forecast tonight and tomorrow so I am hoping that the warmer weather we have had will make it just be a blip without setting us back. I actually was able to ride 2X this week...thats right, middle of the week rides!!! Woooo!!
How Tillie feels about me riding on a week night.
I was a bad horse mom and totally forgot to give Tillie her depo Sunday so brought it to give to her Tuesday...unfortunately I do think it affects Tillie more than I realized and she was in a meh kinda mood for our ride. She just didnt have the work ethic she has had lately, which given this was our first time riding an additional day could have been just sheer tiredness while we rebuild strength.
Me tired? NOOOOOOO...
I felt a built guilty because I did get frustrated in the ride and realized I am falling into the trap of comparing to well this is what we did and how it felt the ride before. I need to ride the horse I have today and what I should have done is just did a hack around and loose rein work. But I did promise I wouldnt go down the coulda woulda shouldas so...we had an ok ride. **shrugs** they happen sometimes right?
Ah the little things like a dry freshly dragged arena
Tillie just didnt want to get off the right side, she was bending but not really bending. She didnt even really put up a fight when I kept asking for more which, in hindsight, I should have realized meant she was tired. But I tried starting slow to ease her into with stretchy trot and some light canter sooner in the rides like the clinician suggested.
She was nice and quiet in the transition, just a bit sticky. I tried to start working on some of our dressage homework of lengethnings and Tillie is really starting to understand...it isnt perfect, BUT she will quietly come back really nicely now which allows me to be able to be braver and riding her more forward for that bigger trot.
Isabelle happily hanging out while Emma sets jumps while we cool down
Tillie had a bit of a hard time maintaining the canter in our canter work when starting the counter canter exercise C gave us as homework...I let her settle and rebalance in the trot before cantering one more time before I just said ok its not our day for this. I finished the ride working towards stretchy trot.
so cut
But I have other big fun news to share!...so remember I was trailer shopping. I have been doing research and window shopping gradually getting more and more serious.
And I finally decided and put a deposit down on this beauty!!!: 2001 Exiss 2 horse with a dressing room. I ran across it on a classifieds and it was a really good price for the shape that it is in. The tires are brand new, new brakes, new lighting etc.
The only downside is now having to wait for it!! UGH sooo hard lol. I am hoping to have it by the end of the month...worst case not until April after Rolex. GAH But either way im so excited!!!!
I am usually way too exhausted after teaching lessons all day to ride my own horse...but the weather was a beautiful spring - like day in the mid-60's that I couldnt resist. It was so fun too because I had my trusted 3 musketeers to help as jump crew and video...these are a few of my more advanced students that ALWAYS help and are a huge lifesaver many times over.
The end of our ride - all smiles and proud we can not only jump, but we can jump big and keep our heads screwed on:
I actually used Tillie in an earlier lesson doing this very same exercise just as small x's and was super impressed with her keeping her cool and how well my student rode her (one of my three musketeers). I do always get a bit nervous for both my students and for Tillie because I care about each of them and want to set them both up for success. I was quite proud of them both!!!
So when it came time for my ride, I had the students come down and give me a lesson...I said ok, you tell me what to do and what to fix...what you see happening. I really want them to start being able to talk about what they see. They are great listeners and soak it all in, but I find by allowing them to say it out loud they can start "owning" the information on their own.
Look at those knees!
I also realized this was my first time jumping outside of a lesson in months....and outside the indoor since before the blizzard. So I tried to remind myself to give Tillie the benefit of the doubt and work towards my goals of releasing more/upper body work and heels down. There was a one stride grid set up made of two one stride fences with the middle fence as an oxer.
So I warmed up while they set the grid height lower(I walked the distances first to be sure!) and started off trotting into the grid. Tillie was a bit excited so I did a few times through halting her at the fence. She needed the check a few times and did blow up on me at one point when she turned one of the one strides into a bounce...but it was for one circle afterwards and to be expected.
Sadly it wasnt caught on video.
Good mare Tillie!
I did school over a skinny a few times around 2-2'3 to start making her look for the fence/get more comfortable with it...my goal for next schooling is to set a few different types out like the barrels on the sides and the mini coops we have. But once she jumped it both ways ok, I stuck with the grid.
But this gem was...not sure whats more awkard, her legs everywhere, her neck or my butt.
The photo above really captures an awkward moment that really didnt feel all that awkward when riding through it. I had been slowly raising the height in the grid, but wanted to test her scope a bit and my positioning with this last fence and this was the first time jumping it at around 3ft. I dont think she expected it and sorta scraped by with an "UGHHH I WILL NOT TOUCH IT!!" but looking like a lama in the process. But hey, I am releasing and my leg is awesome! And my post worrying about folding...well apparently I can.
WWEEEEEE!!
It felt really good to jump around and feel like I knew what to do, how to adjust and give the kids a few good laughs and let them tell me to release more, heels down!! etc. It actually really helped! I made a point to work on my goals and trust Tillie as she got better and more relaxed.
I mostly stuck to trotting in to keep things slow and because its so beneficial for Tillie but when she would land in canter and give me a nice rhythm I would do that as well.
Watching the footage, I am super impressed with how great Tillie is jumping and lifting over the first two fences...the last one you can tell she still isnt perfect. But I am reassuring myself this will come with time since it wasnt that long ago she jumped even the little fences like that.
I do think I did a decent job working on my release and could see how it allowed Tillie to stretch more. Heres a clip from the summer over something little where shes jumping not so great like the last fence in the grid. So it does reassure me shell get there!
So heres the entire footage I got from schooling...see if you can hear the one time through that starts off with me not counting properly, yelling Tillie, WAIT....GOOD GIRL!!!! hahaha
I really didnt think Tillie and I were ready to embark on a dressage clinic and just recently turned down the change to enroll in a few in early spring...but a good barn mate just has major surgery and was feeling pretty down about her green bean not getting ride time and convinced me to take Tillie her her horse (I did not ride her horse in it, our trainer you all commonly hear me talk about "C" did).
I couldnt say no and decided to forgo our normal saturday jump lesson to attend the clinic instead. all in all it was a great experience...It felt more like was really a really expensive lesson, but it was totally worth it!
Sneak preview from the video
I was a bit more aware because I had a lot of eyes on me with auditors...I even forgot my phone to ask someone to video. Luckily, some of my helpers caught some and I am hoping I can round up a few more clips in the next few days from a few others.
I got on a gave a brief overview of Tillie but didnt want to share too much to try to keep the clinician coming to their own conclusions and have a fresh perspective. Basically - Tillie: Red head mare, coming 7, competing at BN currently feeling a bit stuck and not adjustable in the frame.
Ill refer to the clinician as "P"
P had us start at the walk and said go ahead and start doing your thing and Ill speak up as I see things...well it didnt take long for her to speak up lol. Initially it was all good things about the walk. She really raved at how great Tillie's walk was and complimented how it was deliberate, clean and would score well.
Then we pushed up into trot and P immediately picked up on my crooked issues but amazingly pinpointed what to do to resolve it:
Basically look over her outside ear and think outside hip to outside ear since I tend to twist my torso. She also commented that by doing this I can use my seat and hip to make the turn rather then my lower leg. I really took this to heart and am glad to have something to really start working on to fix it! I was even more thrilled when P just kept swooning (ok maybe im exaggerating here) over Tillie.
But in all seriousness she did keep remarking at just how lovely she was and loved her build and bone. She said she had 3 really nice clean gaits but seemed to be the most impressed with her walk.
Next, we discussed the adjust ability of Tillie's neck and how to stay ahead of her getting "stuck" and getting braced or stagnant in a certain frame. Of course the first thing to do - more inside leg. AHHH the more inside leg fix! Who woulda thought...Its so silly how clear and simple that is. To build on that P described it as getting her bending more off the leg. She also emphasized playing with the bit more and keeping her mind active...counter flexion without changing anything with the reins, all from the leg and just keeping the bit moving.
It was nice since she has us go large around the ring quite a lot...which is a bit out of my comfort / familiar zone of staying on a circle. I really didnt think too much of it, but it forced me to test the bend I had more since the circle naturally tends to help achieve it easier. I was please to find Tillie was pretty consistent either way.
Unfortunately our first canter attempt didnt get filmed, but it involved some leaping through the air which is unlike Tillie lately...although P had us canter pretty quickly into the lesson which we normally do not canter for quite some time in our rides or other dressage lessons. I also think the crowd being there mimicked a show atmosphere which has led to some resistance to the canter aid and bucking in past tests.
Getting that bigger stride!
P gave me a few tips:
Canter sooner in the ride and make it not a big deal. Do it often so its routine.
Sit on her in the transition (P said Tillie has trained me to get off her back in the transition with her sass and she is capable of handling me sitting on her back...in fact she said she gets more confident the more I do and rely changes into a more relaxed horse when I can use my seat).
This will also prevent her getting croup high in the transition
WIDE hands...She complimented the height I carry my hands, they need to be wider though in the canter to promote using both hips not hands.
I was a bit nervous clearly and horror of horrors got the wrong lead at one point...but P didnt mind because it was a better more correct answer through the tension. We spent way more time in canter then I normally do in general and I am excited that it is moving towards one of my monthly goals in getting her canter more rideable and adjustable. We cantered the long side, circles etc and for the first time didnt feel like I had a freight train of a horse.
When we changed direction, we discussed the left bend since I clearly know this is our harder side and want to over bend her. P on the other hand told me no...and in the clip below can hear her coaching me on a more accurate ride. When we rolled into left lead canter, I had a much better balanced left lead then usual (i believe you can hear her remark how improved it looked even from right lead).
I am hoping someone got footage after this I can share of working on our trot lengthenings and stretchy trot...P was right in line with what C said that the key to getting Tillie to do a stretchy trot is the lengthenings...it will get her stretching out her back and spine, trusting her balance which will lead to trusting the stretch.
P also kept telling me to ride mini leg yields with a stronger right leg aid since she could tell thats the side she hangs on which is the left bend issue i feel...its the outside right muscles making it harder and heavier. She reassured ALL horses have one rein like this and its just something you have to know and ride accordingly. Describing the weight difference she also said it was good it wasnt THAT extreme and riding the bigger trot this was would help even more to even it out.
fancy pants canter
so in line with C's homework is riding tillie larger and asking for lengtehings not just on the diagonals but around the entire arena. We had two brief breaks and each time I picked Tillie back up P really raved over her walk and at one point gave us tips to get the higher scores that would make us "unbeatable at the level we are riding" :)
Dont be afraid to ride the walk forward. Tillie stays soft through it so ask for it.
Rein length discussion (she was impressed i brought this up). The level we are at it is perfectly acceptable to ride one length at the walk and another in trot.
Much nicer trot after canter...one more reason to canter sooner
P also really worked on getting me to keep my elbows at my body. That has been an ongoing struggle for me to learn giving at my elbow only straightens them out...and that doesnt help me or Tillie.
I really enjoyed P's teaching style and she couldnt have been more complimentary of Tillie. She so loved her shoulder movement (especially at the walk) and asked her bloodlines and then asked how well she jumped to which I sorta said, erm well she sorta jumps over her shoulder but its getting better...P said that shocked her and after further discussion reassured me she has the ability in there and it will come because you can see it in her flatwork.
It was so fast that it barely felt like an hour and it was really a marathon lesson with few breaks. Which is fine by me because we were able to cover SOOOO MUCH.
Tillie on the other hand wanted nothing to do with me after she was back on the trailer and just wanted to be alone with her hay:
