Itching to work

I Have not been doing a lot of posting because I have not been doing a lot of training. I ride about twice a week but I feel aimless. I don't know what I should work on or what I can work on with just 2 days a week to work with! It is frustrating!
Bodhi is doing great. Between his part boarder and me he gets ridden around 4 times a week. He is learning how to be a mature equine by working with a young rider doing a varied amount of things. He had drill practice with her today for example. When I ride him he feels very mature and balanced. Like a trained horse :) I guess he is 6 now. Wow time really flies!

Now that he is so solid in the basics I am just itching to do more advanced work. The truth of the matter is though I am the one who needs the further training to continue on. I have set up a lesson or two with a dressage coach but they have all been canceled for one reason or another. I feel stagnant and uninspired. I want to do more clicker work too but with such a limited amount of time I am not sure what I should even try???

So with that mind frame I saw this video and thought I would share.





With the amount of time I can devote to riding it is true in the dressage department I am going no where fast....
So I have decided to spend our precious time together working on perfecting our bitless riding, and doing the exercise in the above video: getting my horse more soft relaxed, and round.For our ground work I am going to work on stretching and playing soccer! Two things Bodhi and I really enjoy doing together. I am such a goal orientated person it is hard for me to just relax.

First day of mission relax and enjoy the pony was a success! We rode in the bitless and he was SO soft. We worked on stretching down at the trot and canter transitions. He seemed to really enjoy it. He also remembers how to play soccer like he just learned yesterday. Maybe one day Bodhi and I will have the time and expertise to achieve this: Cantering in hand!

But for now I am happy with my soccer playing pony!

No serious dressage rider will ever consider buying a Haflinger,

My title is a direct quote from this wonderful article. I also found the quote below very interesting...


"More annoyingly for Kirsten had been the judges' differing opinions about her horse. “Some were happy to finally see such a well ridden and talented Haflinger, others were convinced this breed shouldn't be in a dressage ring," she recalls. Kirsten told me 40 points difference between single judges had not been uncommon, sometimes there had been even a 4 points difference in a single movement."

In regards to my title. First I don't think I am very serious about anything! Where is the fun in that?
Second of all I do not agree with the idea that only the warmbloods should do dressage. Dressage is for everyone! Will every horse be competitive at the higher levels? No. Every horse will benefit from being ridden by the principals of classical dressage however.

Real dressage is not a breed(s) of horse. Real dressage to me is not even a discipline or a sport. Dressage is a way of training a horse. Dressage is a philosophy.

For serious dressage riders it is not about the ribbons it is about the process and the journey. and luckily that journey is open for any horse and rider partnership to enjoy.

For those dressage riders that are only interested in ribbons then my advise to you is do not get a haflinger. Anyone though who enjoys a challenge but also enjoys a calm, sensible, and simple ride? I say have you ridden a haflinger lately?

We have a Ring!

and man is it a nice one!
It was just finished on Thursday and so I am in a rush to enjoy it why it lasts. Also tried out a new bit. It had copper rollie thingies and no middle piece (so regular snaffle) Bodhi seemed to like it. He was soft, droolie and we had some really nice moments including some walk canter transitions. I am still heading towards the bitless though. I am planning on buying us a Nutural Bridle for Christmas.

I feel like going bitless is like going vegetarian. My transition has not been a straight one. Just like when I was first going vegetarian I kept balking at taking the final plunge, and then falling of the wagon when I promised myself that it was what I wanted. Some people are the jump in with both feet kind, but I am not.

So for those of you who are thinking of going vegetarian or bitless: Take your time, do your research and don't feel like you have to throw your current life style away in one day. Take steps toward your goal and know you are doing something good. Been a vegetarian now for 10 years- I say I did it right.

ok...

good!

best!

I need canter position help...

I also need funny face therapy...

A lesson at last!

Well I finally had a lesson with my favorite instructor. She has stopped riding and training due to an unrelated and unfortunate injury and now works in a different field. I really miss having her as an instructor. She is amazingly observant and well educated in both dressage, and the bio mechanics of horse and rider. She is also good at explaining her insights and observations to the rider. To top it all off she is positive and encouraging and I have accomplished more with her than any other instructor. I started training with her when I decided to switch over from hunters to dressage with that 2 year old haflinger I bought. She was there as my support during the initial training process and I don't think I could have done it without her sage advise at the key points in our training.

So yesterday she came out and gave me one last lesson for old times sake. I was nervous because I felt like I had gone back to a lot of my old habits and I also did not know what she would think of riding without a bit.

The lesson was amazing and afirming. She was really impressed with Bodhi's canter work-- it was much more balanced and off the forehand than last she saw. He also could not get his left lead last time so I was happy to show we now had both leads!

We worked on flying changes and lateral work at the canter. To my suprise Bodhi executed both of those tasks effortlessly. She says he looks very happy and balanced and forward in the new bridle but did admit she wished to see him a bit more round. So for the remainder of the lesson we worked on my position at the sitting trot to see if we could get a more round frame. Like magic when I fixed my position Bodhi was happy to give to the bitless! Yay! I am so happy that my trainer came out. She always pushes us just a little bit and shows me that Bodhi is always ready for more than I think he is.

I am having such a proud moment with recpect to Bodhi's training. No horse is finished but he is definitely close to where I wanted him to be to feel satisfied that he has the basics. He has a balanced walk, trot, and canter both directions with an abulity to regulate the tempo in each gate. He has a firm grasp on lateral movements and will stretch and collect his frame on cue. He works well in a snaffle and in a bitless bridle. He is now comfortable and balanced over fences. He is an amazing liberty partner. He is safe enough for children and beginners but is still a little squirt on the trail. I love that pony.

I am a different story of course... I have a lot to work on:

• Elbows! I need to keep my elbows bent and not throw my reins away in transitions
• not to drop my hip when asking for lateral movement
• Ask him to come to me into the bridle not go to him
• Keep my upper body still durring the canter and give through the pelivs
• Keep my shoulders open and upright
• Not lock the small of my back but support my upper bodyi instead with an engaged core.

Lets get this straight before we get round

When I was taking dressage lessons from my most recent and favorite instructor she described the role of the reins as for "headset only". As she would often say reins are for explaining "I would like your head here". As a few commenters have said headset is not collection. I could not agree more! I am going to try and share what I know about the ever elusive concept of "on the bit" and collection. I am by no means an expert (obviously) and would love to hear your thoughts. How were you taught to put a horse on the bit? How do you define collection?

To elaborate on what my trainer explained: cues from the reins are really the icing on the cake. In dressage the seat, body, and leg aids communicate 95% of all cues to the horse including gait, tempo, bend, direction changes, turning, etc etc. That is why I can ride my little green bean bridless--because of this concept. What my trainer means by headset is the soft "give" of the pole and also the very minor bend at the pole for circles etc. It really is not much, and it really is the last thing you think about- as in the last thing you ask for and the last cue you give. I have heard this described as riding a horse back to front.

Riding a horse on the bit has a definite feel. To me it feels like all things are possible and the horse can respond instantly to any cue for a transition or change of direction. Having a horse that is soft in your hands to me is the beginning of being on the bit. I think what I find confusing and what seemed to have others just as confused though is: is being on the bit the same as collection?

To me it is not. To me having a horse on the bit is just having a soft horse that is giving at the pole and when supported through the riders legs and seat encouraging him/her to be forward and reaching under your horse is now round and on the bit. I have always thought of collection being an advanced frame used in higher dressage movements like the collected trot, piaffe, and passage. I think on the bit riding is a definite precursor to collected work. Though as Kathy pointed out does a horse really need a specific head set to be collected? If you watch your horses playing and frolicking in the pasture I would say no (especially Kathy's horse Satin, I have seen her perform "airs" in the pasture that would make a Lipizzaner jealous).

That is why there is a dressage training scale. First you want forward. You want your horse to move freely forward no matter what. Then you want rhythm, and relaxation, balance and straightness. Only then do you want to harness that energy and start to shape it. Collection for me is a highly concentrated form of the horse's natural power and energy. When collected the horses front end will be light (so off the forehand) and the driving power will be coming from the behind. A collected horse is ready to achieve the amazing higher movements talked about above like the collected and extended trot, the piaffe and passage.



Recommended reading
Sustainable Dressage on collection
Jane Savoie on how to put a horse on the bit
Regarding horses on how to put a horse on the bit

By the by what do you guys think of the new lay out? Better? Worse?

Interdressage

This is so neat! The Bitless Horse just did a post about something really exciting! It is called Interdressage. It is an international organization that offers monthly dressage competitions through the mail.

What a great way to get feedback and have the goals that dressage tests bring without the expense and stress! I love showing but I rarely get to because I do not have a trailer, I don't have very much money and I just don't have the time. I really miss out on the vauable information that you get when you do a test. I also miss out on the competitive experience of riding as a sport. Maybe I can try this?

Things I really like about this from the start

• It allows bitless bridles. So Bodhi and I can actually get feedback on all of the hard work we have been doing bitless!
• It has changing tests. Ever get bored of the same tests? I do. Bodhi does.
  
• It has tons of different tests for every kind of rider
• It appears to have some over fences tests. How fun is that?
• It is very accessible. You can do it anywhere and the rules for attire and equipment are basic.
• It has prizes.

What do you folks think? I don't think it is going to replace the traditional shows but what a fun alternative for people, and what a great way to bring dressage to anyone who is interested!

If I give it a try you know you will hear about it right here!

A great blog-a great post

I wanted to share with everyone a blog that I really enjoy-Ethical Horsemanship. The most recent post is about Klaus Hempfling's take on Rolker. I found it very thought provoking and I think many of you will too! Hope you check it out.

Man two posts in one day. Look out!

Our First Show

Our first show was a total success! I was little worried about it because on Friday there were a few problems while schooling. We went to the show grounds Friday afternoon to school in the big scary indoor. I was heartened by the fact that I was not the only one schooling horses afraid of the judges box. Bodhi was not only spooky but agitated as well; biting at his side and stomping his feet. I jumped off and checked his tack and decided that it was the saddle pad. I took his saddle off right there in the ring and he instantly relaxed. I did not have another pad. So I decided to finish our schooling sin saddle. He was awesome and we had a great school. You should of seen the looks I was getting however from the other schoolers they thought I was nuts! Bodhi and I however were very pleased with ourselves. It was a big step in our relationship. I trusted him not to take advantage of the situation and act like a crazy bat and he really rose to the occasion and gave me a smooth and relaxed ride. My trainer thinks that riding bareback showed Bodhi that I was not worried about the indoor or the box and that convinced him finally that he should not be either. Go team!
The day of the show was uneventful. He did a great job. We got a 66.5% on Intro test A and a forth place. We got a 67% and a third on Intro test B.
Things we need to work on.
*More Forward. He was obviously a little nervous so was not being his usual forward self.
*Going deep into the corners. As that was where all the scary stuff lurked I let him get away with that one.
*Circles needed more bend. We need to practice our circles and make them more accurate and round!
I am so proud of the Bodhster. We got some 7s and 8s on our free walk and halt. Bodhi also got 7s and 8s on his movement. One judge commented Nice pony! The other said cute pair. I think that is a good start!
Whoohoo!!