Selena Ride 22; JR Session 55; Wizard Session 93: This Little Piggy
Monday, 9/7/09
Wizard: I took Wizard for a walk in the woods with Mary the Morgan and her owner. We’ve been learning about the trail network around the barn and exploring the trails is becoming an addiction! I hiked with Wizard for a little over 5 miles, behind the barn, past a farm with a little pen of pigs, across the street, around a big loop, and back to the barn.
Pigs??? Yes! There were 4 pigs- 2 were friendly and 2 were shy. Wizard startled a bit when he saw them at first, but then he became bolder and actually touched noses with one of them. It was interesting to see his little wheels turning in his head as he changed from, “Nope! Nope! Nope!” to “Yep! Yep! Yep!”. I really like how curious and bold Wizard is.
The only problem I had with Wizard on the hike was on the last leg of the trail. Mary the Morgan had trotted ahead a little bit and was just out of our sight. Wizard became agitated and pranced and jigged until we were close to them again. It was especially interesting because he is not particularly buddy-sour or barn-sour, but the horse leaving his sight really triggered him.
After the walk, I turned him out in the arena and he cavorted and played for a few minutes. I put him in his stall and he snacked on Dengie while I worked with the other 2 horses.
Selena: Best ride yet! She had a few days off, but it seemed to work to our advantage this time. She was so relaxed, which I partly contribute to the conditions, since it was an hour after feeding time and the weather was very pleasant. We’ve also getting used to each other, which is wonderful. I put the cones out in the arena, this time in a straight line like how pole benders set up poles. I used the cones as huge loops for serpentines. From the very beginning of the ride, Selena was responsive. She heard every cue, and is really beginning to understand my half halts. She is already wonderfully responsive to leg so now she’s becoming a treat to ride :^)
Our transitions were lovely, she was actually a little quiet so I asked her for a canter so I could practice settling her down and relaxing her topline. She responded and her neck and back were tense, but she became more relaxed with transitions and bending. At one section of the arena, I could feel her round her back and accept contact with the bit. She did it a handful of times and it was a wonderful feeling. Now that I’ve felt it, I know that we have the potential to get some great things accomplished. Wonderful ride!
JR: After I was done with Wizard and Selena, I took JR for a hike in the woods. He has put on a little too much weight from inactivity so the exercise was definitely a good thing for him. We went a little under 4 miles, including past the pigs. JR was more fearful than his bold friend Wizard, but I was pleased with his reaction. When we approached the pigs, he telescoped his neck and reached toward them. He did not quite touch noses like Wizard, but he was curious enough to overcome his fears. I did have to handle a little hopping around when I put him between me and the pigs- he was far more comfortable when I was between him and the pigs. He even managed to step on my foot, which thankfully did not result in any injury. I’m 31 years old and I’ve been stepped on twice by horses in my life, both this year: once by Wizard and once by JR.
It was a great day for all the horses. I hope to keep taking advantage of this great weather by riding and exercising with the herd.
Selena Ride 21; Wizard Session 92; One for the Road
Thursday, 9/3/09
Last ride before my trip to Saratoga to see Rachel Alexandra’s date with destiny in the 2009 Woodward Stakes :^)
I arranged the cones and ground poles in a larger pattern for my ride with Selena. The cones were in a big rectangle, making a large oval. I put two ground poles in the center so I could ride through to do figure 8s. I’m not sure if it was the time of day or something about my riding, but it took a while to settle Selena and get her as focused as she was for the past few rides. By the end of the ride, she began to reach into the bit, just a little, so I rewarded her by cooling out. I understand that there will be peaks and plateaus, so it was not altogether disappointing to have a just-OK ride.
My mother and I took Wizard for a hike in the woods. We walked almost 5 miles :^)
Selena Ride 20; Wizard Session 91: Second Verse, Same as the First
Wednesday, 9/2/09
I think I’ve got a good thing going, so I’m going to keep up with it. Selena once again trotted over to me when I arrived at her paddock and I brought her in the barn for a snack while I took Wizard for a walk. Wizard and I went for another hand walk with Mary the Morgan and her owner on the Across The Street trails. We were out for about 45 minutes, just barely getting back by dark- both horses were fine in the low light. Wizard walked a little slower than he did the first few times out- I’m not sure if he was stiff from the walking or just bored, ha ha.
Wizard got his alfalfa snack when we returned to the barn and I grazed Selena for a few minutes. I tacked her up and rode her outside under the lights. The weather is still outstanding so I’m getting as much riding in as I possibly can.
We worked on the Orange Cone Square (see previous ride) again, plus I added a chute made of two jump poles. I borrowed the idea from 101 Jumping Exercises. The jump pole chute was part of the same theory as the orange cones: I used the chute as a visual half-halt. We did not ride over the poles, just through them, like a little path. Each time we went through the chute, I asked either for an upward or downward transition. Eventually, I felt Selena sit back just the tiniest bit on her hind end, which was great- we are working on gaining strength and suppleness. I also felt her stretch down several times into my hands at both the walk and the trot. When we trotted through the poles without any downward transition, I felt her pause for just a second as I half-halted with my seat and closed my fingers but kept the trot.
I continued my Orange Cone patterns, making them more complicated, such as walking for two/three steps at each cone and then going back to a trot. I also did two halt-trot transitions in each direction- she is light to my leg and the transitions felt nice.
It felt fantastic to finally find one of the keys to unlock good results with my riding and my communication with Selena. I think these patterns have the potential to grow into more sophisticated exercises with some simple repetition and patience…
Second verse, same as the first!
H! E! N-R-Y!
Selena Ride 19; Wizard Session 90: Big Orange Cones
Tuesday, 9/1/09
Another gorgeous Jersey day! The only hints of the miserable bugs from the past few weeks are the leftover welts and scabs on Wizard’s legs, chest, and sides. The air is dry so everything is healing up quickly.
When the weather permits, the horses stay outside at night. My new system with Selena is to bring her in from her paddock and let her eat hay in her stall while I walk Wizard. This seems to be a good pre-ride routine. The past two days, she trotted toward me, which is always rewarding for a horse person :^)
I hand walked Wizard and was accompanied by two riders, who rode Mary and Miss Tuesday. We hit the Across The Street trails again and were out for between 30 and 45 minutes. At the end of the straightaway, we got to a sloped trail with lots of little “roller coaster” dips- this is perfect for Wizard, who needs hill work to build strength in his hind end.
We got back to the barn as it was getting dusky. I grazed Wizard for a little while, and put him in his stall for hay and Dengie while I worked with Selena.
I grazed Selena for a few minutes before our ride. I was out in the outdoor arena under the lights with my two barn buddies and had a fantastic ride! In order to focus my ride and improve my position, I took my barn buddy’s advice and borrowed a Parelli exercise (I have mixed feelings about Parelli work, but what I like best is that there is a clear plan for rides and ground work). We set up four traffic cones at four corners of a square on the size of a big circle. I started the ride by walking and situating my position. Then we rode the circle and halted at each cone, walking between them.
Cones on a Circle
The exercise helped me to make my cues more precise and it helped Selena to learn to relax a bit because she recognized the pattern after a few circles. Then we played with the pattern, stopping every other cone, and sometimes walking past them. It helped me to refine my half halt as a precurser to the transitions and it helped Selena to learn to listen to me.
After the walk work in both directions, we began trot work. Selena was awesome! I think my position really helped her to relax and accept my requests to supple her. We walked from one cone to the next, then trotted to the next cone, and so on. Then we began skipping cones, and then doing transitions between cones. The exercise probably helped me more than it helped her, but it did wonders for getting me to focus and fix my position so I was actually sitting on my seatbones. Selena responded by relaxing her topline and stretching her neck. It was not a true stretchy trot, but it was relaxation and there was no resistance at all. Yahoo! What a difference a day makes.
Selena Ride 18; Wizard Session 89: Unintentional Intimidation
Monday, 8/31/09
Fall is in the air… in August! There is just a nip in the air and the nighttime temperatures dropped into the high 50s. The horses felt good and it was perfect weather for the barn. Then again, bad weather never stops me :^)
Wizard and I went for another stroll across the street on the new network of trails. He was just as pleased to walk the trails as he was the day before, even though he did not have any other horsey companions.
There is a long, flat straightaway on the path and I decided to take advantage of the exercise and do a little jogging. You would have thought I was the funniest person on the planet by the way Wizard reacted- he got SO silly, totally controllable, but entirely silly. He wagged his head back and forth, arched his neck, flagged his tail, and bounced along next to me, snorting happily the entire time.
We walked for about 30 minutes and I turned him out in the arena when we returned. Still looking good! As long as he keeps looking this good, I plan to saddle up and ride him late next week.
I rode Selena for about 30 minutes under the lights in the big outdoor arena. I took her off the big circle we’ve been doing for the past few days and worked on straight lines and I worked hard to fix my position. I tend to tilt my pelvis forward and slouch. I need to rock my pelvis back and straighten my shoulders and create some bend in my arms by using the correct muscles. The ride was less harmonious than the past few rides, but I was satisfied by the end result. She was much better to the right than the left.
Our riding companions were a lovely draft cross mare and her very nice owner. The mare is young but beautifully schooled. As Selena and I worked on riding back-to-front and worked out the kinks, I glanced over at the other mare and her rider a few times. They looked perfect. It was nice to ride in the arena with another horse and rider but at the same time, it was a little intimidating to see them riding so nicely. I need to get over myself and stop being so self-conscious.
Selena Ride 17; Wizard Session 88: Across the Street
Sunday, 8/30/09
Another good ride with Selena- short and sweet, about 20 minutes. We rode indoors, part of the ride by ourselves and part with other horses in the arena, which was perfect for schooling purposes. We worked again on our transitions on half the arena, doing about ten in each direction, each time trotting longer. Her posture is relaxing more and she is reaching for the bit with more regularity.
After I cooled Selena out, I took Wizard out on the trails for a hand walk with Mary the Morgan and her owner (she rode Mary). We have blazed the trails behind the barn before, but this time we took advantage of the daylight and went… (drum roll)… Across The Street.
There is a huge network of trails across the street from the barn. The trees are not as thick so there is more sunlight and the trails are a bit more open. The flies were miserable, so bad that Wizard was throwing his hind end in the air to kick out at them. Next time I take him out, I’ll remember to put a fly hat on his ears. Other than being mauled by insects, he was fantastic. He sniffed the paths like a hound dog and appeared to be quite interested in the trails. We covered a lot of ground, especially with Wizard’s HUGE walk- I got a workout for sure. When we got back to the barn, I turned him loose in the indoor arena and asked him to trot out a few laps around the ring. Looking good!
Selena Ride 16: Pretty Pony Party
Thursday, 8/27/09
Strike One: Riding during the time when the horses are brought in for feeding.
Strike Two: Riding outside while the horses are calling and restless about being brought in.
The result: Home Run!
Had a great ride today. I rode in the outdoor arena on about half the arena. Worked on taking and giving contact. Whenever I felt my arms locking, I channeled my inner Walter Zettl and gave, gave, gave. We did about ten walk-trot-walk transitions in each direction, and her improvement from one ride to the next is fantastic. I can feel her reaching into a bit and relaxing her topline by the end of each ride.
After our ride, I gave her a much-needed bath, grazed her, braided her mane to the right to begin the mane-training process, and clipped her bridle path and muzzle. She was about five shades brighter after the bath- she looked so pretty :^)
Poor Wizard was bitten by some sort of bug and has angry welts all over his front legs, chest, and shoulders. I scrubbed him with Betadine and gave him a cool bath. The bumps got smaller but they still bothered him. I kept him inside at night in a clean, dry stall in hopes of providing some relief. Several other horses got bitten last week- he was the last one to the bug bite party. I did not walk him- I just let him graze for a while.
Selena Ride 15: Apple Jacks and Ooby Dooby
Wednesday, 8/26/09
Selena and I worked on a little clicker training before our ride- she remembered our previous sessions perfectly and is targeting objects very well. She is a very sweet and willing horse who likes people- she follows without a lead rope and seems to genuinely enjoy our sessions. I tacked her up and rode in my dressage saddle with a gel pad. The saddle felt very secure and the sweat marks were more even at the end of the ride. We did a similar ride to our session on Tuesday, warming up at a walk and then working on quiet, consistent walk-trot transitions. We did ten in each direction. Out of the ten in each direction, I really liked about two of them. I was very happy to see progress, even from the day before.
Wizard had been bitten by some awful New Jersey August bug and had welts all over his chest, neck, and the front of his barrel. They were itchy but not open so I just kept everything clean and dry. He seemed a little stiff, possibly from the bites or possibly from the long walk the day before. We worked on some low-key clicker games and he was quite happy to do so. We did some targeting and then moved on to a new behavior, “dancing”! It seems like a fun way to work on body awareness, something that will benefit Wizard under saddle.
Check out the video below to get an idea of where we’re going with this…
I started by standing next to him. I lifted my left leg and crossed it over in front of my right and at the same time, touched Wizard’s left side with my right hand, cueing him to step forward and to the side with his left front leg. He naturally moved away from the pressure and I clicked and gave him a treat, Apple Jacks :^) We repeated this a few times. As he becomes more adept at the behavior, I’ll be able to remove the hand cue and instead cue him with my leg.
What’s the plan for tomorrow? A spa day for Selena and more dancing with Wizard :^)
Tuesday, 8/25/09
Wizard had a busy day. I’m preparing him for under saddle work by hand-walking and doing a little free-longeing. Today, I turned him loose in the big outdoor arena- he moved out beautifully, just like he did on Monday. We took a hand walk on the trails with my friend and Mary the Morgan. We were out for about 45 minutes and explored trails we’ve never seen before- it was a blast! If Wizard is anything under saddle like he is in hand on the trails, he will be a mighty fine ride. He is bold, curious, and confident, and he is not barn-sour. He sniffs the new trails like a hound dog, taking in all the new scents. He was a little sweaty by the end of the walk and we arrived back at the barn just as it was getting dark. I cooled him out and put him to bed. This was more activity than he has had in a while and he seemed pleased with it.
I rode Selena in the outdoor arena under the lights (after giving her a little private time in her stall to eat and relax). We worked on calm transitions. I warmed her up at a walk and then we did walk-trot-walk transitions in both directions. By the end of the ride, she was starting to get the idea and I felt her soften. I rode her in my jumping saddle, a Stubben Portos, but I did not like the way the sweat marks looked after the ride. I saw some ruffled hair and dry spots. I’ll keep riding in my Moritz dressage saddle in the future until I see more changes in her back’s muscling.
Rachel Alexandra: What’s the Verdict?
She romped in the Oaks
She ran away with the Mother Goose
She beat the boys in the Haskell
What’s next?
Thoroughbred Daily News reports that Rachel Alexandra, Quality Road, Hold Me Back, and Kensei are all scheduled to work on Monday, August 24. Blogs are buzzing. Publications are pondering. Steve Crist is glad Rachel did not run in the Alabama. Claire Novak is tired of waiting. Dana Byerly analyzes the pros and cons of purse money vs prestige and reminds us why we should curb our whining.
Keep one eye on the weather and on eye on your favorite racing news source for Monday’s announcement.
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 