They call him flipper

Today, it dawned clear.

It wasn't the first day. But today, it felt good to be outside in the warmth with just a pullover,  regular layers and none of the winter wear.

The snow is nearly gone, and it's cousin, mud, has taken up residence in my paddocks and various high-traffic spots. I don't expect it to stay away for too long, but it's a nice reprieve.

It also gave a chance to actually go work with Sincere.

Since it was nice, Sincere's blanket was cast aside. His yak self came in, ate and I marveled at the hair, the mound of whithers appearing and the giant chip that he had developed in his right front.

Like a bad hang nail, I felt guilty for not being able to spend too much time with him. I added him to the farrier list and went about the business of currying off all the skin funk that developed in the nasty weather. 

During this time I tied him to the wall and he stood up and still. Not expecting a mature response, I called for the measuring stick to see where we're going in the height department. Stood for that as well. Sticking 12.2 at nine months, he's by no means the class shrimp, but not a giant.

And how the opinion has changed about the barn. He's now attatched. What used to be a mad dash back to the paddock now has turned into a slow drag. Food and attention do that I suppose.

Amateur Hour

Not too long ago on a forum, a fellow Adult Amateur was lamenting hitting a training and financial plateau. 

Now that it's winter and life is in perma frost, that plateau seems more like the great plains.

I don't blame the lament, I, and possible the rest of the USDF AA population has been there, this is nothing new in the sport.

Amateur isn't a dirty word. We are a hard working bunch who do love their horses and are passionate about the sport. We are also the ambitious sort as well.

What annoys me is that despite the lament, the person isn't doing anything about the situation.

This isn't a sport that will be learned or perfected by osmosis. This isn't a sport where just watching will automatically grant you a shadbelly and a double bridle.

This is a sport where dues need to be paid. Hourly.

The old masters weren't kidding that you need to ride five to six days a week. They weren't kidding either about opportunity costs either. If you want to show every weekend now at training level, what are you sacrificing later on?

If you're young, broke and eager, then be prepared to eat more crow, be prepared to do a little wheeling, and a little dealing.

Ambition is great to have, but if you want to compete FEI, without the funds,you have to be even more resourceful and pennywise.

But above all, work your butt off. Because as mom used to say: if you're hungry enough, you'll find a way.

I'm coming out

We're looking down the barrel of another show season. While I don't want to bring Sinari out until FEI (even then we're debating about this for just one show), I really want to bring the young man out to the arena to get his feet wet.

Normally there are two USDF breeders shows in Lexington, the first being in May and the other being in September. However, the one in May has been canceled because it lost money and population last year. The other was canceled due to World Equestrian Games.

It's pesky having that in your backyard occasionally.

The nearest one, with a frequent series is in Wilmington, Ohio. About three hours away. I don't want to haul him that far for the first season.

So I've turned my eye more towards a local level. I've begun to look around for local fun halter shows that are cheap to enter and don't count towards lifetime records. The arabian shows definitely hold an option, there are three local club shows this year in Frankfort. There's potenially the Maker's Mark show.

If we don't show, it wouldn't be any skin off of my nose or his. But I would still like to get him out and about and used to the idea that life goes beyond the barn.

Ven you got it, flaunt it.

You know, I'm getting rather tired of frozen buckets, creaky joints, and the general feeling that we will never warm up in.

I stop riding when it's below 30, and even when the weather peaked to 31, it was only briefly between snow and ice. Not that Sinari doesn't mind having the time off, I think she's more perturbed over not getting her turnout time. 

But the inconsistency of having a week on and week off is driving me nuts.I don't feel like I've accomplished much of anything this month because of it.

For every bit of wait to get back into the saddle, there's always a silver lining.

As most people know, I pimp SmartPak. I love the company and the service. Recently, we were featured in their magazine/catalog (with this photo, thankfully cropped to remove my less than stellar ass). While it's no the front cover, Page 46 is an excellent place to be.

101 Things: Number 97: The Human Element

On a cold snowy Saturday, I packed my equipment up and headed over to the annual GMO Gala.

The annual speaker this year was the USEF long-listed, Heather Blitz, someone who I've long admired for her ability and personality.

In the hour and a half long speech on her life, her horses, rider bio mechanics and her methods, she mentioned one thing that struck me the most:

"There is not enough concentration by riders on themselves. What feels normal is usually is not correct. What feels correct is interpreted as weird. That the correct place is only "weird" feeling when its new and you make changes to get here, until you do enough repetitions so that it becomes normal feeling. And that it's hard to go for the weird feelings and believing in the beginning that they're right.It's not until we look at ourselves in the mirror we figure out what we've been compensating in."

At that moment, I really felt like standing up and cheering.

As riders, we concentrate so much on the horse's athletic potential that riders forget themselves. Riding is not only a mental game, but a physical one as well. While the average rider doesn't need the physical fitness of top riders or the mental fitness of Einstein, they do need to sit straight, sit in balance and be able to work effectively for at least 30 minutes in the saddle. They need to know theory and practice, be able to mentally condition themselves to the sport and form positive habits that will influence their riding correctly.

We, as humans naturally accept our physical and mental compensations. It's discovering them, accepting them, and then changing them to make the partnership better is vital. Accepting your personal faults is never easy. Changing them is harder.

To become an athletic partner that we intent on being- we need to be aware of what we are doing in and out of the tack, and create a personal system that encourages that correction and development.

(photo credit: Horse Radio Network)

And I say it's all right.

I have not seen much of my little boy lately. I blame the weather and my other line of work (clinic organizer) for temporarily taking over my life.

The little boy, I'm sure is not missing me much with the all you can eat buffet in front of him.

I think he is looking little less like a yak since he started shedding out a few weeks ago and is still wimpy about in the cold.


For what we have done, he has progressed and improved upon since December.He leads confidently, pretty much goes where-ever, and is coming into his own.

January's goals were more or less met:

Tying
Achieved. We started tying him with a double ended rubber tie. Aside from fiddling like an ADD student in English Lit, he took it alright.

Standing
ADD student all he way. He likes testing boundaries. He has improved to how long he'll stand and where (stall and outside, but not grooming stall), but still has a long way to go.

Relaxing
He's getting there through Endo Tapping. He's more self assured as well.

Stall time
Goes in and out every day now, twice daily. Usually it's short trips in and out to eat, but they are becoming longer. 

So February's goals?

-Standing for the farrier.
-Clippers
-In and out of the arena
-Tying

Looks like we're in for nasty weather

It has been a week I wish I could have forgotten.

Technical difficulties at work, plus a few difficult days in the saddle made for a very long, drawn-out week. I'm happy much of it has passed and we're back to our regularly scheduled program. One more challenge to face down (annual awards banquet) and we'll be home free.

Sinari worked hard this week, however, conditioning to FEI is not easy for her. Especially with a new saddle fit and coming in to first season.It's also the first week of regular work out of a long spotty period.

The problem with the pony isn't physical limitation, once fully conditioned, she'll be able to do all of it. It's getting her mentally phased into it. She wants to work, and she wants to please, so for me, the issue is myself. I need to keep her mind mentally relaxed and push when necessary.

I backed off of much of the exercises that were mind-benders and began to work more towards a relaxed state of mind.

Most of the week was spent in deep bending and loosening exercises, getting her mentally back to the point where we could tackle the extreme part of work. I also added back her sheepskin pad with the extra shoulder shims. It seem to make life a bit easier. Her conditioning also has come along as well.

Yesterday and today we broached the subject again in the double and she was much happier in the work. We'll continue on this path but first January's goals.

Medium/Extended work
Achieved. She showed 10 to 12 steps of extended in the ultra-deep footing. Now it's a matter of quickening the reactions in and out of them. 

Reaction
Achieved, but needs more refining. Somedays she's truly off the seat and leg and others, it feels like I have to encourage her inner Trigger.

3 very collected steps of canter
Achieved. More than achieved. She produces 10 meters worth of very collected steps. I love this feeling of her being that through and collected, like a carousel horse. She needs to become stronger to carry the feeling longer and not have her mind totally warped from getting it. Normally what I would do is bring her out on the fields to go and gallop and collect from that. But the weather has put a huge stop to going outdoors.

Lateral work
Lateral work fell by the wayside.Will resume in February.

The adjustable outline/ accordion
Began working more on this towards the later half of the month working towards the idea I can ride her up, I can ride her down, I can ride her deep, long, collected, wherever at whatever gait. Of course she prefers the long and low and down, round and deep. Good at the trot, needs more work at the canter.

Flexibility 

Seemed to be the theme this month. She is far more flexible, especially through the neck and ribs. However, the difficulty isn't keeping her flexible, it's keeping my legs in place. The saddle is more accommodating for her than it is for me.

February's Goals:
The adjustable outline/ the accordion
Lateral work, specifically half pass. Needs more flow, and of course, the zig-zags.
Pirouettes, canter and walk
Transitions out of the halt to canter. She gets jiggy (not that I mind, it will come in handy for piaffe), and becomes stoppy at the up transition (resists contact). I want her to become comfortable with the transition itself.
Tempi Changes (at least green ones) and regular uphill, straight changes.
If the weather will allow- conditioning.