The days that make you go "Hmmm..."
October 12th 2006
Today we had a great lesson with Klaus. We rode through part of the short version of the Grand Prix. I didn’t know where I was going as it was a surprise that I would go through it, but I was really pleased that we did it without a mistake! Even got the nine two-tempis and fifteen one tempis first try. I think this is due in part to him being more through overall, but especially at the canter. I know we can make the trot tour and piaffe/passage tour without mistakes very consistently, but the tempis and pirouettes aren’t as consistent. This will just take time. Today, the pirouettes were a bit large, but with the right balance- I just need to work on making them smaller.
October 16th 2006
“The Bad Ride”
The last few days, for whatever reason, Fizzy has been a little tricky. For example, today, he got all excited because someone was lunging a snorting mare in the round pen next to the ring. Fizzy didn’t really do anything naughty, but he definitely was not as good as he has been. Klaus told me to just focus on the basic work, and work on really trying to keep him more focused. But, at the end of my ride I just felt like I had not done as good of a job as I could have. For example, Klaus would ask me to tap him and I would tap him too far to the side and not enough on the croup (like Klaus had asked me to). Just silly stuff that I should know better. :-/
I think there is a lot of truth to the statement, “you’re your own worst critic.” I feel that we have had such exponential improvement since we’ve been here and I have learned so much, that to have one even just so-so ride is a disappointment. Horses, just like people have good days, bad days, or so-so days. I think that although Fizzy was a little set off by the lunging horse, I did not handle it as well as I could have- so it was like we both had a so-so day. This afternoon he was better, but Klaus still had to remind me of a few things which need to become habit for me. When I make stupid mistakes it is not fair to the horse, and I am harder on myself about it than anyone else is.
When it all comes down to it, we are all human, and we all make mistakes. The crucial part of making a mistake is not the mistake itself, but in fact, what you do about it afterwards. I have been thinking all day about my ride, and what I can do tomorrow to have a better one. These last few days my confidence in my ability has been somewhat shaken, and I need to get that back. I know that I can do this, that we, can do this, and from now on I need to really work on not doubting that.
October 17th, 2006
Much better today! Even with lots of activity- horses coming, going, lunging, etc., Fizzy was super. He felt better through than before, especially in the canter. We are still weak in the right canter pirouette, but really everything else feels good. His trot and canter half-passes are so expressive and fun- today after our trot zig-zag I giggled and smiled at Klaus- I never feel like I need to “push” him sideways- he just sort of floats from side to side. His passage was good today, as well. I need to work on getting more expression in both the piaffe and passage, but I think that will come with time. This is without a doubt the most piaffe/passage I have ever done with him consecutively, so it doesn’t surprise me that he is maybe a little tired sometimes. Time is really starting to become my favorite word.
I was thinking today, as we were schooling the right canter pirouette that I can’t wait for him to get stronger. I think about where we were a year ago, and how far he has come, and how wonderful it is that the stronger he gets, the better (and easier) everything will become. Along those same lines, the better I get, the better he will be and the easier it will be for me to communicate to him what I want. Exciting, this dressage stuff, isn’t it?
I’ve gotten a couple of e-mails asking me questions about my management program for him, so I will try to answer some of those questions.—
On the “health” side of things, his legs look great- clean and tight, and I made Michael feel his back to make sure it wasn’t sore and the comment was, “Man this horse has a strong back!” He is such a sound and strong horse by nature, but I still get paranoid and check his legs at least once a day, as well as ice his legs after a hard workout (and wrapping with standing wraps overnight if I think it will help, or make me feel like I’m helping, haha). I would rather be doing things like icing him or wrapping him as a preventative than a treatment! I usually use polos when I know I am going to work him harder, and DSB boots when we are doing lighter work or hacking. He also usually goes in bell boots, although he has never clipped himself, overreached or pulled a shoe, I just like to be safe!
At home in Vermont, he used to go out in the indoor for turnout for 2-4 hours a day in the morning, depending on the arena schedule, what time exactly he was turned out, etc. Here I don’t turn him out, but have been riding him twice a day lately, with our harder workout in the morning, and the afternoon for stretching mostly. I also often take him for handwalks and out grazing in the afternoon/evening.
Someone asked about supplements, and I have to say right now he’s not getting anything except Adequan and Legend. At home he was getting a daily wormer and TNS (Total Nutrional Supplement- a supplement from Dr. Benson’s- great stuff), as well as HylaSport and Quench electrolytes from HorseTech. The HylaSport, I think, is the best joint product on the market, and my mom is bringing me more when she comes next week. Also, the Quench electrolyte is my favorite because it doesn’t have all of the sugar and additives of some of the others.
Well, that’s it for me! I will write again later in the week.
Today we had a great lesson with Klaus. We rode through part of the short version of the Grand Prix. I didn’t know where I was going as it was a surprise that I would go through it, but I was really pleased that we did it without a mistake! Even got the nine two-tempis and fifteen one tempis first try. I think this is due in part to him being more through overall, but especially at the canter. I know we can make the trot tour and piaffe/passage tour without mistakes very consistently, but the tempis and pirouettes aren’t as consistent. This will just take time. Today, the pirouettes were a bit large, but with the right balance- I just need to work on making them smaller.
October 16th 2006
“The Bad Ride”
The last few days, for whatever reason, Fizzy has been a little tricky. For example, today, he got all excited because someone was lunging a snorting mare in the round pen next to the ring. Fizzy didn’t really do anything naughty, but he definitely was not as good as he has been. Klaus told me to just focus on the basic work, and work on really trying to keep him more focused. But, at the end of my ride I just felt like I had not done as good of a job as I could have. For example, Klaus would ask me to tap him and I would tap him too far to the side and not enough on the croup (like Klaus had asked me to). Just silly stuff that I should know better. :-/
I think there is a lot of truth to the statement, “you’re your own worst critic.” I feel that we have had such exponential improvement since we’ve been here and I have learned so much, that to have one even just so-so ride is a disappointment. Horses, just like people have good days, bad days, or so-so days. I think that although Fizzy was a little set off by the lunging horse, I did not handle it as well as I could have- so it was like we both had a so-so day. This afternoon he was better, but Klaus still had to remind me of a few things which need to become habit for me. When I make stupid mistakes it is not fair to the horse, and I am harder on myself about it than anyone else is.
When it all comes down to it, we are all human, and we all make mistakes. The crucial part of making a mistake is not the mistake itself, but in fact, what you do about it afterwards. I have been thinking all day about my ride, and what I can do tomorrow to have a better one. These last few days my confidence in my ability has been somewhat shaken, and I need to get that back. I know that I can do this, that we, can do this, and from now on I need to really work on not doubting that.
October 17th, 2006
Much better today! Even with lots of activity- horses coming, going, lunging, etc., Fizzy was super. He felt better through than before, especially in the canter. We are still weak in the right canter pirouette, but really everything else feels good. His trot and canter half-passes are so expressive and fun- today after our trot zig-zag I giggled and smiled at Klaus- I never feel like I need to “push” him sideways- he just sort of floats from side to side. His passage was good today, as well. I need to work on getting more expression in both the piaffe and passage, but I think that will come with time. This is without a doubt the most piaffe/passage I have ever done with him consecutively, so it doesn’t surprise me that he is maybe a little tired sometimes. Time is really starting to become my favorite word.
I was thinking today, as we were schooling the right canter pirouette that I can’t wait for him to get stronger. I think about where we were a year ago, and how far he has come, and how wonderful it is that the stronger he gets, the better (and easier) everything will become. Along those same lines, the better I get, the better he will be and the easier it will be for me to communicate to him what I want. Exciting, this dressage stuff, isn’t it?
I’ve gotten a couple of e-mails asking me questions about my management program for him, so I will try to answer some of those questions.—
On the “health” side of things, his legs look great- clean and tight, and I made Michael feel his back to make sure it wasn’t sore and the comment was, “Man this horse has a strong back!” He is such a sound and strong horse by nature, but I still get paranoid and check his legs at least once a day, as well as ice his legs after a hard workout (and wrapping with standing wraps overnight if I think it will help, or make me feel like I’m helping, haha). I would rather be doing things like icing him or wrapping him as a preventative than a treatment! I usually use polos when I know I am going to work him harder, and DSB boots when we are doing lighter work or hacking. He also usually goes in bell boots, although he has never clipped himself, overreached or pulled a shoe, I just like to be safe!
At home in Vermont, he used to go out in the indoor for turnout for 2-4 hours a day in the morning, depending on the arena schedule, what time exactly he was turned out, etc. Here I don’t turn him out, but have been riding him twice a day lately, with our harder workout in the morning, and the afternoon for stretching mostly. I also often take him for handwalks and out grazing in the afternoon/evening.
Someone asked about supplements, and I have to say right now he’s not getting anything except Adequan and Legend. At home he was getting a daily wormer and TNS (Total Nutrional Supplement- a supplement from Dr. Benson’s- great stuff), as well as HylaSport and Quench electrolytes from HorseTech. The HylaSport, I think, is the best joint product on the market, and my mom is bringing me more when she comes next week. Also, the Quench electrolyte is my favorite because it doesn’t have all of the sugar and additives of some of the others.
Well, that’s it for me! I will write again later in the week.
posted by Liz @ 4:55 PM
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