We are getting there!

Deuce and I are starting to get the bending and the rounding in better consistency  We still have a ways to go but... I can see the progress now and its good.

Tonight was another lesson with Erin. She first had us work on some flat and she started getting after my position and getting quite technical! Ah! I am a member of the Horsemasters - an adult member of the United State Pony Club and one of our goals this year is to work towards certifications .. which have certain riding and horsemanship standards. So.. riding position is one of those and she's helping us get it right!

But honestly its a really good thing. I have gotten into some bad habits and a better position and technique make a better rider... and a better horse! And that was the case tonight for sure!

Hands up, elbows bent and soft.... Heels stretched way down, chin up, shoulders back... and tah dah! Deuce is round, soft and lovely!!! Now if I can do it all by myself for more than 2 strides... haha. We'll get it...

Then we did some jumping in the grid. My goal was to get Deuce manageable 2 strides after the last jump. He has been taking off and diving into the gate at the end or sorta scrambling around the turn and struggling to balance. Not so good.

We have been working over a  small cross rail on a circle the past week and I think that has really helped us develop our half halts and balancing before and after a jump.

So back to grid... it totaly worked! 2 - 3 strides after our landing off the grid I looked left or right and used a bit of outside rein and inside leg and got a nice rocked back controlled turn! Now I have to remember not to anticipate the turn and inadvertenly back him off his forward momentum through the grid. And still keep my elbows soft, chin up, shoulder back, hands up, etc.... we are getting there!

Acck Clippers!!!

Deuce has really taken everything I had introduced to him this past year in stride, the jumping, the trailering  the lessons, the dressage  the blankets,  the mane pulling and braiding....  He really has stetted into the event horse life quite well. However there is one thing that he has not wanted any part of  whatsoever and that was CLIPPERS! (insert dismal sounding music here)

I learned early on that the sweet, mellow easy going horse became a very worried, very alert 'fraidy pants as soon as the clippers clicked on. In fact, the first time I showed him clippers, he through it in reverse and ran backwards down the barn isle and out the door. Poor guy! So.. I slowly oh so slowly started introducing the noise to him on and off early last year. Then I sorta stopped for awhile. He had gotten slightly better about being in the same space as the clippers but he still was a loaded canon waiting to exploded if I got near him with the buzzing. So I put clipping on the back burner and figured I would do his whiskers and other long hairs with scissors and if we went to body clipping we'd slip him a little cocktail to take the edge off.

Well, I didn't get around to body clipping this year. He's actually got a thinner coat and my routine of riding him first then working with Flash while he cools out and dries off under a cooler works out pretty well.

Anyway... tonight...was salon night. I was doing some mane pulling and braiding practice and then I decided to cut his bridle path. I went to get my scissors and saw my bag of carrots sitting on top of my clippers box and thought  "hmmm maybe tonight I'll try clippers and carrots and see how far we get".

Deuce LOVES carrots so my plan had potential to work.
On the clippers clicked...  He gave the spooky eye and thought about backing up a step but I presented a carrot and the carrot won over the fear of clippers. So while he munched I turned the cliipers off then on again and got them closer to him... and another carrot he got. I did this over and over as my bag of carrots got smaller and smaller and Deuce was getting sorta happy when the clippers came on. Then I was touching him with the clippers. Once they were on him, he was totally fine. So I proceeded to clip his whiskers and trim up the winter wool around his head. He's so tidy now and over his fear of clippers! Woo hoo!

Mission: Consistency

I still have lots and lots of work to do to get our dressage halfway decent. The most recent focus is to get Deuce to move off my inside leg and into consistent roundness.  The trouble I am running into (well one of many many many issues) is that he will get nice and round and bendy for a few steps and then I lock my elbows and have no softening in them.. So Deuce locks his neck and braces and then slows down; thinking I am asking him to slow... so then I get after him with a big kick to go forward and in that moment I tend to completely drop contact, so he pokes his nose up and out and gets flat.  Argh. Then I get back into a battle of getting him back to round again. Its a viscous and frustrating cycle.

So the past few rides, I have really tried to focus on using my lower arm and fingers to work the reins with a subtle tickle of the rein and stronger inside leg to encourage bend. (while feeling if his shoulder flexes to and remembering to use a supporting outside rein and a outside leg.
I also started riding with a dressage whip and the first time he slowed, instead of getting after him with a kick, I closed my lower legs and then reinforced with a light tickl on his outside haunch with the end of my dressage whip ever so slightly, and woosh that woke him up! He swished his tail in irritation and went forward. I think that little tickle offended him, because after that he was uber responsive to my legs and seat and every trot stride was big and forward and springy. Wowsas! Now I just have to figure out how to ride all of that consistently. Still working on it... lots of issues to imporve on..... but we'll get there.

2013 here we come!!!!

We are going recognized!  Beginner Novice at first but by the end of the season, we will be looking at moving on up to Novice. We are so there. He's bold, confident and ready. I am getting there. After a few more good novice schools, I will be there too.

We are also going to work on our dressage. And I want to get out on the trails more. Maybe some camping with both horses... and the beach! I wanna get to the beach this year!!

So lots and lots of plans and fun things for 2013... here we come!