Monday

Try:
Played online in the ring--no place for liberty available. Made right side the priority. played games on right side checking to see how far away and Try confidence. Also cutting from more than 8'. Checking to see when/if Try took the rope off the ground.

Then walk/trot/canter playing with counting strides--more strides than Keystone at the trot as she is slower but not able to extend the trot--just got choppy.

Keystone:
Walk/trot/canter plus no stirrups and a bit of contact. working for my correctness from hunt seat perspective, good gait without the crop, and my hands on the contact.

Friday Dan Thompson

See clinic notes.

Liberty:
1. sticking together from zone 3 or 4
2. playing from more than 8'
3. right side!! fear

Friday being particular with Try

Today I set up two things to be particular about--with the possibility of some Jim Carrey fun.

1. yoyo at liberty: from intention. Started with find my focus and one messy (ugly) start when Try just escaped back without my asking. The second try was perfect--backed from my energy up and "the look" and quit with energy down then draw from intention. WOW. This could be progressed with backing farther.

2. Pick me up at the mounting block: again liberty because she was 6/8' away and I thought what the heck why not try it and see what happens. She was not only that far away but diagonally so from the fence and couldn't just walk forward. She came SIDEWAYS DIAGONALLY FORWARD right into place!! This was a big high for me. Gosh--do I just not expect enough?? How rude.

RIDING: The main goal was canter for Try to increase her aerobic fitness. Because I have been reviewing Dan notes I decided to do his exercise on the circle: trot then canter shaping on circle with HQ getting a good bend, small and large circles then go out on straight away and change the bend to change the lead. Well Try not only changed but kept cantering SIDEWAYS DIAGONALLY FORWARD to the rail. It was so cool I didn't have the heart to stop her. Then we cantered on the rail and played with small circles when the canter was rough to get a nice canter in both directions.

Contact: Finished with this on the small circle. Quickly got the flexion and mostly kept it at a trot with change of direction. Then at a canter in one direction. She was so great I quit at that point.

Is it a good idea to play with contact at the end of a session?

Thursday lovely day

Thursday was cooler and less humidity and I enjoyed that.

Keystone: good grooming and cleanup, walking together to and fro then riding nice basic warmup then played with different ways of turning from Colleen Kelly dvd.

1. turn from direct rein only
2. direct rein and outside leg
3. direct rein and inside leg
4. indirect rein
5. indirect rein plus inside leg and outside leading rein (preferable--also ? add sniff and focus)

This related to the concept of "falling in" which I am taking to mean not being square on the circle. i.e. inside shoulder can fall in to inside etc.

Also after making the reverse with #5 above, it helps to block the outer side to square up going back to the rail.

Try: groom, clip, baby oil on chestnuts.

Tack: got it all oiled/cleaned/straightened up.

Wednesday

Today was Try's day:

grooming at liberty at my tack box. full barn with no stall to tie her to--don't want to cross tie her in the aisle nor put her in dark wash stall! She stood beautifully until I erred in giving her a treat but she still didn't move her feet just get nosing toward the treats in the tack box. Anyway really throough nice grooming.

Saddled up with western saddle and headed to the field as I felt Try could benefit from some cantering today.

Liberty: catching game--she waited til about 20 feet to come to me and then stayed with me for some stick to me, cutting, yoyo, sideways play--my goal being particular and getting our focus together before riding. Not enuf Jim Carrey sense of fun on my part--concentration on particular--can do both at the same time.

Riding: Try did not really want to do this but she went along with it. We did falling leaf and walk til she blows etc as warmup. Then trot point to point. Next canter point to point, back, turn and canter off and then halt and put reins down and she would just stand and relax every time. Finished with cantering about both directions.

Back to the barn for big bath. Rain rot, teats but couldn't get chestnuts.

Keystone: grooming and cleaning his derriere--sweet and relaxed except for flies on the way in. Grazing on the way back to his barn.

Monday--I'm Back!!

After rain, flu bug etc last week I got back to the barn today. Try was in her stall with shutters and door closed and I cried--I think from guilt that I had not been there in nearly a week.

Keystone: light hack, walk/trot/canter. He was so sweet and lovely. I like the way he would look where he was going when we crossed little ditches made by the rain. Also he is very responsive to eyes/bellybutton/leg and is maintaining quality/speed of gait nicely tho we went with slower than usual trot and canter today. Short grooming session but long bath for cleaning up his derriere, rain rot etc. Also enjoyed leisurely walks to and fro barn to barn.

Try: I did not have the energy to ride. Quick groom at liberty at my trunk then out back for stick to me then the best liberty figure 8 ever--trotting straightaways, walking around the circle and looking for me to draw to me. So sweet and lovely and smart. Sideways over the L on both sides and with turn on HQ/FQ. Then cutting game--she knows it and is beginning to make the turn from intention, matching instead of reminding FQ with the stick. Then finished in the ring with circling and canter. Long shower for Try also. Treats.

Sunday watch dressage lessons

Watched dressage lessons on Sunday at Wind Drift with Jeannette Van Mill, coordinated by Paula. Got to see

0730 - 0815        Cathy Gould - Skye

0815 - 0900        Lisa Graf - Tiara

0900 - 0945        Pat Lanier - Silver (quarter horse)

Did not see but met  Mary Ann Cubbage, Jane Dorris, and Paula's Sven.

Was impressed to see Silver as it helped me put things in perspective. Also although there was much I'm not sure I understood, I can see how this study is going to help me in my goal of physical development for Try and understanding how to communicate with her HQ and FQ using various aids. Was especially impressed with the way Lisa and Jeannette talked all through her lesson and how relaxed Tiara was.

Friday - HQ- Try and Kathy lesson

wrap up from Kathy on what we did:

You did some excellent work Friday. Alot of new feelings and learning to identify what the horse is doing under you. Trye is beginning to understand the difference between sidepass and leg yield with shoulder-in and disengaging her HQ and going forward in leg yield with haunches-in. She ended up offering her HQ and let you encourage the FORWARD and Over. Your seat in a 3 point canter is improving and you were able to begin to use the porkipine game to drift her into your outside aides and began to rate(ajust MPH) in the canter. You had a very good beginning to having a meaningful conversation with Trye about the quality of the canter. As this continues and you can feel her response better, the canter will become more balanced and rideable. Good Job, Elizabeth...you and Trye are an awesome partnership.

More--Kathy emailed this to Lisa:

Glad you two had the chance to get together (Watched Lisa at jeanette clinic.)  Friday we worked on leg yield shoulder-in and LY haunches-in.  Trye was confused with sidepass and didn't understand FORWARD and over.  I walked beside them and helped them understand the feel of maintaining forwardness.  Of course, Trye wasn't thrilled with LY haunches-in as she doesn't like to release the HQ.  After a couple of repetitions, she began to offer her HQ. EP is beginning to feel the difference.

We also worked on the canter.  The mare has a strong,pounding canter that doesn't give EP much of a place to sit, unless she really relaxes, finds her seat and holds it with her core.  Her dance allows her to isolate her core, but "letting go" and finding her balance point for 3 point - while the horse is pounding and disunited is very hard.  I was able to get her sitting in a more relaxed position.  She was able, for the first time, to begin getting Trye into her outside rein and we began to rate the canter and get her standing up more.  The canter, of course, got a bit better as she slowed and stood up.  EP had no idea of what she had been able to do.  I think she was feeling a bit frustrated, but I explained what she was able to accomplish.  I think she was a bit overwhelmed as we had covered alot of territory, even though we had been there before - less successfully.  I wrote her an explaination on her FB page so she could see it, read it and begin to digest it.  She was surprised that she had been able to do all that.  As I've told her, I can see more of what she is doing successfully as she is doing what I am asking and not in a position to internalize what she is doing and the horse is trying to do in response.  Trye is really trying to understand what we are asking.  It is hard for both of them as they have never had a conversation like this.  Neither of them have ever cantered on contact and asked these questions before.  They are doing so well.

Thursday - Keystone - hunt seat

Fun back to basics day for Keystone and I

walk, trot, canter

for all: heels down, chest open, elbows in

trot at 2 point: seat back, knee bend, lower to counter balance and I was able to balance w/o touching with my hands.

posting trot: lift my self back down

canter: (2laps 2pt, 1 sitting, inside track) I am playing with bending in the corners, using inside leg to bend, outside leg wt in stirrup to prevent falling in. Still a little unclear about reins.

more catch up

Monday: I knew I wouldn't be able to do much Tue/Wed so had big rides with both Key and Try.

Keystone: basic hack and no stirrups (2/3). He was lovely responding quickly to gait transitions and maintaining a nice rhythm so much better at walk/trot and canter.

Try: wanted just a quick ride--got to arena and she was full of herself so just let her go with it pretty much until she began a big leg yield at canter for ??10 yards (which was cool but out of control) until we got close to the rail. Got off for some on line circling and then finished canter on the 2nd side. She was tired.

Key needs trot for muscle development. Try needs canter for aerobic fitness.

Tuesday: Had a grooming lesson with Alie and Try and picked up some good pointers.

Wednesday: Wash out rainy day. I watched Colleen's first dvd and sorted through some of my confusion over "8 ways of turning" section. The HQ yields crossing over is a nono for dressage but can be useful for other purposes such as HQ development, engaging the horse. Colleen showed a prefered method of sniff, look, wt inside stirrup. Because Try falls in a better way for me could be sniff (puts my wt back), look/focus/eyes, reins indirect on inside of turn and direct on outside, use inside leg to bend and outside needs more weight to prevent falling in.