Jumping Theory

Ok for those who actually *like* theory (I'm a geek, what can I say -- but I know there are some closet-geeks out there! :) -- this post is *just* that -- fun story in a diff post. So here goes:

We all know the basic rider responsibilities when jumping: pace, path, position.

Well Denny divides pace into speed, balance and impulsion. (I swear I'm going to hear those words chanted at me in my dreams). The trick is that balance and impulsion are inherently contradictory. If the horse is well balanced and rocked back on its hocks, odds are good you don't have much impulsion or speed. Conversely, if you're going fast and/or have a ton of impulsion odds are good the horse is on the forehand (ok for galloping long stretches XC, NOT ok for actually jumping -- he says a lack of understanding and application of this is a huge part of the recent issues w/ upper-level fatalities; another interesting discussion that doesn't fit in here). The trick is in getting the *right* canter that combines those three things, and if you can do THAT (no problem!) the jumps are simple.

I vultured a lesson yesterday where the poor lady could not see a spot if it were wearing a collar, barking and wagging its tail. He stopped and had her focusing entirely on the quality of the canter (after long theory discussion -- see above but multiply times 30 mins. Having a verbose coach is taking some getting used to after those I've ridden w/ in recent years! hahaha). -- anyways, w/in like 2 rounds, literally, she was hitting every spot txt-book perfect. Almost unbelievable improvement. But wow did it ever make his point!

On building this ideal canter -- this is evidently the purpose of dressage (we knew there had to be one somewhere!) hahaha he says dressage is like going to the gym -- if you're riding your flat work correctly, you're engaging the inside hind and every time you do that it's weight-lifting for the horse. The more you do that, the stronger he gets, the better a chance you've got for him to be able to be balanced and going forward and UP at the same time. He's very big on the fact that all flat work must be done *correctly*. One of those common sense things that we all too often don't actually apply ;-} Just going around in circles isn't going to cut it -- and will get you yelled at regardless of whether you're in a lesson or not :) (and yes Mary I KNOW you tried to get all this through my little brain too... hahaha It sounded oddly familiar some how listening to it today. Maybe when 3 or 4 MORE people tell me, I'll actually get it! :).

We haven't had the "path" discussion yet -- but I don't doubt we will @ some point :)

Got the position lecture today. Basically follows DeNemethy's EQ style. VERY anti-hunters as they currently exist (that was *quite* the rant - fairly entertaining :) He likes the lower-leg more forward than most people I've ridden w/, and the knees/toes out almost ballet-style. He had the woman sit w/ her leg in its normal position and told her to try as hard as she could to keep it there -- and then he pushed it back. Then he put it where he wanted it to be and gave her the same instruction -- he couldn't move it. Leg is much stronger there. Not that it necessarily has to be there all the time (and shouldn't @ all for dressage) but that as you set up your horse for the fence in the same way you lift your chest and shift your balance (and your horse's), so should you make your leg more secure.

That being said, when I tried it today it def made my leg secure, but my horse was NOT impressed. Methinks this w/ a hot tb would not necessarily be a great plan -- BUT Denny has ridden more than his share of hot TBs so obviously it must work -- just have to find the balance of the secure but not overly-strong leg... Maybe? Don't know -- I'll ask nxt time it comes up.

So did anybody actually read all of that?

For those who wonder why... Today's ride was part of the answer :)

So today was one of those days that you just shake your head and wonder "how did I ever get to be so lucky?" It was unbelievably amazing, and particularly when contrasted w/ what I "gave up" to be here, that much more so. N yes I know I wouldn't *really* have been at the office today as I heard a rumour it's Saturday, but I would've been yesterday so I figure it balances

For the first time it's SUNNY. Just < 10deg, so your classic crisp fall day. AND the outside ring has dried up perfectly! That's right -- jump school! woohoo! (ok so I had a full YEAR of dressage -- other than training Sug and occasionally riding a few other random horses I really didn't do much jumping at all so I clearly have to make up for lost time :)

And not only are we scheduled for a morning jump school -- but I've got somebody to ride w/ now. hahha jump lessons are usually semi-private, but Cayman wasn't *quite* ready for that. One other girl w/ a super-talented greenbean though so she and I have been paired up.

Cayman was *beyond* spinny. Galloping around in his paddock, n just quivering as I led him out to the ring... hmmmmm could make for an interesting ride :) N of course Denny shows up early -- walks in just as I'm about to get on. So I ask him to hold C for me while I mount (it's not C's strong point). Now this is tricky, cause we all know how much Cayman likes Denny ;-} And Denny's not known for chilling out spinny horses... But I didn't want to get yelled at for not being able to get on so... Denny holds the horse, or tries to. Yeah we basically ran him over while I was getting on -- fortunatly he let go and got out of the way. NOT the best start >;-P ah well, I tried :) So then I'm trying to make Cayman walk, as per other lectures. "RIDE THAT HORSE!" ummmm ok :) Nice power trot around the ring, occasionally shying at things, but honestly not bad. The whole time I'm being lectured about how he should be lunged till I can get on him safely and WALK away etc etc etc. N yes I accept that it's not the *best* scenario to get on a horse that runs away, but really I've been here b4, several times, I always manage to chill them out eventually. N lunging indefinitely just really isn't my thing. Besides which, should an unfit horse really run around in little circles? But sobeit - I've been told to lunge so we'll lunge. At least for a day or so! >;-P hahaha I lasted what, 2 days last time?

So I may have the greenbean of the pack when it comes to jumping or anything related to xc, but we have kick-ass dressage :) hahaha it feels like cheating to start w/ a horse who already knows all that. The w/u part of things went really well (once we got through the initial run-around-and-spook-at-stuff phase; funny how until today I haven't been able to canter more than one lap around the ring cause he's not fit enough -- but the start of today's ride was "go canter him more" hahaha). Anyways we start w/ 3 trotting poles -- woohoo several levels up from our last 'jump' lesson :) hahaha n C was a star. Really couldn't care less about them. So then time to jump.

Theory part of the lesson: when teaching a greenbean to jump their job is to get to the other side, gracefully :) hahaha That's it. N the jumps have to be small enough that if the 'gracefully' part of things doesn't work, it doesn't matter. Also "little and often" -- as in do tiny jumps and LOTS of them. Was happy to hear this as it's the theory I've always gone w/ :)

So Denny lowers all the jumps in the ring and basically says "go jump" (my girls would love his teaching style, speedbumps are totally allowed!) -- all fences are to be in trot to begin w/ -- but the first thing we did was an X w/ a 90deg turn to a vert. Not exactly *easy* hahaha but Cayman pulled it off. (now you have to understand -- almost all the fences were about 2' -- the absolute biggest was maybe 2'3" -- so this is not exactly the grand prix ring here). But basically his warmup was a course. He jumped 7 fences in a row -- including a brick wall, bright yellow flowers, boxes, a scary jump that couldn't decide whether it was an X or a vert, pylons, etc. Basically everything except the liverpool (too wide) and a couple fences that were too big for where he is now (next week :). The idea being throw everything at him he's going to see later, just tiny-sized. I've never seen a brick wall so small b4. N since they're all so small, no point to a long w/u over and over the same fence -- just jump around :) He was awesome. VERY hesitant at first, but by the end was jumping around confidently. Even did a few in canter (which were, quite honestly, much better :)

So then we go hacking. Now really, it doesn't get much nicer than this. Crisp, sunny fall day. Horses are chilled cause they've been ridden for an hour already. Mountain trails entirely covered w/ a blanket of leaves. That "fall" smell to the air. Sound of leaves rustling in the trees and shuffling as the horses' hooves land. Just about perfect.

Of course getting TO the trails was exciting -- we had to pass over a causeway right beside the water complex, w/ the scary hay feeder on the other side and a big moving tractor in front. hahaha the horse that's in the paddock w/ said hay feeder is *very* impressive (the word "presence" aptly describes him. "wow" would also be appropriate). He also feels the need to socialize w/ anybody in the vicinity. So while Cayman's rapidly trying to back up away from the causeway (I have visions of us doing our first few XC courses in reverse!!!!) Coby (yes that really is his name :) comes galloping up behind him -- and passes him. Well poor Cayman didn't know WHAT to do about that. REALLY wants to go gallop w/ Coby, but oh so scary path that way... But oh look, there goes Coby again (who's running laps around a tree so passing C on a regular basis) let's go w/ him! Oh but it's scary... Oh but I really want to go play! (and meantime the *actual* greenbean is standing oh so calmly on the other side of the causeway waiting for us). hahaha so eventually Cayman decided he'd just pick his feet up REALLY high (how to teach passage!) over the causeway -- just in case it tried to suck him in! hahaha didn't even run fast, just this crazy high-stepping trot till we were past it. Was totally chilled for the rest of the hack -- except for a *slight* meltdown @ the water. But we spent a good 15 mins going in and out across it till he'd do it @ least almost well :) Again, greenbean horse totally showed us up. He tried to figure out what Cayman was concerned about, but gave up! hahaha Other than that though, he was great.

But yeah, nothing much beats a good fall hack :)

A day off!

hahaha yeah so the last time I was looking THIS forward to a day off was when Marg first started back to work after her heart attack. And there I'd been doing 14h days 7/wk for months. This has been not even a full week! And WAY less work for that week! But the diff is, of course, moving stress combined w/ less fit to begin w/ combined w/ stupid mountains. hahaha

Anyways -- I am now actually unpacked. So for about 2 mths I have a home. Thanks tons to the ladies who gave me the photo-bag for my bday -- turns out those are the only pics I have w/ me, so the bag is now hanging on the wall as a picture frame!

Drove into the little towns of Norwich (where I found a GREAT little bookstore) and Hannover (where Dartmouth College is) -- both were georgous. Old style buildings, beautifully kept up, tons of little independent shops, etc etc. If it's not raining on my nxt day off I'm going to go spend the day walking around.

It was nice out this aft, so I took a bunch of pics around home. They're here: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162428&l=75c60&id=823765365 if you're interested. Of course would've been PERFECT hacking weather but A - I didn't have anybody to hack w/ and am not supposed to go on my own till Cayman's more comfortable w/ it, and B - I figured he needed a day off as much as I did :)

Will return to the regularly scheduled horse-blog tomorrow :) There's a show, so I've no idea how that'll alter the daily activities (I'm obviously not going). And the BM's bday -- I heard a rumour of breakfast cheesecake >;-} No wonder I'm gaining weight! hahaha L8r.

A country moment

So I'm coming back from feeding the babies (who live way out in the middle of nowhere)... It's about 6:00 and the sun is attempting to break out while setting; so you have those really dark and ominous clouds w/ the occasional beam breaking through that's on just the right angle to highlight the changing leaves... Impressive photo-op all on its own. Got to just about the water complex (http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4225741&l=80936&id=823765365 for a pic) and standing right about where the pic was taken was a deer. Absolutely gorgeous. It acknowledged that I was there, started to leave but then changed it's mind. Came towards me! Wanted on the path and wasn't sure how to cross the water :) Pretty well the same debate the horses have when they first meet a water obstacle! It was very kewl to watch. It came w/in about 10' of me -- apparently I'm not all that scary. Was pretty amazing. It eventually went back to its own side of the water and hung out there for a bit before it got scared off by a tractor.

Anyways -- just thought I'd share. Really wish I'd had my camera w/ me then :(

1st jump(?) lesson

So it was pouring rain AGAIN :( Denny first thing in the am says "so we'll flat him inside again today -- the footings way too sloppy for a green horse" -- ok fair enuff. And true, it was very sloppy. Not actually slippery but def icky :( Kinda like Marg's ring after it's been raining for a few days.

Alright so I accept that we'll be doing flat again such is life. Several people have jump lessons lined up today cause there's a show this wknd -- but none of their horses are green or unfit.

But THEN I overhear Denny telling one student who's tacking up "I've set up one little fence inside -- we'll warm up there and then go out to jump" -- so I picked up on this "one little jump? Do you think Cayman could do it?" hahaha worth a try eh? The answer I get "we'll do him right after lunch..." ummm ok so I know WHEN he's going to have a lesson -- but I don't actually know which tack to put on him >;-P hmmmmm I asked the BM what she thought (she's kewl) n it was cute she clearly thought I should go w/ flat but knew how much I wanted to jump... So she kinda skirted giving me an actual answer.

Right so I come back from lunch and the executive decision was I'd put on jumping tack and see what happened :) After all, I'm not allowed to sit to the trot or canter yet (Cayman's too thin and unfit) so really I don't need dressage tack. BM comes back from lunch and suggests "if you want to jump, you need @ least one more pole in the ring" hahaha ok so I go get another pole and bring it in -- we now have an X in the ring. Woohoo! It's an option. Although the "ground-lines" are actually small cavelletti so it's a pretty intimidating X. I would have prefered no ground lines, but apparently that's not an option. Ok sobeit -- @ least we have an option now :)

Lesson starts, basic flat work but no theory today :) Woohoo :) So then he takes half of my X away and drops it on the ground -- a single pole for Mr C. Who trots up to it, drops his head, snorts and leaps. hahaha then then next time was so bored by it he tripped over it. Classic eh? So we get told to go jump what was left of the original jump. Which now looks like a ditch (the two caveletti side to side w/ the supports touching in the middle -- makes a box) w/ a pole being EATEN by it. NOT exactly the most inviting fence, but ok. Cayman stopped to look @ it and then oh so calmly stepped over it :) So proud. Went around a few times and he was fine w/ it. Nothing exciting. And the best part -- kept going forward. None of this stall-jump-stall business. So we're officially on the "jump 3X/wk" plan. Woohoo! So that's a start. Didn't do enough to judge actual ability yet but @ least he wasn't deemed hopeless.

So that's a VERY long story about what amounts to oh absolutely nothing :) hahaha Aren't you glad you read it? >;}

My sincerest apologies!

Dressage theory

Ok so we were supposed to jump but it was torrential rain out and there's a distinct lack of jumps in the indoor :( booo. So more dressage. On the plus side, Mr C was being a superstar! Crazy power trot -- all I could think was "I'm sooo glad he's not fit enough for me to sit on yet" hahaha cause there's no way I could've sat that trot w/o looking like an idiot :)

Some spookiness but nowhere near as exciting as yesterday -- def still not sure about Denny though! hahaha prob doesn't help that the man NEVER stops moving! :)

So today's theory was about dividing the body into thirds (ala Sally Swift). He said from your knees to the 1st rib 'belong' to the horse -- in that it should go w/ the rhythm and be able to influence the rhythm. The lower-leg is for signaling and should be really subtle. Upper body works as a balancing aid and hands and arms for reins -- again focusing on subtle etc.

Was quite interesting -- and like I said, Cayman was a star. But really, this rain has to END so we can JUMP!!!! hahaha

Country living -- lessons learned...

So even though 95% of the time you drive up the twisty mountain road you're the ONLY car on the road, does not mean that there won't be, at some random moment, oncoming traffic. And if you happen to drive a zippy little car odds are the oncoming traffic will be bigger. It was a UPS truck I met. We didn't both really fit on the road! And def not if I'm driving in the middle ;-}

Yikes.

It is literally the first time I've met another car on the road up to where I'm living (steepest hill in VT, or so I've been told, 3 houses @ the top -- 1st one is a summer cottage, they're only up on wknds in July and Aug, 2nd one is us. The 3rd one is apparently a yurt! hahaha seriously. I haven't seen that yet... So really all vehicles on the road are going to or from our place and I tend to know where those are likely to be)...

The follow up is on the same trip after nearly running into the giant machine trimming trees, twice (so I'm a slow learner -- he moved b4 I came back DOWN the mountain so I figured he was gone. Not so much :), be sure to watch out for random branches the NXT time flying up the mountain. In the dark.

My poor little car -- it's a good thing it's so zippy. I think I'd be in real trouble if I had a sports car here ;-} But oh so much fun it'd be!!! hahaha

Ok more riding related blogs tomorrow :) Probably.

The great(?) USofA...

NO MARS BARS!!!! ARGH!!! Went through aisle after aisle of Hallowe'en candy searching and there are NONE. Then I realized there aren't any in the normal candy aisle either... How are Mars bars strictly Canadian? Usually I'd say that's wonderful -- but less so when I'm not home! hahaha And no little caramel squares either -- really, why even bother with Hallowe'en? Sheesh.

Also searched in vain for a magic bag (think microwaveable bean bag that goes around your neck). They don't exist :( Eventually found a very poor substitute -- but it's not long enuff :( Blah.

There're also no ketchup chips (I can live w/o those -- but it def made the decison of do I want doritos or ketchup chips a non-issue :)

And no KD-cups... They have KD (although it's called something diff, but it's still the same) but not those wonderful new microwave cups.

So much for the most developed country in the world!

Unexpected new skills

Yeah we all know I fell off my horse yesterday -- and here the barn tradition is that if you fall off you bring baked goodies the next day. Ok no prob. Oh wait -- there's NOWHERE w/in a 45min drive to GET said goodies. hmmmmm more of a challenge. Those who've known me more than 45 seconds will be aware that my culinary skills are . . . well. . . nonexistent!

hahaha anyways -- the woman I'm living w/ is determined to teach me how to cook -- so she figured we'd start w/ baking.

Yup I baked. Like w/ actual ingredients :) Pumpkin spice muffins. AND they were even GOOD. hahaha

So yeah it just amused me -- I came here to learn, never qualified that statement with learn WHAT precisely :)

hmmm is this "the bad" or "the ugly"?

Well I did promise to post ALL the experiences :)

So I get on for another dressage lesson -- things start out as expected... A bit of review of the concepts from the day before, lots of walking etc... Then we're told to halt. Np. Chilled out, bit of a long rein. All is good. Then Denny comes over to show me something. Well Cayman lost it. Up and spins and then adds in a little buck for good measure -- I was off and on the ground b4 I had any idea what was going on and Cayman was on his way back to ON!!!! (BTW -- he CAN gallop :) There was another girl riding in the ring @ the time so she chased after Cayman and eventually caught him and brought him home for me. The maneuver was deemed "very athletic" hahaha. Lucky me. Why does this sound awfully familiar?

So Denny takes him and walks him around a bit but Cayman's clearly not happy about it. I got him back and he chilled right out. Ok got back on, finished the lesson (again pretty well a repeat of yesterday's) no problem. Lesson's over and Denny says "I'm going to come over to your horse again -- don't fall off this time." hahaha and that's soooo the kind of thing I would say it totally relaxed me :) Anyways he comes over to him really slowly and C tensed but allowed him to come near. The second he touched him though C left again (this time I was awake so stayed ON the horse - practical application of rule #1!!!!).

Very odd reaction though -- I *think* it's sound based and he really didn't like Denny's jacket (crisp windy fall day, was windbreaker was crinkling etc) Anyways -- I was told to work w/ the local "ground-training" person to chill him out so we're supposed to start that tomorrow. We'll see.

Went for another hack (w/ our babysitter -- who was the same horse who went and caught him after he sacrificed me to be eaten by the lions) and he was still looky but a ton more relaxed about it than the last time, so that was good.

As for me -- I'm ridiculously stiff and sore but nothing tragic.