Wednesday, July 29, 2009

heat wave!

These last days, the Pacific Northwest have been having a pretty hot weather for the area, hitting close to a 100 degrees (Fake degrees, real degrees: 38-ish). The barn has been feeling like a sauna, everything is so hot.


Monday I did not have lesson, and when I came to the barn I decided it was too hot to ride. I wouldn't get anything useful done. Odin, I think, fully agreed with me. He was wet with sweat under his fly sheet, both is croup and chest were wet. I gave him a bath and took him grazing in the shade, nice and relaxing. No more fly sheet, have to deal with the flies.

Last night, Tuesday, I had a lesson. Odin was still a bit damp on the chest just standing around, yuck. We really need a good thunderstorm to get the humidity out of the air (but this is no Florida, but the heat is so unusual. Not like there are fans in the barns!). My whole lesson was in walk, we did turn on the haunches. Very interesting to work a whole lesson on medium-free walk transitions, collected walk and the turns. Took him a bit to be marching forward to the bit, but we got there. By the end L. said he had a foot overstep in the free walk. Nice feeling!

This morning, it was a bit cooler due to the time, so we could work on some more things, I was still sweating like crazy though.
I worked on getting his hind legs to track up and under and his back to come up, for Odin to be truly on the bit. Since we have been working on getting more forward without getting longer, L. called out that when I take my reins in one hand (to use my whip effectively - otherwise I end up nagging a lot), he gets above the bit, and pulls me forward. She then used this as an illustration of even if I have his neck curled up in front of me, both of us a leaning so much on the bit/reins, so he is not really together at all.
I then went on to have no stirrups, and a lot of forward, give hands forward, take reins in one hand, where Odin should stay on the bit and not rush forward and go downhill, and I should not balance on the reins and hunch forward as soon as I gave on them. Hard! But I did get a nice feeling of his back being up under me, more than I have had before. Nice to know what I am looking for. It helped doing it with no stirrups so my butt stayed in the saddle too...
It is a bit hard to get to that point, for now to make it happen I have to get Odin fired up a bit. He really doesn't want to do it, and usually I need a bit of an Odin tantrum before it gets there (kicking out, jumping up in canter or out in trot, jigging along...). Part of it is that we still need to figure out the communication, he needs to know what I want, then he can relax, I need to know how to ask for it. Part of it is just his personality, I am sure... Some times he acts like a 5 year old who doesn't want to go to bed when his parents tell him to!

happy to get some riding in, L. is training him the next two days, with what she can do in the heat.
At least I now Odin is drinking lots, and S. keeps filling their buckets. (Yay for having 100% confidence in the barn management!).

Monday, July 20, 2009

Shows...

Since my last update we have been to 3 (!) shows. A one day show in May, and 2 3 day shows in June and July.

Last weekend we went to Dressage @ DevonWood, which is a huge show, with very experienced judges. DevonWood is just south of Portland, OR, and it is a very, very pretty facility. I was very impressed, the footing was impeccable too.

The shows were all fun, but we didn't get a lot of high scores. I did First level tests, which means I have to sit the trot, and this is really still a huge problem for me. When I have Odin forward enough (which is starting to happen), I just can't follow is trot. Lots of lunge lessons and no stirrup work to come, I suspect.

Just before this last show I had a lunge lessons where L. told me to feel like I am posting with my abs, even when sitting. Another thing she said was to feel like my body was dribbling basket ball. Both these things really help me to understand what I need to be doing, but it is really hard for me to do when trying to ride Odin too! I used to think if I just could relax my seat I would be good, but it is more than that.

I also need more experience for the whole showing thing, how to warm up, how to not be too nervous and tense. The first day I ride too stiff and braced usually, I don't dare to ride forward.

as always we are a work in progress!

This year, USDF removed the citizen requirement for the Regional finals, but we didn't manage to qualify. Still happy the requirement is gone. Maybe next year!