Wizard Sessions 430, 431, 432, 433: Walking Distance

I got in touch with my regular vet last week and we had a good chat about what she saw in the x-rays (see previous training blog). She also talked with my farrier about a shoeing plan.

First of all, and this may or may not be related, but his Lyme Disease levels are much lower now than they were when we tested and treated him a year ago.

Basically, she has seen way worse on many horses, and she is optimistic that corrective shoeing and work will help quite a bit. She saw some very minor arthritic changes in the right knee. In the right foot, she did not think there was coffin bone rotation, per se. She said there was a change in the angle, but she was looking more at the whole picture, including the broken-back angle of P2 and P1. I was glad to hear this, because my farrier agrees with this assessment. My vet saw some very minor sclerosis of the navicular bone. It sounded to me like whatever issue he has/had was affecting the whole foot and the angles. Shoeing, injury, etc. Wizard’s body compensated, and we are seeing the long-term results in the x-rays.

Since we were between shoeings, my farrier came out and put aluminum shoes on his fronts, set well back for heel support, and a size larger to support his whole foot (aluminum because the larger size would make regular steel shoes heavier). He put snow rim pads on him. And the day we put the new shoes on Wizard, I saw him land consistently flat on the footing for the first time. He always tends to be toe first. It wasn’t heel first, but I was pleased to see flat!

So the short-term training plan is to let him get used to the new shoes and gently work him until my saddle arrives. I’m trying not to do too much circling, but when we’re stuck indoors due to the weather, it’s tough to avoid it.

Wednesday, 12/26/12 We worked indoors in long lines, and upon suggestion, I tried a little flash noseband attachment thingy, as an experiment. Wizard is very chompy on the bit, and the suggestion to try the flash was not in order to crank his mouth shut, but instead to steady the bit. Some horses don’t like bit movement, and a flash can help to keep things steadier. Wizard was NOT amused. He stuck his nose out, and leapt around a little when he felt rein pressure. We kept the session short, mostly doing bending exercises at the walk and a little trot work.

I’ve been at the barn for a lot of grooming sessions and sometimes quick hand walks in the park, but these are the actual work sessions he has had recently:

Thursday, 12/27/12

Years ago, when Wizard was doing more of his spinning and occasional rearing routines on the longe, a friend suggested longeing him in two lines. It seemed too complicated for my clumsy self, so I never tried it. Now that we’ve done more long lining work, it seemed like something worth revisiting.

We worked indoors again (%&*$%&$ winter &%*^&*% rain), and it was mostly successful. The biggest issue I had was him sucking back off the bit and geting behind the driving aid (whip) from time to time. I’m going to try a longeing cavesson next time out. Other than that, the two-line method was pretty neat.

Friday, 12/28/12

Wizard was tacked up in a bridle, surcingle, and longeing cavesson for this session. We were indoors (again). I used two longe lines, with the clips attached to the rings on the cavesson instead of on the bit. It worked much better. He was feeling a little fresh from all the rain and not a lot of work, and threw some pretty wild kicks when the longe line got too tight around his hind end. At one point, it also got shimmed up under his tail for a minute, ending in another kicking spree until his tail loosened and he got back to normal. We also experimented with the outside line draped over his back. I like the two-line method quite a bit, because it is closer to riding, and I have more control of his shape. On a regular longe line, I have no outside “rein” so he can pop his shoulder whenever he wants.

Thursday, 1/3/13

OUTSIDE- finally! The rain cleared, and a strong wind blew for a few days, drying things up nicely. I was going to go for a walk in the Assunpink, but I forgot to renew my permit, so we stayed at the farm and worked in the outdoor arena. I swapped bits to a fat loose ring snaffle, trying to make it as mild as possible for our groundwork. Over the bridle, he wore his cavesson. We warmed up at the walk on long lines, with me walking behind and also working from his hip. Then, we did a little light trot work, all with the lines snapped to the cavesson. The cavesson is basically as mild as a halter, and Wizard started to play, breaking from a big trot circle to a loopy, bucky canter festival. I was able to slow him down, but the force of him against the lines was hard enough that I was running pretty quickly to keep up as he slowed down. Okay, I guess he can handle a bit now! So we went on to the bit. He did his curling routine again, backing off the bit. I asked for a few transitions, which helped a lot. After a little gentle work, he began to stretch into the bit at the trot. YESSSSS. My goal with the long line work is to patch up some of the holes in his training, especially getting him to accept contact and loosen his back more. Today, I saw him doing a little bit of that. Now if only that saddle would arrive…

Wizard Ride 280: Running Faster All the Time

Monday, 9/12/11

I did not have to be in the office until 5pm (thank you, Keeneland September Sale), so I rode in the early afternoon before work. It was warm and buggy, but comfortable enough for what we were doing. I warmed Wizard up at a walk in the indoor arena, but took the ride outdoors because the arena was watered but not yet dragged. We then tried riding in the dressage court outside, but it was a little wet from the overnight downpours. We ended up in the big arena. The footing was wet but secure enough for trot and canter work.

My three mantras are: Tempo, Contact, and Clarity. Keep the tempo the same. Don’t let Wizard rush. When we go from a walk to a trot, he likes to bounce into a quick little trot. I made sure not to let him run into a trot, and it worked better. For the first five minutes of trotting, his neck was tight and his topline was a little tense. We kept going. We worked on contact. I have gotten much better about not feeding the reins through my fingers. I keep contact. Interestingly, I was wearing a very old pair of gloves that are not very grippy. The lack of grippiness almost helped because it made me actually close my hands on the reins. As we worked on contact, I also focused on my clarity of signals. I’m using the top inside of my calf for leg aids instead of cheating and bumping him with my heel. Wizard is light enough on the aids that he responds. I keep the signals clear, and I am serious about them. As I focused on all of these things, Wizard softened. He took the bit. His back loosened. His stride lengthened, and we slowed to a nice “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” tempo. We serpentined and did large circles, and trotted over two tiny crossrails. After the second crossrail, he cantered and I kept the canter going. I sat lightly in the saddle and worked on contact. I avoided driving with my seat. When Wizard rushed, I half-halted for one stride, and released for the next stride. On both leads, we got a nice “La Isla Bonita” canter tempo. Maybe Wizard can pick a hipper song next time :^P

I’m continuing my work to avoid over-thinking my canter signal, and just roll into it. It’s working, with practice!

Wizard Ride 271: On Fire

Monday, 8/29/11

The arena was damp from all the weekend’s rain, but the farm drains really well, so we were able to ride outdoors. I walked Wizard around the property, and then started our trot work in the arena. He felt a little funny, sort of an odd bounce in his step. I wasn’t sure if he was hitchy or just feeling silly. My hunch was the latter, so I hopped off, stripped his tack, and turned him loose. He ran around the arena like his tail was on fire. I guess being cooped up in a tropical storm will do that to you.

After he got his ya-yas out, I re-tacked him and rode. By that time, Kris was in the arena with Sunny the Mustang mare. We both worked on some bending exercises and transitions, doing circles in each corner of the arena, and working at both the walk and trot. Wizard felt GREAT. He was softer on the bit than usual, and perfectly happy to take a little contact. We worked on circles around the jumps, and practiced change of bend and direction. Our ride was so nice that I booked a lesson for this week :^)

Wizard Ride 247: Crazy Rhythms

Thursday, 6/16/11

Wizard and I had our first riding lesson since this winter. After warming up, we focused on the goal of the lesson, which was rhythm and adjusting Wizard’s stride while keeping him focused and relaxed.

The FIRST thing Carole noticed was weakness in my right leg. It was loose and I was not sitting straight in the saddle. We worked on adjusting my position and focusing on where I am putting my weight. I need to work on closing my fingers, and using the upper inside of my calf instead of cheating and curling my lower calf on Wizard. My leg is bowing instead of sitting securely on his sides. I need to put more weight on the inside of the ball of my foot to balance out my weight.

We started out trotting two outside lines with two poles each. The poles had about 14 trot steps between them, and when Wizard was loose and I was riding forwardly, we got the strides each time. If I jammed up the trot or Wizard missed the distance, we added a step. Wizard stayed wonderfully relaxed through the trot work. Carole added a few poles and we trotted 3 trot poles on one line.

As we added lines of trot poles, Wizard settled nicely into the work. I felt him sit on the bit contact much more consistently than he did in the past. We are both really getting better with rein contact.

After the trot poles, Wizard and I trotted a cross-rail. For the first time ever, he trotted it!!! Usually he leaps, but all the trot poles seemed to give him confidence to trot the jump. We trotted the single a few times, and then trotted a line of two cross-rails, trotting in and cantering out and then stopping a little before the fence. I worked on establishing my rhythm long before the jump so I was not micro-managing him right before the fence.

Next, we graduated to trotting in to the first jump, cantering out, and then doing a simple change at the end of the line and cantering a single pole on the diagonal. For Wizard, cantering poles is more of an ordeal than jumping. He leaps, he rushes, it’s a production. Our first simple change was not great, either. But he beauty of a lesson is having someone on the ground who can coach you through a sticky patch. Carole worked with me on the timing of my leg aid to pick up the correct lead, and Wizard settled over the pole after a few tries, and a LOT of half-halting on my part. Whew- I got my money’s worth!

Wizard Ride 231: Contact

Monday, 5/9/11

Before work, I snuck over to the barn to enjoy the AMAZING weather. I took a quick trail ride with my friend Kris and her mare Philly- we covered about 3 miles or so. Wizard was ready to rumble when I first got in the saddle, but he was settled and was perfectly warmed up by the time we got back to the barn.

After the trail ride, I did a little arena work with Wizard. We worked at the trot, and I worked on my hands, specifically maintaining contact. I tend to fall into the awful habit of fiddling with my hands, feeding the reins through my fingers, and throwing away the contact. I made a concerted effort to keep contact, and Wizard liked it! He stayed on the bit through serpentines, and his transitions were nice. Now all I need to do it remember this :^P

Wizard Ride 197: These Hands

Thursday, 11/18/10

Today, I had my first riding lesson with Carole. She is a local trainer/rider/instructor, and she has many years of experience. One of my favorite things about Carole is her skill with Thoroughbreds; as an owner of a beautiful, sensitive, chestnut Thoroughbred mare, Carole knows the breed well and can practically think like one.

Wizard began the lesson with uncharacteristic goofiness… prancing, fussing with the bit, and resisting my pleas to settle and focus. He was not bad per se, but was quite silly. He skittered around and tried to canter when we were trotting and bounced around, swapping leads every few strides at the canter. Part of the problem was all the time off he had, I think- he has only been ridden a few times this month due to my trip to Kentucky for the Breeders’ Cup.

Carole had a few suggestions about tack: 1) try a thicker bit to help with the fussiness 2) put the saddle a little more forward on Wizard’s back 3) shorten the stirrups by one hole

To put it kindly, my equitation is rusty. Carole (politely!) helped me with my leg, as well as issues with contact. To demonstrate contact points while in the saddle, she placed one riding glove under each calf. I rode at the trot and walk and the gloves fell embarassingly soon after we started the exercise.

We also did some work on our walk-to-trot transitions. I tend to rush him into his trot and he bounces into it. Carole asked me to really focus on a quiet, balanced, smooth transition. It took some concentration, but we eventually got it.

“Combing the reins” was introduced to help with my reluctance to make contact on the reins and also to help with Wizard’s nervous mouthiness on the bit. The reins were held first in my right hand, then my left, with one rein between thumb and index finger and the other rein between my ring finger and pinky. I let the reins slide through the first hand for a few inches and then reached forward with the other hand and took the reins in the same fashion, gently trading hands as I ran them down the reins. It was a wonderful exercise, because it helped me to take consistent contact and it encouraged Wizard to reach into the bit. The contact was neither active or passive, and it was excellent schooling for both of us.

A line of trot poles were set up with one group of three, followed by a second group of three (built up from one)- once we warmed up, we trotted the poles. Wizard bounded over them the first few times, cantering after the first set. Carole asked me to R-E-L-A-X my hands, my arms, and my face and not to rush (Wizard and I both tend to rush through life). She asked us to walk the second series of poles. Wizard was puzzled by this new exercise and it took us a few tries to get it right. We have both gotten pretty bad about hurrying around the arena and over obstacles and this exercise really showed our bad habit in broad daylight.

It was a real treat to work on two things that really improved us: combing the reins and doing trot poles in a downward transition. Wizard and I both got a lot of good from our first lesson.

JR Ride 12; Wizard Ride 55: Natural Born Wizard

Monday, 3/9/2009

I think I’m going to have the chiropractor look at JR. He’s forward and willing, but he seems a little tight in his back. He’s getting goosier during grooming and feels a little tender through the loin. I’ve felt it since I started riding him and it’s not going away. I thought back to what I did for Wizard when we were first starting out, and he had two chiropractic/acupuncture treatments. It would only be fair of me to get JR aligned, especially since he’s already doing more demanding work with cantering and a little bit of trot poles. He’s a healthy and sound horse and I want to give him every advantage I can afford.

Our ride was good. I longed JR for about ten minutes. He was feeling a little fresh and did one or two little bucks and broke into a canter, although I only wanted a working trot. I usually only ask for a canter on the longe in very small quantities, more for balance and training than any sort of exercise. I prefer to do most longe work at the walk and trot, especially with green horses.

I rode for about 15 minutes and we did about 10 minutes of relaxing trot work. Unlike our last lesson, I mostly worked on “long and low”. JR has the habit of bracing with the bottom of his neck during transitions so I’m trying to work and stretch the muscles in the top of the neck and not let him brace the muscles in the bottom of his neck. It went well- I got a few nice stretches out of him and we did a baby shoulder in at the walk in each direction. I also set up the ground pole box (four jump poles in a square) and we did a little work on halts and disengaging the hind end. He’s wiggly at the trot and he’s heavier in my hands, but I think it’s his greenness and his build. When he’s more schooled, I expect him to take more contact than his friend Wizard.

Speaking of Wizard… breakthrough, breakthrough, breakthrough! I was on Cloud Nine after our ride tonight. I longed him for ten minutes to let him warm up- he did that wonderful working horse snort… not the purr of a jumper, but the rhythmic snort of a fresh horse ready for work. Under saddle, his walk was relaxed and willing. He chewed his bit slowly and thoughtfully, not nervously. I kept him on a large circle for our ride. I started on his hard side (right) with trot work. The transitions were the most harmonious yet! There was very little awkwardness and we got in sync really quickly. Wizard picked up a little bend when asked and did some amazing stretches. A few hints of long and low, on our way to the coveted dressage stretchy circle. We trotted left as well with the same results.

It might not have looked like a lot, but Wizard had a major breakthrough and it was thrilling. All of a sudden, things are falling into place. These are basic movements, but they were not possible without all of this careful riding and care for his health. I gave him Ulcergard and I’m still trying to figure out if it’s the magic bullet. If it is, it’s a pricey magic bullet ;^) Two of my barn buddies have confirmed my thoughts that Wizard looks like a new man- his belly is gone and his muscles are getting smooth and round. Wizard is a natural-born mellow and willing guy. He is eager to please and it is very rewarding to find the real horse as a result of all our hard work. I was getting close to giving him another long layoff, but the extra time and money have really paid off.

JR Ride 8; Wizard Ride 51: Heels Down!

Wednesday, 2/25/09

I lost Alibar in September 2008 but I still see reminders of him all the time. I bought a bag of hay cubes for Wizard and I just about started bawling when I started making them. We made hay cubes for Alibar for over a decade- it was a signature Alibar dish.

I started the night with JR. First, I turned him out in the indoor arena to let him blow off a little steam and stretch his legs. We worked on some clicker training at liberty. Although JR was a little slow out of the gate with clicker training, he has caught up really quickly. I rewarded him for circling around me and also for approaching me on command. I think that a moderate amount of liberty training really strengthens the bond between horse and rider. I’ve never used round pens- I find a big arena to be just fine for what I need.

I tacked up JR and Sarah rode him first. She rode for about 10 minutes. She worked on adjusting his stride- forward trot, working trot, sitting trot. She also cantered him. For a green horse who has been out of work for more than a year, he was quite balanced. JR has a really nice inner balance and rhythm and I think he has the ability to go really far as a riding horse. JR just barely broke a sweat by the time she was done.

Then it was my turn. JR and I had a workout! Sarah really put us through our paces. We trotted figure 8s, serpentines, and figure 8s down the long side (really skinny figure 8s). Sarah asked us for three trots: forward trot, posting trot, and sitting trot. JR has a remarkable forward trot! He never feels like he is going to break into a canter and he sort of floats along. His natural ability to adjust his gaits will be an asset if he ends up doing any dressage. We rode for about 20 or 25 minutes. By the time we were done, I was sweating! I’ve ridden all my life but since Alibar got sick and before that hurt his leg, I barely rode in 2008. In the beginning of the lesson, JR did a lot of adjusting his head, sometimes up, sometimes out, sometimes down. At the end of the lesson, I could feel JR stretching into the bit and accepting contact. His trot became more rhythmical and easy to ride. I cooled him out, groomed him, and moved onto the next victim :^)

I let Wizard spend about 10 minutes loose in the arena to stretch his legs and so I could see how he was feeling on the new shoes. He looks more comfortable. I tacked him up and Sarah rode him for about 10 minutes. A lot of the relaxation and schooling we did in January has regressed. He was back to being tense and anticipating the trot. Sarah was very patient with him and worked on asking for a quiet trot on a large circle. He did relax a bit after a few rounds. Then, I rode him for about 10 minutes. I think that it will not take as long to get him settled this time around as it did last month. Even though he had a layoff, I find that horses pick up training quickly once they have already learned it at some point. We did a few quiet walk/trot transitions and then walked some more, working on getting him to his “happy place”. Wizard simply needs more physical care and work than JR. I love working with them both and I am beginning to appreciate their differences.

It’s also really nice to be doing actual riding lessons. It feels good to have somebody tell me to put my heels down :^) Part of the comfort of a lesson is that I can allow somebody else to pilot the ride while I work on myself. I can focus more and we both improve. I’m really impressed with the progress we made. Can’t wait for the next lesson!