Wizard Ride 150: Bits and Pieces

Wednesday, 6/16/10

Wizard is getting his stitches out on Saturday. The laceration is healing nicely. He wears a fly mask during turnout to keep the area free from debris and to keep him from popping a stitch. He’s off his antibiotic and he was feeling perky so we got back to riding.

Since the browband sits directly on the spot where he has his stitches, I took a few bits and pieces off the bridle. I removed the browland and the cavesson, leaving only the cheekpieces, throatlatch, and crownpiece (and bit). The bridle looks a little like a western bridle or a racehorse bridle, but with less style.

We rode in the indoor arena for about half an hour, working at the walk and trot. My goal was to keep him loose and relaxed and get a feel for any differences after his chiropractic adjustment last week. He definitely felt more flexible and was offering lots of stretching. After he was warmed up at the walk and trot, we worked on very large circles, changing direction and asking for a stretch. Wizard complied beautifully- it was a great return ride after an unexpected layoff.

Wizard Ride 128: Oh Magoo, You’ve Done It Again

Sunday, 3/28/10

On Saturday, I started riding in a Fleeceworks FXK All-Purpose saddle pad and so far, I like the results. My saddle feels secure without being over-padded and Wizard’s back looks good. I compulsively monitor sweat marks to ensure proper saddle fit.

I rode at night after work. I brought him in the arena and free longed him for about 10 minutes. I tacked him up in the arena. He is so nice to work around- he stood quietly while being tacked up without a lead rope. I rode for about 25 minutes, warming up at a walk, then proceeding to trot work. At the beginning of the trot work, I encountered the same ear-pinning behavior I’ve noticed in the past. I made a concerted effort NOT to react when he pinned his ears. I know that I normally look down at him and soften up my seat because I’m concerned about him. I fear that I might be encouraging this behavior so I’m going to try to see if I can extinguish it. On Sunday night, it worked! A few minutes into our trot work, he was lowering his head and relaxing. Another bad habit I have is dropping the reins and allowing him to slow down if he stretches into the bit. I worked on correcting this bad habit by using my arms as rubber bands, rewarding his stretched neck by elongating my arms without feeding more rein to him. I kept my leg on before he could try to slow down. It seemed to work- now I need to make it a habit.

We practiced some circles and serpentines. I worked on keeping my inside seatbone soft through the turns. In order to keep my hip from collapsing through turns, I think about my hip posting toward the opposite ear (left hip posting toward the right ear and vice versa). The image is just enough to keep my seat soft and inviting so we don’t collapse and Wizard does not pop his shoulder.

When our ride was over, I brought him back to the barn and spent a little time grooming him. I worked on his mane, banged his tail, conditioned his hooves, and carefully curried his coat. When I was done, I reached into my tack trunk and pulled out the familiar Vetrolin coat conditioner bottle by the white nozzle and spritzed him two times on each side. I worked the product in with my dandy brush and then put him in his stall to eat his rice bran/Equipride mash.

I turned to my grooming supplies and gaped in horror… I had sprayed poor Wizard with No Chew instead of Vetrolin! I grabbed a towel, wet it down, and rubbed his coat vigorously to remove the product from his coat. As expected, Wizard is none worse for the wear, despite my fretting. It appears that I have two things in common with Mr Magoo: we are both Rutgers alumni and we both bumble our way through life.

Selena Ride 27; Wizard Ride 97: Mrs. Potato Head

Thursday, 9/17/09

Pony pedicure day. I had to go 5 weeks with the herd this cycle because their feet were growing like weeds and chipping a bit from stomping at flies. The farrier was pleased with the amount of foot they grew. It looks like I can still keep Selena barefoot for now.

Mary the Morgan also got a trim. While she was getting her feet done, we all noticed the strangest smell, almost like potatoes. The farrier said that it’s actually the smell of really healthy horse feet- I’m sure Mary’s owner was pleased to hear that :^)

It was dark after the farrier left so we turned the arena lights on and rode Wizard and Mary the Morgan perimeter of the property. Wizard was a little keyed up, but totally manageable and he stood quietly when I asked him to halt a few times. I casually walked him into the arena and walked around a few times, doing a few circles. His neck was tense at the beginning of the ride but by the end, he was relaxed. I had to remind myself over and over to give, give, give, especially when he curled his neck. I rode him for a total of about 15 or 20 minutes, just a little more than the last few rides. I hope to get out on the trails with him soon.

I rode Selena indoors. We followed the same basic ride plan:

– Walk 10 minutes on a loose rein
– Trot work on a large oval, asking for relaxation and stretching in the neck
– Walk in shoulder-in
– Figure 8 at the trot, asking for bend in each direction
– Trot over ground poles that were set up in a line-diagonal pattern
– Walk in serpentines, asking for bend in each direction
– Trot and ask for Selena to chew the reins out of my hands and stretch downward
– Walk until 100% cool

Selena got excited trotting over the poles and hopped over one of them. You can’t take a jumper out of the dressage horse, eh? The ride went well. Now that she is fitter, I want to work more on suppling exercises in order to prepare for more bending. I also want to work more in shoulder-in.

Selena Ride 26; Wizard Ride 96: Sticktoitiveness

Monday, 9/14/09

Another dose of top-shelf Jersey weather. Ahhhh!

The horses have been spending all day and night outside and I can feel a difference in Wizard and Selena. Both are more focused and settled.

I rode Wizard for about 15 minutes at the walk. We walked around the property with Mary the Morgan. I did not take him in the arena because I’m still trying to figure out if his resistant behavior from a few months ago was more physical or behavioral. He stood quietly for mounting (and cribbed on the fence- little booger!) and was a perfect gentleman for our walk.

Selena was also fantastic- this may have been our best ride yet. This was our ride plan:

– walk on loose/long rein for 10 minutes
– trot on a large oval, asking for contact and asking for a stretch
– walk and ask for leg yield in both directions, using the wall
– trot in figure 8, making sure to make them loopy without too much straightness at the center
– trot in large oval, asking for a longer stride on the long sides and as shorter stride on the short stride (I hesitate to call it lengthening since we are not at that level)
– ask for the horse to stretch and chew the reins at a trot on a large ciecle
– walk to cool out

I got more bend tonight than I’ve ever gotten before and Selena is responding really well to my half halts, meaning that I’m doing them better. Hooray! I did not feel quite as secure in my position as I did last week, but I think it is because I was doing so much hiking and activity last week. I need to keep it up.

As a final exercise, I lined Selena up with Mary the Morgan, horse show style. Selena stood quietly and sighed as if to say, “I’ve done THIS before, silly!”

I asked Mary’s owner to leave the arena before us to work on separating Selena from other horses. We’ve done this exercise a few times and Selena is becoming more and more relaxed.

Progress is a powerful thing. It makes all the difficult days so worthwhile.

Ride Plan Evaluation Time

“We want to understand the nature of the horse, respect his personality, and not suppress it throughout his training. Then we are on the right way.” -Dedication of Basic Training of the Young Horse

According to Ingrid and Reiner Klimke’s Basic Training of the Young Horse, suppling exercises in the first year include:

1) 10 minutes of walk on a loose rein (or a long rein for horses with poll problems).

2) Rising trot on a circle.

3) Changes of rein in trot: out of a circle, across short and long diagonals.

4) Frequent walk/trot transitions.

5) Trot/canter transitions on a circle (approx. one of every two circles).

6) On the long side, lengthen the stride, maintaining the tempo.

7) The “stretchy circle” (or straightaway), allowing the horse to chew the reins out of the rider’s hands in rising trot.

8.) One shallow loop on the long side.

9) Three-loop serpentines in rising trot with loops instead of straight changes of direction.

10) Leg-yield to the outside (head to wall).

11) Turn on the forehand.

Now it’s time for me to incorporate more of these exercises into my rides. The transitions have been highly successful but I need to do more than my cone-circle.

Riders who may be reading this blog: would you care to share some of your favorite suppling exercises as well as how you design your ride plans?

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.

Wizard Ride 43: Follow the Leader

Sunday, 2/1/09

The unseasonably warm weather gave me a touch of spring fever. Wizard must have felt it as well since he was a complete mudball when I saw him tonight. I took an Oster Mane and Tail Brush and curried him. He protested the amount of elbow grease I used but not as badly as he has in the past. After I took the crust off of him, he barely looked better, but at least he had no mud on him. That’s the good thing about a bay horse with minimal white :^)

I longed Wizard for about 15 minutes, including 5 minutes of walking as a warmup. We worked on spiraling in and out at the trot as a suppling exercise. At first, he was a little confused and stopped to face me- he usually just goes into auto-pilot when he trots on the longe so the new work was a big question mark for him. Once I refined my commands, he understood and came in and back out onto the circle in both directions.

After longeing, I rode for about 10 minutes. We played “follow the leader” with Christie and Mary the Morgan. We followed about 7 lengths behind them and rode around the arena, walking patterns and between obstacles. Wizard was fantastic- we both responded really well to a new exercise. One of the reasons we did this schooling is because several new boarders are at the barn and I think that we’ll be riding in company more often. Usually, I ride in the evening and we are by ourselves.

Since we were trying new things, I dismounted from the right side. Wizard’s reaction? No biggie- he stood nicely as usual. Tomorrow night, we’re planning a mini lesson with Sarah- I’m looking forward to it :^)

Wizard Ride 35: Stirrup Kisses and Dumbo Loses the Magic Feather

Tuesday 1/6/09

I broke my sessions with Wizard into two mini-sessions today. I longed him in his new Happy Mouth King Dee mullen mouth shaped bit so he could get a feel for it. Although the bit looked big, the plastic sides actually push the bit away from his cheeks. The mouthpiece itself fits him perfectly. Wizard normally takes a 5 or 5 1/4 inch bit bit Happy Mouth bits tend to need to be sized up so he wears a 5 1/2″.

We longed for about 15 minutes, mostly for a little fitness and to work on our walk-trot transitions. He was the perfect little horse and did everything I asked. I put him back in his stall and he ate his dinner while I watched some other lessons and hung out at the barn with my mom.

Later in the evening, I tacked Wizard up for our ride. For the past 4 rides or so, Wizard has become more reactive to the saddling process. I changed him to a sheepskin saddle pad but I see no difference- if anything, he’s more agitated. Once the pad and saddle are on him, he does not react to the girthing process, which is strange to me.

Wizard is also sensitive to grooming. I purchased the softest brush I could find, but he still flattens his ears when I brush him. I let him give his editorial opinion for many sessions, but I finally had to reprimand him recently. I simply yelled, “ENOUGH!!!” and bumped his neck with the hard part of the brush. He quieted himself immediately and I praised him profusely when he relaxed.

As much as I hate, hate, hate to scold any human or animal, Wizard was simply getting too pushy about grooming. I try to let animals tell me how they feel about things, but after 30+ sessions and with him getting more and more opinionated, I finally had to let him know that this is unacceptable. And he listened with one loud word and a brush bumped against his neck.

After we tacked up, I rode Wizard indoors for about 15 minutes.

We started with Stirrup Kisses, a suppling exercise known by many other names and one that crosses disciplines from dressage to western pleasure. I asked Wizard to turn his head to my right stirrup by pulling the right rein toward my hip, while releasing my left rein to allow his neck to bend. When his nose is close to my stirrup, I release the right rein. Then I did one to the left, reversing the cues. Wizard was quite good at this exercise and even held position on both sides. He’s a bendy guy!

Then we worked at the walk, which felt fantastic. My seat felt more relaxed and I rode confidently. Wizard responded with a big walk that I call The Dinosaur Walk- kinda like this.

The trot was not as smooth :^) Without my Magic Feather (aka my friend Sarah), I could not trot Wizard as well. We also were riding at the far end of the arena (away from the gate and barn) because the arena was watered but had not yet been groomed. The trot was just-OK, but I lost my quiet seat and began to fiddle with Wizard’s mouth again. Argh- SO frustrasting!!! More rushing, less balance on my part. My timing was off. Wizard even broke into an awkward canter at one point when he had trotted himself off balance. Good to know that I have plenty of stopping power, even in the Happy Mouth Bit ;^)

We DID get a few nice moments at the trot, but none nearly as nice as the ones from the night before.

After one last decent little trot, I went back to the walk with Wizard. The VERY good part was that he was perfectly willing to go back to the Dinosaur Walk immediately after trotting. He was relaxed and willing, even after a few clumsy trots with me.

Back at the barn, I worked on Wizard’s bow- he’s slowly learning how to lift one hoof and bow down like a little circus pony.

Wizard has Wednesday off. Thursday night? Another session with Sarah and Sarah :^)