Weekend update

Well, unfortunately, there is still no media.

This weekend was interesting.  Saturday, I took the day off.

And when I say took the day off, I mean took the day off.  It was 98+ degrees, humid, and I just couldn't.  The dog didn't even get a walk.

It got so hot inside the house that I had to retreat from the regular living room, which used to be the porch and is basically one big window, to the den, which is a cave with no windows.  Even with the AC running, it was 83 in the house.

I worked on Christmas ornaments, and mopped the kitchen floor, and worked on catching up with 12 Monkeys on Demand.  I talked to no one other than the dog, and it was fantastic.  Once the boy got home, we ate left-over chicken cacciatori made by my brother/roommate and watched some Mad Men before heading to bed.

Sunday, I woke at 6:30, dressed, took the dog for a short walk in the rain, and headed to the barn for a lesson at 10.

We have decided the routine will be cross country schooling every other week, and this was that week.  Especially since there was a schooling show on Saturday and the fences were still set up and numbered.

So I tacked up, borrowing Ginny's cross country saddle (thanks Ginny!) and walked a bit waiting for Marcy to get done with a lesson.  She met us in the field with our friends the draw reins.

I trotted behind the golf cart for warm up, to the start box in the adjacent field.  There, we warmed up trotting over the elementary log back and forth, just once to get our feet wet.

Today's lesson was about the three main things you need to remember on course.  Line, balance and pace.  Line I'm pretty good at.  Balance and pace are works in progress.

So we started off over a BN house, right 180 degree turn to the elementary roll top.  That was the first time we cantered, and of course, Violet was great.  She locked onto the roll top after the turn and took me to it.  Then we circled back to the BN roll top that was between some trees and the new mound complex.  Marcy warned that she may try to lock onto any of the other fences she could see, but there was no problem.  I did drop her a little, but only with one hand, and because we had the pace we needed, it was no problem, and I was able to go with her when she took the fence just a little longer than she would have in the past.

We then headed down to fences 3 (feeder) and 4 (coop), which were set as a long combo on a bending line that involved riding a bit through the woods.  Marcy suggested taking the feeder on the left side of the fence in order to square out the left turn to the coop, about 9 strides away.  The whole thing rode well.

Fence 5 was the half roll top that we ended on last time, set on a slight uphill.  We took it out of stride, with no problems.

Then we had a bit of a ride through the woods along the fence line to the white bench.  Marcy said to be careful going through the woods and stand up, as you never know what might move that takes your horse by surprise.  Squirrels are scary, you know.  So I circled by the woods and rode up to the bench.  This is the one fence that we did twice, because Violet slowed down to it slightly and I looked down to see what she was looking at, and dropped her.  She made it over with a chip, so we did that one again, fully supporting her all the way to it.  Marcy said truthfully, this was the hardest fence on the course, because it was white and everything else was dark.  It will cause the horses to look a bit.

Next is a pretty tall mound, just up, over and down.  I was instructed to walk up and down, leaning a bit forward on the up and being aware she would try to trot down because it's easier, and just use a little left/right on the reins to keep her with me.  She took a couple trot steps up it, and started to walk down, but trotted the last few.  No big deal.

Next was the "water".  And yes, I put it in quotes because it's not our usual water complex.  It was basically a depression that they put water in, so it was more like a swampy/muddy area.  Or at least, that's the way it looks.  It's not really muddy, and has decent footing under the water, but isn't really clear.  We walked through that first, then circled back to trot through it and pick up the canter for the 4-bar fence that was about seven or eight (can't remember the count) strides behind it.  I was to concentrate on picking her up into the canter as we came out of the water, since it was such a short distance and we needed to get the pace built quickly.

Next was just a nice coop between some other fences.  We got good pace coming to it on a long stretch, working on the gallop and then balance strides before the fence.

Next is what we are calling the wishing well.  It's really like an introductory trakehner, as it's a hanging log over an open box.  We did this one the last time with no issues.  I was warned, however, that she may naturally slow a little, as the bottom of it, again, was lighter than the other fences, so she may look at it.  That lead directly to the last fence, which was a little table in a line with all the other final fences.  I was to ride the last two as if I was in the class.  It was a pretty decent haul up a slight hill to get to the last.

She took the wishing well with no issues, and we continued to the last fence, which was about 35 strides away (yes, I count.  It makes me breath and relax a little).  Violet was quite literally pulling me to that last fence.  I didn't rate her speed too much on the way up, but put in a pretty good (I thought) balancing stride before the last fence.  Maybe I wasn't as successful in that as I thought, as she rapped the fence as we went over, which I suspect means she was a little flat to it, since we were being speedy.  Then I cantered through the finish flags.

OK, so for most of you out there, this is no big deal.  For me, this was HUGE!  I just successfully schooled the entire BN course, from start to finish!  I wish there had been someone there taking pics or videoing, because there were some great efforts, and I know there was a hell of a lot of grinning. And Marcy was so proud!

She actually posted something on FB about it being a proud trainer moment, because when I came to her, I was afraid to jump a crossrail in the ring, and look at me now.  And this was why she does what she does.

I myself was reminded by FB when I got home of a post I had made 5 years ago about how happy I was that Violet and I successfully completed a walk-trot division at our local hunter/jumper show.  This was back at a time when there were days we chose not to trot in lessons, and canter was not a consideration because I was convinced she was trying to run off with me.

Now I am galloping on purpose, coming at fences with more pace than I ever would have thought, because it's easier, and grinning the whole time.  And I am finally really thinking maybe we can do this beginner novice thing.  I know Violet can.  Now I'm thinking I can too.

Oh, and eating chicken cacciatori, heavy on the garlic, the night before cross country schooling, is not a good idea, especially when you have nervous stomach, lol.

Pony progress

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while.  I'm finding life difficult right now.

I can say I had two fantastic rides this past weekend.  The first was dressage.  It's been a while since we did a true dressage lesson, but Violet was fantastic.  I lengthened my stirrups longer than I have in the past, and it seems to help my balance problem some.  We worked on getting the "basketball bounce" kind of canter in the circle, and worked on getting the counterbend into the corners at the canter.  It's cool to think we can get to that now, bending at the canter.  I'm getting better with the timing of inside and outside legs.  Nice to see we are still carrying forward in progress without drilling dressage all the time.

Slowly working our way back to this.

 The second day we did jumping.  We started just cantering a cloverleaf over poles, working on carrying the "triangle" over the poles and not dropping my contact.  The triangle is a visual reference to me for the shape my hands make when they are together above her neck.  The cloverleaf also helped me with keeping my eye ahead of me, looking to the next pole instead of looking down.  Then we started jumping two long lines of about 7-8 strides.  We started with a vertical to vertical line, working on being able to recognize when the steady stride between the fences should happen.  Since a vertical will end with her landing further away from the fence, the steady stride, which for me is almost always simply sitting up straight rather than a pull, should happen sooner in a line.  We did this a few times, then moved to another oxer to oxer line where the balance stride happens a little bit later in the line, but that I also needed to keep moving forward.  This was hard for me in the beginning when the fences were smaller.  Even if I was looking to the next fence, it was so low that I was still looking down, which pitches my balance forward.  I was also told that I have gotten better with not jumping ahead with my body, but that I am still jumping ahead with my hands.  I prepare for the jump a stride or two out by putting my hands forward, which is actually still dropping Violet, putting her onto her forehand so she chips.  So the last couple of times we did the vertical to vertical line around to the oxer to oxer, I had to work with getting the balance strides where they should be, then supporting all the way to the fence and not prepping (propping) with my hands a stride out.  By this time the fences had crept up to a true BN height, and the last time we did it, it all came together and we got the forward strides in both lines!  It was a lot of fun.  Now this weekend we will go back out in the field to cross country school.

And very glad the grass is tall enough that salad can be obtained without reaching, lol

I haven't mentioned it, maybe because I wanted to see how it was all going to work out, but Marcy had her surgery a couple of weeks ago, and worked out a deal with our two girls extraordinaire for care and riding of the ponies to keep them all going while she spends the next 4 to 6 months recouping.  Yep, they say if she wants it to heal properly with full strength and range of motion that is needed for riding, it will take that long.  In the meantime, the horses will stay in full training.  They will be ridden by the girls who will be taught daily by Marcy in order to keep the horse's training on track.  I think this is a win-win for a difficult situation.  The girls are getting experience that they never would have had and are doing a fantastic job taking care of the horses, Marcy gets to see how they are going and that they are on track to where she wants them to be, and we get the benefit of the horses remaining in full training.  We as riders have been pitching in on the weekends to do care so the girls get some time off.  Of course, this means more whole weekends at the barn, as Saturday lunch, dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch all have to be covered, but so far it's working well.

Hopefully next week I'll have some media to go with my diatribe.

Using my words

I do apologize about the post earlier this week with no words.  This week has been an absolute whirwind and I really wanted to get the media up because I was so proud of myself.

First, it was hot.  OMG, it was so hot.  Like the fiery depths of hell hot.  And of course if there is any kind of anxiety, then you have that and you have adrenaline.  So, yeah, very proud that I didn't throw up or faint.  Although I may have sounded like a freight train.  Until I started counting, which actually means breathing in a normal way.

Anyway, yes, I did successfully school cross country.

And by successful, I mean the above mentioned not throwing up, fainting or falling off.  And, much more importantly, it was fun!   Still nerve inducing, but fun!  We had pony club testing in the jump rings, so cross country it was.  And there were horses everywhere.  We went out to the field with Marcy and the boy leading in the golf cart and me trotting behind.  Quick warm up, since it was so hot, of trot and canter, and then we walked and trotted through the water and over a little tiny cut log pile.  From there we went to a tiny coop (elementary).

If you read this blog at all, you will have heard of the 18" coop of death.  This was not that one, but I still have nerves regarding coops, since V seemed to take exception to them.

I had to go into this whole endeavor acknowledging that this was not the same horse that I last schooled cross country with such difficulty.

That horse started counting from the first flub and held it against me.  You don't keep leg on all the way to the fence?  That's #1.  You drop her in front of the fence?  That's #2.  You get ahead of her?  That's #3 and she was done.  She wasn't sure what this cross country crap was about, but was pretty cure that since I wasn't sure, she shouldn't have to figure it out.

This horse, though?  She has figured out what it is and what it's about.  6 months of weekly cross country schooling sessions, and she has figured out how to let go after a boo-boo.  She has learned to forgive me in order to get to the next fence, so that's very cool.

So, back to the coop, we got over that with no problem, then moved to a couple of rolltops, one elementary, one BN.  The goal was to do right lead to and over the small one, pick up left and circle back to the bigger one.

First try was a bit of an oops.  The boy said after "Even I could see what Marcy was talking about.  You totally looked down at the fence."  So we tried it again, this time with me looking up and not down at the fence.

Much better that time.  

Then we did an elementary bench, and then came a log and the wishing well.  The wishing well was the one time I actually felt Violet ask "are you sure?"  I simply used a little leg to say yes and she replied with a "yes ma'am" and hopped right over.

Then we went to the little bendy log to the half rolltop.  At the rolltop, I got left behind.  We went around and did the log again to restore confidence and then did the rolltop again, and this time it was perfect.  Marcy let out a whoop, which I could listen to over and over.  

Because it was such a great effort, we stopped at that.  We are trying to break this down into workable pieces for me to get my brain around it.

In looking at the video, and thinking about how it all went, it was obvious the ones I had issues with were the ones that I personally was intimidated by.  I have to ride those ones better.  Instead of getting nervous and hoping the pony will go over them, I have to ride her to and over them.  I was proud of the wishing well, because it's the first time I've ever been over it, and I rode it well.  Well enough that we only did it once.  

So I ended the whole experience with a smile on my face.  Big thanks to Marcy and the boy, for being my cheering crew and biggest supporters, and understanding how big of a thing it is for me to jump these little fences.

Guess what I did this weekend (WW)

June 10 - Always a big day

June 10

Not necessarily a big day to many.  Always one in my thoughts.

This is the day 55 years ago that my favorite childhood trainer was born.

This is the day 6 years ago that that same childhood trainer, who became my best adult friend, died.

In her honor, I decided this is also Violet's birthday, since we know it was sometime in June, but not the exact date.  She's 11 today.

That trainer was named Denna Johnson.  She loved Publix fried chicken, NCIS (Gibbs!), gymnastics, and all her children.  There was not a horse or child she would not take in and find a home for.  She had at least one silent auction a year to raise money for St. Jude's.  She would buy out the clearance rack at clothing stores to stockpile clothes to give away to the homeless in the winter, and made countless baskets of food for the less fortunate at Thanksgiving.  She had one week of summer camp a year that was specifically for homeless kids in shelters.  And this was all done with "her kids".  She started the College Bound Invitational (CBI) which took place twice a year in Newberry Florida to put kids in contact with college recruiters from 6th grade on.  This was taken over and changed to the College Prep Invitational (CPI) when she died and now takes place annually in Wellington.  She slept on a bunk bed in her living room so she could stay with the kids, or so some of us adults could have a room to ourselves (hers of course).  She had camp at every opportunity, and it was nothing for 2, 3, 15 kids to stay the night on the weekends.

She trained with George Morris one summer, and was offered a horse to ride by Beezie Madden at the American Invitational when the horse she qualified died the week before (she didn't take it).

She was recognizable by voice.  You could hear her across the property or showgrounds.  Some of her best quotes: "I make you Strong Like Bull!"  "Grow some ovaries and get over the fence!" "There is no crying in horse showing"  

She didn't tolerate much in the way of insolence, and was known to pull a child aside and explain that if they talked to their parent in such a way one more time, they would be putting the pony away.

In short, she was an amazing woman, and she is missed.

***

In more uplifting news, I just got a message from Marcy that tomorrow we will be moving into the cross country field and to bring my vest.  All of a sudden, my stomach is churning...  And I have to get something to treat the pony with for her birthday!

Revolution?

During my impromptu lesson last week, as we were walking to a dressage ring that had just freed up, Marcy was approached by a woman wearing a purple shirt, as if she had something important to say.  However, she was obviously trying to be discreet about it, looking around furtively like someone might overhear what she had to say.  She introduced herself (I cannot for the life of me remember the name) and said she had something for Marcy to give her rider, and pointed at me.  Now, she did not realize I had on a headset and could hear everything from on the other side of the ring, but it didn't matter.  She didn't say anything bad.

She hands Marcy a flier and says to give it to me, maybe I could look them up, they are a good group, she's a sponsored rider, blah blah blah.  Now, this was a woman of size.  I finally picked up on the fact that she was talking about a support group for plus sized women.  Specifically, the "English Plus Sized Rider" group from Facebook.  Yes, it is a thing.  And while I appreciate the fact that there is a support group for plus sized women out there, I admit I have mixed feelings.

When I told the boy about it and showed him the card, he asked if I asked her if she was calling me fat.  Of course I didn't.  That would be rude.  It would be pretty funny to see the expression on her face, though, cause that's kind of what she did.

Yes, I am a plus sized rider.  I will always be larger than the average.  I always have been.  I am heavier right now than I have been in a long time, but I'm working on it.  At the same time, I do not really wish to call attention to the fact that I'm bigger than I want to be.  For example, they have these shirts they are selling.

I would be fine with buying one if it was just the front stuff.  They are technical shirts, with good fabric and some nice colors.  But the stuff on the back?  Yeah, not so much.  I'm not a revolution type girl, I guess.

Otherwise, it was a good weekend.  Watched the oldest almost step-child graduate from high school.  All adult types minded their P's and Q's.  Came back and then drove to the barn Saturday for a ride on my own.  Then stayed home Sunday to recoup and prepare for big bad Storm Colin.  Other than a tornado warning at work that necessitated standing in stairwells for 20 minutes and ended with early dismissal (at like 4:30), it was pretty much just a regular rainy day.  Some neighborhoods got some big wind, but mine appears fine.