I feel like this year has been a lot of ups and downs and changes in plans. Either I'm sick or hurt or something's going on with my horses. That said, I'm still very happy with it all. The bad things have ended up leading to something good. I have great faith that things happen for a reason, and God somehow makes it all work out.
Last week, after finding out about Renn's injury, I was all geared up to try to make the most of things and head to VA with Bug to do the CCI*. However, last weekend, we had about 4 days of horrendous storms with pouring rain and hail. Monday morning, Bug seemed to have a bit of a belly ache and didn't want to eat his breakfast. He wasn't in any distress, just not interested in eating. For everyone that knows Bug, this is definately not like him. To make a long story short, I gave him Banamine, not really thinking about anything except making him better. He was fine about 10 minutes after I gave him his meds, but I then realized that I'd probably just messed up my chances at going to the CCI*. The FEI is very particular about drug testing, and Banamine stays in the horse's system for 6 days minimum.
Once again, another change in plans. However, I could still switch him over to do just a horse trial at the Preliminary level. I took that option. Renn went along for the ride, as Jeremiah is not good with leg wrapping and medicine giving. He was a perfect gentleman stallion all weekend, though, even after all of that stall rest. I was very proud of him.
I learned yet another lesson with Bug... He warmed up beautifully for dressage on Saturday morning. As soon as I went into the dressage arena and put my leg on to trot, he squealed. I knew I was in for it. However, instead of being patient and just pushing him through, I got frustrated. This is something I need to work on. I need to just push him forward instead of getting frustrated and making him more tense. Lesson learned. We ended up with a 45.2. Not impressive, knowing what this horse COULD be getting.
After walking the XC course, I knew that it had a lot of really good questions. The jumps weren't huge, but I felt like it was a decent Prelim course. I told myself that I wasn't going to take anything for granted.
Of course, just as I went out to warm up for XC, the rain started coming down. I had a hard time seeing through the rain, and the ground was pretty mucky in places, so I decided not to push too hard for time. Bug jumped like a champ!! I was thrilled with him. We ended up with 7.2 time penalties which was pretty average for our division.
Show jumping was a very cool course with a lot of turns and interesting lines. I walked the course with Kim, and I was determined to try to ride the lines just as she explained them. I made the mistake of using Bug's KK bit for show jumping, as he was feeling a bit wild. I thought that I would take it easy on his mouth after XC the day before. Apparently, Bug wasn't tired at all! We jumped around double clear and way up over everything, but he was definately not in as much control as I would have liked! However, I was very happy with myself that I stayed on the lines Kim wanted us to take, and I stayed with him in his exuberance. We were one of only two double clears in our division.
Thanks to Bug's phenomenal jumping, we ended up with a pretty yellow 3rd place ribbon! I'm very happy with my boy, even though we definatley have more work to do. :)
The next big stop is the Lost Hounds Horse Trials in Erie, PA, June 19-20. Bug's going to be making the big move up to Intermediate!! The plan is to spend the next month getting lessons and competing in some schooling combined test and dressage shows at the Intermediate level to get ready!!
Renn seems to be doing a lot better so far, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it was just a minor strain, and he'll be back to work soon.
Hope all is well with everyone! Kick on!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Rolling with the punches
We're coming down to the wire for the CCI* at Virginia next week. Bug and I have been doing dressage boot camp hardcore, and he is feeling very fit and ready to go. His jumping has been great and spot on, if a bit exuberant. I am using this last week or so to really nail down our test and make sure our jumping is accurate and straight.
Of course, there has to be some punches thrown at me...that's life with horses, eh? Renn was all signed up for the Novice Horse division at Virginia. He's been going really well and starting to really get his transitions down, and he's getting much better at staying relaxed and lovely in his flatwork and jumping. Enter mysterious lameness.... No heat, no swelling. VERY lame on his left front. The farrier tried to find an abscess with no luck. Off to Davie County Animal Hospital to see Dr. James Meeker we go! To make a long story short, we're dealing with some level of suspensory branch strain or pull or worse. Due to the nerve blocking that we did on his leg today, we could not do an ultrasound (the fluid from the block will show up as fluid on an US, and you can't tell if it's from the tendon or from the blocking). The X-rays showed no bony problems, but you could see some abnormalities around the suspensory branch insertion (attachment).
What does all of this mumbo-jumbo mean? Renn will be on stall rest with hand walking for the next 2 weeks. Intensive wrapping, sweating, poulticing, and medicine for the next 2 weeks. If all of this helps? Just a strain. If he's still lame after 2 weeks? Back to the vet for an ultrasound.
Renn will still make the trip to VA with me, as I have no one to care for him while I'm gone. It'll be good for him to get more exposure, even if he doesn't have to compete. He will go along and route his brother on!
Countdown until VA is on! I will be saying big prayers that it goes well , and Renn heals quickly!
Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. Kick on!
Of course, there has to be some punches thrown at me...that's life with horses, eh? Renn was all signed up for the Novice Horse division at Virginia. He's been going really well and starting to really get his transitions down, and he's getting much better at staying relaxed and lovely in his flatwork and jumping. Enter mysterious lameness.... No heat, no swelling. VERY lame on his left front. The farrier tried to find an abscess with no luck. Off to Davie County Animal Hospital to see Dr. James Meeker we go! To make a long story short, we're dealing with some level of suspensory branch strain or pull or worse. Due to the nerve blocking that we did on his leg today, we could not do an ultrasound (the fluid from the block will show up as fluid on an US, and you can't tell if it's from the tendon or from the blocking). The X-rays showed no bony problems, but you could see some abnormalities around the suspensory branch insertion (attachment).
What does all of this mumbo-jumbo mean? Renn will be on stall rest with hand walking for the next 2 weeks. Intensive wrapping, sweating, poulticing, and medicine for the next 2 weeks. If all of this helps? Just a strain. If he's still lame after 2 weeks? Back to the vet for an ultrasound.
Renn will still make the trip to VA with me, as I have no one to care for him while I'm gone. It'll be good for him to get more exposure, even if he doesn't have to compete. He will go along and route his brother on!
Countdown until VA is on! I will be saying big prayers that it goes well , and Renn heals quickly!
Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. Kick on!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Wake up and smell the reflexes!
This past weekend was full of learning experiences! It's rather a long 7 hour drive through Atlanta, GA to get to Poplar Place Farm in Hamilton, GA. (www.poplarplacefarm.com) However, upon arriving, I realized that it is a pretty snazzy place. For those who have never competed there, it's GORGEOUS. The show is really well run, the people are really nice, and facility is top notch.
Bug and I were going to be doing the Preliminary division with the hopes of having a great run up to the CCI* at VA in a few weeks. My student, Catherine Schumack and her wonder pony, Dreamin' Up a Thunderstorm (affectionately known as Thunder) was competing in the Junior Beginner Novice.
Bug and I have been working very hard on our dressage, and it definately paid off at Poplar. Our score didn't necessarily reflect how well I believe he went, but sometimes that's the case. He was consistent in the connection, balanced, and listening to really well without all of the extra movements and spooking he sometimes likes to add to our tests. We got a 37.3. The judge really liked us, however, she said the Bug is "A very elegant horse that just needs to relax more over his topline." Well, at least there weren't any comments about how inconsistent he is in the connection! That's a first! He got a 7 on his "Gaits," and I got a 7 on "Rider." I was thrilled. There was even an 8 on our first centerline! We still have a lot of work to do, but I think we are definately on our way. This put us tied for 8th in our division.
The show jumping course was quite big and twisty. It was a very forward riding course. I watched a lot of the rounds, and I knew EVERYONE was having time penalties. Anywhere from 5-10, depending on the round. I had decided coming into this show, that I really wanted to have a nice controlled ride with Bug. He can tend to really be over exuberant in his jumping. We have had plenty of double clear rounds, but thinking ahead to the CCI*, I wanted to be sure that I was setting him up for a controlled, spot on ride at VA. I didn't push for time in the show jumping, and it cost us 4 time penalties, but I was THRILLED with his round. We hit every spot perfectly. He didn't overjump and hang in the air forever. He was just lovely. I was very happy with my riding as well. I've been working very hard to keep my upper body quieter and staying with him in the air (which isn't always easy!). Even with our 4 time, we moved up to 6th place.
The XC course was big and gallopy. There were a few good combinations, including a bounce bank, a tough turn to a corner leading to another combination, and some great combos in the water. It was also a very long course, at 6+ minutes. I thought it would be a great chance to see how Bug faired on a longer course. Once again, the course was riding BEAUTIFULLY. He was getting every spot, making every minute marker, and I was really happy with my body control. However, we came up to fence #15, the corner off of a turn with a very narrow place to jump. There were burlap bags filled with sand stacked on the corner. We were on the perfect stride, and I took for granted that he was going to leave the ground, instead of keeping my left leg on. IN that split second, Bug spooked, and we had a run-out. My reflexes weren't quick enough. If I hadn't taken for granted that he would jump, my left leg would have been on, and it never would have been an issue. He came right back and jumped it perfectly.
I'm a bit disappointed with myself, as this is going to eat at me until VA. The good thing is, I will be practicing corners, skinnies, etc like mad until then! It was my wake up call, and I plan on not repeating it. Life is full of lessons, and I'd rather I be taught this one at the horse trial rather than the CCI*. Disappointments are the fuel that make you work that much harder.
As for Catherine and Thunder, they had a decent dressage, but it wasn't quite up to their normal standards. They are usually putting in low-30's to high-20's and this test was a 36, putting them in 6th. She was a bit disappointed. We made a plan for her show jumping to make sure her little pony made the time. She took all of the super inside turns that no one else was taking, and she pulled off a double clear! I was very proud of them. Their handy little ride moved them up to 3rd. Catherine also rode a very lovely XC round with another double clear that gave them a pretty 2nd place ribbon! I'm very proud of them. When I started with Catherine, she hadn't done much jumping or dressage with her pony. Thunder has been great with picking up the dressage, but he hasn't always been very brave with the jumping, even though he can jump very well. They have just started recognized events within the past year, they have a pretty good BN record! Two thirds and a second! They are planning to head to the AEC's this fall.
Well, I'm going to be hitting the training schedule hard in the next few weeks. Bug has a CCI* to prepare for, and Renn is going to VA to do Novice!
Hope everyone is doing well!! Kick on!
Bug and I were going to be doing the Preliminary division with the hopes of having a great run up to the CCI* at VA in a few weeks. My student, Catherine Schumack and her wonder pony, Dreamin' Up a Thunderstorm (affectionately known as Thunder) was competing in the Junior Beginner Novice.
Bug and I have been working very hard on our dressage, and it definately paid off at Poplar. Our score didn't necessarily reflect how well I believe he went, but sometimes that's the case. He was consistent in the connection, balanced, and listening to really well without all of the extra movements and spooking he sometimes likes to add to our tests. We got a 37.3. The judge really liked us, however, she said the Bug is "A very elegant horse that just needs to relax more over his topline." Well, at least there weren't any comments about how inconsistent he is in the connection! That's a first! He got a 7 on his "Gaits," and I got a 7 on "Rider." I was thrilled. There was even an 8 on our first centerline! We still have a lot of work to do, but I think we are definately on our way. This put us tied for 8th in our division.
The show jumping course was quite big and twisty. It was a very forward riding course. I watched a lot of the rounds, and I knew EVERYONE was having time penalties. Anywhere from 5-10, depending on the round. I had decided coming into this show, that I really wanted to have a nice controlled ride with Bug. He can tend to really be over exuberant in his jumping. We have had plenty of double clear rounds, but thinking ahead to the CCI*, I wanted to be sure that I was setting him up for a controlled, spot on ride at VA. I didn't push for time in the show jumping, and it cost us 4 time penalties, but I was THRILLED with his round. We hit every spot perfectly. He didn't overjump and hang in the air forever. He was just lovely. I was very happy with my riding as well. I've been working very hard to keep my upper body quieter and staying with him in the air (which isn't always easy!). Even with our 4 time, we moved up to 6th place.
The XC course was big and gallopy. There were a few good combinations, including a bounce bank, a tough turn to a corner leading to another combination, and some great combos in the water. It was also a very long course, at 6+ minutes. I thought it would be a great chance to see how Bug faired on a longer course. Once again, the course was riding BEAUTIFULLY. He was getting every spot, making every minute marker, and I was really happy with my body control. However, we came up to fence #15, the corner off of a turn with a very narrow place to jump. There were burlap bags filled with sand stacked on the corner. We were on the perfect stride, and I took for granted that he was going to leave the ground, instead of keeping my left leg on. IN that split second, Bug spooked, and we had a run-out. My reflexes weren't quick enough. If I hadn't taken for granted that he would jump, my left leg would have been on, and it never would have been an issue. He came right back and jumped it perfectly.
I'm a bit disappointed with myself, as this is going to eat at me until VA. The good thing is, I will be practicing corners, skinnies, etc like mad until then! It was my wake up call, and I plan on not repeating it. Life is full of lessons, and I'd rather I be taught this one at the horse trial rather than the CCI*. Disappointments are the fuel that make you work that much harder.
As for Catherine and Thunder, they had a decent dressage, but it wasn't quite up to their normal standards. They are usually putting in low-30's to high-20's and this test was a 36, putting them in 6th. She was a bit disappointed. We made a plan for her show jumping to make sure her little pony made the time. She took all of the super inside turns that no one else was taking, and she pulled off a double clear! I was very proud of them. Their handy little ride moved them up to 3rd. Catherine also rode a very lovely XC round with another double clear that gave them a pretty 2nd place ribbon! I'm very proud of them. When I started with Catherine, she hadn't done much jumping or dressage with her pony. Thunder has been great with picking up the dressage, but he hasn't always been very brave with the jumping, even though he can jump very well. They have just started recognized events within the past year, they have a pretty good BN record! Two thirds and a second! They are planning to head to the AEC's this fall.
Well, I'm going to be hitting the training schedule hard in the next few weeks. Bug has a CCI* to prepare for, and Renn is going to VA to do Novice!
Hope everyone is doing well!! Kick on!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Flying through the air with the greatest of ease!
It's been awhile since I posted... Things have been a bit crazy for me lately! After my week+ of illness, I got back to work with the boys. I have been getting some dressage help from my friend, Hillary (www.hillaryirwineventing.blogspot.com), who always seems to have lovely tests on her horses. She lives close, and she has a great eye, so she's been my drill instructor for dressage bootcamp! Bug has really been making leaps and bounds in his dressage work, and I feel like I'm FINALLY starting to get it.
Renn and I have been working on relaxation in the jumping and the flatwork. He's really starting to come along as well.
Of course, when all is going well, another wrench must fall into the gears. To make a long and gory story short, I got double barrel kicked in my upper thighs, sending me flying about 10-15 feet into an old barrel which decided my left arm looked mighty tasty. The result, two very badly bruised thighs and thirty stitches in my arm. That happened Sunday, April 18th. Luckily, I was able to keep Bug going with lunging and hacking one armed. Hillary, from earlier, was also kind enough to jump him for me last
week. I was able to do some dressage work last Thursday as well, just to test out the arm. Fortunately, it hurts to do just about everything with it, except hold the reins. I am getting my stitches out on Thursday, so Thursday evening, I'll be jumping Bug. This week will be filled with a lot of dressage work, which is just what we need, anyway.
We leave Friday morning for a 7 hour trek to Hamilton, GA for the Poplar Place Horse Trials. Bug is competing in the Preliminary division, and Catherine and Thunder are taking on the Beginner Novice division!
I am hoping that myself and my horses can manage to stay healthy for the rest of the season! haha We'll see.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Renn and I have been working on relaxation in the jumping and the flatwork. He's really starting to come along as well.
Of course, when all is going well, another wrench must fall into the gears. To make a long and gory story short, I got double barrel kicked in my upper thighs, sending me flying about 10-15 feet into an old barrel which decided my left arm looked mighty tasty. The result, two very badly bruised thighs and thirty stitches in my arm. That happened Sunday, April 18th. Luckily, I was able to keep Bug going with lunging and hacking one armed. Hillary, from earlier, was also kind enough to jump him for me last
week. I was able to do some dressage work last Thursday as well, just to test out the arm. Fortunately, it hurts to do just about everything with it, except hold the reins. I am getting my stitches out on Thursday, so Thursday evening, I'll be jumping Bug. This week will be filled with a lot of dressage work, which is just what we need, anyway. We leave Friday morning for a 7 hour trek to Hamilton, GA for the Poplar Place Horse Trials. Bug is competing in the Preliminary division, and Catherine and Thunder are taking on the Beginner Novice division!
I am hoping that myself and my horses can manage to stay healthy for the rest of the season! haha We'll see.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Sometimes you have to make the big girl decisions....
I am the typical horsewoman... I push myself to the limits, even when I'm feeling crappy or under 100%. I always try to push through the pain. haha Well, sometimes, that's not always the thing to do....
After my return from The Fork with Bug, I came down with the flu from the darkside. Coughing, sore throat, congestion, body aches, fevers.... I felt like death. I kept thinking that I would feel better the next day, but I kept feeling worse. Unfortunately, Jeremiah was busy with his two jobs all week, so that meant that I had to do all of the daily work around the farm. There was no rest for the weary. I was supposed to be taking Renn to The Fork II that approaching weekend, so I kept riding the boys every day as well. You wouldn't catch this eventer wimping out!
By Thursday night, I had myself so sick, I had a high fever, night sweats, and was generally looking like death. I had also had a call from the doctor that my white count was low, probably due to my sickness. Jeremiah put his foot down....Friday was a rest day, whether I liked it or not. Bless his heart, he got up at 5 on Friday and fed everyone before he had to leave for the day. I was determined to rest all day, so that I could take Renn to the show on Saturday.
One thing resting does....it gives you time to think. I was thinking about all of the hard work that I've been doing with my boys. Renn has been getting quieter and going so wonderfully, and Bug, well, we have big plans for him. The more I thought, the more I realized that going to the show and making myself worse was probably not the option I should choose. I would never feel well enough to give Renn a good ride. I would hate to give him a bad experience after all of the work I've been doing. I would also hate to make myself so sick that I mess up my health for the season.
I made the big girl decision, and I stayed home. I'm very happy that I did, because I wasn't feeling very well by Saturday.
However, I do need to congratulate Catherine and Thunder for going to The Fork and coming home with a 3rd place ribbon from their Beginner Novice division! That makes two 3rds at BN, so they are not qualified for the 2010 American Eventing Championships! I know Catherine is very excited. It's been a very long road with that pony of hers, but she's stuck with him!
I'm finally feeling pretty close to 100%, and I've ridden the past 2 days. Bug will be going to the Yadkin Valley Hounds Hunter Pace this Saturday for some fitness work, which I'm sure he will enjoy!
Hope all is well with everyone! Kick on!
After my return from The Fork with Bug, I came down with the flu from the darkside. Coughing, sore throat, congestion, body aches, fevers.... I felt like death. I kept thinking that I would feel better the next day, but I kept feeling worse. Unfortunately, Jeremiah was busy with his two jobs all week, so that meant that I had to do all of the daily work around the farm. There was no rest for the weary. I was supposed to be taking Renn to The Fork II that approaching weekend, so I kept riding the boys every day as well. You wouldn't catch this eventer wimping out!
By Thursday night, I had myself so sick, I had a high fever, night sweats, and was generally looking like death. I had also had a call from the doctor that my white count was low, probably due to my sickness. Jeremiah put his foot down....Friday was a rest day, whether I liked it or not. Bless his heart, he got up at 5 on Friday and fed everyone before he had to leave for the day. I was determined to rest all day, so that I could take Renn to the show on Saturday.
One thing resting does....it gives you time to think. I was thinking about all of the hard work that I've been doing with my boys. Renn has been getting quieter and going so wonderfully, and Bug, well, we have big plans for him. The more I thought, the more I realized that going to the show and making myself worse was probably not the option I should choose. I would never feel well enough to give Renn a good ride. I would hate to give him a bad experience after all of the work I've been doing. I would also hate to make myself so sick that I mess up my health for the season.
I made the big girl decision, and I stayed home. I'm very happy that I did, because I wasn't feeling very well by Saturday.
However, I do need to congratulate Catherine and Thunder for going to The Fork and coming home with a 3rd place ribbon from their Beginner Novice division! That makes two 3rds at BN, so they are not qualified for the 2010 American Eventing Championships! I know Catherine is very excited. It's been a very long road with that pony of hers, but she's stuck with him!
I'm finally feeling pretty close to 100%, and I've ridden the past 2 days. Bug will be going to the Yadkin Valley Hounds Hunter Pace this Saturday for some fitness work, which I'm sure he will enjoy!
Hope all is well with everyone! Kick on!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Ride.Every.Step.
Our dressage was Thursday afternoon, and I was hoping that all of my hard work would finally pay off in a great dressage score. However, Bug had other ideas. He warmed up great, just as he had at Southern Pines, however, when we entered the arena to do our test, he livened up again. He was very difficult to ride in the test, and I tried very hard to push him through it. We ended up with a 40.4 which is not great, and it's definately not competitive at a show that size. I was bummed. However, after watching Kim Severson ride her tests and listening and watching while she coached others, I definately learned a lot more about test riding. I got some great advice from her, that I am putting in my toolbox, and I'm taking it with me. Ride. Every. Step. Don't let it get to the point that you can't fix it. Dressage has never been my strong point, but I have come a long way from where I used to be. I am confident that with a lot more hard work, I can get to the point where I can ride Bug through a great test. He has the capability of bringing in great scores, I just need to learn to ride him to them. I let go of the disappointment and vowed to have a great rest of the weekend. I'll have plenty of time to work on the dressage before the next one!
Friday was a free day. I spent it watching Kim ride and coach and walking my XC with she and her other students. The course wasn't as big as I had expected it would be, but I thought it was one of the more technical Preliminarys that we had done. I was very excited about jumping the Canadian goose in the water! I just hoped that I could keep my position the way I had been working on, and I really wanted to be able to make time safetly. Bug and I have come close many times, but we had yet to make time at Prelim. With all of Kim's comments tucked away in my toolbox, I went into Saturday mulling over my plans.
Saturday was show jumping day for me, while the rest of the levels were doing XC. Luckily, I had show jumping early in the morning, so I would be able to see the best of the best doing their XC rounds later in the day. I walked the course with Kim, and once again, I tucked away all of her comments, with the hopes that I could ride it just like she said. My main goal was to ride the whole course each jump at a time, without getting overwhelmed. I wanted to see every distance and not throw my shoulders. I had been working hard at home. The course was decently tough with a lot of turns and a lot of thinking involved. Bug jumped well, as usual, putting in a double clear round. I was so thrilled with him!! However, I was very happy with myself too! I felt like there were only two distinct fences where I threw my shoulders. Now, my goal is to make it none on the next course! Bug's jump is so big, it's not always easy to stay with, but I am working hard to try to pull it all together. Here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYtcC-GQBy0
After giving Bug lots of cookies following his stellar show jumping round, I headed out to XC to watch the best of the best go XC. I mostly watched the big water, as their approach to the second portion of the water was similar to ours, but with narrower fences and shorter distances. I took in the good and the bad, and I tried to make a plan for myself. I got to watch Kim and Paddy do their Advanced XC, and their ride was foot perfect! If only I could ride like her! I tucked away more information to add to my plan for Sunday's ride.
Our cross country round on Sunday was so great. Bug was ready to go, so much so, he was trying to take me to the start box while we were warming up! He jumped everything like a pro. I felt like I rode the course as closely as I could to all of Kim's suggestions. He was such a star! I tried very hard to balance him correctly before each fence without slowing him down too much. We had one bobble at the next to last fence, where he didn't quite balance enough, and I should have balanced more. However, I got him back after, and told him that wasn't acceptable and went on to the last quite nicely. I believe it was the BEST round we've ever had. We came in 10 seconds under time, and Bug was still ready for more!! I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Here are the links to two short clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY7cPNvefoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlNthTam2EU
Our double clear jumping rounds moved us up from 22nd to 12th out of 30. Bug is jumping so well, now, we just need to buckle down and ride each step!!
**Special Thanks to Elaine Ohler, one of my besties from college!! She came down and helped me at The Fork this weekend, and it was soooo nice to have someone with me at the show!!**
Next stop, The Fork Horse Trials this coming Saturday, where Renn will do Novice.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Determination
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” -Gail Devers
Ever since Southern Pines, I have decided that I need to go back to the basics with my boys. I have a lot of position problems to fix with Bug, as his jump is so huge, I find myself throwing my upper body all over the place. I also needed to work on slowing my brain down and focusing on one jump at a time. With Renn, I have been trying to learn to "let go." He goes so much better in as relaxed a rein as I can give him. I have been working on jumping fences from the trot, to help me get my position and riding where it needs to be. I have also been working very hard to get Bug to be softer and more through in his dressage. This has always been a struggle.
I took the boys down to Aiken this week for lessons with Kim Severson. I've been riding with her for about a year now, and she has helped me improve a lot in the lessons I've been able to get. I would recommend her to anyone. She's got an incredible eye, and she pushes you to get it perfect. I always come away with a wealth of knowledge.
Anyway, I had jump lessons on both boys the first day. She had me working on the same things that I've been doing at home, which really made me happy that we were on the same page, even if there was still work to do! Bug's jump lesson really had me grinning. I made some mistakes, and she helped me to fix it. The last course I did with him was super. He's jumping soooo well. Renn is really coming along. 99% of his problems just stem from me not letting go enough. I ended up jumping him both days, just so I could really get it through my head what I needed to do. I think he and I learned a lot. My dressage lesson with Bug was a big frustration for me. Kim really wants me to push for that softness and rideability with Bug, and I have such a hard time getting all of my parts to work together. It's so frustrating feeling like I just can't get it done. However, I was pleased by the end, that I was *starting* to make it happen faster. We still have miles and miles to go, but I feel like we're definately making baby steps. I returned from Aiken with a lot to work on but feeling like I had made a lot of progress as well.
This past Saturday, I took one of my students, Catherine, to the Thoroughbred Training Center in Mocksville, NC (www.ttcmocksville.com) for their Spring Schooling Horse Trials. Catherine took her pony, Dreamin' Up a Thunderstorm, to have a confidence building BN run, and she took her horse, Mr. Secret Agent Man, to do their first Novice together. She did an awesome job with them both and ended up 2nd in the Novice division and 3rd in the BN division!!! I am very proud of her and all of her work. TTC ran a GREAT show with a lot of new jumps and changes in courses.
This week, Bug and I head to The Fork CIC3* and Horse Trials to compete in the Preliminary division. I'll check back in after that!!
Enjoy the warm spring weather! Happy Riding!
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