Aha, so maybe not =P but I was at a loss for a good title.
The show went fairly well, all things considered. A few technicalities stopped our day from being really great, but I'm proud of Garth on the whole and mostly happy with our day. I'll break down the show in a second here but our placings were: 1st showmanship (=D have no complaints about that one, he was really good), 2nd english pleasure (a little put out over that one as we missed a lead, which he has been doing a lot lately...I'll have to add working on leads to the ever growing list), 5th english equitation (my fault entirely, I was on a wrong diagonal, which is stupid because I've ALWAYS been a stickler for my diagonals...lately I've been trying to rush into posting, though, and I wind up rising once and then having to change), 3rd trail (he was pretty worked up and balked at the sidepass, but I can't complain as we made it through the pattern), 5th western pleasure (I am NOT impressed with this class...it was generally just a mediocre ride that could have been a lot better...I'm just a little frustrated with how things went), nothing in reining as he blew a couple leads, 4th command (which we got entirely by luck, haha), and then he made up for mostly anything else by giving me an awesome horsemanship ride (the judge said it was the best she'd seen all day), winning the class.
Friday's ride was...interesting. I started off riding him in the lifesaver bit to practice for the show, and discovered that Garth at a show and Garth at home are two entirely different things - even more so that I'd already figured. He wouldn't relax, and didn't want to give me any forward movement. He was also being stupid about the one corner, as he will when conditions are cooler and threatening rain, and as the lifesaver is a lot of bit I can't take up much contact, so I just gave up and switched back to the snaffle. I was expecting him to continue being silly, but nope. I noticed a difference immediately after I switched bridles - he relaxed and shrank a couple inches, and reached down for the bit as we started working. I chalk it up to him being so much more attuned to me and less distracted by everything else when we ride at home - he's just too sensitive for that much bit. The rest of ride went quite well on the whole, but it showed me that we have to do a lot more work on circling and just going where I point him in general without getting flustered - something he has trouble with. I'll talk to Connie, but I really think the only answer to this is to just do a lot of walking and jogging off the rail, doing every random thing I can think of, and then moving on to loping. He has trouble loping circles in frame, and it's hard for me to get after him while trying to keep him on the circle. What I'll likely have to do is get him circling good and balanced and then work on his frame.
The show was...interesting. I was very pleased with his first three classes, and with his horsemanship pattern, but everything in between was just mediocre. Trail, I couldn't really have expected any more from him. We got through the pattern and that's the main thing, I suppose. But pleasure was rather awful. He wouldn't relax at all, and loped too fast. Then at the end of the class he just randomly shut down. I feel like it was a major step back from how things have been going, and I won't lie - I'm pretty upset by it. Command was very good considering our track record. He did fidget a little, but he stood calmly at least three times and was mostly listening to me - that is, until he decided to ignore me when I asked him to reverse and drifted to the center of the ring. I couldn't really use my legs that efficiently because the stirrups were so stiff, and it irritates me that he has to pick shows to act up. I don't want to get myself into that dangerous downward spiral that always results in me becoming way too aggressive and surly with him, but I'm pretty disappointed by those two classes. Reining was mostly okay, but again I don't think he was listening to me as he took two wrong leads when I cued him (and I'm pretty sure I asked him clearly), but he was relaxed and calm as he loped his circles and even after he did his spins -cough-pivots-cough-, so that was okay. I have no complaints as far as our horsemanship pattern. =)
I got dangerously close to having a meltdown today, though. I was really disappointed in my pleasure, reining and the end of my command class, and I started drifting into my downward spiral - that feeling of rising anger in my chest really makes me nervous, because I know that soon I'll start to get desperate and be really rough on him, which will make him even more nervous. I did have a bit of a moment in the morning where combined frustration - him not settling, my focus being oddly clouded, and people clumping up in the warmup ring were ticking me off, and I gave him a few good tugs with the lifesaver, which made me feel really bad.
It's the times like these that make me really doubt myself, make me revert back to a time when I had awful self esteem and just felt inadequate all the time, which now makes me get angry and makes me a very poor rider/trainer. I need to ditch this mood and get back to normal before I try and ride him again, because if I try and ride him before I let go of my frustration/resentment/what have you, it will drive him to be extremely nervous and me to get even angrier.
I think I need to work on my patience in general. I've been getting too heavy handed for my liking lately, tugging more than is really needed, and I don't want to ruin his good mouth. I also need to make a conscious effort to be steady and patient when he's being stupid, because getting tough gets us nowhere. An example of this is Friday, when I tried to do some circles. I got frustrated because he wasn't quieting down, and instead of trying to go back to rail work and settle him down and try again - maybe in a different area - I worked him much too hard and got much too tough on him, getting him all nervous. It's rides like yesterday and today that make me really, really hate myself, and it's not a good feeling.
I won't be riding tomorrow, but I might post again - see if I can't sort out my thoughts. Things are kind of jumbled right now.
Sarah
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I can see you came to rock
Hey there all =3 this is your nerdy and lovable reporter Sarah, here with your latest update.
...or not. Anyway,
I'm so proud of Garth =) he didn't offer me any trouble, so I was able to stick to my plan for the day. Started off a little lazy but once I started upping the ante with my warnings, he sharpened right up. His jog - lope transition was very, very good by his (lazy xD) standards at home, and he loped around our little indoor arena (too wet to be outside) with his head down and without getting lazy - it's hard for him to collect himself up and work in such a confined space sometimes. His pivot turn could have been better - he almost stepped out, but that was my fault for not cuing properly, I think, but the rest of the ride was good. I walked him a little bit the opposite way and then set up the trail obstacles - a 360 box, a U backup with barrels, and a sidepass with a 90* turn. I first took him to stand in the 360 box. When I first stopped him he went to turn, but as soon as I checked him and told him whoa, he parked himself, dropped his head and started to doze. I love my horse, haha. That time I didn't have him turn, just let him relax and then brought him out. I took him into the box and then had him actually do the turn (which he did pretty much flawlessly) and then let him stand again afterward. Voila!
Next we moved on to the U-back up. He anticipated a little bit more this time, so again I set him up and let him stand. After the first time I just let him settle and then went into the backup. He was great, listening to my cues and calm the whole time.
I moved on to the 90* sidepass next. He didn't anticipate that time, so I started straight into the sidepasses, first a hindquarters-in both ways and then the forequarters in. I can honestly say that I have no complaint about his performance =)
Finally I moved the sidepass over beside the 360 box to make a backup with a 90* turn. Again, he set up and settled right off the bat. At this point I was delerious with pride for him. He was listening to me the whole way through, and we ended on a brilliant note. I'm so proud of my boy =)
While I have no complaints for him, I can't so much say the same for me. I was a little bit tired and not as focused as I could have been, which resulted in me almost steering him into the obstacles a couple of times. In the 90* sidepass, I had to think for a bit to work out my timing for cuing him to pivot, and in the 90* back up, I stopped pulling back to steer him around the corner, resulting in him stopping and turning his butt too far. What I need to do is before each obstacle, while I let him settle, work out my cues before I start the obstacle. When I'm focused I'm actually not too shabby at trail, but today I was just a little out there. On the plus side, Garth was still listening to my cues (even though I messed up a couple of times) and didn't get flustered even when I oversteered and had to hastily correct our path.
When I think back to how we used to be - the brain flying out the back door the moment we did anything other than railwork - I realize how far we've come, and how willing my horse is. I couldn't ask for any more in a horse. He's trusting, smart, willing, kind and patient. He still works himself up sometimes, but the majority of the time I'm incredibly proud of him and his progress. And isn't progress what training is all about?
I may or may not ride tomorrow. I also may not post on Friday, as I'll be going out to the barn early to get Garth ready for a show and then there's a precision practice at 7. Hopefully after the show on Saturday I'll have lots to write about ;)
Ciao,
Sarah
...or not. Anyway,
I'm so proud of Garth =) he didn't offer me any trouble, so I was able to stick to my plan for the day. Started off a little lazy but once I started upping the ante with my warnings, he sharpened right up. His jog - lope transition was very, very good by his (lazy xD) standards at home, and he loped around our little indoor arena (too wet to be outside) with his head down and without getting lazy - it's hard for him to collect himself up and work in such a confined space sometimes. His pivot turn could have been better - he almost stepped out, but that was my fault for not cuing properly, I think, but the rest of the ride was good. I walked him a little bit the opposite way and then set up the trail obstacles - a 360 box, a U backup with barrels, and a sidepass with a 90* turn. I first took him to stand in the 360 box. When I first stopped him he went to turn, but as soon as I checked him and told him whoa, he parked himself, dropped his head and started to doze. I love my horse, haha. That time I didn't have him turn, just let him relax and then brought him out. I took him into the box and then had him actually do the turn (which he did pretty much flawlessly) and then let him stand again afterward. Voila!
Next we moved on to the U-back up. He anticipated a little bit more this time, so again I set him up and let him stand. After the first time I just let him settle and then went into the backup. He was great, listening to my cues and calm the whole time.
I moved on to the 90* sidepass next. He didn't anticipate that time, so I started straight into the sidepasses, first a hindquarters-in both ways and then the forequarters in. I can honestly say that I have no complaint about his performance =)
Finally I moved the sidepass over beside the 360 box to make a backup with a 90* turn. Again, he set up and settled right off the bat. At this point I was delerious with pride for him. He was listening to me the whole way through, and we ended on a brilliant note. I'm so proud of my boy =)
While I have no complaints for him, I can't so much say the same for me. I was a little bit tired and not as focused as I could have been, which resulted in me almost steering him into the obstacles a couple of times. In the 90* sidepass, I had to think for a bit to work out my timing for cuing him to pivot, and in the 90* back up, I stopped pulling back to steer him around the corner, resulting in him stopping and turning his butt too far. What I need to do is before each obstacle, while I let him settle, work out my cues before I start the obstacle. When I'm focused I'm actually not too shabby at trail, but today I was just a little out there. On the plus side, Garth was still listening to my cues (even though I messed up a couple of times) and didn't get flustered even when I oversteered and had to hastily correct our path.
When I think back to how we used to be - the brain flying out the back door the moment we did anything other than railwork - I realize how far we've come, and how willing my horse is. I couldn't ask for any more in a horse. He's trusting, smart, willing, kind and patient. He still works himself up sometimes, but the majority of the time I'm incredibly proud of him and his progress. And isn't progress what training is all about?
I may or may not ride tomorrow. I also may not post on Friday, as I'll be going out to the barn early to get Garth ready for a show and then there's a precision practice at 7. Hopefully after the show on Saturday I'll have lots to write about ;)
Ciao,
Sarah
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A thousand promises that never seemed to help me before
I've decided in an effort to spice up my posts, I'm going to title them with random excerpts from songs. Deal with it. ;)
Overall, I was really pleased with the way tonight's lesson went. He was a little lazy (which I'd much, MUCH rather him be as opposed to say, wound) and was very calm by his standards during our patterns. His stops at the end of each one were GORGEOUS - it was like he melted into the ground and when he stopped, he stood there calmly and quietly - something I've pretty much NEVER known him to do. He was a little more tense walking up to start the pattern, but I had him stand before and he settled nicely. He even kept his cool when Darryl went off his rocker when a man in a wheelchair went past (he hates anything with wheels). But this brings me to a new predicament: how can I sharpen up his responses without sacrificing the solid, calm horse that he's become?
I think that my plan for this will be to adopt Mugwump's strategy: if he starts to die on me/takes too much time in a transition, I'm going to offer him a chance before upping the ante. Say he starts to die in the jog; I'll offer a squeeze, then roll my heel into him, and if I still get nothing, I'll give a kick.
If he takes too long in a transition, I'm going to try going about it a little differently. I'll cue him, then roll my heels into him, and if I don't get an immediate response, I'll bring him back down and make him do it again (usually for the lope).
The plan for tomorrow, I think, is to work him one day - paying special attention to laziness/transitions, reverse, and then walk for a bit before going to the trail ring to work on some obstacles. I think I'm going to really take my time having him stand and relax at each possible one, and if Connie is there I may even set up the gate if things are going well - probably not though.
Something else I want to do is neaten up our simple changes. He'll do them fine at shows, same as going into a lope, but at home it's a little sloppy and I want to neaten it up. I'll apply my strategy for slowing down/breaking to the simple change; I'll offer the cue for the lead, roll my heel and then kick.
I was also playing around with the idea of using a cluck for the lope - jog transitions. I think I'm going to stick with that and have him learn it, because it's more professional and less noticeable in the show ring. I haven't been very consistent about it, so I'll try to keep at that until it becomes an ingrained habit in the both of us.
I'll post tomorrow after our ride =) Later!
Sarah
ETA: I talked to the boss lady, and the verdict is in: I'm going to try reining this weekend! Should be interesting if nothing else ;)
Overall, I was really pleased with the way tonight's lesson went. He was a little lazy (which I'd much, MUCH rather him be as opposed to say, wound) and was very calm by his standards during our patterns. His stops at the end of each one were GORGEOUS - it was like he melted into the ground and when he stopped, he stood there calmly and quietly - something I've pretty much NEVER known him to do. He was a little more tense walking up to start the pattern, but I had him stand before and he settled nicely. He even kept his cool when Darryl went off his rocker when a man in a wheelchair went past (he hates anything with wheels). But this brings me to a new predicament: how can I sharpen up his responses without sacrificing the solid, calm horse that he's become?
I think that my plan for this will be to adopt Mugwump's strategy: if he starts to die on me/takes too much time in a transition, I'm going to offer him a chance before upping the ante. Say he starts to die in the jog; I'll offer a squeeze, then roll my heel into him, and if I still get nothing, I'll give a kick.
If he takes too long in a transition, I'm going to try going about it a little differently. I'll cue him, then roll my heels into him, and if I don't get an immediate response, I'll bring him back down and make him do it again (usually for the lope).
The plan for tomorrow, I think, is to work him one day - paying special attention to laziness/transitions, reverse, and then walk for a bit before going to the trail ring to work on some obstacles. I think I'm going to really take my time having him stand and relax at each possible one, and if Connie is there I may even set up the gate if things are going well - probably not though.
Something else I want to do is neaten up our simple changes. He'll do them fine at shows, same as going into a lope, but at home it's a little sloppy and I want to neaten it up. I'll apply my strategy for slowing down/breaking to the simple change; I'll offer the cue for the lead, roll my heel and then kick.
I was also playing around with the idea of using a cluck for the lope - jog transitions. I think I'm going to stick with that and have him learn it, because it's more professional and less noticeable in the show ring. I haven't been very consistent about it, so I'll try to keep at that until it becomes an ingrained habit in the both of us.
I'll post tomorrow after our ride =) Later!
Sarah
ETA: I talked to the boss lady, and the verdict is in: I'm going to try reining this weekend! Should be interesting if nothing else ;)
The Beginning
My horse Garth is a 12 year old registered Quarter Horse gelding. He is trained in western pleasure, and we also do showmanship, english pleasure, horsemanship, trail and command classes. He is a very sweet horse that aims to please, but is prone to getting tense and nervous. I started this blog so that I could keep track of our progress and lay out my goals, plans and expectations in a more concrete way. This summer, I hope to make a lot of progress with him. By the end of the summer, I want to be able to take him through his rail classes - western and english pleasure - totally calmly, without him being nervous about being in the show ring. I want to be able to take him through horsemanship and trail with minimal nerves - he can be tense, but I hope to have him at least quiet and listening to me the whole way through. I think that with hard work, we can reach those goals.
Tonight we have a lesson - patterns (aka horsemanship). My goals for tonight are to continue working at his pleasure lope during our warm up, and to keep him relatively calm and listening to me the whole time. I also want to work on taking a left lead during a pattern - something he's been having trouble with lately. He's normally very good about his leads, and I think that his problem is mostly being too wound to focus on me and what I'm asking. Tonight I'll make sure to give very clear cues so that there's no confusion as to what I'm asking. If we still have trouble I'll consult with my instructor.
I also want to ask about doing some reining in the horse shows - not competitively, just a way to take him into the ring and settle him. Loping circles has always been an effective way to calm him down, and it will be a way to expose him to the showring without worrying about placing. I never really thought of it until it was brought up in a lesson last night while I was working, and it seems like a very, very good idea to me. I also think it will be good for me, too, because I wouldn't be serious about it - it would just be something for me to do in a show for fun, without the plague of stress and competitiveness.
Some other things that I want to work on over the summer are:
I'll report back tonight after my lesson to fill you in on how it went. =)
Sarah
Tonight we have a lesson - patterns (aka horsemanship). My goals for tonight are to continue working at his pleasure lope during our warm up, and to keep him relatively calm and listening to me the whole time. I also want to work on taking a left lead during a pattern - something he's been having trouble with lately. He's normally very good about his leads, and I think that his problem is mostly being too wound to focus on me and what I'm asking. Tonight I'll make sure to give very clear cues so that there's no confusion as to what I'm asking. If we still have trouble I'll consult with my instructor.
I also want to ask about doing some reining in the horse shows - not competitively, just a way to take him into the ring and settle him. Loping circles has always been an effective way to calm him down, and it will be a way to expose him to the showring without worrying about placing. I never really thought of it until it was brought up in a lesson last night while I was working, and it seems like a very, very good idea to me. I also think it will be good for me, too, because I wouldn't be serious about it - it would just be something for me to do in a show for fun, without the plague of stress and competitiveness.
Some other things that I want to work on over the summer are:
- sidepassing straight and fluidly - not go-stop-go-stop
- extending his jog for a western pleasure and horsemanship class
- circling, at the lope especially
- at some point, I want to get my instructor to help us tackle the gate - he has big problems with it, and I don't feel comfortable trying to get him over that by myself.
- Planting properly in a turn on the forehand
- Standing still, particularly after doing lots of lateral and backwards maneuvers or a lot of go-stop-go-stop on the rail. Also, standing at obstacles in the trail ring.
- Work one way, reverse, and then just walk him out and quit (to stop him from anticipating too much in the show ring).
- Backing straight.
- Take more breaks - go on trail rides, practice riding bridleless, ride bareback - for his mental health.
I'll report back tonight after my lesson to fill you in on how it went. =)
Sarah
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