The Music and the Mirror

 

Photo by L. Dean
From Meadowlake show. I-2

"You want to know why there are so many mirrors in dance studios? So you can see yourself dance? Sure. But it's more than that. It's to correct mistakes. Mistakes measured in fractions of degrees. Flaws no one else would even notice. But the mirror is impartial. Ruthless."

It's a miracle I have some real live media of Porkchop! 

The change in him and I even since our Aiken trip has been rather remarkable. It's like he is starting to reach a new level. He is MUCH more engaged and better balanced. And my riding has also improved. I am staying more quiet during the tempis especially, and staying stronger in my seat. My half halts and moments of release are proving quite effective. He is a BUS of a horse to wrangle and now that I am adding power it is A LOT to manage. lol!

Here is our line of twos from last weekend: 

From the video I did notice that we need a lot more work on pi/pa. It's just .... not really there. His passage is still way too "trotty" and while he has a good piaffe it needs to be more clear and punchy. 

But have a look at this line of FIFTEEN ones! He gets a little stabby and tight, but I think it's just a balance issue and we can go back and fix that. But they are there!!!

What I really need to work on for the I-2:

Piaffe/Passage: Needs to be more clear, more strength. Work especially on that last centerline.

Canter piro: Needs to stay on the CL. I drift a little bit

The ones: Need to get 11 reliably on the diagonal 

If I can get these things cleaned up, I think we can probably pull a 60 at a rated show. 

But there is still a lot of polish before GP!

Flip it and reverse it

 Dressage is the most bizarre sport I swear.

Just a little more than a week after scoring a 54% in the I-2, Hampton and I went up to the Hoosier Horse Park and tried the test again. 

This time, I had a FAR better warm up. The key is to keep Hampton fresh. Schooling a couple minutes, walk break. Repeat. Focus on making him hot to the leg, a little "worried" about me, straightness and keeping the poll up.

Waiting to go in the ring.
Hampton is so self confident. He seems to know he is a Big Man on Campus now.

We had THE BEST ride to date. (Of course, this is only the third time we've done the I-2) and he was right there for me. We even got 10 ones! The mistake at the end was 100% my fault, I lost my rhythm and we got too crooked at the end. But it's there! That's just greenness. Video to come!

He was outstanding and was happy and fresh and there was no diving or falling behind my leg.

Much to my utter surprise, we scored a 68%.

You read that correctly.

Now, this was a schooling show so yes the scores are inflated. (But the judge was an L grad).  But Hampton really should not be scoring that high at FEI. Do I think he can be a 65% horse? Yes, one day. But a 68? 

Maybe one of the judges needs glasses? But which one? The 54% judge or 68% judge?

No complaints here though. I'll take that confidence boost. 

His body condition right now is straight up BEAST.

A BIG BIG thank you to Jen who let me borrow her shirt. And my other dear friends who know who they are who support me in this journey. It was a rough, emotional week and Hampton knocked it out of the park. So proud of him and the horse he has become.

And now I have a dilemma about which rated show to do next! 

Ralston | May 5, 2010

"A discussion" with Buckley

My sweet cat Ralston left us on Wednesday.

I have talked about his "asthma" episodes, but it was never asthma. He had something much more sinister brewing and while prednisone helped him have many good days, by Wednesday I knew we had reached the end. 

He was very jaundice, not eating, lying in the litterbox and very weak.

I took him to the vet for another blood draw (he had perfect blood work just a month ago), and he got anti nausea meds and an appetite stimulant.

After a few hours, he was even worse. 

I called the vet in tears and decided to give him a peaceful end instead of letting him continue to suffer in such poor shape. She agreed we will probably looking at some liver disease or cancer. "Something big" she said. 

I will admit this one took the wind out of my sails.

Five months was such a short time but he was the sweetest cat, a true Stage 5 clinger and bonded to me right away. The house is not the same for sure.

Rest in Peace Ralston.

Get low, get low, get low

Meadowlake Equestrian Center near Lexington has started hosting these random Wednesday recognized USDF shows and I am all for it. 

I decided to enter their April show to test the waters at I-2 at a rated show. We landed an 8:35 a.m. ride time which made things a little tight but in true Karen and Hampton fashion we made it happen.

Great to be back in the ring!

I woke up Hampton at 3:45 am, lugged him in from the field, braided him, tossed him on the trailer around 5:30 am, hauled for two hours to the show grounds (with friends thank fuck!), plucked him off the trailer at 7:45 am, tacked up, got dressed and was in the warm up shortly after 8 am.

Unfortunately, the footing in the warmup was a little deep and Hampton started off waaaaaay sucked back. And in an effort to get him in front of my leg, I blasted him forward and in hindsight I am pretty sure I used up all my horse in the warm up.

Little throwback to the first time we showed at this facility ...
I think this was 2013? Holy moly is he downhill. Maybe I really have been
able to influence his balance after years of work! 

He was good in the ring, and tried very hard for me. But the spark was gone and I really had to help him around. The piaffe/passage, which is usually solid at home, was nearly non existent. And I think I only got 6 one tempis. 

Even so, this test was light years better than our first go at it in Aiken. I rode much better, and there was no diving down in my hands. Just lack of power and hotness. Everything else I felt was solid, but we got nothing but 5s and 6s. (BUT! Our only 7 was on the twos which was our hail mary movement most of last year! so bam!) With those mistakes it very easily dropped us way under a 60. We landed a dismal 54 to be exact. 

Sorry sideways. 
Also says we had an error at K, but I cannot for the life of me figure out where that came
from and neither can anyone else. It was extended canter, to a flying change at K. Which I did.
So who the hell knows.
5.5 on General Impression (there are no collective marks).
So yeah. Our general impression was shit. lol

I just love when judges and trainers say elevate the front end ... like do you not realize that is impossible? You cannot lift the front, you can only lower the croup. But I get her point, and she's not wrong. 

Yeah that's a bummer score, but I know better by now than to let it bother me. 

First time I tried 3-1? A 53%.

First time I tried 4-3? A glorious 52%

Spotted in the grocery store. I laughed out loud

So no, I'm not disappointed and certainly not discouraged. We just aren't confirmed in that level yet (and holy shit it is hard). And to be frank, I am not sure I was totally fair to Hampton to haul him two hours, yank him off the trailer and make him do an I-2 straight off the bat. He is a Very Good Boy but that is a LOT to ask now that he is showing at such a demanding level. 

However, if scoring that low becomes a pattern then I will reevaluate. 

There are a few options:

A) Just do schooling shows this year and invest more in intensive training.

B) Go back to I-1 - maybe resurrect my freestyle? 

C) Not show at all and just train (but I like showing so ....)

Greetings from Buckley

I know we are capable, it's just sometimes we need more time. 

We have the IDS schooling show this weekend (we get to hang out with Jen and Conner!) and hopefully I will have a fresher horse. I need to try a different warm up and not use up all of his energy.

Then I think I will try one more rated show, and if we are still scoring that low then change up plans at least for the summer. I don't care about the low scores, I just don't want to keep wasting money at rated shows if we aren't ready. I'd rather take more lessons.

Anyway - onward! (and sorry for lack of media. FFS Karen do better)