Fancy prancing nuggets

Not Carl Hester.

Dressage rider Jane Hannigan posted these wonderful little nuggets from Carl Hester recently.

I hope it's ok that I copied them and am posting them here. Really good little tips!

(Hamp and I are preparing for our first rated show of the season next weekend. It's nose to the grindstone, but will give an update soon)

ENJOY!

To get a good walk think of rowing with your arm not just pushing more with the leg, the nose should nod forward in the walk not upwards, forwards and out with the nose and your arms

🐙 So easy to do the hokey pokey when teaching changes, you fall all over the place trying to stay up to them. The key to good changes is walk canter walk with straightness

🙈 When riding a young horse be SAFE first then work on gymnastic training

🏇🖐🏻 At 4 they don't understand leg and rein together "start with the leg stop with the reins"

👀 Look in front of the saddle for wrinkles in the neck

🙄 What are the AIDS for canter, I use outside leg, some riders say it's inside but that's not how you do flying changes

😎 The learning process is two days on then day off in the field at Carl's yard, he feels they get it on day two in the learning process

🚲 When you bend a horse you are not holding handle bars, letting the outside slip out is wrong. Keep the contact on the outside rein. Don't let them fall out the outside shoulder

🌞 If you are a one horse owner at 5 they have been ridden for one year but they are having growth spurts and such and sometimes they need a holiday

🤔 These 5 year old tests they have canter walk canter, medium trots and it takes a really good rider to train these tests. The older horses still have difficulty in these movements

👑 Half halts last for one stride, check release, let go

🏇 Get out in front of me it doesn't have to be perfect but gets the horse in front of you

😂 Horse spooked At Carl he said "I'm not that bad, I even had a shower this morning!" We all laughed

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 True meaning of short reins win medals, Keep your hands in front of the saddle that will help you ride to the bit, not the front to the back

💥 Quite hot but not forward, you need to get them genuinely in front of you to the contact

🌞🌝 Rise three steps sit rise three steps sit, to test the back to see if they change

✨ Carl at home has everyone do lots of rising trot shoulder in and halfpass

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Trot long side walk corners so you can place the hind leg in the corners. When they anticipate walk then trot the corners and close your fingers before the corner then ride forward in the short side close your fingers again before the corner then ride forward again

🍒 You will be surprised how quickly you ride 100 transitions

Who is this Carl guy and why do I care?

🌊 Long flat horses do not benefit from long stretches but short horses will benefit greatly

🍎🍊 A great Gp walk is different than a great young horse walk because the very big walks are difficult to collect, sometimes the big walks can do both

🕊 If you hold and tap at the same time that's not right because then the hind leg gets stuck

🐎 Train the horse to Anticipate going forward in collected canter

🙏🏻 You don't get the horse on the hind legs in a few minutes but it takes a few years, be patient

😍 8 meters shoulder in then straight in outside rein then go on a little diagonal line in not leg yeild, and then shoulder in again then in on the diaganol line again then shoulder in again

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Every moment has a start a middle and a finish, start is the corner before the movement

😍 Bring the horse on the spot ride forward three strides then do the change with no hands 😳

🏇 Canter on the spot then Go go go release (ask on the release) then right away back to canter on the spot so you can develop good changes. Do this around the arena on the rail ❤️❤️❤️

🦄 Teach them to canter on the spot right after the forward change

🎆 Pirouette prep: Shoulder in haunches in alternately on a 10 meter canter circle. Forward haunches in to a forward shoulder in not sitting too much

🙈 Give someone a thing to pirr around so they don't do one the size of a roundabout (Carl stood in the spot and the rider did a half pirr around him)

🍎 Trotting left to the corner halt, and turn on the forehand into the corner from your right leg then ride forward in the new direction. Teaches the horse to stop turning before you ask on the corners

🍊 In canter left, long side down to corner halt no left turn, now turn rt pick up rt canter

❤️ Some horses need to know where they are going not just being surprised in the test, valegro needed to learn the test

🎳 When you do a halfpass lean over and look at the inside hind, it helps you learn to go with the horse instead of sitting the wrong way

🏇 Do difficult change to the outside (on the wall) like if the horse is running away in its change

🏆 Be very detailed in how the horse steps forward in the downward transition

🏹 In canter Halfpass to centerline, shoulder in up centerline, do the corner past c-h haunches in like a baby schooling pirouette, repeat

🎳 Think shoulder in with two reins on three tracks not 4

🙈 Working off the track is a true eye opener in shoulder in to see who has real control of the horse

😂 It's called shoulder in not quarters out

😂😂😂 I can give you a 9, I can't give you a 10 because you are not British

😉 Taking a risk as a rider and go to a judges convention, it will teach you what you should be doing

🐎 In canter no bend take shoulders to inside of a spiraling circle, it helps straighten the shoulders

😎 Centerline in canter, shoulder in left switch to shoulder in rt then change and stay in shoulder in rt, help get you ready for canter zig zags

😳😜 Especially when she doesn't sit like a Christmas fairy she rides very well

🍎 Treat it like a trot passage so he doesn't slow down to passage, make them trot behind so they stay quicker until they get stronger

🦄 Passage Come back more active, forward the horse gets to relax they soon learn to find forward relaxing. Passage one step on the spot in very collected then forwards no hands

🐴To get to GP the horse needs to push onto the bit not be just light, light is not self carriage in a young horse

🌞Relaxed in body brain and stretch forward to the rein

🐇 Sitting and pushing are the two things we train

🐍 Straightness is the biggest thing you work on EVERY day, crooked rider and crooked horse, it's a lifetime of straightness

👜 Your not carrying a handbag this is for Saturday night, it's a workday, thumbs on top

👋🏻 Pat on the neck for stretching and relaxation to train a signal

😍 Position corrections are not a personal comment but training

👍🏻👍🏻 When your hands are parallel the straightness starts to come through your body

💨Collection should feel like "can I go forward?" not going back

❤️ Half halt is Constraining the forward energy not stopping the horse, it brings the horse in front of you not behind you

🌞 Pull your tummy to your backbone in the canter not collapse in your back(leaning back)

🏄 When you ride forward go a little forward in your position so you can sit up to bring them back, if you lean back you have no where to go

🏇 Make small neat flying changes from a shorter canter to get them from the hind leg with a young horse

🏇 short short bouncy canter on the hind leg not off the hind leg for changes

💝 Be disciplined, every transition should be light so they can step forward(don't walk in a heap or they will do this in the ring)

🚴 If you are not in self carriage then your horse will not be in self carriage ❤️❤️❤️

🍾 Work on the transitions to medium trot not tipping the horse forward to the tipping point

💃 Ride like you are dressed to go out 💃

🦄 Once the button is pressed then they should just like stay in canter don't keep asking

🎆 Piaffe and passage is trot

🎆 Good trot makes a good piaffe and passage

🐴 How we develop to passage: not passagy trot!

💃 Bigger steps and smaller steps of trot paying attention to the rhythm. Hind legs need to push, not front legs pull them forward in passage. Dwelling trot makes a difficult piaffe.

🐇 No passage first lengthen stride from seat to keep rhythm, horse must push himself forward not pull himself

🌞Ride forward ask for lift, crooked horses do leg yield towards the stiff rein in passage

🌞 Ride a quicker front leg in the passage, snappy front legs shorter and higher

🏇 Ride up to the passage not back to it, hind legs need to move.....

🐇 Passage on the spot go forward passage, touch with whip so they go forward.

🐇 Once they learn to quicken not slow down to piaffe you have transitions

😂😂😂 Those of you married to non horsey persons, it (dressage) bores them to death so change it up. Ride in the field, go up a hill. Train 4 days then play

💃 One two three four straight change for the zig zag

🍾 Do not beat yourself up your first year at GP, find your way around it and improve it for the next 8 or so years.

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The Making of a Freestyle Part 4: Puzzle pieces

Back to the freestyle clinic, the second day was spent putting together the choreography. The clinician had basically already mapped out most of it for me, and had several comments about how she wanted to "make sure I could do these movements." *eyeroll*

We started with the trot work first, and kept is pretty simple with turn up the quarter line, shoulder-in 12m and then half pass to the rail. Repeat other direction.

Eeeks. I need to work on keeping those ears up!

She did have good advice to keep the walk tour really simple. If you try to make it to complicated, it starts to look like you are wandering around. Ours is a basic half 20m circle of extended walk. Check.

Toward the end we worked on the canter tour (this is when we nailed the 4 tempis), and there is some wiggle room there for me to change things as we get more solid in the more advanced 4th level work. There are two lines of tempis in case I mess one up, too. The piros are by B/E so that we can "hide" them a little since they are certainly a weak spot at the moment.

Road trippin' Hampton!

She played some music in parts and I got a good sense of how it would all come together.

Bummer I won't be using it.

For 4th level it cost $900.

Trust me it took all my willpower not to bust out laughing.

I absolutely think she should be paid for the work she does. But $900?! Sorry lady I have a mortgage to pay. And I'd like to eat, too.

After our ride

She has a sweet gig. I was able to ask the right questions (journalist, you know. I am nosey) and now know the software she uses, and how to enhance the music. She has it down to a science. Maybe I should start up my own business, if people are willing to pay that much for a few hours work. It takes me 2 weeks to earn that much!

So anyway, overall I was happy with what I got out of the clinic. I'll be keeping the choreography, but obviously doing my own music. Which is fine, because now I can use what I want anyway.

#DQandMusicSnob

New lead line rider!

Well, my sister decided to interrupt everyone's weekend plans and have her baby 6 WEEKS early on Monday. Causing my family to spin into chaos and exhaustion.

She had been in the hospital for a few days because they suspected her water ruptured. They were trying to keep the baby put as long as possible, but apparently after her ultrasound on Monday it was discovered that the baby was in distress and they yanked her out right away via c-section.

(I saw the video and did not vomit. Go me! But I am telling you, the last time I saw that much amniotic fluid spray out of someone was the last time I saw a HORSE foal. The medical name for this is polyhydraminos. In horses, we call this a "water baby" and they typically do not do well. Which is why my sister's baby was delivered early before damage was done)

5 pounder

I got a simple text from my dad on Monday that my sis was having her baby. I was literally in the middle of collecting poop samples for fecal tests when the text came in.

Man, talk about feeling like the loser daughter.

Oh, what did you sister do today? Gave birth to another human being.
And what did you do today, Karen? Oh, rooted around in shit.

But the good news is that the baby (Anna) seems fine, although she did spend a day on the vent and of course needs a little support for the time being in the NICU. My sister is tired, but is doing well. My parents are exhausted as they have been in charge of my other niece, a wild monster of a 3 year old. At one point they requested I take the toddler around the block and "lunge her like I do to make the horses behave," hahaha. Oh dear.

How many ponies do you want, Anna?
Five? ok!

I can't visit or hold the new addition yet (NICU restrictions), but hopefully she will be home in no time.

Guess this means Hampton now has TWO lead line and Junior riders for the future!

Better get him broke.

Sit DOWN, Felicia!

This is supposedly a flying change.
(From 2015)

Before I do the second day of my freestyle clinic, I must brag on my horse.

Boy do I wish I had video of the hot mess that has been flying changes for an embarrassing number of years. Perhaps then would you really get an idea of how far Hampton has come.

The only thing I could find was this line of tempis (no count required) in 4-1. No, neither one of us is drunk. Maybe I should have been.



I mentioned in my last post about how this clinician was ... "doubtful" about our abilities to do her choreography. Well, Sunday morning we brought a better game to the table. The pirouettes are still a struggle, but that's ok I have time to clean those up.

What was most impressive is how Hampton was pumping out 4 tempis like it was ain't no thang!

Important detail: I had a headset on that provided 2-way communication between myself and the clinician. Way easier than shouting over music.

As we were testing out some patterns, she told me to do four 4-tempis down the long side. Then she said, "You probably won't make it happen today" in this sort of snarky tone.

Well, here's what happened:



As I hit the end of the line, I said sort of under my breath "Yeah, sit DOWN, Felicia." ... then quickly remembered I had a mic right by my mouth!!! I don't think she knew what that meant. She probably just thought my horse's name was Felicia.

I kept my mouth shut the rest of the ride. ha.

He still swings his haunches some, and I REALLY need to quiet down my aids now that he doesn't need so much help. But holy crap, CLEAN, on my aids, straight enough for the ring!

#neverthelessshepersisted

The Making of a Freestyle Part 3: Choosing music

Ok one of us was sleepy, the other was wide awake.

Hampton and I drug our sleepy selves to Lexington Saturday and Sunday morning for a freestyle clinic. It's a lady who frequently does freestyles in the area. I was really curious as to how she puts these together.

Plus, I can't turn down an opportunity to ride in Lexington. Every farm I have been to there has been lovely. This one was particularly ridiculous.

You pull up to a gate that magically opens for you.

House.

Front of the bigger barn
(yes that's a BARN)

Back of the barn

It was originally built and owned by the Chanels (yes, THOSE Chanels) who apparently had daughters who did the show jumpers. When they lost interest, they sold the farm. It's now for sale again ($3,750,000!!!!), and a dressage trainer leases the arena and a smaller barn, and I'm not sure who leases out the rest. Fields were full of retirees, broodmares and some young horses. Probably Thoroughbreds. Absolutely gorgeous farm.

Indoor arena

Day 1 consisted of music selection.

I requested Talking Heads, or any 80s funk. She had some 80s music, but pretty much ignored my request for funk. I thought that's fine, she's the pro. I can roll with it.

She has literally 8000+ songs on her computer, and had be trot and canter around until she found songs that worked for each gait (and walk of course). It really did not take us too long to find 3 songs that worked rather well with Hampton, I must admit. Even though I would not have selected these songs for my own inspiration.

Lexington Horse farms are UNREAL. This was neighboring farm Donamire
(has a work track surround this barn)

Another shot of Donamire

A couple of songs I requested she would not let me use because another client of hers in the area was using it. This I do understand and respect her for that.

Walk: Landslide (Stevie Nicks)
Trot: Sail Away (Styx)
Canter: .... some current pop song that's always on the radio but I can't remember the name of! lol

After we selected the songs, she again had me trot and canter while she adjusted the tracks to the tempo of Hampton. Not much adjustment was needed, just little tweaks. Obviously if you don't have the software, you can't really do this. So you would need to find a song that matched right off the bat in it's original state.

We started some canter choreography at the end, and Hamp and I were sort of a hot mess. We stood around for 20 min talking, and then she immediately had me pick up, do a canter zig zag, to 10m counter canter circle to a fucking half pirouette. I felt that was a little unfair and it was a borderline disaster. Ooops.

C'mon. Someone pony up the $4M and buy me this farm.

I wasn't super impressed with the attitude that we were "not capable" of the movements she wanted to include. I was mildly insulted, and told her we were green 4th level and my plan was to "grow into" this freestyle over the summer. Obviously I would not let us be overfaced. It will be June at the earliest that I will be showing it anyway.

Admittedly, I left a little perturbed but shook it off and really did have a good time hacking around to loud music! Hamps worked great and is feeling fresh these days.

After dropping Hamp back off in Louisville, I went to work until 115 am. With my alarm set for 530 am on Sunday to do it all again. The things we do for these horses!

To be continued ....

Blog Hop: Barn Bathrooms

I stole this blog hop from L over at Viva Carlos, who nabbed it from someone else I think ...

but anyway.

What is the bathroom at your barn like?

After a long, tiring day at the barn - you can waltz into our bathroom and have your pick of either a sauna, or Jacuzzi to help your aching muscles.

Of course there is a view of gorgeous grazing horses, as well as a saltwater aquarium in the bathroom for those who like sea creatures.

Of course there are squeaky clean toilets, cleaned hourly by our cabana boy.

Our cabana boy. His name is Milo. He carries my saddle for me, too.

We also have bidets to wash your swamp ass from breeches on hot days. Ahhhhhh. Cabana boy feeds you grapes and massages your feet at any time.

View of one of the pastures.

There is also a large shower if you don't have time for the hot tub. (Cabana boy will shower with you upon request and for a nominal fee)

The shower.

........

Yeah.

Actually, this is our bathroom: