Competition Hiatus Continues...
Turns out finding the right house is as hard as finding the right horse. After 2+ months, three different houses have failed to work out. The first house, the river front property, didn't work out because the sellers and I couldn't agree on a price. Turns out flood insurance is hugely expensive and I had a budget I needed to stick too. I found a second house and lost it to a higher bidder. Then I found a third house, went under contract and discovered numerous large scale issues during inspections. The seller refused to fix anything or adjust the price so I had to end that deal as well. It's been a much more frustrating process than I was anticipating.
What does all this mean for my riding? Well, I put fall competitions on hold. Now, I'm really not quite sure what to do. Becca took a bad fall while she xc schooling in August and decided to step back and focus on her younger horses. She only just starting to jump again after injuring her leg. Christine's horse Petey strained his suspensory and is out for the rest of the year. Zoe successfully moved up to prelim and is the only one out there competing. Between my failed grand plan to buy a house and my trainer's change of pace, I feel like I really lost my mojo.
Despite my lost mojo, Leo is in full work and jumping twice a week. There have been so many days when I just want to lay on the sofa with a glass of wine and try to forget about how much I screwed up my plans this year. But I don't have cable anymore so I get bored within 15 minutes of sitting down. :)
The big benefit of this competition hiatus is I get to work on some of the gaps in Leo's training that showed up this summer. The big ones being that I don't have an engaged and adjustable 12-ft canter stride and Leo doesn't accept my leg. Our rides alternate between good and frustrating as I try to find exercises that will challenge our weaknesses.
An exercise to guide collection on the approach to a fence
I keep a notebook full of jumping exercises I (1) either read about online or (2) have ridden first hand in a lesson or clinic. Recently, I found some notes I had taken when I read Eventing Nation's write up about a Buck Davidson clinic. In particular there was an exercise that caught my eye: three canter poles set at 9 ft, 8 ft, and 7ft leading to a jump. The exercise is intended to create the collection you need on the approach to a fence without using your hands to block the forward motion. Leo often surges to the fence. Then I grab the bit in an attempt to manage his stride but almost always we blow the distance and then I'm overcorrecting the situation on the landing. This exercise seemed ideal to address this issue.
The first time I rode it, I just set up the 3 poles to a tiny xc. I also set up a forward 3-stride line with overs and an unrelated, short 1-stride combination of verticals. The first time I cantered the poles, Leo stepped all over the poles. We eventually got the hang of it, but boy was that last 7 ft distance short! I couldn't bring myself to put the xc to a vertical. I alternate riding through the "grid" and then going to the forward 3-stride overs or the 1-stride. Then I would finish by cantering back through the grid. What was most interesting was the exercise seemed to replicate his surge and then correct it. If we were a little long to the first, he would stretch and length to cover the distance and then the next 2 poles would set him back again. But instead of being flat and against the bit like when he surges, the poles maintained his quality of canter and kept him in front of my leg despite the compressed stride they required. The exercise lifts the horse's chest and shoulders and shifts their balance to their haunches! Buck is so smart. Is there any wonder why he is so successful?
In my next lesson, Becca repeated the exercise with us. This time we started with the poles wider to start and then compressed them and build the fence into a large prelim+ size oxer. I never would have thought we could jump a big fence out of that 7 ft distance but we did and it produce great form from Leo. Becca built out a course and we would integrate the grid into the course. It was the first time I felt like Leo and I were able to maintain a quality canter throughout a whole course without me hanging on his mouth. We also figured out that when Leo starts to get away from me, I grabbed with both reins and he curls behind the vertical or drags me down and gets behind my leg. If I use just one rein - the outside rein - I can keep his head up and keep him in front of my leg.
What does all this mean for my riding? Well, I put fall competitions on hold. Now, I'm really not quite sure what to do. Becca took a bad fall while she xc schooling in August and decided to step back and focus on her younger horses. She only just starting to jump again after injuring her leg. Christine's horse Petey strained his suspensory and is out for the rest of the year. Zoe successfully moved up to prelim and is the only one out there competing. Between my failed grand plan to buy a house and my trainer's change of pace, I feel like I really lost my mojo.
Despite my lost mojo, Leo is in full work and jumping twice a week. There have been so many days when I just want to lay on the sofa with a glass of wine and try to forget about how much I screwed up my plans this year. But I don't have cable anymore so I get bored within 15 minutes of sitting down. :)
The big benefit of this competition hiatus is I get to work on some of the gaps in Leo's training that showed up this summer. The big ones being that I don't have an engaged and adjustable 12-ft canter stride and Leo doesn't accept my leg. Our rides alternate between good and frustrating as I try to find exercises that will challenge our weaknesses.
An exercise to guide collection on the approach to a fence
I keep a notebook full of jumping exercises I (1) either read about online or (2) have ridden first hand in a lesson or clinic. Recently, I found some notes I had taken when I read Eventing Nation's write up about a Buck Davidson clinic. In particular there was an exercise that caught my eye: three canter poles set at 9 ft, 8 ft, and 7ft leading to a jump. The exercise is intended to create the collection you need on the approach to a fence without using your hands to block the forward motion. Leo often surges to the fence. Then I grab the bit in an attempt to manage his stride but almost always we blow the distance and then I'm overcorrecting the situation on the landing. This exercise seemed ideal to address this issue.
The first time I rode it, I just set up the 3 poles to a tiny xc. I also set up a forward 3-stride line with overs and an unrelated, short 1-stride combination of verticals. The first time I cantered the poles, Leo stepped all over the poles. We eventually got the hang of it, but boy was that last 7 ft distance short! I couldn't bring myself to put the xc to a vertical. I alternate riding through the "grid" and then going to the forward 3-stride overs or the 1-stride. Then I would finish by cantering back through the grid. What was most interesting was the exercise seemed to replicate his surge and then correct it. If we were a little long to the first, he would stretch and length to cover the distance and then the next 2 poles would set him back again. But instead of being flat and against the bit like when he surges, the poles maintained his quality of canter and kept him in front of my leg despite the compressed stride they required. The exercise lifts the horse's chest and shoulders and shifts their balance to their haunches! Buck is so smart. Is there any wonder why he is so successful?
In my next lesson, Becca repeated the exercise with us. This time we started with the poles wider to start and then compressed them and build the fence into a large prelim+ size oxer. I never would have thought we could jump a big fence out of that 7 ft distance but we did and it produce great form from Leo. Becca built out a course and we would integrate the grid into the course. It was the first time I felt like Leo and I were able to maintain a quality canter throughout a whole course without me hanging on his mouth. We also figured out that when Leo starts to get away from me, I grabbed with both reins and he curls behind the vertical or drags me down and gets behind my leg. If I use just one rein - the outside rein - I can keep his head up and keep him in front of my leg.
what a clever grid - seems like it should really help leo. i tend to have the opposite problem of sputtering out or riding backwards to the fence so probably won't be giving this a try yet... maybe one day? anyway good luck with the house hunt and getting your mojo back!
ReplyDeleteHouse hunting is incredibly frustrating. I'll pass the wine.
ReplyDeleteThank God for house inspections! It would have been horrible to get stuck with huge house repairs but it is a bummer the seller wouldn't fix problems or negotiate. Your house is out there! Good luck, I know it is frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI will have to note this exercise. It sounds like it really helped. Good boy, Leo!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting that grid diagram. I find that when my guy gets in the zone, he tends to flatten as well and I end up micromanaging. Good luck with the house hunting!
ReplyDelete