Reflections on this fall...
It's been a while since my last post! And I had planned to be more diligent about tracking my training but alas, it was not meant to be.
Apollo
Apollo saw quite a lot of action this fall because I had intermittent soundness issues with Leo (abscesses and such). He got to go cross country schooling twice at the Gibbes Farm in South Carolina and we competed in 2 schooling dressage shows (Training Level Tests 2 & 3 at both). He did great! I was also introduced to Ashley Kriegel, who is a local 2-star competitor. I had her start working with Apollo to continue his cross country training. She schooled him at the Ark and then competed him at Jumping Branch in Aiken. With her in the saddle, Apollo placed second in his first Beginner Novice Horse Trial! And in the open division no less. It was a great showing, lovely dressage test.
I had Leo entered in Pine Top but again we had soundness issues so I swapped him for Apollo and dropped down to Beginner Novice. If I could get Apollo around any horse trial - this was the one. I knew from riding the course with Leo back in March that it was super friendly - plus there were a host of cross country jumps provided in the warm up area to school over before the round. Unfortunately, I fell off in xc warm-up (when Apollo suddenly stopped AFTER jumping a fence). He was overwhelmed by the amount of activity and number of things to look at and I just couldn't instill the confidence he needed - heck, I wasn't even confident in myself. I was holding too much which was upsetting him. The more upset he got, the more upset I got. I decided to withdraw - rather than make things worse.
It is frustrating to know that I cannot ride this horse properly! I know its me and him as a pair, because none of this happens with Ashley. We simply don't feed off each other in a positive way. I don't know why, I want to be able to ride this horse. He was fabulous in his last xc school at the Gibbes Farm - we jumped so many things I never thought we'd be able to jump. Ashley even schooled him over training level obstacles and combinations at Jumping Branch. But for some reason we fall apart at every horse trial we attempt together.
So I decided to put him up for sale. The cost of 2 horses is just too great right now and I can't justify it any longer. I can't afford to compete 2 horses so neither gets all the attention they need. Apollo is far more rideable than Leo, which makes him more saleable. Plus, knowing that he can do so much more with another rider makes me believe that its better for him too. I wish Ashley would buy him! I have no doubt she'd be competing him at Training level before the end of 2012. I'd love to see him eventing (and winning!).
Leo
Oh Leo...where to start. Now that I have had Leo for a year and half, I thought I would be further with his training. Unfortunately, we haven't made much progress (regardless of random soundness things). This is frustrating on so many levels I don't know where to start.
We competed at the Ark in October. The dressage judge was extremely kind. He was spooking so hard core, I could barely get him around the ring at times. Though at the end of the test, we had our best halt ever - it was obedient. I nearly started crying I was so pleased (it really is the small things with him). The dressage judge stopped me after the test and said not to be discouraged with the scores. He is a nicer horse than the scores reflect.
Cross country was great - except for a runout! Leo has this impressive bulge and bolt right maneuver which is exacerbated near any location going "home". I wasn't paying attention and this happened as we were approaching a fence. He dragged me past my line and I incorrectly thought I could correct by pulling on the inside rein (versus correcting it with a counter bend). We ran past the fence. ugh. But other than that it was a good ride.
The rest of the season was crap for us. We got to do one xc school at the Ark, but Lesley didn't have us school any training level fences which was a bummer. But it was a positive schooling all the same. At home our flatwork has not progressed at all and Leo is in a consistent fight with me. His tantrums have gotten more frequent and I have to get off a least twice a week to school him from the ground. He is completely resistant to the right rein and drops his shoulder to the right and runs right whenever he is upset. When he's REALLY upset he'll stop moving forward and start moving backward. This is when I have to get off. In the past these tantrums were very infrequent and never so severe that I had to get off. When he's not throwing a fit, he's running through my aides and racing around the ring at the trot or canter. It's not a good time.
While on my Christmas holiday back north, Ashley rode Leo for me. It was the best thing that could have happened because it has changed Lesley's approach to us. Before, Lesley believed Leo was difficult yes, but that my riding aggravated him unnecessarily. Her focus has always been on getting me to ride better - in the hopes that that would make him go better. A noble approach for sure - and of course I want to be a better rider, but I was getting tired of hearing how my inside rein was annoying him. When the reality was I could not get him to flex or bend when she asked.
Ashley rode him and found him extremely difficult. Evidently her and Lesley talked and Ashley explained that he wouldn't do anything she asked. Suddenly, in my lesson today, Lesley took a completely different approach (maybe not to her, but it definitely felt different to me). All fall, we had been getting softer and softer with his bitting. He is currently flatted in a Mather bit (a super soft, flexible rubber bit). He runs through it, but we have progressed with it all the same in the hopes that he will learn to respond to my body and need my hands less. (Also a noble and proper goal). The first time Ashley rode Leo (in a jointed rubber snaffle), she mentioned he required a stronger bit because it took way to much effort and time to get the right response.
So today, we flatted Leo in the Citation bit (remember it from our disastrous jumping lesson this summer?). Lesley said Leo is spoiled and wants to have his way with everything, and that time is over. He is not allowed to look where ever he wants, when ever he wants. When I am on his back, that is my time. If I ask him to bend, he is going to bend. If I ask him to stop, he is going to stop. Since I can't get this done with the my current snaffle and mather bits, we're introducing the citation bit into our flatwork, until he starts respect the basic commands. I am so relieved! I mean, I'm intimated by this bit when jumping, but it gives me control on the flat with the lightest touch - which is what Lesley has been asking for but we've been unable to accomplish with the gentler bits. Suddenly, riding isn't pure frustration. With this bit, he can't run away from my aides (which is what he prefers to do rather than doing what I ask). Lesley's plan is to have me continue my flatwork in this bit, until he's consistently more attentive and respectful of the aides - then switch out to one of the other bits.
I'm hopeful that this will allow us to make better progress with his training now. 2012 is just a couple days away afterall! We never made it to training in 2011, but 2012 will be a different story I'm sure.
Apollo
Apollo saw quite a lot of action this fall because I had intermittent soundness issues with Leo (abscesses and such). He got to go cross country schooling twice at the Gibbes Farm in South Carolina and we competed in 2 schooling dressage shows (Training Level Tests 2 & 3 at both). He did great! I was also introduced to Ashley Kriegel, who is a local 2-star competitor. I had her start working with Apollo to continue his cross country training. She schooled him at the Ark and then competed him at Jumping Branch in Aiken. With her in the saddle, Apollo placed second in his first Beginner Novice Horse Trial! And in the open division no less. It was a great showing, lovely dressage test.
I had Leo entered in Pine Top but again we had soundness issues so I swapped him for Apollo and dropped down to Beginner Novice. If I could get Apollo around any horse trial - this was the one. I knew from riding the course with Leo back in March that it was super friendly - plus there were a host of cross country jumps provided in the warm up area to school over before the round. Unfortunately, I fell off in xc warm-up (when Apollo suddenly stopped AFTER jumping a fence). He was overwhelmed by the amount of activity and number of things to look at and I just couldn't instill the confidence he needed - heck, I wasn't even confident in myself. I was holding too much which was upsetting him. The more upset he got, the more upset I got. I decided to withdraw - rather than make things worse.
It is frustrating to know that I cannot ride this horse properly! I know its me and him as a pair, because none of this happens with Ashley. We simply don't feed off each other in a positive way. I don't know why, I want to be able to ride this horse. He was fabulous in his last xc school at the Gibbes Farm - we jumped so many things I never thought we'd be able to jump. Ashley even schooled him over training level obstacles and combinations at Jumping Branch. But for some reason we fall apart at every horse trial we attempt together.
So I decided to put him up for sale. The cost of 2 horses is just too great right now and I can't justify it any longer. I can't afford to compete 2 horses so neither gets all the attention they need. Apollo is far more rideable than Leo, which makes him more saleable. Plus, knowing that he can do so much more with another rider makes me believe that its better for him too. I wish Ashley would buy him! I have no doubt she'd be competing him at Training level before the end of 2012. I'd love to see him eventing (and winning!).
Leo
Oh Leo...where to start. Now that I have had Leo for a year and half, I thought I would be further with his training. Unfortunately, we haven't made much progress (regardless of random soundness things). This is frustrating on so many levels I don't know where to start.
We competed at the Ark in October. The dressage judge was extremely kind. He was spooking so hard core, I could barely get him around the ring at times. Though at the end of the test, we had our best halt ever - it was obedient. I nearly started crying I was so pleased (it really is the small things with him). The dressage judge stopped me after the test and said not to be discouraged with the scores. He is a nicer horse than the scores reflect.
Cross country was great - except for a runout! Leo has this impressive bulge and bolt right maneuver which is exacerbated near any location going "home". I wasn't paying attention and this happened as we were approaching a fence. He dragged me past my line and I incorrectly thought I could correct by pulling on the inside rein (versus correcting it with a counter bend). We ran past the fence. ugh. But other than that it was a good ride.
The rest of the season was crap for us. We got to do one xc school at the Ark, but Lesley didn't have us school any training level fences which was a bummer. But it was a positive schooling all the same. At home our flatwork has not progressed at all and Leo is in a consistent fight with me. His tantrums have gotten more frequent and I have to get off a least twice a week to school him from the ground. He is completely resistant to the right rein and drops his shoulder to the right and runs right whenever he is upset. When he's REALLY upset he'll stop moving forward and start moving backward. This is when I have to get off. In the past these tantrums were very infrequent and never so severe that I had to get off. When he's not throwing a fit, he's running through my aides and racing around the ring at the trot or canter. It's not a good time.
While on my Christmas holiday back north, Ashley rode Leo for me. It was the best thing that could have happened because it has changed Lesley's approach to us. Before, Lesley believed Leo was difficult yes, but that my riding aggravated him unnecessarily. Her focus has always been on getting me to ride better - in the hopes that that would make him go better. A noble approach for sure - and of course I want to be a better rider, but I was getting tired of hearing how my inside rein was annoying him. When the reality was I could not get him to flex or bend when she asked.
Ashley rode him and found him extremely difficult. Evidently her and Lesley talked and Ashley explained that he wouldn't do anything she asked. Suddenly, in my lesson today, Lesley took a completely different approach (maybe not to her, but it definitely felt different to me). All fall, we had been getting softer and softer with his bitting. He is currently flatted in a Mather bit (a super soft, flexible rubber bit). He runs through it, but we have progressed with it all the same in the hopes that he will learn to respond to my body and need my hands less. (Also a noble and proper goal). The first time Ashley rode Leo (in a jointed rubber snaffle), she mentioned he required a stronger bit because it took way to much effort and time to get the right response.
So today, we flatted Leo in the Citation bit (remember it from our disastrous jumping lesson this summer?). Lesley said Leo is spoiled and wants to have his way with everything, and that time is over. He is not allowed to look where ever he wants, when ever he wants. When I am on his back, that is my time. If I ask him to bend, he is going to bend. If I ask him to stop, he is going to stop. Since I can't get this done with the my current snaffle and mather bits, we're introducing the citation bit into our flatwork, until he starts respect the basic commands. I am so relieved! I mean, I'm intimated by this bit when jumping, but it gives me control on the flat with the lightest touch - which is what Lesley has been asking for but we've been unable to accomplish with the gentler bits. Suddenly, riding isn't pure frustration. With this bit, he can't run away from my aides (which is what he prefers to do rather than doing what I ask). Lesley's plan is to have me continue my flatwork in this bit, until he's consistently more attentive and respectful of the aides - then switch out to one of the other bits.
I'm hopeful that this will allow us to make better progress with his training now. 2012 is just a couple days away afterall! We never made it to training in 2011, but 2012 will be a different story I'm sure.
Comments
Post a Comment