This was my second lesson in the hackmore and since the chiropractors visit. I had told my trainer that I had decided I just didn't have the time to devote to making Secret into any kind of show horse and I wanted to spend all of the time that I do have just enjoying riding. So, we've been working on riding on a loose rein nice and relaxed, teaching her to neck-rein, bending, and balancing.
First thing we worked on was an exercise to help with getting her to stop off of seat and voice as opposed to pulling back on her face. Basically we turned a tight circle until I felt like she was wanting to stop, then I relaxed my legs and seat and said "whoa". Again, this might sound crazy-rita, but its working. At the very end of the lesson I cantered her a few laps and when I wanted to stop I just relaxed and said "whoa"... didn't even have to move my hands, she just stopped. Awesome! Homework is ten of these circles in each direction.
The next thing was working on actually getting her to bend. We did bigger (10-15meter) circles trying to get her to bend around my inside leg. So, I had to keep weight on my inside leg, move my outside leg back, turn my upper body pretty much all the way around without dropping either shoulder, and then micro-manage her -- moving her off first one leg then the other -- all the way around the turn. We did this for probably 30minutes and my legs were killing me!!! But, by the end she was actually bending really nicely, so that's homework too!
We ended the lesson with some canter work. We had done our trot work outside in the big arena, but I'm still too scared to canter out there. I had asked my trainer to get on and canter her outside, which she did, and we concurred that she is still too bouncy and pulls a little too much near the gate for me to go for it out there yet. So,we moved back into the smaller indoor arena for canter work. It was actually really nice! She is picking up on the transition cues right away now, instead of 8-10 strides away. She's still bouncy, but getting better I think. My trainer had recommended sitting a "half-seat", which is basically just forward in the saddle with ~70% of your weight in your stirrups... it's like half-way between full seat and two-point. I felt like I moved and bounced more, but since most of my weight was in the stirrup I wasn't really slamming down on her back. It was actually alot more secure for me and I wasn't as scared. We only worked in the counter-clockwise direction, Secret's good direction, but the last canter was "perfect" (a direct quote from my trainer!) right down to the "whoa". So we decided to end on a really good note!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Improving my seat
Because Secret spent so many months working totally off her front end because of a twisted pelvis, I'm trying to really be concious of getting her back on her hind end and re-building those atrophied muscles. I saw an episode of Downunder Horsemanship on RFD-TV the other day (I DVR all of these people... I don't sit at home and wait for them. DVR is the way to go BTW, by skipping the commercials these half-hour shows are done in 10 min!). Anyway, it was showing a more intermediate "lunging-for-respect" excercise where you make the horse do roll-backs to change direction. I thought it looked like I could kill two birds with one stone -- "lunge-for-respect" and get her working on the back. So I've tried it twice now and I'm actually pretty pleased. Yesterday she got herself all worked up because she's not used to being asked to do something so abruptly. But, even though she was upset and it took me ~15min to get her to just walk again, she was doing lovely roll-backs! So I think her pelvis is feeling better! I'll continue to do this exercise.
After I let her cool off from all that, I put the bareback pad on. I figured it would be a good day to work on my seat since she'd already tired herself out some. I've always heard, and its been my experience, that bareback riding is great for developing an independent seat and balance. Well, I must have been doing something right these last few months because last time I rode in the bareback pad the forward trot was a terrifying thing! Yesterday we trotted/jogged in the indoor arena for a few laps and I felt so good about it that I was adventurous enough to go out to the big outdoor arena (the one without a gate!) and trot out there. Even when she hit the forward trot, making a B-line for the exit, and we had to argue a bit about staying inside the arena on the rail as opposed to actually exiting, I still felt pretty secure. That was really great! I see alot more bareback riding in our future. I really won't be happy until I can feel comfortable cantering bareback!
Again, I know this sounds crazy-rita, but I really feel alot closer to my horse after the whole animal communicator thing. Yesterday I really felt like she was taking care of me... I don't know if I've ever felt that before. It was awesome. Now, this could all be psychosomatic... all in my head... but the reality is that, even if it is all in my head, it's improved my confidence (which is shaky at best) and made me love riding again. So, whether its real or imagined, its made all the difference and that's well worth $40 to me!
After I let her cool off from all that, I put the bareback pad on. I figured it would be a good day to work on my seat since she'd already tired herself out some. I've always heard, and its been my experience, that bareback riding is great for developing an independent seat and balance. Well, I must have been doing something right these last few months because last time I rode in the bareback pad the forward trot was a terrifying thing! Yesterday we trotted/jogged in the indoor arena for a few laps and I felt so good about it that I was adventurous enough to go out to the big outdoor arena (the one without a gate!) and trot out there. Even when she hit the forward trot, making a B-line for the exit, and we had to argue a bit about staying inside the arena on the rail as opposed to actually exiting, I still felt pretty secure. That was really great! I see alot more bareback riding in our future. I really won't be happy until I can feel comfortable cantering bareback!
Again, I know this sounds crazy-rita, but I really feel alot closer to my horse after the whole animal communicator thing. Yesterday I really felt like she was taking care of me... I don't know if I've ever felt that before. It was awesome. Now, this could all be psychosomatic... all in my head... but the reality is that, even if it is all in my head, it's improved my confidence (which is shaky at best) and made me love riding again. So, whether its real or imagined, its made all the difference and that's well worth $40 to me!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Gonna be some changes made!
There have been HUGE changes in my life since my last visit.
(1) I cut ALL of the narcissists out of my life. It's amazing how much time that has created for me to just be me!
(2) I'm switching trainers and methods and all kinds of things.
(3) I had an animal communicator talk to Secret and found out what was wrong.
(4) Got Secret FIXED!!!
So, the animal communicator... sounds crazy right? I found this woman totally by accident, reading a bunch of articles on a puppy in NJ who had been starved then thrown 22 stories down a garbage chute and survived. They had had an animal communicator call and "talk" to him. I thought it was fascinating so I started reading up and came across Colleen Nicholson who has some great reviews on horse forums. She charges $40 for 20min and I figured it was worth that much just for the story... I was obviously skeptical. Anyway, I set up the appointment and she calls. She was DEAD ON about alot of things! I said to her, "I really want to know what's wrong with her leg." I intentionally didn't say which one. She replies, "Oh! Is this the right hind?" NO WAY!!! Thats a 25% chance if she's guessing. She told me that Secret said that she had fallen and twisted her pelvis so now the right side is higher than the left side and that's why she's lame. I thought, OK, we'll see about that. I went online and found an equine chiropractor in my area who had GREAT recommendations and references (Dr. Heidi Bockhold, if anyone is interested). She came out last Thursday and worked on Secret. I didn't tell her what the animal communicator had said, instead I just told her that I thought something was up because her canter had been super bouncy and forward lately. That's when she said, "Oh, well its probably because her pelvis is so twisted. The right side is higher thant he left so she really can't work off her back end." NO WAY! It was all I could to keep my mouth from falling open. I'm not saying I believe it, I'm not saying I don't believe it, I'm just saying.
Secret is still a little sore from her adjustment, probably because she was twisted so badly. But she is doing SO much better! Even her trot is better and her attitude is GREATLY improved... probably because she's not in pain anymore!
The animal communicator also said, "Secret wants me to tell you, and she knows you're not going to like it, but she really likes pink." I HATE PINK "But, she says that she looks really good in Burgandy." That's true. "So she feels like that's a good compromise." Ok, fine, I went out and bought a burgandy headstall and saddle pad and told her that she damn well better like it! Maybe that's part of the reason her attitude has improved too???
I also got rid of the bit and the indian bosal. The bit had zero stopping power when she really gets upset. The bosal had no release when she was being good. So, I went to the tack store and spent an hour asking a whole bunch of stupid questions. I finally left with a Jim Warner Hackamore. Its a mechanical hackamore and so has the potential to be very harsh. But, I really want to see her riding on a loose rein and starting to neck rein. Not very English I know, but I'm kinda over the pretentiousness and just want to have fun with my horse. I may be converting to western (GASP!!!!), we'll see. So, I've ridden her in it twice now and I think she goes really well in it. I'm hardly ever touching her face, but when she does something stupid (like spins and bolts because a mini-horse scared her!) the hack has plenty of force to stop her. I'm trying to teach her neck reining and stopping off my seat. Its slow progress, but she's coming along.
I'm thinking about going to see a Ranch Versatility Horse trainer for some lessons or just to see what it's like. I think Secret might like it better as it is more mental stimulation doing different things. I also think it just looks fun... and it doesn't require leaving the ground, which becomes more important to me the older I get. We'll see.
Either way I am back to having fun with my OWN horse. You have no idea how much of a relief that has been!
(1) I cut ALL of the narcissists out of my life. It's amazing how much time that has created for me to just be me!
(2) I'm switching trainers and methods and all kinds of things.
(3) I had an animal communicator talk to Secret and found out what was wrong.
(4) Got Secret FIXED!!!
So, the animal communicator... sounds crazy right? I found this woman totally by accident, reading a bunch of articles on a puppy in NJ who had been starved then thrown 22 stories down a garbage chute and survived. They had had an animal communicator call and "talk" to him. I thought it was fascinating so I started reading up and came across Colleen Nicholson who has some great reviews on horse forums. She charges $40 for 20min and I figured it was worth that much just for the story... I was obviously skeptical. Anyway, I set up the appointment and she calls. She was DEAD ON about alot of things! I said to her, "I really want to know what's wrong with her leg." I intentionally didn't say which one. She replies, "Oh! Is this the right hind?" NO WAY!!! Thats a 25% chance if she's guessing. She told me that Secret said that she had fallen and twisted her pelvis so now the right side is higher than the left side and that's why she's lame. I thought, OK, we'll see about that. I went online and found an equine chiropractor in my area who had GREAT recommendations and references (Dr. Heidi Bockhold, if anyone is interested). She came out last Thursday and worked on Secret. I didn't tell her what the animal communicator had said, instead I just told her that I thought something was up because her canter had been super bouncy and forward lately. That's when she said, "Oh, well its probably because her pelvis is so twisted. The right side is higher thant he left so she really can't work off her back end." NO WAY! It was all I could to keep my mouth from falling open. I'm not saying I believe it, I'm not saying I don't believe it, I'm just saying.
Secret is still a little sore from her adjustment, probably because she was twisted so badly. But she is doing SO much better! Even her trot is better and her attitude is GREATLY improved... probably because she's not in pain anymore!
The animal communicator also said, "Secret wants me to tell you, and she knows you're not going to like it, but she really likes pink." I HATE PINK "But, she says that she looks really good in Burgandy." That's true. "So she feels like that's a good compromise." Ok, fine, I went out and bought a burgandy headstall and saddle pad and told her that she damn well better like it! Maybe that's part of the reason her attitude has improved too???
I also got rid of the bit and the indian bosal. The bit had zero stopping power when she really gets upset. The bosal had no release when she was being good. So, I went to the tack store and spent an hour asking a whole bunch of stupid questions. I finally left with a Jim Warner Hackamore. Its a mechanical hackamore and so has the potential to be very harsh. But, I really want to see her riding on a loose rein and starting to neck rein. Not very English I know, but I'm kinda over the pretentiousness and just want to have fun with my horse. I may be converting to western (GASP!!!!), we'll see. So, I've ridden her in it twice now and I think she goes really well in it. I'm hardly ever touching her face, but when she does something stupid (like spins and bolts because a mini-horse scared her!) the hack has plenty of force to stop her. I'm trying to teach her neck reining and stopping off my seat. Its slow progress, but she's coming along.
I'm thinking about going to see a Ranch Versatility Horse trainer for some lessons or just to see what it's like. I think Secret might like it better as it is more mental stimulation doing different things. I also think it just looks fun... and it doesn't require leaving the ground, which becomes more important to me the older I get. We'll see.
Either way I am back to having fun with my OWN horse. You have no idea how much of a relief that has been!
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