Up to speed...

I was hoping to get to make a second post last week covering my lesson but I ran out of time, so let's get up to speed.

Sunday 1/20/2011: My lesson started out OK, but I was still having trouble getting Secret into her favorite corner. My trainer kept yelling at me about dropping my outside hand... I KNOW that I'm dropping it, I just don't know how to make it stop. I got really frustrated about this so we moved on to ground poles, but my whole lesson was tainted. Looking back on it now I feel like we have made ALOT of progress on two-point position and ground poles since we started on them just a few weeks ago. But, getting her on the rail and the canter, both the transition and my seat, need serious work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OaHuDVkyA&feature=autoplay&list=UL8_4IYp9Q6jk&index=1&playnext=4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1gwr_QL6K0&feature=BF&list=UL8_4IYp9Q6jk&index=2
After my lesson I went with my trainer to her place to ride one of her horses. This horse (Kahlua) had been broke to saddle three years ago and since then has been through a stream of riders who all quit because she bucked at the trot. When I first started riding her last summer EVERY time I asked for the trot she would buck. She had NO steering. She was stiff and her feet were stuck. I finally stopped trying to ride her through it and started doing alot of ground work... Clinton Anderson style! This horse is as stubborn as they come. I've literally BEATEN her with the stick and had her look at me like, "Whatever" My arms wore out before she did more than once. But I've finally gotten her yielding pretty well. She will back nicely and lunges quite well. It's not up to Clinton's standards, but its light years from where she started! I noticed when I lunged her with the saddle that she trotted with her nose on the ground. I don't trust her enough to let her get her head down like that when I'm in the saddle and I thought maybe part of the trouble is that she needs to stretch her back. So, lately I've been lunging her to let her stretch before I get on and it seems to really be helping. I've had two rides out of her now with no bucking and she's been very willing! I'm really pleased with her so that was a good way to end the day after a very frustrating lesson.

Sunday 2/6/2011: I was really excited for this lesson. I had just decided that I wasn't going to get frustrated or pissy and I would just go with it knowing that we are making steady progress. My trainer also decided that we would try using a bit. When I first got Secret they were riding her in a plain stainless O-ring jointed snaffle. When I rode her in that she had NO brakes. Everytime she would stick her head in the air, get it between her teeth and brace. So, to get more braking power I switched to an indian bosal. That put more nose pressure on so that she had to give at the poll and stop. After I got her brakes tuned up and working well I switched to a cross-under bridle for clearer communication while working and then to a side-pull for trails. But, no we're starting to ask for more sophisticated things in the arena that each rein needs to have its own meaning, so we decided to try putting a bit back on her. I was VERY apprehensive remembering her behavior last time and knowing she's not had a bit in her mouth in three years. So, I started with a rubber jointed snaffle.
I put it in her mouth, adjusted it, and she started chewing and looking at me like, "well... ok... if this is what you want I don't care" I just walked her a bit to let her think it over, then started with bending and backing so she could get the idea. She rode really well in it. When we started the lesson we were working on her favorite corner and FINALLY started to make some progress after my trainer told me to stand in my outside stirrup and push with my inside leg. Frankly, if she had told me that outside stirrup bit two weeks ago we could have saved everyone alot of aggravation! But at least its starting to get fixed! After doing a few circles in the corners we decided to switch her to a brass, egg butt, french link snaffle. She instantly relaxed and was REALLY working well by the end of the lesson. So well in fact that we almost got into that corner at the trot!
To round things out we worked on the canter... specifically transitions into and out of and keeping my ass in the saddle. All of which are improving! One piece seems to get better every time I ride... I just may take few weeks to put all the pieces together.
Overall my seat was better today, my hands are better but need work at the canter and forcing myself to not drop my outside hand, my legs are better if I warm up with them tied and I really felt like Secret did GREAT with the bit today.
A great lesson!

Sometimes you have to go through some ugly stuff to get to the good stuff.

The title is a Clinton Anderson quote and I take no credit for it!

But, I will say that its very true. After a very ugly lesson on Sunday, I was determined to work on some stuff on Monday (especially since it was a holiday!). It was pretty quiet at the barn and I had the arena to myself so I set up my ground poles then went to get my horse. After tacking up I lunged her to look for any soreness from the day before then I worked with her on side-passing again before mounting up.

During the exercise we worked on my posting, my two-point, the ground poles, tight corners, and side-passing.
--> There is not a whole of progress on the posting front, but I think my legs are slowly getting better. It's just going to be a slow process.
--> My two-point came a little easier than the day before though its still not pretty.
--> The ground-pole exercise saw alot of progress. Secret figured out alot quicker where to put her feet so she could trot through, I was able to reliquish some control and trying to micro-manage every step, I was able to keep my eyes up and ahead, and overall the two of us were looking pretty good over those poles towards the end!
--> The tight corners still need ALOT of work, I'm thinking we may have to put some cones down.
--> The side-passing surprised the hell out of me. This was the first time we'd tried it from the saddle. I took her back to the same wall where I'd asked on the ground, I put my leg on and laid the rein on her neck and, once again, that heffer side-passed like it was no big deal! Meanwhile I was jumping up and down screeching on the inside.

Once again, there remains alot to work on, but with progress and positive reinforcement like that it really motivates me to put in the extra effort to ride after work during the week. I'm actually excited about schooling my horse again and it feels great!

Side-passing.... the adventure!

My first lesson was on a Saturday and my next one was scheduled for the following Sunday. By the next Saturday, I still hadn't ridden to practice anything we had worked on. My farrier was coming to I decided that I would only do ground work while I waited for him to show up because I didn't want him to get there and then have to wait while I untacked.

I lunged her for a bit doing some "natural horsemanship" techniques... alot of directional changes, transitioning between all three gaits, sending her between me and a scary object (a nippy austrailian shepherd), etc. Then I decided it was time we learned something new. It was no coincidence that I had watched Clinton Anderson on RFD-TV the day before as he was demonstrating teaching a horse to side-pass. I had paid close attention and was really to follow his instructions properly.

I brought her up so that she was right up against and facing the fence. Then I used my hands to move her front end over, then I used the stick to ask her to move her back end over. Now, this didn't exactly come out of nowhere! We've done alot of yeilding of the hind quarters with the stick and she does it beautifully. But, this time she kept sitting down on her haunches and popping her front end up. The more pressure I put on with the stick, the deeper she'd sit. Well, now I'm scratching my head thinking, "Why is she acting stupid?" and she's staring at me like, "I'm trying! Stop hitting me!" Then it hits me! She's gonna jump this fence! Well, she was gonna try... but she is too close and the fence is too tall and I've got her on a short lead so it's gonna be a disaster!

So, I take the coward's way out. I back her off the fence and I find an actual WALL that she couldn't jump if she had wings. Then, instead of giving her indirect pressure by waving the stick, I laid the stick against her girth-line and the lead rope on her neck like a rein and clucked to her. That heffer side passed down that wall like she'd been doing it her whole life! Not exactly Clinton's method... but I've been a scientist long enough to know if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I did, however, take Clinton's advice to stop when you feel like you want to do more. So, I ended right there on a good note (I did do both sides though).