Clinic with Sarah Martin

Kisia & I attended one day of a clinic with Sarah Martin. The clinic was held here in Oxford at Cedar Winds Farm. I had heard this clinician was nice so thought we'd give it a try. I'll stop here & say that at this point in my horsemanship journey I don't do mean people anymore. I've been there, done that & have no intention, regardless of what I might learn, in being told anything mean about myself or my horse. So there! If they aren't positive they aren't for me. I had hoped for some insight into helping Kisia understand contact. She has moments where she gets this but I've felt overall that she's not confident with the connection of mouth to hand. I discussed her early training with Sarah who suggested I try lunging her for a short time (10 minutes) in a surcingle, bridle & side-reins to help her learn to find where the contact is comfortable without the rider's issues or influence. She stressed that because Kisia was young, that we keep this lunging & riding her with contact very short. Just a few circles W/T/C & move on. The goal was for Kisia to understand & not to feel drilled. So she showed me the lunging technique asking for a couple of circles trot then canter both directions. Then mounted up & staying on a 20 meter circle instructed me to "be the surcingle & side-reins". We did this for few circles walking which Kisia was nice & quiet for without the usual "rooting" type behavior she normally does when the contact is first taken up. That was impressive to me for a start! Then did several transitions W/T with me maintaining the contact softly but staying consistent allowing her to again find that comfort zone. Then moved on to T/C transitions, the 1st of which blew my mind. So soft & quiet. She did go up & down a bit with her head but never once pulled me or did her dramatic leap into the air with the up transition which for me is just huge. We transitioned up 3 times both directions, then done. It was wonderful. My mare was relaxed & seemed happy! So this was new as I've never used the surcingle/side-reins & honestly never understood it seeing so many people use it as what looked like a torture device. We went on to discuss Kisia's fitness issues. Sarah suggested taking her out & just riding her for fun in the pasture, trails, etc. It all felt classical & natural which to me is pretty cool. Kisia was pretty awesome, so confident & brave. I've decided that if she maintains that state, what I've done is OK & good. Would certainly attend another clinic with Sarah. Links to her site here if anyone interested in learning more......http://www.sarahmartindressage.com/ & http://www.homeschooldressage.com/

An update!

Spring has been way too busy leaving us as fast as it came. We're starting June feeling like mid-summer here which means HOT! That said, the equine gang are all doing well. Zorra is growing into an elegant & obedient young mare. She's outgrown Kisia in height & hard to believe but her forelock is longer than Kisia's as well so looking like she's gonna be the new "hair queen" around here soon. Foxy has been getting a bit more well-deserved (but still not enough) attention in the form of some trail rides. She & Randy have accompanied Kisia & myself on some rides out for fun & to help Kisia learn that riding isn't all work but can be interesting & fun too! Zorra tags along with us as well for our "trail-rides". Kisia & I have been continuing our progress with the Parelli program to get ready for a course in FL this fall. Since being home, I've focused on riding her "freestyle" which has been interesting as she's not been sure what to do with the "free" part of that meaning a casual (loose) rein. So she's expressing her self a bit more then relaxing which is nice! The ground has dried enough that we have started cantering on our rides. She still has her "WEEEEEE!" moments but has offered a few quiet, relaxed canters which just blow my mind as I wasn't sure they were possible. Her trainer said it would happen. Kisia's weight is a huge challenge this time of year. To put it nicely, she's ummm robust! So no grain & this year she's spending most of the daytime in the barn to limit her time on grass. And of course doing our best to get in several days of exercise playing online & riding. The biggest change around here is that Miles has returned home. Such a contrast from my issue with Kisia, Miles came home unfortunately looking like a rescue. He had been at what might be described as a horse heaven type eventing barn. So even the nicest, affluent type barn can neglect the nutritional needs of horses unfortunately. Thankfully, Sedona & Cash (along with Mississippi Horses) taught me how to help a horse needing refeeding. He's a hard keeper on his best day but has surprised me gaining weight quickly so far. Still too thin but not disturbing to see now so making progress. Miles is a ham for pictures so pics coming soon when he's looking better of our now 20 year old ex-racer, ex-jumper, retired dressage horse! Pic here of him shortly before he went out on lease about a year & half ago.

Spring 2011 Herd Pics

Our herd always looks so nice this time of year, we try to get some liberty pics. Obviously biased, but I think they all look pretty glorious!

Zorra One Year Birthday Pics!

Kisia back home :)

Kisia came back home this past weekend. While I loved having access to the beautiful facilities as the Mid South Dressage Academy, it's beyond nice to have her back. My herd again seems whole & everything just looks right with that pretty silver mare out there! We both learned a lot while she was in training. She got some much needed time under saddle with an expert rider, comes home with a canter cue & nice start on lateral movements...which by-the-way are a breeze for my side-ways loving girl! I learned that you really have to know how to ride to keep up with a young horse. She was constantly (as her trainer Ila put it) looking for her boundaries. "Her job is to find the boundaries & test them!", "Yours is to set them & be consistent so she understands!" I improved my athleticism in a huge way to be able to keep up with her....& I'll tell you what....she needed & deserved that of me. Certainly one of those good, better, best areas so many of us should improve for our horses in my humble opinion. I learned how to steer....surprising how I really didn't know how to do this...riding a schoolmaster for so long, he knew what I wanted even if I didn't know how to ask for it correctly. I learned to be brave when she cantered! Oh my, there were moments I thought I was riding a warhorse that could mow-down the scariest foe! She's very powerful & that canter is gonna take us places. Her trainer, Ila, also taught me a great deal of the bio-mechanics of riding. An interesting area that's all about how you use your body & strength to ride. There is a lot going on in your horse's body when they move. Getting in tune with them & not hindering their balance or what your asking of them is primarily what I got from this. I also learned to expect my girl to be what she is...a 4 year old. One of my favorite quotes (sorry don't remember who said it) is "Don't make people feel wrong for what they don't know." Same goes for horses...& really, what does a 4 year old know about riding? She's got her predator on her back making her do all these things she really is only interested in doing when she's scared or excited. So a little exuberance, confusion, lack of balance, etc, etc isn't something she should get in trouble for. She doesn't know....but thanks to some help she knows a lot more now. So do I!

Sedona's baby....it's a filly!

Short clip from Have-A-Heart rescue of Sedona's brand new baby girl. She's gorgeous don't you think?

Spring Update

The past winter ended up being one of the coldest & certainly the snowiest I've experienced. So far early spring has been pretty wet but the temps for the most part have been really nice. Foxy had some trouble with the frozen ground & snow which caused her some lameness in one of her front feet. She's better now & ready to do some riding. I've been trying to ride her at least once a week bareback. This helps my balance & confidence! She's one of those rare creatures who doesn't change much if not ridden regularly so it's easy to not ride her as much as she deserves. Zorra is growing & almost a year old now. I'm planning to make an obstacle course of some interesting things to play with for her when the ground is a bit more dry. We'll be building up her confidence to introduce trailer loading. Kisia has spent the past few months in Hernando, MS at the MidSouth Dressage Academy in training. It was immensely difficult to leave her there. The 1st month or so was pretty rough for both of us. I spent way too much time worrying about her. She, being an expressive & extroverted type, made it clear for all that she wasn't sure about all that change. Thankfully she did settle into the little things like being stalled every night, standing in cross-ties & being in a paddock next to, but not with, a herd. I've been getting a riding lesson on her a couple of times a week. I make sure to groom her ground tied & depending on her energy level, play with her online & always do a short warm-up freestyle to keep our Parelli play in practice. She's thrown several challenges my way but as a 4 year old, I'm told (over & over) this is to be expected. I can say I've really had to learn to ride to keep up with her. Riding a school master for so many years made me think I could ride...but riding a 4 year old is a true test of patience & skill! Lots of learning! which if I recall from my time in FL at the Parelli center is not necessarily a comfortable place....the learning zone is just outside the comfort zone. I believe we've stayed in that place & not crossed the next line into the panic zone but it sure felt close a few times. Looking forward to bringing her home in a few weeks where life is a bit more relaxing but not too much....we're headed out of green-broke with the goal of her being good-as-gold!