Looking forward to looking forward - March/April Goals and Progress

[khall]

Well I pretty much hit my goals!

Well I definitely have some goals this time!

Me: lose another 20 using some weight training cardio Pilates 3-4 days a week

Not lost the entire 20 but have lost 7 maybe a bit more? Not weighed recently. I have not been this small since 2016 when we lost Mark. Losing him put me in a dark place for awhile coupled with some family things and my weight went up. I do Pilates 2 times a week and have added in weights once a week. Would like twice a week but have not got there yet.


Henry: maybe find a home? Oh he’s going to be a hard one to see leave!! But I’ve got a coonhound rescue willing to help with him as long as I foster

The coonhound rescue ghosted me but a local rescue stepped in. Dogs though are just not moving. I’m doing more training with him (cat exposure especially) as well as doggie daycare for his education. I also want to take him out places like lowes or bass pro for exposure. It’s pushed me to see how he rides loose in the truck because I cannot get a big enough crate in my truck that he fits in. He lays in the floor board of my crew cab quiet as a mouse. He’s a good boy.

Joplin: piaffe under saddle passage in hand. Show Cedar:). work on right lead ( my right shoulder!!). Forwards and back in canter. Ride out in the hay fields some. Clinic end of March with Cedar which is when we will start piaffe US. April go to show venue. Instead of showing we are going to go to the venue after the show to ride tests in the show arenas. Something Poplar Place allows for a few days after their schooling shows.

Check to all! Joplin’s piaffe in hand is spectacular and she’s starting to understand it US a bit. Clinic was awesome. Cedar helped a bit with passage in hand which we’ve played with some. Canter is really coming. I like the long straight lines T C T transitions working on the aids and her waiting for me. Check for hauling off. Joplin was super and I got to canter in a real dressage arena:)

Gaila: piaffe wih CC HI in canter. Try to take her to poplar place too if at all possible. Clinic with Cedar
Piaffe US is coming and I’ve upped the asking in hand. Gaila is accepting the pressure and responding appropriately. CC was good with Cedar but with my arena issues/washout I have not revisited it yet. Got distracted with breeding as well. Haul her back tomorrow for scan and will probably leave her for her date over the weekend with the boyfriend in the box. She’s been very good for the breeding vet work. Riding her bareback a bit just for fun. Found a pad I like.

Hoping the guardianship will be settled

It is thankfully and things are better family wise. I’m sole conservator and my sister and I share care guardianship. Mom was declared incompetent:(. Which we all knew.

[goldhorse]

My recap:
Laminitic episode appears to have resolved as shedding season is almost over. I will be doing a more sensitive test for Cushings, consulting with UC Davis, and see where that leads us. Just tweaked the shoes this week to add a longer heel and that seemed to do the trick so we're back to work!
New saddle arrived and Piggy loves it. He immediately goes into a stretch. This is a horse that never stretched under saddle. Lateral work is so much easier. I think that the tree points of his old saddle were interfering with his shoulders and his new saddle gives him more space. It's a WOW saddle and has a different tree point design. It makes sense to me cuz Piggy suffers from high/low syndrome in his feet which carries all the way up to his shoulders. I've always felt that there was more reach in the front to be gained if we could optimize things.
Canter is much easier now. I just have to remember to sit back, open my hips, and attach the top of my butt crack to the cantle. That's something I learned from Rudy Horsemanship on Facebook.
Exercise program has been maintained but diet hasn't I did get a gadget from Activate Your Seat on FB. It's a bungee device that gives you resistance while doing squats and lunges. I didn't think it made a difference until I lent it to a friend and watched my hip flexors tighten up and tighten up....So I ordered another one.
No shows in the forecast in May. Aiming for June if the weather holds and California doesn't erupt in flames again.

[Kyras_Mom]

So my goals...continue working on my hip issues. I have a few more PT sessions and am starting on my rowing machine. It is improving but slowly.
Just do some hopefully low key riding to keep advancing her fitness and get her teeth done and see if that fixes the issues. If not, onto the next rabbit hole .

Well. The hip is better but still not asymptomatic. I got another steroid injection in the bursa. They seem to work great for 2-3 weeks. After said 2-3 weeks, it flared a bit but has settled down to about 1/4 of the intensity it was. If it flares again, I am going to investigate PRP or some such magic injection even though it will be out of pocket.

Kyra's fitness has advanced but she is still tense and balled up, especially in canter work. I honestly have no idea why. I started this horse and we had some rough times in the early days but I have no idea why she is so tense now. I really don't think I have an electric butt . She tries really hard to be obedient but what she is giving me is a rough, hard ride. I have been patient with her and we have been doing a lot of remedial NH stuff to try and get her to breath and relax. I think I will treat her for ulcers with Nexium for kicks and giggles. If she improves, I will get her scoped but she is so chill in her stall and is a very good citizen with leading and grooming, I really don't think that is the problem but easy enough to give it a try. The weather continues to be schizo...sunshine to windy, cold and raining at the drop of a hat so I don't think that is helping. I may also buy her a noise canceling bonnet and see if that might help her focus. All I can do is keep searching for the cause and remedy it when I find 'IT'.

My weight loss is stalled. I have had a wicked headache for about 10 days...I think it is related to my pillow(s) and how it presses on my neck. Anyway, waking up with an annoying HA daily kind of weakens my resolve. At least haven't gained any weight back but need to get my sh*# back together. I would like to lose another 10lbs.

Hoping for some better weather. I never thought I would be hoping for 90 degrees . Our weather seems to be about a month behind 'usual' (if there is any such thing any more). We will get what we get.

Susan

[Chisamba]

So to help me cogitate on my past two months and plan my next two, I ran through a dressage test on each of my horses.
Caliburn. Second level analysis, trot work fairly capable in all aspects. Canter work, lacks confidence in counter canter. Now the weather forced me indoors so u was practicing the test in a small arena which puts a lot of pressure on balance but clearly demonstrated my goal for the next two months.

Kimba. Third level. Much improved medium gaits. Still needs sit in collected canter but had improved. Still too anxious about flying changed.

Saiph. Fourth level. The indoor diagonal made straight line changes hard and showed me that we could use more relaxation. She kind-of balls up, or gets very rocking horse. So obviously also needs relaxation in the changed.

Me. I didn't lose weight. I seem to be stuck. My opinion of that is an expletive that rhymes with stuck.

I need inspiration on relaxation in the flying changes please.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I didn't put goals yet.

This time is starting a little rough with Lynx having the mystery cough and honestly just feeling pretty squirrely under saddle.

And I've been feeling off too. Mentally and physically. Not sure why, just struggling a little.

I think my only real goal right now is to just get back on track and feeling better for both of us. For Lynx : Hope that the Zyrtec helps or that it was just a virus that passes quickly. He's also on just powdered ulcer meds from Wedgewood. Not sure if they will work cuz I know it's not that ideal treatment but it's at the back gave me. I also hope to get his teeth done next week. We also will start to lunge with the equiband once or twice a week if he's feeling better. And maybe the weather will start to be nice enough to go outside!

I am going to try and go get massage to kind of unlock my body. And I'm thinking about seeing if I can get some physical therapy. I had a jumping lesson on a school horse yesterday. I was struggling with my right ankle and just could not keep my heel down and even had a little bit of swinging. And all my years and even being in a shape that has never ever happened. I partly think it was a stirrup/ saddle issue. But still, I need work. I just have not been a feeling like I can ride.

A lot of you guys have done good work this time around! I know we are all looking forward to good weather.

This time started rough and was slow going but we did get through it! Lynx did get rid of that awful cough, thankfully. And I treated him, conservatively with a compounded powder for ulcers and he isn't so spooky now.

He started to get a little funky behind and his stifle was slipping. Hind shoes back on has helped though strength needs to continue being built. I think with the cough and then some bouts of bad weather sickness for myself, He just lost some fitness.

But we did earn our first 70% on a dressage test. And I made progress with my body. I never did get a massage but I started exploring feldenkrais method and even the little bit I have done seems to make a big difference.

Onward and upward!

[khall]

Gaila gets her date tomorrow! Hcg today:).

Super ride on Joplin again yesterday out in the field. Straight line trot canter trot transitions. Getting extremely soft and on my seat. I think the straight line work is really helping me work on my seat.

Lovely weather we are having here in Georgia. Enjoying a long spring

[Flight]

I need inspiration on relaxation in the flying changes please.

I reckon just keep asking for them every ride. Not a heap, just a couple every ride. Then normal stuff in between. Just dont fall off

[Moutaineer]

I'm guilty of making too big of a "thing" out of the changes, rather than treating them as just another transition.

I just need to get out of my own head.

[heddylamar]

Still too anxious about flying changed.

Are you breathing through the changes? Being very deliberate about my breaths works wonders if I'm trying to work Anz out of being anxious. Works great for my mom too.

[Ponichiwa]

I'm guilty of making too big of a "thing" out of the changes, rather than treating them as just another transition.

I just need to get out of my own head.

Preach.

My new "thing" is to stay super relaxed into the initial aid, and then lose my ever-loving mind and curl into an unhelpful prawn shape if things don't go perfectly to plan (i.e. crooked or late or...).

So don't do that, is my recommendation.

[Moutaineer]

"Unhelpful prawn shape":

Yep... and Potters goes "what? WHAT?!" and everything goes to hell.

[blob]

Well, I start out as an unhelpful prawn from first thought of changes.

Chisamba--i don't know if this would work for Kimba, but I've seen my trainer have riders ask for changes in a stretch canter and in half seat to help with relaxation

[Flight]

Unhelpful prawn Oh yes, my body knows that shape too

What happens Chisamba? My big horse hated changes initially, I think it takes a while for them to realise how to use their body to do them. I tell other people who ask me to just keep trying and don't worry about perfect, just allow them to attempt it. And it can take a while!

[demi]

My wrap for this period:

I didnt have any well defined goals this time. In summary of the last two months, March was a lot of travel time, injured hips, and difficult weather. So not a lot happened with my riding. April was better. I felt I had a handle on collected trot and canter, and I did most of the work from Second Level test 2. Feeling good about it, I finally scheduled a lesson in mid April. It was a good lesson, but I couldn’t get any collection and when trainer wanted to see my lengthenings, I couldn’t get them either….still she was happy with the work we were getting, She pushed us into working harder than I had been and I have carried on with that same level of work since.

As part of the “wrap”, I’ll post some video clips from tioday’s work.

This first clip is too hurried, but the main theme for us since our lesson on the 13th, has been to “get to work!” For me, that involves hurrying for some reason….
Trot to halt to back
https://youtu.be/yGeMu3S9ZUk

Inside leg to outside rein was a secondary theme of today’s ride:

Inside leg to outside rein
https://youtu.be/-iTa2LCn0yI

Change of lead through trot
https://youtu.be/l35L_Z8hTSE

[StraightForward]

I thought I might pop out and ride at least one tonight, and that thought was greeted by a long roll of thunder, so I guess it's time to closeout this two months instead.

Self
Finish next 5 weeks of Dressage Rider Training 1, and then go back to the beginning with the harder exercise options. I finished the whole thing, and started going back to the gym incorporating some of the DRT exercises plus kettlebells and elliptical
Run 10 miles/week I'm giving myself a pass here. My knee and ankle started acting up, so I took a break from running. The past few weeks I've just done 3 miles on the weekend, and subbed 20 minute elliptical sessions during the week to save the concussion until my joints are happier.
Walk at lunch 3x per week Probably yes for March, fell of the rails when DH broke his arm since we usually walk together
Feldenkrais 3x per week Was doing well, but it has kind of fallen by the wayside as I picked up slack for my one-armed spouse and dealt with a busy period at work.
Ride without stirrups 1x per week Fail. Probably only did this 2x.
Eat clean 90% of the time This also went off the rails with DH sitting at home eating ALL. THE. JUNK. The scale told on me and I'm back to eating better. Promis.

Tesla
Make cantering "just a thing we do", both leads each ride. In March we hit another rough patch with cantering and I decided to leave it alone for a little bit. She also had about a week off due to vaccine reactions. Just started back to cantering last week. Work in progress.
Continue developing contact in all gaits and through transitions. Would say yes. I got her a mullen mouth baby fulmer bit and she actually got a little too strong. I'm going to try a Micklem type bridle next with the NovoContact, and have my eye on a single-jointed baby fulmer to try next. Definite improvement the past two months though.
Deal tactfully and methodically with whatever curveball she throws next. I think we had two "ride or die" days, but no brand new flavors of evasion.

Annabelle
Clean C/W transitions from both leads.Yes, big improvement there.
Keep improving counter canter. Also yes, though I've been schooling it more in a long frame in warmup; need to incorporate some CC when she's more "together."
Adjustability and power in the trot.A little. The new instructor is helping us in this area.
Keep touching on all the 2nd level elements - ToH, RB, simple changes, mediums, SI, HI. Yes. I'm planning to show 2-1 in May, though we don't need the ToH, RB, HI or simple changes for that test. Feeling like we might have it all in hand by the early July show
Hopefully ride in a clinic (it's tentative, no dates announced yet).Clinic was canceled. Boo. I did manage two lessons with a new instructor and will hopefully go weekly the next two months.

[demi]

I’m still thinking about the sale horse. I havent ridden her yet because she’s been in preparation for a show since I found out that she was for sale. Last weekend the working student took her to a clinic in San Antonio, and this weekend she went to the show in Houston. I drove almost 3 hours to watch her classes on Friday. 4th-3 and PSG. She got 62+ and 58 something respectively. She showed again today and will show tomorrow. The rider is trying to get her scores for a silver medal.

I’ll go ride her when she gets home next week. I have very mixed feelings. I don’t really think I have enough energy for another horse, even one in full training, and I won’t give up on Rocky. I think I’ll schedule a lesson for Rocky on the same day as I try the horse and see how I feel after that. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to “ride” this horse! She’s way beyond me at this point. But I need to take it one step at a time.

[Kyras_Mom]

Well, I got one more work with Kyra and she was so spooky and tense..gah. However, one of my barn mate’s horse was naughty too (he is a 17yo been there, done that gelding) so apparently it was in the air. That is possible. The weather changed about 5 times today and we got a major thunderstorm with heavier rain about 3 hours after our work so what are you going to do?

I long reined her planning on riding tomorrow and to my eye, she looked off on the right front at the trot…primarily when the right front was on the inside of the circle. It obviously wasn’t bothering too much as if she heard or saw something she deemed weird, she threw her head up and took off . The ‘offness’ did seem to resolve by the end of our short work. There was no swelling or heat in the lower leg or hoof. Her stride length was even, it just appeared she was quick to unload that leg. She did calm her jets and I actually got some nice work but I had to ask for a ton of transitions to avoid her getting quick and tense. Bonus…I did get some wonderful half steps. She was very even and relaxed in that and had a nicely lowered croup.

When I got there, she had a couple areas of rusty looking stuff on her hair…one band on the underside of her neck and one down on the edge of her chest and shoulder (left side). No hide missing anywhere and no obvious swelling. So I groomed her and we went about our workout. Well, after I worked her, I was picking her stall and pen when I discovered this big wad of hair that I think came out of her forelock. So, I have no idea what she did. The rusty spot I think came from the steel pipe fence between the pens. Whether she got cast or what…she didn’t tell me. She obviously got herself out of whatever predicament she got herself in. So, hoping she looks OK tomorrow. I will probably lunge her a bit to see if her off-ness is still there and if I do ride, it will probably be a walk only ride. I am trying to avoid doing a bunch of work with her tension ramped up and usually, at walk I can do that. Right now, “speed” (trot or canter) = tension. I did order a noise canceling bonnet but it is back ordered. I was going to cancel that one and order another from a different vendor. Every stinking one I was interested in was out of stock or back ordered (we need cob or small horse size). So, I guess we will get it when (or if) we get it. I might order some ear puffs…I am not showing but I am not sure she would like that but she might be OK with it. I am getting desperate to find something to relax her little brain.

Susan

[khall]

Susan have you tried putting her in piaffe fairly early in the work to help use up that energy? Mark said when he was at Master Olivera’s in Portugal and the young stallions would come out full of beans they would put them in piaffe

[StraightForward]

I might order some ear puffs…I am not showing but I am not sure she would like that but she might be OK with it.

I have a pair of the soft foam ear plugs. If I can find them you can have them. Yeah, hard to find noise canceling bonnets in cob. I have on in full and one head shake and it popped right off Annabelle. I've realized that her spooks are more visual than auditory though. Snow sliding off roof = "meh"; bird flying nearby = instant pogo stick! Tesla hates the arena creaking noises (nevermind snow slides ), so maybe the bonnet will help her next winter.

[Kyras_Mom]

Khall, that would be a good time to use that extra energy. I usually do it at the end of our work due to the tension. I want nice half steps not stamping ants which is what I get if she is too tense or full of sh*#.

SF, that would be great. I think her over stimulation is a combo of sound and sight. Yeah, she doesn’t like birds either. Especially after she almost stepped on a nesting pheasant during a trail ride and it flew up right under her nose and she planted me in the hay field at the old barn. We have many covey of quail at this barn. She goes on high alert if she just hears them . So I thought I would give the ear protection a try. I really thought she would be over her spring sillies by now. That would be no.

I just have to make sure she is sound before I do much with her. HORSES .

[Moutaineer]

Potters is at his spookiest if he is sore anywhere. Its a useful indicator that if things are really amped up, I need to go looking for a problem. Averagely amped up, not so much!

I missed the last few days as I have not been feeling well. Don't know what it was, but feeling more human today, so I will go pat a nose and feed a carrot and hope to be not jello tomorrow.

[Kyras_Mom]

Potters is at his spookiest if he is sore anywhere. Its a useful indicator that if things are really amped up, I need to go looking for a problem. Averagely amped up, not so much.

I have been looking but thus far cannot find anything obvious. I am going to get the body worker here to work on her. She is long overdue and she loves Katrina.

Susan

[khall]

Gaila was bred yesterday. Vet said it went well. She retained a bit of fluid today so she was flushed and given oxytocin to help clear the fluid. Preg check 5-16. Vet said she was a very sweet horse and easy to work with:). Jingling that we get a dot and it’s a buckskin filly:):)

Joplin worked in hand piaffe and passage and Thursday rode in the bay field working on canter trot transitions. This horse is just an amazing ride.

Chisamba did you choose a stallion?

Hope all’s weather is settling down. We actually need rain.

[Chisamba]

Unhelpful prawn Oh yes, my body knows that shape too

What happens Chisamba? My big horse hated changes initially, I think it takes a while for them to realise how to use their body to do them. I tell other people who ask me to just keep trying and don't worry about perfect, just allow them to attempt it. And it can take a while!

Kimba, more than any horse I can remember, anticipates very soon. So the tension from anticipating a change is evident three ways. First, Rushing. Getting very strong and heavy on the reins, read pulling like a train.
Second. loosing gait clarity (pacing instead of staying in canter)
And third, objecting to the heaviness in the rein and tossing her head like a Cerberus.

Once the anticipation kicks in, she assumes anything is about the flying change. Any circle any lateral work, anything at all.

[Ponichiwa]

Once the anticipation kicks in, she assumes anything is about the flying change. Any circle any lateral work, anything at all.

I have ridden "this horse" although without the complication of pacing. Some things that helped us and may help you:
- Zen Zone: build a "relaxation zone" exercise. Something that is reliably comfortable and rhythmic (esp. if it encourages breathing)-- trot serpentines worked for my mare, but I've also done big stretchy trot or stretchy canter figures. Intersperse your changes work with the relaxation zone work to build and reinforce the idea that there's nothing to stress about.

- Change the Subject: constantly vary figures, movements, outline, and gaits. Comes at the problem from the other side of anticipation, which is to say that there's no value in anticipating what's going to come up next because it will be different. I find this mentally challenging for me more than for the horse as I can't fall into my same ruts of figures/exercises. Example: trot/walk/trot becomes trot/almost walk then trot on. Lots of 10m circles, lots of serpentines, lots of transitions within/between gaits.

- Weekend Warrior: only school FCs 1x/week (or less): on non-FC days, play with how much you can vary the engagement and balance of the canter without touching on the changes. On FC days, work the canter only enough to get flying-change capable and do 1 or maybe 2 attempts; spend the rest of the ride in trot/walk (de facto change of subject if she gets tense). I tend to couple the FC days with trail days-- 5-10 min of work in the arena (not counting warmup), 1 good change (with high-quality downwards transition afterwards) and then immediately out to the trails for a long walk and decompress.

- The Inert Rider: do not react to the dramatics (head flips, deteriorating canter rhythm, etc.), but instead keep riding the idea of the canter you want until things settle down. And then also avoiding the unhelpful prawn position appears to be key here. Trust me when I say I know that's easier to say than to do. Sometimes even addressing the tension (vs ignoring it) validates the tension. Works best when coupled with "Change the Subject" if things don't settle on their own.

There's an unavoidable amount of tension in the introduction of flying changes, no matter what the old masters said. Doubly so for horses that don't have a naturally strong canter rhythm anyway -- doesn't take much to topple over into "this is really uncomfortable and I hate it" space.

[piedmontfields]

Ponichiwa, this is a great save list for more than FCs! Thank you. And thanks Chiasamba for sharing the process/reflections.

[khall]

So true Piedmont. Ponichiwa wonderful list to refer to!!