A few other post-clinic notes

[piedmontfields]

Thanks to all who responded with support and ideas for our medium trot in progress (other thread).

Here are a few more notes from my clinic with Kaitlin Blythe, JJ Tate's assistant trainer:

With a horse who needs a bit of a warm-up to get going, thinking of slowly turning up the dial on the trot and then the canter. So if you start at a "4" trot, slowly turn it up to a "4.5". Keep the 4.5 trot and turn it up to a 5. Keep it and dial up again. This reminder is really useful for me and Emi, as due to a combination of her physical type (short, tight back), PSSM and her rider (my relative stiffness), we struggle with being great off the bat in the warm-up. In fact, we often look like a completely different pair after 10 minutes! Kaitlin's "dial it up slowly" guidance is a very approachable, non-combative way for us to warm-up. I tend to forget that this approach works and feel that I must quickly compel Emi to be reactive from the first step--which really isn't very tactful! Related to effective warming up, she affirming using changes of direction in trot/changes of bend and get fairly quickly to canter to get her back loose and flowing. Notice how much the trot improves after the canter work.

In canter work, explore really keeping the bend for throughness, by giving a lot of room on the outside rein. Once the canter starts coming through, explore 4 strides giving the inside rein, then re-take both reins and do 4 strides giving the outside rein. This is a great test of straightness and throughness.

In all work, but in this case explored in trot lateral work, commit to her throughness in relation to bend. Give big in one hand, but commit with the other to show her the way. This had a very immediate effect of lengthening Emi's neck and getting rid of any "kinks" in her neck/spine. The change for me was that I need to commit for another 5-10 seconds for full throughness. I had been backing off before achieving enough.

The other big point is that when I get to a flowing, loose, through place, I need to keep it and keep going! I have a habit of being so happy to get there that I stop expecting Emi to maintain this state. We need to practice being here as our "normal". This approach will also help Emi be more consistent in her connection. The bigger trot in the other thread clearly came out of this commitment, where I did not back off but instead encouraged Emi to enjoy stepping through.

Kaitlin also pointed out that the canter you need to develop for a flying change is just one canter in your progression. You will develop another canter when you get to multiple changes and a whole other canter when you get to 1 tempis. In each case, you will feel that you have the change or changes inside your canter.

[mari]

Great notes, thanks for taking the time to post

I really identify with your warm-up notes, especially. My horse appreciates me taking the first 10 minutes to turn up the dial. We work on a slightly longer rein in trot warm-up, and with his neck as "straight out" as I can get it, and then I do lots of changes of flexion and a bit of leg-yield and some w/t transitions. He needs to settle into his body before he can gather himself enough to add power! I sympathise, as I feel exactly as disgruntled during the first 10 minutes of a run before I start enjoying it

[piedmontfields]

He needs to settle into his body before he can gather himself enough to add power! I sympathise, as I feel exactly as disgruntled during the first 10 minutes of a run before I start enjoying it

Yes, this is very much the feeling and that is a great comparison to how I used to start my runs (and now my swims).

[Chisamba]

The rescue that i work with has a paint mare who was started western, very unhappy horse, head tossing tail wringing and sadly, what is commonly called a marish mare, pushes into pressure, pins ears, and some of the less attractive features that come with some mares.

However, she is exactly like this, if you get on her and give her the first few minutes at say, 3 energy, and just post with her, and quietly trot a few circles, she will move on up to four, five, six, etc, as she warms up. But if you try to push her, she tosses her head, kicks at your legs, sometimes even squeals. I have had several people come to try her, for adoption, and I will show them the gradual warm up, explain that she needs to get used to the rider, and they will get on, and kick and smack her and she turns into a demon. I ask them to get off. what is really really sad about this, is that every single time, before they even come to see the horse, i explain to them what she is like, and they all, of course, think they know better, that i am not being alpha enough, yada yada.

of course it just means that they miss out on a nice mare, because once she gets going, that is what she is, a really nice mare.

Karma in nice mare mode

i think some times we are too vested in our alpha human roles to allow for differences in horse temperaments.

[Josette]

piedmontfields - thank you for the clinic notes. Your warm up description exactly described me as I require a good 10 minutes to loosen up and get myself adjusted/centered. Yes - trot always seem to improve after canter.

Chisamba - this will sound like a crazy question but here goes. How old is the rescue mare Karma? Do you know her sire or if she came from PNW? She could pass for the filly foaled by my PT who was bred and then gelded at age 4. His grand sire was Scenic Jetalito where he got his dun sabino coloring and black eye liner. Some where my memory is thinking her name may have been Karma too....

[kande50]

i think some times we are too vested in our alpha human roles to allow for differences in horse temperaments.

I think it's because that's what some want out of horses. They want to go around and tell everyone how bad the horse was when they got it, and how they (the fantastic horse trainer) straightened him up. Or, they want to go around and tell everyone how the horse was abused (by men) before they got it, but now it's much better (but doesn't like men).

And the most interesting part about these tired old stories is that I never hear them from those who actually know something about horses.

[Chisamba]

piedmontfields - thank you for the clinic notes. Your warm up description exactly described me as I require a good 10 minutes to loosen up and get myself adjusted/centered. Yes - trot always seem to improve after canter.

Chisamba - this will sound like a crazy question but here goes. How old is the rescue mare Karma? Do you know her sire or if she came from PNW? She could pass for the filly foaled by my PT who was bred and then gelded at age 4. His grand sire was Scenic Jetalito where he got his dun sabino coloring and black eye liner. Some where my memory is thinking her name may have been Karma too....

Karma is a young teenager, she seems to have come from the South, as when we aquired her it was winter and she had no coat and was shivering severely. She was run through an auction in PA, and went through at meat price to a broker/ kill buyer. I was picking up a pony for quarantine and had a quarantine stall and space on the trailer so I came home with one extra.

She is so pretty i thought she woulds be easy to place, but she was placed and came back .

[Chisamba]

Piedmont fields, sorry for spinning your post

[piedmontfields]

No problem. I wondered if the magical pink mare had found her person! I hope she does.

I have actually ridden many mares who prefer this quiet dial-up warm-up. My mare is *so* agreeable in general (swings her tail from the get go, if she pins ears, it is a comment on a moment from me, not a condemnation!) that I think I got confused about what she needed. Sorting out PSSM symptoms from behavior and preferences also muddied me, I think.

[Ponichiwa]

Really interesting discussion-- thanks, everyone! Lots to think about.

My mare Kiwi starts at a 4 as well, but because of tension/brittleness, not stride length. Given her way she'd extended trot everywhere. It's difficult to modulate because it feels as though she interprets "take it easy, pony" as "STOP EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW" and "no, I actually meant that we keep going" as "WE'RE EXTENDED TROTTING EVERYWHERE."

Finding balance, and temperance, in all of this is the difficulty.

However, there are some interesting things in here that I'll try to apply today. Stay posted if you're interested; Kiwi and I will try for moderation.

[demi]

Good notes, Piedmont. Thanks.