Christmas Day

It's Christmas day.

After opening gifts at the crack of dawn, a hearty Christmas breakfast, and a few hours spent cleaning up while the kids play with their new gadgets, I head to the barn around 1:00.

Today, I decide, I am going to let Jaliska just run around the indoor.

I get to her stall and of course she is delighted to see me. After telling her she is “the most beautiful horse in the world,” I hand her a Christmas apple. She is thrilled with my humble offering.

After a good morning pat, I strip off her heavy winter blanket and neck attachment, leaving her light wool under-blanket intact. I pick her hooves, brush her mane and tail.

We head to the indoor. After closing the sliding doors, I take off her lead rope and let her go. She races around the interior like Secretariat. Head held high, nostrils flared, tail arched. She looks like a champion.

I let her canter, prance and trot around for a good bit and once she has settled down, I leave her to hang out in the big open space while I head into the tack room to clean her tack.

Jaliska spots me
through the window.

I hook Jaliska’s bridle onto the metal holder attached to the ceiling so I can get a grip while lathering it up with saddle soap. The tack room, which is also the lesson viewing room, has two large windows into the indoor.  Jaliska sees me through one of them and proceeds to walk up to it, peering in to see what I am up to. 

She watches me work.



 






She continues to watch me, seemingly entranced, while I clean and condition her bridle, draw reins, girth and saddle.

I move to the opposite end of the room to organize her tack trunk. She moves to the window closer to me to get a better view.

She really is a funny horse.

After about forty-five minutes, I blanket her back up and give her two slices of hay. “See you tomorrow girl,” I say.

I start up my minivan and as I am driving past her stall I stop and roll down my window to say one last goodbye. Hearing me she turns around, leaving her hay, and pokes her head out to do the same.

I can’t resist. I hop out and hand her another apple. It is, after all, Christmas day.

Christmas Eve



Nicole, Mom, Max and Noodles snuggle up on
Christmas Eve.

 It is Christmas Eve.
After reading yesterday’s blog entry to my daughter she insists that we build a fire and read stories in front of it like we used to.

So after dinner and the customary opening of one gift on Christmas Eve, I proceed to read them a story in front of a blazing fire.  

The kids select a book about Greek mythology, a very popular subject with children their age after the phenomenal success of the Percy Jackson series authored by Rick Riordan.

Bobby and Nicole must have read each of his books at least four times through. No small feat given there are five and each about three hundred pages or so.

Bobby reads a book in front of the fire
on Christmas Eve.

The dogs hop on our laps to join in on the fun and it turns out to be a magical Christmas Eve.

All I Want For Christmas

It is almost Christmas.

All I want for Christmas is for Jaliska to go to Florida to train and compete for the winter. It would be a dream come true. As a matter of fact my training with Jaliska in Florida was one of the items I put on my Star Chart, a listing of things I want to achieve within five years (i.e. goals one would consider when shooting for the stars).

I created my Star Chart when I was in Germany after reading the book “Steering by Starlight,” by Martha Beck. Katrina my riding buddy loaned it to me to read during my two week training holiday there last summer.

Martha wrote that one should “not to be surprised if the things on their list actually happen within six months.” I do the math in my head. Let’s see. I was in Germany in late August so this would be within six months, four to be precise.

So I have a conversation with Jaliska while tacking her up for our ride.  “J," I say, "it’s up to you.” “If you want to go to Florida to compete with the other Grand Prix horses then you should KICK ASS during your trial ride with DJ next week.” “If not, well then, you should still do decent so as to not embarrass yourself.”

I am a big believer in “if it’s meant to be, it will be” and “if not, then something better is in store.”  We just might not know what the "better" is, yet. So I will leave it up to the universe to decide.

I bring J to the outdoor. The footing is very sloppy due to the heavy rain last night but since I am only doing a light ride “per vet orders” it will be fine.

I like to ride her outside as much as possible, especially now with winter upon us and along with it the fast approaching frigid, single digit temperatures. Once the ground is frozen, we will have no choice but to ride inside.

It is a crisp 30 degrees. It is dusk. I smell smoke from a distant fire. I love that smell. I find it comforting that somewhere, someone is being warmed by a real fire, the exception not the rule today.

There is nothing better than a roaring fire in the fireplace during the winter. I recall reading books to my kids on a blanket in front of the fireplace when they were little, around 4 and 6. One of our absolute favorites was “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” by Kate DiCamillo.

It was about this fancy china doll rabbit that was adored his little girl owner. But Edward did not appreciate her or the privileged life that he led. As a matter of fact he thought he was above it all and for some reason deserved better.  It was only after a series of significant and tragic misfortunes that he ultimately learned about true love. The moral of the story was to be grateful for what you have, it could always be worse.

In any event, I wasn’t thinking about Edward Tulane while in the outdoor ring this evening. I was just feeling the utter and complete happiness that comes from riding my horse in the chilly night air with a hint of smoke wafting through it from a distant fire.

Vet Check



What is that contraption and what is
she going to do with it?!

Well the mystery behind Jaliska switching her hind legs in canter is solved. The vet checked her today and apparently she has a sore back. 

Go figure.

The vet administers pulsating shock waves (a treatment commonly used on injured Grand Prix horses), gives her a chiropractic adjustment and shows me a stretching routine to do with her.

Within a week she is practically as good as new.

The vet administers pulsating shock waves
to treat J's sore back

The moral of the story is: 
If you think there is something wrong with your horse you are probably right.

Next time I will get Jaliska checked straight away.

The "carrot stretch" will help create more lateral flexibility

2011 Barn Holiday Party

Last night was the holiday party at the barn.  I took these videos of the kids setting up courses and jumping them. They were having great fun.

I recall “cantering” around the back pasture when I was about their age. Oh the joy of being young and so easily entertained.  

I really love this video of my daughter Nicole riding Tucker. She has so much fun riding with her girlfriends, Kayla and Lilah. They call themselves the PUFs which is short for pretty unbelievable friends.

I think that I might learn from the three of them and focus on just having fun riding and not so much on the end goal.  After all, the fun is in the getting there. It’s the journey, it’s the climb…

“Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb…”

                                                                                    Lyrics taken from "The Climb"
                                                                                    By Miley Cyrus

 

Some of the young riders at the barn 2011 holiday party.

Frustration

This is too hard.

If I am moving two steps forward and three steps back, am I actually moving forward?

I don’t think so.

I am so frustrated.

It's Just Like Driving a Car

Sam, with Nicole and Kayla,
rode J for me when I was sick.

It is my first lesson in over a week. I haven’t been able to ride as I have had the flu. This did not stop me from putting in a full week at the office (I love my job) but I was too weak to ride. It is not a good idea to be lightheaded and dizzy on a horse going over fences. Even I have my limits. So I asked Samantha (Sam) to fill in for me one day and then gave her the rest of the week off.

I could tell Jaliska missed me and that she was looking forward to our ride. She was so excited when she saw me that she kept turning circles in her stall. 

This was further confirmed when I went to put on her bridle and she just stood there, casually munching on what she knew was to be her last bite of hay, for at least an hour.  Normally when I approach her with the bit, she turns her head to the side as if to say “how rude of you to interrupt my morning snack.” It is rude, I agree. But the Prix awaits and missing a full week of riding has me further convinced that when I do reach my goal, I will in fact be the world’s oldest Grand Prix rider.

My lesson goes great for the most part. I have two major take-a-ways:

1. LEAVE MY HANDS ALONE i.e. stop fussing with them when preparing for a jump and, 
2. Stop sitting hard on her back after clearing the jump

I know I have been told this already but I seemed to have forgotten today. I blame it on my illness.

Actually, when you think about it, it really is amazing all that I need to remember when riding. Here is a list of what goes through my head at any given moment:

1. Did I start and stay on the right diagonal?
2. Is my back relaxed?
3. Is my seat soft?
4. Am I holding the reins properly i.e. hands at the right spot above the saddle and up towards her neck with my thumbs up and fingers closed in and around them?
5. Are the reins making a straight line to her mouth, taunt yet soft?
6. Are my elbows moving with her versus rigid?
7. Are my heels down and slightly pointed out?
8. Are my stirrups angled in towards my outer toe and is the upper ball of my foot resting on them properly?
9. Are my shoulders down, chest out and back straight, not arched?
10. When approaching the jump, do I look at it, locate the right spot for takeoff and adjust as necessary so that when she launches it is not too close or too far from it?
11. Did I frame her with my aids in preparing for the jump i.e. heels down, leg on, seat firm and body angled slightly forward while looking ahead, between her ears?
12. Oh yeah and did I breathe prior to the jump (to relax me) and then shortly thereafter (to relax her) and again at every corner?
13. Did I keep my hands forward and not sit hard on her back after she cleared the jump?
14. Did I ride her straight after the jump versus cutting the corner?
15. Is she on the right lead after the jump and if not, did I get her on the right lead?
16. Is there another jump I should be preparing for and if so am I looking at it with my framing aids in gear?
17. Did I remember to pat her for being such a great horse?

I am stopping now but know this list could go on FOREVER!

When my trainer points out yet another error, I defend myself by saying “there is a lot going on in my head,” to which he says, “Victoria, do you think about how you drive a car or do you just drive it?” I think of my list and then I remember Rule # 1:  Never talk back to your trainer. So I just nod in agreement, I just nod.

Just Keep At It

Today I did not feel so hot. I thought about cancelling my lesson but I decided to tough it out.

I was excited that Katrina was back in our group lesson again.  She had been busy riding the hunt every Saturday since it started back up in the fall. So it was the three musketeers back in action, Neal, Katrina and me.

We warmed up as per usual and then our trainer set up a diagonal configuration which consisted of a trot rail in front of the plank jump and then a second jump. He wanted us to canter four strides in between. Basically the same set up as my last lesson. You would think in that case, that I would nail it, not so.

It wasn’t until much later when he added a few more jumps and raised them a bit, that I did anything decent.  Today was one of those (frequent) days when I questioned my riding ability altogether (along with my senses in even considering a goal of anything more serious than a trail ride).

It wasn’t until later in the day that the advice of John Holmes (Pennsylvania as I refer to him) came back to me. “Keep at it,” he advised. “Don’t give up." "Three years ago I was riding like crap and wanted to quit, but I stuck with it.”



John wins a $25,000 purse
on Gideon.



It was a good thing he did. John won the 2011 Fieldstone Grand Prix along with many other big purse competitions this past spring and summer.

I guess I will listen to John, and just keep at it.

Jumping Lesson

I am psyched! This morning is my private lesson. I get to practice jumping. I made a point to check the weather forecast on Sunday to locate a good weather day so I could train in the outdoor because that is where the fences are.

The forecast noted that today, actually this morning, was the pick of the week. It is supposed to rain this afternoon and then the temperature will drop, starting tomorrow, and continue downward for the remainder of the week.

I generally avoid scheduling lessons on Tuesdays because GEF has its staff meetings at 10 and I don’t like to be late (and I don’t like to rush the time after my lesson either). However, I made an exception because with all of the rain we have been getting over the past SEVERAL MONTHS I have not had the opportunity to jump as much as I would like. To that end, I decided to plan ahead based upon the forecast (a novel concept which I plan to do weekly from now on) so that it would ensure me jumping, and there you have it. 

My trainer has me do some flat work to start to warm up me and Jaliska.

During her canter, he also notices her switching her hind legs. He says it’s because I am not supporting her head enough. I need to keep her head up at all times. So I try this, it seems to work. He also wants me to SLOW DOWN. I have a tendency to go TOO FAST. So I slow down to what I feel is a snail’s pace but it makes him happy, so we stay at this gait for a few laps.

Once Jaliska and I have sufficiently warmed up, he sets up a trot pole in front of the plank. J and I trot to it and jump the plank and then canter four strides to the green box. I am not in good form.

We work on my sitting up after the first jump and relaxing to the second jump. It seems that when I sit up, I move my body forward causing her to speed up and canter to the second jump in three strides instead of the four. I work on being relaxed. I also work on keeping my hands on her neck and heels down and out per my last lesson with Catherine.

Since we have added an extra jump, it no longer makes sense for me to keep my hands on her neck for two strides after the jump, like I did with just one jump (in my previous lesson). So much for consistency, what works for one, may not for two and so the story goes.

My trainer adds a diagonal jump set to the course. So on my left rein, I trot around the corner to the plank and jump it, canter four strides to the green box and jump it, then I round the corner and down transition to a trot, which I stay in until the cross rails and then I jump it and then canter three strides to the red box and jump it, canter to the corner and REPEAT.

It takes me several iterations to finally relax in between the jumps and then it all goes pretty well. If only I could do that from the get go….ugh! Practice, practice, practice.

Take away for the day: Take responsibility for your mistakes, never blame your horse.

For example, if you get distracted by, say someone walking up to the fence as you are headed for the jump, then say: “I got distracted by…” not “J got distracted by…”

I was once told that you can insult a trainer’s wife but not their horse. You get the point.

Group Lesson

Catherine is my instructor today.

Today I have a group lesson with Catherine as our instructor.

Catherine begins by honing in on my form. She explains that I have been using my knee for gripping. Instead, I should create some space between my knee and the saddle and grip more with my heel, with my toe pointed out slightly. When I do this, it causes my heel to go down (a good thing) and brings my leg to the correct position, directly under my seat versus more forward, where it resides when I grip with my knee.

She also explains that the outer part of my stirrup should be angled in against my outer foot, in order to secure it for optimal for jumping support. I adjust my foot in the stirrup as suggested.

We then move on to my hand position. I typically hold them directly above my lap. She explains that they need to be positioned much higher on my horse’s neck at all times. This “higher” hand position provides more control for me and more support for my horse. The reins should be taunt, creating a direct line between them and Jaliska’s mouth.

Catherine further notes that I sit upright which is more of the European style of “jumper” riding, but in the US riders are angled more forward. To correct this, she instructs me to move into my half seat or jumping position when posting, on the rise.

I practice all of these things to the best of my ability in trot and then canter.

We notice that Jaliska is still switching her hind legs in canter. Catherine explains that things like this are common after an extended illness (Jaliska contracted lime a month ago). She tells me to just “roll through it” and to “not to pay too much attention to it.” I try to do this.

We work on some jumps. Catherine sets up a cross rail and then a second and third, all in a row.  The jumping goes pretty good for the most part, except that Jaliska keeps cutting her corner after the third jump. I am instructed to stop her at the end a few times. When J and I are aligned straighter (versus cutting the corner), she lands on the correct lead (a good thing).

I have a lot to work on in adjusting my position. I think, though, that it will serve me well.