My Horse is Back

Reunited with my girl

I am so happy to have my horse Jaliska back in Massachusetts after a long 2.5 months!

Other than being a little thin from all the travel, she looks happy, healthy and beautiful.

I am so excited to ride her again, I can’t stand it.  

Jay will be staying at Adrienne’s stable for the time being. So while I have Twilight to ride at my home farm, it seems I will be barn-hopping a bit until I can bring Jaliska home.

My plan today is to go on a trail ride with "Twi" at the farm and then to spend the rest of the day with Jaliska at Adrienne’s barn.

I can’t think of anything better to do on this beautiful spring Saturday in New England.

Just Teddy

It is a breathtakingly, gorgeous day in New England, and I am off to ride.

Quite frankly, I can’t think of anything better to do on such a glorious day then to ride (or for that matter on a rainy day, chilly day, snowy day...OK, you get the point).

Teddy sizes me up 

I love riding Adrienne’s horse “Just Teddy” or as I call him (just) Teddy.  

My plan with Teddy today is to practice hitting the right spot in front of a ground pole, in canter, on a circle, and to stay relaxed in a collected seat after the “jump.”

What I have learned from riding Teddy  is that if I touch or pull on his mouth AT ALL, he gives me a good yank and takes off in canter, telling me in no uncertain terms to KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY MOUTH.

After numerous laps around the outdoor, I have taken note and am doing my absolute best to abide by this rule.

Another thing that I have learned with (just) Teddy is to sit up after each jump for if I go into my half seat afterwards, he speeds up and it is very challenging to get him back in control due to the KEEP YOUR REINS FROM PULLING ON MY MOUTH issue.

So my goal today is to keep a consistent, relaxed pace, hit the right spot, and to keep this pace after the jump by immediately sitting up. By doing all of this, I will stay LIGHT on the rein and keep Teddy happy (and thus me happy too).

My goal is to do these things and hit my mark, at least five times in a row in each direction.

I practice cantering to the pole a few times.

Hmmm, what I find is that if I am not at the right pace going INTO the turn and have to adjust it at all AFTER the turn to to make the right line to the jump, then I miss my takeoff spot, EVERYTIME.

Alternatively, if I have a COLLECTED, EVEN PACE going into the turn, and keep it to the straight line to the pole, then I nail my takeoff spot, EVERYTIME.

Wow, this is eye-opening (but not shocking as I have been told this by at least two of my trainers on more than one occasion, but having it finally sync in is, well, priceless).

Another thing I notice, after playing around a bit with my course size, is that if I make my circle tighter, then Teddy stays at a more relaxed pace, and again, I hit my mark consistently.

Once I learn these tricks, I stick to them, and nail my goals for the day.

Happiness is finally getting something right.

Twilight

Twilight's grandfather was
Secretariat

Meet Twilight.


She is nineteen.

I am now leasing her.

She is from royalty, her grandfather was Secretariat.

Twilight is filling a hole in my heart and I in hers.

Let me explain.

Her rider has been away at college for the winter and with the exception of an occasional “vacation break ride,” she is not being ridden. With my horse Jaliska gone now for nearly three months, I am desperate to have a horse to ride on a regular basis. And while it’s nice having my friend’s horses to ride on occasion, in order for me to continue progressing in my Quest, I really need a horse to practice on.

So, in speaking with my trainer about “affordable” horse lease possibilities at the barn, I asked “how about the young horse Stella?” My trainer suggested her mother, Twilight.

Perfect, I thought.

So a few days later I headed to the barn to give Twilight “a try.” When I went to tack her up, she was so excited that she nearly “ran” out of her stall. So I said “hello Twilight,” to which her eyes widened, ears pricked forward and she proceeded to give me a little nudge as if to say “hello” back.

I groomed her good, put on her saddle and bridle and led her to the indoor.

When I started our ride, I likened her immediately to the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz.” You know, the part in the movie when Dorothy and the Lion found him alone, rusting in the woods?  

Like him, she was in need of a good oiling.

I can do that, I thought. I recalled how I eased Jaliska back into riding shape after she had lime. Ten minutes of walking, then fifteen, a bit of trotting, cantering and so on, until she was once again up to speed.

Although Twilight was a bit stiff, I liked her immediately and saw her potential. So I had my trainer put me in touch with her owners. After a quick phone conversation and meet up at the farm, they were just as excited as I was to have me ride her regularly.

"Twi" is Nic's ride for our summer hacks

We agreed on a lease arrangement that was a win-win, I would work with Twilight to get her back in good form and in addition to my riding her they would let my kids ride her too, under my supervision. My son is such a beginner that he just needs a horse to sit on for the most part to learn the basics as well as to have a horse to practice on to refine his grooming skills. My daughter will now have a horse to ride on the trails with me me and Jaliska, when she comes back this summer.

Fast forward a few weeks to today.

To my surprise and delight, Twilight has turned out to be a really good horse for me. She seems to have had quite bit of formal training. She is honest to a fault and responds to my aids, letting me know in no uncertain terms if I am being too strong on the bit, or when not using enough leg or a firm seat, etc.

It would seem that Twilight is my perfect muse.

So my Quest continues with an unlikely, but willing and able partner.

Sometimes life has a way of working itself out, for while my young mare is being trained in Aiken, two “older mares” are taking comfort and delight in having found each other back at the farm.

The Acorn Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

My son Bobby, 13, learns the
fine art of grooming on Twilight

Nothing makes me happier then horse time with my son, except that is of course horse time with my daughter. 

Bobby confirmed this evening that he will be my groom for the Prix. The thought of it makes me inexlicably happy for some reason.

He should be plenty strong and capable by then, no doubt with years of practice and training under his belt.

I hope to make a rider out of him too.

"Grooms have to know how to ride," I explain, "to warm up and cool down the horses for their riders," he nodded in agreement as if to say “no problem Mom, piece of cake.”

Ignorance seems to run in the family.

But you know what they say - ignorance is bliss.

Watch, Listen and Learn

Those who can’t compete, well - don’t.  

With my horse laid up for now, the jury is still out on exactly what is wrong with her, my mission is to train, train and then train some more this spring and summer.

I recall my Army drill sergeant telling me, "Victoria, take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth.” In other words, shut up and listen.

I know there must be a correlation like this to riding.  Mine, it would seem is to “take Victoria out of the competition arena and into the practice ring.” At least for the next several months anyway. 

This is not a bad thing, given the results of my first and last competitions, which really, in all honesty, can't be referred to as competitions at all, at least on my part that is anyway.

Cormac at Fieldstone
 April 2012

So to that end, I plan to "watch, listen and learn"  from the best this show season.

Here are some of the best at my barn, starting with my trainer and two good friends Zoe and Mindy.

Cormac on KEC Primetime

Zoe on KEC Zara

Mindy on Lalypso

Riding Goals

In addition to focusing on daily riding goals, it is important to write down your longer term goals. Here are some of mine for 2012. 

I would like to achieve the following goals by August:

• To ride with smaller posts, hands quiet, and heels down

• Canter a figure eight over a pole with smooth transitions while changing direction
• Land on the correct lead after every fence (9 times out of 10)
• Gauge the right take off spot to a fence, five times in a row, then ten

I would like to achieve the following goals by October:

• Master lead changes
• Gauge correct take off spot from a distance of six strides to a fence
• Complete a course with the right pace, track and balance
• Make it to the jump off in at least one competition
• Ride confidently