Pacing and Dressage

Dopie got Saturday off after his cross country school on Friday and then went out and had to pace his ass off at the barn's home hunter pace. We went out three times--as the first ride with K and Royal where we jumped pretty much everything, half an hour later as an escort for Easy and Wym, and then again an hour later with my favorite barn child and another kiddo. 

Opie was LIT for the first time out and spooked violently several times at such terrifying things as freshly trimmed bushes and a knocked over milkweed. The Dumbs, he had them. But he jumped everything with ease as long as I put him in the right canter which was definitely a bit of a struggle for me that morning. 

Fortunately he was more settled for his second trip where he was tasked as being the good leader for his two rowdy Thoroughbred friends. He was slightly grumpy about being asked to just stand and chill while the other two got to jump around, but tbh I went into the pace feeling pretty burnt out and over jumping. Too much of a good thing!

he actually did a good job brushing through my brush jump
instead of launching over the standards like the other horses

He did end up doing his job when we were getting close to the end and his BFF Easy out of nowhere kicked the shit out of him and then started hopping and rearing because even though he's only a year younger than Opie, his mentality barely hits three. Opie jumped to the side and right when I looked back to see wtf was going on, Easy's rider hit the dirt. Easy started porpoising which set Wym off. I yelled at his rider to dismount, and right as she swung her leg over he also reared and helped her on her way. Those two fucktards took off towards the barn while I slid off Opie who hadn't done more than bounce on his front legs a couple times. 

Both girls were totally fine, Wym was caught back at the barn, and Easy bolted directly for Opie when we got to the field he'd run into. Opie was totally unfazed by this and let me reach out and grab Easy's reins when he came bounding over, and then walked back to the barn cool as a cucumber. So we might not have kept everyone from being the idiots we'd predicted they were going to be, but at least he didn't add to the dumdum OTTB drama. 

I threw on my dressage saddle and clipped reins to Opie's halter for our third ride where we thankfully had no theatrics, and my kiddos got their blue ribbon. 

if only he could be clean always instead of snuggling into his
own poop all the time

He obviously got Monday off as well, but we did a couple of easy yet productive dressage rides yesterday and today.

This morning we started off with a trail ride while yesterday we started off with a good long stretch. Actually both rides had lots of good long stretches in them. Neither ride was very exciting as I really just wanted him to touch on all the things: SI, HI, leg yield, half pass, simple changes, medium gaits, turn on the haunches, halt, and reinback.

I was super pleased with how soft he stayed in the sitting trot. Probably could have been more forward, but also probably would have given it to me if I'd asked. Nothing was particularly fancy or flawless, but he did the things in the places I asked which was about where my motivation level was. 

I think we'll end the week tomorrow by running through a dressage test or two. I really need something structured to stay motivated and focused. But I'm also so close to those 100 trail hours so we will gladly be chipping away at those, too, including another hunter pace on Sunday.

Black Points XC Schooling

It definitely feels like we're doing more jumping--specifically cross country jumping--than dressage work this year, but I think it's just because that's what I have the most media of. Hopefully I'll get the Pivo sorted out eventually and I'll be able to document the exhilarating nitty gritty of shoring up Second and working our way through Third.

Which feels pretty fucking awesome to write out.

get your life together, pivo.

But this is another xc post! And it actually has next to no relevant media.

sorta sleepy, sorta ready

We joined Friday's group at Black Points. We went here for the first time last year when Dopie was still very much green to the whole jumping thing. He relied heavily on Momo's presence and needed me to help him out way more than I started off doing.

I brought a totally different horse this time around. He was the experienced traveler, experienced jumper, and all around Good Boy.

We popped over two logs on an easy rollback to show the kiddos what they were doing, and then BM took the four of them down the hill to work on more little logs while the other experienced rider and I stayed up top to jump whatever the fuck we wanted.

Opie and Royal both threw a minor shit fit over this development because OH GOD WE'RE BEING LEFT BEHIND. While Royal was flinging herself around with much drama, I was trying to trot Opie to a log stack while his head was cranked around in the other direction staring at the horses disappearing down the hill. Needless to say, he stopped. Needless to say, he then got spanked and told to pay the fuck attention to me. It was clear sailing from there!

K and I took them over every single jump Novice and below. (Ooh, except for the oxers. Will definitely do those next time and maybe hit some of the Training jumps that are set by themselves and not on crazy lines.) The only time Opie ran out was coming up to a gate thing where I had him in a quiet canter that felt like it was going to meet the jump perfectly so I softened way up. He was like, "Whaaa--where did you go?!" and scooted to the side. I held the contact coming back around and he went right over.

The other riders came back up to work on some things, and we jumped the big coop towards them. Opie saw his BFF Easy and whinnied as he was going over, but he was smart enough to jump the jump and not kill us, and he let me take him off and do things on the other side of the field afterwards. Herd bound, but capable of being a grown up.

K and I went down to the water by ourselves first and played with the banks up and down. No problems going up, and going down the smaller one Opie picked up the trot on his own and stepped right down. I wanted to get him to do the next size up going down, but he hesitated at first. He finally slid/fell down with his front legs and was like, "Welp, we're committed now!" and launched off with his back legs. I went full frog above him, but we landed together at least.

I also made him do the super deep but narrow ditch with water trickling through it. That also took some negotiating, but he went over both ways with a giant leap.

We did a couple more jumps in the top field before going back down to the water with the rest of the group. Opie hung out snoozing while one of the horses had a CTJ about being a grown up and walking into the water by himself instead of throwing a giant tantrum before he got called on to pony Easy in.

We led him through a few times before finishing there with my reins on the buckle as he picked up the trot on his own and hopped down the bank into the water to join the group to walk back to the trailers.

On the walk back I made him go over the shallower ditch a few times because being a ditchy horse is not going to be a thing. He wanted to say no the first approach, but I got him over and then the next two times he went right over.

Overall though he was SUCH a confident, relaxed, schooled horse. I never felt like either of us was overfaced, and he was just totally game for anything I asked of him. Hopefully one day he'll feel that way about the extended trot and flying changes!

Battle of the Counter Canter

I had two things I wanted to work on specifically for this morning's ride: the counter canter and the medium trot.

I was out the door just after five so I could do the barn and still have plenty of time to ride without feeling rushed before I had to haul a load of ponies out for xc schooling. My plan worked out perfectly and I had Opie hosed down, dressed, and out the door by the time the first people started pulling in.

I had tried him in BM's double jointed baucher the day before thinking I might be able to get him even lighter in the snaffle with slightly more bit, but he fucking hated it and just spent the whole ride leaning on my hands. He was noticeably back to being much softer in his fat, hollow single joint loose ring.

He warmed up well w/t, lost a little bit of the forward when we started the sitting trot, but quickly regained it and stayed pretty supple. I was riding with Mr Tappy because I wanted more bend in the shoulder-in yesterday and was working way too hard to get it. He was better, but not great tracking right. He got his massage on Friday (he was super sore in his poll, and slightly sore in front of his withers and his hammies--all dressage horse muscles), but he might need another chiro visit soon, too.

new feets on monday

We took a break before beginning the canter to work on the TOH. Again, that RH was sticky and I had to use Mr Tappy to get it moving, but they weren't bad.

Then the canter/counter canter. He picked up his gross four beat canter that he sometimes falls into and refuses to leave which did not bode well.

Thus began Battle Counter Canter. I picked my spot on my hill and made my stand. I was going to fucking die up there if I had to to get a counter canter serpentine that wasn't rabid/falling over/breaking to trot/involving flying changes. It was a fucking PROCESS. We went back and forth, back and forth between fixing the gross canter and holding the counter canter without it just being a canter on the wrong lead while I threw him around a serpentine-ish shape--while really it mostly was just that.

both our faces. the entire time.

I was finally able to end with some semblance of what I was aiming for, but that's going to be a big ole item on the to do list. By the time next show season rolls around (assuming that will be next year), I'm planning on showing 2-3 and 3-1 so those serpentines are sadly a necessary evil. But also one we are completely already capable of.

After a break to walk on the buckle to collect both our brains, we finished with the medium trot. He was still a little wound so the first was was a jack hammer with his head in the air, but I got him to settle and he gave me two in a row that I would be more than happy to show off in front of a judge. I'm relieved they stuck around for the snaffle and aren't just a double bridle trick.

it wasn't even hot for once, but he was literally dripping
sweat by the time we were done. the counter canter work
was A LOT. 

Now we're getting somewhere

I physically and mentally switched back over from Jump All The Things to dressage. Fortunately Dopie switched over with me this time around.

not to say there won't be more of this soon. like another xc schooling next week!

Last week's heat index was next level so he had one day of stretchy trot at 7:30 in the morning followed by ponying Easy around on the trails, and then we took them to the park for a swim which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was game on after that though, and I tacked him up in the double Saturday afternoon.

The heat broke with massive amounts of desperately needed rain. It was VERY UPSETTING to Opie though. I rescued him from his pasture where he was flinging himself around in a giant tantrum. He went trotting across the parking lot in the most impressive extended trot ever so really, game on, dude lol. But then he kept spooking at the rain outside the open arena doors. Fancy but not the smartest? Sounds like a real dressage horse to me!

lest we forget how opie feels about getting wet.

We didn't do a lot Saturday because the back half of the ring had flooded and A was teaching a lesson with three riders with a bunch of trail obstacle stuff set out all around. We spent a good amount of time at the walk getting him to relax and stop having a meltdown about rain. A had a line of baby cones set out down one long side so we leg yielded and then half passed in and out of those over and over.

We kept that going in the trot, had a brief canter, and then finished with a banging medium trot. I was like, "Okurrrr, I see you, Dopes. Gonna bring Hubby out to the video this tomorrow!"

Then I brought Hubby out and didn't once touch on the medium trot.

We did, however, hit those flying changes nice and hard. He started off with the requisite sass--flinging himself around to get out of doing them clean, slipping in the flooded parts he wasn't even supposed to be near, the usual--but it only took three minutes to get clean(ish--that easy peasy, always there for me L-R became the harder direction and he had a bit of a hop when changing) changes both ways.

That got me excited. They may not be perfect, but every time we get that much closer.

lots of good boy pats

Monday was another day in the double, but we didn't do much in the canter. I focused a lot on the half passes and that glorious medium trot. I don't know what I'll get in his snaffle, but I can finally, FINALLYYYYYYYY say with confidence that we can put a big old check on the medium trot in the double. Big, bouncy, no loss of rhythm or connection, HERE. FOR. IT.

The half passes are getting good at the trot. At the canter they're still....like you maybe need to look sideways with one eye closed at them to see them. I think he's ready for a chiro adjustment though. I'd also really like to get him a massage, but I haven't heard back from our lady yet.

Today he was back in the snaffle, but we never even cantered. We spent the majority of our time at the halt. It was hard, yo.

Actually we started off with several turns on the haunches, but I think those are still pretty good. Can always get better, but good enough to keep touching on here and there. The halt falls apart in a hurry though.

The three main things were: halting square, not bracing and lifting his head going into the halt, and then not lifting his head leaving it. I was also occasionally throwing in some rein backs with them and he had to keep his head down for those as well.

He got going well at the walk, and then wanted to be a lazy shit in the trot so we had a brief CTJ about going forward and being soft and putting forth literally the bare minimum effort. After that though, he gave me a few really good ones that I was looking for. He's getting super prompt about trotting out of the rein back without bracing or dragging his feet.

We finished off with a short trail ride, clocking in every minute we can because we're this close to finishing out our 100 hours. Going to the park tomorrow to add some more!

Exmoor Cross Country Schooling

Last weekend Dopie was a little wild for his jumpies, but this weekend his head was back in its #childgenius mindset. It was also in his hunter pace mindset where he saw a group of horses far, far ahead of him and felt those were much better soul mates than the four horses from his barn he had come with. He tried a few trot steps to catch them, immediately got shut down, and instead settled for power walking while staring into the distance and silently pining after them.

opie leads the way to soul mates.
the other horse that came was also grey!

He was a little looky warming up (looky-ing around for where his soul mates had gone because barn mates barely count), but no zoomies or crazies. A brief w/t and then we picked up the canter over the X, did it once more from the canter, and began the real cross country jumping.

dopie says, boooring

are you even jumping if your tail doesn't point to the sky?

above log back to this log

bn feeder

novice feeder

I had Momo lead us over the BN table the first time--for me probably more than Opie. The first time, on the very last stride, he started to duck his shoulder but I literally just laid my whip against his shoulder and he launched instead. Like a good boy, but yeah I was not ready.

i am so sorry you have to put up with me

Fortunately, we came around again by ourselves this time, and since he'd gone the first time I trusted he was going to go again and actually rode like a normal person.

Everyone got what they wanted out of the first field, so we moved up the hill to the rest of the jumps. That was also where the outdoor was located, and where everyone else had ended up. It was so crowded and complete chaos.

We went to go play in the water first since I knew that would be Opie's happy place. Even though the water was dyed he marched right in, started a splash party, and then judged everyone else when they wandered out.

"bye, guys. more water for me."

definitely tripped up the bank the first time

just needed a little momentum to remember he had feet

landing in a heap.
pretty sure his only goal was to make as big of a splash as possible

cannon ball!

Another large group converged on the area and things got even more crowded. Opie and I were not here for it. We both do not do well with crowded warm up/riding areas where people aren't looking around or paying attention and are prone to getting WAY TOO CLOSE to our grumpy personal bubbles.

I jumped him over one of the big logs, but things started to unravel from there. He refused a tiny log, refused the BN bench, refused a coop. That immediately got me all wound up, but after taking a little mental break, we went off by ourselves, trotted a couple things way off in the distance, and then came back and got a little rhythm going.

ditches are so boooring

Since he refused the bench the first time, it was now A Thing in my head so I had Mo lead us over that as well. I don't think these leads did much for Opie besides getting me off his face, but I'm sure he was appreciative of that.

rude.

good boy

We hung out and rooted for Mo as he attempted a brush fence that he finally cleared, and then wandered over to the rest of our group where they were blasting up a super steep hill to a jump. After watching for a few minutes, we also went down the hill but instead of doing the tires at the top we went to the big log.

two bros

first time over he was a little surprised to see the log in front of him after rocketing
up the hill, but he went

second time he was all over it

We finished up with that since we'd jumped pretty much everything in his height and he was back in a good mood instead of an EVERYONE STAY AWAY FROM ME mood.

Overall there were a few things I would have liked to tweak on my end. Again. Riding better is a never ending goal, let's be real. I wish Opie hadn't stopped at the three things he did, but he definitely had a valid excuse with the crowds. I know that's A Thing for him which then becomes A Thing for me, but we were both able to rally and got some productive things done to finish despite it.

had himself a good rollies after getting sponged

Another good, fun outing for my dressage horse taking the show season off from doing dressage things!

Sloppy

Opie got Monday off after the jumper derby, but when Tuesday rolled around I pulled out his double for the first time in a couple (or more?) weeks. He's actually been flatting quite respectably while warming up for all the jumping we've done, but I was more than ready to get back to some focused dressage work.

yes, hello, this is my schooling-third dressage horse.
obviously.

We didn't necessarily lose anything in our time away from dressage-only rides, but everything felt a bit sloppy.

On Tuesday we worked mostly on longitudinal balance. The medium trot, of course, never doesn't need work, but it keeps coming out feeling like we're adding one extra step of bounce every time. Surely one of these days all those steps will come together long enough for an entire long diagonal.

The medium/extended canter continues to be a strong point. Super adjustable both ways. However, back to the sloppiness, he had a bit of a head wag in it. Likewise, in the trot, I had to really send him forward from posting trot into the bridle because he was a bit backed off the contact. But no big deal since he hadn't been in two bits for awhile.

We finished with the flying changes.

When we first started these (like two whole months ago, but who even knows what year it is anymore), his go-to was to bolt afterwards. Like, gone with the fucking wind I can still bolt on a ten meter circle while cross cantering bolt. Now they've evolved into much cleaner and prompter changes. He definitely understands what I'm asking for now. Except instead of bolting he sucks way back, starts swinging his front and hind ends in different directions, and then jumps up and changes. Like, I nearly got launched into the rafters yesterday jumping.

So. Still some work to do there lol.

Yesterday we worked more on the lateral stuff--mostly lots and lots of half passing which he's really gotten comfortable with. Finished with the flying changes again. They're really right there, he just needs to embrace his inner zen and release his inner anticipation rage monster.

I was going to do a bit more real work today albeit in the snaffle, but right off the bat he wanted to stretch to the ground so it turned into a stretch-only ride which is never a bad thing! He was Here For It in all three gaits and then got a good scrubber bath because he smelled like rotten pee. Yay geldings.