August in Review; September in the Crosshairs

All in all, I am so pleased by the results gained by setting some clear goals for the month of August. Regardless of what progress was made or not made, it was definitely motivating and clarifying for me to have something concrete to focus on, and that's such a great feeling! So, let's get to it and break down how things went:

1. Prioritize a consistently positive, patient, and kind attitude, always. This was no doubt my most enormous victory of the month... almost like saying I wanted it was all it took to make it so. While there has been some minor fluctuation, I have had great successes with this goal, even under pressure, and it made a HUGE difference in how my sessions with Finn went!
2. On the ground, "master" backing circles and a correct turn on the HQ. I'd easily say we have the HQ down, all that took was a little focus! The backing circles are still a bit tougher, likely because it is more of a physical challenge for Finn to reach evenly. But, we've been practicing a lot and I'm pleased with our efforts.
3. In the saddle, focus on feeling the feet through the HQ/FQ turn and improving the accuracy of the movement, and start teaching backing circles. Ironically, from the saddle I think we've made HUGE progress on backing circles and not so much on the HQ/FQ turn. I am confidently backing Finn half-circles already, and was quite surprised by how readily he picked that up. On the other hand, the HQ/FQ turn is still flummoxing me... We get some nice ones sometimes, but consistency is definitely not there. I think I need to re-watch Buck's Snaffle Bit DVD to get some new insights on that one.
4. Improve Finn's walk by increasing the energy of his default walk while encouraging him to offer more while I do less. You know from a previous post that this was proving a bit of a struggle, but also that there was a significant change on our last trail ride. I rode again yesterday and felt like he'd regressed a bit, but that could well be because he was tired and a bit sore from all the climbing the day before. I'd say we still have work to do here, but we have definitely made headway.
5. Experiment with clarity of transitions between and within the gaits. We have definitely made progress hear, especially with distinguishing a request for a bigger walk from a request for a trot. The clarity of our canter transition has improved as well, but it still takes a few tries before we really get together on it. So again, I'd say we still have work to do, but are definitely on our way.

Having thought all this through, it actually seems more discouraging to me now than it did... but I know that is in part because it is easier to focus on the negative. On the whole, we have definitely made headway. Finn was SUPERB on the trail on Friday. We had an EXCELLENT hill work hack in which he felt notably more relaxed. And we had an AWESOME ride in the ring the other day in which he felt super willing. Add that to the fact that we enjoyed the vast majority of our time together, and there's definitely plenty to be pleased about!

So, the question of the moment is: what's next? Well, you know about the thought I've been mulling over about a six-month commitment to focused study of the book Dressage, Naturally. What you don't know is I'll be out of town for a large chunk of September, thanks to a short family trip and then two weeks of braiding down in Sonoma. So there's that to keep in mind as I think about goals for the month.

I could put off starting my six-month commitment to the D,N book until October, but it doesn't really seem necessary. I may not have much time to ride in the next month, but I will have time to READ... and whatever time I do have can certainly be devoted to putting in some good practice with Finn.

Now, a question that lingers for me to some degree is what place do the exercises I learned from Buck have in my program if I am going to commit to the D,N program? I have been wondering about that, and have decided I definitely want to continue developing my feel for this stuff, especially at the walk. So I will continue to work on the HQ/FQ turn, the backing circles, the short and long serpentines, etc... all in an effort to continually improve my connection to Finn's feet.

Of course I will also want to keep developing Finn's skills over poles, and soon cavalletti as I intend to build myself a set before the end of the month. And, of course, I will continue incorporating my hill/road work into my weekly schedule, and my regular trail riding adventures. Haha! Can you see why I get overwhelmed sometimes? It just feels like there is SO MUCH to do.

So, with so much to do and so little time in the month of September, what will we focus on?

1. Enjoying whatever time I can squeeze in with Finn between my trips! I'll have two nights at home between each of my periods being away, and what's most important to me is that Finn and I enjoy each other in whatever time we end up getting to share.
2. Reading the exercise section of Dressage, Naturally to refresh my memory of the big picture and progression of the exercises.
3. Continue to practice the D,N exercises about energy and relaxation.
4. Riding Finn's feet through the basic exercises Buck showed us at the walk... serpentines, HQ/FQ, backing circles, half-circles... remembering to RIDE THE FEET!
5. Giving Finn a positive experience at the 4-H Trail Trial at the end of September.

I hadn't mentioned that last one yet, but there is indeed a 4-H Trail Trial at Washoe Lake on September 27th. I will have had about a week home to get back in sync with Finn before the trail trial, which I think is plenty of time. There is a schooling option, which I am tempted to take. Basically it would take the pressure off me to do all the obstacles, but still allow me to do whatever obstacles I think we will succeed at.

It will be an interesting challenge, that's for certain! Washoe has often been surprisingly challenging for Finn and I, although he was super relaxed there after spending the night at the end of July. Add onto that an unknown number of other horses and riders, and disco-themed obstacles set up by the 4-Hers, and I wouldn't be surprised if it gives Finn cause for concern.

Which is, of course, why I want to do it. I choose just about everything I do because of the experience it will offer Finn. While he has been all over the place trail riding so far this year, this will be his first "show" experience, with lots of other horses and riders milling about. Getting this under our belt now will just put us that much more ahead when it comes time to head to the H/J shows next year, or the events the year after that. For my event-horse-in-training, this trail trial will be an excellent educational opportunity!

Back to the immediate future, I have three more days to get rides in before I leave for TX on Thursday. One of those days will likely go to a ride with S, one to a ride in the arena and one to a road work/hill work hack. Subject to change, of course, as it may vary depending on what day S and I decide to go out.

Jones Whites Creek Loop

Finn and I went on another brilliant ride with S today. The Jones Whites Creek Loop is 9.2 miles... add in the .4 miles from the parking area to the loop, and it'd be fair to say we rode about 10 miles today! There was quite a bit of climbing (and descending) involved, some very narrow trails with significant drop-offs, creek crossings, and a few fallen trees... all in all quite a challenging ride, but our horses were stupendous and made it feel like no big deal.

This was one of the more "comfortable" narrow spots...

The loop we were on passed nearby the bridge we crossed last week, so both S and I took the opportunity to ride across it twice. Finn was hesitant and took his time evaluating the situation, but crossed willingly once he'd had a minute. He was similar at each creek crossing... while there was some hesitation on his part, I never had to go beyond about a phase 2 to encourage him to try. That's quite a change, even from last week, but especially if I compare to six months ago!

View from the trail, sans ears...

Another noticeable change: while I had to remind Finn a few times to be available to my requests for more energy, and he still wasn't keeping pace with T most of the time, his forward FELT different. He was more mentally committed to it. Trying to explain the difference to S, I said it felt like each footfall was a foregone conclusion, instead of like Finn was asking if we should slow down with each and every step. This held true both uphill and downhill, over rocks and on softer terrain. While it wasn't physically much faster, it was definitely different. Considering all the work we've been doing in this area lately, I felt really positive about that change!

All this riding is really building up Finn's butt!

There were many areas where the trail was very narrow, and to be honest, that kinda freaks me out! Luckily, I am usually pretty good at managing my nerves and not looking down. Even more fortunately, I am getting better at trusting Finn all the time. I work on focusing on where we're going and staying our of his way, and hopefully each time we survive will be one less time I get nervous about it. There was one point on the trail today where I almost decided to get off, but there wasn't much space to. Since there was a turn approaching, I decided to get off there if the trail didn't improve around the corner. Luckily, it improved markedly!

The huge plus of this, and the rockiness of the trail, too, is that it seems to really develop sure-footedness in the horses. For certain, Finn feels many times more sure-footed than he did in January! That's a feature that will really come in handy when it comes time to jump cross-country. Of course, his having seriously earned my trust will be really handy, too. I told S today, after some of these trails, running a Prelim cross-country course should feel like cake!

We stopped for a rest (and to reset my saddle) at the top of the climb.

This trail unseated last week's as the rockiest we've ridden so far. Happily, both horses felt even better over the rocks than they did last week. That, my friends, is the magic of conditioning. It was awesome to feel Finn (and watch T) negotiate the trail with confidence and feel, like nature intended. Neither of them seemed even the least bit foot-sore, even after ten miles with little break in the tough terrain. I've been keeping my horses barefoot for over ten years, but I'd never tested it like this. I'd say Finn's hooves passed with flying colors. I felt very fortunate to at last truly witness and experience something I've believed in all these years.

View of South Reno towards the end of the loop.

At one point during the ride today I summed it all up with the simple statement: "This is so much fun!" I never knew trail riding could be SO AWESOME! Now that we're past the stage where it takes continual effort to keep Finn with me and relaxed, I'm learning about a whole other stage of relationship development and just plain enjoyment.

Finally, today was definitely a day when I was struck by how lucky I am, how much I love my quirky little bay gelding who certainly didn't make this easy for me. He is truly developing into the horse I've always dreamed he would be, and boy am I glad I didn't give up on him in the dark moments. Now, I wouldn't trade him for any horse in the world.

My favorite pair of ears.

GoPro!

First off, I am disappointed to report that my Tekna arrived broken! Everything was in perfect condition except one of the clips that fastens the interchangeable gullet system. I did take the opportunity to set it on Finn's back and the fit wasn't great either. Potentially workable, but not great, primarily because the panels are too steeply angled at the back of the saddle, and it rocks on him. I am so bummed, but figure there's nothing for it but to move on.

Today I took a GoPro to the barn with me to see if I could get useful footage without a camera operator. I clipped it on the arena fence and captured about 15 minutes of video before it ran out of battery. (It was not fully charged when I started.) Here are a few highlights:



It's already late here, but I want to point out a few things about the video... First off, I put that part in the beginning in on purpose, because I thought it was kinda funny.

On a more serious note... The next two clips are showing what Finn offered as a "default" walk and then what I got when I tried to bump him up one "notch." So, if the first walk was a four, I tried to bring my intention to a 5 and have him match and sustain that. It was VERY helpful for me to see the difference I was feeling. Also helpful to be reminded that Finn offers his bigger walk in the form of a longer stride and more "swing," instead of a quicker tempo.

Next up, the HQ/FQ exercise. I only included the last of several that we did. While I see a lot that could be improved, both in my position and Finn's footwork, this is notably improved over the last time I took video. Finn's commitment to the turn on the HQ is much stronger. In this example, he actually does pivot on the outside hind. In others from today, he pivoted on the inside hind, but at least he is pivoting! That's something.

I feel I need to work at getting the HQ part of the move sharper, because I am getting too many steps before I feel ready to ask for the FQ. Maybe if the initiation of the HQ was more clear, this wouldn't be such an issue?

I included a bit of short serpentine that felt really nice to me. Finn really nailed that one from the get go today, at least so far as I know.

On the trot poles, the first go is what Finn was offering as a "default" trot, while in the second I have bumped him up a number on the energy scale. It is an interesting contrast to see... in the second clip he is definitely quicker, where if he was more relaxed with the energy I thing he would lengthen his stride more. Interestingly, after the camera ran out of battery, I ended our ride working on getting Finn to commit to maintaining a more active trot... I'd say maybe a 5 or 6 out of 10... and he actually started stretching through his top line much more than he had been at the 3 trot he was offering. While it took a bit to feel like he really committed to 100% the energy I was asking for, he was certainly not resistant... it MUST have felt better to him to push from behind and lift me on his back instead of plodding along letting everything be hollow!

Finally, I did canter the line of poles today. While you see a 3.5 stride line in the video, I did get off and shorten the distance to better match his natural pace. We got several neat 3 strides after that. I tried to put together a little course of canter poles, but that proved challenging because Finn told me we had no precedent for needing such sharp turns at the canter. He's right, really, so I just took note and we'll work on getting that better as we go.

That's pretty much all there is to it. Overall Finn felt really willing today; I was so pleased with him! And in the end I think the GoPro footage is useful, even if it is somewhat frustrating at times to watch myself be sooooo tiny! I'll keep experimenting to see what it can do.

Riding Out and About

I had a really nice ride on Finn this morning. We rode around on the driveways, incorporating some hill work into our practice refining conversations about energy. I was really pleased because Finn felt noticeably more confident about riding out and about today... I'm pretty sure I had mentioned that I still felt like he was holding tension about being outside the arena, in part because when we would get to the arena it would feel like he let out a big sigh of relief! Not so today. This felt especially good because a couple of the barn employees were digging a ditch near our routes, which once upon a time would have completely blown Finn's brain. Today, he barely looked.

One thing I've been doing differently since re-reading the energy exercises in Dressage, Naturally is letting Finn show me his "neutral" energy level before I decide what to aim for. So, when I start off, I feel what he's thinking, arbitrarily assign that a number out of 10 (it's usually a 3 or a 4) and then see if I can bump it just one or two levels and have him maintain. This causes the whole conversation to feel more like a conversation and less like tyranny. It also helps me to focus on a realistic goal for Finn to meet. Today we sort of blended this exercise with long point-to-points with varied success. The walk got a little less eager with each attempt, but once we progressed to trotting he seemed much more willing.

I really love doing these kind of rides for many reasons. For one thing, it gives me a chance to focus on my posture and focus while we're walking or trotting long, straight lines. For another, I know the hill work is super for Finn's strength and fitness. The other nice benefit of the hills is it encourages Finn to stretch and push from behind, valuable skills which we don't have the refinement to discuss on the flat yet. I'm hopeful that over time it will really build his understanding of following my focus, and his willingness and confidence to go forward.

Today I was thinking quite a bit about how I really expected Finn to have much more natural "go" than he does. After spending so many years playing games with Journey to get her motivated, I kinda wanted to try the other side of the coin and have a horse who wanted to go on their own. I thought Finn would be that horse, but once he calmed down a much less forward-going horse was revealed.

I also accept responsibility for my role in this... I am a pretty low-energy, introverted being myself, so I would certainly deem it likely that more of that than I might have wanted has rubbed off onto Finn. Plus, his tendency to hold tension caused me to spend much of our early riding helping him to relax, which was often accompanied by slowing down. The horse he is today definitely reflects that.

One thing I reminded myself of is that Journey really got more flowing and forward when we started talking about posture and balance and finesse... exactly the stuff I will be embarking on with Finn as we begin our dedicated study of Dressage, Naturally. No doubt as he learns to carry himself better, be more balanced and symmetrical, and be looser through his back, we will find that energy just flows much more than it does now.

In other news, my Tekna jumping saddle is due to arrive tomorrow. Although I've really been enjoying riding in the morning this week, I'll be staying home to meet the UPS man, since UPS won't leave packages outside our house. Hopefully it will come somewhat early, allowing me to head out to the barn in the afternoon/evening to give it a try!

On the Horizon

In my last post, I described the two approaches I've been playing with to free up Finn's walk. I knew when I wrote that the first was one I picked up from reading Karen Rohlf's book, Dressage, Naturally. What I'd forgotten was that the second is basically the very next exercise in Karen's book. Lacking some details, but very similar in essence. I proceeded to read through the next two exercises building the conversation about energy and thought to myself, "That's exactly what we need to be doing!"

Which reminded me of a question that frequently bugs me: why do I so often KNOW what I should or could do to improve things, and yet NOT do it? I'd been glancing at this book on my kitchen table for weeks thinking I probably ought to review for insights on my budding frustration... but I didn't. Until after I wrote my last post, which motivated me to take action. And THAT is why I'm falling in love with this blogging thing.

In my last two rides, I have played with these two exercises with a few tweaks based on the info in Karen's book and the results have been noticeably improved. Further evidence that I have known "all along" what would help, and chosen not to do it...

I rode Journey in a clinic with Karen Rohlf in September 2011 and to be perfectly honest my number 1 takeaway from the weekend was this: I NEED TO DO WHAT I KNOW. So many of the things we covered in the clinic were exercises I was aware of and simulations of things I've been blessed to have horses offer me already. I am not a complete novice when it comes to dressage, and I've owned Karen's book for years... so why was there SO MUCH un-applied knowledge in my head?

That clinic was three years ago, and I'm still stuck on this same thing. Which is actually not as bad as it sounds, since the intervening three years involved leaving Journey behind and starting a whole new journey with Finn. But what I'd really like to avoid, now that Finn's feeling pretty ready to play with this "dressage stuff," is continuing to get in my own way.

So I'm contemplating making a commitment of sorts... setting a goal, some people might call this... to really and truly STUDY and DO the exercises in Dressage, Naturally. This book is hands-down the clearest, most-thorough, best-written how-to book on dressage (or just horses in general) I've ever read. I've thought so since the very first time I read it. So it's time to stop letting this incredible resource just sit on a shelf and go to waste.

I'm still working out details in my head about how I'd want to arrange this commitment. I'll want it to be concrete and measurable, so I have a clear path to achieving success. I'll want to take regular video of our work so I can monitor progress, and have a neat before and after contrast. I don't mean for this to become the ONLY thing we do... we'll still go on our trail rides and work on our footwork exercises and develop our jumping and various other things, but this will be a priority... probably on the order of at least two rides per week in an arena focusing on progressing the exercises?

I don't want to commit to the whole book, because some of the exercises towards the end are quite advanced. While I certainly want to get there, I don't want to have to get there before I can claim a victory. So I'm thinking an initial commitment of working at this with focus for six months, seeing where that gets us, claiming victory, then setting another, better-informed commitment for the next six months.

My hesitation of the time frame is mostly that the next six months takes us right into Winter. With the facility I have access to, I am at the mercy of the weather... BUT the weather in Nevada is usually pretty merciful, so I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill there.

Anyway, that's what I'm thinking. If I go ahead with this (I predict I will) it will definitely offer an interesting structure to the evolution of this blog. It should also move Finn and I significantly forward in the direction I've always had in mind for us, so it is definitely a win-all-around. I will be so eager to see how much progress we can make if I can truly be an excellent leader, using my focus to the very best of my abilities.

I have about another week before the start of a new month, a neat, orderly time to embark on a new commitment. So stay tuned for an "announcement" any day now...

Making Simple Things Complicated...

I am pleased with my progress on 3 out of 5 of my goals for August. The two laggards are goals number 4 and 5: increasing the energy of Finn's default walk and increasing clarity of transitions between vs. within gaits. The latter, I'm not too bothered by, because I feel like we've made a reasonable amount of progress for the amount of time we've invested. The former, on the other hand, is definitely on the verge of frustrating me.

I think it's actually accurate to say I have worked on increasing the energy of Finn's walk every single ride this month. While I wouldn't say there's been NO progress, I'm certainly not impressed with the improvement. When I put this much time into something and barely notice a change, I start to wonder if I need a different approach. I also ask myself, what could be obstructing progress in this area?

I have been essentially taking two similar approaches to this with Finn. The first has been to focus specifically on the initiation of a more energetic walk. So, I very deliberately and softly ask for a big walk (usually from the halt, but sometimes from a lower-energy walk) and reward Finn by letting him rest if I feel he matched my request 100%. If he doesn't match my request, I bump with my leg or give him a little spank to encourage him to synchronize with me. I usually quit or move onto something else when he offers to match my light request.

The second approach has been to focus more on Finn's willingness to maintain the higher energy walk. I bring my intent and energy to that of a big walk and when Finn doesn't match it I hustle him up with a bump of my leg or a light spank. Sometimes he breaks into a trot. Sometimes, if he feels totally stuck, I'll ask him up to a canter or gallop. Whenever I feel like he's really offering to match and maintain for several strides in a row, I reward him with a big pet and letting him stop and rest.

I have many doubts in my mind about why this might not be working, some more likely than others. First, there is still a part of me that wonders if foot sensitivity might be part of the "problem." I tell myself this is very likely wasted concern... Finn trots and canters soundly on the dirt/gravel drive with no indication of being foot sore. His heel first landings are consistent, although not so much at his preferred pace of walk. So therein lingers a possibility... If I had a pair of boots, I'd absolutely see if it made a difference, which would resolve the question. But, I don't. And nor do I have the money to buy some.

Next I wonder about my saddle. Is it possible that the treeless saddle is making it difficult for him to really swing through his back, thus his reluctance to maintain a free, forward gait? Certain people would jump right on that, but the truth is Finn's overall way of going has continued to steadily improve over the last two years of being ridden in the treeless saddle. When the Tekna I just bought gets here this week, perhaps I'll have a chance to see if there's any validity whatsoever to this concern.

Of course I wonder about myself... what could I be doing to obstruct Finn's free, forward movement? I will always remember the day I had a Feledenkrais instructor who specializes in helping equestrians do some bodywork on me. I immediately got on Journey when she finished and when I asked Journey to walk, she offered the most free, forward walk I'd ever felt on her. A certain indication that something stuck in my body was keeping her stuck! So I definitely do not discount the very real possibility that I am consciously asking Finn for something while unconsciously blocking him from doing what I'm asking.

Then I also ask myself: what should the neutral really feel like when asking for a fast walk? Certainly it shouldn't feel like I'm a sack of potatoes being dragged along for the ride. But when does an appropriate, active neutral become "pedaling?" That is, of course, what I want to avoid... having to push each stride to keep Finn from slowing down. This subtle distinction is one I'm still unsure about.

I wonder, am I simply asking for too much walk? Maybe I am not clear enough in my mind about what I'm aiming for, so I'm always asking for more and more. Is it really reasonable for Finn to be expected to walk as fast as possible at all times? Most likely I need a better handle on the distinction between an active, regular walk and walking FAST.

Many of my friends who study with Buck talk often about getting the horse to walk out so they swing the mecate, but speed is not the only ingredient in this. The swinging of the reins not only indicates a forward walk, but also a truly FREE walk, in which the whole top line is loose and flowing. Especially when I practice our walking on the road, this is often lacking because of tension... Finn's thoughts being directed at the things around us instead of being focused only on walking where we're going. So just adding more FAST isn't necessarily the way to get where I want to go...

While I wonder about the physical quirks in myself or in Finn that might be obstructing our progress, there remains the fact that Finn does not walk fast on his own. In the pasture, he ambles. If he want to cover more ground, he usually trots or canters. So there is definitely reason to feel this is more a motivation/understanding issue than a physical one. While I thought Finn was an extrovert when I bought him, he definitely doesn't have as much forward drive as I expected. Which is not a bad thing, it just is a thing about him that effects what we do together.

So the question remains... how can I draw a free, forward, willing walk out of this horse? Not only that, but how can I get there with harmony and understanding, using psychology instead of just more physical pressure? I didn't really expect the process of writing about this to yield any answers, but it has, in fact, yielded precisely what I was hoping for... a rekindled desire to get back in the saddle and experiment more.

Thomas Creek/White's Creek

S and I rode out from the Thomas Creek trail head yesterday and logged another excellent ride! The trail was quite different from our usual haunts... through the woods alongside a creek, so much more like actual "trail" riding. Plus, the majority of the trail was in the shade, which was absolutely awesome. There were stumps, logs and rocks all along the side of the trail, which threw Finn for a loop at first, but he soon realized these were not, in fact, hiding places for horse monsters and settled into the new environment.

Early on.

This was definitely a fun trail for "challenges." We passed several hikers, some with off-leash dogs, and bikers. Both horses handled this superbly; S and I were really pleased. We have seen hikers and bikers on our rides before, but not with this frequency and often not in such tight quarters.

There were three creek crossings on our ride. The first two were in places where the water was moving through quickly, which definitely gave Finn pause. I was so pleased, though, because I actually found it quite easy to maintain my intent without getting impatient or frustrated! I just kept focusing on the idea that we were crossing the creek, remained passively persistent in the proper position, got firm with fairness to make my point, and soon enough Finn was willing to give it a try. His first tries at the first crossing were leaps, but he walked through calmly on the third attempt. At the second crossing, his first attempt was an excellent, thoughtful walk across! And at the third crossing, I barely had to encourage him. I was so, SO pleased, and I think I did a good job conveying my appreciation for his efforts. Funnily enough, he actually stopped in the middle of the third crossing to pee in the creek, which I found very amusing, but also count as an indicator that he was pretty relaxed about it by then!

On a related note, he also drank from the creeks for the first time on a ride. Finn is usually very suspicious of any new drinking source, so he has been slow to catch on to this concept. It took him a few minutes to get the idea at the second crossing, but by the third crossing he had the hang of it.

This ride offered a nice climb to a lovely meadow with a view of Mount Rose. That seemed like a good midway point for a snack break, which the horses LOVED:

A bit further on, there was a view of the actual Mount Rose Summit:

And a little further still, a view of Washoe Valley. We could even see Washoe Lake, the location of so many excellent (and sometimes challenging) rides:

After a very pleasant descent with long switchbacks into White's Canyon, we encountered the second creek crossing and then a new challenge: our first bridge! S and I both decided to get off and lead the horses across a few times before tackling it from the saddle. While Finn was suspicious, he was more apt to rush than balk at this question... in part because T and S had already crossed. But he walked across with no problem, and when we remounted, I decided to lead the way. He was hesitant, but not resistant, approaching the bridge. I gave him a moment to look and think, and he very quickly decided he had this and walked across with no problem. I was SO proud!

The bridge!

Along the way, I also asked Finn to walk across several small fallen logs and he never hesitated. Excellent progress and a good indicator that we're getting closer every day to our goals. I told S I'm starting to get really excited about taking Finn cross country one day, because I am starting to feel it inside him already. Maybe that seems weird, but one of the things I've learned as a horsewoman is that we do tasks or exercises with our horses to develop the qualities we want in them. Qualities like bravery and willingness and trust. Walking down the trail may seem a far cry from galloping a cross country course, but on these rides I'm starting to feel the qualities I'll need on the cross country course one day, and that makes it feel not so very far away.

On another note, I haven't talked much about barefoot hoof care on this blog yet, but it is something I'm quite fascinated by and passionate about. Finn has been barefoot all his life, and I intend to keep it that way. This trail was by far the rockiest S and I have ridden this year... even my trimmer told me we'd need boots for it. While I'm not opposed to booting when needed, I don't have space in my budget for boots at this time. The horses, however, showed no need whatsoever for any assistance, and they both put some beautiful wear on their hooves during the course of the ride.

I've been wanting to learn to trim Finn myself for some time, and my reflections on this ride this evening really affirmed that I ought to get on that. Through regular riding, Finn pretty much keeps his toe and heel worn to the correct length on his own. He's a bit over seven weeks out from his last trim right now (and my trimmer didn't think he really needed to be trimmed then) and I wouldn't say he needs anything taken off his toe or heel.

On the one hand, I'm drawn to the minimalist idea that if he's keeping his toe and heel length in check and he's sound, why bother messing with it? On the other, I'd like to have the ability to confidently tweak... giving him a little more quarter relief, or helping him clear out some excess bar. There's not enough to do to call out my trimmer, but there are some helpful things that could be done. The obvious solution is to learn to do it myself. So there's another mission for me...

Anyway, another excellent ride in the books. Finn could not have been more superb. As usual, the stunning scenery was a nice bonus. I chuckle to myself when I think how I used to say, "I'm not much of a trail rider." Now I can hardly think of a better way to spend my time.

Another Day, Another Ride

Logged another lovely ride (and another three hours) on Finn yesterday. Much to my dismay, I ended up out there during the heat of the day, but we made the best of it. I was feeling seriously low-energy, so parked by the pasture and tacked up out of my car, planning to work on encouraging Finn to sync with my focus while riding out and about, and ask for more responsive transitions.

We ended up riding from the pasture to the hill behind the arena on the hill (confusing, I know) three times. We practiced having a more energetic walk and then transitions to the trot. As usual there were a few things that caught Finn's eye, but he was willing to pass by them with hardly any fuss. His transitions are definitely not as available on the roads as they are in the arena, and when we get to the arena I can always feel Finn take a big sigh of relief... which I take to mean he's still a little "on alert" when we're riding out. That's fine, and is exactly why I'm trying to do it so much! I want him to feel like he can be calm and relaxed ANYWHERE!

A few highlights... you may recall that last time I rode around the farm, I was working on getting Finn more confident to go up the road past the arena on the hill. Well, I am pleased to say he was very confident to go up there yesterday! By the second time we went up there, he had no hesitation. I once again allowed him rest and finally dismounted up there and let him eat some grass, to further reinforce that it's a good, safe and pleasant place to be.

Also, on our last climb up to the arena, I had Finn trot up the hill for the second time and he really stretched his neck down and got to work. (Instead of keeping his neck UP so he can keep an eye on everything.) It felt absolutely lovely, as he felt like he was really pushing from behind and I could feel come flow through his back. The beginnings of having a horse who really uses himself well!! That'll keep me coming back for more.

I might have ridden longer, but all the irrigation ditches on our route were dry and poor Riley seemed like he was on the verge of over-heating. I paused once in the middle of our ride to give him a shower and a drink, then did so again on our walk back to the car. Here's Finn taking a break while I cool the dog off:

 

Tonight I'm going out in the evening. Hooray for finally getting smart and avoiding the sun! The fact that shade comes in early is one of the best features of this property during the summer, and I haven't been taking advantage of it since we had the long stretch of storms late every afternoon. But the weather has shifted and the evenings have been lovely, so time to use them again.

In other news, I can hardly believe it, but I bought a Tekna jumping saddle off eBay yesterday. I've heard great things about them, and after doing as much research as I could online, I decided to chance it because the price was very right. I'm crossing my fingers that it fits us beautifully and we love it.

I really debated the necessity of having a jumping saddle right now while I was trying to decide whether or not to bid yesterday. I feel like having the right saddle for the job will help me develop Finn in a way that will build his confidence and enthusiasm for jumping. While it's certainly not impossible to jump in my Ansur dressage saddle, it isn't a great base for a stable jumping position. Since I want Finn to learn to be brave and forward to the jumps, I want to be able to ride in a way  which supports that and be more able to stick with him when he fumbles.

Ultimately it comes down to this: I am not planning to just "play around with jumping" with Finn. Which is not to say I don't want it to be fun, just to say that this is a main part of our hoped for future, not a side thing. So from the beginning I want to do it as well as I can, and having a jumping saddle is important for that. Anyway... hopefully the saddle will get here soon! I'm impatient to give it a try.

Even More Excellence

I rode Finn at Clear Creek with S yesterday, and he was so wonderful there's pretty much nothing else to say about it. Once again, I felt I could just get on and go without a problem. On the trail, we played a bit with having a higher energy walk available when I asked for it (on the way up) and responding softly to a transition to back-up (on the way down). In both cases, though, I was playing to "play"... to develop better communication rather than working to maintain an emotionally stable horse, if you catch my drift. It was glorious and relaxing!

We had another excellent ride this morning. In an effort to keep things brief, I'll try to focus on the highlights...

First, Finn got a little spooked on our way up to the barn because one of the ranch employees was expanding a ditch beside the driveway. Even though the ditch-digger moved on shortly after Finn saw him, this put Finn ON ALERT! The reason this is a highlight is because I was really pleased with how I handled it. I've been really practicing my positive, patient, and kind attitude and it served me well today. I stayed calm and focused, and thanked Finn for every attempt he made to reconnect with me. His extra alertness lingered through grooming and the first half of our ride, but I just kept my intent on the relaxing time we were having together and he eventually joined me in that, yay!

Second, our turn on the HQ is continuing to improve in leaps and bounds! Earlier this week, I asked for the transition from yielding the HQ to yielding the FQ while looking for a clean, correct turn on the HQ on the ground for the first time. Today, Finn actually offered an exactly perfect one! The outside hind landed from it's step out, planted, and the turn on the HQ was initiated with no excess steps or "static." From the saddle, this is also continuing to improve. We had a couple iffy ones in our difficult direction (to the left) but even those were MUCH improved over where we were a few weeks ago. In each direction, I quit on one where he offered several lovely steps in a row... AND I checked after we stopped and confirmed that the outside hind had been pivoting! It's still a long way from perfect, but we're making progress!

Finally, we played over ground poles again today. I had a set of 3 trot poles and one single pole for cantering. Finn was excellent. I was really proud of him on our first approach to the trot poles... he got caught a bit off-guard and did a little double-take in front of them, but didn't break his trot and proceeded to negotiate them perfectly. I consider that progress, since he was able to process on-the-go instead of feeling like he needed to stop and look. He was excellent over the canter pole as well, maintaining a lovely rhythm. I'm pleased that even when we fumble the distance he doesn't get worried about it. I'm also pleased that he seems willing and eager about the poles. I've always known that Finn has talent as a jumper, but wondered if I'd be able to get him confident and relaxed enough to let that talent shine. Well, so far, so good! I know we're only just beginning, but this beginning seems very promising to me.

It was pretty hot today and the sun was really baking me, so it was wonderful to sit down in a shady place while Finn snacked on some grass after our ride. He has been so stupendous lately and I feel very appreciative of all his efforts; I can only hope he hears me when I thank him.

Beautiful, Breezy, and Brilliant

This morning was beautiful and breezy, perfect for a ride... though not that long ago I would have considered it unfortunately windy. Not only am I getting increasingly acclimated to weather in Nevada, Finn is getting more consistently dependable. Although he was certainly a little more alert because of the wind, our connection remained solid.

We actually had a really lovely ride. I tacked up near the pasture and was pleased to find that the 'druthers we'd been addressing in the session detailed in Rainy Day Riding were completely absent. I rode all the way to the arena on the hill, focusing on getting Finn in sync with my intent and responsive when I asked for a longer walk. I ignored the handful of things he wanted to be a bit spooky at, just encouraging him to follow my intent and praising him generously when he succeeded. After a few minutes in the arena, I decided to repeat the trip, riding back to the pasture and then up to the arena again. He did great both directions, still a little cautious, but very willing.

We had a little ride in the arena, working on our transitions, HQ/FQ turns and backing circles. I am super pleased with how our backing circles are coming along! At first, Finn was quite confused about what I was asking for, but now I feel like he gets it. I'd really like his flexion to be a little softer... namely, for him to roll his jaw softly so his head is tipped slightly to the outside when I'm asking, but I think that will develop soon now that he's starting to get the idea.

I also noticed significant improvement on the HQ/FQ turns, particularly the FQ part, where we've been struggling. I attribute the difference to the work we've been doing on the ground helping Finn figure out a more appropriate way of organizing his feet for what I'm asking. Where we'd been a little stuck was that we'd developed a pattern of only asking for a step or two of the FQ moving, so Finn was quite sure that what he was supposed to do was make those two reaches, then fall on his face a bit and hurry out of the turn. Which was not wrong, but when I started asking for more FQ steps, that pattern was not terribly helpful! Today, I felt like he was much more mentally committed to the idea that he should step the FQ across until I stopped asking, rather than thinking he knew how many steps he was supposed to take. No surprise, this resulted in a much smoother and more consistent turn!

I am really trying to be conscious of feeling what his feet are doing during the turn, and today I was able to feel his front feet quite well. The hind feet are tougher, but I guess it will come with patience.

The last big thing I incorporated into our ride was re-opening discussion about the trail that goes off behind the arena on the hill. Finn has been reluctant to go there, and last time we did the weather turned nasty quite suddenly and he really got unsettled. I wasn't able to address it very thoroughly then, because the storm was really looking troublesome, and we hadn't been up there since.

So I broke up our ride in the arena with a few rides over the crest of the hill to rest beyond Finn's comfort zone. We worked on some trot to canter transitions in the arena, so after we'd been moving for a while, I would ride him out, up the trail and stop and rest there like it was a great reward:

We did this three times, and by the third time I felt like he went much more readily and was willing to cock a leg there and accept the rest. I also felt like he'd been wonderful the rest of the ride, so I went ahead and dismounted there, unbridled, and let him enjoy a little grass:

 It's a bit of a hike back to the pasture from there, but one I'm willing to make to help Finn realize the sweet spot is wherever my focus takes him. The end of a ride is a big reward for a horse, one they certainly learn to hunt... so if you always end the ride in the same place or the same way, don't be surprised if your horse is mentally leaning towards that pattern all the time! In the case of Finn and I this morning, I wanted to really reward him for following my focus to a place he wasn't confident to go. That way he learns that making the effort to sync with me pays off!

Wake Up Call

Among my goals for August, I listed mastering a correct turn on the HQ from the ground. What I mean by that is teaching Finn to pivot consistently on the outside hind leg, while the inside hind backs a small circle around it. This causes the horse to bear more weight over the hind end than the alternative of pivoting on the inside hind and stepping forward in a small circle with the outside hind.

Now, I'd like to point out that "correct" here is a relative thing, because there is a different correct for different disciplines. In a reining spin or rollback, the horse is supposed to pivot on the inside hind. In dressage, the horse should not pivot at all in a turn on the HQ, instead maintaining a regular walk pattern of footfalls, lifting and placing the hind feet almost in place.

In any case, what was coming naturally to Finn was pivoting on the inside hind, so I decided to try and "re-program" that from the ground. How, you might ask? Simply, releasing for that instead.

I asked for the turn on the HQ (which, incidentally, I had never really "developed" more than a few steps at a time) and watched what was happening to figure out where we were starting from. I diagnosed the fact that in order to pivot on the outside hind, Finn needed to feel more "backwards" in the movement. So, if he took a step forward (or out) with the outside hind, I asked for a few steps backwards, then continued asking for the turn on the HQ. Initially, I released anytime he made one step back with the inside hind while planting the outside hind.

Within just a couple of sessions, though, I started asking for (and getting) more steps. I started to really look for the moment he struggled -- where it was difficult to hold on that outside hind and Finn made the effort to find a way to do it -- and released for that. I admit, though, there was part of me that wondered: is this really working? Is a horse really aware enough of what he's doing with his feet to figure out what's going on here?

Well, after returning to this after four days of being away braiding, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" When I asked for the turn yesterday, it could not have been more apparent that Finn has processed and understood this new request. I could feel his commitment to the task, and he was easily and consistently making 3/4 turns without any reminder from me. His steps with the front feet aren't uniform or correct yet, but I can only imagine that will come with more accurate practice. Once his hind feet are really committed and comfortable making the turn correctly, they will provide a stable base for the front feet to develop more coordination and consistency.

But the thought I really wanted to share is, don't underestimate the horse! This is just another reminder for me to give Finn credit for his smarts, willingness and awareness. My whole journey of studying natural horsemanship began with understanding the horse as a mental being instead of just a physical body and interacting with it as such. Instead of just controlling the horses body, I learned to engage its mind. And when the mind is committed, the body follows, trust me.

I don't know why I doubted... I guess because this is something so detailed, I wondered if Finn would pick up on it. Well, I suppose this is a wake-up call to me to realize that the horse is far more aware of his own feet than I am. He knows what they're doing... and if I knew what they were doing more accurately from the saddle, we would probably have developed this correctly in the first place. It's not like Finn was making the turn incorrectly because he didn't know what he was doing - he was making it incorrectly because I didn't know what he was doing, so I wasn't being clear on what I wanted him to do.

Striving for greater awareness of Finn's feet has been a huge part of what I've picked up from studying with Buck Brannaman... and I have such a LONG way to go. It is so easy to neglect this skill because it is so difficult to grasp in the beginning, and that's still where I am. But I am committed and I will persevere.

Hobart Road

I found out at 1am Wednesday that there was work for me in Menlo Park that night if I could make it, so I'm away braiding again now. BUT, I refused to let that stop my planned ride with S Wednesday morning. It meant we'd have to keep it to less than 3 hours, but I figured that'd be perfect for our first shot at Hobart Road.

Open to hikers, bikers, horses, and dogs, Hobart Road also serves as an access road to Hobart Reservoir and the irrigation systems for properties below, including the ranch where I board Finn. From the trail head, it is 4.9 miles to Hobart Reservoir with an elevation gain of nearly 2,500 ft. In short, it's quite a climb! I'd like to ride to the Reservoir this year, but I think it might be best if we build up to that over the course of a few rides.

This time, we rode out about an hour and then back. Unfortunately, we don't know how far we went... it was definitely slow going, but boy was it worth it! The views from the trail were positively glorious!

Looking down over Miss Me Not Farm, where I board Finn.

Breathtaking!

Taking in the view of Carson City before turning around.

Finn was absolutely stupendous for the whole ride. He felt super grounded and relaxed from the moment he got off the trailer. In fact, he unloaded REALLY well. Although he has been loading and riding really well all summer, he had still been sucking his front feet off the trailer quickly instead of calmly stepping off. Not so on this ride; he stepped off like a true old pro.

I don't know what else to say about him, other than he felt about as much like a seasoned trail horse as any horse I've ever ridden. It was really nice to be able to just get on and go... we didn't do much by way of grounding or connecting exercises, we didn't have to. I was so thrilled and thankful for how wonderful he was, and I'm happy to say I passed those feelings to him freely with lots of praise, loving, and the occasional grass snack.

I was definitely aware throughout the ride of my ignorance of exactly HOW much I was asking of him in terms of physical exertion. He barely broke a sweat and his breathing never seemed too labored, but I'm sure each step was an effort! When I turned him back out after the ride, he exuded tired. Which is not at all a bad thing, I just wish I was more knowledgeable about how to avoid over-doing it.

Anyway, S and I plan to return to this trail frequently. Besides the fact that it's a lovely ride, we are both stoked about the fitness benefits for our ponies. Ultimately, I look forward to a nice ride up to the reservoir, including a picnic lunch and maybe even a swim!

Intrepid horse and rider in the foreground; Washoe Lake in the background.

Rainy Day Riding

It has been raining for most of the last 48 hours, which is both VERY unusual in our high-desert climate and really excellent for everything... except riding. Nevertheless, I took a chance and drove down to the barn this morning, and I was rewarded with a solid three-hour stretch without rain.

It was actually quite lovely for riding... foggy and overcast and cool enough to wear a jacket! You can see how it was in this quick clip I caught of Finn coming up to meet me at the gate, which ALWAYS makes my day. Seriously, there is very little better than a horse who responds eagerly when you call his name:



Since it seemed apt to start raining at any time, I tacked up and rode out of my car by the pasture gate. In an effort to make the most of whatever time we had, I didn't even brush the mud off Finn's rump and head, just cleaned up the saddle area and got to it. We had a very productive session, working on our goals for the month. We also worked on reversing Finn's 'druthers. Initially, he was reluctant to head up the driveway towards the barn, so I gave him more work to do near the pasture and more rest time closer to the barn. By the third trip back towards the pasture, he was no longer so sure that's where he wanted to go... which is exactly what I was hoping for.

It's actually really late, and I'm getting up early to go for a ride with S in the morning, so I think I'll leave it at that. We ended our ride today with a nice graze (away from the pasture, of course) and then a good grooming since the rain was still holding off. Finn was looking so handsome, I decided to see if I could snap a decent conformation shot of him, and ended up with this:

 

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. He is really looking mature these days, at least to my eye. As you can see, his mane has "officially" gone back to the left side now that I've stopped practicing my braiding on it. I briefly considered making an effort to keep it on the right, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth wasting time on.

We're exploring a new trail head tomorrow and it'll be the first time I've been out with S in a while. Stay tuned for the story!

August Goals

Somewhat to my dismay, I did NOT follow through on posting my August goals on Thursday, but I had my reasons. To be honest, I had a temporary emotional crisis of sorts. Thursday morning I had a ride which was really not at all bad, but I was feeling so discouraged and over-whelmed I ended up on the verge of tears and just called it quits.

Why? Well, it’s complicated, but what it boils down to, I think, is simply my lack of clarity as to WHAT I want and HOW I want to go about getting it. Like I’ve said before, all the conflicting input gets to me sometimes… I get why people want gurus; it’s easier! What a relief it would be to assign rightness to the opinions of one other human being and follow without question.

When I started developing Finn, I had a desire to take a “more practical” approach, to spend more time in the saddle and less playing on the ground, and to ultimately make it back to eventing one day. I wanted to do enough on the ground to have a genuine partnership, not to do groundwork for it’s own sake. The course of our partnership has most certainly been shaped by that.

As you know, however, I have recently been exploring more Liberty. In some ways it feels like retrograde movement, because the development of Liberty doesn’t seem very practical. But, it speaks to the part of me which is still yearning for a connection that goes deeper. The idea (or ideal) that with conscious development we can communicate with horses with our thoughts alone taunts me. How much lighter can it get, I wonder.

It’s not like these things are necessarily mutually exclusive, but problems arise when I allow myself to be influenced so strongly by any random thing I hear, see or read without maintaining MY focus on the big picture and the end game. When this dynamic results in a incoherent series of rides that go so far as to contradict each other, of course I get frustrated! How could I not?

So I spent a couple of days asking myself, what do I want? Do I REALLY want Liberty? Do I really want to dive so deeply into a whole different paradigm of interacting with horses, perhaps at the price of delaying my progress towards my goals for Finn’s career? How do I really want to move forward? I spent a couple of days leaning towards the “practical” side… and then I bought a book.

The book is called “Building a Life Together; You and Your Horse” and it was written by Magali Delgado and Frederic Pignon, who are world-famous for an approach most people wouldn’t consider very “practical.” I questioned my logic, but intuition pushed me to make the purchase. The quotes I have already read from the book are so aligned with some things I’ve been thinking, and the title SO exactly synched with a critical underlying theme of my relationship with Finn, reading the rest seemed an absolute necessity.

So what does this mean for me? At first I took the easy way out and jokingly declared, “I want it all.” But I don’t want it all, I just want a true friendship with Finn, to enjoy our time together, and to gradually accomplish our goals. Before writing this post, I reviewed the post I wrote in June about my vision… that depiction of where we’re headed still rings true.

While I don’t necessarily feel like this blog post depicts any great shift towards clarity, I do actually feel somewhat clearer on where I’m headed. Perhaps simply for knowing that I’m pursuing the Liberty and some new thought processes as a means to an end (the end being to have a more genuine friendship and more refined communication with Finn), not so much as an end unto itself… if that makes sense.

In any case, expect some additional reflection when my book arrives. It should be here by Wednesday. And in the meantime, I HAVE spent some time thinking about where to direct my focus for the month of August and this is what I’ve come up with:

1. Prioritize a consistently positive, patient, and kind attitude, always. No matter what happens. Recognize lapses early and be committed to interrupting the pattern.
2. On the ground, "master" backing circles and a correct turn on the HQ, ala Buck... which means pivoting on the outside hind so Finn learns to bear weight on his HQ.
3. In the saddle, focus on feeling the feet through the HQ/FQ turn and improving the accuracy of the movement, and start teaching backing circles.
4. Improve Finn's walk by increasing the energy of his default walk while encouraging him to offer more while I do less. Chase the feeling of him being truly and consistently "in front of the leg" at the walk.
5. Experiment with clarity of transitions between and within the gaits so we can distinguish between faster walk vs trot, or faster trot vs canter.

Initially I was going to keep it even simpler and limit myself to three goals, but I think this is a reasonable amount to focus on for the next 29 days. I am really hoping that keeping this handful of things in the forefront of my mind will really help me feel progressive and productive! Of course there will be other things that come up, and hopefully opportunities to take some of this stuff out on the trail. I’ll still get the poles out a day or two a week, and continue to experiment with some Liberty. But the main focus will be on these five things throughout it all, and hopefully at the beginning of September I’ll have some nice improvements to report!