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.

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...

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!

Hunter/Jumper?

Prior to throwing myself headlong into braiding professionally earlier this year, I had limited experience with the hunter/jumper world. Back in “the day” I schooled my green event horse over a cross-rail course at a local hunter show once. We couldn’t stop chuckling over the “course” - outside line, outside line, outside line, outside line! It didn’t even change directions. That was quite comical to us eventers.

In college, the hunter/jumper orientation of the equine studies program was quite in-your-face. I competed on the dressage team, and there was no doubt we were the red-headed step-children of the program. To be elite meant to be a hunter princess, and to promptly discard any horse with the nerve to have an independent opinion or an off day. That made it quite difficult for me to admire this collection of supposed horsewoman who were the stars of the school.

In any case, I have proceeded through most of my life with little understanding and a mild disregard for the hunter/jumper discipline as a whole. Honestly, why waste your time when you could be eventing?

I once worked for a wise horseman who told 20-year-old me that age softens people and wears away the sharp edges. Eight years later (don’t laugh, I know I have plenty of aging left to do), I’ve already noticed that he might be onto something. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of sharp edges, but I am less quick to categorically reject an entire aspect of the equestrian world, and more apt to seek the positive in anything I possibly can.

In any case, when I get a chance to watch the showing at these big shows where I’m braiding, I keep an open mind. I consider different perspectives. I try on different “lenses” and strive to understand the one which suits me best without having to attack or hate the others.

Last week, I caught the jump-off of a junior jumper class over fairly sizable fences. Aside from watching a big Grand Prix here or there (along the lines of the premier class of the Washington International), this was actually my first time watching a jumper class in person, and I found it fascinating. First of all, I understood the appeal for the first time. I was able to grasp why it is engaging and fun to test one’s skill and communication against the clock and all those fragile fences. I actually found myself thinking, “I could see Finn and I doing that one day!”

A little higher than what I have in mind, but you never know...

The horses were, of course, gorgeous and talented jumpers one and all. The winning horse was exceptional in her ability to jump clear from seemingly any approach, tearing around the course looking horribly out of balance, yet still able to make tighter turns than anyone else and miraculously spring into the air at any moment. To be frank, I thought it was an ugly ride… I wish I had realized it would be the winning one before it started, because I would have watched with different and more attentive eyes. No one else was daring enough to even attempt the inside turns she took, so I never got to see if someone else could do it better.

At one point, a lens slid into place that momentarily made me consider the whole thing as somewhat barbaric that a horse should be expected to drag a human being around the course by his mouth like they do. At the same time I know these riders have very strong legs and balance, but truly the amount of pressure between hands and the horse’s mouth is truly quite astonishing when you haven’t become acclimated to it. To watch these riders at times lean back and HAUL on their horse’s mouths made me cringe, especially since in most cases the response from the horse was negligible. Since respecting and nurturing the natural sensitivity of the horse’s mouth is a crucial element of my approach to horsemanship, that was difficult to swallow.

I was surprised how heavy and loud the horses were… with POUNDING hoofbeats and labored breathing. (There was one notable exception; one horse who barely made a sound as she galloped by, and her round was beautiful.) It’s no wonder I didn’t see the tight inside turns made very often. On the whole, the horses were simply not adjustable or balanced enough to try it. Communication between horse and rider was a far cry from what would be needed to cut those corners successfully.

Now, who am I, some lowly little eventer who wasn’t even shown in ten years, some student of natural horsemanship on the trail of some level of possibility I catch glimpses of here and there, to judge? And I pose that question to myself honestly, to remind myself not to be too harsh. I can appreciate the skill of the riders I watched and the effort they invest into what they do. Frankly, though, while I’m interested in their sport, I am certainly not interested in doing it that way. If that means any competing I do becomes more a personal test between Finn and myself and we never win anything, all the better.

But I’m not here to declare I’m going to do it better. I am here to wonder: can it be done with lightness? The method of riding which keeps a rider off a horse’s back over the big jumps demands a different position and balance then that which I’ve learned to use in my pursuit of softness. I can see that it is challenging to ride a horse at those speeds over those jumps and keep everything truly relaxed and together, but I cannot yet concede that it’s impossible. I think of the lovely rides I’ve seen in the Working Equitation speed trials and wonder if it would be possible to bring that astounding level of agility and communication at speed to a jumper class…

In the end I have a lot of questions and a vision of the jumper course I’d like to ride one day. A course in which I can bring my horse from flat-out gallop to a bouncy canter in a stride -- with a shift of thought, a shift of weight, and maybe a whisper on the reins -- turn him over his hindquarters and gallop in a new direction without even stretching his lips. A course which is a string of transitions and graceful leaps, in which my horse breathes no harder than he would if he were frolicking in the pasture. A course which is ridden with no headgear but a simple snaffle and a loose noseband, never giving him a reason to throw his head or open his mouth. And in which, after charging through the finish line, he drops to a flat-footed walk on a loose rein and knows he has done superbly.

Of course, in the immediate future, my thoughts are less dreamy and ambitious. Eventing is scarce in northern Nevada, but there IS a local hunter/jumper circuit. While I’ll never NOT be an eventer, trying our hand at a new sport might be a fun diversion until I can afford mutli-day events that are long hauls away. I am inspired to declare that I think taking Finn to some of the local hunter/jumper shows would be fun and very doable next year! And who knows where that might lead…

Gratuitous braiding shot.

Staying on Track

Lately I’ve been thinking about making progress and wondering if I’m making good use of my time with Finn. On the one hand, my motto is no moment is wasted that is spent with my boy. On the other, there are things I’d like to do with him someday, and I’d rather it not take many unnecessary years for no better reason than I didn’t do enough to keep myself on track.

It’s just tough sometimes to balance the “lets get stuff done” against the “everything means something, nothing means nothing.” Last week, for example, I got caught up in some stuff at liberty and the idea of getting our transitions to movement freed up and coming from behind, and pretty much everything else has gone by the wayside, even though I spent almost 20 hours with him! On Saturday evening, I decided to mix things up by having some fun trotting and cantering over poles, which caused me to realize how LONG it has been since we’ve consistently cantered during our rides. Once again, I got caught up in all the little exercises I learned at the Buck clinic, and they’re wonderful, but they have kept me from just riding my horse forward. When you’re like me and have a heightened sense of quality and feel in EVERY moment, sometimes it feels like you never get past square one.

It is possible I am making a mountain out of a molehill. I know we’ve made progress in the last six months, quite a lot of progress. But when I’m taking input from so many sources and trying to sew it all together into a plan that works for Finn and I… well, sometimes I feel I’m getting too off track.

I’ve thought about the possibility of taking monthly lessons to help me focus my efforts, and I’m not entirely convinced that’d be a bad idea, but money doesn’t grow on trees around here. Beyond that, I’d need to find a REALLY exceptional instructor who is willing to work with me as more of a sounding board and coach than a traditional instructor. I have someone in mind who might be able to do it… but I’m a little nervous about trying it out. One big plus of this option though: I think my riding has gotten quite sloppy. Finn would probably appreciate it if someone held me more accountable on that front.

I’ve also considered setting more short-term goals and making more short-term plans for the time I have with Finn. I could set monthly or weekly goals… or goals for whatever chunk of time I have home between braiding bonanzas. I’m leaning towards weekly plans… similar to what I laid out a few weeks ago, since that worked quite well. That way there will be some flexibility, but also some structure that will hopefully keep me from just doing the same thing every day and getting too fixated on one small detail.

Well, I guess I’ll contemplate as I head down to see Finn and perhaps come up with a plan for this week. A plan that will include taking Finn out riding and camping overnight at Washoe Lake on Friday night! We’ll be going out with a group of six other riders, a new experience for Finn who has so far only gone with groups up to three! Luckily we’ll get to do it twice in a row, which is always a recipe for improvement, because I think it might blow Finn’s mind a little to have so much company.

Anyway, I’ll get back to you on the plan. It’s about time to start preparing to head to the barn.

Thinking About Liberty

Way back in 2003 when I first started studying Parelli Natural Horsemanship, I wanted Liberty SO BADLY!! Watching Pat or his high level students play with horses at Liberty was like magic, show-casing the kind of connection with a horse I’d dreamed about before I reshaped my dreams to match the world I was living in. And so, as a novice Parelli student like so many novice Parelli students before and after me, I “needed” Liberty so much that I could hardly have repelled my horse more!

It took a little over four years of tough lessons before my Liberty started to take shape, and by 2009 Journey and I were really starting to get it together:



While this video shows us playing in an arena, we also practiced our Liberty in wide open fields… in fact, we had some of our best Liberty in the “back 40.” Still, what I like about this video is A) It’s all Liberty and B) Although we sometimes miscommunicate, never once in this session does she have any inkling to disconnect from me… not a chance. It’s not the world’s best Liberty, but I don’t think it’s too much to say it’s something pretty special Journey and I shared.

So… to bring things back to the present, I have had Finn about 3.5 years now and have made no deliberate effort to develop his Liberty. Recently I’ve been thinking about that. Asking myself why, and whether it’s something I’d like to change.

It’s not that I ever chose NOT to want Liberty anymore, but two factors contribute to my current lack of investment in it. First, I did at some point make the conscious decision that I REALLY wanted to improve my skills in the saddle. I had SO much fun and learned TONS with Journey on the ground, but upon reflection when I was moving forward with developing another horse, I realized I wanted to be as good and as confident on his back… and with time being a limited resource such as it is, I decided that when it comes down to it, I wanted to invest more effort in the saddle. Second, having “gotten it” with Journey, I just didn’t have such a desperate desire for it. Having since observed both poor Liberty and excellent work on a line, I had a new understanding for the fact that quality and connection don’t hinge on the presence or absence of the rope as much as one might think they do. Beginning Finn’s education with that perspective, I just figured his Liberty would be there when it was ready, presuming I developed him on a line with quality. And it has been.

Although I haven’t “developed” him at Liberty, I have taken the line off and seen what I have every now and again. This handful of brief Liberty sessions scattered throughout the years have all been successful, in the sense that I’ve never “lost” him at Liberty. (Actually, I did once. Totally dumb thing I did there.) I’ve also never really asked a whole lot of him, but I’ve asked more than most people would think to.

I’ve thought from the beginning that Finn would make a great Liberty horse. He has a natural desire to connect that sets him up for success, and an athletic flair to his movement that adds a little something to the effect. And though I haven’t made an effort to bring these things out, I HAVE made an effort not to diminish them. From the very beginning with him, I have prioritized that desire to connect over everything else when developing him on the ground. That’s a maturity of horsemanship I did NOT have when I started with Journey!

Anyway… lately I’ve been feeling like it might be time to put a little more conscious effort in on our Liberty. Why? Well, I miss it. On some level, I’ve always expected that having a connection with my horses at Liberty would be part of my horsemanship from now on. To be honest, if you’re handling a horse with genuine feel on a rope, you have some Liberty whether you choose to use it or not. Additionally, the mental challenge of Liberty is engaging to me, and I’d like to get back into it. Further, I wonder if there isn’t something really meaningful to be found for Finn and I in developing this aspect of our relationship… mostly something that might help him embrace that I am always and will always be his herd, no matter what else might be going on around us. This speaks to the partnership part of my overall vision. I believe Liberty will help us shape that us the way I’ve been dreaming of. And lastly, a friend of mine shared some notes about a Liberty exercise to play with, and it just sounded like fun, so I went out and did it!

The exercise is called “Find Your Herd” and addresses the most basic quality of Liberty… the horses desire to be with you. I’m not going to describe it in detail here -- at least not right now -- but I tried it with Finn last night at the barn and found his connection was already pretty strong. (I wasn’t surprised by this, but I did try not to expect it TOO much, in case I found it wasn’t as there as I thought it would be.) What I’d love to do is challenge it in a slightly more difficult environment, and I anticipate doing that this afternoon, as S and I are planning to play with it over in the arena at Washoe Lake.

I doubt we’ll do THIS today, but I’ve even been thinking about possibly playing it one day over at Washoe while S rides away on her horse. If my connection with Finn was strong enough to persist at Liberty, even while one of his best buddies rode off into the distance… well, I think that would mean BIG STUFF for our relationship as a whole.

So, here’s to the beginning of a new aspect of my relationship with Finn. I can’t wait to see where it leads.

The Week Ahead

This coming weekend, I’m braiding at the first of three (possibly 4) shows in a row. Between the impending time crunch and my recent decision to start incorporating some preparation for jumping into our routine, I’m feeling a need to spend a little time laying out my week to optimize our productivity. Including yesterday, I had five days to ride this week. Ordinarily, I ride in the morning before I head out to braid, but the Western States Horse Expo is also this weekend, and I’ve chosen to sacrifice a ride for the chance to stop in there on my way to the Bay.

Yesterday evening, I had a liberal amount of time and was eager to get started on my new plan to start Finn’s jumping prep. So I did just about everything… reintroducing the idea of ground poles on line, continuing to build Finn’s confidence carrying the flag while doing our groundwork, cycling through the basic exercises from the Buck clinic, and walking and trotting over single poles under saddle. I was really pleased with Finn’s response to trotting the poles under saddle, something we’d never done before. Essentially, he asked, “Are you sure?” A quiet, “I am,” was all it took for him to commit, too.

Today, I’ve enlisted R to come to the barn and take some video, something I have really been wanting for the last few weeks. Our footwork feels much more accurate lately and I’d like to see if I’m on to something or just delusional. Additionally, I’ve been playing with our soft feel quite a bit and I’d like to see how it’s looking. For the record, I’d also like video of Finn carrying the flag during our groundwork. And considering the timing, I probably won’t be able to resist getting some “this is where we started!” footage of our journey to jumping. So, while I ordinarily wouldn’t plan it this way, today’s ride is probably going to be quite similar to yesterday’s. It’s okay; Finn will forgive me.

Tuesday, I’ll shift gears and keep building on our confidence riding out around the farm. I practice a lot of the same basic exercises during these rides, which is helping Finn realize it’s not a big deal. I try to maintain a mindset that the driveways become my arena, instead of letting riding out feel like something totally different.

Wednesday, I believe I’m heading out trail riding with S, which means we’ll work on whatever is appropriate for the trail we pick and the horse that shows up that day.

Thursday, we might go out on the trail again. If not, I’ll probably combine a little practice with the ground rails on line and under saddle with a ride around the farm afterwards, practicing our basic exercises. In addition, when I’m riding out, I always try to take advantage of the excellent opportunity to improve my focus and get Finn following my focus with more commitment and confidence.

This is the first time I’ve planned out a week in this level of detail in quite a while. It has made me think it might also be time to pick up my Dressage, Naturally book and start looking at how I might start in on the very basics of Finn’s dressage to keep pace with his jumping. Again, there’s a part of me that feels not ready, but I also think the interaction between foundation and specialization is a lot more fluid than my perfectionist personality tends to believe. So, there might very well be exercises in the D, N book I can begin to play with, and they might very well show me where my foundation needs work. That is how it should be.

I feel compelled to conclude by pointing out that my plans are always flexible. Although the weather in Nevada is usually cooperative, you never know. And though Finn is fairly consistent, I promise to meet him where he’s at, regardless of my agenda.

Ready, Set, Jump!

Foundation before specialization is a fundamental tenet of my approach to horsemanship. My intended specialization for Finn is eventing, but a person might not guess that by observing our day-to-day work. The process doesn’t look like the product, but it results in a product that tastes all the sweeter.

That said, Finn’s progress in the last couple of months has caused me to reconsider my long-term schedule for his development. While I certainly don’t want to push him too fast, there’s no benefit in holding back for no reason other than he was prepared before I was. It is a horsewoman’s challenge to set goals, but let the horse dictate the timeline. Although that often means slowing down when I’m impatient, it can also mean keeping up when Finn is improving full speed ahead.

In particular, I’ve begun thinking in concrete terms about teaching Finn to jump. Until now, jumping Finn has been out there in the ether… it’s something I always planned to do, but assumed it would be so long before we were ready that I might as well not think about it. That’s no longer an accurate picture of where we are or where we’re going, and so I feel it’s time to take hold of this fuzzy dream and turn it into a plan.

Finn will be far from the first horse I’ve taught to jump, although it has been a while. I’ve taught horses that were quite talented, horses that were rushers, and horses who destroyed whole grids without batting an eye. Once, I taught a horse that was quite talented, but very nervous and easily over-faced. Knowing Finn as I do, I expect that’s the experience I’ll draw on most. I believe Finn will be an excellent jumper, but I’ll have to patiently and deliberately develop his confidence in order for him to shine.

That’s why I think the time to begin is now. I’m still working at getting Finn centered and straight, following my focus on a loose rein, but he’s centered and straight enough that I don’t think adding ground poles into the equation would be detrimental to the process. In fact, I think it might help. And there is definitely no such thing as too much practice at ground poles for this horse.

With the nervous jumper I trained before, my then trainer recommended a different progression than what I’d been used to. Whereas we had usually started our green jumpers with lots of grid work, the nervous mare was mind-blown by that challenge. So, we changed gears and gave her lots of experience jumping tiny to very small single fences. I competed her in four Elementary level horse trials, jumping courses of 18” fences, before we finally returned to her grid work in the Fall. This plan allowed her to blossom into a confident jumper, and I expect my approach with Finn will be similar.

So, over the next several weeks, I plan to incorporate poles into our rides a couple times a week. We’ll start out very simple, and gradually increase the challenge as Finn tells me he’s ready. I’m in no hurry, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m actually jumping this horse before I know it.

Another thing I plan to do is give Finn opportunities to practice cavalletti and small jumps on line or at liberty. While my focus has shifted away from working on the ground so much, I believe there’s great value in allowing a horse to develop his agility and skill over fences without a rider on his back. Although I will still take this only as fast as Finn tells me he can handle, I certainly expect he’ll see complex questions here long before I feel we’re ready to try them from the saddle.

There are also a few elements outside of Finn’s confidence that will also shape our progress. First, my own skill. I haven’t jumped seriously in over a decade, and I’ve gotten very out of the habit of using my leg as my base of support. Considering Finn’s sensitivity, I owe him more than what I can currently offer. Until I feel I’m secure enough to do him justice, even when he falters, I will stick to ground poles and cavalletti.

My Ansur dressage saddle is also a limiting factor. I’ll happily take on the tiny stuff in it, but for a couple reasons I’ll definitely want something more appropriate before we go too much beyond that. For the last year or so, I’ve been dying for a nice western saddle to take out on the trail. Finn’s recent progress, though, has made me realize a jumping saddle needs to be my next acquisition. Conveniently, it will no doubt be less expensive than the western options I’ve been eying!

Lastly, there is the dearth of jumps I have access to. Where I board, we have four ground poles. As tight as my budget is, buying my own toys is not an immediate option. While I will have an eye out for affordable alternatives to regular standards, I will also be very conscious of keeping things safe and secure. With a horse who’s confidence is as tenuous as Finn’s, at least at the beginning I want to stay away from anything so lightweight that a tiny nick can send it flying. Besides, Finn has already shown me he takes more easily to natural looking obstacles -- a log versus a row of plastic barrels, for example. Naturally, I’d like to begin with what comes easy to him, so I’ll be avoiding some of the cheap options I’ve seen employed elsewhere.

Speaking of my tight budget… I would love to take lessons to help Finn and I through this process, and I likely will at some point when my finances are a little more feasible and I find an instructor I trust. Stay tuned for that. For now, I’ll do what I can on my own.

I really look forward to documenting and sharing this process. It’s an exciting development in my adventure with Finn, and will add some pleasant variety to our current routine. So here’s to my little buddy, who’d suddenly feeling very grown up and ready for the future to be here now.

My Vision

“To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favorable wind.”
~Seneca

I’ve spent too much of the last five years proving the above quote right. When you don’t know where you’re going, it’s hard to make progress. While I, for the most part, enjoyed my horses, things remained stagnant for a very long time.

For me, knowing where I want to go got a lot harder when I chose to define it myself. I hadn’t quite realized how convenient it was to let someone, some program or some sport define it for you. Out here in the wild world of being an independent horsewoman, I was confronted with MANY different ways to approach horses, even within a fairly narrow sample of ALL the possibilities. After releasing the desire to believe that one was “right,” I began to accept this truth: having a strong vision of the desired result is the only meaningful measuring stick for deciding which way is mine.

So, I set out to clarify my vision, because the vague idea I’d been packing around inside my head wasn’t doing me much good, and I thought a written version would be stronger. Better yet, a version I can verbally articulate, in a way that makes sense to anyone, in less than 60 second… For today, we’ll settle for the former.

My vision for my horsemanship and relationship with Finn:

Partnership based on mutual benefit. The benefit I derive from our partnership is pretty well a given, but I want the deal to be good for Finn, too. That’s why I strive to understand him, and why I ask myself frequently: why should he want to be with me? It falls on me to offer a compelling reason.

Versatility. A genuine partnership is revealed when a horse and rider can meet any situation with aplomb. Partners can perform any task safely and with a basic level of proficiency. Trail rides, clinics, dressage shows, cow-working… I’m not limiting my range with Finn.

Health and longevity through balanced movement and quality care. I’m not satisfied unless my horses THRIVE. In the last few years, my awareness of the role riding plays in this has increased tenfold, which means I’m pushing myself to learn to ride in a way that augments Finn’s health and soundness instead of undermining it.

Eventing through Prelim. When I first embarked on this study of natural horsemanship journey, I expected to be back to eventing in a year. Eleven years later, what can I do but laugh? Still, I never lost my love for this sport, nor my desire to participate in it again. I schooled Prelim fences, but never competed at that level, so it’s a goal that feels daunting and absolutely right.

As visions go, this one feels like it fits me. I think I’ll quite like the woman I’ll become in its pursuit. I bet I’ll REALLY like the horse Finn will become, too. So, for now, I am content to own this, live by it, and consult it in times of confusion. When it helps me make intelligent decisions about my horsemanship, I’ll know it’s working.