jumping clinic!

An interesting and unexpected side effect of moving barns after being in one place for so long.... is that I've suddenly come back into contact in a variety of circles with all sorts of folks from my horsey past. 

doozy was a doll hangin out grazing next to the ring while our trailer mate had their lesson

We all know the horse world is small anyway, but when you live in a city fondly referred to as "Smalltimore" .... well, connections and relationships always have a way of resurfacing.

then it was our turn!

From this cyclical and interwoven society, we found ourselves participating again in a jump clinic with Dom Schramm, with whom we last rode in 2016. A million years and multiple horses ago.... And so it goes, right?

holy moley guys, she actually trotted trot poles

And guys. It was just what the doctor ordered! And there is media, woot woot!

well lol. she also cantered the trot poles too

My (re)introduction was basically.... We're pretty green and raw around the edges. She's a good bold game mare who had a lovely go at starter a month prior, but has a tendency to revert to speed and tension. Meanwhile, I've been out of riding form (and consistent coaching) for years. 

halt straight! but like, let the literal fence explain the task to doozy, nbd

I outlined the work we've been doing on simple gymnastic footwork exercises, all while prioritizing relaxation and ease. And reaffirmed that, I haven't had eyes on me. Pls be relentless. 

got a lot of feedback on my position. yessssssss!

And ya know. Dom delivered lol. It's funny watching the video (below) bc you can sorta hear him getting increasingly tough with me. Notably, not tough with Doozy. Just me. And my bad bad habits haha. 

that feeling when you tell a clinician how you've approached the work, and they take your word for it and build from there

He started us over some trot poles that were already set up, but put together a parallel set of poles on the back side close to the arena fencing to be the "tunnel" in which we halt straight. The fencing in this case was intended to be the stronger aid, no yanking the mare down or floating her teeth. Just a nice straight gentle return to politeness before making the turn. 

notably, Dom said this distance was shorter than 9'. Doozy still got the message tho!

After establishing this "transition" practice (which you'll hear him reference in the video), he adjusted the trot poles into a similar configuration to what you all have already seen me describe. Placing poles on takeoff and landing of a big medium X. 

omgoodness, not us jumping single fences out in the wild?!

And guys. I am not a professional. I don't think I'm perfect at this whole 'horse training' thing. I know I need help. But it also felt really validating to have this clinician be like, "Oh ok so that's what you're working on? Let's start there and build!"

whew actually we did a lot of this!

We spent enough time on the footwork exercises to establish some ground rules. Namely, to allow Dom to start isolating and diagnosing my position flaws. Of which, natch, there are many. 

occasionally requiring human as guide post to keep me from turning too early

Chief, in his estimation, include:

- My habit to lean/tip to the inside (particularly when tracking right, but honestly I believe it's a universal issue for me); 

- My apparent inability to sit up tall with shoulders back; 

- My bad hands. Obvi LOL.... He wants them lower, quieter, and following.

oooook so there was a blooper. or two. lol. 

True story, after a blooper moment when we moved on to single fences and then, OMG, a related distance, which naturally I totally biffed (above).... I explained to Dom my funny little joke about "clutching my pearls".... And, well. Similar to Martin Douzant before him, Dom was basically like, uh, yea but don't fucking do that. 

we i blooper'ed this oxer too so Dom simplified it a bit for us me

And basically zeroed in immediately on my 'excitability' about the fences. Which, let's be real, is a nice word for "wow you kinda lost your shit there tho."

turns out, when ya let the mare jump, she jompies!!

His actual words, "You can't lose your composure just bc a couple bad jumps." Which ya know. Will be the most essential ingredient for proving to Doozy that I am a reliable partner in all this. That I will be consistent, that the game doesn't change just bc things got exciting. 

sorry not sorry for showing pics of every effort even if it feels redundant

The course work was simple, but appropriate. Just nice singles off turns. Tho, notably, Dom wanted me to make more square turns in approach (you can actually see him standing in our way as a landmark in the video a few times), vs "feathering in" the bending approach. 

cantering out of a related distance like maybe emma does know how to count after all

My intent with the more oblique approaches was to minimize the length of our "straight on" line to the jump.... Which, I guess is kinda like avoiding the necessity to train that. Possibly why we still can't do straight lines in general lol, whoops...

pictured: not panicking lol

Really, tho, it was the real-time feedback for me that made the lesson, more so than the exercises themselves. 

finishing strong with a little course work

Dom's instruction on my hands was to keep them low. Which, was in direct opposition to the lesson I wrote about a few weeks ago, wherein that person wanted me to raise my hands as Doozy raised her head. I'm not sure there is actually a right or wrong, here, except that I honestly feel like "low" works better for Doozy, and "high" tends to increase her chaos. Ymmv. 

wheeee!!! doin the thing!!!

The feedback on my upper body position was also extremely helpful. Like, I know I'm tipping and slouching and tensing up. But I also know I can ride better than that. 

link to quick clips from lesson

A little bird said these clinics could become routinely scheduled. But y'all know I've been disappointed before haha. For real, tho, even if this proves to be a one-off, I'm excited about where Doozy is with her jumping. 

The jumps are basically the least of her problems, let's be real. Once I can figure out how to ride her better, and once she understands a little more about how to adjust her own self and trust her own eye.... Honestly, she's a powerhouse.

It's exciting :)

reset the clock, pls!

Doozy and I are slowly but steadily creeping up on one year of ownership, if you can believe it. In some ways, progress has felt slow. So slow. Esp if you compare to how lightning fast things went with Charlie's introduction to eventing. 

But, eh. Charlie was older and I was still in a very productive weekly lesson routine at that point. Plus, let's be real. Charlie was a lot more straight forward to get going than Doozy has been, at least as it relates to alignment with my particular skill set. 

some random pics today guys bc, whew, i've been trying to tone down the constant picture taking, lest my new barn mates think i'm a total creep!! so here we have my cats in my 9th floor apt when pigeons flock on the window sill LOL

I dunno, tho, guys. I honestly feel good about the pace of our progress right now. I'm still constantly learning so much about (and from) this mare. Which.... Ya know, was kinda the whole point anyway, let's be real. 

It also seems to me that so much of our progress to date, so much of what we work on, can't really be measured in jump height or movement score... But also absolutely cannot be skipped if I have any aspirations for success against those other metrics later on in our journey. 

and an unexpected blossom on a poor potted plant the cats tried to murder! i'd given this plant to my green-thumbed grandfather, with whom i shared a beloved tradition of weekly visits where we'd drink exactly two glasses of wine and relentlessly dissect the current state of US politics. after he passed, the plant came back to me (along with a few others from his collection), and its unexpected bloom after so much cat damage feels.... hopeful.

For example, Doozy is teaching me a LOT about what "relaxation" means, and why it matters. Charlie could more or less work through his tension. At times, actually, a little extra tension could bring out more sparkle in him. That's.... not the case with Doozy lol. She sizzles and whistles like a cartoon bomb about to blow haha, and ain't nobody wanna see that!

I had an important breakthrough this month, tho: Whatever or however Doozy was yesterday, she is... moreso that way today. 

In other words, if Doozy's ride yesterday was, "ok, I guess, in that it happened and nobody died...", then today she might actually be pretty good. And tomorrow? Very like to be: Wow, what a mare, great job!!

It goes both ways, tho. Bc if she had off yesterday, and did nothing but eat and chill and enjoy her turnout.... Well. Today, she might be one step closer to feral. And god save your soul if you give her a third day in a row of that, bc she gone be..... untamed when you next try to ride!

source: xkcd

It's helpful to think of our rides in this construction, tho. It helps reinforce that if I need Doozy to be at her best on any given day, there's probably a multi-day lead up to prepare her. 

It also reinforces that.... I can't just come into Ride 1 after a day (or more) off with expectations appropriate for the Ride 5 horse of our last ride. That's an instant recipe for stress, frustration, and disappointment. 

So. "Warming Up" for Doozy is a multi-day affair at this moment in time, and Day 3 seems to be a very sweet spot, with 4 and 5 similarly pleasant --- esp if we can splice in some enjoyable and pressure-free hacking in there somewhere!

anyway, onto the main point: apps for riding!!! this is a screencap from Soundbrenner, a very basic metronome app that's suited just fine for the task. i prefer to use it for a trot tempo.

Approaching our rides with this mindset is already starting to pay huge dividends, too. On one hand, it helps me stay disciplined and consistent in keeping the horse ridden. And on the other hand, it keeps me realistic about expectations vs getting baited into the weeds of micromanaging the horse or fucking with her face when she's not fully ready. 

As a result.... Holy shit, guys, the horse is becoming schooled! In our most recent "Ride 1" after a day off, I was legit about 10min into the ride, had already done 5min of trot... and was like, "Well shit, that was straight up fine work... Should I just canter and be done? Or like..... Keep going??"

So often, it's so much work to just like.... Trot a circle.... that the ride time consumes itself and we're both properly puffed by the time it feels as if we accomplished anything at all.... So to be 5min in to trotting and feeling like, "Ok, now what?" was legit a Brand New Feeling for us hahahaha. 

screencap from IntervalTimer, your standard issue running / workout timer app that lets you configure different routines.

Thankfully, after years of Saint Charles, I had a technology answer for the next step of structure to our flat schools!!! This will not be news to long time readers, since both of these apps had been in regular usage for Charlie.... But this is legit the first time they felt productive to use with Doozy, so I'm going to reintroduce them. 

First is Soundbrenner, a metronome app. It just... sounds time. Tick Tock Tick Tock, at a tempo of your choosing. But don't be fooled --- the first time I used this with Charlie, it shocked me how much strength it took (from both of us) to actually hold the rhythm. Like, true story, I tried the metronome with Doozy a few months ago and was instantly like, NOPE NOT YET lol....

It's honestly a great tool, tho. I came to consider it something like a "pocket coach" with Charlie, would legit keep it tick-tock-ing away in my pocket during competition warm up. It's the perfect thing to focus on, rather than getting drawn into nitpicky fussy tiffs with the horse. There's a reason rhythm is the first step in the training pyramid! 

more unrelated --- i went to the Maryland Thoroughbred Horse Breeders Yearling Show this weekend and took ONE ZILLION PHOTOS, more to come

Second app is also quite basic, but also quite revolutionizing for me: IntervalTimer. Literally just your basic interval timer that you can preprogram different routines into, based on your plans. 

There are legit infinite ways to program this type of tool.... But I quite like my "Charlie Flats" program. After a 5ish minute warm up (which was about the time it took to walk from our barn to the ring at the last place), the program shifts into 2min intervals. You could get creative with high vs low intensity intervals, like 3:00min on, 0:30sec off, etc... 

But I actually really like the 2min marker. Basically, for about half an hour, this thing just rings a bell every 2min. I don't always react to the bell, but it helps me attune to the nature of our rides. Are we staying symmetric in our exercises? How many intervals does it take for the horse to feel soft and engaged? Can we do 2 or 4min sessions of leg yielding exercises, followed by 2 or 4min sessions of serpentines or spirals? How long did we actually canter??

twas fun looking at all the sweet TB bebes! stay tuned (hopefully... eventually...) for a dedicated post!

This week was my first time using both of these apps with Doozy, and it feels like the opening of a new chapter! Sure, she got a little wobbly when I started the metronome app, bc it changed a bit how I was focusing on riding her (ultimately, I think, for the better). 

But overall, the introduction felt like exactly the next level of structure I need to keep guiding her, whether it be her Ride 1 or Ride 5, into productive and balanced sessions. 

Think you'll use either of these apps? Maybe you do already? Or maybe you have other apps or tools that help passively guide your rides??? If so, do tell!

i'm bringin' bascule back

Everybody super excited for yet another rundown of how Doozy and I are deep into reestablishing the basics through building up gymnastic exercises that reaffirm both technique and relaxation over fences??? 

for a little visual stimulation, enjoy unrelated pics from doozy's first TWO trips into the proper woods at her new place!! see the river to the right side of the trail?? #gorgeous

Lol... For real, I know it might sound repetitive and redundant... But, eh, it's where we are in the training. There are many many roads to Rome, sure, but I'd argue that few (if any) entirely bypass boring, consistent and progressive practice. 

Lucky for me (if not for you LOL), I live for the day in, day out, nitty gritty practice. Which, come to think of it, probably explains why I like making my own horses, even if I'm slower and less effective than the typical professional. Ymmv!

pink loop is my estimation of our first little solo jaunt across the grounds. we have since ventured WAY FARTHER !!!

Anyway. When last we checked in with the intrepid red critter, she was learning the ins and outs of the 9' distance. Primarily with 3 ground poles in a line spaced at that distance. Learning to not rush, fling, launch, swan dive, or otherwise plummet / bomb / cannonball through said configuration. 

Then we started adding in the same 3-element exercise, but now with the middle element raised into an actual jump, albeit very small. Doozy got a bit frantic about jumps since Jenny Camp, so the whoooooole idea is to prove that... it's not a big deal! You don't need speed!

doozy had the #WorldsBest chaperones <3 <3 <3

That practice has continued through basically almost every ride, aside from the occasional trail ride or suuuper basic low pressure flat school. Aiming for at least twice weekly practice with actual jumps. 

This past week, we hit a new milestone too! I decided we needed bigger X's in our lives. Two main reasons: 1) to do a better job of capturing Doozy's attention than tiny speed bumps, and 2) to passively encourage straightness and form. 

anyway, tho, the beat goes on. and what we're really talking about are gymnastic exercises to help doozy both improve her jumping technique AND get a little more relaxed about it all.
here we have a big medium X, with flower fill, and 9' takeoff / landing poles 

And it worked! She was still a bit frantic her first time through, but then really nailed it the second time! Then we changed directions and knocked the rail a couple times --- which is annoying bc I have to dismount and reset each time... It was my own fault tho bc I only used one flower box under the center of the X**. See below pics for future efforts where I wised up and used flower boxes on BOTH sides for a ground line. 

Eventually, tho, she really figured out the footwork, and was able to trot all the way up to the first pole and bounce through. Good girl!

**Obvi in the pic above it's not centered but instead was placed on one specific side, bc I was tired of knocking the rail and moved it out to be more of a ground line so we could execute successfully and be done. Ideally, it's a bi-directional exercise tho, so a box on each side is better.

different ride, same idea. big medium X, **two** flower boxes as bi-drectional ground lines, 9' takeoff and landing.
plus our "flat" version of the same exercise right along side. repetition, yo, it's a helluva drug

After that nice little breakthrough, our next ride was a lovely hack through the woods, then a very vanilla flat school amidst an active lesson group (with zero fireworks!), and then right back to the jumping exercises again!

It's nice that the ring is right next to the driveway, bc I can basically scope out the traffic / occupancy situation on my way in, and stop to set my stuff up if the coast is clear! For this last ride, I replicated the ground poles and X, and also set up takeoff / landing poles for a vertical.

some variation within the structure tho: a small vertical, still with a lot of fill and 9' takeoff and landing poles

And guys --- Doozy got the memo, in no uncertain terms! She was incredible this ride!! And the thing is --- it's not just the exercises where she feels good, it's everything in between too. 

For example, a week ago she could canter cleanly through the 3 ground poles, but might kinda careen off afterward, requiring some work to regain balance. It felt like I was sorta "holding her together" through the exercise, basically only delaying the explosion vs avoiding it entirely. 

And now? Guys --- she's holding her own self together, omg! She can canter away from the ground poles in almost exactly the same balance she had going in. Or, at least, it takes very little work or time to find that balance again, with almost no sacrifice on 'line of travel.' 

aaaaaaand back to those cool pleasant and neon green woods!

And for the actual jumps?? Ugh I was so proud of her <3 <3 She still had moments of getting excitable and breaking into canter before reaching the first placing pole (I'm still trotting into everything except for the flat ground poles at this point), but even then still understood the footwork and could bounce through nicely!

We knocked the X once, but it was just a normal run of the mill mistake for a big horse being asked to compress through an exercise --- vs a frantic horse flatly rushing through. Nbd, just dismount, reset, and jump it again!

lots of pets for a good girl, even if she was a bit suspicious of the ferns!

Doozy finally gave me the feeling again of really lifting her wither and jumping around the fence, rather than launching over it. Finally!! 

And it was reproducible too, we had like 5 good efforts in a row, and I broke my own habit of quitting too early and said, Let's go one more time! And so Doozy went right on ahead and executed the vertical again perfectly. What a mare!

power walking up the big hill!

I really love these exercises and this practice.... Bc other than me using my voice and some gentle cues, it's mostly just Doozy figuring out the exercise construction on her own. Which, ya know, since she's Queen Of Jompies, Knower Of Everything, she much prefers that style of learning vs me manhandling her around. 

My only real job is to keep my hands soft (aka -- hold the neck strap!), and go with her. 

and obvi, a bonus charles <3 <3
here he is standing right in the middle of the aisle, the better to greet everybody as they walk in the barn

So I think we're about ready for the next step --- reintroducing jumps without the placing poles. Or perhaps, if I get cold feet about that (which... y'all know me LOL!), just increasing the distance. Instead of bounce poles, let's bring back the 18' short one stride and see where that gets us. Or ya know, maybe a little bit of both, right?

Like, I still expect Doozy to bolt the occasional fence. My hope, however, is that the gymnastic exercises and practice will help her better figure out what to do if she runs past a distance, or ends up at a less than ideal takeoff point. That, instead of being uncomfortable and punishing and, thus, frantic, we now have options and technique. 

he also just likes the view <3

Or at least, that's the idea haha! In the meantime, it's fun practicing and seeing progress <3

There were glimmers in our ride yesterday where I thought to myself, "holy shit, are you actually becoming schooled??!?" not to mention the many MANY moments where I had to remind myself to soften and let go, bc the mare is starting to maintain her own carriage now, thankyouverymuch. 

Tho, as with Newton's third law of motion, so it is with Dooz: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction lol. There's always more to come, I'm sure!

big small differences

We've been laying low in the heat, keepin everybody as cool as reasonably possible... But mostly just taking it easy. Which is kinda nice, not gonna lie!

brace yourself for unrelated gratuitous charlie photos <3 <3 <3

I don't really have any "big plans" for Doozy at the moment, let alone anything requiring any significant preparation or 'stepping stones' along the way. 

Which is probably a good thing, bc we've slowed down considerably since moving to the new farm. I remain extremely pleased with how well the mare coped with the move... But she's still Doozy lol... She still challenges me basically every time I swing a leg over.

charles, in his indoor wash stall with warm and cold water!

She's grown up so much in subtle, easy-to-miss ways. Like standing at the mounting block, for example. Or traveling alone on the trailer. Or basic riding stuff like accepting leg aids, and even just like, trotting. I say "easy to miss," tho, bc realistically it's natural to obsess on the weak spots, the problems, the "holes."

charles, looking cute in his new outdoor ring <3

My tendency is to get frustrated when the horse frantically rushes, yet again, through a ground pole exercise, rather than recognizing and praising her clever footwork as she organizes her legs into a right lead canter transition, her notoriously more tricky lead.

happy to be riding with friends!

This mare absolutely thrives off praise, tho. So... Right now, basically everything we work on is designed to be "easy" and "boring," routine recognizable exercises from which I can tell Doozy just how amazing she is. From which she can learn the feeling of being "petted and praised" down to walk after a job well done.

the humble plastic curry, my #1 must-have grooming tool. naturally had to buy a second so each horse has one!

Doozy was a super star at Jenny Camp last month, growing in confidence, experience and strength through each phase of the event -- ultimately finishing cross country in beautiful form. She walked away strutting like a newly minted champion, convinced that she is Queen Of Jompies, Knower Of Everything.

we desperately need more rain, but there's still a little grass out there!

Except, lol, she obviously does not know everything...   

In particular, she doesn't have an answer yet for tricky distances --- doesn't quite know how to use or adjust herself. And while she has a very good eye naturally, and good footwork, her default is to speed up and rush the fence -- launching and lurching flatly at it, vs stepping up and under for a strong push off from behind.

doozy, lookin uncertain in the cross ties at TM for a recent dressage lesson

So that's been our focus area ever since getting back to work post-quarantine at the new place. I promise we are still working on getting regular lessons. Coaching relationships take time and I've been spoiled by having some really really excellent past trainers. I'm also learning that not every approach will work for Doozy.

back at doozy's new farm, indoor wash stall also has hot and cold hydrants omg!

Specifically, relaxation must remain sacrosanct, IMO. Twice now, I've worked with trainers who could coach us into very good work in the moment --- but at the expense of increasing tension in the horse. Which, in my experience with this mare, makes that good work increasingly difficult to reproduce in future rides -- and takes us backward in the quality of my solo schooling rides.

ground poles until death or boredom, whichever comes first!
plus, peep all this cute jump fill we get to play with!

So we carry on in our independent #privateer style. Which lately involves revisiting the basics with ground poles and footwork. Utilizing poles spaced at 9' -- like in the picture above. I like this distance for Doozy bc it works for both trot and canter, and is generally forgiving. 

We work on the same or similar exercises in every ride, with slight variations in method and no ride lasting more than about 20min in this heat. One entire ride was spent trotting up to the poles, walking just before them, then trotting away after them, until we could actually trot the line in rhythm with soft contact. Until it was boring.

simple footwork exercises like pole to X to pole, 18' distances

Each ride has built on that exercise, until we were trotting into the ground poles -- and now picking up the canter at the first. Carrying that canter around on the circle, then back to trot into the poles, pick up canter, rinse repeat. 

Aiming for hyper soft contact. Letting Doozy make mistakes like lurching awkwardly or stepping on the poles. And showing her the mistakes aren't a big deal, aren't reason for panic.

sensitive red mare started going a little bald

Also aiming for "boring." For both of us. If she got too amped, then back to trotting up to the poles, then walking instead of cantering. Trying to make it feel easy, quiet. Nbd. 

Next we progressed to holding canter the whole way around the circle and through the poles. Working on holding the correct lead, finding a balance, waiting. And again, interspersing walk and trot as needed to regulate the excitement lol.

new fuzzy gifth from consignment! replacing the old ovation gel form, that was actually a hand-me-down from isabel if you can believe it!

Next we started re-introducing small jumps. Little X's, like the one pictured earlier, and also that flowery lattice gate from an earlier picture and other flower box filled small jumps, always with placing poles at takeoff and sometimes on landing too. 

it's a simple style girth but i quite like them!

The more fill, the better, IMO. While "building up" the jump might make Doozy more excitable, the ground poles and flower boxes also help encourage her to get more "up and over" vs "through." My takeoff poles are generally at the 9' distance, to replicate the same exact question as our ground pole exercise, and we experimented with landing poles at both 9' and 18'.

 

lady got new shoes with a new farrier too!

Doozy definitely gets more excited at the actual jumps, and wants to rush at them. It's really really hard for me to keep my hands soft when she does that, but catching her in the mouth just makes her even more inverted and awkward, reinforcing exactly the wrong feeling. So I hold the neck strap and let her make her mistakes.

he recommended putting her in bell boots to protect some of his shaping plans

But this is where all that praise comes in to play: Doozy knows when it doesn't feel good. She knows when she clobbers a rail and steps on the landing pole. I don't need to explain that to her, ya know? But I can use the ground pole exercise to show her the difference, and praise every single moment of softness or patience.

also at doozy's farm, another cat! this one might be a house cat, tho - i've only seen him once

We had a really great moment in our last session, with the flowery lattice gate jump, with takeoff pole at 9' and landing pole at 18', to be ridden on a circle. Her first time through was heinously frantic - including scrambling all over the landing pole (considering her natural step is def 12'+!).

he has beautiful eyes but wouldn't show the camera lol

But we just went right back to the ground poles like nbd, which she did very nicely, then held the circle right back to the actual jump. And wouldn't ya know it, right from the takeoff pole, it was apparent that she "got it." Like, absolutely aced the trot up to the pole, stepped up perfectly to actually jump the gate (instead of essentially hurdling it), and balanced through the 18' distance to the landing pole. 

Perfect! Good girl! I'm an absolute junkie for that feeling haha, not gonna lie. When it "clicks" for the horse, like she really understood the exercise <3 <3 <3 

doozy, with field friends

In a weird way, this season's intense heat has maybe been beneficial in forcing me to stay efficient and economical in these rides. Like, we need the consistent repetition --- but in short sweet and boring doses. I'm reminded of a lesson years ago with former trainer Dan C, and a very green Charlie, with instruction along the lines of:

"Don't take forever to get there. This work is exhausting - don't lollygag around waiting for him to soften up before we can do the exercise. Do something, change something. Make a difference. Slow him down. Soften him."

 

her grass is similarly parched, but still there!

That's been a useful mantra to keep in mind while we work on our ground poles and footwork exercises. No endless circling -- Only good productive repetition, aiming for clear positive stopping points, knowing that we can keep slowly building in the next session.

So we're making the most of the nasty weather, one simple boring ride at a time, with the hope that maybe once things cool off we'll be ready for anything!