a lesson for charlie

This weekend's ice storm nearly derailed our highly anticipated first dressage clinic. The storm was more intense and lasted longer than anybody expected. And try as I might, rationalizing hauling out on Saturday morning or afternoon was just too foolhardy.

Luckily my lesson could be shifted to Sunday. So off we went! Let's discuss the details, shall we?

Clinic Takeaways:
1.      Change Charlie's bit to a big fat eggbutt snaffle.
2.      Keep my elbows bent and my hands held higher. Except for those other times.
3.      Charlie is uneducated about contact.
4.      Charlie is still too green for clinics.

  

Lest you think that's a rather slim collection of takeaways, let's unpack it a little bit (in descending order):

4. Charlie is still too green for clinics.

Big bay boy was a saint. The clinician legitimately asked if I had given the horse something. Bc. Guys. Charlie is quiet. It's an asset.

He came off the trailer sweaty in his one special spot (so weird lol) but set to grazing immediately. Whinnied at the horses in turnout.... but still stood nicely tied at the trailer while I saddled him up in the rain.

  

Charlie walked around the new-to-him indoor like the most solid of citizens for 25-30 minutes while we waited to start (I was early and the clinic was behind). He didn't care at all about the traffic or horses going every which way (including one who cantered up Charlie's butt repeatedly).

And upon beginning the lesson, Charlie was basically the same as he always is. Steering was a little worse, sure. But emotionally, big guy was accepting of the fate that had befallen him.

  

So. To the point: When I say he's too green, I do NOT mean that he couldn't handle the format or the travel or the pressure or the atmosphere or whatever you might associate with clinics. On that note, he was a star and I'm quite pleased with him.

Rather. He's too green in that he's just plain not broke enough, not trained enough. There are so many things that need work, and he's so inconsistent (even from moment to moment) that a clinician might reasonably struggle with directing our ride. Everything needs work, and it feels like you can't focus on one thing without breaking or undoing something else.

dis how we trot

Looking back at my cardinal rules for defining the successful clinic experience, chief among them is that the lesson must mesh well with my existing regular training program.

I already know that Stephen's philosophies match dressage trainer C's, and that his lessons complement hers nicely. But perhaps it's inevitable that when handed such an unshaped, raw lump of clay as Charlie, the two might diverge in approaches for first forming it.

And so. This lesson prioritized things differently than our lessons with C. We didn't go in a bad direction, or a wrong direction. It was just different. Bc let's be real. It all needs work haha.

earth to charlie!

But... we need consistency at this point in our training (both of us)... So until the horse is a little less green, and a little more educated about how to be a riding horse, we should probably stay the course with our regular program. #nowiknow


3 - 2 - 1. Charlie is uneducated about contact.

The other three takeaways can all kinda be lumped into this one duh statement. Charlie is uneducated about contact. Go figure, he last raced just over four months ago and has only had amateur me riding him ever since.

use your words, charlie

This would be our focus for the lesson. Stephen had us trotting on a circle to start out, with the occasional walk transition thrown in (predictably shitty bc Charlie's downward transitions are... uh... slow to develop haha).

Upon identifying Charlie's lack of understanding or acceptance of the bit as anything other than a chunk of metal in his mouth, Stephen began on what would be our full lesson: educating Charlie on what contact means.

This started with us standing while Stephen held the reins, asking Charlie to give. Progressed to us on a circle trying to find that same give to the contact. Regressed to us walking on a circle with Stephen walking along beside us holding the reins. Continued to us trotting on a circle while Stephen jogged along while holding the reins.

lead line lesson ftw

Intermittently he would let go and Charlie's head would ping! straight up again, despite his directions to keep carrying the contact forward. Idk. It was hard. The physics seemed all wrong: with Stephen below us holding the reins, his contact was at an angle I can't realistically achieve from the saddle. When he would let go for me to carry forward, suddenly my reins would be much too long after accounting for the slack he took.... And my 'feel' wasn't very in tune either bc I wasn't the one doing the work.

In some ways it was very cool bc I could really feel the changes in how Charlie carried himself and there were some really nice moments of trot in there.

pony is trying hard tho
(notice angle of inside rein)

In other ways tho... idk. It was kinda awkward as fuck to be trotted around on a circle with the clinician jogging alongside doing half the riding from the ground. Part of me wondered why he hadn't just asked to ride the horse himself.

Also, idk if it was the focus on the contact or the fact that there was a human at Charlie's shoulder dictating the pace... but we basically lost all forward. I was kicking the horse, and he just... kinda wouldn't go. And with Stephen's back to me, I didn't get much input on improving my ride.

  

Time ran out while we were still in this phase of being jogged on a circle with Stephen letting go intermittently.

So. Idk. Hopefully Charlie learned something haha.