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!