Christian Schacht Clinic

This past weekend I decided to sign myself up for a two day clinic with Christian Schacht. Prior to my lessons I knew very little about the clinician but following my weekend I'm so glad I signed up. I always learn so much from clinics and always leave with a sense of determination and purposes in my riding. I decided to make a note of the most influential bits of my lessons. 

                                    

Jacket Buttons

This is the point that probably resonated the most with me. Christian noticed that I have trouble sitting the trot, which has always been a struggle for me, especially on Stryker. What I realize now is that I tend to stiffen and become rigid and overly formal in the sitting trot and at times also in the canter. Christian told me to imagine that I was wearing my show jacket and to think of the two buttons on the back. He told me to imagine moving those up and down with the rise and the fall of Strykers back. I rode around on a twenty meter circle, eyes closed, just imagining rotating my back so that the buttons of my jacket would rise and fall, and suddenly I was moving with Stryker! Not ahead or behind or above but moving right with his back, that was a harmonious feeling. This was one of those things that is so incredibly simple but which immediately impacted my riding so much, it's simultaneously exciting, and annoying that I only just now got it. 

Lower Back

Something that ties into my seat is my lower back. Something I had never thought about but which was pointed out is that I tend to arch my lower back. This feeds into my rigid-ness in the trot and canter. Christian told me to think about pressing my lower back against someone's hand, and although it took me a few tries, I fought myself and softened my back. This really, really helped my canter, the second I softened my lower back he rounded his whole body and my seat and legs remajned effortlessly still and in the saddle. 

Canter-Walk

I was told to canter a three loop serpentine with simple changes on centerline. Nothing too challenging, however my canter walk transitions were less than perfect. Stryker tends to do one of two things, 1: he trots into the walk on his forehand or 2: he plants his forehand and just stops. Christian said something which immediately changed my riding. He said to think about beginning the walk, not ending the canter. So instead of stopping my seat and then having to compensate for his lack of power in the transition, I simply thought about riding his hind legs from canter into a walk. There it was! An effortless transition into the walk from the canter, almost easy. I can't pinpoint exactly what I do with my legs and seat differently, but when I actively think "begin the walk" the transition is smoother and more balanced. I want to say that my seat and legs stay active and I ask for a downward transition without tightening and shutting him down.

Giraffe Moments

We're all aware of the similarities Stryker shares with his longer necked specie sibling. Although his attitude has improved significantly, there are still times when Stryker has the nerve to turn his nose up to me. Christians approach is one that I have no problem resorting to at a competition when my patience is endless, being that all eyes are on me, however at home my patience occasionally runs short and I end up in a fight. When Stryker puts his nose in the air Christian instructed me to basically do nothing, don't pull, don't yield, simply put my hands down and wait him out. A fight will only prolong his behavior and make it more persistent. After a few moments, Stryker would give it up and continue in a content way. 

Clinics are so unique, in that you and your horse seem to excel at a rapid pace in a matter of 2-3 days. You leave with a plethora of tools and a refreshed idea of how to obtain your goals. I think clinics are an important aspect to training both rider and horse, because you get a set of professional, objective eyes and often leave with new understandings of your own riding and how to better communicate with your horse. 

Cellulitis

Sitting at work at the beginning of an eight-hour shift on a Saturday morning, I definitely wasn’t expecting any news from the barn. But I got some, Stryker’s hind right leg was swollen. UGH! I had just gotten done dealing with the vet that Thursday because he’dbeen off and on lame on his front feet. Luckily the front-end problem was an easy fix, thin soles. However, the hind leg would not be such an easy fix. I rushed out to the barn after work, and came to find Stryker’s leg was definitely swollen. Not just a little stocked up, like, his leg was close to twice the size of his other hind leg. So many things were going through my mind, “He got bitten by something, he hurt it in his stall overnight, he hurt it yesterday in the pasture, he couldn’t have broken it…. He’s putting weight on it, which means it can’t be broken… right?”

Not Strykers leg, but he had similar swelling. 

He was obviously stiff on the leg, but he was putting weight on it. What worried me most was that he didn’t want to bend his hock; instead he was trying to swing the leg around to walk on it. I took him into the wash rack and ran my hands up and down the leg. The swelling began around his stifle area and went all the way down the leg, and where there was swelling, there was heat, lots of heat. The hottest area was centralized right around his hock, where he did have a small (small as in tiny) hock sore. I cold hosed the leg and called the vet. After describing Stryker’s situation the vet immediately came up with Cellulitis. Now, I for one had no clue what Cellulitis was, the vet (who seemed unalarmed by the whole thing) recited how I should care for it and set up a prescription for him. I hung up the phone, at ease since the vet didn’t seem to be worried, and immediately googled Cellulitis. In the simplest terms, Cellulitis is an infection of the subcutaneoustissue (tissue just beneath the skin). Often Cellulitis causes swelling, heat and tenderness in the affected limb, and once contracted, the horse can be more susceptible to the infection in the future *face palm*.

So, the route I chose to care for the leg was rather simple, just time consuming. In the beginning when the leg was at its worst, I gave him a dose of UlcerGard every day, and supplemented with Bute on the bad days. Everyday would cold hose the leg for about 10-15 minutes and wash the leg with something similar to Betadine, hand walk him,medicate his small cut, and poultice the entire leg. Although most say to wrap poultice with standing wraps over the quilts, I wrapped with vetrap. DON’T WORRY, I was very careful to not tourniquet my horse’s leg. You may think it is impossible to turn a horse out with a fully wrapped leg (yes including the hock) but you, my friend, are incorrect. I didn’t want Stryker standing in his stall, I couldn’t imagine how stiff the leg would get with no movement, so we put him out in a small paddock with a buddy, and I had no problems with the wrap. By the way, I spent 6 months in Florida, and I really thought I was good at wrapping, but let me tell you, wrapping a wounded leg from top to bottom every day for 3 weeks really brings out the inner wrapping-queen that’s in us all. Anyway, like I said, I wrapped everything that was hot after cold hosing. So the whole leg was wrapped for about 1 ½ weeks, and then it was just the hock plus directly above and below it for about a week and then the hock was wrapped by itself for another week and a half. Then I took the chance and let the leg go. About every other day I would throw some poultice on for a night with no wrap. But all in all, the leg was feelingnormal. Except, of course, for a small rash he got because of all the wrapping. That was an easy fix though; clean the leg, dry the leg, medicate as needed.

Wrapping in action. 

Now it was time to try to get back to work. I had been hand walking him and there was no lameness in the walk, some occasional stiffness, but nothing that really worried me. So, it was time to trot. I took him out on the lunge and on day 1, he was lame when going left with the bad leg on the outside, but with the leg on the inside he was fine. I gave him a few days and he looked stiff going left but no limp. Another few days later and I pushed him in the trot and saw nothing at all, he practically told me he was feeling better with the upright tail, snorting and prancing (definitely a sight for sore eyes). Today, another week later, he is back to work on the lunge with side reins. At this point I’m focusing just on forward, stretching and obedience. Yes, he still has an attitude. I plan to get on in a few days and get him back to work to rebuild and get back to where we were with his training. Unfortunately, I missed the schooling show in September, but I’ll be able to make it to a clinic at the end of November, which is when you can expect another post.

Oh yeah, I'm home!

Well this is a bit overdue, but I'm home!
It's actually been just about a month since I've returned home and I'm finally starting to get into a routine. It was just as much of a shock coming back home as it was leaving, and I actually have felt a little homesick for Florida. Don't ask me what it is about the early mornings, 12 hour days, Florida heat and non-stop labor, but I really did enjoy it. I think it was because I didn't have to try to enjoy it, I mean yes, cleaning multiple stalls at the crack of dawn is not my idea of fun, but spending everyday around beautiful horses, talented riders and in the midst of friends who understood my love of the farm brought me peace.
At the same time, it is so wonderful to be home. I missed my family so much, and I got home just in time for my baby nephew Noah to be born. It feels good to be able to take a weekend and spend time with my family out at my parent's farm, or to drive to Denver to spend a weekend with my big sister. I did miss the freedom I have here at home, but I can feel myself not being as disciplined, which annoys me. Right now I am finally starting to settle into a routine of riding 5 days a week, and I've started taking lessons from a really great local trainer. The boys seem happy to be home, they both have gained a bit of weight since leaving, which they needed and I think the quality of my riding has remained like it was in Florida. I have tried to make myself wake up early most days, because while in Florida I really appreciated how much of the day I got when I woke up at 6:30. To be honest I have compromised slightly, and have been rising around 9:30, but hey it's summer vacation! 
In other news, I have this terrible habit of obsessively tracking the Job Search page on Yard and Groom looking for opportunities. Then I find one and realize that it's too soon to commit to something again. I am already enrolled for the Fall semester and if I take on a different position it would be more long term (and preferably by the ocean!).
That's all for now, I'm taking it day by day, just doing what I know, which is caring for my horses and keeping myself busy one way or another. I will try and update again soon, I want to keep this blog as a sort of training journal, so that I can look back and know how I have ridden in the past. 

Teaching vs. Disciplining

During the 2:00 group lesson everyday we, the students, are expected to learn from multiple different things. Our horse, the other horses, the instructor and the mirrors. It's difficult, but once I get into the flow of all of the commotion in the arena, I find myself multitasking and being able to listen to the other instruction being given, even when its not directed at me. Something I overheard the other day really sunk in and changed my attitude while riding.
What I heard was an explanation of the difference between teaching a horse and disciplining a horse. A lot of riders discipline rather than teach, that is, when the horse doesn't respond correctly to an aid the rider will react aggressively instead of in a forgiving way. It's somewhat equivalent to yelling at a child when they do something wrong rather than telling them what they did wrong and what is right instead. Hearing this explanation gave me a healthy dose of patience. When Stryker comes above the bit and goes behind the leg, instead of acting like he should know better and succumbing to an argument, I stay relaxed, put him into a lateral  movement and let him figure out the right answer.
What I most gained from remembering that horses will always make mistakes, and a lot of them, is that we as riders have to have the patience and tools in order to correct the horse without him feeling threatened. This approach saves so much time and is so much better for the mental health of the horse during the ride. It's like what the instructors say here, to treat your horse like you would treat a child, because it really is like teaching children. They are sensitive animals and speak a language that is difficult to understand. When I can remember these things, everyone involved goes back to the barn happy, and that's the whole point.

Happy Horse, Happy Life

It has been about two weeks since I had Stryker worked on by a woman who practices a very interesting form of chiropractics. I will put the link to her website here, http://www.jsessentialtherapies.com. The name for what she does is "body work" I believe and I encourage every horse owner to look into it. It was extremely interesting to watch and I'm completely sold on the methods she used. 

Stryker (as I assumed) was out in his hips, had a rib out and was extremely sore. She worked all over his whole body and he even did some self adjusting which is when the body adjusts itself without the practitioner actually having to directly influence the area. When the body adjusts itself the adjustment generally lasts longer. Anyway, I practically worshipped this woman by the end of the appointment. Strykers top line looked better, he was standing more upright and wasn't cocking his hind feet every chance he got. He walked with so much more suppleness and most amazingly, his back wasn't sore whatsoever! He got two days off following the adjustment and then we slowly integrated him back into work. Now, the therapist warned me that his attitude and aggression had probably become a sort of reflex and a habit and that he needed to be worked correctly in order to learn that he can be comfortable while working. The first three or so rides after his adjustment he tried giving me an attitude a few times throughout my ride. With persistence and tactful riding, however, he has become so much more willing. I have become more attuned to the subtle hints he gives before deciding to explode. For example, when he would kick out at my leg he was giving me plenty of warning. First he would suck back from my leg and pin his ears, then when I didn't insist he go forward he would twist his body around one of my legs so that I felt like his neck, mid section and hind end were all going in different directions, and finally he would really suck back and kick out. What I have been doing differently is correcting him for the thought. If he pins his ears at me that horse better go forward and if he tries anything more he gets a smack on the hind end or shoulder. 

For 2 weeks he has been steadily improving. He hardly gives me an attitude anymore and when he does he practically corrects himself before I have the chance. He is going forward and lifting his forehand and his lateral movements are improving so much! I'm so proud of him! Our shoulder in is getting consistently more forward and correct and he is beginning to give me honest half-pass steps (even if it's only 3). We are really challenging him now, every ride I am doing lateral movements interrupted by a spurt of forward movement, in the walk he is doing turn on the haunches and we have begun working on counter canter again. He is accepting all of the work and has a happy demeanor while doing it. Let me tell you how much of a breath of fresh air it is to ride a willing horse. Not to mention how good it feels to know that my horse isn't in any pain. 

The chiropractor will look at him again in 2 weeks and I'll have galaxy checked out as well. Speaking of Galaxy, I just love that horse. He has so much heart and he's just so stinkin cute. He's a little half passing machine and he's really taking the contact now. I stretch that horse to death at the beginning of my ride and he gets so forward and swinging in his back that when I really go to work I can achieve long, supple strides rather then short, tight little trot strides. His lateral work is better then ever and it feels so good to have him accepting the contact and keeping it himself without constantly dropping it or inverting. 

 It's a good thing I love him so much because I don't have time to ride him until after work, usually around 6:45 so I've been in the barn until about 8:00 most nights working him. Luckily the sun is out until then. During the day I have been able to ride the upper level horse that I had a few lessons on at the beginning of my time here. It's really wonderful being able to ride something that gives me the opportunity to work so much on myself. Not to mention the fun I'm having with one tempis, piaffe and passage :)

Random thought-In one of my lessons a while back it was pointed out that when I was trying to influence the rein I would usually pull my hand out without being loose in my elbow and shoulder, or I would bring my hand back without being loose in my elbow and shoulder. What I have been told to do now is use my whole arm, so when I need to bring my hand back at all I bring it back from my shoulders. My arm moves back from my shoulder and my elbow bends to take my hand back... Kind of like a train only without the circular motion... I hope that makes sense. 

Anyway, I'm down to only 2 months and 2 days until I go home. I can't even imagine what I'm going to accomplish with the boys in that time. I'm excited to find out though! 

Becoming an Educated Owner and Rider

Ok, it's been awhile.
I am learning how to be a horse owner. Being here in Florida, on my own with my two horses has really made me see how uninvolved I have been in their care. Not only am I the decision maker now, but, Stryker (being the princess and the pea) has given me the opportunity to see that as a horse owner, I cannot blindly trust anyone really. I'm learning that I need to educate myself and be able to make decisions for myself according to what I think is best for my horses.
Stryker has been having all sorts of problems, at first I thought it was attitude, but it kept getting worse and I realized that he was in pain. I had the vet look at him at first and do a flexion test. He tested positive on his hind legs and the vet immediately wanted to give him injections and put shoes on his front feet. Of course, I wanted to do what she said, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing so I reached out to some people I trust and made my decision based on that. I decided to have someone come out for a second opinion, a chiropractor who was recommended to me by a woman here in Florida. I am so glad I had her look at him, she worked on him for a full hour and by the end Stryker was not showing any pain in his back and showed so much more relaxation and comfort just in the way he was standing. The difference I saw in him after he was worked on was unbelievable! He has had 2 days off and will go back to work tomorrow. I am not expecting him to have let go of his attitude, because I believe that he's become defensive and until he realizes he can work without pain, his attitude will still be a defense mechanism.
Galaxy, on the other hand, has been getting worked primarily in the last week while Stryker has been in recovery mode. He was definitely worn out yesterday, in time for our day off. He's doing really good work, on the lunge and under saddle. Mrs. P thought it looked like I was fighting my saddle, as in my saddle was hindering my ability to balance and give aids. So, she put me in an old Spirig saddle, and wow, I absolutely hate to say it, but I will need a new saddle at some point. In the Spirig I was able to really feel his back and was lighter and more secure in the seat, not to mention how much more quiet my legs became. So, I'll put it on the future project list to keep my eye out for a used saddle that will fit both me and Galaxy. I had never realized before that a saddle has to fit the rider too, I mean more then just be big or small enough for the seat. It has to be shaped correctly for the rider and enhance the seat rather then just be something that you sit on.
I will hopefully get to put up an update after Stryker gets back into work again. I was so happy after I saw the change in his body after being worked on, but riding will be the real test. Wish me luck!

Ulcers and Draw Reins and the Beach, Oh My!

Sorry about the title, I'm from Kansas so I can use the "oh my" thing. Random collection, but that's pretty much what's been filling up my days.

Stryker is on Ulcer medication (very, very expensive medication) but it will be worth it in the long run and I'll know when to treat him for prevention now instead of waiting until it gets this bad. He has been working hard, but I'm seeing results in every lesson. Yesterday we worked on his canter and I learned a new exercise which will help his impulsion and help to strengthen his hind and back which he desperately needs. Lately I've become much more attentive to his subtle evasions of stretching over his back and building those essential muscles. All of his evasions are connected too, it seems. When I want to take him forward, he drops his back and inverts (thus, he doesn't have to stretch his muscles in the transition and it makes it "easier"). When I want to go sideways he sometimes does the same thing, and in turn he doesn't have to use whatever inside hind leg I'm asking him to use. However, I have been riding him much deeper in the neck which (because of his anatomy) makes it so that his back stretches smoothly from his hind end through his back and into his neck. When I want to make a transition up or down, I make him deeper in the connection and take him sideways, even if only for a step, and then as he is floating sideways I ask for the transition. It's that easy! I have been told that he is a horse that wants to compromise. In other words he is willing to go forward if he can be inverted. Or he will trot around the ring in a pretty frame but won't go sideways or forward when asked. This is where building his back muscles will really help. Soon, this kind of work will be easy for him and he and I will both learn that compromising one thing for another is never going to get us anywhere.
Anyway, this exercise I was doing in the canter goes like this: in the canter on the true lead make 10 meter circles all around the arena at almost every letter. The goal of the circles are to use your inside leg and half halts on the outside rein to encourage collection in the canter. Once you feel a steady, collected and controlled canter make a transition to the walk on the last quarter of the circle as you're headed towards the wall. Next, pick up the counter canter and try and keep the collection you just created. Counter canter around the short end and then cross the diagonal and do the same exercise on that lead. When I did this with Stryker his tendency was to just stop. He was having trouble staying in the canter, instead of collecting he though he should make a downward transition. Not a big deal, but he was never allowed to run in any of this work. Because now that we have established the forward we have to teach him how to keep balanced for collection. So, when he would trot I would slow the trot and pick the canter back up to continue the exercise. Once he figured out I wasn't asking for the trot I did occasionally feel a few really good steps of collection. Usually in the last half of the circle I could feel him lift his shoulders and get more airtime in the canter. Then, I could make a walk transition and pick up the other lead. I could tell this was really tiring for him and I was really proud he kept at it for as long as he did.

I forgot to mention, Mrs. P had me put draw reins on Stryker. I know... Somewhere in the world Sue just cringed. I promise, Sue, they are completely loose the whole time!! The only time they come into effect is when he tries to invert and completely back off the connection. Basically they aren't there to effect the bit unless he pulls them tight. I was really not interested in using them at first, but I am glad that I'm learning how to ride with them and how they can be used in different situations. 

Galaxy is as wonderful as ever. He had lost some weight on his trip over here so he has been getting extra hay. I think this horse is full for the first time in his life. I actually saw him not eating while there was still hay in his stall... That's unheard of.  He has been getting about 8 flakes of hay over the course of the day and I think he may think he's in heaven. But, he has gained weight so eventually he won't be getting so much. Lucky for him though they like the horses to be a little meatier here, I think it helps to build muscle, which makes sense. 

Another working student and I took her horse and Galaxy on  a trail ride on Saturday, in the rain. We were feeling adventurous and decided to go see what kind of trails were around the farm. Turns out there's quite a bit of land to explore so I'm excited about that. I will probably start taking them out on the weekends instead of working them, or at least after working them. I think giving the horses a day off or riding them out in the woods is just as (or even more) beneficial as working them.
All in all I would say the boys are happy and healthy. Other then Stryker having to be turned out in the monster paddock every morning (seriously, it's scary... It's next to the highway but not where you can see it so you just hear the traffic, and to top it off the dumpster is right next to it so the garbage truck comes to attack him once a week... Poor guy) other then that though they are happy horses :)
Today, I had an unexpected day off so I went to the beach!!! The beach is only 35 minutes or so from me and I hadn't gone yet before today, so I decided to treat myself to a laid back beach day. I sat out and read my book and listened to music for about three hours right on the shore. I got some much needed vitamin D. Tomorrow I get back to real life and then in two weeks I get to have my mom for a whole day!!! Not to mention I get to take a hotel shower. I never thought this would be the case, but I miss my bathroom from home SO much! The water here smells funny and the shower is all small and it's just not home... Or a fancy hotel. So I'm going to drive to Orlando after work and greet my mom all smelly and covered in hay and then plan to take the longest, hottest shower! Ooh, I hope the shower head has those different settings so you get a little back massage.... Can you tell I'm excited? Sorry about that weird tangent into my home life. Anyway, Netflix is calling me so I must go find a chick flick and get into bed.