Local Champions Tour

All around us is burning, that feeling of dread I was having last week was warranted. No rain in the forecast either, this is scary. 

But as before, back to your regularly scheduled pony programming... 

Butterball and I took on the full three days of the Local Champions Tour this past weekend. As I have gotten into the world of rated HJ, I appreciate what these folks do even more. True courses with decorations and the formality of show clothing on Saturday and Sunday at a much more palatable price. Butterball and I had been once before and done an 80 and a 90 round. Re-reading that post, we mostly got by on his generosity in the 90. This go round we were much better prepared. 

PW did a round first on Friday and commented that pony pants was LIT. I processed slowly, and it wasn't until the DH reminded me that I realized that ALLL of our recent trips to Sweet Dixie have been to gallop and/or school XC. Granted he shows very little enthusiasm for the galloping, but regardless, that's what we've done. So he probably expected to be put in his fun hackamore for a merry gallop around. PW went in and jumped a clear round with him, but he said he felt kind of green - there was a decent amount of bucking and dragging down instead of lifting up through his shoulders when asked during the turns. 

I warmed up, being careful NOT to change my pace the last few strides "same canter, something will show up". 

He felt good to me, so we headed in. And overall I was thrilled with the round. We did a good job keeping momentum going through a pretty tight left-hand roll back to a two stride line. There were no oxers involved in the line, but still, that put together two of our very tricky things: tight left hand turns and combinations. 

My biggest mistake came in the line I thought was a nine stride from fence 8 to 9. We'd had TWO six stride lines to test out our stride length, and we'd gotten down them a little too quick, making the last stride short. And then he jumped big over fence 8 and rather than riding off my eye as instructed, I was counting strides and about stride seven realized there was a problem. Instead of closing my leg and supporting I kinda sat there and prayed. Which lead to eight, a big 'ole chip, and then a launch. But he went and didn't hold a grudge as we finished up the course. Fence 11 was a liverpool and then 12 and 13 were cross country fences, brought in to prep for the Derby course on Sunday. He merrily popped on over those although did feel a tiny bit surprised to see them, I think. 

We came back the next day for the same course, although 11 had been changed to a hunter style fence and the last two XC fences were no longer options. I was also informed that our problem line was in fact an on stride eight strides. So I guess on Friday I had NOT ridden forward for four strides and then waited for four because he had motored down the six stride lines so well. So we ended up a bit short of a true eight strides. Oops. 

Butterball was much more chill Saturday morning. Our warm up verticals went very smoothly, but I kept pushing past the distance to the oxers. I was at least gluing my eye to the same spot on the fence, so I knew to support with leg at the base if I messed up the distance. PW and I had discussed taking the inside turns this time: from 1 to 2 and from 3 to 4. 

I sliced the first vertical and easily did that inside turn, but we landed from the oxer at 3 and I thought "there's no freaking way" so didn't fight for the inside turn. He took a slightly deep spot to 8, which was the start of our 8.33 stride line the day before. But after the deep spot in, I sat up, kept my leg on, and patiently waited for the nine strides. It rode much better this time. PW and I were both super pleased with him, so I scratched the second round to save him for Sunday and the DERBY course. 

In spite of our clean round, we were 9th out of 13 in that class with a time of 82.65 seconds. The winning time? 67.76 seconds. Ouch. 

Sunday morning I got to walk with my two friends who were also showing. The course was set for the 2'6" derby that preceded our 3' derby. Jumps 1-7 were XC/hunter style (1, 2, and 5 were XC fences - the coop in both directions and the bench; 3, 4, 6, and 7 were hunter fences with flowers and panels) then jumps 8-13 were regular jumper style rails/planks. It was set up like a power and speed with a very generous optimum time for the first half. The announcer told us all to ride our nicest hunter round for those fences. Then you were supposed to kick it in high gear for 8-13. 

For whatever reason I felt kind of off kilter/focus this morning. I almost asked PW to ride him for me when they changed the oxer at fence 11 into a swedish. I don't think I've ever jumped a swedish with Butterball, and the thing looked giant. I reminded myself we have jumped 1.10m, but then the nasty little voice came up and reminded me we've also stopped plenty at 90. Butterball also felt a bit tired, which is when I can get in trouble with getting him flat and still behind the leg but quick vs. actually powerfully forward. Warm up went pretty well though, and at the end PW set up a steep and large ascending oxer that pony pants tackled no problem. 

We headed on in and were okay but kinda quiet over the XC fences. We moved out a bit better down the flower box lines though and I was quite happy with how those rode... (see we do need to try out hunters still). 

Then after fence 7 I kinda blanked out and quit riding for a few seconds. I didn't even bother to get him straight to 8, let alone remember that I was going to try to take the inside turn to 9. Our lack of straightness and the fact that 8 was a square oxer, not ascending, meant he had the rail down with a hind. After I located fence 9 I did re-engage my brain a bit. The rest of the course went pretty well, the two stride right hand roll back to the imposing swedish was actually fine. Although as I created the gif of that bit, I saw the last two strides before the oxer I did soften the reins at him a bit. The problem with this move is that it lets him lengthen the last few strides and eat up the distance too quick, putting us deep and leading to a sliding stop into the fence. It's my "Butterball take the wheel" move as we call it. But y'know what? He did take the wheel. He absolutely did, and I'm so proud of him and proud of the work we've done building his confidence and my riding. This is two fold, these moments are less common, but when they do happen he is happy to help me out.  

The last oxer at fence 13 also looked quite large. But by that point in the course my brain was about out of energy for panicking, so I registered it as we cantered down to it, but I think kept ahold of the contact a bit better. Our rail kept us out of the money, but there were only four clear rounds out of thirteen, we weren't alone in taking down a rail at fence eight. Our time wasn't too far off of the faster ones this go round either, maybe we'll make it into the ribbons some day. But as I said above, I'm absolutely thrilled with both of us. I *mostly* rode and thought about what was happening and what I should be doing. And he stepped on up and took care of me over some imposing fences. 

Full six minutes of courses thanks to friends and husband! 

HITS - Take Two

Butterball and I went to play at HITS this past week, keeping to the ideas set out for happy horse and happy person. 

Wednesday we signed up for the open 80 with the idea that this should feel so easy. And to one of us it did (hint, it wasn't me). 

In the warm up PW had me focusing on keeping his shoulders up and in line as we turned the corner to our fence. I kinda sorta forgot about that during the whole course. Fortunately pony pants pinged right over things so we got to do the jump off. During which I remembered to ride a bit more. My friend who was watching said at times she had no idea where I was going based on my riding. Same. It's like my brain was so squirrely just getting the numbers right that I completely didn't ride between the fences. But Butterball happily jumped from wherever we ended up. 

We ended up with a 6th place in the class. Not too bad out of 22, especially when the only time I even thought about going quickly was between the last two fences of the jump off when there was a relatively long distance. 

I was chatting with my friend afterwards who made a switch from eventing to jumpers several years ago. We decided eventing show jump courses are a halfway point between hunter courses and jumper courses. Which is apparently taking my brain quite some time to come to terms with. 

Looking ridiculously cute waiting to get tacked up 

Mowing down the clover patches 

I worked all day Thursday, but was back at the show on Friday. 

Golden pony in the golden morning light, headed to the trailer

I drove down there (without music because the truck computer chip died and after replacing a hose and getting the brakes done, the truck is on $ rations) thinking about how I was going to ride. 

• 50% of my weight in my stirrups since on Wednesday I had been defaulting to either getting behind him and driving, which he hates, or tipping forward 
• Using my outside aids to bring him around the turns
• Using my inside leg to lift his barrel up to the outside aids
• Straight to every. single. fence. 

And OMG guys. I did those things. PW said it was the best course he's seen me jump at a show. We were both delighted. It was actually a really fun course and PERFECT for focusing on the turns and getting him straight to each fence. And he jumped so much better than he had on Wednesday because I was getting him straight and not letting his shoulders fall in or out through the turns. Other than the couple of cross cantering moments, I really wouldn't have changed anything. The first one was me not asking for the change, the second one between fences 8 and 9 was me thinking I was turning left and then realizing the jump was to the right.

Saturday was another jump off round. 

I came a little under powered to the first few fences. But Butterball was happy to leave the ground from a gappy spot when it came up. It would've felt a bit smoother if the canter had more energy though. 

I was pleased with our jump off round and could've even done an inside turn between 6&7. 

Bareback hack to the barn from where I stop the trailer. This pony is worth his weight in gold. 

He flipped between sides at least three times. Most delighted by wallowing. 

Sunday morning we moved up to the 90s again. We were the first class to go with a table 2.c. course. This is power and speed except if you have faults in the first half you don't get to do the second half. I was told this is so on the classic day they can get people through the non-classic courses faster. I didn't bother signing up for the classic because our best placing in our 3 courses at 80 was 6th, so we certainly weren't going quick enough to be in the money at any height. 

I got to warm up at 750 for the 8 AM start, and we were the only horse in the ring; it was a delightful warm up by myself. I only had to be told not to shove him at the fence once in warm up. The steward was getting a bit irritated by the time we were headed into the ring as the first pair at 8:09. I'm not sure where everyone else was TBH. Unfortunately we only got to do half the course because we were two seconds too slow. It was really smooth and lovely other than the first fence though, so I'm not mad about it. It also fit with the point we've been making to Butterball: go in, do your job well, and then you get to be done. After I watched the video I told PW I was switching to hunters. He told me I wasn't going that slowly. I did take a long time on my turns as I approached two of the oxers though which could easily be the two seconds. Since we were focusing on straight and steady the whole week, I didn't want to risk getting him crooked and only giving him a stride or two to notice the fence. 

Overall a more successful venture into jumper land than our December trip. And a successful first show barefoot. I gotta admit I watched his trot circle in this last video multiple times. He moves so beautifully without shoes. 

Photo by ESI. They took some beautiful pictures and it was hard to choose, but I have been spoiled by photo prices from Lisa Madren and Xpress Foto

Taking the HITS

Butterball and I had an educational time at HITS. We took FULL advantage of the ability to swap out riders and PW took him around both meter classes. We schooled Tuesday and after I managed to pop around a few of the fences in relatively good style and NOT collide with one of the FIVE other people in the ring, I begged PW to let us call it good. 

Jumper land pony complete with open fronts and Pinsnickety number pins

So Wednesday, I wasn't expecting Butterball to be LOOKY when we got in the ring for the 0.90m. But he was. And I wasn't effectively half-halting. I was giving him the same light touch I had in warm up and it wasn't enough. Which meant we had that gross combination of too quick yet no power. We had THREE rails, definitely not the norm for him. We also did two strides in BOTH one strides. Ugh. But three months ago he would've stopped and he didn't even think about it, so there is that. 

This meant that PW popped on to take him around the meter. He had him MOVING his feet and they jumped a clear round so went on to the jump off and ended up taking SECOND in the large class. 

Friday was MUCH better in the 0.90m. In warm up he was having me ride him fairly forward. I told him it felt aggressively forward compared to the pace we've been doing at home. The video tells you it looks pretty appropriate. I tried an inside turn at the end of the course and didn't keep him straight over the last vertical, so we had that down. 

We wandered around for a bit after the class and then started warming up for the meter. The first large oxer that PW set we found ourselves sliding in to the base of. And unlike our lesson, I had zero idea what happened. I told PW I wasn't sure I could do this, which should've been my cue to let him get on right then. But I fumbled around and tried chasing him to the base of a few, one of which we jumped, and two more where he stopped. At which point PW called it and asked to get on. He warmed up fine, but then had a stop in the ring. PW reapproached and they jumped the rest clear. 

Afterwards, he analyzed the video and noted that the stop in the ring was the same as in warm up - a slightly long spot to a bigger oxer. He said we could fix this, we would move a one stride out to a long spot and teach him that he can confidently leave the ground from a longer distance. Which is what he set to work doing yesterday. 

Overall, a great learning experience for both of us. Not the show that I was hoping for, but y'know such is life with humans and horses. We're entered at WEC Jan 6-11, so we'll see what that brings us. 

Dolce is getting more environmental enrichment these days, including trips to the trailer tack room to hang out while I clean tack. She was pleased. 

Notting Hill with a Side of Dressage

Follow up to my Independence and Assistance post, Butterball and I headed out to a jumper show at Notting Hill Stables last Wednesday. My friend met us there and provided invaluable assistance. I knew when I put this on the calendar that I would be trainerless, but since I was also expecting to be trainerless at Chatt on the 23rd, it seemed important to be able to go jump a couple of rounds at novice height without too much  hand holding. 

We loaded up and then wound our way the hour drive to Notting Hill. I'd never been there before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but they had a nice big grass field for parking and a large grass warm up arena and even larger grass jump arena. I paid my $50 and was told I could do multiple rounds at multiple heights for that price. The only downside compared to Majestic Oaks jumper show that was going on at the same time was the lack of Lisa Madren for fun jump pics. 

Butterball is SUCH a good dude. I never want to take for granted the fact that he self loads, travels quietly, and then unloads with zero drama. He typically tries to grab some grass before his feet have even left the ramp when he is unloading, he is THAT unconcerned about where he has ended up. So he hung out on the trailer under the fan while I walked part of the course and decided on all outside turns that made for a nice loopy course. Then another rider wanted to head in, so my friend and I watched her go, planned the last few fences, and then tacked up the pony. We nailed our first few warm up jumps and then my friend popped up the oxer. And I let him lengthen his stride out of the corner to a deep spot at the base. He went the first two times and then had enough of my crap and stopped the third time. My friend pointed out what was happening and also that maybe, just maybe, when I know it's going to be deep, I should add leg and support him instead of leaning and praying. So I half-halted out of the corner the next go round, and we got it done. Repeat off both leads and then we headed over.

We went in our for our first round, had a tight spot to one, and did some fuckery in the combination. The combination had not been there for the 0.80 and instead of just asking at the in-gate what it was, I guessed. As I rode up to it. Which led to two in a one. If it had been an oxer out he would've stopped. We recovered from that and rode the next several well. We had a bit of a gappy spot in the 7 stride line down the long side. I figured we would sit chilly for the 8. Which meant I made a decision and actually used my legs and had a powerful, but maybe not compact enough, canter, so when we got to the 7 on a longer spot, he went just fine. 

The second round we definitely smoothed out the combination to make for a prettier round overall, but did have a tight distance to fence 5 right after the combination. And I let him be for the 7 which led to actually a kind of tight 7. His canter is SOOOO different now that I'm having to re-sort out how to ride things! I'm not sure what happened with the last fence in both rounds, usually he is such a clean jumper. 

Getting the one stride right 

OUT! 

End of the 7 strides, apparently my release went out the window. I'm sorry my dude! 

Then Friday we loaded up for a dressage lesson. Ms. GY and her guy went with us and he was just the best behaved "baby" thoroughbred that there has ever been. 

Butterball and I did A LOT of work in the canter. Initially he didn't have impulsion (if I took my leg off he broke/died in whatever gait we were in), so we did a lot of cantering quite quickly to generate that. Leg off, let him slow down, light leg, he should go forward, rinse, repeat. After that we worked on some walk-trot transitions, keeping the same connection through the whole transition. It is incorrect to dive forward, heavier, but it is also incorrect to lighten and stiffen. The SAME amount of pressure should be present through the whole transition. We repeated the walk-trot transition until he was maintaining a steady contact through the whole transition. 

Then we moved on to the canter again. But every attempt to slow down the canter led to trotting, so we started with some walk-canter transitions. The first few strides he was actually lovely and light and slow. Then I would start to do weird things with my body and shove at him and he'd speed up. Our homework was to work on the walk-canter transitions and then just sitting and doing nothing if he was in the light, slow canter. If he sped up, ask to slow down. If needed can come in with a light leg to support. Eventually we'll want him to maintain with the leg off, but for the time being, light leg is okay. Then walk. Then repeat. I got scolded for not walking right away in our canter-walk. I asked what I should be doing and, because my tendency is to tense my whole body and not move as I try to walk, I was told to pull back. If he didn't walk, pull back more firmly. Well that just sounds really simple, now doesn't it sir. Shockingly it did decrease the number of trot steps we were taking. 

Some other random notes: Every aid causes tension. This came up when I told JV that I felt like in the right lead canter I had to keep my right spur in or he would dive his shoulders right. He said "let him make the mistake, then fix it." But he also shared that every aid increases tension. If it is a constant nagging aid like my right spur was, then the horse stiffens to brace against it to ignore it. If it is an aid to do something else, it causes a reaction, which causes tension. So the less you have to do to keep them straight and swinging, the less tension there will be. So let him fall in with his shoulders, quietly aid to get them back out, then take that aid off. Eventually it will be like the energy and he will maintain on his own. 

During Ms. GY's lesson, she and I both learned the aids for the canter. Her response was exactly what mine would have been "outside leg back, inside leg at the girth". She also added looking at his inside ear which prompted one of JV's hilarious "don't do that" lines that had me giggling for a minute. So looking aside, he said that inside leg should always be at the girth asking for inside bend unless you're doing something different intentionally. Outside leg moves back to be there to indicate the lead you're asking for, then the inside leg lightly touches. Touch and go. The first aid is the touch, the touch and go. If he doesn't do it, it's the kick, the kick and go. If he still doesn't do it, it is the kick and come in with the whip. 

We're probably not getting back down for a dressage lesson this week, given that we're shipping to Chatt on Friday, but I certainly have homework to practice until the next lesson! 

Stall Rest... Going Great

Ya'll... I have lucked into a life of few injuries. And I guess thank goodness for that because I don't do well with resting. Please stop reading now if you don't want to hear my SUPER FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS whine. 

Anyways, it's been a little over a WEEK since I sprained my ankle, and I am struggling. The ankle (generously using that term, it was really from digits to mid-calf) blew up like a balloon initially. Now that has subsided and the past two days have been a more concerning swelling - focused right over the probable injured deltoid ligament. Greatttttt. I've been doing some mobility exercises each day and my husband has done a few dolphin stim sessions (like electroacupuncture but without the needles). It will get there, it's just taking longer than I wanted, which, let's be honest, what I wanted was a full recovery in about 24 hours. 

Wednesday I went out and did a jumper show anyways. And it was great. When I missed to a fence and slipped the reins and then felt like I threw them away for the last few fences, Butterball actually jumped beautifully. OOOOOHHHH. I've been doing too much too stiffly with my hands. K. Got it. Next round went better. BUT when I saw the pictures Lisa Madren took along with some of the still shots from the videos, I was leaning right. Now I love me a good lean on the best of days, but I think I was protecting the left ankle. Alright. Not fair to the pony to go jump things while the left ankle doesn't have good mobility and strength. 

When we got home, Butterball flopped down for his midday nap that the trip had RUDELY caused him to miss. I love him. 

Seriously, you know I need a midday siesta...

Okay, so shouldn't go jump things and do two point and all that. But surely I can go trail ride.... so Friday we headed over to San Felasco. 

Getting cleaned up before leaving

I love this area with the quiet cushioned pine needles

DUCK!! There are still SO MANY trees down from Helene

Unfortunately I discovered that even worse than just having my feet in the stirrups and doing things was the motion of picking my stirrup back up after moseying along with my feet out. That mild inversion motion is really unpleasant with injured lateral ligaments. Boo. Butterball was fantastic for the trail ride though, done all in his snackamore. I didn't necessarily have brakes when we trotted and cantered, but I didn't super need them either. 

He was really wanting to spook at each trail sign, so I started a cookie for touching signs reward policy. By the end he was shoving his nose onto them then craning his head around. Hrmmmm that may backfire on me at some point. 

So that is the summary of my week of "recovery". Mostly written because I'm sitting in my house rather than out playing with my pony before work. 

WW: Ribbons

Insert lead rope

Hm, this seems interesting

Noms

Satisfied chewing

Fine human, I'll "pose"

Full disclaimer, there were four people in the class we placed first in, our one clear round, but there were just two and three people in the other two classes. But he still looks so cute with the ribbons. 

Honest Critique

While I am absolutely THRILLED with Goggles, I wanted to get down a few "I could have done better" moments from the show last weekend. And I'll sprinkle in the show photos. 

1. Get off the damn horse. When they were still running the 2' division, that should've been my cue to get off and hold him and let him graze. 

Shot from under the covered where we eventually jumped to the small covered area where we were hanging out during the first of the rain

Under the covered

Dunno if that would have changed his feelings that he was having during our rounds that led to all the bucking, but it would have been better horsemanship. And I know this.

Feelings that we might be a feral llama. I love this picture because he looks like he is posing for the camera. Also SIT on your outside seat bone! Sheesh. 

2. Ride to better spots. JT said that she has an exercise she feels like will help me with this. I unintentionally BURIED him to the single diagonal once, but that oops aside, I was riding him to take off spots that were a little too deep to most of the fences. 

Absolutely buried him, he didn't touch it though in spite of what this picture looks like 

3. Figure out what his 12' stride feels like. Once in the outside bending line we got 6 and a scramble instead of 7. And we got tight to the out of several of the lines. I'm very proud we didn't add because I have managed to do that on this 17.1 beasty, but now we need to figure out the proper pace so I don't have to woah at the last second. 

A bit tight to the out of the 5 stride

4. Praise every moment of softness. I'm not going to be too hard on myself with this one, but he REALLY responds to the neck scratches with the inside rein, and I didn't take every opportunity to do that to try to soften his back during our rounds. Again, I'm not at all upset he had a hump in his back, bucking and that tension are 100% the way he feels his feelings and he had every right to have a load of them. But the more I can soften my seat and that inside rein the second he softens, the more likely he is to stay soft and not buck. Timing is everything

Chaos eye facing the camera

I love his stripe/snip, he's got the cutest face 

I said it in the last post too, but I am SO freaking proud of him. He didn't think for one second about noping out of any of the jumps. He didn't care that the flower boxes were right outside of the arena, and he was just so bold and brave about everything. Once we can get his back consistently soft, he's going to be really genuinely fun to ride.