Dressage

As much as Cupid and I enjoy jumping (well I think he seems to anyways!), we cannot neglect the fundamentals of dressage.  We started out with shoulders-in coming out of a circle.  This went pretty well at the walk, and had a few nice ones trotting on the right.  The haunches-in presented more of a challenge.  This is something I haven't done before so I probably wasn't doing a great job asking Cupid.  We also tried a few steps turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches.  Again this is all new to me as well.  Cupid tries very hard to figure out what I'm asking him, and he often surprises me with how much he can do, I think I tend to underestimate him!  Our trainer thinks Cupid has a nice natural rhythm and might actually do pretty well in dressage!  I have a lot to learn, I've mainly only ridden hunt seat. 

Cupid got a few days off last week because he was a little sore.  Luckily he seems okay now.  He was very good about being in a stall, but he seemed happy when he got to go back out with his friends!

Jumping!

What do a mounting block, white plastic barrel, and flower box have in common? They are all things Cupid and I jumped over this week! Althoug I initially had doubts (having never jumped a mounting before, and being a little intimidated by barrels), I tried to give him confidence and NOT LOOK DOWN, and he doesn't really care what the jump is made of. We have done little lines and a small course, trotting in and I let him decide if he wants to canter out or just trot. He is still figuring it all out, but overall he is very calm about the whole thing. I didn't think we would be jumping so soon, but as long as he is sound and not stressed I'm just going to trust my trainer's plan. This morning we focused on flatwork. We worked on poles in a fan shape on a circle, first walk then trot. It is still hard getting him to bend so it took a lot of concentration keeping him on the circle. We ended the lesson with some cantering. We started on his more difficult side, and got the left lead on the second try. Then my job was to keep him on a nice 20 meter circle. I still have a tendency to canter in half seat so I was really focusing on keeping my butt in the saddle, not lean to the inside, and a nice soft contact in the reins. We did it twice on the left, then when we changed direction he still picked up the left lead. Oops! Got it right on the second try. Since our trainer is gone next weekend we had some extra lessons this week. I was worried Cupid was going to start dreading seeing me since I've been making him work pretty hard, but if anything our bond has increased. He now walks to the gate when I come, and even when I return him to the pasture he hangs out in front of the tack room if I'm in there. Well I do give him treats, but I like to think he actually likes me regardless! 

Side Reins

Two of my big problems include not bending my elbows, and not closing my hands on the reins.  Unfortunately this means I struggle with maintaining a nice steady contact.  Cupid being young and off the track is still getting being ridden with contact, and I am not helping him if I am not being consistent.  So I am trying to lunge him more often, and in side reins.  I hadn't been lunging him since his rehab since I thought it was kind of boring, and Cupid tends to be pretty lazy on the lunge so it's hard to keep him going.  So I was surprised to find Cupid has actually been quite good on the lunge and it hasn't been a struggle keeping him going or getting him to canter.  Maybe partially because he's just further along in training, and also last fall he was probably in a little discomfort which seems better now.  So, yay!  The side reins are still loose.  The first time I tried asking Cupid to canter he picked it up right away, but then I think the side reins were bugging him and he was trying to get out of it.  The second time he wasn't bothered at all and just cantered nicely.

 Our lessons have been going very well, and we are starting to work towards jumping!  Usually we start by trotting over a line of poles.  Then on the last one we put up one end on a standard into a half x and go over that a few times, before putting up the other half of the x.  Cupid usually just trots over, though he occasionally will do a little jump over.  The first few times over the x he tried to dodge it, even though it wasn't any higher than the cavaletti he's done.  But by the second lesson he was going over much straighter and not trying to run out.  I am happy that he stays relaxed and doesn't try to rush.

The canter work has also been going well and Cupid is getting better about his left lead.  One day when I was lunging him he only wanted to do left lead, even going to the right!  We had one incident where we were on the left lead and I kind of let him take control, he was a little quick and I just stop guiding him after I wasn't sure if we would make a turn inside a jump standard.  Cupid was headed straight towards a pile of poles and other stuff in the middle of the arena, I didn't even have time to think, and he just leaped over it!  Then I sat up and collected my reins and reminded him I'm the pilot and he responded right away.  The great thing about Cupid is even when he's "bad" (usually really my fault) he doesn't really do that much.  Our trainer agrees that he is a really sweet horse that tries hard.

Working Hard

Having a trainer to keep us focused and push us forward is a tremendous help to Cupid's and my progress.  In our lesson this weekend we started out reviewing what we worked on last time, and the trainer said we've made improvement.  He even said I was sitting up a lot straighter, yay.  We worked on doing a little leg yielding through the turns, first at a walk then trot.  Then we worked a trot poles, gradually increasing the distance between them a little to get Cupid to lengthen his stride.  He was good at this exercise, though I still need to work on planning ahead to get a straight line in to the poles because I usually turn a little late. 

Then the trainer asked me if we've cantered poles.  I told him no, because until recently Cupid was a little unbalanced and too hard to maneuver.  So he set up two poles a few strides apart.  Our first attempt Cupid broke to a trot at the first pole, maybe he just thought we always trot poles so that must be the right thing to do.  We tried again and I kept a little more leg on and he did it beautifully!  We did it on the right lead a few times, and Cupid was perfect and totally unfazed. 

We took a little break, then it was time for the left lead canter.  We tried from a trot in a 10 meter circle, and got it wrong.  Then Cupid was getting a little fussy - keeping him trotting on the circle until he relaxes a little.  The trainer said I need to ask in the corner right before we hit the wall instead of coming out of it.  This is a bit of a mental block for me, I'm just more comfortable asking after the corner but he assured me Cupid will not run into the wall or attempt to jump it.  It took a few tries but we got it.  We couldn't get as nice neat a circle to the left but it's getting better.  Then my attention wavered for a moment and Cupid broke into a trot - my fault.  And I just let him because I didn't want to ask again and get it wrong.  The trainer told me I need to stop thinking like that - and later in the lesson when Cupid broke I asked right away and he picked up the left lead beautifully!  We did one pole on a circle to the left a few times, then trotted over the pole and did a figure-8 to canter a right circle in a figure 8 over the single pole.  I know I've said it before but Cupid has a great canter, and now it's a bit more controlled but feels powerful. 

Cupid was a great boy for our lesson, and he was understandably quite exhausted after!

On Sunday we just did a nice relaxing walk around the property.  Next week we have 2 lessons planned.  Poor Cupid, but he will be in great shape before long.

Happy birthday!

Cupid turned 4 on February 14th.  We went on a little trail ride on one of the trails we often ride plus around the property.  He was a very good boy and we didn't encounter anything that scared him.  Then I gave him extra treats in his grain.

The next day on Sunday we rode in the uncovered arena which was finally back open after the recent rains.  It is much smaller than the covered arena, but we had it to ourselves which was nice.  I set up a cavaletti on the medium height because it's good for Cupid's strength to step over them.  However we ended up inadvertently having our first jump!  Cupid trotted calmly towards the cavaletti and unexpectedly I felt both front legs coming up before Cupid calmly trotted off.  I didn't make a big deal out of it, as long as he isn't rushing it's okay.  We got the right lead canter correct on the first try but took a few attempts to get the left - a little disappointing since we got it right the first try on Friday.  I think we will both benefit from a day off on Monday!

Back to training

Last weekend two things happened for the first time since December.  First, the rain was back with a vengeance.  Good thing Cupid's new pasture has a covered area!  Second, Cupid and I had a lesson.  We are starting with a new trainer who focuses primarily on jumpers and eventers.  I told him about Cupid's background and the lessons started out with him observing us for a few minutes.  Then he started calling out instructions and pointers.  Just a few little tweaks helped tremendously!  Instead of thinking about "shoulders back" think "chest open."  Instead of "sit up straight" think "sit back on your butt."  He gave a tip on corners to point my inside hip towards Cupid's outside ear, and Cupid seemed to really understand this and was bending his body much better through the turns!  It is almost crazy to think how responsive this thousand pound animal is to a small shift in the riders weight.  We ended the lesson with a little right lead canter work, and for the first time instead of loping around the entire arena we stayed in a much more balanced canter on a circle.  Having a trainer really helps with my focus and discipline, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Cupid and I will progress.

For our second lesson, we continued to work on my position as well as bending/turns.  Our trainer set up some cone to mark a 20 meter circle, as well as two 10 meter circles for a figure eight.  We started out walking the figure eight, focusing on using my legs/seat instead of hands to make sure Cupid didn't stray too far off the track as well as bending his body properly.  As always, going to the left was more difficult.  Then once we got the hang of it we did it at a trot.  The circles were smaller then what I usually do and I wasn't sure we could make it at the trot, but we did.  Often times Cupid can do more then I expect of him, and having the trainer is very helpful to me to push us both a little more.  We cantered the 20 meter circle, focusing on getting a better departure without a quickening trot.  We tried the left lead, but couldn't pick it up in a few attempts and Cupid was getting a little flustered and high-headed.  The trainer said we should not force it today and went back to the trot circles until Cupid was settled and ended up with one more right lead canter.  Cupid cantered the circle beautifully, and it was the best and most balanced canter I've done on him yet!  Unfortunately the trainer recommended lunging on a loose side rein, a short session each time before I ride as often as I can.  It is not a favored activity for either Cupid or I but I'll give it a try.

Trail rides

The weather has been very nice lately, though generally after work it is still dark by the time I get out to Cupid.  So on the weekends I try to take advantage of the daylight, and the last two days Cupid and I were able to go on mini trail rides before short arena sessions.  Hopefully this keeps him more interested in his work! 
On Saturday it was a little windy, and he was a little nervous about something which I think was the wind in a tree.  He stopped and hesitated a few times but I was able to get him to walk past it.  We rode past where he once saw the person cleaning the gutter on the ladder and I think he was expecting it again because he was a little nervous but walked by it then was fine.  I just wanted to do a brief canter in the ring after our little trail ride, not realizing that there were a few jumping lessons going on.  They were jumping courses so the rest of the horses pretty much had to stay on the rail.  Luckily Cupid is not distracted or disturbed by other horses flying by.  We did a little walk-trot, then picked up the right lead canter for about a lap.  Then a little more walk-trot, while I tried to decide if it was worth trying to get the left lead with all the other horses around.  I decided to go for it and we got it on the second try!  I always try to give him a lot of praise when he gets it.  We went about once around on the left lead, then a big pat and told him he was done.
On Sunday we went on a slightly different path.  We went down the trail along the electric fence that Cupid has always been scared of.  He was hesitant again and I had to tap him every few steps when he would stop, but eventually we got down the scary trail.  Originally I thought it was the fence, but I think he just doesn't like that the trail is down hill with tall bushes on either side, somehow it's scary for him.  It is just a short keyhole shaped trail, on a clear day you can see all the way to the ocean.  At the end by the key hole there is a pile of old straw, but Cupid walked right by that without even a look.  We trotted a bit and then galloped up the little hill.  It felt awesome!  Though Cupid did get a little tired by the top.  We then walked around the property a bit more and finished up with walking and trotting some figures and circles in the sand ring outside.  I dismounted and Cupid decided that he should be the once to carry the crop.