Over The Years

Just got home from another fantastic clinic in Calgary, had a few days of excellent lessons (as always I believe that even professional riders need to take advantage of good instruction whenever possible, if we don't get routine help then we lose touch with reality in our training and often get stuck in a rut or keep making the same mistakes over and over again), I rode two horses in the clinic, my usual partner Dominic as well as Landino a horse in training who I felt would benefit from a field trip and some instruction, both horses were fantastic and made great progress over the days.  With Dominic we worked lots on variations, especially lots of transitions within the gaits.  Dominic is a tense horse by nature and consequently the biggest issue in our training is always to get him looser and more swinging, every horse has their natural tendencies and as trainers we have to understand that we can't 'fix' who our horses are but work to improve their weaknesses progressively through a planned training program, in other words I can't expect that Dominic will overnight just magically change and become the world's most relaxed horse, he is who he is, however with systematic training and development we can improve this tendency and develop him into a more relaxed boy, consequently we try to keep a work program that consists of lots of variations between high degrees of collection and then intervals of loose, stretching working trot, with the goal that over time the looseness and stretching that we find in the working gaits will carry over into all the other work.  As always, it's so interesting to look back over things in time and see how they've changed, if your horse continues to improve his gaits throughout the course of his training then you're doing your job as a trainer.  It's so beneficial to keep old video footage to look back on to see the development, after this week's clinic I looked back through some of my old videos of Dominic and found this one taken two years ago in June 2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hLSOqFIADY
-video clips from a couple of shows at PSG/I1 level in 2010

After watching this one I compared it to the video taken from the clinic this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmTdypBDzlo
-this only shows a few clips of some of the more collected work as I could only fit so much in the video but in between we alternate frequently to a working/stretching gait and then back to the collection

I was shocked at the difference in Dominic, it's rare that I get the chance to just sit down and compare video footage over the years, it's truly amazing how much a horse develops with training and a proper care plan in place to keep their bodies performing in top condition, I have to say a thanks to Mills Vet for helping to keep Dominic in top shape over the years.  It's so interesting to see how he has learned to use his body in such a different way, much more articulation through the back and joints and consequently greater carriage and more expression.  To make a long story short it's fascinating to keep video over the years and see how the horses change and develop, it's also a great way to see if your training is really helping to develop your horse into a better athlete, I'm very happy with how far Dominic has come over the years and can't wait to see how he continues in his career:)

Elevator....no thanks!

I stumbled across a quote this evening that meant a lot to me in both the literal and figurative sense and felt the need to write a post about it (I'm a quote person, I love literature and my daily life is surrounded by meaningful quotes, some people may find that cheesy but I'm okay with that!;).....


“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs… one step at a time.” 


Anyone who has spent much time around me knows that I am a person who never opts to take an elevator, when I have an option I will always go for the stairs, my explanation has always been a simple one, why would anyone who has the physical capability of taking the stairs want to take an elevator??  This is such a minor thing in day to day living that I never really thought about it until I saw that quote this evening and realized how that same principle applies to my whole take on life and my journey with horses in general.  I've always had a steadfast belief that there are two keys to success, the first and most important is an excellent work ethic, the second is a small amount of luck.  Day in and day out, people with work ethics have the ability to self motivate and carry on when things get tough, they have the determination to look for creative solutions when things don't work and the perseverance to not give up where others might.  While a strong work ethic won't necessarily get someone where they're going the fastest, I do believe it will provide them with longevity which is much more valuable in the long run.  Coming from a completely un-horsey family I have had to work my way up in the horse industry, and being a person who is continually striving for improvement I will continue to work my way up higher, if you're not moving forward then you're probably standing still!  I was always warned not to get into the horse industry as "it's a tough one", and that it is, however I can honestly say there is nothing else on this planet that I could ever have the same passion to work for, I've also been fortunate to have people in my life who have recognized my commitment level and have helped me in various ways along on my journey and that's where that little bit of luck in finding amazing friends and supporters sure helps, I hope that one day somewhere down the road I am in a position to pay that luck forward to someone else coming up in the sport.  At the end of the day I can honestly say that although the road is long and often uphill, I am very happy with how my journey has come about and look forward to seeing where it goes from here, I don't believe for one second that I would have the same resources and tools nor would I have the horse sense that I do had it been an easier road, I have learned so much from the horses, trainers and experiences that I have had in my life, sometimes it's not always a good lesson but even in the bad moments there is always something to be learned and put on file and the good days are the ones that keep me going, lessons in horses and lessons in life, amazing how they cross over!

Dressage....more than a pattern...it's a sport!!

First off just wanted to update everyone that our travels back home from Florida were very smooth, no truck troubles or traffic problems, not even a flat tire!!:)  Horses had a little holiday upon arriving home and are starting to build back into their working routine.  I wanted to take this time to write a bit about something that I've observed a lot over the past few years and I think is becoming somewhat of an epidemic in the North American dressage world, I'm seeing a lot of people who view dressage as riding a pattern or riding movements and are losing the total concept that dressage is about developing the horse as a complete athlete, building up their strength and suppleness through consistent training.  I see a lot of riders spending time practicing figures or going through the motions but not really training their horses bodies.  In order to train the bodies of our horses there has to be a consistent developmental process which strengthens them over time and creates stronger and more supple athletes and, consequently, better movers.  I hear a lot of people saying their horse isn't 'nice enough', realistically obviously some horses are more gifted athletes than others however there are plenty of good quality horses on this continent and even in our own backyards but as riders we have to train good quality horses to become better horses, proper training and development ensures the horses gaits continue to improve as they move up the levels, a horse doing a shoulder in at second level should not look the same as a horse doing a shoulder in at the PSG level which requires a far greater degree of collection and engagement.  Trainers have to have a good sense of how much to expect from a horse at their level and  when is an appropriate time to up the demand, they also have to have quick timing and reflexes to make corrections when needed and to reward immediately when the right reaction is attained.  I think sometimes trainers are viewed as people who 'put a horse through their paces' or 'get horses to the show ring' and no doubt there are trainers out there who are simply going through the motions of the job and/or are in it just for the competitive aspect, but successful trainers put far more thought into the training process and where things are going in the long run versus when they next go up the centreline at a show.  I know I personally spend a great deal of time at the end of my day going over each and every ride and figuring out what I could have done better, did I ask too much, did I not ask enough, should I add more variety or try a different approach, what worked and what didn't, all questions that I ask myself at the end of each day about each horse and/or rider (depending if I'm training from the saddle or coaching from the ground).  Lastly, dressage is a sport at the end of the day!  Every horse and rider is on a different path and thus a different conditioning plan.  A rider who is training casually at the lower levels should not expect that a rider and horse who are training at the FEI levels will train the same way, similar to humans at the gym, some people come for a casual workout daily, 25 mins on the treadmill and some light weights and others come for a full on workout, same applies to riding, the workout must match the level and/or goals for that particular horse and rider and must keep in mind any physical limitations a horse might have, horses training at a higher level will have to push more and be more reactive than horses at a lower level and a trainer has to have a game plan of when to push and when to plateau, they have to have a large toolbox and know which tools to use for which situation and when to use them, and trainers should also (no matter how experienced they are) continue to seek out the help of more knowledgeable trainers, I see lots of trainers who rarely take lessons or seek out help and firmly believe that to keep ourselves sharp we need to continue to seek out help ourselves, "being a trainer" is simply not enough, one has to "be a trainer who is continually evolving".  Anyhow, some of my observations and opinions on the sport, for what they're worth;)

Last post from Florida 2012

Last post before we leave Florida, today is our last day in paradise before we start the journey back home to Canada, it's very bittersweet, it's been a great winter season with a great group of people and though I'm super happy to be heading back home to my friends, horses and clients in Kelowna, I'm also incredibly sad to be leaving our winter home for another season.  The past few weeks with Nico have brought about huge progress, we went through a bit of a tricky stage where we pushed the envelope a little bit and stepped things up so we had a couple of difficult days but then started to have that breakthrough to the next level again, the past two rides particularly he has really started to feel like a whole different horse and I'm excited to see how this will continue to develop over the next few months.  I'm also extremely happy that I've now had multiple trainers tell me that he has the caliber to be a 70% horse in the Grand Prix arena, I'm in no way naive enough to think that this means we'll head up the centerline and magically get 70s all of a sudden of course, I realize the consistency and reliability has to be developed for that to become a reality and that's a long term project especially with a more intricate tempered horse like Nico but I'm thrilled to have more and more people confirming his potential to excel as  a Grand Prix horse as I've always believed in his physical abilities.....now it's just a matter of getting him to be as confident in his abilities as well and that will take some time but I feel like we are really on the right track!  I saw an interesting article online the other day and wanted to share (http://www.horsejunkiesunited.com/2012/03/28/money-matters-how-much-does-it-cost-to-ride-at-the-olympics/) it does a great job of explaining the costs associated with competing a horse at the top level and is very insightful, it's definitely a very daunting task to pack up with your life savings in your pocket to pursue a dream and yet, despite the stress and worry that goes along with it, when you have a passion it is something that one simply has to do, that being said I have to say my sincere thanks to everyone who made this trip possible once again and has contributed to keeping my dreams alive, it means the world to me.  A huge thanks to all of my supporters back home, friends, clients etc, you have all been amazing, I am surrounded by some pretty incredible people and am so grateful for everyone who helps to keep me going, I can only repay you all by continuing to work towards the dream with my utmost determination and steadfast work ethic and am so thankful to those of you who recognize and appreciate this, I am lucky to have a clientele that is so understanding of my being away for a little while, I feel so thankful that my clients truly understand that my taking the time out to continue my own education makes me much more valuable as a rider, coach and trainer as well, that being said I'm looking forward to getting back home to you all to start sharing some of the education:)  Also many thanks to Albrecht for a wonderful season of winter training and everyone at the Lady Jean Ranch for their incredible hospitality at their beautiful facility.....and so the journey home begins bright and early tomorrow morning, will keep you all posted:)

Rozzie's Big Debut

This week it was Rozzie's turn to get out and about, early on in the week she had another in-hand session with Juan Matute, this session was really interesting because I actually got to do some of the in-hand work with her myself, it's definitely a unique skill and takes some practice to keep things organized, same principles as in the saddle apply, equal contact in two reins etc. though it takes a different feel to achieve this while walking on the ground than riding in the saddle that's for sure!  On Thurs we hauled down to the Jim Brandon Center to school before the show this weekend, Roz hauled very well and settled right in at the show grounds like she was an old pro, as is my luck with weather, no sooner had I saddled up and started to walk her around the clouds rolled in and it started pouring but I figured oh well she may as well get used to the rain now!  She was a good girl schooling out in the rain though she was a bit nervous and wanting to look around, she wasn't spooky or naughty at all more just tense and needed to keep moving and wanting to look out at the other horses but for her first time at a big show park in horrible weather I thought she did pretty well!  I decided to keep the tests easy for her first outing and just put her in First Level until she gets the concept of what this showing stuff is all about and then I'll move her up as she's already got her changes and is quite handy with the lateral work.  She overnighted really well and when I brought her out and mounted up she started off with a big giant cat stretch in the middle of the yard that's how stressful her night was haha!  Our first test was green but otherwise quite okay, she got a bit worried about all of the traffic in the warmup ring, she does get a bit intimidated by bigger horses in the ring with her (I've noticed this at home as well) so she got a bit hot out there.  We went up our first centerline and she pulled a typical greenie trick of looking at the judge for the first time and spinning around and trying to leave, she's not the first smart one to try that nor will she be the last, but once I got her turned back around and moving she was totally fine and settled into the test, couple of bobbles in transitions and a bit of nervous jogging in the walk but honestly for her very first test at a show I was very pleased, she ended up with a second place in the class for the day and I was very pleased with her.  This morning the warmup ring was busier for her and again she was quite hot but very well behaved, her test was good, she now knows what centerlines are all about and did a relatively steady test, still wanted to jog in the walk but that's okay for now, that extra energy will serve her well later in her career I'm quite certain, she ended up with a 67% and change and many compliments about how lovely she was from people watching, all in all I was quite happy with her first showing, very proud of her!  She's now happy to be back at home in her stall at the Lady Jean Ranch and will get a well deserved day off tomorrow, good girl Rozzie!!:)

Fun Video

Adding a fun video link below, one of my clients Patti Milare from back home made this from one of the Courtenay Fraser clinics (Courtenay has been doing clinics for my clients in my absence), thought she did a great job on it and wanted to share:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk96kBX-lN4&feature=share

Palm Beach Derby

So this past weekend we attended the Palm Beach Derby, last weekend's show was a positive experience, we kept everything friendly and basically rode just to get through the test nicely which we were able to achieve, being that I kept the pressure off last weekend the tests were rideable but naturally lacked in areas, the piaffe, passage and pirouettes were definitely lacking and nowhere near the caliber that I know Nico is capable of, so having a show the following week I decided I wanted to push things a little bit and find out where the holes were, it's a tricky balance because we have to be able to keep things harmonious but that being said if you never push the limits things don't improve either and then everything just becomes stagnant.  This weekend we had some issues in our tests because I pushed more and sometimes when you push more the wheels come off but now I know where the holes are and what needs to be worked on so I'm happy with the result as I've gained a lot of insight on where things need to go.  Nico has two ways of going right now and I have to teach him to combine the two, he can be relaxed and fluid or he can be expressive but with tension, what we haven't mastered yet is to get him to offer the expression and yet let go and relax within it, this is something I have to improve with him in order to get the maximum horse I know I have, right now it's a little bit like riding two separate horses and I have to get him somewhere in the middle.  I'm very glad I did the two shows back to back with him, although they weren't good shows from the competition standpoint they were necessary for the training purpose as I needed to figure out the pieces that weren't working.  When you train always at home it's so easy to set things up and then execute them very nicely but when you go up the centerline to actually ride a test you really find out if it works in the heat of the moment.  Anyhow, lots was learned from the past two weekends and now I can implement that into our training, there is so much to figure out making the leap from the small tour to the Grand Prix with a horse as it's really a completely different world, in the small tour you can still get by having a few holes and 'coasting' when you step up the Grand Prix you really find out if you've got your horse honestly on the aids and if not then you better do your homework, tomorrow Nico and I will start on ours:)  This extra degree of knowledge with Nico has also helped me to work on a couple of things with Roz, I realized I was letting her push through me a bit too much, she's a very nice ride in the bridle most of the time so I was getting a bit casual about not really bringing her back to me enough, I was going in half way and kind of being satisfied with that and not really getting a full reaction from her, and consequently not putting her onto her hindlegs enough, it's always amazing how something you figure out with one horse can open your eyes to something with another, horses always have something to teach us as  long as we choose to never stop learning.  Rozzie is going to go out to her first show experience this weekend, not sure if I'll actually ride a test with her yet or just school her in the warmup, we'll see how she copes with the atmosphere and go from there.