WINTER WORKOUTS

“Should you find a wise critic to point out your faults, follow him as you would a guide to hidden treasure.” Buddha (really, it is a Buddha quote, no fooling!)

Once again I found myself at another, "Give-Peace-a-Chance-Breathe-Deeply-Envision-a-Perfect-Ride" sports psychology seminar focused on Anxiety in the Rider.  Yes, horse related practices once again... 

Always good to look at things again!

I signed up to support the New Barn Girl 'cause I've been to every training, every seminar, therapists, energy healers and I know how to do TFT/EFT, meditate, take rescue remedy...  I'm all set with the Anxiety issue... no need to go for me....  All set!  

 Then, at my last jumping lesson, I looked at my ever-patient Eventing Trainer and said, "Um, I guess I need the clinic for me... huh?!"  She just shook her head and said, "You really need to ask?"  Sigh...

Anxiety happens...  And, it happens to everyone...  And, it can be good if appropriately evaluated, and embraced.  It can stimulate, protect and yes, paralyze.  You just gotta figure out how to deal with it and how to make it work for you.

So, she gave us an Anxiety Scale for Training (doubt that is what she called it).  If you are always working in the 1-4 range, there is no growth/training - you are basically status quo.  Training takes place in the 5-7 range - there is stress but you (horse and human) are open and able to learn/improve.  

If you hit an 8 - 9, your body reacts and your brain begins to work on survival mode - Training/learning does not happen.  If you hit a 10, you are in survival mode and reactions are most likely instinctive.

 The goal should be to ride more often in the 5-7 range and if you hit an 8, back off - rinse and repeat.  Oh, she did say that riding in the comfort zone is fine, just be aware of it and what it is.

Looking bold but not so much!

So Ms Maisy, let me introduce you to Winter Work.  You see, my love, left to our own devices, we've been in the comfort zone rarely kicking it up to a 5.  Our Trainers have been good enough to push into the 5-7 range but, really... how often is that?  I believe that we've, kind of, settled into the riding version of a big comfy couch clutching a glass of warm milk and watching re-runs on Netflix.  

So Ms Maisy, our comfort level is set at a 7.  I promise you that we will back it down if you're stress level kicks into an 8 due to the high winds and pelting debris against the indoor wall or if all your friends leave the indoor at once.  Yes, we will push ourselves out of lethargy while being clear that our plan can be changed where appropriate.  But, Ms Maisy... think 7!

 And, maybe, the next time we jump, we've conditioned our bodies/minds to want to be at a 7 and, crossing into an 8 will be a mildly uncomfortable memory...  Wouldn't that be nice?!

JUST BE!

Ganesh - the Remover
of Obstacles

What we think, we become.  Buddha

 

We all know an Eeyore...  it's that person who always seems to have bad luck.  Things never go right for them no matter what... Life is always hard!  If you were to ask an Eeyore how was their day, they would have a long list of things that didn't go well.  Ask them what did go well and you'd stop them in their tracks - "nothing" would be their sad reply.  Eeyore's life is exactly what they want it to be because, "What we think, we become."

 

My confession this Sunday night...  I think I've become Maisy's Eeyore. 

 

Oh, did I mention that Maisy's Happy Young Professional competed my Lil' Country Bumpkin at her first recognized Horse Trial?  Well, Maisy came out of the trailer and marched down to the dressage warm up as if she was a almost-ready-to-retire-Grand-Prix-dressage-horse.  

 

All Gussied Up - Like a Grown Up

By the time I walked down to watch, Maisy was in full warm up, ears soft, fancy prancing in a very tight electric environment.  I turned to a friend and said, "I know she's mine but dear god, if she wasn't I'd be lusting after that horse!" 

 

She entered the ring at a brilliant, relaxed trot and... wait... where is the spooking at the judges booth?  The letters?  Wait, why isn't she spooking at K?  Wait?!  That is amazing...  My Lil' Country Bumpkin did her first dressage test and scored a 28.4!  A 28.4!



 

Maisy and her HYP did well.  She was very green and jumped big but competently.  She did have a refusal at the first jump on the XC course.  She came out of the start box as if she knew exactly what she was doing.  My friend, watching, said it looked like she was confused, waiting for all the horses to follow her and stopped when they didn't.  It was the last bobble of the day and off they went with her green self getting bolder as they traveled over the course.

 

I haven't ridden well since then.  Oh, it didn't happen overnight...  Over the next two weeks, I couldn't get her straight, couldn't get her to hold herself up in the ring at a canter, and finally, couldn't even force myself to jump a cross rail by myself.  I was disgusted with myself and depressed...  "We'll just trail ride...  HYP and Dressage Trainer can show her.  They ride her better than I ever will...  I'll just get her fit."

 

We were signed up for a dressage clinic.  I wanted to cancel.  It would be in an indoor and Maisy hasn't been in one since the PPE and maybe not at all before that.  I didn't want to humiliate myself any further.  It was expensive and well, all we were capable of doing was the walk and was that worth spending the money?

 

"You know how to ride!  Why are you riding her like you don't?  Ride her exactly like you would have ridden Sugar!  You have the skills and ability to make this happen for the both of you!  Ride her like that!"

 

And, something changed.  I stopped worrying that I was ruining her, that someone rode her better than me, that it was so hard and I can't make mistakes or everything gained would be lost...  I stopped worrying and started to ride her.  Ride her just a little tougher, a little more demanding and much more confidently...  and, it was magical.  I felt that "I CAN DO THIS!" 

 

So, I dropped my entry into the mailbox.  Just a schooling show and at 2'3" Elementary and I am ok with that.  Just a mere 4 days ago, I had a lovely trail horse...  Now, I am an eventer with a green but eager event horse!

 

I CAN DO THIS!

 

 

 



WEEKEND RAMBLINGS

Fancy dancy girl!

Maisy whinnied at me yesterday and I blushed like a school girl in the midst of her first crush.  "What? You know me? Me?  Does that mean you love me?  Me?  OMG, you do love me?"    Then I quickly looked around and ran down the Sugar checklist of needs:

• Is there enough hay? {yes}
• Do I need to adjust your flysheet? {no}
• Is your neighbor in the barn? {no}
• Are you hurt? {no}

By gosh, that whinny was for me!  OMG!  I think she knows me!

Playing hard to get!

And since this is gray day for rambling - Did you know that Lucinda Greene goes out for a run every morning before she teaches her clinics?

When the Newbie Eventer and I pulled into Ledyard Farm for her clinic, we saw a woman running up and down the hills of Boston's North Shore. She waived enthusiastically as we drove by and continued on at a very nice pace. And, later taught a kick a** eventing clinic all day in the hot sun looking as fresh and enthusiastic as she did when she started. God, I want to be more like her!

Did you also know that one of her major themes was telling the riders to dare to make mistakes. Being "perfect" is to stop learning and when we make mistakes we get stronger as riders fixing them. It was like a flow of energy released onto the field. She gave them the freedom to try and and the tools to get better. God, that works in everyday life!

After auditing the Lucinda Greene Clinic and watching the Bestest Eventing Buddy ride with Sharon White, I was pumped up with the need to master the one cavaletti set up in our barn's jumping field. 

You see I've been eyeing that damn cavaletti for two days trying to will myself to pop over it with my lil' country bumpkin.  And, for two days... walked away from it with all the past images of my mistakes and failings dancing through my need to jump.

Not me, BEB!

Shhh, I fell just a little more in love yesterday.  Maisy popped over it - big but simple - and, then we cantered up the hill just two girls with not a care in the world.

Today I answered my Eventing Trainer's text about Maisy's progress and finished with, "I think we're ready to jump with you!"  And, I smiled!  I think we're ready!

"DON'T WORRY"

First, let me say this, Ingrid Klimke is a goddess!  That's right, this is a woman who excels at the highest level of two demanding sports - Eventing and Dressage.  And, after auditing the New England Dressage Association's (NEDA) Fall Symposium on "Methods for Training the Classical Way Through Fitness & Gymnastic Exercises", I would also say that she is the ultimate horseman.

Grand Prix rider on an UL Dressage
Horse

I really want to inundate you with great quotes, particular exercises and lots of her tips to help you become a better rider.  Alas, it was 38 degrees and my ability to write notes quickly deteriorated into indecipherable scrawl.  (See, that word, once again hypothermia.)

What I can do is give you a few things that, after 3 days, remain crystal clear in my brain.  Here you go:

Area 1 Eventer & Ingrid

"Don't worry!" - No matter what happened, no matter what mistake, no matter how awkward something looked, her response was always, "Don't worry!" Mistakes will happen and, you have to let the horse figure it out and keep doing it.

Repetition helps the horse gain confidence.  Once you're successful give them a big pat and allow them a walk break.  Then move on to something else.

Cavelletti exercises done regularly will improve a canter, develop a weak hind end and will break up the routine of a dressage horse.  Eventers, these are low impact exercises that will just improve everything - jumping and dressage.

"Ride him like he's a 4 year old" - For horse who easily goes into a frame but isn't quite on the bit or a horse who has been collected or worked in a frame, allow the horse to flow easily forward on a longish rein to find their rythym and balance.  Use this as a break in your collected/medium gaits.

On Training Aids (like draw reins) - maybe some horses might need them but she never uses them.  "If I did, I know someone (Reiner Klimke, her father) is looking down on me and he wouldn't be pleased." 

"If you make a mistake, you must continue"

Another Area 1 Eventer doing us proud!

"Be brave and try" - This is one for all you dressage riders who participated in this clinic.  I watched the exercises and they were hard.  You were brave to do this with your dressage horses and the results were stunning!  Keep trying (and maybe try the dark side).



A girl can dream... one day...

"Reward your horse by doing something that they think is fun" - One rider did 3 tempe and then 1 tempe changes and another entertained us with passage.  And, you could see the horse's enjoyment.

And, for us Eventers, she talked about safety, bridging the reins for XC and then showing us how and why you should bridge your reins for dressage training.  She was a phenomonal clinician.  I wish I had more to offer you but the chill won out that day!

Shhhhh, Sugar doesn't know that I told our trainers that winter training will be cavelletti training...  lucky girls!  "Don't worry!"  We'll figure it all out!

THE MAKING OF AN EVENTER

We have a sport filled with tradition making it so very different from all others.  There is a sense of adventure, camaraderie with our fellows and above all, love for our partner horses.  Our horses may be fancy or not...  it doesn't matter since the work together balances it all out.  There is also bit of agelessness* that equalizes us all - we are one when we event.

Marching to their lessons....

I also believe that there might be a little bit of masochism thrown in to all that good cheer and fun.  Name a sport that demands grace and precision one day, speed and bravery on another and then, asking to finish with grace, boldness and athleticism.  Oh, yes there are sports that offer all of that but those sports do not require a partnership between human and animal.

And, we do this, not for the lavish prizes, money or even for the piece of polyester that marks an achievement, but for the challenge, the accomplishment and the true partnership between horse and rider all alone getting it done.

Are Eventers born or taught?  Hmmm, that is a question I've always wondered about and at the GMHA's Junior Horsmanship Clinic, I believe I saw true Eventers being born. 

These campers and their horses spend 10 days attending two mounted sessions and two unmounted horsemanship lectures each day while attending to their horses.  The focus is on eventing -
Dressage, Stadium Jumping and Cross Country lessons are provided to every participant - ditches, rolltops, trakenhers, "peasant" feeders, water crossings, up/down banks - ride-critique-ride dressage lessons...  everything all taylored to the level of the camper and horse.  It is the longest "event" ever.

B Roadside in a VT rainshower

The Instructors and Barn Managers were selected for their experience and, assigned groups based on that expertise.  There was a barn of young newbies that needed the strength and organization of someone who taught or worked in a riding school program.  I believe, as a Barn Manager (and Master/Old), I was assigned the 14-17 year olds because of my age... 

No one cared more for these campers than the Camp Staff.  Each day we talked about which kid/horse needed what and how to make the experience successful and educational.  Instructors talked to the Barn Managers about what happened and each offered suggestions for the next lesson or day.  We were a team really dedicated to pass on the tradition of eventing that we loved so much.

Neat and tidy stabling

I have a million stories, some will be told, others will fade and others, will remain anonymous.

Are Eventers born or taught? 

The evidence that, while some are born Eventers, the tradition can be taught came to light at the schooling horse trial.  It was the only day I got to see "my kids" ride. 

One girl had a talented but naughty pony.  She rode him well but as an opinionated pony can be, he kept running away after he landed a perfect stadium jump.  Having been taught to circle to slow him down and she got eliminated for doing too many circles in the wrong spots.  Her tears of disappointment ran down her face when she was told she could not go on to XC. 

5:30 am rides were heavenly!

An older girl came up to her, put her arm around her and said, "Welcome to the club, I got eliminated too."  And, another barnmate said, "Yup, me too!  I forgot a jump!"  And a third said, "Hey we should celebrate...  I fell off!  We rock!"  And, the tears turned to laughter and the desire to do it again (this time at a trot) superceded any thought of quitting.

That was my best day at camp.  There is nothing better than to talk to someone after XC, to listen to their story and to see the joy of the adventure - ribbon or not!

We are all alike, no matter what the age*...  Huge kudos for the staff at GMHA's Junior Horsemanship Camp for keeping our traditions alive and putting a new generation of eventers on the right path! 

*One wise young camper explained the "age gap" to me...  "Adults put too much emotion into it.  We care but more technically and not so emotionally."  I believe she might be right!

BUZZKILL

Dear Work,

First I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to live my life as it is today.  There are days when I find you so exciting that I can not wait to throw myself into your all consuming embrace.  And Work, sometimes I feel that I can not be without you as if you complete me. 

Today was a hard one and I think you owe me an apology.  I came to you with great joy, eager to dance the happy dance...  Oh, I wanted to revel in a weekend of great fun and accomplishment...  And you wanted it to be all about you until the dance became a shuffle. 

Work, I gave you today...  Remember, tomorrow let's work really hard to find a happy balance.


Your lover,

Suzanne


PS... 

Sugar and I went cross country schooling yesterday.   And, for the first time in a long time (maybe ever), we had fun.  I can actually say that I had a good time while doing it.  And, when Eventing Trainer gave us a course and asked who wanted to start, I raised my hand and went for it.

I had no anxiety, no real nerves... it was if the past two years disappeared and I was moving up to Novice for the first time.  And as Sug's Twenty-Something-Friend said, "We did boxes, barrels and benches!" 

used with permission www.dexterpix.com

Sug was right with me and sometimes taking me...  For some of you that's a given but for us, it was a gift!  And, I even asked to jump our scary stuff when the Eventing Trainer overlooked them.  For me, that is a miracle.

I think we may be back... really back! 



Dear Work,

Won't you let me keep my happy buzz?

Suzanne

CONNECTION - A MAN WITH AN ACCENT

Photo used with permission
www.flatlandfotos.com

Sometimes I wonder, what would Sugar be like today if she was owned by a professional... or a very talented 20 something?  She is so god-awful talented, athletic and of course beautiful... I do a good job with her but, I am a solid amateur rider - busy with a full-time, stressful career, middle aged and oddly brave with some things and a complete weeny in others.  I do wonder sometimes...



Yesterday I had a dressage lesson with a Man-With-An-Accent (MWAA) - the fabulous Niall Quirk.  There is something about a MWAA (or perhaps just Niall) that takes what is just ordinary and makes it Extraordinary!  Although, we worked on improving what we had, I felt that anything was possible (Spanish Riding School - watch out) and Sugar was right with me.

It's all about Connection.  Ok, you Dressage folks are saying, "DUH!  Of course its about connection, do you not read or listen to anything dressage related.  SIGH, you Eventers are sooooo backwoods..."    Yeah, I do know about Connection and I read/watch so many things about it that I probably could quote a few legends on the matter.   (Although not a parties, people frown on that..)

I'm not talking about the front to back, or the inside leg to outside hand or even hand to mouth (yes, I admit to using that "tool" sometime too).  I'm talking about that moment when horse, rider and instructor connect and every limitation, every ounce of self doubt and every fear slip away and the air is filled with realities and possibilities...  the crossover from ordinary to Extraordinary.

Sugar came into the lesson full of fire and brilliant energy.  This is the horse who makes me feel like a million bucks riding her.  All the fears I had of her being NQR  (not quite right), lame or broken were gone the second I moved away the mounting block. 

Ahhhhh...  this power and energy is fantastic to feel but can turn into an amazing display of naughtiness at any point... a professional would be able to channel that energy 99% of the time, a talented 20 something would laugh with her behavior and for me...  it's a toss up between - dueling angry mares, settling for trot truces, giving up in self derision or channeling it into something nice.



Photo taken by Lacey Odgen at the clinic with iPhone

Niall is a gifted clinician.  He has an amazing "can-do" attitude and his ability to direct our energy and our body is done simply and effectively.  No two lessons are the same and I leave with tools that keep what was taught moving forward.  My only regret was that he was here for just one day.  A girl is left with just a dream on what Day 2 with a MWAA would be like.

Oh yeah... Connection!  Of course, you silly Dressage folk, besides the mystical feeling of connecting with one's horse,  I did mean the amazing feel in your hands and under your seat true Connection.  Sugar may not have the big, wiggling body of a pure dressage horse but when her body gives, the tension releases and she relaxes into your hands... what happens is Extraordinary!

Sometimes I do wonder...  but I don't think Sugar ever does...

"ADULTS WITH ISSUES"

Daniel Stewart, himself

The story starts the Daniel Stewart Pressure Proof your Riding clinic...  "Way back when, at an International 3*, a Belgium* rider is just three fences from finishing when the horse is broadsided by a duck flying across the course.  Feathers fly and loud squawking occurs as the duck hits the ground...  The rider, rattled by the experience, stops and retires on course just three jumps from finishing...  She couldn't get her focus back!"

"Great riders master both the physical and the mental.  Today it's about increasing mental focus and confidence.  To experience your duck(s) and continue on..." 

And Folks... Game On!  Daniel Stewart was taking no prisoners.  His philosophy was to use the Overload Principle and "push us to fail"!  Our lessons should be harder than a competition and by pushing past your comfort zone, you get better!  Think about that...  overload our brains and teach us to be better by pushing us to fail.  Oh my!

One of the thing he pushed at the end was to "Pay it Forward"  To really embody the concepts and to make them your own, you have to give them away.  So, to be as succinct as possible...  here you go:

Camera couldn't quite capture the course

Our jumping exercise was called the Playground - Three lines of three jumps.  Each rider would have four rounds with each round getting more complicated.  DS would tell us what course to jump as we approached E.  His command would include the line (Outside, Diagonal, Bending, Center), how many jumps to jump AND the time to complete it.

 Every rider had 30 points to give up.  5 points for rails, going off course or taking the "near" side on a bending line, 1 point for every second off the time and 1 point for chipping in or taking the long spot.

Unfortunately, I completely blew it...  every single point.  You see, my Duck was chipping in.  I had the speed down, remembered the course (until the ducks showed up) and was competent.  When DS mentioned that I needed to work on doing the outside line better (improve the physical) so she wouldn't chip...  I began to focus on chipping in... even to the extent that I was counting them for the scribe.  And, "when you're ducking Ducks, you aren't riding!"  {{{OH MY!  I think we have something here.}}}

It was FABULOUS!  I haven't had this much fun jumping in a long time!  Like my horse, we both became more business-like (and less hysterical/spooky) when everything was quick, complicated and required focus.

DS - "Forget about being perfect!  Be excellent!  Focus on what is going well and you continue to improve."   "You are "Adults with Issues".  As you drive up the driveway to the barn, tuck all that craziness away and remember why you do this... for the love of your horse."

Our homework - (He gave us four things but said that we should only keep three):

• Music as Motivation - Put together a Playlist after determining if you're the type of person who either needs to "pump it up" or "Calm Down".  Choose songs that motivate you, that have words that mean something to you.  Have as many as you want but choose 2 or 3 to become your Anthem. 
• Develop Cue Words - Cues your focus.  He gave some awesome examples
• STAR - Sit Tall And Release, Stop Thinking And Relax
• BIG - Breathing Is Good
• LOGO - Laugh Or Get Off
• SUPER - Succeed Under Pressure Every Ride
• Rituals as Stress Stoppers (not going to go into this 'cause its the 4th)
• Targeting - Get in the Zone by targeting some thing in the ride that develops a state of flow - horses breath, sound of the tack... a cadence - "Be strong, push on!"

Fall day in New England - EXCELLENT!

And finally "Build your Equestrian Brand" by incorporating these tasks in to a brand.  For instance, the rider who had SUPER as the Cue Word also had Superman as her song, wore a Superman T-Shirt under her jacket and embodied the spirit.

DS's last comment before he left to catch his plan "Laughter heals and when we can laugh, we get better."

You know...  he's right!  I do this for fun!  I love my horse - quirks and all!  And you know what else, Sugar may be saying the same thing to her friends, "I love my person - quirks and all!  Thanks to Scarlet Hill Farm for hosting! 

* Two quick notes - It may have been another nationality he mentioned but I couldn't confirm on line so I'm going with Belgium.  And I didn't ride poorly and most of what I did was good (I think), I just blew everything on the last exercise (Outside, diagonal, center, bending - 10 jumps 45 seconds).  I got dinged for going off course, 15 seconds when I circled after  missed the center, and then got lost and stopped.)  It was still awesome!

DEAR BIG NAME TRAINER (BNT):

Dear BNT Clinician,

You've taken quite a few hits in the press for your views on "unprepared" lower level riders.   And yes, George Morris, is a BNT whose meticulous preparation, attention to detail and cutting remarks are well known in the hunter world.  And, it must be hard to teach middle-aged wannabees that work full time and ride seriously... for "pleasure". 

Yet, it takes a special person to do a special thing for special riders in a place of unknown worth.  I watched you this weekend at our Hunt Club's "Intro to Cross Country Riding" clinic and was absolutely wowed as you revealed the gifts of your experience.

They came to you with hope from all sorts of backrounds, riding an assortment of horses and, you welcomed them all! 

That first group of riders were enthusiastic and green.  I couldn't help but notice that one of the riders was tense... well, actually a little shaky.  Her eyes revealed a look I know all too well...  I could hear her brain screaming, "Why did I sign up for this?"  When asked about her nerves, she told me that this was the first clinic she's ever done and was worried that the BNT would think her unworthy, that she didn't belong or worse, would humiliate her middle-aged efforts to jump.  {{{Oh my, I guess I'm not alone!}}}


But you didn't do that...  you said to her, "We all go to clinics to learn new things and not to do what we've already done."   Your confidence in her unknown ability soothed her and she smiled, then later accomplished far more than she thought was possible.

At one point, you turned to me and said, "I will run late.  I can not rush and I will do what each needs to have done...  Let the next group know!"

Your patience is amazing.  When the Hunter/Jumper rider lost herself in her fear of XC jumps and left the group in tears, you welcomed her back during a short break and gave her a private lesson until she too left with a smile on her face and joy in her heart.

Cosmos = Happy!
Good Clinic = Happier!

Ah, that last group - the experienced group?  We all sat mesmerized at how you pulled them all together and used every bit of space and every jump available and gave them a KICKA** lesson!  And as the photographer (and co organizer), I get to look at those pictures and say...  OMG, did they really do that?

So BNT, you give all BNTs a good name.  You donated your time to our fundraiser and you gave each willing rider a 3*** experience.    And you did it with kindness, with gentle humor and just enough challenge that made each and everyone feel like a rock star.

You, BNT, are worth your weight in gold!  And we thank you!