What a Difference a Julio Mendoza Clinic Makes!

After getting 57% at the Fix-A-Test, I took Cruz to a local schooling show for our first outing at Second Level test.

I really wanted to improve our score by at least two percentage points.

Show Number One

We just squeezed into the 60% bracket with our Second Level 1 test – my shoulder-ins were too much like shoulder-fores and received 5s. Then I dipped below that magic 60% in Second Level 2: my sad attempts at travers both received 4s, with the comments ‘not succeeded.’

Ouch!

Then Along Came Julio

However, I was booked into a two day clinic with Julio Mendoza, who’d been invited by a fellow PVDA Calvert Chapter member to visit our humble Southern Maryland area. I am so glad he did. He is a very upbeat, courteous and fun guy who wants riders and their horses to enjoy themselves.

Quick Background

Two days earlier I’d had a second lesson with a new instructor, as my former trainer was getting too busy with her competition circuit to devote regular time to teaching.

We were to ride shoulder-in and travers at walk on a 20 meter circle, punctuating the movements with halts.  This enabled me to concentrate on bending Cruz around my inside leg for the travers, and keeping a strong outside rein for the shoulder-in.

We then graduated to trotting the same exercise, alternating between compressing Cruz and releasing him forwards. His trot improved 1000%.

Back to Julio

So I warmed Cruz up in the same fashion at the clinic, and was thrilled when Julio continued during our session with the same exercises. But he did add some changes.

1. Bit Placement

First, he lowered the bit one hole in my gelding’s mouth. He explained to me that the area of the bar immediately in front of the horse’s teeth is very sensitive. By placing the bit further down, it was now resting on a less touchy part of his jaw.

Cruz immediately began to chew happily (and at our last show was actually foaming at the mouth!).

2. Hand Placement & Rein Function

Julio told me that I keep my hands too far apart. My outside hand should come almost to my horse’s mane and my inside hand should be close to it. The reins should also be held a little in front of the saddle.

One function of the outside rein is to lift the horse - together with the rider’s shoulders, core and lower back. This rein ‘belongs to the rider.’

The inside rein ‘belongs to the horse’ and one of its uses is to relax his top line.

Keeping my hands more together maintains the horse in a more condensed ‘packet.’ Julio had to constantly remind me to do this during the two days of the clinic, but I could feel a huge difference in my horse when I did as I was told.

3. Use of the Reins and Legs

Julio says the inside rein ‘belongs to the horse’ while the outside rein ‘belongs to the rider.’

The outside rein stays constant, supporting - but not holding - the horse. Since the aim is to get the horse to lighten up in front, any time he leans on either rein, release that rein a tiny bit before resuming contact. This takes away the horse’s prop so he has to carry himself.

The inside rein is the more playful rein, which releases as a reward to the horse when he bends, gives, etc. This doesn’t mean constantly messing about with it: just let it be softer/squeezed more than the outside rein so the horse gives to it and bends laterally.

At the same time the inside leg needs to urge the horse forwards and into the outside rein, while the outside leg supports him.

4. Shoulder-In and Travers

In the shoulder-in, I learned to maintain my inside leg behind the girth to keep the horse’s haunches out on the track, while my strong outside rein brought his shoulders in for enough angle. I also learned that I need more forward impulsion to perform a good shoulder-in.

For travers my horse needs to be properly bent around my inside leg, yet not over bent, laterally or horizontally. Again, with correct impulsion, Cruz found it easy to perform a correct travers.

5. Collected Trot

I needed a sharp reminder that ‘collected’ trot does not mean ‘slower’ trot!

My clue to having achieved collected trot was when Cruz moved forwards in a controlled fashion with so much bounce I could hardly sit it out! He became lighter in front, and moved laterally with ease. It was a great feeling. This trot also segued effortlessly into a spectacular medium trot.

The Second Show

Thanks to that clinic, at the following show I got 6s for my shoulder-ins (no more shoulder-fores) and 6.5 for my travers (goodbye to those 4s!).  

With expert guidance from Julio and my current instructor, Cruz and I are on truly en route to becoming a genuine Second Level partnership!

P.S. On the second day of the clinic, before our session began, a clap of thunder and instant downpour of rain on the indoor arena’s roof freaked Cruz out, and he took off!

When I finally brought him to a standstill, I leaped off and stood shaking while trying to reassure Cruz that all was well.

Julio gave me a kind hug, then hopped on Cruz for a while. It was lovely to see the horse go so well with a great rider! Julio was so calm that Cruz settled straight down to work and I was soon able to resume my lesson on him.

It drummed into me how staying calm oneself is vital to convincing the horse that there is nothing to worry about.

The Show Results Are In!

Yesterday was a good day. I managed to watch a friend ride her new mare at Training Level for the first time, and was able to read her first test. She did really well. The mare is very forward going, so my friend is being careful not to sit deep in the saddle yet. But they got good scores for both their rides.

I went home to fetch Cruz, who behaved really well. He warmed up without a trace of tension or resentment after our less than happy session at home the day before. I tried hard to use my inside leg every time I asked for a bend left or right, and be soft with the hand asking for the bend. Cruz was a trooper and gave in graciously. His canter strike offs were great, as well.

But my stirrups were, once again, too long!! One of these days I'll be relaxed enough not to have to shorten them a hole at a show.

I worked him in the indoor and walked him outside alternately, and took him round the ring during the lunch break. He was very calm, and did a good first test (First Level 1). The only really bad movement was the rising trot on a long rein: I got a 5, which is sad, as we've got 8s before, and that score is multiplied by 2.

The rider between that and my next test was a no-show, so they wanted me to go straight back in. I hadn't practised my leg yields. So I rode to the indoor, and immediately asked for trot, and a left and right leg yield.
They were brilliant!

So of course, in the test the right leg yield was horrible! I can't have set him up correctly for it. But I took a deep breath, straightened him up, and got a clean canter strike-off to the left. I've never been able to salvage the canter and ensuing 15 meter circle after a bad leg yield. So that's a big plus. The left leg yield was pretty good, and I got the canter fine afterwards. We've made progress.

Still got a 5 for the stretching trot circle. Need to work on that. I also need more submission. I took Cruz back to the indoor and asked for the right leg yield again. He was suddenly a lot softer than before, and gave me an exceptionally nice one. I was told by the judge not to bend him inwards so much for the leg yields. She also said that he would have gone better in a third test. If we'd had more time to prepare for the second test, he may have been really submissive before I went in. Maybe this points to taking even longer to warm him up before his next test.

But I got a 7 for my riding (x 3) on both tests, which was a huge improvement on the 5 I got last time! Final results were 64% and 62.5%. There were three people riding at First Level: me, the no-show and myself. So I got a first and second place ribbon, plus a PVDA medal.

I celebrated with a venti frapuccino chai tea at Starbucks and sat outside in the sun doing the crossword. Embarrassingly I was late for afternoon Mass, but a friend sat with me and made me feel better.

A good day, and I'm really feeling that Cruz and I have made a small, but significant breakthrough.

He was also very co-operative on the lunge today. I would normally have given him the day off, but I have a lesson tomorrow and Sharon asked me to exercise him even though he was just at a show. He moved well, and I didn't push him for long.

So we're good friends, still, and I so hope we can move onto the exercise leading into half-pass tomorrow. Then I'll really feel we've moved forward!

P.S. CD's eye is doing much better. He's not so sensitive about my touching it to put cream in, and he's also keeping it open. I'm continuing with the homeopathy for a few more days until he seems out of danger. I don't want this episode to set off another outbreak of moonblindness because of eye trauma.