The Warm-Up: Part III - Exercises for the Athletic/Easily Distracted Horse

I wrote in Part I that the warm-up phase for Cruz, my athletic and easily distracted horse requires more contact than for my husband's older and calmer horse.

Not only must I keep Cruz on a shorter rein, but I also need to keep his brain busy. Rather than riding large circles and asking for bend and stretch, I have to sneak up on him with more subtle suppling exercises.

To be honest, they keep my brain busy, too.

Walk Work is Under-rated!

I have a tendency to overuse my hands, which Cruz understandably resents. So I devised a sequence of movements to loosen his shoulders and neck without him getting bored. The advantage to me is that I must keep my hands quiet and be effective with my seat and leg. All my aids must be communicated to Cruz in a clear and unhurried way, so he can understand and obey them without resistance.  

Harry Boldt’s fantastic, but wildly expensive book “Das Dressur Pferd” explains how useful lateral walk work is for suppling the horse.

 The Exercises

1. I walk a few large circles before asking for leg yield on both reins - on a 'Training Level' contact. I try hard to keep my hands quiet and slightly in front of the saddle, so I’m not ‘in his face’ when I ask for the lateral movement. By asking for only slight inside flexion I avoid blocking his shoulder with a too tight inside rein. 
2. I then ask for shoulder-in on the long sides, in both directions. 
3. Now comes shoulder-in till the half-way point of the long sides (E/B) then an unhurried switch to travers (haunches-in). When Cruz is happy with this, I switch a couple of times between shoulder-in and travers on the long sides. 
4. As soon as Cruz is giving nicely to my quiet hands and listening to my leg and seat aids, I ride him down the center line in shoulder-in, then change to renvers (haunches-out) to make sure he’s supple in his neck and through his ribcage. I switch back and forth every few strides. (I got this idea from this YouTube video of Bent Branderup.) 
5. Once Cruz is bending without any resistance, I go down the center line again. This time I ask for shoulder-in followed by half-pass in walk to the right (his better side). I then come round and ask for half-pass to the left.

My gelding is now supple and willing to work long and low in all three gaits with a soft, round contact. Best of all, we’ve achieved our goal without a fight.

This may seem a somewhat back to front approach, but it works very well for us. Maybe it could help your horse and make the warm-up walk phase more interesting for you both?

Riding Lesson notes

Today's lesson was, as usual, very educational and humbling! Let's see if I can remember everything.

We concentrated on getting me to look up instead of at Cruz's neck and react to the feel of him in the reins. I can assess what's going on and adjust my riding much faster this way.

1. I need to ask Cruz to give on the right rein until he does it. Whether I'm riding to the left or right, I need to get him to submit to the right rein. Once he does, he gives in the back and is more supple - in all gaits.

2. When he doesn't want to bend left (once we start what he considers to be 'work') I mustn't turn him in small circles while emphasizing my left rein and asking him to get off my left leg. This makes him more unbalanced, and upsets him. I need to work him on a larger circle where he has a chance of co-operating, and loosen my upper thigh, while keeping my legs quiet. I have a habit of using too much left leg, which encourages him to move sideways.

3. Moving sideways instead of forwards as asked means he is behind the leg and able to evade my aids. I must keep him in front of my leg and using his rear end, then he won't feel I'm in his face and will be better able to co-operate.

3. When I asked him for left canter from walk he got discombobulated very fast. If this happens, I need to stay calm, keep my left rein asking for inside bend, loosen my thighs and relax my legs again. Just stay like that and he'll give in graciously, without a fight. It really worked.

4. Maintain that right rein (without giving up the left rein) while cantering down the long side in left lead. If necessary, move his head left and right - just minimally - to keep him supple in the neck and round and giving his back. Same goes for right lead canter, but he did that better anyway, 'cos it's easy for him.

5. Cruz doesn't want to get underneath himself in canter, so he tends to rush down the long side. I have to make sure I get him round, and with half-halts bring him into a more balanced canter. At one point he did a flying change from left to right lead to get out of cantering to the dreaded left! That was a first.

6. As a general rule, use shoulder fore whenever I'm riding down the long side.

7. Use shoulder fore coming onto the quarter line and moving into leg yield. Look where I'm going, so we don't overshoot the quarter line and go round in a circle again. Keep the outside rein guiding the horse on the line I want to take, maintain the shoulder fore and ask him to move laterally.

8. When in sitting trot in the final phase, ask him to lengthen and shorten (not 'go faster' or 'more slowly' because the impulsion and activity have to remain the same) to get him used to bringing his hocks underneath himself and strengthening his hind end.

Great trot, square halt, big pats with sugar and walking to cool him off.

A Much Happier Day

Today I was determined to stay friends with Cruz and I succeeded. It was a windy day so I stayed in the upper two thirds of the arena to save any distractions for him, since he was threatening to be distracted and I wanted to keep things calm and concentrated.

I worked him long and low in walk and he bent fine to left and right, as he did in trot. I cantered him first on the right lead, a couple of times, and then walked on a long rein to take a break. I didn't want him anticipating left canter and getting worked up ahead of time, which he does very easily.

So when I asked for the left canter lead a few minutes later, he stayed straight and slightly bent to the left. I was careful not to ask for too much bend. I patted him like crazy afterwards, then worked on the right rein in trot, and the left. I found that if I now kept the right (outside) rein consistent and vibrated/squeezed the left rein he reacted well. I cantered him one last time on the left rein and Cruz was willing to give a little bit more. He still threatened to throw his head up, but I managed through squeezing the left rein to prevent it and have him give in gracefully. I stopped right there.

Big pats, time for a wash down followed by tea and turn out.

I hope tomorrow's lesson goes as well. I also hope my son Ross passes his driving test. He has to wait another three months otherwise, as Maryland law has changed.

A royal disagreement!

On Saturday Cruz decided that he was NOT going to bend left in left canter. He was very happy to bend to the right, even in counter canter, but not to the left. I must have ridden him for two hours in the rain, trying to find a way for him to accept the left bend. He finally agreed to bend left if I rode him long and very low, but as soon as I asked him to hold himself even a little higher, it was all over.

I was worried about what the neighbors thought, watching me turn him in left circles and pushing my left leg into him about every two minutes!

Because of all this, he did some fairly decent leg yields as long as I rode him straight, not bending to the left!!

So I ended being satisfied with those, although really frustrated over the left canter. It seems to rear its ugly head every so often. Cruz does find it difficult.

Sunday I was off in Norfolk at a Barnes & Noble book fair, so he had a day to recover, together with a lot of arnica. Today I lunged him, reeling him in more and more on the left - but still not particularly short - and he gave me grief about that left lead in canter again. Eventually he gave in, and I stopped. But it took a long time. I hope I can ride him tomorrow in a more friendly manner, the way I did at the show after a bad day on the eve of the competition. He seemed to agree to a truce that day: I'm looking for that tomorrow! We'll see.

A Lesson Learned!

Yesterday I took Cruz for another dressage lesson. Although it would be nice not to have to trailer him for my weekly kick up the posterior, it is useful for him to travel so consistently. I no longer worry that it'll take an hour or more to get him into the trailer, which is how bad he used to be.

Our big bugbear right now is bending, especially to the left. Yesterday I was pushed into making him bend left, even if it meant having to exert a LOT OF HEAVY repeated left leg and left rein to make him give in.

I was given a useful exercise to get him to cross over laterally and get me to put that lifeless left leg of mine on his side. Do a canter leg yield on the left lead, then bend left and go into trot before the end of the long side. Come round and perform left leg yield then canter before the end of the long side. Repeat three times. By the end of the exercise Cruz was yielding gracefully to the left, and I was keeping my left leg on him better. We obviously did the same on the right leg, but without the same fights! Any time we were on the left leg and Cruz gave me 'no' I had to turn him left and really kick with my left leg a couple of times before he gave in. Then he got a big pat and went on our merry way.

We also performed counter-canter circles in both directions with him looking outwards to get him realizing how easy the correct bend is! He was exhausted afterwards and very happy to march onto the trailer and go home!

Today he gets off - he's worked for seven days in a row because of the show and the lesson, and deserves a break.

CD's eye is weeping again, although it's not sensitive to the touch. So I'm using the cortisone cream again and stepping up the homeopathic treatment, in case the trauma is threatening another ERU episode. I really hope not.

A Scary Interlude

Yesterday I was trailering Cruz to a lesson. En route I had to brake (luckily not for an emergency stop) and my foot depressed almost to the floor before anything happened. Even then, the stopping power was negligible.

I was on my way and decided to continue, thinking that I only needed to adjust the setting of the electric brake box linking to my trailer's brakes. When I got to a quieter part of the route I played with the settings, but that made no difference.

I forced myself to concentrate on the lesson, then worry about the brakes on the way home.

During the lesson I was made aware of how little my left leg does. I need to keep my left calf on the horse, which putting my whip in my left hand will help.

We worked on leg yields, which we both find difficult to the right, as Cruz doesn't move off my left leg. Not surprising as I've never really asked him to! He got pretty pissy when I insisted, both in trot and in canter, but we got through the "no way am I doing this, mom" barrier and developed some exciting bend and thrust in both gaits. My homework is clear! I need to work on it today without upsetting Cruz as we have a show tomorrow, First Level 1 and 2. All I want is NO BLOW UPS during the test. Total submission would be a terrific bonus, too!

Anyway, I started off home, with my brakes soft and virtually non-existent. I got pretty scared, and drove ultra cautiously, keeping a good distance between me and the vehicle in front, and slowing down early for approaching downhill slopes.

As soon as I'd unhitched the trailer, I drove my Expedition to the auto mechanic, who is thankfully very close to my house. He's also next to the dog grooming parlor, so I took my Border Collie, Ruggles aka Fatso, to get his hair shaved off, as he's getting hot and bothered this summer. So I killed two birds with one stone.

It turned out that some screw or other had got grungy or loose or something. It was quickly fixed  at no charge (hurray!) and I drove home with real brake power. I now don't have to try and beg, borrow or steal a towing vehicle for the show tomorrow!

Wish me luck and I'll write an update tomorrow evening.

An Interesting Day

The day began with Starbucks, which is always a good thing. A friend passed through, who had to have a terminally ill horse put down this morning, a tough thing to experience. But she was also going to look at a new horse this morning. He looks like a sweetheart and I hope he's a match.

I managed to finish the crossword - also a good thing. I then put a second dose of ointment in CD's eye. He's looking so much better: the eye is less swollen, less painful and he's keeping it open. He doesn't enjoy my messing around with it, which is understandable. Because the pupil is dilated through the Atropine, I kept him inside with completely closed doors. He was happy as long as he had something to eat all day long. He's a very easy going horse.

At 11:00 went to the funeral of a horse neighbor's mother. It was my first time at a Methodist service and with a woman minister. It was very moving and especially poignant because my father died on the same day - 14th September - nineteen years ago. Father Dan gave me the cross from the altar after the Mass on Monday, as a great friend had told him that it was my father's anniversary.

Also at the service the same Psalm 23 and the Gospel, about there being many rooms in My Father's house, were included as at my father's funeral. Of course, I cried.

So it was great to ride Cruz in the afternoon. I have a lesson tomorrow so decided to ride until he got loosened up. I worked on collection and extension for a while, and then Cruz suddenly gave in his back. For the first time (with him) I was able to sit quietly with my legs long. It felt fantastic! So I now have what looks like a system for loosening him up. Cesar said yesterday that we should do this.

I have a show on Sunday. I don't know if I can reproduce the same on the day, but I'm going to try!

Back in the Saddle after Two Days Off

The past few days have been spent anxiously awaiting a call from my farrier. I missed the last appointment, so it was my own fault that I had three horses overdue for shoeing for more than a week! So after that last great lesson when it rained non-stop and I was worried about the shoes, I didn't ride.

But the farrier came yesterday - hurray! And it stopped raining today - hurray again! Not only that, but my  arena had dried out sufficiently to be rideable. So I was able to get on my horse again, which is a good thing as we have a show coming up next weekend. He was well-behaved for a Thoroughbred cross who had been off work for more than 24 hours.

Cruz was a little unhappy with his left canter lead, but surprised me by being balanced and co-operative again when I did that counter canter exercise. I have aspirations to enter a Second Level test before the end of the year, and already the lowest level one needs a serpentine in counter canter with three loops. Now I feel that maybe - just maybe - we'll sneak that test in before the end of 2009. Even if we don't quite make it by then, I still know that it's not an unrealistic goal for the near future.

I was very proud of Cruz for having such a great attitude. He's got a decent shoulder-in and we're working well on walk to canter strike-offs. Now I need to quietly and clearly teach him to back up without making him anxious or think that I'm going to ask him to back up every time we halt. I'm learning that he listens much more than I've given him credit for. And he's always so cuddly after exercise.

Another good day!

A great dressage lesson!

Yesterday I took Cruz for a midday dressage lesson. He'd had the previous day off, because he's due for shoeing and I wanted to make sure his shoes were O.K. for my first lesson in a month.

He was an absolute star. As usual I needed to work on using that right rein, which he has trouble accepting and which is essential to keeping him straight. He bends nicely to the right, but has difficulty to the left, going out over the shoulder because I don't support him enough with the right/outside rein.

But boy, once he straightens out and all his pushing power propels him forward, what a different horse he is! It's really exciting to ride him when his back gives and he's motoring. Looking in the mirror, I see a horse with great presence.

He still tries to put his head up when I go down the long side, and I have to concentrate on 'riding every stride' instead of thinking "ah! I got it!" and relaxing too much. That's the moment Cruz is looking for and he's so very good at taking advantage of the loophole I'm giving him.

I'm taking a long time to accept just how hard I need to work to get results!  My instructor told me to ask for energetic walk right from the start, and encourage Cruz to loosen up.

We did a new exercise to loosen his back in canter. Just as in trot, he has a hard time bending to the left on the left rein. So my instructor had me canter on his good lead, the right, do a loop and come back to the track half way down the long side, counter canter in a shallow loop, then continue on a twenty meter circle in counter canter, asking for bend to the left - while making sure to keep my left leg back and more weight on my right (inside) hip. Although he found it difficult, Cruz was very obliging and tried his heart out. When we did this on his left (bad) lead and came back  to true canter, he found it so much easier than counter canter, that he performed a beautiful, rhythmic and balanced left lead canter. I was thrilled with him!

So now I have my homework before my next lesson.