Sep 18, 2011
Headwaters Stable Tour
We will be participating in the Headwaters Stable Tour once again this year on Sunday, September 25. For information about our showtimes please visit www.horsesinthehills.com. We look forward to seeing familiar faces as well as new ones!
Aug 11, 2011
Fun
Sometimes the best way of challenging yourself and your skills in horsemanship is to make the goal of some of your rides simple, pure fun. Whip tossing, riding bareback, going for a hack and opening and closing all your gates along the way are great ways to enjoy the summer. Going for a really good gallop is an amazing way of reminding yourself of the sheer power of your horse and to feel the aliveness of your heart pumping. If you have a friend who would be willing to help you out, get on the longe line and do some vaulting work or close your eyes while you do ordinary gait work.
Be safe and then push the limits a little. I hope you have a good time making new discoveries!
Be safe and then push the limits a little. I hope you have a good time making new discoveries!
Jun 9, 2011
Arena Etiquette
Whether you are riding at home, in a warm-up ring at a show, or at a clinic there are a few key things to remember when it comes to arena etiquette.
Keep comments to yourself. Unless asked, refrain from giving tips or outright telling another rider what s/he should be doing. Even though a congratulations on work well done is a nice thing to share, a rider is usually concentrating and focusing on the work. Try to save such comments until you notice a rider is doing a free walk on a long rein.
Pass left to left. In general, passing left shoulder by left shoulder is the way to go. Some exceptions are:
RIDE PREDICTABLY. Think of the arena like a highway. KEEP MOVING! How you ride should be like clear signals to everyone around you (without talking). Stay far to the sides if you are going slower than everyone else. Ride recognizable figures. Look around you before halting, doing a downward transition, or reining back. Avoid hoarding the circle. (I see riders stick in the same circle over and over and that limits the space others can use. It's no different than having a horse there on a longe line.)
Give room to stallions, young horses, and less experienced riders. If you are at a dressage show and notice a ribbon tied to the top of a horse's tail, that means that horse kicks so give space. A braided horse with a loose forelock is also a sign that horse is a stallion (just in case his bits are out of view!).
Be flexible. The arena is there for everyone's use. Keep your head up and learn how to modify your work without stopping. Doing constant transitions to get out of someone's way is a clear sign that you're not looking around and planning the best route.
Happy riding!
Keep comments to yourself. Unless asked, refrain from giving tips or outright telling another rider what s/he should be doing. Even though a congratulations on work well done is a nice thing to share, a rider is usually concentrating and focusing on the work. Try to save such comments until you notice a rider is doing a free walk on a long rein.
Pass left to left. In general, passing left shoulder by left shoulder is the way to go. Some exceptions are:
- move around rather than inside another rider who is doing a figure as to not interrupt that figure
- if you are moving faster, move to the inside regardless if you're on the left rein. Make eye contact with the other rider you are approaching as s/he may move out of the way.
- always pass with enough room as to not be able to touch even if you tried. (When at home, if you're close enough that I can whip you while you're passing me, I will!)
RIDE PREDICTABLY. Think of the arena like a highway. KEEP MOVING! How you ride should be like clear signals to everyone around you (without talking). Stay far to the sides if you are going slower than everyone else. Ride recognizable figures. Look around you before halting, doing a downward transition, or reining back. Avoid hoarding the circle. (I see riders stick in the same circle over and over and that limits the space others can use. It's no different than having a horse there on a longe line.)
Give room to stallions, young horses, and less experienced riders. If you are at a dressage show and notice a ribbon tied to the top of a horse's tail, that means that horse kicks so give space. A braided horse with a loose forelock is also a sign that horse is a stallion (just in case his bits are out of view!).
Be flexible. The arena is there for everyone's use. Keep your head up and learn how to modify your work without stopping. Doing constant transitions to get out of someone's way is a clear sign that you're not looking around and planning the best route.
Happy riding!
Mar 3, 2011
Getting Your Masters
In order to master riding a horse, you must be able to master yourself. You'll hear my dad say, "How do you expect to tell the horse what to do when you can't even do it yourself?" In dressage we ask our horse to do to the left what it can do on the right, to be flexible and supple, to be athletic and have stamina, to be straight and even, to have concentration and focus. Do you possess those qualities? Do you strive to be all those things?
The first step is self-awareness. Be conscious of what your body is doing, isolate body parts to work them on their own and then in conjunction with others, and check your position. Do exercises that will strengthen your weaknesses both on and off the horse. If riding a couple of times a week is your idea of fitness, you won't keep up with your horse. Incorporate activities throughout the day to get strong, be limber, and centered. Follow my dad's example: try hanging upside down from your feet, lifting yourself perpendicular to a tree trunk, and doing handstands. He's 68 years-old--I'm sure you can manage.
"If you want nothing, you already have it." - Frank Grelo
The first step is self-awareness. Be conscious of what your body is doing, isolate body parts to work them on their own and then in conjunction with others, and check your position. Do exercises that will strengthen your weaknesses both on and off the horse. If riding a couple of times a week is your idea of fitness, you won't keep up with your horse. Incorporate activities throughout the day to get strong, be limber, and centered. Follow my dad's example: try hanging upside down from your feet, lifting yourself perpendicular to a tree trunk, and doing handstands. He's 68 years-old--I'm sure you can manage.
"If you want nothing, you already have it." - Frank Grelo
Fear
Fear is a crippling feeling that can obstruct action in almost anything we do in life. I have seen it hold back the potential of more riders than I care to count. To become a great rider, one must master oneself and that includes tackling the fear. I often hear from riders, "I know my limits." Someone in pursuit of greatness is committed to pushing limits. This does not mean jumping before you know how to walk, but it does mean saying yes to taking the biggest steps you can to get there. I love when I find myself in an uncomfortable position because it highlights something I need to work on.
The next most frequent phrase I hear is, "My horse..." (enter any characteristic of a horse here). My dad has a good saying for this and it goes, "A lousy handyman blames his tools." The quicker you are honest with yourself about what you are doing and assume responsiblity for how your ride goes, the sooner you will figure out what is necessary to overcome your obstacles. Cut the excuses and go for it. The ride will say everything that needs to be expressed.
More on mastering oneself to come...
The next most frequent phrase I hear is, "My horse..." (enter any characteristic of a horse here). My dad has a good saying for this and it goes, "A lousy handyman blames his tools." The quicker you are honest with yourself about what you are doing and assume responsiblity for how your ride goes, the sooner you will figure out what is necessary to overcome your obstacles. Cut the excuses and go for it. The ride will say everything that needs to be expressed.
More on mastering oneself to come...
Jan 31, 2011
Frank's New Knee
The most notable physical attribute of my dad that most people remember is his bowed legs. He has earned them riding the thousands of horses over his lifetime. In fact, those legs are worth more than all the horses in our barn. Of course that wear and tear takes its toll on the bones and muscles leading my dad to finally go through with a decision he made months ago--to go for knee replacement surgery for his left knee.
I am happy to report that my dad is now at home and recovering well. It will still be several weeks before he is down at the barn in his usual routine, but he will be up and running in an even better capacity before long. Until then, he'll just have to do with being tended to and fed by my mom. Quel malheur!
Rosanna
I am happy to report that my dad is now at home and recovering well. It will still be several weeks before he is down at the barn in his usual routine, but he will be up and running in an even better capacity before long. Until then, he'll just have to do with being tended to and fed by my mom. Quel malheur!
Rosanna
Dec 13, 2010
Homework
I love riding in winter. The horses are full of energy, overheating is not a problem, and there is all that arena time for months (enter mild sarcasm here). It is a perfect time to refocus after the summer months of leisure and decide what new goals to set. So here is an idea for homework: diversify your lateral work.
Do laterals through figures you would not ordinarily do. For example, ride a serpentine in haunches-in flexing your horse to the corresponding direction. Brush up on your literature (or talk to my dad) and know where all hooves should be falling on the ground. First rule is to design your figure well and ride it with forward motion, but not fast. Feel your horse, set the rhythm, and when all is well you should be able to open your fingers and let the horse move through you.
Be aware of your tendencies, such as unconsciously doing more work to one side than the other or always starting to one side first. Feel your body level in the saddle and stirrups, shoulders lining up over hips, knees over toes, head straight, and have one eye on your horse and one on where you're going. You can't correct what you're not aware of. Where do you rush? When do you give up? What muscles get tight? When does your horse resist you? Like my dad says, think well--do well.
Good luck!
Do laterals through figures you would not ordinarily do. For example, ride a serpentine in haunches-in flexing your horse to the corresponding direction. Brush up on your literature (or talk to my dad) and know where all hooves should be falling on the ground. First rule is to design your figure well and ride it with forward motion, but not fast. Feel your horse, set the rhythm, and when all is well you should be able to open your fingers and let the horse move through you.
Be aware of your tendencies, such as unconsciously doing more work to one side than the other or always starting to one side first. Feel your body level in the saddle and stirrups, shoulders lining up over hips, knees over toes, head straight, and have one eye on your horse and one on where you're going. You can't correct what you're not aware of. Where do you rush? When do you give up? What muscles get tight? When does your horse resist you? Like my dad says, think well--do well.
Good luck!
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