The horse does all the work

I am really, really sick of hearing this. I just had one co-worker make this joke as we were standing around this morning. I laughed because I know full well this person knows how physically intense riding can be. But then another co-worker piped up and said “that’s what I think” with such a superior tone as to suggest her opinion is the only one that is possibly correct. I have to admit, someone shamefully, that I was instantly angry. I refrained from showing it as best I could and I managed not to say anything too rude. It doesn’t help that this person was already getting under my skin lately with her my-opinion-is-the-only-truth approach. So I was already sick of it and then that just hit too close to home.

Why do so many people assume riding is so easy? I’d love to see any one of them do squats on a moving “base” for even a few minutes, let alone on and off for an hour. Or maintain core tension for an entire hour while simultaneously not being tense and operating your limbs independently of one another, also on a moving base. Or balancing all your weight on the balls of your feet and calves, using lots of inner thigh, while said moving base throws itself through the air over obstacles. Not to mention helping balance the horse. Or even more challenging (for me) is keeping the horse “between” your seat/legs and hands with a soft, following hand, a relaxed seat, while performing lateral movements. This gets me exhausted faster than just about any activity I’ve ever done, and my usual favorite activities are cross-country skiing and rock climbing!!

I said that it sounded about as silly as saying that riding a bike isn’t exercise. WHOA! That got a strong reaction! But your legs move when you ride a bike, they said. How dare I suggest something so ridiculous? I had to laugh. Then, I couldn’t stop the sarcasm, “Oh, you’re right, your legs don’t move or do any work when riding a horse.”

Ok, so I was at work and had to maintain my cool, but I was really pissed off. To me, it’s simply ignorant to suppose your opinion is right about something you have never experienced. And it’s not just here; a lot of people seem to be very set in this idea. I know, I shouldn’t let it get to me but it just makes no sense whatsoever. Even worse are those who have gone on one trail ride and therefore “know” what riding is like.

Sorry for the rant but I really needed to get that out. Now, I am going to try to turn “frustrated Friday” into “Fun Friday”…I get to go to an interesting presentation this afternoon.

Have you ridden a Fjord lately?

I haven't been up to ride Edgar since just before I broke my arm at the beginning of June. After the arm was ok to ride again, I was hesitant to continue riding Edgar at first. It was my closest experience with "fear" and riding. I wasn't really afraid but I WAS reluctant to risk getting hurt again soon after my month off. Time off is HARD. I hate being limited in what I can do.

While I was recovering, Edgar's owner tried to find another exercise rider. It didn't go so well. Many clearly weren't experienced enough and she didn't let them try him. A couple were ok, but couldn't handle him. One girl seemed to be a good enough rider but when he bolted on her, she couldn't control him. His owner was considering selling him to a home that could actually make use of him. She just couldn't do it though.

My wrist got better but I was still reluctant to get back into working with Edgar. It is very slow going when the work is so far between. It is also difficult since there is no indoor arena or outdoor ring to ride in. I ride in a hay field.

I felt like all the responsibility for his riding was up to me. To be honest, I wasn't up for that task. It is selfish to say but there just wasn't enough in it for me. I had to drive 30-40 minutes to walk-trot around a hay field?? It was hard to motivate myself to go.

On the other hand, Edgar's owner is an amazing person. I really like her and she could really use some help. I've said it before but it bears repeating - life threw some curve balls to this family that resulted in delaying her plans with the horses that she had waited so long to purchase. I'm not going into details out of respect for her privacy but trust me, society owes her a debt of gratitude. I also really like working with Edgar. He is such a people horse, even if he is a trouble-maker :)

I had a nice long talk with Edgar's owner. I discussed with her my dilemma about wanting to work with him but also my commitment to improving my riding and wanting to move up in that respect (hence leasing a Hanoverian :) ). She can't bring herself to sell him just yet. It just isn't "safe" enough. I agreed. She has been longing him and doing other groundwork, so at least he's getting something. She decided to just let him be a lawn ornament for the next few years until she can dedicate herself to him. We also said that I would come up whenever I can, no pressure as to how often. Something is always better than nothing (as long as that something isn't making him worse, of course!)

So I went up to ride Edgar today. The last time anyone has been on him was me, back at the very begining of June. I expected some protest and bucks, maybe even bolts. But I approached getting ready as if he and I did it every day. His ground manners are so much better than in the spring! He was still playful and knocked everything off the ledge in front of him BUT he wasn't pushy with me at all.

Under saddle, he was awesome! Not one single step wrong. I was amazed. I also forgot how nice his trot feels. I could sit to it all day.
I've figured out what the main "blow-up" issue is, I think. I realized it long ago but never really put it into words, I just rode and adjusted accordingly. Now, I feel I have to be able to describe it to others. Stay tuned for my revelation, I am just too tired tonight to type!


Why am I so tired? We did a lot of stuff around the house this weekend. Along with battling grape vines that have taken over, I painted the shed.

Notice the rust. It looked worse in real life.
Also, the roof was almost completely bare of paint.

Rust be gone!The (almost) finished product. I have to say
I love this shed now. All I need are the ponies :)

Search for Lease, continued.

I had pretty much decided not to lease the big boy I talked about in my previous post on lease-hunting. His owner was looking for a more advanced rider and basically a co-trainer. I know I didn't ride all that well that day for a number of reasons but I am sure I wouldn't disappoint her if she watched me a few more times. It was worrying me so much...what should I do??...and finally, after my lesson on Monday, I came to a decision. I was talking to a couple other women I ride with about my dilemma. One made it clear - if you are that stressed and worried, move on! It's clearly not the right situation. It really could be that simple! I made up my mind to keep looking. I felt so relieved.

But then...

I didn't have a chance to email the owner right away, so I waited until the next day. I got home from work, walked the dog, and made dinner. I finally sat down in front of the laptop with the sole purpose of emailing the owner to say I was going to pass due to different wants/needs.

But there was an email from my instructor waiting for me. Turns out, the horse's owner just figured out in the last week that her boy was reacting to the saddle! Turns out he's been progressively getting worse in some ways with respect to behaviour but she thought it was a combination of the current leaser and having new people try him out. I've read enough about saddle fit issues to know that they can be incredibly subtle, yet serious, but very hard to identify as the saddle. This saddle "fit" by all reasonable standards but still was pinching him. It took some time before the owner was able to see real evidence pointing to the saddle. Of course, she feels terrible but is happy that she can now do something! I like this owner :)

So, we've agreed to try things out for October and then re-assess. I feel 100% better about the situation and am very excited for the opportunity. It looks like my riding is about to change considerably!

Alright, you guys with nice horses --- any tips, stories or anything really, that you can tell me about the transition from school horses to privately owned, nice horses? I'm told it will help my riding immensely. I have a hard time seeing how it's different, in a way. I know the horse will likely respond better, but people seem to tell me a fairly big transformation occurs.

I hope to update on Edgar (the Fjord I haven't really talked about since I broke my arm in June) soon. I've been putting off blogging about him! I am hoping to see him on the weekend so I might even have new pictures.

Silly Horses and How Far is Too Far?

The horse I posted about last week now has a shoulder full of stitches :( It seems he was kicked by another horse, poor guy (or, maybe he was being an ass, who knows?). So, no riding and no turnout for him for a little while. I feel so bad for him, with all the wet weather we've had the bugs are still in full force. It must be so annoying!

On another note:

I just recently heard back from someone who advertised a lease for their horse. It is a different stable from where I ride but the price is very good and he sounds like a nice horse. I would have the opportunity to come out and go for a trail ride with him first. They are having a new indoor arena built which should be finished this week. Also trails. Sounds really great.

The only catch is it will take almost an hour to get there, which will make it difficult to go during the week. My question to you guys is: How far do you or would you go to ride? I know, most of you have your horses at home! My lesson barn is only about 20-25 minutes away and it's great. I'm not sure how reliably I could do a 1 hour drive after work.

Is verbal reward enough?

I finally got the chance to ride a horse I've been longing to ride for a very long time at my lesson barn. He is an OTTB that I've been secretly wanting to ride for at least 6 months. Last week, I made my desire known to my instructor. It paid off this week. His "usual" rider does well with him but tends to hold him in too tight, a fairly natural reaction to his fast, fast, fast, approach. I was both nervous and excited for this opportunity as I love his build and his expression.

I mostly worked on getting him to relax and soften. The usual "release as reward". I quickly realized that it worked best to give him a fairly strong correction/half-halt and release as opposed to a softer correction more frequently. He is used to being held fairly tightly most of the ride, from what I've seen.

Our warm-up and trot work was very good. He was relaxed and most of the time soft and on the bit. He would occasionally be reactive, fast and high-headed but since I was able to be consistent and calm he would settle fairly quickly. Until the canter work.

He was fast and not all that well under control at the canter. He wasn't super crazy but I had a hard time balancing the aids. It is difficult to simultaneously not hold too tight, keep him from running all out AND prevent him from breaking. It might sound strange that he would break, but he is so used to being "held up" by the mouth that when you try to have 2lbs versus 10+lbs of pressure, his balance is off and he subsequently breaks gait.

There are a lot of issues going on here, for sure. But what I am most interested in right now is whether verbal praise is enough. The idea is that every time he relaxes and softens, I want to reward him. This horse did give me several opportunities during our hour of schooling, which is great. The release is the main reward, but I think it would help to have an additional reinforcement. Do you agree?

Giving treats at this time would be impossible, at least for me. I would not be able to keep the action I want and then give a treat. I would have to stop or walk him first and then I think I would be rewarding the stop/transition, not the soft, on the bit, forward motion. Also, since I ride with 3-4 other people, stopping for treat rewards would be disruptive, I think. This whole issue is compounded by the fact that I will only ride this horse once or twice a week (unless I lease him for the fall/winter...) and I am not his only rider. He is not ridden by inexperienced riders, but there is still variation in approach, no doubt.

Do you think verbal praise is enough of a reward, in combination with the release? Any thoughts on how to approach this situation? He has already shown me that he is responsive to the way he is ridden in the moment. For example, I wondered how he would react to not being held in death-grip because I knew I would not be doing that. He quickly adjusted to my level of contact and improved greatly in his trot work. I am not being arrogant here, it comes from my instructor's feedback. It also just makes sense that helping the horse carry himself will be better in the long run.

I want to go from this

to thisor this

I definitely want some improvement in our canter work if I don't want to resort to holding tight. I just don't think that is a long-term solution, though it might look better in the short term. We did have awesome moments at the canter where I had exactly what I wanted. I want the best way to communicate to him that he has it right, as soon as he's doing it!

Any thoughts?

A Few of My Favorite Things

Horse of Course has a friendly challenge going. The best kind, if you ask me, because we get to think and write about our favorite horsey things.

This was more challenging than I expected! I knew I should really narrow it down to my very favorites and that required some thought. I expect they would change a bit if I owned my own horse, but not by a lot.

First on the list is Vet Wrap. It is not strictly a horsey thing but it's versatility is exactly why it makes my list. With it's ability to stick to itself and nothing else, it's perfect stretchiness allowing for different amounts of tension and the multitude of colours available, it is perfect for wrapping wounds in even awkward locations or simply keeping a tail clean and tangle free for a time. I would argue it's better than duct tape.One of the best purchases I made last year was a synthetic girth like this one. I was worried about buying a synthetic girth but I also didn't want to spend the money on a leather one. I love the way it moves with the horse, stays pliable and is easy to clean. It makes me happy every time I tack up. Note: I have heard that it is possible for a horse to have a reaction to the neoprene. Although no one I know who uses them has ever had a problem, it is something to be aware of, especially when first trying them out.

As a kid, I never rode in gloves except in the winter and they were not riding gloves. I'm not sure why, I just didn't need them I guess. Now, I really appreciate a good glove and I only ride glove-free on the occasional fun hack. I've used a number of types and my current pair the Ariat® Pro Grip Leather Glovesare my favorite. The leather is super-soft but has been very strong too. The thing I like most is that I don't feel like I'm wearing gloves at all. That is the mark of good equipment!




Finally, I have a very common grooming tool - the mane and tail comb. I have a "thing" for tangle-free manes and tails, so this is one of my favorite tools. Whether it's a newer model with rolling teeth like the Grooma comb or a plain old plastic comb, I love the finished product!


I hope you've enjoyed my list of favorites! This exercise made me realize how much I love almost everything associated with our equine partners.

What goes up....must come down

I was going to post on Wednesday about the simple pleasures of accomplishing something you weren't sure you were capable of. Last week, I completed a training level dressage test during a lesson on a horse I hadn't ridden in months and who I find a challenging ride. It wasn't perfect, but close, and I had no idea that we had been working at a more complex level than that for months! I know, it's "only" training level but I don't show (yet!) so I always thought it was far above me when I read other people discussing levels etc. I was interested in hearing stories from others about experiences with realizing their skills.

This week, my instructor wanted me to work with a new horse. He is not well trained right now and she thought it would be good for him to have me ride. I actually had a good time with him although the ride sure was a workout. Everyone was pleased with how we worked together. At the end of the lesson we (the "students") went for a cool-out hack in the upper fields. As we approached the barn again my horse was relaxed on a loose rein, I was relaxed too. Make that too relaxed.I don't know what happened (fly bite? bee sting?) but the horse suddenly started bucking quick little bucks and hopping sideways. He moved sideways enough that he was behind my car and then kicked my car which spooked him and he shot forward. I didn't really move forward with him and since I was horribly off balance from the bucking I came off the side.

I spent almost 9 hours in emergency! My wrist is broken (distal radius fracture) but I'm told I can probably have the cast off in 3 weeks which is pretty good.

I have a stockpile of blog topics I've been wanting to do but typing is slow with one hand! I guess I will have more time though...

Lessons of Another Kind

It was an absolutely glorious day today. The sky was clear; it was warm but low humidity. There was enough wind blowing to keep you cool while working and to keep the bugs away. Perfect.

Sasha and I went up to the farm to help out and for me to work with Cherokee. I decided I wanted to hit the trails today. Cherokee was in great form, he was actually very forward and wanted to go. No spook and no growing roots. This is BIG because last year at this time he spooked at everything and it took some convincing for him to start down the trail. We ride through the farm’s maple sugar bush which has really nicely broken trail all through it.

I don’t have many pictures of our trail(s) but here is the entrance of one route, taken last fall.

After some time, we come to an open field which is fantastic for doing a little schooling or just letting loose.

Sometimes I let Cherokee choose his own gait/pace after I’ve done a few transitions to make sure he knows who calls the shots. Usually, he really likes to trot and it’s a nice one…like a touring trot! Today, he wanted to canter, canter, canter. This was also a pleasant surprise since he is historically quite lazy about cantering. I interrupted him several times to take trot and walk breaks and he was good about that but I could tell he would go if I let him. I think he was excited to get to “the field”. Once there, I let him go for a bit. As long as he was straight and not crazy, I was fine with him having a little fun. Well ok, it was fun for us both!

Now, here’s the lesson. We were cantering along happily and I started thinking how lucky I was to be doing what I was doing at that moment. And then Cherokee bucked. I was so relaxed and he was so good it was completely unexpected. Except I should have expected it because he was a bucking, spooking fool when I first started with him last year. He was so much better by mid-summer last year and has been great this year (yeah…all two times he’s been ridden, I know!!).

So in that split second when it seems like time has slowed I thought about whether to “stick it” or not. I am very good at sticking bucks, I think it’s because I grew up in Calgary and always watched the stampede :) In any case, this time I decided to bail. Since I was unprepared for it I think it would have been potentially more dangerous to try to stay on. So off I came, no problem.

Cherokee thought about hanging around for about one second, maybe two. I think he might have if it wasn’t for the little pony waiting back in the field! Of course, we were at the farthest point too. I started to run. Not to catch the horse, I’m not that optimistic. No, it was because I could imagine what my husband would think when he saw the horse return without me.

Turns out Sasha didn’t hear Cherokee approach. He did notice that Hazel wasn’t beside him anymore so he walked around the side of the house and saw the horse grazing next to the pasture fence. His first thought was that I must be back already, until he saw the bridle was still on and I was no where in sight. Clearly not how I would leave a horse!

Long story short (or shorter), I was fine except for some blisters on my heels (riding boots are NOT good running shoes!). I met up with Sasha who asked me about 10 times if I was okay.

Then I got Cherokee and explained to him that he just won 30 extra schooling minutes :-)

Here we are, right after I got back on.

It was, after all, a really good schooling session. For both of us!

Horsey weekend.

I had a busy, fun weekend. Well, mostly. I had a deadline to meet for Tuesday, so I worked at home on Saturday. It was okay though because the weather was terrible anyway and it meant I wasn't worried about it for the rest of the weekend.

Sunday I rode Edgar. He was a pain in the ass at first! I wasn't really surprised because I didn't ride him the weekend before due to hard rain most of the weekend. What did surprise me was that as soon as he was under saddle he behaved much better. His balance is getting better but still needs lots of work. He IS listening better and will keep a nice even trot for quite a while now. Still tends to get "anxious" at first and wants to do a crazy jackhammer trot, but he is learning. Now, all I have to do is take a deep breath and sit deep and he calms down. I was probably tensing up before, making it worse, so this exercise works for both of us. Still mostly walk-trot-halt transitions in any multitude of combinations. Also, I think our circles were actually circular!

Here is an old picture, to give you something to look at.


I had some extra time so I also rode Edgar's 17 yr old grandmother. She was...interesting. A little herd bound, a little stubborn. Ok, a lot stubborn. Reminded me of my first few rides on Edgar. Bah! I kept it short and as soon as I had calm forward for a minute or two, I quit for the day.




Sunday, Sasha and I went up to the farm to help with spring planting. I didn't get many photos because we were too busy and dirty! Of course, I mostly went to ride :) Cherokee was moved back a few weeks ago and I was anxious to try him out. He's had regular work all winter but no riding. He was SO much better than last spring when he hadn't been ridden ALL winter. He didn't spook once and he listened and was a real pleasure to ride. I was surprised. I think it also helps that he has a little friend here now. Here are the two of them.


Copper belonged to a neighbour who lost his job but, lucky him, he was offered a home at the farm. It's good for both of them. Plus, they match! The downside is they get upset when one is removed from the pasture. Oh well, they will have to deal with it.


I worked with four horses (well, 3.5) on the weekend so I can't complain. We also did a good thing by helping out around the farm. They needed the help and we love the work and air.

Can't Fool the Camera! Fixing Bad Habits.

I love it when my husband comes with me to my lessons! I usually end up with photos and often video too. Tonight, I have a few photos from the beginning of the lesson; the light was not good enough for photos a little later, so no jumping shots :( I find photos really helpful as I sometimes have a hard time translating what I feel into what it looks like.

For example, I have a number of photos of me riding Edgar and in a couple I can see that I'm leaning into the turn. So now I am much more aware of this tendency on him and can prevent it. Poor guy needs to learn balance without me messing it up!

My latest thing has been making sure to look up. This horse I'm riding is very nice, but that is no reason to stare at his pole! In this photo I think I am actually avoiding the low sun in my eyes and mosquitoes, but there are others where I am clearly looking heavy-headed.


Tonight, after warming up, we cantered a square. You can't see it here, but the "box" continues on the other side, so there are two turns. This was hard, especially on a 16.3 horse when everyone else is riding much smaller mounts. No complaints though, I love a challenge.

I love this horse's expression. He is almost always ears-forward and alert.





I just think this is a pretty shot of my favorite boy trotting. I think I'm planning my attack on those corners!


I love, LOVE lessons. I ride with the most supportive people and my instructor is awesome. I live for lesson day.

Riding lessons two, three and four.

I promised myself I wouldn't blog until I sorted and sent the photos from the reunion in Toronto. Well, it appears that all went smoothly, finally, so I figured I'd better post about my lessons or I would lose it all together.

Lesson two was on a mare named Gina. It went well, but something was off. I just didn't feel right in the saddle. I'm not sure if it was simply muscle tone or lack of skill or something else. Gina is so different from Calico, she needs a lot of encouragement to keep going (i.e., lots of leg), so I was pretty tired 40 min in and my inner thighs were jelly. She was pretty good with the pole work we were doing, although she liked to duck her head when cantering poles and since I tend to ride with longer reigns than I should, or rather than my instructor likes, it was a challenge for me to correct this. I managed though, and ended up with several good rounds cantering over 6 poles in a row.

Lesson three, I was back on Calico and really noticed an improvement. We did some pole work, as before, but also a lot of leg yielding. I swear, I am so glad I didn't come see a class before I joined because I am sure I would have thought I was not good enough for it, but I'm doing just fine! Of course, much of the credit goes to the horses who are quite well-trained. Still, even a well trained horse won't do what you want if your cues aren't right. I don't remember doing much lateral work in my previous horse life, but I must have retained something because we were doing some of the nicest leg-yields in the class (again, thank you Calico!). Also, even though Calico is fast, I wasn't behind the motion as often as the first time I rode her. I am starting to get used to cantering again, which is something I need to work on with Cherokee. One of the ladies in the class mentioned that she was often out of breath when cantering and her son (who is a fitness freak, apparently) told her to remember to breath deeply. I thought about this in the couple days between lessons and realized I do it a lot, not just during the canter. I think I am still a little nervous at doing things that I think are advanced (for me) that I forget to breath.

Lesson Four. This was a make-up lesson since the fourth of August is a holiday and I paid for four lessons. I was back on Gina and there were only three of us for the lesson that day. I have to say, I never realized how much difference a saddle makes. Gina's saddle sucks, even more than Calico's synthetic Wintec. It just doesn't fit me, or her, all that well. Reminds me of clothing and how different you feel in something that fits like it was made for you versus the mass market brand. Anyway, regardless of all that, it was a great lesson. I admit, my legs still hadn't quite recovered from Monday's lesson, so half-way through they were screaming for mercy! No such luck. We worked on more lateral work, especially side-passes. I actually think we (Gina and me) did the best. Again, I'm sure I have Gina to thank for that, but a little goes to me because without the right cues she wouldn't have done a thing. We also did small circles at the canter, which was difficult because Gina kept wanting to break into a trot, no matter what I did. Gina requires a lot more leg than Calico, as I may have mentioned, so my legs were thoroughly exhausted by the end. It was intense and exhausting, but thrilling at the same time. I also have a nice blister/scrape from my boots, just behind the knee, which I'm sure will feel great in the lesson tomorrow :-\

I have to say, I am loving what this is doing to my body. Already I see a difference, especially in the last two weeks. How great is it that I can get back in shape while doing something I love?

Canada Day in the Country.

I must have been the only person heading OUT of town yesterday. I had the day off work, so I took the opportunity to go to the farm and work with Cherokee. My brother-in law, his wife and kids were visiting from TO so I was unable to ride on the weekend (the weekend was a blast though, enjoyed it entirely!)

It was a good day, not quite as hot as last week and, best of all, I had a newly mowed hay field to ride in. This is a big deal since little dude is barefoot and a little sensitive on gravel and the only place I've had to ride are the trails through the sugar bush. Great trails, but not great for really working on things. Plus, I felt I had donated enough blood to flies and mosquitos for one month. So, I got to pay attention to my form, dude's form, and work in eights, circles etc. Very useful. I didn't realize before that riding straight was an issue with him since on trails there isn't much choice. More to work on :-/

I wish I could upgrade this guy. Not that he's got it bad at all, but there are quite a few issues that I am just not able to deal with. I've tried, and I'm learning all the time, but working with him at most once a week is just not enough. Sigh. It's a shame because he really could be quite a nice little pleasure horse. Instead his owner is afraid to ride him and I'm the only other person making him think/work etc.

Last night Sasha was a bit exasperated with all my worrying and finally blurted out that he didn't understand why I felt so bad about all these animals that are not mine, nor my responsibility. It's just not about that, you know? It's about the animal. He knows that, he just hates to see me get all worked up about things I can't change.

Plus side? I know at very least little dude has a forever home as a pasture pet. He has plenty to eat, semi-decent pasture (supplemented with hay). I know he will never end up anywhere that would treat him badly or anything. The worst "crime" here is being under-used and hence not very marketable, which would be bad, except that he will never be sold.

Oh, and the standing-for-mounting is going much better. Not perfect, but much better. For the record, smack to the chest worked WAY better than all the longeing in the world. Still, it is very hard to do even basic stuff with no arena of any kind, no round pen or indeed anywhere "safe" to work. Just big wide open farm and lots of cows :)

Enjoy the pics of lil dude after a good workout and shower.


With Hazel, who had an even better workout since she ran beside us the whole time. I W-T about 97% of the time, but that translates to a lot of running for a dog! Hazel still thinks Cherokee is just a big dog. The horse doesn't know what to think, but I can say Hazel has been the best trainer when it comes to de-spooking this crazy horse.



After cool-out, a shower and some "luxury grazing" (i.e., grazing on lawn that isn't pasture for anyone), set free to roll away. He often rolls while I'm still holding him, but he gets distracted by new patches of grass easily! I've noticed he prefers rolling on hills. What's up with that??





Doesn't this just look satisfying?







Hup!










And now for more food!