Cross Training

Back in July I received a message from Sherry Hill, whom I've mentioned in a previous entry.  Sherry runs a jumper stable in Georgia, but she's from Northern Ontario and visits every summer, which is where we met back in 2010.  Turns out, she has a boatload of family right here in Pembroke, too, and was driving through in early August.  As it also turns out, she was bringing her buddy Jill Henneberg.  Jill happens to have won Team Silver at the '96 Atlanta Olympics in Eventing.  Would we like to host a clinic with Jill while they're on their way through?  Hell yeah!

CLICK HERE for a terrific biography about Jill 

We filled a day with lessons and structured it so that riders could take a dressage lesson in the morning, and then a group jumping lesson in the afternoon.  I brought out Ehren first for a semi-private lesson and he was perky & polite.  We worked on obtaining a steady contact by keeping him busy with transitions in gait and bend with a consistent, slightly longer, rein length.  Ehren felt happy to work and ended the ride beautifully loose and swinging.  Jill suggested a change in bit and noseband that I am experimenting with now. 

Ehren in clinic with Jill Henneberg August 2015

Ludi came out swinging and promised to give me a wild ride.  We cantered around for a while to try to settle him but it was to no avail.  I was glad to have Jill's eyes on me to help work through the situation, since she's obviously familiar with high-energy horses.  Lud's going through a phase this summer; a phase I've seen called 'The Wonder Years' as in: "I wonder why I'm putting myself through this?".  I'm keenly aware of a few things: my previous entries talking about how wonderfully he has been coming along till now, how I set an example as a competent trainer to my students, how we've regressed somewhat from last summer's open-field group trail rides that I wouldn't dream of taking him to now.   But one great thing about the internet is that it is very easy to find lots of stories about these phases in so many other horses, other horses that have turned out spectacularly with time and patient resilience, and so I keep on keepin' on in his training.

A photo I like not because I see technical correctness, but because I see Lud's personality

I quickly hosed him off after our dressage ride and changed tack for jumping.  We hadn't done much of it this summer but I had a ton of fun playing over wee jumps.  Lud still tried to control the ride a few times; he loves to zoom through a 5 stride line in 3, which is dangerous once the jumps get higher, so we schooled some hard stops with a stern 'WHOA.' to help keep me in charge.  He certainly gave me the feeling that he enjoyed this session and I was really impressed with his form in the photos.

The round shape of a horses topline over jumps is called the 'bascule'

Jill's ability to school riders in dressage and jumping is very compelling to me to get her back again.  I enjoyed the variety of exercises, her focus on the riders, her ability to 'walk the talk' and ride a strange horse to school and demonstrate, the way she gave lots of positive feedback but also firmness of tone when necessary, and a sincere interest in her students.  All in all it was a fantastic day with great people.

The jumps have stayed in the ring so we can keep practicing.  I have worked hard over many years to earn my "Dressage Queen" reputation, but there is nothing quite as exciting and satisfying as executing a challenging course of jumps on a game horse.  I have been very lucky to have had some very good coaching in jumping, and  Lud's DNA says there's lots of ability within him.  I'm reminded of my past training with Andy where the dressage work improves the course work, but jumping can help to truly collect the canter and even school the flying changes.  Many horses seem to understand the visual aspect of jumping versus the intangible 'feel' of dressage. 

In our local newspaper

I called this entry "Cross Training" for the dressage & jumping lessons, but I also wanted to talk about riding out of the ring.  I have been 'riding the range' with Ludi, Ehren and DiMaggio just as much as we have been schooling.  Hacking around on the trails we've made here has so many benefits: a bit of tricky footing here and there for challenge, a bit of grazing in the sunny field for relaxation, marching along a shady trail to condition & loosen muscles.  I hold the reins long, 'on the buckle', and feel calm in nature.  We look at the plants and animals around us and cover some ground.

Equestrians who participate in Eventing, like Jill, know all about cross training.  I spent most of my teenage years riding at a stable called Terelisa Farm that had school horses who were athletic enough for me to try Eventing with.  Riding 'out' was just as important to keep the horses fit and fresh as the schooling.  As my older horses age, jumping is no longer important, but long walks on the trail is the first way to get them fit before we school dressage.  As my younger horses come along, I think they deserve some basic jump schooling to make them versatile and to help develop their talents.  It's up to me to stay versatile, too.  So, we cross train.