Happy Trails

And I do mean happy!  After our arena schooling today we headed out for a hack, followed by hill work under the trees.  On this beautifully cloudless blue sky day, what could be better?  It was bliss.

Here's a short clip of the racetrack, which gives a glimpse of just how huge Twinwood really is:

Life at Twinwood

Rijkens and I are quickly becoming accustom to life at Twinwood.  The shredded reeboks footing has added percentage points to Rijkens' gait score! 

The level of care at Twinwood is really amazing: all three tackrooms are air conditioned, the multiple washracks are scrubbed with bleach, and a nice woman named Maria wipes down and dusts both the outside and inside of my individual tack closet.  Maria also broom sweeps the stalls for cobwebs every day.  No wonder the barn looks brand new.  Stalls, including both water buckets, are cleaned meticulously daily.  Rijkens has constant access to hay in his stall, which he is only in for 10 out of every 24 hours.

Rijkens goes out each night in a 3/4 acre grass paddock with a lovely oak tree and his own run-in shelter (with clay tile shingle roofing no less!) and buddies on all sides.  The farm has enough paddocks and acreage for seemingly thousands of horses so the few dozen horses that actually do live at Twinwood make the place seem huge, which indeed it is:

On our second day a new barn buddy and I went for a trail ride.  We left the barn and headed south on the race track, and at the end of the track we just kept going.  After 30 minutes of brisk walk she asked if I wanted to turn back or keep going.  "How much farther does it go?" I asked.  She replied that the path keeps on going south for several more furlongs.  Rijkens can't believe how big Texas really is.  But you should see the swinging, elastic freewalk we have!

Near the front of the property there is a large open paddock with rolling topography perfect for hill work.  Yes, it's a real hill, especially for east Texas.  Next to that is the outdoor dressage court, the stadium jump course, and a large section set up with logs, rolltops, coops etc for cross country schooling. 

Our first week of training with FEI trainer Andrea Seaman Attard has gone smoothly. 

 Andrea and Addie, a five year old Holsteiner pupil, showing at training level this year.  Andrea's personal horse is a beautiful bay four year old, also a Holsteiner.  As you can imagine Rijkens and she are getting along famously.

Our lesson with olympian Jan Ebeling was impactful.  We're looking forward to riding with him again in December when he's back at Twinwood, and all through next year.  

 Jan Ebeling, Rijkens and me after our first lesson

Rijkens thinks he's in bootcamp.  But with his can-do work ethic and biddable attitude, I have a feeling Rijkens will respond well to the increased expectations here at Twinwood.  

Rijkens is moving to Twinwood Equestrian Center

September 27, 2013 Rijkens will be moving to Twinwood Equestrian Center in Simonton, Texas where he will be in training with USDF silver medalist and British Horse Society graduate Andrea Seaman Attard, and Rijkens and I will begin clinics at Twinwwod this month with olympian Jan Ebeling.

Twinwood has a beautiful indoor dressage arena with premium shredded rubber footing, full length mirrors and a complete sound system for freestyles.  Rijkens will enjoy being turned out all night with a quiet buddy in a large grassy paddock.  There is a groomed outdoor dressage court as well as dozens of acres of mature pecan and live oak trees for trail riding.

Opportunities to learn abound at Twinwood, including clinics with Jan Ebeling, Janet Foy, David Blake and Lendon Gray, and Freestyle seminars with Karen Robinson.  There is an active show team that maintains a vigorous USEF/USDF show schedule.  Of course Rijkens and I will maintain our friendship with our remarkable trainer Karen Brown, and continue with Lurena Bell and Jeff Moore. 

 Outdoor dressage court:

 Lots of space for turnout and trail rides:

 Rijkens' stall:

 Rijkens' barn exterior:

 
Twinwood is a pretty spiffy place, and Rijkens and I are looking forward to continuing our journey toward balance and harmony together here.

Rijkens' Prix St Georges and Third Level Highlights

Karen Brown riding Prix St Georges at the HDS Labor Day show.  Note the lowered croup:

 Rijkens and me at third level in extended trot:

 The moment I won my USDF bronze medal.  A tear actually squeezed out.  Of me.  Rijkens was wondering when lunch is.

Goals

When looking forward toward developing a goal, we obviously believe it is do-able or we may not have set the goal to begin with.  Looking back at a goal once it has been accomplished, it seems relatively simple in the rear-view mirror.  But during a goal, while in the trenches actually churning out the work, the goal can feel so difficult and at times even un-attainable.

Reaching my bronze medal has been such a journey, but looking back on the cold hard stats puts it in perspective:

• Total of five weekend shows with Delphi
• Total of three weekend shows with Rijkens
• Total of thirty-two months from start to finish

I've always considered the adage "a level per year" and thought that I was falling so short.  However when viewed from show-ring-ready as the endpoint of interest, the actual data support that oft quoted time frame: to learn to compete at a satisfactory level in first, second and third level it took me a little over two and a half years.

If it takes the great masters decades to learn to ride, what makes me think I can do it in any less time?  I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn real dressage, no shortcuts.  Regardless of how many years (or decades!) it takes, I'm committed for the long haul.

 He doesn't stay up nights calculating goals and worrying about shows!  Rijkens playing with a buddy in the rain earlier this week:

To commemorate my USDF bronze medal, I've ordered these high waist Pikeur breeches from London.  In color "bronze" of course!

Bronze Medal!

Rijkens completed our final score requirement at third level at this weekend's HDS labor day show.

Accolades also go to Delphinia, my Trakehner mare (who has a wonderful new mom in Dallas).  Delphi and I went to our first USEF recognized show in October 2010 where judge General Burton gave us our initial qualifying score at first level.  From there Delphi earned three of the six legs required in first and second level.  Delphi and I went to a total of five weekend shows together.

Rijkens took over in the spring of 2013 to finish the final three scores at second and third level, and did it within the three weekend shows we've been to as a team.  So after two and a half years of hard work and striving, I've earned my USDF bronze medal!

Importantly, my trainer Karen Brown has been with me in the trenches schooling my horses, teaching me to train and ride; being mentor, coach and guide.  Karen has been my trainer for eight years, and these last two years I've been at her side almost daily.  I owe a debt of gratitude to Karen, and always will.

Medal threesome: Rijkens, Delphi and me in July 2012
Here's the photo I want to use for the USDF Yearbook; not another froufrou dressage pose, rather just a girl on a farm having fun with her horses!

Karen, Rijkens and me at Windy Knoll Spring 2013

Karen showing Rijkens at Prix St Georges Summer 2013

Grateful

Karen Brown and I had a wonderful experience with Rijkens and Juno at this weekend's Belle Terre Farm show.  Winning both his tests handily with a 61.4 in Prix St Georges and 67.69 in third level test three, Rijkens still had plenty of energy to spare for my third level ride after Karen started him in Prix St Georges.

Juno too was well into the sixties in first level and training level, winning his first level test and coming in a close reserve in training level against another fancy horse that scored in the 70's.

So thankful to Karen for piloting Rijkens to FEI success and supporting me as I rode Rijkens in our best test yet!  So proud of our boys Juno and Rijkens!

The breed differences of these two best friends, a Holsteiner and an Andalusian, are readily apparent side by side in the trailer!

First trick out of the hat, Juno wins first level in the deep sixties.

To the victors go the spoils; loafing in the shade with your best buddy that is.

Rijkens and Juno posing with their well-earned swag.

Juno says "Yeah, I'm a champion.  What else did you expect!"

Taking names and kicking ass; Karen dominated everything from FEI to training level all in the same day!

The Schooling Continues

Trailride on Cheyenne Mountain

During a recent stay at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs,

View from our window

View from our building

View from hotel

View of Cheyenne mountains from hotel

I had an opportunity to trail ride through the Cheyenne mountains.

The rustic (no running water or flushable toilets) and charming Stables at the Broadmoor, which of course weren't AT the Broadmoor, were a scenic drive up one mountain, down the other side, and halfway up the next mountain.

On the way to the ranch

View from Old Stage Road

The five mile drive up Old Stage Road took 40 minutes due to the constant mountain switchbacks, and also due to me having to pull over every few minutes to gape at the unbelievably gorgeous mountain views.

Scott, who lives and works at the ranch, was my guide on the mountain trail

Our guide, with my horse's ear in corner

and if I thought rugged mountain cowboys aren't as sentimental about their horses as are we dressage queens, then I was wrong.

Scott referred to the 30 plus horses on the ranch as "his children" and his personally owned guide horse, Diesel, was thoughtfully catered to and petted by his human as he proudly related how the seven year old Diesel ("Isn't he a beautiful and unusual color?  The color of black gold---'Diesel!'") came to be in Scott's life.

Scott and Diesel

Scott showed us some amazing things and I was grateful he and the sturdy Diesel were right ahead of me showing the way through the sometimes challenging mountain path.

Crossing a creek, pronounced "crick"

During the ride we saw a deer, two elk, and four buffalo.  The buffalo are bred and raised on the 300+ acre ranch, and according to Scott the elk are the dominant party over the buffalo, who for all their mass (the bull buffalo we saw weighs 3,400 pounds!) they yield to the tall and graceful elk.

The first guy we saw on the trail

The boy elk were wearing their summer velvet

"Toughy" the buffalo

I got to ride the very slow and certainly agreeable Henry, who looked like he may have had parents of Spanish barb mixed with quarter horse blood, but at (a healthy and vigorous) nineteen years of age he looked more like the universal well loved if well used older horse.  Henry was in good flesh and had excellent feet.

Henry wearing curb bit, western bridle and saddle, and me in my DQ attire

Infinity Farm Visit

Colorado Springs, home of Pike's Peak and Cheyenne Mountain, is where I spent four wonderful days this weekend.  While there I visited Infinity Farm and took a clinic lesson with natural horsemanship and dressage trainer Anna Blake.

Let me just say that the atmosphere for learning is pervasive across the entire property, from the moment you arrive and are greeted by the llamas,

to stroking the long ears of Edgar Rice Burro,

there are even training philosophies posted in the potty-- you are ALWAYS learning something on Infinity Farm.

The honor of riding Andante, a Thoroughbred/Belgian draft cross,

Andante, with his human Bethany in an earlier photo

was mine for our lesson.

The TB/Belgian cross Andante, his human Bethany, Edgar, and me

Previously, Anna had thoughtfully reviewed my training goals and recent homework assignments from my blog, and was able to craft a custom lesson.  Anna emphasized a theme from Dr. Reiner Klimke's method from The Simple Way is the Best Way.  The highlights include:

• Phase 1: Walk on the buckle 10 minutes, no contact, allow the horse to look around and warm up the joints.
• Phase 2: Stretch forward and downward at the trot and canter, 20 meter circles, steady rhythm in transitions.  Consider 10 minutes in this phase.
• Phase 3: Take a walk break again, about 5 minutes, on a long rein.
• Phase 4: Working phase.  School at the level of your horse.  Start with transitions between gaits and then skipping gaits (walk-canter-walk; halt-trot-halt, etc).  Give lots of walk breaks so the horse can relax and think about it.  About 20 minutes here.
• Phase 5: Cool down and stretch low.  Light posting trot to a walk on the buckle, 10 minutes or so.

Anna has a personal vendetta (which I absolutely share) against equine gastric ulcers, so before my ride Andante enjoyed a snack of alfalfa that continued while I groomed and tacked him, and welcomed his alfalfa again after he had cooled down and during his post-ride rubdown. 

Several minutes into the lesson Anna astutely recognized my demon: grabby, blocking, over-active inside hand.  To exorcise this demon (amidst maniacal laughing on Anna's part!), she affixed a grab strap around Andante's neck.  This gave my oh-so-grabbing hands something to clutch, but I was forbidden to maul the rein.

Rather, I had to communicate to Andante with my leg aids, seat bones, and turning my torso to make changes of direction, upward and downward transitions, and leg yielding.

It sounds very simple-- and it was-- but for me it was an epiphany that instead of going to my default of yanking the inside rein, I had the grab strap to keep my hands quiet and was able to use my next best, really ONLY choice: the correct aids to influence Andante.

The entire lesson we were rocking out to an Anna Blake personal iTunes jam mix for riding, and Anna insisted that I continue to ride to music at home!  Afterward she gently, if laughingly,  mentioned I might find an old rein or stirrup leather as a grab strap for use with my own horse.

Anna Blake, Edgar Rice Burro, and me having a laugh together before my ride