Boot Camp

Well Seth and I decided to join my parents for a mini-vacation in Aruba. While we're gone, Legacy and Cody spent a few days with Danny and Keli. Legacy is in a mini-boot camp, so we'll see how it goes. Last time he spent a week with Danny it was a fantastic result, but I don't think Legacy thought it was a vacation...he know is excited to get on the trailer any time we are at their farm :). I'm hoping there are less problems this time for him to fix...there will be an update once we return on Monday...

No Trespassers

Legacy is somewhat of a watchdog...he hates when new people get near our property. Today when I went out to get him, they were doing work across the street in the tree farm...he DID NOT like that. So he proceeded to sprint around the pasture, snorting and stomping with his tail straight up in the air. With the help of a peppermint, I grab his fly mask and begin bringing him in. Somehow he doesn't bolt from me and we get in the barn where he proceeds to run me over to get into his stall...ugh, it was going to be a long ride. At this point, I realize that I should have left him in the pasture for a few more hours and try again later...but, I'm as stubborn as he is and I can't let him win. So I yell for Seth to come help because I know this is not a one person job. Seth grabs all my tack and I lead the raging maniac to the ring with the lunge line...I knew I couldn't even try and get him ready in the barn. Well, it takes about 20 minutes of him tearing around in a circle around me, while I'm trying to switch directions and get his attention. This is one of his moods, it's kind of weird to watch because it seems like something is chasing him around the circle and he can't be controlled. And then when he turns in towards me and trots right up to me, I always think to myself, you could just keep going and run me over (luckily he hasn't done that yet). With some leading exercises alternating with lungeing, I got him settled and tacked up. He settles right in when I get on and we had a nice workout, nothing great, but no major mishaps. We were just continuing to work on getting soft after jumping and me controlling my body as to not lean at him too much. I'm starting to see my spots better if I don't lean at him, so it's a matter of repetition now. Off to dinner with my wonderful hubby now...a mini date night :).

Canter Work

We had a great lesson with Danny tonight. Worked on a looooot of canter. I was happy that Legacy came back from the weekend perfectly sound and with energy...he's ready to go. So we worked quite a bit on counter canter. Doing a 20m true canter circle and then a 20m counter canter circle. First of all, I need to learn to play with my fingers and the reins to keep him soft and not lock against him, because then we just get tenseness. I always need to be working on getting him rounder and more supple at every gait all the time. In the counter canter I need to keep him straight and get him balanced. We really started to get the feel of it and it got a lot better when I would push him with my hips and not hold him up with my hands. After doing the counter canter, his true canter gets so much more balanced, so that will need to become part of my daily workouts.

Next we worked on the medium canter (of which we don't have one yet). Legacy just falls in when I ask him to lengthen his stride. So we worked on getting him up and using my hips to control the length of the stride. The exercise I need to work on is lengthening for a few strides and then bringing him back with my seat and then lengthen again....and then I need to really push him down a long side to get him to really stretch his stride. When doing the medium on a circle I need to allow him to stretch over his back as much as he wants as long as he doesn't fall in. In order to keep him from falling in, I have to keep my outside shoulder back and use my outside leg and rein to keep him straight. Also, when going to the left, I have to ride with my inside leg back and my outside leg at the girth, but keep my hips going with his motion. I need to continually be asking him to move his hind end under him. I need to start pulling everything together and use all my legs independently. It seems that often times the key is straightness...so that's our focus.

~Kelly

We did it!!!

Legacy and I finished our first Prelim today...it was incredible. Dressage went really well...we scored a 35.5 (my secret goal was to break 40)...lower is better in eventing (like golf). Most of the comments were related to him needing more energy and moving forward...that will come once I get the hang of the sitting trot. I felt really confident with dressage and really just felt proud to be riding him. I'll tell you what, warming up with the likes of Boyd Martin and Buck Davidson and knowing they are in your division and they have these incredibly fancy horses is a bit intimidating, but we held our own for our first showing.

It was a quick turnaround for jumping. We got out to the show jump area and I quickly walked the course with Danny. The jumps didn't look bad at all, so I wasn't feeling like stadium was going to get me. So he warmed up really well...I was overriding and I knew it, but I couldn't help it. I was too amped up with emotions. Seth said I looked like I was going to pass out before I jumped... The course rode well and he was so much better...we had a good rhythm and he was jumping really well. We still need to work on the softness in his jaw between the jumps...he still locks against me. I messed up one of the combinations trying to leave out a stride for some reason, but Legacy was super honest and we came out with 2 rails (8 penalty points). Overall, I was really happy...most of the stadium mistakes were me overthinking and trying to do too much instead of just letting it happen. But what was good is that we recovered by the next fence for all of our errors. That's what was much different about the course...if you miss your striding, it affects quite a few fences and there isn't much flexibility in the course. It was a different ride.

Then on to XC...let me tell you, I was overwhelmed with the jumps when I walked it. I tried to pretend like I didn't think they were too big, but I was nervous. I had the same feelings when I moved up to Training, but when the jumps start to get so wide...it's intimidating when you are on foot. So I tried to ignore it, but fences #3, 4, 5, 6 were all pretty big and I was just hoping I would see the distance and not screw up too bad to cause something to happen. So we start out and he takes #1 easy and then doesn't want to turn to go to the House at #2. He tends to bow out a lot when we are galloping which is now going to cost us time faults, so we have to fix that. Anyway, he jumps #1 and 2 right in stride and I'm feeling good and thinking I overanalyzed on my course walk. We come into #3, the Skinny Table, and he just lauches over it...it was incredible. We then gallop down to the big brush and he was a little looky at the ditch in front so I ask for a long spot and again, he just skies over it (he needs to learn he doesn't have to jump the brush). So he jumped awesome and for the first time I actually felt hang time over the jumps...it was like we were flying. I need to continue to work on my eye with the larger, wider, fences, but any mistakes I made, he was able to fix it, so it worked. The bending tables, water, and coffin all were smooth....not as easy as our combos were at Training, but not terrible. Just a few extra strides here and there, but he's athletic enough to be able to adjust to that. So we finally get to the bank to the corner (my nemesis). He jumped in over the log perfect, dropped quietly off the bank and then we just never got our line to the corner. You had to have a line, or it wasn't going to happen. So we had a runout to the right...but I circled around and took him back at the corner and jumped it on a slight angle to close the right side and he jumped it perfect. I was so happy that it didn't escalate to a big fat E. Then it was on to the last 2 and home. I've never been so happy for a runout...haha. I truly was just happy to finish and felt that everything was positive. The runout shows what we need to work on, again just having the connection quicker after obstacles is going to become so perfect. I'm not going to be able to go on a loose rein at a corner. It was a fabulous day...I had a lot of support from family and friends and it was so amazing to have so many people in your corner rooting for you. I finished 2nd to last, because Boyd Martin fell off, but I don't even care. This picture is the perfect representation of this day...this was over #3 the Skinny Table. We set out to go Prelim and we proved we belong...on to Rubicon!!!

12 Hours Til' Go Time

So...the nerves are up and down. I think I was more nervous at the beginning of the week...I had some fantastic rides and was sort of calm until I gave Legacy a bath tonight. I had a minor melt down when he decided to take off through the pasture (he hates the cold water). We are bumping up the priority of installing a small water heater in the barn. Anyway, Seth and I went down to Fair Hill today and walked the course....twice. It's tough but a good test for us...here is what we have to contend with...

#1 - Log

#2 - House

#3 - Skinny Table

#4 - Brush

#5 - Oxer

#6 - Trakehner

# 7 - Chevron

#8 - House #9 a, b - Tables

#10 - Half Rolltop

#11 a, b, c - Red House ->Water -> Up Bank -> Red House

# 12 - Brush Rolltop

#13 a, b, c - Coffin

#14 - Red Table

#15 a, b - Bank to Rolltop on Hill

#16 - Bench

#17 a, b, c - Log, Down Bank, Corner

#18 - Roll top

#19 - Flower Stand

Satan's S-Curve Revisited

So we attempted Satan's exercise again tonight....and we conquered it...well maybe not quite conquered, but improved it for sure!! He was very comfortable and soft tonight. I still need to learn not to jerk back on his mouth after landing and to lift the rein up when asking him to be soft, when I consciously think about that and correct myself he gets softer quicker (imagine that, if I don't yank on his face after the jump he stays balanced and soft...I'm a genius!!!). So even with my nerves building and me being just a bit nutty tonight we had a really good workout. None of my tenseness translated to him and we were able to make progress. My mind has been racing since yesterday (I had some really strange dreams about weird stadium obstacles that were more like fun house rides...I'm not even gonna go there). We ended with just a few cross country jumps and we did the good ol' Beaver corner. Typically my nerves are terrible until the show, so my plan is for show day to be even more relaxed than any of my workouts this week since I will be a bit on edge...maybe I should look at some medicine for this...hehe.

~Kelly

May?????

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!! It can't be May...the weather is terrible today. Thank goodness Seth's show was yesterday because it would've been miserable today...45° and very windy...blah. We had a nice mother's day brunch today and then I napped (that is the first in a long time). I finally got motivated to ride and I was going to jump, but the wind seriously would've blown down the standards...that would've been an interesting twist. Anyway, I did some flat work and he was great. His canter work was really good...I find that if I work counter canter for a few circles each direction and really get him soft and supple, his canter gets so much more balanced. He's also getting so much better with transitions within the gaits. His lengthened canter still isn't where it needs to be because he's still not using his hind end enough, but I'm able to get him more collected on the downward transition which is a step in the right direction. I worked a bit on the sitting trot again, it's getting there...I'm starting to feel it and allowing him to move forward. Making him go a little lower and deeper really helps to get him to lift his back and make the trot more comfortable. I just have to keep training him that anytime he gets tense that no matter what cue I give him, leg, hands, seat, he lowers his head and rounds his back. It was definitely a positive ride considering the conditions and I'm feeling confident. I need a few jump schools this week and we should be good to go...I was telling Seth today that I'm nervous, but I don't know what else I could do to be more prepared...I have to keep telling myself that all week ;). Tonight when we came in the cutest cat in the world, Legend, had made an igloo from our comforter. She's just like her Mommy, cold all the time...I'm definitely not one of those people that pretend it's summer when it's 45° out. I saw someone in shorts today...umm, I rode in a winter coat and hat...and I wasn't hot. Seth thinks I should just keep my summer clothes in the basement...whatever he's just jealous because he wants more closet space :).

~Kelly

Mr. Cody Joe Step 2010 Debut

Well today was the first show of the year for me and Cody. And it seems fitting that it is a good time for my first blog.

Anyhow, over the past couple weeks, Cody and I have had a rough go of it with our dressage work. Danny and Kelly have worked with me to quiet my hands and stop my constant leg-kicking, so overall, my dressage has been improving. But as things improve, more seems to be asked and we are now trying to raise his poll and improve his trot. Since we started working on this, Cody sensitivity has emerged (along with my lack-there-of). That combination has resulted in some rough rides (and 1 fall which I'll call a dismount).

So with the rough dressage riding, I wasn't sure how today would go. As it turned out, we had a really good warmup and I was feeling confident as our test started. He was doing rather well but then he broke at the trot into a canter! I was able to recover from this mishap and still finish with a fairly solid test. Even with the break, I thought my score would have been better, but the judge put me on a 45 and in 6th place.

Stadium and cross-country were amazing. I enjoy the cross county so much with Cody. And he seems to really enjoy jumping and has been jumping better and better. I hope, at some point to be able to do novice on him, but his dressage needs to continue to improve before we make that move.

Everyone else in my division seemed to struggle with the jumping and even though I had some time faults on stadium, I was able to move up and finished in 2nd. Overall, we had a real good first outing. Now on to the next show...just not sure when and where...

Seth

Two Peas in a Pod

So I got up at 5:30 this morning to ride Legacy, but he was having nothing of it. He was a complete idiot. It all started on the cross ties where he didn't stop moving and/or going to the bathroom (#2). I should've known then. But I tried to keep going...he tried to rear when I got on him...then I spent about 5 minutes on his back and decided to pack it in. His mind just wasn't there...then I rode a few hours later and it was absolutely fine, actually had somewhat of a decent ride. Still trying to feel the sitting trot, but it's getting better. Making him go a bit rounder and deeper helps a lot!! I was proud of myself for getting off of him this morning and not letting it escalate. It's just bad news if I keep going down that road...I guess Legacy and I are just too much alike. Be both have tempers, are stubborn and always want our way!! Somehow we click though when it matters...

Off to Seth's first show of the season at Plantation!! Go BEAVENTING!!

~Kelly

Fitness

So another night of trotting. It was quite nice for my 25 minute jog tonight...Legacy was a tad lethargic, but he was a trooper. All of a sudden I feel like he looks like this amazing creature. I'm not sure if it's the supplements or the new workout regimen, but he looks amazing. It's been a tougher schedule....I'm pretty much riding every night, which puts a strain on my body and my mind, but when I see these results...it's worth it.

Danny Lesson - T minus 12 days until Prelim debut

So Legacy and I had a great lesson tonight. Did some work on my sitting trot, which Danny explained to me will take the next year to feel comfortable, so I just need to get used to being uncomfortable. At this stage in the game, my dressage scores will have to suffer because I need to teach Legacy to engage his back, and to do that I have to make him go deeper and rounder and perhaps behind the vertical (oh no, all dressage people are cursing me). Magically, when Danny got on Legacy and showed me how to do it, it got much easier to sit. So after I get Legacy relaxed and using his back, (and learn some rhythm), we will be ready to kick some butt!! Then we jumped a bit...I feel like a lightbulb went off when Danny told me to get taller and keep my shoulders away from the jump as we are approaching instead of throwing myself over the fence. When I did that on the third jump we did tonight, it was a drastic difference...I mean it was like a different horse. I actually got out of Legacy's way and he was able to use his hind and and had a beautiful round jump...I felt like we could jump the moon. I definitely try to do too much and help him out, but I'm slowly learning he doesn't need my help...he knows what he's doing. He doesn't need me to carry him around the ring, or throw my body forward over a jump so he can make it...he's got it all on his own. So I think the less I do, the better. I need to guide him instead of force him to the jumps...I'm not doing the work, he is, so I need to let him. It's been a process to get to this point and it's so interesting to see the progression. First, he rushed through all the fences, so I had to pull and hang on to try and slow him down...then I had to teach him how to go round in his head and neck no matter what cue I gave him....now, I'm pulling it all together and making him smooth and relaxed. If I can get him round and have more of an up and down canter while jumping, it's so easy. So, hopefully I can use all of this momentum and knowledge and have a positive experience next weekend. We are ready for Prelim!!!

~Kelly