Avandarre in Dressage

I participated in my very first musical freestyle, anything goes, class in June this year. What a blast! It's also not something I'd do again. It was so much work. And I about died from nerves before starting the test. First I had to find music that fit Ava, and had some kind of theme to it. I spent hours combing through music and listening to different genre's attempting to find something that would spark an idea for a costume. I finally settled on the "He's a Pirate" theme simply because nothing else seemed do-able at the time. So then I went to work putting the costume togeter. I am not good at sewing. I don't sew. I can barely get one pass through the fabric before the string is in knots and I'm gushing blood. Every day I sewed, and I sewed. I sewed on my lunch break, I sewed after work. I sewed when I woke in the morning. Did I mention I will never do this again... :)  I made pirate boots out of fake leather, and lined them with padding, with ...

I just bought a dressage saddle for $50 bucks. Haha. The lady said it was a 1998 Stateline saddle. I've never heard of that manufacturer before (that's not saying much). If it fits Ava, maybe it'll be my backup saddle. If it doesn't, I'm sure my trainer wouldn't mind a free schooling saddle for her kids. I wish I had the money to buy a good, newer saddle. I love my County (it's from 1992), but it seems built for a much taller person. No matter how much I work on heel, hip, shoulder alignment, my thighs always slide forward. There's a nice groove in the flap that is perfect for a taller woman's thigh to sit in. My thighs (to sit correctly) lay against a buldge in the flap. My trainer, who is much taller than me, loves my saddle. However, I am always in chair position with that saddle... no matter what I do. Interesting article on saddle fitting: http://www.showhorsepromotions.com/saddlefitting.htm

I rode yesterday, even though it was pretty dang hot. The more I avoid working her in hot weather, the more unfit she gets. So we bit the bullet and rode anyway. Ava was STIFF . Usually with Ava, this is a result of not being straight. She was popping her right shoulder out on me. So I put her in a small counter flexion, and did a couple decreasing circles to the left while leg yielding. It seemed to help, and I had more connection with the outside rein. On a side note: Ava is convinced that if she throws her body out of the ring that I'll HAVE to stop working her and go for a trail ride. She stated this very bluntly when I asked for the left canter lead near the opening. She's enjoying her new roll as a trail pony a tad too much I think. ;) I felt like (even though she's out of shape) that Ava was more engaged during the ride. At least during portions of it. This was something I was working on at my previous barn, but had issues motivating her to work harder. I...

I take back everything I said about the backyard rider. I didn't know! I've been so ignorant. :) I remember an idealized childhood of riding everyday at my parents home. It's HARD to ride consistently without good footing or a covered arena. I much prefer both of those options. I've almost admitted defeat of my 3 month outdoor riding goal. We are 23 days into it and I'm dreaming of dry, covered arenas. I had hoped this trial would help Ava mentally, and help me overcome my fear of riding outdoors. I must admit, we've grown a lot as a pair. The first trail ride I took on Ava at the beginning of the month was a half hour of stress and tension (on my part, not Ava's). We've been gradually improving. Even taking the lead at times. And we venture out into the field out back with semi-confidence. The large, hidden, bird helped me. It flapped and squaked when we trotted past. Ava jumped five feet sideways and slammed the brakes on. I was jerked sideways, bu...

June 4th 2011 66.25%. Placed second out of 5. It was a schooling show

I'm boarding my horse at a friends house for a few months in order to take advantage of her beautiful, plentiful, trails. But... It's presenting a problem with my dressage training. I was finally able to mow down a section of the field way out behind the house (actually, my husband mowed it). So after 20+ days of really not doing anything, we've started our training again. Monday was horrible. I had to work her in the round pen for several minutes. I should preface this with an explanation..... I rode as a kid. From 11 to about 20 years old I rode everything and anything. I trained (with the immense help of Bernadette Radke) my half Arab to third level, broke out two horses which went on to be successful well behaved riding horses. I had no fear, and was very successful in my showing career. Fast forward 16 years. I hadn't ridden since I was 20 and the first horse I buy bucks me off every other ride. A few years ago I compression fractured 3 vertebrae to the point ...