DefinitelyDressage.com

DJR

I am not Ukrainian (I'm English-Scottish ancestrally speaking), but one of my long-time dear friends is. When my daughter & I visited her over Christmas 2017, she reintroduced me to pysanky. She learned to write pysanky from her mother, who learned from her mother, and so on. As soon as I got ho...

DJR

Yay - on two counts: 1. I had a SUPER ride on Panache, the first really good ride since re-starting him at the beginning of March. He had some spooks at first in the arena, then settled down to work with really nice longe work. When I got in the saddle, he was nothing but relaxed and happy to work, ...

DJR

It's definitely on contact. Here's the section on Extended Walk from Dressage Canada rules: 3.3 Extended walk: The horse covers as much ground as possible, without haste and without losing the regularity of the steps, the hind feet touch the ground clearly in front of the footprints of the forefeet....

DJR

I don't worry about moments of BTV during schooling. Neither does my instructor. The focus is on proper use of the hind leg, suppleness, relaxation, etc. Of course we aim for vertical or slightly IFV, but sometimes they duck behind for a variety of reasons (and sometimes they are evading IFV, too). ...

DJR

Thanks guys. Already things looked a wee bit better today. It wasn't quite as hot nor quite as swollen. He's still very tender to the touch, but was more willing to walk on the lead shank today. I'm encouraged by the little improvement already, and so glad it was caught quickly and that he got IV an...

DJR

Jet was much worse today with lots of tenderness tracking up to the groin/sheath area on the inside of that LH leg. I ended up having the on-call vet out (why do these things always get worse after-hours??) who confirmed that he has cellulitis. We're not sure where it's coming from as he has no brea...

DJR

Thanks for all the photos - love them! I couldn't see yours, though, mari. I had a great ride on Panache today. He was less reactive, and more keen to settle into some nice suppling work at the walk & trot. The arena where I ride has been very, very dusty lately (frustrating) so I have had to ab...

DJR

I had my first set of lessons since December this weekend. My instructor lives 4 hrs away but comes monthly for a 2-day weekend clinic to this neck of the woods. She is the best instructor I've ever had (I think I've mentioned that before) and ALWAYS the welfare of the horse is first & foremost....

DJR

piedmontfields - I can definitely see how some horses (especially mares!) might be offended by the whip aid to canter. Jet needs the help to get his hind legs more active and ready, so it works beautifully for him. He was cantering off a light tap after 3 tries so it wasn't traumatic.

DJR

I rode again today and started with Jet who was just excellent. We had to work on a few issues - mostly self-induced over the years - but he was trying his heart out. I posted about it on the FC thread so won't repost here. Then came Pan ... OMG, Pan, you're SUCH a bozo now. Two others were riding i...

DJR

This is such a great thread. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. Today I tried a couple of things that Lauren Sprieser blogs about to help late-behind changes. First, I trained Jet today to canter off a whip aid (outside hip). He was confused at first, but caught on very quickly and withi...

DJR

All of mine can be clipped without muss or fuss, or at least that's how it used to be. I really am not sure what's bothering Panache. He got more reactive last year and it has carried over this year. I would have expected this in his 5 or 6-yr-old year, but he's rising 7 now. I've put him on Solace...

DJR

HafDressage, I SO get what you're saying when I'm riding Jet (Friesian/Perch) or my full perch, Dante. But especially on Jet now that we're doing FC work. I have an entirely different feel/appreciation now for the meaning of a "quick hind leg" vs. rushing. He MUST engage his hind leg to be...

DJR

Yes, that's CdK's saying. And Carl Hester puts it a bit differently (but same concept) when he talks about a horse's "swing speed" -- and speed will screw up their "swing" (as will plodding).

DJR

I've tried Quiessence before but not on Panache. I wanted to give the Mg/Vit B blend a try first, but I may add or change to Quiessence if there isn't an appreciable improvement in the next few weeks. I think part of it is that he needs to get back into work. But today (and last week) I am wondering...

DJR

DJR - That's great re Ocean, for what appears to be a (mostly or all?) Great Dane). I had friends who used to raise them and changed to Shelties because of the age thing with Danes. What a beautiful dog. Here's hoping she continues to enjoy life for years to come as she so obviously does in that pi...

DJR

Hot4Spots, well crapola. I hope it's just an abscess and goes away as quickly as it came! With the help of chemical bliss, I clipped Panache today. I gave him a dose (IV) of Dormosedan that was enough to have made Jet completely drunk with sedation. Pan was still striking every time I touched his sh...

DJR

Yes, Mountaineer, we really did. I'm richly blessed. Today she and I had super rides on our respective mounts (Jet & Sawyer). She's overcoming her fear of cantering and made great strides towards that today. I'm proud of the thoughtful rider she is becoming. Then I went to clip Panache who got v...

DJR

Oh no, Heddylamar - rapid healing vibes coming your way! I think I might have broken my toe this morning but that won't slow me down so much (I hope). cb06, that looks super fun. I'd love to do more of that sort of thing with my horses. I've signed up for a trick horse clinic in mid-April with my ho...

DJR

We had our 2nd rides today, me on Jet and my daughter on her pony, Sawyer. I was surprised that I wasn't MORE stiff than I thought I'd be! I put Jet through his paces and was very pleased with his response. It's all there from last year, all that's lacking is fitness & strength. I'm really happy...

DJR

First ride today since Dec 8/17! I rode Jet and just put him through his paces, being careful to give him lots of stretch breaks. In our abbreviated canter work, his c-w-c transitions were much better than usual, and so I tried a FC each direction. This was the horse that NEVER changed behind 3 yrs ...

DJR

My goals this month are to restart Jet & Panache, help my daughter restart her lg pony, Sawyer, and get myself back into riding shape. In April, I'll get Jet's Third/Fourth Level training into a higher gear once he has a fitness base on him, and Pan will be working on his Second Level stuff with...

DJR

All three horses - Jet, Panache, and my daughter's large pony, Sawyer - are now at the indoor facility. I'm looking forward to getting them & myself going again! My hip adductors may not be, however ... LOL.

DJR

We (my daughter & I) haven't ridden our horses since before Christmas!! Between very cold weather from mid-December to mid-January (down to -30C), then my atrocious work schedule coupled with weather, it's been a non-starter. But this will change in March. If I get home early enough today we'll ...

DJR

Me, too (telling it like it is), but even that can be done in a diplomatic vs. cruel way. I think back to my own example. Back when UDBB was struggling near its final end, I stumbled upon a thread about UDBB on COTH. In that thread, a few people were choosing to kick me around the curb as blame for ...

DJR

I debuted Jet at Third Level this past October with Third-2 followed by Third-3. After my final halt-salute in Third-2, I rode up centerline on a lose rein towards the judge at 'C' as I usually do, fully intending to say thank you before I turned and headed out of the ring. Before I could say anythi...

DJR

I was the same way -- couldn't get through episode 1 of Breaking Bad.

LOVED other shows about unsavory characters, though, like The Killing, Shetland, even Dexter.

DJR

I still vividly remember my first time down centerline of a Second Level test. I felt like a complete imposter, sure that I'd be "found out" that I was thoroughly out of my element and ill-equipped to manage. The weather that day didn't help: blustery, rainy, crappy in general. It was enou...

DJR

However, I'm reading threads that say "you can't get past 1st and make the vast leap to 2nd without having a horse in full training, at least 1-2 lessons a week, and access to schoolmasters" ... Is everything I have read on the internet true? :mrgreen: Not for me! I have done all the trai...

DJR

I have been trained in both human & veterinary acupuncture (entirely separate courses). Both used evidence-based approaches, and also "traditional" chinese acupuncture. There was overlap between the two. There are published trials compared acupuncture to other more western modalities f...

DJR

It's -25C again here today, and tomorrow will be as cold or colder (that's not factoring in windchill). I moved Jet and my daughter's pony to an indoor a month ago and we've only been able to ride ONCE. I cannot justify paying board and not riding, and now I have other issues arising (non-horse rela...

DJR

Out of curiosity, what sort of dressage resources/community exist in Tennessee?

DJR

That's gorgeous. I've always considered moving to TN. It would be a lot of work both professionally & personally to move, but I keep thinking about it. After the last two weeks of insanely cold (non-rideable) weather, it's on my mind again. This farm would be perfect if I did move!

DJR

My goals are simple, too -- RIDE WHEN THE WEATHER PERMITS RIDING!! It's been -20C to -30C here and some of my friends ride but I don't, and I don't think it's fair to the horse to do anything but light hacking at the most in this bitter cold (so I'm not just being a wuss, there is science to support...

DJR

I was hoping to keep Jet going at least 2-3 times a week to try to keep & gain some condition, but the vacation and then the weather has other plans. First we were away the week before & including Christmas, so no riding. Then we got back to extremely cold temperatures. For example, today up...

DJR

This is the closest I have to a conformation shot from this year. This was taken in July 2017, so he was just over 3 yrs old here. He's definitely a baby horse in many respects still, but I think he's put together fairly nicely (from my biased view!).

: 2017July Finn2.jpg (67.65 KiB) Viewed 14967 times

DJR

This is my 3-yr-old Shire/WB. I know you’re more interested in a 1/4 draft, but thought you’d be interested to see this cross which is Hano/Shire (by Sir Wanabi, Hanoverian, out of my Shire mare). He isn’t terribly heavy so far, and is approximately 16.2h at 3-1/2 yrs old (so probably will reach 17h...

DJR

For SI X-G, my understanding is that the movement (SI) ends at G, not at the short side. Therefore, you straighten at G, then track right. For the 3 flying changes, they are done not as tempis (on purpose) but as 3 separate changes done when the horse is best set up for them, and as close to the lan...

DJR

I have a Christ dressage bareback pad. It's made extremely well, super comfortable, and warm when it's cool out. My horse has prominent withers, so I add a regular dressage pad w fleece padding on the underside for added cushioning. That other one posted on here looks pretty cool also! :) Thanks, t...

DJR

Thanks for that, AmityBee. If I order a Christ, it'll be the dressage-type one with the knee rolls. It's just such a cost outlay that I'm on the fence (still).

DJR

I'm looking into cozy bareback pads for winter (or all-year) riding. I really like the look of the Christ Lammfelle dressage bareback pad (with thigh blocks), but it's an expensive item. I have a friend who loves hers. Just wondered if anyone else has used one and what they thought of it. Any other ...

DJR

When my brother died, we just started saying, "he's fine" or "he's fine now." Because it was true. Your pup is across the bridge, no longer old, no longer sick or in any pain. He's fine now. The trouble with this is that (a) it misleads the listener into thinking the dog has imp...

DJR

I always loved the Rambo fleece coolers, but my latest love is the Rambo Dry rug. It's like a terry cloth and it sops up the sweat really well. I then switch it out for the fleece cooler once the worst of the sweat is mopped up and they dry really quickly. https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/rambo-dry...

DJR

I've managed to get back in the saddle this week with three rides in so far on both horses. I wish we could hack more often, but now with it being pitch black by 5:30 there just isn't time during the week. Only if we have time on the weekend can we hack. Our issue re: spooking is not deer, nor llama...

DJR

All good points, thanks for all the feedback. I'm realizing that I need to have another serious look at the numbers with a view to NOT having to take on boarders (and if I did, it would be icing on the cake, not a requirement). Today I'm feeling more drawn to staying put and investing more in this p...

DJR

As an update - the viewing of the property went well. The set-up is very amenable to it being a private equestrian farm, but also allows room for a few boarders if I were to so choose. For those who have taken on boarders, how much a pain in the a** was it? Am I looking through rose-colored glasses ...

DJR

I'm having a LOT of difficulty finding motivation to ride now that it's cold enough to freeze water. And dark by 5 pm. Yuck. Hate it!

I haven't ridden in two weeks. That by itself depresses me!

DJR

Your arena size would be fine for me! I wish I could afford to build my own. I'm not AT ALL handy and have no time to do any of the work myself, so it would entirely done by professionals with nowhere to save some money. Check into what the Amish charge to build an arena, too. If I'm remembering ri...

DJR

Oh. I thought you didn't have a place to build it because of the power lines? No, I was responding to someone else who suggested just having my outdoor ring covered. I can't do that because of the power easement. I have plenty of room to build elsewhere (I'm on 36 acres). Your arena size would be f...

DJR

Something else to consider is that it might work better for you in the long run if you could find a house with enough land that's located as close to work as possible, and then have your barns, fences and indoor built. If I could afford to build an indoor, I'd put one on my current property. I cann...

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