DefinitelyDressage.com

Moutaineer

I've ridden for him in the past, exvet, and thought he was very fair. We probably get many of the same judges because of our proximity! Onwards and upwards! Day off for us today, and we'll have a very quiet session tomorrow, day of on Wednesday and then back to work as we have a clinic with Charlott...

Moutaineer

Isn't it interesting how we each perceive individual judges? Axel was a relative pussycat this weekend compared to Bev.

Neither of them were Santa Claus, however, looking at the overall scoring.

Moutaineer

A very satisfactory 2 days of showing here. Good Lord it was hot! I did the 3.1 both days. Friday with Axel Steiner we had a really solid forward happy first 3/4 of the ride and then blew it across the second FC diagonal when someone stepped out of the shadows at H, which startled me, let alone him,...

Moutaineer

Trailered over to the show facility this morning for a practice ride. Things went pretty well. I'm feeling like I know what I need to do tomorrow. Now I just need to do it. Perfect Potters was perfect, of course. The footing is much improved. A little deep but not dangerously so. If they water it we...

Moutaineer

I must be getting old

They've just re-issued the ride times for the upcoming show and I'm now at 11.36 Friday and 10.24 Saturday as they've decided to start an hour earlier due to the heat, and I'm delighted I now have to get up early!

Moutaineer

I stopped vaccinating Lucky when he was about 20. His reactions started to get worse every year. We weren't in a boarding situation, so no blowback from anyone else. He lived to be 35. Its indoor warm up and outdoor show rings for us next weekend. Not my favorite as you go from a dark indoor to a br...

Moutaineer

Potters ended up with a cough after his vaccines this spring, and then we went straight into pollen season, so its been a bit persistent. Just a couple of throat clears at the start of each ride, but still. I've just got my ride times for next weekend. 1.58 on Friday which is supposed to be really h...

Moutaineer

And Chisamba, I think some years are work on it years and some are show it off years. If you've got a ton of show miles under your belt already, why go out and show when you are betwixt and between? Frankly, I had no business being out showing last year except I personally needed the miles and ring ...

Moutaineer

Oof. Trainer is taking the "needs to ride more boldly" thing to heart. She kicked my butt this morning out there in the heat. She's right, of course, and once Potters signs on to the new deal, it will make everything so much easier. But at the moment he's a bit "Wait! This wasn't in t...

Moutaineer

oh, Good God, Heddy. What a nightmare. You must be exhausted! My first ride back today after 2 weeks off. It went better than I expected it to. In fact, I was very pleased with both of us! Just as well. Not many rides to showtime next weekend. (Apparently, I complained to the right person about the ...

Moutaineer

Today's show went OK. My main takeaway is that we have all the pieces and parts together fairly competently, we just need to present them with more boldness. We had a couple of annoying errors--an expensive break at the canter and a miscount in the otherwise really good rein back and a step out in t...

Moutaineer

That's very exciting, Chisamba! I shall look forward to following her progress.

Moutaineer

Tell us more, Chisamba! Off to a schooling show at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I was working this morning but the rest of the gang went over to school. They say the footing is terrible. Ugh. Its the venue for the two local rated shows that I was planning to go to this summer, but if its that bad, we...

Moutaineer

Wow, Kelo! He's really nice! What a good boy. My good boy and I got out S*** together today and had one of the best rides we've had. He was happy to be outside in the sunshine and really got the forward button going. Hah! Now I know it's in there! I just have to remember to trust the process and be ...

Moutaineer

I think it's also reasonable to believe that horses are moderately intelligent creatures and that many of them are natural athletes, that like to move and do things with their bodies. So, if we are fair in our asks, they can actually find pleasure in performing the movements that we are asking them ...

Moutaineer

I hope you are feeling better, Paula! I've had to work really hard on my hip flexibility and core to make getting out of a dressage saddle easier as I've started to work with longer stirrups, so I can relate! I do a stretching and mild pilates session most mornings before I go to the barn. I can get...

Moutaineer

Raccoons are tricky... I had the best luck blasting them with the cold water hose out on the farm. My first Utah house had a cat door. The raccoons discovered it one night and woke me up having quite a party in the kitchen, much to the outrage of the cats who were alm huddled on my bed not offering ...

Moutaineer

But, if you watch the whole 30 minute session, she does let him have a long rein, once she feels it is safe to do so. She talks about this. Anyway, back in my world, I've signed up for a schooling show next weekend and my horse has decided that he no longer wishes to go on the bit. This too shall pa...

Moutaineer

Potters had a bit of a cough after his spring shots last weekend, but he was good today, and we had a brief but productive ride focusing on suppleness and thoroughness, which in turn led to more forwardness.

Maybe tomorrow the weather will cheer up enough to be able to ride outside.

Moutaineer

Have you watched the Charlotte Dujardin master class where she talks about talking to her horses?

Here's the link to part 1. Thee are two other parts that follow on:

https://youtu.be/IETdllCijWA

Moutaineer

I'm glad your move went well, SF. Sorry about the horsey love connection. Thats a pain. Spring shots for the horses and helping a young barn buddy move house for the humans today. This bunch of 60-plus horsewomen did draw the line at the two enormous couches and the dressers... we are all trying to....

Moutaineer

Ouch. Sounds like it was one of those falls that you couldn't have saved yourself from however fit or limber you were. I hope the purple bits fade soon!

Moutaineer

The plan here is to head for a schooling show in a couple of weeks to kick off the season, then I'm off on vacation to Sicily for a couple of weeks. Once we get back I will have less than 2 weeks to get it together to do our first recognized shows of the year, so, less pasta, more walking while we a...

Moutaineer

Tanga, that sound like a pretty good showing! (I'm suprised Geoff Moore is still judging. He must be getting up.there. He was one of the first judges i ever showed in front of. I remember he gave me a 7 for a free walk during which my horse stopped to poop...) Well that couple of months flew by! I'm...

Moutaineer

Aleuronx, you are lucky to get decent judges for schooling shows! Ours are a bit mixed... to put it politely.

Looking forward to a solid week of riding. With luck it has stopped raining but it is a bit chilly.

Moutaineer

Tanga, I had the paxlovid rebound thing. I was sicker than I was first time round. And that was saying something. I had a good ride on a very "up" Potters on Monday. A brisk wind led to (horrors!) grass blades blowing around... But we survived the terror and got some nice, straightforward ...

Moutaineer

SF, she's looking really good here--and so are you! What a pretty spring weekend you had, too--which makes a difference. Looking at my clinic videos this morning it was cold and you can tell! It will be interesting to see how she goes at the new barn. New footing, level arena. Khall, enjoy Southern ...

Moutaineer

Aaaargh!

I enjoy my "pilates for seniors" workouts. They've made me much more limber and balanced. But, I've made sure to pace myself pretty carefully and not hurt myself.

Moutaineer

What a pain to have to move barns, SF. I hope the new one works well for you!

I'm a bit under the weather this week so riding has been a bust. I've got to stagger down to the barn today to drop off feed, but that's as close as I'm going to get to a horse until Monday, I think.

Moutaineer

Ouch SF! "Mares in Spring" do you think?

Farrier for Potters today, then we'll get back to work tomorrow.

Moutaineer

Happy Monday! A day off for us as we spent the weekend riding with Mette, so we are both a little tired! It was a really good clinic for us and confirmed that we are very much on the right path. What with one thing and another it has been quite a while since I have ridden with her. She was very plea...

Moutaineer

I'm dead chuffed that I managed to repeat the nice extended trot today. It's amazing how much easier it is when you actually have the horse through and on your aids and you aren't just chasing the poor creature across the diagonal...

Moutaineer

Hi Chisamba! I'm glad your mother enjoyed your trip to Ireland and that you did too. Saiph does look good. And Kelo1! Yes, it's all about your own journey and enjoying what you ride. Handsome big guy you've got there. We had an unexpected bluebird day today. I got to the barn to snow on the roof and...

Moutaineer

This is probably a stupid question, SF, but have you ever had her SI looked at? She kind of looks like a milder case of what Walker used to look before I had his injected. It's like she doesn't want to rotate that hind end through and take the weight. Could be fitness or strength of course, but I wo...

Moutaineer

An interesting puzzle, SF. I rode outside in the sunshine yesterday for the first time this year. It was just so nice! Potters tends to drop behind my leg when faced with all that space, so we had to work on that a bit. I was told my canter work was very "nice." Which was not a compliment....

Moutaineer

What do you think is causing it, SF? Frustrating to be sure. I finally got around to riding in my new stiff boots today. Interesting. Somehow I've never had "real" dressage boots before. It actually does make quite a difference. I felt I could forget about my legs and focus on the rest of ...

Moutaineer

Farrier came today, replaced the shoe but without the snow pad, and for good measure pulled and replaced the other one without it's snow pad too. This is a winner because it has been so muddy they have been horrible for his feet. I worry about abscesses and bruises when they've been clanking around ...

Moutaineer

Nice pictures Blob! I love the pink on him! Potters has a sprung front shoe. Anxiously waiting to hear if my farrier can get out there quickly. An occasion on when I'm glad the ground is a bit squishy as I hate for those front feet to be stressed in any way. Heddy, the move is gut-wrenchingly quick ...

Moutaineer

SF, The only problem with dying the shoes is it limits your matchy outfit options :) I didn't know you could read a temp off a chip. How interesting! Is that all chips or just more modern ones? Potters is chipped but I don't know how old it is. I suspect at least 10 years. It's my 3 year anniversary...

Moutaineer

Oooh. Keep the baby pics coming, Khall! She looks beautiful!

Moutaineer

And I meant to add, Chantal, you look great. What a nice-looking horse!

Moutaineer

Fingers crossed for an uneventful foaling, Khall! Just chugging along here. Actually, that's not entirely true. Last week was a week of really good and productive rides and so was this morning. It's all simple stuff but focusing on quality and correctness--those things like making sure you don't sti...

Moutaineer

Nice article!

Moutaineer

Monday Funday! Monday morning training sessions after a weekend off, particularly a cold and very snowy weekend, can be challenging in more ways than one. Just getting away from my desk and off the phone and getting in the saddle can be tough enough, and then there's that creaky human with the hot a...

Moutaineer

heddylamar wrote:I'm back in town Saturday, Maia has bodywork Sunday, then I'm gone again Thursday – Sunday, and Friday – Wednesday, and suddenly there's only a handful of days left in the month. Oh. Yeah. And we're on the move again, likely leaving Texas by this summer

Where are you headed, Heddy?

Moutaineer

I've had very good experiences with US Rider, both with my truck/trailer and my car. Its going to depend to a great extent whereabouts you are located when you break down, though, as they contract with local services. The four times I've used them have all been in populated areas.

Moutaineer

I'm going to be spending March getting ready for April. I'm riding with Mette the second weekend in April, which I'm excited about. It's been a while. I'm toying with the idea of a schooling show the following weekend, but we will see what the weather is doing and whether its going to be inside or o...

Moutaineer

Breathe, breathe better. ³ Well, its better than it was. I'm working with the speech therapist once every couple of weeks and things are improving. Painfully slowly but there is progress. I'm also working out and doing pilates. Ride, ride better. I'm riding my own horse 4 times a week and not dying...

Moutaineer

Tanga, the situation with your mother must be so stressful. I'm glad you aren't dealing with it alone. SF, sounds like you are living the high life! Potters had his Osphos shots on Tuesday, so this week has been largely off. Which was just as well as we were getting a new rollup door on the indoor o...

Moutaineer

Blob, I dont know if you've ever had serious physio or bodywork on yourself. My experience has been that a really big release, while a good thing in the end, can make you feel really off-kilter immediately after. I'm guessing horses are no different. I had one experience a while ago where I still ha...

Search found 2562 matches