Orra on the stretching walk--at end.

[Kathy Johnson]

I'm riding injured again, waiting for my ankle sprain to heal and for the orthopedic appointment Dec. 2. Neither horses nor I have been working much for about 6 weeks. But it sure feels better to ride than to walk. Orra and Xaquema are my go-to horses for safe riding.

Orra is working on straightness (the holy grail), learning to accept an engaging leg without racing forward, and the connection in transitions, especially downwards. She is also one of those funny horses who has to be systematically taught half half halts. You know how with some horses, you half halt, and they respond. Some horses you half halt and they blow you off. And some horses you half halt and they fritz. She used to fritz all the time, but now is moving back and forth between blowing me off and responding. And this mare is so sensitive you have to PREPARE for the half halt. So, how the heck do you prepare a horse for a preparation aid? I'm using my voice first, "Easy," with varying success.

My biggest bugaboo is trying to sit her left lead canter. I can hover ok, but I'm not sure why it's harder than the right. My bad ankle is on the right. I recognize, as always that my saddle is a bit small--the issue of riding short backed horses. I can't go to a bigger saddle without disturbing her (and she's much more disturbable than I am.) So, any suggestions for sitting the left lead would be very welcome.

We're starting some forward and back in trot to facilitate half halts.

Forward--she shot out of the gates here and left me a little behind, but I was very pleased with her effort.



Back



Right lead canter--I'm adding my right leg to increase bend and I love how she responded behind. I also love her neck here. She's got a fine throatlatch and it's easy to get her neck too short. I am moderately vertical here, but it's tough to really sit back and push with the bulging discs, etc. in my back.



Left lead canter--I was struggling to stay back.



The stretch is coming. She is a short backed, tight backed high headed mare, and I'm ok with this.

[PaulaO]

She's lovely. Don't overdo it with the ankle. Heal!

[demi]

Thanks for the update. She looks just lovely!

[Flight]

I love seeing your photos!

When I find it harder to sit one side more than the other, it tends to be because of the horses stiff or more crooked side?

[Kathy Johnson]

Thanks, Flight. She's not totally the same on both sides. It's easier to bend her left, but I'm not sure how that transfers to canter, except she goes a little shorter and slower to the right, and it's easier to sit.

I realize that with my physical issues the way they are, I may not be doing either of us much good, but I do feel better after to each ride because it's so fun and she's so responsive. I still have bulging discs in the lumbar and then this painful ankle. So, I have no problem in the walk. Posting trot I can't help but tip forward. Posting somehow impacts my pelvic angle. Basically, my hips go back and my shoulders go forward.

Sitting trot, I can do and it feels good, yay! Because the motion of the hips is not so much forward and back, as it is in posting and the canter, I can be upright!

Canter is tough if the horse doesn't collect. If my hips have to follow too much in that forward and back motion, it just grinds the lumbar if I'm sitting upright. I resort to hovering.

So, I think I'll intersperse the rides on Orra with some days just hacking at the walk, and other days doing lateral work at the walk. She will hate that. This mare loves to GO!

[Kathy Johnson]

It was 27 degrees but I really wanted to ride with Debbie Rodriguez, so I did. She took it easy on my ankle, and that helped.

Orra travels a little haunches in to the left, not bringing that left hind straight under her. I am assisting her crookedness by pulling on the left rein and overbending her left. This throw her onto her outside shoulder.



To fix this, I bring her shoulders in, focusing on the outside, right shoulder. My outside knee and outside rein move the shoulders. Always bring the shoulders in front of the haunches and not the haunches in front of the shoulders. My inside leg asks her left hind to stay underneath her. My inside leg is too far back.





Before the corner, I move her shoulders back into position so she is back on one track and travelling straight.



Continuing to activate the left hind, we begin leg yield toward the wall. My left leg is too far back, a fairly common error when we are really trying to get the horse to respond. The leg too far back pitches me forward because my hips are tight. Her neck is really straight her, and that is good.


While still in leg yield to the wall down the next long side, I softly and gradually change bend. Voila, we are in Orra's first travers. She is tentative. I am continuing to ride the left hind.



Because she is Orra the overachiever, she creates too much angle. Before she gets stuck, I reward and ride out.



We took this little bit of displacement of the haunches and took it to turn on the haunches right, still riding the left hind. Now, of course we did every exercise both directions, but because she is much straighter naturally to the right, everything was easier and therefore quicker.



I know she's a little BTV here, but I love her softness and the lighting.

[Josette]

Kathy - wonderful pictures of Orra's progress! Thank you for explaining the details of each movement as you worked Orra. She really does look so soft and light as you ride her. Wishing you a speedy recovery with your ankle and back.

[mari]

Lovely, thanks for posting!

[bailey]

Beautiful mare and rider. How awesome to ride with Debbie Rodriguez, thanks for the pics and explanations. I always learn a lot from your posts so thanks again.

[demi]

Beautiful mare and rider. How awesome to ride with Debbie Rodriguez, thanks for the pics and explanations. I always learn a lot from your posts so thanks again.

I think your horses and riding are beautiful, too! Thanks for the posts. I learn a lot from them, too.

[Kathy Johnson]

Orra is enjoying her vacation.

I had ankle surgery Dec. 10, modified Brostrum, peroneal tendon repair and bone debridement. I got out of the Hell cast yesterday and on to some sort of cushy air boot. I start PT with a bit of weight bearing. Structurally, the surgery was good but there were nerve and circulation complications. I get to see a neurologist. I am keeping calm by writing and looking at all of Tony's beautiful horse pictures and videos. And I have my little Corgi Josey to keep me company.

Happy 2016 to everyone. Have a great ride!

[LeoApp]

Adorable pic and lovely Orra pic! Heal quickly!!

[angela9823]

Aawwww! What a cute picture of you two.

[bailey]

Lovely picture! Jingling that you heal well and quickly. I'm not sad to hear you're writing, hopefully we'll get more of your great stories.
Wow, what if your wrote a book of stories about the horses of Medicine, and had the pictures too...how cool would that be?!
ps I'll never forget the story about Mama, it really taught me a lot about horses and changed how I think about them....thank you for writing it and sharing it.

[Flight]

Orra travels a little haunches in to the left, not bringing that left hind straight under her. I am assisting her crookedness by pulling on the left rein and overbending her left. This throw her onto her outside shoulder.
[/img]

Oh wow, this is what my horse does (except on the right). So it was great to read your post and see your photos as it's what I have had to do!

That snow pic is beautiful as is the christmas pic

[Josette]

Love your pics!! Great matching Santa Hats!! Wishing you an easy time through recovery and PT. Seriously you need to have all these stories published!!

[demi]

I missed the training photos of Orra and just got a good look at them this morning. Thanks for explaining the details. Very helpful. Also, I love her! I am kind of partial to half Arab mares, but she really is pretty and. I appreciate the special consideration you give to her sensitive nature.

Sending you Good vibes for a speedy recovery for your ankle!

[chantal]

Great pics, Orra looks happy. And I love the one with the hats. I hope your appt with the neurologist goes well and that you heal completely!

[piedmontfields]

BTW, while Tony is shooting photos remind him to take some of Xaquema. I miss seeing the kind Lusitano mare in your updates!

[Kathy Johnson]

Ah, sweet Xaquema. She is likely very muddy, but I'll see what he can do. She is currently slacking off as one of our very best therapy horses. It's very important work, but it's not very athletic. She likes children and loves being groomed, so it's a great life. She was a rockstar at our Benefit in Oct., loves dancing to music.

[piedmontfields]

Thank you! I love the expressive details in her ears and lips.

My Lusitano x mare is likely filthy too (except for blankets). Does X do "talk" therapy or riding therapy?

(I think Emi would prefer to offer talk therapy....She was bred by someone who was a major figure in equine therapy for emotionally disturbed young people in the 1990s--I wonder if you knew her? Denise Arroyo..now passed away)

[Kathy Johnson]

X will do both talk or riding therapy but she also prefers talk therapy. She basically loves people fawning over her and really related to all kinds of people. A very sweet young man with developmental delays was whispering in her ear, "You are my daughter and you are SO Good." She loved him. I did not know Denise, but I wish I had.

[piedmontfields]

X A very sweet young man with developmental delays was whispering in her ear, "You are my daughter and you are SO Good." She loved him.

So cool! Emi is a bit sensitive with loud or loudly anxious people, yet they are also drawn to her and tend to experience deep calm with her. I think she offers people a model for attentive, quiet being. One of our barn workers deals with PTSD from service; I will often show up and she'll describe that she's had a good talk with Emi that day.

I wish I knew more about her original owner/breeder, but I am grateful to have this thoughtful mare in my life!

[Kathy Johnson]

I am BACK IN THE TACK. Ok, it's western. The English leathers don't support Crazy Foot. Crazy Foot, who burns like the dickens most of the time, when she's not being an ice block or sandy sock, has a new name. It's Burny.

This is how Orra won her wings.


https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10154042253938188&id=108681978187&substory_index=0

[piedmontfields]

Wow, has Orra filled out or what?! Glad you are in the tack, "Burny" and all.

[amygdala]

goood to see you back in the saddle! continued get-better wishes for "burny"

[Canyon]

You and she look great! Congrats on your return to riding.

This made me laugh – “The doctor said I could ride a safe horse, at the walk.” You are naughty, woman!

Are all your horses shiny and slick already? I have one that is shedding like crazy and one that is still thinking about starting the process.

[Moutaineer]

Wahoo! Great to see you back in the saddle!

You need some of those butt-ugly extra wide composite stirrups that all the trendy hunter jumper girls at my barn are currently riding in. (One has them in burnt orange... yech!!!)

[Kathy Johnson]

Well, I *did* start at the walk In fact, I walked for about 3 weeks, which is part of O's filling out. We walked over hills, cavaletti, more hills and more hills.

And no, not everyone is as shiny as Orra--she is an angel, after all. I did a LOT of grooming in those 3 weeks and I added some corn oil about then to get the spring coat to bloom. I washed the mane and tail a week or so ago. But it's snowing today, so it won't look so great tomorrow.

Thank you all. I am so happy to ride.

[Kathy Johnson]

I'm sure we all notice how much the horse's stretch at the end of the ride is so much better than the stretch at the beginning. Of course, moving and working the muscles contribute to this. But I think a couple of things specifically make it happen.

Here is Orra's stretching walk at the the beginning of the ride.



Here it is at the end.



We say the stretch is the test of the connection. In the first photo, you see a slight dip in front of her withers. Although her head is down, there is not a true connection from back to front and she's backing off the bit a little. You can see a slightly dropped back and trailing hind quarters.

In the second photo, she is reaching more honestly and pushing into the connection. She is over her back. The dip in front of the withers has filled.

What happens in between? A lot of work from inside leg to an honest connection in the outside rein. Cantering helps relax the back, but Orra is still green in the canter. She is finally accepting half halts, some of the time. Notice how the connection in the outside rein keeps the shoulder from falling in or out. Then she must lift her shoulders. Keeping the neck straight is paramount to lifting the shoulders. Here her neck is slightly short, but it's straight, and connected.



This is what happens when she doesn't accept the outside rein and falls down on her shoulders, on the forehand and barreling away with me.



The right is her stiffer side, but here she is continuing to bring her hindquarters under, push into the bridle, sit down ever so slightly and remain uphill. This energy, connection and the ability to lift the shoulders remains when she asked for the stretch at the end of the ride.

[PaulaO]

Thank you for these posts, especially the last pictures. Very educational.

[amygdala]

and no cavesson! (i dislike nosebands) wonderful pics!

[Josette]

I'm studying these pictures as my canter looks more like your middle pic - falling down on the shoulders. One direction is better than the other but there is combination of rider error timing those half halts without blocking the shoulders. Trying to get the lifted shoulders and connection without closing the front door. I hope I'm making sense.... (I wish this was a video.) Thanks for your descriptions on these photos! Love the top/bottom pics!

[Kathy Johnson]

To keep her from falling on her shoulders in canter (or at any time!), I have been doing a lot of shoulder in in the walk. This helps a lot of things, as she is half Saddlebred and the gaiting can show up in walk and the shoulder fore and shoulder in help keep the walk four beat.

I've also started counter flexions in walk and trot to teach her to accept the outside rein. The counter flexion helps teach her to move her shoulder over, at least to an upright position, and not fall out that outside shoulder. This doesn't go so well in canter yet, as she is still worrying too much about her balance to listen to subtleties. So, if she barges in canter, I bring her back to walk or trot, and realign her shoulders, always bringing the shoulders back in front of the haunches.

I'm thinking the next post might need to be on what to do with a barging, bossy, take over mare. Orra is master of the braided tail. When she doesn't like what I'm doing she whacks me with it.