Motivation and teeth

Is very lacking at the moment.  The riding has been somewhat sporadic. I don't mind riding in the dark and I don't particularly mind riding in the rain (to a certain extent). But it would appear I don't really like riding in both!

i have managed a couple of hacks, pre booked with Sue next door which appears to be the only way to get me out.  Eager was ok, bit of a wally.  But nothing that feels unsafe of scary.  She does listen and although everything in her body wants to turn sound and head for home.  You just tell her to go forward and she does.  Also getting very good at wading through deep water :-) 

I did try and get her out the other day on her own and we had a bit of an issue with the field of donkeys up the road. After much persuasion and a queue of 3 cars in both directions I managed to get her past until one started braying at her.  To which she spun and headed for home in a very determined way.  Unfortunately and very annoyingly due to the waiting cars I had to collude with this! I really need to pick a time when there is going to be no traffic.... Or maybe I'll try on foot? 

The arena again is not really up to scratch at the moment, so I don't really enjoy or use that.  Had another young horse management lesson with Jonathan the other day.... Basically we trotted in circles around jumps for 45 minutes.  She was just too distracted to risk anything else.

Moan, moan, moan.....  I don't think all this would be too much of a problem.  But as I have mentioned before.  All of my time and energy is being spent on yard management, filing haynets etc. I literally do not have time to ride and have a marriage/job at the same time.

Had a really nice dentist out last week called Martin Fox, who came highly recommended. I had my previous dentist Amanda Stone for years.  I would know when the horses teeth needed doing and would give her a call. The issue would stop and I would be about 9 months till the next call. Unfortunately about 18 months ago she gave up travelling due to a bad back. So I searched for a new one. Leigh Shayle was very nice and the horses seemed to like her. She gave them lots of rests closing the gag frequently. Also a healer she gave Zulu lots of healing last time he came which he loved and was very moving for the both of us.  Whilst this was very good, she did seem somewhat distracted and had lots going on in her life.

Anyway the outcome was I wasn't overly happy with Eager after and she has seemed quite funny in her mouth recently.  As Leigh only came out 4 months ago I didn't feel the best job had maybe been done. (Also someone else who had used her had issues, which does plant a seed) so out Martin came.

Great guy who had done a few years of training with a very renowned dentist who works with the Holistic Equine Vet Roger Meacock. Now you would think a few years of training would be natural.  But no, by all accounts you can be certified to be an equine dentist in a few weeks.  Very worrying. 

He had me in the mouth feeling a cap she had on the right hand side of her mouth. Which he advised could be very much to do with her right shoulder issue. He also did Zulu who had very large hooks on his teeth. Certainly not what you would expect from a horse who had had his teeth done a few months ago.  So fingers crossed. Conor and Bess to be done next time (dear lord, I just hate to introduce new people to Conor who choses when to trust or kill). 

I'd love to say her shoulder issue cured, but having done very little schooling since I don't know.  But, she is much happier to put the bit in her mouth.  Always a good sign! 

Says it all really

Achey thighs :-)

So... I've done it. In a 7 day period I have managed to ride 4 times, both days this weekend! 

Saturday I had a (supposed) jumping lesson with Jonathan Allinson, which ended up a survival lesson.  At the best of times Eager finds Colchester Garrison quite an exciting place to be with lots going on, but generally copes quite well if somewhat distracted at times. As soon as I got on, I had a somewhat springy jaunt around the arena with default head in the air.  As I just about got to the first circuit she shied, span and cantered off in a 180 degree turn in about 1.8 seconds! All at a poo on the floor! How I  didn't end up on the floor I don't know... I'm sure she catches me. After a couple more circuits I knew I wasn't going to get any sense out of her and knew the faster I went, the faster the spins were going to be.  So got off, got a lunge line and let her do her thang! 

JA said all credit to her for coping as well as she did before I got off, if that's what she had inside.... This on about the 24 circuit of bucking, canter, trot with her head in the air and tail about the same... Who knew I'd purchased an Arab? So back on a I got and spent 20 mins in trot in circles getting her to relax, me to try and plug in.  We finished doing some trotting poles and ended on quite a good note.... Survival management.  Must ride more!

Sunday, went out for a lovely small hack with my next door neighbour Sue.  This being her 1st hack in at least 3 months, so we took the safest route.  She was pretty good to be honest and including wading across 1.5ft deep ford about 6 times.  Out for about an hour in the sun.  Really didn't want to push it, mainly for her bare feet which must be soft having been daily in soft mud for months and also because she is unfit. 

Anyway it was nice and sunny so good effort :-)

After that I needed to go to Ingatestone Saddlery.  I generally don't worm very often as I worm test, but as Eager is young and Bess always comes back with a worm burden I thought I'd get an equest for the encysted red worm for them both and do Conor and Zulu there monthly course on the herbal wormer from Thunderbrook.  So I had an hour in there and came back with some essential if not pink items... I have turned into Barbie!  I also finally managed to focus on buying a new crash helmet.  My current skull cap is about 9 years old and have started to doubt its fit for for some time when I could get a woolly hat underneath (handy though). So after trying on about 5 different makes for the rounder head (they make a lot for oval) I finally decided he Charles Owen Competitor was the most comfy... It was also the cheapest and this is not siting well with me now.  So I may have to take it back! 

Had the weekend to myself as David was away skiing. It does make it a lot more relaxed for me.  Although still busy as the first time I sat down on Saturday was in the bath at 6pm.  It takes away the pressure of timings and food. It's funny, you don't realise how regimented and pressured your life is until you take a bit out.  I have no idea what people do all weekend without horses... I suppose they have houses and gardens that don't look like they have been neglected for 6 years. LOL slept like a log  both nights and I'm sure this has something to do with the cats as I never used to when David was away.  Grizzly slept curled up next to me and Linkey under the covers with me somewhere. Pinned against my side, must admit we were all sound asleep when the alarm went off this morning and did ignore it for 20 mins.  That's Blue Monday for you. 

I admit it! I'm struggling.

Finding looking after 4 horses really tough at the moment.  What with my back for a month and then food poisoning last weekend.  It's beginning to feel all work and no play.

Here are my moans.....

The rain.

Totally self inflicted hangover Saturday morning, so didn't ride in the morning, thought I would ride early afternoon. To then remember that David was going to see his dad in hospital and I wanted to go with him.  So ended up mucking out and then going to Addenbrook Hospital.  Fine I will ride tomorrow... To then get food poisoning and be ill all day.  Whilst being very poorly on Sunday, I had to muck out, feed, hay etc 4 horses.  I think this is possibly the worst mucking out I have ever done and boy did I struggle... What would actually happen if I couldn't move?   Livery yard seems such a good option! 

The rain.

Hay, they are not eating the farmers hay. To cut a lot story short, despite it looking and smelling amazing they will not eat and after mentioning to a few people the only thing we can come up with is the footpath running through the field. This must contaminate the hay (it hasn't been sprayed or have any nasties).  So they will wolf one bale down and not eat the next.  Literally, will not eat at all. Walk up to, sniff and walk away. Even when hungry. So to solve this I have purchased other farmers small bales to mix with the one they won't eat (I buy in very large bales that last 4 horses a week). At one point I was burning!  This is a pain and takes a lot of time, equally can lead to a lot of wastage in field, which in turn ruins the ground. This morning at 6am I mixed and filled 12 haynets, 2 to put in stables for tonight and 10 to put around yard for during the day to compensate for the limited turnout. As I was then mucking out I watched all horses systematically go up to each haynet, sniff and walk away...  Aghhhh I don't have time for this. Cursing farmer, cursing Sam who helps me for not doing more and generally hating the world! Unaided by simple systems being late with the feed delivery and the horses eating nothing but sugar beet for last 2 days! To which I feel silly guilty....

The rain.

Why the fuck won't it stop raining!! I have 12 acres of land none of which I can use! Its madness.  I walked across the field last night and it is just saturated and most in standing water. Even my most dry field is a quagmire. Thankfully, as well as some cemented area I do have around the yard and the much heap an area the previous owner had used as a road so put loads of hardcore down. But even this is getting bad.  Not aided by the fact hey are out on It all day and because the only time I see daylight is at the weekend, none of the poo or anything gets cleared up, so all getting churned in (back to being annoyed with Sam not doing enough)  Just what I want to do all weekend. 

When I saw Sam on Monday, she asked why the horses haven't been out as the fields shouldn't be too wet, as it hasn't rained much..... It has rained almost solidly for 3 months now, floods are almost a daily occurrence on the news.  Seriously? There is a reason why she mucks out stables for a living I guess (note to self, never give Sam the link to this blog) 

This now means getting to the arena means I get covered in mud and for some strange reason they all stand and poo at the arena gateway. Nice entrance! 

The rain

Also, bless them they got into the arena the other day and obviously had a hoolie. Looked like battle off the Somme.  Fortunately, I have a leveller in there and have been able to level off but because they really churned it and went through to wood chip this hasn't been enough and Eager keeps hitting soft bits and loosing her footing.  So what I need to do is get the roller in there..... Which obviously I can't because wouldn't be able to get through mud (well I could but would take it all into the arena).  Brainwave of waiting for frost so ground is hard.... This happened on Sunday when I was Ill. So despite being ill, out came the quad and leveller (now nearly dying) and then didn't have the strength to move roller to hitch onto quad!  Frost wasted... I went and died a bit more on the sofa for a few hours.  No more cold weather forecast...  Just rain. 

The rain.

The yard actually looks like a pikey yard now.  Just the look I was aiming for with my own yard!  

Are the horses happier than those on a livery yard being in 24/7? Who the hell knows! 

Then, I went to work.  Which is just shit at the moment quite frankly! 

The rain.

Anyway this was yesterday morning. Simple Systems delivering today.  I took an extra 10 mins to fill 6 haynets last night, after riding, before cooking dinner. So less hassle this morning. Also opened gate to field and its up to them if they want to wander around it, but the hay is on the hard standing.  Will, just have a chat with Sam.  She is actually a good girl and has never let me down, even if she can't make it her mum does them for me. So it means the horses were done last month even when Sam had broken arm. So mustn't be mean and never send message during one of my evening hissy fits pre-dinner.

Now about that rain..........

Finally on board...

So finally! I managed to ride Eager last night. As always she was a star when I got on her back.  Still having a few issues with he schooling whip though when lunging first. So thought would try and resolve. Literally all she has to do is see it and shoots off like a bullet out of a gun!  In all fairness, with the limited turnout at the moment it doesn't take much.  But as I watched my nice flat school get churned up again, I thought we needed to try and deal with this.  

It's not that I feel any need to use the whip on Eager, but it helps mainly with direction.  Basically an extension of my arm. Also at some point I am going to need to use it with lateral work as again, an extension of my arm to get the quarters to move over etc. this won't be helped if every time she feels it she shoots forward.  She needs to learn, it doesn't always mean go.

So started just by running the whip over her and as soon as she stopped flinching and moving away I clicked and treated.  She responded so quickly that it really made me feel that I should get a bit better at clicker training.  Whilst I do try to click and reward at the right moment, I certainly dont clicker train. I then thought I would lunge again to discover the whip had actually split in two and not just separated. About time I got my butt on board anyway!  

So on i got... Dodging the craters and holes.  Walk, trot and bending to try and get her to use her right shoulder which again she really doesn't want to do.  So after 20 mins I go off and let her have a roll. She follows me absolutely everywhere, she is such a star but does make me staying in the arena to shut the gate a bit tricky :-) 

Now to keep up the momentum!

Phillipe Karl 17 December 2013

Way back in December I had the opportunity to go and see my Guru's Guru Phillipe Karl.

I'll be honest here. I trust Becky's judgement and generally think what is good for her, is good for me.... Clearly this wouldn't be the case if I disagreed!  But would I have found PK on my own... Probably not.  I just have too much other stuff to do.  Whilst taking credit for finding myself Mark Rashid a few years ago after my argument with Monty Roberts at Towerlands one night (which is another story). Also I know how much work she puts into her training, it is very much a serious job. So i am pretty happy to go in Becky's direction. 

So 3 years ago or there abouts Becky got accepted out of many, many candidates to train with PK for 3/4 years with the goal to be accepted as one of his accredited coaches in the Ecole de legerete. The school of lightness! To help Becky to learn and learn how to teach this, she offered us the opportunity to be her guinea pigs.  So each time she came back from her training with him she re-taught it to us. Hence how PK Back-up came about.

The first couple of years involved both written and practical and I have to say thanks to these notes I have been able to start all over again with Eager without having initially having to go to Becky.  PK methods and view points are you can train pretty much any horse to do any dressage move through methodical training without gadgets or force.  The hairier pony, the better! I am absolutely convinced that his work kept Zulu sound for as long as he was.  The bending/flexions and lateral work certainly unwound his confused body and eventually I would start almost every session doing shoulder in work, which seemed to release something. The last day I rode him, which happened to be at Ashen in July we still managed the usual travers, renvers, shoulder-in, half pass and the start pirouette.  All this on a horse with grade 2/3 ataxia who doesn't know what he is doing with his legs! 

I am not going start explaining PK's work here.  Mainly because I'm not entirely sure I would make a good job of it, but if you want to keep your horse sound for as long as possible I do think this is the way forward. Please go and read his books and watch the videos. 

Everyone has a view point and I guess there are people out there that think Rollkur/hyperflexion is doing their horse good, despite the fact that many top dressage horses have to live with fractured jaws and vertebra. Ever watch Totilas in slow motion, without the music? take away the emotion and what you actually had was weirdly moving, extremely stressed horse.  Trot was rarely two time and he was so over bent the poor horse couldn't even see where he was going (or breath).  Equally, there are times you can watch in awe he was truly amazing.  Funnily enough, he isn't around anymore... he is only 13 now and hasn't been for about 3 years.  I am not surprised and remember when a group of us sat and watched him at the height of his fame and predicted he wouldn't be around for much longer.  No one, man or beast can be forced to move like that under such constriction and not suffer the consequences.  Anyone, who loves horses and can watch Grand Prix dressage without feeling a little uncomfortable about 50-70% of the horses, has been brain washed by the media.  You go through any horse magazine now and you are hard pushed to see a horse that isn't over bent and behind the vertical. It's becoming acceptable viewing, people start to think this is right.  I really have to keep my mouth shut on Facebook about people's beloved horses.  This is not dressage.  Rant over!

Back to watching PK teach his students....

So, after a long drive up to Northampton to the Holistic Equitation Centre we arrived just as the first of his teaching sessions was finishing (it was after all a days holiday and I'm darned if I was going to get up earlier than I do to go to work). So before lunch (which was booked at the local gastro pub type thing) I think I had seen 3 sessions.  Phillipe was much chattier and funny than I had expected, so made viewing in the freezing cold (ski gear on) more bearable. But, I was a little underwhelmed by the riding I had seen and certainly all of us PK Back Up 3 years students of Becky's pretty much would have out ridden all of them... Without exception.  

So off we went to lunch.  Which was lovely, nothing like a suet topped pie and a pint of ale to warm your cockles!  About 7 of us went to lunch, all Becky students and 2 of them had been auditors for the past 3 years with Phillipe.  So although not riding,they had seen all of the ridden sessions and his teachings. Obviously, I stated what I thought with a few more personal comments about one of the riders.  Everyone laughed at my plain speaking... But agreed. 

Back we went watch Becky's session. Now this weeks training with PK for Becky, I knew was a big thing.  Unfortunately, after the last teacher training I think PK, for whatever reason had pushed her to do things she was uncomfortable with.  This had made her question him, herself and in turn had left a few other people, who don't know her better question her.  It was I think, a very pivotal time. What in turn then happened over the next few months compelled Becky to look even further into Filly's well being (vets, dental, diet) and also to make more use of the clicker training she is brilliant at and to make it more fun again for Filly.

Whilst in 'awe' of Becky's teaching skills. I don't think I have ever been in 'awe' of her riding.  She is clearly far better than me! but she is not naturally brilliant.  She has to work at it. I don't think she would be offended by this and it's probably one of the things that makes her a good coach.  Very few naturally good riders would be able to tell you what they do on a horse, let alone tell you how to sort your insides and do it! 

But what I witnessed for the next 45 minutes was probably one of the most beautiful and in tune with your horse pieces of riding I have ever seen.  I have never been so proud. I sat throughout with a big grin on my face. It was simply stunning.   Apart from telling her which move he wanted to see next I think the only thing he wanted corrected was the speed of the walk and I do recall one small error on the right rein canter depart from walk (it may have been left). Which I can tell you is very different from the other riders seen, which was almost constant correction and instruction. Without a shadow of a doubt, the best rider by a long, long way. When she finished, I saw her outside and gave her the biggest hug and told her what I thought, totes emosh for us both. Love you BC, just saying. To the doubters.... Stick that in your pipe! 

Watched one more rider after this, which turned out to be quite good but a little sad. From what I could gather the rider had been having quite a few problems for sometime.  Stating he was the most difficult horse she had ridden. PK then got on.  Sadly, I am not sure of all of the details but the prognosis wasn't brilliant, meaning she probably couldn't complete the training on him.  But Phillipe's riding is amazing, it is a bit like watching a centaur.  So at ease with the horse and relaxed, it's almost as if it didn't matter what he asked of the horse (and he asked some hard questions) the horse just tried its damnedest to give him the answer he wanted... Even if he couldn't. You can just tell if a horse is stressed and whilst pushed he wasn't stressed (unlike some of your top dressage horses).  If I could say what it was.... There is a backness to his upper body, but not leaning back.  All his limbs can act independently, almost like a perfect marionette puppet.  Amazing.

We left shortly after this to make the long drive home.

So what did I gain from this visit.  Firstly, from Phillipe Karl himself.... That all, the things we teach the horse to do, we must do separately and not get the instructions confused e.g. lift the head, then ask for bend.  Not lift and bend as one.  Small but important.
Secondly, how amazingly Becky has interpreted his work to teach us all to the level we are. We are truly blessed to have her as our coach.  There really is no one better.... Just saying :-)

Back!

So my writing career hasn't entirely flourished as I might have hoped. (That being the fact I haven't written for over a month)

It's been a pretty horrible December if I'm honest. For me, I sprained my sacroiliac joint the first week and due to the fact I carried on doing the horses and picking Eager's back leg up at least twice a day everyday to poultice the hole in her foot really didn't help. Finally the week before Christmas, despite my brilliant chiropractors best efforts he told me if I carried on.... I would prolapse my disc.  This I really didn't want.  Also, the pain got even too much for me to bear so I even went to the doctors (gasp) who quite happily gave me 100 Tramadol and 40 Diazepam, happy Christmas to me :-) so I stopped! I put the putty in the hole in Eager's foot and spent two days in a Tramadol/Diazepam haze.... Not awful if I'm honest... But the Tramadol do have rather nasty side effects, really bad headache and nausea. So the day before Christmas Eve I went to Brian (the chiro) and he unlocked my back for about the 3rd time in 10 days and I spent the rest of the week just using the diazepam to keep the muscles relaxed which would appear to be working :-) 

Back pain is something I don't think a lot people (mainly those who have never had it bad) get.  I'm sure they consider you to just be a little uncomfortable, maybe a bit like the muscle strain you get when digging over the garden.  Also, I guess it maybe used by a few people as a bit of an excuse sometimes.  Trust me it isn't for me! 

i do have a weak sacroiliac and have previously had one really bad incident about 3 years ago, where it was so bad that I would literally just hit the deck if i moved wrong. Thankfully this only ever happened at home. Lol. I've never looked into why my sacro is so bad, probably not helped by the riding, which puts a great strain on the pelvis, especially for women's which is shaped differently to a mans. I did get told in my teens by a doctor that I would suffer a lot as it was so long and the vertebra further apart than most people's....  Not sure how this is so important though as I am 5'9 and my husband who is 6'4 has no issues at all. Unfortunately, everything to do with the horses is so physical and I have exceptionally strong back muscles.  So if I get any problem, my muscles are so strong when they spasm they stop the spine from moving, this is turn traps the discs causing inflammation and it locks... This hurts a lot.  Add to this that this happens in my sacroiliac which is where your spine joins your pelvis.  So my hips hurt, my walking gets affected and also it's next to the sciatic nerve which occasionally reminds you it's there and not only makes your legs and feet a bit numb, but also hurts a lot! I can only feel such sympathy for people in constant pain, it's horrible and really grinds you down.  Your not consciously miserable, I was just trying to do stuff.   But was aware that the first day I took the Tramadol, David commented that I was smiling and he suddenly was in a much better mood. 

Which led me to another question...  How my moods affect my husbands so much.  It's not nice really.  Thanks to the NLP I rarely get depressed or 'down' anymore but if I do.  David literally loses the plot with me, starts being quite grumpy and distant, which in turn upsets me even more.  I guess only he can answer and now the time has gone I can be a bit more objective about it and think its probably because he feels so helpless. But at the time it just feels to me I am up shit creek without a paddle and he is just looking at me from the side with a frown on his face going about his daily business. Weird, but sometimes I just can't be on my A game all of the time. Although, saying that.... I'm not entirely sure what the alternative is. LOL