This is how we do it: Trick Training

I decided to do a round of "this-is-how-we-doit-post". A series of postings of my day-to-day work with Crispin. Longing, long lining, trick training riding and lessons.

Let me start out with a series of videos of the trick training (Zirkuslektionen) we've been doing. Crispin loves doing that stuff. Some things he picked up very quickly, some took (and will take some more) time and training.

I have been working with a trainer (Manuela) on the stuff that seems to be more difficult for Crispin. She's been very helpful, mostly by showing me how to brake things down into smaller steps and making it easier for Crispin to understand and do what I'm asking.

I think he has had the most issues with tricks that involve movements that are difficult for him under saddle as well. Mostly things that involve lifting and opening his front end/shoulders like the spanish walk for example.

Let me start by posting some videos of the good stuff:

Yielding to and away from me.

"Dancing" (both directions).

I'm still working on getting him off the lead, but he has the tendency to turn whenever I do so. He just loves that trick too much...

Backing up.

And now to the bad stuff and some work in progress.

The leg lifts and the plie are tricks that are supposed to help with bowing (Kompliment) which would be the final goal for now.

The problem with the fetching is just timing on my part. He will pick up most everything I ask him to but not hold on to it long enough for me to take it from him (and to make sure that handing the stuff over to me is the main point of the trick) but that's just details.

I do Zirkuslektionen mostly after longing Crispin (as part of the cool down) or on a day off.

Five Years!

Actually, It's been five years with Crispin a few weeks ago (end of september). But
I have been very neglectful with the blog and I haven't even realized it! So much has been going on. All good, nothing too spectacular. I will have to revisit most of that some other time. For now, just some fun pix. Good times.

Results

The chiro/pysio could tell...

I mean, the sheets always look this busy but you can see, there was something going on at the exact spot where the Grandeur puts pressure on the spine (T 13/14) and while she was working on that spot I could tell that Crispin was uncomfortable.

I still think it was good for his back despite that one pressure point (which I was aware of anyway). But now that Crispin is "fixed" I'm not going to continue with the grandeur and will be going back to to using the Sommer (which should fit now that the fitter changed the panels).

Experiments

Ever since last fall I had to wrap my head around the fact that my dressage saddle stopped fitting Crispin perfectly.

The gullet and overall fit is still fine, only the shape of the panels in the rear doesn't really fit Crispin anymore. His back lifted and got broader, straighter overall (left to right) while the panels remained (of course) more roof-shaped, sloping and pinching him in the back.

When the fitter was here the last time (I think it was last november) we decided to give reflocking one last chance and, if the fit got any worse, he said he could take off the panels and replace them with a different style.

The fit got worse and I decided to give new panels a chance. They had to be ordered and it took about 6 weeks for Sommer to make them and another two for my fitter to fix them to my saddle.

That's experiment No. 1.

The fitting issues with the Sommer were another reason why I invested in the Grandeur and was very happy to have it. Since I wasn't too happy with the fit of  the Sommer I only used it once or twice a week (for trail rides or lessons) and was stuck with the Grandeur (or with not riding at all) the rest of the time.

Two weeks ago I had to send the Sommer to the fitter, to get changed and was stuck with only the Grandeur to ride in. I rode in it about 3-4 x a week (dressage, even lessons but also trail rides).

After two weeks of riding only in the Grandeur, I realized that it had worked wonders for Crispin's back. His back feels more even, softer and it looks like he's ready to muscle-up in all the right spots...

...hmmmm...

While he still gets that one pressure point on his spine from the Grandeur (though, I do seem to be getting better at managing to avoid that too) the Grandeur does seem to benefit him quite a bit. Why not take the chance and make the two weeks in the Grandeur into a 4-6 week brake before going back to using the Sommer again...?!

That's experiment No. 2.

It's horse fly season, so trail rides are not very alluring during the next 6-8 weeks. So why not? See how long I can keep it up...?

I already rode in the Sommer again, once, but only because the fitter brought it back yesterday to fit the new panels to Crispin. I does look good so far. But, I also took the saddle home with me right away, so I won't be tempted to use it for another 2-4 weeks...

...and of course to take pictures.

New panels:

 Old panels:

new:

old:

Grandeur Barock Bareback Pad Revisited

After spending a little more saddle time in the Grandeur Barock I wanted to share my new won experiences with you.

First of all, I still like it a lot. Much better than the Christ Iberica.

BUT, I also had to make a few modifications (of which most would not heve been possible with the Christ).

I had to move the stirrup attachement around a little. At first it was a little too far forward (and painfully pressing into my inner thigh), then I put it too far towards the back and now it's position is perfect (I think). And all the modifications were just a couple of centimeters!

On Crispin there still is a little pressure on the spine when I ride with stirrups. He doesn't seem to mind, but I can tell when I take the pad off, that there is a little pressure where there should be none.

Because of that, I tried to ride without stirrups most of the time. It works OK, I can post better than I could in the Christ but I don't *love* it and I don't feel all that safe and secure. I even thought about switching from the Grandeur Barock to the Grandeur Dressage, because the Dressage comes with knee rolls and for *me* that's what's missing on the Barock. That got me thinking. I do have velcro knee rolls on my Sommer dressage saddle AND there is some velcro on the Grandeur as well... ...so why not try and attach them to the Grandeur...?!

So, I tried and it works!

I feel so much more secure with the knee rolls and they help with posting without stirrups too.

BUT, for various reasons I want to be able to use stirrups with the Grandeur too. I thought about it and decided to get an additional pad to put under the Grandeur to raise the saddle just a bit more. I searched the web for western pads, pads for treeless saddles, grandeur pads with inlays and many more until I came across the pad Christ sells to go under their sheepskin saddles. It's called "SD Christ Champ", has pockets for 1.5cm foam inlays AND a sheepskin bottom. (Now, finally Crispin can have sheepskin on hus back again too!) The only question remaining:

Will it fit under the Grandeur?

It does! (And it fits under the Sommer as well!)

I have ridden with it twice and so far so good.

I also took a little video of me riding in the Grandeur. It's from a short ride and I butchered it down to 8 minutes. 

Happy Birthday Crispin!

Well, his birthday was on sunday but the weather hasn't been on my side since then and I only managed to take his annual birthday confo shots yesterday.

He's turned 7 on sunday. The changes from last year till now are (I think) less subtle than I'd expected. I think that his front end has changed, filled out during the last year and even though I told people that "No, he hasn't grown over the last year!" I think the pictures show that indeed he did!

It all makes sense now. During the last year I had issues getting him to move forward. He's not a naturally lazy horse but he couldn't move freely because his shoulders/front end blocked the movement comming from that big engine he's got in the back. Thing are much better now. So maybe it was the last bit of growing up that troubled him.

And of course I can't belive that we are already half way through our 5th year together! Time flies...

 Confo left:

 Confo right:

"...things and stuff..."

I really need to write more. Things are going nicely with Crispin. No huge achivements to brag about just the usual small things.

We just started to work with two more instructors. One is "just" for groundwork the other one I'm taking riding lessons from in addition to Jenny.

The "Groundwork Girl" (lets call her that) comes about once a month. With her we worked on our in hand work and a little more on our circus tricks.

The "Dressage Lady" comes in every other week (like Jenny). She pushes us a little more than Jenny does without putting too much pressure on either of us. Just simple things but moving forward more, not striving for perfection in the basics before taking the next step like Jenny does.

I'm not sure either of them wants to hear this but together they are a perfect team! So far I've had the best rides by myself, combining what we've learned from both of them. I really need to get some new videos.

In the meantime:

Last week I wanted to work Crispin on the longe but he was way too excited about the "Chainsaw Massacre" nex door.

So I let him get it out of his system:

Second Clinic with Crispin: A disappointment!

First of all, this clinic took place months ago, at the end of october. At first I didn't post about it because I was too mad at the clinician (who will remain nameless) and later, when I got over it, I couldn't motivate myself anymore to write about it.

And secondly, it was a disaster only because of the clinician NOT because of Crispin. He was a good boy and when things got ugly he was just being himself.

The clinic on the other hand... Let's say I was royally pissed at the clinician. So pissed that, at first, I was thinking about asking for a refund (just to make a point, I don't really care about that or think I'd have a chance for that it actually happen!).

The whole thing was a 3 day clinic at our barn, six participants. Friday, saturday, sunday. One session on friday and sunday two on saturday (30-45 minutes each).

On friday the clinician wanted to get to know us and our horses so we did a 1.5 hour ground work session with all six horses in the ring at the same time. That was actually a nice idea and fun (very basic stuff).

Saturday however continued in the same way. Again groundwork (we sort of agreed to that). All 6 horses in the ring at the same time for 3 (!) hours. Again some basic stuff, some new things. The new stuff were things I haven't done with Crispin because I do not care for them or really do not want him to know them. Besides, the clinician is the kind of trainer who thinks treats are only for really, really big achivements on the horses side and that praising a horse from the ground by petting or rubbing is a sign of submission and should never be done. Fine, I get that but that's not the way I want to work with my horse. Of course Crispin did what he was asked for but barely and without any enthusiasm or excitement. He was pretty much bored with the whole event.

What also annoyed me was that the clinician was reffering to her clients horses as "nags" (pretty much in general). Things like that don't usually bother me but she kept on using that term again and again, like, she would say that she would really love to work on the good stuff, the difficult stuff but all she'd ever get were these "nags" and she would have to work on the basics. Nice.

Saturday afternoon was our first session under saddle and despite everything else she did deliver. It was really good. Great actually! We can actually canter. And for more than just half a round!

(These two lines are basically the only good thing I can say about the whole event!)

Sunday was when it all fell to pieces! I was really excited for another under saddle session. I was last (like the day before). Unfortunately my riding time collided with the time BO brought in the other horses from pasture. Not a problem at most barns but at our place the horses are going through a chute that passes right by our covered but very open arena. The weather was windy and cold and most horses really wanted to go in and came galloping by. There are about 40 horses that come by in groups of 2-5 and the whole thing takes about 20-25 minutes. And of course Crispin got very excited whenever a group of horses came by galloping through the mud.

My time started when the bringing in of the other horses was about half way done. Maybe 15 more minutes to go.

Clinician asked me what I wanted to do. I said if she'd stay close to us and kept us busy, maybe with the leg yield exercise on the circle we did the day before I'd feel fine and that Crispin would calm down again really fast when the whole thing was over (which he did and always does!!!).

Unfortunately by then Crispin had decided that the plan for now was to get more and more excited with every passing horse (while the clinician was talking to the rest of the group about the need to being able to control a horse under challenging circumstances...).

When she finally turned to us the first thing she asked me to do was to trot! WTH! At this point Crispin was totally overexcited and just about to blow up! That's when *I* made the huge mistake of getting off. I told her that MY heart was racing just as much as Crispin's that that we were both in fight or fligh modus and ready to explode and that it made no sense to start working with us before we both had a chance to calm down...

...her answere: "Well, OK then, I think we have to stop here and not do the lesson at all because time is up..." Wait, what?! At that point I'd been in the arena less than 15 minutes! I paid for 45 minutes and the remaining 30 minutes would have been more that enough time to get some work done. BESIDES, she'd already cut short most of the other lessons as well and was WAY ahead of schedule as it was! I think she only worked 45 minutes with a single rider. The others were cut short. For good reasons, tired and achy horses after a 3 day clinic... ...but still.

I should have said something then but was way to messed up at that point to think clearly and to say something usefull. Needless to say that I'm pissed at myself as much as I'm pissed with the clinician!

But still, waiting 15 minutes for a rider/horse to calm down under difficult circumstances was too much to ask? Even though she was ahead of schedule AND is was obvious that the actual cause of the problem would have been history by that time as well?!

Stupid cow!!! Messed up weekend and tainted good saturday lesson!

And needless to say that I hopped on Crispin once the horses were in and had a good ride. Plus he was back in his stall STILL ahead of schedule!!!

I do have some video footage from the clinic but the clinician is in them so I will not post them here.

However, I have only one thing to say about her: unprofessional!!! Never again!