LIGHTNING....IT DOES STRIKE MORE THAN ONCE!

As many of you will note, I have not posted a blog for some months.  Kentucky is getting ready to reinstate executions (having come up with a new method of killing a human being), so we in the Capital Trials Branch have been busy.  I have not been too busy to ride however, and in fact, I have been enjoying the Fall weather! 
Jordi has been back in training now and is finally losing weight.  I have been reflecting of late on his career.  It seems his face is gradually getting covered in white hair- white hair that was seemingly not there just a year ago.  He is getting older.  His spirit is the same- tossing that beautiful head with sheer joy when asked to extend a trot just a bit more; however, that same trot is not as powerful as I remember.  Neither is my ability to sit it!  Sometimes, while out on the trail, I think back over Jordi's eventing career and realize that had it not been for this particular horse, I never would have been able to have ridden again after losing the movement of my right foot.  He was a literal gift from God.  I sometimes cannot believe how fortunate I have been in my equestrian endeavors...how truly blessed!  I truly believed Jordi was a once in a lifetime horse- until Witty came along.
     I have struggled with Witty, sometimes wondering if I really could manage to train a green, hot horse at the age of 52.  Jordan had been hot in  his day, but warmbloods are different-much more forgiving and easy going.  Witty was wild-eyed, wicked and bull headed at times.  I knew he was something though- I knew it when I first saw him.  I gambled, and I have apparently won.

   Witty's progress has been slow-not because he isn't smart or willing, but because I cannot be as consistent with my time as I would like.  This weekend was a corner turned.  Witty came to understand the concept of lateral movement, and has learned the new dressage aids for canter.  He is literally the smoothest horse I have ever ridden- where Jordi was like a Land Rover- fast, dependable and maneuverable, Witty is more like a Maserati- elegant, fast and responsive.  This weekend, Beth and I had a wonderful trail ride, and on a whim, decided to see if the big golden boy would jump.  We set a small fence in the indoor, just to see what would happen.  It turned out to be a barometer of Witty's progress.  The fence we set was merely a few inches off the ground- little more than a trot pole.  However, Witty didn't just trot over it-he jumped it! and wanted to jump it some more! No longer was this huge palomino a scared, tentative "greenie". Instead I found myself astride a strong, confident sporthorse....who apparently loves to jump!

   For just a few moments I was transported to those early days with Jordi, finding myself on a horse that was eager to do something he had never done, and who was having a great time discovering what he is and what he is capable of.  So, this weekend marks the passing of the torch.  Jordi's eventing days are probably over.  His lungs never really were 100% after his pnuemonia, and to ask him to gallop cross country would not be fair.  I know him- he would go until his wind broke, both because of his love of it, and because of his love for me- simply because I asked him to.  He will now be my dressage horse.  Witty, in all probablility, will be my eventer.  And he will win, because like Jordi, he seems to genuinely love it, and it makes him happy.

   I really never thought I would ever own another horse like my Jordi. After all, he was lightning in a bottle. 

Well, it appears that lightning CAN strike twice!   So folks, watch for us at the Area 8 Competitions next year.  Hopefully we will be at the EACs in 2013!

LEAN ON ME

Summer is in full swing in the Bluegrass! This has several connotations.  As a Criminal Defense Attorney who specializes in Death Penalty litigation, this means that my case load goes up drastically.  There is something about the summer heat that inflames bad behaviour in people...and sometimes horses.  As a result I have had to come to terms with the fact that tempers flare-equine and human.  Fortunatley, the horse has a soul much deeper and more forgiving than that of most humans-including this one.

I currenlty represent 8 persons who are preparing to go to trial for their very lives.  This means that I am busier than most attorneys who do criminal work- and much more stressed.  One by one my clients are being noticed for death, and this has an effect upon my psychy.  My temper becomes short at times.  Frustration spills over from the work place to the barn. 

This past week, my new boy Witty, has progressed into real dressage training.  Witty is a 4 year old 17 hand American Saddlebred - green as grass with an attitude.  He is totally different that his "brother" Jordan.  Jordan is a Clydesdale cross, schooled to 2nd level, with the most layed back attitude of any horse I know.  He is forgiving- when my aids are not clear, he tolerates me until I get it straight.  He always tries his best- mainly because he knows his job-ususally better than I do- and he's good at it.

Not so much with Witty.  He is green as grass and just beginning to learn to move forward and accept the bridle- to actually carry himself.  He is unbalanced in school figures and does not yet know lateral movement.  What Jordan does automatically Witty must learn from scratch-and it's my responsibility to teach him.

On one such occasion this past week, I was tired and frustrated.  I was teaching Witty to longe with little success.  He knows how to longe, but he loves to spook at everything, fall into the circle, take off- basically act like the an equine idiot-becasue that is what green 4 year old hot blooded horses do.  He was not being bad- he just wasn't being Jordan, and I was having none of it.  As a result, I yelled at him, tried to force him to stay on the circle and basically allowed my frustration and bad day to spill over into his. 

On the walk back to the barn, all I could think was that I had bitten off more than I could chew- that I had made a mistake thinking I could train another horse on my own (as I had with Jordan) with the kind of work load I had,  and was trying to decide which trainer to ship him off to.  When we reached his stall, I began to remove the equipment while he again refused to stand still. Over come with emotion, I began to cry.  I leaned into his neck, sobbing....why couldn't he just get with the program?...why did everything have to be a fight with him? ...I have to fight every day in and out of court, I needed for him to give me a break!

And then the funniest thing happened....I felt his long, elegant neck come over my back, and pull me into his chest.  I stood there crying- allowing the day's frustration to flow out of me with every tear- Witty just stood there, holding me, still and quiet.  He got it.  I allowed myself to be vulnerable  and somehow- eventhough a different species- he got it!  The next day, Witty was a different horse and we had a different relationship.  I think he wanted to be vulnerable to- needed to let me know that he DIDN'T get it, but was wanting and willing to try.  He just needed me to understand that he was not Jordan, didn't know what Jordan knew and couldn't do what Jordan could....yet.  He just needed some understanding.  He needed to lean on me as much as I needed to lean on him.  We were not two separate teams at odds, but rather needed to be two members of the same team.  If we could do that we would succeed...and have fun doing it.

Our training has turned a corner now.  Witty has his head in the game and so do I. Lesson learned.  A horse is a living, thinking creature.  He will have good days and bad days, suffer frustration and elation.  Whatever you think your needs are in a day-probably his are similar.  Keep focused, but not necessarily on yourself.  Allow yourself to support and be supported by your equine partner...lean on each other...when you both come to realize you need to be understood as much as to understand, get ready to win!

Many Avenues....One Path.......

It always interests me to hear discussions among equestrians.  It seems like everyone who rides and actually competes- or doesnt'- seems to have their own idea about how things should be done in order to be successful at their sport....and yours.  If you talk to dressage riders, they will swear that only one set of aids will influence the inside hind properly- reiners will tell you the opposite, and both will insist they are right!

I have had the opportunity of late to be boarded at a saddlebred barn- a first for me.  I am amazed at these horses.  They are as aerobically fit as an eventer! They have to be- they move in a way that seemingly utilizes massive amounts of energy.  To me, a seasoned dressage rider, their movement is unnatural.  However, they are bred to move in such a manner, and watching them work, and seemingly enjoy their work,  I can find the beauty in it. 

The owner of the barn, Beth Whitfield, is a saddlebred trainer.  She comes from a standardbred racing background with a little Monty Roberts thrown in for good measure.   She is smart when it comes to horses, believing that affection is important but obedience is necessary.  She believes that they should be disciplined as the boss mare would discipline them at liberty.  When they disobey in hand, they are backed up several feet in a not so gentle manner.  When they do well, they are asked to lower their head- as a reward and an act of submission. This, she tells me, translates wonderfully to work under saddle- and she is right!

  I have never been into the entire "natural horsemanship" thing, but I have to tell you, it works!  Whitty and I have been working in hand using Beth's principals and he is coming along by leaps and bounds.  He is becoming obedient, respectful of my space, and most importantly, trusting of me and confident in himself.  Beth has patiently showed me the techniques she uses to start young saddlebreds- to get them wise to the bridle and laterally flexible.  I have watched Beth  long lining horses at all gaits.  Horses are not just worked in an arena, but rather are long lined all over the neighborhood - not so different from the way I broke Jordi.

I have read books by dressage masters that have not provided me with the information or techniques necessary to get my beloved Jordi to quit hanging on my hands.  Beth gave me a bit known as a Waterford Snaffle which accomplished in 20 minutes what weeks of transitions could not.  Jordi was light as a feather and carrying himself- apparently laying on that Waterford bit is not a comfy proposition and Jordi learned quickly that he did not want to do that!  Horses, like humans, are comfort seekers. Make it uncomfortable for them to do the wrong thing, and they will choose the correct thing every time!  More importantly, they will choose it quickly because it becomes their idea to do so!

So, the lesson of this blog is simple- don't discount anything or anyone when it comes to equestrian sport.  Your way may be tried and true, but don't think for a minute there is not another technique that will get the job done- maybe better and faster that your own method.  We can learn from everyone who trains or rides these marvelous animals.  We can take another discipline's methodology, tweak it to suit our own, and create success we may never have had otherwise.

The important thing to being successful in any form of equestrian sport is to allow the horse to make the right choices as a thinking and feeling member of the "team".  In this way, the horse learns to join the rider in the work, not just be the object of the work.  The horse learns to enjoy it's job, and a happy horse is a winning horse, regardless of the discipline in which it competes.

When it comes to the path of equestrian success, there are many avenues to take...pick one and enjoy the ride!

To Live Life Fearlessly.....

Dressage is a solo sport- meaning that when I ride, it is just me and my horse.  Lately I have noticed that when I ride, I always ride double.  I have noticed that fear is often with me.

After 46 years of the equestrian sport of eventing, I have experienced fear at many levels.  Galloping down hill into a coffin complex and getting no response from your half halt - only to see the chain missing from your Kimberwick - that is fear.  This new fear I experience in dressage,  however is something completely different.  It is more pervasive than anything that happens cross country, and seems primarily related to time.

At 52 I have had to accept that the body is the dictator of the will.  I listen to my body- not because I want to, but because it is the barometer of the day's events.  There are subtle changes in my comfort level, depending on how long I ride, how much canter work I do, that will eventually decide what the rest of that evening entails; whether it is spent on ice or heat; with or without ibuprofen. And of course with it comes fear.  Not so much the fear of pain- pain is a large part mental. You can tune it out. This fear is far more frightening.  It is the fear of losing the "ability of the body", and after that, the sport I love more than anything else in my life.  It is a fear that all athletes who utilize their bodies as their primary tool know all too well.  It is terrifying.

The fear comes solo- with twinges felt at sitting a trot a bit more extended than you can tolerate; and it comes in tandem with the concept of time.  With each new discomfort, the aging equestrian must face the fact that time at this sport may be running out.  There is a sense of urgency associated with it. Will I get a legitimate shot at a medal? Will I be able to execute a proper extended sitting trot? Will my horse's capabilities far surpass my own? and if they do, will I have to turn my reins over to a younger, sounder rider who can do what I no longer can?  Will I have to be that owner who watches from the sidelines as her horse performs with a younger, possibly more talented rider?

I have recently purchased another horse - a new member of my little family.  He is smart, willing and a great mover.  He is something I felt that I could turn into a decent dressage horse. I did not consider the time factor until after I bought him.  The reality is that I think and act like I'm still in my 20s - until my body reminds me otherwise.  He is four and completely ignorant of the bridle.  He will be unable to show seriously until next year - at training level-  at which time I will be 53, and my neck may be worse.  I'm counting on him being smart enough and holding up physically to get me to the upper levels of dressage before my time runs out.  I am counting on that Saddlebred movement to cushion the impact of the sitting trot for the upper levels.
Wishful thinking? Maybe. But it has inspired me to dig a little deeper- work a little smarter and to simply enjoy and revel in the small victories that occur daily in this sport.  Whitty, my new youngster, is a 4 year old American Saddlebred who happens to be 17 hands and who had gotten off on a wrong foot as a youngster.  Our first few days have been filled with in hand work.  Before I left for Vegas, we mastered walking over the big, bad,  horse eating tarps that are being used to kill grass around the  barn. When he first approached them, he literally got down on his belly and front legs like a cutting horse- terrified to go forward.  Within minutes of talking and letting him figure things out with out demanding anything of him, he was fine. He was walking back and forth over them like they were not even there.   It so filled me with joy to be able to instill confidence in this massive and elegant animal - to have him depend on me and trust me enough to face down his own fears and do what he believed at the time was impossible.  Whitty taught me a lot that day.  We must all face fear, and in facing it down, we grow stronger.  Will I eventually have to give up the sport I love so much? Probably- at least in the form in which I now enjoy it. But there are other forms- driving, trial riding, raising youngsters and doing the ground work to send them on to successful careers for their respective owners.  Like Whitty, I have realized that the fears I face are not insurmountable.  If I allow myself to enjoy life- things will flow freely and I cannot help but accomplish my goals.  I will do what I  am able- and I will revel in being able to do that and if it so happens, no more that that.   Such a realization instills fearlessness - and in fearlessness is power.

Just Because I Can't Today.............

It has been raining here in Lexington.  That in and of itself is of little or no consequence in the great scheme of things...unless you have arthritis from injuries compounded by the aging process.  Rain no longer becomes that lilting musical interlude on the roof; thunderstorms are no longer the romantic event of the evening beckoning one to curl up with a good book and some scented candles.  When you are a 52 year old ex- event rider, who has suffered a myriad of various injures, rain is the adversary. It is the soothsayer who bodes of dark fortune - It is the enemy.

Those of us that have our youth have no idea.  Those of us that have had lengthy equestrian careers and have watched the Wizard of Oz know the plight of the Tin Man...especially when it rains.

There are times when just getting to the barn is a chore in and of itself. The day's defeats and various triumphs are exhausting enough.  When you couple that with pain, it becomes nearly insurmountable.  It does, however give the aging equestrian a different perspective, and one that ultimately benefits their equine partner.  Those of us that know pain, take great care in the art of the warm up prior to the day's training session with our horses.  We know that it takes at a minimum, 10 minutes of walking for the synovial fluid to adequately hydrate the joints- equine or human.  And knowing the response to tasks asked without an adequate warm up in our own bodies- we take our time.  The warm up becomes an art form in and of itself.  It creates a bonding experience with our horses.  Likewise, we are more in tune to the physical fatigue level of our horses throughout the work we ask them to undertake.  I think when you are uncomfortable yourself, you are more understanding of that slight delay in the transition.  You are more likely to know when the horse comes to that point in the work where it is fighting its own body to comply with what is asked of it by the rider.  Older Equestrians understand what it means to "come out stiff and work out of it"- because that is how we function and live on a daily basis.  It is worse when it rains.

I have been blessed to have had the best physical therapists in the world- those at Nova Care- take care of me over the years.  I have been blessed to have had Dr. Angelo Colosimo at University of Cincinnati Sports Medicine put me back together when I have been injured.  I have learned  that there are certain nutritional things I can change in my daily routine to decrease inflammation.  I have learned that stretching is my friend.

 I have learned likewise, from Jordi. I have learned that ice cures and prevents injury.  Ice message after cross country, and twice that same evening, means that your warmblooded heavy eventer retires from the sport sound, and that icing a stiff neck after a lot of sitting trot will do the same.  I know that when Jordi is turned out daily for hours at a time, and spends most of his time outside of a stall, moving at his own volition, he is happier and enjoys his work more.  That is because "motion is lotion for arthritis".  I have begun walking the mile to work and the mile back not because gas prices are crazy, but because I have learned the art of the warm up, and I have learned it from my horse.

I was fortunate enough to see a video on YouTube of a guy named Arthur who went from barely being able to walk on 2 canes and weighing nearly 300 pounds, to running within a year at half his size because of a program called DDP Yoga. The video chronicled a year of his life as he worked the program and slowly took back his life. His son put it together for him as a gift because he was so proud of his father's accomplishments- and probably because he was so happy to have his father back!  DDP Yoga was developed by a 55 year old WWE physical train wreck of a wrestler, Diamond Dave Page.  Injuries are apparently synonymous with WWE.  The website proclaims "This ain't your mamma's yoga!" - we will see.

At one point in his video journey, Arthur tries to do a plank move and hold it, only to fall and fall hard.   While getting back in position, he states breathlessly, "Just because I can't do it today, doesn't mean I can't do it ever".  Amen Arthur....Amen......

DOWN CENTERLINE Equestrian Blog

Dream A LIttle Dream.......

No, the photo to the left is not Jordi and I but rather Sue Kolstad and Fruelich,a horse she brought from nothing (well actually he was Always something) to a Grand Prix winner.  Why is her picture on my blog? Because when I dream my little dressage dream, she is what I aspire to.  And for a brief time last night- the dream came true.

Like me, Sue is "no spring chicken", and she has a neck worse than mine (although I never thought that truly possible!)  Yet she rides with a grace and understanding of the horse, its bio mechanics, and an awareness of her own body that is astounding.  That is what I want to have and be! And Jordi and I are working feverishly upon it.

For the last few weeks I have religiously taken myself and my equine partner back to the most fundamental of basics.  I have walked him at different tempos, feeling with my seat the lifting and placement of each respective foot fall in an attempt to fully understand how to influence the hind end.  I have undertaken to re-teach my now battered body the art of the sitting trot.  For days I have felt like such things were totally unobtainable for me...and then came last night!

Somehow, the Dressage gods have heard my feeble pleas-and have answered.  After our usual warm up, Jordan became inspired- fine tuned to my every movement.  In sitting trot, Jordi and I danced across the indoor, leg yielding left, then right, then left...a passe doable of communication with the fierceness of the tango! For this night at least, we were true dance partners.  I could feel Jordi's elegance and the pleasure he was taking in his own movements- in listening to me and responding.  His pleasure in being one with me-  feeding off of my pleasure at being one with him.  This is what dressage really is! Even at only a simple yet properly executed leg yield exercise, I have experienced what Sue has experienced at the highest levels and described to me so many times- the art of communication with a species other than your own. What a wonder!.

Last night, I prepared to sleep wonderfully- tired and yet still excited at the prospect of achieving a dream.  As I thought about the evening with Jordi I had to wonder --how will he sleep tonight?  Will his dreams of Rolex be replaced by dreams of Devon?  Will they be as wonderful as mine?........

The View's Not So Bad From Up Here !

So, I have made the decision to throw myself whole-heartedly into dressage. Now comes the fun part- trying to find a dressage instructor! This is made even more difficult for me because of my past experiences with Sue Kolstad. When you have ridden with someone you view to be the absolute best, how do you trust yourself and your horse to someone you don't really even know?

I have attempted to do the "self-training" thing with the help of a very good book entitled Feeling Dressage, but it's not the same as having an upper level dressage rider school you and fix your horse when need be. Through riding with Sue I learned that there are some things that only a Grand Prix Master can teach you-and that would be Sue! I plan on trailering up to Boone County to ride with Sue, but that will have to wait until my trailer is ready.

So, I went onto the KDA website and attempted to hunt down an instructor. Since I am new to the sport of Dressage, I know absolutely no one. I did find an eventer that shows CCI**** and have elected to give her a go. I am working out the details even as we speak!

Jordi has had his teeth floated, well care done and we are ready. This morning I began my own personal fitness routine- working out in the house, stretching, trying to make sure that I keep myself as sound as Jordi has ended up being. Last weekend we had a leisurely walk in the fields- the calm before the storm of actual training for the season.

I am looking forward to getting deeper into dressage- thankfully Sue Kolstad has infused me with a love for it. I no longer feel like I'm losing eventing, but rather like I'm gaining a new and grand adventure! There is nothing quite like the communication between 2 different species as they attempt to execute precise, synchronized movements as one being. Its all most as nice as the leisurely walks Jordi and I partake in after our daily sessions. Yes, I think regardless of the path we take, the view is going to always be spectacular from between Jordi's ears!