|
Setting Goals
|
| (Sunday, 16 November 2008) Written by heather |
| This weekend I had a great opportunity to participate in a professional development workshop. One of the sessions was on "setting goals." What I found most interesting about this workshop was that much of it sounded familiar.
We worked on various kinds of exercises like visualizing, using positive language to describe our goals, and writing down our goals. We also discussed recovering from mistakes and moving forward after a problem.
These ideas seemed familiar to me through Jane Savoie's writing, especially "That Winning Feeling" and "It's Not Just the Ribbons." In particular, her visualization exercises have always seemed a powerful way to influence positively one's actions. I've also read about how the Dutch Olympic team (and I'm sure many of the Olympic athletes) use sports psychology as an integral part of their training routine.
The discussions we had this weekend about how to recover from mistakes one might make at work recalled strategies that Eileen Keipper discusses in the videos on this website. Indeed, the first video lesson by Eileen on this site outlines strategies for focusing and setting goals that were also mentioned by the professional trainer this weekend. Anyone who has seen Isabel Werth's Olympic performance and masterful recovery from a momentary disobedience by her horse will appreciate how this skill can lead to success. If you haven't seen the ride, here's a clip of one of the episodes she had:
The connection to developing one's mental skills and strategies as a way to improve professional and athletic performance makes great sense. I look forward to tackling a reading list from this weekend's workshop, both for the professional development it promises and for the added side benefit of developing my riding toolkit as well.
|
|
The Dara Torres Effect
|
| (Tuesday, 04 November 2008) Written by heather |
|
With work being so incredibly busy lately, it's been quite a challenge to find time or energy or even just the organizational capacity to write in the blog.
However, I thought I'd put up a quick post inspired by a recent quote I read by Dara Torres. Torres is, of course, the 41 year old swimmer who won 3 silver medals in the summer Olympics in Beijing.
Torres said she still felt competitive and planned to swim at an international event in the next two years (she named the event, but I can't remember it). She said she wasn't really thinking of the next Olympics and didn't think she'd swim in it but wasn't going to discount entirely the possibility.
What I really liked about Torres's focus was ... well... her focus. My horse is an older guy and I've been very worried that he might want to slow down. Not that he gives me _any_ indication that he wants to, mind you. The vet, his saddle fitter, his massage therapist, and clinicians and my instructor have all confirmed that he's in great shape and there's no reason not to ride or train.
So, I'll try to take the Dara Torres short focus over the next couple of years and continue working and playing and having fun.
|
|
Dressage at 100 mph
|
| (Tuesday, 07 October 2008) Written by heather |
|
I'm sure everyone has the feeling that time goes by way too quickly
when they are trying to keep the rest of life in balance with riding
and training.
I am just coming up for air from a particularly busy time at work
(for the last two months!) and realizing that while my work is going at
100 mph, my dressage training is going at about 3 mph. Nonetheless, in
one of my bolder Nike-inspired "Just Do It" moments, I sent in the
entry form for my favorite schooling show series. Now, it feels like
the dressage is coming at me fast!
If I'm able to get the trailer inspected by this weekend, we'll hit
the road and go to the show (the dry rot on the trailer tires is
looking pretty serious!). I've really enjoyed the videos by Eileen
Keipper and if I do go to the show, will focus on some of the points
she shared in video 1 about focusing and recovering from mistakes. I
think it will be helpful to use this show to focus on"my" show skills
rather than worry *too* much about our riding which isn't exactly
polished right now.
So, here's hoping that I find my half-halts to work and training and see everyone at the show this weekend (The weather is supposed to be great!)
|
|
Turkey Causes Chicken-like Behavior
|
| (Friday, 05 September 2008) Written by heather |
|
My birthday was earlier this week so I thought I'd celebrate
by going on a nice, relaxing trail ride.
I left work a little early and the weather was perfect. Normally, my dear horsey (DH) loves the
trails but I haven't taken him out by himself on the trail at his new home (any
idea of what's to come?!). When we go
out with buddies, my normally timid horse somehow becomes Super Horse and leads
the way. When his buddies shy, he forges
ahead. Courage really is a new trait for
my horse. It's also apparently only a
trait that reveals itself when in the company of other horses.
This much anticipated birthday trail ride started out
benignly enough. We entered the wooded
trail where trees make it a little dark.
DH seemed happy enough, maybe a wee-bit hesitant to enter the trail by
himself. The trail was really pleasant ,
cool, no flies, etc. We walked for
probably 20 minutes before anything at all new and potentially scary presented
itself. When we came to a small log that
was new on the path, my horse hesitated a bit.
I encouraged him on with just a little tap with my leg. In the past, if he was nervous or unsure of
his surroundings, his refusals to go forward or to follow the rider could be
quite epic. So, when he so willingly
relented and went forward after demonstrating his uncertainty at the small log,
I took it as a sign of trust and a nice birthday present.
We kept walking. We
walked under low-hanging branches and by a creek. We were almost at the point in the trail
where we would exit the woods and then be on the small road leading back to the
barn. Then, almost at the point where
the wooded trail ends, the entire path was blocked by a huge fallen tree. There was absolutely no way around it. The area was heavily wooded except for the
trail, the ground was covered with leaves, and it looked like there could be
deep holes off the path. It was a
disappointment because the trail was fairly long, it was getting late, and I
didn't necessarily want to retrace the whole trail. Nonetheless, I thought it would be safest to
turn around.
So, we turned around and started retracing our path on the
trail beside the creek. That's when DH
saw the three wild turkeys in the middle of the path ahead and lost his
mind. Poor fella. It was the first time I had seen wild turkeys
and obviously the first time DH had seen them.
It's a little funny for me to consider now, but was not quite so funny
at the time. DH was incredibly scared. He made his dragon sound that he makes when
he gets really, really scared. I
actually hopped off because I thought he might bolt (which he had done several
times many years ago when he got scared on a trail L ). I found a quick way out of the woods and got
back to the paved road to the farm (it's in a new residential area that doesn't
have traffic yet). Well, the cherry on
top for DH was that once we exited the trail, across the road and a little ways
up the hill was a pack of about 15 wild turkey.
He really thought they were out to get him and proceeded to snort and
prance around. Nonetheless, I didn't
want to walk home and figured it'd be easier to ride a bolt on the road than in
the woods, so I hopped back on. We
walked back, neither of us 100% relaxed on our "relaxing" trail ride. It was still a lot of fun and I appreciated
DH's confidence to allow me to get back on and to walk back to the barn
together.
|
|
Your new Dressage Partner: A Lusitano
|
| (Tuesday, 26 August 2008) Written by Florian |
| Hello, I am Florian fromSucandi ® - Cavalos do Brasil and my wife and me have our farm just outside of SãoPaulo in Brazil. There we have almost 60 Lusitanos, all carefully selected andwell trained especially for dressage. Currently we are exporting our horses tomany parts of the world, including the USA. The beauty of lusitano horse is that they are gifted with a wonderfultemperament, lightness, responsiveness and collection. They are easy to ride which makes it so much fun to ride, especially for amateurs. And i know what I am talking about as me riding really is not of a high level at all. Nevertheless also professional riders such as Guenter Seidel are enjoying more and morethe benefits of the noblest saddle horse of the world. Two weeks ago you couldsee of the first time ever Brazilian Lusitanos participate in the Dressagecompetitions of the Olympics. And not just one or two but eight. Only theHanoverian breed qualified more horses for the 2008 Olympics. Having said this we from Sucandi ® - Cavalos do Brasil are very proud to offer the world’s largest selection ofDressage Lusitanos. Please feel invited to have look under http://www.sucandi.com where you can discover your new dressage partner, first class facilities in a tropical environment, Brazilian hospitality and the only Brazilian lusitano farm specialized in dressage. Discover Sucandi ® - Cavalos do Brasil. |
|
Moving forward, or the solo-rider's shuffle
|
| (Thursday, 31 July 2008) Written by heather |
|
I have been so busy with everything (!) lately that I haven't had time to write in my blog. So, this post will be really, really short but I did want to put up something.
I've been auditing clinics this summer and trying to observe good riding and different teaching & training as much as possible. One common demoninator that I've observed that has definitely been missing in my riding is just getting some energy in my rides. I had a very nice lesson last week and a clinic ride earlier this summer where my horse was lots more forward that I normally ride and, lo & behold, he felt a ton better, his movement was better, and there was actually something under me to work with. In several of the clinics I've observed, I realize that the horses that look really good are actually moving, not just shuffling along. Since I ride on my own a good bit, it is very easy to slow down little by little until we're doing the solo-riding shuffle again. (This might have happened a little to my blog too, but that's an entirely different story .)
For now, I'll try to focus on moving forward energetically (not running, of course) and see where that leads...
|
|
Response to Hassler's Between Rounds Column about Amateurs
|
| (Sunday, 20 July 2008) Written by heather |
|
I appreciated the effort of Scott Hassler in his recent (July 11, 2008) Between Rounds column in the Chronicle of the Horse to address the importance of the amateur rider in the sport. The title of his article, “Amateurs Form the Backbone of Our Sport,” suggests a real and true appreciation on Hassler’s part for amateur riders and their contributions to the sport. He identified situations and sentiments that are common for amateur riders, such as the challenge of riding confidently when one rides and trains primarily alone. He also described how amateurs might sometimes feel like second-class citizens behind the big names and professionals.
It was, for this amateur rider, very reassuring to see an article with this title and subject in a major magazine by a figure so prominent in the dressage world as Hassler. The audience for the article was clearly the professionals whom Hassler was encouraging to be more consistently inclusive in their dealings with amateurs. He encouraged professionals to keep amateurs involved in every part of the sport.
The challenge when one talks about addressing the needs of amateurs is that there really is no single “class” of amateurs. My situation and the time, resources, and energy I devote to riding and learning about dressage might be quite different from many other amateurs. Even amongst my own group of riding friends, I think we would agree that we share a love of our horses and learning dressage, but also recognize that we have different situations, time and family commitments, and a whole host of other differences in our daily lives that affects how we “train” or ride dressage.
Our motivation for riding and learning dressage might also come from different directions and will therefore lead us in slightly different directions (in terms of our progress and what areas we choose to focus on in our dressage education). For those of us amateurs who are very competitive, we might be most satisfied by training regularly and competing in shows. For those of us who find the most satisfaction in building and developing a relationship with our equine partner, competing at shows and year-end awards might not be a high priority or even very fulfilling. And so on…
Like any sport or hobby, dressage can offer the amateur numerous ways to participate in a manner that is enjoyable and fulfilling for him or herself. For myself, I can even say that I go through phases where my motivation or goal might change. For example, one year I might focus on showing and developing my competitive skills and practices. Another year, like this one, I spend more time riding in and auditing clinics and trying to learn by reading, watching other riders, and developing other areas of my horsemanship. Sometimes the official dressage organizations like the USDF or our group member organizations will have events that match my area of interest, and sometimes they might not.
With the great variety of amateurs who have different motivations and who might also have very different goals for their riding, it must be quite a challenge for the professional to know how to include amateurs in “every part of the sport” like Hassler recommends. I don’t necessarily feel like I’ve been slighted or left out by being an amateur. Being able to recognize and define my personal riding and training goals has helped me in that regard, I think. Understanding and accepting that my riding goals and motivations are unique and that they may be different from other amateurs in my barn and in my circle of friends helps too.
Keeping in mind that “amateur” is not a one-size-fits-all designation is the only little suggestion I would add to Hassler’s message to professionals. Hassler’s concluding statement encourages professionals to “remember to keep amateurs inspired, to value the time that they contribute and appreciate what they bring to the sport.” I appreciate Hassler’s opinion and am interested to read any feedback his article generates from professionals and amateurs.
|
|
Small change, big difference
|
| (Monday, 16 June 2008) Written by heather |
|
[This is a Blog entry that I have set so that Everyone can see it.]
This past weekend I had the opportunity to ride in a clinic with Jennifer Baumert. The clinic was organized by Lighten Up Dressage and held at Goose Crossing Farm.
This was the second time in a month that I've been able to ride with a USDF-certified instructor. As someone who teaches and who has had (probably too much) training in learning theory and pedagogy, I really appreciated the way my lessons with both of these certified instructors went. There was a clear direction and focus for each lesson. In each case, we worked on improving one or two things only. It made it easy for me to stay focused on making a change or two and understanding the impact of the change.
For my lesson with Ms. Baumert, she had my 19yo TBX and I working on our transitions between and within gaits. The two things that we really focused on were: for me, to stay sitting with him rather than against him. When I audited a clinic with Jennifer earlier this summer I mentioned this was a theme (see this blog entry ) that emerged with many of the riders. When I put it into practice with my horse the result was that there was much less tension in the transitions and it was much easier to keep him coming through and over his back in the transitions. The change in my position was really minimal, but I tried to keep my shoulders just a little bit in front of my hips and avoided tilting my seat back (which would put me in a driving position). For my dear horse, we worked on keeping him through and engaged in the transitions. I am guilty of allowing him off easy in the stride or two before and after the transitions. He was quite willing to keep moving and coming through during the transitions, but I did have to be very mindful to require it of him.
Another epiphany (and apologies to all the instructors who have told me this a million times over) was that I shouldn't half-half if I don't have my horse coming through. This was truly a light-bulb moment for me but it suddenly just made sense this weekend. When my horse gets a little disorganized and I lose his back, it's too late for a half-halt. So, at this moment, I will work to get his back again and then retry the half-halt. I had been trying to half-halt if my horse got discombobulated or otherwise strung-out and running, at which point the half-halt only had the effect of making things worse.
I look forward to seeing the effect of these small changes over the next couple of weeks and also look forward to the next clinic!
|
|
Time to Ride
|
| (Tuesday, 10 June 2008) Written by heather |
|
[N.B. This is a blog entry that I published so Everyone could see it. Registered users and unregistered users will be able to read this entry.]
This month has been so incredibly busy, but then again, just like all the others. I've had work travel and work and everything else in between to keep me hopping. I also decided to take the plunge and sign up for a clinic and schooling show (yay!). However, now they seem to be coming really, really fast. All of this activity makes it a real challenge sometimes to stay focused during my rides which of course shows up immediately as a disconnected ride.
So, rather than worry too much about it, tonight I tried to remember some of the helpful comments from past lessons and from clinics. One phrase in particular that came to mind tonight I heard in an online video from one of those online dressage training sites. Unfortunately I can't remember which trainer made this comment. It was "Express in the saddle what you want your ride to be." It might sound a little fruity at first, but in fact, really makes sense to me. The quote suggests that it's up to the rider to determine how the ride goes and to really be in charge of his or her riding. The quote also reminds me to take the time to focus on the ride. So, between fleeting thoughts of deadlines, projects, and upcoming shows and clinics (!), I tried to remember to take responsibility for riding with purpose and with care and precision. The ride wasn't perfect, of course, but it was very satisfying overall.
|
|
Positive Riding
|
| (Tuesday, 06 May 2008) Written by heather |
|
Over the last year, I have tried to learn more about using active positive thinking in my riding. Because dressage is such a precise sport/art that requires a lot of thought, precision, and athletic coordination, there seems to be endless opportunities for amateur riders to be (too) hard on themselves. In my experience, it's very easy to go down that path, but I also realized that it is absolutely unproductive and therefore wanted to learn how to improve my riding through positive thinking.
I read somewhere online about how the Dutch Olympic dressage team has extensive coaching in the area of sports psychology and realized it was an area of the sport that I never really considered. So.... I read several of Jane Savoie 's books and audited a clinic of hers last year in NC. Her books were fantastic and I have used the visual exercises numerous times to good effect. I also found Laura King 's recorded tapes for equestrians very helpful and have listened to them too.
I have a tendency to be skeptical about talk surrounding the psychological aspects of training and do think some of it can sound really silly. On the other hand, I've benefitted from the messages like those by Savoie and King and appreciate the guidance for staying in the moment and simply riding. That message is really the big take-away for me from these sports coaches -- not to overthink one's riding so that you don't get in the way of yourself. Much easier said than done, of course, and especially for a sport/art like dressage.
I haven't watched the new Jane Savoie videos that are available for free on YouTube, but they are now on my summer "training" list. The videos can be found at this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/janesavoie
|
|
Show season - already?!
|
| (Sunday, 30 March 2008) Written by heather |
|
It's very hard to believe that it's already the beginning of show season. I just realized *this week* that there's a USDF-recognized show in Huntersville next weekend. Under normal circumstances I would have had this show on my radar all winter for a first rated show of the season. How did I miss it?
I have definitely been feeling the amateur rider's time crunch this year and my riding/training has taken a backseat to work and family duties much more than normal. It's been a challenge to even define a game plan for riding/training, much less follow one! Luckily, it looks like there are a lot of wonderful clinic opportunities (Cloverlea Farms is hosting Axel Steiner, Jennifer Baumert, Beth Baumert, Conrad Schumacher, and Courtney King; NCDCTA is hosting Neil Ishoy; Lighten Up is hosting Jennifer Baumert; Cynthia Payne and South Lake Stables are hosting Bert van Rutten; Joli Cheval regularly hosts Cindy Sydnor; Paul Belasik will be in Tryon) all withing a one-hour or so drive. I'll plan on attending as many of these clinics as possible and will write my notes in the blog. Maybe I'll also aim for a couple of schooling shows or clinics by the end of the summer.
|
|
When it looks easy, it is so tempting!
|
| (Monday, 24 March 2008) Written by Mary Charles |
| Skipping Easter services to go watch a friend's cross-country ride at FENCE, I spent sunrise feeding my horses, listening to the birds, and enjoying the QUIET. (Six days a week I am assaulted by construction noise. A subdivision on one side and highway widening on the other.) It was a perfect day to sit outside in the sun and watch handsome horses gallop big fences. Carolyn and I found a spot near the waterjump that had a great view of most of the course. We missed the early rides, and left mid-afternoon…so I can't say we saw every ride…but the horses/riders we did see made it look so easy! Saw a few refusals, but no falls. When the trips are so smooth it makes me want to get out there and gallop those jumps too! ( Reality check …I gave up big jumps in my early twenties) When our friend galloped out of the box, she had a nice smooth trip up-hill. From our vantage point it was a lovely sight seeing her silhouette at the crest of the hill against the clear sky. The down-hill looked steady and controlled…then as she passed by us she grinned and waved! Mistake. She almost missed the water…but luckily recovered her presence of mind and managed to just swing a bit wide on her approach. This startled her horse a bit and he leapt into the water (her level was just a trip thru the water with no jump into it) and almost unseated her. With a nice recovery they finished the course still smiling. |
|
Draft Cross to Grand Prix - great article in Chronicle
|
| (Sunday, 23 March 2008) Written by heather |
|
On the plane ride back from San Francisco today I read a fantasically inspiring article in the Chronicle about Courtenay Fraser , a young Canadian rider, who has trained her PMU draft-cross to Grand Prix. Since my own horse is a TB / Belgian draft-cross, it was fantastic to learn about this pair that has reached such a high level of accomplishment.
It sounds like patient and skillful training and keeping the horse's limits in mind allowed the pair to make steady progress. Since my guy is in his late teens, our goals are not as lofty. It was really great though to read about a non-traditional horse (who is certainly very athletic and talented as is the rider too!) progress to GP through careful and sensitive training.
For the amateur rider this pair is a reminder that the development of a partnership and the educational journey are worthwhile goals and achievable on a variety of mounts. At least, that's one of the lessons that I took from the article and story.
Happy trails!
|
|
Virtual training
|
| (Tuesday, 11 March 2008) Written by heather |
|
With two weeks of work travel looming I'll have to make do with away-from-the-barn training. I guess it's better than nothing (?). So, I'll have the new Klaus Balkenhol book and have already started reading it. It's a nice combination of his training theory and the history of his riding.
While at the World Cup last spring, I also purchased some mp3s from Laura King on peak performance that are very good for increasing one's focus and helping to block out distractions, especially in competition. I'll take those files along for my mp3 player too.
Hopefully, the two weeks of reduced riding and training will go by quickly and still be productive!
|
|
Weekend in review
|
| (Sunday, 09 March 2008) Written by heather |
|
Well, I didn't ride yesterday after all with the 50 mph winds and what not.
However, today, Sunday was really beautiful weather and I had a lovely and fun ride. We worked on canter serpentines (very shallow) for the first time in a while and they weren't terribly bad. It was reassuring to know that the training and work seems to still be there for my horse. I'll just have to dust us both off a bit and get back to regular work. Since I'll be out of town for much of the next two weeks, we'll get back on a regular schedule beginning April. We might even try a schooling show or two as well.
|
|
New blog post for registered users
|
| (Saturday, 08 March 2008) Written by heather |
|
To show how the BLOG entries can be published for viewing only by registered users of Amateur Dressage Social Network, I added a short blog entry in my blog today.
I selected to make the entry visible only to registered users so it will not be visible to anyone just surfing the web.
To make your blog entry visible to registered users of the Amateur Dressage Social Network, select ONLY REGISTERED for "Who should be able to see this blog entry?" See image:
To make your blog entry visible to the public who visits the site, select EVERYONE for "Who should be able
to see this blog entry?" See image:
If you want to see the difference in how a blog entry displays when you select to make the post visible to EVERYONE or to only REGISTERED USERS, click on Community Blog before logging in.
My post "Weekend Riding Plans" will not be visible unless you are logged into your account. Registered users can also read this post by clicking on my Profile and selecting my Blog. Unregistered users won't be able to see it.
Then, log in and check the Community Blog. My blog post will be visible there once you've logged in.
Happy Blogging and Happy Riding :-)
|
|
Great trail ride weather
|
| (Monday, 03 March 2008) Written by heather |
|
[This is an example of a BLOG entry that I set to publish so that EVERYONE could read it. It will show up in the Community Blog area and be readable by anyone who visits the site. I could also publish blog entries just to be readable by other community members.]
The weather this weekend was absolutely beautiful so I chose just to do a little trail riding rather than ride in the covered arena. Sam loved it! He walked around the farm and woods with real purpose and noticably hesitated when we walked by the arena. I'll have to add a trail ride to our weekly program. I might even have to trailer out to Latta for some real trail riding...
|
Community Blog 