Baby steps

This morning I finally have time to ride my new horse. The first step is to fit his gear. The saddle is easy. It goes on, it fits, done. The bridle is more tricky. I pull out Tosca's bridle, which is a good start, then go looking for a noseband. In the process I end up with about 3 bridles sprawled across the floor, reminiscing about a ride on this horse or that. Finally we're saddled and ready to go.

I take Gally into the round yard, just as the sun is blinding us, and the spotted dairy cows walk into Bob's top paddock. Great! Of all the days, why do they need to go into that paddock today?! I am sure that Gally has seen a cow before, but spotted cows against the bright sun rays, I mean who knows ... it could be the big bad wolf in disguise. Gally is ready to flee. This is so not the horse I bought.

I jump on, soothe him with lots of snorts, and walk him around in small circles. He calms down and gets on with his work. I just focus on quality walk and trot. Straightenss, rythm, that sort of thing. Half way through he has another big bad wolf bout. A minute later he is settled. After 45 minutes I feel he is ready to go out for a walk in the haying paddock. But I stay in the round yard and opt for a canter instead. Gally has the most sensational canter.

Overall, I am really happy with him. I don't mind if gets frightened by something new. He is a horse after all. But he settled down really quickly and he actually focussed on his work. Princess took months to feel that settled at the farm. Crownie felt more settled, but she took longer to focus on the work.

New horse

Beware the horse rider who writes regular blog entries and suddently falls silent. They have either fallen off their steed, or they have gone out and bought a new horse.

In my case, it is the latter.

The process has been lengthy, but I didn't want to write anything in case I jinx myself.

I got chatting to a friend that I was looking for a new horse. She got chatting to a horsey workmate, who said that she has a horse for sale that may suit. I then asked a 1000 questions over email, and decided the horse was worth seeing. With husband and daughter in tow, we drove across town to see said horse. I rode him, and liked him.

However, I needed a second opinion. So the following weekend, I dragged my coach across town. First the owner rode the horse, then I rode the horse, then my coach gave me a mini lesson, then finally my coach rode the horse. With the owners out of earshot, my coach declared "Well, he probably won't make the Olympics, but if you like him, you can buy him." This is a pretty big statement from my coach.

So I bought him.

And today, I set off across town in the wee hours of the morning (it was really dark) to pick him up. The trip went smoothly. When I got to the farm I put him in the Red Rum paddock. The other horses came over. He saw Princess, she saw him, it was love at first sight. I put Crownie in the paddock with him, but when he's not grazing he stands at the fence and rubs noses with Princess.

And what exactly did I buy?

He is a 15.1hh bay thoroughbred, 5 years old, purpose bred for eventing. His dam was a 2* eventer, his sire was a dressage horse. He has already done a couple of events at level 4, and he is training at level 2. And his birthday is on the same day as my daughter's (but he is a year older).

His name is "Gallium" (yes, the 31st element of the periodic table). "Gally" for short. (His previous owners had a chemistry background. So I guess "Gallium" is the chemistry equivalent of "Basic", "Fortran" or "Java".)

Good news

So, the physically intelligent, strong people have an advantage when learning horse riding, I'll just give up now and take up fishing instead.

Whoa!

It does take a bit of time to learn how to use the muscles in your lower body. It does take a bit of time to get the strength. (Here I very strongly advocate Pilates.) But, if you can put the time into learning and strengthening your muscles, then I believe you can pull up ahead of the physically intelligent person.

The physically intelligent person applies the "feel". Whereas the less physically intelligent person applies the "science". Usually, once we understand the science, we stop doing things by feel. Why? Because science is more accurate. Science gives us better results.

It's not all about strength

I've been harping on about how much strength is required for ages now. Finally, some good news. It's not all strength. While I was riding in my "permanent" half halt I did have to use lots of strength. But the drive requires a lot less strength, and is a lot more about technique.

(Keep in mind that over the last year I have built up strength. Some strength is necessary.)

The half halt

The half halt is almost like a legend to horse riders. All coaches swear by it, and request it, while all riders wonder whether it really exists. The aim of the half halt is to slow the horse down instantaneously. It can be followed by a change of gait, or simply to get the horse's attention.

Last weekend's jumping got me thinking. Why wasn't my horse jumping initially? Why was she almost running out and refusing? Well, to cut the long story short, I was riding in a permanent half halt. I feel very sheepish saying this, but all my coaches should feel more sheepish for not picking this up. Or, for not being able to explain it to me. Whichever. I've been thinking about this all week, and today, as we ride out into the forest, I open my body up and ride at the walk in the same manner that I "drive" the horse in canter towards a jump.

By "open my body up" I literally mean feeling like your legs are rotating outwards at the hip, like your knees are rotated outwards, and like you are really sitting on your two seat bones. You heel forms a "claw" like movement together with your buttock. In this position you automatically sit up. If you close up this position, you get the half halt. When you open up again, you get the drive.

Of course I have to verify all this with my coach, Anna. But, as Crownie warms up, I ask for more and more engagement. The head comes up, and I actually feel the legs stepping under. It feels great. And she's not rushing forward. She has the lightest contact on the reins. Can't be too far from "correct".

Panic time

My intention was to compete at Grade 4 on Crownie in Peninsula Horse Trials on Sunday 2nd August.

Well, the horse is barely jumping Grade 5, she's never even seen a cross country course, we're not graded and the competition is a mere 5 weeks away. That's 4 weekends of training. It's panic time.

As I see it here are my options:

• Forget the Horse Trials and do an XC clinic instead. Get her graded later.
• Get her graded, and still do the Horse Trials but at Grade 5.
• Forget the whole horse thing, and go fishing.

I am tending to lean towards the middle option. That way, I still get the satisfaction of competing. A Grade 5 course will be easy enough that it will be a confidence boost for the horse. And I get to see yet another course. There is still the problem of getting graded in time, before entries close.