Wandin ODE

Car packed, float ready, horse won't get on the thing. Argh! Worst case scenario number one. My confidence level is plummeting very very quickly, and I am considering throwing in the towel. I call reinforcements (namely, husband), and together we get Gally on the float.

I now have about 1.5 hours of driving to reconsider my approach.

We arrive at Wandin, I put the horse in the yard, register and check out the dressage rings. All good. A thousand thoughts are running through my mind, none of them helpful. I stand up straight and think "ok, what's my problem? and what's my plan?". My problem is experience and fear. Experience has shown me that horses can freak out in new situations - new noises, new sights, flags, bunting and tents flapping madly in the wind. And I fear the worst because I've experienced the worst. So my plan is to get in that yard, saddle up the horse, and get to the warmup area for dressage. I erase all other thoughts from my mind, and presto, execute my plan to the letter.

In the warm up area I meet Gally's previous owners. The warmup goes well. I am told that I cannot take my whip into the dressage test with me. Ooops. I didn't anticipate this. Never mind. I ask for lots of forward, and ride the test. It's not perfect, but I ride well. That's what counts. The dressage judge's comments are useless, all about how the circles aren't perfect and nothing about how the horse is travelling.

After the dressage I have a short break. My, now very pregnant, horse riding girlfriend arrives with her daughter. I am greateful for the support. It's good to lighten up the atmosphere and have a laugh.

We walk the showjumping course, then it's back in the saddle and warming up over a cross rail. By now, Gally has recognised Wish, (Gally's previous owner's horse), and is more interested in following the grey mare around, whether it be over jumps or not. I'm only half way through my warm up, when my number gets called up. Oh well. "Lots of forward", I think to myself, nod to the judges and kick off over jump number one. The course flows, between jump 5 and 6 Gally neighs a soft, semi supressed greeting to Wish. At jump 8 I lose my balance and almost get it all wrong, but manage to recover, we go over 9, and get a clear round.

Now we get a longer break, which is filled with lunch, coffee, walking the XC course, organising the car, mulling over the XC course, having a lay down in the float while mulling over the XC course, and walking the XC course once again. Everything from jump 7 onwards worries me. Worst case scenario number two.

I saddle up and warm up. Gally is reluctant to go over the warm up jumps, and while I don't actually get a refusal, we do have a problem with forward. The fact that he gravitates to every grey horse, Wish herself included, doesn't help. The starter begins my countdown, and we're off. Gally shies even before we get to Thomas the Tank engine, but he clears it well. 50 metres away from jump number 2, he's already doing big eyes at it. We approach and retreat, let some horses go past, get goodness knows how many refusals, but we get over it. Three flows, 4 the ditch is easy, 5 the brush is cruisy. We slow down to trot for jump 6, then trot into the shaded alley and do 7. At 8 Gally tries to duck left and right but I get him over it. Nine, 10a and 10b is good.

He stops at the water. We don't actually need to go into it, but he doesn't see anything except the big pool of water, which of course contains some horse eating monster. And I can't actually get him to the jump. Worst case scenario number three. After a very very long time at the water, I choose elimination and move on. Refusal at 12. I come back with more drive and we're over it. Then of course he doesn't want to do 13 - a very steep slide down the hill. Jen (his previous rider) even comes over and starts giving me some coaching. The coaching is brilliant, and I really appreciate it, but in the interest of everyone's time and safety I move on, get us over 14, then through the finish flags. Phew!

The vet gives us the ok, and we're free to relax and laugh about it all.

Wish and her rider win the Training Level 5 Wandin ODE!!!

Tomorrow

Gally and I are off to Wandin tomorrow, to compete in Wandin ODE, Training Level 5. We're no way ready for an ODE, having jumped a total of about two cross rails at home. So, I am treating this outing as a clinic on steroids.

Wandin ODE being an EA (previously EFA) event, different rules apply to Adult Riding, and today I do a mad rush to Horseland in a bid to ensure I understand the rules and have all the necessary bits and pieces. By the time I walk out of the shop, the only thing I am still missing is an XC safety vest. I am assured that it's optional at my level.

As I head to bed, my sleep is marred by my mind going through all the worst case scenarios.

The shoe fits

I check on the horses in the evening. Gally's shoe is back on, shining in the torchlight like a diamond. We're all set. My world is at peace.

Dear farrier ...

I check on the horses, and find that Gally is missing a shoe. This needs to be fixed before Saturday, if we are going to make it to Wandin. I get on the phone, and in my lovliest voice leave a pleading message for the farrier, explaining my predicament.

I get on the keyboard of my mobile phone, and sms through another message to said farrier. Using lovely words, of course.

Happy Birthday Gally

Gally is turning 6 today. As it's also my daughter's birthday, a large contingent of children and adults approach the gate with carrots and helium balloons. Gally's suspicion of the balloons wanes as he savours the carrots. I don't think he cares too much about the "Happy Birthday" song though. Oh well. Then one of the balloons moves unexpectedly and Gally gallops off to hide behind Crownie. Maybe this isn't the best preparation for an ODE?

Back to Wandin

After much negotiation with husband, I complete my entry into the Wandin ODE. We will be doing Training Level 5.

Ready? No, we're not ready. But we will give it a go.

Listen to my questions

Having asked Clancy all these questions, Clancy asked me "Have you asked Anna these questions?"

Well, yes. When I started asking Anna these sort of questions she said "You just need to get on with it", and considered the topic closed.

Was I happy with that response? No. Maybe I should have pursued the topic further with Anna, but I find that this seems to be a bit of a generic problem with dressage instructors. It's like they are there to teach you dressage, and dressage is defined as riding the horse correctly. But the truth is, you cannot ride a horse correctly if that horse doesn't respect you. You need to be the boss on the ground first, before you can be the boss in the saddle.

If you're not the boss on the ground, then sooner or later something will start going wrong in the saddle as the horse challenges your authority. Some horses stop, others charge off, some buck, some shake their heads. The instructor sees the problems during riding, and just starts piling on the gear. Nose band, martingale, etc. This doesn't solve the problem. It's a band aid solution.

The instructor needs to listen to the rider's questions. And if I am trotting a 20 metre circle, and my horse is shaking his head, and I ask "why does he try to bite me when I saddle him up?", then chances are that if I can stop him biting during saddling, the head shaking in the trot will just magically go away.

It's to do with Chi, the life force, but more about that another time.

Forget Black Beauty

Another thing I brought up with Clancy last week was that deep down I am a nice soft person. A bit of a girly girl. So, by nature, am I too soft around horses?

Clancy thought a bit about my question, then asked "Have you read Black Beauty and other similar books?"

"Well ... yes".

"Well, forget Black Beauty and all those books. It's not like that. A horse, is a horse", he said calmly, but firmly. Didn't Anna say the same thing recently?

(What does "a horse is a horse" mean? It means that horses live in a herd, which has a pecking order. If you want to be respected, you need to be higher in the pecking order than the horse. The minute you are lower in the pecking order, the horse will not respect you and may stand on you, bite you, kick you, and act like he is the boss.)

When you go to war

Another thing I asked Clancy last week was "Sometimes he goes well without spurs. Should I always be wearing spurs, and carrying a whip?"

Clancy gazed at me in response, then said "Apparently Franz Mairinger once said, when you go to war, take all your necessary equipment with you."

There's not much point in leaving your dressage whip at A, and running into a problem at C, thinking "my whip would be really handy right now". You need to learn to ride selectively - use your calf when you need to, use the spur when you need to, and use the whip when you need to. And don't let your spur or your whip interfere when you're using your calf.

Needless to say, I mount up with spurs and whip today. I use my spurs a fair bit, and my whip only twice. But I am really glad both are there when I need them.

Be tough ... once

When I talked with Clancy last week I asked him "How tough do I need to be with my horse?"

The answer was "If your horse is being naughty, then do anything you need to do, to get them out of your space. The instant they have backed off, stop."

This is pretty much what Pat Parelli, and other horsemen and women, say. Except that Pat Parelli applies the 10 point scale. Start soft, and build it up. That might be fine when your horse is standing still, pretty much asleep. It's a bit different when you are trying to saddle the horse, and he is lashing out with his teeth at you.

So today when I bring Gally to the hitching rail, I don't tie him to it. I just let the rope wrap around the rail once. I put the saddle blanket on, and the teeth lash out. I retaliate with the back of my hand at break neck speed, with all the force I can muster. Gally, astounded, takes a step back. The rope slips with him. I put the saddle on. The ears go back, but no more teeth. Then I do the girth up. The teeth come at me again, and again I retaliate and Gally is forced to retreat a step.

Today, when I mount up, he doesn't try to bite me.

Response versus Reaction

The farrier arrives, and I bring Gally in for shoeing.

"Clancy, I need your help", I announce.

We talk about my problems with Gally, and Clancy (who is well versed in Monty Roberts and Pat Parelli and other horsemen) has a bit of a play with Gally. He holds the head stall with one hand, and tries to get the horse to step away from him by poking him in the ribs with the other hand (the pressure increases as the horse doesn't respond). In the end Gally cow kicks, and then moves away from the pressure.

"Did you see that?", says Clancy, seeming very pleased. I gaze somewhat bored. Of course I saw it.
"Yes", I respond politely.
"The cow kick, was a reaction", says Clancy. "The moving away was response." Pause. "I wouldn't worry about the kick. As he learns to respond, that cow kick will just go away", he concludes.

I wake up from my bored gaze. Eureka! This is it! This is that bit of information I was missing, and I didn't know how to ask about it, or what it was that I was asking about. Reaction versus response.

Most horses will react in some way. Most horses react by running away. And this makes them look like they are easy to train. They are never perfect, but kind of close enough to good enough.

A response is when a horse actually understands the command. This is what most people are searching for.

Less Parelli, more riding

Today I still play some Parelli games with Gally, but not as many as yesterday. I actually do get bitten while saddling. Sigh. And there's a few more attempts at biting as I lead him down into the arena. In the arena I lounge him, Parelli style. On a 12 foot rope, bit of walk, bit of trot, an obstacle. It's all about changing the exercise and making him aware of my commands, rather than taking steam off him.

When I finish the lunging, I put the bridle on. This goes more smoothly than yesterday, and I am very pleased.

Then of course it's all marred as Gally tries to bite me when I mount up.

When I start riding, I throw the Parelli stuff away, and just ride normal dressage. After about 20 minutes, Gally stops, thinking he is finished. This is actually excellent. This is exactly what he does out on the trail, and now I have a chance to work through it slowly. Incidentally, I am riding without spurs or whip today.

I focus on the timing. He stops, and braces his neck. I wait. I flex him gently with the rein, then I ask him to yield - first with one leg, then with the other. Then he goes forward again.

It appears to be more about ignoring the fact that he stopped, and just asking him to go forward. It's about not venting your frustration at the wrongs, but just trying to get the rights.

For me as a rider, it becomes more about the mental challenge (of not losing my cool) than anything else.

More Parelli

Today I play some more Parelli games with Gally. This time I intend to ride him as well. I get him saddled (which is not a smooth process - more about that another time), and I pull out the bridle. He is standing tied to the hitching rail. I approach with the bridle, and the head goes up a bit and away from me. Obviously this makes it hard to put the bridle on.

I untie him, and move him a couple of steps away from the hitching rail. I shake the bridle around, then proceed to put it on. To my great surprise, Gally doesn't move his head away. He doesn't exactly open his mouth in anticipation, I still have to open his mouth with my finger, but the head doesn't move away. This is fantastic.

Then he tries to bite me when I mount up. Sigh.

Parelli

I have become so frustrated with my issues with Gally, that I have started re-reading Pat Parelli's book. Oddly enough, it seems to make a lot more sense these days, than it did 6 years ago.

I have also ordered two of his DVD's - Horseanality and Seven Games. The videos are quite inspiring, and I Parelli around with Gally. And it's kind of fun. I get Gally to jump the ditch, and that's definitely a lot of fun. Even Gally seems to enjoy it.

But at the end of it all I am still left wondering. Is he really listening? Am I too weak or too strong? Will our next riding session be better?

It feels to me like there is a really crucial piece of the horse training puzzle that I am missing. And I don't know what question to ask, and no one is providing the answer. It is very very frustrating to say the least.