Kalae the awesome girl

Kalae did double duty and carried 2 riders each day for the 3 day clinic. She went first in the morning and then last of the day.

Her morning lessons were pushing the envelope or comfort zone and learning new things. She still worked in the afternoon but not quite as hard. Overall she needs more submission as when she tends to become more compressed she wants to come above the bit for moments (transitions) and also she becomes more crooked. She is not totally through. I need to work on thoroughness and straightness. When I get her more compressed and she is powered up I need to learn to be more subtle in my aids as it will require less from me. There is a fine line and it just takes feel and tact.

Homework is to begin to introduce the double bridle. Start with easy work so she gets used to double bridle. Do not work on my flying changes for a while. Work on my canter pirouettes and making the counter canter absolutely balanced. Think a wider working pirouette. Initially I was trying to make the Canter Pirouette too small and loosing the canter.

The canter needs to be absolutely straight. When I canter down the center line in right lead canter, she wants to put her HQ to the right. This makes the flying change to the L impossible. I have learned from the Kyra Kirklund symposium that I am subtly collapsing my waist to the R. This puts more weight on the L seat. The horse is harder to bend L. If I am conscious of this and collapse subtly to the L to counter the R collapse I feel more pressure in the R seat. Then suddenly my horse goes straighter. Need equal weight on both sides of the horses spine. Ride the horses back, not the saddle.

Her lateral work is OK, she is doing it but she could be more expressive in the lateral work. With time it will come.

* Video #1 is Trish and Kalae

* Video #2 is Marilee and Kalae - John advised to invest in more ground poles so that I have at least 12 in a fan position so the horse can really bend the joints and strengthen their muscles. He states Conrad Schumaker uses up to 16 poles in the fan when he comes to Goodwood every other month to teach.

Lassetter clinic

Ride, ride , ride!!! Whooo pass the oxygen please. "Freederic the Great" dish's out the aerobic workout. Gasping and sweating but having fun flying around the arena. Come on down and get on the "big boy". Mr Lassetter puts you though the gymnastic routine. Go at it for 45 minutes. "Determination! Come on Tishie - Grit teeth and spit ivory"
* Freederic is wearing a single support rein from the middle of his girth. through the bottom of his flash nose band to the left hand of the rider. Held outside the little finger w/ the snaffle rein held between the 4th and 5th finger. Not attached to the bit or threaded through it.

Horses in Tombstone Arizona

"The West was won on Horseback" . Our Nation was dependent on Horses. I can not imagine riding across the US. You would be looking for water, shelter and food. Suddenly you come across something like the Grand Canyon. How do you get across? Why do you keep going? How do you find out where to go? How do you find the towns? There were rudimentary maps at best and no GPS.