Update on the past couple weeks' training

Almost two weeks have just flown past... We have done very varied work each week and that seems to really suit our boy at the moment. He is happy to work in the school, while previously when we were mainly lunging, he had started to slightly resent entering the school... He would work fine, but of course if you do the same day in day out, it eventually gets a wee bit boring. Now we have had one complete day off per week, one day of pole work, a day or two of riding in the school, one day of hacking out, and two or three days of lunging work, some days easier some days with harder cantering exercises.




Pole work:
We do this now with one pole and then two poles. So, first walk over the singular pole, when this goes fine, we trot over it. When that is going fine, we start trotting over the two poles. It has gone really well. By no means perfect all the time, but he is improving. And when the two poles are working ok, and before he is getting tired, we'll trot him over a raised singular pole.
So, trotting him over those three poles a couple weeks ago was really a pole too far... ;) Two is totally enough for him at the moment. And the slightly raised (5-10cm) pole gives just that bit of extra difficulty to the singular pole in the end.
I haven't done any pole work while riding this time. Well, actually I did go over a pole yesterday a few times. It just happened that the people that were in the school earlier had a pole down in the centerline, and I used it in the latter part of the workout. I was surprised that he went over it very nicely a couple times. Mind you, he got tired pretty quick out of it, and I got some not so good work as well... So, I could introduce the singular pole again into my ridden work at some point. I just think that I should definitely not over do it. That is, I think it still is hard work for him to lift his legs higher while working through his topline and carrying me. But easy does it...

Riding work:
Yes, by golly, power is increasing. I don't think I have lunged to warm him up these past week and a bit! We have noticed that he can now be warmed up fine from the saddle. That is, he strides on beautifully in walk straight from the get go. Such a difference in that as well! My short notes on our calendar say almost in every riding day that he has more power... And I mean that he has this lovely powerful walk and then increasingly good trot. It is getting more regular with head position being stable and him staying relaxed. I still need to work at it though, but it is getting easier. Especially on the right hand. Left hand is as I described earlier; very good as well, but tends to fall in and stiffen up in corners and I'm in trouble with my legs and seat.
Last week I noticed that he was stumbling at first in the wet school, but it disappeared as soon as he was properly warmed up! That was such a clear indicator that he was lifting his legs better and had his balance established. When it has still  been light after working him in the school, I have taken him out on a cool down walk around the hayfield as well. Nice to have such a cool down with power walking...

This week Monday I had the most fabulous hacking experience! :D I was planning to just have a relaxing walkabout around the field once or twice for an easy day, but he felt energetic and ready to trot. So I thought, ok, lets trot. And what a trot! Oh my. You know such a trot that just powers on by itself while the horse is on the bit, head low, very slight contact... Yabbadabbadoo... He has never given me such a fine trot outside the school. We didn't even slip or stumble, since he was so balanced. Furthermore, he was so happy and calm, no bother when a car went past beside the track, or the ponios started careering about in canter in the nearby field or when the sheep gave him the look (sheep and cars have been a bit of an issue before this year). We still walked most of our hacking rounds, but there were several happy trotting sessions mixed in. The only backless wired time we had was when the hubby went and called for him from the end of a lane... Ye gods, we wanted to get there asap alright! Head high and back dipped alright... After some of this wired trotting, I decided to call it quits and returned to a proper walk. At least that was fine and he calmed down. Just to test, I then still trotted him away from home and hubby for some couple tens of meters, and by golly, he was perfection again.
And then as I have already written, I had an epiphany yesterday about my legs... And today I started my exercise regime again. If I could just keep it up between work, dogs and so on...
Otherwise we have had a nice and long walk out to the forest in between things. So, it's been harder work and then easier and more relaxing work.

Lunging:
Well, have been actually lunging him about half the weeks. So, a lot more riding going on. I keep the lunging work one day your basic lunge with walk about 5min, then trot about 10min. Concentrating on the forward motion, so that he will over track at least by one hoof length in walk and at least tracking up in trot. Left side I still will do more spiraling to get him yielding with his hind quarters. A couple canters mixed in. Lunge time is generally that 30min in total. And it is pure work, I don't let him slack very much I have to say...
Some days I have done harder work by doing far more canter transitions. But the lunge time would still be the same. And then of course the pole work as I have mentioned earlier.

Very happy in general with the way he is going and how things are progressing. Long may it last! Really fingers crossed that there will not be any setbacks in form of injuries in the paddock or such... It is now such a joy to work with him, since he is so happy and settled and calm.
This is really the huge advantage of working him this way... no fighting at all, and a calm horse. I ask him to do things that he can do and do them well and proper. And then to make the progress, also introducing harder things gradually. It is a long way, but it so is now starting to truly pay off.

I leave you with an apparent quote from the master itself, Nuno Oliveira:"...you must learn the difference between 12 years of learning and one year repeated 12 times..."
(from a comment from someone else in a forum in 2008..)

Lamppu syttyy...

Tajusin jotain itsestäni eilen ratsastaessa.

Siis poju oli todella hieno muuten. Hyppäsin suoraan selkään myös eilen ja lämmittely sujui erittäin hyvin satulasta käsin. Hieno, letkeä ja isoaskelinen käynti heti kättelyssä. Nyt näyttää siltä, että ei enää tarvitse lämmitellä tuota liinasta käsin! On onnistunut satulasta käsin niin hienosti parit viimeiset ratsastuskerrat.

Mutta siis mitä tajusin tuossa ratsastaessa oli se, että mun oikea jalka on todella paljon vahvempi kuin vasen. Eli siis se on myös vähemmän notkea. Eli siis kun olen vasemmassa kierroksessa, mulla on vaikeuksia väistättää se sisäjalasta ja estää sen jäykistyminen ja nojaaminen lavalla sisään... Ja samaan aikaan mun vahvempi jalka/reisi estää pojua liikkumasta oikealle... Kun mulla on vaikeuksia käyttää tarpeeksi voimakasta pohjeapua, eikä poju reagoi herkempään, jäykistyn myös selkä ja vatsalihaksilla ja siten häiritsen pojua istunnallani... Se oli tosiaan 'heureka' hetki eilen. Analysoin siis koko ajan, mitä tein samalla kun ratsastin. Kun homma ei toiminut kunnolla ravissa, palasin takaisin käyntiin ja ajattelin kunnolla, mitä tein, ja sitten se oli selvä kuin pläkki.

Venyttely kroksein ja villasukin...
siis uusi muotivillitys! 

Venytä, venytä... lisää tätä...

Nyt tarttee todellakin ruveta kuntouttamaan itseänsä ja kunnolla! Ja treenata vasenta jalkaa paljon enemmän kuin oikeaa. Ja venytellä oikeaa vieläkin enemmän. Nyt nään sen, että se olen kohta minä, joka estää meidän pojun etenemistä! Siis, ellen jatka omaa analysointiani ja paranna omaa lihaskuntoa...

Eli kuten sanoin, poju työskenteli eilen aivan mahtavan hyvin. Käynti oli iso, rento ja mahtava, ravi todella hieno... mies sanoi, että oli ilo katsella sellaista energistä ja jäntevää menoa. Harmi, että oli siis aivan liian pimeää kentällä filmaukseen tai kuvaamiseen.
Siis, ainoastaan tuo vasemman kierroksen ongelma... mutta kuten sanoin, tää taitaa olla mun ongelma! hupsista.

Moments of realisation

Something just occurred to me yesterday when riding.

Horsey was brilliant by the way. Got on again straight without lunge warm up and he was straight on the ball with good walking. It seems that I don't need to warm him up anymore on the lunge! He is now fine to warm up from the saddle.

But what I realised while riding was that yes, my right leg is a lot stronger than my left. Therefore, it is also less supple. Therefore, when I'm on the left rein, I have difficulties to yield him from my inside leg and keeping him from stiffening up and leaning in through his left shoulder... And at the same time my stronger right leg/thigh is preventing him from really moving to the right... When I have difficulties in using strong enough left leg and he doesn't respond to light aid, I also stiffen up with my back and my belly muscles and thus interfere with his going with my seat... It was like a 'Eureka' moment out there yesterday. I kept analysing what was happening as I was going. When things didn't work out well in trot, I returned to walk and thought about what I was doing, and then it was crystal clear.

Here's me lunging...
woolly socks and crocks
are all the rage in stretching... 

Stretch that right thigh... 

I really need to get properly fit! And train my left leg a lot harder! And supple up my right leg. Now I see that it will be very soon me, who is impeding our boy's progress! That is, if I don't keep analysing myself and improving my own muscle tone...

As I said, he worked wonderfully well. Walk was great, trot very nice... hubby said that it was a joy to see him powering on so relaxed and with such energy. It is too bad it was impossible to film or take photos since it was dark.
Just that slight problem with left rein... but as I said, this one maybe more on me than him! Woops.

Edistyminen vuoden sisällä

Tässä on nyt mennyt reilu vuosi siitä kun aloitin systemaattisen klassisen peruskoulutustreenin Art2Riden mukaan ja Willin silmän alla. Päätin nyt sitten katsoa vähän taaksepäin ja tsekata näkyykö hommassa noin kuvien kautta selkeästi eroa viime vuoteen. Erohan on erittäin selkeä – kuin yö ja päivä – mulle täällä paikan päällä, mutta tämä ei ehkä ole näkynyt näin blogin kuvien kautta. Videoista pitäisi myös nähdä edistyminen aika hyvin, mutta voihan sekin olla ehkä jotenkin vaikeaa havaita jos ei ole vielä silmää näille asioille.

Tässä siis kollaasit videoista...

Valitsin parhaimman näköisen menon ekalta videolta (S1)... eli tämännäköinen meno oli siis sitä parasta heinäkuun lopussa 2013... äääks... :( 

Näät varmaan selvästi noista juoksutuskuvista, että poju ei liiku eikä mene minnekkään. Vähän vaan siirteli jalkojaan. Alakaulan pullistelu ja käyttö näkyy sekä se, että satulan takana on monttu – eli ei ole siellä lihaksia, eikä niitä sitten tietysti käytetä.

Ratsastuskuvista näkee, että tosiaan vaivalloisesti siirteli vaan jalkojaan, lyhyt askel ja mun piti tehdä kamalasti töitä, pitääkseni sen minkäänlaisessa liikkeessä. Tämä viimeinen näkyy varsinkin tuossa viimeisessä kuvassa, jossa olen aikamoisessa etukenossa kun yritän saada tuota eteenpäin... Keventäminen oli kuin kuopasta. Tottakait en tajaunnut mitään näistä silloin. Kontrasti on tullut selväksi tämän vuoden varrella, kun lihaksia ja voimaa on tullut lisää.

Ja tässä stillejä tokasta videosta (S2), joka filmattiin noin viikko tuon edellisen jälkeen.

Himpun verran parempi, mutta näät varmaankin, ettei paljon mikään ole muuttunut. Keskityin silloin vain pojun eteenpäin kannustamiseen ja liikkeen eteenpäin menoon. Ja liikkuuhan tuo nyt paljon enemmän kuin tuossa edellisessä! Aloitettiin myös työskentely chambonin kanssa. Näät nyt varmaankin, että yläkaulan lihakset alkaa tulla peliin ratsastaessa. Askelpituus on hieman pidempi, ja kintereessä on havaittavissa vähän enemmän taipumista. Selkäkuoppa näkyy nyt hyvin...

Ja sitten kuvia ihan muutama päivä sitten. Nämä on vain ratsastuskerralta. Kerrankin ratsastin suoraan ilman juoksutuslämmittelyä – nyt siis on sen verran lihaksia selässä, että tämä toimii!

Eli toivottavasti näistä nyt näkee, että homma on erilaista...

Jos ei ole selvää, niin otin pari kuvaa edellisistä ja piirsin niihin ääriviivat. Ok, viivojen piirtely auttamattomasti muuttaa joitakin linjoja, mutta olen yrittänyt seurata oikeita kehon ääriviivoja niin tarkasti kun nyt tietsikan linjanpiirtelyllä voi. Ja ylempää voi katsella noi kuvat ilman linjoja.

Kintereet siis taipuvat todellakin enemmän näinä päivinä. Askeleeseen on ruvennut tulemaan ilmaa, eli tuo on alkanut ponnistamaan ylöspäin askeleellaan. Satulan takainen notko on täyttymässä – vaikkei ole vielä kokonaan pois. Ylälinjan muodon erilaisuus pitäisi myös olla selkeä, nyt kun tuo käyttää niitä yläpuolen lihaksia. Yläkaulan lihaksia on myös tullut enemmän ja kaula on muutenkin tasaisemmin venynyt kuolaintuntumaan. Kaikkein selkein ero on kuitenkin askelen pituudessa – poju astuu täysin etujalkojen jälkiin ravissa ja yliastuu massiivisesti (reilusti 2 kertaa jäljen yli) käynnissä. Ja koko hevonen on paljon paremmassa lihaskunnossa. Harmi, ettei esim. vatsalihasten liike tai ’lihasviiva’ näy näistäkään kuvista... Se on nyt nimittäin tullut täysin selkeäksi. Mutta se pitäisi näkyä, ettei vatsa pömpötä, vaan se on käytössä kannattamassa mua ja hevosta itseään.

Ja sitten vielä muutama kuva juoksutuksesta 6.9. Tää on nyt tietysti täysin selkeä ero... 

Erot, jotka tunnen ratsailta itse, ovat: pojulla on paljon enemmän voimaa, tunnen sen selän liikkeen erittäin selkeästi puskemassa mua pois satulasta (helppo keventää – ei tule kuopasta enää), askeleen pituus on kasvanut (tunnen sen varsinkin käynnissä), liikkumisesta oikein on tullut helpompaa, tunnen sen, että tuolla alkaa olla joustoa menossa, ei nojaa kuolaimeen vaan venyy kuolaintuntumaan samalla kun kantaa mua ja itseään. Vaikka mun täytyykin vielä kannustaa sitä eteenpäinmenoon, niin poju reagoi siihen nopeasti ja pystyy hommaan.

Vielä on paljon parantamisen varaa ja treeniä edessä. Kuten näkyy, poju ei vielä veny ihan täysin yhtä hyvin ratsailla kuin liinassa. Siksi meille on vielä tärkeää juoksuttaa vähintäänkin yhtä paljon kuin ratsastaa. Koska siis venyy paremmin juoksuttaessa, ja siis treenaa lihaksiaan paremmin ja nopeammin. Ja mitä paremmat ylälinjan lihakset, sitä parempi on ratsastaa. Luulen kuitenkin, että parempi venyminen ratsailta tulee suht nopsaan nyt.

Olen myös pikkuhiljaa miettinyt chambonin laittamista päälle ratsastaessa kentällä (huomio: älä koskaan ratsasta maastoon chambonin kanssa! tai jos on mitään kompuroimisen mahdollisuutta, katso myös Willin video chambonin käytöstä, ennenkuin rupeat sitä käyttämään) ja se auttaa pojua keskittymään pään alentamiseen kunnolla. Eli siis, poju on nyt ruvennut jättämään kompuroinnit taaksensa. Olen myös huomannut sen, että lämmittyään kunnolla, ei tuo enää kompuroi lainkaan! Mahtavaa... Tää on siis ollut todella selkeää parin viimeisen kentällä ratsastuskerran aikana. Eli jospa tässä joku päivä pistäisi chambonin päälle ratsastuskerrallekin – vaikkakin löysälle... kantsii aina olla varovainen näiden hommien kanssa. 

Progress

I decided to have a look how our boy-o has changed since a bit over a year, when we started with full force with the classical foundation training. That is, if I could see a difference in our boy's going in pictures. The difference is very clear - like night and day - to me personally as I ride and exercise him, but it may not come across especially via the blog pictures. From the videos one can see the difference as well, although it can also be a bit more obscure.

But here you have some series of stills from the videos.
I selected the best going from the first video (Submission 1; S1)... so, this is the best he looked then... ouch.. :(

You can see from the lunging that he wasn't really working with anything. He was just shuffling his feet a bit. You can see how much he used the underside of his neck and how big a dip there was behind the saddle, since he was not using any of his back.
Ridingwise he was again just shuffling along, short stride, and I had to work very hard to get him moving at all. You see me especially in the last frame leaning horribly forward in trying to push him on... Rising to the trot was like getting up from a ditch. Of course I didn't realise any of this back then. The contrast has become obvious with the progress he has made.

And here then from the second submission (S2), filmed perhaps just about one week later.

Slightly better, but you can see that not much has changed. Just that I was driving him forward a lot more, so that he was actually starting to move somewhere! And also introduced the chambon into the work. You can see that now the upper neck muscles are starting to work when I'm riding him. Stride length is marginally improved, and there is a bit better flexion in the hocks. Dip in the back is now clearly to be seen in these stills...

And then the last photos from just  a couple days ago. Only riding photos since I warmed up him from the saddle this time.

I do hope that it is clear what has happened...

In case it is not, I have taken a couple photos of each and drawn some lines over him. Ok, the lines may smooth out things inevitably, but I have tried to follow the true body form as well as possible. You can see the originals anyways above.

Hocks are in fact flexing more nowadays. And there is a bit of air now as well; he is pushing upwards with his stride. The dip in the back is filling up, and you can see the difference of his form when he is using his topline. He has also more upper neck muscle and the neck is more evenly arched. Stride length increase is very obvious. He is far more toned in his body.

And some recent lunging work from 6th September 2014. To see some of the change in that as well.

The differences as I ride him are that he has far more power in his going, I feel his back pushing me off the saddle, length of stride is much longer (I can feel that especially in walk), the movement has become easier, I can feel that now he is starting to have some spring in his going, he is not leaning on the bit but stretching into it while carrying himself and me at the same time. While I still have to push him on and ask him to stretch down, he reacts quick and can do it easily.

We still have a long way to go! As you can see, he is not yet stretching fully while ridden. Therefore I think that it is still important to lunge at least as much as ride, since he is stretching better on the lunge and thus building his muscles more efficiently. And the better the topline muscles are the better the riding will be. However, I think that the better stretch under saddle will come soon.

I also start to feel more comfortable with the idea of popping on the chambon for riding in the school (btw. Never put chambon on when you are going out on a hack! or if there is any chance of serious stumbling, watch Will's video on correct chambon usage) and that will always make him more concentrated on lowering his head properly. That is, he is slowly but surely starting to loose his stumbling and slipping in the school. I also have realised that when he is properly warmed up under saddle, he stops stumbling! :D Fantastic! This has been very clear the past couple times I have been riding with him. So, maybe next time I'll pop on the chambon - albeit really loose... always be careful with these things.