Blazick Dressage

PSG and My Silver Medal

2011-09-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Lifetime achievement aaward, sounds like something you spend years earning. Well, 2 weeks ago I earned my final score for my USDF Silver Medal. Which means that I have earned 2 scores of 60% or better at 4th level and 2 scores of 60% or better at PSG. The skills necessary to earn high enough scores in tests that are technically very complex is not something that can be learned overnight. It is something that takes years of practice, lessons and competition. I have been working for this moment since I started riding at the age of 8.

First of all a HUGE Thank You to Susan Hoffman Peacock for believing in me and pushing me beyond my comfort zone. Next a big Thank You to Jeff and Jill Shirley for lending me their horse, their unmeasurable kindness and continued support.

It has been a long journey with its share of ups and downs. I hope that this milestone can help bring me to a new level of challenges in my career.

Erin Blazick, USDF Silver Medalist

watch the video of my ride here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yESTc1xFurM

Biomechanics and Pilates Clinic 6/12/11

2011-07-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today was the start of something fantastic. The first of many Biomechanics clinics was held today at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center. Taught by Susan Peacock and Kendel Pink it was an amazingly educational experience.

Everyone was on time which is always a great way to start a clinic. :) Everyone got settled with a mat, a medicine ball and a shavings bag. Susan Peacock started with an explanation of how our body relates to the horses body. She explained that by directing the horse correctly with our body we could make it easier for the horse to understand and do what we wanted.

Then we got down to work, Kendel Pink spent the next 2 hours working on our breathing, and giving us exercises to determine where our strengths and weaknesses were. I particularly like the exercise called 'dead bug' which helped me identify my back line while keeping my abs engaged.

After many giggles, grunts and groans we had each learned something new about how our bodies want to behave. I learned that continuing to breathe as the exercises got harder was challenging and that my chest is extremely tight, so I am working on opening it by letting my shoulder blades slide into place on my back. Everyone stood up shook themselves out and after a short lunch break we got into the riding portion of the day.

Everyone started in the arena halted and had Susan and Kendel help them find their neutral pelvis and stable leg position. Then came the hard part. Remembering everything we just learned now apply it to riding a square. Stay lifted, breath, twist your rib cage without loosing your center of gravity, now straighten. Every stride became an isometric workout, you could see the difference in the horses as the rider became straighter and more balanced.

Everyone loved their lessons. Each rider came away with something concrete they could work on, both on and off the horse.

My lesson was phenomenal, I rode Prinz who is still a little unsteady in the connection at times. He was so solid for my entire ride I wanted to jump up and down for joy. You can watch my ride here: Erin's Biomechanics Lesson

By the end of the day everyone wanted to know how soon Susan and Kendel could come back, no one could get enough. The next clinic is scheduled for October 8th and 9th of 2011. Contact me if you would like to come. :)

Clinic with Conrad Schumacher April 2011

2011-04-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am lucky to get to ride with such a wonderful instructor 2 to 3 times a year. So even though none of my horses were able to go, I got to borrow Darby from Susan Peacocks barn. He has been schooling I-1 and was looking for that brilliance factor Conrad brings to all the horses he teaches.

The trip to Clovis was uneventful and upon arrival the horses settled right in to their dinner. My student Cindy generously lent us her kitchen to make dinner. One barn check later and some sleep and we were back at the barn for the first ride of the day at 8am.

Every lesson is a different set of exercises. I take copious notes on the patterns and Conrad's comments. I can always use the same exercises for my horses at home, or modify them to be more or less difficult. My lesson is great. We use multiple combinations of lateral movements to get control of Darby's neck and increase his throughness. Using shoulderfore with flexion and counter flexion at the canter we free up his shoulder and get his neck feeling like butter in my hands. By the end of day one my brain is so full of new and old ideas I fall immediately to sleep as my head hits the pillow.

On the second day lunch is not ready on time so I end up riding 3 hours early. I am thrilled to be riding before lunch and happy I don't have to wait to ride till 3. So Rachel helps me get Darby tacked and ready. Susie reminds me how to count my tempi changes since yesterday my brain completely forgot it knew how to do that. I warm up and then Conrad has me ride a line of 4's that is so good, we immediately move on to another exercise. Part of me is elated the line was so good and another says "Can't I just do it one more time?". I take a breath and concentrate on the new exercise. Half-steps and pirouettes are the plan for today. We make good progress although it is clear our school canter needs a bit of work. By the end we have a medium trot that feels like we are flying and his neck feels like it is adjustable to the millimeter. I finish my ride feeling like I am on top of the world.

The final day of our trip dawns early as we check out and hit up the obligatory Starbucks before making it to the barn for Susie to start her ride at 7:15am. It is cold and a little windy but all the rides go well. It is hard to believe I can still absorb anything after 2 days of sponging up information. My ride is great. We work more complex lateral work at the trot and canter. Using the half-steps to make him quick behind and then working on school canter to improve the pirouettes continued to make Darby elastic and expressive in his movement. As I finish my ride and walk out of the arena, I thank Conrad and realize why I love clinics so much. That feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction and pride in a truly productive and good ride is why I am a horse trainer.

Check out video clips of my rides with Conrad at
http://www.youtube.com/user/BlazickDressage?feature=mhum

El Sueno Dressage Show April 17th 2011

2011-04-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday Janet and Figaro competed in their second show together. He came out of the trailer curious but not scared. I lunged him for awhile getting all the 'steam out of the pot'. The Janet hopped on and we headed for the warm up. We had left plenty of time for them to walk around the warm up so they could both relax.

It is always hard to go from riding completely alone in an arena to a warm-up arena. Trying not to get in anyone's way will leave you zig-zaging the arena and never get your warm up done. So I reminded Janet to pass left shoulder to left shoulder, stay to the inside if she was walking, and apart from that own the figure she needed to ride. As we got down to work he started being a little upity but she rode him through it beautifully.

Their first test went well, after the first halt Figaro decided to rein back instead of proceed at the trot. Janet handled it with calm composure and they were back on track in no time. The rest of the test was wonderfully smooth, some of the circles a little large as Figaro tried to fade through the outside rein but Janet recovered nicely. They won their class with a 65%.

Their second test was Introductory C, which has about 3/4 of a canter circle in each direction. The warm up was perfect and their excitement showed as they started their warm up around the arena. Then just before the bell rang, Figaro pitched a fit, going backwards and not listening. Janet simply took a deep breath waited for him to stop moving and then sent him forward again. The entrance was perfect, and as she went to move off from the halt he started going backwards and sideways. Again with perfect calm Janet got him going forward again. The rest of the test was excellent. The canter was calm and the transitions were smooth. They won this class too, again with a 65%.

We are all looking forward to their next show together.

Congratulations Janet and Figaro!!!!!!

Festival of the Horse

2011-04-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

4am is still dark outside, and on a Sunday most rational people are sleeping. But it's a show day and I am wide awake several minutes before the alarm goes off. I put on my sparkling white outfit, makeup and shlack my hair down with more hairspray than one person should ever use. Then I am out the door and driving down deserted streets to the barn.

I wake the horses from their sleep as I walk down the barn aisle and have to drag Figaro out of his stall to be braided. I think he is still asleep. I watch the sun rise out of the mountains as I finish braiding his forelock. Janet shows up with coffee and breakfast, I eat while her husband Richard brings the trailer around. Then everyone is in the trailer and we are headed for LAEC. I review my tests and notes about my warm up as we drive. This will be my first show on Figaro this year, and I am stoked. In no time at all we have arrived, I am mounted and we are headed for the warm up.

He is tense but we start working through our exercises and he begins to concentrate. A scratch ahead of me sends us into the Equidome early. I can feel his tension come back as we walk down the hill into the arena. So I repeat the exercises we have already done to get his focus back, it works wonderfully and then it's our time and we trot into the arena.

The test starts well, he is tense but listening. Then comes the canter, it starts well and then he doesn't want to step under my outside seat bone. So instead he breaks and backs off my leg. I breath sit down deep and tap him with my leg till we are back on track. The rest of the test switches between good moments and extrema disobedience. We finish strong and I get a comment about the test being tactfully ridden. Back to the warm up to work out some kinks and then a water and snack break before my next test.

The second warm up goes even better, and I realize quickly I don't need as much time as I planned. Luckily there are some more scratches and we can go early. As soon as the person before us halts, we are ready. This test is much better, not one disobedient moment, but he is tired. Everything is very accurate and smooth. He just doesn't have enough energy to really push for the lengthenings or to drive his poll up or open his throat latch. We improve over our first score by almost 10% points and I am thrilled.

Showing a young horse is not always easy but I couldn't be more please with how he focused in the second test. There is a lot from this show that will affect future warm ups, but I look at every day as a chance to learn something and improve for the next time out. I can't wait for our next show.

A big THANK YOU to Janet and Richard Kurtosik for being such wonderful clients and so supportive. :) Couldn't have done it without you guys.

Rain, lessons and learning.

2011-04-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Usually by the end of March Los Angeles has seen the last of winter rain. So when I signed up for a show the first weekend in April the last thing on my mind was what the alternative plan would be if it rained. Hansen Dam does not have a covered arena and when it rains all the covered arenas in the area are packed. So when they forcasted a week of rain just before my show we had to be creative. I decided we should take a trip to Eastvale Equestrian Center about an hour and a half drive to ride with my mentor Susan Peacock. Janet, the horses owner, was excited about using her new truck and trailer and taking her young horse on some outings. So we packed up our things and headed to Eastvale.

The trip was easy and before long I was walking Figaro around the covered arena. Since he is only 5 anytime we go somewhere new there is a bit of anxiety. Susan coached me through several exercises to help Figaro focus and overcome his anxiety. When he started to anticipate she would change the exercise so that we were working on the same idea but on a different pattern. By the end of the lesson he was calm and relaxed. I was thrilled, in less than 45 minutes Susan had helped me transform a ball of stress into a wonderful ride. Plus adding several new tools to my tool box.

I discussed it with Janet and we decided to bring him back for a longer stay at the end of the week. Thursday morning we showed up with all Figaro's gear and feed and settled in for a few days of focused training. At the beginning of each ride it took a few minutes to get him focused and ready to work but each day we got farther along in our expectations. By Saturday I had a long list of exercises to help him focus and a great plan for our up coming show.

Even as a professional having lessons is important to keep you on track, and really in dressage we never stop learning. Videos of my lessons on Figaro are posted here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlazickDressage?feature=mhum

Hope they can help you :)

White Birch Show 2010

2010-08-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Nicole and Rugby on their second show at First Level. 2 Qualifying scores and Jr High Point!! Looking forward to our next show at Hansen Dam and DASC championships.

USPC Mega Rally Prep Clinic

2010-04-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful clinic Saturday for the Southern California Region of the US pony Club. Riders came to do a ride-a-test clinic with me to make sure they were ready and add some polish. We had riders from Training level through Third Level and everyone had a great time.

Using biomechanics and correct geometry each rider was able to make a marked difference in their tests within 30 minutes. Good Luck to everyone at Mega Rally!!

Hansen Dam March Show

2010-04-12T11:21:00.001-07:00

The show was fantastic! We could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend perfect temperature with a light breeze.

Nicole and Rugby proved that it is time for them to leave Training Level behind with first place and a 74% in Training Level Test 4. They made their debut at First Level earning a score of 68% and a Second place. Congratulations Nicole!!!

It was another debut performance by Janet and Ace’s Flemming (Figaro). Janet’s first ever competition and Ace’s first time at Introductory. They were wonderful earning a 68% on Saturday and a 60% on Sunday, Ace was much more tense Sunday morning.

I got to show Ace in Training Level Test 4 to earn qualifying scores for CDS Championships this year. Saturday we had some disobedience issues with the canter and earned a 58%. Sunday we had a more productive warm up and finished with a 68.8% and only a moment of disobedience.

This was a great start to the 2010 show season. I am looking forward to the IEL and CEC shows in April and continuing our success. Happy Showing!!!

L program Part A

2010-04-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have had to sit still for more than an hour or so at a time. Teaching and riding keep me on my feet and moving most of the day. So I thought I was going to have a hard time sitting still for an entire weekend of lecture even if it was about judging and horses. I was wrong.

The first session of the USDF L Program was inspiring to say the least. We have come so far in our understanding of the true biomechanics of horse and rider that I feel ecstatic to be around for a new era of dressage. Where a deeper understanding and a clearer methodology of scoring will not only draw more people to the sport but will help outsiders begin to understand why we ride dressage.

The session began with what a judges responsibilities are, to the competitor, the show management and our governing body USEF. A review of key rules pertaining to judges and the competition. Realizing I needed to look up almost half the answers to questions about the rules I made the USEF rulebook has now become my personal best friend. Then we moved on to how to develop a personal methodology in order to arrive at consistent scores. After much discussion on making a clear difference between a 5 and a 7, and the criteria for training through 2^nd level; we dove into biomechanics.

Having a through understanding of biomechanics is key for judges to accurately score correct riding and training while having no background or reference for the horse and rider pair in front of them. By knowing how all the pieces are supposed to move in harmony it becomes much easier to see and pinpoint disharmony. This became highly apparent when we got to evaluate real horses the afternoon of day two. Sandy Howard set us the task of assigning scores for 4 different training level horses based on their walk, then trot, and then canter. Small idiosyncrasies that were hard to distinguish in videos were very clear in person. Every participant placed the horses in the same order even if their number scores were a little high or low. After one day of training we were all on the same page.

I am thrilled to be participating in the L Program and I cannot wait for the next session. I feel inspired by a deeper knowledge of this sport that I love and look forward to continuing the L Program and becoming a judge myself.

Conrad Schumacher comes to Corona, part 1

2010-02-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

When I found out Conrad was coming to CA three times this year I was thrilled. Getting to work with him has not only improved my riding but my teaching as well. He gave a clinic in Corona the beginning of February at Susan Peacocks Hidden River Ranch. I took Figaro a 4 year old Dutch warmblood, who belongs to my client Janet. His biggest problem has been going to the connection and carrying his rider.

The first day we worked on short sitting trot sets, and then posting to get Figaro comfortable with carrying me. Then we started on trot-canter transitions. By the end of the first lesson we had decided to change Figaro's bit to something thicker so there would be less sharp pressure on his mouth. Conrad also asked to see him in the support rein the following day. The support rein is one draw rein that is attached between the horses front legs, through the flash(or drop nose band) and then the rider holds it in their hand. This allows for more control than draw reins. The support rein is used to help young horses find a steadier connection to the riders hand. It should mainly be passive unless the horse comes out of balance and then the horse feels the support rein to help them come back in to the correct balance. Videos of the rides will be posted soon. Next, Day 2.

Weddings and Marriage

2009-09-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's official my business name finally makes sense. On September 5th, 2009 I married Christopher Blazick and changed my name to Erin Blazick. Photos to follow. :)

CDS Junior Championships

2009-09-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS!! to Nicole and Rugby. After surviving their first day of a long Equation class and their first team test. The weekend continued to be beautiful and instead of 110 degrees was mid to high 80s. After their second tests on Saturday and their written theory test, Nicole's Training level Team came in 2nd overall for Training level!!! Way to go girls!!

Nicole and Rugby finished 4th in their individual competition in the 15-17 division!! Excellent job for their first championships together after only 7 months as partners!! Now it is on the DASC championships in Santa Barbara at the end of September. More updates to follow.

Summer Updates

2009-07-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well summer has been flying by so fast that I have barely had time to catch my breath let alone keep up on blogging. The horses have settled nicely into Hansen Dam.

Rugby is being ridden and shown by Nicole and they are doing fabulously. After two shows in Moorpark they qualified for DASC championships and for CDS Jr. Championships. They had their first overnight show 2 weeks ago and did wonderfully. They won all their classes and got some really good comments from the judge.

Vogue also went to the show for her debut at First level and also had a great show. We are working on increasing our uphill balance for the next show in August. We will be showing at Hansen Dam in August and hope to see you there.

Cindy Gumber with Phalana also got her last qualifying score for DASC Championships at the White Birch Show. They both continue to rise to their challenges and make huge improvements from one show to the next.

I am so proud of all my riders and we are all looking forward to the next few months, which will be very very busy. Look for us at these up coming events:

Hansen Dam Summer Dressage August 15-16

CDS JR CHAMPIONSHIPS August 21-23

DASC Chamionships September 25-27

Look forward to seeing you.

Hansen Dam Show March

2009-03-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hansen Dam had its first Dressage Show on March 14th and 15th. I was lucky enough to show both Susan Peacocks 5 year old gelding Flieger Stern and my 22 year old schoolmaster Rugged Appeal. For Flie it was his second show and apart from some spooking and a bit of tension he was wonderful!! He received 7s and 8s on his gaits, his overall scores were a bit lower than expected but with more mileage he will continue to improve and promises to be a wonderful FEI horse.

For Rugby it was not his first or second show but it was our first show together in over 5 years. I am so thankful to the LaFever's for sending him back to me. After only 5 months back into consistent work we showed First Level Test 3. On Saturday we received a 63.715% from Ann Cizadlo, Rugby got a 7 on his gaits. Not bad for a 22 year old school horse. Sunday we received a 70.572% also from Ann Cizadlo. We got 7's on all our collective marks. except for my rider's position which I got an 8 on. :) Rugby and I received Reserve Champion for the show and are already looking forward to August. Until then my student Nicole Hopper will be showing Rugby at the IEL show on April 11th, and then they will work on qualifying for CDS and DASC Championships.

The show was a wonderful success and was so well organized by David Schmutz and his team at GDS Equestrian that no one had to worry about anything. I was excited to see many members of the Pomona Chapter drove up to compete in the show and support this wonderful venue.

Keep checking in for updates and a synopsis of the Conrad Schumacher Clinic I am riding in March 30-April 1. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments.

You can also view both of my rides on Rugby through the videos link on my website!!! :)

Up and Running

2009-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

So for my first post I want you all to know how excited I am about the new training barn at Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.

But the big news is that Friday January 30th and Saturday January 31st I will be demo riding at Equine Affair in Pomona. I am demo riding for James Shaw and will be at his both after the demos to answer questions or just chat. So stop by watch me ride and say hi!Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys Equine Affair. Pictures will be posted next week!