Festival of the Horse

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.