Events

Mondays
Jumping Fun Classes at Canterbrooke, (Ames)

Tuesdays
Riding Communication Classes at The Paddock (Truro) .

May 8-9
Clinic at Catalpa Corner

April 10 and 11
Clinic at Catalpa Corner.

June 4-6
Clinic and Schooling Show Catalpa Corner
(Iowa City)

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Waiver form

"Only way that horses will win is to sit there and spend time with them. Show 'em that you're trying to help 'em. Love 'em. Talk to 'em. Get to know 'em. Now that's what you gotta do. You love 'em and they'll love you, too. People might call me crazy, but that's the way it is."

-Eddie Sweat, groom for Riva Ridge and Secretariat

Training Log for Red Curran

8/12/09 Lesson with Mary, which went well, then Red went home with her.

8/11/09 Lots of work on stretching across his topline which went quite well and translated into some very nice trot and canter work.

8/10/09 Dressage work in the indoor with lots of work on stretching and transitions. Did quite well.

8/6/09 Warmed up with some stretching work around the track, where he did quite well in all three gaits. Then on the way back to the arena he decided to say no about going in the south entrance of the arena, pull me through a bunch of tree branches and dislodged me from the tack. Um, he is a bit strong willed. Jada caught him and I got back on and did a lot of dressage work in the arena, which was where I was going before. He actually did quite well.

8/5/09 Much work, after warmup, on trot/canter transitions with him coming through his back and not tightening his poll. Produced some very nice work at the end.

8/4/09 Back in the tack. He was quite good and we had some good quiet discussions about downward transitions, coming through his back and staying in front of the leg. Well done.

7/13/09 My intention was to have an easy day today after yesterday's good day schooling. We went out for a hack and he ran through my left aids going past the fake water again. We had a dicussion concerning running through the left leg, and 55 minutes later he walked calmly past the fake water, in deference to my left leg. Good man.

7/12/09 Picked him up and hauled him to Margaret's. He loaded and unloaded beautifully and stood well for tacking. We (Margaret, Martha and me) warmed up over some cross rails and then did two small natural ditches that went fabulously. Then we went out to the far ditch by the road. He got a lead from Lottie and Margaret, but said no, threw out his left shoulder and went about 25 feet left. Due to the work I'd done yesterday with the fake water at 3G, I was able to influence him to move back to the front of the ditch with really relatively minor fanfare. Then I worked with him for about 5 minutes, asking him to stand quietly in a relaxed manner, right in front of and perpendicular to the ditch. Then I petted him, dropped the reins and just hung out with him until he took a big breath. Much praise. Then Margaret gave us another lead and he went right over. Then he went by himself, much praise. Then we did the ditch the other way. He refused right (interesting...) once. I put him back, quietly but firmly, in front of the ditch. He took a breath right away, we re-presented and he went over with no problem without a lead. All of this was done at a trot. Then we did some water schooling which went well. Then I cantered across the field alone, went back to trot and put him over the ditch and he went right away. He gave me one refusal from the other direction, but he went over it perfectly the second, much praise, threw a party. This was a great day for him in schooling. I'd like to get him out there each of the last two weeks of July to solidify and expand on his confidence and progress.

7/11/09 Warmed up with some dressage work and then went out to see if we could keep softness outside of the arena. We went past the fake water complex (concrete ramp thing) and he decided to throw himself left and not go near it. This is exactly what I have been looking for him to do--to be challenged by something and have him resist sideways. He is convinced that minding the left leg is not mandatory and we had a 40 minute discussion about his theory. He would walk along the edge of it in a very relaxed manner when it was on his left, but when it was on his right, he would do whatever he could to get away from it, to the extent that I do wonder about the acuity of his vision in his right eye. I wonder if that has ever been thoroughly checked. Regardless, he still should not blast through the left leg and he did get over it nicely.

7/10/09 Started out working outside on a place where he likes to derail. There was a storm coming and the wind was up so that added nicely to his sense of drama. I worked on helping him let go in his neck and go forward rather than sideways and he made some nice headway. When the storm hit, we went back into the indoor and worked on shoulder in and leg yield, as well as carrying himself in canter. He did the bounce twice well. Very good.

7/9/09 Warmed up with dressage and then did a 2'9" bounce three times well. Very good. Then out to the trail to face obstacles and encourage him to stay soft in his neck and relaxed in his back in all gaits. We had a few Train Derailments, but he got over them quickly and overall he did quite well. Much praise.

7/8/09 Dressage warmup with a lot of transitions and some backing and some lateral work. Then on to the bounce which went well right off the bat, so out for a hack where we worked on keeping the connection and softeness in the big world. He locked more than once, but came out of it quickly when we went back to small circles. He is able to keep it for longer all the time.

7/7/09 Dressage warm up with a lot of transitions and some backing until he agreed that carrying himself was a very good plan. Then on to a bounce gymnastic, starting with a crossrail to pole on the ground and ending with a 2'6" bounce, which he did happily and well. Then out for a hack where we continued to agree that staying relaxed in his poll is advised. Very good.

7/1/09 Dressage work and then a hack to help him learn to keep the relaxation he has in the indoor in the great big outdoors. Varying success. Improved, though.

6/30/09 Lesson with Mary, went well.

6/29/09 Warmed up in the arena with a lot of flexibility things and half halt work. Also a lot of lateral work including leg yield and shoulder in to help him learn to balance himself between the aids. Lots of transition work. Very good.

6/24/09 We went out to the track where we did some trot warm up and some canter, requireing him to stay on the aids in canter, with his neck down and soft in his poll. He did well at it by the end. Then a quick jaunt through the gymnastic on the way back through the indoor and he did very well.

6/23/09 Very hot out, so lots of work in walk and trot on flexibility and half halts. He is starting to tune in to half halts a bit better. Shoulder in and leg yield coming along. Then we did some canter transitions, sparingly in the heat, and then some jumping work, in which he maintained his rhythm and jumped straight. Very good.

6/22/09 Quite warm in the afternoon, so we stayed in the indoor, out of the sun. The heat didn't seem to bother him much. We warmed up with dressage work, focusing on half halts, which he can be oblivious to, but after a while he was on board nicely. Lots of work in transitions and then on to jumping. When through the grid at 2'9" and he slowed down and used himself nicely. Very good.

6/18/09 Warmed up as usual with bending and transition work and then on to gridwork. I set up a placing rail, 9' to a 2' vertical, 9' to a placing rail, 9' to a 2' vertical. He did excellently, adjusting his feet in a relaxed manner and getting right to the base and jumping up and around. I raised it to 2'6" which he thought he might rush at, but got over it quickly. He did so well that we did it a few more times and then I took him out for a hack, focusing on staying relaxed in his neck in walk and trot and he did very well.

6/17/09 Warmed up with some bending and transition work, especially walk and trot to canter and back again to help him get stronger in carrying himself. He is always very willing to try and relaxes quite nicely when he knows his effort is correct and appreciated. Then I put him through the 9' placing pole to a 2' vertical, focusing on staying in rhythm. He did some funky shoulder swing things and continued to rush the first few times, but he did start to relaxe and rock back over his hocks and lift his shoulder appropriately, for which he rec'd much praise. I raised it to 2'6" and he maintained the rhythm and the squareness, so much praise and called it a day.

6/15/09 We did a lot of work in canter, focusing on transitions and balance. He really wanted to swing his shoulder or ignore my leg on the upward transition, so we discussed the simplicity of just picking up his shoulders straight and cantering underneath himself, which he did very well, after a time. We also discussed the option of halting from canter in a balanced manner, which he also adopted after some negotiation. Then I put a placing pole 9' in front of a crossrail and asked him to canter it. He rushed it and ignored my aids to stay balanced and made a lovely lurch at it. The next time around I asked him to stop in front of the placing pole, which he denied, raised his head and pulled himself over the jump. I ignored it, other than requiring a halt after the fence, and re-presented and asked him to stop in front of the placing pole, which he did, with some difficulty. Much praise. The point here is that he needs to learn that he is not alone. It is not up to him to completely handle everything when it comes to jumping and he can relax and wait for a good distance. He can listen for helpful balancing cues from his rider. I re-presented, asked him to balance up in front of the jump and he did a much better job of it. We did it several times in both directions and by the end he was keeping the rhythm and putting a nice round, relaxed step after the placing pole and before the jump. Much praise.

6/12/09 Out for a dressage hack for a change of scenery and to get him used to the idea of staying soft while out in the big world. We negotiated some driving hazards, which are scary looking things that distracted him nicely so that we could practice staying with the rider when things get scary. He had some moments, but came around nicely. Much praise when he stayed with me.

6/11/09 Flexibility work and letting go in the poll reminders. He is getting a little more balanced and more able to hold himself up and stay soft for longer periods of time. He is always willing to try and is producing some more push and carry in trot which is lovely fun and earns him big praise. He had some very good work in leg yield and shoulder in today, and stood up in his shoulders nicely in canter at times.

6/10/09 More flexibility work and did a square exercise, which was hard for him at first, but he got better. Then some leg yield quarter line to quarter line, bend around the corner, leg yield other quarter line to quarter line for a shallow figure eight. Some shoulder in work. Then on to canter trot canter transitions work. Very good.

6/9/09 Worked in the indoor on staying soft in the poll and between the aids. He did quite well with it after investigating whether sticking out a shoulder, hip or nostril would be advisable, each of which were patiently but firmly put back in the square of the aids. We did turn on the hindquarters, turn on the forehand and sidepass, slowly and methodically until he was entirely relaxed about it in his whole body, then went on to walk leg yield, then walk leg yield to canter depart, which went well. That was quite a lot of stuff for one day, so much praise and done.

6/8/09 Tacked up and rode in the indoor. He was lovely in the cross ties, the perfect gentleman. When leading he wants to push a little and resist against the bit, so we had a little discussion about simply following the rein when being led, which he picked up quickly, good man. Then on to a lot of flexibility work in walk, asking him to let go in his poll, which is easier for him to the right than left, but he was willing to try with a little finesse. He eventually let go on both sides and did some nice work in walk, and acceptable work in trot and canter. Very good start.

6/5/09 Red arrived and was introduced to the pasturemates with no drama.

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