Fail Better Today

I read an article in the National Geographic about Failure.

The gist of the reading was how much is learned through Failure.

There were numerous examples of explorers going off into the world to perform their missions only to fail in it's execution and come  home with their tails between their legs...and in some cases, pay the ultimate price and not come home at all.

Of course, the famous journey of the explorer,  Shackleton,  was a feature. Despite getting his ship hopelessly lodged in the ice and failing to reach the South Pole, Shackleton and all his men survived. Deemed a "successful failure"....a bit of an oxymoron.

I have to say, this article had a profound effect on me. Although I am not a world explorer, I am an explorer in the equine world. Smaller journeys that still, however, involve what many may think is, considerable Failure. 

Not winning the class.  Having a "bad" ride. The project horse who has other ideas of who is in charge.

It is my view that Failure is just that - Somebody else's view.  What somebody sees as non-productive (failure), I see as successful. I took what wasn't working well and adapted.

One of the first things I learned as a young equestrian was humility.  At my first show, my horse,  Maarana, had other ideas.  She was not happy with being at the show, let alone being ridden. I was about 12 years old and I was mad! I remember at the time that I wanted to go home. Thankfully, the gal I was riding with gave me a choice: Go home (whine) Or buck-up and deal with it and Problem Solve the situation (aroo!).

So what started as a Failure in my young life, turned into an opportunity to learn and grow. I do believe the folks call it "Building Character." I chose to buck-up (aroo!) and we kept showing.  We didn't win any classes, but I learned to deal with a situation that was less than perfect.

It was my first lesson in humility.  Humility is a key component in seeing a difficult situation as an opportunity. A situation to examine and modify (The Marines would say: Adapt. Adopt. Improve (they also say boo'ya!)), instead of letting that difficult situation ruin the day because it wasn't Perfect. Humility allows for original thinking and creativity....the catalysts of success.

The drowning force of original thinking and success is Egoism and looking good to others. When Ego and the desire to "Look Good" shadow the numerous successes hidden in a situation, that is the ultimate Failure.

The original solutions are ignored because the mind is looking outward, worrying about what others may be thinking. The outward mindset closes the door on original thinking and closes the mind to creative solutions because what They think becomes the mantra. This, in turn, becomes a cycle in which anytime the work is not Ideal, failure occurs....

Just imagine how many men would have survived if Shackleton had just sat stuck in the ice and worried about looking good. He looked at the situation and adapted to insure the survival of his men.

When a Shackleton moment arises, look inward.  Remember that even though you and your horse may be a little stuck, taking a moment to step back, looking inward to what you know, and ignoring Them, can create a completely new solution that will serve the situation well and create a fantastic success.

"The Rotteness of Dressage"

So....I read a post on FB. It was about a new book by a German trainer in regards to the "The Rotteness of Dressage."  (My apologies...I'll be finding the name of the author, the Actual name of the book, and reading the book...)

I, do, however, have to agree...

I know I am not a Grand Prix Dressage rider...but I DO know movement.

Before I was lucky enough to go to a Gerd Heuschmann clinic, I was not impressed with the "professional" level of Dressage. I saw (and see) horses' tails swishing,  gnawing on the bit, and flipping their front legs out in front of them with dropped backs and high hineys...

The Gerd Heuschmann information confirmed what I already thought... the professional level Dressage has moved away from the Classical form toward showing off and impressing the "dumb" public. So sad.

Collection has been modified from a complex dance between two sentient beings to Faster! Bigger! Sooner!!  The judges are a lot to blame because they score the modified collection as what will win.

Sigh.

I used to think I wanted to be in the upper echelon of Grand Prix Dressage...but my path has not taken me in that direction. And thanks to Trevor, he taught me a happy horse is more important than prestige and a ribbon. I am still on the path to move up through the levels with Trev, but on our time, with quality and purpose.

As riders, we all have to pick our own path...

What is yours...?

Equine Flexion

In my last post, I talked about that overused word:

Collection.

I gave the United States Dressage Federation's (USDF) definition of:

Collection

Working (trot/canter)

Uphill

Then I began thinking about Flexion.

Flexion (also called Bending) in a horse is when a body part "flexes" due to some form of pressure.

Pressure to create Flexion is generally direct by using a hand, leg, heel,  spur, bit, or whip directly on the body of the horse.  For example:  I put pressure on the bit from the left rein and the horse's mouth and nose bend in to the left and the jaw, poll and neck Flex to the right.

The amount of pressure needed to create the flexion should depend certain factors, such as, rider skill and the horse's level of training. Technically, the more skill the rider has, the lighter the pressure. And technically, the higher level of training the horse has, the lighter the response.

Lateral as defined by the USDF is:

To the side,  as in flexion, bend, suppleness, or direction of movement. Impurity in the walk (ambling or pacing) or canter; rarely in trot.

Examples of Lateral Flexion are:  bending at the poll, bending in the ribcage, side pass, leg yield, half pass.

When a horse flexes correctly,  it creates a softness in the equine that is efficient and functional. This then creates movements that look effortless and easy for both horse and rider. It's beautiful.

However, there is an aspect on Flexion that is rarely discussed:

Vertical Flexion/Lift.

I looked again in the USDF definitions and did not find Vertical Flexion.

In the previously blog about Collection, I mentioned the concept "Uphill." Uphill was the closest definition I could find to Vertical Flexion...

My definition of Vertical Flexion is:

The creation of Lift or Elevation in the horse's body where there is contraction of the horse's stomach muscles, which lifts the back, and at the same time, lowering the hindquarters. These actions elevate and lighten the front end, giving the horse the appearance of being "Uphill."

To have CORRECT Collection, both Lateral Flexion and Vertical Flexion is required...

Which is why true Collection takes years to develop. It begins with Lateral Flexion. Teaching horse & rider to find the softness in each other through the practice of movements. Overtime, the softness becomes strong and supple, like a ballarina and her partner.

As the training continues, the movements toward true Collection become lighter and more contained as the element of Vertical Flexion is added to the established Lateral Flexion.

These two aspects of true Collection create a dance between horse & rider that is unsurpassed in it's refinement and beauty.

What is COLLECTION???

I am always curious about what people think Collection is...

I hear people saying that they have or ride their horses "in collection" or "collected up."  But what are they really saying and thinking they are doing?

I am a staunch purest in HOW the horse should be "Collected." For me, True Collection is a long road that takes years to obtain where the horse takes more weight on the hindquarters, engages the stomach muscles to help lift and engage the topline, creating lightness in the front end. It is a process over time, the rider being the influencing force for the horse to slowly shift his/her weight backwards through strength building exercises and the understanding of  equine bio-mechanics. I have heard it said that the Piaffe is the highest form of Collection.

So. I looked up the United States Dressage Federation's (USDF) definition of Collection in the USDF 2011 Glossary of Judging Terms. Their official definition is:

Collection/Collected (Walk, Trot, or Canter)
           At trot and canter, a pace with shorter steps and a more uphill balance than in the working pace, without sacraficing implusion. The horse's frame is shorter, with the neck stretched and arched upward. The tempo remains nearly the same in the medium or extended pace.

Then as a comparison,  I looked up "Working." Their official definition is:

Working (Trot/Canter)
             A pace in which the horse goes forward energetically but calmly, with a length of stride between that of collected and medium paces. The degree of uphill balance required is less than in the collected pace.

So. Then I looked up "Uphill" since it was mentioned in both definitions.

Their offical definition is:

Uphill
            Longitudinally well balanced as a consequence of engagement of the hindquarters (which allows the back to assist in elevating the forehand) and engagement of the thoracic sling muscles to lift the forehand. The pushing forces the hindlimbs are balanced with the elevating  forces from the forelimb.

I realized that I could keep looking up aspects of these definitions at not be satisfied.  

And THIS WHY PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT COLLECTION IS. To no fault of anyone, if the definitions don't calirfy, then confusion abounds.

How many people know what the Thoracic Sling is??

I do. Do you??

What about Longitudinal Balance??

Do you know what a Medium Pace is??

Where are the stomach muscles in all these definitions??

As everyone see things from their own personal perspective, each person will have  slightly different view on Collection.

But. Physics is physics...one force has an opposite and equal reaction. Horse's bodies respond to the forces of the bridle, saddle, and rider. But unlike inanimate objects,  a horse's body is dynamic, and in the opposite and equal reactions, we can get a lot of variations in those reactions.

Sometimes what we think is a correct respones for collection is actually a lock down, rather than a engagement, of muscle. To get to a true collected state, the horse and rider first must have a base of fitness and basic self-carriage where the horse and rider understand how to move through the gaits in a forward motion with the energy rolling through the horse's body from back to front.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what kind of riding you choose. Knowing the whys and hows of what you do and how you influence your horse through your riding is most important.

If you want True Collection, learn what it is through quality riding and understanding how the equine body works.

Feeling Good....

So. I posted earlier about feeling better after gettin' my head on straight.

Everyone said I needed my head examined....   :)

But...Oh glorious day!!

It has been almost 2 years since the infamous concussion. I do not recommend one, btw...

As my body became increasingly stuck, my horse obviously did not improve in his willingness.  Not! That Trevor doesn't have his opinion....! He is a Thoroughbred and pays attention to everything.  And, in my opinion, he is one of the smartest horses I've ever known.  He knows what I want before I've even asked...His "feel" is oober refined...and it has been an interesting road for me to be clear and calm in my request. He's a mind & body reader, as a lot of horses are...but as I have heard before, Thoroughbreds are like Ferraris....and I still am figuring out his gas pedal.

YA KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS WHEN YOUR BODY IS STUCK.

However....my last ride before the lovely snow storm was just that... Lovely. 

My body was relaxed in way it hasn't been in a long while.  Trev was soft and THROUGH...IT. WAS. AWESOME.

Take heed....think about how your body is working. Know the places you are stuck...And Do Something About it.

Basic Movement

This is a no brainer post.

Walk: 4 beat gait.

Trot: 2 beat gait.

Canter: 3 beat gait.

Duh, right?

Each gait can be lengthened and shortened.

A lot of people say the trot is the most important gait. Maybe. A quality trot will strengthen your horse's body overall if ridden well.

"Quality" being a walk, trot, or canter ridden back to front, with the horse swinging through and over his/her topline.

I say, it takes all three.  One quality part of a three part system will not make the other gaits necessarily better, but it will be a good indicator.

I believe the quality of the walk is an indicator of overall relaxation in the horse's body.  When the walk becomes forward with quality, it indicates the willingness in the other gaits.

As for the canter, it is a good indicator of relaxation in the lumbar region because of the "uneveness" of the hind legs. The inside hind leg is more forward under the horse as it travels on the correct lead, stretching the back, lumbar, and hindquarter muscles, all the while engaging the belly. A canter that can engage all these areas will create a softer, more comfortable gait.

So work to create quality gaits with the three basic gaits all horses come equipped with.

Movement

What is movement?

What is a Quality movement??

Where does your eye "go" when you watch a horse move...that is telling in itself.

How do you interpret what you see??

What are equine bio-mechanics??

How does knowing quality movement help your riding??

What horses inspire you when you see them move??