Thursday, March 5, 2009
I Apologize
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Today was the first sunny day in I don’t know how long. The air is crisp and the birds are singing. I have seen the first buds of spring on trees and I think I’ve smiled more today than all of last week.
I watched Herr Schmidt ride one horse this morning before I decided it was just too nice outside to be standing and watching inside. So I hacked Roode on the unfrozen roads and we both greatly enjoyed it.
My lesson with H.S. was super. I really think I am going to have a breakthrough soon. In the beginning I could feel that Roode was just a bit lethargic. So I really pushed him over the edge today. I thought even though the feeling was not so great I needed to do something to make the quality better because I have been waiting for him to become stronger and show me a difference but today I just thought he was really taking advantage of my training skills. I thought ‘If my own position gets out of place then Herr Schmidt will yell about it and that’s fine but today I am going for it’. Herr Schmidt actually commended me for good riding today, which is actually very rare. I think I was actually good on my part with being steady and feeling more. It was Roode that was rocking the boat. I just sat there and pushed through it. I didn’t let my guards down this time. I was impressed at how he looked in the mirror. The quality was really great. If I keep this up then the quality is bound to become instinctive soon enough and we can count on it from the beginning.
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
The canter quality feels better than the trot now. Who would have ever thought, I know. The trot has not been as good as I know it can be. There is some kind of standard that H.S. has and I get the feeling that I will get there soon. Roode can do it and I will come to the point where I won’t accept anything less than his best. Otherwise, it was good for a Monday.
This Friday March 5th, I will meet Kyra Kyrklund and spend the day watching her in the U.K. I am so excited. Then the rest of the weekend will be spent sleepless in London.
Sunday, March 1st, 2009
On our way back home, we stopped in Verden to explore the German Horse Museum. It was interesting. Unfortunately, I could not read much. Instead, up front I bought an old Reiter und Pferd magazine with Rohdiamant (Roode’s sire) on the front cover. I bought a museum bag and a burlap sack-like bag with the famous Blue Horse Painting on it.
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Roode’s schwung is getting so much better. He is swinging more in the back and I think the cadence has made a drastic change for the better. I love it. I can feel that Roode loves the work too. I give more breaks now too because I feel that we both need a breather after the work we’ve been doing.
4’s, 3’s, and 2’s are flying! I cannot wait to see what these can actually become. I am optimistic and hopeful that with more experience I will develop a better feel for timing with the leg changes and Herr Schmidt can stop saying that it is “my fault” all the time. It is my fault but I just need to keep at them. They are getting much better; I just often miss the last change. My other problem is not keeping Roode straight in the neck. So then the haunches are affected and the whole body becomes crooked. But, I am getting better and the quality of Roode’s gaits has improved immensely. As a funny side note, Herr Schmidt has turned to growling at me when I don’t do something correctly. I think it is a little bit funny but it scares me too.This weekend is a CDI in Bremen. Herr Schmidt is riding and tomorrow I am going to ask if I can go with them. Paula the groom is sure he will say yes but I can only hope. This CDI is about a 3 hour drive with the horses and they will be staying the night. I may have to see about accommodation.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
The sun is out again. The sunshine never seems to last very long but it is certainly getting warmer again! I love it. So, for the first time since before Christmas, I hacked Roode on the roads for 30 minutes. With everything melting, the river has risen and is rapid. There is a small bridge to cross and I think I was more daunted by crossing than Roode was. He was brave but I was a baby. But my eyes were also about 4 feet higher than his and by my perspective the railing was easy to go over whereas he was snorting with his head low to the ground. I am so glad that he was good.
Two of the horses had to be moved to another farm nearby because we have no room with Diederik’s horses that came in from Holland. Caitlin from Australia asked if I could drive her in Herr Schmidt’s car because she is not confident with a manual or driving on the other side of the road and the car. While she rode the other two horses, I finished errands in Paderborn. : ) I like Herr Schmidt’s car.
Roode was super today. Every day is routinely the same but now we are getting through the movements faster because they have been good the first time around and now we have moved onto canter double half pass.
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
You will not believe who is here. Diederik van Silfhout is here at Fleyenhof to take instruction from Herr Schmidt. He was the Young Rider World Cup Champion and Champion in Portugal. He is Dutch. He brought 3 horses including Ruby and is only here for five days. He is such a good rider. He is not as good as Hubertus but he has such a nice position. It was nice to hear H.S. tell him the same things as me. I heard him tell him to sit on his seat once too. That felt good.