Blog :: Horses and Riding
May 2008
Review: The Principles of Riding
Reading The Principles of Riding by the German National Equestrian Federation felt like the world’s greatest exam review session. There was not much in the book that was new to me, but it did help bring some concepts together, clarified a few exercises, and confirmed everything I’ve been taught over the years.
Well, the parts on cross-country training fit in concept with how I think training should go, but I can count the number of cross-country jumps I’ve jumped on one hand. I can’t say I’ve practiced everything in the book, but I can say that in concept I agree with much of it. I’m sure the German National Equestrian Federation will be relieved to know that. (GNEF: “Halt Near X? Who? A blogger? Does she actually ride? She does? Has anyone seen this?“)
The book covers a lot of ground, from basic tack and equipment to riding (dressage, jumping, cross-country) to training the horse. Gaits are covered, as are movements such as leg yield, shoulder in, and turn on the haunches. Typically each section will include both the theory behind a movement and practical details, such as images to illustrate the text or sequential aids to ask for a movement.
A couple points I found interesting because they differ from what I’ve been taught:
One variation of the turn on the haunches is taught as starting from the halt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turn on the haunches from the halt; I’ve always seen (and ridden) it from the walk. I assume it’s because the turn on the haunches is easier from the walk (the book does say to have beginners take a step or two forward before beginning) and from a halt you run a greater risk of the horse crossing the hind legs instead of pivoting.
The other major difference from my training is that it suggests teaching the leg yield along the wall (e.g. the horse is at an angle to the wall and then moves down the long side maintaining that angle). I have always been taught (and seen beginners taught) the leg yield from the quarter line to the rail and back (or rail to quarterline and back). Their explanation for starting with the leg yield along the wall is that the rider “can concentrate on his sideways-pushing aids and does not need to use his rein aids so much because the wall is there to help him.”
My experience has been that riders new to the leg yield along the wall have a very difficult time maintaining the correct angle, and they and the horse end up perpendicular to the wall and “stuck.” It is true that when you are leg yielding parallel to the wall you often end up losing the straightness, but it is easier, in my experience, to stop the sideways movement, ride straight for a few steps, and start again at that point. When you are leg yielding along the wall, you have to circle to reestablish the correct angle—the whole exercise becomes disrupted.
This is a book everyone riding English disciplines should read, preferably early in their career. A really ambitious instructor could assign segments of the book to students as homework to solidify concepts introduced during a lesson—this would be especially true when a movement (say leg yielding) is first introduced. (All the instructors there ever were: “Just how much time do you think we have in our day?” Me: “Yeah, ok. Maybe not. But in theory it’s a good idea, right?“)
February 2008
Finding Funding
I received an email today from a lady whose stepdaughter has been invited to a national championship, but we all know (or can imagine, anyway) the costs involved at that level of competition. Aside from the show & related fees, there’s also travel fees and so forth. Her question is how to raise money to pay for this.
First off, congrats to the stepdaughter for doing so well.
I would personally start out by looking for sponsors. No… I would personally start out by doing a lot of planning.
Check all the applicable rule books. Can juniors even have sponsors? Are there limitations on sponsor branding? Can displays be set up in the stabling area? Logos on shirts and saddle pads? Keep in mind the rules for championship and national competitions are sometimes different than the rules for regular competition. Make sure you’ve researched everything!
Assuming sponsors are allowed by the rules—I’d spend some time working out exactly how much money is needed and how that money breaks down. Sponsors want to know their money will go to good use.
Then think about how you can thank the sponsors—what sort of display can do you do at the show? What can you do at home (example: a thank you in the local paper, or a feature article for a local horse journal about going to nationals, with a thank you to the sponsors included). Maybe get photos taken at nationals and present them to the sponsors afterwards in a nice frame. And so on. Make sure the sponsors know you are grateful (and that you will get their name out there).
Don’t discount goods in place of cash. The local feedstore might not want to donate cash, but they might be willing to donate hay or bedding. Your local gas station might contribute a gas card if you’re trailering. If you find someone willing to donate a trailer, send me their name and address.
Will all this work? A similar approach worked for me with college scholarships. Have a plan. Be organized. Know what you really need (this is not the same thing as what you want). There are probably websites out there on how to find sponsors as well, and they probably have sample letters that can be sent out. Google finding sponsorship in general, not just sponsorship related to riding—there are a lot of sports with people looking for sponsors, so you may find useful information in unlikely places.
The second major thing I would do is check with the local horse organizations and see if they have any sort of scholarship fund for this purpose. They might, and you won’t know if you don’t ask.
And the third major thing I would do is encourage the stepdaughter to do all the odd jobs she can do, whenever she can get them (assuming she’s old enough). Babysit, mow lawns, walk pets, wash cars, anything and everything. All the money she earns goes into the Nationals fund. Sure, it’s not fun and it’s not glamorous, but an extra $100 a week x four weeks a month x four months is $1600. And at the rates babysitters charge (in my area, at least), $100 a week isn’t an unreasonable goal.
Anyone else have ideas?
January 2008
Seven Things
MiKael is apparently exacting revenge on me for never commenting anywhere, and she’s tagged me with that “Seven things you don’t know about me” viral meme. I’m sure I’ve done that one before (and it was only five things, then. It’s gotten worse the longer it goes on…). Tracey at Mustang Diaries offered an alternative (“Seven things you’d like to accomplish in 2008”) but I already posted my New Year’s resolutions. All, um, three of them.
So I’m going to do “Seven Things I’ve Learned Around Horses.” I’m such a rebel.
- If you are running unusually late for a lesson and have convinced yourself it’ll be ok because for the past two months you’ve been riding the uber-clean chestnut mare who can be saddled up in five minutes, invariably you will arrive at the barn to find you’ve been assigned the gray horse who practically needs a bath before he can be saddled. Especially if your barn has a rule about spot-free horses in lessons.
- Hoofpicks are free spirits. They cannot be owned. Your brushbox is not their home; it’s merely a temporary stopping place between the tack store and wherever it is hoofpicks are headed in the universe. I’m not sure where that is, but it’s certainly not here (as in: “But I left it right here!” )
- If you are working late at the barn and are totally exhausted and want to get home like nothing else, you will almost certainly come up with a brilliant time-saving plan. Do. Not. Attempt. Whatever. It. Is. You. Are. Thinking. Of. Three hours later, you will be cleaning up the remains of whatever mess you made and you will still have to figure out how to explain to the barn owner that it’s really not your fault the hose is in six pieces and the feed cart lacks a wheel.
- Horses can understand us; they have a sense of humor, too. I can prove it: take the most non-horsey person you know out to the barn and introduce them to your calmest, sweetest horse while saying, “This is Dobbin. You can pet him. He never bites.” Watch what happens.
- No two blankets in the world have the same system for buckling. This is a conspiracy by the manufacturers, who spend thousands of dollars researching the least obvious ways to fasten blankets on horses. They probably have year-end awards for videos of clueless people who couldn’t figure how where to snap what.
- There is an inverse relationship between your savings account and your horse’s health. The more money you have saved up, the more mystifying your horse’s mysterious lameness is.
- Either you are healthy, or your horse is. If you both by some cosmic accident happen to be healthy on the same day, it will rain and the arena and local trails will flood.
(If you thought I was going to end on a feel-good, “awwww” moment, you obviously haven’t been reading this blog enough.)
Now the dilemna: do I or do I not pass this on to anyone else? Silly question. Of course I do.
Y’all are it. Seven Things. Whatever Seven Things you like.
An excuse, and something to read
My cat had minor surgery earlier this week (she’s is and was fine—it was a precautionary thing) and I’ve been spending most of the week laughing at her. I can’t help it—there’s nothing quite as funny as a thoroughly torqued-off cat wearing a vet collar. Also, I pay her bills, so I should be allowed to laugh.
Between her after-surgery care and some deadline-type things I have going on, I’ve been busy and expect to remain busy for a while.
So: something else to read:
- Women and Horses by Rider One is being updated again!
- Saving Argus, a blog about a farm that is caring for a thoroughbred who spent nearly 16 years locked in a 12/16 pen.
- Box of Stars is a blog that is apparently going to end up being a YA novel. Interesting concept. Haven’t read much, so can’t really comment on how good it is.
Incidentally, I recently stumbled across a section of MySpace that I really wish I hadn’t found, because apparently there are scads of people who write blogs from their horse’s point of view. Complete with their horses’ astrological signs and favorite music and such. And then comment on each others’ blogs. From their horses’ points of view.
I don’t mind the occasional post written from an animal’s point of view, as long as it’s funny and there’s an obvious reason for it, but entire blogs written this way are just not my cup of tea. I’m a bit… disconcerted… that there’s a whole community of people writing this way, but hey—it’s a big ol’ internet out there, and there’s plenty of space for us all.
Besides, I’m sure that someone, somewhere is currently posting “I just found these blogs about horses, and I just don’t understand them…”
In the end, we’re all someone else’s definition of crazy. We might as well enjoy ourselves, right?
When I was a kid, we walked to school uphill both ways in the blinding snow…
Today’s temperature: Are you kidding me?! (This is a real temperature. It’s right between “Cold? You think you’re cold?” and “So this is what cryogenic freezing feels like.“)
I’m feeling sorry for myself. I wasn’t, until I realized it is at least 70 degrees warmer in Houston than it is here, but hey, that’s what the internet is good for: finding things out that you’d be happier not knowing.
In real, happy news, I have a riding situation worked out so I can hop on one of my favorite horses bareback for fifteen minutes here and there. We think this will help my back without overstressing it the way I might in a lesson. It will also make it easier to squeeze in a lesson when the temperature deigns to go above 20 degrees, since I will be a little more riding fit than I would be otherwise.
I admit: I knew this was coming. A week or two ago, all the animals I know suddenly went *poof* and had thick, thick, thick winter coats. Since we have already had one of these cold snaps this year and they didn’t fluff up for that one, I admit I’m a little worried about how long this one intends to stay around, but I keep telling myself:
I am moving. We are still working out the details, but those are just details. I am moving.
(I would end with a bravado-filled “throw it at me, you cursed northern cold fronts! You can’t crush my spirit!” flourish, but that’s akin to challenging the thunder gods while standing on a high hill and brandishing an iron sword. I’m not so foolish as that.)