REAL LIFE Well its official, I'm leaving Holyoke Mass - my last day of work here is July 3rd. The plan is to start my new job on August 1st, so I'll have a nice riding vacation in July. I expect to be working in Randolph VT at Gifford hospital and the horses will be at Huntington Farm in South Strafford VT. I'll get to train with Deb Dean-Smith on a regular basis - which absolutely thrills me! Deb presently has 3 FEI horses (all trained by her) Lady Liberty who showed…

Conditions Life has been good. Very nice weather with highs in the 70's. no bug problems yet. Footing has been great for riding outside in the FEI ring and hacking.

Caddymaster Super news for Caddy he is back in form. I absolutely could ride a PSG test next weekend with reasonable expectations of scores in the mid 60's. I've been working as outlined in my past posts - but including a real focused "speed control" to the warm-up.…

Gesstenia: So, my coach video taped me riding Tia on Sunday, I had been hoping to get some footage to send to Anky and Sjef's new educational center for evaluation. I rode outside in the FEI ring and Tia felt a little wild.

So watching this was REALLY helpful. The first thing I noticed about my position is that I keep my elbows too far back - I am determined to keep my elbows more in front of me - so I need to fight a few decades of muscle…

Conditions: Amazing weather - high 60's no bugs no mud. able to hack both horses before and after rides. rode both in double. Rode outside in FEI ring (This ring is called the FEI ring as during the USDF dressage show, all the FEI rides are in this ring. It is a beautiful ring with great footing and 2 permanent judges booth - the actula ring is not up - so the dimensions are greater than 20mx60m

Caddymaster: OK and YIPPEE! I am…

Caddymaster First let me mention his half brother Tip Top who underwent colic surgery this past weekend. I have loved following Tip Top's career. I was also very keen on Max - another master offspring recently retired. So I hope Tip Top does well, at 16 yo, I wonder if he will be show fit again? definitely not going to WEG.

So Caddy was great today so let me start there. I was able to ride outside and hack before and after the ride. It was an absolutely…

Conditions After work light enough that I was able to ride outside. Hack before and after ride

Tia Quick ride. She has not been worked outside since october/november. After my hack went to "woodchip" ring where the footing is really good. She settled right into work with rising trot and big figures 20m - 15m circles and 3 loop serpentines with me emphasing the straightness.

Quick walk break then picking up the…

Monday 8th Conditions; after work very crowded ring rode both horses in snaffle

Caddy couldn't really get him to the place he was in the last 2 days. My theory - he could have been tired or, I rode him in Tia's saddle and I think it interferred with the freedom of his shoulder. I generally ride him in an Albion slk which fits him great.

Tia by the time I got on her, the ring was full of a larger than…

Conditions: Another great day, able to hack before and after ride rode caddy in snaffle and Tia in double

Caddymaster: Very similar ride as on Saturday. I need to let him trot in the speed he wants at first and not get frustrated with how it looks and feels. By the end of the ride he was FANTASTIC. I figure it may take another 3-4 weeks of working like this to get him back to his PSG/I1 work - which is fine, as long as it…

Conditions: Absolutely beautiful day, sunny and feeling like early spring. Nice long hacks on both horses before and after the rides. Rode both in snaffle

Caddymaster So yesterday, after his massage, I noticed some striking diferences. 1) he kept trying to pull all the reins out of my hand - as if he needed to cough - something he general won't do unless he really does indeed need…

Conditions I was really exhausted after the work week and the ring was crowded with lessons. Rode caddy and Tia - but really, just got them out of the stalls and walked trot and canter in both directions

Caddy had a massage today. the report seemed really on with reports of tightness through the poll and top line, I didn't have her do Tia as she is so sensitive that I wanted to be there (and also so problem free).

conditions;Unable to ride today due to delay leaving work.

I have been thinking about Caddymaster a lot and I wanted to put down in words the thoughts about why he is doing so well of late.

Caddymaster: So I've been the only human riding him since he was turning 4 years old (he is now 12). He has always been a laid back dude. The bit has always slid a little out of the left side of the mouth. Recently…

Conditions: post-call day off :) Last night was very quiet on call, so whole night to sleep :). Snow mixed with rain, no hacking.

Tia: lesson: Rode in double worked on 1) changes 2) pirouettes 3) med towrads extended trot at end.

1) So I've been thinking of an article that Hubertis Schmidt published where he said the neck should be straight, a stride before the change, soften the new inside rein. The first ride I…

:Conditions: Monday night after work. Unable to hack. Ring very busy with beginer lessons. Both horses really light rides - essentially warm up only

Caddymaster: snaffle. Overall very good ride. In the snaffle, he is more apt to put his tongue out. This happens more on the left rein. Today I thought of keeping him really straight on the left rein - almost thinking counterbent in the neck - VERY good idea (again - duh)

(Caddy for…

weight 145

Conditions: nice day. good hacking. overall quiet ring until boogaloo

Caddymaster Great ride. Hacked before and after schooling in ring. rode in double

started with Kyra's ABC's much better than yesterday!! Then a bit of heather blitz's walk exercise

Approached warm up differently

1) if he is not good don't go on. i'e if the neck…

Weight 145 - goal 135

Conditions: fun hacking with fresh slushy snow on the ground.

Caddy: Worked in ring with snaffle. Great hack through the woods before the ride. snow was close to knee deep in places and Caddy was excited and trotted a lot of the way.

 …

Horses day off. Spent quiet evening with dogs, fire and wine - trying to find good instructional video on starting passage piaffe. I watched the Hubertis Schmidt NEDA clinic on dressage clinic the intermediare II rider and didn't find any help for the pi/pa :(

conditions: snowy rainy so no turnout and no hacking before and after rides

Caddymaster "Caddy" My 12 yo swedish gelding by Master out of an Indus mare (same mare line as Minna Tinde's Don Charly) has shown PSG. I've earned both my bronze and silver medal on him. Presently he is coming back after a month of with a mystery illness (Lyme?)

Worked in snaffle still focusing on the connection, straightness and speed…

Conditions: still raining all day so horses with no turn out. Rode after work. Ring very crowded with Caddy one other horse with Tia.

Caddy: rode in snaffle. Focused on speed control. Suppleness in neck and connection. Worked with lots of transitions. Needs to be rounder and more through, but I think I am on the right track. Difficult ride as jumping lesson going on in…