I've been taking lessons with Kelly Weatherhead and Nadege this lady at the barn. It's been great to go back and forth between the two. It's good having two different styles, that have one goal: creating a rounder horse.
Lilly is very hard mouthed and I think all the years of hunt seat and ApHC-styled training has created a horse that doesn't like contact.
She's been popping up a lot. Both Kelly and Nadege have said it's because we're asking her to use herself more and she's protesting.
Nadege really worked with me at the canter, because I have a habit of giving up my reins to her and losing the roundness.
My friend Candice and her daughter watched our lesson half-way into it. We were talking about getting them rounder can be a lot of hard work. I told them I think my working out out has improved my riding in the aspect that since she's so strong and hard on the bit, my strength and endurance has helped me.
Another good thing about this ride is that my shoulder was awesome. I wasn't in any pain and I felt great. Nadege really yelled at me to post like a dressage rider not like a hunter with my hips leading not my shoulders. Really felt my abs working when I did that. woohoo!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Acupuncture
So my mother has been going to the acupuncturist for many years now. She always seems to get pain relief and so she took me to her doctor yesterday. I figured for $40, why not. Getting stabbed with needles is always fun (I'm being sarcastic).
So we go and I have no idea what to expect. The doctor is Korean so he had her in the office and they were talking. He knows english, but I guess it was easier for him to have my mother translate. So we talked about my pain in my shoulder. I pretty much got a massage and he found where I was hurting, if he couldn't guess by me visibily flinching when he pressed down on my shoulder point.
In my mind I thought he was already putting needles in me, because I'd feel him put something wet and it sort of smelled like alcohol. But my mom said no. He hadn't. He left and my mother and I chatted for a bit and he came back.
I have no idea how acupuncture works, but I honestly can say I feel 85% better. I'll see how I feel in the saddle, but going to bed last night I wasn't in any pain.
Forgot to mention I felt nothing when eh stuck the needles in my back. The only time I felt something is when I accidentally bumped into one of the needles. But putting them in and taking them out didn't hurt. I was shocked.
So tonight I may have a lesson with Nadege.
My mother just informed me of two things that I have to do this year, so my show schedule is changing again. *x* Oh well.
So we go and I have no idea what to expect. The doctor is Korean so he had her in the office and they were talking. He knows english, but I guess it was easier for him to have my mother translate. So we talked about my pain in my shoulder. I pretty much got a massage and he found where I was hurting, if he couldn't guess by me visibily flinching when he pressed down on my shoulder point.
In my mind I thought he was already putting needles in me, because I'd feel him put something wet and it sort of smelled like alcohol. But my mom said no. He hadn't. He left and my mother and I chatted for a bit and he came back.
I have no idea how acupuncture works, but I honestly can say I feel 85% better. I'll see how I feel in the saddle, but going to bed last night I wasn't in any pain.
Forgot to mention I felt nothing when eh stuck the needles in my back. The only time I felt something is when I accidentally bumped into one of the needles. But putting them in and taking them out didn't hurt. I was shocked.
So tonight I may have a lesson with Nadege.
My mother just informed me of two things that I have to do this year, so my show schedule is changing again. *x* Oh well.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Updated Show Schedule
So here's my new show schedule. I'm trying to get on the list for USDF All Breed Awards for ApSHA. So we'll see:
7/10/10-QRC Dressage Show
8/15/10-SVDA Williamsburg show
(Mini-vacation too. Going to check out the city Saturday and show on Sunday)
8/21/10-QRC Dressage Show
8/22/10-Dressage at Foxcroft
9/4/2010: VADA-CH Dressage Twin I
9/5/2010: VADA-CH Dressage Twin II
9/11+12/2010-VADA/NOVA Autumn I Show
9/30/2010-ApSHA IBC at Dressage at Devon
I've cut out a lot of the smaller Vada/Nova shows, because even if I qualify to the championship show I can't attend. We're planning on going to the Breeders' Cup that weekend.
7/10/10-QRC Dressage Show
8/15/10-SVDA Williamsburg show
(Mini-vacation too. Going to check out the city Saturday and show on Sunday)
8/21/10-QRC Dressage Show
8/22/10-Dressage at Foxcroft
9/4/2010: VADA-CH Dressage Twin I
9/5/2010: VADA-CH Dressage Twin II
9/11+12/2010-VADA/NOVA Autumn I Show
9/30/2010-ApSHA IBC at Dressage at Devon
I've cut out a lot of the smaller Vada/Nova shows, because even if I qualify to the championship show I can't attend. We're planning on going to the Breeders' Cup that weekend.
pain in the
shoulder. I've had issues with my right shoulder for a long time. Lilly dumped me twice when she was 4 or 5 and I landed on my right shoulder both times.
So being an invincibile lady in her early 20s I didn't really think much of it. Just got up got back on and keep trucking.
Well the thing about getting older is that things start to creek, and getting out of whack. I'm on a monthly plan with a local massage place Massage Envy. So I go in and Tracey makes everything feel better until my next ride.
Lilly's worse side is her right. So when I ask her to bend to the right, she resists and having a ton of animal yank at your bad shoulder can be really painful. Last night I really had to just grit and bear the pain, because we were reaching the moment where she was going to give in and bend. So finally when she bended correctly I praised her and almost cried. It hurt so much.
My new friend at the barn is a massage therapist and lives near me as well, she said when she gets her table that I can come over. She said by just looking at how I was standing is that I'm compsenating for the pain by hunching my shoulder and sticking out my jaw.
More issues. great.
So being an invincibile lady in her early 20s I didn't really think much of it. Just got up got back on and keep trucking.
Well the thing about getting older is that things start to creek, and getting out of whack. I'm on a monthly plan with a local massage place Massage Envy. So I go in and Tracey makes everything feel better until my next ride.
Lilly's worse side is her right. So when I ask her to bend to the right, she resists and having a ton of animal yank at your bad shoulder can be really painful. Last night I really had to just grit and bear the pain, because we were reaching the moment where she was going to give in and bend. So finally when she bended correctly I praised her and almost cried. It hurt so much.
My new friend at the barn is a massage therapist and lives near me as well, she said when she gets her table that I can come over. She said by just looking at how I was standing is that I'm compsenating for the pain by hunching my shoulder and sticking out my jaw.
More issues. great.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Goals
So I'm a super planner. But I haven't really set goals this year. So I'm going to set a few new ones and real examine some of my old ones.
1. Lose Weight
When I went to the doctors 8 weeks ago I was 189. Last week I weighed in at 182.
Goal-170 (or size 8, whichever comes first)
Prize to myself: FITS Breeches, I'm super motivated, I <3 these breeches.
2. Show in a Licensed Show
I was shooting for the June 6th show at Morven Park. But financially I'm not ready. I have way too many bills right now. And I still have to get a lot of stuff.
3. Get Lilly in Bronze Studbook with ApSHA.
I need to compete in 2 recognized classes under different judges at Training Level or higher with a score of at least 60%.
4. Get a new job
I'm on usajobs like every other week. Need to hop back on there.
5. Start schooling in First Level by end of the year.
1. Lose Weight
When I went to the doctors 8 weeks ago I was 189. Last week I weighed in at 182.
Goal-170 (or size 8, whichever comes first)
Prize to myself: FITS Breeches, I'm super motivated, I <3 these breeches.
2. Show in a Licensed Show
I was shooting for the June 6th show at Morven Park. But financially I'm not ready. I have way too many bills right now. And I still have to get a lot of stuff.
3. Get Lilly in Bronze Studbook with ApSHA.
I need to compete in 2 recognized classes under different judges at Training Level or higher with a score of at least 60%.
4. Get a new job
I'm on usajobs like every other week. Need to hop back on there.
5. Start schooling in First Level by end of the year.
back to normal
So I rode last night. Just a light hack. Lilly was back to her normal self.
So I'm going to just put Saturday's behavior in the unusual behavior box. I think I may have been super frazzled and she sensed it. So we'll see.
So I'm going to just put Saturday's behavior in the unusual behavior box. I think I may have been super frazzled and she sensed it. So we'll see.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
that's not right
So yesterday we had our schooling show at our barn. I pretty much run things, but since I have a great group of volunteers, I get to ride. So I left the show running in capable hands while getting my mare ready. I hopped on, and Lilly felt like a coil. Super super tense. I just trotted her and she seem to settle down, I asked for a canter, she picked up her lead but was really tight and felt odd.
So my ride time came up and I went in. We start the test. Then our first 20 meter circle came up, and explosion! She exploded into the canter and I yelled at her. Then we stopped. I took a couple of deep breaths and then I proceeded back to the trot. I was a little confused at where I was in the test, and the judge ringed the bell. Aviva Nebesky was the judge so she told me where I was suppose to be and I started over.
The rest of the test was not as crazy, but my mare wasn't being herself.
She wasn't nervous, because I know how she gets when she's nervous.
I finally finish my test and Aviva was like this is not the horse I remember seeing.
I told her this isn't my normal horse. I don't know what's going on with her today.
We talked for like 5 minutes. About saddling issues, maybe she's in heat, etc etc. She told me she doesn't look off, but she's just very tense. I told her she's been working hard lately.
Aviva recommended me to give her about 3 days off and then have my equine massage come out and work with her. Then to have someone who normally works with me to watch us ride again and see if she's still ouchy. She could just be sore from the increase amount of work lately.
I'm like augh. If she's not happy I'm not happy. I don't want to have my mare hurting. I never understood those folks who would show their horses knowing that they're lame. I told her I'm scratching from training 2. I rode her at the trot a little more in the warm up arena. So I don't know if the saddle maybe shifting wierd during the canter, or if maybe since I'm sitting more deeper in the saddle, her back hasn't strengthen enough to handle it yet.
...so we'll see.
So my ride time came up and I went in. We start the test. Then our first 20 meter circle came up, and explosion! She exploded into the canter and I yelled at her. Then we stopped. I took a couple of deep breaths and then I proceeded back to the trot. I was a little confused at where I was in the test, and the judge ringed the bell. Aviva Nebesky was the judge so she told me where I was suppose to be and I started over.
The rest of the test was not as crazy, but my mare wasn't being herself.
She wasn't nervous, because I know how she gets when she's nervous.
I finally finish my test and Aviva was like this is not the horse I remember seeing.
I told her this isn't my normal horse. I don't know what's going on with her today.
We talked for like 5 minutes. About saddling issues, maybe she's in heat, etc etc. She told me she doesn't look off, but she's just very tense. I told her she's been working hard lately.
Aviva recommended me to give her about 3 days off and then have my equine massage come out and work with her. Then to have someone who normally works with me to watch us ride again and see if she's still ouchy. She could just be sore from the increase amount of work lately.
I'm like augh. If she's not happy I'm not happy. I don't want to have my mare hurting. I never understood those folks who would show their horses knowing that they're lame. I told her I'm scratching from training 2. I rode her at the trot a little more in the warm up arena. So I don't know if the saddle maybe shifting wierd during the canter, or if maybe since I'm sitting more deeper in the saddle, her back hasn't strengthen enough to handle it yet.
...so we'll see.
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