We had a lovely chunk of summertime let-down, where my students and staff were showing but not terribly hard and not at the upper levels; where I was traveling a lot to teach but still getting some time mid-day, particularly in Virginia’s oppressive summer heat. I was even so bold as to take a teensy weensie three-day vacation. I’m refreshed; the horses are loose and cool.
It’s go time.
Ella feels great. I’m finding this more subtle approach, riding more like she’s a trained horse instead of a horse in training (because she is, duh, but as I log so many of my riding hours riding baby and developing horses, it’s been a struggle to flip that switch in my brain.) Riding is hard, and riding dressage is hard, and riding upper level dressage is hard, but sometimes it’s quite the thing to figure out whether you’re getting conned into working hard because your horse isn’t so honest to the aids, or if you’re working hard on the side of the angels. It’s like running around after a child picking up after him, or running around after that child constantly on his case to pick up after himself: the end result of the latter is an adult who can take care of himself, whereas the end result of the former is a lazy, useless adult.
I did my homework on Ella, teaching her how to pick up her own toys (and hind legs.) And slowly but surely, she’s showing me how to shut up and get out of the way. Amen!
Fiero, too, feels great. He made SO much progress from this winter to this summer, and he’s still such a young horse; we’ve got miles to go, naturally, but he’s so eager and so willing that his fantastic owner, Beverley, and I are really diligent about making sure he has sufficient time in his calendar to let his muscles breathe and relax. I think we strike a really good balance in his developmental path, and I’m eager to see how the next ramp-up of progress comes our way!
Fender’s really been on a break — we were the next alternate to the Developing Horse Championships to get the phone call, and so I had to keep an eye on his fitness and spend the last week before the show waiting by the phone. In the end, I should have gotten the call, but the 15th horse scratched late, and it would have been a nightmare getting him out to Illinois on such short notice. In the end, while I know we would have placed well, I’m grateful to now have the time to let him fluff around, as his next outing isn’t until October. He just slays me —I end up sort of alternating between work days with me, where I work on the basic stuff and making him sharper; work days with my staff, where they get to feel what real collection and big changes and pirouettes feel like; and hack days, where he gets to bum around in the field and eat grass with his bridle on and just Be. He approaches each with completely appropriate and yet completely charming enthusiasm. He’s so incredibly special!
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The babies are all in various stages of soldiering on up the levels. I’ve always known Johnny would have just stupid talent for piaffe, so it’s been a little tough to not be greedy and start it too soon. But he’s so big and strong now, and working so well, and I decided that the second half of his six-year-old year was sufficiently organized and balanced to just start playing with it. And sure enough, about three days of play and he’s got a better command of half steps than most of what I saw at the Developing Grand Prix Championships at Lamplight. What an incredible guy!
Danny and Dorian have incredible synchrony in who is rising and who is plateauing, week to week. Danny was on a HUGE roll through July and the first part of August, and has started to really develop muscularly, only to sort of stall out in the last few weeks; Dorian picked up the slack and has been unbelievable, better and better in his ability to sit and carry, and beautifully organized in his changes. I am never worried about the ebbs and flows of training progress, and as both are seven years old and pretty much capable of doing everything from Prix St. Georges in an age-appropriate way, I am having a delightful and stress-free time.
The biggest news of my last few weeks was that trip out to Illinois, not with horses of my own but rather with my Junior rider phenom, Kristin. Kristin rode her pony, Esperanza, to a fourth place finish in the FEI Ponies, and Caroline Stephens’ Three Times to a fantastic Reserve Championship in the Juniors. She also took 8th place honors in the Senior Equitation Finals division (as one of the youngest riders in said division), AND the Anita Owens Sportsmanship Perpetual Trophy. If you piled up all the ribbons and awards she won, I think it would be taller than Kristin! I couldn’t be more proud of this remarkable young woman, as well as of both horses, who I found for their respective owners. Days like that feel pretty amazing.
I’m going to enjoy this Labor Day weekend, and then it’s nose-to-the-grindstone time. We’ve got things to do!
