Pic: Christoph Feddersen
This week promises to be even more busy and awesome.
Tuesday
For our lesson today, we worked on the trot and canter tour of third level test three for the upcoming WIT schooling show this weekend, which went pretty well. We really tried to tap into Harmony’s extension powers in the trot and canter and WOW! She has a great extension, especially in the trot.
We had free time after lesson, so Harmony got a bath, and the WITees got some time to relax and because it was hot, the barn manager brought us all ice cream sandwiches.
We had fitness before chores today, which was a quick legs set of mostly lunges. After that was a quick yoga set, followed by chores. Our lecture today was presented by USEF head coach Christine Traurig, so we made sure the barn was even more clean than normal. During the lecture, she talked about conformation, and what she looks for in a young horse, and the goals for team USA in the future.
Wednesday
We had the first WIT field trip today! The WITees went to Diamante Farm, to watch two grand prix dressage riders, Devon Kane and Kevin Kohmann, ride and train two grand prix horses. They rode together, and talked us through what each of them were doing and how they were doing it. It was training, so we got to see a little bit of everything, pirouettes, piaffe, passage, tempi’s, extensions, as well as their warmups and walk breaks. They also explained to us about their training process, the way they back and train their young horses, and training and competing in Europe.
Today was also a birthday! One of the WIT ponies turned 18 today, so we threw him a party. He had a sign hanging on his stall front, and the WITees all got mini cupcakes. We also sang to him, and gave him a little bit of frosting, which caused him to curl his upper lip while we were singing, making it look like he was smiling.
Our lesson today was really nice. We started out looser than yesterday, even though we were hanging on the inside rein. I did too much trot work to start, which made her a little tired by the time we got to canter. We worked on half-passes and changes, as well as canter mediums and extensions.
Fitness today was yoga, and it felt so good to stretch out and relax, because my muscles have been quite sore the last few days.
Thursday
We had an amazing ride today! She was so in front of my leg, and soft and listening. We had a nice trot set, then rode through the canter tour of third level test three. We had a few minor bobbles, but nothing we can’t fix. Between lesson and lecture was some free time to catch up of homework.
Our lecture was about why equestrians should go to college. The lecturer is a professor at a top college, and explained to us how a college education would help us in our riding career.
Our fitness was with Betsy Steiner, a new experience for all of us. She had us work on a few core exercises and examine what that showed us about our riding. For example, she had us put our feet on our partner’s knees and crunch up. This revealed how some of us pulled up our legs when engaging our core, which translated to pinching our knees and drawing our feet in towards us while in the saddle. We also did this exercise where we walked three laps around the arena backwards, then stopped short and see how our perspective changed. I felt like the far end of the arena was rushing towards me. We finished very late tonight, and I didn’t get home until six PM.
Friday
Today was hack day, but I gave Harmony the day to rest and chill in the field. During that time I was able to do some homework.
Fitness today was us playing capture the flag in the big field. We split into two teams and played for about 45 minutes. We are all super competitive, making it very intense. At the end of the first game, my team had only one flag left, and all but one of the other side’s team were in jail. We were all closing in, and one of my teamates grabbed the flag and ran. She threw it over the head of the opposing teamate to me, and I caught it and ran. My teamates were screaming and running, but the WITee on the other team was very close, so I threw it to another one of my teamates, who got it over the midline. It was so fun!
We had no lecture today, instead we picked manure out of the paddocks and raked the arena.
Saturday
Today was all about preparing for the show. Lendon is having another schooling show tomorrow, in which Harmony and I will be doing third level test 3. My trainer got on Harmony for a tune-up, and she feels great.
Our lecture today was from Lendon, and it was very interesting. She talked about the aids for several different lateral moves, like turns on the haunches, and shoulder-ins. She would ask us to precisely describe the aids, and I found it surprising how hard it was to articulate what. I am doing from the saddle. She also asked us each to name a different aid, how it was used, and what it is used for. She also had a long talk about the aids for the flying changes, and how the ways I do them are different than most people, but not wrong. This lecture ran late, almost two hours, so fitness was cancelled.
After the lecture was chores. In addition to all of the normal chores, of the horses, including the two palomino and the paint ponies got baths. I gave Harmony’s tail a good shampoo, and was amazed how dirty it was.
Sunday
Show day! After chores, I started getting Harmony. Braids, my hair, grooming, tacking up, etc. Lendon also chose two people to organize one of the shows, and I was one of them. This involved creating the schedule, setting up the judging station, and greeting the judge when she arrived.
Once Harmony and I were ready, we headed out to the big field to warm up. Knowing that she could get anxious with too many horses around us, we took a 20 meter circle in the far corner, which seemed to work well. She felt great in the warm up, so I was feeling pretty good and ready to in the ring. It was a fairly good test, with a few bobbles. We had some great movements, and some not-so-great movements, but Harmony tried so hard, so I was really happy at the end.
After getting everything done, we had two lectures. The first was from a former WITee and one of America’s top young riders. She talked about starting a business and how she got to where she is now. Our second lecture was from a longtime sponsor of several team USA riders. She talked about how to be a good dressage citizen and sponsored rider. It was so interesting to hear that perspective, as we almost alway only hear from the rider. No fitness again today, so we finished up chores and were out rather early today.
Leah Drew 