Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2005 9:52:27 GMT 1
Subject : Full Solihull Mark Rashid Clinic Report
From : lucyloo01
Date : 16.07.05 0:06:00 AM
I've lost my picture links, I'l ltry to add them in later!
Day 0 - you've sort of had this update already so I'll make it brief!
Packed *took1.5hourstoloadtrailerandcar*, Ben loaded pony up in about 40 mins, which is a big improvement. Left about 3 hours late in the end and then there had been a lorry fire on the M1, so spent a lot of time stationary. Got to Solihull at midnight. Pitch black raining blowing a gale. Pony refused point blank to go into temp stable with a blowing tarp roof. 20 mins later got her in, and fed etc. Stables were on grass, so it was a HUGE relief. Managed to get tent up eventually in the gale and got into sleeping bag at 2am. Up at 5am as thought horse nearby had colic, making horrific noises, was just flirting with Lacy through a hole in the stables. Eventually had to get up at 6am to horses rioting and wanting feed. My tent was 20 foot from the stables.
tent
Day 1 - Anatomy and Assessment day (Thursday)
On this day your horse is assessed for suitability for being ridden in the clinic. Essentially is your horse fit to ride. They look at saddles, teeth, feet and conformation. They give each horse a pain score; Lacy's was 5/10, which was low compared to many of the others. She has stiffness in her right shoulder and some poll pain, as well as some tightness across the lumbar spine, which the chiropractor has picked up before. It looks like she got the poll/shoulder damage from pulling back. Kevin told me she snapped a head collar while at pony borstal, so she may have done it then. It was a cheapie leather head collar though the osteopath saw her 2 days before pony borstal, so it is a recent injury anyhow. She was booked in for treatment the next day, prior to use in the clinic. We were put down to ride on day 2 and 3. I'd had the dentist out before we left for clinic and the vet just in case. One of the chaps on the course was a KC la Pierre trimmer so he had a look at Lacy's feet for me too; they are fine. Conveniently enough my Balance Saddler Sarah was there too as a spectator, so she had a look at the saddle and me and Lacy to confirm it still fitted. So my horse is young and fit
The anatomy lessons were really useful too, it is much easier in 3D and they had bought bones etc, I get it a lot more about how horses can move and why it is okay to put saddles on them.
Before we were assessed we were allowed to ride in the indoor arena with the spectators watching. Lacy was very excited, we've never ridden indoors before, in company, or in public, so there were lots of firsts. We had a walk and trot round without hitch, and we were able to untack, and have a break before our assessment. I picked up my phone at this point to realise Ben was missing in London. Friends and family had been trying to get him, and it was panic stations. To cut a long story short, he had been early for work that day, and although was on the same Luton train as the bombers, had got to work safely, but been evacuated without phone. His office is next to Liverpool Street tube station, and the explosion was thought to have made the building structurally unsafe, but it was okay.
Anyway after the assessment horses went away, and we did some exercises. All the audience were involved. We looked at the power of positive thought, words and whether we were clenched or soft in how we could move each other about. To cut it short again, the main points were, excessive force leaves you wide open to be moved about. Keep a soft open hand (and other muscles) in all that you do with your horse. Ensure your centre of balance is just below your tummy button. We did lots of visualisations that enabled us to be soft and strong at the same time. These help with pulling horses, napping horses and those that are strong when ridden.
Lacy in her pen at the clinic
Days 2-5 to follow!
Day 2 -
Initially I watched as a spectator, then took Lacy for her treatment. She was lethal and nearly ran both me and Dave the chiropractor down. Dave tried to get her to listen, but she was terrified whenever a horse left the indoor arena and I found it impossible to get her attention. Treatment was completed though.
In the observing, I first watched some horses being ridden that wouldn't stand or walk when asked. Mark got the owners to turn them in a small circle, so not stopping the movement, but directing it. No leg, just use of reins. As soon as the horse offered walk or halt as requested, then it was allowed to walk large or stand. I later got to try this with Lacy, and by god does it work.
Mark estimates that when we are riding at home, we are riding actively less than 50% of the time. We tune in and out, we can't expect our horses not to do this, unless we are focused ourselves. So ride all the time you are on or leading your horse. Always look where you are going, never at the horse.
The riders then looked at footfall, and breathing. The reason for looking at footfall is if you know where your horse’s feet are, you can ask for a transition more effectively timed.
When your horses barrel moves your right leg out (right swing) then this is the right hind leaving the ground (and the same for the left). Some riders find it easier to think of their right hip lifting for the same thing.
When your own right leg goes in again, that is the right front foot leaving the ground. Mark got riders to practice saying now when the required foot was leaving the ground. Once they'd concentrated EVERYONE could do it.
Breathing - exhale on a transition or any exertion
Use these footfall rhythms and breathing when long lining or lunging too.
Mark advised forgetting words walk trot and canter, and instead of thinking of the number of beats. So trot is 1,2 1,2 and so on.
I've since found this helps when lunging, long reining too, if you count the beat you want (not the one you are doing, it seems to work). I then decided what I wanted to work on before I went to tack Lacy up. I was due on just before lunch.
On my list I'd written:
Confidence and getting her attention ridden
Dealing with the bucking in canter
footfall and ensuring I'm on the correct leading leg
With groundwork, stopping her walking on top of me and her panic when all horses leave her. She is fine about this at home, just not at shows etc.
More to follow, Day 2 was a huge deal for me...
Day 2 continued. Warmed up ridden at the top end of the arena Mark was working in. Behaviour of the black one got more and more erratic. So I decided to get off and quit riding while ahead. Black one started to barge, worse than she has ever been in her whole life. We had rearing, running backwards, forwards side wards. I hated her. Then Mark broke early for lunch, and I was left with this sweating wreck. I knew if I took her out of the arena, then I'd not go back in, so we have to try to walk calmly around for the short 20 min lunch break. By this time I was covered in bruises and bleeding. She'd head butted me in the face, and I've still got a 6 inch bruise right up my forearm where she bruised the bone.
After a brief and painful intro to me and my horse, Mark asked to take hold of Lacy and established some new rules:
1) to stay arms length away at all times unless he entered her space
2) to lead behind me, so she wasn't on top of me
3) how to get her attention on the ground
4) stopping head rubbing and the like
Lacy when she was bashing me was saying 'look it is really scary here, please help me, please help me.' She was genuinely scared and needs to be led, otherwise she feels alone. I have to be the leader, she doesn't want to be. I had to convey to her that I will look after her, I won't let anything happen to her, and that she can place her trust in me.
He practiced and I practiced and by george we got it!
Mark and Lacy day one
I wrote a huge post here and lost most of it, so bear with me, which I will carry on later.
Okay, still on day two.
We did alignment at the mounting block. She needs to put herself to the mounting block, rather than me move it to her. She got this very quickly.
Mark teaching her to approach the mounting block.
I then had a session with Kathleen, who helped me with my ridden work.
We did:
1) standing still, if she HAD to move she had to. So we'd turn in circles till she offered a stand, then let her stop and back her up. Keep putting her back in the place I wanted her to stand originally
2) Backing up. An important part of yielding to the bridle. We'd back up, then hold the same constant pressure till she came on the bit, then release.
3) Napping and bucking, turning small circles, left and right till she offered a desired behaviour. Just riding through some attacks of it and carry on with what you were doing
4) a good halt. Basically they got you to pick the pressure you wanted to use, and the number of steps that was acceptable. I’d gone for a 2/10 pressure where a 10 is more pressure than you'd ever want to use, and two steps. If she took three steps I'd back her up one, if she took more or ran through the bridle we'd circle then back up.
Important - circling is just directing the momentum, no leg used. No leg used for backing up either, just rein pressure.
Learning points for today:
Use strength tempered with softness, don't fight the horse, stick to your guns with the pressure you've asked for, don't keep upping it.
Use positive words and phrases to yourself
Softness = the feeling you get from inside the horse
Lightness = the outward look and feel a horse has
Find softness to introduce into every transition
lead/ride with and open hand
Ensure your centre of gravity is correct. It should be just below you belly button. Okay to touch it from time to time to remind yourself. If your centre of gravity is lower than that you will ride like a sack of poo. If it is higher, you'll be unbalanced and tipping in the saddle.
Imagine a winch out in front of you hauling you forward; take the horse with you to prevent nappiness
Carry your weight under a major muscle group. For example in the tricep not bicep
Remember to breathe, your horse won't breathe if you don't, you should hear them breathe
Try counting beats instead of using the words walk trot and canter. If you are walking and want to trot, think 1,2 1,2 say it out loud, it will quicken your body
A more comfortable Lacy
Day 3 in the Mark Rashid clinic
Spent much of the morning observing...
Firstly turn on the forehand to the right
1) right leg back
2) apply right rein
3) support with left rein
and just like that they did it. Had to be in that order though to get it to work. Use the rein to correct any forward movement.
Turn on the haunches
Ask horse to back, then either use neck rein of lift the other rein NO leg, just like that they did it.
Side Pass
Leg yield, then right leg back pulsing with right hind leaving the ground. Perfect.
Took Lacy in the arena for her session, she was just as bad as the day before, and was harder to correct. For me and possibly Mark too. Why, well, as before, I'd allowed Lacy more leverage when she was fairly well behaved. I needed to stamp on her behaviour even when she was good. We were teaching boundaries here and much of what I'd done back stage had undone the good work...
Day 3 had reverted somewhat
Being made to GET OUT of Mark's space
I'd been feeling a bit paranoid as Lacy was the smallest horse in the clinic at 14.1, but here she looks all horse...
Doesn't look like the smallest horse on the course in this one
Now we got on famously and I learnt yet another thing. When correcting her once you know she has the aid/cue, then correct small first, give her the chance to get it right. So don't send her back hugely, ask for a step or two back. If didn't come with me when I walked then I sent her back then too. When she walked behind me, I need to keep her straight, and not wait till she gets round the side to correct her.
I think she WAS doing what mummy asked???
Now in the above photo, either she WAS behaving or this is the point they she found herself the only horse in the arena. She began rearing and bucking and kicking, and my self-preservation kicked in, I marched at her and sent her back at high speed, getting her attention to the amazement of the crowd Mark was really good about this.
[URL=http://groups.msn.com/UpSaddle2/lucyloo01.msnw?
action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=11989]Purposeful[/URL]
Purposeful mark 2
Settled Pony
Then onto riding again, had to reiterate the mounting thing, but that was okay. Then did the same ridden work as the day before, but this time concentrating on asking more of her. More backing, straighter, more yielding to the bit in halt and back. Get her to hold it and work the muscles more. At this point in the back we were looking for 5 steps with flexion
Pushed for canter and got bucking instead. Cantering, well that is on hold for now, she can do it, gonna wait till she offers it in the next couple of weeks, before pushing again. She nearly offered it bareback tonight
Me and the pony were covered in sweat at the end of the session, and these are the only two precious ridden photos I've got.
Huge arena
looking grown up
Day 4 and 5 to follow. More regression and solutions, and a plan for Oscar...
Day 4
Just observing for me, as my riding parts were done...
Canter Observations - horse breathes out as the leading side hind comes off the ground, so this is the point to ask for any leading leg changes.
Learning to canter a circle - work on softness as they go into canter, not rushing, not resistant, some flexion. Go from a trot that has flexion. If you have a horse that rushes its canter, then let them do 4/5 strides, and just before they start to tank then turn them in a circle, when they relax, ask for canter strike off again, remember to breathe out as you ask for canter. Build on this, with more relaxed strides, until you can do a full circle.
From : lucyloo01
Date : 16.07.05 0:06:00 AM
I've lost my picture links, I'l ltry to add them in later!
Day 0 - you've sort of had this update already so I'll make it brief!
Packed *took1.5hourstoloadtrailerandcar*, Ben loaded pony up in about 40 mins, which is a big improvement. Left about 3 hours late in the end and then there had been a lorry fire on the M1, so spent a lot of time stationary. Got to Solihull at midnight. Pitch black raining blowing a gale. Pony refused point blank to go into temp stable with a blowing tarp roof. 20 mins later got her in, and fed etc. Stables were on grass, so it was a HUGE relief. Managed to get tent up eventually in the gale and got into sleeping bag at 2am. Up at 5am as thought horse nearby had colic, making horrific noises, was just flirting with Lacy through a hole in the stables. Eventually had to get up at 6am to horses rioting and wanting feed. My tent was 20 foot from the stables.
tent
Day 1 - Anatomy and Assessment day (Thursday)
On this day your horse is assessed for suitability for being ridden in the clinic. Essentially is your horse fit to ride. They look at saddles, teeth, feet and conformation. They give each horse a pain score; Lacy's was 5/10, which was low compared to many of the others. She has stiffness in her right shoulder and some poll pain, as well as some tightness across the lumbar spine, which the chiropractor has picked up before. It looks like she got the poll/shoulder damage from pulling back. Kevin told me she snapped a head collar while at pony borstal, so she may have done it then. It was a cheapie leather head collar though the osteopath saw her 2 days before pony borstal, so it is a recent injury anyhow. She was booked in for treatment the next day, prior to use in the clinic. We were put down to ride on day 2 and 3. I'd had the dentist out before we left for clinic and the vet just in case. One of the chaps on the course was a KC la Pierre trimmer so he had a look at Lacy's feet for me too; they are fine. Conveniently enough my Balance Saddler Sarah was there too as a spectator, so she had a look at the saddle and me and Lacy to confirm it still fitted. So my horse is young and fit
The anatomy lessons were really useful too, it is much easier in 3D and they had bought bones etc, I get it a lot more about how horses can move and why it is okay to put saddles on them.
Before we were assessed we were allowed to ride in the indoor arena with the spectators watching. Lacy was very excited, we've never ridden indoors before, in company, or in public, so there were lots of firsts. We had a walk and trot round without hitch, and we were able to untack, and have a break before our assessment. I picked up my phone at this point to realise Ben was missing in London. Friends and family had been trying to get him, and it was panic stations. To cut a long story short, he had been early for work that day, and although was on the same Luton train as the bombers, had got to work safely, but been evacuated without phone. His office is next to Liverpool Street tube station, and the explosion was thought to have made the building structurally unsafe, but it was okay.
Anyway after the assessment horses went away, and we did some exercises. All the audience were involved. We looked at the power of positive thought, words and whether we were clenched or soft in how we could move each other about. To cut it short again, the main points were, excessive force leaves you wide open to be moved about. Keep a soft open hand (and other muscles) in all that you do with your horse. Ensure your centre of balance is just below your tummy button. We did lots of visualisations that enabled us to be soft and strong at the same time. These help with pulling horses, napping horses and those that are strong when ridden.
Lacy in her pen at the clinic
Days 2-5 to follow!
Day 2 -
Initially I watched as a spectator, then took Lacy for her treatment. She was lethal and nearly ran both me and Dave the chiropractor down. Dave tried to get her to listen, but she was terrified whenever a horse left the indoor arena and I found it impossible to get her attention. Treatment was completed though.
In the observing, I first watched some horses being ridden that wouldn't stand or walk when asked. Mark got the owners to turn them in a small circle, so not stopping the movement, but directing it. No leg, just use of reins. As soon as the horse offered walk or halt as requested, then it was allowed to walk large or stand. I later got to try this with Lacy, and by god does it work.
Mark estimates that when we are riding at home, we are riding actively less than 50% of the time. We tune in and out, we can't expect our horses not to do this, unless we are focused ourselves. So ride all the time you are on or leading your horse. Always look where you are going, never at the horse.
The riders then looked at footfall, and breathing. The reason for looking at footfall is if you know where your horse’s feet are, you can ask for a transition more effectively timed.
When your horses barrel moves your right leg out (right swing) then this is the right hind leaving the ground (and the same for the left). Some riders find it easier to think of their right hip lifting for the same thing.
When your own right leg goes in again, that is the right front foot leaving the ground. Mark got riders to practice saying now when the required foot was leaving the ground. Once they'd concentrated EVERYONE could do it.
Breathing - exhale on a transition or any exertion
Use these footfall rhythms and breathing when long lining or lunging too.
Mark advised forgetting words walk trot and canter, and instead of thinking of the number of beats. So trot is 1,2 1,2 and so on.
I've since found this helps when lunging, long reining too, if you count the beat you want (not the one you are doing, it seems to work). I then decided what I wanted to work on before I went to tack Lacy up. I was due on just before lunch.
On my list I'd written:
Confidence and getting her attention ridden
Dealing with the bucking in canter
footfall and ensuring I'm on the correct leading leg
With groundwork, stopping her walking on top of me and her panic when all horses leave her. She is fine about this at home, just not at shows etc.
More to follow, Day 2 was a huge deal for me...
Day 2 continued. Warmed up ridden at the top end of the arena Mark was working in. Behaviour of the black one got more and more erratic. So I decided to get off and quit riding while ahead. Black one started to barge, worse than she has ever been in her whole life. We had rearing, running backwards, forwards side wards. I hated her. Then Mark broke early for lunch, and I was left with this sweating wreck. I knew if I took her out of the arena, then I'd not go back in, so we have to try to walk calmly around for the short 20 min lunch break. By this time I was covered in bruises and bleeding. She'd head butted me in the face, and I've still got a 6 inch bruise right up my forearm where she bruised the bone.
After a brief and painful intro to me and my horse, Mark asked to take hold of Lacy and established some new rules:
1) to stay arms length away at all times unless he entered her space
2) to lead behind me, so she wasn't on top of me
3) how to get her attention on the ground
4) stopping head rubbing and the like
Lacy when she was bashing me was saying 'look it is really scary here, please help me, please help me.' She was genuinely scared and needs to be led, otherwise she feels alone. I have to be the leader, she doesn't want to be. I had to convey to her that I will look after her, I won't let anything happen to her, and that she can place her trust in me.
He practiced and I practiced and by george we got it!
Mark and Lacy day one
I wrote a huge post here and lost most of it, so bear with me, which I will carry on later.
Okay, still on day two.
We did alignment at the mounting block. She needs to put herself to the mounting block, rather than me move it to her. She got this very quickly.
Mark teaching her to approach the mounting block.
I then had a session with Kathleen, who helped me with my ridden work.
We did:
1) standing still, if she HAD to move she had to. So we'd turn in circles till she offered a stand, then let her stop and back her up. Keep putting her back in the place I wanted her to stand originally
2) Backing up. An important part of yielding to the bridle. We'd back up, then hold the same constant pressure till she came on the bit, then release.
3) Napping and bucking, turning small circles, left and right till she offered a desired behaviour. Just riding through some attacks of it and carry on with what you were doing
4) a good halt. Basically they got you to pick the pressure you wanted to use, and the number of steps that was acceptable. I’d gone for a 2/10 pressure where a 10 is more pressure than you'd ever want to use, and two steps. If she took three steps I'd back her up one, if she took more or ran through the bridle we'd circle then back up.
Important - circling is just directing the momentum, no leg used. No leg used for backing up either, just rein pressure.
Learning points for today:
Use strength tempered with softness, don't fight the horse, stick to your guns with the pressure you've asked for, don't keep upping it.
Use positive words and phrases to yourself
Softness = the feeling you get from inside the horse
Lightness = the outward look and feel a horse has
Find softness to introduce into every transition
lead/ride with and open hand
Ensure your centre of gravity is correct. It should be just below you belly button. Okay to touch it from time to time to remind yourself. If your centre of gravity is lower than that you will ride like a sack of poo. If it is higher, you'll be unbalanced and tipping in the saddle.
Imagine a winch out in front of you hauling you forward; take the horse with you to prevent nappiness
Carry your weight under a major muscle group. For example in the tricep not bicep
Remember to breathe, your horse won't breathe if you don't, you should hear them breathe
Try counting beats instead of using the words walk trot and canter. If you are walking and want to trot, think 1,2 1,2 say it out loud, it will quicken your body
A more comfortable Lacy
Day 3 in the Mark Rashid clinic
Spent much of the morning observing...
Firstly turn on the forehand to the right
1) right leg back
2) apply right rein
3) support with left rein
and just like that they did it. Had to be in that order though to get it to work. Use the rein to correct any forward movement.
Turn on the haunches
Ask horse to back, then either use neck rein of lift the other rein NO leg, just like that they did it.
Side Pass
Leg yield, then right leg back pulsing with right hind leaving the ground. Perfect.
Took Lacy in the arena for her session, she was just as bad as the day before, and was harder to correct. For me and possibly Mark too. Why, well, as before, I'd allowed Lacy more leverage when she was fairly well behaved. I needed to stamp on her behaviour even when she was good. We were teaching boundaries here and much of what I'd done back stage had undone the good work...
Day 3 had reverted somewhat
Being made to GET OUT of Mark's space
I'd been feeling a bit paranoid as Lacy was the smallest horse in the clinic at 14.1, but here she looks all horse...
Doesn't look like the smallest horse on the course in this one
Now we got on famously and I learnt yet another thing. When correcting her once you know she has the aid/cue, then correct small first, give her the chance to get it right. So don't send her back hugely, ask for a step or two back. If didn't come with me when I walked then I sent her back then too. When she walked behind me, I need to keep her straight, and not wait till she gets round the side to correct her.
I think she WAS doing what mummy asked???
Now in the above photo, either she WAS behaving or this is the point they she found herself the only horse in the arena. She began rearing and bucking and kicking, and my self-preservation kicked in, I marched at her and sent her back at high speed, getting her attention to the amazement of the crowd Mark was really good about this.
[URL=http://groups.msn.com/UpSaddle2/lucyloo01.msnw?
action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=11989]Purposeful[/URL]
Purposeful mark 2
Settled Pony
Then onto riding again, had to reiterate the mounting thing, but that was okay. Then did the same ridden work as the day before, but this time concentrating on asking more of her. More backing, straighter, more yielding to the bit in halt and back. Get her to hold it and work the muscles more. At this point in the back we were looking for 5 steps with flexion
Pushed for canter and got bucking instead. Cantering, well that is on hold for now, she can do it, gonna wait till she offers it in the next couple of weeks, before pushing again. She nearly offered it bareback tonight
Me and the pony were covered in sweat at the end of the session, and these are the only two precious ridden photos I've got.
Huge arena
looking grown up
Day 4 and 5 to follow. More regression and solutions, and a plan for Oscar...
Day 4
Just observing for me, as my riding parts were done...
Canter Observations - horse breathes out as the leading side hind comes off the ground, so this is the point to ask for any leading leg changes.
Learning to canter a circle - work on softness as they go into canter, not rushing, not resistant, some flexion. Go from a trot that has flexion. If you have a horse that rushes its canter, then let them do 4/5 strides, and just before they start to tank then turn them in a circle, when they relax, ask for canter strike off again, remember to breathe out as you ask for canter. Build on this, with more relaxed strides, until you can do a full circle.