Blackberry started off looking at crookedness I thought I looked quite straight SFO thought otherwise *tsk* had discussion on how crookedness is your normal view in the mirror it therefore becomes hard to see that what is normal in your world view is actually crooked.
Then did legs over front and take one down taking right leg down I pitch left, taking left leg down I stay straight. So SFO suggested try leaning right as take leg down (non habitual movement I assume) that improved things also looked at can I make correction whilst not looking at TV screen? I can but have to feel head is very tilted left for it to be straight.
Pooh
My plan had been for this lesson to be one where I 'own' stretch right side and do not look down, following on from Tyranny of the Trainer :-
5/ Own your faults. My two biggest (not sole!) faults are collapsed right side and looking down. It is *not* up to SFO to keep telling me this. I know this, I need to do something about it.
SFO asked me if the diamanté was falling off my gloves, I looked down and replied 'no I don't think so' to which SFO told me to stop looking down :-D have renamed her SSFO Sarcastic Small Fierce One
Told SSFO about what my intention had been and her view is 'it depends' I wasn't aware I was looking down so until I do get some awareness it is her job to remind me.
Got asked why I chose to move the hind quarters over and not the shoulders as both would achieve the same, explained he had bought his quarters in thus to get him back on my imaginary line I had to move his 1/4s back moving his shoulders would have taken us off our line. Got a gold star for that :@)
Did some walk -> trot transitions paying attention to getting what I intend. Certainly improved our transitions.
Elbows were missing in action today :-(
Got a lovely trot after a canter and spent too long thinking ooh this is nice and didn't think enough about maintaining trot/rein length so reins too long so rather than try and recover asked for walk and gave the rein. My intent was good which was to be clear but could have tried to get reins back and enjoy the trot.
Next transition he went from canter -> trot -> walk of his own accord. Pooh is a quick learner :-) So knew the next transition I had to insist on trot regardless or I'd lose my gold star. So insisted we maintain trot.
I need to have a better balance between the technical stuff and intent. I am so busy running my corrections check list I forget the horse. Luckily with Pooh if you become absent he just slows down.
Last canter I paid more attention to intent and got a better result.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Joyeux Noël 2011
Am having a lovely day, probably one of the best ever.
Got up went to the yard everyone suitably happy walked C for his five minutes. Did a double take at his legs when I went to ice them they seem to have tightened visibly not sure that is possible but that is how it looks.
Back home for brunch at 11:00 with Champagne (good times) watched some of the Rotal Ballet's Alice in Wonderland, had a little snooze (good times) then morsel of *homemade* (Domestic Goddess) Christmas cake then back to yard listening to Queen's Speech (yes even a Republican can listen to the 15:00 broadcast)
Second five minute walk (so fourth walk in total) and the legs do definitely look tighter.
Back home more Champagne get changed start doing the veggie
1/ Thyme roast carrots and onions
2/ Purée of parsnips with nutmeg
3/ Goose fat roast potatoes
4/ Sautéed Brussels sprouts with chestnuts
Sauces
A/ Bread sauce with thyme to link to 1/above
B/ 'Red stuff'
c/ Poultry gravy
nom nom nom
'Red stuff' was planned to be cranberry and Port relish but no cranberries sent in on-line shop so experimented with the mixed berries that were sent. So mixed berries cinnamon stick port and orange juice simmer until sticky and thick. Was really nice.
Downton and Christmas pud later
nom nom nom
Got up went to the yard everyone suitably happy walked C for his five minutes. Did a double take at his legs when I went to ice them they seem to have tightened visibly not sure that is possible but that is how it looks.
Back home for brunch at 11:00 with Champagne (good times) watched some of the Rotal Ballet's Alice in Wonderland, had a little snooze (good times) then morsel of *homemade* (Domestic Goddess) Christmas cake then back to yard listening to Queen's Speech (yes even a Republican can listen to the 15:00 broadcast)
Second five minute walk (so fourth walk in total) and the legs do definitely look tighter.
Back home more Champagne get changed start doing the veggie
1/ Thyme roast carrots and onions
2/ Purée of parsnips with nutmeg
3/ Goose fat roast potatoes
4/ Sautéed Brussels sprouts with chestnuts
Sauces
A/ Bread sauce with thyme to link to 1/above
B/ 'Red stuff'
c/ Poultry gravy
nom nom nom
'Red stuff' was planned to be cranberry and Port relish but no cranberries sent in on-line shop so experimented with the mixed berries that were sent. So mixed berries cinnamon stick port and orange juice simmer until sticky and thick. Was really nice.
Downton and Christmas pud later
nom nom nom
Saturday, 24 December 2011
It isn't about the trifle
Being super organised did my shop on line to be delivered 23rd between 20:00 and 22:00. The IT gremlins had other ideas and downed the IT system, cannot imagine the stress and unpleasantness the staff on the helpline must have suffered.
So shop now to be delivered by 11:00 today, 11:00 passes now will be delivered by 13:00 am assured everything ordered has been picked bar a few canapes.
13:00 arrives and still no shop finally arrives at 15:00 with some weird substitutions!
So don't have what I need for my raspberry and limoncello trifle or cranberry sauce :-( all small beer in the grand scheme of things it is *only* trifle at end of day.
Started Chorrie's in hand walking regime today 5 minutes as timed by iPhone *I heart my iPhone* did the first walk this morning and burst into tears!
Christmas isn't about trifle it is about the handwalking!
So shop now to be delivered by 11:00 today, 11:00 passes now will be delivered by 13:00 am assured everything ordered has been picked bar a few canapes.
13:00 arrives and still no shop finally arrives at 15:00 with some weird substitutions!
So don't have what I need for my raspberry and limoncello trifle or cranberry sauce :-( all small beer in the grand scheme of things it is *only* trifle at end of day.
Started Chorrie's in hand walking regime today 5 minutes as timed by iPhone *I heart my iPhone* did the first walk this morning and burst into tears!
Christmas isn't about trifle it is about the handwalking!
Friday, 23 December 2011
Scan 9 - A new hope dawns
Chorister
So today was scan number 9 and both legs are looking good and the left leg has really turned a corner since the last scan on 17th November.
So is the left leg good healing due to the pulsed mag or just how it heals? Liz's recall is that the right leg suddenly did this too.
Can now start hand walking on the hard for five minutes twice daily, if ligaments do not react after one week increase to ten minutes twice daily.
Best Christmas present ever :-D
Shoes can go back on with some sort of support (heart bars / pads) to get weight off walls
Had eyes and heart checked all OK, other than gut so loud Liz had to wait to hear heart :-)
Fred
Fred is 24 and old enough to know better and behave :-) but no he has to prat and spin and generally be a PITA. So good to see him feeling so jolly. Liz did say clearly he is happy and enjoying life.
Heart ok, cataract left eye almost certainly due to his age but is translucent so isn't a concern at this stage. Liz did say he wasn't a candidate for surgery I think she was making fun of me :-) as she knows and I am sure loves my tendency to over think.
Ligament History
5th May 2011 - Stretched right check ligament, box rest but allowed out for pick of grass
1st July - Can go out in pen twice stable size for 30 minutes
1st August - Can start five minutes walking
4th August - Escapes from pen; reinjures right check ligament, injures left suspensory. Walking cancelled.
14th September - Does left check ligament in stable.
5th October - Supportive limb laminitis pick of grass cancelled.
18th October can go back out for pick of grass
23rd December can start walking out in hand twice daily
So today was scan number 9 and both legs are looking good and the left leg has really turned a corner since the last scan on 17th November.
So is the left leg good healing due to the pulsed mag or just how it heals? Liz's recall is that the right leg suddenly did this too.
Can now start hand walking on the hard for five minutes twice daily, if ligaments do not react after one week increase to ten minutes twice daily.
Best Christmas present ever :-D
Shoes can go back on with some sort of support (heart bars / pads) to get weight off walls
Had eyes and heart checked all OK, other than gut so loud Liz had to wait to hear heart :-)
Fred
Fred is 24 and old enough to know better and behave :-) but no he has to prat and spin and generally be a PITA. So good to see him feeling so jolly. Liz did say clearly he is happy and enjoying life.
Heart ok, cataract left eye almost certainly due to his age but is translucent so isn't a concern at this stage. Liz did say he wasn't a candidate for surgery I think she was making fun of me :-) as she knows and I am sure loves my tendency to over think.
Ligament History
5th May 2011 - Stretched right check ligament, box rest but allowed out for pick of grass
1st July - Can go out in pen twice stable size for 30 minutes
1st August - Can start five minutes walking
4th August - Escapes from pen; reinjures right check ligament, injures left suspensory. Walking cancelled.
14th September - Does left check ligament in stable.
5th October - Supportive limb laminitis pick of grass cancelled.
18th October can go back out for pick of grass
23rd December can start walking out in hand twice daily
Monday, 19 December 2011
Tyranny of the trainer
Firstly this is not about me or anyone in particular that I know it is a work of fiction with some snippets of reality.
So how did we get to this position where we pay someone to *help* us yet when they are less than helpful we
1/ Don't give them any feedback to this effect
2/ Stay quiet for fear of upsetting them and ignore the fact we're also upset and paying handsomely for the privilege
3/ Keep paying them and yet not try a different trainer so we don't hurt their feelings? What about *our* feelings.
It is too much to ask for a trainer who
1/ Actually leaves you feeling better about your riding post lesson than pre lesson, clearly a trainer is not a miracle worker but you shouldn't be leaving 19 out of 20 lessons feeling bummed.
2/ Doesn’t diss their other students. Seriously you're being paid to teach no you don't have to like the person paying you but if you accept their money then be professional enough to follow 'if you can't say anything nice say nothing'
3/ Don't diss other trainers. It sounds like sour grapes especially if their students are doing better than yours. If your students are doing better then let that speak for itself.
4/ Doesn't try to sell you a wonderful uber horse. The horse I own is wonderful to me and is not going anywhere so you can either train me on my donkey or not train me at all.
5/ Doesn't sell you wonderful uber horse that turns out to be too hot for you to ride; so trainer ends up with the ride and you become an owner.
6/ Who doesn't tell you in your first (and last lesson) with them (yes this one is true) that riding is like a book going from A - Z and that you aren't even at the letter A.
In what other aspect of our lives would we let this go unchallenged yet somehow the heady smell of horse pooh turns confident capable women into women who 'keep the peace by saying nothing'. Would your colleagues at work recognise the person you become as soon as you smell horse pooh?
OK so that's the rant about trainers as students we also have responsibilities.
1/ Give feedback your trainer is not a mind reader.
2/ Do your homework
3/ If you don't understand ask, if they can't explain it to you simply enough for you to understand then they don't understand it thoroughly enough.
4/ Don't say things to your friends about your trainer you wouldn't say to their face. Respect is a two way street.
5/ Own your faults. My two biggest (not sole!) faults are collapsed right side and looking down. It is *not* up to SFO to keep telling me this. I know this, I need to do something about it.
This rant may get continued ...
So how did we get to this position where we pay someone to *help* us yet when they are less than helpful we
1/ Don't give them any feedback to this effect
2/ Stay quiet for fear of upsetting them and ignore the fact we're also upset and paying handsomely for the privilege
3/ Keep paying them and yet not try a different trainer so we don't hurt their feelings? What about *our* feelings.
It is too much to ask for a trainer who
1/ Actually leaves you feeling better about your riding post lesson than pre lesson, clearly a trainer is not a miracle worker but you shouldn't be leaving 19 out of 20 lessons feeling bummed.
2/ Doesn’t diss their other students. Seriously you're being paid to teach no you don't have to like the person paying you but if you accept their money then be professional enough to follow 'if you can't say anything nice say nothing'
3/ Don't diss other trainers. It sounds like sour grapes especially if their students are doing better than yours. If your students are doing better then let that speak for itself.
4/ Doesn't try to sell you a wonderful uber horse. The horse I own is wonderful to me and is not going anywhere so you can either train me on my donkey or not train me at all.
5/ Doesn't sell you wonderful uber horse that turns out to be too hot for you to ride; so trainer ends up with the ride and you become an owner.
6/ Who doesn't tell you in your first (and last lesson) with them (yes this one is true) that riding is like a book going from A - Z and that you aren't even at the letter A.
In what other aspect of our lives would we let this go unchallenged yet somehow the heady smell of horse pooh turns confident capable women into women who 'keep the peace by saying nothing'. Would your colleagues at work recognise the person you become as soon as you smell horse pooh?
OK so that's the rant about trainers as students we also have responsibilities.
1/ Give feedback your trainer is not a mind reader.
2/ Do your homework
3/ If you don't understand ask, if they can't explain it to you simply enough for you to understand then they don't understand it thoroughly enough.
4/ Don't say things to your friends about your trainer you wouldn't say to their face. Respect is a two way street.
5/ Own your faults. My two biggest (not sole!) faults are collapsed right side and looking down. It is *not* up to SFO to keep telling me this. I know this, I need to do something about it.
This rant may get continued ...
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