Handing Over the Reins
As I mentioned yesterday, today was the day that Trainer K was scheduled to ride Leo for the first time. We were then supposed to have a private lesson. One of those things happened.
Once she started working with Leo, she didn't stop until the full hour was up. They did walking and trotting, working on adding leg and counterbending and circling. She explained every single aid in detail, and the logic behind why she was doing what she was doing. Unfortunately, my phone was in the car charging, or there would be pictures and possibly video. They did not jump. They did not canter. They worked on the basics, and eventually he 'got' just about everything she was asking him to do. There was a moment of terror when a giant scary truck dropped off some round bales, and he became a spook-monster (unusual for him these days, but as she pointed out she was a new rider and he probably didn't have a whole lot of trust in her hay-bale-slaying abilities just yet).
She absolutely loved him. And then she got off, looked me in the eye, and asked me if I would be okay with not riding my horse for a while. She wants him to go into full training, which I absolutely cannot afford. She thinks that he needs the consistency of one rider right now, and he needs to learn all of the basic little things that I'm still learning myself. I've literally only had one formal dressage lesson in my entire life, and all of the things that he needs to learn are pretty related to that. She doesn't think he should be jumping for a while because while our flat work has improved, jumping (aside from the awesome oxer lesson) has mostly just created anxiety and lots of prancing giraffe-ness.
I was actually planning to suggest that Leo step back from jumping for a while - I've been thinking about it a lot and it seems like some solid focus on the basics of flatwork would be very beneficial to him. I was also going to suggest trying to swing two training rides a week. Trainer K wants at least 3. And I was definitely not expecting her to suggest that I take some time off from riding him. Not gonna lie, that hit pretty hard. It makes so much sense, but still. He's my horse etc etc. Sigh.
So Leo is in training, starting now. Trainer K gets him 4 days a week, and I get 2 days a week to do ground work with him. I probably won't be able to afford to go to the show next weekend that I was planning to attend, but that's not the end of the world. Also buying a saddle is probably out of the question for a while. Luckily we're a lesson barn and there are 9 million saddles for me to borrow. I know that this is the right thing for my horse right now, and also the right thing for me, but I really wanted to be able to do this whole training thing on my own. But my trainer is a professional saddlebred repurposer, and she and her ASB boy Dan casually do things like this nowadays.
I just have to be less hard on myself for 'failing' to do this on my own and look at it instead as 'being strong enough to ask for help.' Have I mentioned that I LOVE my trainer?
I almost drove back out to the barn to try them on, but managed to restrain my excitement. In theory I will be writing my first tack review of these boots at some point in time maybe if I ever use them and if they fit my pony - he's got weird delicate leg bones, apparently.
Once she started working with Leo, she didn't stop until the full hour was up. They did walking and trotting, working on adding leg and counterbending and circling. She explained every single aid in detail, and the logic behind why she was doing what she was doing. Unfortunately, my phone was in the car charging, or there would be pictures and possibly video. They did not jump. They did not canter. They worked on the basics, and eventually he 'got' just about everything she was asking him to do. There was a moment of terror when a giant scary truck dropped off some round bales, and he became a spook-monster (unusual for him these days, but as she pointed out she was a new rider and he probably didn't have a whole lot of trust in her hay-bale-slaying abilities just yet).
She absolutely loved him. And then she got off, looked me in the eye, and asked me if I would be okay with not riding my horse for a while. She wants him to go into full training, which I absolutely cannot afford. She thinks that he needs the consistency of one rider right now, and he needs to learn all of the basic little things that I'm still learning myself. I've literally only had one formal dressage lesson in my entire life, and all of the things that he needs to learn are pretty related to that. She doesn't think he should be jumping for a while because while our flat work has improved, jumping (aside from the awesome oxer lesson) has mostly just created anxiety and lots of prancing giraffe-ness.
I was actually planning to suggest that Leo step back from jumping for a while - I've been thinking about it a lot and it seems like some solid focus on the basics of flatwork would be very beneficial to him. I was also going to suggest trying to swing two training rides a week. Trainer K wants at least 3. And I was definitely not expecting her to suggest that I take some time off from riding him. Not gonna lie, that hit pretty hard. It makes so much sense, but still. He's my horse etc etc. Sigh.
So Leo is in training, starting now. Trainer K gets him 4 days a week, and I get 2 days a week to do ground work with him. I probably won't be able to afford to go to the show next weekend that I was planning to attend, but that's not the end of the world. Also buying a saddle is probably out of the question for a while. Luckily we're a lesson barn and there are 9 million saddles for me to borrow. I know that this is the right thing for my horse right now, and also the right thing for me, but I really wanted to be able to do this whole training thing on my own. But my trainer is a professional saddlebred repurposer, and she and her ASB boy Dan casually do things like this nowadays.
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| shamelessly stolen from her FB page. Yes, they are jumping the giant jump. |
IN OTHER EXCITING NEWS not that there will be any jumping at any point in the near future, my fancy new tendon boots arrived today!!!! I was lucky enough to win Eventing Saddlebred Style's super amazing Olympic Winners contest, and got a gift card to Riding Warehouse, and used that to help purchase these:
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| So. Pretty. |
I'm planning to teach him some sweet new tricks while I'm grounded, and I've got a boatload of amazing school horses to ride, and some awesome shows coming up that I wasn't planning to take Leo to anyways.
Trying to stay positive, but I'm really going to miss riding almost every day.
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| Already mostly missing this view. Maybe part of training is fixing his crazy hair. |
I think this will be fantastic for you! I know how much it sucks but it also sucks to have your confidence slammed every single ride.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear about the boots. I want some so badly, so fingers crossed that they fit! :)
Thanks for the support ((: I know it's the right thing, I just have to repeat that to myself again and again. And I am SO EXCITED to try the boots on tomorrow! Hopefully will post lots of pictures! (I maybe put them on my legs when my BF came home and had him convinced for a minute that they were weird heel guards)
DeleteI'm actually kinda sorry to read this. Obvi I don't know you or your trainer (and have the utmost respect for trainer-client relationships) but it just seems really unfortunate that after horse shopping for a while and your trainer pointing you to this horse your trainer really likes, that you've been struggling to have fun with, that trainer now tells you should probably be in exclusive training with your trainer (on your dime). I might be reading this wrong tho (and please forgive me if I am!) in which case I hope the training goes really well and you feel more empowered to do the things with Leo that you bought him for!!
ReplyDeleteYou're not reading it wrong, that is sort of basically what it's come to. However, when I bought Leo and first brought him home, he was much more willing to do certain things than he is now; at first I think it was all new and exciting and he was just happy to have a job - now he has to work more than he probably ever has in his entire life, and he's getting confused about it, and as much as I'd like to say that I have the tools to deal with it etc, I don't. I'm not a saddlebred person. And unfortunately the horses in my price range (which includes location because hauling something in from far away would add a significant cost) were going to be green or require significant maintenance (which I can't afford). So we both thought that I had a horse I could handle on my own with some help, and now it's become more of a situation where I'm in over my head and I need a lot of help, and unfortunately the best solution aside from selling (which would put me back to horse shopping in that same price range) seems to be to put him into training (which will also help with resale if that ever were to become a real thing). I don't want to sell him, and I want to be able to enjoy him, and I think that putting him in training is the best solution right now. And a month of training still costs less than one round of the injections that the first choice horse would have needed every 6 months, so there's that. Training isn't the ideal solution, but I know that my trainer isn't trying to take advantage of me, she really wants to help, and training is the best way for her to do so. It's a really tough situation all around, but we all want what's best for Leo (and also for me), and it's only one month. If she'd said he needs 6 months of exclusive training, that would have been a very different story.
DeleteThat makes a lot of sense. And I'll be the last person ever to poo-poo training rides bc they are amazing and nothing beats having a trainer you trust in your corner.
DeleteI'm coming from my own sad little corner of not really having fun with my mare lately and therefore am maybe too quick to draw that line for others - so please forgive me if I'm overstepping.
Regardless I think it's admirable that you're looking to do what's right for both you and the horse. And I hope the outcome of these training sessions is really positive!!
Definitely not overstepping! I really appreciate the feedback, and I definitely understand where you're coming from. I was/am a little disappointed about the whole not riding my horse thing, but I really do trust my trainer and I cannot imagine that she would be trying to steer me wrong. I also think that if things were to continue as is, our progress would stagnate even more. And honestly I'm a little excited to see what she can do with him. (:
DeleteI really hope that you figure things with your mare out. It seriously sucks to not have fun with your horse.
It sucks to take a step back, but sometimes professional help is the right answer -- and at least you have that option! Hopefully the boots fit him well and you have some fun with the groundwork. You'll be back in the saddle with him before you know it!
ReplyDeleteWe're going to learn fun new tricks like 'stand quietly for the farrier' and 'learn how to actually use the freaking automatic waterer in the stall so that we don't have to have a special bucket like a giant baby.' And also lots of lunging, probably.
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