First lesson with Kati

I had my first lesson today at this barn. I was dubious cuz this most-beloved trainer seems to spend most of her time teaching people ground work. Which is ironic cuz her slogan has "riding" in it and her website has 99% photos of people on the ground.





Sure enough, when I told her my goal, my plan is to spend my lesson time with her riding, she tried to sell me on the wonders of ground work.

I had been warming up Mag on the lunge before they arrived, and when they did, her daughter was with her.  I said to the daughter, "Would you mind taking a seat?" as I lunged my horse at a jog to warm him a little.

She was confused. I said, "Can you please sit down on that bench there, for a moment, I would like to see if my horse reacts fearfully to that, as he sometimes does." She complied, probably thinking I was nuts. Mag was fine, until I switched his direction and he went, "WHAT? PERSON ON A BENCH!" *sigh* Very funny. Also funny, the fact that I was far enough from her to not recognize she was a child, and I addressed her in the formal German. So, I spoke to her as an equal, even though she's a kid. Oops. Later I switched, totally uncouth. I'm an ignorant American.

I asked this socially indistinct (to me) girl to take my camera and take some photos and videos. I said I am too shy to ask anyone in the barn to do this, because they are there to enjoy their own horse, and not sit on a bench and click photos. The sweet girl said yes. Awesome!
 
This bit of lunging at three gaits gave me 5 minutes to show Kati what Mag can do on a lungeline at least, and I was proud to say he listened to every single vocal/body language cue from me for those 5 minutes perfectly. Then I tangled my line and dropped my whip and Mag turned to me, halting politely, as I pretended that was intentional. *ahem*

I told her I've done a lot of ground work with my horse, and we're at the point where we need to start riding seriously, and not just ground work.

I need to just ride this horse, I said.

She asked me to lead him around the arena. I thought, "Oh gosh, she's gonna INSIST that I pay her money for a ground work lesson, *sigh*

She watched Mag walk the arena with me, behind me.  Then Mag got a little forward and I slammed on my brakes and he did too, then we proceeded, with my horse behind me as I prefer. She said I was too abrupt in my correction, that I could have just held up a finger to correct him. Hm, I always correct his getting too forward by stopping suddenly, and then backing up myself, which he mimics.

She said she prefers to have a horse directly at her shoulder. I said, "Yes, the FN method" (the German Equestrian Foundation). I admit, I said it a little condescendingly.

She said, "A horse can rush forward and run you over." I said, "I know, but  has not happened yet." I explained to her that he can spook left and right and not endanger me, and I just feel better in front, as a leader.

She said, "I  do not teach alpha training. What horse wants to have an alpha mare training it? They'd prefer to be away from alphas!!"

I said, "OK." But I didn't say what I was thinking....

I want to be a secure being for my horse, a leader with impeccable emotional control.  Don't horses feel secure with a leader in their group? A kind, trustworthy leader who never flips out and starts abusing them for hormonal reasons?

I was insecure, a little, as our lesson began, after my last 4 trainers ditched me for various reasons.

 I must not be an easy student.


***

Anyway, here's the lesson.

She asked me what I wanted to work on.

My objective: "Get a forward, marching walk without me pushing constantly."

She said we could do it, and not need a *shudder* crop. Apparently she's against whips.

She laid out several cones, 5 meters apart each, in a circle.

I love that she uses toys cuz it takes the rider and horse off distractions, both imagined and real.

***

We were in the indoor in a pouring rain day (love indoors!) and very few of the photos turned out. I told the daughter photographing us, "It's not likely they will turn out, in this dark arena, no worries."

But she did her best.

First exercise - walk from cone to cone and stop at each one. Do not reward the horse when he stops at a cone. Reward the horse as he moves into the walk. What? OK, that's new. Really, really new, for both of us. As I said, "Good boy," he'd slow and look at me like, "Good enough for a treat?" No, we're walking! This is gonna be a new paradigm for me. I'm used to letting a horse stop for a reward, but she said a lazy horse will need to find reward in movement. I literally said to her, "I doubt it." (I'm such a bad student!)

Second, walk to one cone, trot to the next, walk to the next, trot to the next. No problem.

Third, walk to each cone and circle it tightly. How hard can that be? Well, for Mag, it was not simple. He would swing his hips in the wrong direction, and halt altogether. I was amazed how hard it was for Mag to just circle cones. She said "He is doing it properly, lifting his back, and crossing his hind legs, that is why it's difficult." This is a very difficult exercise. OK then. (As an endurance rider I may have rolled my eyes.)

Fourth, stop at each cone and then trot to the next, no walking. Oh boy. This is the key. For any horse, really. Stop trot stop trot transitions. They're just no fun, for anyone, and I'm thankful to her for putting this on our plate. This is where she'd get a great review for her lesson, it was the one thing I didn't really want to do, but we needed most. BTW, those cones were like 10 meters apart.

I used a lot of clucking, and Mag complied, he seemed to get it, but it's not easy for a baby. I knew my Geometry was just awful.

I apologized for using so much much vocal cueing but she didn't mind, she never corrected me. I think she was just happy I was not using a crop. (Is she such a hippy?)

Then as if for a reward for both of us, she "let" us just trot around the cones, over and over and over. I told her that is the most we've ever trotted. She was not disappointed, she said, "He's just finding his balance."

I was surprised to see, from the photos, that Mag does duck behind the vertical from time to time. WHAT! Oh man you cheater.

The trainer never mentioned it. In fact, she had only good things to say.

Is she just a hippy? Am I in trouble? *lol*

As I patted Mag on the neck, she corrected me "Stroke, do not pat." I know this, but I do pat from time to time. Good that she knows that though. Most Germans slap their horses on the neck so hard the birds fly from the trees.





This photo cracks me up cuz I look like I'm looking at the saddle for plastic explosives. Whereas Mag is saying, "Probably no explosives, nope."







Mag was right.





Jana and Chinook stood watching in the background about half the time. I was embarrassed cuz of our failure to be perfect at every task.







She said, "Your horse listens to you constantly!" I said, "Except for when he's looking at Chinook, or the door. That stupid door!"

Then she made me feel better - "That door is a problem with every single horse here who I teach. They cannot help but keep checking it, obsessed with it!" I said, "Really! It's not just mine?" No! I said, "I honestly think riding in the outdoor is easier. She agreed with me.





She tried to teach me how to teach him to enjoy going forward, to combat his laziness. She said to praise him as soon as he begins to walk or trot. Not when he stops. How confusing, after a lifetime of praising a horse as soon as it stops moving. He kept slamming to a stop, "I'm a good boy? I get to stop?" No, you get praised as you continue forward.













Way too relaxed for daytime television.



Apparently I make a lot of strange expressions as I ride. I may be contemplating that next cone. I love Mag's focus, on my contemplation. And what happened to my reins - did I forget them?




Here we're just standing and talking/listening.


Mag chews a snack and sees someone at the door. DOOR!












Talking with my hands. Do I do that?


Ah, I'm not the only one.















Actually trotting in a photo!?





What the heck, I dropped the reins entirely? Do I have a death wish?



I love how he's bored, but attentive. "This is my life now."





I included this blurry one cuz I love seeing his ears on me like that. YES.





Hopefully this trainer is a good one. I have no idea.








I have never ridden a lazier walk in my life so I worry. I love a good walk. I could care less about a trot. So.......

What to do. I see myself pushing him constantly. You see it too.

Not that arena work is my goal, but I would hope that in our time here, we could get a good walk.

Or maybe I'm spoiled on forward walking horses.

Am I alone thinking he wants to do Western Pleasure? Can any horse move slower? I know, that's insulting, it takes years of training to get proper Western Pleasure carriage/movement. But somehow my jockey-club registered Arabian kicks dirt forward from his hooves. I know the answer cannot be found until he's actually trained and ridden extensively.  Just, wow, he's slow.