Camp ends. Bittersweet & Breakthroughs.

Thursday –Pick your lesson…hmmm if you guessed Peter Atkins you are correct!

The last day of camp was Thursday and included a show jumping lesson with Peter. The focus was…improving the canter (surprised?).

We stated with the trot working Moose very round and low. When a balanced, round and low outline was achieved Peter had me imagine my arms/ reins as poles to push his nose forward. Instead of transitioning trot to canter Peter set up a series of poles 9 feet apart (this helped simulate a canter stride). We totted in and cantered out with me again trying to catch the front feet with my hand and kick his back up. The goal was to do a balanced transition to trot before the canter deteriorated…that was the goal anyway.

The poles soon became jumps. And then *it* happened.  The best jump of my life. I felt those little mutton withers come up and Moose’s back round as he sailed over the last element.  It had finally clicked-I kicked at the girth and got out of the saddle at the right moment. I loved the feeling of that jump and have been dreaming about it ever since.

Sadly I have not yet had my canter breakthrough nor have I been able to try and recreate that jump as the Midwest has been under a heat warning since I have been home.

So with a big breakthrough in our jump we left camp. A bittersweet moment for sure. It was a great week of learning, socializing and eating (had to put that in there –food was AWESOME).

I can’t think LeeAnn Zobbe enough. Come Again Farm is a very special place and Come Again Event Camp is a very special offering. I have longingly eyed event camps for quite a while-however the fees and distance were out of my range. LeeAnn has created a unique camp. Us ‘regular Joes’ with our ‘unlikely event horses’ as well as several future super stars can come together to train with world class instructors and live our dream for 4 days a year.

With that said thanks to the clinicians –especially for taking time with amateurs like me on cheap unlikely event types. I did not ride with all of them but heard glowing reports from those who did. Peter Atkins, Leslie Law, Dorothy Crowell, Mary Lowry, Jennifer Kasier, and Bonna McCuiston are all appreciated.

And to my fellow campers –see ya next year!

Thanks Amy, Amy, Amy, and Susan (honorary Amy) for being great riding buddies!

Want to ride better? Jump Grids. No Horse Required.

The Pool.

Quoting Rachel "Peter Who? Courage smack, or punishment? Screw it, I'll just drink my beer."

Stepping through the broom...some were better than others!

More Event Camp-Show Jumping, cross country, whipping and other weird activities

Tuesday- Leslie Law (Cross Country) | Peter Atkins (Show Jumping) 

Tuesday I was very excited to ride with Leslie Law. An admitted book hoarder I of course own a copy of ‘Cross Country Masterclass’ and was eager to put into practice what I had read.

Mr. Law has very classic teaching style. We began by shortening our stirrups a hole or four (guess who the four was) and practiced galloping position. As we were all one horse amateur riders it was suggested that once a week we shorten our stirrups two holes shorter than cross country length to develop our fitness and galloping position.

We moved on to some very simple jumps, water and ditches. Being the book hoarder I am I recognized several bits from Jimmy Woffords ‘Training the Three Day Event Horse and Rider". A good read!

That afternoon I had showjumping with Peter Atkins. Poor Peter. Poor Moose. I rode like garbage. 

G.A.R.B.A.G.E  

Take away points?

I ride like garbage. This can only be fixed by beer consumption. I fixed it.

Thank the lord for Wednesday and a chance at redemption.

Wednesday- Bonna McCuiston (Dressage Fix-a-test) | Peter Atkins (Cross Country) | Peter Atkins Lecture on Bitting & Whipping

Bonna was a dear and suffered through BN test A. 

Ahhh Dressage. I choose to laugh it off. Everyone else does!

“So –you’re a beginner. Right?”

“Not exactly. I have ridden a for a few years or 25.”

She gave me some tips (canter transitions, transitions, transitions). I think she was afraid to have us canter in the small ring (with her in it) so we worked on shoulder-in.

The afternoon session was cross country with Peter. As all the horses were starter level we focused more on improving the canter than jumping. I found this hugely helpful as you cannot have a good jump if you do not have a quality canter. 

 

Moose working much rounder

Peter had us canter up and down hills actively “catching the front feet” while kicking the horse up at the girth. This resulted in a rounder back and a quality gait. 

He had me working hard with Moose to improve the canter –riding counter canter and then true canter in counter flexion.  

Peter hopped on the Mooseman for a bit so Moose got some training and I was able to better visualize what he was teaching. 

We also cantered Moose thought the water several times using the drag of the water to help me improve his balance. Overall this was a great lesson for me –best of the camp!

Great Lesson! Thanks Moose & Peter!

The evening lecture was “Bitting and Proper Whipping ah la Peter Atkins”

On bitting Peter was a proponent of  jointed snaffles feeling that the nutcracker action of a single joint was harsh. 

This was demonstrated by placing different types of snaffles between the hands and then feeling the action.

Peter recommended a good old fashion jockey whip as most crops are “items of apparel only”.

Whipping was either for courage, a wake up, and very rarely for punishment. He cautioned against whipping a horse that stopped because it was scared feeling this could eventually lead to falls as the horse, fearful of a whipping, would jump a fence when it was best to stop.

Wake Up

Punishment

We all got to practice

Wake Up? Courage? Punishment? hmmm

Event Camp-Balance/ Tempo /Rhythm-And Really Great Food!

Come Again Farm Event Camp 1

I started out with visions of grandeur – dutifully recording our adventure by uploading photos, videos and notes from camp every evening. An uncooperative laptop and video camera coupled with 111 degrees squashed that. So overdue is my Camp recap starting with Monday.

Monday –Peter Atkins (Grids) | Jennifer Kaiser (Dressage) | Leslie Law (Demo rides)

Peter gallantly tries to teach me-no easy task!

Monday I began my camp experience with a grids lesson from Peter Atkins. Most eventers know Peter due to his helmet cams and horse Henry of “Run Henny Run” fame.
Peter is for sure a talented rider but even more talented as a teacher...and I think that will be a future blog post!

We began the grids lesson through a tangled maze of poles working on tempo and balance (this would be the theme for camp) and ended with a few bounces to a small oxer. The take away for me was the importance of balance and tempo.  My big breakthrough of the session was…wait for it…slowing the tempo with my seat. Duh. I thought I had been doing this correctly for years but for the first time I was truly able to control Moose’s speed and tempo without touching the reins. It was a very nice feeling!

Moose through the Grid

 Dressage with Jennifer Kaiser focused on getting Moose soft (he prefers this pose): 

Moose or Giraffe?

by raising the inside rein…as he goes up I go up. I understood this conceptually but by working with Jennifer the idea cemented. Now when I feel I am getting trotted off with I have a tool.

We also worked on our nemesis –the canter. Transitions, transitions, transitions. When I expressed my frustration (we have done 1,000,000,008 transitions in the last year) Jennifer indicated I just needed more time. Drat.

That evening Leslie Law rode three horses in front of ~ 100 spectators.  I had grand plans of taping the rides but the video camera had other plans and took the night off. Luckily COTHer ‘enjoytheride’ posted some videos:

Video one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4QnFKwl9ZE

Video two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA7Qga6tqSk

Video three
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOjJHjeL24o

Video four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tq_hsl65fk 

Video five
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ1kyjZh9vk

My take away from his rides was that regardless of level- balance, rhythm, and softness are key. While riding and jumping in balance with a steady rhythm hunting and picking a distance was unnecessary…the distance found you.

Oh -enough with riding you say -your title mentioned food...oh my lord the food.

Vacation (my version of it) = C A M P!!!!!

It is almost that time of year again…VACATION! A beach vacation? European backpacking? Perhaps a spa visit with hot springs and a massage?

Not for me! My vacation is spent with 40 other riders  in Indiana at Come Again Farm.
We rise with the chickens (literally) to care for our mounts and then lesson with some of the best event coaches in the country. We then clean our tack, audit, take notes, set jump poles, help and support the other riders followed by another lesson in the July heat. After that is it chore time again then on to a lecture, dinner, beer drinking and jaw wagging. We then get up and do it all again.
Though sun burnt, tired, and sore by the end of the week I would not trade this vacation for any other.

This year we will once again be instructed by Peter Atkins and Dorothy Crowell. New this year is Leslie Law. All have represented their country internationally and are considered excellent instructors.

I am hoping we make a different impression this year…

Last year every instructor said this --->“I don’t normally say this but I think you need more bit.”  

The bit I had in for camp.

And this --->  “Everyone canter! Except Amy!”

This might be why:

vroom

In Moose’s defense he was less than 2 weeks off the camp. In my defense…well I really don’t have one. 

Last years camp recap on COTH.

And a  recap from Team Taco.

From Camp Pony to...

Camp Pony!