Lucinda Green Clinic

I got up Tues. morning at 0530. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to Win Green, where the clinic was being held. I rode at 1000. By the time I got going and was ready to load Olly it was 0600. I got his shipping boots on and headed up to the trailer. See our drive is so steep I can't load him and drive out. I have to park at the lane and then load. We walked up the drive, it was already getting light out. As we got closer to the trailer I could feel him bulk. I thought it may be because it was still a bit dark out. To my surprise he completely REFUSED to get in the trailer! WTF??!! I mean he wouldn't even approach the trailer. A few weeks ago we went to a local show and he walked right in...I was totally taken off guard. After a 1/2 an hour of trying I was so frustrated I was crying and begging. What a great horseman, right? lol Husband heard (our windows are open from the nice weather) and came out to help. As soon as he walked up Olly jumped right in. What an ass! He knew I couldn't make him get in the trailer. Once he was in it he kicked a few times, just to let me know that he didn't approve of the tag team and then was fine. Mama will always win....one way or another.
I typed the address into the GPS and came to realize that it didn't have the proper portion of the state downloaded to find the place. Great! Luckily, mama plans ahead, I printed out mapquest directions too. I almost felt insecure. I use the GPS for EVERYTHING, now that I didn't have it I felt like something was missing and worried that I would even find the place. It is funny how we depend on all this technology that we didn't have years ago and now we can't seem to live without it. I sucked it up and headed out. I have driven way further to places and not even had my mapquest. Own it mama!!
Driving in Va is a bit different than any place I have driven a trailer before. I mean, the hills are insane. The speed limit is 60mph and the turns are almost 90* angles and then the hills! Sheesh! No wonder the BigRedHorse didn't want to get into the trailer....As we were driving, I could hear the engine pulling the 1100# BigRedHorse up and down the hills and I could almost see the needle on the gas gauge drop.
We saw the craziest road names, Canoe House Rd, Muddy Gut Ln, and even a town called Wilderness! Where do you live? On Muddy Gut Ln in the Wilderness. I tell ya, it is good entertainment out here.
I am happy to say I did not get lost and made it there with ample time.

A little privacy pleeeeease!

Walking around ther was like being at the Rolex for me. I have never been on a xc (cross country) course. I think I looked like a ra-tard with this huge smile across my face.
I went and got Olly ready. I figured after not riding him for almost a week(my mom was visiting) he would need the stupid worked out of him. Amazingly he was alert, but not crazy. I think he was more interested in checking out all the new things than freaking out.

Those are my sassy pants

We warmed up over a few LOW jumps and then Lucinda took over. She started out by asking us about our horse. She really liked Olly. After riding for an hour she said that he needed to focus more. He needed the Eye of the Tiger. Hey, we could have our own theme song!! I found out two main reasons that Olly and I have been having all of this trouble going over jumps and they were both ME! I am sure it is no big suprise to hear. I am actually relieved.First I ride too far forward, which I knew.

Tipping forward and Olly refusing

I have actually fallen off from that before. I try to sit back, but the way I was taught was to ride in 2 point when jumping. although this may be goo advice in a hunter class, for xc it is a no-no. And it seems to be a no-no for Olly. He did "refuse" a few times while we were out there. I backed him a few strides and tried again and he always went over. He never ran out, which is great. The second issue was that I had a hard time keeping him focused. If I lost concentration at anytime, he fell apart. He was incapable of carrying himself for any period of time.

Doesn't he look totally focused?? LMAO

Which, again, was not a total surprise. The awesome part is that she taught me exactly how to fix these problems. By yelling at me to sit back on every stride, I finally got the picture lol and by tuning my mind on Olly and not on jumping ahead of my BigRedHorse, things started to come together.
We practiced with low jumps (about 2ft) and began weaving and zig-zagging in and out of skinny's.

Jacket-schmacket!

Owning the log, still too forward!

Star-my fav!!!

I was suprised to hear Lucinda comment on gymnastic lines. She said that by running your horse through the grids you are predetermining the distance and the horse doesn't have to think about where to put his feet. TRUE. By incorperating odd distances your horse learns to adjust himself. In turn he becomes more attuned to you and where you want him to go. It makes him sharper. Soooooo all along, once again, I have been doing the not-so-right thing for us. Good to know. I think under some circumstances grids are good to do, but how can you disagree with Lucinda Green?? I will continue to do some grids, but the will be no where near what I have been doing. In two hours Olly had become more attentive in what I was asking and not wandering as much...as long as I kept him focusing.

Eryn on the right, me and Jessica on the left. Nic was on a grey not in the pic.

On of the most helpful terms she used that made my mind click, and sometimes that is hard with my blonde mind, was the "tube." Let me explain. your horse is a tube. You should have no air between your calves. I have alot, olly is a bit sensitive. you should squeeze the "tube" when apporaching the jump to encourage forward motion. At one point she told me to squeeze his eyeballs out! lol. By keeping contact with the "tube" you are keeping your horse aimed whee you are wanting to go. Like their eyes are attached to your knees. Guide them with your legs. Now, some of you may be like DUH! But this was explained to me so much better. I mean I use my legs ALL the time, but not in this way. How do you teach the new way of riding with your legs? Without rein contact.
The last exercise of the first day we were asked to ride with a loose rein. I mean she wanted our hands to be wide and sloppy. I am thinking: Ummmmmm? Huh?? OK, Lucinda. I mean you do not question her, she is the best, right? I did. Ummmm, Miss Lucinda? Ummmmm....Why?  Her answer was simple...

YES that is Lucinda Green standing next to ME!!!!

If you don't have reins to support your seat, it will have to support itself. Fair enough. Ragdoll style it is. i widened my hands and let the reins 3/4 of the way to the buckle. She said, 'now jump this, this, this, this, this and this.' I have never been one to say no when it comes to new things while riding. I would try a 5ft jump if anyone said yeah, sure, you can do it. I was second in line. Here goes...
I was as sloppy and floppy as I could be...after the fifth jump I had let my reins slack so much that I had absolutely NO contact with his mouth and when he zigged, I zagged. Off I went. Now one would think that it would be totally embarrassing to fall off in front of Lucinda Green. I actually wasn't. I mean, if I hadn't fallen off then I would have probably done it at home and not known how to fix it. She did laugh at me and said, I told you to have a loose rein, not throw your horse away. Fair enough. i look up and Olly was standing 15 feet to my right looking at me like "sorry mom...again." I got up brushed myself off and got back on. I didn't get hurt really other than my finger was a bit sore. After everyone went, she asked if anyone would like to try again. Ummmmm YEAH! I would like to do it right at least. the second time around I had just the right amount of contact with his mouth and we cleared the 6 fence round awesomely. Again, it was my fault. I was begining to see a trend....
After untacking I ran back to see the other classes. there was a novice class and a beginnner novice class before the Prelim. I figured i would watch the novice class and take Olly to the stable (which was 9 miles down the road) during the other beginner novice class and make it back beofre the prelim class began. I learned alot from the novice class. The biggest thing I learned was that no matter the level, everyone was making mistakes. I thought that the higher the level the less mistakes. All the levels used the same jumps we did, but they were just a tidge higher. Same patterns, mostly. The prelim group did way more.
It was all about your position on the horse and focus, just at different difficulties. The more I watched the more I knew that Olly and I could do this...we would do this.
Time to go. I went back to the trailer and attempted to get Olly in the trailer. Great, a replay from this morning. It took 45 minutes to get him in the trailer AND I had help. I was two steps from having a nervouse breakdown. WTF?!? You can get on a freaking airplane and fly 2500 miles and then caravan for another 2300ish miles and you won't get in for a 9 mile ride? Give me a break!!! Anyway...I got him to his horsey hotel. Paradocs Farms was his stall for the night. Nice stable with an awesome indoor. And Joan the BO/Vet was amazing! I wish I lived closer. I have a feeling I could have learned buckets from her. This amazing barn and beautiful house and I pull up in my crappy rusted(but safe) trailer and felt totally welcomed. Not once did I feel like I was being judged, as I have felt at some hunter shows. This is what Olly and I were meant to do.
I ran back to watch the prelim class. this one horse rode by Jennifer, was a intermediate, I think. He hardly stood still and chewed his bit like it was crack! Gorous horse.

Jennifer

I only stayed for 1/2 the class seeing it was like 48* and all I had on was a teeny t-shirt and hoodie. I think I may have gotten frostbite. lol.  I headed out to my hotel. That is right guys, I stayed the night in a hotel...by myself..no kids...no screaming...no yelling...no cleaning...no messes...I almost felt lost. I did however, tried to enjoy it and I did get alot of homework done.
The next morning I woke up before the alarm. Figures and it just so happened to be at the time the kids get up for school. Once a mom always a mom. Oh and when I woke up I couldn't get my rings off. Guess my finger was a bit more injured than I had originally thought. It hurt and looked like hell.
Olly loaded better. I think he just knows that I am one person and there is no way that I can do it myself. I mean 140# vs 1100#. You make the call. Once he sees the help coming he pops up into the trailer like awwww shit, here they come.
Day II was all xc course, no arena jumping. WIN!!! We used the loose rein technique all day. Olly was in the zone. He was great. We did drops and logs and coops and telephone poles and water jumps and ditches and even walls and a trakehner!! Who is awesome? We are!!! He refuse twice the whole two hours and they were all because of him. See Lucinda said that since I have been riding so forward so long he expects me to be there on his shoulders when he jumps. He automatically stops. Although it is originally my fault, he should have kept going. My job now is to keep doing it right so he can too. We both have bad habits that we will break, together. After doing some drops and turns it was time to head to the water. For those of yo who follow my blog you will remember that we did practice a bank in my backyard. WIN! And we also went cantering through some water not too long ago. Good job Pru and Olly! He entered the water like a champ, UNTIL...he went to pop out and hit his foot. His fetlock boot slipped down to his hoof. He came outta that water kicking and a bucking. After that he didn't want to go back into the water. Lucinda envoked the crop. Once I had it he plopped right in. In the video I had already gone in and gave the crop back, which he kne and decided not to go in again. I ended up getting him in ith out the crop, but Lucinda suggested my using a crop at all times because he is a "naughty bastard." After the water we headed out to the ditches. We practiced some barrels and a few different sizes of ditches. Starting with a tiny bank then a wider shallow ditch that he could walk through. Almost like a narrow sunken road. Then the last ditch we jumped was about 2 1/2 feet deep and 4 ft wide. Olly did really well and didn't refuse any. We practiced ditches before, just along the road, but a ditch is scary no matter where it is. Lastly, Lucinda asked if anyone wanted to take on the trakehner. My eyes lit up. Pshhhhh ME!!! I looked at her and asked "you think he will do it?" She responded with "if you don't screw him up...." Fair enough...we trotted it, he bulked and then popped over. WIN x50!!!!!

Ditch

Sweet, huh??!! Hell yeah it's SWEET!!!!

Wall!

Who has an awesome BigRedHorse??? I dont have to answer that, because y'all already know. I circled around and she called out..."....ditch, trakehner, and wall." On it! I followed Jessica down the line.  Here is the Video


After the last line Lucinda came around and gave us her last thoughts. She said that Olly has alot of potiental (which I knew) and that she thinks he is capable of training level and higher, if I can get my butt in gear. She said that right now I am holding him back. She also said she will be back next year and hopes to see our improvements.
I met alot of awesome people and hope to keep in touch with them. I have made it a goal to attend a eventing show. It doesn't have to be recognized, we just need to go. I have learned so much from these two days. I look forward to the future videos and all the critiques you guys will give on how much MY riding has changed.
Oh, and the last note...I went to the doctor after returning home and they took like 5 radiographs and my finger is not broken, just "severly bruised" as the doctor put it. As of today I still can't get my wedding rings off and it is still bruised pretty good.

If this is the only injury from falling I am lucky :)

This a picture I dedicate to Andrea. I think her fashion sense has rubbed off....I was sitting in the drs office.