By Jennifer Klitzke
This was both my and my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend’s first recognized horse trial. We competed in dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country over Labor Day weekend 2013.
Winter wonderland
By Jennifer Klitzke
A collection of video frames from a February snow frolic.
Frown upside down
By Jennifer Klitzke
Time spent with my furry friend on a frosty day has an amazing way of turning my frown upside down.
Merry Christmas!
“The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
Spanish Mustang: North Run Spring Break
By Jennifer Klitzke
You know it is going to be a long winter when you long for Spring Break and it isn’t even winter yet!
Cold weather inspired me to take my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend (Indy) to North Run Farm. It has been far too long since our last jumping lesson with Len Danielson. Thanks to Len’s coaching and encouragement at Steepleview Schooling Days (June 2013), Indy and I gained the confidence to give cross country a try. And our first hunter schooling show experiences were also at North Run Farm. If you enjoy an organized, friendly, low key, and educational show experience, you’ve got to ride at a North Run Farm schooling dressage or hunter show.
In addition to being a seasoned event rider, Len is also a terrific hunter jumper instructor. I thoroughly enjoyed my lesson today. It felt like a Florida Spring Break riding in their heated indoor—sure beats wearing 80 lbs. of clothes to keep warm on a 10-degree day!
In this lesson, Indy and I began with many transitions between walk, trot, walk, halt, walk, trot, canter, trot, walk every half circle. Len was impressed with the quality of Indy’s gaits. His initial reaction to Indy is common with most. Looking at Indy in the cross ties, you see a big head, stocky square body and stubby legs. When Indy begins to move, everyone is pleasantly surprised.
Len coached me to a balanced trot without rushing or letting Indy pull the reins out of my hands. His strategy is to ride Indy from inside leg to an outside rein fixed on his wither and giving with the inside rein after gently asking for bend through the jaw. If Indy pulls down on the bridle, maintain the outside contact and drop the inside rein.
After Indy and I warmed up, we trotted over a ground rail, followed by trotting over two-20″ vertical flowerbox set up as a figure eight. Then we proceeded to cantering the same exercise. Between each set, we let Indy relax for a circle at a free walk on a long rein.
We ended our lesson with the addition of a 2’3″ vertical jump placed 25-feet from the last flowerbox. The goal was to reduce one or two strides between the fences by picking up the caner tempo.
Indy is a rock star! He is very sensible and careful. He doesn’t rush the jumps, balk at the jumps, or over jump. I love my boy!
Thank you beyond words to Len Danielson and North Run Farm for a wonderful learning experience and a reprieve from the artic blast.
Visit: northrunfarm.org.
Happy Thanksgiving!
My Spanish Mustang: Make vs. Ask
By Jennifer Klitzke
I love what “Riding in Lightness” clinician Susan Norman says, “In the French philosophy, we don’t ‘make’ the horse do, we ‘ask’ the horse to do.”
To me, ‘make’ feels mechanical while ‘ask’ feels like partnership.
My Spanish Mustang Learns French
By Jennifer Klitzke
A bi-lingual horse? The German dressage philosophy is predominant in my area so that’s the form of dressage I’ve been taught. When I heard that Classical French Dressage Clinician Susan Norman was coming to town, I had to bring Indy to learn some French. Oui, oui, I am so glad I did!
Susan studied with Classical French Dressage Masters Philippe Karl and the late Jean-Claude Racinet and she’s retained it well! In one 45-minute lesson, Susan quickly addressed the source of Indy’s heaviness issues and gave us plenty to work on until I see her next Spring. Not only is she knowledgeable in French dressage philosophy, she fosters a positive learning environment—affirming what each rider is already doing well, offering new concepts to aid in improvement, and encouraging riders as they learn it.
Susan suggested that I teach Indy elegant balance in lightness beginning at a slow walk so that he can gain confidence in this new way of carrying himself. Indy tends to get heavy on the forehand and lean on the bit.
Susan said, “Don’t accept heaviness from the start.” Her remedy is to lift my hands up, forward, and return my hands to the neutral position above the pommel. Once Indy began to understand not to lean on the bit, just lifting my hands forward and up for a second reminded him to be light.
Our elegant balance in lightness began with counter bend at a walk along the wall. Then Susan asked me to ride Indy off of the wall into a straight line and transition from walk to halt. This is how she explained to halt according to French philosophy: Remain very still in the saddle while alternating a squeeze and release with my left hand as Indy’s left front leg met the ground, and then a squeeze and release of the right hand as his right fore leg met the ground. Within three steps, Indy came to a soft, round, light, square and balanced halt. I had never halted this way before and it works so well without any pulling back on the reins.
From the balanced halt, Susan asked me to release the reins to the buckle so that Indy could stretch and rest his developing muscles. Just like halt, stretch had a French application. I had always been taught to let the horse take a break at a long and low walk. Susan taught me to give Indy a long rein while at a light, balanced halt—and remain halted. What I love about this method is that Indy stretched from a balanced frame vs. collapsing onto the forehand in a walk stretch. In our 45 minute lesson, we took about five one-minute stretch breaks.
After we had grasped the light and balanced walk, Susan asked us to transition into a slow, light and balanced trot on a 15 meter circle. At first Indy only took about five steps before falling onto the forehand and getting heavy in my hands. That’s when we transitioned back to walk to re-established balance and lightness. At each progression of trot Indy took more consecutive balanced steps until we ended with a figure eight.
We may not be fluent in French, but this 45-minute starter course gave us enough to want to learn more!
Merci beaucoup, to those who organized the Susan Norman “Riding in Lightness” Clinic, to Susan who conducted a positive, encouraging, educational, and effective French dressage clinic, and to Timberlein Ranch for hosting the event!
For more information about classical French dressage philosophy, Susan suggested the book, “Another Horsemanship” by the late Jean-Claude Racinet.
Lost again
My husband and I only planned to ride for an hour at Sand Dunes State Forest North park, but we got lost again in the same place we got lost last time, and the time before. Daylight was weaning. I knew my husband was getting concerned when he began to trot. After nearly three hours of walking, trotting and cantering, we found our way back to the truck just in the nick of time as the sun was setting. My husband says, “Next time let’s plan on getting lost first.”
Spanish Mustang: Improving Canter
While riding yesterday I remembered two tips I learned while riding at a Mary Wanless clinic for canter. Thing “back-back-back” as you ride the canter and also think of dribbling a basketball with your seat. When the horse in the air, think… of your seat as a suction cup with each stride to hold the horse there a little longer. Together, these tips are really helping Indy slow his canter and be more balance and engaged from behind.