Virtual Western Dressage

Spanish Mustang Western Dressage

By Jennifer Klitzke

My Dad has been terminally ill and in hospice care since last October, so I haven’t committed to traveling shows this year.

Thankfully, the North America Western Dressage Association has made a way for me to show from my own backyard. All I need to do is set up a dressage arena, have someone (oh, darling) record my ride, upload the video to youtube.com, and sent the unlisted link to the North American Western Dressage Association within the time duration indicated for the Virtual Show. Within a week or so, I receive my dressage test with feedback from a trained professional as to where we are at in our training and my placement as to how we compare to others around the world who rode the very same test. How cool is THAT!

Video: My Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend in his first Western Dressage Test

This was Indy’s first Western Dressage Test. Although I feel like I’m dressed for a Halloween costume party, I am pleased with how Indy looks in his Western get up. I could be hooked on this Western dressage after all!

Riding the test, I liked how balanced Indy felt overall and how he reached down and out in the freewalk. The judge remarked. “Yeah, baby!!!”

Although Indy was busy in his mouth, he wasn’t heavy on the bridle or forehand; I think it was the bit. I usually ride him in a full-cheek snaffle and it isn’t legal for Western Dressage, so I switched to a bit he wasn’t used to.

The judge felt we rode the test well and with accuracy, balance and bend. Areas of improvement are for us to work on improving softness in the bridle. She felt Indy was impulsive and balanced in the jog and needs to work on more impulsion in the canter and softness in the transitions to halt.

I had to giggle when the judge remarked how much she loved my “Fjordie.” (Nothing against Fjords, it’s just that my Indy is a Spanish Mustang.)

first placeScore: 69.844% ( 1st of 3)

 

 

 

Photo Gallery: (Click to enlarge)

Spanish Mustang: Sunborn Schooling Show

My saintly husband Dan got the truck fixed just in the nick of time for me and my Spanish Mustang Indian’s Legend to make our way through the winding roads to the Sunborn Stable Schooling Dressage and Stadium Show in Chisago City, MN on Sunday, July 1, 2012. It was our second show and our first time showing Training Level, riding through a stadium course over ground rails and navigating through a trail obstacle course–english style.

my-spanish-mustang-sunborn-trail-class

Indy was intrigued with the hopping frogs and swimming tad poles in the pond.

I am so proud of my boy! Indy settled quickly into the new surroundings and rode through all classes exceeding my greatest hopes. He won Training Level, Test One with a score of 65.8%, won the stadium over ground rails, and won the trail obstacle course, and he placed second in Intro C with a score of 68.5%.

my-spanish-mustang-sunborn-canter

Indy rode cheerfully through Intro C and Training Level One despite the 95-degree heat and 70-percent humidity!

Several people stopped us to ask what kind of horse I was riding. Thinking I was to say “Fjord,” they were quite surprised to hear “Mustang.” Indy did a great job representing his breed!

 

Indy jumped his first flower boxes without batting an eye.

The people were friendly and the facility was top notch. Although we melted like popsicles, I’ve never had that much fun in 95-degree heat and 70% humidity!

my-spanish-mustang-sunborn-dressage

Indy showing a working trot on a 20 meter circle

Spanish Mustang: An Unexpected Lesson

By Jennifer Klitzke

I was sulking Saturday morning when my husband broke the news that he couldn’t fix the truck in time to trailer to the women’s horse gathering at my friend’s farm, when I got an unexpected invitation to take a lesson from an FEI-level rider named Barb. Another friend loaned me her rig for the jaunt across town.

Indy and I learned so much. Barb is a terrific trainer and does an amazing job imparting all the German-dressage instruction that she’s applied to successfully compete in high levels ofl dressage on the East and West coasts. Below are gleanings from our hour-long session.

At six years old, she considers Indy a young horse and who needs support from me to encourage his confidence especially when away from home at strange facilities with indoor arenas. Barb suggested to keep a light even contact with the bit and lightly hug Indy with my legs to assure him that I’m still here even though the world around him looks different.

Indy tends to escape through the outside left shoulder on a circle or corner (or near a gate). Barb suggested to ride both sides of the horse using defensive aids: outside thigh on to push the bulging rib cage back to normal and outside rein to straighten the neck and offensive aids: inside thigh open to allow his rib cage someplace to go and a soft inside rein to welcome him. Otherwise, if I only ride the defensive aids, I cause Indy to feel claustrophobic. The offensive aids give him a place to go.

The majority of our lesson was over cavaletti:

We began at a walk over four cavalettis evenly spaced letting Indy drop his neck to look where he was going. Barb said, “Listen to what Indy is telling you about his balance, rhythm, and speed.”

Next, we trotted over the rails and didn’t affect Indy’s tempo, rather just observed what he naturally did to navigate over the cavalettis. Then after a few times over, I got a sense of what Indy was saying and provided support where he needed it. I used half halts by drawing my shoulders back and squeezing with the calves if Indy needed to be rebalanced or be more forward or less rushy.

This exercise helped me apply half halts before each set of two cavalletti to help Indy’s balance.

The last two exercises were at a canter. Shown here we are cantering on a 20-meter circle on a bend over the cavaletti. The other exercise is along the centerline and cantering straight over two cavaletti. Both exercises required half halts by bringing my shoulders back and squeezing with my lower legs just before the cavaletti.

Spanish Mustang: Dasco Duo Rides Wild River

The Dasco Duo, me and my co-worker, took our horses to Wild River State Park for a beautiful 8.4 mile ride through rolling meadows dotted with wild flowers and fluttering butterflies, along the St. Croix river, over bridges, and through mature woods accompanied by songbirds (and hordes of the Minnesota state bird-mosquitoes!).

Indy boldly blazes the trail.

It was fun to ride over two bridges my Dad had designed when he worked for the DNR.

We spotted two deer (or one deer we saw twice). Had we been close enough to label it we would have known for sure!

The Dasco Duo field testing the Brady BMP71 trail marking system.

Spanish Mustang: Indy’s First Commercial

By Jennifer Klitzke

Mid-life crisis hits Jennifer and Kristin, two middle-aged Dasco employees, and they both buy horses to relive their fond memories of decades gone by as trail guides.

Dasco employees Jennifer and Kristin head out for their first trail ride with their new boys.

It didn’t take long before their husbands began to complain about the growing expenses, so they brainstorm ways to make horses more affordable,”Hmmmm, what if we sport our Dasco shirts, maybe Ken (Dasco’s owner/CEO) will sponsor our horse events?”

“Yes, and let’s bring along Dasco Label’s portable Brady BMP21 label printer and create serialized labels to mark our trail!”

“Genius!” Kristin exclaims, “Yes, Brady’s durable and long-lasting thermal transfer labels will surely hold to the rocks along our path and remain affixed even in the hot sun, rain, and wind. Imagine how these labels will perform on your cables, wires, lab samples, parts, products and electronic components!”

Kristin’s addicted to Whiskey (her Arab/QH gelding).

After two glorious hours riding through a mature pine forest, Jennifer said, “Yes, we only got lost once, yet thanks to Dasco Label’s Brady BMP21 trail marking system, we found our way back to the trailer!”

Jennifer loves riding her 2006 Mustang (horse that is)! Sorry Kevin.the.crazy.co-worker.who.prefers.a.four-wheel.model. If you haven’t been acquainted with Kevin one of Dasco’s solution consultants, give him a call toll-free at 1-877-855-2235. Working with Kevin is a hoot!

Relieved, horses Whiskey and Indy thought, “Thanks to Dasco Label’s Brady BMP21 trail marking system, we could have been toting those horse-crazy ladies around all day!”

Buy yours today! The Brady BMP21 is even on sale through July 31, 2012.

http://www.dascolabel.com/showproduct.aspx?productid=16774

Spanish Mustang: Indy’s First Dressage Show

Riding Indian’s Legend at Walker’s Triple R schooling dressage show.

Last week I was horsin’ around with my TWH mare at the Minnesota Horse Expo, this week was Indy’s turn. I took him to his first dressage show at Walker’s Triple R. We were lucky to get a break between monsoons for the show, but the show was moved indoors due to the lake-sized puddle covering a quarter of the outdoor arena!

Indy didn’t get rattled with the mirrors that reflected his handsome stature. Maybe he felt like he had company in the indoor. The footing was perfect and the walls held us in from bulging through that left shoulder!

I was so proud of Indy. He took first place in Intro A and B with scores of 67.5% and second in Intro C with a score of 59%. He could have won that one too if he had taken his right canter lead!

Everyone loved him including the judge who wrote, “Super horse, nice job allowing him to find his balance and use himself. Great potential to move on.”

The judge commented to me in passing, “You’re going to have a blast with this horse!” Another riding instructor with her student said, “You will have a tremendous horse once he gets more experiences.”

It felt good to get confirming feedback from like-minded people. I see Indy’s talent too, and in the two months I’ve had him, I’m already having a blast!

 

Spanish Mustang: Progression to First Fence

Last week, we began with cavaletti spaced four feet apart.

First we walked over the pile of cavalettis.

Then we trotted over a pile of cavalettis and I encouraged Indy to canter afterward. He had some difficulty taking this lead and the cavalettis have really helped.

Canter over the cavalettis.

We did this in both directions.

This week, we proceeded to ground rails and an “x.”

Spanish Mustang: Indy’s New Home

By Jennifer Klitzke

It was love at first sight! The first time I saw Indy, I just had a feeling it was meant to be. Indy is beautiful, smart, sturdy, athletic, friendly and fun. He’s a five-year-old Spanish Mustang who has hundreds of trail miles under his belt with Stephanie, his previous owner. Indy was professionally trained by Gary Kuopala (gkhorsetraining.webs.com). I’m looking forward to our adventures together with Indy.

Our first trail ride with Indy.

My husband and I picked up Indy and took him on his four-hour ride to his new home. He trailered calmly and quietly. Within his first week, he transitioned well with the new routine and made friends with the other horses. We’ve ridden Indy nearly every day since the first day we brought him to his new home. In his first week, Indy took two trail rides, worked and rode him in a round pen, over cavalettis, a small jump, and we also in the large arena.

Indy is getting used to a new language of dressage. We are riding him from the inside leg to the outside rein and keeping him between our aids. Indy is a smart boy and learns quickly. Our first week of riding, we have been working on turning, rhythm, and riding on a light snaffle contact. At times he leans on the bit, so I just lengthen my contact so there is nothing for him to lean against.

I love how round Indy’s frame is!