The Gifted Fund

Kari Browne

USDF Region 7

A Week at The Acres

If you're like me, riding is a passion and not a source of income. It's a constant struggle finding enough time during the day to do all the things that need to get done, and then fit in the time to ride. I work full time and ride after work, often getting home after 8:30 in the evening. I tried riding in the morning, but it was too easy to lie in bed when the alarm went off at way too early-o-clock and justify why my horse could have the day off...again. Luckily I have a thoughtful, understanding husband who often ends up foraging for his dinner while I spend time at the barn.

But all this changed during one wonderful week in June when I was able to spend five days training with Jan Ebeling at his facility in Moorpark, California. Horses, horses, horses and not a staff meeting in sight, what could be better. I've ridden with Jan before when he comes to the Bay Area for clinics, so I was familiar with his style of teaching, which meshes nicely with my regular trainer, Deborah Thomas.

So early in June I made the long hot drive to Southern California with my 8 year old Dutch gelding Raconteur (Rick). I've owned Rick since he was 3 and have done most of the training myself with Deb's skilled assistance. This year we're making the move up to second level, which is a big step for Rick who has to organize and collect his 17.1 hand frame. Rick's preferred way of going is motoring around the ring at a medium trot blithely ignoring my half halts. I sometimes get the feeling that I'm driving a 18 wheeler and the brake pads are getting thin. As you can imagine collection is a bit of a challenge, in addition to the simple changes and quicker transitions that come at this level. We've been making good progress all winter with Deb's help so I felt we were at a nice point to take on Jan's input and make a jump forward in our training.

We arrived at Jan and Amy's facility, The Acres, on Sunday afternoon during one of the hottest days they've had all year with temperatures hovering near 100. Rick lives in a small quiet barn near the coast where the weather is typically on the cool side, so I imagine he thought I had transported him to a planet closer to the sun and he was going to live there from now on. Despite the change in weather Rick quickly settled in and with the help of Jan's 2 working students I was made to feel right at home. Amy was kind enough to give busybody Rick a nice sized paddock with his stall, so he could spend all of his time monitoring every other horses activity during the day as they went back and forth from the ring.

Jan's barn is quite busy and this week was no exception. Jan was preparing to leave for the Intermediate Championships at Gladstone the following Saturday and there were 3 or 4 other people who were there with their horses for training, some from out of state. Then there were his usual clients and horses in training who needed attention. Jan rides the horses in training in the morning and teaches all afternoon. The man is like a machine, he never stops. The working students either bring up the horses to be ridden or warm them up first and then Jan gets on. It's a wonderful parade of equine talent that goes on all day. I spent most of my time sitting by the ring watching Jan teach or ride, soaking up the details.

On Monday we had our first lesson and thankfully the weather started cooling off. Jan briefly asked me what we were working on and then we started warming up. Understandable Jan is a quick study and quickly identified some of our trouble spots, such as collection and submission, both of which Rick likes to pretend are beyond his grasp. We started doing serpentines and 20 meter circles at the trot, making sure Rick and I were relaxed and listening. Jan also zeroed in on my hands, asking me to relax my right arm so it matched my left, and keep both hands lower.

Once Rick was warmed up Jan had us do several exercises that we would build on during the week. Mainly patterns that would keep Rick collected and supple, such as shoulder-in down the long side to a 10 meter volte in each corner and then back to shoulder-in. Lots of work to get Rick's hind legs working and under him. I could start to feel him bring his front end up, especially with the shoulder-in work, and the voltes helped keep him together and stop him from barreling down the long side like a freight train. Collection at the canter is even more of a challenge and Jan had me really work on using a strong inside leg to outside hand, using only the outside hand for half halts. Down the long side we had to maintain a slight shoulder-in to keep him supple, again with a volte in each corner. Typically Rick likes to fall on his forehand coming out of the corner in canter and I was able to keep him much more together. We finished our ride sweaty and feeling like the canter was really coming along...well at least I did. I imagine Rick was rather disgruntled by the lack of time he was able to spend on his forehand. I was also very pleased with the way Rick handled the new environment, going right to work without any spooking or looking around. I guess he likes to save that for our schooling at home.

Each day we would build on these basic exercises, adding movements from the second level tests, such as shoulder-in to haunches-in down the long side, again with voltes in the corner. For such a large horse Rick is actually good at bending from one to the other, so we could spend time working on the movements and I was able to get a good feel for how they should ride.

Another challenge we have with second level are the simple changes at canter. Jan had us do numerous transitions from trot to walk, working to lighten the aids each time we came to walk, patting Rick so he knows what I want. I really like the way Jan pats his horses when they do well and softens his hands, giving them clear direction and a reward for good work. Once Rick felt light in the transitions at trot we went back to canter and using the same model worked on canter-walk-canter transitions. I know I tend to strong-arm Rick down into the walk, so this was a good exercise for me, I could give Rick the opportunity to softly come into walk and low and behold he did. I think all my wrestling only makes him stronger in the hand, imagine that.

I also liked a simple exercise Jan gave us in canter to help with the collection where we start with a volte in the corner transitioning down to trot on the long side and immediately into shoulder-in. If necessary we would throw in more voltes down the long side to keep him together without my having to perform any arm wrestling. All the while I kept concentrating on keeping my hands low and my right hand soft. I also tend to let Rick pull me forward in the canter, so Jan really had me sit back and anchor myself in the saddle, which helped keep him together. This really came in handy when we would go across the diagonal, his favorite place to fall apart and motor through my aids.

On Wednesday Jan threw me a curve ball and told me to do a half pass out of the corner across the diagonal. Well uh sure, but you'll need to tell me how to do that since I've never done one before! Jan was great at breaking down the movement, showing me how it's just like doing the haunches-in down the long side, only now the "rail" runs across the ring. Rick was a such a good boy, interpreting my clumsy aids as we attempted our first ever half pass across the ring, pointing his ears towards our target on the other side. After a few more attempts I had to laugh when Jan told me I was working too hard, "Just sit there, he can do the work". Hmm, there's another good concept, you mean I don't have to sweat and grunt and look like I'm doing farm labor the whole time? I got a mental image of Lisa Wilcox breezing through a canter zig-zag, every hair in place, both hers and the horses.

Each day we would perform a warm up similar to the first day, adding in different exercises like 4 loop serpentines or voltes along the long side. I especially liked the warm up since this was the only time I could post the trot. Once we started the real work it was all sitting, talk about farm labor. As the days progressed I could feel Rick become smoother in the turns and easier to collect. Our half passes began looking like real half passes and on Thursday we even attempted a few at the canter in a more complex exercise. From canter we turned up centerline then half passed to the rail staying in countercanter for several strides before coming to a halt. I'm afraid my brain started to fade at this point and I wasn't giving Rick very clear signals. Jan patiently took me through it again and again, offering variations on the movements that were slightly easier for my sun addled senses to grasp, such as a canter volte in the corner, then across the diagonal with another 10m volte at X, continuing on the diagonal to a halt at the rail. Rick was being very good, trying hard for me and we ended on a good note with some nice transitions. During the week I became friends with another person who was there from Idaho with her mare, and we took turns videotaping one of our lessons. This was a real eye opener. Jan's constant requests for me to lean back more at the canter suddenly had a wonderful visual to go with them. What was I doing, riding a hunter round minus the jumps? It was also great to be able to give my regular trainer a copy of the tape, so she could see what Jan had us working on. I love the fact that Deb is very supportive of my riding with other trainers and open to different ways to achieve the same result.

On our last day Jan asked if he could hop on Rick for a few minutes. Oh please! Yes! Of course!! Suddenly all of Rick's normal escape routes were cut off by Jan's excellent riding skills, and he wasn't terribly pleased. He had a bit of a "teenager fit" as I like to call them, where he literally stomps his feet and shakes his head. Jan didn't seem very impressed with Rick's protests and they quickly settled down to work. Hmm, so that's what submission looks like, and my goodness look at that lovely canter, all with Jan making minimal movements in the saddle. They ended with a half pirouette at canter(!) Suddenly I felt like I'd been duped and my horse had been playing me like a deck of cards. Jan said he thought we had a very pleasant relationship, where I don't ask for too much, and Rick always plays nice. Well, no longer Mr. Richard, it's time for both of us to go to work.

I had lots of time to think about all we had learned during the drive home. Jan is really a great teacher with loads of patience. He's just as skilled at helping someone at the lower levels as he is at schooling Grand Prix, and gives each student the same level of concentration and input. I wish I could have stayed for several more weeks, but I doubt my husband would be willing to hold down the fort for that long.

I really want to thank the Dressage Foundation for this wonderful opportunity, and Carol Lavell in particular for suggesting a special grant for amateur riders like myself. It was a wonderful week away from my normal routine that gave me a view into the world of the full time professional competing a the top end of the sport. I hope to return soon.