The Gifted Fund

Katherine Caballero

USDF Region 9

Six Days to a Happier Horse

I began my Gifted Scholarship the week of Valentine's Day 2005. My valentine for the weekwas my chestnut BWP gelding whom I call Red. Red and I had been struggling to get back into training since I had been awarded the scholarship. It seemed that the Fall and Winter season had been filled with various commitments, crisis and bad weather. So I was anxious to leave cold and windy Dallas for the balmy weather of Houston to train with Pam Fowler Grace at Ranch Los Equestres. My trainer had generously agreed to haul the two of us along with her mare to train with Pam. My goal for the week was to get back in harmony with my horse, find out where the holes in our training were and just be a better, more focused rider. I think I achieved all of that and more during my week with Pam.

Pam is USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medallist and a USDF level "L" judge who is probably most well known her success at Grand Prix with her Appaloosa gelding, Pay N Go (aka MO). In addition to Mo, Pam has another grand prix horse, Stars N Stripes as well as a three year old she just started, a leggy grey gelding by Royal Diamond. She has competed nationally and internationally but I really wanted to work with her after hearing my instructor's personal experiences with her.

I didn't know what to expect when we arrived at Rancho Los Equestres. In the ten years since I had started riding, I had always been in a small private barn with just a few horses. This was my first experience in a big training barn with lots of horses and students. Pam and her staff immediately welcomed Red and me. The horses were made comfortable in their own stalls and would be turned out daily in their own private paddocks.

Rancho Los Equestres is a mixture of self-boarders, clients with horses in training and students. It's a friendly group of people; young and old and hobby riders just like me. The atmosphere is very positive and casual. Everyone seemed to chip in to keep the place running. The facility is very horse friendly. The horses are turned out daily each morning starting around 7:30 am. They stay out in their individual or group paddocks until they come in for supper. Sherry the barn manager tucks them all in. During my first few days, I discovered that Pam and Sherri had only been working together for a few weeks but they had already put a great system in place. They looked like a team that had been together for quite a while. Riders had access to a covered and outdoor arena, a longing area, and a hot walker. Red and I felt like we were at a horse spa!

Day One: In our first lesson, Pam allowed us to warm up and go through our normal routine. This lesson identified many of the areas that we would work on the rest of the week. I had told Pam that I found it difficult to shift Red's haunches in or out. She explained that this was because he didn't want to put weight onto his back legs. To engage his hind end, we began leg yielding on a circle first at walk and then in trot. Pam zoned in on the fact that in my effort to be light in the reins I was dropping the contact. Consistent contact was better than picking up and slackening the reins which jarring to the horse's mouth. So we worked on being more consistent on getting outside rein/inside leg connection with the leg yield exercise and then asking for more inside flexion. Pam gave her analysis on what she wanted to work on. We went from working on a 20m. circle to shoulder in along the long side, asking Red to further load his backend. The covered arena had stadium seating along one side that was inhabited by horse eating monsters- so the shoulder in exercise gave me more control along that scary side. Pam also noticed that in my extensions I sat too forward, causing Red to loose his balance. We finished the work in canter, trying to bring the haunches out and maintaining the outside connection. The first day in new surroundings caused my horse to be a little over stimulated. Despite this, he tried very hard. I maintained my relaxation and focus despite all of the activity.

Day Two: The second day was reflective of how I would spend the rest of the week. I would watch Pam train various horses she has in training and give lessons in the afternoon. Her morning is filled a variety of horses, different breeding and different levels. Her training style is similar to her teaching style: a straightforward approach, with simple exercises that are easy to understand and while getting the job done. She's quick to encourage as well as to correct. The week should be fun!

The lesson began with a reminder of rider position. The head, shoulder and pelvis aligned with the leg. Pam is also a stickler for hand position: a firm hold, closing the hand, both hands close together with bend in the elbow. Once I was consistent in my position, we worked on downward transitions. Pam was insistent that every stride in the transition be ridden, that the horse should remain soft in the bridle and not stiffen. This second lesson was a lot about the psychology of riding and how I can improve my communication with my horse. When I was quick to criticize (don't we all do this when we are riding?) Pam stopped me and said that even in the not so good moments that there was good stuff there. She made an analogy about horses that struck a cord with me: Horses are a little bit like a kindergartners. Adults don't criticize a kindergartner for coloring outside the lines, we praise them for trying. As riders, we must encourage our horses and build their self-esteem. We can't always point out the bad stuff! She also told me that I must learn to avoid arguments with my horse that distract us both from the exercise at hand and cause me to lose the connection. Pam had me use moments of leg yield as a quiet systematic correction that could quickly get us back to work.

Day Three: The morning of the third day started with watching Pam train her horses. Later that day in my lesson, I thought I had wanted to work on half pass. But as I continue working with Pam; we've identified weaknesses and training issues that need to be fixed. This is okay; this week is reinforcing that the ride is about the journey, the happy horse and not what level you've conquered. We work on finessing the outside rein-inside leg connection and using the leg yield as a correction and reinforcement tool.

We work on some elements of First Level: stretchy trot, lengthening, free walk, leg yielding. We finessed the movements and picked at what could be improved. For example, we improved the trot/canter departs by asking for a bit of leg yield. We also did spiraling in and out at the canter to improve the timing of my aids.

In the ‘teardrop" or the half circle returning on the track at M or H, we use shoulder in along the rail to prep for the half-circle. In the Extensions I start sitting back and up more and concentrate on keeping Red softer in the bridle.

Red seems happy doing the work and very confident too! Pam tells me that she's seeing improvement in my seat, timing, and connection and that Red's got a good quality trot. Because I am his only rider, I know what his gaits feel like but without mirrors at home I rarely get to see what they look like. So working with the mirrors brings a whole new level of awareness! One of the riders watching my lesson stopped me after and complimented Red, saying he looked light and airy. I was happy to hear that!

I finish the day by watching Pam give a lesson on her amazing horse, Pay N Go. He looks ten years younger than his twenty-one years. He's very fit and still gets ridden often. She will sometimes use him to teach upper level movements to her students. While he's very well mannered, he will show his displeasure if ridden incorrectly and is a good tattletale if the rider is incorrect! If the rider is ‘holding' too tightly with their leg or thigh, he will passage instead of trot. If the rider's position is incorrect at the canter, he will just keep changing leads. It's amazing that a twenty-year-old schoolmaster can still have such power in the extensions.

One of Pam's seat corrections includes keeping the lower leg off so that when you put the leg on, it means something. I had noticed this in my own lesson even at the walk. With the leg off, Red's walk was freer due to less nagging on my part.

Day Four: It dawns on me that clinics should last longer than two days. They should really be three or four days: Day One: Rider shows the clinician everything she does wrong. Day Two: Clinician tells Rider what she is doing wrong and how to fix it Day Three: Rider works on fixing all of the problems Day Four: Rider finally feels like they know what they are doing!

Everything that we've been working on in previous lessons finally comes together. We begin the lesson with a forward stretchy trot on a 20m. circle. We move on to work on canter. We work on spiraling in and out on the circle, preparing the transitions by leg yielding, softening on the inside rein and maintaining the outside connection. What a difference we've made in the canter. The normally more difficult right lead canter is smoother and Red isn't throwing his haunches in. I am able to maintain softness while being able to drive with my seat at the same time. By using moments of leg yield or shoulder in, I am able to ride every moment of the transition. My favorite phrase of Pam's becomes, "That's fancy!"

During the leg yielding exercises, Red's trot gets very elevated. I have finally gotten the outside rein connected to the inside leg that allowed red to propel himself from the hind leg! Pam tells me that as riders we all give up the connection in little ways throughout our bodies: the shoulders, the hands, the elbows, and the seat. By getting the right amount of connection we can straighten the horse. When we lose the connection we lose a part of the horse's body: a shoulder, the neck or one of the haunches.

In the last few days, I've been riding lots of shoulder in or shoulder fore. Pam helps me to realize that if I am riding him too straight that he will get locked and becomes very rigid. By riding him in shoulder in or shoulder fore I can prevent the rigidity.

Day Five: So this is what it's like to have a horse in training! Red is supple, quick to adjust. I can feel what is correct. Even more rewarding is that this training has come from my own work. I haven't handed my horse over to a professional to ‘fix' him for me. I am glad that I've had the opportunity to expand the communication with my horse. I am so proud of my horse as I see and feel him improve.

Today Pam works with me on ‘show crafting" or how to put together a horse for an actual test. I wasn't used to working in a full size arena. I use the short sides of the arena and the corners to soften and get control of Red's shoulders and keeping him soft and round. Pam reminds me that even in a test I can't ride Red too straight or let him get too rigid.

For the serpentine between H-X-K I prepare for the bending line by using some shoulder fore and stepping into the inside stirrup to increase the bend. Even in the canter circles, I use single steps of leg yield just before my transitions. In the stretchy circle, I maintain some contact as I allow Red to stretch down so that I don't jar him by unsteadily slackening or collecting the reins. Throughout the test, I work on preparation and looking ahead. We begin working on parts of the Second Level tests, such as shoulder in, 10m circles and extensions.

Day Six: Our last lesson. Pam reminds me that I always need more than I think. If it works, only then do I have enough! Today, Pam reinforces all of the tools that we've acquired. My position has improved and Red and I are working in harmony. Pam has shown me how to use the arena to prepare and execute the movements. I ride every step of my transitions by keeping him soft in the bridle and driving with my seat. Today we work on keeping Red soft, round and through in the back in the sitting trot. Finally, we work on half pass. We start from shoulder in and then ask for halfpass with the outside leg, outside rein while intermittently using the inside leg to keep the bend. After a few steps we leg yield out. The first time, I over corrected Red when I had too much haunches in. This made Red nervous. So we take it slowly, get him forward again, and just break down the movement. We finish up the lesson by doing something Red is good at, the stretchy trot circle. Pam reinforces that I shouldn't drill the exercises and to keep Red happy I need to take it a little bit at a time and build his confidence. Don't over correct Red, to praise him throughout and let him try. To always end on a positive successful by doing something he's good at.

I didn't know what to expect when I started off on my scholarship week. The Fall and Winter months had been filled with work obligations along with rain, cold and aches that had made having a regular riding schedule and progress nearly impossible. Through Pam's professional and upbeat guidance, I was given invaluable tools. More importantly, I was given a week filled with appreciation: appreciation for the people and the organizations that had granted me this week of amazing experiences. If it's possible, I have even greater affection for my horse and I have gained confidence and affirmation that my horse and I can do this dressage thing! I want to thank The Dressage Foundation and Carol Lavell for granting me this amazing experience.

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