Viva Medina (Region 7), 2016 Gifted Recipient
Viva on Temelrite, with Lehua Custer
I am very grateful to The Dressage Foundation for giving me the Carol Lavell Gifted Memorial Fund Scholarship for USDF Region 7. I am also grateful and honored that Lehua Custer took time away from her busy and successful barn at the LA Equestrian Center, to come to Maui to work with me. Lehua has a barn full of happy clients and amazing horses, in particular FJ Ramzes, the horse she rode in the Carl Hester clinic in Del Mar, CA.
My horse, Temelrite, is a KWPN registered 17-year-old mare I purchased from her breeder in the Netherlands as a six year old. Her sire is Donnerman (Donnerhall/Weltmeyer, Dam Sire is Matador) and she is a big girl, just under 17 hands. We have had our ups and downs and part of the problem is we work mostly alone. She is an at home horse and we have our own barn and arena. No mirror as it is a high wind area. We clinic when we have the opportunity, and always have to trailer. Not having to trailer was a stress reliever, however, the last two days rained so we did have to trailer to a covered arena, but having four days of instruction at home was fabulous. It allowed my focus to be just on the mare and my riding - and of course, taking in Lehua’s amazing instructions.
My goals for the week were to work on better changes and to have ground help with piaffe and passage.
Our start day was to be Sunday, but Lehua agreed to a short lesson on Saturday. It was the mare’s day off but I did not want to waste any time and felt that a short session to introduce her to the bamboo pole for in hand work would be a fun thing to do. The mare took to it well, although she wanted to tuck her head to her chest to get a good look at the pole. She was so willing. Lehua had her bring her front legs up to bump the pole and I was pleased at the effort the mare gave.
Day two was the real start of our work. I was anxious and the mare sensed it so she was tense and bucked a bit at the start of the canter work. In thinking about improving the changes, we worked on collecting at the canter and better use of half halts at the canter. We also worked on being straight but still bending in the corners. (Lehua told me that straightness was something she worked on during her session with Carl Hester and in her weekly work with Hilda Gurney it has been bending and suppleness.) Lehua liked my seat and leg and the mare had good hind end activity. We did have a little rain but not enough to keep us from working.
Day three gave us a little more rain but still not enough to stop us. Lehua noticed the mare was tense in her back to start off but she started to relax as I asked her to do circles. We then went through all lateral work as we had done on the second day, but this time we got the bend better and I was stopping a bad little habit of pushing her into a leg yield at the end of the trot half pass when I should have continued the bend all the way to the outside track. We did more canter work in preparation for working on changes - canter on the diagonal, walk at X, pick up correct canter lead, repeat in other direction. Such a simple thing but the mare anticipates the change and wants to change as soon as we head out on the diagonal. It was hard work on my part to keep her straight and from changing. She is smart and I have a tendency to take what she offers too much, so that has to stop.
We played a little with the in hand work and I could feel Temelrite get into the rhythm of the half steps. She still wanted to look at the bamboo pole for the passage work and it was a challenge to keep her head up. When we would stop for Lehua to give her a sugar the mare would nicker. She talks when she is pleased with herself.
Day four started with the mare being tight in her back again but she loosened up quickly, she anticipates and that can be good and bad. The warm up was super and she did very good lateral work. She has a talent for half passing and seems to enjoy it. Unfortunately the changes were not good and she was late behind. Lehua had me work on positioning the mare’s shoulders at the canter which is not easy. We worked through a light rain but I was not happy with myself as I did not accomplish what I wanted to. Lehua gave me great, clear instruction and I understand what I need to work on. Of course it is always the rider. Lehua is kind but firm and doesn’t miss a thing I do wrong. Her great sense of humor helped keep us going through the rain and wind that is so common in our area. Of course, it helps that she is a Maui girl and is tough enough to have been Hilda Gurney’s assistant trainer for over a decade.
Day five saw heavy rain through the night and the early morning light showed the arena was questionable but if the rain stopped it would be OK. Well no, that didn’t happen. The rain did hold off long enough for me to become optimistic for a few minutes. When Lehua arrived it was obvious that the arena was not usable. Fortunately I had made prior arrangements with the Haku Baldwin Center 15 minutes away in Makawao that I could trailer over if my arena got flooded. Temelrite is as easy to trailer as a horse can be. We were packed and loaded in a few minutes and started our ride only 30 minutes later than if we were at home. It was actually a good change. The covered arena is partially open but with 4ft high side walls and mirrors. The arena is not full size. I got to see the funny little thing I was doing at the end of the trot half pass in the mirror and saw the difference when I made the correction. The walls helped too as my arena has only a low berm on two sides, one short side is completely open and one long side has low boards and that is all the structure we have. Temelrite is very comfortable in the covered arena and has been there many times so we went right to work. Her trot and canter work was very good and there was some improvement in the left to right change, but the drop to a trot step prior to the right to left change was still there. The problem is still the placement of her shoulders. When I attempt to change her shoulder position she drops the canter. Lehua had me work on that and we did improve towards the end of the ride. Many times we aborted the change and turned around for another attempt. But I wasn’t happy with myself and hoped that our last day would see improvement.
Day six was more rain during the night so we just headed for the covered arena. After our warm up, Lehua asked me if we wanted to do the trot lateral work and I said no; just go right to canter and changes. We had real improvement in the right to left change and I felt good about that side. Unfortunately the left to right still included a trot step. Two years ago I had a full knee replacement on my right leg. It appears that I am not using that leg as effectively as I should. It is something I will need to work on in the gym and with my Pilates instructor. Working with Lehua helped me to realize this. It is good to know what you need to work on. We ended with some ground help from Lehua with half steps and passage.
I was very happy with my mare’s willingness to work every day. She is in good condition and while we challenged her she came out each day happy to go. She tried her best every day and trailered with no problem. I appreciate her for being the smart, sensitive, and willing partner that she can be. When it clicks and we get it right, she is beautiful.
I always feel I could have worked harder and done better so I am never truly happy with myself. But I was given some clear instruction on what to do and I have some new direction. I have not had this much help in consecutive days since I moved from California 14 years ago. I loved the work and Lehua’s help.
Lehua is wonderful to work with. Her attitude and ability to communicate her instructions in a positive manner make the work fun. How fortunate was I to get her fresh from the Carl Hester Clinic which is the icing on the cake of her impressive education from Hilda Gurney. Plus she has that talent and sixth sense that is invaluable.
It was a wonderful opportunity and I thank everyone who made the week possible. The Dressage Foundation, Lehua Custer, the Haku Baldwin Center, and my gem of a husband, Paul, for the care he gives the arena and Temelrite, and the encouragement and support he gives to me.
