A competition day of firsts!

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Melissa (Mel) Palviainen

Today my little hackney monkey and I had a fantastic day of firsts at the Central Highlands Equestrian Club Dressage Jackpot, held at the beautiful grounds of Ballarat Pony Club.

First time for me to ride at level 3 Dressage
First time for Matador to compete at level 3 Dressage
First competition for 2020
First outing for Matador since June
First outing and first competition bare foot
First score of ‘8’ for our free walk!
First time to have to show ‘lengthened strides’ at trot (which we have not yet been training) – scored a ‘7’! (and didn’t get any ‘running’ comments or the like. Yee ha!)
First time Matador has received comments from judges like ‘soft’ and ‘relaxed’ and ‘calm’
First time Matador with NO comments from judges like ‘resistance shown’ or ‘tension’! (OMG – woohoo!)

BUT, my gorgeous little hackney monkey was too calm! Too relaxed! In fact he would not go! LOL.

Our warm up was perfect. He was forward off my leg. He was trying his hardest. He was nervous about the other horses because it had been so long since being in a warm up arena, so it gave him just a little more adrenalin, then we left to be on our own in the competition arena and MR SNOOZE came along! I clicked, I whispered ‘come on’, I squeezed and nudged, and tickled with my legs but what he needed was one big reminder kick or whip tap to say ‘Hey MR SNOOZE listen when I say go!’.

I couldn’t believe it. A completely different horse. I am so used to this horse running and pulling, but he was the opposite. In the warm up ring the other horses gave him just that little extra adrenaline that was perfect, so I did not see it coming, at all. Another FIRST 😀

First time to receive judges comments like ‘needs more energy’ HA! You want it, you got it next time thats for sure! 😀

Where did we place? Oh not far from last. But I am so happy, in fact almost ecstatic with the way we went.

Im feeling so proud. Proud of my horse, and proud of me.

Thank you so much Central Highlands Equestrian Club for running this event. It was absolutely brilliant to get out and about and the venue vibe was superbly delightful!

Bring on 2021!

Being the best you for your horse -journalling

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Melissa (Mel) Palviainen

A wonderful aspect of horsemanship is that we have opportunity to excel our horses by not working on our horse but instead ourselves. Both our mind and our body.

Each morning while my horses eat breakfast I spend some time just for my body. A little cardio, a little strength, and some stretching. Whenever I don’t feel motivated to jump on the stepping machine, or rush out the door of the gym and skip the stretching, I remind myself that ‘this is my time’. It is allocated just for me, for my body. Tick, each morning, job done.

My mind, my soul, sometimes misses out. The day gets going, next thing I know it’s time for bed. Where does the day go, and what happened to spending time for my mind. Just like exercise for our bodies, if we don’t keep the exercise going, we become unfit. It is just the same for our mind.

There are some well known ways to help keep our mind ship shape, such as meditation. Journalling is another.

Over the years both personally and professionally I have been reminded to journal. I have at times found it difficult to keep the practice going – what do I write about? whats the point? Well, of course, the point is to keep my mind fit and healthy. So then what to write about? Here’s my tips on what I have learnt and what I practice.

On cultivating gratitude

Keep a small notebook and pen/pencil on your bedside table. Each night before sleep, jot down three things that you are grateful for that happened that day. I love this because as I fall asleep I am thinking about something wonderful. Some of the different things I write range from a moment that I saw how beautiful a dew drop sparkling in the sun looked, or time on the phone with a friend, or that a particular exercise with my horse went really well. Sometimes I write in detail, some times it is bullet point form. I find the more detail I write and think about, the more positive impact it has for me.

On venting and cultivating compassion

I have a notebook divided into two sections for this, one section is ‘current’ one section is ‘reflection’. At a moment in time that I catch myself feeling low, upset, angry, frustrated I identify if it is something that it happening now, or if it happened in the past, then I write about it as either past tense (reflection), or present (current). Just the process of writing about it allows some venting, and allows your mind to problem solve. As I tend to rumenate on things, I try to make a pact with myself that once I complete the journal entry the case is closed, no more rumenation. I find a way forward that is compassionate (understanding) for myself and for others.

On self belief

Write something that you are proud of that you achieved that day. It could be that in a time of frustration you worked through it by journalling! Or something as simple as wishing someone a heartfelt happy birthday.

Take just a little time each day to keep your mind fit and healthy if not for yourself, but for your horse 🙂

Bots are back – break the cycle

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Melissa (Mel) Palviainen

In the mouth the larvae grow, burrowing themselves in the gum and cheeks. After about 3 weeks, they travel to the gut for further growth and development. The larvae attach to the gut lining and stay there over winter and up to 10 months.

Photo credit https://bugguide.net/node/view/852290

One female botfly can drive a herd of horses insane as she dispenses her up to 1000 eggs on legs and muzzles.

The level of irritation ranges from horses that won’t stop still, running in agitation, kicking, and swishing tails, through to some that just get covered in eggs because they simple just stand about and let it happen.

My paddock has this range. On one horse I never see a single egg, another however gets covered in them.

A quick refresh on the life cycle in lay terms and how horses help Bot Flys survive.

This particular Bot Fly is Gasterophilus intestinalis

The larvae emerge from the egg once it is in a moist warm place

the egg gets licked by the horse but stays on the leg
the egg gets licked by the horse and is taken into the horse’s mouth
the egg gets wet from warm water when we wash the horse

The larvae then get themselves to the horse’s mouth through either a first or second lick. In the mouth the larvae grow, burrowing themselves in the gum and cheeks. After about 3 weeks, they travel to the gut for further growth and development. The larvae attach to the gut lining and stay there over winter and up to 10 months. Finally, out they go in manure in the paddock, and burrow into the ground. Three to 10 weeks later eventually hatch as a an adult Bot Fly.

While the horse has helped the fly, the fly has not helped the horse. Causing lesions and infections in the mouth, and lesions and severe damage in the gut that can lead to ulcers, colic, and anemia. If penetration of the gut wall occurs the result can be death.

Control – break the cycle

Due to the life cycle of Bot Fly, fecal egg counts will not provide any information for this parasite.

Remove eggs from horses DAILY. Eggs on white hair can be difficult to see – inspect particularly the fetlock areas. Be careful however as larvae can penetrate human skin and eyes – so don’t rub your eyes during grooming, and be sure to wash your hands afterwards.

Manage manure in paddocks – remove, or harrow. Manure on the ground is the final nursery for the young before they hatch.

Studies at Uni Florida (P. E. Kaufman, P. G. Koehler and J. F. Butler) found that treatment one month after first seeing eggs is most effective. Other advice is to wait until a frost kills the bot flies (which are susceptible to frost), so that there are no more eggs being laid, then treat with a deworming paste.

Some great references:

For more science and great photos check out University of Florida Featured Creature and University Florida Horse Bot Fly Management Guide (these links provide lists of further references (citations))

For simple and practical advice go to https://au.virbac.com/health-care/horse-worms/bots-more-than-a-pest

How to get the correct canter lead every time – Horsetalk.co.nz

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Melissa (Mel) Palviainen

I usually write my own material, however these instructions are so perfect I have just ‘re-pressed’ it direct from horsetalk.co.nz. Combine these steps with thinking ‘walk’ as you ask for canter to help with relaxation.

I practiced this on a figure 8, with canter-walk-canter transition at x. My horse was relaxed and happy because he knew exactly what I was asking thanks to the guidelines from horsetalk.co.nz below!

Tips and exercises to help train your horse to pick up the correct canter lead.

Let’s say you decided to pick up the left lead:

Put your weight on your left seat bone.
Flex your horse to the left by turning your left wrist as if you’re unlocking a door. That is, start with your thumb as the highest point of the hand, Turn your thumb to the left, and bring your baby finger very close to the withers but don’t cross over the withers. In this moment, your knuckles or fingernails will be pointing up toward your face. Then put your hand back in the original position with your thumb as the highest point of the hand.
Support with your right rein so your horse doesn’t over bend his neck to the left. His face should be one inch to the inside of a neutral position. (Neutral means his head and neck are straight in front of his body so that his chin is directly in front of his “cleavage”.)
Your left leg is on the girth to say, “Go forward to the canter.”
Your right leg is a couple of inches behind the girth because it will signal his right hind leg to strike off into left lead canter. (He has to start cantering with the outside hind leg in order to end up on the correct lead.)

Stay in this “left lead canter” position for a few strides in the walk, and then switch your aids as if asking for right lead canter (Remember, you’re doing all of this in the walk).

That is:

Weight on the right seat bone.
Right rein flexes the horse’s head one inch to the right.
Left rein is like a side rein that prevents too much bend in the neck.
Right leg on the girth.
Left leg behind the girth.

When you get ready to ask for the depart, do the following things:

Keep the horse positioned to the inside as you did above.
When you ask for the canter depart, push your inside seat bone forward toward your horse’s inside ear.
Give a little squeeze with your inside leg on the girth to tell your horse to go “forward into the canter”.
Use your outside leg in a windshield wiper-like action to signal the outside hind to strike-off into the canter.

Check that you’re on the correct lead by:

Keeping your head erect, but peek down at his front legs. If you’re on the correct lead, the inside front leg should reach further forward than the outside front leg.
Make a circle. If you’re on the correct lead, the canter will feel balanced. If you’re on the wrong lead, the canter will feel unbalanced.

If you end up of the wrong lead, chances are you didn’t keep your horse bent through his body and flexed at his poll to the inside during the transition. Your horse will pick up whatever lead he’s bent and flexed toward.

Source: How to get the correct canter lead every time – Horsetalk.co.nz

A day with Ingrid

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Melissa (Mel) Palviainen

New cavaletti exercises and all sorts of additional training tips. I came away with so much! Here are my notes, including diagrams to help explain…

Want more detail than my notes below? Ingrid’s book Cavaletti for dressage and jumping would be the place to go

Cavaletti work

Warm up phase

Start with 10-15 minutes walking on the buckle (or as long as rein as possible) allowing stretching and looking around. Walking totally free.
Walk over cavaletti allowing horse to stretch and look at the cavaletti. First just one pole. Allow for stretching from the withers and down. Keeping hands together and on the whithers.
At trot, again allow for stretching and active trot. If the horse is nervous allow the horse in front, ride forward.
Between warm up and work, allow for stretch on the buckle.
Always start transition work with active hind quarters. With height at the poll. Not over bent. Be careful not to lift hands to try and lift the poll, but use half halts, transitions, and activity from hind quarters. Asking for forward with calf into soft but closed hand. (hand width a sideways fist apart – see “Rider Position” below). All transitions must be soft and round.
Walk – trot – walk transition in 4 steps (one stride)
Canter – trot transition, be careful to give with the hand (give with hands forward).
During warm up canter sit up off the horse’s back with a light seat.
During trot-canter upward transition think ‘walk’ just prior to allow soft relaxed transition up into canter and ask when inside hindleg is moving forward.
During all down transitions immediately give with the hand.
During stretching allow the horse to ‘chew’ the reins out to stretch.
After transitions work, allow for more stretching on the buckle forward and down at a walk then over cavaletti, repeat at trot as well. Stretch over the back into the hand over cavaletti grid.

Tips

During any work, after 5-10 minutes of really trying, allow stretch and walk
Whenever taking a narrow line, focus on a direct line to an object in the distance.
Remember in pole work to allow the horse to find their way and not for the rider to worry if the horse bumps a pole.
Lunging over trot poles just once a week.
Always just 4 cavaletti, not more than four because if the horse stumbles they can easily move out of the grid.
While trotting over the cavaletti grid, ask the horse to stretch over the back into the hand.
Sitting rot helps with drive from the hinds. If always working in rising trot it will cause horse to be too much on the forehand.

Cavaletti work exercises

Collected canter with four cavaletti place on an arc of an 18-20m circle.

Inside of arc at 2m distances, outside of arc at 3m distances.
Starting at lowest height, the progressing to highest cavaletti height.
Ensure canter is not faster but collected and rounded.
Make sure after collected canter work allow big extended canter on long side.

Grid work on figure 8.

Keeping flexion, start with three cavaletti on each arc. Figure of 8 circles approximately 15-18m diameter.

Simple grid with walk pirouette change

Ensure to keep rhythm at walk.

Canter a square

At collected canter, enter the square, then exit with three turns to re enter the square on other side. Half halt to assist use of hindquarters.

Half halt, turn, then give. Use the corner to half halt.

Transition before the corner allows being able to rider deep into the corner.

Vary number of canter strides between two cavaletti, long to short, then long again.

Keeping the rhythm. Volte prior to cavaletti to help collection of strides.

Vary number of canter strides from 5 to 6 then 7, or from 6 to 5 or 4 (larger) strides.

Figure of 8 exercise

During turn at top of figure 8 (marked with star in figure), sink deep into the saddle and almost ask for ¼ pirouette.

Gradually reducing size of circles on the figure 8

When making the change of rein, keep the shoulder counter and the hind towards the new direction of travel (and press into the outside (counterside) stirrup

Narrow line focus exercise through cavaletti

Tip – Whenever taking a narrow line focus on a direct line to an object in the distance

Cross country class.

Cross country bridge rein – one rein bridge only

Cross country seat position

Ensuring that the horse jumps first (before rider)
Sitting further back than in showjumping
Toe in line with the knee
Short stirrup
Longer rein than showjumping
By staying further back and upright in XC is safer (for riding horse stumbles etc)

Rider position

Keeping your upper body centered helps for hips to move more easily with the horse.

Soft but closed hand. Hands a fist width apart, forward in front of withers.

Ingrid Klimke and one of her fans (me)!