Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Pete and Comments

Me and The Big K and Talking about the Talking.

Hey guys, I have saved some of the comments I wanted to talk about. But Nagonmom's thoughts got me in story mode so I did that instead.

I used video for years and still will to watch a horse move. At this point in my life I have a pretty good idea where I am in the saddle and how it's affecting my horse.

It did get me thinking I need to tune up on my awareness of where each of my horse's feet is. I should be feeling the stride length change in the back before the scrambling begins in the front.

I still want to talk about this some more though. Manana.


nagonmom says-I found myself wondering what a video from the side view would show. My horse was "falling apart" at the canter a few months ago (plus I was thinking "Oh expletive!" You probably skip that part) so my description is not as detailed.

My daughter was watching, then she rode him, no issue BUT she maintained a more consistent rein contact. She said he looked like he was lost and needed more input to balance himself. Still light with her hands, just requesting slightly more collection. Has anyone with experience watched, just to get another view? Might help.



I pulled into The Big K's and parked my car by the arena. I sat for a minute and stared at the barn.

Here it was. Video day.

I had competed the week before and now it was time to pay the piper, face the firing squad, go down with the ship. Video day.

I ignored my tight and nervous stomach and did my favorite breathing exercises. Slow inhale, hold, slow exhale, hold.

My heart beat slowed and I put my show face on.

Video day.

"Are you coming?" K leaned out his front door and grinned at me as I crawled up the stairs.

Normally one of his rare smiles could make a bad day better, but today I could swear he was baring his teeth.

We settled in the living room and he popped in the video.

My run started just as K plopped into his chair.

"Too much hand, sit back, sit back......" K muttered as my reining pattern unfolded on the TV screen.

"Whoa! Here we go!" He shouted.

I cringed.

K stopped the video.

Sonita and I were frozen in our lead-change-gone-bad, a giant leap into space complete with pinned ears and a violent kick out, there for all the world to see.

The savage look on my face was matched by the fury in Sonita's.

K contemplated for a moment and then reversed the tape. Then he forwarded it again. Reverse. Forward. Reverse. Forward.

I wanted to take the remote and jam it down his throat.

He stopped the video again.

"What were you thinking?"

"Something like, Oh shit....." I replied.

K frowned, he wasn't a fan of swearing.

"Look where your weight is," he told me.

I made myself look.

There I was, practically standing in my inside stirrup, completely blocking Sonita's shoulder with one leg while I spurred her with the other.

"Huh," I said.

"Huh," he said.

Frame by excruciating frame we travelled through my runs for the entire show. He delighted in running the really, really bad parts over and over.

"Where's your hand?

"Where in the world were you looking?

"What lead were you actually wanting there?

"Now that's Sonita's fault, why did you let her have that one?"

Finally it was over. Exhausted and demoralized I wondered if K would mind if I used one of his hoses to pipe carbon monoxide straight into my car. There was no point in going home. I might as well die in front of the tack room.

I took the video and drug myself to the door.

"You were solid on your cow," K told me.

"You straightened out before your second lead change.

"You're rundowns were straight and you looked up all the way through.

"Your confidence was high enough for you to kick your horse back into the bridle in front of God, the judge and anybody else who was watching. Good for you.

"You looked like you belonged out there."

As I clumped down the stairs I lifted my head and straightened my shoulders. The sky was blue and the wind was mild.

I was eager to get home. Sonita and I had work to do.

84 comments:

  1. Haha...yay story. I liked that one. I have a feeling you were probably much too hard on yourself most days but that's what makes winners.

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  2. Even if I'm the only one watching I cringe when I see myself on video... it's a helpful tool though. Great story! And of course you were too hard on yourself, I wouldn't have expected less!

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  3. Getting video taped is like having a root canal without pain medication.....it may be necessary but that doesn't make it hurt any less!!
    Unless of course it's your husband and he is video taping your training level dressage test while standing beside your very practical trainer and he proceeds to zoom in on horses butt and then my butt, bad enough, but then he proceeds to make, what he considers "cute" comments about the butts in the picture, sigh, some things you can just never, ever live down.......

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  4. mommyrides-at least you have a cute butt.

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  5. Good point, Mugs. I saw far too many pics of my butt after that cattle drive I posted about. I think I put one or two up but not all of them. Good lord, what happened? I think it's wider than my horse...sigh. I can't imagine what it would look like jiggling around on video. Bleh.

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  6. I'm such a nerd..... I got teary eyed reading the accolades. You suck me in every time.

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  7. Great story mugs. We are always our biggest critics - as it should be.

    I recently had my daughter video tape one of my lessons. WOW - what an eye opener that was. I wanted to see what my horse looked like in a turn around. I was o.k. with that but some of the other stuff sent me into a tizzy fit. I watched it by myself and kept repeating "Oh My GAWDDDD. Do I really do that? Do I really look like that? Oh my Gawdddd."

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  8. Wow. Glad I posted that weak suggestion. Mugwump, you gave me an unexpected thrill when I saw "Nagonmom" in your sacred blog space! And what a neat story! It is amazing to watch yourself, even in photo form. Once I get past the bigger than the horse part, I pick up on things, like "Why is my foot way the heck out there? Why am I riding tilted to one side?" Honest, I felt straight. Still rather dazzled. Thanks.

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  9. ...and after watching my video's sometimes it's hard to watch again.

    Sure, at the time it seemed great...but we have sooooooo far to go. But, compare old video to newer video, it proves you're making progress...maybe not as fast you want it to go...but improvement.

    Even stills in a series will get you. I saw the stills taken from Colt's Sept Futurity just today...his best shots were from the very first 30 seconds working the cow...after that I got nervous that he wouldn't do what he needed to do (even though I knew he could) and the rest of the shots were crap because of me...head up, out of position, me reining him when he didn't need it...live, learn and keep on going.

    Does K read your blog ;~) I'd love to see his reaction to your stories.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My husband videos me pretty regularly and I find it a mixed.... damnation. (Videos are on youtube, easy to find, and it pains me to say I usually put the *best* ones up, sigh.)

    It's very useful but also very easy to get down on myself.

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  11. I cringe just from looking at photos of my on horseback.

    Although, in the last few years, my knowledge and training have increased, and my standards are higher. Maybe ten years ago I would have thought things looked okay...

    but hey, I can always, always improve as a rider.

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  12. Boy, do I know that feeling! It always stings for a bit, until I finally swallow my pride and then I'm excited for all the things I have to work on! Great story.

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  13. Great story! I am so glad that he chased you out the door with several positive comments to prevent you from heading out on your hose gathering mission. The man really understands balance in his own sadistic way =/

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  14. Haha I agree I love the way you portray the Big K as being gruff, but still knowing when you need a little reassurance that you aren't the worst horsewomen to ever hit the show circuit (you know we all think you're great!)

    To be honest, I've never video tapped myself riding, I've rarely even photographed myself in the saddle, that'll go on the list of things to do this summer.

    Unfortunately the only person around to do either of those things with Oliver and I would be my Dad, and though he loves camera technology, he's none too skilled. (Although he did snap the header of my blog, which I think is great)

    Loved the story!

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  15. When watching those awful videos I suddenly understand what my trainer is talking about.
    Hahem.

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  16. gttyup- The Big K knows about it. He asked me for the address and wrote it down. Then he never said a word. I'll never ask him either. It's the kind of passive aggressive sparring deal we do so well.

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  17. So, Mugs...if we all yell "Howdy Big K" he might respond? :)

    Howdy Big K!

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  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. After the first time my husband took a video clip of me riding he said he would never do it again, as all I did while watching it was criticise myself! I explained, and he understood, but maybe we should give ourselves more credit where it's due.

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  21. Oh man, the only time I've had a ride videotaped was once during a lesson. My horse was super green at the time & going through a phase where he wanted to forcible wander about the arena ignoring all of my cues and signals. Add in the barn's idiot trainer who decided to lunge a horse in the tiny arena during my lesson & I cringe every time I've watched it!!! Most pictures of my riding are a combination of: hey, I look better than I thought, wow I thought I looked great at the time but looked terrible, and why do I have to pouf my stomach out when sitting the trot?! Great story :)Also, I'm pretty sure my trainer is the female counterpart of Big K

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  22. A long time ago, I was interviewed by a local newspaper for a cutting show that I had won. It was a small town and I was a senior in High school, so they liked to do random articles on kids that were winning at something. Well, when the guy came out to the house to interveiw me, he wanted to see the videos of me showing. I proudly showed him the video of my winning run...but when I showed him some from the other shows that I placed in, but didn't do so well, I was embarrased...he was impressed..but all I could see was the things I did wrong...I look at them now and wonder...But I am extreemly hard on myself...when I take a lesson and make a mistake I get mad at myself and then its a snow ball affect.
    I have an off topic question though...has anyone delt with stifle injuries? My horse has some arthritis in his stifle joint and he was pretty darn lame all of a sudden one day after he had been worked on cattle. He didn't get sore until AFTER we had cooled him off and had him tied up drying off from a bath. I had him injected and the vet said to give him 45 days off. Just curious if anyone else has had to deal with this type of injury? This is the first time that he has ever been sore and that I have ever had a horse that has been sore like this!
    thanks in advanced!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Slippin,

    It's possible that your horse had a bone cyst that ruptured a bit and the contents reached the joint capsule, causing inflammation but more importantly an accute sort of pain.
    The best way to identify a bone cyst is through digital radiographs, so the vet can tweak the contrast, lighting, etc. to best see if there is a cyst.
    Some horses may have cysts their whole life and it causes no problems. Most usually show them at training age, and some cysts only rear their heads up later, possibly in a situation like yours. Just a thought...

    ReplyDelete
  24. Bif,
    I had him X-Rayed. The vet said tha the had some arthritis around the joint...he also has a spur on the joint. I have been doing some research on this type of injury and they all say to bring him back extreemly slowly and to do some hill work at the trot to help strengthen that joint. I have about 3 weeks left of stall rest. He seems to be doing better in the stall, meaning that he is standing with his weight on the injured leg with the other leg cocked. So that tells me that he is not hurting as much. Thanks for the info!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Mugs, I don't often comment on older posts that I've missed when I'm catching up, because it feels sort of like rudely trying to drag attention back to something done and dusted, but oh god, I laughed and laughed and laughed at your comment about the Big K and the blog. The sort of rueful-I-know-that-dance laughter. I have a trainer friend / colleague / rival / mentor who is I believe, NOTHING like the the Big K in pretty much every way - except, were I to have a blog - that would be exactly how he would respond.

    As for video, egads, photos are bad enough, I am small and short and square and dumpy (which I have never terribly minded,low centre of gravity and all that) and so always strive in my head for tall and elegant. Pictorial evidence that I don't really ever achieve that, regardless of how it feels is always painful - nevermind all the other stuff!

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