Riding in the Rain and Preparing for 50 miles

Poptart and I are preparing to complete the Old Dominion 50 mile ride June 11th.  We have 12 hours to complete, including vet checks and holds, so our minimum average pace must be 4.1 mph to complete.  Since this includes stops our actual moving speed needs to be around 5-6 mph to complete, and I suppose my goal is an average speed of 5.0-5.5 mph for the ride, and moving speed of 5.5-6 mph. My average speed for the No Frills 30 mile ride was 4.6 mph (including stop time) and my moving speed was 5.5 mph. Long Slow Distance!

To prepare for our first 50 mile (or any ride!) many things have to work out at the right time. At times I think the hardest part of an endurance ride is successfully making it to the ride!  Appropriate conditioning in all weather, saddle fit, shoes/boots, optimum body condition and nutrition, my fitness and health, truck and trailer both working, weather..are just some of the things involved in preparing for a ride.

Today we practiced riding in a cold (50 F) and steady rain; unfortunately Old Dominion is more apt to very hot and humid and from what I have read it takes about 2 weeks while conditioning to acclimate to hotter weather. We are screwed... I am going to try to get in just a few 7-10 mile loops in the next 1-2 weeks, hopefully in hot weather, prior to giving Poptart a full 7-10 days off prior to the ride.

I have decided to put shoes on Poptart for the 50 mile ride and most likely for the rest of this season. The renegade boots work, most of the time, on our training rides, but 'most of the time' is not okay for 50 miles. Time is valuable, especially with the Old Dominion mountainous terrain, and I can't afford to spend valuable minutes repeatedly replacing and repairing boots and that is assuming that I can actually repair them enough to finish the ride.  The biggest thing to me, was that I was thinking what equipment I need to repair all my boots at each vet check in order to be able to continue the ride (per my experience at the No Frills 30).  I  realized that is not what I need to be thinking about, instead I need to be thinking about taking care of my horse and riding our best ride together.  So for now I will carry my renegades (for when/if we lose that shoe) and have additional spares with my crew at the Bird Haven vet check.  I may try glue-on boots or easy care flip-flops in the future, but for now only one thing at a time!

On that note, Poptart gets his shoes on Thursday and then we head over for an Osteopathic adjustment session (http://rectortownequineclinic.com) so hopefully he will be in top shape as well. I have a corrective massage session scheduled for me both the week before AND after the ride, LOL! My pelvis tends to get a twist and I know that makes it harder on Poptart so I hope to fix myself so he is more likely to stay sound and comfortable. I know I need all the help I can get.

Onward to saddles and saddle fit... I am trying out Freeform Treeless Saddles (http://treelesssaddle.com) as Poptart will need a custom or modified tree for his tiny and narrow back which may be quite time consuming and expensive to get right; if we need to go there we will but first I am going to try some other ideas out.  What I like about the Freeform - 1. lightweight, with all my gear, rigging, cinch, etc we are under 20 lbs. 2. Adjustable stirrup position, I can move my stirrups so they are underneath of me enabling better classical rider positioning. 3. No pressure points, other than my weight, so the shoulders are free to move easily and his back can lift. 4. I can choose a seat that has a level area for my pelvis (to enable better classical rider position) 5. It has loads of velcro and shimming options so I can make almost unlimited adjustment to both the rider and horse fit as needed.  6. It has been proven by many 100 mile ride completions and wins, including the Tevis. What I dislike about the Freeform - 1. the stirrup attachment may not distribute pressure well; so far in practice this does not seem to be an issue and apparently computer pressure scans show it to not be an issue, but I remain paranoid/concerned. 2. The back of the saddle does not have a butterfly or cutout shape, so if the pad does not lift it enough or if you have a dippy back horse (which I do not) it in theory could pressure the spine area.   3. The problem with any treeless saddle, rider weight distribution and spinal clearance; we are starting with a double laminated felt and memory foam skito pad to help with this. So far his back has been good (no soreness) and we haven't had many sweat patterns as it has been cold and wet, but what we have had looks good so far with nice spinal clearance.

I initially tested the "happy ass" or ultimate trail seat on the endurance short-back base and while it was supremely comfortable I seemed to have keep 'scootching' to get a neutral pelvis, so today I tried out the classic seat in suede, which is firmer but has a level seat area. I loved it!  Constant rain not withstanding, it was a fantastic 12 miles today! Poptart moved in wonderful relaxed self-carriage and I felt completely with-him (a lot of the time anyway!).  Trotting downhill, in the rain and water ladened trails, it was almost magical. We were on a very soft loose rein, his neck was arched and he was using his hindquarter to balance and it felt like he was my legs.  For some reason it was how I imagine riding a well-schooled Paso Fino or high-school Andalusian would feel, just balanced and 'there' while listening and moving forward!  I can't get enough, I am ready to go ride out in the rain right now!

The trail was loads of fun (Thank you Amanda and Sonja for taking me out in the rain!). It was well-maintained (no bushwhacking!!), with really good footing especially considering how wet everything was! The trail had all these built in steps and ditches for water-drainage; I felt like I was back in high-school training for eventing again! At one place we were cantering and Poptart just jumped the little bank like a cute little event horse, so much fun!   And of course the renegade hoof boots stayed on perfectly (after I made the shoeing appointment!).

It is now 3 weeks to the 50 mile Old Dominion Ride, hopefully all the stars align and we endure and complete our first 50 together on June 11th!

My learning notes from the PPWHA Liz Graves Clinic

Poptart and I attended the Pennsylvania Pleasure Walking Horse Association's spring clinic with Elizabeth Graves this weekend. It was a bit last minute as we were just recovering from our first LD endurance ride together last weekend and I found out about it mid-day Wednesday prior to the clinic starting on Friday.  I have been wanting to learn directly from Liz for a while now and jumped at the opportunity when I learned there was still a horse spot available!  So I used Thursday to recover from No Frills and repack for leaving for Pennsylvania on Friday!  Below are my clinic notes, personal interpretations and thoughts.  I tried to take accurate notes, but please excuse me should I have misheard or misinterpreted Liz's teachings. www.lizgraves.com

Poptart did well. I do not think he laid down to sleep as he did not have any shavings in his mane or tail in the morning. I keep hoping with more experience he will learn to sleep better while traveling.  At times he became a little anxious, but at other times he became so relaxed he started to fall asleep in the arena.  It was a good experience, very different from endurance and trail riding, and was great for him to ride in an indoor arena with other horses and learn to relax in a new environment.  On Saturday we found his pelvis was 'out' or slightly tilted to one side and he was stiffer in the movement of his right hind leg.  We found he had very tight bands of muscle around his right femur head, where the left side had normal fit muscle tone.  This improved with warming up and riding, this was new as I could feel the stiffness riding and it is not normally present.  He also has "hills and valleys" along his cervical vertebrae and was a little sore indicating cervical inflammation.  A horse should have smooth muscle planes without bumps and lumps.  This did not surprise me as Poptart always flings his head side to side anxiously looking behind himself in each direction. I have always trailered with with my back upper doors open and know that he takes a bite of hay, swings his head all the way to the left behind him, takes another bite of hay and swings around to the right and repeats. He does this the entire time he is in the horse trailer.  I didn't ever think of the physical effects this may have (such as cervical inflammation and tightness) but it makes loads of sense, as he did this for 3+ hours on the way to Pennsylvania.  On the way home I shut the back doors and I do believe it significantly decreased/stopped this behavior, maybe that will help!  He is also due for more bodywork/osteopath session as soon as we can get it scheduled.

I learned that I am on the right path with my riding (Thank you Peggy Cummings and Connected Riding), Liz helped me iron out a few more details! (until my brain was full).  She confirmed that what I felt was a good moment was truly a good moment, and when I felt he was stiff and not balanced I was also correct. That really helps as I do not have eyes on the ground and have been practicing what I have been reading, but have been unsure of myself. I also was more anxious than on a trail ride (which Poptart picked up on, surprise, surprise!) but Liz also helped me remember to breathe and even worked us into a line of happy relaxed cantering for both Poptart and myself. She showed me that I need a fiador with my bosal to prevent excessive bounce and to prevent it from slipping over his head in an unplanned event; we used my extra Parelli savvy string to fashion a make-shift fiador temporarily. She also explained how to better shape the bosal so it does not cause rubs.

I also met tons of great people, all interested in learning and improving their horsemanship! What a great and fun group. Below is a picture of the Pig Toss Fundraiser on Saturday night.

6 Essentials of Riding

• Connection (relationship) - What is the horse telling me? Take a step back and think!
• Straightness - Horse is perpendicular to the ground 
• Example of not straight would be the horse leaning to the center of the circle at a canter (or turning like a motorcycle)
• In gaited horses leaning creates a pace
• Engagement of the hindquarter
• Lifting the base of the neck
• Forward motion in weight bearing posture
• Bend through the rib cage

Saddles:

• The tree is the skeleton of the saddle and needs to fit the horse
• Where to sit?
• The rider sits at the base of the wither when bareback
• Saddles push the rider slightly further back
• You should be sitting around T13-16
• You need to be in front of T16 or the anticlinal vertebrae
• This is the strongest area of the back where the horse is best able to support a rider
• Many saddles are designed to be placed behind the scapula :(
• This sits the rider much further back, often over the loin which is the weakest area of the back
• Short-term this results in decreased performance and poor movement
• Long-term this creates significant pathology, back soreness, and lameness
• All weight bearing should always be in front of the the last rib!
• The flare at the shoulder of the tree needs to allow the shoulder to float under the tree bars
• Rigid trees were originally (and always) meant to be double rigged (centerfire or Y-rigging counts)
• This equalizes pressure on the tree and prevents the saddle from being pulled down into the muscle behind the scapula
• This, in addition to correctly flared trees, allows free movement of the shoulder
• Properly made leather saddles will have up to 6 lbs of oil applied during manufacture
• Some manufactures, in order to produce the heavily demanded lighter saddles, will skip the oil resulting a squeaky saddle that likely will not last as long.
• The skirt system was designed to protect the horse from the rigging
• It is optimum to have 6"-8" from the girth/cinch ring to the rigging ring (ie 6-8" of tied latigo length)
• This allows room for re-tightening during the ride while maximizing the horse's comfort by allowing more skin contact with mohair/soft cinch versus thinner latigo or billet straps
• Girths should be snug, not tight
• If too tight they can impinge costal (rib) cartilages (causing pain/discomfort) and decrease the elasticity of the thorax
• Aim to be able to pull the girth away from the body  about 1"
• Do not forget to re-tighten, if needed, after riding a few minutes
• Saddles move because horse's move!  
• If your saddle does not move check to make sure it is not digging in, especially at the tree points!
• It is essential to re-position your saddle periodically, about 1x/hour
• Position your saddle well forward onto the wither and allow it to slide 1 -1 1/2" back while riding. If it slides further then you need to reposition
• More manufactures are having flared trees at the shoulder, some to check out include:
• About the Horse, Zaldi, Schleese, and Crosby now has y-rigging
• Stay away from saddles with large thigh or knee blocks. Besides not allowing free movement of the leg and potentially forcing the knee away from the saddle,they can be dangerous if a horse goes down entrapping the rider's leg at the saddle
• Poptart does seem to match the About The Horse #3 tree bar angles, but he needs a mini-version!  The shoulder flare is excessvively wide which contributes to the excessive diagonal rock, the saddle sliding back, and perhaps the episodes of loin soreness we had.  We will work on finding a solution, possibly a custom #3 pony-size tree...

Bits

• Myler's, in general, have very good design and quality.  Liz has several of the MB03 mouthpieces in her collection. You can use the same mouthpiece on a snaffle and a curb.
• Bitless cross-under bridles have enormous amount of oppositional pressure working on the poll, nose and entire face.  They do not release pressure well either.
• They lock up C1 (the first cervical vertebrae or Atlas) and inhibit free and normal motion of that joint with skull and C2
• C1 is considered the masterlock (when considering joints and body biomechanics) and any tension or lack of free movement of C1 will inhibit free movement in the entire body.
• I am not sure if an "Indian Hackamore" would do the same thing as the straps just cross at the chin.  To check I would apply rein tension and feel for poll pressure.  It is also essential to make sure the rein can release.
• We went over loads of bits and leaned about different mouth pieces, lever action, and pinching.

Other Notes

• When a horse is on adrenaline you need to break the cycle or "reboot to relaxation"
• Excitement will decrease and connection will increase much quicker with brain stimulation than mindless longeing. An example would be lateral in-hand work such as shoulder-in, which also helps develop the 6 essentials on the ground.
• Immediately after mounting stand still and BREATHE!
• This helps establish relaxation and also establishes breathing as a pre-cue for relaxation at other times. It is also great for the human :)
• If your horse only knows "go", then one exercise is to take 1 step, stop and breathe, another step, stop and breathe, etc. 
• This allows the horse to learn it is okay to go slow and relax
• BREATHE, it is okay to walk slow!
• Where ever the horse's eye is directed they will go. It is our responsibility to direct the eye.
• Be very conscious of HOW we send words to horses. 
• Just think about our tone and what message we are conveying to the horse (or other humans!)
• For example, if we say "trot" on exhale it will help create a relaxed willing transition, whereas "trot" said on inhale creates a abrupt command that can cause tension.  Inhale=sharp command, exhale=nice question
• Contact = Communication, Contact does not equal rein tension!!
• At at trot do not post straight up and down (as is currently the trend for dressage)
• This does not help the horse engage and use his body, instead it shuts them down
• It creates a pelvis thrust which creates brace in the horse and rider
• Instead we should post as discussed in Old US Calvary manuals
• This is a slightly forward post similar to hunt-seat
• The chest is in front of the pelvis
• The pelvis maintains a neutral position
• The horse pushes the rider out of the saddle and you stay with the forward motion
• Backing
• To teach the horse to back start from the ground 1 step at a time
• The horse needs to have a vertical flexion release first
• They have to have 1 foot forward to start a proper back, if they are square step the horse 1 step forward.
• Gently touch the chest on the side of the forward leg to ask for 1 step at at time.
• Assist with nose/bit pressure
• After they are proficient on the ground then transfer to under saddle
• Horse's that are made and not taught to back will lift their head and drag their feet (ie Rogan)
• Do not vibrate or pulse the reins, this creates an annoying mechanical feel
• instead think of the water in your body (bodies are 60% water) sending a wave down the rein
• This creates a soft fluid movement rather than a stiff mechanical pulse
• Rope halters while effective for control do not allow good communication
• They have lots of slack which can cause unclear signals
• The thin rope causes nerve firing and results in tightening of the superficial facial muscles
• Overall cause more tightness and less relaxation
• Liz recommends a soft, flat, natural material halter to facilitate communication

Body Work

• Taping - this was new to me and I need to learn more about it, but basically it is kinesiology taping as done with people.
• We used duct tape and kinesiology tape does not stay well on shedding horses -- you can use it other times of the year or anchor it with a piece of duct tape.
• Poptart was taped in his cervical and pelvic areas, where he showed soreness and tightness
• He also received tape at his poll, preventatively, as horses often get very tight in that area from both emotional tension or hyper head-neck flexion.
• You always tape symmetrically
• So even though Poptart was tight in the right pelvis muscles he was taped on the right and left sides.
• The tape can stay on for a long time
• When removing the tape go very slowly keep the tape parallel to the skin (not perpendicular!) and always remove in the direction of the hair
• Poptart enjoyed rolling multiple times after the itchy tape was removed!
• Duct tape the nose to keep horses busy/entertained when they need to do things like stand still for the farrier
• Place a small strip of duct tape lightly between the nostrils

• LOGAN - the Logan is very interesting and effective, no one will forget it!
• You press your thumb at 10 o'clock and subsequently 2 o'clock beside the anus
• Hold slight pressure (1-2 lbs) until you feel the horse release
• Horse's hold tension in this area and releasing it can help release tension in the entire body.
• Poptart found it very interesting and made all sorts of yawns and facial expressions, finally becoming very relaxed and almost sleeping. It definitely had a large effect.
• Bladder Meridian (acupuncture meridian). Tracing this meridian with moderate thumb/hand pressure can alleviate tension and help identify sore areas. Poptart was reactive (and had knots) at the lower 1/3 of his neck.
• Hyoid release - hold the tongue gently outside of the mouth until the horse relaxes, they will release it themselves if you lightly hold until they relax.
• Check for back soreness - Run you thumb down 1-3" from the spine and watch for small muscle fasiculations in front of your hand, these indicate soreness. Poptart was fine.
• Pre-Ride Bodywork
• Opening - stroke the horse over his entire body with both hands. This helps develop awareness of the entire body. It helps you find any tight, sore, or other changes to your horse's body.  You also do this after riding to 'close'. Think effleurage massage, a warmup technique.
• TMJ release - apply light pressure on both sides at the V of the TMJ joint
• Vertical flexion - place one palm on the bridge of the nose and the other hand at the base of the throat/mandible. Gently rock/flex the nose, repeat for both sides.
• Lateral flexion - place on palm on the bridge of the nose and other hand on the neck behind the jaw, gently ask for a lateral flexion release on both sides. Do not increase pressure or force a release, hold gently until the horse releases.
• Front and hind limb stretch
• Place your hands on the cannon bone and gently bring the limb forward allowing the horse to stretch.
• Make sure you keep the leg straight - do not veer to the inside or outside or this places undesirable forces on the joints
• Make sure you keep the leg very low to the ground
• Do not ask from the fetlock as this what farriers use to pick up the hoof and it may create confusion for the horse.
• Always place the hoof back, never abruptly drop it.

This is probably only a small portion of the available information, but learning is like peeling layers of an onion. Each time you remove a layer you learn more!  I have learned from traditional/modern dressage and became fed up with the constant heavy contact.  Looking for answer I followed Parelli Natural Horsemanship and learned so much about basic horse psychology and control eventually passing my online level 4 with Rogan (Thank you Carol Coppinger!!). I am finding masters of great horsemanship are very similar and there are similar themes among their teachings. (Reward the slightest try, be clear and consistent in your communication, take things 1 step at a time, repeat new things several sessions in a row until the horse becomes confident in his understanding, be happy with your horse and do not become emotional or frustrated) Now I am continuing to refine my learning progressing from control to more finesse and communication. I am looking forward to continued learning and my next clinic with Liz in July and plan to work on my 'homework' between now and then!