ARRGH!!

Don't you just hate it when everything is not going right?!?! You just want to scream, but, when it comes to screaming on a horse....NOT the brightest idea. :)

Last night I rode Guinness (YAY) for the fourth time. I had been progressing slowly on G, but had made it to a point that cantering with heels down and hands tight was becoming more natural. So on Wednesday, my final (for real) ride on G was going to be money.

Ha.

Cantering was a nightmare. So was trotting. G kept tripping because my hands were not tight, nor steady enough. He shied at some unknown thing in the ring. He bucked a few times. When we cantered, it was on the wrong lead. And he figured out that if he pulled on the bit hard enough, the reins would give in my hands. Not to mention, the whip kept slipping from my grasp, because I wouldn't/couldn't keep my fingers closed. And with every mistake, my frustration and misery grew, until at one point, I almost jumped off in a huff. Angry at him for not doing what I wanted, but angrier still at myself for not asking G for the right things at the right time.

So I asked G for a halt and rolled my shoulders back. I took a breath, and closed my eyes for a second, sending out positive vibes. And started all over again. This time, we were able to get a canter on the correct lead, and trotted twice around the ring with nary a trip, on the bit, and in tune. So we stopped there for the night. I was still angry at myself for having a so-so lesson, but happy that I didn't give up.

It's so hard not to get frustrated when dealing with horses. They are wonderful creatures, and I love them. But, they have a mind of their own, and quirks. It's not Guinness' fault that he needs a steady hand and a firm leg to move forward. It's mine, for not committing myself to being firm. He knows what he knows, and anything less than that, well, that's not his problem to deal with. He's not being bad or mean. He's being a good dressage horse. But when your mind is yelling CANTER! and your body is saying, "um, well....canter?" it breeds frustration at yourself for not being on point, and frustration at the horse for not reading your mind.

While I'm still chiding myself for being so blasé last night, I am pumping myself up for Monday night's lesson. I will take what I learned on G, and be a better rider on Clinton. And I will put last night's frustrations away. Clinton, here I come!

A Pint (or 70) of Guinness

I know you looked at that title and thought, "is she an alcoholic?"

Don't worry. Guinness is a horse. :)

My past two lessons, I have had the privilege of being able to ride one of the barn's superstars. Owned by the co-owner of the barn, Guinness is showing at a 3rd or 4th Training level. And when you are offered the chance to ride a horse like that, you do NOT say no.

I'm sure that G is a warm blood, but what kind, I'm not sure. He's very tall, probably about 17 or 18 hands, dark brown/almost black. And he's a total gentleman and sweetheart. On our first night, he started licking my arm, like a dog. It was hysterical. And he has a way of tilting his head like he's telling you a joke that you're going to burst into giggles over. Besides his great personality, G is an incredible mover. Smooth and quick, his strides eat up the ground, never choppy, never jostling. It's easy to get lost in the moment with him.

I have been taking lessons consecutively for a year and some change now. I am considerably better than I used to be, but I am not at that level in Dressage. I still have trouble keeping my body from pitching forward when I change gaits, and getting a horse to stay on the bit still eludes me at times. Clinton is not thrilled when I mess up on him, but he still continues to trot or canter on. With Guinness, there is no room for error. The slightest wrong movement, and G stops. He will not trot or canter unless your hands are connected with his mouth, your legs applying the correct pressure. While it can be frustrating (Wednesday's lessons consisted of a lot of stopping), it has been a way to see what I need to work on, and what a real Dressage horse needs in a rider.

Another thing I'm hoping my time with G will teach me is to be more confident. One of the worst issues I have riding a new horse is doubt. I doubt that I can control such a horse. I doubt that I will stay on. When my instructor asks me to canter on a new horse, I always feel my stomach hit my feet. And I'm sure the horse feels it too. With G, there is no room for fear. While he thinks he's cantering slowly, you feel like you are zooming around the ring. The first time I tried to canter, it was a mess. G needs you to hold the reins tight, and your seat has to be deep and back. You pitch forward, and he stops. You loosen the reins even a tiny bit, he stops. Quickly. To top it all, he always gives a little kick when he starts his canter. Very minor, but if you don't expect it, it's different.

But Saturday, when I rode him for the second time, while it took me a while to get going, I felt very comfortable at the canter. He was feeling his oats, and we were flying, but he felt so good, and I felt that I was right there with him. Clinton isn't nearly as big or fast, so the lingering canter fears I have with him? If I can do it on G, Clinton will be a piece of cake. And I'm sure he'll appreciate my seat and hands more.

I have really enjoyed my time on G. I may get one more chance to ride him, and I will eat up every second. I love Clinton, don't get me wrong, but riding Guinness is teaching me how to ride Clinton better. My hope is that once I'm riding him again, I will be more comfortable, more confident, and more able.

So I have to give a lot of thanks to G, and to Mary (my instructor) for letting me ride him. Because Clinton is going to see a better rider next week, I hope. And because I think I grew into my Dressage boots just a little bit more. :)

Peace, love and reins...DG

Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta (Part 2)

On my last posting, I gave you my arguements for which gal should win Horse of the Year at the Eclipse Awards. Below are Rachel's Kentucky Oaks and Zenyatta's Breeders Cup win; both races considered the most impressive of their year. Even if you don't know who you like.....you have to admit, these girls know how to stir up a crowd! The Eclipse Awards will air Monday night, January 2010.

Zenyatta vs. Rachel Alexandra: My Horse of the Year Picks

BRRR! What happened to that nice Georgia weather?

January is a time when the horse racing world is starting to wake up from the BCS (that's Breeder's Cup Slump, football fans) syndrome, and focus switches to the Triple Crown. But before we race fans can truly submerse ourselves in all things Kentucky Derby, we have one more piece of business from 2009 to take care of.

The Eclipse Awards.

The Eclipse Awards are the Oscars of the racing world, with Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts being played by Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, and Brad Pitt and George Clooney as Gio Ponti and Summer Bird. Named for one of the forefathers of the sport, Eclipse*, this award determines the best horses in these categories:

Two-Year-Old Male;
Two Year Old Filly;
Three Year Old Male;
Three Year Old Filly;
Older Male;
Older Female;
Male Sprinter;
Female Sprinter;
Male Turf Horse;
Female Turf Horse;
Steeplechase Horse;
Owner;
Breeder;
Trainer;
Jockey;
Apprentice Jockey; and


HORSE OF THE YEAR.


This year, there is great debate for Horse of the Year. And its between two lovely ladies: the powerful mare Zenyatta and the extraordinary filly Rachel Alexandra. It's exciting that the year's top honors are going to go between two leading ladies....a female has only won HOY three times before. Normally, a third horse is nominated, but who are we kidding? Rach and Zen are the cream of the crop and no one can top them. Both are undefeated this year. Both rocked the Boys Club in fashionable style. Both beat the best of their sex time and again. Rachel is 10 for 12 (placing second twice as a two-year-old) lifetime and Zenyatta is undefeated: 14 for 14 lifetime.

But as with any super hero, there are chinks in their armor. Zenyatta left the synthetic tracks of California only once. Rachel skipped the Breeder's Cup, which often is the deciding factor in year-end honors. And the biggest one: neither lady has faced each other. And with Zenyatta retired, and Rachel beginning her campaign in spring, the great debate is this: which outstanding lady deserves it more?

So I throw my hat in the ring. Not that I have a vote, but hey. Nice to dream, eh?

I have a soft spot in my heart for both, and will not be disappointed either way, but I believe Rachel deserves the crown. She was 8 for 8 this year, winning a Triple Crown race (the Preakness), the Haskell (against boys) and the Woodward (against older males) while beating up on her sex. Her awe-inspiring Kentucky Oaks win was one for the books; no other female has won the Oaks going away by 20 lengths. Her body of work is unbeatable....no other female has accomplished as much in one season. And, she's not done; there will be an outstanding four-year-old season to come.

If Zenyatta wins, it will be based on her whole body of work, not just this year. Yes, she is undefeated. And yes, she beat the Kentucky Derby, Travers, Belmont and Jockey Club Gold Cup winners (plus the best Euro horses that could make the trip) in the Classic. She is the first female to win the Classic in its 25-plus year history, and the first horse to win two different Breeder's Club races. But she never left California. She only raced five times. And she beat the same crowd of ladies that she beat the year before. While Rachel beat the boys three times, Zenyatta only beat them once. And one race, no matter how amazing it was, should not determine who is the year's best.

Zenyatta truly deserved the honor last year (given to Curlin, despite his diminishing form throughout the year), and it is unfortunate that she is up against Rachel this year.

But given the facts of this year, Rachel deserves it more. But we will see January 18th....and I am looking forward to seeing if my prediction is right.

Below (in case you are interested) are the horses nominated for each award, and in parentheses, who I would pick to win.

Horse of the Year: Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta (RACHEL ALEXANDRA)
Two-Year-Old Male: Lookin at Lucky, Noble's Promise, Vale of York (LOOKIN AT LUCKY)
Two-Year-Old Filly: Blind Luck, Hot Dixie Chick, She Be Wild (SHE BE WILD)
Three-Year-Old Male: Mine That Bird, Quality Road, Summer Bird (SUMMER BIRD)
Three-Year-Old Filly: Careless Jewel, Flashing, Rachel Alexandra (RACHEL ALEXANDRA)
Older Male: Einstein, Gio Ponti, Kodiak Kowboy (GIO PONTI)
Older Female: Life Is Sweet, Music Note, Zenyatta (ZENYATTA)
Male Sprinter: Dancing in Silks, Kodiak Kowboy, Zensational (ZENSATIONAL)
Female Sprinter: Informed Decision, Music Note, Ventura (INFORMED DECISION)
Male Turf Horse: Conduit, Gio Ponti, Presious Passion (GIO PONTI)
Female Turf Horse: Goldikova, Midday, Ventura (VENTURA)
Steeplechase Horse: Mixed Up, Red Letter Day, Spy in the Sky (MIXED UP)
Owner: Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms, Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss (MR. AND MRS. JEROME MOSS)
Breeder: Adena Springs, Juddmonte Farms, Dolphus C. Morrison (DOLPHUS C. MORRISON)
Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, John Shirreffs (JOHN SHIRREFFS)
Jockey: Ramon Dominguez, Garrett Gomez, Julien Leparoux (GARRETT GOMEZ)
Apprentice Jockey: Luis Batista, Christian Santiago Reyes, Luis Saez (CHRISTIAN SANTIAGO REYES)

*According to The BloodHorse, the Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age 5 and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies (England).