February 12, 2010

Finally Friday



Friday is the best day of the week.
An evening to relax. The horses often get free this evening too.

On Thursday we had a show-jumping training session.
Every time I jump I remember why I stick to dressage.
Carrying all those jumps in and off the arena is hard work.
Can't understand why people go to training studios and pay a lot for it too. They could help me out for free instead. Carrying jumps, mucking out...getting fresh air too!
But on the other hand, I suppose I only benefit from it myself.

I have spent the evening browsing Amazon for some new horse books.
I got inspired by Di to re-read my Mark Rashid books, they are so good.
So Trudi, I am finally ready to order some of the books on your list!
I will definitely order Anja Beran, and Paul Belasik. I would have liked his book "Dressage for the 21st century" too, but it was only available as second hand at a stiff price. I will add the book by Kathleen Lindley that Di wrote about too.

My favourite book about riding is Mary Wanless: Ride with your mind - Masterclasses.
I bought that book on a visit to London some 15 years ago.
I remember coming back to the hotel room with that book, and a couple of others. I was just planning to quickly leaf through the books before going out again, but already when starting on the foreword that book hooked me.
I believe her descriptions of the interaction between horse and rider are very good, and I keep returning to it.

At Easter one of her instructors, Elaine Butler, will visit Norway and I am seriously contemplating on participating. We'll see.

What are your favourite horse books?


Lots of fun stuff in my horse life coming up!

Next weekend it will be Jimmi-training again.
The week after Kyra Kyrklund will throw a clinic at Arctic Equestrian Games, an hour's drive from Oslo.
We are going there a bunch of us, and having dinner afterwards (like last year).
And on the Friday we will drive to Sweden to watch Gothenburg Horse Show - again a bunch of us. It will be great fun, and I am really looking forward to it.

Fame has been such a treat to ride lately, and after all the antelope sessions this autumn it really makes me happy.

Last Saturday I took a trailride with Hjalmar and Tarzan.
Coming down to the creek the ice edges at the shores were quite high, especially on the other side.
Where the edges were low, we also had a flake of thinner ice reaching out into the water so I thought that would be difficult to pass.
Horses don't like ice. Any surface that feels a bit insecure is scary.
I guess I would feel the same if I was a prey animal that had to rely on my feet and legs to stay alive.
We had to try where the edge cut off clean, but that was quite a high jump straight up out of the water.
Without hesitating, Fame jumped up on to the ice, throwing me slightly off balance in the process as I was riding bareback and it was limited place to land; we had to turn sharply after the jump.
Good girl!


Further on at one of the smaller roads, Hjalmar and Tarzan trotted while Fame and I had a collected canter side-by-side with them.
Fame was quite relaxed and it did not seem as if it was too hard work for her. She kept it for quite a while, without any encouragement from me.
I was very, very thrilled about this as we were struggling with the collected canter before Christmas.
She sometimes changed behind when collecting, so I have tried to slowly build strength, not asking for too much and not for too long.
Seems as if she has gotten stronger! Yippeee!


When I left my old company, I got a gift card.
I have been saving it, thinking of what I was going to buy.
And last week I purchased.....ta-da!
An espresso machine!


I am becoming a coffee-holic.
Of first degree.


Mmmmmm.....can you feel the smell?

12 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

Friday's are a great day, it gives you the whole weekend to look forward to before Monday work.

You have the greatest clinics over there with wonderful trainers. I'm sure you will have lots of fun. I still love jumping,but I haven't really jumped in a few years now.But as you say, dragging those standards and jumps around is hard work.

Your ride with Fame and Tarzan sounds like you had a nice time and she was such a good girl. You must be so proud of her. Have a great weekend.

DQwannaB said...

Mmmm, your coffee does look yummy. And, the new machine is very fancy...just gorgeous.

As for the up-coming clinics, I can hardly wait for your report. I always look forward to hearing about the different trainers you've worked with and/or observed.

Your question about books is a timely one. I have spent alot of time this winter watching dressage DVD's and reading books I pick up on eBay. I'll get back to you with a 'thumbs up' list.

As always, I love to hear about the trail rides. I took two of my mares (one at a time) on hacks today. It was beautiful and they were very good girls.

I'll try to be back soon...

The Equestrian Vagabond said...

HA - every time I try dressage I remember why I stick to just riding trails : )

my Spain friends had one of those espresso machines, they are EVIL. just pop the container in the machine and push the button. EVIL. I wiped out their supply of coffee. They haven't invited me back : )
- The Equestrian Vagabond

Jen said...

I'd have to say that Mark Rachid is my #1 favorite. I had backed away from all outside information for awhile when I started spending lots of time with our horses (I finally figured out that 98% of the things I had been taught were waaay off). After a couple of years going my own way (unlearning and re-learning just about everything), I stumbled across some folks online whose thinking ran in the same direction. I read quite a few of the books they discussed in the group, and when I picked up my first Rachid book I found paydirt (Woo!). Sure do wish he'd write faster though ;o)

HorseOfCourse said...

Thanks for your comments all!

GHM - I am lucky because I live in a capital, also close to the border of Sweden, and thus it is easier to attend to clinics. Had I been living in the Northern part of the country, things would have been much more difficult. And I am so grateful to have the possibility.

DQwannaB - nice to hear from you again! I am looking forward to your list!

Merri - I am like Winnie the Pooh - yes, please, both! Or all!
The machine is nothing fancy (it was one of the cheaper ones), but the coffee is visciously good! I am getting all pampered, and the morning coffee when I get to job does not taste as good anymore!

Jen - welcome! Yes, Mark Rashid is very good; his books are a treat to read. I get all happy inside! I have not read them all yet (I have four of them), but I am ordering another one from Amazon now.

Siri said...

I just got my "Dressage for the 21st century" a couple of weeks ago. New, and signed, have no idea if its a real signature, but hey! I got the book I've been waiting for, for at least 4 months!

Other books I enjoy is "Riding Logic" by Wilhelm Müseler. Some of the pictures in this book is completely wrong, but stick to the text. "the complete training of horse and rider" by Alois Podhajsky, very good book. And of course "School of Horsemanship" by Francois Robichon De La Gueriniere.

Arthur Kottas is releasing his book "Kottas on Dressage" this summer, I have already preordered it :P

HorseOfCourse said...

Eh, Siri. Have you read it yet? Wouldn't lend it out to someone you know now, would you?

Siri said...

hehe
Haven't read it yet I'm afraid. Still absorbing all I can from Riding Logic, but it is next on my list ;) You could borrow it after I'm done. It is really annoying that such a great book it soo hard to get your hands on!

RuckusButt said...

I sure could use a cup of that great coffee! I don't like those machines for the waste they create but it is awfully good coffee!

All those great clinics and trainers and the ability to trail ride out your back door...THAT is the life :)

HorseOfCourse said...

I agree RB, about the waste.
And I gave it quite a thought too before buying.

Problem is that I am the only one drinking coffee at home, and normally not much of it either. So, keeping coffee fresh is impossible, and thus I am reduced to instant coffee.

Which makes me sad, because I am actually fond of good coffee, and in particular a cappucchino or a latte.

With the limited use (once the news wears off) I don't believe I will be too large of an invironmental crook. I guess instant coffee also requires some energy in production...

I am really looking forwards to the weeks to come. It is a bit like Christmas as a child, you know!

The Odyssey Farm said...

I hope you share your clinic experiences with us. You are so fortunate to have access to such wonderful trainers, and you describe what you are seeing very clearly.

Enjoy your coffee machine! Days just go better when they start out with decent coffee.

Virginia

HorseOfCourse said...

Thanks Virginia! I will try and write a sum up and some posts.