Casey's Training Trip

Last post :(

2008-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

My trip has now been finished off with three days at Talland. As I got more comfortable around Pammy (who can be very daunting) I sat in on her lessons with high-level dressage and eventing riders, and it was refreshing to hear them talk through their problems with their horses and for them to get shouted at, because it makes you realise that the good riders aren't always untouchable and above everybody else.

During my time at Talland there was one particular horse I rode everyday called Jovie. She was trained to about Prix St George, which was perfect for me to learn on. She had to be ridden with a very soft contact and mainly from the seat, as if you had too much contact she just went faster and faster! 'Quick-releases' helped her come up in front and stop her leaning on the hand. She was truly awsome though, and on the last day I was the last one riding in the MASSIVE indoor arena and was having a lesson with Pammy. She let me go and have fun, so off I went; half-passing, flying changing, and canter pirouetting, and I really did have fun! It felt amazing to just go and pop out movement after movement.

The other horses I rode were also schoolmasters and also had to be ridden with lots of quick-releases. I requested a seat-lesson on the lunge, as the seat is of incredible importance and I wanted to know what exercises I should work on when I'm at home on the lunge. My goal is to have a seat that is an extension of the horses back, an upper body of steel, and hands of gold. When I get home my training program will consist of at least one seat-lesson a week, trail-riding on the weekends that I can (I did that before I left and Vinnie loved it!), lungeing once a week, and cavaletti and gridwork at least once a week. I struggled with gridwork at home because I didn't know how to jump, but now hopefully it shouldn't be a problem!

Pammy and her mother, Molly Sivewright, have been running Talland since 1958. Mrs Sivewright is so knowledgable, and is someone I would love to stay and talk to all day because she has so many stories about horses to tell and such good advice. I only spent half an hour with her on the side of the arena talking, and then I had to get my horse and ride. She was telling me about the times that she came out to Australia to judge (where she stayed at the Packer's property), and the first aid of riding is thought, and how powerful it was, so much that she could whisper to one of her horses to do a series of ones with a novice rider on top.

While I was sitting with Pammy, one of the girls was having trouble with the energy levels in her dutch-bred young horse. She always lunged it before a show, but it could get too tired sometimes and then if she didn't lunge it he went crazy. Pammy said that she must lunge the horse, even if for three circles because by then you would see if the horse needed it or not. Often when horses get lazy it is actually tightness, so even if you think your horse is tired just lunge it, and you might be surprised that if you crack the whip their head will blow off. Pammy also said that all day turnout (which this horse had) can make the horse less impressive in the arena. If they are kept in for most of the day the horse will appreciate going out to be worked, or even going on the truck, and will be up and ready to move their legs. I found that interesting as I always keep my horses out during the day and I absolutely hate it when they have to be kept in the stable, but when I look at it in that light I think it could work well.

On the day that I left (Friday), Pammy was off to Portugal that night to the European Young Rider Championships, where her son Charlie was competing, and her daughter Pippa is a reserve for the Juniors. Both of them are amazing riders!

We leave on Tuesday and I can't wait to get home and start applying my new found techniques to all of my ponies and horse! I also miss my dogs a lot, and seeing all of the english out with their dogs makes me so jealous! We have travelled 2500 miles around England, and it is very beautiful. I can't wait to come back here again!

Thankyou to everyone who has been following my trip through this blog and I hope I have given you an insight to what it's like to ride in faraway places. If you have any questions or anything feel free to comment me!

2008-07-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

What I'm about to say is not inspirational, as my trip to Yorkshire has been very... interesting, to say the least. The area of Yorkshire is fine and very beautiful, with big farms and delicious tea, but Yorkshire Riding Centre is a place I would rather not go to again.

I was supposed to stay at YRC (Yorkshire Riding Centre) for the week, but after the first night and the first day of group lessons I was not very impressed. The second day was not any better. I didn't come halfway across the world to learn to ride like it was my first time on a horse, and to try and jump an incredibly fat pony who had only been there for two days. It didn't help when nobody in the camp spoke english (except for one italian girl, Fanny, who is now a good friend), and with the other riders not being able to follow the instruction is useless. The instructors were very good, but it was impossible for me to gain any benefit from the level of riding that we were doing.

With only two lessons a day consisting of this, the rest of my time was spent doing nothing. Walking around aimlessly, watching a lone person ride at any one time, and reading magazines in my room. The only person I could talk to was Fanny and her friend who could also speak limited english. I was suprised at the lack of the direction, especially in comparison to the previous places I had been to on this trip where so much is going on and there is always something to do. In my opinion I think YRC would benefit from using us to do the barn duty and grooming and cleaning etc because it is better than doing nothing at all! Only the smallest bit of barn duty is done in the morning and afternoon, but no more than an hour's worth. I was disappointed, as I was expecting a week of being totally absorbed in horses, but it was not so. I advise anyone who is looking at doing any type of training or camp like this, to check the average level of the attending riders (if this is possible). The website was quite misleading, and on the form you are asked what you wanted to achieve on the camp, and I said that I wanted educated horses to teach me how to ride medium/advanced movements. This was clearly not going to happen. I would have liked them to advise me that they couldn't help with that before travelling all this way and spending the money.

On a mission to fix what would become a pointless week, Mum pulled me out after the second night, and arranged with the secretary (if there was an odd chance someone was at the desk) for me to stop the summer camp, and just start with private lessons with Jane. So last night I slept at the Bed and Breakfast that Mum was staying in on a fold-out bed, and I went back this morning for my two private lessons... I won't be going back tomorrow.

After my two lessons this morning, from 12.30 till 4.30, Fanny and I did nothing but walk between arenas looking for a rider that would give us much needed inspiration, or any rider for that matter, and watched and talked about what we were seeing. The rest of the group went shopping, and I couldn't go as I wasn't in the camp anymore (and Mum couldn't pick me up till later) and Fanny wasn't aloud to go because her Mum paid for her to ride, not shop, and she wanted to have a private lesson that afternoon.

So now there is no more YRC for me, and next week on Wednesday I am going back to Pammy Hutton at Talland again for three days which will finish off my trip before heading home.

2008-06-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Now I am in the UK where we are currently looking for property around the Cotswolds area. All of the little villages are so pretty! I love the cream teas and good english pub food here.

For the past three days I have been at Talland School of Equitation which is run by Pammy Hutton, a very well-known international dressage rider and trainer, and you know why when she teaches you. I have had three lessons a day and my butt is paying the price!!!

I was actually very scared on my first day... people say that the Germans are straight-forward and daunting, but they obviously havn't met the English! However, it did get a lot better and I settled in pretty quickly. In every lesson you ride different horses, and I only got two of the horses twice. This is good in the way that you adjust your riding and investigate how different horses like to be ridden, but it is hard to actually train the horse because you only ride it once! So i have seen a big difference between 'riding' and 'training'. And let me tell you 'riding' is the easy part. But really, I am here to get experience and to improve my riding and I am definately not fussed if the horse I rode three days ago can't do a half-pass. Also, doing the basic riding on the different horses really concretes your basics in the pavement.

Those basic lessons were group lessons. Then, my last two lessons of the day were privates with four different instructors. I had Charlie (Pammy's son who is representing the UK at the European Young Rider Championships this year), Richard (a Grand Prix rider), Brian (Pammy's husband who trains international teams to victory), and of course, Pammy. So as you can tell, this place is a fantastic set-up for riders to do some serious training, not only in dressage, but in everything else you can think of, even circus tricks (Pammy demonstrated piaffe in hand on a tiny pony, and made it lie down and sat on it!).

The lessons were very good, but the main thing I learned was that not every horse is German-trained, so not every horse is correct. When a horse prefers an 'incorrect' way, that is the way you must ride it.
For Example: It is correct to have a constant yet yielding contact with the horses mouth, otherwise the horse can be said to be 'lost in space' and the energy from the hind legs can't run forward into the bridle. However, when the horse is naturally stiff and tends to lean on your hand, you must take with a quick movement of the lower fingers, then give immediately with a looped rein. The horse then rounds up and you have a lighter contact. Pammy also likes to do a 'quick release' which is similar to uberstreichen, but much quicker and you give a strong take before you release. This method works wonders when the horse has been trained that way.
At first, I got really confused about what was correct and what wasn't, but now I know that the horse will tell you what is correct because they can't read the damn book!

For two of my lessons with Pammy, I rode a Grand Prix school master and on the first ride she had me doing canter pirouettes! That was only after a hell of a load of screaming to get the canter collected enough, which was hard for me to do as I have never even crossed the border into the zone of extreme collectedness. Especially after Germany when everything was "forward and straight'. I did get some decent pirouettes today though, and the feeling is truly amazing. Pammy wondered where and how I learned to ride, and couldn't believe that I didn't have an advanced horse that taught me how to do the aids for those types of movements. It was literally "ok now do a canter pirouette" and it just happened. I guess I know from reading so many riding books on all these different aids for everything. A lot of it is also feel. Pammy has a strong view that feel cannot be taught, and it goes in a seperate 'toolbox' to your knowledge of aids. You only learn it from hours in the saddle.

The setup at Talland is awsome. It has it's own restaurant next to the massive indoor arena, spotless bathrooms, 40 rooms to house students behind the restaurant (so it is all in the same building) and about 60 stables. Students basically board there like in a boarding school and get brekky, lunch and dinner included. It is a really good environment and I would definately love to go back.

Tomorrow I am off for an interview at Hartpury College, and then we drive to Yorkshire to Chris Bartle's place where I am doing a summer camp. I hope my butt stands up to it! I'm not used to riding in saddles of brick (there are only a couple, but one ride is enough!).
I have no pictures though, sorry!

Exam Day 2

2008-06-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am so relieved that our exams are over! We started early this morning, with barn duty at 6.30. The dressage tests started at 8.30 so we had to be on and warming up by at least 8am. I think I was quite nervous because I was really quiet and serious and held a straight face for most of the morning. Usually I act normal before a performance, but I guess I didn't know what to expect because being in front of German judges and riding an unfamiliar horse isn't exactly the most ideal situation! hehe

Lilly (my horse) was quite stiff so I tried to supple her as much as I could by doing transitions and simple laterals. She got a bit better, but in the test she had some counter-flexion on the long side. It was one of those things where you think 'I should fix this' but you are too busy concentrating on the test and especially your seat, as that is the main thing that you are getting marked on. The Little Bronze is ALL about the seat. Anyway, overall I was very happy.

Lilly had about 5 minutes time out in her stable before I had to tack her up again for the jumping, and I was also nervous about this course because:
1) I have never jumped before, let alone a whole course! and
2)There are monsters in the bushes by the 2nd jump, and if she gets scared it is hard to get her attention back to jumping.
I did have some sense of comfort though, as there was no pressure and no expectation because everyone knew that I just do not jump hehe.
The course ended up being clear with no refusals and it was smooth enough for me! I was so proud of my first ever course and i couldn't stop smiling and patting Lilly. That was my last ride on her so it was a bit sad :(

When everybody had jumped, we went in small groups to do our theory exam. The questions were alright for the other girls and I was hoping they would ask me some of the same ones, but of course they had to ask me the things I didn't know! for example:
1) What are the circle points?
I had no idea and I had no idea what they were so I guessed and said 4, which was right luckily! They are the points you aim towards when you ride a circle, like a diamond, i found out after.

2) Name the letters on the centreline.
I totally knew this one but I had a mental block and I only got X, L and G. I missed I and D i think it is.

There were some other weird questions about riding on trails and stuff and i managed to use my common sense to get through that easily.

Presentation was just before lunch, and we got awarded a unique and thought after performance medal plaque that not even the germans get when they achieve the level, only sometimes when they win a show. We also got badges for our jackets and a certificate. I ended up getting 7.5 for dressage, 7.3 for jumping and 7.5 for theory which I was sooooooo happy with! We celebrated with champagne and orange juice, and that night we had a big dinner at the hotel.

The course was the best time that I have had in my life, and I will definately continue to go back a few times a year. I am hoping to do the Big Bronze in January, so I am looking forward to that!

I am very sad to leave, especially leaving Horst, the hotel owner who has been the most entertaining part of the trip! He is indescribable, you just have to meet him to know what I mean. :P

So goodbye Germany, and bring on England!

First Exam Day

2008-06-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

This week has consisted of preparation for the exams, so we ride the test and jump the course. In my case, I can't ride the test because my horse Lilly knows it off by heart so she rushes ahead and does everything before I can ask her! The test is about novice level with two half voltes at X like in the elementry, and a lengthening of stride, a circle of canter with überstreichen, a circle of trot with stretching down and stuff like that.

We jumped the course in blocks or 'chunking it' as some of us say :) and it is quite good. It is 4 feet 6 inches I think.

On the first day of exams we rode dressage in the morning for however long we wanted and did whatever we wanted to do. After lunch, and after a wild frenzy of boot polishing, our exams started with the Bases Pass. No one in Germany can go to a show or pretty much do anything without this pass, and it just proves that you know how to act around and treat horses. We had to present and run out a horse in a triangle, critique it's conformation, hitch up a float and do a safety check, then load on the horse. There was also heaps of stable management stuff that we had to know as well.

Straight after that we got our lungeing horses ready for the lungeing exam. We did a practical and theoretical assessment and everyone passed. I got 7.5 for both which I was very happy with! The judges are very scary though... the lady is a baroness and the other is to be addressed by 'doctor...' but once I took a deep breathe and looked them in the eye I felt okay.

We got awarded with a certificate and badge for the Bases and another for the Lungeing, which we can wear on our competition jackets. They look very smart.

End of week 1 in Germany

2008-06-08T00:44:00.000-07:00

This week has been hard work! I am glad it is the weekend and we get a bit of a break, although we still had to ride once yesterday and do barn duty this morning, which is okay because the rest of the weekend is fun!

Yesterday (Saturday) after our riding and lungeing lesson we went back to Stall Ramsbrock, i rode the same young horse as last time, and then we went to the second property of Heinrich Ramsbrock which was where all of the foals and broodmares were kept and it was AMAZING! you have never seen anything like it! Heinrich is such a passionate breeder and owner and he can tell you the name of every horse and foal, it's breeding, and level of training off the top of his head.

After that Alex took us all to a nice ice-cream parlour. It's funny because Australia has the same ice-cream as them (the places where you just choose a flavour, like Baskin and Robins or Wendys) but America doesn't, so everybody is so excited about "Ice Cream" but it's quite normal for us! Still, i'm nogt complaining because it's not often i get to eat it :)

Everybody is beginning to study hard for their theory, and today we are getting a study group together and tomorrow two of the girls from america has their coach visiting germany who is a silver accredited trainer and she is helping us. We are taking the theory very seriously, and take our 'Principles of Riding' and 'Horse Management' everywhere... to breakfast, spare time at the barn, having drinks, dinner, and in bed before sleeping! I hope we know everything on the exam day...

Day 3 of the course in Germany

2008-06-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Wow i still can't get over how awsome it is over here! Not only are the horses amazing, but the whole atmosphere of the town and people is so comfortable and you feel so at home.Well the days at the Equestrian Centre are long and hard...

We have to be at the barn by 7.30 to do barn duty or to get your horse ready for a dressage lesson, and when you aren't riding you are preparing or putting away your horse or watchhing lessons and studying the theory out of The Principles of Riding. After the lessons we do our Basis Pass class which is the exam that EVERYBODY in Germany has to do who handles or competes a horse. After we do what everybody loves to do in Germnay, and that is SWEEPING! After, at 11am we do an hour of theory with Alex, then at 12pm we break off for lunch. My friend and I ride our bikes all the way into the town centre to get something to eat which is about 15 minutes away, and then bike back to start again at 2pm. We then get our horses ready for jumping classes, and each of the three groups go at different times just like in the dressage. Then we sweep, sweep, sweep and do another hour of theory, and finish at 6pm and we bike back to the hotel.So there's just the general overview of what we do.

The horses are very much school horses and you really have to tell them who is boss. I am right at home in the dressage arena, but i have never jumped so the jumping lessons are very different! I have to ride in a jumping saddle (which i have never done before) with my knees touching me hips (haha)! The horses are good at jumping though you just have to sit there and let them do their thing.The theory is really interesting but you have to take lots of notes to remember everything. In the morning we do rider theory so we watch videos on the seat, which is the main component of the little bronze medallion. The rider must have a good seat, and it is made completely clear and it is stressed among the Germans. As Alex said; "Even Isabell Werth can have a lesson and there will still be corrections of the seat!" We also watched a video of the training scale, which we are expected to adhere to in our dressage lessons.The dressage lessons are structured distinctively:

1) walk for 10 min to get the cartilige (i don't know how to spell that) active to that the joints are protected. In thise phase we do some leg-yield, turns on the forehand, flexing and some basic patterns.

2) the suppling up phase for 20 min includes working at an active trot doing the suppling exercises like leg-yield, circles, shoulder fore etc, and then the same in canter. Transitions should also be done to get the horses attention and obedience.

3) the break is always in walk on a long rein.

4) the working phase goes for about 20 min as well and include collecting exercises such as smaller circles, stronger transitions within and between gaits, and other exercises of the level your horse is at that you need to practise like shoulder in, travers, counter canter, flying changes, half pass etc.

5) break

6) the cooling down should consist of the same exercises as the warming or suppling up phase, but with longer walk periods. Make sure the horse is walked for long enough so that his breathing is normal and his sweat has dried up a bit.

In this workout, you first try to achieve the ryhthm, suppleness and contact of the horse, then in the work phase you bring in impulsion and straightness, and then once this is achieved you get, as Alex says, "a bonus" and collection is created. This is the same with connection... if ryhthm and suppleness is achieved "the horse will ask for connection and the rider shall grant it".As you can see we have learnt A LOT! I love writing it all down as it makes me remember, and i thought i knew the training scale and everything pretty well before and thought i used it in my training effectively, but now i see what the Germans really mean, and it makes so much sense!!!

We have a full week ahead and i am very very tired! The problem is that it gets dark so late here, at 11pm! So you don't feel like going to sleep at all, and sometimes you just can't. But the evenings are very nice; Alex comes to the hotel and has a beer with all of us and we talk a lot. Everybody is also really nice, and i have found a really good friend from america and we have lots of fun, especially when we bikeride through forests and see funny chickens and film the scenery and ride with one hand but then fall of into the bushes because our legs get too tired!!! Hahaha its so much fun!

Day 1 of the course in Germany

2008-06-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Wow so much has happened already! Yesterday we met nearly everybody who was doing the course at the State Equestrian Centre, and they are mostly americans who are really nice! Alex Wortman, the Chief Instructor, is such a great guy who is so funny, and so is his wife.

This morning we went to Stall Ramsbrock, which is home to 1400 horses and the owner is the world champion in breeding. We got to ride, and i rode 3 horses. the last two were only 5 months under saddle, and the other 2, and were the most amazing horses ive ever ridden! They had such a good movement and temperment.

We went to the school this afternoon, and basically just got introduced to the whole course. We all went for dinner, which was a lot of fun.It is so overwhelming being here, and my eyes have been opened a bit more and my future plans may change... especially since finding Stall Ramsbrock and those horses.Our course starts tomorrow after going to the town hall for newspaper interviews and meeting the mayor and stuff.

Will write again soon!

luv kc

Welcome!

2008-05-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Firstly i just want to say thankyou for visiting my blog! It means a lot to know that people are interested in my trip and hopefully my blogs will give you an idea of training in Europe (or, more specifically, Germany and England).

I leave Sydney on the 28th of May and head to Germany where I will be taking part in a two week course, and at the end i have to do an examination called the "Little Bronze Medallion" which is the first stage in the series of exams towards becoming a Berieter. The course includes dressage, jumping, theory classes, and stable management everyday. Here is a link to the website: http://www.psvwe.de/modules.php?name=Landeslehrstaette_englisch&file=lehrgangsbetriebe

After that I am taking a quick detour to Poland to Aushwitz for a couple of days, and then to England where i will be riding at Talland School of Equitation (owned by Pammy Hutton; http://www.talland.net/) for a few days. THEN i will be going to Yorkshire Riding Centre (Chris Bartle; http://www.yrc.co.uk/) for a week-long summer camp.

The trip is 7 weeks long and i am very excited. My first blog should be up on the 1st of June, the day the course starts. Please leave comments and ask questions etc.

Bye for now!
Love Casey
xx