I Ride a Chestnut Mare

I ride a red mare.  And I enjoy it.  It seems to sum up a lot of things about me. 

For those few odd non-horse people who follow my blog, chestnut mares have a reputation.  They tend to be sensitive, smart, slow to trust, and come with red-headed tensions. 

Before anyone goes getting all “stereotyping/color profiling” on me, after spending chunks of my career at breed farms, where many of the horses were related, and other chunks of my career riding a mix of horses, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of equine behavior is nature, not nurture.  Their DNA hard-wires them certain ways. As a trainer, my job is to educate the horses to be safer, more fun mounts for their humans. Sometimes this means my job is to help them learn to cope with their nature before I can work on their educations. 

To explain, some horses are just born with more fear than other horses.  Horses born with a lot of fear seem to be hard-wired to believe that every moment is a life-and-death moment, and I have to teach them to manage their fear.  With these horses, I spend lots of time working on their confidence, by first teaching them to trust the structure of the rider’s aids, then taking that trust into scary situations. I let the horse figure out that they will survive if they trust the rider’s aids.  Over time, they learn that the rider’s aids mean safety, and they manage their fear by being on the aids.  If this is a young horse, who has never learned that rider’s aren’t always trustworthy, the process is pretty straight forward.  But in the case of a re-train, sometimes it takes longer.

Then there are the chestnut mares.

In the case of most chestnut mares, well, they have a strong need to be right, and they need to learn to manage their tension.   Teaching a horse to manage their tension is tricky business, because it first requires that I manage my temper.  And yea, that hair peaking out under my helmet is, well, chestnut.  You could say I understand the chestnut mare on a very basic level. 

And I happily climb on 1200 lbs of that every day.

There is an up-side to the chestnut mare.  That strong need to be right can work in my favor.  Once the red-headed mare knows her job, she will take over and do it, 100%, with all she has.  If I praise her at just the right time, she’ll dig even deeper and give me more. 

That makes it all worth it.

Venus’ trip to Hassler Dressage

Ah, Venus. I started this blog two weeks ago, right after we got back, and every time I decide I need to work on this blog, suddenly the laundry needs my attention, or the dog needs played with, or some other distraction comes up. Distraction is my favorite way to deal with things that I am uncertain about.  And Venus, well, her training has left me lots of room for uncertainty. Distraction has delayed this blog three weeks (but has also gotten my part of year-end paperwork done, so it’s not all bad…) , but this week I saw hope, and yesterday I felt a few minutes of WOW, so quick, while I’m feeling inspired, I’ll get this blog done.

I talked about Venus’ background in this 2009 blog, back before “the accident.”  I bought her as a 2-year old because frankly, I had one too many training horses sold about the time they were getting fun.  I wanted a horse of my own to bring up the levels.  She has the most amazing hind end, but it came with an insecure personality.  With Scott’s help, I got her confident and swinging.   I started to dream.  

As a 5-and 6-year-old, I showed her often, as she really needed the mileage, and she rewarded my perseverance with a pretty red ribbon from Dressage at Devon in 2008. My dreams were starting to look a little like hope. I decided to keep her home for 2009 to train, with hopes of the young horse PSG class her 8-year-old year.  

Well, with horses, nothing is certain.

In June of 2009 she got quite grumpy about her training, so we pulled a Lyme’s titer, and sure enough, she got to eat doxicyclene for 6 weeks. I kept her out on the hills three times a week for the duration.  About Christmastime she got strong and really rocking in her training, so I started to dream again. Maybe the Young Horse PSG class as a 9-year-old then, I thought.  

Venus had other plans.  In late February, “the accident” happened.  She tried to jump out of the indoor arena and did didn’t quite make it (why did free schooling her seem like such a good idea that day?).  We finally got all that sorted out and rehabbed, then in September she had yet another break from work due to an abscess/twisted ankle (things are rarely black and white with horses).

So now we are here, in December, and she is very obediently doing all of her work, but I’m not pleased with the quality.  It is just not what I was feeling before “the accident.” I feel like her back doesn’t have the swing it used to have, and when I ask for more power, she hovers behind my leg and bounces up-and-down in her hindquarters instead of swinging her back and lifting her shoulders.  Of course, everyone tells me she looks great, but heck, her trot has gotten easy to sit and the canter has brakes--this isn’t my red-hot-firecracker chestnut.  I know I’m not riding my best horse, or at least my best horse before her dramatic injury. I worry that there’s still some pain somewhere, or maybe this is all she has in her now. Not a happy mental place for me at all.

Whenever I have this kind of this-horse-is-not-right-is-it-from-discomfort-or-training, my vet, Dr. Crowley’s advice is usually to “really work them, and they’ll either break or get better.”  So my plan is to pretend I don’t know her history, and have Scott help me sort out the training issues.  Then be a good dressage queen and do my homework for the next few weeks, and see if dressage can work some physical therapy magic.   If she’s not better by our annual coggins appointment the first week in February, then I’ll re-think my plan.

So, armed with that, I take head down to Scott’s for 3 days. 

He listens to my laundry list of vague she’s-just-not-right whining, and agrees with me that she’s not using her body like she used to. His term is “stale in the back,” and that pretty much nails it on the head. He thinks the problem is a lack of suppleness in the back.  So we devise a plan for day one – lots of sweeping, flowing leg yields, and then play with transitions within the gait, ridden with a slightly lower, rounder neck .

We go sideways, and not much really changes.  I put the aids on, and nothing happens. She is blowing me off.  I might as well be sitting ringside for all the notice she is giving me.  So I increase the volume-we go really sideways, and she gets fussier in the bridle.  Then we go sideways, compress, sideways, and she gets REALLY fussy in the bridle. So we blast forward, and she gets all strung-out and running.  So we go to canter, and I can feel her hind end bouncing up behind me, jarring my lower back each canter stride.  Her hind legs hover behind me in every half halt, and she won’t even stay on the bit.  This is not working.

So Scott pulls out the in-hand whip.  Venus, of course, is already angry, so she ignores the in hand whip completely, until the pressure is enough that she kicks out a few times. Then she begins to lower her hips just a tiny, tiny bit. So we end there. 

As we discuss the ride, Scott still feels the problem is in her back.  We decide that tomorrow, we’ll skip the sideways and start with in-hand work. 

Day two comes, and Scott comes out with the in-hand whip, but as we begin, the training heads in other directions.  She has more swing in her back than day one, and she is acknowledging the half halts, but about half of the time she is either coming behind the contact or bracing into the right rein.  We have to address the connection. 

We go with her usual mix-up-the-work routine (shoulder in, straighten, haunches in, compress, go out, lather, rinse repeat), but add slow flexions, asking her to yield each side of her neck, to the mix.  She does some tail wringing, and fussy face stuff, then I start to feel more life in her back.  Scott pulls out the in-hand whip, and she shows us a hint of her talent. 

Day three comes, and Scott adds one more aid to the mix. He has me use my calf to add power/volume to the trot and canter, without changing the tempo or the direction.  It helped, and her back started to move a tiny bit more than the day before.  I even felt her start to chew the bit a little.  But still not the Venus I had before “the accident.”

So we packed up and headed home, me with decidedly mixed feelings. I was, of course, delighted with Secret, but bummed about Venus.  I was beginning to wonder if this was all she had in her now.  Not a good mental place to be.

The following Wednesday, Fred, from Custom Saddlery was due out, and with my new “sponsored rider” status, I thought it was time for Venus to get her own saddle.  When she was off work for her injury, I had her saddle fitted to Silly, who has been going super in it.  Since returning to work, Venus has been going in borrowed equipment. Fred did some measurements, and pulled out several saddles for us to try.  Four models later, I climbed into the Flight, which gave me a whole new feel for her back.  She, of course, started wringing her tail and fussing with the bit, which I couldn’t decide if it was good or bad. So I asked Fred if I could borrow the demo over the holidays.

About four rides into the new saddle, I noticed a definite difference to her canter.  The right lead in particular was much more up-hill and organized. When she backed off, I could push her back up to the bridle without a fight.  It wasn’t perfect, but definitely better.

So now I was beginning to think some of Venus’ training problems were just that, training problems, from me working on my own with her for too long, combined with less-than-ideal saddle fit.  I wasn’t sure when and if I should bring her out of the rounder frame, or where to go next with her. So I sent an e-mail to Jann, who schedules Scott’s time, begging for an early January lesson.

Monday Dr. Blakeslee, the vet chiropractor, was out for Venus' routine treatment. She commented on her sore left gluteus muscles, and then worked on her back.  Venus wasn’t particularly sore in her back, just immobile. After a few pops and tweaks, Venus’ trot looked much more expressive.  

Wednesday I took her down to Scott’s. We had a rough trip down – someone pulled out in front of me and I’m sure Venus sat down on the butt bar when I slammed on the brakes.  She started the lesson pissy and behind my leg, so I pushed her forward.  Scott had me push her again, and again, little short burst forward, until I felt her back release as she went forward.  Then, to prevent her getting long and running, he had me halt and praise her. Then back to work.  We only had to do this a couple of times, and she understood, and became a much more willing partner.

 

He thought she looked much more free and solid in the work than 2 ½ weeks before, and felt that I should continue with same work. He felt it may take until Feb for me to feel happy with where she is.  He also said she looked quite acceptable, and if he hadn’t known how she moved before “the accident,” he would be happy with her work.  For moments, at the end, we both saw a hint of the old Venus in the trot work.

As we brainstormed about her lack of power and enthusiasm, combined with how sound she looks, he mentioned the problem could be a bit more between her ears.  She may be a bit ring sour. She has spent the last year in various phases of rehab, and in the new barn, her stall isn’t right in the middle of the all the human activity, so she very well could be a bit bored.  The next day, I worked out a plan with Apryl to give Venus more variety in her day. 

Thursday we finally had a day that wasn’t freezing, snowing, or blowing, so I took her for a hack.

Friday, I warmed her up, and she felt awesome, especially in the canter. She was right with me in the seat and the contact, but I still wanted that fluid, flowing energy feeling she had before the accident.  Amy came in with the in-hand whip, and Venus’ half steps, always a highlight for her, were very good.  Then I trotted out from the half steps.

And there it was.

Venus let go in her back, and just floated.  We flowed from collected trot, to medium trot, to shoulder in, and it was that wonderful, connected feeling of before the accident.  Amy just stood there, jaw open.  “I now understand why you are so protective of her.”  Yep, this horse is amazing.  For five whole minutes she rocked my world again.  It’s still in there.

Happy New Year

It’s already January , and as I surf the web I see that the “unwritten blogger code” seems to mandate a year-in-review blog, a best-of blog, or a new-year’s resolution blog.  Who am I to break the rules?

The year in Review

Frankly, 2010 was not my favorite year.  It started with the passing of our landlord, Ted Gorman, followed six months later Red Bridge Farm going on the market, and a subsequent search for Straight Forward Dressage’s new home. Then, of course, there was the move itself.  That stress overshadowed most of the year.

Plus my show plans for 2010 went south.  In February, Venus, my super-fun red mare, was injured, knocking her out for the show season.  I went through a huge emotional roller-coaster while we sorted out her injuries and her rehab plan. During this time, I rode poorly the Klimke clinic, and in my already vulnerable state, it rocked my confidence a bit.  Then, shortly after the show season started, Eclipse, the Stud-boy with a heart of gold, started uncharacteristically stopping in the show ring. Sure enough, a raging Lyme’s titer benched him for the show season. 

Lest you think the year was all bad, Secret and I felt like stars at the Region 1 Adult Dressage Symposium, and even got our photo in USDF Connections Magazine.  She continued to be a star all season, winning at first and second levels and finishing with all-breeds awards and a new ‘/’ after her name.

Frankly, my horses and my students got me through this year.  Pikasso, Flash, Sling and Silly each made amazing progress in their training, which helped keep me going. Pikasso’s awesome progress was caught on film.  I had watched Flash, an Art Deco-line mare, run away with her owner for years, and this year I got the opportunity to teach Flash to turn that speed into suspension, improving her attitude in the process.  Sling,  Wendy's awkward yearling bloomed into a swan of a 4-year-old.  And Silly, the mare I bought in December 2008 to resale and had been frustrated by her lack of progress, figured out how to use her back and let her talent come out.

The amazing progress my students have made also kept me going.  Last weekend, we had our annual “Winter Workshop, formerly known as Winter Camp.” Watching my students now compared to last year, wow, it was really impressive.  Linda, Liz, Joyce, Kristen, Paige and Wendy were so much more confident horse people this year than last year.  It made my teacher’s heart warm.  As soon as I get the pictures, I’ll tell you more about it.

And, of course, the year had a happy ending with us finding a home a Journey’s End Farm in Glenmoore.  We were all anxious about sharing the facility with the two businesses already in residence, Point of View farm as well as Journey’s End Farm, but our anxieties were not warranted.  Sharing with Pixie and Deb is pleasant and comfortable.

Plus, as an additional happy ending, I became a Custom Saddlery Sponsored rider.  When I look at the list of riders they sponsored, I’m humbled to be in the same company.

Best of Blogs

My favorite blogs were also noticed by others, which I think is really cool.  The Warm-Up Ring Safety blog was picked up by OVCTA and LVDA for their newsletters, and Retread Eventer listed it in her “best blogs” column.  The Michael Klimke Clinic blog was painful and therapeutic to write, and my old college newspaper editor stumbled across it and sent me a compliment, making my day. I also liked my Band Nerd blog, but it was actually December 2009, so I’m kinda cheating on this one.

New Year’s Resolutions

This year, I want to become a better trainer for my horses, competitor for my clients, teacher for my students, and boss to my amazing, reliable and hardworking staff. 

Competitively, I’d love to make a run for the Young Horse Championships with Sling, see how Venus, Silly, and Secret do at 3^rd level, and see if Eclipse and I can hit the show ring in tails and a top hat, but horses are horses, so we’ll see how the season unfolds.

I’d like to get better at blocking off non-horse time for my patient husband and circle of good friends.

 

I’d like to get to the gym more, to be as fit of an athlete as I ask my horses to be. 

Ok,  2011, bring it on.

Ockie's Three Days at Hassler Dressage

By Cara Klothe

Ockie’s trip to Riveredge was an unexpected success.  Two weeks prior, I had totally given up and given her to Ange for four rides (I think it only lasted four rides).  This happens to Ockie and I sometimes—we just need a time out from one another.  The pressure of having your own horse hit a training plateau can cloud the ability to train correctly, which is when having a second trainer around comes in handy.  Plus, for some reason, it seems harder to acknowledge how much progress YOUR horse has made. Other people’s horses, no problem, but seeing your horse’s own progress seems to be harder.

But enough with that, on to Scott’s.

The last time I was down, a few months back, we were working on Ockie’s one tempis, or flying changes every stride.  (sidenote: for anyone who saw Ockie’s changes a year ago, yes, it’s a miracle that we are even working on the ones.)  At that time I could get two one-tempis, and he sent me home with lots of homework on how to improve those two one-time changes.

I had done my homework, and even I could admit our two one-tempis had definitely improved.  With great confidence I can go down the quarter line and make multiple sets of two one-tempis….so now add a third, that can’t be too hard, she had the two one-tempis down so well.  Well let me tell you, it was hard.  Ockie is not naturally confident in her changes.  I’ve worked hard to make good, high quality single changes (down to two tepis), but she still gets nervous when she thinks she’s messing up the changes.  Teaching her the one-tempis we have to address her brain more than body.

So the first day down at Hassler’s we focused the one-tempis.  More specifically, we looked at the half halt that leads up to the changes.  Because one-tempis come so fast, the half-halt to has to be fast.  Additionally, the half-halt before the tempis has the extra purpose of making the horse quicker in the canter, not slower.  We worked on getting the three parts of that half halt really good—the in, the during, and, most importantly, the out.  Once we got that we moved to the two one-tempis, which were even better.  Then we tried three in a row…no dice.  At that point we had tortured the poor mare enough and called it a day.

Day two we again started with the one-tempis after her warm up.  When working on something hard for Ockie, it is important to do that work when she is fresh, not tired.  We used the same plan as the day before, working the details of the half halt and single changes to make the ones better.  We then looked at her tricky right shoulder.  Her favorite evasion is to carry her right shoulder too far to the right right, which takes all of the contact out of the left rein, resulting in no half halt on the left rein.  I need a left rein to half-halt to get the final change back to the left lead.

We addressed this by leg yielding her off my right leg to quarter line. I got a better feeling in my left hand for the changes, but still no luck when it came to three in a row.  However, she felt much more connected over her back than she had the day before, so that was positive and hopeful for more one-tempis in the near future.

At the end of day two we worked on half steps, the short trot steps that prepare a horse for piaffe.  We worked on these a bit at home, so Ockie was pretty good.  Scott used an in-hand whip to activate her hind legs from behind, while I kept Ockie relatively in place and elaxed in her topline.  We were able to get some pretty good half steps out of her before we called it a day.

Day three poor Ockie really worked.  Again we went right to the ones, while the pieces were all good, but still no luck with three in a row, so Scott gave me lots of homework for getting them at home, and we moved on. 

The in -hand work on day three was awesome!  Ockie got some actual piaffe steps and by reinforcing the half-halt with the in-hand work, the trot was amazing, the best I have ever felt. We then really tested her by going on to pirouette work.  I was really happy with her work, considering I haven’t done much with pirouette’s since BLM Finals in October.  We ended with some more one-tempis, ones down the quarter line just to test her willingness to work when tired, and she was great!

All in all it was a great weekend, not only did we get a lot of work accomplished, but, probably more importantly, I was so impressed by how much Ockie has matured.  She did not get emotional about much at all: maybe a little in the one-teempis, but that is to be expected.  I have to admit, she has come a long way from the horse I bought two years ago, no matter what I thought two weeks before our trip to Riveredge.

Just in case anyone was wondering, two rides latter we got three ones in a row J

Secret’s Three Days at Hassler Dressage

December 15-18 Cara, Linda and I loaded up Secret, Venus, and Ockie for a 3-day winter-training jump start.  I know I’m a bit late in getting this blog written, but frankly, I have been processing all of the info.  To keep this from getting miles and miles long, I divided it into 3 blogs, one per horse.

Check her out in the 'big girl' bridle!

First, Secret.  Secret was awesome, as always. She and I have been on our own with her since October, and I was eager to get some feedback.  She has felt great lately, but sometimes it looks different than it feels, which is why eyes-on-the-ground are so important in this sport.  I was ripe for Scott’s eyes.

Secret has the most unique learning style I’ve ever ran into on a horse – I swear she learns by a series of light bulb moments.  Combine that with her I-will-do-my-best-every-single-step personality, and I have a unique problem as a trainer.  If I have explained it in a way she understands, then her try-too-hard nature works for me, and all is good. If I haven’t, then it works against me, and she’s frustrated. For Secret, frustration means speed, which makes everything harder. I went to Scott hoping he’d help Secret find her light bulb (and a resulting reasonable tempo) in the left canter half pass and the flying changes. 

So on to the lessons.

This was Secret’s first outing in the ‘big girl’ bridle, her double bridle.  She’s been schooling in it 2-3 times a week for about 6 weeks. Scott was as impressed as I have been at how well she accepts the double. Where double bridles are concerned, the light bulb is glowing brightly. 

First, we addressed the canter half pass.  Scott and I had worked on the half pass back in October at the BLMs, and my homework had yielded a much more adjustable canter with a more even contact, but hadn’t really worked into a better half pass.

So he changed gears. Instead, he had me show her how her feet should go, by first half passing left in the walk, then straightening a bit, then cueing half pass in canter.  He warned me that the risk is she would fall left in the canter, but since she wasn’t going left at all – just speeding up from my leg – it’s a risk he was willing to take. 

The first time we did this, Secret was all discombobulated. She couldn’t figure out how to canter, much less half pass. The second time it was a little better, and the third time, if you used a lot of imagination, you could sort of see a half pass.  The light bulb was starting to flicker on.  So we left that for the day.

Next, the changes. Secret was having the same trouble with the changes—she just hasn’t figured out how to sort out her legs.  In general, dressage has come so easily to Secret that she gets frustrated when she can’t sort it out.  Since frustration creates speed in Secret, several attempted flying changes had resulted in warp-speed laps around the arena.  I had tried several methods at home, and trying the changes over a ground pole had given us the best results.

Because Secret got a little tense working the half pass, Scott broke the ground pole work into several slow steps. We walked over it, we trotted over it, we trotted up and walked over it, we walked up and cantered away, etc, until the ground pole was no big deal. Then we tried a change over it, and when she got it, we praised her like mad, and called it a day. 

This photo is a bit fuzzy, but you can see her absolute concentration.  She is determined to figure this out.

On day 2, once Secret was warmed up, we went right to the half pass, and she was ready. The half pass was fluid, with clear crossing and sideways.  Apparently, her light bulb moment had happened sometime overnight.  She must have spent the night working out the footfalls in her stall.  It’s freaky sometimes how this horse learns.  

The flying changes were also better. They were pretty consistent over the ground pole, but she didn’t really have it sorted out enough without the pole.  So there’s a light bulb about the ground pole, but she hasn’t quite seen the light without the pole yet.  That’s ok.  We got one without the pole, and then went back to the pole, mixing it up to keep her relaxed.  He recommended that, if she starts anticipating the pole at home, I lay out several poles, or raise one pole up a bit.  We are all confident that the changes are going to be fine. We’ve got all winter.

On day three, again we started with a left half pass, and Secret was like guys, I’ve got this now.  Since I had a homework plan for the changes, we skipped them for the day, and instead went to work on quality of her basic gaits.  In shoulder in, he had me ride the outside shoulder movement bigger. When we returned to the collected trot, the shoulder movement stayed bigger, and the trot itself felt more rolling. She’s starting to show lovely suspension and cadence in her trot.

In the canter, he asked me to make the canter more ‘lofty,’ particularly in the downward transition from medium canter to collected canter.  Thinking this way maintained her suspension and kept the canter from getting too up-and-down (she is half Friesian…). Her neck stayed nice and long, and her back swung like a hammock. What a super feeling.   

We also looked at the trot half passes, and to sum up the corrections Scott gave me,  she’s ready for more bend to go with the leg crossing.  In other words, go find the big girl half passes.  We can do that.  

So we have plenty of homework to keep us busy this winter.  Secret’s so much fun to work with, light bulbs and all.

Pikasso's Amazing Progress

Below are 3 videos of Pikasso, an 18-year-old Hanoverian, that I have had in sales training for the last 6 months. I have known him for years. Katie, his original owner, started as a student and quickly became a friend. When she needed to sell Pikasso, Abby, another student, bought him. Abby had some lifestyle changes, and Pikasso contracted Lymes--between the two, Abby wasn't having fun anymore, so decided to sell him. After 6 months of me riding him and trying to sell him (why does everyone want a baby instead of a schoolmaster??? Horses don't become wise teachers until they have a few years on them....but that's another soapbox...), Abby has remembered why she fell in love with Pikasso in the first place, and decided to keep him.  

So that's the back story.  As a trainer, this horse amazes me.  Below are 4 videos - two in May, one in July, and the third one last weekend.  He has changed so much in 6 months.  Yes, he has the body to do dressage, but that's not why he has came back to 100%.  He has made his amazing comeback because of his terrific character.  Pikasso is always trying his best, and because of that, even when the work was really, really hard, he persevered.  

If you want to see this blog as shameless self-promotion, go ahead, but I see it as a tribute to a horse who wanted to do the work, and the work made him sounder and more beautiful.

I'm going to start at the beginning - here's a link to two videos of Pikasso at the end of May.

Pikasso canter work, May 2010

Pikasso trot work, May 2010

In these videos, you can see how weak his back and left hind leg are. He wants to carry his hind legs under his tail instead of under his tummy, and because of his weakness, breaks in the middle in the half halts. You can also see his character, he's going to try to get the job done, because I'm asking him to. That's Pikasso.

By July, he had made such good progress, we shot some more video.  His back and hindquarters are much stronger, and he is starting to show some suspension. His left hind is still weaker, but not nearly as significant as in May.  His canter has really changed - much more cadenced and uphill.

Pikasso in July 2010

Then there's Saturday's video.  The thing that struck me most in this video is how he looks so solid, like one horse. He's back to being the awesome dressage horse he was before Lyme's. Plus Doug got a new video editing program, so this video has a nifty, new intro. 

Pikasso in November 2010

How was the move? Well....

I write this blog for two reasons – to answer the question of “how did the move go?” and to apologize to everyone who put up with me during the first week of our lives at Journey’s End. 

On the eve of our move, I knew it was my last free time for a while, so Doug and I had dinner at home and watched Fight Club.  Little did I know how prophetic it would be.  If you haven’t seen this move, quit reading now, as I am about to spoil the ending.  Or continue to read, it’s your call, but see the movie anyway, it’s a good flick.

So here’s the spoil –this 1999 movie, starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter, chronicles the narrator, mild-mannered office worker, as he slips into schizophrenia and back. Tyler, his alter ego, in true Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fashion, couldn’t be more different than he is.  Tyler is brash and pushy, and people flock to him.  He instigates Fight Club, an all-male, down-and-dirty brawl club, and goes on to build a global organization to spread anarchy. But what makes the movie so great is this—until the end, the audience and the narrator (he never gets a name, by the way, which I find a really fun literary trick) think Tyler and he are two different people. The movie foreshadows Tyler’s emergence with one-frame blips of Tyler reclining in various scenes, until he emerges as a fully-fleshed out character, who rescues the narrator from stressful situations with aggressive ease, and is finally vanquished at the end of the movie.

With this move, I think I may have found my personal Tyler. Let’s call her Tylene.

Flash one – Wednesday, day one of the move, as we are loading horses, I need to make a last-minute change in trailering order.  The trailer owner was unhappy with my choice. Tylene emerged, and did a not-so-tactful “that’s the way it’s going to be.” By the time we  arrived at Journey’s End, I was back in charge, and apologized. 

Flash two –Thursday, day two of the move. The gal I hired to do stalls doesn’t show up.  I cancel my morning lesson and Amy, my amazing groom and faithful sidekick, hump out the stalls, then make another run to Red Bridge for stall mats (I hate stall mats, on many levels).  Someone calls to ask how the move is going, and Tylene grabs my vocal cords and announces, “I’m not leaving this f*&^  farm until I sit on a horse, and it may be midnight before that happens.”  Not exactly the reply they were expecting….

I did manage to hop on two training horses, Miss Perfect Secret and Turbo-Flash, who both worked well, despite the new digs and the multiple-personality rider.

Friday I called Apryl, a student who has been looking for work, and she jumps in as stall help.  I teach a bunch of lessons, and actually managed to ride everyone.  My horses (the ones only I ride) did an Ange/Tylene also – Venus and Sling, the hot potatoes, who I expected to be loony, were good as gold. Silhouette and Eclipse, my steady horses, were very full of themselves. Schizophrenia is apparently contagious.

Flash three – Saturday the weekend stall help had schedule problems, so again I’m mucking, and the time is ticking on getting out of Red Bridge. I had hoped to finish moving by the weekend, but after doing barn chores  and teaching my lessons, I made one trip to Red Bridge, not the 3 I had planned.  Linda and Catharine jumped in to help, not only with the chores and moving, but formed a human shield between me and my clients. Without them, random Tylene flashes may have run everyone off by the end of the weekend. My business thanks them.

Sunday morning, I had two goals—integrate Silhouette into turnout, and get the rest of the stuff out of Red Bridge.  When my mucking help texted again that she had schedule problems, Tylene took over.  Linda and I had planned a 10:30 start to finish getting stuff out of Red Bridge. After chores were finished, it happened at 1. 

We pulled back in to Journey’s End, and I see two students finishing their rides, and instantly, my emotions churn. I’m like an addict surrounded by users, and I burn with jealousy. They are happily enjoying their horses, and I’m covered with dirt and schlepping SFD’s stuff, stuff they enjoy utilizing (cavaletti, mounting block, first aid supplies, extra blankets, the list goes on and on), and I haven’t had my horse fix yet.  I was not in a good mental place.

A student comes up to tell me how much she loves the place, and thank me for bringing her trunk over, and can I help her take it up to the loft, and I lose it. Tylene is firmly in control now.

I actually stomped my feet and threw a hissy fit worthy of a 3-year-old.  “No. I’m not doing another thing until I take care of my own d*%^ horse.  You’ll just have to wait.” 

That caught everyone’s attention.  Suddenly everyone had a moment to help unload the truck and trailer. Score one for Tylene.

By Tuesday, a fellow wandered into Journey’s End looking for stall work—I hired him, and put Apryl on horse care duty--changing blankets, swapping turnout, scrubbing water tubs, washing horses for clipping, etc, all the stuff that makes us full-service boarding and not just feed-and-muck boarding. 

Within days, a rhythm emerges, and we get stuff put away and the horses settle in, and training gets back on schedule.  Tylene moves back into the shadows.

In Fight Club, the narrator vanquishes Tyler because he falls in love with a rather quirky woman. The rhythm of life at Journeys’ End does the same for me. I fall in love the footing and mirror placement in the indoor, I fall in love the huge fields to hack around, I fall in love the full-size permanent dressage arena, and I fall in love with being in complete control of my horse’s care again. I fall in love with running SFD at Journey’s End, and Tylene is vanquished.  I hope for good.