Below is the 2010 Show Schedule for me:
May 15-16: Heart of the Valley Dressage Show I and II
Neo and Claudius
May 23: L'Apertif Dressage Show
Falcon
June 18-20: Beaujolais Dressage Show
Neo, Claudius and Falcon
July 17-18: Champagne Classic Dressage Show
Falcon
July 23-25: Dressage at Devonwood
Neo and Claudius
August 14-16: Whidbey Island Summer Show
September 16-19: USDF Region 6 Dressage Championships
The plan for this season is to show Neo at I1, including a I1 freestyle. Claudius will show at PSG, including a 4th Level freestyle. Falcon will be showing at First Level and Second Level.
This is looking to be an exciting season for me, and we are starting to develop some ambitious goals for the three horses.
The entire show schedule for MW Dressage can be found at: http://www.mwdressage.com/showschedule.html
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
For Sale: 3rd Level Schoolmaster
Nick is an elegant 16.1h Oldenburg gelding shown through 3rd Level.
He is soft to sit, has a good mouth, but does require a rider with confidence. He would be perfect for a amateur who has background in dressage and is looking for a horse to be successful on as they move up the levels. Or for a Junior/Young Rider with experience looking to have success at the medium levels.
Nick is being sold as he is too big for his current owner.
Included in the sale price is a custom (for Nick) Hulsebos saddle.
In August of 2009 Nick incurred a soft tissue injury in his upper left hindquarter. He has been back in work since October and has been in full professional training since December. He is schooling all of the 3rd Level movements and feels absolutely fantastic.
Nick was shown last year at Training/First Level by his owner (scoring in the 60's)and once by Matt Eagan at Third Level Test 3, scoring a 64.8% (with only riding the horse twice a week).
Nick is a very sweet horse, with no vices. He hauls, bathes, clips and can also go on the trails.
Watch a video of Nick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLVMpBRDvsE
Contact:
Matt Eagan
matt@ecdressage.com
720.641.7319
Friday, January 8, 2010
MW Dressage
Wendy Meyers and I are excited to launch MW Dressage. We offer premium full service training, instruction and sales. Check us out at: www.mwdressage.com
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year to you!
With the last 3 weeks being very easy for the horses, and for me too (I was taking 2 days off a week!), it's time to start easing back into full work with the focus on the 2010 season.
The training will be pretty simple for the next four weeks as all we'll be focusing on throughness, suppleness, straightness, and any other weakness/limiter in each specific horse. For the most part, I'll be working the horses a little deep, with a lot, and I mean a lot, of transitions. A couple of the horses will be starting out with basic walk/halt transitions to develop a better half-halt and sit, while other horses we'll be emphasizing doing simple changes of lead in the canter. While the overall picture is the same for each horse, the approach will be different.
The goal for each horse by the end of January is to have each moving extremely well and with a better use of their hindend and backs, so that when we start in on February we can start emphasizing more lateral movements, but still keep the emphasis on skill building. By taking this approach I am hoping that by the end of winter we'll be having some fun horses to watch train!
Thanks for reading!
With the last 3 weeks being very easy for the horses, and for me too (I was taking 2 days off a week!), it's time to start easing back into full work with the focus on the 2010 season.
The training will be pretty simple for the next four weeks as all we'll be focusing on throughness, suppleness, straightness, and any other weakness/limiter in each specific horse. For the most part, I'll be working the horses a little deep, with a lot, and I mean a lot, of transitions. A couple of the horses will be starting out with basic walk/halt transitions to develop a better half-halt and sit, while other horses we'll be emphasizing doing simple changes of lead in the canter. While the overall picture is the same for each horse, the approach will be different.
The goal for each horse by the end of January is to have each moving extremely well and with a better use of their hindend and backs, so that when we start in on February we can start emphasizing more lateral movements, but still keep the emphasis on skill building. By taking this approach I am hoping that by the end of winter we'll be having some fun horses to watch train!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Off Season
As we dropped to below freezing temperatures today (it was 10 degrees out when I went down to the barn at 8) the 2009 season has officially come to a close.
Since Championships at the end of September, I have kept the horses in full training/intensity with the plan of tapering down the training for 3-4 weeks beginning next week. It looks like by the weather reports that we'll start this week.
I kept the training intensity up after the shows ended, as I wanted to continue the positive/productive training for a little bit longer. Additionally, I wanted to train in warmer temperatures and knew we'd have some cold temperatures about mid-December and full training would be near impossible during that time.
The plan worked out great. Since the Henrik clinic the main show horses have taken huge leaps in their training (actually all of the horses and riders have).
With Neo (owner, Rebecca Chatfield), his baseline for engagement and being uphill is at another level. We now have a back that is engaged and much more through. His expression in the trot is its best yet. It can only get better, as I get him to step under more and get his neck more relaxed. The canter work is much expressive with more jump and sit. The pirouettes will be pretty darn good next season as we are showing true sit and smaller strides. This will be an exciting late winter/early spring with Neo. Next step is to get the canter zigzags schooling solidly.
For Falcon (owner, Alanna Danna), each day he is looking more and more like a potential FEI horse. He is a hot horse and now we are able to channel that energy into some really positive work. His canter has been the biggest challenge and now we have a canter that is much straighter and with more jump. The next step is to make the counter canter less stressful for him. We have done some single flying changes and they will be no problem down the road for us. In the trot if he engages his hindquarters and releases his back it is easily an 8. I don't know where we'll be come March or April but I won't be surprised by anything.
Claudius(owner, Cindy Bucceri) is starting to take his overall strength to another level. With him being stronger and more fit, he now has more confidence and therefore is schooling really well. He is using his hindend better and better and is accepting the increase in work like a work horse instead of a prima donna. When we come off our off-season break, the focus for Claudius will be on working in a relaxed and focused manner all of the time and to be able to handle a greater collection in the canter. If we get those things, Claudius will be a force to beat next season.
As of right now I have one more show horse for 2010. That is Romany owned by Krista Hawes. I have been working with Romany once or twice a week for about 5 or 6 weeks now. We need to bring Romany into shape and once we do, this horse will be a big surprise. If all goes well, we should have a hidden gem on our hands for the lower levels next year.
To everyone, thank you for reading the blog. All of you in some manner support me in my journey. Without your support and help I would not be where I am at now and without a positive outlook for the future!
Since Championships at the end of September, I have kept the horses in full training/intensity with the plan of tapering down the training for 3-4 weeks beginning next week. It looks like by the weather reports that we'll start this week.
I kept the training intensity up after the shows ended, as I wanted to continue the positive/productive training for a little bit longer. Additionally, I wanted to train in warmer temperatures and knew we'd have some cold temperatures about mid-December and full training would be near impossible during that time.
The plan worked out great. Since the Henrik clinic the main show horses have taken huge leaps in their training (actually all of the horses and riders have).
With Neo (owner, Rebecca Chatfield), his baseline for engagement and being uphill is at another level. We now have a back that is engaged and much more through. His expression in the trot is its best yet. It can only get better, as I get him to step under more and get his neck more relaxed. The canter work is much expressive with more jump and sit. The pirouettes will be pretty darn good next season as we are showing true sit and smaller strides. This will be an exciting late winter/early spring with Neo. Next step is to get the canter zigzags schooling solidly.
For Falcon (owner, Alanna Danna), each day he is looking more and more like a potential FEI horse. He is a hot horse and now we are able to channel that energy into some really positive work. His canter has been the biggest challenge and now we have a canter that is much straighter and with more jump. The next step is to make the counter canter less stressful for him. We have done some single flying changes and they will be no problem down the road for us. In the trot if he engages his hindquarters and releases his back it is easily an 8. I don't know where we'll be come March or April but I won't be surprised by anything.
Claudius(owner, Cindy Bucceri) is starting to take his overall strength to another level. With him being stronger and more fit, he now has more confidence and therefore is schooling really well. He is using his hindend better and better and is accepting the increase in work like a work horse instead of a prima donna. When we come off our off-season break, the focus for Claudius will be on working in a relaxed and focused manner all of the time and to be able to handle a greater collection in the canter. If we get those things, Claudius will be a force to beat next season.
As of right now I have one more show horse for 2010. That is Romany owned by Krista Hawes. I have been working with Romany once or twice a week for about 5 or 6 weeks now. We need to bring Romany into shape and once we do, this horse will be a big surprise. If all goes well, we should have a hidden gem on our hands for the lower levels next year.
To everyone, thank you for reading the blog. All of you in some manner support me in my journey. Without your support and help I would not be where I am at now and without a positive outlook for the future!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Don't Let A Horse Step On Your Foot..........
Because this will happen:
I am able to ride, so it is all good. Walking is at a slow limp :(.
I am able to ride, so it is all good. Walking is at a slow limp :(.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Henrik Johansen November Clinic
The past two days we had the pleasure of having Henrik Johansen teach us at River Run and Simpatico.
I was able to ride Neo, Claudius and Falcon.
I'll start off with Falcon. I continue to say this over and over, "I am continually amazed by the progress of this horse". And I really don't know why I continue to say this because after this journey so far, I shouldn't be surprised that we are able to school this horse with no problems; and that having him move up the levels over the next couple of years is to be expected-not a surprise.
What I was really happy with the lessons was that the approach I had been taking with Falcon was right on track with what Henrik wanted. We continued to work on what we have been prior to these lessons: lateral suppleness and engagement of the hindquarters. The highlight of the two days was on the 2nd day doing in-hand work with Falcon. I was just able to start riding with a whip and not have Falcon freak out. Falcon took the in-hand whip like a pro and gave us some really good half steps.
With Neo, we continued working on getting Neo to come up in the back more and really reach out in the neck. On the first day we had some really good piaffe and canter pirouettes. On the second day we spent all of the lesson on straightness, engagement, and throughness. We ended up with by far the canter we've had.
With Claudius we started off the first lesson not well. I couldn't get him engaged and listening too me. By the end of the lesson we were starting to get what we wanted. In the second lesson we started off with how we started the day before and within 5 minutes started getting the responses we wanted. The biggest being Claudius released in the base of the neck. Once we get that, we have a solid horse.
The last 15 minutes were probably some of our best schooling and our best trot. The question with Claudius is how far can we take him? Are we going to be stuck at 4th and Prix St Georges? Or can we make the next steps up the ladder? Well, after these past couple of days I have full confidence we can take Claudius up. In fact, during our second lesson, Henrik said that I will take Claudius up to Grand Prix. I am not expecting this to be a quick or easy process getting to GP. But I tell you it's gratifying to get to this point to at least talkabout getting to the Grand Prix with Claudius.
So, I feel very good about these three horses after the past couple of days. Once again Henrik has proved to be one of the best teachers I have ever worked with or seen. His approach gets me thinking about the process and then Henrik gives me the options to use to get to reach the objectives laid out.
Thank you Rebecca Chatfield, Cindy Bucceri and Alanna Danna for the opportunity to ride their respective horses in the clinics.
I was able to ride Neo, Claudius and Falcon.
I'll start off with Falcon. I continue to say this over and over, "I am continually amazed by the progress of this horse". And I really don't know why I continue to say this because after this journey so far, I shouldn't be surprised that we are able to school this horse with no problems; and that having him move up the levels over the next couple of years is to be expected-not a surprise.
What I was really happy with the lessons was that the approach I had been taking with Falcon was right on track with what Henrik wanted. We continued to work on what we have been prior to these lessons: lateral suppleness and engagement of the hindquarters. The highlight of the two days was on the 2nd day doing in-hand work with Falcon. I was just able to start riding with a whip and not have Falcon freak out. Falcon took the in-hand whip like a pro and gave us some really good half steps.
With Neo, we continued working on getting Neo to come up in the back more and really reach out in the neck. On the first day we had some really good piaffe and canter pirouettes. On the second day we spent all of the lesson on straightness, engagement, and throughness. We ended up with by far the canter we've had.
With Claudius we started off the first lesson not well. I couldn't get him engaged and listening too me. By the end of the lesson we were starting to get what we wanted. In the second lesson we started off with how we started the day before and within 5 minutes started getting the responses we wanted. The biggest being Claudius released in the base of the neck. Once we get that, we have a solid horse.
The last 15 minutes were probably some of our best schooling and our best trot. The question with Claudius is how far can we take him? Are we going to be stuck at 4th and Prix St Georges? Or can we make the next steps up the ladder? Well, after these past couple of days I have full confidence we can take Claudius up. In fact, during our second lesson, Henrik said that I will take Claudius up to Grand Prix. I am not expecting this to be a quick or easy process getting to GP. But I tell you it's gratifying to get to this point to at least talkabout getting to the Grand Prix with Claudius.
So, I feel very good about these three horses after the past couple of days. Once again Henrik has proved to be one of the best teachers I have ever worked with or seen. His approach gets me thinking about the process and then Henrik gives me the options to use to get to reach the objectives laid out.
Thank you Rebecca Chatfield, Cindy Bucceri and Alanna Danna for the opportunity to ride their respective horses in the clinics.
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