Clinic, Higashi Kanto Show, and a Visit from Chiba-kun!

May 20, 2013

---Chikamori Hiroyuki Clinic---

On the 12^th we had a clinic with Chikamori Hiroyuki. We worked on getting our horses to listen to our legs instead of relying on just our hands or using the crop, etc. We did a lot of tight turns using only one hand on the reins and leg pressure. And of course we all had our crops taken away at the beginning. I was riding Macaron, and he bucks a lot when you use too much leg pressure, so I was a little worried about how he would be, but the exercise worked really well for him. I hope he improved from the exercises.  

５月１２日はクリニックに出た。手や鞭に頼るんじゃなくて、脚の合図が馬に分かりやすくなるようにした。それをするために手綱を片手に持って、脚だけで小さな巻き乗りを何回も練習した。でもちろん、最初から鞭が没収されたんだ。その日はマカロンに乗って、いつも最初に脚を使うとき跳ねるんだからちょっと心配したけど、その意味で脚の合図に敏感だからこの練習は多分、マカロンにぴったりだったのかなぁと思う。

I understand where Chikamori-san is coming from in trying to get riders away from using the crop. If you rely on it too heavily, and if you use it inappropriately, your horse will just replace the actual aid with the crop and eventually only listen to you when you use it rather than listening to your actual aids. However, I don't think that the crop should be ignored altogether. When used appropriately, it has its place in reinforcing aids so your horse can't get away with bad habits. I think that knowing when to use it (i.e. as a reinforcement of your aids rather than as an aid itself) is the most important part.

---Higashi Kanto Horse Show---

The following Thursday (the 16th) we headed up to Higashi Kanto Horse Park for the JEF*** CSI* show. Thursday was set-up and a day for trainers to do warm-up rounds so I mainly helped tack up and set up our stall area for the weekend. I did 90cm all weekend since this was my first rated show in Japan. On Friday I had my first class. My pace was too slow and I had two knock downs, but I managed to pull off a really hard turn after one of the jumps. Not a great way to start off the weekend, but I guess you have to start somewhere. On Saturday, my time was decent but I had a freak knock-down at fence two. My horse stuck out his back leg funny when he jumped and kicked the front rail on the oxer. That kind of sucked because I knew there was nothing I could have done differently to change it. Then, on Sunday we had a really awesome course. It started on a broken line with a roll back to an oxer (there were three different ways you could take the roll back depending on how brave you are), to a big oxer at the end of the arena, and then to a triple outside to a diagonal line (with the option for a tight inside turn), finishing on an outside line (also an option here for a tight turn before the line). I took the second tightest turn on the roll back because I was worried that if I did the 180 then I would loose too much pace, but then when I got to the triple I went a little slow and added. In the end, my time was just okay, but I had a clear round. I ended up finishing in 5^th place, only a couple hundredths of a second ahead of 6^th (*.*)  (This is the course in the video btw)

次の木曜日は東関東ホースパークの試合だった。木曜日はインストラクターがフレンドシップに出て、金曜日からは本番。これは私の日本での始めての試合で、９０センチに出た。金曜日はちょっと遅くて、落下があった。土曜日は時間はまあまあだったけど、また落下。日曜日はペースがちょっと遅かったけど、クリアーだったので５位だった。

I feel like this weekend I was really able to improve my riding a lot and learn a lot about managing pace and turns together on course (I mean it is called “speed and handiness” after all). There were a lot of impressive riders there so I feel like I learned a lot just from watching them as well. I hope to be able to go again soon!

試合に行って、少しだけ自分の騎乗を上達できた気がする。それに、乗馬の本当にうまい人が何人もいて、その方々を見るだけで、色んなことを学ぶことができた。

May 24, 2013

---Chiba-kun Visit---

On the 21^st, I stopped in to visit a nursery school because a co-worker needed some photos for a flyer about the upcoming Prefectural Citizen's Day. Chiba-kun, the giant red dog mascot of Chiba Prefecture, was visiting the children for a half hour that

Chiba-kun dancing with the kids

morning, so I went to watch and take some photos. Let me just say it was nice to not be the one getting stared at for once. **phew** Apparently man-dressed-as-giant-red-dog overshadows gaijin (thank god). Anyway, the kids were pretty cute, I took a few steps towards overcoming my fear of people in giant mascot costumes by meeting the poor man who had to be stuffed inside the stifling body, and I got out of the office for a few hours, so I would say the trip was a success.　 

２１日は、県民の日の情報のために幼稚園で写真をとりに寄ってきた。理由は、その日に千葉県のゆるキャラー、チバくんが３０分ぐらい子供たちと遊びに来ていたからだ。子供がかわいかったし、きぐるみの恐怖症をちょっと乗り越えたし（笑）、少しだけパソコンから離れられたから、大成功だと思います。