Encore! and Daubry graze while I walk the evolving dressage arena. First order of the day is to measure the Standard arena and figure out where the letters will go. Daubry and Encore! stop in to check on the progress. They check out my tape measure and blue stake markers and move on to greener pastures.

I stretch out my measuring tape and layout the rectangle. Primitive, but effective, I measure twenty feet at a time to come up with a rectangle sixty meters by twenty meters. Fumbling around, I finally get the markers in place and gasp! It’s twenty-five feet short. Despair. So close to perfect; how can this be? I panic and text super-hero-tractor-man Jon. I sleep on it and by the next day, I realize I forgot to include one twenty foot section in my count. Bingo! I have exactly what I need to do USDF dressage tests. Big sigh of relief and a huge apology to Jon for doubting his measurements.

It’s time to dance on dirt floors with a twelve hundred pound partner that is ready to learn all the moves with panache! The question is can Encore! learn to do it; can she learn to dance? I know I can. I danced Flamenco for seven years. Encore! is another story. Born to run, can this high-spirited Thoroughbred slow down enough to learn a sport some people describe as watching paint dry.

We have our goal to dance. We’ll put out our best effort. We’ll start at training level and waltz our way up to level eight. Encore!’s got the sass and flash, but it takes more than good looks and attitude to learn to dance; it takes patience. Patience is not Encore!’s strong suit. If it looks like the dance floor is torture to this high-strung brunette, we’ll pack our bags, load up and ride the wild places for adventure. At the moment, Encore! loves the dressage game. If I keep the lessons interesting and lighthearted, she’ll learn the steps and dance Flamenco!

Ballet is for everybody; especially big equine divas in shiny fur coats!

~ Catalina

A break in the rain for two days and I’m up on Encore! We do a few natural horseman turns and two back-up requests. I wave the flag with the flat helium balloon attached and she’s ready; it’s our safety-check. On the way to mount up from the tiny deck attached to the workshop, I pass a large tarp I spread out to dry. I encourage Encore! to step on it, but she avoids the request. I circle her and ask again. She’s hesitant, but co-operates. I walk her back and forth a couple of times and she relaxes. It’s important to mix things up with the unexpected for Encore! It’s the best way I know to keep us safe; practice surprises.

We do our usual routine with a walk up behind the geodesic dome, around the circle drive and down to the small rectangle between the paddocks and retaining wall. We do some circles and halts, rein back and rein forward exercises, side passes along the fence, leg yields and figure eights ridden only at the walk; the ground is wet and soft. Encore! is quiet and agreeable. I have discovered feather fingers are the way to gain co-operation; it’s also the most pleasant way to ride. With Encore! the lightest touch on the reins prevents resistance.

Warmed up and feeling secure, I take Encore! for three or four loops around the five acres. Trees and bushes, open grass meadow, a walk around the shelter and makeshift nursery with a jumble of pots, on to the circle drive and back down the driveway to the front gate and we’re ready to take on the evolving dressage arena. The arena is in a rough form; ridges, puddles and small gullies cut out by the storms. We go round and round, ride diagonals and serpentines and a few figure eights at the walk. The ground is sand; it dries enough in a day to offer a safe ride at the walk.

Encore! is more dog than horse. If she wagged her tail, I’d register her with the Kennel Club. She loves people and her curiosity matches our late golden retriever, Mozart. Perhaps it’s allowing her to roam around the property with Daubry, or on her own, that makes me think of her as a dog. This is a thing good, because I approach her training with a different mind-set. I think of dogs as domesticated. Seeing Encore! as a twelve hundred pound dog is not a bad thing. I can expect her to stand, square up, move over, head down, stretch, back, walk, trot, canter and halt with my voice. Translated, these commands become invisible cues, like feather fingers and body tickles. Sounds like a plan.

A horse moves a fly with a single muscle twitch; they understand a feather touch and tickle.

~ Catalina

The grass is as high as an elephant’s eye…no that’s corn. Today the sun is shining and the grass grows at lightning speed. It’s a good day, because the electric gate got repaired and Encore! and Daubry can enjoy the taste of fresh grass again.

The dressage arena is coming along and upon release from her corral Encore! ran down the property and danced on the rough surface of the evolving dance floor; Surely it’s a sign. I can hardly wait for the rain to stop falling and the sun to pour warm rays all over the ground. It’s time to dance.

However, until that time when California beach weather returns, Encore! and Daubry will celebrate the restored gate and play together in the rain on a carpet of long-overdue green grass.

Meanwhile, I take long walks at the mission and the beach. I pull myself through yoga poses. Watching Encore! jump and spin, I take stock of my ability to ride the wild. My only hope of enjoying the dance is to get in shape; more fit than I’ve ever been. Swimming, stretching, walking and jumping rope are my new joy. At first, I thought the workouts were torture, but soon realized, if I thought it torture, I would quit. Instead, I think of workouts as a kind of massage and have fooled myself into thinking I’m having fun!

I love riding Encore! and owe her the favor of sitting strong.

~ Catalina

Just when I thought I could have four days of sunshine to ride Encore! the rain came again and sent me back inside. Encore! and her stable mate Daubry were resigned to the damp, cold weather and simply looked forward to chewing hay. I on the other hand decided it was a good time to think about my dressage letters for the new dressage arena.

My friend Mary challenged me with her expectation for me to create something artistic; something original. I hadn’t even considered the option of making my own letters. I thought about what might work and express my art passion at the same time. Light broke through the creative fog and I knew exactly what I had to do; go to my favorite wetlands and gather smaller pieces of driftwood to form each letter. I could create sculpture to identify each place where a dressage figure would begin and end. My excitement grew as I thought about creating a space with art for training Encore! to dance; art inspiring art.

Making dressage fun is my number one goal for me and for Encore! Now I have a whole new perspective on making the space where we play as much fun as the dance that we do. Thanks Mary!

~ Catalina

Today the rain gave way to sunshine and I took Encore! out with a lunge line snapped onto her bit, looped over her headstall and laced through the bit on the other side. We walked past our dressage arena in progress and enjoyed a light hearted lunge on our smaller square flat. Yes a long cherished dream of a home base dressage arena is becoming a reality. My dear neighbor Jon got a new tractor and wanted to practice. His wife Pam suggested he make a dressage arena for Encore! and me; a miracle to be sure.

Jon is having fun moving the soil and Encore! looks over the fence in anticipation of leaping around on her new dance floor. Yes Encore! leaps like no horse I’ve ever seen for the simple joy of jumping about. She was born to run, but it turns out it’s her time to dance. I’m over the moon with excitement and a renewed commitment to take her up the levels of dressage. She’s a show girl for sure and we’ll have fun learning to tango!

Horses that learn to tap dance are rare, but so are elephants that learn to roller skate. Nothing is impossible!

~ Catalina

Sometimes life’s challenges are so demanding your best pals take a back seat. So it was for Encore! this month of October, 2018. Now, Encore! comes front and center again, and she’s good as gold. Not a shred of disobedience, just a happy girl with a spring in her step and enthusiasm for our walk about.

Most of the afternoon Encore! and her stablemate Daubry enjoyed the freedom from corrals and grazed on the lawn that doubles as a pasture. Ever playful, Encore! chased the chickens, dared the cat and peered in the studio window to get my attention. When I didn’t come out, she nibbled the potted plants and tipped them over for mischievous fun. I always try to give her a time of pure play before I ride. A horse with her energy and intelligence profits from a five acre romp full of interesting things to investigate. Today, after a month of minimal attention, it was particularly important to set her free.

At five o’clock, I put on my boots and set out Encore’s saddle and bridle on the way to her corral. As I approached, Encore! nickered and came to the gate for the handful of rice bran pellets. She shoved her nose into the halter knowing her reward was at hand.

I loosely tied her to the hitching rail and got my flag with deflated helium birthday balloon to see how comfortable she was with the crinkling sound of the tin foil balloon after a month off. To my great relief she was at ease and completely okay with the waving flag and balloon. No more jumping out of her skin on this test.

I brushed her and walked off to the waiting saddle, bridle, helmet and whip. I can’t say enough good things about a helium balloon that is flattened out, noisy and light in the air. I waved the flag and balloon again all over her body and around her head with gusto and she remained unconcerned. I saddled and bridled her easily and led her around to the circle driveway for a review of natural horsemanship circles and backing on command all the time flicking the flag and balloon like a wild butterfly. With Encore! at ease and eager, I figured we would walk around the property to get back into a routine. To my utter amazement Encore! walked calmly through the whole adventure. There wasn’t a moment of refusal or the old nervous response to any of her surroundings! She was a perfect ride. We walked through patterns and halted square. We did leg yield circles and crisscrossed the rough and she stayed focused and happy. Daubry, in desperation for attention, raced around his corral and tried in every way to get her attention but Encore! kept her calm demeanor. I have to say I was stunned with her excellent manner after so many days off. At the end of the forty-five minutes of calm we trotted up the driveway without hysteria and walked on verbal command.

On the circle driveway we halted square and I dismounted with a drop to the ground that keeps my legs tuned. At sixteen hands Encore! keeps me careful on my landing. I lead her over to the small deck off the workshop, untack and put her halter on again. I lead her to the hitching rail outside her corral. I brush her and pick her hooves and reward her with handfuls of pellets. Her happiness is my happiness and the month of desperation dissolves into serenity. Good as gold that’s my Encore!

~ Catalina