More Road to the Horse

Was spellbound--round one of clinicians with colts. Pat's approach--rappore first then respect--won my heart and respect!!! I can see why Pat would take the risk to participate in RTTH and kudos to him for doing so.

Road to the Horse

Watched the opening ceremonies to Road to the Horse last night.

Enjoyed watching Pat with the 3 young horses and felt that set the tone as someone who will put the relationship first. I am less excited about the idea of natural horsemanship as about training a cutting/reining performance horse. If I can get bored watching, what about the horses? If I had not attended cutting and reining futurities, I may have been more excited about those demos.

Also enjoyed Stacy Westfall's performance. She was not competing--put on a great show: musicality, costuming, brideless freestyle reining routine.

Another big two horse day!

Arrived at the barn to find trainer/client coming from Massachusetts (flying in) to see Sierra's horse Sarge so I quickly started with Spiderman to have the ring to myself. He started out with On Line fairly RBE and matching the energy helped and he settled--trying to be soothing and huggy friendly did NOT help DUH. His backup/yoyo through space chair and pedestal was really good. I asked and got a lovely circle game at a relaxed walk then went on to sideways. Circling to the rail did help but don't know that its sinking in.

Riding: walk til blow, lovely light relaxed contact at the walk. Then the circle: some improvement on maintaining all 4 contact, impulsion, bend on the circle and precision of the circle. Did at posting trot and was making some progress at soft feel. Then canter a few laps for impulsion and a couple laps of no stirrups posting trot for my strength.

More sideways: guests arrived and Spiderman and I went to the small paddock and did sideways all the way around the circumference--get few good steps, stop, process and sing to him. Still don't know if he is just reacting or seeking the good deal--I really want him to understand sideways not just do it.

Try: Camera broke so did not even do sideways--we did a little circling etc--she was pretty relaxed and backing was much improved on line.

Riding: In the ring, walk til blow, falling leaf, lots of backing and carrot stick riding, canter and halt and relax. When I can get the ring to myself I want to do canter patterns i.e. cloverleaf with carrot stick/leg and test to see where we are and also canter yoyos. Progress was relaxing after her energy came up in canter or backup etc and more impulsion/energy in the backup.

Try and I finished with trail ride up to see the cows. Her energy came up at the flooded areas on either side of the road and I just told her yes we will proceed and all was fine.

Spiderman, Try and Betsy

Spiderman: We had a long riding session so we did a very little on line--played with sideways some more. I realize this is a great learning exercise for me because he doesn't have sidepass in his rep--its new and I never had to actually teach it to Try.

• Today I got the impulsion
• For the next time simulations so I will take more time with phases
• I would like video to show the phase 1--bring up life, a quick phase 2,3 and can a better phase 4 be the L shape and stick waving to the side??
• Concentrate on whether Spiderman is getting it that the release means he found the good deal from a few good sideways steps.

Riding with Spiderman:

• homework: circle 1/6 of ring stay on the circle precision
• his body on the circle--bend
• impulsion
• contact
• sitting and posting trot
• remember hands low to halt
• follow with 2 laps of ring each way of canter keepingthe impulsion

Try: We had lots of dwell time and did some stick together and lovely liberty figure 8.
Betsy came and went through level 3 On line and Liberty tasks with Try and it was great. even yoyo at liberty!

Monday - follow up day

Today was my first day to follow up on what I learned from Dan Thompson Thursday. I was tired, still a bit under the weather from the virus but managed to be at the barn 4 hours for On Line and riding for both Spiderman and Try and bath for Spiderman.

Spiderman On Line
1. haltering: we are just starting to go for this--Dan suggested for head down, the change of sides with his head under my arm then leading forward and back with head down.
2. extreme friendly: Spiderman was great--stopping on either side. Took a little for me to get my act together to remember my energy, quick release and I forgot to sing.
3. Back up: not so good to begin with but by the end of the day he would yoyo in and out of the fence opening going to the ring with a ??phase 2.
4. Circling: 3 perfect non stopping circles in each direction, great send at a trot, and my soft bring back rather than using rope to tilt head.
5. SIDEWAYS: we started this, rethinking based on what Dan suggested with other games.
     a. Life up
     b. Ask with low phase then quickly to effective phase--don't rush--
     c. What is effective phase? not an underhanded swing or soft tap at the shoulders? Over hand swing, flick string at the belly??? Need to experiment
     d. Dont be afraid of ugly or being out of control
     e. Timing of the release and time to process

Riding with Spiderman: The usual walk til blow, walk with the lightest possible contact, contact at a trot--just a bit, 2 point and no stirrups.

Try On Line
Follow up: warmup strongly, after walking in from pasture, grooming and saddling (dressage saddle) went to the ring and a few slaps of extreme friendly for Try's life to come up. Then circling--leaving at a trot and falling leaf Try wasn't as emotional as Thursday so quicker relaxation.

Try Freestyle
Walk til blow, contact, stretching bits, falling leaf then lots of backing for energy (could have interspersed some extreme friendly). Cantered mostly for my seat and also for the backup. Forgot canter yoyos and wished I had used carrot stick and leg to canter all sorts of patterns for fluidity. Try did not have any issues with relaxing any time we stopped.

Friday and Saturday

Friday was an all day required CLE class to maintain my license to practice law. The weather was gorgeous--got outside at lunch but yearned to be at the barn.

Saturday: play day group meeting. Judy was hosting and asked me to do presentation on putting together an official audition. Peggy helped me and Sara, Brandy and Jane contributed via email. I was so pleased with everyone's enthusiasm when they saw that they can really do this. Then our great leader Ruby put the whole group on track to submit an audition by June 1 with assistance via our new yahoo study group and sessions with our horses in March-May. I plan to do a Level 1 and Level 2 On Line with Spiderman--heck maybe Riley and Forrest too.

Thursday Dan Thompson hours!!

Great session yesterday with PP Dan Thompson - see notes.
Also clean bill of health--my virus is over. Yahoo.

Lately

I think I am coming down with flu and at least some viral thing. Hoping its not flu. So have been visiting Try and indulging in lots of dwell time--have not felt up to much else.

Background for Kerrin

Kerrin Koetsier from social media/Parelli Central has asked for a little background info.

As it is 30some degrees and apparently starting to snow I am indoors and this may be a good time to post some answers for her and ?? maybe add some kinda side bar of bio info THO I don't think of this blog as something for others to read--I use it to record what I'm doing--clinic notes--and general impressions to motivate me in the journey. When I get a lot of info I use Blurb to print out a book from my blog entries, then mark it all up and summarize stuff to carry forward. Trying to figure out how to learn to learn something that is a combination of physical, intellectual and emotional learning....

1. How long have I been studying Parelli? hmmm in 1999 at a dude ranch trip in Colorado and as a new horse owner (age 55 with no prior horsemanship experience) the ranch owner gave me extra horsemanship experiences and suggested Pat's book which I promptly purchased and found to be completely over my head. That fall a group of friends were in Ft Worth for the National Cutting Horse Futurity staying at the Stockyards hotel--the Cowtown Coliseum next door was hosting Pat Parelli so of course I got our whole gang to go. I was impressed with everything and particularly what mere students could do with their horses. I got into horses because I wanted the dream relationship I saw. Could I learn even a fraction of that? So purchased the old old Level 1 pack and had trouble making headway.

My horse Try and I moved to another facility where the trainer was into natural horsemanship and the two of us spent 3 years studying together--I bought materials and she filled in gaps for me. I got to attend 4 clinics with Carol Coppinger and passed my old levels 1 and 2 with her. So long story short--actually consistently studying since ??2003.

2. What am I doing with my horses.

Try and I have been together for seven years and recently passed our level 3. Try is a 19 year old quarter horse with extensive, broad experience--laid back and safe LBI on the cusp of LBE--but high spirit/dominance. In the past she has taught me basic English riding and we've done Western Pleasure showing. Today we pursue our PNH learning and look for fun different things to do. I am proud that we can canter in the Parelli bareback pad. We are "cleaning up" in level 3 and looking forward to level 4. Try likes freestyle savvy the best--especially bridleless--duh.

Spiderman and I have just gotten together this month. He is a 19 year old, large pony, LBI, with extensive hunter/jumper experience and he is helping me with equitation and the beginnings of riding with contact. He is not my pony but I have a 1/2 lease so of course we are starting our Parelli On Line and he has learned level 1 quickly. I think he is enjoying having a Parelli student because by the time we do a little on line, he is relaxed and soft for riding and he seems to really trust my hands. He seemed tense and distrustful when we first met.

3. My aspirations: I am 64 years old and have had many aspirations in other education fields and careers in my life--I am a career aspirer or learner. I guess my aspiration is to continue to be excited and passionate about learning. I participate in a play day group that means a lot to me. I attend clinics (lots), tour stops, gold (benefactor) member, enjoy tracking my horsemanship hours on Parelli Connect and last fall audited the Game of Contact course, etc. As I follow happenings--through all the social media--the fast track, instructor courses, extern and internships, I think that some part of that would be incredible and then again I think there will be a different Parelli path for me just ahead. So for now at least enjoy the journey, love the horses, savor the friendships.

Tuesday

Try: we tried out some zone 5 driving and jumped ahead of ourselves. Watched L4 w/Pat and have a new plan.

Spiderman: so sweet, backing is better and also sideways but the idea of phases hasn't really sunk in. Ride--the usual walk til blow (forgot Pilates), walk w/the lightest possible contact to train my hands, 2 pt and no stirrups trot and sitting trot. Ring really muddy.

Freestyle vs finesse

I am confused about whether I am riding freestyle or finesse.
1. maintaining light contact with the horse's assistance
2. leg yields, shoulder swings, turns on the haunches, forehand etc to free up shoulders and help Try to use her HQ more--is that freestyle or finesse? I am using contact.
3. Taking 7 step soft feel and then complete release is that freestyle or finesse
4. Stretching down?? what is that.

I am pleased with what I see as an increased ability to share Try's moods: if when I arrive she is irritated (weather, lack of forage, annoying young pony etc), I can change that with sticking together, friendly, slow games and then more active--on the ground, before riding.

Apparently from comments on Linda's talk on the subject: freestyle is independent seat, horse taking responsibility and confidence, no contact. Finesse is contact, refinement, shaping etc. So I guess I am aiming toward finesse and "peppering" it into freestyle riding to avoid too much pressure.

Day off

Tired today so stayed home, cooked, did laundry etc. Started reading tribal leadership and am finding it to be enlightening!!

Cottonwood Farms #1

Jen had a lesson at Cottonwood and BA took Riley so I went along with Try. I enjoyed seeing all the new stuff there.

Try was extraverted: 24 hours in a stall for rain, new place, new horses, pond, and raining. She was not scarey to ride but didn't settle so I tried on line games and she still didn't get relaxed. I made the mistake of not matching her energy--i.e. circling game canter on line. I really want to do this again.

I did make strides toward my goal of toughing it out in bad weather: 40 degrees and raining!

What gets ya into horses?

I have been thinking lately about my journey with horses.

I was attracted to horses for a lot of the same reasons that drew me to ballet. The sense of freedom, flying, joy and coming outside of my shell. I mostly do love being "out there"--how LBE is that!! Dance: Performing, big jumps, partnering with huge lifts--yahoo. Just a bit of danger and lots of excitement. So-- horses: cantering, bareback, bridleless--again the sense of being free, joy of movement and knowing the possibility of danger. The advantage of horsemanship over ballet right now is I have chronic dance injuries that are painful that are not an issue riding or with most things On Line or Liberty.

There is a flip side to all this and that is fear. i.e. I am afraid of falling--I was afraid of falling with ballet also. I fell last week--well, emergency dismount anyway--pony slipped in the mucky, slippery footing. No harm to me or the pony. I think I am actually pretty cautious--taking chances with someone around and with guidance that the chance is appropriate for me. But I also know I hold myself back at times because of fear. For example I feel fear and won't push when my hugely confident LBI Try gets afraid.

Another aspect I have been considering is the whole emotional fitness thing and I think I have made some good strides here if I remember back to level 1 and drilling Try on the 7 games. She hated it and was so clever at passive aggressive sabotage (opposition reflex!). When horsenality information came out this was so incredible to understanding a high spirit LBI on the cusp of LBE with situational RBE! It changed our relationship--decreasing frustration and my learning not to be emotional about much of anything. "How interesting" is really where its at and I see more calm and less drama queen from my LBE self.

Another reason I got into horses as well as ballet was connection and closeness to another being. My ballet career consisted largely of partnering--lifts, turns, etc--with enormoud amounts of rehearsal time. Through the process often there was an openness to each other and closeness, trust, kinship, connection, if you will. And isn't this true of our Parelli journey as well? Although Try isn't looking for leadership and closeness from humans or horses, when both of us have our boundaries down and are sticking together, not only physically, but fully, that is the dream come true.

Another benefit shared with ballet is closeness to a group or mentoring--the play day group, sharing with individuals, encouraging each other.

This is a departure from the usual diary of what we did today. Because I will have the blog printed into book form later, I really would like these thoughts preserved for future consideration.

I thought today would be a wash weather wise but better so went out and had a nice ride on Spidey--we are getting to know each other better. did the usual plus some sitting trot for my "michael jackson" posture.
Then Try and I went for a long walk on line down to the neighboring cattle farm--just relaxed, no pressure.

Wednesday

70 degrees today!!

Try: dwell time, circling game On Line, etc. Ride: walk til blow and my pilates warmup, biometrics--loosening shoulders, helping Try to use her HQ more, walk, trot, canter. Pattern integration: follow the rail, cloverleaf, point to point and spins.

Lovely long spa bath for the girl--first time its been warm enough since ??before Thanksgiving. Poor stinky girl. After the bath we went for a long, grazing walk all around the farm looking for good stuff to eat while she dried.

Tuesday

Spiderman:

30 minutes dwell time

On Line: backing was improved, more relaxed in sends--no longer thinking everything has to be lunging and a lovely figure 8 first try. The pedestal not so much but starting to get the idea about touch it. 360s now FQ/HQ porcupine and driving. Extreme friendly: the tarp--walked over it--no issue at all. Confident in the paddock behind the barn more than most. All in all a confident horse beginning to get the idea about learning what I have in mind rather than reacting.

Riding: same, light contact at the walk, 2 point, trot, no stirrups

Try:
dwell time and sticking together
refilmed backing and sideways--better willingness, more sensitive no real speediness

trail passenger ride on the road both ways

Monday

Filmed again today. Yesterday On Line with Try was the carrot person and today I saw the stick person. Neither one works but how to find the middle ground.

Plan: film again today but start with dwell time followed by stick together. Then take my time with sideways and backing and carefully study phasing to see if Try will pick up speed with less. ?? Could I say trot for sideways and have her respond? If she responds so easily in circling game could it apply to sideways or back? Can I find a way to cue her that I'd like backup to be slow/fast/slow?

21 days to make a new habit--new habit is distance and speed???

Riding?? Saddle up and go see some cows???

Spiderman: Monday On Line Issues continue to be backup--got it from blind man/stick but not from yoyo--he is not picking up on the idea of phasing and knowing what happens before what happens. Also still an issue is that he keeps thinking any cue with stick and string unless I am close or touching means lunging. However, I watched a L1 audition yesterday that was nice and I think Spiderman is pretty much there.

Riding: wow frustrating--my energy went into staying out of Tara's way. Forgot hand position in walk/trot was too slow/did not consider bending in the turns and ?? maybe 4 laps of no stirrups but who knows as I was all over the ring and rarely on the rail. YUCK.

For Tuesday I am considering taking Spiderman to small paddock for dwell time and then games instead of the ring--maybe that will give both of us a different mind set.