I have been logging my hours at
Parelli Central and discovered from last Thanksgiving to this one I have logged
300 hours. WOW. My first thought is that the time went really quickly. Then I
asked: what did
I accomplish, what did I learn, what have I forgotten to do or not yet
accomplished??
I.
Emotional Fitness:
a.
Try’s fears and lack of confidence, mine, and solutions—intensity
is our friend.
The biggest learning of the year is
that Try goes
RBE in certain situations--it’s mild and not dangerous to me. However,
she won't be learning if she is not left brainPlus, how could I be so uncaring
as to cause (or not prevent) her to experience negative emotion. . Her RBE
reaction can be related to old baggage OR to something I have done—i.e.
confusing cues etc. I had thought she was LBI having a tantrum or LBE. NOPE. Even
if its LBI anger, that is emotion and as expressed with extraversion, so can be
treated as RBE. This has surely been a yearlong study.
I have learned intellectually RBE
means to match
her energy and stay with her until
she relaxes and sometimes have success in applying this. Previously I had tried
to be calm and calm her as it frightened me. In fact, I have felt keenly,
especially when riding, even the tiniest bit of emotion and it scared me so I
avoided doing all sorts of things without even realizing it. I should list a bunch of these also.
I have learned that Try will also just
be a bit RBI
when she feels what she perceives as too much pressure or intensity. My bringing up my
big RBE/LBE energy to ask her for something has its place in helping her relax
in the face of intensity but I know that much energy can be scary for her. She
"cares" really easily. The goal is not to avoid intensity but to help
Try learn to relax with it more and more until intensity “becomes our friend.”
Porcupine game is good for RBI’s—i.e. hand holding, contact.
1.
This summer lots
of riding in the pastures, patterns, canter as this has scared me in the past
when Try would get emotional.
2.
One fun day BA,
Jen and I played leap frog in one of the big pastures—really turned Try loose
and both of us were happy and confident.
3.
Frequent trail
rides or passenger rides off the farm.
4.
Field trips to
other facilities: indoor at Wind Drift, Cottonwood, Jasmine Meadows
5.
Swimming in the
pond at Cottonwood
6.
Hunter hack at
Cottonwood
7.
Bareback canter
with the bareback pad
8.
In and out of the
gates near the ring
9.
Canter patterns,
halt, drop reins and relax
10.
No stirrups
posting trot using carrot stick and no reins
Fears and Confidence building ideas for the future:
1.
Big patterns in
the big pasture, alone, cantering
2.
Continue every
opportunity to go somewhere else
3.
Begin study with
the natural horsemanship/dressage instructor
4.
Trot and canter
trail rides off the property by myself
5.
Call Wendy and
schedule a cow day for BA, Try and I
6.
Another project horse
for English riding
7.
More gates!
8.
Jumps,
variations, turn and relax
9.
Check assessment
sheets for ideas for practice in intensity and precision
b. Good enough, being particular, nagging, waiting for Try to process, zero
tolerance, power up, staying with it long enough: Try’s respect, my wimpiness,
Try’s curiosity and problem solving:
1.
I have learned
that I settle for good enough--from being ok with asking 3-4 times before she
does something to quitting with a sorta try on her part. (Again, good to go
back and add examples.)
2.
I am studying the
patterns we have of my settling for good enough and saying zero tolerance when
I see things falling below the level we could be at. Example—picking me up at
the mounting place.
3.
This year I only
used task to accomplish goals tho I do organize by "task" in planning
a session. Whether we make progress with a task depends on attitude and
relationship alone, NOT the task.
4.
Richard, Arnold
and Jim Carrey: studying the energy I use in cueing.
5.
If Try is in a
pissy mood, I can change it pretty quickly
6.
Walk til she
blows, lateral flexion for Try and Pilates for me, and jog then walk to relax
are a warm-up for riding that gets both of us ready to do something.
7.
Being
particular/precision: pick a task from assessment sheet/visualize/film
c. Analities and Match
1.
Try is all over the chart and varies in
intensity where ever she is. She is basically LBI—on her own in her pasture she
mostly eats and doesn’t run around like the geldings do. Hardest for me to ID
is when she is LBE.
2.
I am all over the chart also and can flex: I
am LBE is a lot of intellectual learning situations. I have strong LBI
attention to detail and can work quietly on my own. I most certainly can be RBI
and go there if afraid.
3.
I am OK with being mostly RBE—I am proud of
the assets of creativity, energy and caring about others. In a few situations
with people I trust I can enjoy being wildly RBE. I do hide it a lot as it can
be really obnoxious to left brain or introverted folks.
4.
Match: Try and I are a pretty good match for
energy but she is more dominant. We both can flex on energy as needed.
Dominance is all about the zero tolerance etc. see above.
II.
Physical Fitness—for both Try and me
For me: Riding more laps of 2 point and no stirrups
posting trot. Also canter bareback and at 2 point. Plus—power up—my fitness
away from the barn. This felt just fabulous last summer but I have lost ground
this fall with stuff going on—Dad’s death, etc.
I loved this summer riding as I concentrated on my fitness and could do a solid
mile of no stirrups posting trot or a mile of canter in the bareback pad. (Not
both on the same day! GGG) I have an emotional need to be fit and am my
happiest that way.
For Try: canter laps, riding in the field with the
hill, also lots of lateral work/isolations of FQ/HQ. When I do the lateral
work, her canter is much better quality—using HQ more and not heavy on the
forehand. On the ground, she is liking the 360s—getting smoother, better and
better draw and I can ask from farther away. She used to be stiff in lateral
flexion to the right and using treats to stretch she is now more flexible on
the right than the left!
Fitness exercises:
1.
Falling leaf: HQ yield followed by FQ yield
2.
360 at liberty: from zone 5—FQ yield then HQ
yield
3.
Wheelbarrow turns
4.
Sidepass—2nd leg
5.
Back from HQ
6.
Rib isolation for lope quality
7.
Leg yields on and off the rail
8.
Snappy backup
9.
Cantering uphill
10.
Vertical, stretching down from fluid rein
11.
Lateral flexion and HQ yield from indirect
rein as part of warm-up
12.
Bullseye and preparations for lead changes
from weight shift etc (needs review)
13.
Soft feel
14.
Rhythm, relaxation, contact
III.
Level 4 Progress on Tasks by Savvy
On Line: I have pretty
much ignored this!!!
Liberty:
1.
I have learned
that if I am fairly close I don't need a rope connection AT ALL! Most tasks I
can do on line and just about as good at liberty. BUT caveat--perhaps we are
not really progressing in taking on L4 tasks.
2.
Draw is hugely
improved this year.
3.
Sticking together
we can walk, trot, canter, halt, back and sidepass away and toward—what’s next?
4.
Yoyo backing from
my raised energy level and some stopping when I drop the energy level
Freestyle: Bridleless riding and bareback
1.
If I have a neck
string or carrot stick and legs for cueing we are able to do a lot in the
200x300 ring tho patterns etc are not as precise as with reins.
2.
Variety of using
inside leg to shape vs outside leg to push for precision bridleless
3.
Girthiness is improved:
carrot stick swing to say that attitude won’t be tolerated.
4.
Exploration of
where we are at in L4 freestyle—we can do it, its emotional fitness that is
needed.
Finesse:
I just call everything freestyle but a
lot is intro to finesse or more particular riding and some intro to contact
with the bit. Would be good to check out assessment tasks.
Ideas for Fun or Variety within progressing Level 4
1.
Freestyle riding
and the ball
2.
45’ line in the
pasture
3.
??using the
telescopic carrot stick at liberty in larger areas??
4.
Set the electric
slide to music
5.
Ride with music
6.
Trailer loading
at liberty
7.
Check assessment
lists and patterns for something different to do
8.
Make new creative
patterns
9.
Pedestal, which
foot?
10.
BB/BL in the
ring? Games in round pen and back paddock?
End Goals??
I learned I do not have a realistic end goal.
I don't have an end goal like someone might have training a green horse. AND
the hidden goal I had didn't apply to a horse--both of us being free of thought
and just jointly going with the moment improvisational with bodies so relaxed
they don't really have boundaries. (Can't believe I just said this. I think
this applies to a unicorn and wood sprite or something.) I did watch video of a
bunch of the greats and they all look too muscular to me. I did like the energy
of Rhett Fincher at the Wild Horse Taming and I think Annie Shank has a lot of
this quality as well. It is comparable to the floaty/no muscle just skeleton
relaxed look of ballet in my background.
I liked what Linda said that competitive
riders are apt to have clear goals and know the steps to achieve them and
pleasure riders only goals are to have fun trail riding on the weekend and that
Parelli provides steps and goals for them. I guess that is where I fall with my
goal being to learn to be the best horsewoman possible. I think I should have
end goals beyond this.
Consider
1.
Play with 7 step soft feel and film it to see
Try’s reaction
2.
Lead by the leg on line
3.
Check rhythm in the canter
4.
Gates
5.
Jumps
6.
Snappy go and whoa—Try will like it
7.
Barrels and poles—whee
8.
Z 5 driving with one hand
9.
On line circling drop back to draw
10.
Partial disengagement
11.
Use fluid rein to improve posture
12.
Learn steady rein
13.
Using shaping for BL and to setup for lead
changes
14.
Passenger games – ultimate – no agenda – where
ever, when ever
15.
Warm-up strong for impulsion
16.
Wheelbarrow turn
17.
Film and compare to past including 1st
liberty with Dan
18.
Spurs
19.
Leading rein to cue
20.
Long pt to pt stop 10’ from fence
21.
Natural dressage for more learning/my posture
etc
