Some Rollover picures

Photos of Kristen and Cathy at Rollover that were posted at facebook:

Comings and goings

Never a dull moment at Rollover. Cathy has been back for a few months so Try had her horse Shirley as a pasture mate. They have always gotten along well. Cathy has also been riding Roy (above) for the winter as Jennifer has been taking the winter off from riding. Riley just sweeped the field as division champion at recent A show. BA is showing Devon on A circuit but may take Dorchester--her 8 year old that has only been ridden a few months to an upcoming C show. Ollie is back with Kristin and Beth commuting up from Jacksonville. Ollie is now in the pasture with the hill. Try is alone again in the pasture next to Ollie and across from all the big TB/warmblood geldings and is quite happy about it. I have set up her pasture as an additional riding space for us. Above is the ring which I love as it is huge. Try is very relaxed there but given complete free rein (passenger game) will leave the ring and head up the road to the good clover in the ditch.

I am not being able to get any word from Dawn about when Dan can next come and am considering adding in some time with other instructors. His time is always very limited Spring and Fall and there is much demand from regulars of his in FL, GA, SC, AL, etc not to mention regular monthlies in NC.

Saturday

Had the opportunity to meet with Lisa, Paula, Sarah and Kathy to share Parelli resources and have Try demo a bit and offer each to play with Try. Really nice, accomplished horsewomen--I enjoyed their company. About Try who was a lovely representation of how Parelli creates a partner: she really looked for their cueing and worked well with all, was light and responsive and showed power and potential.

Monday

Dwell time in Try's new pasture. Even though she is by herself, she is LOVING having all the gorgeous geldings in her surrounding pastures! (Already gone into season--LOL)  

We did a review of shaping on the circle and stick to me really being sticking together. Then went to the gate to have a barrier and taught drawing Z4 by driving Z1 on the second side. I am adding to my todo list to look at other ways I only do things on her left side!

Rode in her pasture, marking off a space about 280'x350' We did walk til she blew, then some BB cloverleaf in a smaller area, then for my strength, laps of 2 point and posting trot, followed by 2 full cloverleaf pattern no stirrups posting trot (about 2/3 mile) and finished with some canter around the area and smaller cloverleaf. For next time--some markers to help me with better precision about where we are going. I liked the way Try recognized the question box as a possible place to stop or target to pass through BUT ask Dan about how to make it more about asking questions--what are we going to do now?

Thursday - 4 hours at the barn

I don't even know where the time went ... weather was gorgeous, lots going on etc.

Arrived with vet on the way for Cathy who is moving to Florida--getting tickets to tour stop for her. Visited with folks from Pamlico meeting vet. Updated supplement containers and tossed out empty buckets. Got Try but didn't really play on the way in. Big grooming and clip as I had time and the weather was so warm and nice--nearly 80 degrees. Then Try and I played around in the ring with basics for Saturday with Lisa Graf etc and circling online shaping. Then dwell time. Next shared some Parelli on line stuff with BA--I had asked her to take a look at the circle shaping and she said why not start it from stick to me--well I did not realize I have gotten really sloppy with this--Try needs to stay right at my shoulder and I need to use stick/string effectively to keep this sharp--also from fast trot to halt to give Try a little heads up so she can stop right with me. Circling shaping--small circle trot and add gently tip head to give Try the idea and see if this can be a new habit then expand. Next I demoed for BA maintain gait over jumps at walk/trot/canter--Try was great and really relaxed. Then I did a basic hack with 2/3 mile non stop no stirrups posting trot for my strength. We finished with a shower and bathed especially head, ears, mane and tail and dried off with grazing around the farm including behind Karen's house. Brought Try back to her pasture and hoped she would roll but she was not so inclined.

Wednesday

Games in from the pasture, groom, review in the new play paddock of recognizing cues on the first ask and maintain gait. back and sideways from intention. some fun touch it. review cutting for shoulder matching (2 sticks next time), then review of maintain gait over the jumps: walk, trot and canter.

Freestyle: bareback pad--started with passenger game--Try started out the gate and with one reminder and time to think, she was able to exit in a very relaxed manner. Then no direction from me--Try headed up the road, out of the farm to the good clover in the ditch. We hung out while she grazed for 10 minutes or so then back to the ring for a little canter.

Last--shower, shampooed her legs and then we spent more time grazing around the property while she was drying, then hung out together in her pasture for awhile.  

Monday

I was surprized to find Try in a cranky mood when I got to the barn. (Later Karen told me she had been especially unhappy about all the time in the barn due to heavy rain Sunday.) I decided zero tolerance and we played online in her field immediately--I don't remember which games but kinda rapid fire until I felt her connect.

Then we went to ring and I had tack and grooming stuff there already. I reviewed the one cue per direction and it was better then sideways from intention and maintain gait was soooo much better. I may have been more clear and Try may have had time to process since Saturday. We also did a bit of circling maintain gait, close range circling for shaping and I still don't know how I am doing. 360s and some creative 360s--don't even know what/how--just happened (?en dehors/en dedans?). Lots a stream of consiousness on line play.

Then ride for my strength: ring really muddy so we got creative about no stirrups posting trot patterns finding the best places in the ring including clover leaf.

For next time: review notes and see where we are--come up with new plan. I know I would like to revisit maintain gait over the jump. Perhaps get BA to take a look at shaping in on line circling as its hard for me to judge Try's shape from the ground.

Saturday On Line and Liberty

 Forgot helmet and boots and decided not to ride. We played with cueing from intention with the sideways game on line as that seemed a logical step. We sidepassed over lots of object in the new play area--green ball, tarp, barrel, cavaletti pole etc. Try got the idea to begin from my energy up BUT although I could cue her to stop with life down--she also would stop without it. I have just not thought about maintain gait with sideways til this last time with Dan.

Then I realized after doing all that sideways, Try's new answer to everything was sideways so we went back to cue once for back then sideways away, then forward, then sideways towards etc to review the difference in the cues. (Where was Try thinking issue?)

Also lotsa grazing in the good clover, hanging out time. I want to do circling shaping soon and maintaining gait over the jump. I realized that we have done so much more liberty than on line.

Liberty: Hanging out, match my shoulders in the weave, find my focus, sticking together. Better connection between us than on line--perhaps the grazing in between had an effect?   Or the fact that it was just more convenient to do liberty than on line?

Note: Try seemed very interested in seeing me and not anxious for the time to be over. Has to be more interesting and profitable for her than the more isolated pasture she and Shirley are in. And of course none of the pastures have the best clover any more.

For next time: for my strength--2 point canter, no stirrups. I want to go back to shaping on the circle and ?? checking maintain gait laps?? Review one cue basics and maintain gait sideways and backing.

Wednesday

Another fear managed!

I have been afraid of cantering downhill though it took me awhile to recognize it as a fear. I think Try stumbled a bit when I first tried it and then I began a pattern of avoidance without realizing it was not only a fear but an unrealistic one. So---BA caught Ollie for me so I could use the field that has just a bit of a hill. Try and I played circling game variations on the incline and I was able to see that Try was completely secure in her footing. Then rode using the entire field and again no safety issues--I did need to help Try to maintain gait at the canter going downhill as I had caused a pattern that we would drop to trot at that point.

For the future--change of direction at the canter on line--I recognized Try cross firing. I need to decide whether to do a simple drop to trot change, just allow it and fix it or get more impulsion from Try in the change of direction and ask for flying change. This a subject for another day.

Tuesday back from Lexington

Wow--Try was glad to have me back I think from the way she watched me as I came into her pasture. BA and I moved a lot of toys and obstacles to the long narrow paddock beside the ring--tarp, barrel, pedestal, weave cones. (next time also the ball, cavaletti poles, more cones and the jump boxes.

We played on line, liberty and rode with the toys. For example, we started with touch it on line--Try went to each and sniffed--fun thing--I put big heavy cone on top of barrel and Try remembered the game and knocked off the cone, then when I didn't either ask her to leave or give cookie--she knocked the barrel over also. Liberty: I was especially excited that we were able to trot the weave cones (stick to me) from matching my shoulders. Riding: trot the tarp and best thing was Try was put two front feet on the pedestal with me on her back. By that time both of us had brains that were fried and we did no stirrups posting trot laps and called it a day.

Try is really getting the idea of cueing from my intention--drive, draw, stop. I want to follow up on this with a block of time for just the sideways game. Also we did not get to shaping on the circle. Or followup on Colleen Kelly's stuff or Pat's lead changes and I want to review Dan on lead changes.

More on Lexington

Notes I did take--

Lexington 2012 notes

1.      Pat on Lead changes

a.      Used the boxing analogy—jabbing on one side and turn to the other. Then turn that in to following the canter with circular rein motion and changing to other side—

b.      Liked the leg wraps—do I have some vet wrap in diff colors—really good for me to use with circling game.

c.      Post the diagonal on trot and take up energy/intention to bring it to canter on that side.

d.      Pat says he works on light and polite at all times

e.      Looking up: puts weight back on the HQ—also good for downward transitions/stopping

f.       Can I do bowtie with only the stick/my leg/wt (eyes belly button) check it

g.      Goal: flying changes down the middle of the arena not using the rail to help

2.      Colleen Kelly

a.      My 5 min: stirrup length good, core strength good, lift upper thigh to rotate inward not hip

b.      Horse on the forehand? Check hands forward, thumbs up, not looking down, thigh muscles,

c.      Turn w rib cage not dropping the ribcage—doesn’t Parelli turn w/ a dropped shoulder—ask Dan

d.      Test 2 sticks on Try haunches—my weight

e.      Top of thigh pull out the muscle—xx jeans too tight

f.       Don’t get legs too far back

g.      Be able to see toe and more of inside of toe than outside

h.      Standing in the stirrups as test of balance—western saddle can I do pilates exer??

i.       Focus matters—focus on center of circle either ground or sky and see what happens

j.       Overweight a stirrup to turn???

k.      Look at horse hind foot to turn

l.       You don’t need to use leg to turn

m.    Use brim of helmet and turn side to side to be sure you are not dipping

n.      Or sunglasses take off the bottom ½ to form artificial horizon to test this

o.     Forehand/using hq issue—way to get horse to transition from trot to walk

                                          i.     Eyes up

                                         ii.     Raise nose

                                        iii.     Chin up

                                        iv.     Adams apple

                                         v.     Chest

p.      Note dressage riders judged foremost on consistency ??hunters

q.      Trot to beat of music

Lexington

So many impressions and very few notes taken.

Overall the weekend was about getting reconnected with Parelli, people I know, new folks, new ideas, etc. I left feeling inspired and that Try and I really can do this.

I was touched by Kalley playing with her mare and baby. Loved the fun, funny session with Linda, Michael and Ruby--coaching a humanality/horsenality mismatch--but more helping someone prelevel 1. Also great as the horse Ruby was so full of joy.

Enjoyed Lillan and Emily's spotlight and was struck by how very much of that Try and I can do--probably not in front of thousands of people, etc. but certainly at home without the time constraints.

Adelia and I both got to do rider biomechanic makeovers with Colleen Kelly. She liked my stirrup length, strength as a rider which she attributed to ballet but in all fairness I owe BA a big thank you for this as well. She did show me how to pull out my thigh for a better position--more parallel and I was surprized that it didn't feel wierdly turned in and it didn't put any pressure on my knee.

I picked up some interesting ways to approach flying lead changes and loved watching Linda with Hot Jazz and the careful way she discussed GoC with us while getting such a young RBI horse comfortable in the arena. What a gorgeous sweet horse.

Also a huge part of the weekend was getting time with people I know and do not see often--from near like Peggy, Chris and Sherri to those from other parts of the state. Also it was great to be able to introduce myself to people I hope to get to know/work with in the future. I had really good room mates also in Adelia and Joyce--we meshed well as to scheduling, eating, watching out for each other, etc. We made a good team.

Thur

Today I discovered that Try shapes/bends on the circle just fine when I am riding--I do not need to cue her in zone 1--eyes, belly button is sufficient or leg at the girth. Now to apply this to on line with getting Try to match my shaping and perhaps carrot stick pointing at zone 3 as she already knows these cues from riding.

Again impressed today at how much Try responds to intention and appreciates that over other cueing.

Played with lots of gates today and Try had no reaction to stopping at the far gate which was an issue two years ago. (Baggage/Pressure from trail competition as a young horse.)

Then I got frustrated and was not able to shake it off and not having a field to ride in--we wanted the hilly field to play on line and freestyle with downhill canter. We waited 1.5 hours!!! for someone to not be able to catch their horse in the field and bring him in to ride. grrrrr This is an issue to address with BA the next time I see her.

Tue Wed

Tuesday was a review for myself of weekend learning the no stirrups

Wednesday was playing with gates and frustration waiting for the field with the hill.

I have discovered:
1. Try will work off my intention more than I realized and that we both like it.
2. Try has no trouble bending on the circle when I am riding--even from eyes, belly button maybe leg.
3. Bending on the circle on line is problematic--I am thinking if I stand on the pedestal I can see the bend better and I can use stick more like my leg while using the bend in my body--ribcage/hip to get Try to match.

Fri Sat Sun Mon

HUGE weekend of learning with PP Dan Thompson--see clinic notes.

Thursday

Back to basics:

grooming, stretches, then warmup, no stirrups--2 laps/walk/2laps then canter laps at 2 point.

Wednesday 70 degrees spa bath

As it was 70 degrees (Feb 1), I spent an hour and a half giving Try the full spa bath treatment and then drying off by grazing in all the best clover around the farm, plus hanging out in the paddock behind the barn. Try was very connected except for awhile in the traditional nylon halter--hmm. She responded really better either at liberty or in the Parelli rope halter.

Tuesday

In the ring: circling--relaxed but lacking some rhythm. Then ride--warmup, serpentines at posting trot interspersed with coming back to relaxed jog. Then canter which was quite nice except for a few places. Then BA asked if I was interested in checking out the trails on the property for storm damage. She was riding Rusty and he was great as a 3-4 year old and probably first trail ride--altho confident he was more relaxed with Try leading. We went both ways on the trail and it was blocked both directions and lots of trees in the woods down. The footing wasn't great on the area behind the barn. All in all a beautiful sunny warm January day and a lovely ride and great to just be with Try.