catch up

I took time off and got behind in blogging.

Wed: Kathy and Try (Key nose bleed/swelling so few days off): tempo, speed, rhythm etc

Thur: field trip to Jocelyn's with BA, Dreama and Try. We really needed a day off instead--both Try and I were really tired. Discussion re being particular i.e. sideways over U shape and Try's position with cavaletti in middle of her body or behind my leg and #2 maintain gait trotting over platform--with good figure 8 shape, playing with changing diagonal before during and after the platform.

Fri/Sat/Sun time off.

Monday: both Try and Keystone basic rides.

Tuesday: Alie, lunge line, bareback exercises for strength and balance including BB/BL canter. BB canter was solid in my position riding around the ring on casual rein.

Wed/Thur time off for household responsibilities

Fri: nice long ride with Try and then good basic hack with Keystone. Keystone was great at maintaining a solid rhythm at the canter.

Saturday: MAGIC DAY with Try. games in the ring: sideways over the "L" and cutting. Try was very clear about her position for the L, stopped calmly in the center and easily did turn on haunches or forehand to maneuver the corner. Cutting: I asked with phase 1 for stick to me out of the turn for trot and she offered canter! Riding: Sideways was lovely and particular and Try was proud. Long relaxed grooming session and shower. Pleasant time together--Try offering and reading my mind--a great partner. Also no one at the facility was relaxing.

Tuesday - playing on lunge line with Alie

Fun exercise today: Alie had Try on lunge line with me riding only I was mainly the one cueing Try. lots of variations walk/jog/trot/canter: standing in stirrups with arm positions, sitting and touching toes, leaning forward and back, etc. When Try's canter was rough I had to hold onto pommel (dressage saddle).

Keystone: easy ride with loose reins--not as responsive to me as last week. hmmm. Hard for me to avoid nagging with the spur to get a good rhythm and energy.

Monday - 3 hours with Dan - liberty in the field

2012 7 16 Dan T

3 hours: 1.5 in the field at liberty

Themes:

1.      Getting back on track with connecting with Try

a.      Precision’s purpose is making Try happy rather than to accomplish a L4 task--that works for me. There is no connection without precision. Try uses lack of precision to get me off track and to take control and drop the connection. She is happier and more relaxed being connected to me as a leader. That is natural for horse and for her as an LBI. For Try precision is more important than speed and she responds so well to precise, clear cueing. For me I love speed and freedom so much more than precision. Precision made Try check into the game rather than tune out as bored.

b.      If I go introverted, I lose the connection.

c.      Sometimes she needs me to go slow and piece by piece. Sometimes she needs the variety of my varying my energy level. That is mentally fascinating to her.

d.      Try hanging out with me, Dan, Paula and Kathy as a part of the herd.

e.      A frequent mistake Parelli students make is creating the habit or pattern of shutting the horse down.

2.      Power, intensity, galloping full out etc. Can be from anger, fear, need to cut loose. But can it be used for purpose?

a.      Using patterns to create a pattern that is not innate to horse: how to trigger exuberance? Today we used the cutting game pattern.

b.      Change horse 20%.

c.      Try is absolutely NOT opposed to playing hard—but on her terms and for a short time!!!!

d.      Revving her up to give her (and me) a mental/physical/emotional break is a GREAT thing to do.

e.      Try offered rounding up—what exercise will accomplish this on the ground?

f.       Note: at end when we revved up Try did it with the go/stop/back/turn pattern and Dan really got exuberance in the backing and swatted Try’s butt in the turn and she really cantered! She was happy and exuberant, not afraid or angry.

g.      Are dressage lessons with Kathy bringing more power out of Try?

3.      Miscellaneous

a.      I asked about Australians at RTTH: fine line between fear and respect. Respect is empowering.

b.      Unconscious competence: using purpose effectively unconsciously is a great thing.

c.      What purposes of mine are meaningful to Try? Not passing L4: task.

d.      Can create sweet spots i.e. pedestal, trailer. (For Try who has always been great about trailering—its not a scary dark cave, its food, other horses, rest and going somewhere.)

e.      Can make arena a sweet spot. Ride hard in field then go to arena to rest. Then to arena and one circle rest. Then 3 circles and pretty soon LBI will offer the 3 circles.

f.       Tempo vs. speed: if lengthen stride—Try will need to go faster to maintain tempo.

g.      HQ/FQ offensive and defensive turns on the haunches by stepping forward or back

h.      On the ground at liberty: walk, back, mirror each other turn (invite to draw)

What we did

1.      Pinch to get her attention, crouch behind carrot stick—have to play hard enough—pulling her tail did not do it. Had to piss her off to get her to engage, then after getting the positive response it took less to engage.

2.      Walk forward, back and mirror turn (step back and draw) mirror vs sync TO PROGRESS this it can become the cutting game and I can get my speed and power. Good for Try physically as well.

3.      Jump—Try and I ran off together stick to me style and I went to the jump. It had two cavaletti poles and walking over it—Try lost confidence over her back legs. We did it at a trot but then Dan had us go back with one pole and Try accomplished getting her back legs over at a walk and then nickered like crazy—“look what I did and time for a treat!” Huge moment.

4.      Riding

a.      Backing use porcupine wheelbarrow as more refined than driving with legs

b.      Walking off from a standstill: using porcupine squeeze from two legs doesn’t work as it prevents free rib cage needed for movement. (I’ve never done this anyway.)

c.      Turns

                                                    i.     Started with the walk/back/turn pattern but of course turn is sync not mirror LOL

                                                   ii.     Defensive—start with indirect rein—stepping back

                                                  iii.     Offensive want to be moving forward and asking for turn to stay straight like reining spins FORWARD step with hind end and pivot on hind leg

                                                  iv.     I need more help and review with the defensive and offensive cueing.

d.      Dismount on the opposite side.

e.      Zone whatever driving with one rein to go back to the barn—unconscious.

5.      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw 

6.       

Kathy Glielmi posted this at facebook after Friday lesson with Keystone. (I found out that I was over weighting my inside stirrup on turns--fixing that made a huge difference in staying square in the upper body.)

"Friday, I had a wonderful lesson with Elizabeth and Keystone. They work so well together. Elizabeth, relaxed, sat down and had wonderful long soft legs. Her riding was so much more effective. Today I went to watch her lesson with Dan Thompson in Parelli. It was awesome watching them work at Liberty. They had a strong connection and communication going for them. Of course, I had my camera, but forgot my memory card - Phooey!!"

Chris Shallcross, Sherri Schneck Wilson and Mary Cuoco Hetter like this.

• Elizabeth Pope thanx Kathy, doesn't happen without the teacher--you and Dan. Try has come so far in the two years with Dan.

More coming on Monday's session with Dan.

Friday lesson with Kathy ?s and answers

After filming last week, transcribing and studying, I had lots of questions. Kathy had finished watching rider biomechanics pack and had thoughts also. So lesson with Key centered more on the rider today. Great lesson, new understandings. Didn't realize I was overweighting inside stirrup on circles causing horse to fall in and disturbing my upper body position. When I shifted weight more equally so many thighs improved including lengthening thighs.

Gallop!

Thursday lovely relaxed grooming in barn at liberty...Try and I. Lookin forward to relaxed easy day. Went to her newly mowed pasture and took off lead for Try to graze or whatever she wanted while I set up question box and got saddle etc out. Try got worried after awhile and began galloping hugely all over the place. Played catching game and we got back together on line but she was still very emotional and powerful. Switched to 22 foot line and played circling game...wild and emotional until I asked her to quit when she was starting to tear up pasture. Went to round pen but by the time I got there she was calmer and trying to figure out how to please. Don't remember the games. Left, saddled up, still emotional trotted and cantered until she was calm. Then back to the barn for full spa treatment bath. I was particularly struck by what a powerful horse she is!

Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesday was lesson with Alie. Exploration of things we can do together to improve my riding and horsemanship. Played with standing in my stirrups, 2 point for strength. Next time perhaps ride with Alie circling Try while I ride for strength. Then Alie was impressed with Try's powering up thru top line and stretching in the canter.

Next hack ride with Keystone: walk/trot/canter.

Wednesday:
light hack with Try in the ring.
Big ride with Keystone going for stretching in the flexion and being able to change direction in big figure eight with a slow, smooth transition on my part so Key could maintain the flexion. Important is right rein and energy/impulsion. Got longer, better maintaining and Key was relaxed.

Monday phone coaching with Dan

Phone coaching July 9, 2012 based on my issues below and most generally my guilt over studying with a nonParelli instructor.

Several revelations:

Purpose: My learning riding with contact from Kathy is purpose for the horse. Pat and Linda are learning from others and continually redefining and adjusting their idea of what PNH is. Thus I can certainly do this as well. As Dan says “Good horsemanship is good horsemanship.” Also as I say “I can’t learn to ride with contact from a dvd.”

The topic of teaching the horse to take the contact (i.e. Game of Contact): Try will take the contact from me and Keystone does not. Having the horse decide to take the contact and control it may not happen for every horse. Some may not get the idea and human will be maintaining the contact. Keystone has had very different experiences than Try and may not care in the same way and has a 23 year strong habit of expectation.

HQ yield and Try—it is in her nature to do it when asked but not offer it as she has a habit of minimum effort—doing what is easy.

Z5 driving: good to do this on a regular basis i.e. going where she wants to go until any negatives associated with driving are erased from Try’s mind. In fact, lead line is great info—is the horse with you, light, leaning, going ahead, lagging behind?

Catching game:  My awareness now in a different place. Horses want to know: do you even know what is going on or are they being ignored in a rude manner. Horses and humans are so different. Humans ego-centric thinking about me. Horses are hyper aware of the herd instead. So when we show that lack of awareness horses know it. (And I might add, some horse/human relation is aware but could be based on fear—Bill Scott, etc. and this is NOT what I want. Intense connection) ASK DAN

Another source of guilt for me has been neglecting “task” on the road to level 4 on line and liberty. I have been using ground games as 1. Fun and variety for us both, 2. Warmup for riding, and 3. Attitude adjustment as needed. We have been playing in Try’s field with toys etc and just allowing it to happen—either of us might suggest the game, get something and move on to another game.

Dan says this is another plane of WHY are we doing it. The above purposes being good purposes and perhaps more meaningful to Try. i.e finding mental and physical readiness. This is not to say that task is thrown out the window—task is important to me for purposes other than l4 or just because its on the todo list.

Try offering, cueing from intention without realizing I am doing it are steps toward UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE not something to feel guilty about. Good subconscious or even unconscious purposes.

Keystone: ok not playing THE SEVEN GAMES—we are doing what we do from a Parelli perspective of relationship, caring and respect.

catch up

Tuesday: lesson with Alie and BA filmed. I learned--if Keystone isn't thinking with me and is resisting having good impulsion in the trot we aren't going to accomplish anything.

Wednesday: 4th of July, did not go to barn--dogs kept me up 1/2 the night and I wasn't able to focus.

Thursday: I played with Try--fun stream of consciousness games on line and liberty in her field with toys and then lots of bareback canter in the ring. I chose the ring because Try would get to ride with Devon and Roy.

Friday: BIG lesson with Kathy and Keystone and BA filmed. It was a really good lesson and we cantered for the first time. I want to take careful notes from the video and post them. Keystone was in and out of lovely gaits, contact, flexion and my being able to ride on a loose rein while he maintained self carriage. Did not get to the "buckle" like last week.

Saturday: in the field with Try and Peggy. Peggy did great at working on her seat and not using the reins while riding Parelli patterns.

Sunday: did not go to the barn--freezing corn.
Monday: personal catch up day at home.

Monday

Nice ride with Keystone and then Try. Hot, humid and whacked out after.

Keystone: walk for foot falls, trot freestyle and contact, canter with simple changes bend, shift, leg.
At the end some nice contact/flexion and then self carriage on the small circle.

Try: on line games--circling, sideways variations, etc for connection as she was cranky about tacking up. Then nice walk/trot/canter. Worked on canter on balance point in dressage saddle.

July 1st--starting a new quarter.

The past three months I had two clinics with Dan and one with Marie. The big news was having Keystone and Try and lessons with Kathy. I am really seeing the learning starting to come for us.
Comments for photos below written by Kathy and photos taken by Kathy in lesson June 29. I audited Linda Parelli's Game of Contact course in Ocala and have studied the GoC pack. However, being able to have the one-on-one coaching from Kathy who is both knowledgeable and whose classical dressage principles are in keeping with Parelli philosophy is incredible.

This is a nice first level frame and more importantly he looks happy to do it.

Beginning to yield and stretch down into bridle.

Very nice animation and the level of energy is obvious.

Good stretching into bridle, needs more energy for better engagement.

 Self carriage and stretching into longer rein, good frame for a high class hunter.

Reward for a job well done!!

Kathy posted these photos at Sand Savvy site and several great comments that made me feel really good: "You and Keystone look great in the pictures Kathy posted! You are a very nice rider!" Lisa. "Elizabeth, you looked GREAT in the pictures!!  You and Kathy keep up the great work." Paula. "You look fabulous! Your focus is amazing to me. It shows in all the progress you continue to make." Adelia

June 29 and 30

29th big breakthru with Keystone: self carriage and riding on the buckle

30th nice ride with Try and on line warmup