Saturday - Devon day 4 - mostly

Although I am sure there was lots that could be improved upon and I kept the corrections in my head to use as needed--we did it. Warmup walk/trot, nostirrups, 2 point, double and triple posting and canter. Long grooming session, dwell time and shower.

Wanted to play with Try on sticking together but spent 2.5 hours with Devon. Try was lying down in her stall and I went in and gave her carrot pieces.

Friday - This n That

Try: groom, played out back with sticking together and push passenger etc then shower. Devon--groom.

Today I had intended to get a short clip together of sticking together 101, as I had learned it for Helene as we seem to be very much on the same wave length with developing draw/rappore tho with very different horses. I am impressed with Helene's dedication to Tango and her aptitude for horsemanship: Tango is more extroverted than Try and has situational fears from his rescue background. Try, as an independent LBI who was obedient but not all that bonding--we learned the sticking together game in October 2010 from PP Dan Thompson. We could already do a version of stick to me but the underpinnings were missing--it was sorta obedient but definitely not very responsive.

sticking together 101 basics:
1. Hand on Try's back in zone 3 or 4
2. LIFE UP
3. Focus and point
4. See if she will move off and, if not, use PORCUPINE game not DRIVING by pushing my hip into her hip to cause her to go and then allow and follow her. Of course an extroverted horse may move off immediately.

This was the go-to warmup for Try and I for a long time but neglected recently. After seeing the video I made today, I definitely will be playing with this one until I get a video I like--i.e. with some true syncing.

Anyway the idea is to have Try bond and accept my leadership because I am accepting and mirroring her first.

1. Follow Try and truly sync with her matching her energy, her body position, foot falls, everything I can.
2. When that becomes connected between us, THEN we can trade leaders back and forth.

3. Look for relaxation and that this is something we are doing Together not TO her. She is perfect and beautiful. Lighthearted and/or a Jim Carrey sense of fun on my part to avoid getting direct line.
4. Later still can add changes of direction, change sides, play with different energies, gaits and body parts.

I am playing with Karen Rohlf's Natural Dressage materials this summer and am currently focused on relaxation, a loving tone and doing together so this is a great exercise for us.

Ok so here is what I see happening in the above video in mostly chronological order:
1. Try knows the game and anticipates when I put my hand behind her withers and walks off without my asking. It is good that she knows the game and leads but caveat: she does like to be in control and take over games.
2. I got tense and direct line when she did let allow me to set up the beginning steps slowly and in order as I wanted to do.
3. Try does seem pretty relaxed tho she got cranky when I corrected her and I am supposed to be following and not using the driving game at all when I am following.
4. My stick isn't neutral.
5. I back up as she backs but I am not in sync with her foot falls.
6. I look down but more than she does.
7. I have more energy or a tighter energy in my body than she does. I can really see my concentration in my jaw.
8. I do have some synced steps and it looks better.
9. We both get bored and start alternating leaders and part of the time I am no longer touching her.
10. I had one very sudden halt--not good.
11. When she chooses to go sideways, I am struggling to sync.
12. I lead and we change sides a couple times.

Of course, the corollary to sticking together at liberty is--can we sync with freestyle riding passenger game--with or without a bridle I thought we could demo the position. Again this is about matching and mirroring in every possible way. (The end of the video I was reviewing turning my body with my head in line rather than leading.)

Thursday lesson with Kathy - relaxation--mine!

We talked for quite awhile in the beginning and then relaxation--primarily in MY body became the theme.

Discussed:

1. Liking the Karen Rohlf materials and the loving non-adversarial tone carried throughout. That Try reads my intent which would be to help Try, love Try, enjoy our time together.
2. Relaxation exercises from yesterday--desire to be relaxed in the canter--Try and I had success Tuesday except coming off the rail.
1. So my thought was to do small circles in every corner--relaxing in my body etc.
2. Kathy also suggested counter bends on the rail then off the rail then true bend and leg yield back to the rail.
3. Asking Katie to video tape in the future.
4. Kathy is up for our playing thru the Karen Rohlf materials together--discussing, illuminating, applying, etc. I saw this as a bridge between freestyle and dressage but now see it instead as a method to improve my part of being a good friend to Try.
5. Told Kathy about Try's huge commitment to sticking together without the join up after cantering etc.
6. A priority for the day for me was to improve my position with open chest and quiet, nicely used elbows, arms, hands etc.

Things I learned:

1. When I lift my leg or even use my leg to cue, I have the tendency to stiffen my upper body. I want to have a better independent use of my leg from the rest of my body. Also my weight aid should come first then leg aid which should be stronger than my rein aid.
2. Goal remain relaxed and square in my position.
3. In turning I still am turning with my head and have homework to do porte de bras to change a habit.
4. Canter: inside hip firmly down--truly on my balance point and drain my energy when Try picks up speed going down hill.
5. At the trot Try is already realizing that she can maintain quality going downhill without my lifting the rein.
6. Trot: exhale on every stride.
7. Downward transitions: exhale and take my time remaining sitting and then pick up the trot for canter to trot transition.
8. MY RELAXATION: what body part is tense/awareness while I ride etc.

Wednesday - Karen Rohlf study continued

I have decided to go thru the book and dvd step by step this summer working through the exercises. I love the very light, spiritual, loving tone of the material and think it is just right to keep my focus on what I truly desire: to help Try be fit and happy and to learn about helping a horse to develop biomechanically in a manner that is pleasing to the horse.

I am starting with the exercises 1-4 this week: relaxation. Have taken a pretty good stab at them, re read and reconsidered and can take them further.

1. Observe with out judgement--this was the hardest lesson for me. And true to PNH it is easier for me to describe Try's emotional state than her physical biomechanical use of her body.

2. On line circle: Can I walk closer and farther away from Try as she maintains the circle--yes.

3. Can we melt to a stop on line? yes at a walk and easy trot. ??what about canter what about liberty? what about other games i.e. figure 8?

4. Riding can we melt to a stop? Same yes if a walk and relaxed not very energetic trot. What about while cantering?

Tuesday - Try - sticking together breakthru and shoulders

When I arrived I took a few minutes to watch BA warmup Devon: His trot quickly went from slow to more energy, tracking up beautifully, suspension and lift and loose shoulders. I thought that about Try's trot in comparison--that she has to work hard for less result.

Saw Try and she really didn't want to do anything in the beginning. We walked a little but hung out and watched Jen's bareback jumping session with Brandon--really impressive strength. The walked with follow my focus/straight line/where is Try thinking. Then built to jog alternating with trot and Try was really in the mood to use less energy. Then trot serpentines with bending in the turns to work on my position and cueing and loosen Try's shoulders. 

Next canter on the rail 2 laps concentrating on my sitting deep as top priority. Interestingly Try had a nice relaxed canter--perhaps a bit draggy but only got hard and on her forehand when  I asked for a turn off the rail. Hmm--next time it would be great to repeat with circles in the corner and check to see if she is falling in and how quickly we can relax. Perhaps bareback also.

Also I would like us to ride in Ollie's pasture playing with lifting the forehand going downhill.

After cantering Try's energy was up and we played with the figure 8--bending the opposite way to go to the next circle. (Karen Rohlf exercise for suppling shoulders.) It took Try awhile to relax after the canter and concentrate again but we did it.

Then in the center of the ring: backup, sideways and spins using her shoulders--she lifted her shoulders like never before almost like a reining spin. Leaving that area she picked up an energetic trot and I said great you want to trot lets go--she did so then decided that was enough. So we went to the rail for shoulder in (rail shoulder forward) once each direction.

Then to the round pen to finish: Lovely big immediate trotting stick to me and she was really stuck. Sideways away and toward also. Then shower and finish.

So true

Monday - Try and Devon

Try:

We began with grooming in the back paddock. Try had ant bites and really enjoyed my currying them. Then I decided I was emotionally strong enough to go back to Boss Mare and tried out the straddle the pole task right off the bat. She knows it and she did it but I truly see a pretty relaxed horse who lacks much commitment to the task. Perhaps tomorrow I can go back to Gretchen's sticking together into Boss Mare/Stallion?? Also I didn't think I was nagging/overcueing but I bet if Try were truly motivated/commited rather than fairly obedient,  I could point to the pole from 20' away and she would go straddle it.

Here I am working on sitting the canter--why is this more difficult with shorter reins?
Also getting a couple steps of shoulder in--I would actually call it outside shoulder forward.

GOAL was to videotape and observe Try without judgement a la exercise 1 of Karen Rohlf.
My observations--Try's attitude is fairly positive in the straddle the pole and some opposition in the riding. She does not appear scared and is sweet much of the time. Her gaits show a lack of commitment but she has more energy that just shuffling along. We circled on line and her trot and canter looked similar to riding. It would be good to repeat this exercise testing for communication, what happens when I ask for more energy, etc.

Exercise 2: with on line circling will she maintain the circle if I move closer and farther away from her and the answer today was yes.

Devon Day 3:

Today I worked on my form and strength. Follow my focus was way better. I was expecting to keep having to ask him to go forward and in fact was overcueing him and he was fine.

After the warmup I worked on 2 point with an emphasis on feeling the ball of my foot solidly in the stirrup. Then did double and triple posting and single posting to FEEL the position and it was way better. Also no stirrups and next time I will do it right after the warmup. Canter laps also--he picked up the canter easily and next time I will keep the long big kiss and experiment with how much leg I need.

Downward transitions for next time: Take my time with the cueing of legs neutral and sitting deep to see if he will make the transition from body weight alone.

Corrections to make: open chest, hip angle, feel solid in the stirrup. QUIET hands.

Devon video:

Kathleen Glielmi to Dan Thompson Dan, I wanted to ask you about my trying to have Elizabeth ride on the bosal to take the bit out of the equation. I had thought of a side pull as being a bit more direct to bend the horse rather than the bosal, but Parelli doesn't use side pulls. Cindy Sydnor had some pics of a newish horse she is training and she uses the Mickelen (sp) bitless bridle. The pics have her riding with a snaffle, but I know she has posted about riding bitless. I can think of some folks who would freak at the thought of doing that...like the bit gives you complete control of the horse...wrong!!! EP rides in halter & bridleless, so riding in the bosal was no big thing. But she found she really had to apply pressure to get her to bend at first. I think it was new to Try as she began to get a bit softer towards the end. We did get longtitudenal flexion for the first time which was a plus and using a lift on the downhill slopes of her field, Try lifted her shoulders and maintained self carriage & the quieter canter tempo.. I was hoping for this and that Try would be softer and more stretchy in the canter, because EP still guards her back in sitting the canter so Try feels mostly hand. I watched a DVD by Karen Roelf, who was connected with Parelli before Walter Z came into the picture, and liked what I saw of her horses in the bosal. It was what I'd like to see in any horse.
So, any advice on pursueing this approach? Try might have been a bit sore from the knots in the halter when a more physical bending was used at first. I did rein isolations laterally & longatudinally before and during the session to show Try what we were doing.

Mon 24 Jun 2013 at 10:17AM - Comment - Report - Like

Griffin Griffiniv likes this

Dan Thompson Hi Kathy, big picture wise, the soft hackamore (rope), and the snaffle, are more about lateral flexion and shaping. The hard hackamore (rawhide), and leverage bits, are more about direct flexion and engagement. If the horse is not willingly turning loose and allowing us to direct them laterally, we haven't earned the right to ask them for engagement. This is a big part of how we choose, what we choose to use for tools- it depends on our purpose in the moment. As far as side pulls, etc, if it fits our purpose and is not contradictory in itself, ex: a mechanical hackamore, I'm fine with it as long as clear, fair communication can occur. Any new tool that we introduce will have a learning curve for the horse.

Mon 24 Jun 2013 at 11:53AM - Report

Kathleen Glielmi I get the soft halter = lateral flexion, which we have on the snaffle. It was interesting when she began to give longtitudinal flexion at the trot while engaged; it was a soft release of her jaw and poll with alot of lick & chew. i didn't know if she was resistent to the lateral flex because this approach was new to her and because EP's leg was not as effectiveas it is other times as this was also a new approach for her and it takes time for the rider to process. I wanted to see if taking the bit out of the canter work would help them communicate better as her tension would not be transmitted through the bit. Try has been giving her better places to sit but she needs to be able to deepen her hips to talk about the quality of the trot, the engagement and self carriage. We have been getting some nice sections of the canter where the stride, swing of shoulders and stretch into the bridle are there. I'd like to see these go for longer periods on both their parts. My not being able to get on and school Try sure puts a crink in things. We have talked about having Lisa come work some canter with Try and then put Ep on to feel the difference. So am I working in the right direction or shoul I rop it for now? The time before, with bit, when we had good results, Try was pleased with herself and came in licking & chewing with wonderful expression on her face.

Mon 24 Jun 2013 at 02:44PM - Report

Friday - study - Karen Rohlf video and book

Oh I yearn for the creativity and improvisation and easy fun as an underpinning to learning!!

Today--see video excerpts--riding with Parelli halter not bridle/bit.

1. We got a fairly swingy trot
2. We reviewed shoulder in (not neck in LOL) and that is homework for me to do using the rail or poles set up to make a rail. On a circle the outside shoulder is more forward. We did this to loosen Try's shoulders.
3. At the end we got some vertical flexion at the trot.
4. Used suspension rein (don't raise my shoulder) going downhill and she maintained the quality of the trot without falling on her forehand--seen clearly on the video.
5. Cantered each way: my challenge to sit it even when rough and on the forehand to use my weight aid to engage HQ.
6. My position: chest open, falling forward, did funny things with arms/elbow/hands more so than usual working to get response from Try without the bit.
7. More homework: Karen Rohlf book and video.

Try: gets the award for stretching in the canter. 

Online was a good grooming and later shower plus grazing.

Ride: 1. We did walk til she blew plus my matching/syncing with her walk and trot.
2. Played with getting good energy--ride out at a good trot then drop to wp jog and repeat.
3. Pattern: figure 8 with contact working on myself--weight more in outside stirrup in turns, straight line, half halt and use my shoulders to turn then bend on the new circle.
4. Canter laps with contact and stretching--I was able to sit it meaning she was using her HQ so much better and she licked and chewed and was happy. used holding legs to slow once or twice.

Devon: Day 2 Not as good as yesterday. Devon gets award for enjoying grooming so much.

Good grooming and later shower and grazing went well.

1. Warmup at walk and trot went well--including follow my focus tho too much nagging. Tempo of gait ok and bending in corners with outside let good. Lost it with 2 point and especially the double trot when I took my focus off him and onto myself he began testing me with LBI tricks i.e. not maintaining tempo in the gait and weaving on and off the rail (not following direction). Then my position would get worse and we would have to stop/walk and begin again. Finished tho by going back to basic trot and walk.

Day 1 - Devon

Everything means something.
LBI: treats and rest
Be careful of my energy level

groom: curry w/mitt all over (no ears), bush, mane/forelock/pick feet
tack up: sq pad and eng pad, his bridle, throat latch loose 1-1, 2-2 2-3, 3-3, lesser spurs, bridle after he takes the bit lift up one ear at a time
on lead line: jiggle L/R if he stops, mounting-hold mane

walk: on the buckle slow for one lap, establish the habit of following my focus rather than weave too close to rail and off the rail--use leg to move him. 2nd lap pick it up a bit--watch for him to blow (also poop)

trot: again slow to begin with and go to loose rein rather than the buckle as we progress. bend in the corners using outside leg, then inside leg after the turn to get back on the rail.

cluck and jiggle legs for trot; slow kiss and outside leg to cue the canter

variations for trot: double and triple posting and 2 point, build no-stirrups posting trot
if something is off--walk and then begin again.

canter: 2 point and sitting; Devon gets a bit revved from cantering like Try and comes down to a big trot. At this point good to slow that trot and be careful of my energy level.

After: shower all over every time (no ears), treat rain rot, towel head legs and belly and graze in the shade for 10-15 minutes.

Kathy lesson summary

Homework

Videotape

Downward transitions using HQ

Dan’s rhythm—follow Try, sync, my legs in trot

Half halt: abs first, sit deep then reins to engage HQ/slow/alert to transition/stop etc

Canter—stretching, self-carriage –do it in the ring on the rail. Bareback?

Elbows—stay close to my side and they cue Try not my hands

If Try inverts: my reins come up with her maintaining contact until she decides on the better deal

Outside rein to help rebalance Try

Be careful in turns that my weight is balanced—more weight in outside stirrup better than inside/falling in

Change habit of lifting leg to cue

OK to use holding legs to cue slowing the gait or reset

Moving out to go forward—at canter if need be and repeat if need be

Can use carrot stick or orange hay string to work on my hands/elbow position

Practice getting contact and vertical flexion fairly quickly

Frequent changes of rein and shaping and patterns as warmup to gain good gait then contact/flexion

Turning: turn my shoulders to turn: Turn half halt to warn, go straight, then turn my shoulders

Keep reins from slipping through my fingers

Reins short enough to motivate Try to find the good deal

For HQ—ride uphill in Ollie’s pasture

Lengthening the trot: increase my energy and hip swing in post—followed by relaxation back to working trot

Stretching in all 3 gaits and then test self-carrriage.

Strategies

 

Short and choppy, fast, emotional:

Slow up in my body

Bending and laterals

Outside rein

½ halts

Post hard

Relax myself

Too fast: slow my body, abs out and post slowly

Sluggish and slow

Swing in hips in posting

Outside leg

Move out long lines canter

Laterals and bending

Partial displacement of HQ

Downward transitions

My energy, weight aid, sit deep, core (1/2 halt)

Engage to a stop

Inside leg cues

Shape

Cue laterals

Rebalance

Move balance to the outside

Outside leg cues

Going forward

Stand up balance

Prevent/stop escape in drift

Assist in shaping around the inside leg by influencing the shoulder

Keep forward attitude

Goals

By September, improve my ability to identify a good rhythm by feel.

Videotape and study

 Downward transitions on the HQ—understand and be able to influence

Lovely swinging rhythm—tracking up

Supple balance of HQ/FQ

My Position

Stretch quads before mounting

Pelvic swing in posting trot for more forward impulsion

Hands close to each other—thumbs, light fingers

Elbows close to side and do the cueing

Do not lift my leg to cue

Warmups

My pilates

Walk til she blows

HQ/FQ on the ground

HQ/FQ in the saddle

Ride out for energy

Dan’s passenger/rhythm

Sideways and backing

For My Strength

No stirrups

Dan’s rhythm

Two point/standing

Bareback

Patterns

I am not yet able to do patterns while maintaining contact/flexion/ and quality of gait. To begin it is wise to pick large patterns without too many quick changes of rein at first. Also it might be a good idea to establish the pattern at freestyle first.

½ halt, go straight then turn shoulders

See book 1001 patterns

Canter patterns: bowtie, figure 8 variations

Cloverleaf, serpentine, circles, zigzags, S shapes

Walk and ¼ turn on haunches and forehand and keep going; repeat with turn on haunches at the trot

On the rail go into a circle w/HQ yield plus small swing of the shoulders across until I get parallel to the rail and then leg yield back to the rail (lesson 6)

Walk, rising trot, sitting trot, walk. Do first with working rein to loosen shoulders etc. Each go add a bit more contact/flexion. Let go myself—relax—muscle memory. Reins need to be short enough.

Sideways around the barrel

½ circles on and off the rail

Ask Kathy

Review leg yield, renvers etc for cueing

Trot on the spot

Inhale/exhale for upward transitions

Sideways around the barrel

Saturday - Employee not Leader

Today was day three of stick to me into the circle and it was not a good day!
1. Me--low energy, nagging
2. Try bored and messing it up

Gretchen said Try views me as an employee not a leader and I see it. Glad to finally be able to video and study tho Adelia posted Gretchen teaching me.

For the next session:
1. choose a different game, particularly one that is simple and that she knows
2. life up, wait, be particular
3. be prepared for join up session
4. film and see if there is any improvement

Thursday lesson with Kathy

Very good lesson and I am inspired to review all previous lessons notes and summarize to super charge study this summer.

Wednesday

mostly dwell--just a few minutes of concentrated liberty. We started with draw and pick me up for sticking together--she crowded me so we started over and she fit her withers under my hand BUT it would have been better if I drove her away and then started over instead of stepping aside. Then we stuck together and she did not leave. Then sideways away was ok and I asked from intention for sideways towards and she started to bring her front end so I drove that and asked again and she sidepassed nicely to me. Then we began the circling progression and in a couple minutes I could stand still and she would circle me at about 6' away at the walk and trot. This was an easy day to build relaxation and confidence before dressage lesson tomorrow.

Finding MY Boss Mare

How to be Effectively Positively Assertive:

1. It may involve bringing up my life and energy and could involve facial expression
2. It may or may not involve upping my phases
3. Negative emotion that comes up on my part--identify quickly and calm/relax.

More than anything my desire is to cue lightly, softly, relaxed, nearly invisible and have that dance lyrical look while being effective and having Try tuned in and responsive.

Film myself
Be creative in planning to avoid repetition as that makes Try happy.
Watch Adelia's video again
Find video of lyrical leader: linheartshorses L4+++

Tuesday

groom, liberty sticking together plus short range circle game, riding in the field, online circling game, canter/walk figure 8 pattern in the ring, shower, graze/dwell

Today we followed up on things from the weekend:

1. In the back paddock, I was able to invite/turn my back and hold up my hand and she walked into place putting her withers under my hand. We did stick to me and she did not leave. Then we did the transition into the circling game at about 5' away from me. Try absolutely got it on what we did in the Saturday liberty session but I was not surprised!

2.The riding in the big field. She was lovely and calm and we played with "where is Try thinking" little taps to walk on a straight line and circle and slower/medium/faster walks. Then trotting--jog/medium/fastish. Canter we did several laps both directions again playing with varied speed working on rhythm. At this point she got antsy and quit listening the circle/drive HQ method worked for awhile then I felt her thinking ugly thoughts on how to challenge me.

3. So went to the ring, allowed Try to canter on line a bit to get it out of her system and went back to the final task--playing with canter walk transitions on a figure 8 pattern and Try offered them at a canter nice and calmly.

Funny Photo

Williamston Clinic Friday-Sunday

Friday Riding Session with Gretchen:

Falling leaf for right brain and left brain horses: send on the circle to get rhythm. Use stopping for RB horse and keep the horse going for LB. Be sure to bring up life and really cue HQ/FQ--using my energy not necessarily higher phases.

Circle to sideways to squeeze then HQ/FQ to repeat games 6/7 the other direction: again good for RB horse or to get concentration.

Mounting cue the front end

Walk slow medium power/fast with rhythm/relaxation

Trot same but ??opposing gears turning in sync with Try’s hip/shoulder movement. Really trotted out--good for Try.

Canter patterns starting with trot first

Bow tie: direct/indirect rein and set her up for new lead

Figure 8 usual cantering the circle and walking the straightaway

Reverse that and be careful to get the correct lead sit on right hip before circling to the rt

Try has a right/left imbalance that shifted in different tasks. Front back imbalance in that she is so much looser in her HQ than shoulders. Responds to cueing more/easier HQ than FQ. Typical for LB horse.

Ask ing for canter is different for finesse than freestyle?

Saturday:

am: watched Dan and EHA/Moore Stables/Kathy Glielmi students: made a note to play with Try on exercise where I set my focus on a straight line beyond Try' FQ or HQ or whatever and walk straight to it without wavering and she has to get out of the way. This would be good for establishing myself as the boss mare as learned in the afternoon liberty session

Liberty with Gretchen: join up and circling game and learned about being the boss mare. Adelia posted great video of this session for me.

Sunday:

Using where is Try thinking and changing the thinking with tap on other side for straight lines and circles then played with it for haunches in and out and shoulder in and out and half pass. Then went for easy ride around the area.