Thursday last day with Dan at Rollover

2014 2 20

TRUST MYSELF

I want to truly accomplish small very do-able goals and I absolutely have all the knowledge to do so.

Misc. thoughts to begin the day on Thursday

·       Do not make Try feel wrong when she is unconfident.

·       Changing me is the issue—go slow, step by step cueing, FEEL not think

·       Circling game clean up—open the door

·       7 games clean ups—review cueing etc./clarity

·       Learning the many ways I am unconsciously rude to Try

·       To some extent I feel my 3.5 years with Dan has been frivolous as compared to MH and BA this week—there time with Dan is providing a FUTURE for young horses. In comparison I am to some extent just contemplating my navel.

·       

      The news this week of osteoporosis in my hip is likely a game changer and I need more information but surely need to be even more careful especially when I am in RBE mode.

·       Dan and the babies—teaching them that intensity can be ok—not every horse owner, however accomplished at riding and physically developing a horse for sport, is trained to do this. Bethanna, however, can likely do much of this—has the timing and ability to read the horse. She has not known as much as she would like about fixing on the ground to insure her safety in the saddle and has turned to Davo to help. BUT through all the explanation from Dan is likely set up now to do this for herself, with what Roscoe needs at least. I suspect she learned the most the past three days of all of us.

·       BA, MH, Dan and I had lunch and enjoyed being together—we have never done this—we are always busy and all about business!

My session with Dan and Try on Thursday

—again about basic 101 riding cueing!! I suggested help with cueing laterals from body shape/weight/seat and that he feel to take the time to talk about it with MH and Kathy (my two dressage instructors) who were watching!! Kathy and I have already started talking and thinking along these lines to some extent.

Backing—so cueing for backup from wheelbarrow backing game:

1. Life up--go slow so it can register—attenshun —(visualize for me so Try can read my intention)

2. Back in my body--again slow, distinct step—the direction Try is backward

3. The time to begin is now: Porcupine touch with one leg and release, again slow and clear

4. Repeat with other leg

5. repeat legs

6. if she wants to go forward instead of backing--lift the rein--do not pull back to cue a backup

7. Day 2—reviewed and she had it from the first leg touch and then from my seat.

Now—21 days to build a new habit for me—I MUST progress this with distance, speed, pattern or ?? or Try as LBI will hate the repetition I need to form the habit

Also I have to read Try constantly and quickly—is there a lack of information and understanding? Teach. Or is it a LB druthers or lack of attention then control or reinforce. I can annoy her with my stick and Dan says my arms and legs are sticks also. It is NOT ok to let Try blow me off!!!

Thursday going on

Forward—

1.     Life up—tenshun—(visualize for me so Try can read my intention)

2.     Seat says forward without closing my hip angle (thank you Kathy!!) And it says only that the direction is forward?

3.     Touch says now it’s time to move

4.     This was even easier than backing

5.     We progressed this to use seat/1/2 halt to slow up the walk. In the future we can play with this to both slow and speed the walk. (I did not take the time to go through the steps slowly and carefully in my mind and body and it didn’t go as well.)

Laterals/Turning—match and mirror

1.     Straight on the circle/turn

a.      This is what I have been doing with Kathy—

b.     we do NOT need reins and I do need some leg to say what shape and size of the circle ONLY because I am not careful to teach in my body the amount of straight turn determines the circle.

2.     Bend in my body

a.      (not turn in my body with straight torso)

b.     Modern dance spiral

c.      Had to keep correcting myself

d.     Yes Try would respond and turn

e.      I wasn’t really paying attention to the difference in Try’s body

f.      By really sitting deep using leg/lifting rein and holding rein we got some nice pivots on the HQ

My aversion to contact at all. I love to have Try stretch and to come up through her topline. It is important that that happen from what happens in my body rather than fingering the reins on contact!! Dan said thinking of horse and I get higher and shorter—my paraphrase. Using my body to cue, as a former dancer, is much more natural to me than reins. How close am I to Try and I being able to match and mirror in this way? 

WHY do any of this stuff anyway??

1.     On line and liberty

a.     For a mutual need for fun and freedom

b.     To alleviate fears Try or I may have: ditch/gate

c.      To check connection and readiness to ride (i.e. good attitude, not safety LOL)

d.     To practice or review a concept to promote understanding in the saddle i.e HQ yield

e.     Periodic clean-up of my skills

f.       I have no interest in PNH as such only where I see that it will promote my understanding and thus relationship.

2.     Riding

a.     For fun, freedom, release, yawhoo, not thinking—as ½ of what we do this is a big need that both Try and I have and we can't be happy without plenty of it to balance the precision!!!!!!

b.     Precision riding

                                                    i.     At present spending the majority of our time breaking down, practicing cueing, Both Try and I enjoy precision but repetition quickly gets boring for us both without progressing it to have new thoughts and problem solving.

                                                  ii.     I have no interest in dressage as such—only as it helps Try and I relationship and fitness. I have no interest in any competitive discipline.