Wednesday before the storm

Crazy windy day. Glad Try is so sensible. We had what I think was a GREAT day--wish I had videotaped.

Lengthening the trot: thinking uphill until she offers to stretch--YES
Shortening the stride/coming up thru topline when I do that in my body--YES I THINK SO!!!

Very quick groom. Finished with grazing up the drive.

Watching Scale of Training dvds

Scale of Training

·       Test from the walk to the trot is Try using her HQ or falling onto her FH?

·       Leg yield—do not bend neck with reins—use leg and if need be tap with whip just behind my leg

·       If horse is not active enough, use whip to tap tap tap at shoulder

Tuesday - Coaching with Dawn - Try and the Trot

I. The forward trot and stretching
II. Shortening the trot in my body
III. Uses of music for rhythm etc

I. Trotting forward and Stretching

• Trotting forward until it is Try's idea to stretch. 
• On the long side of the ring trot forward 
• (think uphill) 
• on the buckle 
• strong and balanced in my body--hold saddle if need be
• open and flowing in my hips
• If need be--tiny ask with reins to bridge Try's understanding that it is ok to stretch when she wants to stretch
• The minute she offers to stretch release with downward transition within the gait or to a walk.
• Be forward enough that Try will want to offer the stretch

• Snatching the reins and diving forward as an evasion
• Use sliding rein to maintain connection
• give breaks (heart rate and emotion)
• pepper it in

Videotape:

1. Try forward on the long side of the ring

2. Try stretching

3. Me combing the reins

4. Me sliding rein

5. Shortening the trot in my body

II. Shortening the trot

1. Methods that block the front end are not the way I want to go--cause tension and unhappiness for us both.

2. Linda: gather HQ and power--takes longer to get the results but I have all the time I need to take.

3. On the short side of the ring--do in my body what I want Try to do in hers. Shortening and coming up thru my torso. Using my seat and core and my energy coming together.

III. Using music

• Find music bpm and match to the desired trot
• Tempo remains constant with lengthened and shortened trot--ie stay with the beat of the music but change qualities of the movement.
• For fun play with matching the qualities of the music--stick to me game--vary the energies
• I can use music to bring out feelings I want in myself i.e. to get myself open to Try on a deeper level.

Tuesday - Coaching with Dawn - Sefira

Sefira is a collection of the attributes of spirituality (Jewish)

Plan:
Riding: Build a freestyle base or language between us before going on to finesse/dressage lessons.
1. Can we: ride on the buckle?
2. Give her a full range with her head.
3. Can I ask her to stretch?
4. Quick freestyle review
5. Consider trot study I am doing with Try.

On the ground: On line
1. The backup is the most important to me and highest priority.
2. Playing the circling game the way she knows it as a bridge into the way I play it.
3. The FRIENDLY game!!
4. Dwell time
5. Check ground manners

Upcoming week

horse development 8
rider 7
talent 23
skill 23 (includes knowledge not yet unconscious)
try 23
luck 25+

Try

Riding--still 1/2 precision and 1/2 yeehaw tho they are melting together some LOL

Precision: Still exploring the trot and beginning to watch again the Christoph Hess Scale of Training dvds.

On the ground: When we need the variety, continue to play with distance for liberty with sideways variations.

Safira

Gain confidence in the basics before starting dressage lessons.

Monday

Crazy day at the barn.

Safira
Brought Safira in from the pasture. Lovely manners on line. In the barn she got antsy and kept looking out at the ring. I groomed and was ready to tack up but a little voice said--no--get Bethanna. As Safira and I are just getting to know each other it is important to get things off on the right foot. BA came in from mowing and by then Safira had settled. The three of us started out to the ring and Safira wanted to walk ahead on line so made the corrections. In the ring she was a bit up and Bethanna helped me with some "lunging" principles because Safira doesn't yet know the circling game. i.e. moving to her neck to send and not getting ahead of her on the circle. I allowed Safira to just move her feet until she settled then played with changes of gait and she was great. Then played with yoyo game for safety and knowing we have a back up--she caught on quickly.

Next the three of us played with the concept of standing still at the mounting block as I do not want a horse who walks off before I am sitting in the saddle. Both BA and I mounted and sat several times and never had a problem. Building my confidence.

Then walk and trot transitions and changes of direction on a ?20 meter circle. Lovely, lovely trot and walk and responsiveness.

Try
Groomed and warmed up in preparation for a lesson with MH on how to get a lovely trot. Really liked the warm up--walk til she blows/passenger etc followed by Try offering an energetic walk into a nice forward trot. Then MH came out of the barn yelling that she broke her arm. Try and I ran to the barn. Then I ran to the field and got BA. Then MH and I spent 3.5 hours getting her seen at orthopedic practice--bad sprain not a break.

Saturday

Today Try and I played with the trot and filmed: see trot notes.
Also played with Nickers on line: see Nickers notes.

Thoughts about Sefira

Bethanna is now the owner of Sefira and she says I can have a free lease for as long as I want!!!
I am absolutely thrilled and filled with joy as she has the potential to be the perfect teacher for me of what I want to know now!!!

Sefira is the collection of attributes of spirituality in the Jewish faith.

1. I would like to know what her name is. LOL And any back ground--lineage, show history.
2. When I rode her she was responsive and her trot was fabulous. She is 16 hands which is a bit taller than ideal for me but ok.
3. I felt that she expected to be overcued with leg and reins.
4. She has a sweet face and I have not seen any lack of sweetness.
5.Video: Safira/Serafina
6. What I have been told--she had dressage background--upper level ie 4th level plus some Grand Prix but really burned out on that.
7. She and her owner just did not click and she sat in pasture for years.
8. Stefan as a beginning had trouble cueing her for canter and slowing her trot.

My thoughts on my approach:
1. I want her to trust me that I will do everything I can to give her a good life.
2. I need to be careful of being too sweet myself as then, if she is like other horses I have known, she will test me to see what is what. OR of course, I can deal with any negativity or opposition reflex when it comes as I have skills and I have resources!
3. I do want to explore how much of her dressage background comes back easily and she would consider fun and how much of it will bring back negative feelings. Also--a consideration--will most definitely be how much I am ready for at my level.
4. Parelli on line: most definitely I want to do this--but carefully and never overcueing--starting with friendly game and taking my time. Dwell time is a consideration and I will need to think about whether I want to spend dwell time with two huge friendly horses--Mimi being a baby. Or dwell time in other places--or go for grazing walks?
5. The purpose for Parelli on line will be connection and trust that can translate into the saddle.

Thursday - Lovely morning with Try

Try was happy to see me--almost trying to figure something out while she looked at me. Happy to come to me. Happy to be groomed. Happy to go to the ring for some big ol' trot. Happy to trot up the drive. Happy to graze up the drive. Happy to get a peppermint at the end. Happy to have a handsome new gelding in the adjoining pasture. LOL

See trot post.

Wednesday

Nickers: see her blog--big grooming and ground play day.

Try: lovely time together, quick groom, warmup in ring. I talked with MH about the trot. Then she rode Try and I posted some video on the Trot blog post. Decided it is a good idea to keep all the trot observations together.

A comment: after playing with Nickers I did the same games with Try--wish I had it all on videotape. Try was absolute magic--easy, smooth, relaxed--reading my mind--offering. I can speak to her body parts almost from intention. We are so fortunate to be able to get to this stage in our relationship!!!

Tuesday - phone coaching with Dawn

We talked for 50 minutes about natural horsemanship etc in this area of eastern NC. Some ideas for the future.

Also used the remaining 10 minutes to discuss the trot--see notes.

Upcoming Week

Horsemanship 8--embarrassed that BA could coach my on line with Nickers/Nicky but we made a good team.
Riding 7 but proud of ride with Safira

talent 23--physical gifts and way of thinking
skill 22--psychological understanding and ever growing knowledge
try 23--yes I do try hard but I get in my own way
luck 25 possibly

I Riding
A. Precision: continue a bit more to focus on quality of the trot--film myself using various methods and check to see if my feeling matches what I see on film.

II. Yeehaw--stuff Try thinks is fun, letting loose, dwell

III. On the ground  - distance
sideways or figure 8

IV. Nicky
Film ground games and edit
Figure 8 again

V. Possibly getting to ride Safira/rescue/?Parelli--philosophy for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ifxhpEBpY

Monday

Did not get to ride Try today. Played on the ground and rode Nicky--see her blog and brief ride of Safira. Tomorrow house stuff is likely going to prevent me from even going to the barn. Oh well. Looks like good weather for Wednesday through Friday.

Thoughts about the Trot

Lately my goals have been about my being able to ask Try for a good trot without an instructor helping us. That means I need to not only have "arrows in my quiver" but also I need to know by FEEL what is going on with the trot.

To me a "good" trot:

• Steady rhythm with relaxation
• Using HQ
• HQ and FQ balanced but more from HQ
• Power rather than speed/"runny"/emotional
• Tracking up
• Lovely loose but powerful feeling
• (pushing from the HQ rather than pulling from the FQ)
• Lengthening and shortening the trot
• Turn on the haunches
• HQ yields
• FQ/lateral flexability
• Start from a good walk
• Transitions: think forward to avoid losing momentum
• Even if using HQ--Try is not engaged without pickin up her shoulders
• Trot is generally better AFTER we Canter

• From Dawn: using speed as a puzzle for Try to figure out a better balance and comfort. Release comes from stretching, lengthening. Reward the release. Then back to tap/tap/tap. Freestyle with a long rein, really push forward motion. Try will figure out how to get more economical, legthen and stretch. Christoph Hess/Linda Parelli using it to teach young horses--take them too forward so they figure out for themselves a better feel and then they will start to offer it. Don't give up too soon. It may be ugly in the beginning. Play with this and film before Tuesday.

• From MH: Use lots of transitions i.e. trot walk, trot walk--that will help me to feel the trot better. Want to feel pushing (vs pulling). Also transitions within the gait. Then compress/shorter alternated with lengthening i.e. 70/30. Push out of the compression into lengthening. It is not about her head but about being forward.

Methods/Stuff that helps

Plan to video myself and speak into camera as to how the trot is feeling then go back and watch to see if what I felt matches what I see.

"Trotting" (technically a trot) in 2008:

Trotting in 2014 4 17 Lesson with Kathy:

This is a big improvement in development of Try's topline and how she carries herself and uses her HQ.

Next this is MH riding Try--2 different trots--warmup and a more shortened trot.

So Thursday--I had decided that it needed to be a fill Try's +s bucket day. Groomed then decided to ride although that was not the original intent. We took the big trot approach--see Dawn above--I am unsure but I treated it as freestyle--also freestyle in my body for the most part--don't know if that is what I should do. But Try had fun--she was happy to go and to relax. Dan always said "Try doesn't mind playing hard--just not for very long. So rather than just keep pushing her to keep that big trot we would do 1/6 of a mile and then walk 50 yards or so then go again. We did this about 3 times on each side. This just felt right. We did get one time the biggest freestyle trot I have felt AND interestingly I bet a year ago she would have broke to a canter. I can't say that it felt ugly or out of control--just really moving.

BUT if I had MADE her keep going in that big trot--would that have led to her wanting to "balance" herself--she felt pretty balanced to me--but by balanced does that mean she would have eventually offered coming up through her topline to be balanced.

Saturday: walk (tap, tap, tap, my energy, pushing with my seat), trot, walk and stretch, going forward in the trot etc. (20 minutes condensed to 3 minutes--off camera much of the time anyway.) I guess I would call this a forward freestyle trot. ??Shoulders??

1. in the walk I ended up working harder than she did--pushing with my seat and still did not get a good walk. What if I hade gone to HQ yields etc.

2. Is Try forward? yes in the trot

3. Is she happy? yes

4. Is she relaxed? I would say fired up with positive emotion but not relaxed.

5. Is she maintaining a good rhythm? no--she is not maintaining--each time she turns the corner she picks up energy. She is in front of me and then I catch up. When she rounds the opposite corner (not on video) she loses energy.

Monday April 28. Warmup only but I really liked our walk and trot.

Considering level 4

OK I went back and looked at just the compulsories for level 4 in all 4 savvies and found fewer problems:
1. On Line--45 foot line and long reins and flying changes
2. Freestyle--2' jump and flying changes
3. Liberty--flying changes and for circling at a canter I would need to move to a paddock not work in a field. Then editing between the two locations would be an issue.
4. Finesse--flying changes

Actually I feel the self-assessment check list is so different from the way Try and I are thinking. Rarely do we pick a task based on task itself--the exception is for variety--there is always a non-task purpose. Our real focus is connection and more and more subtle communication between us. I think that is level 4 not task.

Also the self-assessment two pages--I believe I would need to check off that we have mastered these tasks. Another comment--I have a number of friends whose horsemanship I admire who did not pass level 4 on line because the long lines driving seemed not to be of the quality that would have been there asking for the same tasks on a 22' line. I have to ask myself what is really important for Try and I??

BUT--passing level 4 was a dream for a long time. Try age 23 and moi age 68 have been together for ten years--we have grown together so much and have a special connection. Would passing level 4 commemorate that accomplishment or would it be harmful to our relationship?

I looked at a few level 4 youtube videos for finesse looking for quality of the gaits. Very interesting variety. One was peanut-rolling jog/lope as a 4+++ relaxed, obedient, careful. Another a dressage trained horse and I liked this one the most for carriage, using HQ etc. Then a couple western and I was unsure what was happening?? Really liked Don Halladay's as it was so solid.

What should be in MY level 4 audition?

1. Freestyle bridleless--I could redo my L3--still no jumps or flying change or I could ask for the change and let Try fix it. From leg, mind/body/energy--with string and stick but not using them.

2. Straddle the cavaletti pole vertically from 15' feet at liberty
3. ?Other touch it variations
4. Finesse trot with contact and leg yield
5. Sideways away and toward from intention at liberty
6. Short range circling at liberty
7. Circling in the back paddock at liberty w/t/c/ halt back etc
8. Trailer loading at liberty
9. yoyo at liberty cue from intention/find my focus game
10. Bring yer butt ie draw HQ only at liberty
11. Sideways over barrels at liberty from ??how far away.

Thursday - Lesson with Kathy

We had a lovely 15 minute lesson on getting a good walk and trot. Kathy questioned me on what I was feeling: pushing/pulling HQ/FQ or in balance at the walk. 1/4 turns on the haunches to power up. Trot--few strides of a really better trot and we quit on that note.

Video of few great trot strides:

See Nickers--we spent a few minutes introducing Nicky to Kathy.

Katie filmed and took a few photo--I look funny in my new visor my the helmet but if it keeps the sun off my face it is worth looking silly. We were done here and just hanging out for a few minutes.

Walk: eleven minutes

On the buckle
1. Kathy was testing me as to whether she is using her HQ or FQ more. Being in balance is better than being on the forehand but more HQ is better IF she is lifting her shoulders.
2. To lift shoulders, sit deep, abs, think that we are riding uphill. Focus

Shorter reins
1. Little whoa and little go
2. 1/4 turns on the haunches really worked when I added carrot stick
3. Then took it into the trot

Trot: 4 minutes
Trot was alternately pretty good then runny when beside stallion Richmond (Try in season). Keep my energy, post slower and heavier. Continue to think uphill. Really liked the last trot--and quit.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Catch up days--rest, perspective, relax and destress.

Monday - great day

Lovely time with Try today. It would have been day off but with rain coming we went ahead. Played with exercises from the weekend--leisurely sort of sorta hack. Nice shower. Happy horse, happy human.

Sunday - day off for Try

First day indoor for the heat for the special horses at Rollover LOL. 10 in and 6 out today--Dorrie has gone home. BA and Jocelyn taking 2 ponies to Cottonwood for schooling show.

Try was happy to leave her stall and walk up the drive and back stopping to graze.
Nickers: see her blog.

Saturday - Joey Barley

Photos: Today was a shared lesson with Stefan and Sarafina.
More later when video is edited. But we did--
Walk with leg yield back to the rail--one step forward and one step over.
Trot lengthen and shorter and also trot to one step of walk--keep mentally posting and trot again.
Canter--head to rail to ask to engage HQ. Also played with "flying" change and emotional fitness.

This was not a good day and a step back for us in a number of ways. Try got really fired up, inverted, tail swishing--in raging season with cute geldings beside the ring etc. Too bad but we have so many great days--oh well. I still had a good time and actually I think most of the time Try did too--perhaps just too much unfocused energy at times. I think the exercises fired her up BUT I worry that I was overcueing her to get the exercises right--RELATIONSHIP first--NOT. I did ask for a chance to just stop and let Try chill and she did just that.

youtube video:

Joey lesson 1

walk with leg yield: one step forward, one step over

trotting with one step of walk for timing

Joey lesson - second video

more trotting

canter departs

lengthening and shortening trotting

Friday - Joey Barley

Try and I were able to do a lesson with NC hunter trainer Joey Barley at Rollover.

Try and I both appreciated how much time Joey took getting to know Try. Also Try seemed to have fun and enjoy being given permission to turn loose.

I asked for help in being able for us to get a quality trot.

We started with the walk and Joey said it would help with Try's canter.

We walked with lateral flexion on the inside around the ring several times. Maintaining the flexion--not asking until Try softened. Then we began walking with a good energy--tap tap--and repeat asking for the lateral bend of her neck if she lifts her head/inverts. We were able to have a good, powerful walk. The test was how long could we sustain it. Then stretch and take a break. This is the new WARMUP.

Then repeat a good walk into the trot.
We played with lengthening the trot on the long side of the dressage ring and slowing on the short side. Joey asked me to cue that the lengthening is coming with taptaptap and slow with sitting deep and pressure of two legs.

He helped us to really push the lengthening as far as she could go--with a great powerful trot as opposed to a fast or "runny" trot

Stretch down and walk to take a break.

Canter lead changes. 1/2 eye glass pattern--if she doesn't get it and has a counter canter then bend her neck to the rail to fix it. Homework: take our time with this so Try can be relaxed.

For fun we finished with turn on the haunches and forehand. That was the first time I have done turn on the forehand away from the rail I think. Also Try backed up to Joey and synced with him.

We showed him a couple of our tricks: Try being my partner and getting into place at the mounting block and sideways away and toward on the ground.

Catching Up - What a zoo of a week

House renovations full tilt--roofers hammering outside, painters inside, carpenters outside. YIKES

Anyway, Thursday

Try
Grooming, easy WTC ride and nice canter, shower and dwell time in preparation for likely clinic weekend with hunter trainer Joey Barley. Try is in raging season to add to the excitement--Richmond was nearly beside himself. BA is considering adding another gate into the ring in a different location! LOL

Nickers
What a cool, sweet pony. Grooming at liberty in her pasture and she stayed right with me and was sweet as any pony could be. Catching game: I leaned back from ?30yards and said Nickers and she RAN to me. She has already learned that I am her Rollover human. Also we played some Parelli games: backup, hide the hiney, sideways away AND towards and circling. We did that on line--her pasture is a bit too big for liberty with us just getting to know each other.

Phone coaching with Dawn Roth

We spent much of this phone coaching session discussing Nickers.
see Nickers blog on tieing, grooming, face

Try
1. The energy field of a horse's heart
2. Trot and impulsion changes--see notes on trotting and short video clips
3. L4--see separate blog entry on this.

How did it go the past week?

I. Cueing thoughts to consider: best friend and bridging etc--thought about and applied. Tapping for thinking away from me/druthers--did successfully with Devon but didn't do with Try.

Thinking as we do something about refining and reinforcing--like bridging we seem to do this unconsciously. I did get to thinking about phases for reinforcing and facial expression as a phase 3/4--often this is enough. Also about cueing--keep going/you almost have it.

II Riding 50% yeehaw and 50% precision
Try got a heavy dose of precision last week. She was ok with it but I want to even things up this week.
My goal for precision is to film us trotting and check out Try's reaction to my cueing visually to see how close we come to the trot I have in my mind.

III. Distance/On Line/Liberty
I want to progress this with playing with sideways towards after sideways away to see at what distance she comes back to me on line and at liberty.

IV. Pilates dvd--did not do this--why don't I want to? Loving the zumba class for now. Continuing pilates on my own, some stretching and free weights--why not the dvd?

V. See Nickers

Monday Nickers and then Ultimate Magic day with Try

See Nickers blog.

Try: magic day

My plan was to play with the concept of distance. This was a read each other's mind, rosy glow, best friends day. I am not sure I remember what we did and it didn't matter.  First she was across the ditch making friends with Nickers...thank you Try...Nickers needed that. Then Try came to me easily, stayed with me at liberty...I pointed across the ditch and she crossed. I followed and got ankle deep in the mud. We then took our time turning some easy on line circling into looser patterns adding in gait changes from syncing at about 20 feet. Tried stick to me increasing the distance and she didn't get the idea that we could play the game any way but close...when I would turn she would stay with me.

Everything felt so light and easy as we experimented and we both felt happy to be together. From my point of view the contrast between Nickers and Try in connection, understanding and corny as it sounds...love...was astounding. So one benefit to playing with another horse is to be able to see and appreciate what you have. I want to play with filming trot but not today with it raining off and on.

Today exceeded my expectations for what a relationship and working together could ever be!!

Sunday...Try and Nickers

I got to the barn early and had time for catch up good grooming and ride Try. Bethanna was riding Serafina the new mare who has a lovely light trot with a lot of suspension...BA said I should ride her sometime to feel that trot. Interestingly Try wanted to keep up with Serafina. Also I have. Optic end lately some gorgeous trot for Try...given her conformation...how interesting.

Then Sara pulled in with Nickers. She did not stay long and conferred with BA about feed etc. while I went out back with Nickers I am happy to feel comfortable with her. I have started a separate blog for her and will eventually get it printed out as a thank you for Sara. Link to her blog at top right.

Thursday - lesson with Kathy and Try

Next ride: Set up camera(s) so I can match what I feel with what I see on the subject of quality of trot.

What we did in a nutshell--used partial displacement of HQ to power up/energize the walk as preparation for the trot and later on the circle to loosen/relax HQ as preparation to power down/lower my energy before making a downward transition to slower trot or walk.

KG- As partial displacement is usually used to slow the horse in Parelli, that is what the horse thinks the correct answer is, but the rider has to see the partial displacement as a "power up".  It is loosening the HQ & back and the inside hind is placed deeper under the body and gives deeper engagement which creates more energy.  In slowing a horse down using PD is unhooks the pushing power.  So the horse needs you to power-up and send the intent of increasing their energy.  The horse learns that there are 2 possible answers and they need you to be sending the right intent. 

I was pleased when Try decided to really speed up and go in the trot that we did not shut her down. Kathy said Try just looked so happy letting loose and I had been thinking that Try needed a YEEHAW day not a precision day.

 KG- sometimes you have "Happy Accidents" and rather than shutting them down, I like to have the horse & rider rejoice in what the horse is offering.  The rider has to recognize what is being offered and be willing to go with the horse 

Walk: alternating HQ and tapping stick on my leg to get energetic walk--she figured it out but the HQ yields in the beginning caused her to slow.

Trot: sometimes I got behind the beat/her movement--Kathy said lean forward more to get in sync.
Downward transitions--less energy for us both at the trot--then sit the trot--then ask for downward transition.

KG- bend a bit forward from the waist to help your body be more relaxed & supple and able to stay with the horse.  You can post as fast as the horse can trot, you just have to realize the horses center of balance is further forward the stronger the trot is...hence bend from the waist

On the circle outside rein gives inside leg something to push into to get the HQ yield.

KG- you want the horse to find security & balance when standing up into the outside aides.  Your outside leg is the "go" leg & outside rein can increase the half halt asking the forehand to wait till the HQ catches up and is engaged enough to allow the horse to shift weight to HQ. 

Also to get HQ yield--use leg well behind the girth to cue and if need be hold a little piece of mane to steady myself to do that.

KG- at first you may have to move inside leg further back to help the horse understand that the correct answer is to release the HQ and yield.  Stick elongates the leg if you need to phase up.  As horse understands this you can refine how far back the leg needs to go

Issue: my awkward moments when something happens and we lose rhythm--I noted that Kathy has been remarking on these and is concerned and I just have been considering it an aberration and not important. It causes a break in what we are doing to get back on track. This generally happens when I feel something happen in Try's body and I react in mine and Try reacts to that causing us to have to regroup.

I was pleased that at the end of the session Try was much happier than in the beginning.

Wednesday - Devon on a Gorgeous Spring Day!!

Brief day at the barn. Devon (16'2 very successful hunter with some early dressage training--Bethanna's show horse) Devon was in his stall as were several other horses getting ready to show or go to clinics etc. He was asleep when I got there so I gave him a treat and hung out with him a little while so he could wake up. Then a nice grooming--he is so lovely and well groomed. Made me think I should consider what it would take to have Try look really well groomed--she is shedding--her legs were never clipped and she looks a sight.

Yesterday MH had lesson with German fellow new to town and used Try for the lesson as she is so safe and relaxed. She puts her riders at ease. He had said he was a beginner--Bethanna and MH said he and Try rode really well together and that he is intermediate and somewhat the same level as Jennifer and I. He will likely ride Gretzky next as anyone can ride him and, although a hunter, can do first and some second level dressage--perhaps if that goes well even a free lease. Hope that works out--it would be fun to have him as a new boarder. There is a new mare Serafina who had a ?4th level and some grand prix level career years ago with a good friend of MH's but MH says she is sassy and does not like the upper level stuff. Apparently she has been doing nothing and unhappy at some barn so a friend of Bethanna's suggested she come to Rollover so Bethanna and MH can figure out something better for her.

AND Nickers comes Sunday. And MH's new syndicate mare arrives soon. Try will have a pasture mate and MH's yearling mare Mimi will have Serafina and the new mare. Also Bethanna and Jocelyn were not at the barn--off looking at a pony prospect. Gotta love spring and things happening!!

So back to Devon. I remembered on the way to the barn that his sweetness makes me want to be very gentle and loving but then when we get to the ring he can play tricks and test me. So I figured gentle and loving in the grooming and the minute we stepped out of the barn I changed my energy--higher energy and all business. Devon did not play any tricks at the mounting block--either moving out of place OR walking off when I mount.

I was hugely impressed that all the cueing I have been doing with Try Devon picked right up on. forward from my seat. halt from my seat. turns etc.

I kept remembering suggestions I had been given in riding Devon--I found myself getting a bit irritated at a yucky trot--we worked through it but I will ask BA what she would suggest. It takes him time to get going which is fine but it isn't relaxed and wonderful like Try during warmups.

Devon's canter was to-die-for--truly the bareback-on-the-beach kind of canter. He did not break gait but I was able to feel a slow down coming and cue him and stay relaxed about it--no effort. In between cantering directions I come to a trot. He is usually fired up and has a big powerful trot--I love it but BA has suggested not to trot as he is potentially too much horse for me and to walk until he relaxes so we did. I had to use reins a few times to keep him from going from walk to trot. After the second direction cantering we trotted a few strides and then asked for the walk and he made the downward transitions from my saying "aaannnd."

All in all, I did not have to use reins or even much leg for the hack.

Back to the barn and back to gentle energy to sponge him, give him some sugar cubes etc.

What is important? True goals

As I sit pondering starting the Savvy series on line it occurs to me why I don't want to do it (in addition to wading through material that is hugely repetitious for me tho necessary for those starting the Parelli program.)

What is the goal? What is important?

The goal is a happy, confident, engaged, interested Try who can be pleased with her life and, for me, the enjoyment of being with her and the satisfaction of us deepening the connection by using the learning of new stuff. The stuff could be anything and is not what is important.

Thus the true goal each day is to serve our mental (and physical) health and enjoyment. It is never about achieving progress as a Parelli student per se. Parelli levels/materials are secondary--stuff to do to further the relationship although they do further relationship better than other stuff ie dressage, hunt seat equitation, and western pleasure. i.e. learning lighter and lighter cueing is something that makes Try happy and satisfies my learning needs.

When Dan would come, he would always ask for my thoughts on the session and structure it to fulfill those needs. My perceived needs were about the relationship and some how never about Parelli task. That may have been the way I was thinking anyway or Dan may have led me to thinking that way over the 3.5 years. However, with psychology and social work backgrounds it is likely that I always think that way and enjoy determining what is happening as far as emotion/psychology with Try and I.

Revisiting an old post

Funny how perception and meaning changes over time. I thought about this and "best friend" mode and Try and my abilities to affect each other's relaxation and sense of well-being. I want to continue to think about this so am reposting.

Post at ParelliConnect

Jolene McDowell 1* Junior Instructor said 

"Recent studies conducted by the Institute of HeartMath provide a clue to explain the bidirectional "healing" that happens when we are near horses. According to researchers, the heart has a larger electromagnetic field and higher level of intelligence than the brain: A magnetometer can measure the heart's energy field radiating up to 8 to 10 feet around the human body. While this is certainly significant it is perhaps more impressive that the electromagnetic field projected by the horse's heart is five times larger than the human one (imagine a sphere-shaped field that completely surrounds you). The horse's electromagnetic field is also stronger than ours and can actually directly influence our own heart rhythm!

Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent" heart rhythm (heart rate pattern) which explains why we may "feel better" when we are around them. . . .studies have found that a coherent heart pattern or HRV is a robust measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy--that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.

A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adjust to stressful situations very efficiently. Often times, we only need to be in a horses presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters that serve as pain surppressors), decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning; and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy." The Alchemy of Lightness by Dominique Barvier & Dr. aria Katsamanis

My comment in January: "WHO KNEW there was some physical reason for the lovely feeling of being with a horse?"

Bridging

From David Lichman:

A secondary reinforcer is a sound, touch or action that signals to the horse the exact moment he did something correctly. It's called a "bridge" because it bridges the gap in time between when the animal does the behavior correctly, and when he gets his primary reinforcer (reward). 

The bridge, over time, becomes reinforcing in and of itself, and you don't need to use the primary reinforcer every time. In fact variable reinforcement schedules and amounts are more powerful. 

You can also have a version of the bridge that means "keep going" or "you are getting close." The bridge itself would be sharp or crisp - the keep going signal, or "intermediate bridge" would be more drawn out and said with an encouraging tone. If Jennifer Maxwell's horse knew this, she could encourage him as he's coming towards her - "good, good, good... you're getting it!" And pique his interest.

 

Tuesday - setting goals for April 1-7

How last weeks goals went:
We were very successful with distinguishing forward and back from seat cues and cleaning up sideways away and toward as we really have them.

I did not get to where is Try thinking and tapping the opposite side.
I did not stop to think much about learning/refining/reinforcing in cueing.
Also increasing liberty distance with longer ropes on line did not work out for various reasons.

Under consideration for next week:
From the dressage lesson from Kathy and comments from MH I am considering for next week:
1. quality of the trot rhythm--getting it and how long can we maintain it??
2. check circles for straightness--vs falling in or out
3. ask Kathy about how to cue 1/4 turns on haunches from intention LOL

Nickers is scheduled to come for a visit on Sunday in preparation
1. Research beginning with a new horse from Dan notes (Magic/Tango/Roscoe)
2. Begin studying on line and freestyle in savvy packs.

Also my fitness--getting back on track with pilates/riding dvd.

So for next week--I do not want to overwhelm myself with too much.

Horsemanship 8
Riding 7

talent 22
skill 20
try 24
luck 24

I. Cueing considerations:
Where is Try thinking and tapping cue.
Best friend mode.
Bridging.
Stopping to consider teach/refine/reinforce phases.

II Try riding 50% fun and 50% trotting rhythm and straight on the circle
III. Try distance on line/liberty
IV. Research at home for Nickers.
V. Fitness: pilates/riding dvd

Monday - Try was "wild"

Completely frazzled at renovations with workmen every where and left for the barn to escape.

Try was pacing the fence line when I arrived. When I got to her pasture she jumped the ditch and ran to me--way out of character. She was happy to leave the pasture and was covered in wet mud. So we spent some time grooming in a busy barn. MH was there and we decided to take advantage of the time for MH to ride Try with me doing the warmups.

Decided to start the warmups in the pasture because MH was riding her stallion Richmond in the ring and did not want to distract him. Try could not settle or concentrate and got a bit frantic so it did not work to explore the idea of liberty/distance/online.

Went ahead to the ring for pleasant walk/trot warmup and Try settled nicely. She really has the difference now in my seat telling her to go forward or back and can go from one to the other successfully.

Then tested sideways away and toward and fairly quickly we could cue one and then the other from energy and focus. Finished on line with the pedestal and cavaletti as things Try does well and sat together for a little dwell time.

MH then rode Try for 15-20 minutes. Try had not lost much at all since November! MH suggested I concentrate on maintaining a quality trot rhythm and checking Try for straightness on the circle using leg if necessary as a reminder. Also cautioned about slippery spot in the dressage ring and that it would be better to canter circles in the main ring.

Try and I finished with a shower and dwell time in her pasture. She was happy with herself and to be with me.