Sephira changes -
- moving toward more confident and dominant.
- Reactive mostly in the wash stall/cross tied, showers--does not like being sprayed.
- She used to be reactive to grooming and is now much more relaxed.
- Also the lack of reactiveness means she feels less extraverted.
- I am confident that it will take a good bit to get her to explode with something new on the ground AND she is pretty much not concerned by any of the riding she has experienced at Rollover. I do think a big ol' exhausting hunter hack and jumping as a regular thing could make her really grouchy.
- My riding lately has been walk/trot laps on the big rail as a warmup--patterns with bending in the dressage ring, playing with rhythms and for me gaining confidence especially in the canter which is quite lovely.
- She will make downward transitions from my intention as that is her preferred direction!!
- I do feel I need to be careful not to make her dull and uninterested. I keep debating how much to up the ante. Just up my energy level and Jim Carrey devilishness? Higher phases--On line start to ask for more energetic stuff??
- Riding I have MH's help to find the balance. MH REALLY likes Sephira for natural talent, prior training and knowledge and lovely willingness and happy in sessions. Issue: should I include occasional rides for Sephira with MH as a treat/something different??
On Line assessment:
1. Friendly game--she isn't afraid and is relaxing more. I want to be more observant now as to degree of relaxation from which method.
2. Porcupine game--yes FQ/HQ circles and getting the idea of getting good steps and fairly soon likely to be true turns on the haunches and forehand. HQ yields are easier than FQ. Backing--she doesn't like as much--dominance--but she is getting the idea more and more. From the chest and from the nose coordinating the steps with my fingers R/L. Head down for bridling/haltering: she is more likely to offer this for haltering than bridling. LOL Using Parelli approach of porcupine phases on top of head will not work as she is incredibly taller than I am BUT lower phases from below with halter/lead or visualize and ask her with loving energy to match my head lowering or having a low cookie will work fine. Higher phases offend her.
3. Driving: I can drive HQ--sometimes it is an escape rather than confident. FQ--we are just starting to get this. Backup--it takes a wiggle from the wrist and maybe elbow but sometimes from my energy/body language/intention.
4. Yoyo: Her draw is way stronger.
5. Circling: I want to get Marie's help with the send as Sephira and I know different ways to ask for the send. Circling itself--gait transitions up and down are easy. The bring back--I haven't gotten the idea across that my looking at her HQ means yield HQ, halt, turn and face and ask for permission to come. We are starting to get some nice changes of direction on the circle.
6. Sideways on the fence: played with it just a little FQ/HQ etc and then a few sideways steps. As dressage horse I don't know how much she did a true sidepass.
7. Squeeze--she is not claustrophobic about tight spaces--don't know otherwise. She can be hesitant about unknowns i.e. no desire to walk on the tarp--nose, neck and one foot.
Sticking together: on the lead line easy to match walk/trot/halt--backup takes a reminder.
Figure 8--we will have it when our change of direction on the circle is more solid.
Touch IT --if there is a cookie there--she doesn't understand the concept
Pick me up at the mounting block: this is a big priority for me now as she moves her HQ away from the block and I feel sure she is saying I don't want to do this. Actually--we noted before in photo that she was even going internal when someone was getting ready to mount. I have started standing on both pedestals and rubbing her in zone 3, leaning on her in zone 3, then walking away with her and repeating. She gets a cookie for a successful mounting and bop with the baby carrot stick for moving HQ. ??????????
However I still don't feel any of this makes any sense to her--she is thinking about this I guess in a way that doesn't make sense to me or doesn't compute for her.
Riding: Now that I am feeling more confident about the basics I am starting some pre-dressage basics in lessons with MH. I asked for help and got it in having consistent nice rhythm in the walk and trot and for help in improving upward transitions which came from having more forward energy before asking. Also enjoying bending in patterns: circles, serpentine and cloverleaf--shaping her from my body--not using reins--adding straightness through my leg. MH and BA say prevent falling in with inside leg to outside rein BUT do I even need rein??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6Q0XDop_8 8 minutes--5 minutes walking then trot on circle--fast forward to 7:15 for serpentine
Plan to continue above and alternate with days of simple hack on the rail. Explore safety issues in riding out in the fields. Don't know about that yet?
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