Thursday

Big Day

Try and I started the day with grooming hanging out and light preps for lesson with Kathy. I thoroughly enjoyed Try's company. In fact I have been enjoying being with her all week.

Lesson with Kathy: I asked for help in setting me up to improve trot rhythm when its just Try and I:

1Getting a good rhythm at the trot

General

I want a lovely swingy trot at a good tempo with emotional balance

Warmup on the ground—HQ/FQ, mental connection

Warmup in the saddle—tea for two etc brief

Film, assess 1-10 and go thru mental list of what to do

Slow sluggish trot

Not using HQ

Use long lines or canter

Use intensity to wake up

Outside leg to go forward

Move HQ with stck

Laterals and bending

Contact—especially outside rein and short enough rein to encourage HQ use

Fast, chopping trot

Inverted—not using HQ

Use shorter lines and circles

Relax myself especially as the trot improves

Contact especially outside rein, and outside rein to slow—little halts

Slow up in my body

Bending/HQ/laterals

After the lesson Dawn and Hilton joined Try and I and we went for a 40 minute trail ride through the woods and around the property. Try was lovely and relaxed and helped Hilton to relax.

Dawn planned to ride Keystone in the late afternoon session where BA would be showing Forrest to a prospective family.

Wednesday - Keystone and then Try at Cottonwood

I got to the barn early and groomed and did light hack with Keystone. He had a lot of energy and seemed to feel good--I forgot to take crop and only needed to bring my energy up at times to get a good speed. For the most part pretty nice rhythm but I would like to film this to see it.

Then Bethanna and I loaded up Try and Forrest and went to Cottonwood to ride in the indoor in preparation for BA possibly taking Forrest there on Thurday. (Folks coming from TN to look at him and if running late might need the lighting in the indoor.) Anyway, Forrest was nervous and took time to settle and Try was not RB at all but very curious and aware. We began on line and she was distracted, looking around and why not? Then we rode for some time walk/trot and played with phases in cueing, transitions and patterns as well as asking for some contact/flexion. Then canter which was difficult to sit deeply in the dressage saddle. We finished with walking through the big open jump course with lots of obstacles and Laura joined us. I was glad for Try to have the chance to go some place different.

Tuesday - Try and Keystone

My first day back riding Keystone after getting him stabilized and comfortable. Groom, light hack WTC. His trot felt good and canter on the first side but tracking right was uncomfortable for him for perhaps the first 20 strides. Followed by a full spa bath with Bethanna and I "double teaming" him. From muddy and brown to white and sparkly.

Try: we repeated on line games from Monday. For sideways on the circle we got a few steps. For S bends I worked on my foot pattern and falling leaf Try REALLY had it--when she saw me start to put the stick under the rope she moved her HQ then shoulder and made the turn. The challenge now will be to progress or put to purpose the game. Also have begun asking for FQ draw from intention.

2013 February 18 Dan Thompson – Try

What we did on line:

Sideways on the circle: we kinda mushed around with this—no problem with 360 just not straight so Dan stepped in. What I saw: LIFE UP at phase 1, holding Try really close (I never, ever do that), phases—same as Sunday. Phase 1 lift stick, 2 small circle, 3 broad strokes toward flank, 4 tap flank and phase 4 is whatever it takes for Try to care. We then got 4-5 really nice straight steps. I had been creating a not good pattern by accepting the lack of straightness. It made a big difference that, although Try wasn’t making a big escape with the shoulder (versus HQ lagging) when Dan backed her just a bit when he felt a bit of escape happening. IMPORTANT

S bends—WOW I learned that I had been adding in a cross step that blocked the flow of the movement: I can work on this with and without Try and also film myself to change this pattern in myself. Note: S bend at a canter will result in flying change/ canter in falling leaf will be simple lead change

Falling leaf: More WOW. I was cueing the change of direction from zone 1 (which later could be good/more advanced/can lead to roll backs). Dan taught Try very simply breaking down the steps of moving toward her HQ to get her to face up enough to redirect—move into her shoulder. I want to film this also to check that I am always stepping forward.

What we did riding:

I asked about cueing from intention while riding. Dan said in effect that cueing from intention is body language so my weight aids are phase 1. So plan is to take session where I do very simple things and ask for clear phase 1 then go up in my phases appropriately to start teaching the refinement. We played with this is S bend and falling leaf—can Try turn from my upper body? Yes BUT it took big movement in my torso—start with baby steps and not worry about rider biomechanics that she should turn from eyes/focus or shoulder until we are ready for that further refinement. Eyes, belly button etc. Do in my body what I want her to do in hers—means also be clear about what I am doing in my body so as to not miscue and confuse.

Then offensive sidepass. Lift inside rein and shape with outside leg and stick. We did this from a diagonal and also from sideways and then Dan helped us until Try got it—we got a couple good steps and sideways most successful way to start. This is engaging the HQ not escaping like in regular sidepass.

Sunday Level 2 Workshop

Feb 17 2012 Dan Thompson L2 clinic with Kathy Cheever, Lisa Graf and Paula Salter:

The workshop had already started when I arrived. I took a few notes—primarily for myself to apply to Try and I. It was a great session and I wish Try and I could have participated.

YOYO:

find my focus. This is an active game but not chasing body parts. For me find the focus I forget to look beyond Try into a point in the distance—she is good about fixing it for me tho.

Backing in the yoyo—I settle for less than a snappy backup—I generally do this during quiet warmup time and I need a snappy warmup if I want a snappy backup.

Sideways on a circle:

Check are her front feet escaping, if so backup. Try should learn her front feet won’t move as much as her back feet. When the front escapes, the horse is not playing with you and not turning loose of her HQ.

Phases: 1. Lift stick, 2. Small circling, 3. Sideways motion toward flank 4. One side slap i.e. phase 4 is whatever it takes to cause her to care.

Impulsion game: the horse’s brain is running away and physical self is trying to catch up. Need to go long enough that horse will ask to do less.

Note: holding the snap

To advance the game: start with one good step, then several, then farther away on the circle and then trot

Match my shoulders here is just a little to cue direction but not so much as to disconnect with the horse.

Sideways game without the fence: i.e. follow my focus

Strong focus on where we are going and don’t chase body parts

Escape forward backup, backward—lead forward

Impulsion game—play until horse quits running away—escaping not just when she does the sideways task sorta ok

Not critical being particular about precision

Do both sides Ha HA

3 words for level 1: Just keep playing—sooner or later one or the other of you will figure it out—versus giving up too soon and horse learns the pattern of not doing it.

In beginning, human may have to work a little hard, can refine later.

Always ok to chunk down into simpler pieces where horse and human can be successful.

Horse who wants to face up? Here is good use of backup—how good is your backup

S bends i.e. draw

This is still about hunt for my focus, matching and mirroring like riding—do in your body what you want them to do it yours.

Change sides when you get two eyes—one a circle not figure 8—push shoulder and watch for impulsiveness

We are playing with communicating with our body language and developing physical flexibility in the horse.

We are starting with the HQ and not the head. Begin at that end to turn loose, then ribs, then neck progressing from back to front.

Pressure on the HQ can mean many things: go faster, powerup, power down, shape

Check human’s feet go backwards in S bend—its draw.

Advance: take it to a trot.

Falling leaf at a canter becomes a simple lead change—S bend a flying change

Zone 5 on the rail

Tango!!

Tango – February 17, 2013 – Session 1 with Dan Thompson at Wind Drift

From Jenna: Tango was found—no owner claimed him with cuts and scars and terrified of anything around his rear end—lots of scars there perhaps he got caught in barb wire. Generally he likes humans but is currently not adoptable because until his HQ fears subside he is not rideable. Also he has to be sedated to have his feet trimmed. Tango is beloved by Jenna, her volunteers and especially Helene, who is fostering him and will be paying his feed/farrier expenses at Equidae farm near where she lives (Brices Creek area of New Bern). Helene has been playing with Tango using natural horsemanship knowledge she obtained from a friend in Florida before moving last summer to NC.

What I thought going into this: I had watched video of Tango and the green ball. I saw a horse who while not fully relaxed was also not really fearful. He was also not all that interested in the green ball, much like my horse Try. LOL I thought from what I heard that he could become fearful around his HQ but he did seem like a basically left brain horse.

My thoughts going into the session: The fact that Tango had changed homes last weekend and was being trailered to another facility, working indoors and separate from other horses I expected some nervousness but hoped it would be more like the level I saw on the video. Helene walked Tango outside and then inside at Wind Drift before the session started.

My plan: I hoped to gain connection with Tango through the catching game. Then lots of friendly for relaxation and testing how he felt about his HQ. Then porcupine/driving for HQ. Also a goal for me was playing with a different horse to build my self-confidence.

Well at first I was totally clueless as to how to start with Tango. His level of lack of confidence/fear was scary to me and I basically wimped out with being too gentle etc which did not help. (Horses view that as predatory—feel my lack of confidence and trust in them.) At that point Tango was 80% focused away from me and perhaps 20% with me, if that. Dan took over and did some of the back to the wall extreme friendly and Tango was totally able to handle that. I watched and realized that I could surely do that as well.
In fact, given the level of apprehension over his HQ and innate LBness, what really worked for the session was for me to do things really big. High phases and Tango did care really quickly. This was a bit of a shock after phases with Try getting lighter and lighter—working from body language, intention, mind reading etc. The higher phases (match/mirror plus 4 ounces) made Tango less nervous.

After the back to the wall extreme friendly I was able to use looking at his HQ to get change of directions and he began following me, stop, backup as Dan had done. Thus the beginning of Tango having caught me and some connection.

I can’t really remember all we did but everything was leading up to the following:

Tango being able to stand still and tolerate though not truly relaxed.
Tango being able to trust having Dan lift his hind leg as if for the farrier.
Steps leading to saddling and mounting.

Some tasks used for this included the following:

• Lots of extreme friendly including Jack Daniels, skip etc
• Testing: yoyo—is draw or drive easier, left side/right side, move FQ/HQ
• Impulsion games: goal to tolerate, stand still
• Falling leaf--drive
• Swinging the rope over his back
• Rope over his hind quarters (loop in middle over back) and when he circles I move on the circle with him. Note: he was too concerned about the rope to care if I looked at his HQ.
• Zone 5 walk with him on the rail—me closest to rail to begin with.
• Dan stroking his legs and lifting hind leg—rubbing start with left hand on rope and test then switch
• Teaming up: I stroked FQ with 2 hands and Dan played with HQ.
• Remember to sing, whistle—I got predatory/focused on swinging the 22’ rope (stretch in out behind me to throw it—practice at home on fence)
• Mounting and saddling: 6 swings of rope before 3 swings of saddle pad before saddle – each step must be relaxed before going to the next step. (And we never saw relaxation today.) Then arm over his back with some weight, jump up putting weight on him, rub him with my leg etc.

Stay with it til it gets done. 

Some photos posted at the USERL NCCC site by coordinator Jenna Suares:

Further comments: Refinements on falling leaf, Z5 driving repetition was fine--did not need to fix Z1 coming to me, on picking up hind leg--Tango is happiest with having the inside of his leg rubbed and Dan picked up leg from the inside first. Dan will likely play with Tango again in March and thinks changes can come quickly.

Monday:

Dan said that he is confident Tango can get over his fears fairly quickly and be rideable again. Dan offered to donate an hour on his next visit to play with Tango!

With Tango in the beginning it was important to catch his attention, “catch” him mentally not physically. This was ok without a round pen and having him on line as we were able to keep slack in the rope.

When the issue is fear based we need to use approach and retreat the example being the specific HQ fears that Tango has.

However his initial impulsiveness/fear was situational and helped by using big phases in the extreme friendly game to catch his attention. Then as an innately left brain horse, Tango was able to say OK I can handle THAT.

When beginning with a horse I need to have a plan within thirty seconds to set the tone, gain connection and set us both up to have a successful session.

For horses often intensity is the enemy—we have to prove to them that intensity can be ok.

5 confidences

Environment (issue for Tango in the indoor), humans, other horses, learning situations and self-confidence (HQ for Tango)

Real world farrier prep: When a farrier trims a horse’s feet there is often someone holding the horse and this can be threatening—like humans are ganging up on him. So Dan and I used the team approach while Dan rubbed Tango’s leg and picked up his foot.

We're back

I was out for nearly two weeks with ??bad cold??
During this time I got to the barn a couple times with carrots for Try and Keystone. Try at liberty offering HQ draw from intention.

Friday:
First day back after being out with ??cold or whatever it was. Try and I played in her pasture a little first. Liberty: she is really taking a step and stop and repeat of drawing HQ from intention. I decided to test it and asking for sideways away, then towards, then HQ only towards and she really understood the difference.

Then went to the barn, groom tack up in dressage saddle for a little review. A little sticking together and engage to a stop and some HQ and other games on line.

Then saddle up--she cleverly avoided picking me up at the rail to mount--came in too far in front of me and then walked off. That kinda set the tone for the day. Easy walk/trot til she blew warmup and she blew quickly. Then did Kathy's walk/trot/sitting trot/walk pattern for rhythm and relaxation and downward transitions using HQ--several times adding in contact. Stopping in between for carrot slice and rest. Also inbetween various HQ/FQ isolations.

Then left the ring for a little passenger ride up the road and Try got emotional so we played the circling from the HQ game until she eased up. All in all Try was not with me from mounting up to this point so we went back to the ring.

Dismounted and played a few circling game variations: rhythm, bending on the circle, matching gaits. She came at me one time with ears pinned--haha game on!!  Really sent her on circle, she raced around and I stood super relaxed. She stopped suddenly and faced and asked and asked to come in, licking and chewing. I had to decide whether to continue with circle but decided that purpose of circle was the attitude adjustment and since she offered that game should be over. We left for the barn, cleaned up, blanket back on and grazed on the way back to her pasture.