Sunday with Kelly Sigler

Sunday: Magical wonderful breakthrough day!!

The quintessential moment for me was the time Try and I went over the lengthening trot poles and we were together in huge, powerful smooth trot.

More on this as I get my thoughts and Kelly's notes together.

However, Jolene posted this on ParelliConnect this as and it is a great summary of much of what Kelly said Saturday:

Jolene McDowell 1* Junior Instructor said Another WONDERFUL day with Lillan 3*: Lillan Clinic - March 8th and 9th - The Art of the Warm-up: A session should consist of a 1) warm-up, 2) teaching session & 3) cool-down. Linda went overseas to teach a L4 class and asked the students to... moreAnother WONDERFUL day with Lillan 3*: Lillan Clinic - March 8th and 9th - The Art of the Warm-up: A session should consist of a 1) warm-up, 2) teaching session & 3) cool-down. Linda went overseas to teach a L4 class and asked the students to warm-up. She watched as for over 2 hours her students did everything they knew and had ever seen and the horses were then too tired to "learn". At the end Linda committed to teaching "warm-up". The goal is: Calm, Connected & Responsive. You should be focusing on one of these three. Warm-up isn't over until you have all three.
The Horsenality determines which of the three is harder to achieve. With LBE's it becomes about responsiveness. The do things but not what you want, when you want. Create yes's & harmony by tricking them into thinking you are asking for it when they are getting ready to do what they want when they want. Example: If you see them getting ready to run, point that way.
RBI's it's hard to get them connected. It becomes challenging because they aren't entirely calm or responsive. Look for them to blow out. When they're balanced they are mentally emotionally and physically engaged and ready to learn. The more you can get them to cross their legs (sideways/disengage the hind quarters) or touch it, the better they do. Be soft relaxed yourself. Get them walking with their noses on your shoulder, have them wrap around you, with soft ribs.
RBE's struggle for relaxation in movement. Smooth relaxed figure 8's work really well. Calmness is their challenge. When you get them calm they are responsive. Yo-yo's turn them off.
LBI's: responsive responsive responsive is what's difficult for them. You have to get to their MINDS: Use soft, different phase 1. Transitions on the circle allow them to feel harmony with phase 1.
To test all three: Check for responsiveness: transitions on the circle. Calmness: the head is below the withers with licking and chewing and consistency of gait. Connection: how little does it take to get them to come to you?
Left brains (LB's) are about responsiveness, RBI's are about connection, RBE's are about calmness. RB's process in the moment of silence. LB's when they are moving.
Remember: MIND-FLEXION-WEIGHT-FEET? Ask and when you feel their mind respond RELEASE or you teach dominance.
Linda's Ladder for Brace: 1) steady rein, 2) relaxed rein (where you turn their nose slightly to the outside and keep it there til they let go), 3) partial disengagement down the rail, 4) hind quarters disengagement & go the other way.
Principle to Purpose: too often we get stuck on principle. Take it to purpose.
Thump-Thump: hair (MUST be hair) first time, 2nd time twice that energy, 3rd time twice that energy, 4th time twice that energy. There shouldn't be a phase 5 or you are nagging.
Plink-plink-plink is light, annoying tickle on the hind-end. You may see the tail twitch. That's good. It means you're annoying. If you do too much and a LB is saying "NO", the hind end goes UP.
Zone 5 to create curiosity and to connect. Zone 4 if it's a respect issue.
Ask - - - release - - - allow. We keep the ask going instead of releasing, which dulls them or confuses them. If we ask allow we get their minds. RELEASE TO THE TRY!!!!

Kelly Sigler Saturday

Kelly Sigler 2013 3 9 Saturday: freestyle riding review

Sideways towards on 2^nd side—lift stick no string and draw
Backup: rhythm, also draw and everything on line and liberty: RHYTHM
Calm, connected, responsive

NOTE: my draw is stronger than my drive.

Rein Positions--Phases for brace/relaxation:
Steady rein is phase 2—weight stirrup just a touch is phase 1
Relaxed rein—no leg--tip head only
Partial disengagement
Full disengagement—Try was helped to relax most by full disengagement

Turn: outside arm and wt inside stirrup

NOTE:  Try gets emotional w/drive/new learning/pressure/loss of control.
Light feel: rein comes up thru hands to me, thumbs hold!!!, walk—row w/arms, trot hold and use relaxation techniques. If relaxed and not moving forward—tap shoulder wait ct of 3 and double tap etc. RB horse not moving forward—tap HQ. Note: we had a few good strides of canter.

Getting ready for clinic

Wednesday was outrageously cold and windy--gusts up to 45mph and wind chill of 10 degrees or so. Yikes.

Thursday: My intention was to ride Try and Key but did not feel well and decided to take it easy with clinic weekend coming up.

Try also was cranky when I took her inside to groom/tack up. So we went back to her pasture and had a nice long laid back liberty session mostly focusing on cueing from intention of drive and draw of FQ and HQ and sideways away and towards. Also sideways on the circle and online for falling leaf and S bends.

Clinic flier--signed up for both Saturday and Sunday am sessions--Try and I riding with Lisa.

Catching up

Saturday and Sunday:
Try lame with heat in left hind foot. I was worried, fearing another abscess and missing out on upcoming clinic with Kelly Sigler. Monday Try was better. Tuesday no heat and we did a light walk/trot hack and no stirrups posting trot for me. Also review stick to me and a 360 sideways on the circle--with HQ lagging twice.

Monday: Keystone: nice ride WTC. Focus on downward transitions--my position and use legs hugging to sit back deeply. Treat at the mounting block to make the atmosphere more positive. Canter--on balance point.

Thursday we saw some improvement

Try

Sideways on the circle:

Thoughts I wanted to consider:
1. backup if needed--didn't really use this

2. phase 1--this looked good--life up and 4th go life down cued Try to stop

3. real phase 4--I tried this-1st go was one for nothing messy, 2nd go used sideways slap and she reacted. 3rd and 4th go straighter and 1/4 way around the circle. I think she may be beginning to figure out that HQ has to move faster than FQ

I was pleased to see improvement.

Riding: Rhythm and Vertical flexion
I did not videotape this--nice warmup of walk trot--getting rhythm at the trot with long rein/contact but not asking for flexion. Then walk/take break and go to trot with shorter reins, used bending and laterals and change of direction. Got pretty good one side, then better on the second side then good enough on the first side to keep it around the ring. The best part to me was my remembering what to do for sluggish trot and choppy emotional--the latter I only saw once. Then when inverted to avoid the bit/flexion I remained steady and she gave. We're back.

Wednesday

Try:

Repeated three games in muddy ring after big day of rain yesterday. Some improvement.

Sideways on the circle:

Goals
1. Move Try backward just a bit it she is escaping forward
2. Use phases 1 and 4 especially and remember 4 is something that will make Try care
3. The release teaches.

What happened: 
I did use backward, and some nice clear phase one--other phases not so clear, nagging and she didn't care about the phase 4 I chose. But the task itself was a bit improved. Also I kept doing the task without improving and without a clear ending.

S bends:

Goals
1. Warmup extreme friendly, Simulation: moving backward and changing hands gracefully
2. Modern dance slice for Try to match my bend
3. Dance

What happened:
1. Good warmup and silly simulation
2. I remembered my body position some
3. I was dancing and sometimes smooth even at the trot
4. We were able to do walk and trot--what about canter? hmm

Falling Leaf:

Goals
1. Simulation for walking forward and changing hands
2. Walk toward HQ and FQ
3. Keep walking and no silly trotting by me--looks ridiculous

What happened:
1. Off camera a lot
2. Simulations need work
3. I did remember walk forward and drive HQ/FQ but not smooth and graceful
4. Got off pattern in going toward HQ/FQ--ask when she passes my belly button??

Keystone: walk/trot and no stirrups. 

Afternoon went to see Helene and Tango.

Monday

Try:

On Line:

1. sideways on the circle
2. throwing the 22' rope
3. S bends
4. falling leaf

1. Sideways on the circle: remember about phases especially phase 4. Remember little backup for a FQ escape.
2. Throwing the rope: much better
3. S bends: how about dancing them, alternate walk and trot, flow, smooth change of tools: modern dance spin position
4. Falling leaf: you must walk forward into her HQ/FQ for this to work, modern dance spin position to ask Try to match to get bending and good HQ steps/engagement.

Riding:

1. Tea for two: how light is light
2. Trot: quality of rhythm improved and I remembered what to do but no flexion because of not asking and not staying with it and quitting too soon.
2. Offensive sidepass: 1. bend head, 2. my focus, 3. move dem HQ!! Stay with it intensity is our friend.
3. Canter: she is 4 beating and trotting behind. Need a snappy warmup.

Keystone:

Easy start, friendly in the pasture where he was lying down, grazing on the way in groom, etc. Easy warmup walk and trot then because his trot was looking really good played with contact and flexion. We got it quickly and he looked and felt good. Then I worked on my tendency to overcue change of direction. I learned I need to make a new habit in use of spurs and that Keystone likes me to widen hands slightly to cue him to maintain flexion.