Thursday lesson with Kathy

Very good lesson and I am inspired to review all previous lessons notes and summarize to super charge study this summer.

Wednesday

mostly dwell--just a few minutes of concentrated liberty. We started with draw and pick me up for sticking together--she crowded me so we started over and she fit her withers under my hand BUT it would have been better if I drove her away and then started over instead of stepping aside. Then we stuck together and she did not leave. Then sideways away was ok and I asked from intention for sideways towards and she started to bring her front end so I drove that and asked again and she sidepassed nicely to me. Then we began the circling progression and in a couple minutes I could stand still and she would circle me at about 6' away at the walk and trot. This was an easy day to build relaxation and confidence before dressage lesson tomorrow.

Finding MY Boss Mare

How to be Effectively Positively Assertive:

1. It may involve bringing up my life and energy and could involve facial expression
2. It may or may not involve upping my phases
3. Negative emotion that comes up on my part--identify quickly and calm/relax.

More than anything my desire is to cue lightly, softly, relaxed, nearly invisible and have that dance lyrical look while being effective and having Try tuned in and responsive.

Film myself
Be creative in planning to avoid repetition as that makes Try happy.
Watch Adelia's video again
Find video of lyrical leader: linheartshorses L4+++

Tuesday

groom, liberty sticking together plus short range circle game, riding in the field, online circling game, canter/walk figure 8 pattern in the ring, shower, graze/dwell

Today we followed up on things from the weekend:

1. In the back paddock, I was able to invite/turn my back and hold up my hand and she walked into place putting her withers under my hand. We did stick to me and she did not leave. Then we did the transition into the circling game at about 5' away from me. Try absolutely got it on what we did in the Saturday liberty session but I was not surprised!

2.The riding in the big field. She was lovely and calm and we played with "where is Try thinking" little taps to walk on a straight line and circle and slower/medium/faster walks. Then trotting--jog/medium/fastish. Canter we did several laps both directions again playing with varied speed working on rhythm. At this point she got antsy and quit listening the circle/drive HQ method worked for awhile then I felt her thinking ugly thoughts on how to challenge me.

3. So went to the ring, allowed Try to canter on line a bit to get it out of her system and went back to the final task--playing with canter walk transitions on a figure 8 pattern and Try offered them at a canter nice and calmly.

Funny Photo

Williamston Clinic Friday-Sunday

Friday Riding Session with Gretchen:

Falling leaf for right brain and left brain horses: send on the circle to get rhythm. Use stopping for RB horse and keep the horse going for LB. Be sure to bring up life and really cue HQ/FQ--using my energy not necessarily higher phases.

Circle to sideways to squeeze then HQ/FQ to repeat games 6/7 the other direction: again good for RB horse or to get concentration.

Mounting cue the front end

Walk slow medium power/fast with rhythm/relaxation

Trot same but ??opposing gears turning in sync with Try’s hip/shoulder movement. Really trotted out--good for Try.

Canter patterns starting with trot first

Bow tie: direct/indirect rein and set her up for new lead

Figure 8 usual cantering the circle and walking the straightaway

Reverse that and be careful to get the correct lead sit on right hip before circling to the rt

Try has a right/left imbalance that shifted in different tasks. Front back imbalance in that she is so much looser in her HQ than shoulders. Responds to cueing more/easier HQ than FQ. Typical for LB horse.

Ask ing for canter is different for finesse than freestyle?

Saturday:

am: watched Dan and EHA/Moore Stables/Kathy Glielmi students: made a note to play with Try on exercise where I set my focus on a straight line beyond Try' FQ or HQ or whatever and walk straight to it without wavering and she has to get out of the way. This would be good for establishing myself as the boss mare as learned in the afternoon liberty session

Liberty with Gretchen: join up and circling game and learned about being the boss mare. Adelia posted great video of this session for me.

Sunday:

Using where is Try thinking and changing the thinking with tap on other side for straight lines and circles then played with it for haunches in and out and shoulder in and out and half pass. Then went for easy ride around the area.

Kathy's notes on my notes from the last lesson:

1.      Try was sluggish in the beginning and we went ahead and cantered at 2 point to gain some energy. 

(Whenever a horse feels behind the leg and in asking them to become more engaged and forward, they do not respond or become more sucked back, going to a canter will often help loosen them up and build more energy.  It may also blow off emotion or anxiety the horse may have.  Then we try to keep the energy of the canter and let it drive the trot.  Sometimes this may have to be done a couple of times before the horse is willing to give the energy willingly.)

Friday Try was raring to go, had more energy than usual in the beginning.

2. Then we did walk then 1/4 turns on both HQ and FQ and KEEP walking on both sides. A new pattern as we generally do them in place from a halt. 

( one side is going to be easier than the other, so we work both sides to build muscle so we can help the horse develop more symmetry carrying a rider and learning to move more fluidly. Eventually you can do 1/2 turns at W-T-C)

I was amazed that Try had this right off the bat at the walk. At the trot we needed more swing of the shoulders and Try heavy on the reins. I was my cueing to be lighter.

3.      Then we repeated that at a trot as a turn on the HQ to lift the FQ.

(This is also known as squaring the corners of a circle and helps the horse lift the FH and swing the shoulders in the direction you are traveling.  Eventually this is an exercise that can lead to pirouette.  In jumping, riders use this to lift shoulders and swing into a turn in a more balanced way.  So many riders allow the horse to fall in with head & neck turning out and rider falling in.  This makes the horse  unbalanced and not ready for a proper take off from HQ engaged and pushing & lifting the horse over the jump.  In jumping it is called a poor man's pirouette))

4. We used partial displacement of the HQ to slow a choppy trot when going downhill especially. 

(Rather than slow & steady the trot with half halts in the reins, we used the partial displacement to ask Try to slow & steady the trot as she was falling out of self-carriage.  A week or so ago, you were lifting the rein to try and hold her up in balance.  It was not comfortable for Try, same with a half halt with the outside rein.  So as Try was taking direction but was above her happy rhythm, I suggested you use a partial displacement.  You had some trouble with it but was more successful this week :-) )  We are moving forward and exploring what helps Try the most in understanding what we want.

I used this once going downhill and it was effective.

5. We used cueing the outside shoulder: ??to steady her in her gait.

(When Try tightened in the outside shoulder, it changed her stride (shortening it)  I had you tap her shoulder to encourage her to reach and swing the shoulder again lengthening the stride and evening the

stride.)

I need help in identifying the problem so I can correct.

6. We used cueing with the outside leg for ?? more energy and to ?? 

(The inside leg is generally used to ask the horse to shape around that leg.  It is also used to cue lateral movement and to help move the horse's balance to the outside aides and stand up balanced.  The inside leg can also move forward to correct an inside shoulder falling in or moving shorter_ locking shoulder.  The outside leg is more about going forward and helping the horse get comfortable in moving in a stand up balance.  It can stop the horse from using drift or lateral movement as an escape. It also helps shape the horse around the inside leg by influencing the shoulder or HQ as needed.  Of course all must maintain forward attitude.

7. Try and I stretched in the canter for the first time and it helped so much to find a nice rhythm.

A horse should be stretched in all 3 gaits as it helps build topline and lets the horse explore balance in motion.  As a relaxed horse naturally carries it head a bit forward and neck out stretching the horse forward & down in all 3 gaits Helps them relax. After we used combing the reins, I asked you to begin to offer her an inch of rein to see if she was willing to follow the bit down and forward as you gave.  Eventually, you can stretch the horse to the ends of the reins, BUT,the more you stretch the horse down, the more engagement you need to help the horse maintain their self carriage and lift in the topine.  The power you get can be a bit intimidating to some folks not used to the feel of  real engagement.

I remembered to get a good trot--shaped--before asking for the canter. I was able to ask her to stretch a bit and also loosen the rein a bit and maintain gait/self-carriage--briefly.

8. I do not need to use the big exaggerated fluid rein to ask her to stretch.

(No, but if the horse is blocking the energy at the withers, it is a good tool to use to loosen them up again.  We have actually done this before with Try and very successfully with Key.)

 9. When she begins to stretch in the canter, I can feed her just a big of rein to see if she will maintain self-carriage.

(Offering rein, a bit at a time, to stretch the horse, OR offering your inside rein by pushing it quietly forward, like a release, is a test for throughness of the energy and self-carriage.  If the horse maintains the gait & tempo without change, you've got it!!!  If the horse changes anything of falls out...start over.