Kathleen Glielmi to Dan Thompson Dan, I wanted to ask you about my trying to have Elizabeth ride on the bosal to take the bit out of the equation. I had thought of a side pull as being a bit more direct to bend the horse rather than the bosal, but Parelli doesn't use side pulls. Cindy Sydnor had some pics of a newish horse she is training and she uses the Mickelen (sp) bitless bridle. The pics have her riding with a snaffle, but I know she has posted about riding bitless. I can think of some folks who would freak at the thought of doing that...like the bit gives you complete control of the horse...wrong!!! EP rides in halter & bridleless, so riding in the bosal was no big thing. But she found she really had to apply pressure to get her to bend at first. I think it was new to Try as she began to get a bit softer towards the end. We did get longtitudenal flexion for the first time which was a plus and using a lift on the downhill slopes of her field, Try lifted her shoulders and maintained self carriage & the quieter canter tempo.. I was hoping for this and that Try would be softer and more stretchy in the canter, because EP still guards her back in sitting the canter so Try feels mostly hand. I watched a DVD by Karen Roelf, who was connected with Parelli before Walter Z came into the picture, and liked what I saw of her horses in the bosal. It was what I'd like to see in any horse.
So, any advice on pursueing this approach? Try might have been a bit sore from the knots in the halter when a more physical bending was used at first. I did rein isolations laterally & longatudinally before and during the session to show Try what we were doing.

Mon 24 Jun 2013 at 10:17AM - Comment - Report - Like

Griffin Griffiniv likes this

Dan Thompson Hi Kathy, big picture wise, the soft hackamore (rope), and the snaffle, are more about lateral flexion and shaping. The hard hackamore (rawhide), and leverage bits, are more about direct flexion and engagement. If the horse is not willingly turning loose and allowing us to direct them laterally, we haven't earned the right to ask them for engagement. This is a big part of how we choose, what we choose to use for tools- it depends on our purpose in the moment. As far as side pulls, etc, if it fits our purpose and is not contradictory in itself, ex: a mechanical hackamore, I'm fine with it as long as clear, fair communication can occur. Any new tool that we introduce will have a learning curve for the horse.

Mon 24 Jun 2013 at 11:53AM - Report

Kathleen Glielmi I get the soft halter = lateral flexion, which we have on the snaffle. It was interesting when she began to give longtitudinal flexion at the trot while engaged; it was a soft release of her jaw and poll with alot of lick & chew. i didn't know if she was resistent to the lateral flex because this approach was new to her and because EP's leg was not as effectiveas it is other times as this was also a new approach for her and it takes time for the rider to process. I wanted to see if taking the bit out of the canter work would help them communicate better as her tension would not be transmitted through the bit. Try has been giving her better places to sit but she needs to be able to deepen her hips to talk about the quality of the trot, the engagement and self carriage. We have been getting some nice sections of the canter where the stride, swing of shoulders and stretch into the bridle are there. I'd like to see these go for longer periods on both their parts. My not being able to get on and school Try sure puts a crink in things. We have talked about having Lisa come work some canter with Try and then put Ep on to feel the difference. So am I working in the right direction or shoul I rop it for now? The time before, with bit, when we had good results, Try was pleased with herself and came in licking & chewing with wonderful expression on her face.

Mon 24 Jun 2013 at 02:44PM - Report

Friday - study - Karen Rohlf video and book

Oh I yearn for the creativity and improvisation and easy fun as an underpinning to learning!!

Today--see video excerpts--riding with Parelli halter not bridle/bit.

1. We got a fairly swingy trot
2. We reviewed shoulder in (not neck in LOL) and that is homework for me to do using the rail or poles set up to make a rail. On a circle the outside shoulder is more forward. We did this to loosen Try's shoulders.
3. At the end we got some vertical flexion at the trot.
4. Used suspension rein (don't raise my shoulder) going downhill and she maintained the quality of the trot without falling on her forehand--seen clearly on the video.
5. Cantered each way: my challenge to sit it even when rough and on the forehand to use my weight aid to engage HQ.
6. My position: chest open, falling forward, did funny things with arms/elbow/hands more so than usual working to get response from Try without the bit.
7. More homework: Karen Rohlf book and video.

Try: gets the award for stretching in the canter. 

Online was a good grooming and later shower plus grazing.

Ride: 1. We did walk til she blew plus my matching/syncing with her walk and trot.
2. Played with getting good energy--ride out at a good trot then drop to wp jog and repeat.
3. Pattern: figure 8 with contact working on myself--weight more in outside stirrup in turns, straight line, half halt and use my shoulders to turn then bend on the new circle.
4. Canter laps with contact and stretching--I was able to sit it meaning she was using her HQ so much better and she licked and chewed and was happy. used holding legs to slow once or twice.

Devon: Day 2 Not as good as yesterday. Devon gets award for enjoying grooming so much.

Good grooming and later shower and grazing went well.

1. Warmup at walk and trot went well--including follow my focus tho too much nagging. Tempo of gait ok and bending in corners with outside let good. Lost it with 2 point and especially the double trot when I took my focus off him and onto myself he began testing me with LBI tricks i.e. not maintaining tempo in the gait and weaving on and off the rail (not following direction). Then my position would get worse and we would have to stop/walk and begin again. Finished tho by going back to basic trot and walk.

Day 1 - Devon

Everything means something.
LBI: treats and rest
Be careful of my energy level

groom: curry w/mitt all over (no ears), bush, mane/forelock/pick feet
tack up: sq pad and eng pad, his bridle, throat latch loose 1-1, 2-2 2-3, 3-3, lesser spurs, bridle after he takes the bit lift up one ear at a time
on lead line: jiggle L/R if he stops, mounting-hold mane

walk: on the buckle slow for one lap, establish the habit of following my focus rather than weave too close to rail and off the rail--use leg to move him. 2nd lap pick it up a bit--watch for him to blow (also poop)

trot: again slow to begin with and go to loose rein rather than the buckle as we progress. bend in the corners using outside leg, then inside leg after the turn to get back on the rail.

cluck and jiggle legs for trot; slow kiss and outside leg to cue the canter

variations for trot: double and triple posting and 2 point, build no-stirrups posting trot
if something is off--walk and then begin again.

canter: 2 point and sitting; Devon gets a bit revved from cantering like Try and comes down to a big trot. At this point good to slow that trot and be careful of my energy level.

After: shower all over every time (no ears), treat rain rot, towel head legs and belly and graze in the shade for 10-15 minutes.

Kathy lesson summary

Homework

Videotape

Downward transitions using HQ

Dan’s rhythm—follow Try, sync, my legs in trot

Half halt: abs first, sit deep then reins to engage HQ/slow/alert to transition/stop etc

Canter—stretching, self-carriage –do it in the ring on the rail. Bareback?

Elbows—stay close to my side and they cue Try not my hands

If Try inverts: my reins come up with her maintaining contact until she decides on the better deal

Outside rein to help rebalance Try

Be careful in turns that my weight is balanced—more weight in outside stirrup better than inside/falling in

Change habit of lifting leg to cue

OK to use holding legs to cue slowing the gait or reset

Moving out to go forward—at canter if need be and repeat if need be

Can use carrot stick or orange hay string to work on my hands/elbow position

Practice getting contact and vertical flexion fairly quickly

Frequent changes of rein and shaping and patterns as warmup to gain good gait then contact/flexion

Turning: turn my shoulders to turn: Turn half halt to warn, go straight, then turn my shoulders

Keep reins from slipping through my fingers

Reins short enough to motivate Try to find the good deal

For HQ—ride uphill in Ollie’s pasture

Lengthening the trot: increase my energy and hip swing in post—followed by relaxation back to working trot

Stretching in all 3 gaits and then test self-carrriage.

Strategies

 

Short and choppy, fast, emotional:

Slow up in my body

Bending and laterals

Outside rein

½ halts

Post hard

Relax myself

Too fast: slow my body, abs out and post slowly

Sluggish and slow

Swing in hips in posting

Outside leg

Move out long lines canter

Laterals and bending

Partial displacement of HQ

Downward transitions

My energy, weight aid, sit deep, core (1/2 halt)

Engage to a stop

Inside leg cues

Shape

Cue laterals

Rebalance

Move balance to the outside

Outside leg cues

Going forward

Stand up balance

Prevent/stop escape in drift

Assist in shaping around the inside leg by influencing the shoulder

Keep forward attitude

Goals

By September, improve my ability to identify a good rhythm by feel.

Videotape and study

 Downward transitions on the HQ—understand and be able to influence

Lovely swinging rhythm—tracking up

Supple balance of HQ/FQ

My Position

Stretch quads before mounting

Pelvic swing in posting trot for more forward impulsion

Hands close to each other—thumbs, light fingers

Elbows close to side and do the cueing

Do not lift my leg to cue

Warmups

My pilates

Walk til she blows

HQ/FQ on the ground

HQ/FQ in the saddle

Ride out for energy

Dan’s passenger/rhythm

Sideways and backing

For My Strength

No stirrups

Dan’s rhythm

Two point/standing

Bareback

Patterns

I am not yet able to do patterns while maintaining contact/flexion/ and quality of gait. To begin it is wise to pick large patterns without too many quick changes of rein at first. Also it might be a good idea to establish the pattern at freestyle first.

½ halt, go straight then turn shoulders

See book 1001 patterns

Canter patterns: bowtie, figure 8 variations

Cloverleaf, serpentine, circles, zigzags, S shapes

Walk and ¼ turn on haunches and forehand and keep going; repeat with turn on haunches at the trot

On the rail go into a circle w/HQ yield plus small swing of the shoulders across until I get parallel to the rail and then leg yield back to the rail (lesson 6)

Walk, rising trot, sitting trot, walk. Do first with working rein to loosen shoulders etc. Each go add a bit more contact/flexion. Let go myself—relax—muscle memory. Reins need to be short enough.

Sideways around the barrel

½ circles on and off the rail

Ask Kathy

Review leg yield, renvers etc for cueing

Trot on the spot

Inhale/exhale for upward transitions

Sideways around the barrel

Saturday - Employee not Leader

Today was day three of stick to me into the circle and it was not a good day!
1. Me--low energy, nagging
2. Try bored and messing it up

Gretchen said Try views me as an employee not a leader and I see it. Glad to finally be able to video and study tho Adelia posted Gretchen teaching me.

For the next session:
1. choose a different game, particularly one that is simple and that she knows
2. life up, wait, be particular
3. be prepared for join up session
4. film and see if there is any improvement