Discussion

• Elizabeth Pope

  Was thinking yesterday how I really like the Parelli system for how positive it is and that it makes me feel good. Also I love the way both my horse and I are learning/improving in the emotional fitness realm. (Especially as I am RBE LOL).
  
  Anyway have been thinking of this in terms of being positive about the weather/time of year and that it isn't necessary to always be super goal oriented with a plan etc--this time of year better to let some of that go. The past couple rides with both Try and Devon we have just played, listened to music etc and had a lovely time. I figure I can get back to stronger focus on learning/goals in January.

  • Seen by 13

    Mary E Wilson, Chris Shallcross, Kit Stark Jordan and 6 others like this.
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      Lisa Roeder Graf Good thinking! The point is to have fun, so play and have fun!

      December 11 at 5:46pm · Like
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      Kit Stark Jordan great words of wisdom!

      December 11 at 8:31pm · Like
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      Lisa Roeder Graf I love riding to music, I took my iPod and player over to Wind Drift Sunday and had a good time riding T and playing with Q to music.

      December 11 at 8:40pm via mobile · Like
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      Elizabeth Pope I love riding to music with my dance background and have done this now and then for fun and Try is great about staying with the beat of the music. After Kelly Sigler's clinic last year I have worked some on finding music to help Try and I have a good rhythm and played with putting together walk, trot and canter playlists with music that has bpm (beats per minute) that will assist us in having a good rhythm.
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  • Elizabeth Pope 

    • More: I have to say that--given that I am investing my social security income in horsemanship learning and have the privilege and opportunity to study with Kathy and MH, that it is important to be as diligent a student as I know how (in keeping with Parelli principles). However a full out effort towards that goal I find is too much pressure with weather, holiday stuff. I want to be JOYFULLY pursuing horsemanship knowledge!!
  • That said I am looking forward to Dan Thompson coming next weekend--both for time for Try and I and to audit other sessions that look like they will be interesting and fun.
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     Kathleen Glielmiposted toElizabeth Pope

     11 hours ago

     You are allowed to ride "just for the love of it and your plan can be to commune with nature from the perspective on the back of your horse. Watch what your horse takes interest in. Is your horse enjoying the passenger game? Is your horse willing to be leader and take you to places you don't normally go? You can always ask a question to your horse of moving shoulders or haunches, move sideways and then back to passenger game. You do not have to "train" every time you ride. ENjoy your horse as the free spirit you both are.

     
     

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     • Lisa Roeder Graf, Brandy Rivers and 2 others like this.

     Coincidentally yesterday was a passenger (filling her bucket) day. We rode all over the farm, up the road, grazed, visited with other horses and listened music for an hour or so. Try is more than willing to lead and enjoys getting out of her pasture and exploring. Also finding better grass to eat!

Monday Tuesday and Thursday

Monday

Try: groomed and warmed Try up for lesson with MH. Try was feeling energetic. MH suggested paying attention to being parallel to the rail on leg yields. Also she worked on suppling with circular movements, rhythm and in the canter--forwardness and a bit longer rein to prevent the little HQ hiphop step.

Devon: basic walk and trot and a little canter--muddy ring. Reviewed from the last lesson with Kathy. Offered him a passenger ride up the road but he wasn't enthused.

Tuesday

Try: Fun day, played with syncing to the beat of music.

Thursday

Devon: basic hack wtc--did not connect with music for rhythm. Nice enjoyable canter.

Try: Passenger day: listened to walk music as we walked all over the farm and up the road--Try making the choices of where to go (mostly). Grazing at times, visiting with other horses who seemed curious about ??the music or whatever we were doing. Fill er bucket day.

Thursday and Friday

Thursday

Footing was a mess in ring and pastures not rideable so Try and I played with right side and HQ/FQ stuff in the ring and then rode up and down the road. Dwell/Passenger.

Friday

Windy, lesson with Kathy. Warmup with Devon did not go well. He spooked in the wind 3x coming in from the pasture so for warmup I walked and trotted and was fearful of the canter as large as he is and being unaccustomed to a horse affected by wind. (Try being so unaffected. However, Dawn rode Try and said she had more energy than usual but thought that was because she was distracted by Sarge as new horse in field by ring.)

The lesson was almost totally frustrating. Took forever to convince Devon that I wanted a good rhythm at the walk and a nice energetic trot. Worked on leg yields--rail side rein to prevent FQ escape to keep Devon straight and parallel to the rail. Turning my body in turns was the most effective to get a nice trot.

Monday and Tuesday

Monday

groom, walk and jog in preparation for MH to ride Try. Try had a funny hip hop canter where he landed simultaneously on both hind legs. We tried to figure if it was physical or druthers or what.

Tuesday

I was pretty sure it was druthers so we had a fun liberty session and renewed our connection--lots of stream of consciousness games and right side. Then freestyle warmup followed by lesson with MH

walk: we found a good connection with the reins, framing up and rhythm
trot: we did serpentines bending and remaining balanced and straight between my legs--even 5 or 6 loops in the dressage ring
canter: worked it out--I may have been holding Try back?? anyway good moving forward without the hiphop at all on both leads

update

Friday and Monday - Try

Cold weather, injuries, time off for Thanksgiving and begin Christmas preps: Friday was a complete dwell passenger day--all about filling her +s bucket. Monday was a review of connection in the dressage ring followed by some yeehaw let loose in the field and a bath followed by grazing and hanging out. Try was comfortable for the first time going down and rolling with me beside her.

Friday - Try and I - Ineffective Connection

See video: 2013 11 15 Try and I not enuf leadership:

Cranky at the walk so went to trot fairly soon and had some pretty nice trot as long as I wasn't asking for anything. Some improvement to trot-to-walk transitions. Very ineffective in maintaining the connection! Canter I was sitting and concentrating on separating seat and having nice elbows BUT no connection.

Thursday - Kathy and Devon - Downward Transitions - Laterals and Canter

1. After warming up we worked on trot to walk transitions. Conclusion: take the following steps.

1. Visualize the transition
2. Alert Devon with less leg and Try ?? (attention)
3. Sit deep
4. Apply 1/2 halt phases
5. Goal--smooth, immediate, good energy kept thru rebalancing the gaits, without little extra steps, etc using HQ. 
6. Homework: visualize this process and make it a habit. Film this each ride and watch for progress. 

Using intention and energy to power up i.e. in changing rein on the diagonal straight away.

Laterals: leg yield, haunches in and shoulder in.

Canter on the circle and then onto the rain.

Video: 2013 11 14