Week 1 Wrap Up - Progress and Next Week Focus

I. HQ flexibility especially on Try's right side.

I was pleased that we explored this consistently all three days on the ground and riding using 1/2 dozen or so different exercises for variety. I mostly remembered to look for relaxed, smooth, unemotional steps. We did get a lot of big steps crossing over outside hind foot--not consistently on every step. Try's right side HQ yields are not as free at least riding. To progress this for next week I would like to continue the wheelbarrow turns on the ground and go back to dressage leg yields with emphasis on the right HQ.

II. Freedom getting out of my head: I want to take this off the list and come back to it later. We did have some nice free moments of stick-to-me/her. Including stopping on a dime was improved. I have seen our syncing with each other really improve since Dan's visit December 20.

III. Using seat cues first.

This is the best review we have ever done. I was not surprised that Try is so good at this but pleased to be thinking of ways to put it to purpose. Also of note--this improved each time as the session progressed.
1. Stopping and cleaning up
2. Using a pattern as a "can you."
3. Clearing up confusion caused by taking out all the other cueing.
For next week--add back in riding with soft feel, legs and see if I can use my phases:
a. Visualize the transition/cue
b. Think relax
c.  Ask lightly with my seat
d. More seat
e. Leg

IV Comfort zone: Progress: I was able to think all week about my people/horse pleasing habits and how they hold me back. For next week--I want to add to thinking--finding the strong but relaxed energy I need. With Try I want to consider, plan and use phases to stay with a task until we win it. Also I want to apply this thinking to my people and horse people relationships--a strong confident positive energy--so I am taking control.

V. Try--expanding her mental fitness to do more. We are on our way with IV above. I like seeing and feeling a loose relaxed Try when we ride. Also her lateral flexion at a stand still on right side is amazingly soft and giving. For next week I want to be reminded to keep checking in with her, sync, dwell to balance with using phases.

Also to consider
1. I find a need to change negative messages I give myself:
a. If Try and I aren't doing something at better than level 4 quality, I have failed.
b. When we have a small success, I find something else that needs fixing instead of celebrating the win. "Don't erase the finish line." "When is it Miller Time?"
2. Should "monotone" make its way to the goal list?
3. Should Nickers (LBE pony) come to Rollover now or later?
4. Balance point clean up?
5. What about mounting block pick me up clean up?

Day 3 - Monday January 13.

The Plan

I. Increase flexibility of HQ yields on the right side
1. I want to film a basic level 1 HQ yield
2.I want to vary what we have been doing and decided to pick wheelbarrow turns as its been a very long time since we have done them. Plan is to begin with on line driving with two 22' lines and review "go" and turning.
3. In the saddle: wheel barrow turn--possibly around cones to add a sense of direction.
4. Turn on the forehand?? or simple tea for two--VIDEO
5. Remember quality of the yield--smooth and relaxed.

What happened: On the ground--
1.I was confused as to whether the step was crossing over and relaxed enough in the #1 basic. 
2. Wheelbarrow turns--we were getting some really big HQ yields--they did not feel overly emotional. Took a while to get it going as we haven't done zone 5 driving in several years. I do like the lighter 22' reins.

riding: I did get what I think are some good HQ steps on tape (49 seconds):

II. Freedom and joy for me--No progress this week--I needed a break from music. The pastures/fields are too muddy and slippery for riding. I have been sad that Dan Thompson is leaving. I did play early in the week with music and stick to me on the ground. I have video of playing with this late December: 
Check menu at the right: "Videotape Try and I to music" stick-to-me/her video 4 minutes The goal is joy, syncing and also varying energies so as not to have all a monotone. Note: if I am not finding the joy right now, I could find music for the sorrow and ride/play/dance it with Try and that would fall into the freedom and letting go category.


III. Riding from seat cues.
1. Because Try knows them, the issue (Teach/Control/Reinforce/Refine) becomes
a. am I using my phases (eyes/bellybutton/leg/stick) or seat/leg/reins
b. If Try ignores a seat cue--stop and clean it up--rather than just go on and ignore it. cleaning up video:

c. Use a pattern: i.e. walk AtoX, halt, walktoC, pick up trot on the rail to A and 20 meter circle. CAN YOU?

What we did: I reviewed a bit and then we went to the dressage ring. I started with reins on her neck and feet out of the stirrups and concentrated on only using seat and found 1. we lost precision in the geometry of the pattern. But the go/stop/turn that we had worked on were better. However two new issues--where was follow my focus? and not being on my balance point. Then we had confusion in distinguishing the difference between upward and downward transitions in my seat and half halt without using simultaneous leg or voice cues. (Western Pleasure issues). Then stretching and at the end bigger trot with super loose reins.

video 

IV. and V.
Comfort zone for Try and I. Be aware and release feelings of having to please Try (not the same as being pleased WITH Try LOL). Try can just do a bit more than she wants and get over it. The other side of this is my being respectful of Try--when she has it--quit, reward and/or progress it.

The something new/progressed: straddle the pole vertically from zone 1 not zone 3 and from a greater distance. This was the second day--why didn't she just do it without my asking--I guess that is her very strong need to retain some control. I am not repeating this until I have a better plan for effectiveness.  
Video (45 seconds):

All in all:
My luck score may have gone down last week with Dan leaving but a friend is offering me a free lease on a super cool LBE pony that I have always wanted to play with so I am still lucky.

Also issues coming up this week are phasing to be effective and not being afraid to use them, the monotone and wanting to establish who I am and what I can do in a new way. RBE lack of confidence holds me back.

Inspiration

http://www.barnmice.com/video/kelly-sigler-and-buckley-bridleless

Kelly Sigler and Buckley
Liberty play, Bridleless riding and Finesse

Day 2 of the PLAN

The Plan followed by results

Starting on the ground

1. Something new--not really new but progressed--straddle the cavaletti pole vertically, asking from a greater distance (basically from zone 1).

Result: With a 22' line, I asked from about 15' and did not move my feet. She asked a lot of questions and offered a lot of different things--particularly putting various feet on the pole. Once we were close to the answer--I felt it took too long and she wasn't really focusing/trying as she could have and would have if we were closer. However, she did get it. Game over, enthusiastic good girl, treat, etc. This can be repeated soon.

2. Sync to music--stick to each other. Purpose: Try's willingness to play/match different energy levels. Right side, 5 zones, 3 gaits, 7 games. Moment to new moment. But do add in stop on a dime.

Result: It just didn't work to do much with this--the music wasn't inspiring me to move. But Try did match my energy better than the other day and we were so much better at stopping on a dime from a trot after a few tries. I want to leave general stick to me and come back to it in a different way, or focusing in on something in particular. No music for a while.

3. On the ground one good HQ yield each side--big step and check for relaxation. Big treat and time to absorb.

Result: good big steps but please video and get feedback!

Riding

As it turned out it was starting to rain so rather than go groom and tack up in the barn, I rode bareback with 22' line and carrot stick minus savvy string--didn't seem to make any difference. Ring is the only place on the property that is ok to ride--still muddy mess but at least the ground isn't frozen the way it was yesterday.

1. Lateral flexion and one good HQ step each way from a stand still.

Lateral flexion was even better on the right side than the left. I need to videotape this.

2. Play with seat cues as warmup choose one to be particular ie backing.

From a walk, halt and back was great today. I think Try really knows seat cues. I believe the issue is do I use them consistently and then, if Try isn't responding use reinforcement cueing. So new plan is to focus on me--using a typical pattern etc--and just see if using seat cues can be my first thought.

2. Circling for HQ yield Dan and MH approaches

Not as good as yesterday. Did not do MH method with contact. Need to research for some different ways to play with this before it becomes "work." Perhaps wheelbarrow turns or find a different place to play?

Finish with leave the farm to graze in the green grass. YES we did this--its her fav.

Finally a day at the barn! Day 1 of the PLAN Thursday

First day to play with my new goals and priorities! Unfortunately could not find video camera--will borrow BA's tomorrow.

Goal/Concept #1
I want to help Try be more flexible in her right HQ yields.
What we did--
1. To give Try the idea we started with old level 1, 7 games driving game to move HQ. We fairly quickly had nice big steps with the inside hind leg crossing in front of the outside leg and they did not seem rushed or emotional. Praise and quit.
2. Later we took this to a circle or falling leaf on a circle and we lost precision in the step. ??Step was in front of hind but not crossing over on the circle.
3. Later still I did Dan's exercise riding ask first from a stand still for a HQ yield and got a couple of big steps each way but not on every try. I used the carrot stick. Then took it to a walk on the circle and I think a got one or two steps much better than the others and wished I had it on video. I know the feeling of a really good big step and did not get that.
4. Towards the end of the session, we trotted large and small circles with a soft feel and bend. More on the right side but on both sides.

Goal/Concept #2
Being free, having fun and being out of my head: nope, didn't do it. We did play sticking together (stick to me) to music.

Goal/Concept #3
Using seat cues first then leg cues in search of ever lighter cueing: I played "Can Yous" as warmup in the saddle. Try was not fully into it. But asked for go, halt, walk to trot and trot to walk and turning with NO
leg. Upward transitions used kiss some, sometimes she went from walk to trot with just seat and I bet if I made a program of it we could have it with consistancy. Downward transitions trot to walk are always good. Walk to halt were mostly good if I added a vocal cue of "aaaand whoa" A couple Try did from seat without vocals. Turning took leg and lots of body position until later on when we trotted circles from my body alone.

Goal/Concept #4 and #5
Expanding our comfort zones by releasing my need to please Try and increasing Try's mental fitness to be able to continue to "work" on something for a longer period of time: I thought about the energy I needed to be the leader but could not pull it together was not in the mood. (Actually a very sad day with my luck score slipping a bit.) I checked the on line circling and stick to me to quit before it got boring for Try--hope I achieved that. Try got irritated some in the riding but nothing like years ago with my using the carrot stick. She also inititally wasn't keen on the soft feel/contact but within maybe ??15 seconds had it and had so much better self-carriage than a couple months ago. She seemed at peace with that.

Also of note: Stick to me to music was a bit better -- day 3 not consecutive--slightly more energy, better syncing with each other. Better stopping on a dime goal.

Another Cold Day

Studying 4th quarter notes from lessons etc and making or updating summaries.
Call from Dan last night.

Cold weather day--goal setting with Dawn Roth

Dawn Goal Setting

2013 12 7

After discussion of my thoughts on long term, one year and 3 month goals, we started into what will be on the white board.

First rate myself 1-10 on my confidence--

·       Horse development 6

·       Riding 6

Next set up 4 boxes—each getting 25%--talent, skill, try and luck. I gave myself 20, 10, 22, and 22.

Also at the top of the board will be the big picture. In no more than 3 sentences, state the WHY that I am doing this. What do I want to accomplish, feel good about. This is to remind me each day of why I am doing this.

I am pursuing horsemanship to fulfil a personal need for a passionate pursuit of combined intellectual, emotional and physical growth, learning and achievement. I want to put this to purpose to help horses and promote good horsemanship

The board will change only once a week.

Next to pick 4-7 concepts—tasks to achieve each—the how--will fall underneath the concepts as tasks.

1.     I want to help Try become more supple and flexible in right side HQ yields.

2.     I want to get out of my head when I am riding, have fun, be free and be in the moment.

3.     I want to use my body as a rider more effectively to cue lightly and effectively first with seat cues and next with leg cues.

4.     I want to expand our comfort zones by releasing my worry of her being happy and engaging my LB self to not quit until we both win. This will make it possible for me to be successful without an instructor present.

5.     I want to expand Try’s mental fitness and attention span to allow the time to achieve learning.

I.                 HQ yields on right side strategies

a.     Circling game online with driving HQ a la Dan Thompson

b.     Be careful to have smooth slow step not emotional or bracing.

c.      Check if inside leg doesn’t really cross over outside—bracing?

d.     Check my tea for two NOT just for responsiveness and light cueing but also for that smoothness and slow control and confidence.

e.     When Try gives a really good step—reward, release or game over followed by time to process.

f.       Riding on the circle and asking for HQ partial displacement—Kathy/MH

g.      Check notes for other exercises to check for quality of HQ yield

h.     Videotape

II.               Riding—feeling instead of thinking, being mentally free strategies

a.     Ride to music

b.     Ride in the field for fun

                                                    i.     Variety and transitions within the gaits

                                                  ii.     Lengthen and shorten

                                                 iii.     Yeehaw—loosen the spring—turn her loose

c.      Sing songs while riding to shift my mental focus

d.     Trashing the exercise, ride as different characters

e.     Swooping, “Skiing” serpentines

III.              Using seat and leg cue strategies

a.     Can Yous

                                                    i.     Upward and downward transitions from seat alone

                                                  ii.     Backing

                                                 iii.     Turning

                                                 iv.     Play million transitions game

b.     Apply to a “homework” exercise and be conscious of cueing as first priority.

c.      Do in my body first what I would like her to do in hers.

d.     Light leg cueing may release the habit of lifting my heel.

IV.             Releasing myself from worrying about whether Try is happy expanding our comfort zones:

a.     Be psyched and have the right energy about myself

b.     Jim Carrey sense of fun – energy- getting it done.

c.      Again use music and playlists with variety (cut down on length of pieces)

d.     Visualize, relax and keep going with an attitude of pleased

e.     Just do it Try!

V.               Expanding Try’s mental fitness strategies:

a.     Read the moment and quit before she is bored

b.     Come back to it

c.      Pat and 30 minutes on the rail concept to remember

d.     Take my time and allow for questions and conversation

e.     Teach something new each week

                                                    i.     Could be an ongoing task that could be brought out once a week to avoid the dreaded every day repetition

                                                  ii.     Picking up something

                                                 iii.     Check idea list

f.       Avoid being boring and losing Try mentally while expanding her attention span.

g.      Issue: harder to read horse in the saddle—videotape

h.     Look for positive responsiveness

i.       Reread my ??2009LBI filling her bucket notes for ideas to discard.