Thoughts on moving freely

I have been reminded several times lately about seeing the different horses on the Scale of Training dvds that Christoph Hess and Linda Parelli put together. I love the way Marion's Parelli horse entered the ring at a walk on a very loose rein, stretching, relaxed with a lovely energetic walk and continued that free quality of moving into other gaits!!!! 

This relates so well to what I look for in ballet dance--that glorious freedom in sync with the music. Relaxation and big energy whether adagio or allegro.

Also I saw this photo of Linda and Jazz on FB or PC. I love how powerful he looks and realize that as a horse gains power I need to have the corresponding fitness in my body to be a good partner.

Rollover on a Winter Day

Post at ParelliConnect

Jolene McDowell 1* Junior Instructor said 

"Recent studies conducted by the Institute of HeartMath provide a clue to explain the bidirectional "healing" that happens when we are near horses. According to researchers, the heart has a larger electromagnetic field and higher level of intelligence than the brain: A magnetometer can measure the heart's energy field radiating up to 8 to 10 feet around the human body. While this is certainly significant it is perhaps more impressive that the electromagnetic field projected by the horse's heart is five times larger than the human one (imagine a sphere-shaped field that completely surrounds you). The horse's electromagnetic field is also stronger than ours and can actually directly influence our own heart rhythm!

Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a "coherent" heart rhythm (heart rate pattern) which explains why we may "feel better" when we are around them. . . .studies have found that a coherent heart pattern or HRV is a robust measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy--that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.

A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adjust to stressful situations very efficiently. Often times, we only need to be in a horses presence to feel a sense of wellness and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased levels of beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters that serve as pain surppressors), decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning; and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy." The Alchemy of Lightness by Dominique Barvier & Dr. aria Katsamanis

WHO KNEW there was some physical reason for the lovely feeling of being with a horse?

Day 2 Week 2 Goals Plan

The Plan

1. For HQ yield flexibility:
1. See if I can get the good one with carrot stick and then apply lesser cues with the goal to be just shifting my weight/seat.
2. Do leg yields to the rail homework I forgot Wednesday
2. Seat cues
1. Yeehaw--can I walk using seat muscle info from Mary Wanless materils?
2. Can I maintain into sitting trot? What about rising trot?
3. Video
1. my alignment (3) and stirrup length to get still shots to study
2. pic of using seat bones and seat muscles see previous post.
3. Big positive energy
1. Be aware of interactions with people
2. Try: Big ol' just ride around the ring--free, easy and pay attention to core. Video
4. For Fun
1. Passenger ride anywhere Try wants to go--except no grazing and safety concern. Alternate walk and trot based on footing conditions.

What We Did

I had the huge advantage of BA's daughter Katie being out of school and able to videotape!

1. HQ flexibility: After warm-up walk/trot I played with HQ yields from a standstill to see what would happen transitioning the cueing from stick to leg to seat on both her sticky right side and better left side. I am pleasantly surprised as I can't "see" what is happening in the saddle as I can on line. We can progress this either by further lightening the cues or playing with consistency--perhaps on line next time.

2. Seat cues: I did not know what would happen at walk, sitting trot and rising trot with concentrating on seat bones pointing to the ground and engaging pad of muscles around them. Result: absolutely no problem (if what I am doing is correct) as long as I was thinking about it. However, I completely forgot until our "trail" ride later to concentrate on leg angle and heel "down." I did see a whole lot of turnout from the hip. Perhaps in engaging seat muscles from ballet--I also engaged turnout OR I just ride that way anyway. Will want to check that out next time. From time to time I checked myself to have light weight in stirrups only. Also with trot--checking myself by holding pommel that I can control the descent back into the saddle in the rising trot.

The following three snapshots are seat positions for my study.

 Forward position: hunt seat, close contact saddle, posting, etc.?

 Sitting back behind vertical seat bones: western saddle, bareback pad, legs forward and angle changed.

Seat bones vertical, muscle pad around the bones engaged, shoulder mostly over hip, leg too far back.

3. Big positive energy

This is producing some "negative" results as a couple humans in my life seem to be unconsciously? feeling a different energy and not liking a change. How interesting.

Try: She was in a somewhat cranky mood again. Katie said Try tried to bite her when she was changing her blankets. I have noticed the last two times that she looks irritated in her pasture when I drive in. Also less happy about coming to me in the catching game. (Her arthritis??) Wednesday we (I) had fun changing the big frustrated energy into big energetic movement that brought on relaxation. In this Friday session we repeated some circling game on line briefly as needed--I liked how free and alive Try was in her movement. Katie thought it was funny. We also at the end of the session in the ring--went into the larger ring--put reins on Try's neck for some big posting trot on the rail--whatever Try felt like doing.

4. For Fun
We followed this by leaving the farm for a passenger ride up the road to the hunting camp and back. I enjoyed this as a time for reflection--Try looked around and seemed to enjoy herself as well.

Nickers, Mary Wanless and Seat Muscles

Thursday am: I have struggled with the exciting possibility of riding and playing with Sara's Nickers but decided to wait until March if that is still agreeable with Sara. (Happily yes it is!) Between weather and upcoming house renovations in February this seems the smart thing to do. It will be enough to stay with improving as a rider and learning dressage, etc. through this period of time.

Mary Wanless: Ride with your Mind. I am going to add some of this into my early morning study time.

Friday am: Have played around with Mary Wanless website--some articles and video and realized the best book for me now is the most basic and found a kindle version at amazon.com

Sooooooooooo reviewed 45 degree leg angles and shoulder, hip, heel alignment.
But big news flash: With dance over the decades there has been so much discussion and variation and varying images of HOW to use seat muscles for stability. I love, love, love Mary's diagram--it makes so much sense.

1. seat bones are pointing down ie. perpendicular to the ground
2. around them--think of engaging the following muscles but not to the point that it pops the butt off the saddle. This makes the most sense of anything I have ever seen/heard.

More

1. I had a blast yesterday and loved Try's snarky attitude as it gave us permission to play hard with big energy. It unleashed in be the big positive energy I had been looking for....

2. Wheelbarrow turns--Z5 driving--easily transitioned into traveling leg yields by my moving from Z5 to Z4 or Z3.

3. Holding onto the pommel did help to maintain a solid, steadiness in rise and sit of the trot.

4. When we were playing the circle game on line, after I helped her let off some steam LOL, she was coming up through her top line some followed by some nice stretching--at the trot. I have really wanted to see this AND this was either a first for her or the first time I saw it.

5. This energy was the unexpected surprise for the day for us both.

6. I watched myself for confidence in talking to Bethanna and my husband. I was also able to catch some negative self-talk and replace it.

I was playing around at home trying to figure out what the difference is in how I use my body for upward vs downward transitions:

Upward--especially from a halt to go--I rock slightly forward on my seat bones.
Downward--I sit deeper, moving slightly back by using my lower abs.

For Thursday:
Cold weather--if I get to the barn, bundle up and take Try for a nice long graze on line. Fill her bucket day.

More comments on Wednesday: Cueing

Cueing Update:

what I cue	how I cue now
go	life up, slight forward motion in my body, seat, little cluck, bounce legs
walk to trot	life up, cluck cluck, bounce legs lightly two/three times
trot to canter	life up, sit back, kiss and or touch leg behind girth
canter to trot	sit deeper, life down a bit, steady pressure two legs
trot to walk	sit, stick my stomach out
walk to halt	say "ho"--also taking my legs out of the stirrups LOL--steady pr legs
back up	sit deeper, life up a bit, rhythmic pressure two legs
turn	look, turn my body, outside or inside leg, reins
leg yield	inside leg to outside rein, outside leg to go forward and remain straight