Week January 21-27

horse development increased from 6 to 6.5
rider confidence from 6 to 6.5

blocks: talent increased from 20 to 22, skill from 10-14, try and luck remaining at 22

Preliminary Plan

Big changes in the plan for next week. I am adding in priorities other than horsemanship. There is a possibility that Try will need to have her hocks injected again. We will have ??3 days of extreme cold weather and I will not go to the barn. I have work to do for upcoming renovations to 1/2 of the house.

1. I plan to continue to study rider biomechanics with an emphasis on my alignment, strength and use of muscles to be a good riding partner.
1. Discuss in greater depth with Dawn the previous conversation about what Linda is doing in her body. Also discuss--how to make it happen/get er done.
2. Form a preliminary plan or check list from the Mary Wanless materials
1. Check shoulder, hip, heel alignement
2. Check for the leg 45 degree angles (arrow head)
3. Seat bones point down
4. Engage muscle pads around seat bones
5. Lift lower abs
6. Expand my outer edges outward??
7. Diaphramatic breathing
3. Discuss this with BA and Kathy
4. Quick review of notes from Colleen Kelly dvds and rider biomechanics clinic with Kelly Sigler.
5. Film every time possible to check what I am doing in my body.
2. My fitness
1. Review and pull together exercises etc from various routines
1. PT, Katie, Cheryl, ballet
2. Form a new habit
3. pilates and yoga dvds etc for variety
3. Big energy and confidence
1. Self awareness with Try and Devon--they both respond well to the big energy (caveat)
2. Self awareness with strong personalities in my life--discuss if a good idea.
4. Nutrition
1. Track and break it down
2. Plan meals that I like
5. House renovations
1. Homework
2. Keep household relatively organized despite chaos.

How did it go January 14-20

Well Jan 20 isn't over yet but I think I can still do a wrap up.

1. HQ Flexibility--we have made strides but will not have this on the list for next week unless the Thursday vet visit shows Try has no joint issues.
2. Using seat cues--what fun--studying this has opened up so much thought. When Dawn talked about the way Linda is using her body and I saw something on FB about Mary Wanless--I ended up getting the kindle version of her most basic book. So far--it appears to me to be incredibly in keeping with what I learned in ballet about stabilizing my body. 
1. So--I have studied about 1/3 of book so far and am applying, filming, study myself.
2. I skimmed the rest of the book and am feeling overwhelmed--needing to keep to manageable chunks to stay positive.
3. I see the need to up my core strength separate from riding, although not to the extent of having it take over my life, seeking the six pack abs, etc.
3. The big positive energy
1. I had so much fun with Try when I had that energy going--more confidence to stay on task until a win.
2. I had some negativity coming my way in personal relationships. I am thinking about this.
3. I am realizing that I have a lot of knowledge. With priorities and organizing and having my positive energy going I can do this. Also I know every day is a new day.
4. Try and mental fitness
1. Big strides for her also, she seemed happy when we were playing and feeling better after getting some exercise.
2. I was able to break through the extreme anger she had each day when I got to the barn and she seemed relaxed when I left. However, until the vet comes we will exercise lightly.
5. Fun
1. The big energy was fun and a surprise for us.
2. Pleasant rides away from the farm.

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.