2014 2 18
Try and I
·
What about the repetition/mirroring game from
acting class to put the focus on catching the moments? Yes this is fun and I
think it is working—I lose sight of this as I focus on task. Working better for
me right now to verbalize out loud even if that is obnoxious to Try. I feel
this is my weakest area right now—As RBE I should be catching the moments
easily, be very sensitive, but as LBI I get focused on task/goals. Picture,
plan, feel. I want more time to just be in the moment having RBE fun and joy
for both Try and I. Perhaps I should replicate the visualization Erik Franklin integrating the
right and left sides of brain.
·
I find it easier to have fun, go moment to new
moment and improv on the ground as that is a form of dance. I do need to give
my self credit for the fact I can do this as I remember back in level 1 or 2
thinking I could not imagine being able to use tools, games in an unconscious
way enough to improvise.
·
RIDING PART ONE: SO how can Try and I improv
while riding? (caveat: safety) Really this needs to be an equally big part of
our riding as the dressage/learning/physical development segment.
a.
Actually, I am only interested in Parelli or dressage
as an activity we can do together with presumably some benefits—psychological
health/Parelli and physical conditioning/dressage. As LBI I won’t be satisfied
without a learning and growth component—just going to the barn and hanging out
without purpose would not work for me.
b.
So improv—I remember when BA called out a
pattern/gait/riding style every few strides and how much fun Try and I had. I
could replicate this with taped instructions or likely get Katie to help me.
Radical transitions.
c.
Letting go of thinking!!!
d.
Yeehaw in the field and Kathy’s snow skiing
serpentines for fun, physical and emotional fitness and loosening the spring.
e.
Use improv of whatever pops into my mind or
whatever Try offers whatever riding discipline we may draw from.
f.
Barrel racing, point to point
g.
Passenger
h.
Trashing, being silly, and finding characters,
playing with different energy levels and with music.
i.
It’s all good information.
·
RIDING PART TWO
a.
I still after two years am not comfortable with
bit and contact—I have tried to hide it from myself but am facing up to the
fact that it is not going away
b.
There is a possible solution as I do love the
part of dressage that has Try looking so healthy. See photo age 23 in April
looking pretty good! Thanks to all concerned!
c.
Experiment: ride with pretend contact i.e. tiniest
big of slack in the reins but doing everything in my body as if I have contact.
A sort of softer than soft feel LOL. I will need to see if Kathy and MH can
live with this.
d.
Then I see signs of Try coming up through her
topline without contact i.e. on line circling—I really want that to come from
Try mirroring my doing that in MY body instead of asking with tiny pressure of
ring fingers on the reins.
e.
Next issue for me and dressage is laterals—I am
hugely uncomfortable with using two reins and one or two legs to cue them. Try
is not stupid and it is rude of me to ask with all of that. I want to take the
time to experiment with phases so I only use the reins to teach or reinforce
and teach Try to mirror my body instead.
f.
This all seems more authentic, more kind and
something I can be happy about.
g.
Perhaps this is a freestyle dressage/finesse—finding
a new combined way of riding??
Other comments from the session
1.
The Ditch--the most important issue is Try being afraid of getting in trouble for being wrong!!
a. One of Try’s fears is crossing a water filled
ditch or even ditches in general. She has the tendency to cross them by
blasting through them with her full power and energy which is not so safe for
me.
b.
This was the first thing we saw in the session.
Dan worked with Try and then helped me to do it. Try was afraid to even
consider the task at first, then afraid to even look at the ditch, then would
explore a bit and retreat. Very similar to trailer loading which she has always
done well. Finally she crossed for Dan a couple times with improvement. Then my
turn—still too much energy tho improved and I let go of the rope--which allowed her to not feel she was getting into trouble for being wrong. Then refined
to ask for turn and face after crossing and saw a final more relaxed crossing
that Try offered without being asked.
c.
Issue: the final big fear is opening gates and I think it is my leaning on her right
side. I want to ask about this.
2.
Improv on the ground
a.
Good way to play with matching energies i.e.
start with my syncing to her then a gradual change to more energy at first. I
would not want to slam her with big energy immediately but surely want to play
with it. But not always big energies and not for long. Different games, games
of direction with different energies—will she match energy and my body position—circling
and sideways match my body.
b.
Circling game—I have not focused on task for
task sake and have lost precision in my body in circling and likely other games—remember
to open the door rather than block Try’s leaving on the send.
