Tuesday - Surprise Lesson with Kathy

Today was a day for Sefira and I.

We went out back to the paddock and I took everything off Sefira. I have decided we will learn for now at liberty to help me be sure I am not forcing anything on her in her mind. Interestingly she kept coming up to me when I intended dwell time. Took the kid stick and ribbon and today she was fine with circling the ribbon onto her back. Well, why not? She is a confident horse--just unconfident I guess about sticks/crops/whips/etc. So mission accomplished--went inside for grooming.

MH loaned me her County saddle as my Wintec has served its purpose and headed out to the ring to play when Kathy drove in. We had a misunderstanding about the day for lesson--I thought it was with Try on Thursday. It was fine. Kathy was very happy to meet Sefira.

What we did:
1. walk--lovely on the buckle--then took a soft feel to test maintaining rhythm and relaxation then alternated soft feel and on the buckle. Repeated at the trot.
2. suppling for relaxation: asking for a little bend/HQ displacement then release
3. using just my body on the short side for straightness/versus falling in and for staying on the curve of circling.

I look forward to playing with this just Sefira and me.

Kathy said Sefira was licking and chewing and seemed happy. She felt relaxed to me except for a few moments toward the end when I believe she may have been thinking she had enough. Kathy said she looked really happy to be pampered with shower, etc. in the wash stall after the ride.

I am gradually getting more comfortable and less "fear" so hopefully Sefira will be able to feel that and we can both just keep getting happier and more trusting of each other.

Alchemy of Lightness

Alchemy of Lightness

Kathy started reading this book and recommended it to me. I have it now and am slowly reading it as it takes time to absorb and reminisce as past experiences tie into it.

Some thoughts:

• We are all energy that is connected--one-ness
• I have felt degrees of one-ness
• The more relaxed, un-tense, and in control of my energies--the better I can be for my horses.
• I can use my energy in my horsemanship as they feel it so keenly
• I realized in reading that when I see someone not doing well with an upset horse, I start unobtrusively  breathing and sending calming energy to the horse.
• Are horses with "baggage" more sensitive and open similar to humans who have had some tragedy etc in their childhood being more sensitive to the feelings of others?
• Using music to invoke being open--softening my boundaries and need to be in control and tamp down my excess energy. I have been playing music on the drive to the barn.
• love and fear will not occupy the same space. I have lost sight of this. Things I fear--
• non-Parelli clinics--being judged
• being made fun of, disrespected for lack of traditional riding ability
• very strong, controlling people
• spending more $ than my social security income on horse stuff
• heart rhythms of the horse can promote my well-being--especially Try--I really like to touch her when I am nervous--she isn't into that as much. LOL Kathy and Dan say pet myself instead of petting Try.
• Past experiences
• 1970: Love is letting go of Fear
• 1980s: Attitude class I create my own reality
• (Both based on A Course in Miracles)
• I reviewed these and find I am a different person now and I like it.
• When I am tired I am not open--even if I think I am--RBE isn't open either??
• This oneness thing or good state of mind/energy/emotion--feeling that all is right with the world CANNOT be forced. I can't MAKE it happen
• soft eyes
• Much more....

Upcoming Week

horse development 8
rider 8

talent 23
skill 23 (includes knowledge not yet unconscious)
try 24
luck 25+++

Try
Magic time: good energy/not hung up on results
Pepper in soft feel to rhythm and relaxation
Marie on the 19th: ??liberty and bridleless
Can my energy levels match and sync with Try?
Yeehaw fun

Sefira
On the ground--continue friendly games at liberty in the back paddock
Would she enjoy an easter egg hunt? i.e. touch it with hidden treats?
How relaxed/un-fearful can I be for her--yellow ribbon
Mounting: Count to ??whatever number that we can relax before moving away
Riding: sync--match and mirror??
Alternate: Soft feel and riding on the buckle to test for rhythm and relaxation
Suppling and flexibility for relaxation?

Monday - Riding Try

Bridleless: ok at walk and slow trot. Ring a big ol mess from rain. Gave up on idea of doing what it would take to get energy going for following patterns at a good trot bridleless.

Soft feel: played with this for the first time in ages. walk/trot transitions working on my ability to maintain a nice soft feel. Try's trot perked up and there was no opposition reflex to the connection to her mouth.

Played with MMJ info from Saturday

Played with Try first

1. friendly BF first stick only, then with ribbon circles--no real reaction except the first touch with the ribbon, relaxed but not super relaxed/going to sleep

2. can I move Try with focus on stifle and ribbon Tiger mode? I brought my life up and looked at the stifle and she yielded HQ to me--before I could use the ribbon

3. I still don't know what MMJ said about how to tell the horse where you want him to go BUT brought a kids ball into area and pointed and she put her nose on it--no stick required

4. Catching Try's thoughts--backup--life up focus and back--stick/ribbon not needed.

I watched the video and I saw too much energy in my body even when I was trying to be so soft and relaxed. We did not look to be in sync. I worked on my energy in the drive to the barn and was feeling very positive. Perhaps if next time, I put together a track of music that will create the feeling I want and see if I see a different energy.

Then with Sefira

1. 10 minutes of dwell time in the "scarey" back paddock--she was confident, curious and friendly coming up and checking in with me--played some with mirroring--don't know if she felt it.

2. 9 minutes--BF Friendly: by the end she would accept on her left side being rubbed with the stick, ribbon circles not touching and finally touched with the ribbon DID NOT get to ribbon circles touching her before the deer flies attacked and we quit. Her reactions/opposition reflexes were at least only to move her feet a couple steps. She was not scared per se but wonder what she has experienced in the past with sticks/lunge whip etc. that she cared about the stick and ribbon.

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts This Week

Having the mental/emotion state I want to be with Try or Sefira:

1. After my last coaching call with Dawn and our discussion of how different music evokes different emotions, this week, on the drive to Rollover, I played dance music that makes me cry. This opens me up to be sensitive to my horse and takes down walls, barriers, protective devices that get in the way of connecting.

2. Magic days with Try: These often occur on Sunday mornings or when there is no one at the barn. Relaxed, at peace--no outside pressures or distraction. I am able to read Try so much better without extraneous thoughts and I am so relaxed I don't care about getting anything done. Curiously, we accomplish so much more this way and Try offers so much.

3. Soft feel: With Try--it is time as we have come far lately with rhythm and relaxation--now to see if we can have that with soft feel. With Sefira--I had the best trotting ever with soft feel--unconscious, floating, enjoying, synced. I have to believe this was aided by the connection of soft feel. Not using the reins breaks the circle of connected energy and, in effect, leaves the horse on his own.

Saturday - Audited morning session MMJ

MMJ

There are horses we draw from for their ability to put us into a happy, relaxed mode for learning. Also there are horses for whom we must be a certain way for them to reach that state.

What I like about this: the stick/ribbon never touches the horse. MMJ doesn't have the horse take more than a step or two until the connection/seeing and initial phases of communication are clear between them. Not lunging or running the horse around--or I think scaring the horse to work through fears.

BME body mind energy—we need the balance of all three

A.     The body

a.      Tangible we see it with our eyes though it is not immutable—it changes over time. As opposed to mind and energy that we cannot see but remain over time.

b.      Starting a new relationship: important for the human to mirror first what the horse is doing in his body—this will help the horse to “see” us—connect with us. Just like with humans horses find physical similarity relaxing and comforting.

c.      MMJ will often start in a round pen hanging out and then quietly mirroring the new horse. (Be careful of focus/soft eyes.)

d.      Sticking together especially good with a sensitive horse

e.      I liked the analogy of magnets that must align to see each other and draw to each other.

f.       Horse and human have their separate bubbles—we may need to take our time and ease one bubble into another.

B.     The mind

a.      Our personal self-talk is all important!

b.      My voice is more important than that of others--listen to it and filter other voices through my sense of what is best for my horses and the relationship

c.      Negative experiences—can be hard to let go of—especially for horses

d.      Horses can be ingrained in what they think was the right answer

e.      Thus we must be clear about our tools.

f.       Redirect rather than correct: A lack of alignment with our goals is not misbehavior. Having his mind set for us is important to gain the horse’s trust.

g.      Take the time, keep asking until the horse decides to try something else. (release on the incorrect answer might be the thing to do)

h.      NOTE: Alchemy of Lightness—the importance of our visualizations and mental pics. Opportunity to explore this with Kathy

C.     The energy

a.      What we are thinking and feeling in our mind is real to us: science

b.      The horse REALLY feeds off our energy

c.      MMJ uses the ribbon’s energy to mirror what she is trying to communicate

d.      BF BEST FRIEND energy—uses the ribbon in a rhythmical circle for its calming effect—the ribbon touches in a calming way like massage. Friendly game. Eventually even the extreme friendly of the helicopter movement can be a signal to the horse to relax.

                                                    i.     Check—soft eyes and focus for the human.

                                                   ii.     BF mode atoms not aligned/scattered

e.      TIGER energy mode—our energy is focused including our eyes—atoms aligned with our purpose, eyes as phase one, ribbon moves in sync/pattern with our eyes. TIGER mode helps us to SEE each other—connect with each other.

f.       In the saddle—body is different but the use of mind and energy is the same as on the ground!!!!!!!!!!! Train our thoughts and energy for use in the saddle.

g.      Mount, sit in saddle with BF energy and count to 60 (thankfulness). Count to myself with the energy and rhythm of the BF ribbon circling.

D.     First steps in application

a.      Relaxation and BF mode.

                                                    i.     Stick and ribbon held together

                                                   ii.     Use ribbon circling

b.      Move horse with focus on stifle and sideways movement of ribbon TIGER

c.      Move horse where you want him to go??

d.      CATCH the horse’s thoughts

                                                    i.     Backup

                                                   ii.     Stand to the side of zone 1 not zone 1

                                                  iii.     Upward movement ribbon toward chest

                                                  iv.     Watch for horse’s boob muscles to tighten

e.      With a confident horse—put stick in the dirt as neutral
f. Lisa and Q grazing: take slack out of rope as signal, look at stifle--as in b above. Goal: ever lighter cueing.