Sunday - Lesson with Kathy and Try and watch Lisa's lesson

Plan: getting my relaxation and golden feeling going on the drive to the barn. No videographer today so set up both ipad and camera. This is a TRANSCRIPTION mostly of our 45 minute lesson.

Try did NOT want to do anything. She came to me easily and relaxed in her stall but turned her head to avoid the halter. Waited and eventually she was ok. (Later Kathy said she was saying she hadn't had a chance to have her cup of coffee and check her email. LOL So true. Both Try and Sephira tend to not want to do anything first thing in the morning--after feeding but before the hay is gone. In a couple hours then they are bored and DO want to leave their stalls to do whatever.) Anyway Try kept telling me this so I wondered what kind of ride she had with Dawn the day before??

Warmup: We did the mirroring--she was relaxed and pleasant and mildly curious as mirroring is something we have done many hours of in the past in different ways. I stayed upright with my shoulders and was more comfortable. Then task: I decided on a simple task as time was short with lesson in a few minutes. I asked for back-up and draw back into me. yoyo. The away as great--cued with slight increase in body energy and lift finger as higher phase. Coming back she was hesitant and I needed to touch the rope the first two times. Then did 60 second count with visualization each time. That was very pleasant and each time we did the task it got better. Try's release was not really big as the task was so simple. When I have more time I will use a task that she has to puzzle out for herself as that is when I am most likely to get the big release.

Warmup in the saddle: walk til she blew--quickly today. the alternate walk, slow trot to slowly build energy. then lots of energy. Then we went into dressage ring and did a trot pattern without using reins and a little shoulder in and haunches in to review for me. We also did leg yields asking for big crossing step on the ground FQ and HQ.

Lesson starts:
CHECK LIST: Can I determine what to choose to improve and have the tool box ready?

Walk: We worked on check list for me to develop for myself.
1. my position--that is easiest
2. Try: is she balanced forward and back, pulling or pushing, right and left
3. Try's outside hind leg was sluggish compared with her inside right hind leg. I was impressed with myself that I could FEEL it!
4. So how to get more engagement in outside hind leg--we explored methods, TOOLBAG

1. change rein to circle
2. turn on the forehand
3. haunches in
4. leg yields on the ground
5. partial displacement

So we played with alternating partial displacement of right and left hind leg (can be used to slow and to power up) Do right and left like conga line. Will loosen topline also. Change my weight aid, hip more forward, scissor legs as I change direction. It is NOT about the reins. Can reinforce with voice and stick. Can be done in any pattern--diagonal, circle, serpentine. Also we did haunches in as we have been doing that a lot lately. 

My question about opposite rein to speak to HQ: Kathy says be careful as you can get too much bend and she will fall out in the opposite shoulder. Also the outside rein will steady her FQ so her HQ can catch up. If she gets quicker in front then HQ will be way out behind again.

I had suggested the turn on the forehand and Kathy suggested doing it in the corners as a walking turn on the forehand and Try and I got a couple really great steps.

Get overall feel, turn loose, dance. (prerequisite for me--nitpick, have a clear pic of what to do in my body, practice it and then let it go)

8:50 For Try with her conformation it is more difficult for her to use her HQ than her FQ so she decides to do what is easier for her.

Trot: check--even front and back? pulling vs pushing? She was using her FQ more but harder for me to feel as perhaps to a lesser degree than with walk before.  So what is the solution: back to the walk and played with Shoulder In and Shoulder Out--alternating with the purpose to relax and soften the shoulders.

I got a bit confused at this point: "If she is stiff in one side of her neck, do a little rein isolation on that side periodically. For shoulders out have shoulders on the track and haunches on an inner track. Switch to shoulders in--push her out don't let haunches fall in." ??????????? ASK

Then back to the trot: Now how balanced does it feel. I thought level then downhill. CHECK other camera here--still confused.

We made her think about different parts of her body and then Try says it is ok not to be stiff and I'd like to go forward now. Pleased with herself--waiting and listening for me--not taking control of the trot.

A question I had: Given I like our initial warmup to have a passenger element--if her trot is runny and she is a bit emotional--do we just experience that as is or ask for a better trot? Kathy says--yes let her express herself for a while then correct it--suggests using circles so Try corrects herself instead of my making her change her trot.

At 20 min. Spiraling in and out. I was not able to do moving sh and haunches R and L and spiral. Keep it simple and just spiral. Head--look in to center or on the current circle arc--my torso. ASK??? Using spiral to let Try figure out how to collect herself as the circle gets smaller. Then repeat at sitting trot. Must have forward energy first more than bending. Get a good trot and use my body for spiraling. ASK

pretty ballet ribcage: homework

Canter:
1/2 halts to steady Try, slow the canter--keep them brief and let go of it. Then do it again if need be til she gets it.

Stretching at the trot: yummy. correct it as needed.

Review for Dawn #4 the plan as of our last call

The overall plan is to remain careful until August 15 to give my shoulder a chance to heal. I am feeling really ambitious though. Any way discussed with Dawn using the monthly plan rather than weekly. This will need some refining into weekly chucks to avoid being overwhelming and some items are H-homework.

August 15: send in audition tape for level 1, On Line

I copied the 7/17 notes here to comment on progress.

horse development 9
Rider 8

Talent 24, Skill 23, Try 24, LUCK 25

For Try

• The golden feeling
• Listen to what feels right to her--is she ready for a conversation
• H film her expressions
• Ride for fitness and determine what that should be
• Trot and canter quality
• H stand in my stirrups
• H friendly game in motion

As of 8/17: 

• Try and I have really been concentrating on parameters of the golden feeling. Listening to her, waiting to be sure she wants to do something and mostly being able to say yes to her. 
• Filming expression my videographer likes playing with still photos during lesson breaks and Try looks really relaxed and peaceful. 
• I haven't done all that great a job of fitness for Try this month. 
• Question for you about yeehaw vs gait quality. We have made some big strides in canter quality, simple bending cueing and I feel I am finally starting to "get" dressage instead of just being confused. 
• Done a little stand in the stirrups, and friendly game in motion causes no reaction.

For Sephira

• Listen to what feels right to her--is she ready for a conversation
• H film her expressions
• Ride for fitness and determine what that should be to achieve partnership goals
• Lenthen Trot, canter and soft feel/frame up
• H stand in my stirrups
• H friendly game in motion
• Patience but track her learning to express herself and puzzle solve, retain learning rather than react and expect micromanagement
• H ride with my eyes closed

• Dwell time, attempting to read her and being reminded by her to do so. Waiting for her to come to me before taking her out of her stall. YES
• Filming expression--I haven't done this.
• Ride for fitness better than Try but not as much as I would like for her to be gaining fitness unlike Try where the issue is more maintaining fitness level.
• Huge strides in my confidence in riding Sephira.
• NO not much progress with lengthen trot, canter and "framing" These are not my goals right now but BA's and we are on different wave lengths. I do plan to build to a normal on the rail hack soon to intersperse with "dressage" days. I am glad to do lessons with MH as I feel that she is helping me with a pre-dressage very beginning approach and looking for Sephira's happiness as we are all too aware of her burnout in the past.
• Stand in stirrups and close my eyes--yes some
• Friendly game in motion--we did this and it was confusing for Sephira as if she wondered if it was like lunging in her past. Good to put this on list for next month because she is doing so well with friendly.
• We are still not having the mental breakthrough I would like about learning. We are learning, changes are coming BUT I don't think it makes sense to Sephira.

Me

• fitness - pilates etc
• riding for safety
• golden feeling
• 5+2/affirm/mind reading
• watch videos savvy pack/dressage
• 
  
• I actually REALLY want more energy and endurance and to begin addressing my own fitness again. I have always been fit in my life and I have lost ground with the injury and my age. This is an important priority and I let so many other things come first!!!
• Riding for safety: I am almost back to my normal confidence--the next confidence hurdle--do canter laps on the big rail with Sephira. A normal basic canter hack at Rollover is 3 laps or a mile canter. 
• Golden feeling: I keep reminding myself to check for golden feeling with Sephira. It isn't as easy to keep the feeling with Sephira as with Try. My insecurities come into play and she doesn't send me the lovely warm feelings in the manner that Try does. 
• 5+2 tracking has gone well, affirmations and mind reading I have let slide recently.
• watched savvy pack games 1-3 and found them helpful also found new Scale of Training--fist video inspiring. Also felt HUGELY inspired watching FEI level riders in the sessions with Dennis Callin--I could see the progress during the session and two days and see a pathway instead of dressage just looking like some miraculous thing that naturally talented horses can do.

Question:
1. Emotional fitness and emotionally needy??

Review for Dawn #3

What has happen since the July 17 plan??

Review for Dawn #2 Try

I am back to lessons with Kathy. I had the saddle fitter check all of Try's saddles for fit and she recommended riding in the western saddle (custom) as first choice and NOT in the wintec dressage. So Try and I are now officially studying western dressage! LOL

• Continue to review shoulder in and haunches in.
• Play with the new improved canter (thanks to western saddle)
• Creating rhythm and relaxation in the trot

from last time and homework I remembered to consider:

• visualize uphill in asking for the canter and keep the visualization so as not to "drop" Try
• My position in the canter (feels like leaning back but is actually vertically aligned shoulders over hips) My tendency to be foreward--hunt seat.
• Extra time on getting a good step with the hind quarters--sit deep and relax

(small plane crop dusting low over the field across the street our entire session)

1. Shoulder in

We used circling to get a good bend/shape and to provide pattern variety. Both Try, Sephira and I are circling with a nice bend from my seat using inside and outside legs to stay "straight" on the circle. After circling keep the shape in the shoulder in sometimes "ride her more in."

2. Haunches in Outside leg goes back. No need to rebend. Shoulders more to the track. Crossing more.

3. Canter: First canter I wasn't effective in letting Try know I wanted canter in the ask. Loss of energy...4 beating...my visualization and communication-- mind saying no and my seat saying yes-- causing confusion. Picture uphill. Second side Try knew it was coming and offered the canter before I was ready with my visualization. So it was messy and it took me a bit to find my seat. Kathy called it a happy accident...great that she offered and an opportunity to fix it. Third canter at end of session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu7rdPa0J5Y .53 seconds

4. Rhythm and relaxation in the trot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA7_0swXJpc 3.23 minutes

Finding a good rhythm if the trot is "runny" I can slow my body, comb reins (I can bounce on her back). I kept missing that Kathy was saying to allow Try to stretch my combing the reins and giving her more rein. If its fast/runny/emotional--circle and get a good shape.

PICTURE a big relaxed swinging stride lengthening and reaching in her FQ. Having the video I could hear Kathy give the instruction--I tried it--visualized and on the video I did see just a bit of lengthening in front. WOW THIS IS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ability to visualize and ask for something new. Later I visualized this in liberty circling on the rail and Try reached out with her inside shoulder so much that she "straightened" her knee.

At facebook I commented that Try and I were playing out back at liberty and she offered front feet and one back foot on the pedestal as that is a game she really knows. I decided to change it up. I wanted a real puzzle for Try to solve so asked that instead of lifting her right hind foot and placing in on the puzzle I asked that she step her hind feet TOWARD me as I knew it would be too easy to ask her to move them AWAY from me. This took quite a long time--??7 minutes for her to figure out and she gave a big nicker when she got it. That gave me the opportunity to practice the long 60 second count/visualization release that Mary Miller Jordan is teaching.

Review for Dawn #1 Sephira over the last month

Sephira changes - 

• moving toward more confident and dominant. 
• Reactive mostly in the wash stall/cross tied, showers--does not like being sprayed. 
• She used to be reactive to grooming and is now much more relaxed. 
• Also the lack of reactiveness means she feels less extraverted. 
• I am confident that it will take a good bit to get her to explode with something new on the ground AND she is pretty much not concerned by any of the riding she has experienced at Rollover. I do think a big ol' exhausting hunter hack and jumping as a regular thing could make her really grouchy. 
• My riding lately has been walk/trot laps on the big rail as a warmup--patterns with bending in the dressage ring, playing with rhythms and for me gaining confidence especially in the canter which is quite lovely.
• She will make downward transitions from my intention as that is her preferred direction!!
• I do feel I need to be careful not to make her dull and uninterested. I keep debating how much to up the ante. Just up my energy level and Jim Carrey devilishness? Higher phases--On line start to ask for more energetic stuff?? 
• Riding I have MH's help to find the balance. MH REALLY likes Sephira for natural talent, prior training and knowledge and lovely willingness and happy in sessions. Issue: should I include occasional rides for Sephira with MH as a treat/something different??

On Line assessment:
1. Friendly game--she isn't afraid and is relaxing more. I want to be more observant now as to degree of relaxation from which method.
2. Porcupine game--yes FQ/HQ circles and getting the idea of getting good steps and fairly soon likely to be true turns on the haunches and forehand. HQ yields are easier than FQ. Backing--she doesn't like as much--dominance--but she is getting the idea more and more. From the chest and from the nose coordinating the steps with my fingers R/L. Head down for bridling/haltering: she is more likely to offer this for haltering than bridling. LOL Using Parelli approach of porcupine phases on top of head will not work as she is incredibly taller than I am BUT lower phases from below with halter/lead or visualize and ask her with loving energy to match my head lowering or having a low cookie will work fine. Higher phases offend her.
3. Driving: I can drive HQ--sometimes it is an escape rather than confident. FQ--we are just starting to get this. Backup--it takes a wiggle from the wrist and maybe elbow but sometimes from my energy/body language/intention.
4. Yoyo: Her draw is way stronger.
5. Circling: I want to get Marie's help with the send as Sephira and I know different ways to ask for the send. Circling itself--gait transitions up and down are easy. The bring back--I haven't gotten the idea across that my looking at her HQ means yield HQ, halt, turn and face and ask for permission to come. We are starting to get some nice changes of direction on the circle.
6. Sideways on the fence: played with it just a little FQ/HQ etc and then a few sideways steps. As dressage horse I don't know how much she did a true sidepass.
7. Squeeze--she is not claustrophobic about tight spaces--don't know otherwise. She can be hesitant about unknowns i.e. no desire to walk on the tarp--nose, neck and one foot.

Sticking together: on the lead line easy to match walk/trot/halt--backup takes a reminder.
Figure 8--we will have it when our change of direction on the circle is more solid.
Touch IT --if there is a cookie there--she doesn't understand the concept
Pick me up at the mounting block: this is a big priority for me now as she moves her HQ away from the block and I feel sure she is saying I don't want to do this. Actually--we noted before in photo that she was even going internal when someone was getting ready to mount. I have started standing on both pedestals and rubbing her in zone 3, leaning on her in zone 3, then walking away with her and repeating. She gets a cookie for a successful mounting and bop with the baby carrot stick for moving HQ. ??????????

However I still don't feel any of this makes any sense to her--she is thinking about this I guess in a way that doesn't make sense to me or doesn't compute for her.

Riding: Now that I am feeling more confident about the basics I am starting some pre-dressage basics in lessons with MH. I asked for help and got it in having consistent nice rhythm in the walk and trot and for help in improving upward transitions which came from having more forward energy before asking. Also enjoying bending in patterns: circles, serpentine and cloverleaf--shaping her from my body--not using reins--adding straightness through my leg. MH and BA say prevent falling in with inside leg to outside rein BUT do I even need rein??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6Q0XDop_8  8 minutes--5 minutes walking then trot on circle--fast forward to 7:15 for serpentine

Plan to continue above and alternate with days of simple hack on the rail. Explore safety issues in riding out in the fields. Don't know about that yet?

#5 Saturday - Comparison B Me and Parelli

Comparison of B Me and Parelli as I see them at this point:

Friday - Lesson MH and Sephira - walk and trot - quality rhythm and transitions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6Q0XDop_8  8 minutes

Started with the walk (after Sephira and I warmed up with trot laps on the main rail and circling. Sephira and I have been just walking (as if we were on a trail ride or something LOL) and not paying attention to quality of walk that may well have caused issues in upward transitions to trot and canter!

So use leg or if need be stick--bop shoulder in need be, more energy etc to get a nice walk. If will however be even nicer after a higher gait. Be careful of nagging--ask, get it then leave her alone and if she loses it ask again at that point. IN FRONT OF MY LEG. Not sticky. Too much energy: take my energy down and use 1/2 halt in my body. NEED the energy to get a good upward gait transition! A naturally laid back horse i.e. Try and Sephira need a warmup to wake them up.

I still did not see on the tape the walk I visualize Sephira can do but that may not be appropriate for me at my stage or learning/need for safety etc. MH did say after riding Sephira that she is really trained and to Grand Prix level--and said "lucky you." Also we discussed her baggage and balancing--making me think about being careful for not too much pressure leading to old feelings vs not asking enough of Sephira and Sephira not respecting me or wanting to follow my leadership. I do feel I have made her dull in my search to feel safe after the fall.

We trotted circles that show on the video and serpentines where we were off camera a lot. I loved the trot in the serpentines as she really got going and had good energy mostly. We had a few strides where everything came together and it felt like we were dancing. Serpentines at 7+ minutes.

Lots to think about:

1. Good rhythm--consistent
2. Good shapes--bending in Sephira's body
3. Using my body to turn
4. Change posting diagonal in the center
5. 1/2 halt or other adjustment to rhythm in the centers
6. the center as a straightaway releasing the bend
7. pay attention to the letters in the ring
8. relax, swoop and enjoy the movement!!

Monday and Tuesday rides for building block basics such as rhythm, relaxation and transitions.

Sephira was HAPPY!

Homework for me--I would like to video some walk and trot rhythms--experiment but I think I know the feeling I want even better with Sephira than Try.

Using the circles and serpentine for balancing/energy.