Calm, connected and partly commited

My goal for the day was to see if I could get the good rhythm, HQ engagement and coming up through topline that I got in the last lesson with Kathy. We did this.

However, for next time I need to consider how commited and responsive Try is AND in my joy at playing music and moving to it that I don't play AT Try rather than WITH Try.

What we did: On the ground liberty Try offered sideways away and we sidepassed the barrels in an L shape. Then we proceeded at liberty to groom and tack up.

We played with syncing at walk, sitting trot and posting trot but Try was really attracted to the gate--I think we need to ride elsewhere part of the time. I think she would like to leave that field some.

The rode out and asked for bending and expanding which was good and serpentine with expanded which got quite good and the aforementioned rhythm, tracking up, HQ engagement--twice.

What I didn't get as the weighting stirrups--I am unclear how to set this up for success to create a new habit for myself--everything happens too fast and I get confused.

Good Friday

Keystone:
Real ride today and he was great: easy walk/trot/canter warmup then played with serpentine expanding Keystone out in the loops, spurs: drop heel/turnout and use spur rather than push leg back toward haunch. This is A-#1 habit to change for me. Also canter: in dressage saddle sitting back with light contact helping him to use HQ. Plan downward transitions to engage HQ. Keystone--offering to come up through topline and use HQ for extended time at the trot through transitions.

Try
Not much time left for her but played on line through some figure 8 and circle variations and Try was happy, relaxed with moderate impulsion.

Magic Day as it turned out...

When I arrived with the plan to ride Keystone, I began with a few minutes with Try adding to our liberty and no stick/string list:

1. Sticking together: walk/trot/halt/back
2. Yoyo--responding to intention to cue send, stop, wait and bring back
3. Sideways towards: I had to line up focused on zone 3 for it to happen
4. Today: touch it, 20 feet from the pedestal, it took awhile for Try to figure it out, gave treat and then waited and she put one hind foot up and then on line walked across it.
5. Cavaletti pole straddle thru center line
6. Sideways away and towards and know the difference
7. S bends!

We may take more time or be less particular but we got it! Try was happy and pleased with herself.

Keystone: Grooming: what a mess--sores on each leg from lying down, 2 new rainrot places and tumor discharge way more than before the past week or so. Not good. He is still enthusiastic about treats.

We went to the ring and I was not thrilled about riding so we started with some circling on line which he does easily and well and his trot was fine. In fact, it got quite nice.

So went to mounting block (continuing friendly game there) and he was able to stand quietly there to be rubbed etc and then mount and did not walk off. We then walked for a long time followed by easy trot for a few laps then a more normal trot for a few more. Then he decided to stretch thru topline (and my abs) and engage HQ (possibly more comfortable for him) and we did a few lovely laps each way at the trot--all on a very loose rein. (About 40 minutes.) Finished with more grooming and leisurely stroll back to his pasture.

Happy Day

Adding to the no stick/string liberty list--

1. Sticking together: walk/trot/halt/back
2. Yoyo--responding to intention to cue send, stop, wait and bring back
3. Sideways towards: I had to line up focused on zone 3 for it to happen
4. Today: touch it, 20 feet from the pedestal, it took awhile for Try to figure it out, gave treat and then waited and she put one hind foot up and then on line walked across it.

Riding warmup for Kathy

Try and I rode all over the farm, out to the road etc as I wanted to work on myself syncing to her rhythm and she has been so clear about wanting to leave her pasture. Followed this with 15 minutes or more of dwell time.

Lesson with Kathy

1. Biggest ah ha learning: when Try gets fast she may be needing to rebalance herself and I want to learn to help her. It doesn't necessarily mean she is emotional and mad at me! I cried. Kathy says Try adores me.

2. Try is engaging her HQ much quicker from bend, expanding, HQ displacement. Ride out and get a good trot going, ask for laterals until she gives a bit of vertical and then ask for a bit of vertical.

3. Exercise for me to learn new habits: pick a pattern--cloverleaf, serpentine, circles, zigzags, etc and then use my 1/2 halt (fingers) and core to cue Try of a change in direction, turn, change of rein is coming, focus and weight the stirrup and then expand her out.

4. Dan and Kathy: let Try's motion cause my posting, I can post as fast as Try can trot. Sync.

Muddy i.e. Lacking Clarity

The good...

I have been experimenting with not using stick and string at liberty and seeing what happens:
1. We can do sticking together walk/trot/halt/back
2. We can yoyo with my selecting the distance and using intention/facial expression to cue
3. Try will sidepass to me if I am in zone 3 and ask for draw with body language.

Played with circling game changing gait, direction and traveling with a sense of fun and Try did not get emotional--stayed relaxed.

Then I took that to S Bend (online) and played with walk, trot and canter. First attempt at canter as I had to work out my coordination. It was a slow canter with simple lead change.

The less good...

Mounting block: Try drew to me from ?10 feet and lined up but took her time in doing so and I nagged tho I nagged with a sense of fun at least.

Rhythm basics: syncing with Try at the walk, sitting and posting trots: Try really didn't see the point in this. We should have been going some where.

Reviewed: turning from weighting the stirrup: 1/2 halt, staying square, lt contact, focus then weight stirrup and she had it. Did it twice and moved on.

I remembered to check turnout of left foot, cueing with legs in place and thumbs/elbows a couple times.

Left the pasture and walked up the road and back. Try would have preferred to just stop and graze which we did not do as I wanted to catch up with Dawn and Hilton.

Then Try and I headed into the arena to use jumps as a rail for offensive sidepass. We did get a few steps but it took awhile and it was messy.

KEY: treat in his pasture while he was lying down and again at the gait.

Monday, March 25

Miserable, cold, wind chill, spitting, light rain. Where is spring?

Try: liberty in her pasture.

Tidying up the area and dwell time, catching game--really good--added the Jim Carrey and Try picked up the pace a bit.

Then testing yoyo as something easy and low keyed--yes with out ropes she will back and draw from intention--stopping from life down. AND she will yoyo just a couple steps that way also. Test: could she just rock in place??

S bends she wanted to me really close and draw to me.

Later after grooming Keystone went back without even the carrot stick/string and we played sticking together walk/trot/halt/back with nothing but the two of us!

Keystone: good long grooming and friendly at the pedestal.

Monday - Dan Thompson

2013 3 18 Dan

Rhythm

Another aspect to the topic is who is following who. That is, can I sync with Try’s rhythm before asking her to sync with mine? Doing the exercise will allow me to feel what Try is thinking on a deeper and deeper level and Try will like it.

1.      Riding with my eyes closed at the walk first. Getting in sync with what Try is doing in her body so my legs are getting longer and I am sitting even deeper.

2.      At the trot without stirrups sitting the trot—feel that my legs are lifting just as much as Try’s are in her trot.

3.      Canter—sit on my thumb and find her rhythm

4.      No stirrups posting trot—take it from the amount Try’s trot naturally lifts me and keep my thighs long and relaxed.

5.      Feeling, allowing vs mechanical and forcing

6.      To be quiet you have to be in motion, if trying to be still you are out of sync.

7.      I loved the loose towel feeling of my thighs in the trot

Sideways on the circle: my focus and body pointing is just a bit in the direction we want to go and the goal is she is following  and matching my body shape rather than reacting to the carrot stick.

S bend at liberty: draw

1.      Drawing straight before the change of direction

2.      Progress this with extreme or subtle turn, tempo, gait

3.      Canter is flying change

4.      One shoulder is drawing and the other is driving/shaping

5.      We want the amount of effort to match where we are in the learning process. Slow is ok until we get comfortable and can dance it at a faster tempo.

Drive

DRIVE as important subject for me to rethink. View it as just as much a dance as draw: Energy, fun, Jim Carrey and Tango. I have been looking at drive as a necessary evil and hating beating up on my horse and Try not liking drive and therefor avoiding it if possible. Level 1 and 2: TIME TO CHANGE MY MIND SET!!!!! It’s a fun game, not getter done.

Falling Leaf

Once I viewed it as a Tango, it was big, fun and full of big energy and joy for us both—trot and canter. Good to find some Tango music and add it to a playlist. Try it at liberty.

Riding the Falling Leaf

1.      Trot on circle

2.      Fully disengage HQ to stop

3.      Swing shoulders!! Fully

4.      Then ask for canter

5.      Clean simple change with HQ engaged

Riding the S Bend

1.      On the circle

2.      SWING the shoulders to the counter bend and stay on circle for amount of time I choose.

3.      Then change to the circle in the new direction

4.      Progress to a zigzag and then to a straight line

5.      Variations: Weave

a.      Shaping: inside leg

b.      Swing the shoulders

c.      Wheel barrow turn

d.      Outside leg to push remaining fairly straight

6.      (Review Colleen Kelly 1^st series on turning)

7.      Watch pole bending competition on youtube

8.      This would lead to flying change

9.      Watch success series lead change ladder again.

Offensive Sidepass and Impulsiveness

1.      Begin with relaxation in lifting the rein

2.      Then how lightly to ask with leg at the girth

3.      Accept a little bend

Taking off the bridle—take the time it takes.

For the future: April and May

1.      Relearn drive as fun, music, dance

2.      Use S bend and falling leaf as tools and put to purpose

3.      Purpose vs principal is a balancing act. If use it before its in place that is forcing and if go on too long after learning that is boring, drilling.

4.      Need plan and flexibility enough to throw out the plan

5.      Obstacles and patterns for variety and purpose

6.      Ie. Cloverleaf: stop different places, change the lines, change gaits and direction with in the pattern.