Thursday - Try and B Me2, Sephira ride and play on line

Try

See B Me notes session 2 day 1. We played with mirroring and rewarding a release with GM energy. It was a first good effort with plenty of tweaking/learning to come.

• She nickered big time at her success in figuring out the HQ steps at the pedestal
• We had a lovely easy relaxed liberty figure 8
• She was happy to circle me at liberty at a trot
• She lengthened her stride in liberty circling on the rail--really stretching her inside shoulder/leg, straightening the leg following my visualization of it!
• She was happy to do nothing and happy to move with energy.

1. Repeat mirroring with ideas for improvement
2. Same repeat build GM energy cookie as reward for release and relaxation following pressure
3. Review for Sunday lesson: sh in/hq in, trot rhythm, canter visualization, lengthen trot

Sephira

Groomed, ride, play out back, shower.

Quick groom and distracted. Went to the ring and realized Sephira and I could use some friendly game with the mounting block.

Ride: lots of transitions to a walk and then reset and visualizations for me. WTC. Took a time or two to get the bending from my body. Worked to keep a good trot--Sephira low energy today. Cloverleaf for the first time--I can really see the benefit to balance circles and straight lines. Breaking gait at the canter.

Out back: I had time for TT and sat on barrel--closed my eyes and decided movie could be Sephira coming to me and putting her nose on my left hand. She immediately came over to me and did just that. Then I chickened out and opened my eyes and hung out with her letting my movie go. Next time I will be braver. We played with my standing on the pedestal and loving her then walk away and repeat--rubbing her and leaning on her in zone 3. Also played with head down--mirroring me worked better than porcupine game.

• pleasant, safe, relaxed ride
• she came to me from visualization!! read my thoughts
• I loved rubbing her and leaning on her in zone 3--felt warm golden feeling, loving
• she was relaxed and got to just hang out at liberty out back
• we have been together with consistency for 4 days

1. mounting block
2. head down
3. prep for lesson with MH: trot rhythm good and consistent, transitions, bending, soft feel, canter

Wednesday - Liberty with Try

Try

Try is on "25%" "work" after chiropractic--so easy play day:
Fun day today with Try--in paddock behind the barn--took the rope off and  just played. We have TWO NEW GAMES including one to develop. The small pedestal is back in the paddock and Try does love to stand on it. So today we found a new way to play. We have played/copied Peggy Foisy's game she played with Champ--turn on the forehand with front legs on the pedestal. So today I asked Try to do turn on the forehand bringing the back legs to me (DRAW) rather than drive--where the HQ would yield away from me. We only got a couple steps but this could be super fun to develop. ALSO CIRCLING--I stood on the pedestal and she circled me at liberty trotting both directions about 8 feet from the pedestal. It has been ages since we did stuff like this and I realize I miss it. Great time/Try so great to be with!!

• I just had so much fun going moment to new moment improv yet staying with a game patiently until we found some progress.
• Try was in a happy mood and was enjoying herself.
• Try was offering lots of games
• We had plenty of dwell time
• She remembers games without reminders

1. Eventually back to riding but not fully before Friday
2. Continue to find new puzzles. i.e. turn on the forehand drawing the HQ rather than driving.

Sephira

Wow she really didn't want a conversation when I went to see her in her stall. Pinned her ears at me. I just hung out at the door for about 10 minutes until she changed her mind. Then loving grooming session. By then 11am there was still no one at the barn so I did not ride and I was so prepped to do so.

However I did shovel about 3 bushel baskets of poop out of the back play paddock and remove all my Parelli toys that BA and MH's kids had all over every where. GRR Lots of give and take in a boarding situation. When I finished the area was so much better and conducive to play. I will be glad when school starts and mornings become predictable with just BA, MH and I riding weekday mornings. Another week or so.

Tuesday - Sephira On Line play

Sephira

Much nicer day today. Groom/shower and play peacefully on line in the ring in the shade.
Friendly we are confident and not tense. Porcupine--back up I think she knows and is more willing, HQ is the best, FQ--i.e. turn on the haunches--she is finally getting the idea to keep her weight back and get good crossing steps. Driving--she will pretty much hide the hiney from my body language and much of the time do it with nice crossing leg yield. (I figure why not--she surely knows this stuff.) Driving backup ok--get a few steps--not much energy. Lots of dwell time in between all of this and Sephira seemed glad to get out of her stall and hang out and get treats for the best stuff. We also played the circling game--lunging to her. She is picking up my ask vs whatever is traditional?? Low energy to begin and I loved how she made upward and downward gait transitions so easily. Ask verbally, lift the stick as needed for upward, lower my energy for downward transitions which she prefers. We also played with sticking together matching gaits. Also changing direction and redirect

Try: day of rest after chiropractic--we walked together a little outside, brush, hang.

Monday Big Day

Try

Try and I had a lovely ride yesterday: Just a little shoulder in and haunches in interspersed with other things--I like asking for it coming off the circle.

Played with patterns containing circles practicing keeping my hands together and cueing from my body and reinforcing with my legs including Parelli cloverleaf and serpentines--I love this as I feel like I am dancing with Try (and Sephira). 

Also canter--reviewed and being able to keep a good canter just a bit longer. Then went out on the main rail for canter for aerobic fitness and found that if she starts to pound/get heavy on the forehand--I can fix by sitting deep, thinking uphill etc. That is totally cool as previously my method to fix was to circle. Interesting if I sat really deep and followed with my seat I started to get that little hiphop behind so eased off a bit to fix. 

We played with trot rhythm as well building energy or bringing energy down to find a nice trot. I visualized asking her to reach out a bit with her shoulders in the trot and lengthening the trot but don't think much happened--didn't video so can't be sure.

• Try was delightful just to be with
• I love bending using my seat/torso as it feels like dancing
• Try was in a good mood--lots of transitions help
• We discovered things about the canter
• Good grooming and shower before chiropractic session

1. ?lengthening the stride in the trot--reaching from the shoulders??

2. dwell

Then Chiropractic session: Evaluation and some adjustments for more soreness than last time--more HQ/like lower back. ?? in season--teats enlarged. Also one acupuncture site seemed to go well. I DONT know how to judge the effectiveness of this--just seems a good idea for Try.

Sephira

Groom play on line and shower. Out back--fairly frustrating session--I don't think I am being effective and yet don't want to "up the ante." Could not go to the ring--lots going on there--wanted more space--back paddock junky and full of poop. Lowering her head--which she does on her own if she feels like it--I thought we could check it out and see if I could cue it. She is too tall--I will only be able to do this with downward pressure from below--not top of her head.

Thoughts about the excitement of new projects

Gail got me thinking about this

A new project brings excitement, rebirth, positive energy that carries over to many aspects of my life and the promise that all things are possible.

So what happens to lose energy?

• RBE boredom
• Failure sense for lack of perfection
• overtired and unable to keep up the pace?
• Not sufficiently motivated to keep going?
• horse stuff I have input that keeps me motivated pretty well
• on my own: nutrition and exercise--not so much!!
• Weight watchers--I have gone a number of times in my life tho never been overweight. Simply to reset and get myself back on track and stay there awhile. The weekly meetings provide inspiration, new ideas and the reset/motiv to get back on track
• classes at Golds Gym or the Y--same and group provides motivation tho I get bored really easily.

Horsemanship: There is growth, success and a sense of moving forward

Nutrition and exercise: maintenance or fixing

Friday - I loved riding with Sephira

We followed the plan.
1. maintain a good rhythm at the trot
2. trot/walk transitions
3. circles, bend in the corners and serpentines
4. canter and canter transitions

What we did: long gentle grooming session taking my time and keeping in mind I would like to have that golden, positive energy and thoughts. She seemed to respond to this with softness and relaxation. Took our time tacking up, going to the ring, playing a little, playing at the mounting block. The rode as above.

Sephira had less energy today so I needed to keep asking for more energy, more forward but not extremely so. She loves to transition to the walk and offers to do canter transitions to walk instead of the trot--I didn't know horses did that--so something to think about--I assume I should be able to ask canter to trot/walk/or halt of either Try or Sephira. Interesting.

Highlight: All the bending was great, my hands together, not using the reins, using my body for the turn and legs to remain on a good shape. However at the canter next time I want to be prepared to help Sephira with falling in on the circle i.e. inside leg to outside rein or leg yield feeling or lift inside rein--everyone says something a little different. Canter was very pleasant otherwise but had to ask for it more than once.

Also ??Sephira will make downward transition to walk from my energy but not to the halt and I have to actually use my reins a bit. I do not want to do this and am not sure how to teach it?? ASK

• I nearly forgot to be afraid
• I loved Sephira's glorious trot in the bending
• Love that Sephira responds so well to a gentle energy--grooming
• I am going to really enjoy her canter
• I love her.

1. canter transitions
2. inside shoulder on the circle
3. on line driving
4. consistency so she can know for sure I am her human

Thursday - MH rode Sephira for the first time!

MH knew some of Sephira's background and I filled her in on more. Truly many unhappy events in her history and burnout on dressage, pressured and then neglected.

MH said she so understands that it happens often that the very talented horses get pushed in that way. MH is  always kind and gentle and concerned with the horse's happiness. She rode walk/trot and then asked if I thought Sephira would be up for canter. I said yes if just enough for MH to get an opinion.

Opinion: Beautiful, talented horse with a sweet disposition. Lovely trot and such an easy canter. Sephira did lick and chew a little at first about being ridden on contact. MH said I have a lovely horse.

MH suggestions for me:
1. Yes, forget about any tricks or upper level stuff!
2. Ride Sephira as I would Try

• trot--maintaining the rhythm
• lots and lots of transitions
• bending--simple--on the circle (inside leg to outside rein if falling in), bend in the corners, serpentine etc. Suppleness will come
• Canter--perhaps laps for fitness not a priority--better stay in dressage ring and add lots of transitions.

I will check this with MH to see if this is accurate and plan a lesson next week so I can see how it applies to the way I am riding Sephira.