Sunday with Kathy and Sephira

This was not a great day,

My goals were self-confidence after 2 week absence, relaxation and emotional fitness, visualization and communication and matching Sephira's energy in the trot.

What happened:
1. over bending--the neck in shoulder-in and frustration in making the correction and keeping forward motion
2. Sephira testing me rather than maintain self carriage in lovely, free trot

Solution from Kathy: closer physical connection with reins and use of outside leg and outside aids.

catching up - Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday

Try: easy "passengerish" ride--groom, walk around ring with new footing, choices to go up the drive but not out on the road left to Try. Communication: if Try would remain calm, we would leave the ring. Treats, hangout and B Me in round pen. Draw good--unsure about HQ/sincere thought, stopping but not really melting. "Catching the thought" and moving back from the chest--again unsure about sincere thought. Also Try was offering Parelli tasks of sideways and HQ yield towards.

Sephira: went to her fence and gave her a couple treats--she seemed pleased to see me.

Thursday

Try: lesson with Kathy and Try was absolutely magic!!

Kathy post at facebook: Had a wonderful session with Elizabeth Pope & Try this AM. Elizabeth has such a wonderful bond with Try. Elizabeth was focusing on visualizing uphill transitions with some jump into them. Try came through with such energy, they were beautiful transitions as were the broken line leg yields.

We did leg yields, shoulder in and haunches in and played for the first time with concept of half pass. Also I was reminded that when Try chooses to extend her trot that is good--if it became runny I could relax my energy level or do downward transition to reset.

Sephira:
Groom and B Me. Much like Try-- Draw good--unsure about HQ/sincere thought, stopping but not really melting. "Catching the thought" and moving back from the chest--again unsure about sincere thought.

Friday and Monday

Fri was the first time in over 6 months that Try was not the most perfectly wonderful any horse could be. I don't know exactly what was going on. The plan was just a tiny bit of review for Sunday lesson and then just hangout and enjoy the day...I had sent that message I thought. We were not connected and distracted and ended with some high energy liberty play in the big ring. 

Sun lesson was cancelled.

Mon getting ready for Colorado trip and played a bit with Try on the ground only.

Thurs vet Karen came while I was mid flight from Charlotte to Denver.  She said Try looks best she has ever seen her! So that is not problem...did not have pain or need hocks injected etc. Good news. Don't know what is going on with Try. Karen also checked Sephira and she is doing well.

Beginning Mary Wanless - On the Bit online study

1. Week one -- Seeking the Reflexes

Noticing what is happening in the moment is all important.
It's all about what is happening in MY body.

Strung bow image and others: Shortening the bottom/ab muscles causes the topline to be pulled into an arc. This requires muscular change though some changes can come relatively quickly. This does not come from focus on head/neck but from more effectively from the RIDER's alignment and biomechanics.

I like the image of circuit of ENERGY best and that there are various points at which the horse or human can break the line of energy. I can expect this to take time. i.e. Until I sit right, my horse can't go right and until my horse goes right, I can not sit right. So we want a positive spiral toward better.

I also liked the image of two water hoses coming up horses HQ to his ears and that we want the water to flow freely. Images of through vary--dominos. For me the feeling is one of UNITY and energy.
The result is beautiful fluid movement. Each horse is different but all horses can do this and it is so much healthier for them.

Another image is stuffing from the back end--when horse inverts he is stuffing the other direction. LOL To me it is a tightness and coming in of the musculature.

So for the rider--NOTICING:
1. I must not be afraid to match the great energy when it comes--I felt I did this better Tuesday than Thursday and I felt proud Tuesday and frustrated on Thursday.
2. The front of my torso must be the same length as the back of my torso.
3. Stirrup length--looking for 45 degree angle.
4. Foot rests lightly in the stirrup
5. Cowboy prongs. seat bones rest and melt into horse--rather than move in walk, 1/2"
6. Extraneous movement is rude and prevents lovely 2 way communication. Pushing with the seat is extraneous movement. Forward comes from legs or tap, tap with stick. Pushing blocks the hoses.

(2 supplementary videos to watch on alignment and plugging in the seat bones)

Thursday with Sephira and Kathy

Today was a frustrating day but a good learning day.

1. Shoulder in with Sephira: my concentration needed to be outside rein to avoid over  bending and outside leg forward of the girth to move the shoulder.

2. My attention and persistence had to be highest priority on maintaining my position--elbows and hands so Sephira could understand that I really wanted what I wanted. LOL When I would focus on transitions etc I lost my focus thus, for a while anyway, the transitions, etc. need to be made with a secondary focus and concentration.

3. Sephira is such a good teacher. i.e. my leg means forward

4. I want to match Sephira's energy when it is really good.

5. My frustration today I realize came from ignoring Sephira in the conversation and focusing on what Kathy was asking. Sephira wants me to talk to her and learn to listen to her.

6. I lost my sense of relaxation, visualization to telegraph what is coming. Soft concentration and enjoying the moment.

Checking in with Try and Sephira

From Try: First let me say all is well. I am enjoying having this new human around and sharing time and space with her. I don't feel threatened in any way, and the ease in which we work is delightful. It's time in my life for comfort and less stressful learning. I'll always love my main human and will try to do any and everything she wants to do that makes her happy. It is nice, though not to have an agenda in these days and times. My hips are a bit ouchy but no severe pain, and nothing that will restrict riding in the fashion we're doing. Elizabeth, is doing a great job communicating using her abilities as a telepath. I know and feel her appreciation on every level. We don't need words to convey our feelings. I send her..love.

From Sephira: I know I'm wonderful and I'm glad you recognize the same..We're really getting a "connection" between us at this point in time. Yes, I understand, and got your thought about the draw reins before hand. Your hands are light enough not to be a bother, just remember to push forward a bit more with your legs. Remember..we're teaching each other. As for respect..good going! I'm learning you can be a force to be reckoned-with!

Both horses seem to have just what they need right now! I can't help but chuckle at Miss Sephira's ego. But, ya know..I think it's pretty cool she knows her worth! I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth! You're doing a wonderful job "communicating" with these horses. Keep up the good work!

I had a gal email me last week about teaching some classes. She's friends, and a client of Nikki Heath. I'm thinking about doing some online workshops. Maybe via Skype. Still in the works. Keep that in mind in case you know of anyone that maybe interested..

Many Blessings..S

My concerns were--was Try ok with Dawn--especially now that they are slow trotting without out stopping for 30 minutes. In my conversation with Try she did not like it boring and a bit exhausting but she likes Dawn a lot. Also I really was uncomfortable about using the draw reins with Sephira, warned Sephira about them in advance and checked in with her yesterday to see if she was ok with it and she didn't seem to think it was that big a deal.

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