Coaching from Kelly

Trailer loading and Try: Although Try is always willing to go in to trailer (obedient), she is not motivated nor energetic about going in there. Kelly fed her horse dinner in the trailer. With grain in there, Try will go on her own. Also Try pinned her ears when I swung carrot stick and string to be sure she would do it quickly with the 10 minute time limit.

No trailer to use to play: use pedestal as a resting place. LBI's love to put their foot on things and be up high.

Note: assessor Kristy has LBI. Be aware of my rope handling: helicopter flick of the wrist.

Sideways towards do from farther away i.e. end of 22' with belly of rope on the ground like liberty.

See if can lead by one tail hair

Try may be innately more of an extravert but made to be an introvert through her western pleasure background. I want to release more and more of her play drive. Western pleasure could have made here grumpy, pissy. Note: she used to be a machine showing no curiosity or play drive around me. The touch-it game was a revelation. Kelly said she is lovely horse or words to that effect.

Weave: Try doesn't appreciate my cueing her front end (??back end)--problem area is the end of the weave pattern--how about having a barrel there with a treat? That way she sees a clear end to the game coming instead of the prospect of endless, mindless repetitions.

Circling game: standing still is bad--get it moving, travel the circle, go to tree and wrap, run and turn away--chase. cookie. Spins, falling leaf, improvization, variety. More imagination, and fun for motivation.

Send Kelly some freestyle and liberty footage. LBI definately prefers them to online--insulting to have that line on their head.

Liberty: LBIs love to mirror--I'm moving my feet, you should too.

June 11 Hot Line Questions

Avery is instructor, Questions based on reading the mastery manual on emotional fitness.

1. Online circling game: when Try has extra energy, whether emotional or not, is it ok to just allow her to keep going until she wants to stop. Yes. Good warmup to ready her for a session.

2. Try get emotional--angry, hates to canter in online circling game, how can I help her?
Use imagination to extend the circling to barrels and treats: i.e 4 barrels, 2 barrels, then stop and get a treat only after 4th barrel, 6th barrel or circling 1 and 1/2 times til stop for treat. Mix it up so she doesn't make assumptions or get bored--get her thinking, what does she want me to do before I get to stop and eat a treat?

3. Try gets emotional--up--freestyle when asked to turn not part of expected pattern?
She is making assumptions, change the pattern, variety so she doesn't know what to expect i.e. clover leaf--turn a different way.

4. Faster slower game: will help her deal with the extra adrenaline that pumps when she goes faster. This is approach and retreat using speed. Thresholds. Also helps to dispel assumptions.

5. How to make riding fun: variety, no assumptions, teach something new.

6. Observation: important for me to recognize negative self-talk that gets me emotional and uses energy lessening my endurance.