Phone call with Dan Thompson 9/21 to answer questions

Dan notes phone call 9/21/2010

1. Draw issue—Try stopping on the circle and turning head to look at me but not coming to me. Dan: remember Try is an extreme LB horse—this is not a confidence issue—I do not need to retreat i.e. remove pressure. Retreating/removing pressure will NOT create draw!! Two ways:

a. If Try is tired she will decide drawing to me is the better deal—that is her choice not mine—a decision made on her terms.

b. On my terms: Move closer and closer and add phases with stick and string—if still on the circle pressure in Z5—behind the tail. Even if Try leaves then we continue to play the game the next time around the circle. I don’t have to move my feet that much—see if she can find the good deal when she comes around again. I am still drawing and putting pressure in Z5. BUT THIS IS ALL WITH AN ATTITUDE OF DRAW supported by the driving game. Can spank in front of her also. I haven’t played the game until I truly do what it takes to get her to CARE. Currently I am playing the right game and but not strong enough. Occasional phase 4 if necessary. She will begin to respond more easily. If she has turned her body toward me that will probably be putting pressure in zone 2.

2. Energy, focus, intention—

a. I do less she does more. My question about teaching Try to respond to my energy: Continually teaching (REMEMBER TEACH CONTROL REINFORCE REFINE) just teaching your LBI to be lazy. Try already knows when my life and focus comes up that would mean something i.e. if it was another horse bringing life up she would know that meant something. So I am teaching her it doesn’t mean anything. This is like doing homework for your kid and the kid never learns the material. So long phase 1 (life up focus) then quick 234. Not longer phase 1 if Try is going blah blah blah but longer if the horse is trying to figure it out. i.e. backing—life up, focus, lean and Try goes blah blah blah then give her a phase 4 she CARES about and it will be better next time. If not, it wasn’t a good enough phase 4. The next day may require reinforcing this with perhaps a lighter phase 4. i.e. may require repetition. In time Try will need the phase 4 less and less.

b. Arnold Schwartzenegger vs Richard Simmons. Arnold is into power, Richard is busy busy busy. Both will go to a phase 4. What do LB horses responds to best: Arnold!! Try will love it.

c. Try has a high play drive. Short horse will play hard but not for a long time.

d. Don’t waste Try’s exuberance. ID it and decide how to use it. Don’t use it up on the ground and then expect to find it riding (you know what you’ll get instead LOL)

3. Girthiness
a. Honestly listening to her
b. People are often rude to LBIs—think they can handle anything.
c. From Try:

i. As a human do you know its going on? Awareness
ii. Human do you care?

d. Girthiness—just wait for her.
 
4. Indirect rein on the right—leaning.
a. I have been trying to apply phases and not being effective
b. Set my hand and let Try sort it out—her timing is so much better than mine.
c. I have taught Try that the second she releases I release.
d. Need to hold it longer and vary it i.e. 2 sec, 5 sec whatever so she doesn’t assume she knows what the game is.
e. Reward the slightest try for the teaching phases and we are way beyond that.
f. Find a more effective phase 4 if need be i.e. add stick??

5. These are all foundation things that will effect lots of different stuff.

6. Snappy go and stop. Used to be ok to go and stop slowly but not any more. Dan says Try will like the snappy go and whoa

7. Soft feel: Get to holding it longer and do more with it.

8. 2nd horse/new horse. Horsenality? Balance on impulsion scale how GOOD is the GO and Whoa. Quality is getting better.

9. Game of Contact:
a. in the beginning freestyle and finesse are separate but there becomes a grey area between the two. If you are excellent at freestyle and Try confidently understands and respects contact in freestyle then a lot of finesse is done. Its still all body language, do it without reins.

b. Isolate and separate:
i. Z1 game: Try—can you accept the contact,
ii. Respond to it and realize it’s a conversation that is occurring partly thru z1
iii. Body connection (Linda’s physicality) becomes the connection of the two of us
iv. OK to add my physicality to the 7 step soft feel

10. Circling game: leaning on the rope

a. Continually pulling the rope to get slack is like pulling the horse’s nose out of the grass.
b. Try’s sweet spot is the gate so she will be leaning on the rope on side closest to the gate and cutting in on the other side—thus the egg shape.
c. Remedy: When Try puts pressure on the rope—I am a fence post and I lean on the rope stead and drag my feet if she pulls steady pressure
d. Z5 stick and string if necessary—her reaction doesn’t matter—can turn with her—my standing in one place is L1! Not necessary any more. Turn with her if needed to maintain power position. Apply enough pressure that she will hunt for a better answer. When she pulls on the rope she is playing her game not playing with me. She likes her idea better. Cause her idea to be uncomfortable. When she slacks or checks in with me THEN release the pressure
e. Don’t chase the heck out of her but may energetically spank the ground.
f. NOTE: If she pulls harder or goes faster that means she CARES—cause her to care until she slacks.

11. Ear pinning on the circle
a. Same as above EXCEPT if she is bored take it personally!! Variety mix it up. ONCE she gets it you don’t need the 4-7 program at that point you’ve got to put it to a purpose.

12. How to be a better learner?
a. I don’t need to learn it all!! Can’t do it all—focus on some and progress on those.
b. This learning is difficult because it goes against our predator instinct and messes us up until the learning becomes instinctual.
c. L3 know more than lots of professional trainers.
d. Story L1 clinic 60ish ranchers there because their wives learned Parelli and out performed the young cowboys. Ranchers said they felt like they had never handled a horse before.