The weather was in the teens so I opted to do the 3 hours inside. Discussion of the big picture, planning, Riley, and some specifics and simulations.
Syncing not just movement but our energy in the sticking together game—i.e. I choose energy level and see if Try will match it and vice versa.
I had some questions about where I am going as L3 grad considering L4 and also mentioned the boredom issue for LBI Try and LBE me. Dan comments that levels are never ending but a way of recognizing accomplishment along the way to provide motivation. Basically he said level 3 is about putting what I know to purpose and that will prevent boredom.
Purpose/conditioning for Try
1. Purpose: playing together—Try doesn’t feel I am playing at her
2. Playing with psychology
3. Dressage maybe
4. Cows
5. Drill team maybe
6. Handling another horse while riding Try
7. Choreography
8. Riding with another horse and rider
9. Obstacles on the trail at a trot and canter
10. ??Make riding in the field interesting
11. Vary the HQ stuff from day to day!!
12. 2 people and horses passenger and stick together
13. Lots of transitions speed/gait through the woods
14. Cavalettis, hill therapy, putting patterns to a purpose
15. Finding better posture and “holding” it—holdover in healthy posture beyond the session.
16. Million transitions: Walter Zettl
17. Trail—canter ½ mile but add in ½ pass or ??whatever to add mental challenge
18. Pulling something heavy enough to be physical for Try i.e. cavaletti pole
Whatever it is—it won’t be fun if it gets drilled!!!
We talked about the subject of physical development for Try. I don’t feel the need for her to be conditioned as a top athlete but rather good physicality and biometrics to assist her as she ages. This includes increasing use of hind quarters and engaging top line and abdominals. This seems the least I can do for the health of my lovely horse. BUT Dan hit the nail on the head with how do I achieve fitness without the drilling that brings forth a bad attitude—classic LBI issue. I realized that I have been dealing with this issue for ages. All those laps in the ring at trot and canter are healthy physically but not mentally and emotionally. I have tried varying by doing the “work” in patterns, passenger lessons etc. Dan’s suggestions were out of the ring.
Another issue—I would like to be a really good rider:
1. Dan says this is another never ending quest
2. Obviously time in the saddle, study ie Walter Zettl
3. Versatility—cross disciplines, like cross training ??dressage
4. Ride other horses that are good at their disciplines to see how it should feel
5. Kelly eventing, Dan—future help to add in to what I am doing
6. Go ride one of Wendy’s cow horses.
7. Ride physically different horses, ride any other horses available??
8. Is the dressage saddle preventing my sitting the canter?
9. Pilates warmup—21 days makes a habit
10. Can’t ask horse to engage if we are tight/tense or a slob.
Parelli and Tasking: Pat organizes thoughts around tasks, Linda feels it is more valuable to figure it out yourself—at the center instructors wait for questions from the students. Important to ASK. Balance of gaining information from other sources, and puzzling it out on my own.
EARN the right to be a good leader by being a good follower: Ultimate passenger game there is no agenda even if that means sitting at the gate for as long as it takes. Dan clinic ½ hr one day, 5 minutes the next. And huge difference in the horse. This would be good to do in the field every day for a week—Dan did this and felt for the first time his horses’ thoughts and subtleties. Can I with a trot or canter passenger, close my eyes and be with her on downward transitions and turns. Kinesthetic takes away the visual if close eyes can feel what the horse is doing. If there is NO agenda (not saying I hope Try doesn’t go to the gate) then I am open to sensing more.
Email Ruby etc re session with Dan on play day fun.
Hunt for my focus game: fun, Try is finding the good deal. Put it to purpose.
Simulations: Cueing each other with focus/body language/intention alone!!!
Want to get so confidence and respect are not issues/opposition reflex—want to be entirely out of the negative.
Riley
1. Most important is to find the starting place of what Riley will accept or tolerate not necessarily love
2. Building confidence
3. Head down for haltering—rest arm on his poll/neck and allow my natural weight to slowly take head down—very friendly game
4. Want him to understand that this is not a bad deal
5. Driving FQ: 3 stooges, close annoying, quit in 1.5 minutes or so
6. Vet check: start close and very gradually build from walk to trot: brace just wait and let him find the good deal.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Dan Thompson December 23, 2010
Dan Thompson Day 1 December
Fun day today.
After catching up on goings on since the last visit ie BA going amature and Ocala trip, On Line in the new paddock. As a warmup--something slow and fun for Try i.e.knocking cone off a barrel--it is in Try's horsenality to like to push things around LOL. then Dan suggested sidepassing to the barrel and knocking it over or backing to a barrel and rolling it.
Then the main course: teaching Try to hunt my focus--to line up with my focus--focus not on her but on what I want to accomplish i.e. focus on tree to ask her to line up to back (preparation to preparation??) Trick is to use the right amount of energy/phase etc to ask without losing my focus then reward. Try was starting to get it--will take some time. Nice part is that I can start with L1 assessment sheet and we can work our way forward with variety built in and a clear path for me mentally.
Sideways: follow the focus--focusing over the withers--this one was easier both directions than backing.
Circling--more like following my intention: don't change gait or direction AND I choose the distance. Try had no trouble with increasing the distance as I let out rope and to decrease--I walk with her focusing in the direction as I reel in the rope. Note: we tried 6' distance--Dan says this is L4 and the hardest.
Then went to Kathy's and watched Dan help her with strategies for winning 7 games with an RBE and a great trailer loading session. Mostly I was impressed with life up and life down.
Watched part of Mary's lesson with Jake then Aimee with Sparkles--I appreciate the opportunity to watch.
Then 3:30-5 ish Try--mostly freestyle then a spot of figuring out when Try takes contact.
Warmup: We walked for Try to blow and it took longer than usual--
no doubt Try feeling/mirroring my not being as relaxed as usual--though it was a fun, joyous 2 days--still not as relaxed as when its just Try and I. Reminds me of dance rehearsal vs performance--the latter never being as free and glorious as the former as there is the knowledge of the audience.
Anyway, we broke up the walk with turns by my turning my whole body to look at Try's HQ. Then went to the trot and broke that up mentally for Try (to get her connection with me) by varying the speed of the trot from jog to medium to fast trot. (hmm ask BA about extended trot rather than fast).
Then falling leaf variation to lighten the shoulders etc:
1. walk then ask for HQ disengagement with my full body, lift rein hand elbow straight if necessary to keep Try's front end in place (turn on the forehand) and stick in opposite hand across our bodies to HQ as well.
2. After turning swing shoulders in same direction while wt is still back by using opposite rein/leading rein/?leg and if need be stick--holding downward to urge front end.
3. walk off in new direction with leading rein.
Practice bits til they become natural and join together into a dance.
Weave variations walk and trot swinging shoulders thru--so sidepass thru then proceed on a straight line.
Contact: Played with it at a stand still. We wait until Try takes the contact from me i.e. stretched down and then we walk off. Reins mean go.
Merlin/bullfighting
Linda Success Series lead change ladder.
Wonderful two days--glad I did not reschedule to January even though it was really cold both days. By watching other sessions it felt more like a clinic than private sessions only. Also interesting to consider would be the 6 day clinic in Hartsville SC.
Fun day today.
After catching up on goings on since the last visit ie BA going amature and Ocala trip, On Line in the new paddock. As a warmup--something slow and fun for Try i.e.knocking cone off a barrel--it is in Try's horsenality to like to push things around LOL. then Dan suggested sidepassing to the barrel and knocking it over or backing to a barrel and rolling it.
Then the main course: teaching Try to hunt my focus--to line up with my focus--focus not on her but on what I want to accomplish i.e. focus on tree to ask her to line up to back (preparation to preparation??) Trick is to use the right amount of energy/phase etc to ask without losing my focus then reward. Try was starting to get it--will take some time. Nice part is that I can start with L1 assessment sheet and we can work our way forward with variety built in and a clear path for me mentally.
Sideways: follow the focus--focusing over the withers--this one was easier both directions than backing.
Circling--more like following my intention: don't change gait or direction AND I choose the distance. Try had no trouble with increasing the distance as I let out rope and to decrease--I walk with her focusing in the direction as I reel in the rope. Note: we tried 6' distance--Dan says this is L4 and the hardest.
Then went to Kathy's and watched Dan help her with strategies for winning 7 games with an RBE and a great trailer loading session. Mostly I was impressed with life up and life down.
Watched part of Mary's lesson with Jake then Aimee with Sparkles--I appreciate the opportunity to watch.
Then 3:30-5 ish Try--mostly freestyle then a spot of figuring out when Try takes contact.
Warmup: We walked for Try to blow and it took longer than usual--
no doubt Try feeling/mirroring my not being as relaxed as usual--though it was a fun, joyous 2 days--still not as relaxed as when its just Try and I. Reminds me of dance rehearsal vs performance--the latter never being as free and glorious as the former as there is the knowledge of the audience.
Anyway, we broke up the walk with turns by my turning my whole body to look at Try's HQ. Then went to the trot and broke that up mentally for Try (to get her connection with me) by varying the speed of the trot from jog to medium to fast trot. (hmm ask BA about extended trot rather than fast).
Then falling leaf variation to lighten the shoulders etc:
1. walk then ask for HQ disengagement with my full body, lift rein hand elbow straight if necessary to keep Try's front end in place (turn on the forehand) and stick in opposite hand across our bodies to HQ as well.
2. After turning swing shoulders in same direction while wt is still back by using opposite rein/leading rein/?leg and if need be stick--holding downward to urge front end.
3. walk off in new direction with leading rein.
Practice bits til they become natural and join together into a dance.
Weave variations walk and trot swinging shoulders thru--so sidepass thru then proceed on a straight line.
Contact: Played with it at a stand still. We wait until Try takes the contact from me i.e. stretched down and then we walk off. Reins mean go.
Merlin/bullfighting
Linda Success Series lead change ladder.
Wonderful two days--glad I did not reschedule to January even though it was really cold both days. By watching other sessions it felt more like a clinic than private sessions only. Also interesting to consider would be the 6 day clinic in Hartsville SC.
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