February 17, 2011: Dan Thompson

February 17, 2011: Dan Thompson 3 hours

1. All about phases: this is complicated and depends on many things.

2. Spiderman: a. Is the way you start different when you are no longer level 1 yourself? Started with extreme friendly and put back to fence and really slapped the group but stayed relaxed and neutral in my body (friendly) and stopped when he stopped. Sang to keep myself relaxed. Needed to focus on Spiderman not Dan to look for when to stop. Spiderman got it pretty quickly.
b. Did tombe pas de bourre glissade hug Spiderman with really relaxed body and he stood there but if I had tension in my body he really felt it.
c. Yoyo backing and understanding phases With Spiderman he had moved from learning to controlling phase and I did not realize it. I was going slow, not expecting much. Quickly thru phases 2 and 3 to phase 4 and then give him time to process. Blind man. Do close and then farther away. Teach him to find my focus.
d. Circling was great we already have a nice send and bring back. The allow: go thru phases if he breaks to a walk—phase 3 sideways swing of rope, phase 4 get off the pedestal and tag him. This is a fun Jim Carrey game.
e. No knowledge of sideways—we discussed but did not do. The plan will be to accept ugly—not careful and pretty let him move and figure it out—life up, life down when there is a good step or two and stop time to process it.

3. Try On Line

a. I explained my filming to see my use of focus and intention and saw no impulsion, then tried to find an effective phase 4 and that did not work. So I asked will Try ever have more impulsion?
b. So remedy is not phase 4 but the warmup. Warmup strong. Did extreme friendly for the purpose of bringing up her life and energy rather than go slow with her as a warmup. Remember if its friendly I am relaxed in my body.
c. Then we used the circling game to teach Try to handle her emotion (relax) when her life comes up as that worries her. So send and falling leaf and then follow her (matching her energy) as she chooses relaxation as the good deal.

4. Try: riding
a. Speed: Will she ever have more energy or is it boredom. Again this is an opportunity to warmup strong, swing carrot stick along her body to bring up life. We worked on her emotional fitness in the backup. Note I felt safe with the increased energy in the backup
b. Wendy’s/Cottonwood)—yes I could have used the circling game to better advantage, matching her energy and giving her the chance to learn to deal with her emotion.
c. Carrot stick riding is a big priority as I can see that I have caused problems with over using reins i.e. swing the shoulders, backup, sideways, turns on the forehand and the haunches, falling leaf etc.
d. The reason for the backup was a broken yoyo game. Homework for March is a snappy backup. Try not to use rein. My seat!! And Carrot stick over my head.
e. Canter yoyos great for HQ engagement, uses speedy backup—does it improve the gait?
f. Also did sideways using the free leg for extra control.

5. Parelli in eastern NC and Craven County: Dan suggested a trail riding clinic!