Notes from May 23 phone coaching

May22 phone call

1.       I told Dan about Try showing a gorgeous trot at liberty: powering up, tracking up, neck—rhythm, relaxation and contact with me—motivated I think by seeing Forrest more than by anything I did. Actually I saw this at Wendy Batten’s also. Alive, powerful—Wendy said “Breyer” horse look. Dan said he has seen his horse AJ like this—looking like a dressage horse and he’s just a little QH. That Try has shown me she CAN do it—now in the future will be my learning how to get her to do it on purpose. Issue is Try knowing how to carry herself (and me carry myself?). Adrenalin isn’t always bad.

2.       Try on the line between LBI and RBI. When she is sweet, open and responsive—horsenality just a tool to use for me to adjust/flex/experiment. If I wait on Try, checking her out for either RBI feeling pressured or LBI dominance. Sounds like Try has moved onto positive chart.

3.       Lots of improvements for Try—have worked on programs for RBE stuff or things that make Try emotional—still an issue is the girth.

a.       I asked about making a program of distracting her or interrupting the pattern i.e. saddling out in the field with grass or giving her a bucket of grain. OR
b.      Treating this an LB long term habit: copping an attitude—knock it off. Rather than smack her I am saying HEY DON’T DO THAT by moving her feet—interrupting her pattern with my leadership—some short and sweet game (?sideways) and may be helpful to do this with the bareback pad. Make a program of this.
c.       Shouldn’t take long to get results if this is LB behavior.

4.       The big issue for this call: help in changing myself from busy, busy, busy to powerful and effective.

a.       It’s about time: my ability to take that time it takes.
b.      Videotape to prove to myself: that everything goes better between Try and I when I am effective rather than wimpy.
c.       Plan carefully the game—what my phase 1 and 4 will be—visualize myself following the plan. Then video and see how I did.
d.      Effective is doing less. Some situations busy can be better i.e. RBI horse. LB horse like Try needs me to be effective/non-wimpy leader. Powerful phasing. Then put it to purpose.
e.      Helps to play with lots of different horses.
f.        Only play with one horse—get a different horsenality and fall apart. i.e. Nickers—solution there to get Sara to coach me on what to do.
g.       For L4 good to take at least two more horses through L3—different horsenalities than Try.
h.      LBE in your face horse—if I get pissed and whack em so what.
i.         For me fear is an issue with a horse who moves feet. Need plan or assistance i.e Marianne Bennett—playing with Skip.
j.        Check out the way a horse plays naturally: compare Try’s play with Suduko!

5.       Me—having the power and conditioning to be the athlete Try needs—to be able to mirror what I would like to see in Try as to powering up.

a.       Remember my huge E from watching the colt start, from ballet.
b.      Remembering Try’s trot/at Wendy’s.
c.       How much athleticism does it take?
d.      Me back to the gym: consider not just aerobics etc but exercise to increase power i.e. weight lifting. Attitude what creates than sense of power. Dan says don’t worry I will still retain the necessary refinement.
e.      Imagine Try in her power trot and how I can mirror that with my body. Experiment. FUN HOMEWORK for me.

6.       Specific tasks and cueing
a.       Pedestal
             i.      Go ahead and ask her phase 1 to come forward
             ii.      Then go to a phase 4—experiment w/ creative phase4 that matters
           iii.      She needs to hunt for the answer—the good deal
b.      Yoyo
            i.      Yes don’t deliberately bring forth RBI escape.
            ii.      Instead put to purpose by progressing the game
     Faster  Obstacles  Weave
         iii.      Then be watching for rb and be ready to bring life back up and keep going til she figures it out.
           iv.      Taking her to the edge of confidence and expanding her confidence box
c.       Sideways
              i.      Not trying—need to get her back in the game.
               ii.      Phase 1 to 4
            iii.      Purpose: be creative?? Distance, faster, pattern, obstacles
d.      Circling game
         i.      Clear purpose: i.e. shape, attitude, distance after getting rhythm, relaxation and contact put it to purpose
          ii.      If she is maintaining gait then use it to advance transitions or change of direction or distance on the circle etc.
          iii.      Use it to achieve relaxed jumping: small jumps, vary. She needs to be good at jumping with herself so this is better accomplished from circling than a squeeze. Repetition and flow to help her relax and then use just the energy she needs for the jump.
e.      Carrot stick riding
              i.      Walk to halt or trot to halt – bad attitude
1.       Purpose, creativity
2.       Trot to fence and ask for stop ?3-4 feet in advance my life down THINK BAKCUP then phase 2 is 2 sticks
3.       Using the sticks to keep her straight not turning.
4.       Or do it to a jump focusing over the jump
5.       Commi8tment timing, add sticks as tools and part of the game not as the game itself
6.       Feel her Energy come to a stop and shift her weight back especially if I put energy going into it and then quit going forward
7.       Progress canter to a jump, life down, backup—checking into the game
f.        Backing from HQ yields
                i.      Life up, hunker down, me shift back and forth—porcupine not driving
              ii.      Can speed it up later
                iii.      Riding fr4om the HQ not backing from driving the shoulders
         iv.      My level of urgency is what will make this progress

Questions I had for Dan Thompson

 ?s for Dan phone call

1.       POSITIVES: Try nicely LBE/LBI

a.       : lots more extraversion—offering canter—I just take it and let her go with it until she wants to trot—no  matter what we are doing.

b.      On the ground gorgeous trot—liberty—tracking up/neck

c.       Cantering “uphill” in the field—feels fabulous and she looks powerful and good
d.      No negative emotion associated—seems happy—except girth (grass,horses)
e.      Picks up canter in the ring some when I was about to ask for trot
f.        Frustrated with walking (Sara/Nickers) when injured

2.       Try  other horsenality issues

a.       Try is much more LBI when Dan is not here.
b.      Try as RBI/LBI where is the line—I like her to be sweet and obedient and open
c.       Big RBE issues
               i.      The girth – ok eating grass/other horses
                ii.      The gate – phasing
             iii.      Reverse psychology ride back into the ring at the end

3.       RB/LB ME

a.       I want to make changes in what I am doing: I have increased understanding of my issues in busy busy busy thru his help and humanality BUT I need to actually physically change what I am doing and am not finding it easy. (Plan, visualize, start out well then lose it)
b.      Advice on making changes.
c.       My extraversion—spent much of this year unsuccessfully trying to hide it from PP and causing more tension for myself. Let go on the porch with Sara last time—true LBE—but can’t live there—exhausting. Recharge at home by myself—LBI.
d.      My RB more horsemanship than an intellectual learning situation—for example.
e.      Confidence in my horse. Try’s short horse/slow twitch I am very used to and comfortable. Spiderman’s ability to quickly react RB—English horse—not prepared for physically BUT Try may be holding me back in the progress in learning to ride vs an English horse w/uphill conformation and more confident with the bit.
f.        Colt Start—huge energy like with dance—bigger than Try’s energy.

4.       Specific tasks cueing

a.       Pedestal – how to cue
               i.      Unconfident—wait, take my time—Sara help busy busy
                ii.      Now confident—she understands—dominance tho she looks really pleasant
           iii.      Phasing—tap foot is phase 1 but what is effective phase four? Online liberty?
b.      Yoyo
         i.      Has backup from my energy and stops energy down
          ii.      Can’t catch her escaping—should I overdo it to find it so I can practice?
c.       Sideways – how to start /focus and point at zone 3—great for awhile and now sloppy
d.      Circling game—purpose? Laps? Rhythm, relaxation, contact
e.      Snappy??

5.       Biometrics

a.       Falling leaf and wheelbarrow turn—nice HQ yields—got BA to watch.
b.      Backup from HQ yields—I just seem to be annoying Try as I am confused.
c.       Back to freestyle riding not freestyle into finesse – 2 sticks for downward transitions start well, gone on to trot?? This is where Try and I are happiest--

Ruby's notes after the Saturday trail riding workshop with Dan Thompson!!

I thought Ruby's notes were wonderful and something I would like to reread so she gave me permission to include them here:

My philosophy on Parelli is Pat provides a system to help you reach your goals with your horse. Whether you want to become an Olympian gold medalist or a quite ride on the trail. I also believe Pat wants us to develop love, leadership and trust with our horses. Pat is always looking ways to improve the Parelli path and motivate us. I don't think he means it to be a checklist of tasks just to be checked off. I believe he wants us to incorporate life in our training. It's like home schooling a child at home and not exposing him beyond his books. He won't be a well rounded individual. Working in the arena is like being a classroom. You get theory and training, but on the trail, its the real world.


Love comes with hanging out with your horse without making demands. Grooming, grazing, keeping your hands on him, talking to him. Just being a companion. With Tonka I'll play with his nose, take a damp cloth to clean his eyes, nostrils and face. I try to make these times enjoyable and intimate. Just Tonka and me. No demands.

I think leadership and trust go hand in hand. If your horse doesn't trust you, you can't lead him. I think this is where life comes into play. With Tonka I started with small things. Remember I was afraid of him. Thankfully, I started to ride regularly with Judy. But I couldn't keep control of Tonka because he would go through the bit. Betsi helped me to change to another bit so I could stop him and make him pay attention. When a horse goes RB, you need something to pull him out of his scary fog. Now I can get him to turn me when in doubt. I recognize what scared him and reassure him and go on as if nothing special. Tonka had to trust me to get him through the difficulty.

Dan said trust comes with letting Tonka having responsibilities. To ride without reins. He has to decide how to proceed. Or riding with you eyes closed. This giving him complete control.

Working in the arena is like being a classroom. You get theory and training, but you put it to use in the real world. That's why I try to expose Tonka to all kinds of environments. We have ridden on the beach, different trails and clinics. Because we are working together in different situations, we become partners.

Parelli is a essential part of my work with Tonka. It lays the foundation for our partnership, but I heed to incorporate other experiences to expand Tonka's horizon. Just as Pat has taken his horses through different venues: cutting, reining, dressage .

Sara's notes from Dan T - Thur April 28

Sara Willson Austin


Dan Thompson Clinic notes

1. LBE-make sure to ENGAGE with them. Don’t turn away from them, they want engagement and don’t need confidence (they have enough). Make sure to find THEIR phase 4…it is NOT a phase 4 unless it is EFFECTIVE!

2. For falling leaf- DRIVE the hindend until the front end comes around and lead it to the other direction and then drive the front. This is an engaged maneuver so you do not disengage the hind, you drive it, and make sure to drive it far enough to start to bring the front around.

3. REINS-the right rein controls the right front foot and the left hind foot! WOW, that was big for me…now I am conscious of what I am actually asking her feet to do! Ask one foot to move at a time in the beginning to get a maneuver and speed it up later.

4. LEGS-the right leg controls the right front and right hind.

5. Stick riding-you can actually carry the horse just as much with the stick as your reins-this is what I was doing. SO, make sure to try and keep the stick in neutral as much as possible, only use it AFTER your eyes, seat, legs, and make sure to be effective when you use it-this is a phase 4!

6. There are phases within phases-there is a phase 1-4 within phase 1.

7. Be conscious of that what your horse gives may be what you asked for.

8. If the horse isn’t doing what you want-why? Such as not stopping when you life down-is this a right brain thing (they CAN’T) or are they just ignoring you. In Try’s case, she needed Elizabeth to go with her until it was her idea to stop. Nickers-just wasn’t listening. The hardest part is to be able to read them and see what they need…this is the art. I hope I can get it!

9. Talked to Dan about Summer being impulsive under saddle-wants to go go go. His first question was, does she do this online. The answer-NO. So, his suggestion was to help her go while disengaging until she asks to stop. This is likely her losing confidence under saddle. I need to go slower with her and build her confidence.

10. Match the horses energy! whether it be up or down.