2012 7 16 Dan T
3 hours: 1.5 in the field at liberty
Themes:
1.
Getting back on track with connecting with Try
a.
Precision’s purpose is making Try happy rather
than to accomplish a L4 task--that works for me. There is no connection without
precision. Try uses lack of precision to get me off track and to take control
and drop the connection. She is happier and more relaxed being connected to me
as a leader. That is natural for horse and for her as an LBI. For Try precision
is more important than speed and she responds so well to precise, clear cueing.
For me I love speed and freedom so much more than precision. Precision made Try
check into the game rather than tune out as bored.
b.
If I go introverted, I lose the connection.
c.
Sometimes she needs me to go slow and piece by
piece. Sometimes she needs the variety of my varying my energy level. That is
mentally fascinating to her.
d.
Try hanging out with me, Dan, Paula and Kathy as
a part of the herd.
e.
A frequent mistake Parelli students make is
creating the habit or pattern of shutting the horse down.
2.
Power, intensity, galloping full out etc. Can be
from anger, fear, need to cut loose. But can it be used for purpose?
a.
Using patterns to create a pattern that is not
innate to horse: how to trigger exuberance? Today we used the cutting game
pattern.
b.
Change horse 20%.
c.
Try is absolutely NOT opposed to playing hard—but
on her terms and for a short time!!!!
d.
Revving her up to give her (and me) a mental/physical/emotional
break is a GREAT thing to do.
e.
Try offered rounding up—what exercise will
accomplish this on the ground?
f.
Note: at end when we revved up Try did it with
the go/stop/back/turn pattern and Dan really got exuberance in the backing and
swatted Try’s butt in the turn and she really cantered! She was happy and
exuberant, not afraid or angry.
g.
Are dressage lessons with Kathy bringing more
power out of Try?
3.
Miscellaneous
a.
I asked about Australians at RTTH: fine line
between fear and respect. Respect is empowering.
b.
Unconscious competence: using purpose
effectively unconsciously is a great thing.
c.
What purposes of mine are meaningful to Try? Not
passing L4: task.
d.
Can create sweet spots i.e. pedestal, trailer.
(For Try who has always been great about trailering—its not a scary dark cave,
its food, other horses, rest and going somewhere.)
e.
Can make arena a sweet spot. Ride hard in field
then go to arena to rest. Then to arena and one circle rest. Then 3 circles and
pretty soon LBI will offer the 3 circles.
f.
Tempo vs. speed: if lengthen stride—Try will
need to go faster to maintain tempo.
g.
HQ/FQ offensive and defensive turns on the
haunches by stepping forward or back
h.
On the ground at liberty: walk, back, mirror
each other turn (invite to draw)
What we did
1.
Pinch to get her attention, crouch behind carrot
stick—have to play hard enough—pulling her tail did not do it. Had to piss her
off to get her to engage, then after getting the positive response it took less
to engage.
2.
Walk forward, back and mirror turn (step back
and draw) mirror vs sync TO PROGRESS this it can become the cutting game and I
can get my speed and power. Good for Try physically as well.
3.
Jump—Try and I ran off together stick to me
style and I went to the jump. It had two cavaletti poles and walking over
it—Try lost confidence over her back legs. We did it at a trot but then Dan had
us go back with one pole and Try accomplished getting her back legs over at a
walk and then nickered like crazy—“look
what I did and time for a treat!” Huge moment.
4.
Riding
a.
Backing use porcupine wheelbarrow as more
refined than driving with legs
b.
Walking off from a standstill: using porcupine
squeeze from two legs doesn’t work as it prevents free rib cage needed for
movement. (I’ve never done this anyway.)
c.
Turns
i. Started
with the walk/back/turn pattern but of course turn is sync not mirror LOL
ii. Defensive—start
with indirect rein—stepping back
iii. Offensive
want to be moving forward and asking for turn to stay straight like reining
spins FORWARD step with hind end and pivot on hind leg
iv. I
need more help and review with the defensive and offensive cueing.
d.
Dismount on the opposite side.
e.
Zone whatever driving with one rein to go back
to the barn—unconscious.
6.
