Thursday - Dan Thompson - 3hours
December 6 2012
Since September
- Low keyed, less intense connection—this was a good thing—trust myself
- Lessons with Kathy—giving up control and
HQ/FQ isolations
- Old age fear—Dan dealt with this—examples
and lt less physical cueing a good thing
- More intuitive and less planned and goal
oriented – still a good thing
- Parelli materials fig 8—information
only—need a more narrow focus rather than try to absorb the clutter of all
Parelli info
- stopping over jump—trot and maintain gait
or stop over pole—see below heavy on FH
- Need reset as to connection--get back on
track as to control/distance/right side/ and giving up HQ
Stuff to do maybe
Figure 8 online and liberty: right hand
loop
-
Stopping over cavaletti pole
- Opening and closing gate while mounted
-
Quality of canter gait
Impressions and ah ha’s
-
The greatest moment was the figure 8 on line. Try was motivated, happy and playing with the pattern as an LBE which freed me up to be able to enjoy the RBE that I am.
- This was accomplished not by mechanics of
what am I doing right or wrong in my body nor motivating Try as LBI by smacking
the ground in the middle LOL.
- This happened because Dan helped me make this
pattern interesting for Try.
- It had never occurred to me to vary and
be particular about shape and distance.
- First—a good circle shape as Try had the tendency
to hug the obstacle to avoid the game.
- Then two circles with my turning my body
to accomplish that.
- Then distance small and large circles, maybe one
small and the other large
- Shape can be circles or infinity sign
etc.
- From this I realized that the Parelli dvd on the
subject sent me in the wrong direction with my thoughts and plans and I need to
be careful as Try is her own self and we are in L4. My avoidance of the dvds may
actually be a good thing—my instincts better and Dan/Kathy one on one coaching
better than one size fits all dvds or magazine articles. Balance and not overdo
to keep Try happy also important.
- Another example was my taking the
exercise from magazine to develop Try stopping over pole and sidepassing towards
to get off the pole.
- I thought this would be good as we already sort of
had it. BUT putting on the breaks was the problem, talking with Dan I realize
this exercise requires Try to fall onto her FH—something we are trying to avoid
at this stage. Thus I am putting this task as a priority 4 to reconsider at a
later time.
- Another big ah ha was the
fixing/development continuum. As we have made progress with the fixing we are
able to happily proceed with dressage physical/intellectual/mental skill
development for both Try and I.
- Especially as Kathy watches the fixing portion with
Dan and incorporates it into our development lessons IE giving Try time to
figure things out rather than make her do stuff which doesn’t facilitate
learning AND helping her learn that she is safe to give up control i.e. of her
HQ.
- So my guilt over not doing fixing with
Parelli ground work was off track—it was being done in lesson. I was doing a
good thing by using on line and liberty as a pleasant warmup to get us loosely
connected for riding.
- Also a fix is my lack of big goal focus and energy
and frustration.
- The Gate: Try does not like confrontation and positively pushing into pressure is an issue.
WHAT WE DID
ON LINE
-
Catching game
- Stick to me to the gate to get halter and
rope
- Played with sticking together on the
rail: walk and stop on my HQ and back using stick in front and asking for nice
backup ENGAGING to a stop. To prevent the stop to be falling on the
FH.
- We were then able to take this onto a
circle—relatively small at first to make it more like stick to me. Try would
swing her HQ away on the stop so I would drive Z1 to straighten and then back
straight. (Repeating this in round pen would likely help with stopping on the
circle.) On circle phase 1 is lifting the rope.
- This exercise helped me understand why I
want to stay away from the stopping over the pole that either results in falling
on the FH OR relaxing to a stop!!
- Sideways towards—Drawing HQ only from
intention Prevent FQ from moving, lean back to draw. Wait it out until she
figures it out. Life up.
- Next was figure 8—an incredible high
moment—see above. I feel so energized and proud that we are on track to good
stuff!!!
RIDING
- Girthiness: rub
friendly
- Tip nose and continue in opposite direction for
counter bend
- Indirect rein with good energy in HQ
(stick?) then change of direction and maintain counter bend until I decide to
straighten. This becomes set up to ask for canter depart using HQ. Falling leaf
pattern.
- Canter: my role in vicious circle of FH/back
hurting/tension.
- Flying lead—changing bend at shoulders
plus HQ engagement
- Can we engage HQ rather than disengage to a
stop?
- Offensive sidepass: pushing into
pressure?? Lift rein and keep[p opposite leg on—sidepass in the bend not
straight. Had to wait a long time for Try to give up control. The first time she
was relaxed and kept suggesting other things then got frustrated and figured out
what we wanted. The second time she got frustrated and emotional tho giving the
task—we sidepassed a long ways until she relaxed and when we quit she fast
walked away—still emotional. WAIT
END: unbridling—keep contact until Try
relaxes.
1% better for
100 days = 100%
Old age—doing less is goal
anyway
IMPROVEMENTS since
September
- Try offering to put one hind leg on an
object
- Picking me up at mounting block which
will improve when we get drawing HQ from intention.
- Backing (while not exactly desired—has so
much better impulsion)
- Figure 8—I saw and loved LBE fun. Joy for
us both—my being able to recognize it as joy.
- We are improving in fitness, skill,
fixing control, giving up HQ, Try figuring it out, balancing fun with
development sessions, relaxation within pressured learning.
- Catching game
- Moving from fixing to development while
not neglecting fixing
- Sideways towards from intention instead
of phase 4
- Old age: doing less is good
anyway
- More partnership
CATCHUP/CLEANUPS
Yoyo drawRight side, zone3/4/5,
