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.

April 28 Dan T

Notes on Apr 28 session ID’ing and helping Try when she loses confidence


1. Online

a. Yoyo: not stopping with life down is an escape. Solution after my life goes down to signal a stop and she keeps going my life comes back up to match and keep asking until she decides to stop. Playing her game at that point. This helps her go from RB escaping back to LB.

b. 360 FQ turn from me in Z3 or further back—goal is to plant the outside HQ foot so she is not escaping and thus stepping across with the inside hind foot—just stay with it until she figures out the answer then release—so the good deal and answer for her is to not escape.

c. Circling game: transitions from leading rein—the idea is that a RB horse is assisted by using porcupine game instead of driving. (porcupine the least used of the 3 main games) Steady pressure is like hand holding. (remember Target’s need for contact at the canter.)

d. Z5 driving without driving—again using porcupine game—game is she can’t go back—only answer is taking charge and going forward like GoC reins mean go. So I ask for one front foot then the other until she figures out to go.

2. Riding

a. Everything is transitions from a leading rein—porcupine. Actually Try was LB in the ring. Difficult transition was asking for the canter from a leading rein and my energy without kissing. Actually BA had been telling me NOT to kiss also—puts too much pressure on the horse—Try gets snippy and Spiderman got more nervous.

Match chart

April 13 phone call with Dan T re humanality report/match

Humanality/Horsenality Match Thoughts


Humanality

• The RBE/LBE match is interesting but Try is LBI so I have asked for a new report.

• Try and I are fairly compatible as far as energy goes we are both cusp and can go easily one way or the other—the goal for me is to see where SHE is and act in accordance.

• Positive chart: 27 points RBE, RBI, LBI, LBE all about 15 point. Asking friends—law wives put me RBE, BA and Dan put me RBE. Curiously high school BF puts me LBI.

• RBE: I recognize this as appropriate to my life experiences including being cautious of LBEs. I go most RBE with LBEs i.e. Linda, BA but am drawn to them. I also get really RBE when leading a group and feel the need to be sure everyone is happy, excited, motivated etc.

• I want to be aware of the tendency toward too much people and horse pleasing.

• From the humanality I have particularly noted that I am over sensitive, and if hurt will pull away from people causing confusion for them.

Match with Try as LBE

• P4 says we are both active, fast to react and quick to get frustrated. I think I am more active and fast to react and Try is quicker to get frustrated. See later notes Dan phone call on frustration.

• Also that we enjoy each other’s playfulness and we do not—does Try only play dominance—I don’t see much pure joyful physical exuberance. Try’s playfulness is usually introverted play.

• I also don’t see much from Try of too much energy that needs challenging and if its there I am capable of working with it confidently.

• P6 Try when I’ve not been there drawn to me and in mind reading frame of mind. Canter to me when RB/ more drawn when ill etc. Attracted to Chris Shallcross and Annie Shank—introverts. So she often likes slow, introverted, caring energies.

• P8 L3 is different than L1 for us both!! I am much less emotional or frustrated and I do always go to the barn with a plan and the ability to readjust the plan quickly.

• However, Consistency and giving up within a session is an issue—would not show up when Dan is coaching and teaching me timing. I settle for too little and quit too soon—from LBI study overcoming drilling. Try has learned how to give a little so I will quit and how to offer something to avoid a game she doesn’t like. i.e. back feet on the pedestal to avoid circling!! See Dan notes—this will take time, experimentation, study etc.

• A huge huge issue for me is to be really in the moment reading Try!!!! So I can recognize signs of change. Also when I am distracted Try will get dominant. Repetition game

• Magic days: good weather, Sunday am, plan but not focused on it, enjoying the day—just feeling.

• P9 focus/dominance—encourage her idea “And then some” be aware of when to use it and to do it with a sense of the game/joy Jim Carrey I want to develop the sense of PLAY and timing for this.

• Being able to recognize the change from Try wanting to do something to ok now I’m ready to do what you want to do i.e. passenger game waiting at the gate 2 min

• P11 using patterns BORING even mixing them up. I’d rather be creative and make up my own. If I’m bored does try pick up on that? Sometimes she gets bored all on her own. Try got bored with LBI stuff with Chris and Sherri and I did a little warmup strong and LBE circle and change direction and she was yeehaw LBE! (boredom)

Riding match

• I am not a risk taker. Try is super safe or maybe I have learned not to go there and she doesn’t offer. Try is not too exuberant.

• Improvements/changes

o Warmup strong and Try is happy to move her feet

o She is less dominant in behavior if I am not rude

• We are no longer doing long boring laps i.e. no stirrups but Spiderman is taking up the slack. With Try break it up with transitions, trail, passenger, ride in the field and going places. Do a few and move on. Wheelbarrow, back from HQ yield, flying leaf.

Learning frame of mind

• She does love new and interesting

• She does love to dominate just not as much

• “willing” doesn’t say enough its both of us open to each other, relaxed, soft, mentally attuned. Soul mate kinda stuff. Willing goes beyond compliant it is actively connected.

• Play must it be joyous and active and can Try doit? No see Dan notes play is active for me but not for Try.

Situational

Checked lots to get feedback: RBE 11, RBI 9, LBI 7 and LBE 4.

Priorities

• Losing focus, being in the moment, aware of Try each moment watching for changes with strategy in mind.

• Not waiting: for the change, reaction, over rewarding and over cueing

• Internal dialog vs just being i.e. thinking vs feeling

• Afraid of damaging horse mentally or emotionally! My reason for getting into Parelli

• Putting too much pressure on horse so he/she loses confidence

 

Dan Comments on Humanality Match

Reports in general

Reports have limits as they are a single dot in a single spot and address a main tendency. Also the data is dependent on my input and thoughts at that moment. So this changes through time and situation etc. But it does give some good ideas to consider.

Positive and negative charts:

The goal is to get Try off the negative chart or as low as possible and onto the positive chart as high as possible. The goal is balanced—positive in all 4 quadrants.

Another consideration is the Parelli level of the horse and the savvy level of the human so that issues become more subtle and reading the horse occurs in more depth etc.

The report does not address the right brain side of Try. Although she has moved to less dominant on this chart, I would like to find another RBE with a RBI horse just to see what is said.

Dan mentioned a student and her TB mare (also a 20 year old LBI who goes RBI). For that mare maintaining a trot or canter is using discomfort—so she learns to be LBI as the lesser discomfort. Needs big enough contrast of discomfort to be effective. LBI breaking gait and subsequent change of direction.

So Try bracey toward RB—more pressure does NOT work when she is RB but in LB it does. Try’s job keep me sleeping not bring my energy up and cause more discomfort. RB slowing down and allowing extra time-- Observing the moment of LBI/RBI changes. If LBI may need to rattle her cage which will send her RBI then wait for her to go back LBI.

For Try when she gets frustrated and witchy—check to see whether I am rudely over cueing OR Dan suggests more likely wimpy which will be interpreted by Try as predatory. People who are nice are careful and there for sneaky which is predatory so nice becomes a direct line to predatory!

Riding cueing with leg—try it first at phase 1 (phase 1 refined to our level) and check her response and then be effective if need be.

When Try is nonresponsive (?) ITS NOT ABOUT the game. She is so clever at getting the game on her terms, taking over the game. i.e. offering pedestal to avoid circling.

LBE play: report assumes active play. I have assumed play is active and full of energy AND for me personally it is. For Try, not so much—less active play i.e. playing tricks on me, curious, mouthy. That can still be enjoyable playfulness for us both. It won’t satisfy my NEED for active play. I need to acknowledge it and accept it. If I do see exuberant play for Try, know it won’t last long—i.e. turnout bucking/gallop. Her age is also a factor.

Quitting too soon:

Dan says this isn’t just RBE but is a common human trait. Takes experience and experimentation on lots of horses. Somethimes it is good to play though and others ok to quit. How to know if going a little longer will gring the greater benefit? Humans hate being wrong—fear mistake. I fear damaging a horse mentally or emotionally. Dan says they are still better off even tho they are our guinea pigs.

Chris attracted Try—Dan says it is her Introverted and nurturing energy. RBIs have a strong nurturing quality that can make them take charge people to protect their “family.”

Living in the Moment/Magic Days

Dan says I am actually quite suited to this because of the RBE feeling and creative side. I am innately programmed to be good at it. Great. (LB think more, RB feel more) Of course, some days I need to think to learn/teach/create a new muscle memory and that is good as well.

Willingness vs compliance

I define willing as something less than open but that may just be semantics. I want positive reflexes so it becomes a dance—feeling and doing and moving together.

Dan stresses making deposits into her motivation account. Purpose games, ride Try to plan with Spiderman, move cows, synchronized riding with some one else, If I have focus it is not drilling. i.e. could use Trys HQ yield to move Spiderman. Try will ask what’s in it for me and if her account is filled she will offer the withdrawal and “read my mind.” Lately, field, trail, passenger, trips are deposits. Doing just a little of focused drilling??? i.e. HQ stuff—do it once—its good and go on to something different.

March 17 Dan Thompson, Try and Spiderman

3/17/11 Dan Thompson


Try

1. Sticking together game

a. Drive HQ until she comes all the way through

b. Don’t stop—keep moving

c. If need be drive front end to prevent stopping

2. Yo

a. Neutral and life down are not the same

b. Cueing her to maintain gait—maintain life up/neutral to keep going and life down to stop

3. Circle game with HQ yield

a. Not disengaging—I go with her and mirror to get her to step across

b. IMPortant is to keep going—not a disengagement—stay engaged

Riding

1. Wheelbarrow turn: purpose is engagement

a. Turn from HQ not front end

b. No reins except for safety

c. Use leg and if necessary stick with it

d. Program for awhile especially right side

e. Progress this by being able to go from 2-3 steps to maintaining it on the circle

f. Progress also use it to stop this is exaggeration

g. Leading up to powering up good banana

h. Reaching down with foot to stretch thru topline rather than fluid rein

i. Fluid rein chin/nose uncomfortable forehead simulation

j. Stretching neck doesn’t necessarily equate to stretching top line.

2. Backup

a. No reins except to counter sidepass or forward motion

b. Hunker down

c. Move 1HQ step then otherside –use leg behind the girth

d. Keep at it until Try backs then stop

e. Step not just rock

 

Spiderman

OnLine/Liberty

1. Catching game—liberty stick to me

2. Friendly game: expand be creative, all 5 zones, ball etc Improved since last time.

3. Driving FQ 360: wow I was surprised at this—whole new level of understanding of the game

a. If he escapes back just keep going—want him to plant/turn on back leg (turn on haunches)

b. Escape forward –do back and over

c. Impulsion and respect issues here

d. Be sure to CHECK him into the game—up the E/til he pays attention/not just sorta going thru the motions

4. Yo: same as Try start adding in the idea that it is his responsibility to maintain gait

5. Circling: check out does phase 1 work for send and transitions

a. Needs to stay at a gait until he relaxes, give it time

b. Winning is rhythm, relaxation and contact

6. Sideways: z5 following and occasional move z4 while keeping z1 going

a. Keep going until relaxed and get few good steps w/o his head coming back toward me

7. Riding

a. Comb to bend

b. Comb to bend and hold (vary the time to progress)

c. Comb to bend, hold and disengage HQ

d. Walk and do above, trot, canter