Dan T Dec 12

2011 Dec 12 HQ

Began with discussion of levels and importance of HQ:

1.      The levels 1-4 are for human: safety, respect, bonding, physical etc

2.      For the horse levels are respect, impulsion and flexion i.e. mental, emotional, and physical AND I will likely always be playing in all three tho as we progress more in the physical. Still, if mental i.e. dominance or emotional i.e. RBE reaction then can’t work on physical—have to go back to the mental or emotional.

3.      Stages: in the beginning the human uses reins in zone 1 for communication and progresses to using HQ for impulsion, engagement then back to zone 1 reins for refinement only.

Liberty in the paddock

1.      Started with 360s—I did not realize that Try moving her HQ when I asked for FQ was an escape or a defensive movement. So we played with concept of my asking for turn on the haunches with offensive step forward vs defensive step back.

2.      Then played with can I draw Try’s zone 1 to me without moving hind end.

3.      Then asked for 360 on the rail—Try left, circling game on for a long time as Try not willing to bond or check in with me. Then back to 360—I helped her by staying close—the third time she was able to do it with lighter cueing

Riding in the paddock

1.      Repeat of the above riding. Difficult for me to feel and Dan helped by moving fore quarters or stopping HQ from escaping. ??need to work this out??

2.      The GATE issue arose as we attempted to ride out of the paddock so game on. It really helped to have Dan coach as to timing/persistence/rest etc. Basically the second I felt the emotion or hurry come up we backed until Try relaxed then tried again. Perhaps 10 times until Try got it. Being able to stop and rest and think was key I believe—also using carrot stick and spurs, matching her energy plus 4 ounces.

Riding in the hilly pasture

1.      On Line: the gate and setting up in the ditch to mount like gate above. Note carrot stick in zone 1 to stop forward movement on the ditch.

2.      First worked on walking and then asking for an engaged HQ yield to a stop. (Can relax to a stop or engage to a stop.)

3.      Diagonal trot engaging Try’s HQ---required stick and big energy.

4.      Canter was often rough on the forehand—fast—stand in saddle. Part of my emotional fitness would be to follow up with really cantering fast and forward all over that pasture.

5.      Also we can trot covering distance and with shorter strides and remain engaged.

6.      Steady rein: it was helpful to me to think of it as a wall..

nov 30 Dan T

phone call 11/30/11

Specifics

1. Not finding a place to stop 30 min BB/BL: ??no curiosity, goes to sleep or says I am supposed to maintain gait. Suggestion: increase the intensity, ask more out of her, add tack for my safety and up the gait, etc. She could be waiting for me to tell her what to do and I want her to be interested, curious and ask questions. Passenger game doesn’t work for horse a. afraid and needing leadership (Target/Keystone) or b. one with no druthers who is happy to keep going until cued.

2. Steady rein:

a. For next time: don’t do it during first part of session. Be careful if it’s a walk that I am neutral not energiless—passenger frame of mind. Pattern and trot may be good idea.

b. Dan: strong focus, my hohum walk, perhaps ask for an EVEN slower walk. Be prepared to play thru the ugly and use spurs or carrot stick if necessary. Try needs to know I am committed to us learning the steady rein. That it means something. So Try will say dang you really want this, don’t you? So she finds the steady rein as a good deal—cause her to care about the good deal.

3. The GATE:

a. altho improved coming out of ring area, others still a problem—Try just picks up this little burst of energy—it isn’t really anything b ad but its not emotionally fit.

b. Dan: match her energy +4 and yoyo, snappy backup at high level then go forward just as hard—continue yoyo until she asks if we could just tone it down. I don’t win the game until she wants to give up on the intensity first. Show horses often gate has become sweet spot i.e. just let me outa here!

What we have been doing—lots of time away—trail ride for BA horse, trip to another farm—Try great—just a tad of extra E—new place, rain, in season and other horses taken away from her. Good for boredom issue as well as confidence.

Negative and positive charts: I see some improvement and the biggest thing that shows up on the chart is Try being bored, disinterested and just doing stuff to please me rather than curious, interested, alive. I used to think that energy was great cause I felt so safe but I now realize its not.

Priorities from 300 hr Thanksgiving summary

1. Emot RBE intensity is our friend

2. Boredom

3. Me—phasing, zero tolerance, waiting for Try to process, take the T it takes etc

4. The phys conditioning for both of us—lateral for Try

5. Then L4 task

Intensity Discussion:

I need to plan various levels of intensity into our sessions not just let them happen. Then Try can be comfortable with my applying low and high levels of intensity.

Boredom, disinterest

Varying intensity will help with this also. i.e. fig 8—1^st half fast as possible and 2^nd half slow as possible then keep changing it up as Try learns a pattern so quickly. Then she will need to listen, pay attention not be on autopilot. So intensity then is not only for relaxation and confidence. Dan noted that for hunters a relaxed consistency is desirable. Try’s relaxed, safe bored energy could actually be a dream come true for many riders. For interest, Dan continues to say putting things to a purpose. i.e. games with other riders.

END GOAL??????????? Unicorn and wood nymph Dan says this is not unrealistic but to begin from where Try is and what she is capable of. This would be the stick to me—slow i.e. like line dancing or riding at a trot or canter to music. I mentioned Blue Hors Matinee and discovered that the horse is like the girl in ballet and you are showing off the horse and the rider is directing the horse similar to the boy in ballet partnering. Also Dave Lichman and the dance/horse troupe that worked with natural dressage. I think I can start with playing music and asking for a little liberty and see what fits and use what Try offers and dance a little myself. Film the whole thing and edit out any little bits I like.

Sunday mini workshop on horsenality

What I learned, or maybe better said, experienced.

1. Horsenality/Humanality and match and positive and negative charts are just scratching the surface of these topics. This left me feeling overwhelmed.

2. Simulations: Arnold and Richard variations. I got to do these with Sherri and I must say she is a lot easier to engage than Try. Sherri and I both being RBEish and Try being LBI--loner and not really interested in relating to humans or horses as much. hmmmm Also I know I can be anxious about relating to horses as there is a possible danger factor But I don't know how deeply I want to relate to humans either and I would be careful about choosing the human. hmmmm

Also it was easy to see how coming at Try with big Energy without warning is obnoxious. But there are different kinds of energy and intensity that I can have and the Arnold type isn't me. Also I know I can have too much internal energy around some horses and that I could actually scare them i.e. Spiderman or Angel. However the Richard busy busy busy that has been me can, I know, be soothing to an unconfident horse or cause a left brain horse to tune out. Some combination of a little internal intensity, a sense of fun, and just a bit busy could be intriguing to Try and I would like to play with that.

3. Dan suggested we need to know where we want to go with our horses--what is the end result? What is the goal or ideal? When I got home I went searching for video to use as images for the perfect scenario with Try. I watched Stacy Westfall, Mikey and Red Sun and Honza Blaha. After, I realized that none of these fit some idea I had never really thought through of what I want.

Random thoughts on the ideal:
1. Try is soft, relaxed, fit--in an almost etherial way. Light, floating.
2. Try reads my mind and is responsive to task and matching level of energy.
3. We can dance together effortlessly, improvizational--without thought--joyous
4. Full out energy and movement is relaxed, floating, lyrical.
5. Try thinks being with me is the best part of her life and the most engaging of anything she has ever done.

NOTE: ideal image isn't something necessarily achievable and I did not even realize this was what I had far in the back of my mind. wow Also I didn't realize how much I was relating horsemanship to the 30+ years of ballet/dance.
The ideal is not
1. Big inner intensity on my part to scare her into doing things.
2. Try having the desire for lotsa full out "recess" time.
3. The ideal is not ugly

Audited Saturday--lots of great info and insights!

Today was so much fun and very little pressure auditing. I was pleased to feel such a part of the clinic and that I could incorporate that into my learning, as the topics were all so much a part of where Try and I are at. A special thank you to Chris for including me.

AM session on the ground (couldn't stay for afternoon riding):

1. Drifting HQ on the circle. It was so helpful to see Dan coaching Chris to stay with it until she got the result and this is so much a part of my highest priority right now. i.e. not quitting too soon--at the first bit of try--settling for good enough.

2. Next simulations on one handed zone 5 driving using contact. I got Chris as a partner and was finding all sorts of stuff from the Game of Contact course I audited last year making sense. I love that I can see a purpose to contact without having to ride with contact as I just don't feel that is the right thing for Try and I right now. The fluid rein running through one hand while maintaining the other felt really good. Also I like the feeling of steady contact similar to when Cobie did that when I was her horse/partner at GoC--like slurping up through the belly and full torso. I remembered this am that Linda had said that this contact with a lead rope feels great and that I have been practicing it with Try when ever I would actually want to use the lead rope rather than hold it as if at liberty. Further this ties in to the clinic last year with Kelly when I was using the fluid rein to ask Try to stretch. Yahoo!!

3. Then Dan reviewed using game 2 porcupine to ask the front end to move in zone 5 driving. This rather than asking for the forward moving by shaking the ropes (driving game). He used me as the demonstatee and that rope shaking felt really rude. I was just standing there pleasantly and here comes all this shaking. wow Again I really watched Chris here as she was doing exactly what I need to be doing with staying with the game until it is won (not settling for good enough). I saw her truly win and make such strides in her relationship with Tye and I want that. I want to not wimp out with Try. I want to recognize when she is emotional and stay with it til she relaxes. I want to be more particular about tasks and stay with them as long as it takes--not for the task itself--but for the relationship. Some how, though I have known this for some time and struggled, it is making sense in a new way. Double Yahoo!

Great day.

Dan T Oct 21 2011 Good Enough is no longer Good Enough

Got to barn--tractor broken so scooped 5 muck buckets of Angel's poop out of back paddock so it would be available to session.

Session: 30 minutes or so of talk to begin then..will sift through that discussion later and maybe post.

In the back paddock: Started with curiosity game--crouched behind Try and tossed dirt at her butt til she turned and came to me to see what was up.

Then as Dan figured Try was dreading one of the "round pen" intensity sessions to change it up he said to get on her back. So went to the fence and mounted.

Well this was TRULY bareback (no bareback pad) and truly bridleless. So all I had was carrot stick, my legs and the ability to hold onto her mane when she felt emotional/scattered.

We started with passenger lesson with the parameters of today's game being that Try would need to figure out that she could choose a different sweet spot than the gait. So I would swat my shoulders with the savvy string etc. This went on forever.

Then we moved on to being particular about point to point, yoyo, turn on haunches and sideways with the purpose being to help Try when intensity makes her emotional to find that she is ok and intensity can be her friend that she can work thru it and everything is good. I had trouble communicating with fewer tools and insecurity of bareback but learned that I could stay with it long enough to be both successful at being particular AND that I could win the game by having Try be relaxed doing it. I am winning when Try is relaxed and I don't feel the need to hold mane.

 At one point Try was confused and "took off" at a canter--and I found that was not a big deal--it was a slow canter and no more than ??30 feet. I was glad to know this is ok. I am strong enough to ride it and had legs and could hold mane.

My quitting too soon is like being codependant with alcoholic. I am not helping Try to get over being emotional and upset about intensity by quitting or avoiding. Also learning that Try as LBI might enjoy being particular.

Then we went into the field be the ring. I have never ridden in this field and was wary because this area was filled land with surprize potholes etc in a lot of the area but knew the far left area was a pretty good area. Also this is currently Try's pasture.

So mounted from the salt block (LOL) using western saddle chosen by me to promote my concentration to help Try with emotional fitness not to improve my riding.

So Dan and I were checking trot and canter for emotional fitness and quality within the tasks of go and whoa. I learned that I need softer cue for whoa than the exhale and that I need to decide what that will be and distinguish it for Try from relaxed riding.

Next Dan had us play with speed within gaits. Try has a western pleasure jog, and medium and fast trot--I knew that but was pleased that she made the transitions fairly relaxed. Next the canter: well I did not know if Try would remember lope as a slow canter but she immediately did and was fairly relaxed with transitions within speed of gait BUT would be emotional when I upped the intensity within the canter. So to help with that the exercise became to be slow on the straight line and increase intensity and speed of canter on the turn. Also Dan suggested using bend at ribcage to engage HQ in western pleasure lope to prevent the trotting behind.

Although physically we didn't do all that much today. Try and I were both really tired at the end. Emotional and mental work.

 Thoughts and discussion—more

My biggest goal/concern for the day was further exploration of Intensity is our Friend and helping Try get over being emotional when things get more intense.

1.     What prevents me from doing this? Why do I choose good enough and quit too soon? I can stick to something book learning, dance, physical fitness, LBI great so why not with Try. Dan says and I agree the reason is my RBE desire to avoid conflict and have Try like me!!!!!!!!!! But this creates the codependence—see above.

2.     A thought: although Try may be a difficult LBI as far as I am concerned the worst thing she ever did was wonderful. She is truly my choice of the best horse for me. I feel so safe with her.

3.     Finding the emotional so we can play with it: if it doesn’t happen from my inner energy its ok to use my extraversion.

4.     Upping phases—I can see that I need to use this but use it well. Catch the moment and be fair and use phase that matters to Try. If too consistent with phases Try will tune it out.

5.     Also with phases need to push buttons to get some emotion from Try to have something to play with.

6.     I asked how to id LBE in Try as I think I only see RBE. Well, if Try goes RBE and then relaxes but still has heightened energy then that can be LBE. Also fine line between LBE that is a little unconfident and RBE that is fairly relaxed.

7.     Good enough is no longer good enough.

8.     Call Neil Pye

9.     GoC—I don’t care about contact with Try’s mouth at this time and maybe never.

Phone call 9/23/2011

Phone call to clear up confusion about intensity: how long, frequency, etc. based on experiences of the last few days.

Monday after Friday’s session with Dan: Lovely turn on haunches from Z5 and push the ball to me. Extreme friendly to wake her up. Did not know how to play with her like Dan did. Circling on the rail/dominance game ok but didn’t see anything exciting in the way of a change in Try. Shaping Try’s body at a trot and canter and bowtie were great.

Wednesday: Emotional day for me and not good. Try immediately walked away from me so game on circling/dominace. Went for a long time with Try stopping in the corners and I had needed to enlarge my circle but didn’t think about it to later. Sideways over caveletti poles with intensity—really cleaned up the sideways and Try was taking responsibility for doing it bridleless BUT was that just obedience rather than partnership?

Thursday: Flies were horrible. She trotted to me to get out of the pasture. Riding did not go well either for the same reason. We did get one sideways each way—which Try clearly did to get it over with. Then got 4 laps of no stirrups out of the way and quit. Back in the barn, Try offered to walk down the hall without me and get into the wash stall and position herself for a shower.

Discussion with Dan:

1.      Balance between gaining respect, building Try’s ability to ask questions versus harming her confidence.

2.      The object isn’t obedience so much as getting Try to say it’s a good idea to be a partner and assume responsibility
3.      Dominant horse would bit kick ignore—range
4.      Try getting sidepass over with—knew what to do and got a release and got away from the flies.
5.      Try giving less each day after getting it: don’t get stuck in a rut. Don’t play with the same level of energy all the time within a session or day to day. Play hard for 15 minutes then something else.
6.      Important is for me to ask myself WHY am I doing it in that moment. Is it to change an attitude or build an attitude of questioning etc. Try wants toknow the PURPOSE for the intensity
7.      If I get LBE energy don’t ignore it—use it i.e. cutting, canter, lead changes
8.      Don’t overuse the LBE energy or she will be discouraged from offering it again.
9.      She will get to like the intensity if its not overdone or pointless.
10.   Goal like ballet class: don’t want the session to be over.
11.   Riding and safety: listen to my voice and ask the question—is this a safety issue or an unrealistic fear? The match the energy so Try can work thru it.
12.   Challenge myself to expand my comfort zone. Good place to start is in the field or the trail start with jog or easy trot.

Intensity is our Friend

2011 9 notes Intensity is our friend.

Try is afraid of intensity and it makes her emotional from a RBI lack of confidence to full scale RBE. If I stop and calm her down when she is emotional I am rewarding it and increasing the chances of reoccurrence rather than decreasing it. My task will be to help Try see that intensity on my part isn’t so bad and help her to be less and less emotional about it.

Round pen

1.      First we did circling from me in zone 5, turn on the haunches—asking for front end to spin without me moving my feet until she gives me her other eye then draw zone1. The latter part Dan said she learned the fastest of any horse he has seen.

2.      Then I played at liberty stick to me a bit including going to the ball and Try pushed it a little and then pushed it to me a bit. It may be ok to occasionally give a treat for this. When I asked Dan said Try did it because I asked to please me but she thought it was stupid and pointless.

3.      Dan suggested I needed to wake Try up a bit so I played really hard myself upping energy and phases and moving a lot and Try gave me maybe 35% instead of 10% energy.

4.      So Dan played with Try a bit to give me images to understand. It took a couple minutes for Dan to get Try with him. He did it with internal energy and intention, a few flicks of the stick when necessary BUT never moved his feet much and when he did he did so slowly.

5.      Then Dan had me send Try out to the rail to circle. Try took it as a dominance game right off! The test for me: intensity, move less, win the game—not allow her to change direction but not rush to do so. By the 3^rd or 4^th time I could stand in the center to change her back to the desired direction and each time she would finally decide to stop and I would draw her with big intensity on my part instead of taking the pressure off with relaxing. The 4^th time she stopped dead on the circle and came right to me—deciding to yield to my leadership was not such a bad deal. Note: don’t pet her immediately after dominance game. Wimpy.

6.      So Dan says horses are looking for good leaders. Try as extreme in dominance not so much but if I can figure this out she will come around. A benefit of this will also be an increase in impulsion.

Saddle shimming and cradle bridle. Hmm. Ride in the western saddle for canter/work on intensity and emotion to allow space for my thoughts. Cradle bridle ok for one hand riding. Try doesn’t mind it and it gives her more tongue release. Casual rein for freestyle.

In the ring

1.      Trot and shape Try’s body on the circle using dip shoulder and eyes phase 1, inside leg phase 2, taptaptap with stick at the leg phase 3. This can be a way to keep Try straight in point to point to use in conjunction with pushing with the other leg to avoid overusing and nagging with that cue.

2.      Then take circle into a canter, shaping on the circle

3.      Circle large and then small staying on the same lead

4.      Circle and go off on a straight away (not stopping if she gets emotional) then shape the other side for a lead change.

5.      Also use with bowtie and cloverleaf

6.      Flying change: Pat uses move the hind end, Linda front end shaping—Dan says both can work and experiement.

7.      Try needs me to have her be emotional and keep going and work through it so she can learn to relax with the intensity.

8.      Dan compared Try to Casper in terms of difficulty from dominance stand point not looking for leader. Try also has the added component studied today of getting emotional when the intensity increases.