If you're 16 years old this is the movie you want to see: Twilight! Just a thought that ran through my mind: In all the American movies you see nothing but really cute, polite, intelligent, interesting and damn good looking cowboys and when you're here you see nothing but fat, ignorant, lazy, stubborn and shallow rednecks . Do they do that to attract innocent European girls to come to the states? Is it a hoax?
It is time to relax! Yesterday afternoon we went out to the hill, and moseyed around for over 3 hours. I talked a lot to a girl from Frankfurt, who is competing dressage at high level. We had a lot to talk about, and it was very nice to share thought about following the program. Yesterday evening I went with some other people to the bowling alley. I played 2 games, and the last game I ended with a score of 96. Not bad for a first time. It was a lot of fun! This morning I spent some time cleaning the pen, because it can be that we have to change pens, because we will only be 30 students the next 2 weeks. It will be a luxurious situation. This afternoon we are going with all the rainbow girls to watch The Twilight Saga, it must be a very good movie, because the other girls saw it already yesterday, but they still want to go again. Since it is really chilly outside, and after all this experiences my brain is a little bit fried, I will be happy to put my mind on something else, and spend some time in the warm chairs of the cinema.
Today is the last day of the course and Avery asked us in the remuda what our highlights have been during this course. For me it was the trail ride of yesterday, because it opened my eyes on how much I still need to learn, and also the relationship with my horse... I think it's only just the last 2 weeks that I start to understand just how smart horses are, how sensitive they are towards our energy. This experience with this happy, mild left brain extraverted horse really opened my eyes. People have to make the same mistakes over and over and over again to learn, you can show a horse something just once, and they'll remember for the rest of their lives. I am completely blown away!
Yesterday afternoon the faculty organized trail rides, just around the ranch. At first, I didn't plan to participate, because it was scheduled at 3pm. By the time you finish lunch, let your horse catch you, clean him, reach the same energy level, saddle with savvy, warm up a little more and take care for all your pre-ride checks I'm usually 2 hours further. But after I saddled him for the 2nd time (still playing with the right shimming), I saw that Avery's beginners group was just about the leave... so I joined the end of the queue. It was intense... the long horses had to go in the back, and I had my hands full with protecting my herd of 2, and keeping my zone 1 in zone 5 of the previous horse. I suddenly discovered how much I am still messing with the reins, instead of using my phases (eyes, belly button, legs, stick, reins). How interesting! But it was fun, my horse had a job, I became more confident around other riders, we explored the play ground,... and I became less direct line about all my rapport - respect - impulsion - flexion ladder.
Yesterday morning the faculty set us up for tournaments! We had 4 minutes to do 5 tasks, each task gained 20 points. They also gave us plastic rings, to tie between the halter and our ropes. If you'd put to much pressure on the rope, the rings would snap... So you better use your brain instead of the rein! When it was my teams turn to play I decided I'd start with the tarp. There was a cone about 10 feet away from a tarp. The goal was to send your horse to the tarp, and he had to stand 7 seconds with 2 feet on the tarp. (The thing was rather small). This was easy... So we quickly moved on to the next task. You had to stand by a cone about 10 feet away from a pole and send your horse sideways over the pole... Easy! Then we ran to the other round pen. There were 2 cones at the entrance of the round pen. You had to start with your horse in the pen, and yourself sitting on a chair about 10 feet outside the pen. You had to yoyo your horse out, and back in. The funniest thing was that he picked up a cone, and brought it to me while I was yoyoing him in. So I gave him a cookie! After that you had to sit in a chair, circle 2 laps, change of direction and circle 2 laps again. I sent him way to loud, so he got bracy and his feet got stuck after half a lap... But we had fun! The last task was to sit in a chair.. squeeze your horse over a jump, turn face and wait for 7 seconds, squeeze him back and turn, face and wait for 7 seconds. We were finished way before our time ran out... So I leaned on his bum, his head went down and he was licking and chewing! This was so much fun! I think there's a real competition beast hidden inside this cute pony!
Wednesday everything came together with the ultimate freestyle goal: bridleless riding.... COOL! Since this is way way way to high level for me I just decided I should do bareback riding... that sounds also cool! So I did follow the rail in the honeycomb, first at the walk, then a couple of steps at the trot and back to the walk. In the end I trotted the whole inner circle of the honeycomb at the trot. On the right hand I had to put his nose on the rail only twice, on the left hand I had to make more corrections, but that's because his ribs are a little bit difficult on that side.
One more thing... At the end of the day I saw that my pad moved to the left, and I also felt that my saddle moved to the right. John confirmed this.. Everything that shifts goes into a hole, so that means that Dancers right side is the low side and the left side is the high side. His ribs are stuck to the left, so I have to do more circles to the left, more sideways to the right, and more indirect rein to the left.
So yesterday I warmed up even more strong... sideways, porcupine, and a lot of traveling circling game. The funniest thing was when he offered to trot through the tunnel (this are 2 walls of plastic tissue), and I followed him.. So he comes out of the tunnel, turns around, and doesn't see me on the other side,... gets curious, trots back to the beginning, doesn't see me, goes back through the tunnel, while I just jogged behind him... This happened at least 4 times in a row... I love this horse!
Then I went to the round pen, because there was a workshop about level 1 riding. We did lateral flexion, direct and indirect rein from the ground. Then I tacked up, mounted and did the same from the saddle. It went really well, off course! I walked and trotted around a little bit, than I tried the canter both leads in a round pen, and then I got really bored. Because the honey comb by that time was so crowded, I went out into the wide open play ground... for the first time! Exciting... I let him graze a bit, and then played with some straight lines and circles at a walk. I didn't try the trot yet because I felt his impulsion is still not yet what it should be. I did try a figure of 8 pattern around 2 trees, and experimented with a direct and indirect rein. To me it feels the indirect rein is much easier, my horse is more arced around the trees and feels more mentally engaged.
After this all I realized that during the last week I progressed a little bit farther than level 1 by now... All of the other workshoppers were still on the ground, or were still exploring the direct and indirect rein...
I went back into the honey comb, to play with follow the rail. It went really well. I followed the inside in both directions at the walk . then the outside in both directions at the walk. Then I went back inside and played with walk - halt - walk, walk - trot - walk , halt - back up - halt and eventually walk - trot - halt - back up, varied by changes of direction through a direct and indirect rein. Because I am getting more and more respect, his impulsion gets better and better. I was really particular about staying on the rail, but for the transitions went quite slowly through my fases. This really worked, I felt more rhythm and relaxation. My back up improved 100%! I stopped at step 5 and kept a very (very!) light contact. Then I started a little rhythm in my left rein, and he moved his left diagonal. Then a little rhythm in the right rein, and he moved his right diagonal.... really nice.
Everything I practiced during the last week came perfectly together in this pattern... next time I will be as particular, but a little bit more gentle. Horses can only be as gently as you are....
I didn't do much on sunday, just played some liberty and discovered I really need to improve the porcupine and sideways game a lot more.
Monday I started with teaching him how to pick up his halter and bring it to me. This idea started when I tried to put the halter on. He sometimes bites in it and plays with it... I thought it was a nice beginning of a funny game. We are still in the teaching fase, but when I sit down and throw the halter a couple of feet away, he goes to it, picks it up and put it towards my feet. Pretty cool isn't it?
Then I went out to warm up strong. I played sideways along the fence and was very particular about it. This went very well, I got more attention, and his hips get more loose. Then I went to the third round pen near the lodge, to play some freestyle. There were 2 barrels in the middle, easy to use as a steady mark. Because I gained more respect during my warm up, he wasn't so dominant any more. The biting problem is completely solved (jippie), and I felt him more moving forward instead of downwards.
My plan about getting him to want to go to the rail worked within 5 minutes. I did pushing passenger lesson until he got to a barrel, then I started to play with indirect and direct rein. I am happy that I understand now way better how it works. I still need to go slower and more particular through my fases, but at least I am now more aware of it. This is a typical something for a RBE by the way.
After a while he offered to go to the rail and he stayed on the rail for longer periods. I had to correct him less and less. He offered to trot, and even to canter. This was funny because he is really like a vacuum cleaner... nose in the sand! It was interesting to feel how he falls apart, and it is also not so easy to ride.
I asked Cathy for a little advise about the canter. She said I could ask for just a couple of strides and then ask for a downward transition. For his impulsion it is better and easier to go from walk to canter to walk again. So I tried, but I still felt his mind wasn't fully engaged... He even started to get a little crabby, and the quality of his walk went south. I changed my strategies and let him go canter - halt - back up - canter, and then even canter -back up - canter... Man, what a relief! He really got into it! Snappy departures with lots of exuberance, but way more controll... Finally I reached his mind, instead of a boring level 1 leader I became a challenging person! We felt so cool! His expression completely changed when I was finished... a happy and amazed horse.
I just feel that the back up wasn't as light as it should be, so I asked Avery yesterday. She explained me about the jingle bells technique, which I'll tell about in my next message.
Because of the weather today I just took him out to the hill with my 45 this afternoon. Just horsin' around. We had a lot of fun... and improved our sideways and squeeze. I made much progress with this horse over the last 3 weeks... it feels like magic.
Yesterday we built further on our relationship through the freestyle skills. I warmed him up strongly, but his energy is more and more centered. Cathy helped me with the shims. It's now more or less balanced. Then I mounted and dismounted a couple of times. He turned around to bite me just once, then it stopped. Now he has the tendency to take a few steps forward, so today I'll see how I am going to deal with that.
Then I started with pushing passenger. He is very dominant, ears flat back... snaking over the ground. He trots really fast, and takes sharp turns. He often stops in the middle. Interesting! Follow the rail was also very revealing. I brought him to the rail, he went immediately to the center. I brought him back to the rail, he went immediately to the center,... Interesting pattern! I already thought that it was a little bit boring for him.. but most of all it was clear to see that I don't yet have the leadership I need to have for him. So I asked Cathy. She said he's probably going to the middle because that's his comfortable spot, so I need to take him to the rail, and let him stop and wait after a few steps. Yesterday when I went to sleep I had a lot to think about. Cathy's ideas might be effective, yet on the other hand he's going to find another thing as well. It's not about the rail, it's about the relationship and my current lack of leadership under the saddle. It's clear that he has another idea about all this. How can I understand his idea, and help him to act more like a partner? What I know about Dancer now is that he constantly makes up games... so it's very easy to get into an argument with this guy. If I find out his games, and turn it into another game, I will gain his curiosity and respect, and eventually obedience. How can I get him so far that he OFFERS me to stay on the rail? That it's his idea to go to the rail? Arrows I can use: * Keep riding with only one rein: it is more challenging for me, but it gives me no opportunity to start micro-managing him or getting into arguments. I first must reach his brain before I reach his feet. *Get him busy at the center: direct rein, indirect rein, backwards, sideways, .. put some cones in the middle to focus on. That way I give him more reason to go to the outside and at the same time practice a lot of my basic riding skills.
Yesterday I also did the figure of 8 at a walk. The direct rein is going easy and I think I don't had to correct him so often. I just have to practice a little more to go back to the casual rein position with my outside hand.
Today started with a typical Florida shower, so everything was splashing wet. I went out at 10, with my 45. We played at a very low pace, loaded him in the trailer, through the plastic walls, over a tire and sent him into the pond. Then we moseyed to the round pen, to play at liberty. He rolled, and then we did a figure of 8, friendly games, driving games, yoyo-game, sideways and circling. The things I'll still have to work on is porcupine (big time!), sideways and squeeze. The rest will improve naturally by playing some more with it.
Further I had some very crappy news from Belgium... and now I feel like shit... I guess I just have to deal with the problems I will encounter when I go back home, but on the other hand it's very challenging to know that I have very little to lean on. Lucky I have some really supporting friends over there, .... and it can be an advantage to start again from the base... It's like playing at liberty: the truth is when your expectations meet reality.
Now I just take a small rest, and then I go out to wash his mane and try to find some harmony under the saddle.
Today was a very interesting day and I learned a lot!
I took ALL my stuff to the honeycomb, so I could do my warm up on the ground first. I played the yoyo-pattern, with a little more variation this time. I moseyed around, took a couple of jumps, sent him in and out the pond, over the pedestal,... Looking for a way to bring his life up and back down. But there wasn't so much life in him today, because it was really really humid and hot today...
Then I started to shim, and reshim, and reshim,... move him around in between until I thought it was more or less perfect.... I played friendly game with the rope for a long time, because I think he has forgotten about his level 1 skills: toss the rope over the head. Lateral flexion went really well... He's a friendly guy! As I put my foot in the stirrup everything was okay, but when I fully put my weight in it to rise he bit me and it was quite ouchy! Then I got of again and tried the other side... he bit me again! I mounted and dismounted... and every time he bit me. I shook my foot, but this wasn't working very well...
I asked Julia for some help, and right after he bit me again and I was sitting in the saddle he took up a cone and threw it out of the honeycomb... So it didn't seem like he was RB or having pain somewhere. Julia also guessed this was more LB behavior, dominance.... So she showed my how she would deal with this kind of behavior: as she mounted, she asked for his head to turn to her foot and she played with his nose and mouth. She did this a couple of times... and you really saw his expression change: 'dang'it'
Then it was my turn to try... I mounted but before I lifted my leg over I put my but steady in the saddle, and every time asked for his head to turn... After the third time he was less enthusiastic to turn his head... so it's working! Julia said that this behavior should be over in a couple of days... Savvy!
I just sat for a while inside the round pen, did some passenger at a walk, then I opened the round pen so he could walk around the whole honey comb. It could have been relaxed if it wasn't for the fact that I still haven't found the right shimming so all my weight rested in the stirrups... my ancles really hurt, but tomorrow is another shimming day... with less biting!
Saddle fitting day was very interesting: The yoyo-game pattern is now a steady pattern. I improved a lot by projecting my energy more forward instead of towards my horse, and be way more focused and centered myself. He now makes nicer transitions, and carries himself better. All his manes are flipped to the right side, which is real good! I just have to play with the canter...
I am still experimenting with the right shimming of the saddle... haven't found the right balance yet.
I played some more with circling game, this time focussed more on a steady rhytm, and a relaxed topline.
Today I am going to ride him for the first time, but before I am going to try another way of shimming, do more yoyo-game and figure 8, and play a little bit at liberty. I am going to start with lateral flexion, direct and indirect rein and try to do the yoyo and figure 8 pattern at a walk and trot to give some purpose to this all.
Nice greetings!
I hope there are still people reading this blog? Do you think it is a little clear what I am writing? If you have questions you can always ask me, I will try to clarify myself when I find the time...
Yesterday we did me and my shadow in the morning and the early afternoon, and at half past three there was a demo about saddling with Avery. During this demo Pat came along with his Brabanders, and he likes to talk a lot so afterwards there was only 40 minutes left to play with our horses. I moseyed around, played some more me & my shadow, and then tried the figure 8 pattern in the honeycomb. This went really well, both in the walk and the trot. In the canter he needs to find a little bit more rhytm and balance, but I see this working out. While I was really concentrating and completely into the pattern, I didn't notice that Linda was passing by with Remmer. So I suddenly saw her, and she said it looked very good... Nice to hear that!
So again I am changing my plans a bit: the get the impulsion better I am going to do both the yoyo and the figure 8 pattern.
I couldn't help it.. but as soon as I had some harmony flowing I used it again for the impulsion pattern I am playing with. As Avery advised me Friday, I should do more transitions within the walk. This worked really well, because after 8 - 10 transitions he stopped by himself at a cone, gave a big chew and blew out. I think he finally gets it!
There are a lot of new people today, and a lot of the old ones went away this weekend. I feel a lot better with the atmosphere here. I have more contact with different people and above all I feel that my plans for the future are designing themselves... naturally
This weekend Dancers owners came to visit him. We moseyed around the playground and it was a really relaxed time. Dancers has a nice relationship with his humans, much better than I have, but that's only normal given the short time I spent with him compared to the longterm relationship they've been enjoying. Something I will take with me during the next couple of weeks is just how natural it is for them to be together. I found out I am way to ambitious, goal oriented and task oriented to let that horse rise and shine as he does with his family. The more I take over, the less chance I give him to be where he needs to be with all his horsey things.
He probably has done transitions, changes of directions,... a thousand times, and he is really obedient, respectful and confident.. Why would I do that again? So again... let's do some me and my shadow... see if I can be in the moment with him instead of being in the future all the time...
Another thing: as a steady RBE I am starting to feel less and less brace against my environment, I hope I can reinforce this behavior during the coming weeks, so I can maintain this at home. It really serves me in a positive way!
Don't smash your head on the table... but I have too many plans! Yesterday as I went out I started with a traveling circle, then squeezed him over some jumps and saw his expression change in a not so positive way.... What exactly was I doing? A creepy feeling attacked me... am I doing this to my horse or for my horse? A giant difference! So I quit my plans and spent the rest of the afternoon moseying around, talking to people, grazing,... What a relief! Then we went through the pond a couple of times, I hosed him and let him roll in the big round pen. I put 4 cones in a row and did a weaving pattern.. just relaxed at a walk. First on line, then with the rope in my pocket... practicing for liberty.
In the evening we had dinner at Tony Sushi. The cook came at our table to do his tricks with fire and throwing food. It was really funny!
Plans I have: Friendly game: progress to walk, trot and canter. Porcupine game: leading by the leg - backwards, forwards and upwards. Leading by the ear and the mane. Driving game: Falling leaf at the walk, trot and canter. Figure 8 at walk - trot - canter, also at liberty. Touch it in all zones. Yoyo-game: transitions pattern progress to 5 cones, progress to halt - canter - halt transitions. At liberty: walk - trot - walk - back up transitions. Circling game: transitions and change of direction at trot and canter - flying lead changes. Also at liberty. Sideways game: sideways without a fence at the walk and the trot. Squeeze game: towards me (preparation for mounting bareback), from further distances towards 45 feet.
I think I pick just one goal for each game a day...
Yesterday was circling game day... It was FUN FUN FUN!!!!
First I went to the workshop about traveling circles with Cathy upon the hill. Both me and Dancer know this already and it happened to us that the communication was flowing like a breeze! His exuberance came up as we both explored the landscape and the obstacles. He sometimes had to figure out first how to overcome the bigger jumps, but he is truly a very athletic horse. He jumped a 1 meter block from a stand still... Pretty fancy! Sometimes he forgets his responsibilities by breaking gait or not really following the circles, but he stayed light on the rope and very much in tune!
Then we went to the far corner of the enchanted forest play ground, where Avery did a workshop about 'Stay in the boat'. We did some nice transitions while I stood on a pedestal.. almost all at phase 1! But this was a little boring for our LBE, so I started more traveling circling game and he had a nice bath in the pond... He went in there until his belly touched the water... CUTE!
Then I went to the honey comb to do more about the control phase of the yoyo-pattern I started the day before. I now played with 3 cones but the same pattern: halt - walk - jog - trot - canter - trot - jog - walk. I had to be sometimes very firm when his exuberance comes up and he forgets all about the pattern... but by just shutting it down and let him go backwards until the last cone it was a playful way to ask for obedience.
After a small break I went out again to play a little bit more with a porcupine game. Leading by the leg seemed challenging, so that's what I went for. I tried a couple of things, but my horse was more engaged in eating grass than getting mentally connected. I asked John how I could make this more interesting for him and where this leads to. He suggested to aim for things like leafs or sticks, so I took 3 cones and played from cone to cone. Than I also lifted his foot up, in front and over a log... I still have to improve the respect level a lot while playing porcupine game... but it's an interesting thing I can work on during the next weeks.
I felt so happy! Horses a really the key to a balanced life!
PS: I just ordered a bareback pad... as a gift for myself.... I just realize that playing with a horse is about the only thing I can do now without feeling guilty... That's kinda sad! I wonder if this is a typical RB behavior for humans? How can I help myself to act more like a partner towards myself?
I love this horse!
