Yesterday was leadership day, but also thanksgiving.
In the morning we had a very interesting class room session about the Parelli formula: rapport - respect - impulsion - flexion. I learned a lot! At noon we shared with all the faculty, students and ranch crew the thanksgiving lunch. The food was delicious! In the early afternoon I had an hour to play with Dancer. We went near the giraffe barn, because there is a nice 3step cavaletti. I brought his enthusiasm up with some transitions and changes of direction during a traveling circle, but then I started to feel that we were missing some respect in our communication. Not that he was really disobedient, but his zone 3 was a little bit to much towards me. I asked him on a smaller circle in a slower pace, and started to gently push zone 1-2-3 out. This worked really good, it's the first time that he trotted with more tact and latitudinal flexion. We are taking this up to a higher level! Than he offered me to go over the cavalettis.. Good thing! Nice work! It's so much more when they suggest themselves and seek their way in.
Yesterday was jumping day. I started with a strong warm up upon the hill. I really looked for him to maintain his responsabilities... still need to work a little bit more on 'don't change gait' and 'don't change direction'. When he circles up and down the hill he often breaks into a trot or cuts of the corners... which is actually also a little bit cute! My riding session started also on the hill. A lot of people where there for the workshop about jumping, and my horse got suddenly lots of energy. I started with follow the rail along the outside of the honeycomb, I didn't need much support with my stick. First both ways at a walk, then both ways at a trot. He moved freely, with a lot of intension, which felt good. Then I took a couple of very low jumps at the walk, I really focussed on pushing my back out, and for both mental and physical engagement for Dancer. He has some trouble going straight towards the jumps, and moving on in a straight line, therefor I played a while with a yoyo-game at just one pole on the ground. This was interesting. Then I walked down the hill and did a weaving pattern, at a walk. Being a RBE I probably didn't try long enough, and he still didn't fully understand the idea of the pattern. But I went on.. to be more particular about transitions and impulsion. I went to the middle big round pen near the lodge. First it was a big mess... again ears back, snaking... nose in the ground...I just continued, but that didn't really improve. Then I went back to the walk, stayed on the rail, and did very slowly but steady upward transitions towards the canter, and back down. In the canter I really feel his ribs get stuck on the left, and he is very much on the forehand. I wanted to do a little bit more to end on a good note, so I went to the arena for a clover leaf pattern. I was all alone there, and he was a little bit distracted, not motivated anymore, ... not really set up for success. But I just observed him while I managed him through the pattern just once. It was clear to me that I have to be more aware next time to keep his mind, before I start concerning about his body. Accidently Cathy came by, and after a long chat she gave me a couple of good arrows: -keep the riding session short, with a plan,... In between go back on line, to get his enthusiasm back. -Do more exercises to get him to move his body more upward instead of just forward. -Keep the Parelli formula in mind: first rapport, than respect, then impulsion and after that flexion.
Yesterday I didn't feel so fit, so I moseyed around. This was actually a very good idea, because my brain was too cooked with all the new information that was given the past 4 weeks. I just sat in the round pen, than on the hill, than in the honey comb upon the hill,... easy and relaxed. I am dreaming a lot about finding a new horse.. What breed, horsenality, age,... It is nice to have a dream for the future.... Today I feel a lot more energetic!
Finesse riding is only possible if there is zero brace from both rider and horse. So the challenge of this course is to prevent or solve any brace... Interesting! The afternoon was reserved to play 'Me and my shadow' again, this time you were also allowed to mount and do a passenger lesson. Dancer guided me along the fence to say hello to Old George, and then over the hill. His main business was eating... Then I mounted, and suddenly his life got more up. He walked with wide, flowing strides (Interesting!), in one straight line towards the pens, where there is food to find. He stuck his head in every bucket... and when I asked him to continue he clearly didn't think that was such a good plan. I tried to bring his head up... and he braced against me. How interesting... It is not so easy to keep the tension, and then add a little, because his back is very slippery and he also often makes very sharp turns. Anyway, patience and persistence is a strong arrow.. and we made it safely but steadily without ruining other peoples buckets.
Today I will look again for more obedience. It is fluidity day today, so I probably going to practice a lot of transitions again... see how I can impress this horsey...
Yesterday was Sunday, and the new students for the fluidity 2 course came in. During the morning I had a lot of fun with Dancer just playing on line.. I checked my leadership skills again with trailer loading and swimming. We have absolutely no issues anymore! So... where to go next?
In the afternoon I wanted to continue with some bareback riding, so I warmed up strong... and I got what I was looking for: a strong horse. He even bucked a couple of times, and went very exuberant during a falling leaf pattern... The cool thing was that when I disengaged him he trotted towards me, stopped before me, dropped his head and started licking and chewing... for a long time! Then I went to the honeycomb, this time I took my stick with me to ride. This is still very much 'wrong thumb on top' feeling for me. I did a follow the rail pattern at a walk, both directions. Then a clover leaf pattern at a walk, both directions. In the end I did a follow the rail pattern at the trot both directions, but I felt a little bit slidy... his trot was more go, and I brought him down every 10 strides.
Today we are asked to do 'Me & my shadow' again, and if we get there we can also do it while riding, which equals a pushing passenger lesson. I don't know if I'll make it today, because I am a little bit emotional... which is normal if you're following a course here. I am now at my 30st day here at the center, and I feel very tired, and my brain is cooked I am really encountering myself here, and that's interesting. I feel my limitations both emotional, mental and physical, but through that I am also discovering my potential, and I have a lot more to offer myself than I have been doing... In 3 weeks I am back on the plane to Belgium, and I have a lot of plans....
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...
I am really encountering myself here, and that's interesting. I feel my limitations both emotional, mental and physical, but through that I am also discovering my potential, and I have a lot more to offer myself than I have been doing... 
