The course is over, so now it is time to let everything soak in, and enjoy my last week here in Florida.
In opposit to what I experienced during the weekends of my previous stay in Florida I didn't see so much of the country. That's mainly because this time I didn't have my party loving friends Sergio and Kyanna, and I also didn't have a rental car to go places. What I did have was... California girl with a comfortable Suburban.... who was so friendly to drive us 'everywhere' for 50 bucks a week. I soon found out that the word 'everything' covers the following places: Western World, Walmart, Mac Donalds, the Smoothie place, Wendy's, the Petro truck stop, Publix, Target, Best Buy, and of course the mall (both the Paddock Mall in Ocala as the Oaks Mall in Gainesville). The only exciting things I've seen during the weekends is the bowling alley and the movie theatre... Of course I am very grateful that I had a ride to get the supplies we needed to stay alive, and afer all I had a lot of fun with my 2nd roommate Gerlinde (I'll spare you guys the story about my roommates, but I returned the crappy one and got I nice one in return). At this point now I see that the gap between the cultures is more than Country Western Music and the type of car you drive in. In Belgium I never ever go shopping full days... 3 or 4 hours at max. Let alone that you do that every week, six weeks in a row.... I had a creepy feeling crawling down to my spine that this can be indeed ALL, and than I mean literally ALL life is about over here...
BUT Sunday morning Julie, Angelica, Gerlinde and me went to the cane grind. That's a harvest party of sugar canes. It was at a big old Southern house, which this family bought from the Spanish over a hundred years ago... real pioneers! The lady of the house was a real artist. She made jelly, bread and sirrup from the fruits of her garden, and she also decorated her Christmas tree with all natural things. We saw the cane being stripped into a machine that sqeezed the moisture out of the canes, and that was cooked above a special fire... It smelled delicious! Then we were invited to eat saucages, biscuits with sugar cane sirrup, and a big cup of coffee. We chatted with the grandma, the children and the grandchildren. In the afternoon we came back to buy more of their goodies, and everybody was there: 4 generations playing and chatting and having fun, ... of course a couple of dogs, some bikers... Black people and white people.. I loved it! A garden party in december... It felt like I was dropped in the middle of a movie scene
In the end the lady said to me that she was happy that a foreigner got to meet the real Florida... I have a lot of pictures which I'll soon put on Webshots... I had a fabulous time over there! I feel very lucky to find out that Florida is more than a nature park disturbed by huge commercial areas. Florida has the real southern soul....
Just a thought about last week: chaos is an essential stage of a learning process. It's the step where all the pieces of the puzzle are on a big pile on the table, the only thing you have to do is find the right construction. I think becoming a horseman is like a puzzle... Your horse, yourself, the principles and the purpose are the pieces, your learning curve defines the time line on which you add the pieces together. The more structure and consistency you build, the easier the puzzle will be. It's like finding the corner pieces first, that are the principles. Then the side pieces, that are the level 1 basics. Everything in between is attached to that. Level 10 is seeing the whole picture...
Yesterday I tried all the stuff, all at once: Longitudinal flexion using a fluid rein, latitudinal flexion using a direct rein, indirect rein, a suspension rein, and also transitions using a suspension rein... The fluid rein was ok, suspension rein was ok while on a latitudinal pattern (simply said: a cirlce), transitions was .. less. I was amazed on how particular you have to be in your body (The drag queen position, or contra-latitudinal position), especially your shoulder and hip position to get a nice response in your horses body and get him to soften his jaw. This stuff is really high level... Very interesting!
I also noticed he's not yet confident with the bit in his mouth, although he accepts it very well. Further I observed that he's not capable of shortening or lengthening his stride... he just speeds up or slows down without any difference in his body shape. Interesting!
The major things I have to work on are: RELAXATION!!!! Big time... Swinging the ribs so he's physically capable of moving his rib cage and swinging his shoulders more out and forward.
How can I let this horse move more like a tiger, and less like a turtle?
Yesterday my roommate told me I'm really pretty much the same as the Scrat, from the Ice Age movie I think it's a real good image to store in my head... whenever I go back to the extremes of my quadrant, I can think about that cartoon, and relax a little bit. After all, there's nothing wrong with being a Scrat, we're very friendly animals.... just a little completely crazy
I had a fabulous day Saturday. Very easy on line session, and I spent a long time in the arena. I played with a circle pattern, follow the rail, tit for tat, pushing passenger and figure 8. In the end my impulsion at the walk and the trot were perfect! I was really happy that day, because the results were more then I expected.
No further information today because my brain is cooked.
In the evening of Thanksgiving Julie invited me and my new roommate Gerlinde to share the turkey at her place... I ate way way way too much, the food was amazing! I also enjoyed the atmosphere around the house, it's so much different then what I am used to in Belgium... I never experienced such a warm and relaxed atmosphere during a family party.
The next day was about A Bit of savvy, and bridles. I learned a lot of new information, especially about the sweet iron snaffle and the confidence snaffle, and the difference in when to use it. Lunch was completely made out of all the leftovers from the previous day, and again.. I ate way too much!Averys cheese balls are the best! As I am typing this, I am getting hungry again
The afternoon I played a little bit on line, and went to look at the workshop about impulsion: straight lines and circles. Then I tacked up, which took me over an hour because I had to redo my shims about 3 times. When I let him trot one lap the saddle shifts forward for about 5 inches.. Very interesting... I asked Cathy some advice. She told me that the balance saddles are designed to show everything... crookedness, a downhill horse, an unbalanced rider.. everything makes the saddle shift. Shims don't help for a downhill horse, because the saddle slides forward and ends up at the limits of the scapula, however you shim it... So there's one thing I have to start playing with: getting him to move more efficiently, upward, with rhythm, in balance,...
Then Angelica came to see her horsey... and we talked for a long time. Afterwards I just put the bridle on and lead him to his pen to feed him... Scoring points!
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.
