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?
This day started a little bit difficult... he was not so enthusiastic and a little bit hesitating to go out. So I played a while in front of the pens, point to point, put your nose on the trailer,... driving games... He loaded himself 2 times (left brain guy that one!). Than he finally gave a big blow out!
I played a lot of touch it with the trees in the beginning of the play ground. I asked Julia how she read his behavior and she would take it as definitely more confident, so I decided I would continue with my friendly playfullness, with a lot of leadership, but ready to hand over when he took his responsabilities as a partner. When I passed the pond I had to bring up my leadership because he was a bit reactive and coming strongly in my space... But it was quickly solved. After that I did also a pattern yoyo-game with 2 cones in the round pen. I did a transition at every cone... went really nice!
Gotta go! Tomorrow more news about the circling games we did today!
Monday we did friendly, porcupine and driving games. Very fun! I asked Avery about the RB behavior when I wanted to spend undemanding time. She said it's because probably in the 5 areas of confidence, the area within himself is not so developed. Therefor I can do a lot more me and my shadow, especially in zone 5, so he has to make the decisions all by himself. I have now been doing this for 3 days and it really works... Sometimes he really asks permission to take over the leadership and he brings me to another obstacle, or when he is thirsty to the water or when it's time to eat... towards his pen.
I had my book and my snacks and my plan was to spend some undemanding time in the big riding arena. We arrived there, I took of the lead rope.... and my little black horse seemed to be a little worried... I just observed it for a while: first he was just looking, then he started moving his feet, then whinnying,.... then started trotting, cantering... Very RBE behavior. Probably because I was not acting like a partner...
So I needed to be less of a predator and more of a leader for him. I grabbed my 45 and showed him all around the playground with a lot of backwards and sideways. In the pond, in between the flappy walls, into the trailer, through the creek, over the bridge... He was sweating but in the end he was tired of moving his feet. So I took him to the wash rack to hose him, and after that in the smallest round pen to let him roll. He was quite okay with that, but when he was finished he started to move his feet again and whinnying in both directions: towards the pens and towards the other side of the playground. Interesting isn't it?
What's very clear is that his behavior changes as soon as I don't have a plan and certainly when I don't have him on line. I'll ask a faculty member today.
This morning I was again in the RBI remuda, although through this weekend I became a lot more extravert,,, I am starting to feel the true horsemanship running through my vains again... boy that feels good! Emotional, mental and physical collection!
Yesterday in the afternoon we went out with our horses to test and improve our leadership skills. It's not new to me that mine aren't always so strong... but it's improving!
I first spent some time in a round pen to play again with the figure of 8 pattern, that went smoothly, but he's sometimes a little bit reactive and I still don't know if his minds is really engaged... I'll find out in the next week. Then I wandered to the pond, where Avery did a work shop on swimming in the pond. Since I barely was able to get my horse to sniff the water, this was exactly what I needed. She observed my horse while I squeezed him up and down towards the water. He's really confident, but not dominant... He's just a little... not engaged (I already knew that, but sometimes you need a second opinion). He was acting like a typical LBE, which meant I had to make it more of a game, with more energy and more humor! So I started sending him at a higher speed, quicker phases with a longer allow, ... Man, that was a difference! He started bucking a bit, shaking his head, got of really fast and did sliding stops... But what an energy! Ears forward, sniffing the water, asking questions... Great attitude! I took a while before he stood with his front feet into the pond and started playing with the water, so after that I quit. It's not about the pond....
Since I had the energy going, I had to do something with this, he likes to play and it's a great relationship builder. We ran around the playground, took some jumps, until we arrived at the grassy round pen where I let him rest and graze a bit, while my rope was drying in the sun.
Then I tried to car wash. Not really a success... He's not so interested in the plastic floppy things... again a little bit disinterested... trying to move my feet instead of the plastic things hanging down. Stupid car wash anyway (yep, I moved my feet! They are so good at it!)
At the end of the day, he was more or less cooled down. He has a never ending interest in all the other horses everywhere... which is cool because he is really enthusiastic about meeting other horses... friendly guy! We wandered again to the same round pen where I started my day. We did the figure 8 in trot-walk (I need more obedience on this one), and than I tried a stick to me figure 8, it worked perfectly! I have a really nice draw and drive, and a nice attitude as well... Happy happy happy!
The task was: teach your horse something new with a pattern.
I first went out and tried to squeeze him through the water.... not today. Then we went over the bridge: carefully, but very obedient. Then we moseyed around, took some jumps... Then I arrived at the arena, and thought it would be a nice idea to do a follow the rail and stop at the corners pattern. The follow the rail went great, but his mind didn't really got engaged, and it also was a little bit boring so he offered to trot... which is very tiring for a human to keep up! Another plan... figure of 8. I can't believe this is new to him, but we learned how to understand eachother and after a couple of tries he trotted real nicely around the barrels. It was a nice day, but I still didn't succeed my task. When I arrived at the pen to feed him, he autonmatically backed started backing up! That means I already learnt him something new without really thinking about it: waiting for his food untill I invite him to eat! Am I savvy or what?
I love this horse!
