17. September 2009 by Edie.

Lead change ladder:  Mind/Flexion/Weight/Feet 

Today we started in the lodge with John talking again about how we need to take what we have learned here home and LEAD BY EXAMPLE.  He said that no matter what people say, our relationship with our horse(s) - that special bond that only natural horsemen have - will be noticed by everyone.  He reminded us not to worry if we don’t have everything perfect here, but used the analogy of a tree - even before the leaves and fruit come, the roots are growing under the ground.

Then, Kathy took us up into the small coverall to play with exercise balls again.  This was fun - we once again reviewed “floppy,” “tense,” and “stacked” on the balls, while our partners stood behind and bounced us. Then, we practiced engaging our core and standing up on the bounce - good if you are centered and strong in your core.  We practiced purposely falling forward and backward when we stood and found it to be very difficult with an engaged core.  Then, we did a cool simulation where we started with a partner - each of us across from each other on a ball bouncing.  Our goal was to telepathically “get together” and stand up on the same bounce.  Once we got it with one partner, we were to play “musical balls” and move to different people.  It was very interesting - especially from a leadership perspective - who made the decision to stand?  How interesting!  It was pointed out that the most difficult partners were those of opposite personality types.

After this, we went back into the lodge and discussed flying lead changes, in preparation for our afternoon riding.  I took a lot of notes here and will simply copy what I have down:

1) transitions

- on HQ - (suspension rein) - walk/canter/walk is best

- counting the strides - 3 to 7 is optimal, as it gets the front end lighter - walk as long as it takes for the horse to get relaxed, then decide on number of canter strides, then back to walk

- suspension rein talks to HQ - shifts weight back

2) swinging the shoulders (freedom and mobility) - swing to rail, then back to center, then back to rail - SIT hind-end down - lightness in shoulders

- close upper inside leg to push shoulders back to rail (not lower leg!)

- weight on HQ, light FQ

- horse is arced to inside

- suspension rein (inside), then send back to rail with inside leg (maintain SAME suspension rein, or they will think about changing leads)

3) create a PATTERN (surprise!) - we talked about the serpentine pattern we would practice this afternoon - canter to center line, drop to walk, switch reins/legs/leads - canter depart around next arc to center line, drop to walk, switch reins/legs/leads - etc. etc.

- if you’re not “feeling it,” go back to fundamentals - get shoulder-swing and haunches-swing better!

4) flying lead change

- “slip-change” is common, where horse kind of “falls” onto correct lead and may not switch behind - if you are here - you are close!  go back to pattern and try to get more elevation first!

- most “natural” is freestyle (what horses do in pasture) - this was basis for Level 2 - type lead-changes

- what we are doing is L-3/4 - more “precision” and engagement from behind - more elevated

- if you are in “slip-change” phase - your weight is probably not back - you are probably still “throwing” yourself forward to try to “throw” your horse onto the other lead

Then, we watched another video of Linda teaching some students flying lead changes (with Remmer - another LBI like HotShot - I took copious notes!)

Linda started getting some impulsion with Remmer by doing “point to point” (walk, trot, and canter) with LONG breaks, then shortened the breaks as Remmer started developing some forward momentum.  She waited for stretch/lengthening strides at the trot and did a lot of swinging the shoulders in preparation - work on ingredients!

- quit on lightness!

- then serpentine - as you get good, make the arcs smaller and smaller - pretty soon you can do it on a straight line

- once your horse “gets it,” he will start offering changes - take them!

- use inside upper leg (not lower leg) to move shoulders over to rail, then lift your hip (same leg) and open to allow back to center

- practice steps in YOUR body - sitting, driving, wherever - get it right before you expect your horse to get it right!

After this, Kathy asked for volunteers to attempt this in the Big Top with their horses.  I volunteered, along with 7 or 8 others, so we tacked up and went up to the Big Top. I found that I need WAY more canter work than I’ve been able to do - which I already knew, being “facility impaired” it is hard for me to do this kind of work at home.  “Edie, engage  your core, lift your suspension rein, slow, slow, sit him down! now, switch reins and hips, lift, lift! wrap your thighs, bellybutton to your spine, truss your ribs, armpits down, triceps engaged, oh, and by the way, pick up your savvy string (this was around his neck) with your reins” - whew!  Talk about having to think of forty-leven things at once!  Still, HotShot put forth great effort and we learned a lot.  I know now that we have to work harder on our DOWNWARD transitions - who would have thought?!

After lunch, we had a choice to work on the “ingredients” (swinging shoulders/haunches, etc.) in Arena Grande, or the serpentine that we worked on this morning in the Big Top.  HotShot and I went back up to the Big Top, just to cement the pattern in MY mind so I wouldn’t forget.  It was much better this afternoon without so many people watching! I didn’t make him work long - walk/canter/walk is tiring for both of us - so I took him up the hill to graze for awhile with Kristen and Nikki and their horses.  Then, we went to the (mucky) pens, cleaned, fed, watered, etc. and off to dinner - another very busy day.

Tomorrow is my last day here - I can’t believe it!  At least they are letting us keep the horses here overnight on Friday, since they don’t have any new students arriving.  Next week is the last week of any classes for this season in Pagosa - the winter courses will be held at the Florida ISC.  I probably won’t get another chance to post now until next week after I get home late Sunday evening.  I’ll sure have a lot of licking and chewing to do for a LOOOOONNNNGGG time to come!

Edie

Posted in 2009 ISC | 2 Comments »

17. September 2009 by Edie.

“The better you can go backwards and sideways, the better you can do everything else.”  ~ Pat Parelli 

Today we started in the lodge, once again talking briefly about horsenality/personality.  We then broke into our personality remudas.  I decided to join the LBE’s today, mainly because I feel that, although I might be more innately RBE, I am currently fairly equal LBE/RBE, mainly due to all my years of policing and leadership.  So - the LBE’s met up in the Big Top and talked a bit about what they had already talked about the previous two times in remuda.  John Baar led this group from the beginning and I must say, I felt that I was more “at home” with this group than I was with the RBE group.  Some of the things that were talked about as being specific to LBE’s are:

- we need a “talking stone” or something so that only one person talks at a time - when people talked out of turn, they had to quack!

- LBE’s are famous for talking without thinking and blurting out whatever comes to mind - this can be VERY threatening to introverts.

- related to above: we need to develop a better “inner editor” before we open our mouths, act, or run roughshod over others

- progress (get ‘r done) is easy for us, but we have to be careful that we don’t sacrifice relationship for progress (our tendency)

- our “natural energy” is attractive to other extroverted people (and horses), but can be very threatening to introverts

- extroverted people tend to “wear out” while introverted people tend to “rust out.”

After this discussion, we went up to the pasture where John and Kathy had their horses.  He wanted to give us a demonstration using his RBI gelding, Leo.  Poor, trusting Leo was waiting by the gate (big mistake!) and John asked us to form a “human round pen” around him.  Leo followed John into the group while it was still a horseshoe (there were about 15 or so of us), but became very obviously worried when the horseshoe began to close behind him.  He immediately began to look for “the marshmallow” (or weakest link) as an escape route - hard to find with our group!  As an excellent natural demonstration of individual horsenalities, Kathy’s horses Chloe (LBI) and Macchiato (LBE) were busy trying to get INTO the circle!  Belinda made Chloe happy by giving her a good scratch (photo), although she really wanted a treat from me - she knew I had them in my fanny-pack!

John talked about how a horse’s SURVIVAL depends upon body language.  He talked about the difference in his energy to give Leo confidence in him as a leader (”don’t worry about these people - I won’t let them hurt you - you’ll be alright” as opposed to “Damn it - leave my horse alone!”).  He talked about how important it is to have a positive “emotional bank account” with our horses.  Each time John gets gentle and/or waits on Leo, he makes a deposit.  Each time he pushes him or blows him through a threshold, he makes a withdrawal.  Deposits need to be way MORE than withdrawals to improve the relationship.  This is similar to what I have learned in some marriage seminars - so true!  John said that with horses, however - because they are so much MORE perceptive than people, even extroverted THOUGHTS can make withdrawals in the relationship - whew! Because of this - we need to get ourselves in our right mind BEFORE we have any contact with our horse - especially if they have any introverted tendencies.  This was good food for thought with regard to horse AND human relationships.

After the remudas, we went back into the lodge and Kathy talked some more about POWER in our riding and what can give us power.  The pre-requisites are relaxation, mental/emotional/physical collection, and longitudinal flexion.  She talked specifically about:

1) transitions: (”1 MILLION transitions!”).  As Walter said - everything we are doing is preparing for the next thing.  We were asked to think of all the possible transitions WITHIN the trot, and we came up with the following: shorter, longer, extended, medium, collected, working, piaffe, passage, half-pass, shoulder in/out, haunches in/out, leg yield, suspension, backwards, flexion, diagonals.  And that’s just within the trot!

Then, we watched a video of Linda’s first lesson with Walter, which was an excellent example of continual transitions.  With a more LB horse (Remmer, HotShot), you need to think:

- often

- long sides

- forward/power

- softer

Walter - “The less we do with our hands/reins, the more the horse knows the door is open to him and can go forward.”

Then we watched a lesson of Pat’s with Walter (riding Magic).  Walter had Pat do a lot more lateral movements with Magic.  As she is a more RB horse, you need to think:

- more flexion-type transitions

- “very careful, easy, gentle” - Walter must have said this 50 times.

This took Kathy into more of a discussion on:

2) lateral manuevers

- sideways

- HQ and FQ (direct/indirect rein)

- half-pass (flexion TOWARDS direction of travel)

- leg yield (flexion AWAY from direction of travel)

- shoulders in/out

- haunches in/out

- lateral movements help us to build suspension (floating - feet in the air more than on the ground)

We then watched a couple of videos on preparation for bullfighting and real bullfighting.  Can your horse BECOME your legs?  These horses were exuberant, flexible, engaged, HOVERCRAFTS!  I can’t imagine riding a horse that is that sensitive and engaged both physically and mentally with their rider - something to strive for, no doubt!

Before we went to lunch, we took about  1/2 hour and went into Arena Grande to practice shoulders in/out and haunches in/out - with just ourselves and conga-horse partners (three).  The middle person was the “rider,” the front person was the shoulders and the rear person was the haunches.  The rider had to effectively “tell” the “horse” what to do - very interesting!  Then, we went and got our horses and worked on both shoulders in and haunches in with them.  HotShot and I can definitely use some work in these areas - I’ve gotten rather lazy, but now I am re-inspired to perfection!

After lunch, we did more of this and also did some “check stations” in the Big Top - working on shoulders in/haunches in on the long side and shoulders in/haunches in on circles.  All in all, a very busy day!

Then HotShot and I meandered down the field towards Pat’s barn to “spy” a bit and take a few photos.  He was so funny - going from alfalfa patch to alfalfa patch - such a foodie!  This is his favorite part of the day.  Then, I fed grain/Equishine/probiotics, filled water, cleaned the pen, and let him have a good roll in one of the round pens.

A good, long day - I’m pooped!

Edie

Posted in 2009 ISC | No Comments »