| Archive for It's About The Horse The Free Forum for those Doing Parelli - and a whole lot More! "Anything forced and misunderstood can never be beautiful." Xenophon (430-355 B.C.), |
| TrustMeNaturally |
Water Hole Rituals?Hey there,I have seen a lot of talk about these, and I was just wondering what it was? I know it's a Carolyn Resnick method, but I really have no clue to what it is. Is it a program? Or what does it have to do with a water hole?  
A bit confused here! Any light you can shed on the subject, would be appreciated! Thanks! ~Lea |
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| jackspark |
I would start by reading her book: Naked Liberty and then take a look at Bit's thread and contact her as well as Appellativo Erin | ||||||||
| Blue Flame |
You're in for a treat them
Here's links to audio files of four episodes of interviews with Carolyn Resnik about her Waterhole Rituals. It's a good introduction to the WHRs. Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Others will fill you in on the extensive info on this forum about the rituals. |
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| TrustMeNaturally |
Thanks guys!! I'll check out those links and the book. It will be interesting to see what it's all about!
Lea |
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| Yes_But_Neigh |
Lea! GREAT POST! I want to get into the WHR solely for the connection I've seen others make with their horses using it (as well as: you never can learn too much from horses!) but I don't know where to start either! (I'm going to look at everything people have suggested in their comments) I started reading Deb's thread when it first started but went awol for a little while and when I came back there were about 50 pages! My mind was dizzy to say the least! Let me know how it works for you 
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| TrustMeNaturally |
The podcasts are REALLY good!! Thank you for suggesting them, and I would recommend them to anyone! I'm still on the first one, but it's really good so far. And it's 90 minutes long!! Only 1/3 of the way through. 
Ah well, I'll finish it tonight.
They are great! I think I have another favorite horsewoman!
Time to go play with Eddie! ~Lea |
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| NativeSpirit |
I believe this is what Mirka was going to teach me in FL but I had to leave a week early so she didn't get to :/ I'm going to listen to those! | ||||||||
| gideon |
Carolyn Resnick"s Waterhole Rituals constitute a method of forming a deep bond with your horse, working at liberty, which is the foundation of any future work you do with your horse. Because it is aimed at forming a bond, rather than being a training method per se, it is ultimately compatible with many other trainers' methods.
The key point here is that, when you work with your horse at liberty, understanding what the rituals mean TO THE HORSE, you gain a relationship with your horse that is just not possible using the restrictions and restraints inherent in the use of tack. It is closer, more honest, more mutual (2-way), more equal, more demanding of you to have integrity, and which is, just, well, revolutionary. It has changed forever the way I see my horse, and the way I relate to ALL horses. I am far more confident with horses, especially at liberty, than I have ever been. In fact, I am a lot more comfortable with a horse at liberty than with a horse under tack, especially if the horse is upset, or has got loose. Carolyn offers an extensive (14 week) course in the WHR which some of us here have taken. Deb can tell you her history with it which is longer than mine. Appelitivo has written a good summary of the WHR and her own notes on same: http://sites.google.com/site/erinscarolynresnicknotes/home Oh heck just go here: http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastforum.org/about4655.html These guys have already talked this up like, last week! I just finished the course this past Monday and am already suffering withdrawal from Carolyn's support and bottomless wealth of knowledge about horse culture. Anyone can subscribe to her blog http://www.carolynresnickblog.com/ to get a feel for what she does. She posts every Tuesday and Thursday. OK I'll shut up now and go find Deb's stuff on this, I'm an addict and the cravings are fierce. |
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| NativeSpirit |
WOW! I listened to the first one and it was amazing going to listen to the next one tonight. That is what Mirka wanted to teach me, so glad that I can finally learn it. | ||||||||
| joti26 |
I found the WHR's inspiring and like Gideon I prefer working at liberty. It took me a couple of weeks for my horse to come up to me and at first was a little disheartened until something just clicked in me. Being really relaxed about it all was the key and understanding that it isn't training but a way of being with your horse, almost in a spiritual way.
I hadn't done them since last year so I don't follow it religiously but that bond has never gone away, I picked it up again a couple of months back and I was amazed that Del just carried on as we had left off. However I do incorporate what we did in every day things, I use the gestures and body language a lot as he responds to the slightest signal now. I stopped using the reed as he just responds to hand signals and gestures. Teaching him 'head up' has been brilliant especially as I have to always work with him on grass, no pulling his head up to stop him eating. I just have to say "head up". Companion walking also means I never have to go get him with a head collar he just leads in beside me. Catching him no longer enters the equation. My opinion, it really works but the more relaxed you are about the rituals rather than letting it bog you down the better it will be. |
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| Blue Flame |
I think the interview links above repeat themselves - seems the first one has almost everything that's in the others. | ||||||||
| TrustMeNaturally |
Great podcasts, I like the whole idea about letting the horse know and think that he is in control, so that he is confident with himself. And also not working with a horse, until you had a bond. That's something that always made me stop and think when I would start to play with a new horse. I'd go through the 7 games and I really didn't know what they thought of me. It will be interesting to see how things go once I put that bond first, and put aside the seven games. Pretty interesting stuff!
Thanks for moving the thread too!
~Lea |
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| SavannahIce |
I love Carolyn Resnick's methods! They are amazing! After 3 1/2 years of Parelli and chasing my horse, she was just getting worse and worse at liberty. Liberty became extremely frustrating for both of us. She knew I would just chase her away and why would she want to come back to me if I just chased her. I received help from many PP's and nothing ever helped. Well after one session of CR's methods, Savannah would wtc with me!! This was huge! Her expression is now completely different, I can't believe the change happened so fast.
The change in my sister's horse was also quite amazing! She has an extremely food motivated percheron who did fairly well with parelli at liberty but would still leave and even jump 5 feet to do so. I couldn't believe my eyes in just the first session. She would leave FOOD to companion walk and trot with my sister. And this horse is extremely dominant, especially over food. I will now be exploring her methods with my new guy. 
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| bit |
You are right, the whr's are not a training method, it is a door into the world of the horse using their language and their rules. Not demanding the horse to comply to your way of doing things, but embracing the way of the horse. Kinda like learning the language and customs of the country you are visiting. A lot of horses know this stuff already, so it really is all about you learning a whole new language. You aren't training the horse, you are using the horse and the rituals to train you. Notice I say most horses.
When Gunner came into my life in March, I realized I needed to help him learn how to be a horse. Remember that movie, Sea Bisquit? Loved that movie. They brought the Bisquit back to the ranch to teach him how to be a horse. Gunner has spent most of his life in a private corral, (some turnout with other mares, not a lot) horse shows, arena riding, body clipping, baths, and lots of trailering all over the midwest. Our first day together I shared territory. He was very curious, but as soon as I even noticed him, he went inside. I could have done the carrot under the chair thing except he didn't even eat carrots yet. The rituals are flexable, so follow your gut. I felt I needed to help Gunner open his mind to the possibilitly that this human was not going to ask him to do anything he didn't want to do. So I initiated play. I ambled up to him, (horses amble) and took a playful nip at the side of his mouth. It took 4 times, but he finally got it and we played at liberty. Five months later and he is starting to really embrace being a herd member. Now get this, he has an opinion and I have always respected it on the ground, right? So I rode him the other day(we've mosied on the trail but I didn't ask anything of him) and he was angry that I was telling him what to do. Hey, this is not ok! I had Kelsey hop on and she felt the same thing. He was angry. The next day we headed for the big alfalfa pasture that was just cut, and there were big round bales all over the pasture. Kelsey was on Gunner and I was on Eclipse. Gunner wasn't happy and just wanted to canter circles. Like the grey whale we released at Sea World in the 70's, Gracie could only swim circles because it was all she knew. When she hit the ocean she swam in circles for a good week befoe she figured out she could go in a straight line and go somewhere. Anywhere she wanted, even join a pod and be part of the whole. Gunner was like Gracie. Kelsey had us racing horses to from one round bale to another, straight lines with a target as our destination. Suddenly there was purpose and we were all having fun. Eclipse was certainly motivated to get to the bale. It was like leading a food addict to a cupcake festival! Gunner finally broke out of that western pleasure shuffle, out of that limpy lope, and for the first time in his life, he went forward. Not up, not back, but forward and he did it with exuberance! I can't recommend the rituals enough, but once you get it, they aren't drills. You only use them when it is appropriate in the moment. Just like a horse. You don't just go take territory because you haven't done it for a while. You never do it with a right brained horse. You don''t lead from behind unless you are taking your horse somewhere, or maybe she is walking away from you. You don't do eye contact if your horse is already got his eye on you. You leave the human at the pasture gate, throw a snaky neck if it pleases you, and enter the pasture as a horse. If you do that, the welcome mat is always out. |
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| PasoBaby_CarolU |
Ok..I'm listening to the first WHR.
Does she ever address how you get RB horses to come up to you while you are sitting in your chair, how you keep your LBE horses from eating you, your book, and your chair? |
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| Blue Flame |
Maybe when you've finished listening to it your questions may have been answered. Otherwise see Erin's notes in the link below under 3) (Respect, dominant and shy horses) and 4) (Eye contact). The thing with the WHR is they are not so prescriptive and not all rituals apply to all horses at all times - Carolyn Resnik encourages creativity in how they are applied. http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastfor...l&highlight=waterhole+rituals However, Carolyn has said in the interview that horses that are say at the bottom of the pecking order or not very interactive by nature are going to be a harder road. She does offer strategies using food as an intial motivator for these horse. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that anyone who has a strict rule about not giving treats or food rewards might have problems with the WHRs. |
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| Hertha |
Yes. Check out Horse Herd Harmonics in the Friendship thread. | ||||||||
| Sunny |
Here's a condensed version of the Rules and Guidelines Working with the Waterhole Rituals – Carolyn Resnick , just scroll down about half way...
http://www.horseconscious.com/guest/newsletter-xvii Here's the cut and paste for the dial-up people:
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| PasoBaby_CarolU |
I think my answer is locking Bruiser in his stall. It is impossible to get shy horses to come near you when you are chasing mischievous horses away. | ||||||||
| jackspark |
Yes, I've had to lock up my dominant horse while I work with my young mare. It isn't fair to her to have to split her attention between us. I can tell him to get lost and normally he will but if my attention has to be partly focused on him then "stuff" doesn't happen with her as quickly. Sometimes I allow the interaction because I can show my young horse that I can and will protect her from him and she is almost there in believing me! The problem is when she notices that he has gotten the better of me....... I can almost hear her "See I told Ya!"  The WHR are fabulous and probably the single most important aspect to training IMO
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| PasoBaby_CarolU |
Bruiser is the low man on the totem pole, he is just totally LBE and thinks the world revolves around him. Since EVERYONE pushes him around, you get no brownie points for doing the same...but do loose some if he manages to push YOU. He thinks it's a great game, in fact all of life is a great game.
In my mare pasture, I have a similar dynamic, Rosie is very freindly and loves attention, but it is Zar, the RBI I'd like to volunteer and come in. She won't unless she sees Rosie get a cookie. Then chases her away. |
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| bit |
I do remember Carolyn saying that it helps a right brained horse's confidence and bond with you if you hold their bucket while they eat. Let the horse push a bit and rattle around in the bucket. I did that with Gunner and he loves when I hold his bucket. He touches my hand, then dives down for a bite, comes up, touches, chews, and he knows he's safe. He is lowest in the herd right now so I stand gaurd over him and Bit to make sure no one gets near them while they eat. Hawkie too. No one takes food away from anyone. Feeding time is pretty peaceful, no one worries or hurries because everyone knows (and this is six horses now) they are safe.
With Bit, who is very rbi with humans, I go slowly but not stalky. I amble, you know that walk that horses do? They saunter, they don't rush. Watch your horse and practice moving like your horse does. Think about what your body is saying with it's movement. I hold my hand out to say hello, and let her come to me. Ok, you always let the horse stretch that neck out and come to you, (never move your hand to the horse, let the horse move his nose to you. That makes it his choice to say hello, not yours) but with Bit she will only give the slightest brush with her whisker. No hello, you don't have permission to touch. Touching on the face is their blind spot so it is not the best place to first touch any horse, but especially a right brained horse. The side of the neck is best, and just give it one stroke. Less is more. Be content to go stand next to your right brained horse, at liberty, while they graze. Cock you foot, keep your mind calm and in the prestent moment. No thinking. No touching. Just being. Keep watch while they eat. You can even tell them, you eat and I'll watch out for you. Right brained horses LOVE that calm mind. It makes them feel safe. They will gravitate to you, and just standing next to you calms them. Your calm, non thinking, totally present mind is better than treats to a right brained horse. If you are thinking, "why isn't she coming to me? why doesn't she trust me? what's wrong with me?" That is needy. All horses HATE NEEDY. It makes them scared, feel unsafe, you do not feel good. Clingy, looking for comfort from them instead of you being the source of comfort. Get over it, this is not about you. Good news? You will come out of this experience stronger than you ever thought possible. That tends to change things, especially your life. Your friends. Possibly your spouse and job. It's a good thing. Your horse can teach you so many good things. Do you understand that your horse does not need to learn anything? It's you, my friends that will be learning a better way to be. So sit in your chair and read until YOU learn to control your thoughts. Yes, just work with one horse at a time, especially while you are learning the rituals of the horse. My herd was always just on the other side of the fence, so no one felt they were ripped from their herd. Do it somewhere they feel safe. Make sure there is water present, and a little grazing or hay. Now sit, relax and let yourself slip into the magic of your book. The book should make you feel good. No horror, suspence, or sad books. You know you have it when you have no idea how much time has passed, and you don't care. This is the experience of the mind of the horse. Timeless, calm, totally in the moment. That's why horses have no sense of time, and your visits just take up where you left off the last time you were there. Makes sense. Keep reading, and do not touch your horse. Do not look at your horse. Only act if your horse is going to bite you or you don't feel comfortable because your horse is pushing into your bubble and you don't feel safe. The reason you don't interact is because this is about your horse having the choice to be with you. If you touch him, it takes away his choice and becomes yours. No touching, no looking, no thoughts towards him, about him, keep reading. If your right brained horse comes up for the first time to be with you, reach under that chair and give her a carrot, tell her "GOOD GIRL!", and go right back to your reading. If she walks away, comes back, rinse and repeat. If she bugs you, move your chair, do not use the reed. Left brained horses, swish them away with the reed, but with as little energy as possible. Just enough to get the job done. Never take territory from a right brained horse. Right brained horses you do a lot of leading from behind. Catching game-Ecipse hates her grazing muzzle. She will walk away from me when she sees me coming with it. Now if a horse walks away from you, you loose herd status if you chase after them, right? Now what? You lead from behind. You amble behind, driving them with as little energy as possible. See? No longer you chasing after the horse. Leading from behind is dominate behavior and you don't loose herd status. Follow, follow, follow, push, follow, follow, push....until the horse turns and faces. "Good girl!!!", and have that carrot ready. Reward, throw on the halter, grazing muzzle, whatever. Lots of time I will do this, reward, and simply walk away. Now you can take all this two ways. A pain in the butt and too much time or you can see it as bloody fasinating. It is so amazing to me to use horse behavior and see my horses talk back to me in the same language. No, I'm not talking animal communicators, so this isn't woo woo, although I have noticed I can better understand my horse's intent a lot better as our connection and bond grows. Nope, this is plain old, I'm learning a foreign language and the locals are talking back to me in that same language. Learn to communitcate in horse and your horse will respond in kind. That opens a whole new path to learning, and fits in with just about any kind of training you can think of. So, waste of time? Just sitting and reading a book in the pasture when you could be doing laundry or something important? Depends on your perspective, I guess. |
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| Sunny |
As usual bit, wonderful!!! Thank you, again, for being our interpreter and continuing to give us the insights to the WHR.
I'd LOVE to see you go work with Carolyn directly.... where there's a will there's a way........hummmmmm LOA? |
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| bit |
uCarol, hope I didn't ramble too much and was clear. Let me know. Kelsey has expressed some interest in learning the rituals, and knowing her, she'll take it to a whole new level. I'll take lots of video! She'll be working with Hawkie (lbe), Quinn (lbe/rbe/lbi/rbi) lol! I think! Quinn is pretty special, I really have fallen in love with him. And Ms. Zyia (lbe with attitude and much snaky neckedness) woo hoo! Did I mention Kelsey is a lot like Stewart on Mad tv?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zlTTJQcwk&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM2A20Qq55o She's Stuart and oh God, I'm Stuarts mom. |
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| jackspark |
Bravo! 
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| PasoBaby_CarolU |
Deb, Bit sounds a lit like Zar, who is a strong RBI. She will not, voluntarily touch anything but her food. I spent 2 years trying to get her to touch her damn saddle in the old Level 2, even adorning it in cookies and honey. In the Linda Levels, no way would she put her nose on ANYTHING!!!
She has never come in after hours of Undemanding Time, UNLESS away from home. Then I'm her best friend.  I will try a chair, but my experience in the past is that she **Snorts** at the chair and is more worried about what I'm going to do to her (or make her do) with the chair. She really hated Parelli, has no play drive, and would rather just go trail riding. The only human interaction she has ever liked is having her teats rubbed. Do they do that at the WaterHole?
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| bit |
Yep, Zyia was a bit worried about the chair. I left my plastic chair out in the pasture so it just became a normal bit of their world. They get curious about the book. The sitting. The carrots under the chair. Just give it time. They finally get you aren't asking anything of them, just keeping company, and then the chair is just part of it.
Ignore her, read, reward if she approaches. Let her explore all she wants. It was a few days before Eclipse would settle and come over. Blew her mind when I would put the book down and turn her back out with the herd. The whr's is all about giving your horse choice. Choice to keep company, to say hello, to explore you, your hair, your book and the chair. Your rbi may not like the reed, so let her eat a couple. If she's afraid, just leave it on the ground. Use your instinct and do what works with each horse. Yes, all my horses hated Parelli. All of them love the rituals. |
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| jackspark |
Interesting........... my dominant horse loved Parelli at first. He would run to meet me and choose to NOT leave me at the end of a session. Guess what? It sure didn't last long. It wasn't 6 months when I noticed a distinct lack of enthusiasm and the old dread expression on his face. I quit. I now have a run up and meet me horse once again thanks to the WHR. If he sees that halter, the whole ugly mess crops up again  We do all our "work" at liberty. (that halter is the one I have for sale on the tack thread, in case you want something to keep a pushy horse away!)
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| PasoBaby_CarolU |
Even Hawk Deb? I find that interesting. My LBE's love Parelli, even my mild LBE mare. She tries and tries different things, enjoys the questions and rewards. | ||||||||
| Yes_But_Neigh |
Sorry to be so ignorant but.... what exactly IS a reed? I google imaged it and it brought up actors, cat tails (the plant) and about ten different grass looking things. I know Deb talks a lot about reeds and her horses eating them. Can anyone enlighten me? Thank you! | ||||||||
| Yes_But_Neigh |
ALSO! Is there certain tack for WHR? Seems like most of it is done at liberty? What is everyone doing for tack these days? Just stuff that feels comfortable? | ||||||||
| joti26 |
A reed is a plant that grows along a river bank. Long and slender and perfect for the rituals. I use willow withies, some people have got them from DIY/Home stores where they sell them as decorations to put in vases in the house.
You don't need any tack as it is all at liberty. It really isn't like any training method rather a way of being with your horse by learning the horses language. Horses don't use tack on each other. The reed is just to give you extra Body/Arm length to move the air and keep you at a safe distance. |
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| jackspark |
Don't use a reed. I always have my dressage whip so I use it very quietly. Works for me, damn thing has taken root in my hand anyhoo 
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| Blue Flame |
Could someone please explain this aspect to me as to the theory behind this and how this does not teach the horse the wrong things. I'm not challenging the concept, it is just that I need to really understand it before even thinking of taking this tack. |
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| jackspark |
Great question BF! To me the WHR are a liberty activity and have not considered the tack side of things. Seems quite a contrast, right? | ||||||||
| bit |
Carol, Hawk liked "put your nose on it", the pedestal, and playing with obstacles. But pocupine game, driving game with no purpose, yo yo, and anything on line, he hated. Hated the cs and would find it and kill it. After we did the rituals he went from a little scarey and very domiinate, to a pretty cool guy. The week I started the rituals with Eclipse he reared, came down on my head and sent me to the er. He was a vicious biter, too. Now I can sit in the chair, and he'll hover over me with his eyes closed. I can actually fall asleep leaning against him. Parelli just made him angry.
BF, is this in regards to the uberstricken exercises? If you go on her site and look under the exercises, she gets into the whys and hows of it all. You do need to finish the rituals before starting the uber's, I know that. Nope, you don't need tack to do the rituals. Tack takes away choice, and until you experience your horse iniviting you to ride...yes, actuallly walking up to the mounting block, turning and looking at you, at liberty and asking you to get on, you just haven't experienced true unity. Now why would ya do it any other way? |
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| Blue Flame |
The quotes about tack and releasing contact on resistance, that Savvylearner posted are from Carolyn's blog. She made the list specifically under the heading Rules and Guidelines Working with the Waterhole Rituals. Now, one of the appealing things about the WHRs is that you're supposed to be able to do them alongside what you currently do. To me, that means that a person can do WHRs and still go out and ride or whatever they usually do. If this is not the case then it has not been made clear.
I realise that the WHRs are all at liberty, but you do need to get things done where you need to move the horse from place to place. Now, while I'm confident already moving a horse to where I need him at liberty, it just is not good manners or good sense to have your horse loose in public situations. Many of us don't keep our horses on our own properties so liberty is sometimes not an option for going from place to place. Vets, farriers, trimmers, dentists and body workers tend to like a halter on the horse as well. If Carolyn says she advocates releasing contact upon resistance when you have tack on the horse, I'm sure there is sound reasoning behind it - and I think I could even hazard a pretty good guess as to what that reasoning is. However, before going down that track, most everything else I know would indicate the opposite - so a pretty good guess isn't good enough. That's why I asked the question - because, lets face it, most of us are not going to abandon all tack until we've completed the rituals. So since we're using tack in between doing WHRs, and Carolyn says to release tack on resistance, and this goes against everything we've ever learned about braces etc. we really need to know the specifics of why. I know Carolyn is all about horses having choices so I can see how this could fit with that - but it will take a fair bit more than that before I start dropping contact every time a horse braces or resists. Perhaps it would be easier for me to understand if you could describe how you put this into practice, say when out on a ride or maybe teaching something. How would a horse learn to tie up if the tack was released every time they leaned on it? |
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| jackspark |
Liberty, for "us" means a confined space, such as my barn, dry lot, or small pasture. These are the areas that I am, at this point, working on the WHR. As our language progresses the need for braciness is disappearing under tacked circumstances and I absolutely exert my opinions during those times.
Learning to speak their language is the aim and as everything else, it's a progression. I fully expect the two areas, riding and liberty, to mesh together seamlessly. Ya know kinda like learning French in the classroom and then takin it on the road to Paris |
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| jackspark |
I am thinkin about buying Carolyn's Blog Volume 1. Does anyone have it or know if it would be useful to me? I have not taken the course in a box but have watch all videos and read her book Naked Liberty. Being a little behind the regular course people has me searching for new support material.
Also I have checked out Hertha's work and Erin's notes........ Oh yea, will there ever be another "box" course of anything like it? |
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| joti26 |
Yes really good question BF and one I have kind of battled with from time to time. I am sure she has at some point acknowledged that there are times when you have to do what you have to do but can't tell you where I saw this.
I got the impression that riding really isn't on her agenda but might be wrong. That was where I felt she left us dangling after the WHR's. I don't think she advocates doing everything at liberty though, just when you are doing the rituals. I think that we are so used to the kind of Parelli and Anderson and the likes as complete training programmes which include riding that we kind of expect the same from Carolyn. I think it helped when I really stopped seeing it for anything other than a way of being with horses and using it to gain and keep a strong connection I then still use other methods but am far more mindful of respecting Dels wishes and take things more slowly. What I have found though is that he is far more trusting now anyway so it does kind of fall into place. I have experimented with Dels pull back issue and have found that if I release any pressure quickly if he starts to pull back he stops far sooner and is far more willing to come forward again or stands quicker. But that uncertainty of whether I should or shouldn't be doing what I am doing doesn't help so it would be really great if she did take it that stage further and be more specific about how she deals with these things. Time for a good discussion on this me thinks! |
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| bit |
gotcha. Think you could copy and paste what she said, the whole thing? Yeah, I'm not inclined to release on a brace, either. I'm not sure what she was talking about regarding the whr's.
Carolyn told me that the whr's marry well with just about any training method, although horses will tend to dislike the cs. That part was true. I don't do the 7 games anymore, but I do share territory and use whatever ritual comes up during that time, before riding. Some days we just hop on, but there have been times Eclipse as declined the invitation and I've ridden Gunner. When it comes to riding, I don't if the answer is no. It isn't often, but I won't make a horse go for a ride. Otherwise, it's training as usual. What has occurred as a result of the rituals, I think I am a lot more intuned with my horses. I feel very plugged into my horse. Now this is where I think Parelli drops the ball. That plugged in part is what your horse needs when you are in the saddle. I think it's very normal for a human to dissconnect in the saddle, and it becomes more like steering a car. Your mind may be totally on the driving, but you are not with your horse. Leadership is lost, horse feels abandoned and you miss that wonderful mind to mind connection that is possible when trust and the bond is firmly in place. I know Dave Ellis talked a bit about this. You need to be your horses herd out there, not just a passenger. He needs to look to you for leadership, and find it. That's why shariing territory is the most important ritual we do. How can you in the herd if you never spend time with the horse? Learning the language and behavior and then using that same language and behavior to communicate and relate to your horses translates right to the saddle. As above, so below. Regarding releasing on a brace, I've never heard this except when doing the uberstricken's. Man, they are a very cool way to get softness, bly the way. Ok, rambling...so please post that whole thing you saw and let's take a look. |
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| joti26 |
This isn't what I was thinking of but this was recently on her blog, I will carry on searching for what I thought I had read and post what I find.
"Working with a horse at liberty, you must wait for him to give you his full attention and interest in bonding, because if you try to make the horse do what you want, he will run off. Why, then, would you choose to work with a horse at liberty in a free open environment when you could control him with fences or tack? Because, by working at liberty, you will bring out in the horse a willingness and intelligence that tack would actually block. One of the rules of my method is that you must allow the horse to choose to refuse your leadership. What is the benefit in letting a horse refuse a request? If you do not point out to the horse his refusals, he will respond more positively to your suggestions the next time you ask. Why do you want to avoid drilling a horse? Drilling causes a horse to need more drilling, and a constant need to keep drilling to keep the horse working the way you want him to. When is using allowance better than using force? When you are asking the horse to do something for you. When is holding a horse to task better than allowing his behavior? When you are building your horse’s character. This takes place in social interactions and when he is being anti-social or not respectful of your boundaries, or when you need to shape his behavior around food. How does Sharing Territory to develop a close friendship at liberty enhance the training and performance of your horse? The program that exists in Sharing Territory brings out in a horse a natural desire to follow your lead and learn new behaviors. When would you allow your horse to lead you? Whenever it would improve the relationship and performance. Like in the Ritual of Eye Contact –where the horse controls the hay and your movements around him; or when Liberty Dancing with your horse in a performance. You allow the horse to lead you when give and take enhances the performance of you both. When is it beneficial to make your horse do something he doesn’t want to do? When your horse is willing to stay with you despite the fact that you do not allow his behavior in regards to social conduct that you require. You can clearly see this happening when he does not want to leave the food or your space when you ask him to. My method is built on rules that if a horse leaves you, you stop your lesson and leave in the opposite direction. If the bond has been previously developed through Sharing Territory, the horse will want to return from the space that you’ve given him. With my method, boundaries are flexible for a reason. It helps you in the training of your horse by giving you the ability to develop his desire to fit in harmony with you. All of these decisions, when to lead and when to allow, when to pause, when to push, and when to pat, I leave in the hands of my students. We all have this gift within ourselves, if we practice communicating in the context of complete freedom of choice. It is where the true art of communication is found. Obviously, freedom of choice is always what we would choose for ourselves, but then, why would we not choose it for others? Of course, there are times when we want to be held accountable, like when we don’t consider other people’s feelings and rights to their personal space. None of us want to be bullies, or have a horse that is a bully. Freedom of choice stops our bullying of our horses, and then, holding a horse accountable for social politeness helps the partnership. This brings out in the horse a desire to learn and perform the things it is in his nature to do. How could we control a horse without being controlling or manipulating the horse into thinking he has no choice but to do what he is told? This is the big question that few people will have answers to unless they enter the realm of Liberty Training. Working with my method will reveal all these answers as your skill increases from the evolution of your practice. You will learn how to set up a horse to perform so that control is unnecessary while he is performing. Working with a horse a liberty with my method, you will tap into his herding instincts to match your movements and take direction. You are working with an automatic response, natural to all social creatures, even humans." |
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| joti26 |
Here is another little snippet I found about resistance which I havn't tried but will now. Having looked at her blog again there is loads of stuff which deals with so many different issues.
"This is what I do when I come across a horse that is resistant to any form of a request to lower their head and hold still. Firstly, I pull down gently on the halter rope about two inches below the snap until I feel the resistance that horse offers, then I pull hard enough (strong and firm, not a jerk) so that the horse responds to my request with even more resistance. I hold this, with the same pressure, for a count of eight seconds and then I slowly release and ask the horse to walk forward about 10 feet. Then I ask for a halt. When the horse stops and stands still on a dropped line, repeat the exercise. What happens is the horse thinks that HE is the one releasing and in no time at all the horse lowers his head when I ask with a soft willing attitude and enjoys holding its head lower. You might like to try it on your own horses that are resistant to lowering their heads and relaxing. It is fun and simple to do. It will also teach you something about feel. Let me know how it turns out." |
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| gideon |
halter trainingCarolyn recently said, cannot remember if it was a phonecall or video or what but she stated very clearly that in halter training, she "never,ever takes the horse someplace he does not want to go." This is hard to comprehend for me, b/c as others have said, I HAVE to get my horses certain places sometimes, for the farrier or the vet etc.I guess the answer is, you have to get the horse to AGREE to go with you. Exactly how that happens in real life, I do not know for sure. I am encountering real resistance in my yearling filly these days, she who has never before refused to give to a cue on the leadrope. She started getting all snotty and bucky, sometimes turning and kicking, sometimes rearing. I tried giving her a longer rope - it sure kept me safer! But two days ago she dragged me across the driveway. Then I tried stopping when she braced out of fear, asking for one more step, "Good girl" and turning back. That got me a "nope I ain't goin anywhere" whenever she felt like it. Now, here's something that might be relevant to this discussion. On June 24 Carolyn's blog dealt with halter training and how to avoid resistance. here's an excerpt: "Because of having to train many older foals and even adult horses to lead, I developed a method that does not require training by taking the power away from a horse, or intimidating him, or getting in a fight with him and buffaloing him into thinking that I am stronger. How I do this comes from having Companion Walking well set onto my horse. I lead him to where the treats are kept and do the routines he’s done at liberty, with a halter and lead rope, and I work always within his tolerance. In no time, it is the nature of a horse to naturally, for some strange reason, be willing to listen to the halter over his whims, wants and fears. The failsafe button that you want to get on your horse so that he is considered halter trained, I get through leading the horse at liberty with no tack, then playing the Bucket Game and practicing the Uberstreichen Exercises. I first get to the point where I can easily lead the horse with my hands on his nose, get him to turn around left and right easily on one spot, and halt as well. In the halt, I must be able to pull his head down from light pressure. What I’m looking to do is to remove the instincts of the horse to want to resist pressure from a pull. Once I have the horse completely polite around food and companion walking with me naturally, I then teach him to do the same things, this time feeling the rope and the pull on his head. All of this must take place with him giving to pressure without thinking. It then becomes natural and the horse won’t know how to be resistant. Next, the Bucket Game gets the horse comfortable with allowing you to handle his head without force because he is happy eating out of the bucket. The object, while holding the bucket, is to teach him that he must listen to you when you ask him to leave the bucket, stop eating, and wait for permission to come back and eat out of it again. The process needs to be given in a way that would cause the horse to feel more bonded to you. While the horse is eating out of the bucket and will allow you to massage his head, you can then easily put on a halter. From there, you go on to using the halter to take his head out of the bucket and to bring his head into the bucket but this time with a gentle pull of the rope. After that, you can begin with the Uberstreichen Exercises and Leading from Behind with a halter and lead rope. The horse is failsafe when he no longer refuses to give in to a pull." Somewhere in there is an answer. Just gotta figure out the "how" of it. |
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| gideon |
Blog bookJackspark,I have Volume 1 of Carolyn's blog book -- WELL worth the money! It's roughly the first year of blogs, organized by subject, so you can find all posts on a particular topic easily. I use it a lot more now than Naked Liberty. Last time I looked, those blog posts had been removed except for the first paragraphs, so the book is the only access to those posts. When Volume 2 comes out, I'm having that one as well. |
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| Blue Flame |
SavvyLearner posted it on the previous page but here it is again from her blog with the link below. Relevant lines in bold.
I'm wondering if maybe these guidelines were misplaced when she included them in the above. I have been listening to her podcast/group phonecall/webinar found here: http://www.carolynresnickblog.com...rstreichen-exercises-call-replay/ From what I'm hearing, the feel on the contact is similar to what little I know of TTouch and also the blending of energies/softness that Mark Rashid teaches - where a brace or resistance is initially met at a certain weight and then we'd slowly reduce the amount of resistance on our end without allowing the movement in the opposite direction. It still feels like a release to the horse but the horse actually feels like he yielded in his own mind. If you read the Mark Rashid clinic reports that were linked on another thread in this section of the forum, it talks about a feel that seems very similar to what Carolyn talked about in the phonecall linked above. From the Mark Rashid Clinic Report:
If you've ever been to a Mark Rashid clinic, even as an auditor, chances are he has done one of these feel exercises with you. A friend showed me a TTouch technique that feels exactly the same. You start with a brace and then as the pressure is very slowly removed you feel like moving into it - almost seeking the previous level of contact. What she did was push on my shoulder and of course I braced against it. Now, in that meeting of energies, there is a balance that maintains us both in position. As she started withdrawing the push, I had to withdraw the amount of energy of my brace also otherwise I'd end up pushing her hand away from me and cause myself to overbalance. Two things that happen are that you decrease the energy of your brace to keep your own balance, but you also kind of miss having that pressure to lean against and instinctively want to follow it as it retreats. This is not a release in the way most of us think of one where the speed and completeness of the release is paramount. Instead, it is more accurately described as a gradual softening or de-escalation of the forces which the horse and handler are exerting upon eachother. There is a communication in this softening because as force is withdrawn by the handler, the horse also needs to withdraw force in order for that contact to remain balanced. It might sound like it is mysterious and hard to get but it really isn't - just need to do a couple of exercises with someone to feel it. |
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| Hertha |
Hay, Blue Flame, super post. Love it. Explains a lot.
I think I've used this instinctively with stroppy kids when I was teaching - not in a physical sense, but in a power-play confrontational situation. Softening slightly, and feeling them soften in response. I think it is also what Pat Parelli does. It is something that you wouldn't pick up in someone's method until you had a certain amount of experience. I suppose it falls into that wonderful category of 'feel'
Real eye opener. thanks. |
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| Sunny |
Yes, Blue Flame, that was great. It made me think of when instructors tell you to always "get softer" when you have a brace or a resistance.
Oh, and thanks Donna, too! for your sharing your great notes and explaination with us! |
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| joti26 |
Brilliant BF, explains it perfectly. This is what has had the best results with Del's pull back although without me really being conscious of what I had been doing, trial and error and instinct.
Interesting how I need affirmation that I am doing the right thing, stupid really as I should trust my feelings more rather than listen to all the (possibly wrong) advice. A lesson in trusting myself more I think and not worrying about getting it wrong! I know why I do it though, it is because Del is my first horse and so much NH goes against what we have all been taught traditionally. I think it really is time I believed in myself, LOL especially when the 'years of experience' woman at the yard has asked if I can bring her horse in as she can't catch it at the moment. I wonder why she has this problem-hmmmmmm? Rashid does explain things really well. |
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| jackspark |
We all worry about making mistakes and 'harming' our horses when, in reality, the only way to really learn something is by making mistakes and refining techniques. Recognizing what works and ignoring that nagging little voice that says you're wrong is an accomplishment in itself! I think if you trust yourself your horse will likely trust you too no matter what technique you are using. | ||||||||
| bit |
Adapting the Waterhole Rituals to Fit the Moment
Aug 3rd, 2010 by Carolyn Today I am sharing another question from my Insider Circle program. This is a common beginning experience. The student writes: Three times I have attempted the circle game with my horse. The first time he behaved liked he invented the game. I thought, “This is easy.” The second day with the circle game when I moved him off his hay he would walk a few steps forward then circle to my side and stand there looking at me. I would have felt bad chasing him off after he faced up to me, so I rewarded him instead. But, I worried that he thought that is what I wanted. Then today when we were going to play the circle game I attempted to move him off his hay, he walked off in the opposite direction of the hay piles and stood about fifty feet from me, looking at me. Looked to me like he didn’t want to play. So, I fed him carrots instead. I fed him carrots when he came up to me, then I chased him away and fed him carrots for moving away. So, what do you think? So let me first explain what the circle game is and then I will go on to tell you what I said in reply. The circle game is to encourage what I call ‘reciprocal movement.’ You place 5 piles of hay around the arena and then when your horse is eating at 1 of them, you move him gently off towards the next pile. The idea is to build on Sharing Territory so that there starts to be some give and take in the relationship. Anyway, this is what I replied: I would suggest that when he turns to face you you would stand a look at him for a while then ask him kindly to please move on and take it slow and get him to leave you. Just be really slow. If it takes you a couple of minutes to encourage him to move on that would be good. What you are doing is making him move on, which is the wrong position to take. Be sweet, encourage and pause, but get him back to the task of him leaving you. Take it slow. When he then moves on make a great big fuss and give him a treat. If you are too confused about this or it feels unfair pass on this game for now and choose the carrot game instead. The carrot game can be a good replacement. [The carrot game is where 2 or more people all have carrots and take it in turns to send the horse back and forth to get the next carrot. A game enjoyed by all!] As you are working with the Waterhole Rituals there will be times when you will need to switch it up to keep progressing. You will soon learn when to make the transitions. This is part of the learning experience. Hope this helps you see how the bond forms! Carolyn |
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| Blue Flame |
A little more on this softening thing. Probably should be in a different thread as its getting a bit off-topic now. . . . 
Disclaimer: Note these are just my own thoughts and are in no way intended to be instructional. Twice a day I clean out Blue Flames feet. He is very good for it and prepares himself to pick up a particular foot as I approach it. However, since a horse is naturally guarded against surrendering their feet to you, it always pays to be tactful no matter how many times you've done it before. He is most guarded about his left hind. When I ask for it, he picks this one up higher than any other foot as if he is actually pulling it away from me - but he picks it up nonetheless. As I hold the foot and bring it down and back (I work on his feet while kneeling on one knee and the front of his hock resting on my other knee with his cannon bone and foot laying against my lower leg) - if I hold it a little to firmly and ask for it to move a little to quickly, he braces. At that point of bracing, if I let up any pressure and hold it only just firm enough for him to feel me holding it, I can actually start to move my hand in the direction I want his foot to go without applying any grip or pull at all and he will "follow the feel". Now, I really want to get across what this "following the feel" is like in this instance. I have no grip on the horse's foot at all, just have my hand so that his toe is resting on it, but I am not suppoting the weight of his foot or leg - we are just touching, each responsible for his own weight, me for my hand and him for his foot. As I move my hand in the direction I want his foot to go, if he were to not move, the contact would be broken. But what actually happens is as he feels my hand starting to move away, he follows it with his foot so as to keep in light contact with my hand. . . . . It feels like communication, agreement, support and comfort through touch or contact . . . . I never really thought about this until we started discussing this softening thing. I think this is probably the most direct feeling of it I've had with the horse because there was no intermediate tack between us. Now taking it to more classical lines, since I've recently been reading and watching a lot of Sylvia Loch, I think it can translate into the saddle quite effectively. Sylvia talks alot about riding the horse within a channel of support that you provide for him. Lets take the knees for instance . . . If a rider's knee falls open, the horse might often fall in on that shoulder. If both knees are open, the horse might often move in wandering lines. So lets say we are riding straight with both knees in even contact on both sides of the horse such that the horse can feel our knees but does not object to then being in contact with his body. The knees are supporting him in a guiding and encouraging way rather than in an insistent way.. If we then slightly reduce the amount of contact we have with him with one knee(without increasing the contact on the other knee), how does that feel to the horse and what is he likely to want to do. I would suggest that the horse no longer feels as balanced between our knees. He would tend to seek that feeling of being balanced between our knees. He would want to move towards the less supportive knee, seeking a contact with it, that would bring it back into balance with the feeling of the opposite knee. In other words, he moves into the slight release looking for that tiny bit of support that you temporarily eased away - he follows the feel. The trick for us is to get things quiet enough that not only can the horse "hear" it, but that we can too. Then we can communicate through this contact we have while riding. I'd like stop thinking about the word "contact" in a limited way and start thinking of it as anything that enables us to communicate with the horse. It can be through tack, touch, body language, energy, intent or otherwise. If we think of contact in these terms, then we can say that we might want to release or soften, but we would almost never want to drop the "contact". Taking this idea back to the example above with the knees - if we just let the inside knee flop open, we've broken the contact, we've severed the line of communication, we've hung up the phone on the horse. He likely still move that way, but he'll do it in a lost kind of way because he won't have a feeling from us of how much or how far. He won't be able to follow that feel because it just vanished on him. I think this discconect might have something to do with the problems some horses have with the PNH circling game. Ok, people can learn about neutral (not nagging) by standing still in the circles and horses can learn the responsibilities of gait and direction - but beyond that, I think sometimes the "contact" between horse and human gets dropped. Others have said that this is what seemed to happen with their horses and Dave Stuart indirectly showed us some things in the round pen that indicated similar things. While we're getting into defintitions (Larry? ) , it is probably worth thinking about our releases in terms of what they mean to the horse. Does our release let the horse know he's done or is doing the right thing by rewarding him with comfort? or, does our release constitute breaking the line of communication leaving the horse feeling hung up on, unsupported or abandoned? Just when they were trying so hard to do what we asked, did we reward with comfort or simply hang up by breaking all contact?
BB said in one of the youtube videos of him teaching that he doesn't care if you lose the cow if it means you manage to keep your horse soft. |
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| Blue Flame |
Y'know, I used to think that as well. Nowadays, thanks to friends lending me some really good reading (thanks Alyth) and viewing material of the REAL classical stuff, I'm seeing just how natural those traditions can be. That said, I don't think I'd understand half as much of what some of the classical stuff means if I didn't have the NH experience first. I think the biggest thing is the attitude that horses are not disposable. |
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| Hertha |
BF wrote:
Another great post, BF. I picked out the bit above because I've been chewing on this one. Boots always enjoyed the circle game most when we were doing it at liberty with me shadowing her in the middle (or she was shadowing me???). She willingly did transitions. And, even more interestingly, she resisted change of direction from right to left on the rope, but when i ask her at liberty she does it willingly. Now we often do it at liberty as part of our pre-ride, post saddling warm-up. I move a little circle on the inside. Sometimes she goes over a series of 4 trotting poles of her own volition. We intersperse circles with the 'carrot game' between pre-laid out containers. She often offers sideways and we're learning to flow from movement to movement doing whatever feels is a cool thing to do next. BF also wrote
Am trying hard to refine this with lateral movement at walk and trot. It doesn't seem to take much 'easing away' of one knee and maybe a slight shift of weight (which probably increases the pressure of the outside leg too) in the direction I want the horse to move over, for it to be totally clear to the horse what I want. |
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| Blue Flame |
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| bit |
duuuuuuuude, we are famous for our clogging and thread traveling adventures. As long as we learn, I'm not too concerned about it. Anyone else? Or, you can start a different thread if you want. BF, I'm loving your perspective on softness and feel. Don't want to miss anything, so clog away! | ||||||||
| jackspark |
Is it possible to post too much? Is that "going postal", if that is true I would have been censored already Lovin your posts BF
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| gideon |
BFBF, post away, preferably here -- I wanna hear it, and I don't wanna hafta follow yet another thread! |
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| joti26 |
Great points BF, when I said traditional I meant the traditional way with horses we were taught as kids, based on military riding methods not 'classical' methods.
I have learnt a lot about this lately having met the wonderful people at the Holistic Equitation Centre that opened near me, they are very much into classical methods, particularly with regard to dressage. Fascinating when I found out the history! Wars have a lot to answer for! I am looking forward to having some lessons which I am swapping for painting a mural in their menage. |
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| Blue Flame |
Ok then . . . here's the PM I sent to Hertha - usual disclaimers apply.
Hi Hertha, I wanted to write this but didn't want to clog the WHR thread any longer - so here it is . . .
I tend to think of the knees as guiding/supporting the shoulders, which might be a part of the lateral movement but not the whole of it. So having set the flexion we want for the movement, we'd be using the knees to support the horse from falling in or out with the shoulders. Weight would be what we'd use to indicate the direction of the lateral movement. So say for shoulder in maybe a little outside seatbone supported with inside leg. For HQ in, maybe a little inside seatbone supported with outside leg. What we've really had success with is to let the horse be the teacher. We have given ourselves permission to experiment - with the understanding that the horse can do no wrong. All we ask of him is that if we try something and it means something to him that he respond - that's learning from the horse. We isolate our aids to one thing at a time and see how the horse responds to each one of them. We take the attitude that whatever the horse does is his interpretation of what we asked - actually asked him for - rather than what we think we asked him for. In this way, the horse lets us know what each of these things mean to him. Then the focus is on the rider to learn how to ask the horse for something - rather than trying to teach the horse that this means this and that means that. The more aware you are of your own body and sensing where your weight is, the quieter you can ride and the more specific you can be with a request without creating extraneous noise. Honestly, there is a lifetime of work without even getting out of the walk. To emphasize this weight thing for Miki, I had her ride Blue Flame along the rail (a long fence) at a rising trot and change nothing other than alter the weight in her stirrups slightly away from the rail for a few strides and then towards the rail for a few strides. No other aids were used so we didn't ask for any flexion or direction with reins, legs or even focus - just the weight shift. Blue Flame responded by swinging away from the rail (off the track) and then back to the rail (back to the track). We used the stirrup weight because it is rather difficult to alter the weight in your seatbones at the rising trot. At the walk we'd do it with just weighting one seatbone a little more than the other. The horse wants to find balance - he wants to balance the weight. So if you move the weight off to one side, he wants to move under it to rebalance - he follows the weight in order to remain balanced. In the words of Franz Mairinger - the support balances the load - the horse balances the rider - not the other way around. It is natural for the horse to do this. If you think of carrying a trot pole on your shoulder, you'll find it easier if you balance it in the middle and if it is off center you'll probably adjust it to center without even thinking about it. Or, if you have someone sitting on your shoulders and they lean to the left, you'll want to move left to get back under the weight to remain balanced. It's a lesson taught to both humans and horses by the most consistent teacher of all - gravity. Therefore, it is a natural way for the horse to respond (unless he is trying to get rid of you  ).
So lateral weight aids, in the classical school, the horse follows the weight. But we should be subtle about the weight aids - we want to influence the horse - not unbalance him. It is very easy for weight aids to be overdone and destroy confidence by throwing the horse off balance. As you say, it doesn't take much - just like it wouldn't take much of a weight shift if we were carrying someone on our shoulders and it wouldn't take much more for us to lose our balance. Now, have you tried timing all of these aids with footfalls? e.g. Inside knee eases as inside foot is just leaving the ground then supports when that foot is grounded, outside knee suggests moving over just as outside foot is leaving the ground, then softens when that foot is grounded. or Maybe phasing those aids so they are given at the opposite timing to those suggested above to see how the horse responds to the difference in timing. Maybe the horse responds both ways - which would mean they are both right even though they are opposite
or how about alternating your weight aid with your leg aid in time with footfalls. Laterally speaking, the classical aids have you leading the horse with your weight while Pat et.al. have you driving the horse with your weight. However, the best exponents of Western and Classical seem to be doing similar things although invisibly. My intuition is that these subtle horsemen are actualy both leading AND driving the horse using invisible weight aids - and they are alternating the leading and driving weight aids in time with the footfalls. Dr.Deb says in places on her forums that one of the worst things you can do with a horse is to ride him with a square feel in your hands. It makes sense when you think about how a horse moves because his feet alternate - they are never doing the same thing at the same time except at a square halt. So even when going straight there should be some lateral alternation going on with all the cueing and supporting aids. I can't wait to discover this stuff for myself - that's why I say there is a lifetime of work and things to learn without ever getting out of the walk
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| Hertha |
BF wrote:
Errr, Uuuhm. I think i need to start a new thread about HOW MANY THINGS CAN I THINK ABOUT AT ANY ONE TIME WHEN RIDING MY HORSE? I think we can receive up to 7 pieces of data from the environment at any one time (that would be on a good day for me ).
I'm thinking this would be input thru all the senses. When we're riding, it seems that 7 pieces of date get there really fast when we consider visual and tactile via our whole body balance and the feel of the reins in our hands. Then our brain computes which data to react to in what order...... I'm still working on footfall in a stop and start way, WHICH IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, I know. i need to focus on it until i can visualise it anytime I want. Thanks for the great post, BF. Love the way you described isolating the cues and really listening to the horse. |
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| Blue Flame |
That's 7 things in the concious mind. Repeat often enough and a neural pattern or program forms that handles these things using the unconcious mind - unconcious competence. Then that frees the concious mind up to start dealing with the next 7 things.
. . . a lifetime of work without even getting out of the walk . . . Interesting effect - a neat thing happens when doing this - the focus shifts to listening to the horse and making changes in the rider and takes mental pressure off the horse. We've noticed that with this shift in focus Blue Flame gets more relaxed about his "work" and his attention shifts more towards the rider as well - especially as each small improvement in the rider makes his life a bit better. |
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| jackspark |
The number 7 is interesting in my line of work. Through brain research it has been shown that a student must have a minimum of 7 quality exposures to a new piece of content for the pathway to connect. I am really enjoying your posts but not far enough along to act on the footfall discussion. I can't keep track of my own let alone my horse's I'll stumble my way into that sooner or later
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| Blue Flame |
Your horse will thank you for even trying to time your cues with his footfalls so long as you acknowledge your mistakes. I considerably reduces the pressure on the horse and cleans up the communication signals - less "noise". Knowing when to ask is about weight management and timing (all other things being equal) and footfalls is the key to that in the moving horse. Be warned though, once he knows you are aware of the concept, he will NOT thank you for being lazy about it as it makes a huge difference to him in terms of how easy it is for him to grant your requests. They have said that the best racing drivers are masters of weight management - I think that applies to riders as well. |
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| Blue Flame |
Tip: It's easier to do this when the horse is moving - otherwise it can be like trying to sail a yatch with no wind. |