WHR.....did i do it right?

Tigerlily · WHR.....did i do it right?

I spent 3 days with my herd sharing territory. At the moment the horse in question of real need is my L4 horse that soured when i cam back after car accident. she is, for lack of a better deffinition, extreme LBE. We have been playing dominance games since trying to get backto L4. anyways, in my herd she is #2, my old mare is #1. but lately she has been getting the snot kicked and bitten out her by #1.

sharing territory within the herd went well immediately, they were all over me like a cheap suit from the get go. I moved alot, as Rose (#2) was pinning her ears and grinding teeth and snaking head at #3/#4 to keep them away from me. so i would move when she did that. for the most part, no one was disrespectful to ME, but all wanted to be with me and just hang for as long as i sat there.

i have done "hello" to everyone in the herd several times, and really had not issues approaching anyone. so tonight, after sharing territory and saying hello again, i fed them and walked around till i was behind rose, of course she payed me no attention, and she is the only one I chased off. though the effect was measurable on everyone! I stood in her spot, and played with the hay that she was eating. they came back pretty easily. so i shuffled around the pasture and she quickly ignored me again, so i chased her off again. everyone else came back quickly, but i had to go make up to her and get her an bring her back. i pet her a few min while she ate, and wandered off again. this time she watched me well for a few min, then i started to come up behind her, made a noise and she was out of there. everyone followed, and they came back, but she would not. she was by the gate, so i approached, she would not move or look at me, so i chased her off that spot and stood there firm, till she was out of sight, then left.

did i do this ok? she deffinately had a very somber and sulking look about her, and as i pet her, had her head down. she can be stallion like at times and stand her ground firm, she delights in seeing how much she can get me to do, with as little effort on her part. I don't want to do too much, or not enough. the rest of the herd including #1, kept an eye on me just as it should be, but not her, till the last time. but then she didn't want to go back to the food, even when i left it, and everyone one else was eating. but i was able to approach her away from the food. she did not run away from me.

I plan on making a smaller area, NOT on a hill, to play with just her if needed.

bit

It sounds like you are comfortable working with a herd. Is it possible for you to share territory with one horse only? Usually the horse that you are most comfortable with and is the easiest to work with? Someplace the horse can feel safe, provide water and maybe a little grazing or hay if you can, then sit and read your book. If the horse is left brained, you use your reed (long whispy grss like thang. you can buy them at hobby lobby in bunches of 30, or any floral supply place. even some walmarts have them) to move them out of your bubble if you feel they might take a nip or you don't feel comfortable while you are sitting in your chair. No touching, no interaction, just read your book. You only look up if you need to move the horse away. Use only enough energy to move him back as far as you need to feel comfortable. It's all very calm. In Parelli talk, maybe a 1/2 phase one. Just a whisper. Go right back to reading.

If the horse is right brained and you need to move her off, move your chair. Keep moving it until she stops invading your bubble. Smelling your hair, standing over you like a mare stands over a foal, sniffing, touching is all good for any horse as long as you feel safe. You cannot touch back. This is the first opportunity for your horse to choose to be with you. His choice, not yours. His.

You can encourage the horse to come take a sniff by walking over, giving him a carrot, walking back to your chair, stashing carrots under your chair and start reading. He'll know those treats are under you chair and hopefully he'll come on over. You want the horse to get pushy and rude. This is a good thing. He's got to trust you to get rude. You want this. First comes trust, then the bond.

So right brained horse gets pushy, move that chair. Left brained horse, move him off with your reed. No carrot sticks. That reed pushes more energy and is not threatening. Just pushes energy. Right brained horse afraid of the reed? Let him eat it. Break it into a piece that is short enough so he isn't bothered. Mr. Reed is our friend.

Taking territory happens when your horse is not paying any attention to you, and you NEVER do this with a right brained horse. You use this very seldom with your lb horse. Right brained horses you do the lead from behind ritual. You amble behind, AMBLE (your state of mind is calm. you don't act like a preditor and stalk your horse) Amble, like a horse ambles. Walk, walk, walk, push the air with your reed, walk, kick a little poo, amble, push the air with your reed. Stay with sharing territory until your horses get rude. I'm repeating this because it's that important.

The Book

Listen, you read the book so that your mind is fooled into entering a calm state of mind. The KIND of book your read should be one that makes you feel good, maybe even a little magical. My horses liked me reading Harry Potter a lot. Oh, and the Twilight series. Mark Rashid went over well, too.

I shared territory for 6 weeks with my lbi, Eclipse. Don't rush this. You have all the time in the world. You'll know it's time to move on to the next ritual when your horse gets rude and demands those carrots under your chair.

After a while, that state of mind (the one you are in when you read) will be the only one you'll be in when you are in the company of horses. To know that state of mind, to experience it, read. Don't touch, don't look at your horse, don't even think about him. Let him do it all. This is about your horse having a choice. When he gets rude, celebrate! Until he does, share territory. Check out appelitivo's notes. Carolyn will help ya, she wants to see you succeed. Get on her blog and email your questions. If you can, get into the next inside circle class. Have fun, get some great books and ask questions. Hope this isn't too long. I LOVE what the rituals have done for me and my horses.

Tigerlily

Thanks bit. I guess Rose trusts me, as she was rubbing (shoving) me off the chair. i have taught her that it is ok to rub on me after i take the halter off. Both Snookie and Rose, mostly snookie, was standing over me, bout equal from standing behind and infront, a few times from the side. geting sooo close as to have her legs and chest touching me. I am definately comfortable in a herd. especially mine, as i know they all respect me. I didn't realize the getting rude was a good thing, so i either moved or moved her, depending on how hard she rubbed me.

Rose is the only one i play with in the herd, and the only one i am having problems with. Cha'cote is not in the herd yet as he still is too undersocialized and terrified to be left alone for too long with them and wont drink. i hoped to have my barn done before winter so he could go back there, but for now he is infront alone with the only shelter as he has never had a blanket on. if i can get that accomplished, he will be in there too for the winter.

I can make a "corral" for 1-1 time with rose/cha'cote. do you think 30x40 is big enough. i have a small place here. so i guess it will have to be.

I don't mind taking the time to stay at the sharing territory, but i don't want to stay too long, if things are going well, so knowing when to quit would be good too. so letting them get to the point of being rude is good, then not letting them be rude....then what? more time being with me not being rude? how long in this phase before you know it is ok to move on?

I already did the taking territory with Rose, used a lunge whip...all i had....do you think i screwed it up by doing it too soon? i spent more sharing time with them last night and she seemed more reserved, but definately came to me and got rude, and hung out, and I pet her. i thought it was ok to pet them. is there a time when it is OK to pet them?

reading 'far away horses" love it.

i started with the herd as i thought it might not be a bad idea to share the territory with the herd first before taking her out to do it alone. she and i have been frought with a battle of the dominant withches for a year now. she is a VERY smart horse and can smell the slightest amount of stupidity in a nano second. she is my current "horse". snookie too old, cha'cote not started under saddle, was still wild 9mos ago.
so here i sit, reviewing the footage of the last 4 mos of video's, watching it get worse and worse, sometimes better, but i trade any sort of decent biomechanics for doing it....the parelli way. ugh....loads of frustration here....

anyways, i will join her next inner circle class and see if i can reach her for questions.

thanks again

bit

Erin has done a great job writing this all down. http://sites.google.com/site/erinscarolynresnicknotes/
Don't over think this, now. I'm thinking you are already pretty good at reading your horses, so you are already miles ahead of most people.
Remember the book is your ticket to the horsey state of mind, so pick a book that makes you feel good. Nope, no petting during sharing territory. As much time as you spend doing the rituals, is as much time as you spend st. So 20 minutes saying hello and leading from behind? 20 minutes of st. ST is your most important ritual. It's the foundation for it a.
The area you build for your one on one should be big enough for you to feel safe. I furnished mine with some wind chimes (I'm on my third set. Hawk loves to pick the little chimes off the tree) I have a "magic chair" that is comfortable and easy to move around. lol, I even hung some sun catchers. It was all for me, so I could create the horsey state of mind. This is the time to stop thinking and just relax. Ever read the power of now? Good book.
Check out Erins notes, and there's a link on gen chat on the thread that bundychick started that has some good video of how to do some of the rituals. I think Carolyn has some good videos out now on utube. Giddy up flix has a lot of great video so you don't have to buy them.
ps buy the reeds. No dressage whip. The reeds are only 11 dollars or so, and I've had mine for a year and still have tons left. You'll see once you use one...or three at a time for those lbeeeeees!