Gate and phases

July 28 Gate and provocative phases while riding issue:

Forum: like the isolate, separate, recombine things that you are doing. Can you start putting the smaller bits together into larger bits?

LOVE that idea--instead of focusing on 'open and shut the gate' as that is something I need before filming L3 freestyle: Instead make the gate a game for me and think of new and different things we can do with the gate i.e. back thru the gate; go all the way thru the opening and do 1/2 a 360 to turn and face, walk the fence/gate both directions and forward and back. We have already been sidepassing lots of different ways. Or how many ways can I play with the chain that has to be fastened around the gate?? hmmmm Or--the gate opens both directions and that could lead to new ideas. hmmm. and if each little segment is simple like that, its so much easier to give treats and rest??? maybe it'll change the whole process into something fun and I won't have to think about upping phases. Also as an LBI it doesn't require much energy and she should love that.

HOT LINE:
did call the hot line and asked about phases when a horse is being bratty. I.e. not stopping and waiting at the gate--suggestion--a firm backup and then stop and wait (its not about the gate) and reward when relaxed. Another example of phase being using the end of the rope to spank myself or my horse. Kristy Madoney?? Firmer backup, she should stand quietly where I place her. Assertive yes ma’am and then reward and think about it. Pin ears at canter—phase 4, shut down zone 1 for bad attitude, spank with end of rope myself then Try phases

forum: Something that's worked for me (I have a dominant LBE) is to make the gate a resting place. In other words, we would do circles or figure 8's in another part of the ring and when it was time to rest and relax we did it by the gate. Pretty soon that gate becomes VERY attractive to the horse. Next step is to pet the gate while continuing to rest next to the gate, the fiddling with the latch while resting next to the gate...you get the idea.

easy day

I was still tired and took it easy on everything

no stirrups in ring before camp started including as passenger and question box

little bit of good sideways
did gate down the road with some progress in breaking down steps and relaxing

paddock
new pedestal - liberty--some exploration by Try
quiet time

Sunday

Sunday--tired after Sat play day at my house

new pedestal - played with coming off it forward
sideways on the rail toward the gate--I could have been more relaxed
gates - good

cloverleaf - started well, canter would have been better to go back to bridle or up phases??
question box weave and sideways - improv to find new stuff

paddock: liberty circle and stick to me

I was too direct line today.
Note: filled out horsenality charts again and saw a lot of change.

freestyle--working on ideas for L3 video

lesson

ball - around the world
gate - lots of variations and no complete solution
pedestal - Try did it!!
sideways - better going to the gate and stick in left side ??both ways
cloverleaf change--do everything in front 1/4 of arena, barrels 12 cones, jog, trot, lope
anticipate cutting in and slow and relaxed to start--maybe stop???

lovely day Tuesday

Try glad to see me and get to play

clip
gate variations good
20 min no stirrups posting trot passenger lesson
small jump walk trot
long trail walk
dwell time in paddock while I cleaned tack

Monday

gate wide open walk thru turn and face and relax 4x treats for relaxation
small jump--walk and trot over--no jump, turn and face relax

walk in ring w/cathy and shirley

canter for exercise and relaxation

fun with charlie

Saturday Emotional Fitness Day

yesterday--Try and I went slooooow playing with areas where emotional fitness is an issue: Found out for L3 freestyle--open the gate task requires closing it as well. gggg We haven't tried this for 3-4 years and last time, Miss Try would lose her emotional fitness. Possibly harking back to days of pressure in trail competition.

Anyway studied in L2 pack Linda's break down of the steps involved. We were able to go and stand by the gate and be very relaxed. Holding the gate/latch NOT SO MUCH. Next time I am going to open the gate fully and practice walking out turn and face and relax and walk back in turn and face and relax before going back to opening/closing the gate.

Also emotional fitness: took lots of time and stayed very relaxed with two areas where the adrenalin comes up for Try: small jump and bowtie simple lead change pattern.

makes sense to me--now that a lot of new learning goes well between us--its time to go back and relearn some areas where she has baggage from the past. Looking at it that way makes it feel like a fun challenge to me instead of something to feel guilty about not having already "fixed."

July 17 Kelly notes on L3 freestyle draft video

July 17 Kelly notes on L3 freestyle draft video

1. Open the Gate: go back to old L? booklet—sideways through the gate—play friendly with it, keep hand on it and hold it, use indirect rein and HQ yield, side to close it???
2. Bounce the ball ideas: punch it and have it go over her, stand or kneel and dribble (not riding)
3. Tarp BA ideas good: full length, over back/trot, twirl overhead and let down over face and side pass over side over it??
4. Trot: tail swishing not severe—ears were ok—so not as upset as I first thought
5. Show transitions: trot, walk, back stay on the rail.
6. Clover leaf could not see the pattern/pan out video and title it
7. Could do weave w/cones – show more patterns
8. Ring is huge???
9. Sideways—use less stick, I am micromanaging. Also need to see it both ways
10. Canter—ears a bit grumpy, stop, rest place and a cookie or something.
11. Dragging bucket is good
12. Pedestal—can it be cut down? Or use plywood
13. Jump issue—send reasons w/email and vet letter
14. ? box—get off and give treats to motivate
15. Tighten it up, small arena, transitions—happy and snappy

Update

Tuesday: ring soggy, camp at 9:00 so Try and I did passenger lesson in ring, up the road and in the field. Played and dwell time some in play paddock.

Thursday: camp. physically challenging lesson--strong in 2 point and 6 lap posting trot. led off in serpentine. Try objected to bowtie and BA fixed. It felt great to me to be so physical after cutting back with knee injury.

For Saturday: 6 laps of canter in western saddle for emotional fitness and do bowtie pattern at least at walk and trot. ??set up barrels for question box in paddock and lope circles???

Why and how--exuberance?

well--my being exuberant isn't going to automatically spark exuberance for Try.

Played today--I danced, ran etc. Try when asked would trot or canter a little--probably a little ears/tail on the send then ok and dropped her energy again pretty quickly.

BUT watching the video of the session, I have to say she really looks pleasant, sweet, content. Why does she need to be exuberant?

More thoughts

Did not see Try yesterday--in the morning I visited with Peggy and Champ and we seem to be having a lot of common experiences these days.

Today my plan is to go see Try, give her a lovely bath, then plenty of dwell/grass eating time out back interspersed with starting a cutting pattern.

Thinking out loud . . .

yesterday we did some preliminary taping for L3 freestyle and I could clearly see the tail swishing/ear pinning when I was cueing her.

It really upset me as this is supposed to be fun for us both.

thinking out loud here . . .

I am thinking fun things, things that make her feel smart, positive comforting things like dwell time and passenger time need to be an underpinning and perhaps a large percentage of our time together???? New, different, interesting things . . . Time with no agenda, deliberately relax and no thinking/planning/analyzing . . . just being together???

Then there are necessary things that are not necessarily fun that we just do like grooming, bathing etc. Course I guess they could be more enjoyable with good massaging and scratches???? Or necessary like my riding to improve myself--being ultra careful to cue with phases. Stop, Rest, Treat.

Then there is the concentrated learning/focusing stuff. I guess that is the 20% in the 80/20 rule and that needs to be something where she can feel smart, like she is figuring out the puzzle????

Then with all this, does she just automatically open up and get exuberant because she is so happy? Or should I be doing exuberant things with her to bring this about i.e. we both love stick-to-me. (I am a LBE who loves to move.)

what we did today to find the exuberance? Today we did1. trail walk up the road to explore and exploration online behind the barn. 2. 20 minutes of dwell time in our play paddock for eating grass. 3. To feel smart we did the pedestal once and 3 times played with prep for liberty figure 8 which was really good and brought nice treats as a reward.

readjust goals

Well, I want to change my goal of L3 by September--even tho it is possible, especially task-wise, what have I gained if my horse isn't happy working toward L3 freestyle and liberty!

I think--adjust my thinking to December, (maybe) and make Try's happiness and maybe even exuberance a goal. It seems impossible but, if she went from machine to curious, perhaps she can go from annoyed by precision work to exuberant about doing new things. ???????????? Certainly worth giving it a fullout try, if it happens I will have really learned something important.

hotline call

Gold Hot LineJuly 9 09Kristi Smith1-352-591-56451.

Where’s the joy or fun for Try (she looks miserable on freestyle video)? I have to be more interesting. LBIs learn quickly and you must progress to something new quickly or they get bored. Direct their brain, each day should be something new and different.

Do not be too particular about precision—get the exuberance first. Lots of variety and the unexpected. Do the opposite of what they expect. Start with the fun tricks to get her in the mood then ask for the precision/task.

2. 80/20 80% fun and 20% of something more precise. Loosening the string is enjoyment, tightening the string just 20% of the time.

3. Trail rides to same old place are boring. Walk/jog together because I am moving my feet also. Spanish walk? Pick up things? Hokie/pokie?

4. Question Box: show walk, trot and canter. With simple lead change at a walk thru the box.

filmed some freestyle

For lesson today--Tara not there to film so BA and I played with some stuff and filmed some

Played w/ideas ball tarp and pedestal
Filmed: bucket, patterns--cloverleaf, corners game and question box

uploaded to youtube--will send to Kelly for coaching

play with finding neutral and your horse having an allow. This will help your horse gain self-confidence instead of just confidence in you as a leader.

OR respect you for recognizing her ability to do it without micromanaging!!

Tarp etc

Tarp: we wore it, walked over it and then picked it back up with stick and carried it over head so I guess we are ready to go with this one.

sideways: she doesn't like it, butt drags, ??phases then reward

no stirrups

liberty: started figure 8, ok as stick to me, go back to online w/belly of rope on the ground.
stick to me canter--desirable for us to mirror from greater distances

Question Box

Sunday: question box, measured out the two 45' circles. walked and jogged them online then bareback walk and trot riding. Try was just lovely, very few leg corrections.

Monday: repeated riding portion. not as good a day. Try not as interested--focus on Angel in ring, weather--tense from humidity before rain, circling is boring etc. Also canter on the rail and canter 45'circles and the smallest circle. The small circle always seems to go well--lots of eyes, belly button from me etc.

Did not get to tarp and ball.

Lesson Day Thursday

Lesson w/BA prepping for L3 freestyle. Confusion between us as to how to set up question box. Will fix that this weekend.

Set up the pattern--use rake and ropes to make good 45' circles, then do lots of stuff with Try on the circles so they become a known pattern to us both. i.e. English riding stuff, walk-trot-canter, drag the bucket/tarp, etc

Play with trotting with the tarp as my cape or Try's cape??
Ball: fill ball more fully to see if I can dribble it while circling.

Remember to take my time, relationship first, rest/treats/strokes.

Lovely day

did not get to the barn until 11:00--already 86 degrees.

kept it simple: ball--push with nose only--treat only for three nose pushes in a row and treat and super fuss over her for enthusiastic nose push. She loves this new game!!

no stirrups