MARCH 2013

 HIGHLIGHTS: CANTERED!!!!! STAND STILL EMOTIONALLY - which resulted in Z WANTING to canter and not getting emotional during the canter (and same for me, sort of!).

March 2, 2013
Continuing in promise to Zaina to make sessions less direct line and having more in it for her. Deep snow made online hack impossible but we moseyed around outside and I spent a long time on a Masterson massage and red light. Both created relaxation, the latter resulted in a major abdominal release - very interesting.

After setting up toys for play played at liberty. Touch it from 8-12 feet (yahoo!), then circling (mostly Z's idea, but that's okay). She went into a fast canter but was able to disengage. Very exciting for her, she needed to be moving and having this fun. Got herself a bit overwrought though, so used driving game to move her to mounting block to get the halter and she stayed. MUCH improved haltering self.

Stick to me at trot, walk, and canter. Going to right she's more emotional, so stayed longer on this today, including at the canter.
HQ pp game MUCH improved.
Circling game terrific trot AND canter.
Best part - walking and trotting over two ground poles EARS UP!!!!
Ended with asking her to follow me at a walk, me backing. Ears were back, so I'd stop and send her back with a "face". Ears would come forward, I'd ask her to follow me and ears went back. Repeat repeat repeat, ah! Ears forward. How interesting!

March 8, 2013
Focusing on basics in putting together videocoaching material - with big thanks to Barb McL for the camera work. HQ yields, circling - and super confident squeeze over two ground poles. Could even stop her from repeating!

Then to bareback ride, first time. Thanks to Barb McL for being my spotter. Able to walk for about 10 minutes, changing direction and some small circles. Despite the big wind blowing, door moving I was good and Z was amazing. I was able to help keep her attention  on me, so I was a good leader and not a predator. She gave lots of deep breaths and licks and chews as we got moving and both relaxing. VERY different feel of my body than in the saddle. I could better work out the tension. Maybe because I KNEW we weren't going to do more than a few minutes of walk and the point was to relax, rather than to "get 'er done."

After this success a short liberty session with stick to me, weave, then super fun circling with change of direction. Zaina in LBE mode for this savvy. For first time on liberty circling we were able to make a real game of choosing the direction, and wonder of wonder my idea became hers!

March 10, 2013
Z caught me half way today, and it was a meaningful catch! Out for grass and grooming. Then some circling, disengagement, and squeeze. Positive ears with ground poles, so made a very low long cross rail and Z walked and trotted over it ears forward!
Liberty broke down as Z had a lot of adrenalin to blow off (part of today she was helping new-to-Parelli folks learn some of the games, and it was a bit stressful for her). After MAJOR gallops, she responded to my request to stop with a bit of CS waving (and I kept my energy super low, which I hadn't realized before that I needed to do this to stop her). Then we had some stick to me, lead by tail, and friendly game. More grooming and bit of new grass to graze on before back to her field and hay.

March 12, 2013
"A" 's play day with Zaina. Circling game walk and trot, with "A" now asking for more obedience on maintaining direction. Took a lot on her part to convince Zaina that she was the leader, but never got emotional about it and Zaina eventually decided to go with her idea. At end of Session went back to this game and Zaina much more responsive.
Lots of stick to me at trot.
Friendly game with rattle and with "cow" which we'll develop into a pulling friendly game.
Backing through chute - from farther away, this made Z worried so worked on developing her confidence with "A" quitting when Z gave a big try in shifting her weight.
"A" making independent decisions and setting Z up for success.

March 15, 2013
Yahoo - rode today, for real! First saddle ride since February 1.
Horses were inside so no catching game. Spent time outside before the play session so that Z could get fresh air, some new grass, and think I'm the best human ever.
Inside, circling and figure 8. Z had to move her feet today so she decided to canter the figure 8. When I asked for the change of direction I needed to run back to the wall to stop her, she did !!!!! Then on the change she did a beautiful piaffe as she angled herself through the obstacles, then made the turn. This kept repeating. I wasn't going to shut her down, as I was so pleased that despite her need for speed she was able to respond to my requests. SUPER!
 Weave at trot. Walk is fine, but over-exuberant at the trot. Broke it down into segments and went to phase 4 to explain the game of "stop". That helped A LOT. After about 15 minutes got a nice 4 obstacle trot weave on 22 foot line.
Saddling, no problem at all. I was more efficient, so maybe she was less stressed. Walk and trot, using the obstacles for weave and circle markers. Developing my confidence at the trot. She was wonderful, not charging, and very responsive. On the rail when I asked for moving closer to the wall I got a refusal so I asked for lots of crossing over on a small circle. This made a huge difference to her paying attention to me. Moved from this to large circle using the obstacles and when she felt my leg on her side an ear came back. Much better circling then without my having to steer. Very interesting!

March 19, 2013
"A"'s play day. Apples with the treat ball made it more enticing and Z pushed it accidentally out of the way with her nose. She jumped away when the ball rolled away, but came back for the apple pieces. Strategy today was that she needed to put effort into the activity or Ada would take her to something else, then come back to this one as a reward. It helped to maintain her interest and she developed greater confidence in touching the ball while trying to get the apple pieces.

Stick to me at trot through maze, developing ear's up. Circling game at walk and trot (successful 4 revolutions each gait going to the left; 4 at walk to right, 2 at trot), "A" learning to make a game of it.
Friendly game with CS's in Zone 3, while moving. Surprisingly difficult for Z, and she gave giant yawn of understanding.

Today showed a huge improvement in Zaina's connection to "A" during stick to me at trot.

Focus today was on doing fewer tasks but looking for positive responses from Z.  "A" able to understand and develop this, so really working on level 3/4 quality.

March 22, 2013 Video Coaching Session (#2)
Corrections to techniques for:
lateral flexion
circling body position, send zone 1 & 2; have a plan
PPG - quite when moving like a ball

SHAZAM
Stand Still on wait part of squeeze game
Stand still is for everything - watch for emotional stand still and then release.

March 22, 2013 Afternoon Session with Z
Stand still coming out of field
Stand still before having grass
Stand still before entering barn
- before entering stall
Stand still for grooming
- before leaving stall
- before leaving barn
- before entering arena

Set up markers for stand still on squeeze game
- very easy for Zaina to understand; a little impulsive on trot but stand still very effective

Circling
Four walk, trot, canter rotations to left - no stopping, no emotional outbursts
To right, four walk  & trot rotations. Canter uproar. Continued to ask without emotion, and changed plan to two canter rotations. Successful. Quit for the day.

After finishing up in stall PUSHED her muzzle into parelli halter!

March 26, 2013
Arrived at barn with plan, and feeling soft. Zaina at far end of field. After set up arena went to field and found she'd come halfway to gate. On entering field she caught me. "You're not a predator today" she told me.
Easy standing still before having grass, entering barn, entering stall.
Positioned herself in stall for grooming and maintained position unless asked to move.
Reminders on leaving stall and barn and entering arena.
PP back like a ball one step so released and lead her rest of way.
Changed squeeze to 3 poles on ground, one length long, blocks at end. Confident going over at walk, reminder to stand still needed going to left but quickly successful.
Circling, 4 of each gait to left. Drew Z in, and kneeled down. Blew her mind, relaxed. Then I took her away to do other stuff - really blew her mind. Trotted over squeeze going to left, stood still.
Circling, 4 walk & trot rotations, asked for 2 complete canters - took 3 tries as was stopping but no blowups.
Saddling no issues, stood still.
Mounting no issues.
Riding - worried throughout. Bad banana. Over reactive. Lots of disengaging. Lots of standing still. Then used turn and face after passing front door. Second time more relaxed walk and wait than first. Third time was best, with only hint of surging forward on turn to face.
Got off and unsaddled. Just waited. When took off hackamore she stayed with me on the spot.
In stall, able to relax while waiting for permission for her apple.

 March 29, 2013
Outcome of stand still - despite unhappy ride last session, Z caught me in the field even though she was eating hay. Groomed outside. When she finished hay she stayed with me. Had a moment when she left to have a word with the horses in the next fields, but after she told them "That's my human, she's not a predator" she came back.

Looking for smallest indications of emotional relaxation in order to release.

Trying to remember to release on the same thought (for everything). Was able to do this a couple of times on a game AND IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

PP HQ Yield - developing ball on water
Increased difficulty of the squeeze, by putting cavaletti blocks on top of the poles at ends, so narrower and different - just walked through with her. No issues.
Circling - Left (6 w, t, c); Right (6 w, t; one beautiful c so quit with that success!!!!)

Saddling, rope on ground, no issues. Then did it all again when noticed saddle tipping back. Took out shims - means her physique has changed!
Rushing at walk and trot again. Spending lots of time bending to a halt. Nothing changing. Went into a trot faster than she wanted, tripped herself into a canter. It was smooth, I was okay. SO THEN ASKED FOR THE CANTER! Circling to left, 3 then halt, 3 then again!!!!

Laughed and laughed with tears as I got off and hugged and hugged her. Quit for the day on that beautiful successful note. How interesting.

Later, watching mastery segment, of Linda in classroom teaching students about improving canter (getting off forehand) - horse needs to sit back. GETTING IT re why the canter today. Stand Still puts the horse back on haunches emotionally. Incredible.