This month is proving to be a busy month for facility maintenance and upgrade at the barn. We're in the process of re-fencing a permanent dry lot for our...um...plumper equines, as well as taking out a couple of old lines, and while we're doing that, we're (FINALLY) putting in a fenced outdoor ring. There's a flat spot at the bottom of my playground that I've always used as my "Arena", but it proves difficult for things like Follow-the-Rail, and corner-to-corner, which actually require rails and corners! So I'm thrilled that we're actually adding those elements! More to come on the
Heart and Desire Horsemanship Blog as construction begins and progresses!
Anyway, most of the things that Linda had initially suggested for exercises while riding Crest are exercises (partial disengagement!) that are better set up for success, especially with a more impulsive horse, if they're done on a rail. What needs to be done is this: First, starting out, we need to establish some walk/trot/walk transitions. In the downward transitions, I'll use partial disengagement to "push" Crest down into the walk from trot, starting in his ribs and inside hind leg. I'll hold that until he can easily flow and relax in the walk, and he stretches his neck down. (See photo--though it looks like he's about to bash his head on the panel, I promise he was just stretching!)
Once those are smooth, I need to ask Crest up into a canter, using proper fluidity and core strength, cantering in my body (as opposed to the semi-fetal, fear-based squeeze and scream that I used to do, that usually results in Crest trotting like a dressage horse on steroids, and me about falling off). Once in canter, I'll allow a couple of strides at most, and use the same partial disengagment concept to bring him down to walk again. Rinse and repeat.
However, as I mentioned before, all this requires a rail of sorts. So whilst we wait for our arena, Crest and I have been preparing to ride by playing with partial disengagement online. I must confess, I felt like a total fool the other night when I had this realization. Parelli is so much about preparing online for what you want to do in the saddle, and yet I had not connected the dots from the ground exercise of partial disengagement to the saddle. I had taught both of my horses partial disengagement online months ago, as a means to encourage longitudinal flexion online. But I had not used it as a means to encourage relaxed transitions! So, that's what we're playing with now. Crest learned very quickly what I was searching for, and currently (as of 7/7/10, last I played with him), he's doing beautiful trot/walk transitions, beautiful (SMOOTH) canter/trot transitions, and is starting to find some rhythm in his canter/walk transitions, all on about 18 feet of the 22' line.
So that's where we're at for now. The journey SINCE the lesson has been so fulfilling in and of itself, I just am loving this process :)
So savvy on, and keep your eyes peeled for another addition to the "Ohio Recap" series, as I come to understand and dissect Crest's tendencies as a learner!
Anyway, most of the things that Linda had initially suggested for exercises while riding Crest are exercises (partial disengagement!) that are better set up for success, especially with a more impulsive horse, if they're done on a rail. What needs to be done is this: First, starting out, we need to establish some walk/trot/walk transitions. In the downward transitions, I'll use partial disengagement to "push" Crest down into the walk from trot, starting in his ribs and inside hind leg. I'll hold that until he can easily flow and relax in the walk, and he stretches his neck down. (See photo--though it looks like he's about to bash his head on the panel, I promise he was just stretching!)
This week has been a far cry from break-through week. I've learned since being at the Parelli Center, that more often than not, "seeds" of knowledge are planted in your head, and you've just got to trust that they'll come about and grow when the time is right. I knew this lesson wouldn't be an exception to that, so instead of going out and immediately trying everything that Linda had us playing with, I've opted to take a slower approach, and allow the information to sink in as I go S-L-O-W-L-Y with Cresty.
The main things we HAVE played with have been finding responsibility and asking questions with the Patterns. That's something that I was confident enough in to begin with that I feel like I can support him through it. For those that weren't in OH, basically Linda commented that Crest wasn't asking many questions online, and that I was greatly over-using my stick to micromanage him though the motions, but he wasn't really thinking about the pattern. Using the figure 8 pattern, Linda had me interrupting Crest's pattern of continuing to circle, and then send him through the cones, and tag the center of the pattern...that way if he didn't put effort into it, he'd get tagged. 
