Prior and Proper Preparation - 1st Show in 10 years

My alarm went off at 6am this morning, and I jumped out of bed even though it was still dark, and a Sunday. My first show in 10 years. I wasn't nervous which was surprising, I jumped in the shower and made myself a herbal coffee.

Less than a week earlier I'd emailed off an entry to the local Ribbon Day with Maraschino, and just the mere act of entering gave me butterflies.

Here's why: it had been 10 years since my last ribbon day. That particular show was with my Palomino, and before I'd discovered Parelli Natural Horsemanship. As soon as everyone started trotting my Golden boy just bucked on the spot over and over again. I got off and went home in tears.

So fast forward my 8 years studying Parelli part time, all the DVDs ever available, the savvy club, two Colorado Campus courses, one riding clinic with Linda in Australia, and last summer I completed the Level 4+ Riding with Ryan Pfouts.


I'm still studying In Level 4 but the horsenality portions and the confidence programs for me were so valuable. I learnt that my Palomino is a high spirited LBI, and my second horse, who I bought 6 years ago was an Right Brain Introvert, and not so high spirited, and, as it turned out he is a much better fit for me for these dressage tests and ribbon days etc.

Garbo - the palomino taught me about patience, balance, and softness. Each and every one of Linda's videos with Remmer were so helpful to me, because it was like watching Garbo.

Without Garbo I would never have found Parelli late in 2007. He still makes me laugh everyday, and we have come along way, but we stick to trail rides and liberty now. I have had him since he was 7 and he's 18 now.

When I got Maraschino as a yearling, I was plunged into another big learning curve. A right brain world, asking softly, asking less, waiting. Around the same time Linda's DVDs with Hot Jazz, again, were so helpful. It was like watching Maraschino.

Needless to say I have taken a considerable amount of time in his foundation, he's now 8 years old, and today we went to our first show, and our first show alone. Without Garbo.

So rewind back a week with me sitting in a cafe having just booked myself into the show. This list immediately appeared in my head.... Separation training for Garbo, and sole trailer loading training for Maraschino. Garbo is super protective of his herd and he was much worse with Maraschino leaving his sight - but I was always able to take Garbo out on his own just fine.

I had 6 days. I kept hearing Linda and Pat saying "do it for the next 7 days". Eeek.
The butterflies hung around.

Day 1.

 The trailer. Nose neck maybe the feet day for sure. I got Maraschino into the float, no pooping, and off again without rushing, but not staying in for very long without backing off. That's ok. Garbo coped admirably in the yards out of sight of us, he called out about 30 times in 30 minutes. I took a time lapse video on my iPhone of him, and he didn't capriole, kick or rear, which I'd expected. I didn't have a Parelli friend to help so I had to improvise being on my own.

Day 2

Nose neck and the feet easily today, but with me in the float with him. No pooping yay. Garbo called out about 15 to 20 times. Better. I was able to leave him in the float and back off myself, even walk around the front door and give him a treat. A few times. 

Day 3 and 4. 

I decided to trial Garbo being loose instead of in his yard - he ran around briefly as we disappeared out of site, but calmed quickly. I started moving Maraschino's rear end over, I have an angle load so he needed to go into the float, and then shift onto an angle. I was really happy with the progress and still no pooping. He was coming off quietly backwards and would come forward when I ask before backing right off. I managed to get the divider latched, and tack box closed, and leave the float, and come around to the personal access door before finishing for the day. It was super windy that day too.

Day 5

He was moving over well but not moving forward enough so I couldn't get the divider latched. I was able to latch it up finally, then put the tack box in, and the ramp up, and flap closed. All closed up. Garbo called out only three or four times. Pats words were ringing in my ears. Don't just close the trailer up as soon as they're in and drive off. So off he came, calmly in the wind. I was aware we'd need a little drive before the day but also conscious of taking a backwards step. I was one day short of my 7 days.

Day 6. 

Short drive time. Once he was in the float, I unloaded him again, then loaded him one more time, and closed it all up and we drove to the local roundabout and back (about 12 minutes), and opened the door expecting to see poop but nothing! He wasn't sweating either. Great! My butterflies had calmed immensely knowing that this was going to be stress free. I'd left Garbo loose and much to my relief, there was no calling out when we went out of sight, and when we got back home he didn't even look up from the grass. Another thing I didn't need to get stressed out about. I decided to feed him in the trailer, he was totally ok until the neighbours started a weed-eater machine. He backed off and was hesitant about going on. In the end I took him closer to the noise so he could see what it was. Once he licked and chewed I loaded him again, unloaded and gave he the rest of his dinner next to the trailer, with the weed eater going strong. 

So back to today, 7am and I was ready, the trailer was packed, and I was feeling great. I haltered Maraschino and started grooming him. I'd been riding every morning this week as well, so it was just another morning for him. We loaded up, Garbo didn't even look up, and off we set, it was about a 20 minute drive away.

Maraschino was a bit high headed on arrival and calling out to all the other horses. I don't think he'd ever seen that many floats and trucks and horses all in one place. Each ring had 15 entrants. There were four rings. I was in Cautious rider. We immediately started doing figure 8s online, I know that always calms him down. After a few minutes he wasn't completely calm, like at home calm, but calm enough to eat some breakfast, in between whinnies.

Inhand was first. 

In the ring, I wasn't nervous because I know I can handle ANYTHING on the ground, no matter what happens. I also knew that most people in that ring, never do much on the ground with their horse so I felt confident. Even if I dropped the rope I know he'd stay with me. I didn't expect to win anything, it would be a win for me just to have attended without drama. First was Best Combination. I was a bit blown away when we got 2nd. Then we won Best Gelding. The judge commented on how he moved so well. We got 3rd for Best Head, 4th for Obstacles (had to do a turn on forehand with horses front legs in a hula hoop) plus over a sack and trot poles. Then we also got placed in best handler, but what blew me away was how chilled Maraschino was becoming, apart from the odd call out, he was rapidly chilling. Well a feather could have knocked me down next because we were awarded the Champion ribbon. I was so proud of him. His calling out was becoming less and less. I let him graze in between our turns and he wasn't grabbing the grass in a rush which was good. 

We went and chilled together for lunch, just him and I, and chatted about the day, had water, and then saddled up for the riding section. I'd gone with the idea that I'd entered but wouldn't ride if Maraschino was not calm. He was quite chilled. And what happened next was amazing.

After worrying about the ride from the float to the ring (quite a long way with floats, horses, people, cars, gates, and much craziness) I got on with the idea that I'd get off if needed. My friend walked next to us for moral support, and he just turned into this incredibly calm brave horse and we walked all the way, then through the gate, then into the warm up area. Then we walked a few circles, then I asked him into trot. He was calm and focused. So was I !!!

I was super pleased and to be honest would have been more than happy to go home then with what we'd achieved. But I decided to go into the ring. We'd never trotted in a large group really so I kept wide and we got third for rider horse combination, then 2nd for best gelding, then 5th for trot poles. !!! 

My two good friends were there for moral support and that meant so much to me seeing friendly faces outside the ring. Paced and mannered class was next and I saw there was cantering. At this point I thought - you know, I'm tired, he's tired, he's done so well... We're going to quit now and go home. And that's what we did. It's not about the ribbons. It's about going home feeling successful with confidence intact, for both of us. Not only that but I bridled him the way I do at home by taking the halter off completely, and have him seek the bit - and he did it without hesitation at the show.

He loaded perfectly, and we drove home to find Garbo grazing. No running up to see us, he just looked up when Maraschino announced he was home "and you'll never guess where I've been!", Garbo called back to Maraschino to say welcome home and carried on grazing.

So - 10 years since I've been in a show and first one since starting Parelli, and such a super rewarding successful day on all counts. Preparation was the key, float training, separation training and in the saddle too. We'd practised transitions, riding in an open paddock, keeping rhythm, in trot, non emotional transitions, elbows by my side, and everything that I'd learned on my position.

Add to that, a year now of Pilates every week, and 10 years on we're in much better shape to be entering a ribbon day. Some would say that's very slow progress but thanks to Linda my confidence grows every time I ride now. It's a daily thing!

Thanks to Pat for the never ending sayings. All the way to the show today I repeated "your horse is only as brave as you are", and thanks to Ryan for any amazing two weeks in Colorado last August. That course was another confidence booster for me, but one thing I took away from that course and incorporated every time I ride was the session we had with Dr Jenny Susser. She said that if we rely on other people like instructors to always tell us how we are doing when we ride, we will never be able to move forward. We needed to learn to recognise our own mistakes, and then how to fix them. That was a real gem for me, and it's worked so well.

Feeling very grateful for Pat and Linda Parelli right now. Thanks. From all of us.

Linda's Rider Makeover Clinic Day 1

Well - one of my goals got ticked off this month.

To ride and be taught by Linda Parelli.

I had it on my goal list since about 2010 and I had no idea how it would happen. That's the beauty of goals and writing them down. :-)

I arrived in Sydney on Day Two of Pat Parelli's Clinic in which my lease horse was in with his owner Christine. It was pouring with rain so I unpacked in my hotel room and waited till the worst of it went through.

Once I drove to Camden the rain had passed and I stayed dry - it was just quite cold - I needed two jackets - crazy for November in Sydney.

I met Christine - she'd had a great time in the clinic and once it was over they took Boaz to Cobbity for me - with me following.

I got to know Boaz a little more once I gave him some dinner and tucked him in for the night. Christine was great and said "just treat him as if he's your horse for the weekend". Of course the hardest thing about coming to these clinics overseas os that you don't have you own horse and you kind of wish you could - but that's life so you make the most of learning what you can with the horse you have.

Day One arrived and i was out at Cobbity by 6.30am to give Boaz some breakfast and have a ride and play before the clinic started (and everyone arrived) - 100 auditors were due. I had a play and he seemed quite right brain but really quite good considering he was in a new arena, had been in a new stable, and now had someone new playing with him.

I played touch it mainly to get his confidence and show him all parts of the arena and I quickly got on before we had to meet for the briefing and to meet Linda. He seemed very different to ride because he was so small compared to my big warmbloods but he didn't spook or do anything nasty so my nerves settled - I wasn't nervous at all about the clinic - more about not knowing what to expect from riding a different horse.

I suddenly realised we were meeting without the horses so quickly put Boaz back and set my saddle etc up ready next to the arena, just in time for the start of the briefing. Linda decided to separate the groups into introverts and extroverts which I was happy about.

What I was also pleased about was that the introverts got to go first! As you can see it hadn't warmed up a whole lot!

We did some simulations first to "feel" the differences and then Linda asked us to warm up our horses and get on when we were ready.

My notes (which I scribbled down at lunch time) were this on Simulations.

Simulations

• Hold hands and walk. Tighten fingers, hand, lift hand up, tighten shoulders. See what it feels like to other person. 
• When walking turn shoulders so feet follow. Don't lead with your feet first. 
• Resting hands - use a savvy string and a human horse. 
• Then clench a fist and stand side by aside and rest your forearm and fist in your simulation partners forearm, they should be able to move their arm up and down without losing you. If they do you have too much tension in your fist and not enough in your thumb. Strong thumb and elbow, soft fingers and forearm. 
• When holding reins hold with thumb on top and soft fingers, hold rein with thumb.

Warm up to get responsiveness

Then once we'd warmed up our horses Linda asked to play with one of them to show us the difference in a good warm up compared to just practising the alphabet - so many of us just do circle game and it bores the horse. 

My notes for this part were as follows;

• Warm up to get responsiveness don't just do do the alphabet. Ie circle game is e e e e e
• Isolate halter for lateral flexion on ground
• Do bit simulation
• Will you stick to me? Where are you, without looking at horse, if not at shoulder, turn the other way, and look at his end looking long way around, then lift carrot stick and tag hock till horse at shoulder again, phase one is start to look around. 
• When Linda played with LBI she said ask a teeny ask and if he doesn't respond bite him and say good boy. Tag the ground...you better be gone from that space. 
• Back up for LBI wiggle very little then bite him. 
• Sideways at trot online. 
• Will you go forward off lead? No? Tap on elbow. Coming towards you. 
• Match your horses energy.
• Look for expression.
• Bring back often.
• Wait for mind. 
• Don't put up with a chain gain trot. 

Then it was time to get on!

I have to admit it took me a while to venture down in front of the main section of auditors lol, I stayed down in my safe end doing my own little approach and retreat. Our task was to ride freestyle and not use the reins unless our life depended on it. Secondly to warm up riding forward - none of this chain gang trot nonsense. She wanted the horses to relax my going forward. To lose tension by going forward. She pointed out one of the larger geldings was making a squeak from his sheath/belly area which Garbo can do - and someone just told me it was a gelding thing - well  - Linda said it's tension - and sure enough once relaxed, the horse stopped making the noise. 

Then next Linda had us doing windmills to get our seat more solid and our lower leg more stable. Both sides and both directions. Then we also had to turn by having airplane arms and turning our arms and shoulders to turn not using reins. Must admit there were no collisions - pretty amazing that a whole clinic of horses can all be in the arena and no one is touching the reins and no one collides. 

These are my scribbled shorthand notes form the riding section. I feel sure there was so much more I just didn't hear because you're so focussed. 

Riding notes from Linda Parelli Rider Makeover Clinic

Warm up forward till horse stretched neck and head down. Freestyle.
Stand up in stirrups hold saddle till you are more balanced.
Windmills both ways.
Weight stirrups to turn - no reins. Test at freestyle before you pick up contact.
Turn shoulders and head together like you have side reins on your head to your shoulder. Test.
Match your horses energy.
Don't go faster until you get responsiveness.
Get horse to go off energy not legs.


Try leaning forward, try leaning back.
Both arms out at walk while riding and turn shoulders and weight stirrup to turn, get this before you pick up reins. Then with arms down try in trot.

For a bigger trot, move forward on the rise more.
To get better movement in the trot Tap introvert on the should every three seconds without being harder. Don't put up with a chain gang trot.


Energy for transitions. Walk in body. Trot in body without riding. Use calves not heels. Tap on shoulder every three seconds.
Rising trot - think about coming forward. Keep your bra dot and belt dot equidistant while coming forward, don't poke bust out. Make the angle in your hips when sitting, straight when you come forward. Belly button back to remove hollow in my back. Move whole upper body forward as one unit.



Using a casual rein, ride forward into hands, then soft energy to downwards transitions. Don't sit before you walk from trot. Match energy, get in harmony with your horse.

• Spiral in when getting impulsive, then when calm spiral out again and go back to pattern.
• In trot use weight in stirrups and shoulders to turn.
• When standing in stirrups in warm up think about knees behind you.
• Stand up in stirrups. Think about weight in knees then sit down. Most people when they rise their knee comes up then so do their heels.
• Trot the neck down in freestyle.
• Squeaking belly (sheath) is tension.
• Warm up on loose rein so they learn to relax and use their bodies properly. Teach them to use those body properly themselves. Don't correct.
• Do transitions without reins to get connection.
• Use calves not heels.

Downward transition. Chin up. Chest up. Get stretch and transitions in freestyle before you start finesse.


If you tend to lean forward, use backwards windmills.
Dominant horses that boss others when riding are not thinking of you as a leader. Bother him on neck with reins or stick to say HEY.

If horse falls in on shoulder, weight outside stirrup. Weighting outside stirrup on a turn pushed outside shoulder.

• When horse audibly breathing with each stride it's on the forehand, more forward. Then that will stop.
• If one ear is lower, take more contact on that side. Or less on high ear.
• Too low - too little contact.
• Horse chomping on but you are going too slow.
• Squeaky belly , more forward, you may be holding him back. (Oh yeah that's me and Garbo)

That was it for the Introverts - we got to go have lunch and then watch the Extroverts in the afternoon. 

Linda Parelli's Rider Makeover Clinic Day 2

Day Two of Linda Parelli's Clinic started a bit later - we had a wee sleep in. 

I arrived after getting a soy latte on the way and cleaned the gear, fed Boaz, groomed him and took him for a graze outside - today was warm!



Then we warmed up using the techniques we'd learned the day before and hopped on once we had a responsive horse - that's all you are looking for with and Introvert most of the time.

Once on board we also warmed up by riding forward. I felt I had more trust in Boaz today and could trust him to ride forward and that he wasn't going to do anything silly. He spooked a little at the umbrellas along the side of the arena but nothing too bad - then at a little girl. Linda's advice was just to keep your focus - don't let the horse distant you from your line or what you are doing (maintain gait, maintain your line).

About half way through the session I asked Tori to help find me a stick - the carrot stick seemed to big for Boaz. And I'd left Christine's lighter one in the float. Once I had that it was a big improvement because Boaz had a tendency to stop or to slow down so this meant I could ride him forward more to get him to use his body more. Today was Finesse. So we started with casual rein then moved to light contact. 

Riding lines...rhythm and tempo.

Visualise a line, look between your horses ears and stay on that line, don't look round the corner. Look at your line. Do circles, changes of direction and figure 8s without losing tempo or rthythm...same speed. Soft touch, me don't worry about the body just the nose on the line. Keep the reins connected, no floppiness.
Hold reins with thumbs, move with shoulders and elbows. Soft fingers, releasing fingers when allowing a stretch. Turn with your shoulders. Melt down to a walk, keep the feel with your elbows. Look through ears to see if you are on your line.
If they lean on your hands don't pull, more hind leg action. If a horse looks like it has shorter front legs than back legs it's lost the angle in its hind legs, it can come back.
In a crisis...(example was the crowd clapping) stay focused and stay on your task or line. Stay the leaders your horse gets scared.

Riding hind legs up to front.

Hold front feet still, walk hind end up to front feet, feel what you are doing in your body, energy in seat, engage seat but sit tall.

Laterals in finesse.

Weight in stirrup of direction you are heading in rhythm with the horse, weight, weight, weight.
Haunches in / inside stirrup
Shoulder in / outside stirrup

Sideways

Sit up straight. Shorter reins. Don't lean. Look in the direction you are going. If you find yourself leaning reach out with the hand in the direction you are going to grab a glass of water.


Only use your calf, and tap what isn't moving with your stick. Only use heel as phase 4. Keep the neck straight, put weight in other stirrup. (Direction of sideways)


Not like this photo but it shows the grabbing of glass of water to correct the lean (it didn't "feel" like this lol.

All in all a fabulous two days - I of course could have had more but that's me - love learning and practising. Time to head home and soak. 

On the flight home I got an upgrade which was great because I could spread out and write notes while I ate lunch!

Thanks to Boaz and Christine - couldn't have done it without a horse! And he was so calm and cool. And thanks Tori for encouraging me to do the clinic.

First big space play since Pagosa

I rode Garbo today for the first time in 4 weeks!
Boy - he has a bouncy trot - way bouncier than I was used to with Heart lol. Isn't it funny I could forget something like that??

We headed out around 1.30pm and had a lovely play on the 45ft, where I very much enjoyed being Jim Carey and playing the "come here so I can spank you game". It was very effective.

Then I got on and did all my lateral rein, indirect and direct reins. Then I did some bow ties at walk/trot. Finally after about 8-10 times Garbo got the pattern and started relaxing and blowing out. Yay.

Had an awesome catch up with my friend and tried to fill her in on all my two week adventure days.