Day 1 Fawn Anderson 3/4 Clinic

Today was the first day of a four day clinic with Fawn Anderson, 3 star Parelli Professional. It was basically BRILLIANT!

The morning started with getting Mo out of 'bed', grooming her and loading her on the trailer. This was a funny experience, because she was all "I think the grass is greener out here" but then I got provocative and made it more about connection and then she got off the grass and waltzed right into the trailer - and the best part, was she was so confident, that she didnt poop, the whole way to Stella's farm where the clinic is! Besides not having to clean the trailer[bonus] I like knowing that she loaded and traveled happily :)

Over the weekend I assisted Fawn with a 2/3 class, and so I had some inkling of what I was in for in terms of depth and mind blowing-ness. I pretty much already had my mind blown, just while assisting. The other assisting instructor and I had an interesting conversation about how we could have happily ridden in the lower level clinic and learned tons. How interesting! I love how Fawn presents every topic, looking for that excellence from the horse and human, without ever making it about the task!

We made it to Stella's no problem, unloaded and parked the trailer. Mo hung out in the sand ring while all this was going on. She was pretty alright. A little calling, but mostly hay eating. It was interesting though, when Toby came, and during class, she got more worried, began pacing a little and calling more. She would alternately eat and roam. Im not sure why. She doesnt usually behave like that away from home. This season I have been experiencing more herd-bound symptoms from her, and it is a first. I am curious to see how it progresses over the four days.

The clinic started with the usual introductions and theory session - everyone expresses their goals for the session and future and gets to know everyone else. I think mostly, with this groups we all kinda/sorta knew each other, so that went quickly enough.

I accidentally left my notebook at the ranch, so I am going from memory here, so forgive my possibly inaccuracy. We had a great theory session about Connection, Flow and Expression. It was especially brilliant, because I heard a variant on it during the 2/3 class the few days before, so I had already been mulling it over and seeing it put to action, so I was really ready to *hear* it and apply it to me. I had already been plotting all the ways I could change things in my relationships with my horses.

I will have to write more when I have my notes, because my brain is blanking and I am trying hard to hold onto the stuff we did with ponies since I didnt take notes on that yet!

Either way, we had a brilliant discussion about those three qualities and how they affect everything we do with horses, especially at a higher level. When you are in Level 1, it is hard to think about more than just not strangling yourself with a rope that feels a mile long. By the time Level 4 rolls around, you should be able to contemplate just a little more!

We ran long in our discussion, so we broke for lunch and the it was pony time in the afternoon. Fawn set us up with three different stations we could play with - which was a brilliant dynamic with out seven participants! Fawn would keep a watchful eye on all of us, and we were free to call out questions any time. The first station was a question box, so two circles set up sharing the same 12 foot box in the center. The circles were marked out with three half barrels, just on the inside of where 22' would be with the horse at the end of the rope. The original plan had been for this to be on a 45', but there wasnt enough space - SO something to try at home!  The idea was to be able to help your horse find the consistent circle on the outside of the barrels. Alternatively, we then could try and help them feel the draw to a smaller circle inside the circle of barrels. To do this we would think draw the front end closer by hooking onto our shoulder, and following up to that. If that didnt clue them in, then scooping them up behind and if needed, supporting on the rope.

The second exercise was a figure eight, really focusing on connection, rhythm, expression and shape. Really helping that shoulder find the shape of the pattern and not having to micromanage them through it. The final task we played with was having the horse yield out of our line of intent, from any zone.

The first part of the first task went well for Mo. She had come out of her pen raring to go! We kind of got some gallopy warmup circles by accident, and she was a bit adrenalized while Fawn was explaining everything. Somehow, through a conversation about grazing and where it was appropriate I got Connection - SUPER Connection! Capital C Connection! Fancy! Im not really exactly sure how it happened quite yet, but it did :)

All the patterns ended up full right away, so the first thing we played with was the line of intent. Now, as background, our Z4/5 driving isnt always the best. Its not awful[anymore] but I am no superstar. Its just not my favorite thing. So off we went, with me thinking about my bubble intersecting where Mo was traveling, and lo and behold, those front end yields that always seem to blob into sideways-es were right there! That little thought change from thinking about yielding her, to claiming MY space caused her to isolate and understand what I was actually asking for!

On to the circle-plan! Going outside the barrels was easy for Mo - she was all go-ey anyways. So off to the end of the line and out she went. Getting her to think IN was a whole different story! I tried some different things for a while, but always ended up needing to resort to the rope, so I checked in with Fawn and asked for more clarification. This is where she really elaborated on helping the horse hook onto the shoulder without coming up behind you. Help the horse find the draw to you and then feel when you push your bubble out again to away. As soon as she told/showed me this with Trinity [her horse] and I went back to Mo, it flowed! It was amazing. Mo was just clear as day" OH! You mean LITTLE circles now!" So we quit there :D

On the figure eight, things went fairly standard for us. Low energy send, follow my belly button, but she was having terrible flexion, and every time I tried to fix it, she went faster and broncy-squealy. I again asked Fawn what I was doing wrong, she said likely nothing, but maybe play with my energy. And here I thought I WAS being low! Off I went again, and got more particular with myself and my thoughts and energy and it wasnt long before Mo was offering more flexion without the drama! Whoo!!!

I played around a little more with the circling thought out in the seperate pasture, without the barrels, after having another conversation with Fawn about expression - On the barrel Mo didnt get grumpy, but when I was just on the ground playing with little circles she pins her ears. Fawn explained how drawing them in for the smaller circles can be like opening ourselves up to be pushed/driven, so at a certain point you have to push back a little and say "far enough" - sort of re-inflate your bubble. Mo and I wandered of to play with deflating/inflating circles with much success!

I also asked Fawn about Mo's tendency to look away with close range yo-yo [of course she didnt do it when I tried to show her...!] and she said to try just sticking with the same distance until she offered to connect. Same with my latest plan of backing until Mo yields her nose to vertical flexion, she said that was a great thing to play with! Sometimes I worry that I wander 'off track' so it is good to know, just for my validation, that I am not doing anything "wrong".

After our online day, class ended for day 1. Jeanette and I decided to play and ride a little more, since, hey, why not, when there is a perfectly useable arena! I saddled Mo and played a little at liberty and then mounted up for a SUPER freestyle ride. She wore the bridle, but I had no reins, just a neck string and stick. We played with refining out HQ yields from a stop/walk/trot on both sides, our lateral flexion and then some sideways. I literally squeed out loud when the first bridless sideways at a trot I asked for came out perfectly. You can ask Jeanette - she turned around all "what did I miss??" It was pretty funny :) We played with some canter simple changes, tried a few messy flying changes [change in front, not behind] and mostly cantered around really fast. We also played with slowing the canter when I slowed, without slamming to a trot or halt.

When I put the reins on to play with a little bit of contact Mo totally surprised me by being *right there* The was pushing into it, stretching, forward and happy!! She even FLIPPED HER NOSE!!! Which, if you know her, she is usually the hide-from-the-bit-behind-the-vertical type of girl, so for her to be confident enough to flip her nose out, I just wanted to jump for joy! We had some crazy trots [ask Jeanette] some super nice flowy stuff, we played with walking into haunches in/shoulder in, sideways with either side flexion and generally just feeling good with having contact for Mo.

It was a brilliant ride - and I am so glad I felt that after such a great ground session. I cant wait to hear what Fawn has to add tomorrow!!!

Just day one, and my mind is blown.... time to re-calibrate and get refreshed for tomorrow!!

:D
S

Silly Mo

I had such an interesting play with Mo today. She seemed sad, and interested all at the same time. I am surely anthropomorphizing here, but thats how I felt from her.

She came up to the tack room when I went out, but when Zephyr and Blue came to, and I approached her with a halter, she left. That's unusual for her, and our last play was really good, so I didnt think it had anything to do with that. I called her name, and she came back, but again when I offered her the halter, she opted out. How interesting! She was looking really worried when she left, and I felt like Zephyr was 'saying' something to her to make her leave [so she could get the halter] Again with the anthropomorphizing, but hey, thats how it felt!

Mo went around the sad barn, so I went over to the corner, just to where I could see her, but not all the way over to her. I called her name, and again she came right back. I gave her a cookie, but by the time I got the halter out, she left again and Zephyr was right there again. Hmm. I walked out to her a few more steps, and this time when she came in, she really felt like she was coming TO me, not just over because I called her. It felt really different. I am not sure how to describe the other times, it just wasnt normal for her. I never chased after her when she left, because she wasnt *really* leaving.... just moving her feet... Im not sure how to say it.

So this time when she came over, she haltered normally, had a big blow out and lick and chew. Really interesting. I also got to chase Zephyr and Chance away from her, so I think that helped. We went over to the barn, got brushed, scratched some itches and doused in fly spray before heading out on a 12' line. I have been trying to experiment with slowing down her canter on a 12' circle. Just to see what we can do with collection. She can maintain a really nice forward canter on  the circle, but we have been playing with slower/collected, just for fun. She was really getting it and trying hard today, but in the trot, there wasnt much relaxation. Usually she will blow and stretch a lot, but today, whether that was just her mood, or the wind was bugging her, or she is in heat and off center.... who knows, she just wasnt relaxing how she usually does.

I played with the circle and asking for flexion and stretch until she was really starting to look for answers and she finally tried a stretch. After that first stretchy try, it was easy and she blew out bunches and stretched a lot. It took a really long time to get there though! I was surprised.

Once she was calm/connected/responsive, we went over to the tire and wood chunk I was using as my figure eight with Zephyr the other day and played with that. My goal was a rhythmic calm trot on the whole pattern, without micromanaging - I want her to seek the pattern.

Things were great at the walk. She was really responsive, following my focus and maintaining forward motion. When she got into the trot, things got a little dicey with forward around the turns - she would get stuck and then canter off. Lots of effort, but not rhythmic. So we kept at it, me doing minimal anything unless she got stuck or cut across "my" cone. By the end, we achieved the goal! She even offered to stretch while going around!

After saddling, she chased the bridle at a walk [whoo!] and when everything was good to go, I mounted up. For the first time in, I think ever, Mo was a little herd bound! As we were walking around, testing our stage 1 GOC, she was actually looky, and a little tight about [most] of the herd being out in the bush! Chance was in the field with us, but Mo doesnt really like her, so I guess she doesnt count [poor Chance]

Mo actually called out to the herd, which resulted in a full out everybody-lets-run-like-crazy-into-the-small-field, which was hysterical. It has actually become their new favorite game since going out there. About 7:30 every night, I hear what sounds like thunder, but really its just everyone coming up for their evening drink [or something, not really sure why they all come thundering up at the same time every night] Also, if I cant see any of them, and whistle, the thunder comes. Or, sometimes Zephyr gets adventurous, and goes off by herself, and she is the only one I cant find in the close pasture, so I call her, and she comes running hell bent up to the barn for cookies. Thank goodness for that, because I dont know if I could find her in that bush if I tried!

Once everyone was up,  Mo calmed down, and we played with some stretchy trot and then holding opposite flexions at a walk. Left flexion was hard, right flexion was easy. She tried really hard though! Then I decided we should go out to the hay field, so we cantered off to the gate and moseyed our way back to the back field, where we proceeded with a point to point to the yellow flowers, playing with canter halt transitions. At each start and finish, I would ask Mo to hold vertical flexion, without doing anything else. She often gets antsy with that, expecting to back or stretch or go, so it was a really good thing to play with just relaxing and waiting for further instruction. She got it after only two or three transitions, and started looking for the yellow flowers I was picking, so she could stop and eat the good grasses.

To finish off with, I upped the ante and asked for some speed and flying changes. We got one each way, in between a couple of cross-firey ones. Then back to some transitions, a little frame at the trot, and a nice walk back to the barn. Behind the barn, in all the long grass, I took of Mo's bridle and let her graze while I sat there, just enjoying her company.

We slowly made our way back to the barn, sidled our way through the gate and off I hopped, to hug my sweet, sweet pony :) After untacking and brushing, I got Mo a little grain snack. She munched away and then kindly handed me her bowl when she was done.

By the time we finished up, two and a half hours flew by, but it was just so much fun,a dn Mo seemed all back to normal and happy when we parted ways for lunch :)

 - S