Piggles seems to have found a whole new level of relaxation and calmness which has transpired to a whole new attitude which inturn has improved our ridden work. One of the primary focus' of our play sessions used to be releasing tension both in the mind and body but now he seems to be able to achieve it pretty instantly, because of this he seems to have a more "why not" kind of attitude. Rather than worrying about things or having a "No!" or "Mmm Id rather not" kind of attutide it feels like now he's approaching new things with a "why not" perspective. Usualy we'd have to play around quite a bit with a new task, game or obstacle inorder to establish 'want', inorder to get him enjoying interacting with the new object and playing new games. The structure he used to follow as a learner was
1.Find Relaxation
2.Engage him
3.Teach new command/game/concept etc
4.Have fun with it in order to cause him to want to do it again and therefor able to build on it.
Usually these steps would be spread over more than one session, however, now these 4 stages seem less prefound and isolated. He is aleady so much more relaxed and therefor already able to engage mentaly, so that once having learnt something the need to adopt stratagise to cause him to want to repeat it seems unecessary because he has such a "sure, why not" attitude. How interesting.
He has always been an incredibley eager learner, always tried really hard to find the right answer and you can see just how pleased he is with himself once he has found it but if i wanted him to do something i would always have to consiously have to ask, yes he would offer things i wasn't expecting which is wonderful but i would always be the instagator. Now for the first time i can stand in neutral and he seems to be approaching obstacles with an open mind full of posibilities and this new "why not" attitude" i dont have to physicaly ask for something. He's cantering round "Ooh a barrel, why not" and jumps it rather than moving round it, send him out on the circle "why not" and canters instead of trotting. Its like his relaxation has lead to a more positive and confident attitude which has lead him to want to make decisions. Where as i used to have to physically do something for him to choose to want to jump now i can remain in neutral and he wants to choose to jump it. Makes sense? I think we have stumbled upon the very first steps of a whole new chapter in our relationship and my journey as a horsewoman.
The implications this has had on our ridden work is hugely noticeable. For the first time i can sit on him and immediately he is relaxed and willing! We seemed have got the relaxation bit undersaddle a while ago which, in true LBI form, then uncovered the challenge of cause him to be willing instead of just difiantly bucking or leaning into pressure when i asked for something. Ridden sessions would consist of him bucking in retalition to me asking him to walk on or transition into canter and he'd lean into the halter when asking for a direct rein and would sometimes again buck. Only little flicks of the back legs to let me know "No, i dont want to!" I always have to play around with bending the rib cage, rythmica pressure so as he had nothing to brace against, lots of transitions to build respect and earn me some dominant points and asking for less so as to cause him to want to do more but now he is a completey different horse! I mount him and immediately he yeilds to my legs and walks on happily, ears forward eager to know where we are going. He is responsive to the halter and nolonger leans into it if i ask to chage direction its the same "why not attitude". "You want to go over there? Why not" instead of "You want to go over there? Why should I?" His strides are no much more fluid and loose and it feels like he is walking with purpose opposed to the shuffle he used to do with ubrupt stops "Iv walked enough, can i stop now?".
He's a great deal more confident out on trail rides especialy when he hacks out alone, so much so we have had our first canter out in the wood by ourselfs! He is a great deal more relaxed if the distance increases between himself and the horse infront, if they trot he does nt panic and race to catch up. We have had our first ever canter where he has nt bucked too! (usualy he bucks when he goes into a cater and then after about 4 strides he lets out another buck or two.) This new relaxed "why not" attitude online really is mirrored when riding.
Kocoum and Darla have been for they're first paddle in the stream only with all the rain we have had it was quite a bit deeper than a stream and came up half way up their shoulder in some places. Darla was superb, she stood on one of the new tree stumps left behind from the tree felling that was done. Standing on predastals seems to be somethign she enjoys greatly as it was around this time that when i returned to the field after a ride on Shinobi she had left the herd to go and stand all four feet on their pedastal, leg cocked, snoozing!
When we got the stream we slightly hesistant at first but innatley being a Left Brain Introvert it didnt taken long till she felt curious enought o stcik her nose and then her two front feet in, once she did she was wondering up and down quite happily and on several occasions was so enthrawled on exploring she nearly pulled the 12ft line out of my hands (need to take a longer line next time!) She went and investigated the little waterfall of her own accord and for the next 20 minuets of so we just hung out in the water, she ate and sniffed and i gave her some affection.
Kocoum felt completely different about the whole situation so a different approach was adopted. When stood on the bank he most definately was not going to go in, he was terrified! He stood there shaking only moving his feet upwards, in true Right Brain Intorvert style. Frozen still then exploded and repeated. I politely persisted in the proper position applying rythmical pressure to his zone 3 at a phase one, untill he lowered his head and looked at the stream. Just as quick as he put his head down to look at it it shot back up again but i retreated into a neutral stance and allowed him to think about it. It may have rushed but it was a step in the right direction. I then resumed my proper position and polietly persisted and again he lowered his head to pay attention and whiped it back again, i quite applying the pressure as he did but immediately began applying it again. I didnt want him to go as far as touching the water i just wanted him to pay attention to it and direct his energy to wards that rather than up in the tree tops. We did this for about 10 minuets and as time went on his energy came down, he was licking and chewing, his motions were more fluid, the freezing then exploding had stopped and then splash! He jumped in and ran out the other side. I dont mind that he came straight back out, the worst possible thing i could have made him do was make him stand in it becuase that makes him feel traped, being a prey animal and naturaly claustrophobic the possibility of being trapped is enough to prevent him from enetering the water. Once he was out of the water i disengaged him and redirected him back to the water, he walked in with very little hesitation this time and instead of feeling the need to run out he began walking up and down the stream in the water! It was like he new if he needed to get out he could which made him a great deal less anxious. Fear disapeared and confidence blossomed, so much so that he actually got curious, wondering around, up and down and round again, just looking.
I had him saddled for the whole thing. Its been months since i have saddled and cinched him up and to my delight the process didnt bothe rhim at all. Infact he seems quite happy to carry his saddle around and have be tighten and loosen the cinch. Its as if he forgets he is even wearing one which is fab.
Me and Darla in the water
To round off the Mini sucess Myself and Ebony had a lovely online session also. We played online in the field just testing the boundries another "lets see" session because it has been so long she has done anything and anything that had gotten a off we could work on. In true Ebony style she needed to go wizzing around the field as fast as her little legs could take her for the initial part. Once she became a little more focus she really supprised me. Games through 1-7 were really lovely. Figure of 8's, switching between transitions and friendly on the cirlce were lovely and her sideways on the circle also. Turns on the falling leafe patterns and S patterns were really snappy, leaning back on her haunches and shooting of in the opposite direction with a like mini explosion of energy, and intrue Ebony style shaking her her little defiant head.
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