(no subject)
Oct. 22nd, 2012 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickSo I'm working through my clinic notes with my horse.
It's pretty fun. Time has no meaning. Temper has no meaning. It is inappropriate at all times to pull on more than one rein. We do what needs to be done. It is what it is. This doesn't mean I have no goals. I've got goals. It's good to have goals. Goals are good.
Goal: Horse rates off of rider's seat. (In progress, obviously, and partly because my seat isn't as clear and reliable as it should be. I am working on my seat.)
Goal: Horse proceeds calmly and in control, at a steady and non-increasing pace when allowed a loose, drapey rein. (In progress. She's forward. We're working on not-accellerating. Bending is a wonderful thing and if nothing else is accomplished here, horse will get really, really good at bending. I am working on having a smooth and relaxed seat to help her not-accellerate. It's a challenge.)
Goal: Horse comes instantly to contact when same is offered. (In progress. Half the battle is retraining my hands, damn it.)
Goal: Rider will possess as much patience as it takes. Surprisingly, this is not as hard or as frustrating as I thought it would be. There are no failures, simply additional opportunities to explain what is desired. For some reason, if I look at stuff this way, I don't take failures as personal affronts. Who knew?
Goal: Rider gives horse the benefit of the doubt. Rider self-checks position and monitors own behaviors to create a better environment for horse. (I like this additional awareness of self. It's practically meditative.)
Goal: Rider does not kick the horse. Horse does not need to be kicked to move forward. Horse pretty much is 25 mph at the idle, so kicking is completely not needed. Rider is offering less and less on the "go forward" cue. Horse moves forward on seat cue with absolutely still, quiet legs. Horse is beginning to understand accellerate/decellerate on a seat cue, even.
Goal: Rider does not pull or yank on the horse. Not when leading, not when riding. It isn't pretty and it isn't necessary. Rider offers a clear, leading rein. If clear, leading rein is ignored, horse is driven from behind (via flag, via whip, via tail end of rope, via seat/leg) until leading rein is honored. (This is working amazingly well on the ground and is starting to come online under saddle as well.)
Goal: Horse remains halted during mounting until given a clear "move out" signal. In progress on this one. Nick walks off before I'm organized, so I've started retraining this.
Goal: Horse stands still, on a loose rein, when halted. It's coming along quite nicely.
I've got some more things to work on, but these are big ones. They're the most-obvious hurdles we currently face en route to having a better, more solid relationship.
Today's victory: Evan wasshooting trying to shoot squirrels, so there were random .22 shots going on during our efforts. The first couple of these, Nick tightened up considerably and slipped into a trot. We one-rein-stopped. We honored the halt. We proceeded onward. Lather, rinse, repeat. After several iterations, I could *feel* Nick want to tense up at the moment of firearms soundtrack but then she would sort of get ahold of herself and not do it. A small victory, but I'll take what I can get.
It's pretty fun. Time has no meaning. Temper has no meaning. It is inappropriate at all times to pull on more than one rein. We do what needs to be done. It is what it is. This doesn't mean I have no goals. I've got goals. It's good to have goals. Goals are good.
Goal: Horse rates off of rider's seat. (In progress, obviously, and partly because my seat isn't as clear and reliable as it should be. I am working on my seat.)
Goal: Horse proceeds calmly and in control, at a steady and non-increasing pace when allowed a loose, drapey rein. (In progress. She's forward. We're working on not-accellerating. Bending is a wonderful thing and if nothing else is accomplished here, horse will get really, really good at bending. I am working on having a smooth and relaxed seat to help her not-accellerate. It's a challenge.)
Goal: Horse comes instantly to contact when same is offered. (In progress. Half the battle is retraining my hands, damn it.)
Goal: Rider will possess as much patience as it takes. Surprisingly, this is not as hard or as frustrating as I thought it would be. There are no failures, simply additional opportunities to explain what is desired. For some reason, if I look at stuff this way, I don't take failures as personal affronts. Who knew?
Goal: Rider gives horse the benefit of the doubt. Rider self-checks position and monitors own behaviors to create a better environment for horse. (I like this additional awareness of self. It's practically meditative.)
Goal: Rider does not kick the horse. Horse does not need to be kicked to move forward. Horse pretty much is 25 mph at the idle, so kicking is completely not needed. Rider is offering less and less on the "go forward" cue. Horse moves forward on seat cue with absolutely still, quiet legs. Horse is beginning to understand accellerate/decellerate on a seat cue, even.
Goal: Rider does not pull or yank on the horse. Not when leading, not when riding. It isn't pretty and it isn't necessary. Rider offers a clear, leading rein. If clear, leading rein is ignored, horse is driven from behind (via flag, via whip, via tail end of rope, via seat/leg) until leading rein is honored. (This is working amazingly well on the ground and is starting to come online under saddle as well.)
Goal: Horse remains halted during mounting until given a clear "move out" signal. In progress on this one. Nick walks off before I'm organized, so I've started retraining this.
Goal: Horse stands still, on a loose rein, when halted. It's coming along quite nicely.
I've got some more things to work on, but these are big ones. They're the most-obvious hurdles we currently face en route to having a better, more solid relationship.
Today's victory: Evan was
