Punk!

Didn't feel any different today. Did I make any progress with his brain, probably not, but I quit when he responded. Hoping he realized it and wants to be my partner tomorrow. He is like trying to move a bulldozer and he knows it. With him, it is completely his mind that I have to partner with not his feet. He refuses to move, and when he does, it is a baby step. I do not know what to do with this. I think I have tried to move slowly on his terms, not to much pressure, I have also tried to use pressure, like phases, I get nothing. Some days are better than others. Some days I feel he really tries, but we cannot progress in the program with "every now and then". He understands, because his groundwork is awesome. When I'm on the ground and I move the reins like I would be if I were on his back, he is very responsive. Why would anything be different if I were on his back. A porcupine game is a porcupine game right. 4 ozs of pressure is 4 ozs of pressure right? He is a punk! And I have not figured out how to make him tick! I'll keep at it though because I'm determined to get to level 4. I want to be there someday!
        I still cannot get my horses to follow the rail. I do exactly what I'm supposed to and they keep coming off. Well, today I said " you  want to come off of the rail, lets go trot in the middle of the arena". I think it may have worked. We had to come off of the rail probably about seven times, but I noticed at the end of the session, he was staying on better. Today was only day one, so I'll keep track of that for the seven days of the pattern. I also got out the carrot stick and when I asked him to move the front end around his back end and he didn't move, the bulldozer thing, he got a thunk, Thunk, THUNK! When he was moving off of the stick with ease, I quit the lesson. Man, I've got to do something different. I'm getting nowhere. So this will be my new pattern, I'll keep you posted!

Gizmo

After a week off so that I could focus on Can Do, Gizmo was his complete self, very sticky. We did follow the rail, passenger lesson, and backup. He still tries to come off of the rail on a regular basis, and I can't figure him out. It has been two years in March that we have been doing freestyle. I feel like we just started. His backup was ok, but not what it should be. I do have to be possitive and say that he was turning with my body better. He didn't make the complete turn, but I think he is starting to respond to that better. Today I will be super soft and try and discover his try and reward that. I will also not ask for the complete circle back to the rail. I will ask for him to cross the arena at x and then go straight. I think this will help him out some. Something is telling me that I'm too hard on him. Online we did sideways. He did well. I sent him sideways from z1 and z3 over a pole. He was on.

LB or RB?

This week is Can Do's week. We played online with maintain gait on circle. She gets it a little quicker than when we first started and when she maintains the trot, I stop and then we move on to something else. Her sideways needs improvement. She wants to bring her rear end towards me when I try to drive it away. I think I caused this problem because this summer I taught her to stand next to me for mounting. We also did figure 8's. She is hilarious. I really have trouble with her LB/RB. She changes in a nanosecond. I love watching her trying to figure it out. She definately goes right brained when obstacles are involved and she is so clumsy. When she asks me a question I bust out laughing. When she knows she's getting a treat she snorts like a pig, which she must have been in a former life. I really must have overdone touch it with her feet, because she wants to stop at everything and touch it with her foot. Then she gives me one of those looks, "Look at me mom!". Also, she knows that when I say "good girl" she must be getting a treat I may have overdone that one also. I love her!!!! When riding, we always start with passenger lesson. She has trouble with go, which suprises me. She stops every couple of steps like she isn't sure of what I want. We will practice this. Her follow the rail stands at she won't follow the rail. She seemed to be really worried by the orange trees today. I handled this by backing and asking her to go forward again. Then we did some indirect turns. She did those pretty good then it was time to quit. I am bringing her to my next clinic with Maurice.

Zero Brace

Getting back on my routine since the holidays has been rough. I rode Gizmo today and it was a very short session because he was cooperative. Yes, you heard me right, cooperative. Everything I asked, he tried. No brace, which is what he is all about. Go Gizmo! Oh, and I must not forget, Go Sam!

Going Backwards

Gizmo is something else. My journey through Parelli seems to be taking a backwards trip. I always feel like I've got to start over with him for freestyle. Why? Because after 2 solid years of riding, I feel like we are at square 1 all of the time. I know it's me. I feel so positive when I get back from Maurice's clinic, and then blah. I'm just not moving forward. Yesterday I sat on him and started to cry a little. I had been on him doing ftr, indirect and direct turns, backing, and its just not improving. Then I thought of Maurice, he got on us frequently because our horses were just going through to motions with no enthusiam. Also, Pat and Linda say it too. So I pretended to be the soldier and said we are going to that fence and turn left. I just executed my body and off he went towards the fence with pizzaz. Then we turned left. OMG! I got off of him and we called it a day. Now if I can only repeat that feeling in my body because actually, I have no idea what I did. I may not ride today, but I'll report back and let you know what happens next. It is me, it is me, it is me. By the way, his passenger lessons are going great. He really pays attention to what I'm doing in my body, especially slowing down to a WALK. Imagine that!!!!!!!

The New Year Brings in Understanding

Bringing in the new year with lots of enthusiam and positive thoughts made me realize something - "it's not about the ????". I always make it about the circle, or the sideways, or the whatever. So, for the new year I'm making it about the relationship. Trying anyway! I rode yesterday after a month off because of the holidays, and things weren't that great. Not bad, but not great! I had in my mind, after studing Parelli videos all week at the camp, that I would look like the video. I was disappointed of course. But I do understand the video, and I feel like I'm in it doing all of the right things then it all goes to pot when I'm out there. It's like I have the "crs" syndrome. (Can't Remember Shit). So, that is my focus for the new year. My blog is now one year old and I'm very proud of myself for keeping it up. I was never able to keep up stuff like this, so I get a prize to myself. The prize is - I'll think about it and let you know. I can't think up something right now and besides, the horses must be waiting for me at the gate right now saying, "pick me, pick me". LOL!