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Can Tammy be a Rock Star?  con't

The 2nd Resonance Repatterning session was last Saturday and I didn't ride Sunday or Monday.  That gave us some 'time for it to settle in' as it was a long weekend.

Monday there was a news report about some new medical thing and the prognosis: "Cautiously extremely optimistic."  When I heard that I thought it was kinda funny.  

Tuesday's ride

Then I had my ride on Tuesday.

You know that line, "Who are you and what have you done with him?"  Well, this was like, "Who are you and what have you done with my horse?"  

It was an incredibly normal ride.  Yes, we had some bunnies - no flinching.  A squirrel hopped up into the tree - a little moment of hard eyes staring.  The dog was around.  There was a flashy thing by the gate which warranted a small sideways step.  And I even got off before the cement truck decided to turn around in the neighbors driveway.  (yay for me!)

Uh?   

So, yeah, now I get it: "Cautiously extremely optimistic."  

Wednesday's ride

Today, bunnies hopping around.  Chickens hiding in the bushes.  Killer squirrel hopping in the tree.  Although I think it was the killer chicken she caught out of the corner of her eye that resulted in one of those spook-stumble-trip-nothing-happened things.  Like they try to spook but they trip instead and don't want anyone to have noticed.     On a long rein, no less.  As in, stayed on a long rein and continued on like nothing happened.  No panic.

We continued on, did our loop the other way and then back to he same place and she didn't even bat an eye.

About that time I started to suspect something was wrong.  Like there was a big cosmic joke going on and any minute now some alien would jump out of the bushes and shout 'Smile!  You're on Candid Camera!'  in some bizarre mirror universe kind of way.

So I decided, "ok, let's up the ante a little!"

This week's progression is about transitions.  Our 'advanced' topic of the day was the lengthened trot.   "little trot," "trot," and "big trot" are my commands on the ground so I thought I'd make it easier on her by overlaying them with the riding cues.  

HA!

I must be doing something so that there comes a point where the next thing is "canter."  I'm not entirely sure what that is but I will for sure be on the lookout for it.  Why do I say this?  Because after a few transitions she picked up a canter.  OR, and this is also very likely, it's a lot easier to do canter than big trot.

In any event, we were cantering along the long wall (not in the corner by the barn at 10am with no dogs)  (come to think of it, the dog was on the other side of the bush...) in a very light cadenced canter, no panic, balanced, calm.  

(!)

Time to quit while we're ahead!  And, miracle of miracles, she came back to a trot, then a walk, then a standstill.

Then we proceeded with "little trot," "trot," and "big trot" but this time without verbal cues and I got "little trot," "trot," and "big trot." 

OK -  "Cautiously extremely optimistic."  

Is Your Horse a Rock Star? Understanding Your Horse's Personality

Is Your Horse a Rock Star? Understanding Your Horse's Personality
by Dessa Hockley

 

Horse Profiling: The Secret to Motivating Equine Athletes: Using Emotional Conformation, Behavioral Genetics, and Herd Dynamics to Choose Training Methods, ... Performance, and Hone Competitive Strategy

Horse Profiling: The Secret to Motivating Equine Athletes
by Calvin L. Carter

 

Beyond a Whisper: Training Horses with a New Language from the Behaviorist

Beyond a Whisper: Training Horses with a New Language from the Behaviorist
by Ryan Gingerich

 

Dennis Brouse on Horse Training (Paperback + DVD): Bonding with Your Horse Through Gentle Leadership

Dennis Brouse on Horse Training
by Dennis Brouse

 

Thursday's Ride

This is all getting very normal.   Scary.

One of the topics of conversation (with myself) during my ride was how the fearful horse gets out of things.  

Tammy is not the first or only horse I've met who has played 'The Hysterical Card.'  These are horses who do not feel obligated to walk forward, stop, turn, think, or even listen to you because their fear obviates any such consideration.  It's like they think they have a 'get-out-of-school-for-free' card.  

They can't take a second step because the earth will open up and engulf them.  They can't stand calmly because the leaf scooting across the ground will attack them.  They can't put their head down because if they did that they would no longer be hysterical.  So then it's a battle over the simplest things - that escalates.    

They have this self-fulfilling 'the-world-is-falling-apart' approach.  Because they react over the top, weird things happen and then they have proof weird things happen.  And because they are convinced weird things will happen, what they think takes precedence.

So they are bullies.

In his book Beyond a Whisper: Training Horses with a New Language from the Behaviorist, Ryan Gingerich puts forth the idea that any problem in a horse boils down to they either won't go forward or they won't stop when you want them to.  Or both.  He is one of the first people I've seen in print be very obviously straight forward about making sure your horse will go forward and stop at you will when you're on the ground BEFORE getting on the horse's back.  Yes, it is a no-brainer to start with ground work, but he's just incredibly clear about this and I give him kudos for it.

Having said that, Tammy passed all her groundwork with flying colors.   It wasn't until a certain something happened and then, well, she was kinda a different horse after that.

It makes me wonder if maybe she wasn't a DECF to start with and the unexpected outcome of the event is what tipped her in the direction of 'the world just doesn't make sense -- my only option is to be on high alert!'   Kind of like the kid who can't see the crossing signals, so he just puts his head down, screams, and runs across the street as fast as he can.

So - a couple more themes to throw into the Resonance Repatterning pot.

Friday's Ride

Insanely normal.  Spooky.

Now I'm starting to feel guilty I ruined this horse by following a "trainer's" advice!

I will tell you things NOT to do with a DEAF horse:

  • do NOT run them until they put their head down, chew, and look at you.  This isn't going to happen.  They will die first.  or kill you.  either one will work.
  • do NOT teach them to run when they are disobedient.  They are more than happy to do this, and get rid of you to make it safer for them.  They are not going to calm down in 20 minutes.  or 30.  or 40.  or the next day.
  • do NOT give them something to think about when they are scared.  They will shift their fear from whatever it was to you and you will now be the public enemy number one.  You will receive the brunt of whatever they dish out and it will only prove to them that whatever they were afraid of is indeed a horrible, horrible thing.
  • do NOT let them run away from whatever it was that spooked them.  Find a safe distance, but you have to slay that dragon then and there, and you have to do it by allowing them to face it and walk up to the thing and sniff it, even if it takes a week of Sundays.  and get ready to do again.  (and again and again)
  • do NOT expect the gears to turn quickly in this horse's head in your favor.  There is only one tune in this horse's head and it's taking up all the bandwidth for any semblance of sanity.   
  • do NOT amp up anything in this horse, but also do NOT leave them to their own devices. 

When Tammy was getting started, the 'round pen' was all the rage.  It was pretty quickly clear to me that this was a bad idea with her (but I was paying professionals!)   A few years later I was very happy to find a public figure suggesting it was not about running the horse but getting it to find you as the place of safety.  Perhaps a little too late for Tammy and I, and probably not someone the professionals I went to will give the time of day, but for those of you starting out, have a look at Dennis Brouse on Horse Training, by Dennis Brouse.  He has some cowboy gimmick things that I'd advise you not to use unless he's standing there, but otherwise, I really like what he does and I hope someday he'll get his show on media for purchase.   He uses good old fashioned behavioral modification techniques coupled with a relaxed, reassuring approach to win the horses over, and it's good stuff. 

As for Tammy & I, I will continue with my Resonance Repatterning sessions, adding in the other topics that I have been thinking about.  I am still 'cautiously' extremely optimistic that we've turned the corner on this, that before too long I will be riding a horse that is sane enough to enjoy.  Can I ever really trust her?  No.  Nor would I put someone on her that I cared for unless I felt they had superb riding skills.   But we're now in the realm of realistic.

 

9/05/14

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Copyright © 09/05/14 Lynn S. Larson
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"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities." 

~ James Allen