Figuring Out the Figure 8

I don't know if I've posted about how much trouble I've been having with Cricket in on-line play. I hate it. She hates it. She's so grumpy about being on-line that I usually play at liberty or just muddle through and get on to riding.

I've tried doing on-line patterns with her and we always get stuck on the Figure 8. Some days it's good, some days it's just okay but most days she is obviously hateful on the pattern. I've come to believe that all of our on-line issues are manifested in what happens when we work on that blasted Figure 8. If I can figure that out, I can figure out every other on-line problem we have.

This weekend I hosted my good friend and Parelli 1* Trainee Instructor, Wendy Morgan. Because I had volunteered to watch Wendy's daughter, I did not schedule a lesson for myself. I was mostly okay with this because I knew how much it meant to Wendy having someone she trusted take care of Stella. Still, as I watched other people having lovely sessions with their horses, I got a smidge jealous.

Sunday, my dear friend Becky offered to watch Stella so I could squeeze in a lesson. Yippee!!!

I started out with my normal on-line play, just letting Wendy watch me with Cricket. She then asked me about specific issues. My two main points were Figure 8 and cantering on the 22'. We started with Figure 8. I showed Wendy what normally happens. Cricket was good but saw no purpose in the pattern and was just grumpy about it.

So Wendy had me send her around one cone and just as she gave me two eyes for the draw, turn my back and walk to a barrel that was "behind" the Figure 8 pattern. At the barrel I was simply to scratch and love on her. We did this a few times and Cricket had a lovely attitude shift about the pattern. Wendy also worked on softening my send. What I thought was helping motivate Cricket to put in more effort was actually contributing to the grumpiness.

When Cricket offered a soft, energetic send and a happy draw, we moved on to a similar concept with the pedestal. The goal was to focus on the pedestal but the moment Cricket hooked on to the idea, move away and give her scratches. The whole idea was to really get my idea to be her idea. Now Cricket knows all four feet on the pedestal very well. But rather than the "oh well" attitude, we were looking for the "oh boy" attitude.

We returned to the Figure 8 and put a little more variety into it. Cricket was really softening and becoming more receptive. She even started offering some sassy play drive. We decided to move on and have a look at the circle game.

Cricket was fantastic. She gave me some of the best upward transitions, smooth cantering and maintain gait. Gone was the choppy, stompy four-beat canter. Gone was the snarky attitude and the refusal to maintain canter for more than a few strides. I barely had to do anything but let her know what I wanted. At one point she did a bit of a buck and jump and got away from me. It was cool, though, because that's the exuberance we often get at liberty but rarely see on-line.

We ended with a little bit of free-form "send around, come back and get scratches" and called it all a win.

I had so much fun playing with Cricket. Gone was the feeling of drudgery. I saw how much my attitude affected Cricket. And I was reminded that I need to make things into games and puzzles so Cricket can show off just how smart she is. It was a fantastic lesson.

Wendy is coming back next weekend and I'm hoping, with Becky's help, we can squeeze in another lesson!

Centered Riding Lesson

Yesterday I had my first "hands-on" experience with Centered Riding. I've been introduced to some of the concepts when I took lessons with my friend Margenia. I was vaguely aware of it as a cross-discipline approach to riding. But truthfully, I had no idea just how fantastic it could be.

One of my goals this year is to improve my riding dynamic. Cricket is coming to a point where it's not just all about her and sometimes it can be about me. I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Parelli approach to riding. I've never felt secure on my balance point. I always felt I was behind Cricket's motion. I don't believe you adopt totally different posture for riding freestyle vs. riding finesse. It just doesn't make sense. It's not supported by correct biomechanics for either the horse or the rider.

So in searching for an alternative, I decided to try Centered Riding. Not far from me, we have a Level IV apprentice (Level IV being the highest level instructor). I had heard very good things about her from several sources. I rounded up four friends and got them to commit to a lesson with an instructor none of us had ever seen. Just so I could see what it was all about.

The lesson was nothing short of phenomenal. I don't know if I can adequately describe what happened. To be honest, I haven't really started reading the book so I don't have all the correct terminology.

We started, unmounted, doing an exercise to "wake-up" the pelvic floor. This, in turn, affects all the postural and support muscles for the abdomen and the spine. It brings us into a correct and erect position, without having to do much of anything.

Once mounted, we began with a warm-up so the instructor could observe how we moved together. After that, we began specific visualizations and awareness exercises and just played with how it felt in my body and how it affected Cricket in hers. Here are some things I learned:

• Just taking my awareness to a place behind my seat bones, caused Cricket to lift her withers almost an inch. This had nothing to do with rolling onto my pockets but rather feeling my seat bones and just thinking about the place behind them.
• Grounding my knees in time with the swing of her belly without following the swing with my pelvis caused Cricket to move more forward in a better stride. I have to resist the seduction of allowing my pelvis to be rocked side to side with her back.
• Playing a video of what I want in my mind, starting with my body and then the affect on Cricket's body caused much better movement from my horse. I actually caused Cricket to lift her belly and depart from the halt with her hind leg under her.
• Using energy down the back of my leg to cause forward and energy down the front of my leg to ask for backward
• Changing my "grip" on the reins had an almost magical effect on my horse.
• I need to be aware of my negative focus. Cricket cannot differentiate between "don't go to the gate" and "go to the gate." She just knows I'm thinking about the gate and that's where she heads.
• I gained some insights and tools to avoid arguing with Cricket when she doesn't do what I want, when I want.
• When I get a little wadded up, my instructor gave me a simple exercise to reset my body to a better position and not worry so much about what I was doing.

I loved the affect the lesson had on Cricket. I loved how drawn she felt to the instructor - this is such a sign of good energy. I was so impressed with how I was able to affect Cricket's posture and way of going with simple changes in my thoughts and awareness.

And the feelings were mutual amongst all of us who took lessons. In fact I'm already chomping at the bit to ride my horse and to play with some of these concepts. I wonder when we can get another lesson scheduled . . .

Wanting More

I've been reflecting on Monday's ride. I still feel guilt for getting so mad at Cricket. For months I've been raving about how wonderful she is and how liberating it feels to accept her for who she is, where she is. And then one little thing goes wrong and my attitude is revealed for what it is - little more than a house of cards.

I cannot help but feeling, however, that I want something more than Cricket can offer. I do understand her headshaking is something we manage rather than cure. I do understand she has no control over her behaviour when she is stressed to the point of headshaking. I also understand I could go bat-ass crazy trying to uncover everything that triggers an episode. Because it's perceived stress.

But I want to ride. I want to trail ride. I want to learn to jump. I want to work on myself while I ride. But Cricket's headshaking trumps all. It will never go away and I will always have to stop what I'm doing to help her.

So what do I do? It sounds selfish but I'm just a little tired of catering all my energy to managing her. And I'm sure she's just a little tired of me not being able to offer her what she needs or expecting more than she can give.

I may have the opportunity to acquire a second horse. This is Bleu. She's a 14 yr old 16.2 hh TB mare. She's not particularly well schooled. But she's a rock-solid trail horse. She passed the Flying Jacket test with little more than a flicked ear. Whilst the horse in front of her did the slam-on-the-brakes-omigosh-we-are-all-going-to-die halt at the Black Hole of Death that opened up on the trail. She seems to take everything in stride. She's not terribly confident but neither is she unconfident. She's incredibly people-oriented and very much wants to please. She has little-to-no exposure to PNH. She's a little unconfident about trailer-loading. Apparently she moves like a million bucks and jumps as well.

I'm going to spend some time getting to know her. She's a bit of a special case. Her owner of many, many years passed away from cancer. She is currently with a good friend of mine - someone who is getting to know the horse and knows me very well. So I've got lots of time to meet her, play with her and ride her before any decisions are made.

I wasn't even thinking of another horse. Every time I have, my focus has been brought back to Cricket. Maybe this makes Bleu the right second horse. Each time I've looked for another horse it was to do what Cricket couldn't. Not exactly fair to Cricket or to a second horse - just filling in until I can get back to my mare. So maybe that makes Bleu right. I need her for what she has to offer me. I dunno. We shall see what happens.

Bad Day

Yesterday was a bad day. On a couple of levels. I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. I'm trying not to feel like a complete hypocrite. It's not exactly working.

I rode yesterday. It wasn't completely awful but it feels as if it was. Of course that's my skewed "you idiot" perspective. Cricket was okay at first but then she started headshaking. Something she hasn't done in ages. And she's developed this habit of going backwards when I ask her for forward. I got frustrated and I got mad. I finally dismounted when she would walk when I asked and halt when I asked. She was happy to follow me out of the arena, wait while I fastened the gate and walk calmly to the paddock to graze - all at liberty.

What went wrong? Buggered if I know. She's been off her spirulina and chastetree berry for a few days. She's been on more clover and maybe her calcium/magnesium balance is off. I was hungry and that always affects my focus and calmness. I felt like I had to ride her rather than really wanting to ride her. I tried to ride the horse I had last Wednesday instead of the horse that showed up this Monday. Emotionally, I was scattered and probably transmitting all that garbage to my horse. Maybe it was one of these things and maybe it was just a bad day.

And then we got the bad news and the bad day got a little worse.

The abscess in Bolder's left front foot is not just an abscess. It's the beginning of his hoof collapsing. There are so many things wrong with sweet Bolder's left front foot but suffice to say, it's compromised. A combination of detached hoof wall, thin soles, deteriorating coffin bone and abnormal hoof wall growth have resulted in a declining foot. Becky knew this would happen. She just hoped it wouldn't happen so soon. The foot is cast with support material and Bolder will be able to get around, quite comfortably, for the next 1-3 weeks, however long the casting lasts.

He'll spend his last days in sunshine and spring grass, surrounded by the herd he's come to love.

I have a special place in my heart for Bolder. He is a sweet gelding and I've been caring for him for several months. He's a bit of a special case - a hard keeper, only one eye, bad knees and a funky foot. He has oodles of charisma and he is still quite the charmer, courting the ladies every chance he gets.

Bolder was born the same year, the same month even, as my Moose. They share parentage - Bolder is a grandson of Bold Ruler and Moose a great-grandson. It's going to hit just a little close to home when we have to say good-bye.

Upward Transitions

Willing upward transitions were a huge struggle for me. As a somewhat fearful rider on a very green horse, I lacked the skill and confidence to teach Cricket what I really wanted. It has taken years to get where we are now - a rider willing to ask and a horse happy to respond.

It's been a rough journey. So many of the things I did caused Cricket to hate upward transitions as much as I feared them. Usually my requests were met with pinned ears, a swishing tail, crow hops or full blown bucking.

I think the main problem with an unconfident rider starting a green horse is that we don't feel comfortable to go with what the horse offers. And the horse can quickly learn that moving out is not a desirable thing. This is what I taught Cricket.

So how did I get from where I started to where I am now? Sometimes I don't exactly know. But here are some things that helped me feel confident and in control and at the same time, allowed Cricket to find freedom in forward.

I learned not to squeeze her with my leg. Squeezing caused her to buck.

I learned not to over-exaggerate my request. All that did was upset her and confuse her.

Most importantly, I learned to cue her first on ground patterns and then under-saddle patterns. Here is where our big breakthrough came.

Groundwork:
On the ground, I found two major keys to unlocking our upward transitions: vocal cues and patterns.

Voice Cues
I know PNH is not big on voice cues. I get it. I also understand why. When we're moving our mouths, we're not always aware of our bodies. But I learned this from Linda at the ISC in 2005. Introducing a smooch or cluck for an upward transition gives you another step before applying physical pressure. For an introverted horse, that means more time to think. So in asking for an upward transition, introduce a cluck or smooch with phase 1.

Patterns
Dan Thompson said anything can be a pattern. I believe him. To help Cricket understand "upward transition" vs. "go faster" I used a variation on the circle game to get my point across.

I simply placed a cone at 12 o'clock and the game was "transitions at the cone." Depending on where you are with your horse, the game can be adapted. Basically, it's on-line/liberty question box. Ask your horse for a change at the cone and then leave him alone when he complies. If he breaks gait, just leave him alone until he comes back to the cone and ask again.

It's a game; a puzzle to be solved. And it works for every horse. And you can build your expectations.

The game can be expanded to assist in maintain gait by adding more cones at 6 o'clock and then at 3 and 9 o'clock. Start with 12 and 6, asking for the upward transition at each marker, allowing the horse to break gait in between. If he is still struggling, add the next two markers, asking for the upward transition at each marker. Eventually the horse finds it easier to maintain than shift up and down.

Works great for the human because it stops us from micro-managing or getting frustrated. Each cone is an opportunity and there's no nagging in between. The space between the cones is true neutral.

Under Saddle
In riding, the key was relaxation in motion and patterns.

Relaxation in Motion
There is nothing worse than an emotional and tense horse. The horse cannot learn, he cannot feel comfortable and it's just an accident waiting to happen. For Cricket, I needed to teach her to relax in motion. This was almost automatic on the ground but it needed to transfer to under saddle. Mostly this came from just paying attention, working on my riding dynamic and moving long enough to cause her to make a change.

Most of our rides were based on survival. Probably for both of us. I was just happy when I could end a ride at my choice rather than feeling like I needed to get off. Not exactly a harmonious partnership.

Once I got saddle fit working and some improvement in my balance and posture, the next part was just moving long enough to let her blow and release the tension. At first I'd transition down to the halt when she'd offer relaxation. Just so she knew that was the key. Later, I'd ask her to continue to move. Eventually she was offering less tension. She's not 100% relaxed 100% of the time. But neither am I. The key is noticing and making it important.

Patterns
There are those pesky patterns again. For me, the key pattern was the question box. For others it may be corners or point to point. The important thing is the pattern and allowing it to work.

In my reflections on riding Cricket I came to two main conclusions: causing her to trot took focus and intention; when cantering was her idea, it was an effortless transition. So I needed to help her understand my intention and cause it to be her idea too. The question box worked for me because it gave me the idea of control. Of course cantering on a bend is infinitesimally harder than cantering a straight line. But the infinity of the circle helped me feel more relaxed.

From there, it was just repeating the pattern until it worked. Coming through the box, I asked Cricket to canter and then just committed to riding whatever she did. It took 6 or 7 repetitions for her to go, "Oh, you meant canter! Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" From there on, it's been a fairly simple matter. I'm now cantering her on both leads, on the rail, around the arena and out in the paddock.

THE BIG REALIZATION
Even more important than any of the things I did was The Big Realization. And you know what that is? It's finally understanding that it doesn't matter what I cannot do with her or what we haven't yet accomplished. My focus needs to be solidly on all the wonderful things we can do. All the ways in which Cricket reveals her fabulosity every time I'm around her.

Falling in love with how perfect a horse she is at every moment is so liberating. I walk away from every play session with a list of WOW! moments. Things that just make me smile.