Tuesday 30 April 2013

Rapport, respect, impulsion, flexion

Rapport, respect, impulsion, flexion

The leading theme of the week-end workshop I attended near Marmande on 27/28 May, once again with Jo Bates, 2* Parelli Pro instructor. We started with a discussion of what each of these mean and ways to try to achieve each of them with our horses. Also thinking about how to adapt our strategies to refine the tasks and support our horses in performing them; being particular without being critical, assertive not aggressive, looking for how the horse was responding, not just overall but with each step or each time asked - was he trying with effort, or just going through the motions with his mind elsewhere?

I began to see these 4 elements as a stairway of progress, started on the ground and leading to and carried on in riding, and I saw an improved attitude in the horse I was playing with; Polly got interested in the task and forgot the grass. From being disinterested and looking elsewhere, or eating,  I got two eyes and two ears; this was feeling like rapport and respect, and the result was she put more effort and thought into her movements, which foot she moved and where she placed it; the whole thing then becomes how little can you do to convey to the horse what you are asking, and she was looking for the solution, we were communicating and both enjoying it.

Some of the challenges included sitting on barrels and backing the horse up between two cones on the 22' line; and getting 2 circles at trot in both directions with a change of direction in between. We gave ourselves marks out of ten, not looking for perfection but aiming to improve by a couple of marks.

At the end of the day, asking ourselves did we have rapport, did we have respect, did we have improved impulsion and could we then think about flexion, the answer was yes. Ready to play with this next day.

On Sunday we looked at preparation for riding and neutral lateral flexion, indirect rein and direct rein. Before getting the horses out we started by sitting on the barrels again, sitting on the end of our sticks to simulate having the horse's neck in front of us and the string of the stick as our rope as in one-rein riding, practising throwing the rope over the horse's head without losing our seat position; then feeling the lateral flexion, as you would ask for a one-rein stop.

Polly couldn't wait to come out of the box today; she was immediately connected and we were able to build on our rapport of the previous day. Playing with her before we got into the day's tasks, she was willing and responsive and interested.

Polly is huge and I always have difficulty organising myself and the rope on her neck to set up the flexion and rein positions. Not easy from the ground with a big horse, and practising the flexions at a walk from her side. Always asking ourselves, is this horse ready to be ridden; because if the flexions and responses aren't there and can't be achieved on the ground, you shouldn't be getting in the saddle because it probably isn't going to get any better. On Saturday there was no way I'd have got on her back but on Sunday I would. Maybe next time...

Our next workshop is going to be 15/16 June, and this time Russell Higgins is coming with Jo; I don't know what is planned and of course he won't be bringing horses, he's just instructing us, but should be interesting, based on what I've seen here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSIcT2UC5U4





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