Day #11 - “Riding With Purpose” - “Prey/Predator Monday,” September 7

7. September 2009 by Edie.

“You need to put principle before purpose, but you need to have a purpose for your principle to have meaning.” ~ Pat Parelli

It was a great weekend - HotShot and I spent an hour or so practicing our on-line assessment in the big playground on Saturday afternoon.  He was a little distracted, but we did O.K. and I think we have the compulsories down - I just wanted to watch myself.  So glad I did - I look like I’m in one of those fast-motion old-time movies (only 10 minutes, we have to do this, we have to do that!) - I can’t believe how extroverted I can be!  So, I will sloooowwwwww dooowwwwnnnnnn now and fit what I can in 10 minutes without stressing - sometimes I can’t believe my horse puts up with me! After all this on-line prep. we went into one of the 50’round pens in the playground honeycomb to ride for awhile, and he was giving me laps and laps of canter with NO corrections and even started SPINNING for me - amazing!  Just goes to show how much of a difference “riding from the ground” makes before you get on - it’s like putting a quarter in him!

On Sunday, we went to Mesa Verde (Alicia, Ash, and me) to see the largest cliff-dwelling ruins in North America - it was awesome!  We stopped for dinner in Durango and ran into Chris and Tony Faria (PP Mastery Students/Instructors from Australia) at the “Ore House.”  It was a long and strenous day - we had to hike some pretty treacherous trails to get to the Cliff Palace ruins and climb several ladders to get out - scary!

So, today came bright and early.  We started week #3 today (I can’t believe it!) and our “Riding With Purpose” module.  We started in the lodge and welcomed several new students who are here for the next week or two.  John then talked about some basics, including that as students, we can’t really ever be “wrong” here, that wherever we are with our horse NOW is fine, and that WE are responsible for our own learning.  He talked again about how, if someone tells you exactly how to do something, it creates human “brace,” and that it is better to have to solve the puzzles ourselves and go through the learning process that way.  He talked about how Pat does not want to create “lifer” dependent students like many instructors/programs do - he wants people to become empowered and not to rely on instructors forever.  I know that this is my philosophy with my clients and I think I have been very clear with them about this.  If they can’t go on without me one day, then I haven’t done my job! I am glad to be part of a program with the same philosophy.

John went on to say that it will take TWICE as long to absorb what we learn here after we get home - so, if we’re here four weeks, it will take at least eight weeks after we get home for it all to “sink in.”  He described the ISC as an “invisible dome” where there is NO PRESSURE - a safe haven to learn without judgment.  If we “take the time it takes” to learn things here, it will take less time at home.

He talked about how horses regularly get blamed for OUR incompetence - but they’re just being honest.  He said again:  When the student is ready, the teacher will appear - and encouraged us to take advantage of the instructors who are on campus.  Excitement - Walter Zettl AND Dave Ellis are here this week!  We have even been told that we can WATCH Walter’s lessons with Pat and Linda when they are held in the Big Top, as long as we’re respectful and don’t distract or interrupt the process or anything - cool!

Then John said: “Why can’t you ride bareback and bridle-less with your arms folded across your chest, stay on the rail, walk, trot, canter, halt, switch leads, etc.?  Why?  Go back to the FOUNDATION!” This was food for thought. Truly, if our foundation is “perfect,” we should all be able to do all of those things!  Something to strive for.  John reminded us of “never-ending self-improvement” and that we can go at our own pace here - we can push ourselves if we like or take it easier if we need to.

Then, we went up to the 100′ round pen, where John did a demo with his mare Chico on preparing for riding.  He said we should “ride our horse on the ground” before we get on, and that “if it’s not light, it’s not right.”  He had us press our finger lightly on our eyelid and said “that’s how much pressure it should be - no more.”  He also reminded us to make sure that our horse is “with us” and “checking in with us.”

John covered basic saddle prep. again and talked about the basics: front cinch, back cinch, THEN breastcollar, and reverse when you un-saddle.  He talked about how once you attach the cinch, you are “at the point of no return” and you probably don’t want to “talk to your buddy for awhile” before you snug it up to prevent a calamity.  He talked about your horse asking/allowing you to saddle them as opposed to just imposing it upon them (can you do it at liberty?).  He went over lateral flexion, phases of turning (eyes, belly-button, legs, reins) and direct and indirect reins, as well as emergency dismount.  He also talked about phases of “go,” (life up, smile w/all four cheeks, squeeze - and smile if you please! - spank!) and how to slow/halt (stop riding, sit down, THEN pick up reins!).

After lunch, our focus stations were either Arena Grande riding or the large honeycomb for riding prep.  I tacked up HotShot with the halter/hack and bareback pad and took him down to the lodge with me.  He stood tied at the hitching rail with some other horses for awhile so I could eat lunch, then we went into Arena Grande for an hour or so to practice cloverleaf patterns and create “tracks” in the newly-dragged arena - cool! After this, we took a spin (alone) up to the top of the hill and “snuck through” the fence at the back, where there is a trail head and some nice grass - I let him graze a while and spent some “undemanding time.”  As we came back down past the Big Top, I saw that they were preparing for Walter Zettl lessons.  I couldn’t go in with HotShot, so I took him back down by the pens and put him in the 100′ round-pen, inviting him to roll.  He was more interested in the weeds around the perimeter (typical!), so I practiced laying him down (twice) and bowing, then I got grain, etc. ready.  I had cleaned his pen earlier (horribly muddy because it poured again here yesterday), so that was done.  The “Big Blue” team had already brought hay around, so I went down to dinner, as it was too late to head back up to the Big Top - I’ll have to catch a Walter lesson later this week. One of the other students, Sylvia, was talking about it at dinner - how precise and amazing he is as a teacher.  Apparently Pat is learning to TEACH dressage through Walter - very cool.  IMO, one of the best things about the Parelli’s, both Pat AND Linda, is that they live by their own “never-ending self-improvement” mantra.

One sad note:  One of the Australian students, Julianne, had a tragedy yesterday while we were gone - her lease horse (local owner) colicked and DIED.  The ISC is giving her another horse to use, but how awful!  She was really upset - I don’t know the details, but I guess they couldn’t save the horse.  So sad.  Makes me remember to pray DAILY for protection for my loved ones AND my pets, including my horses.  I am grateful that I put Hotty and Lib on pro-biotics a couple of weeks before we left Wisconsin and that I have plenty left to keep them on here and for a while after we get home - you forget how finicky horse’s digestive systems can be in captivity, especially when it involves ANY change (food, environment, etc.)!

So, off to take it easy tonight - I might even watch some TV or something.  I’m pooped! Tomorrow’s another day of riding - yay!

Edie

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