Today Brandy and I worked on doing the fore quarter yield without my hand on her nose. After many tries she took one good step with my hand just on her shoulder.

We also did lots of friendly game with the ball. I had the ball on her back and even bounced it a little. Then she had a big lick and chew. Later I bounced the ball higher than usual in zones 4 and 5  and she remained calm.



At the end of the session Donna let Brandy and me play on the pedestal. First we walked beside it, then I went on it and drove her away from it, and finally I walked over it and she calmly followed me.

I had my second video lesson with Kari today.
Here is what I need to work on with Brandy:

1. I need to look at her opposite hip instead of down when doing the hindquarter yield.

2. When she gets stuck at the yoyo game, I need to add more energy with the stick or flap my arms to help her get unstuck. Also when she takes one really good step, I should drop what I am doing and go rub her to let her know that was what I wanted.

3. At the circling game, when she changes direction without me asking her, I shouldn't make her feel wrong with a bump on the rope but just practice the change of direction instead.

4. I will start using more obstacles like cones, a hula hoop or a ball.

5. I need to focus on having more flow between games.

Today Brandy and I did more friendly game and progressed a little more. I can whack the ground harder than ever before while Brandy dozes and swishes her tail at the flies.

Porcupine game was harder today. She was going all over the place so when she took one good step we quit.

Yoyo game was also a bit harder. She was not as responsive as she normally is. After a long phase 1 I tagged her. She got a bit lighter near the end of the session. It will be interesting to see how it goes next time.

Circling game was much easier today. As usual she tries to stop behind me  and look at me with pricked ears and a questioning look on her face. I just resend her starting with phase one. On the third attempt she walked behind me and we quit on that.
It really helps me to imagine my energy behind me.

Today we attempted sideways game for the first time! After lots of trying she took one perfect step. She was calm, not running away from me, and stepped nicely and organized.

At the end we did one squeeze game under the low branches of the tree in her paddock. She rushed the end bit but she was better on the second try.

For the rest of the session I groomed her and shooed the flies away from her face.

Today the arena was very wet and muddy. Brandy and I practiced  stick to me in the corner of the arena where it was not that muddy.  Brandy is improving a lot in paying attention to me and is trying to switch to the other side behind my back way less.

Her porcupine game was nice and light today.

We had a bit of trouble with yoyo game. She is very light for the first five to six steps, but then she stops. I am not sure whether she  doesn't know what to do next or she gets scared at that distance. Maybe she is so light because she is  running away from me. Also she does not appear to go introverted.

Next session I will try slowly increasing her comfort zone  by asking for one more step than she is comfortable with.

Brandy was the queen of friendly game. I ground tied her and was able to walk all around her slapping the ground pretty hard while she calmly nibbled grass growing in the corner of the arena. Then I got in the classic lounging position and tossed the string around her hind legs, she leaned forward but did not movie her feet!

I ended the session by scratching her withers and her very itchy chin.

On our way home from the barn we stopped at Greenhawk and I got a new rubber curry comb and massager for Brandy.

Today Brandy and I worked on stick to me for most of the session. I got to the point that when my energy went up I felt her energy go up too. Also I was able to get to zone 2 almost immediately after we started walking.

Next session I will work on starting walking at zone 2 from the start.

I upped my phases a bit quicker today in the yo-yo game because she is grasping the concept of the game right and I'd like her to be responding a little bit quicker. It was a little experiment, and I'll see if she's doing better next week. If she is not, I'll go back to slow phases.

We also did some friendly game with the ball.
After lots of pressure and retreat, and licking and chewing I managed to get the ball on Brandy's back. She gave me her "are you crazy!!!" look but did not move her feet (big achievement). So I removed the ball and let her stand at the end of the 12 foot line not looking at her. I knew she was going to lick and chew eventually and prepared to wait until she was ready to reconnect with me.
After what seemed like forever she snorted and licked and chewed and looked at me as if to say, What's next?

Later she offered to push the ball with her hoof. Also I tried "lead by the leg" with her and she offered one entire step right away! Then I let her eat grass as her treat for being so good.

I should bring grated(she has almost no teeth left as she is 32) carrots for her to enjoy one day.

Today Brandy and I worked some more on friendly game in zones 4 and 5. Then I played friendly game with a plastic bag attached to the end of the carrot stick. I discovered that her "ya, but, don't" spot was when I dragged the bag on the ground. She had a big lick and chew after. Also she did not move her feet very much today and was much more relaxed.

I practiced stick to me and was able to get to zone 2 much more easily and Brandy was more relaxed.

Donna had the tarp set up and when she was done with it Brandy and I did yoyo game and circling game next to it.

At the end of the session Donna set up a square-like weave and after doing it with her horse Zaina she helped me figure it out with Brandy.

I had a bit of trouble sending her through with confidence, not blocking her with my body and being more effective with the carrot stick. At the end I got it  right and Brandy did a beautiful weave.

Next session I am going to practice the weave with her.

Today Brandy and I did tons of friendly game.
She improved so much! I was able to stand in zones 4 and 5 and slap the ground. She did not feel the need to move her feet and was blinking, licking and chewing a lot.

Yoyo game was great! She went backwards 4 steps at phase one with the finger.

Also, during our session two huge flies started to land on Brandy and they kept following us everywhere we went. It was an opportunity to practise the friendly game some more to keep the flies off her. I eventually shooed them away.

At stick to me I practiced being in sync with her feet, it felt good to be in harmony with her.

The last thing we did was trying the figure-8 for the first time. It was pretty good. I think Brandy likes it.

The blue  halter fits nicely but I need to make the last part a little bit shorter.

I had a lovely session with her.

I had a video lesson with Kari Bowser, 1 star Parelli Professional, this week.

Kari is encouraging, helpful and easy to talk to.

Here is a list of some of things I learned:

-before asking Brandy to do something it is polite to bring my energy up to call her to me

-try to be in sync with her feet, so that one day she will be in sync with me instead of me being in sync with her

-at the yoyo game use my finger to send her backwards, not the popper, because when I am at liberty with Brandy I will not have it

-friendly game needs to be progressing more as I am not coming out of her comfort zone and she still is worried about the string touching zones 4 and 5

I like having video lessons with Kari because they help Brandy and me to progress in our Parelli journey.

My goals for today were:

-Friendly game: relaxation in zone 5
-Stick to me: in zone two on both sides
-Porcupine game:  more feel
-Circling game: two walk circles both ways and disengage
-Driving game: as light as possible
-Yoyo game: 5 steps back phase 1
-Squeeze game: might try a very easy squeeze
-Sideways game: probably not today
-Extras S-pattern send with just finger

Playday report:

Friendly game is getting better and better and she needed to move her feet less. She was relaxed in zone 5 for three string tosses around her hind legs.

Stick to me: I inched into zone 2 on both sides and she did great. She has not trouble turning towards me, but she does have some trouble turning away in zone 2. But zone 1 is perfect, because it was a part of her previous training.

Porcupine game was amazing! I only needed phase one on front and hind quarter yields.

Circling game still having lots of trouble with the disengage, also Brandy was trained to be lunged so she thinks that I am supposed to follow her around and has trouble to maintain gait behind my back. However, she did pass behind my back once without breaking gait.

Driving game was very good. She was light and polite.

Yoyo game was awesome!!!!! She backed up at phase one all the way out on the twelve foot line!!! We exceeded our goal.

I didn't attempt a squeeze or a sideways, because her disengage has to be better.

Another thing that I should mention is that I am making Brandy a custom blue rope halter with rainbow cord decorations on the nose band.

I will post pictures of her in it next session.
You might have seen Brandy in a green or pink rope halter in previous pictures, but the green one was too small and the pink one was too big.

Over all we made great progress today, I am very pleased and Brandy knows it.

My goals for today were:

1. If her sores have healed and I can have the halter on: yo-yo game, 2-3 steps at phase 1.
2. Friendly game: not moving when string touches her, relaxing more in zones 2-3
3. Porcupine at phase 1, everywhere I can(right now she needs phases 2-3)
4. Work on the disengage to solidify, I want it to become more dependable.
5. Circling game: 1 small circle and change directions. Practice disengage in circling game.

If the session goes super well, I'd like to try sideways.

I want to improve on the friendly game before trying the squeeze game.

Session progress:

I didn't attempt sideways today.

Her friendly game is really improving and I managed to toss the string over her back without her needing to move her feet.

We also practiced the s-pattern and got it to the point where Brandy would move with me just pointing her in the direction I wanted her to go.

The yo-yo game has improved and I finally got her to take four steps back at phase one with just a little hint (the carrot stick moving a tiny bit in the beginning).

The porcupine game still needs some practice as I did not spend very much time on that today.

Also Brandy is learning to play stick to me from her right side without falling behind and trying to position me on her left. I also managed to inch a little closer to zone two.

Her hindquarter disengage is coming along nicely. We had a break through: I asked her for a circle and after one lap I asked for a disengage. Brandy sped up but I kept asking and after two circles she had a light bulb moment and disengaged her hind quarters. Then she licked and chewed a lot about it.