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November 29, Session #4

11/29/2014

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I had an awesome session with Bailey today. 

We started with some friendly game to make sure she was feeling confident with the carrot stick. Next we did some stick to me and worked on our draw.  The stick to me was pretty good but we needed to fine tune the stopping part of it. The draw needed some work as Bailey was a little hesitant before coming to me. I asked her to trot towards me and then gave her rubs and scratches when she was next to me. In about five minutes she was not letting the rope come off the ground and came to me without hesitation. 

After we improved our draw we worked on driving game backward. Last session we achieved three steps backwards. I rewarded Bailey with a little rest and some rubs every step back she took. She licked and chewed almost every step. Buy the time we were done she would back up about seven feet with phases one and two and only a little bit of phase three when she was further away.

 The last thing we did was a teeny tiny bit of circling game. The send was hesitant, but over all pretty good. Then I lounged her for two circles at the trot and simply stopped moving my feet. At first Bailey stopped behind me, so I turned around and resent her. When she walked behind me I felt her hesitate, for a second then continue to finish the circle. I disengaged her and drew her in.

 She lowered her head and had a huge lick and chew. This was the first time she showed me more then the very tip of her tongue. She looked distant for a few minutes then looked at me asking a question, seemingly asking what's next? What came next was........ Go back to her stall and enjoy her well deserved cut up apple time! Needless to say she was delighted with her treat.

My goals for next session are: to refine driving game, friendly game and porcupine game and to explain circling game to Bailey a bit better.

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November 22, 2014

11/22/2014

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Today I didn't have a ground work session as planned as there was a clinic going on and the arena was quite busy.

However I had about forty five minutes to ride during the break. The two goals of the ride were for me to slow down my seat so that Bailey could slow down her gait, and to work on our transitions. At first we walked around the arena in both directions. Then I practiced moving in harmony with Bailey at the sitting jog. I had the arena all to myself so I took the opportunity to practice lope departures. The calmer and more trusting I got, the more Bailey trusted me, the better our lope departure was.

Then we walked a few laps around the arena on a nice long rein. Bailey gets nervous when jogging with lose reins. I asked for the jog making sure my seat was nice and quiet. At first Bailey sped up but then she slowed down and held the rhythm for one full lap around the arena for the first time since I started riding her. I was so happy with her I stopped her and rubbed her and just walked her around for the last five minutes before my turn in the arena was up.

After untacking I put Bailey back in her stall and started to massage her. Since she was so fidgety I asked my dad to hold the lead rope. First I started firmly wiggling her crest. After a few seconds Bailey's lower lip drooped and her eyes softened.

Next I stiffened my fingers and dragged them with all my might down Bailey's neck on both sides. I am not sure what this technique is called. I saw it in a equine massage video and that horse loved it, so I thought to try out out on her. She stretched her neck down and licked and chewed during massage for the first time.

Then I did the scapula release and loosened up her hips. After that she had a very big lick and chew. I took the lead rope and walked her around a little bit to finish the massage.


Today I had cut up apples instead of baby carrots for Bailey's after session treat. It goes without saying that Bailey loved her well deserved treat.

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Masterson Massage

11/20/2014

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Today I did my first massage session with Bailey. She was disconnected during the bladder  meridian. When I moved on to the scapula release I could see her eyes and lips quivering but she wouldn't release in front of me. I think with time Bailey will be more trusting and start to open up to me.
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Session #3

11/15/2014

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I had a ground work session with Bailey.

The plan was for me to muck out her stall then play with her in the arena. When I first went in the stall with Bailey she greeted me politely by touching her nose to my outstretched hand. I haltered her and put her in the spare stall so that I could muck out her stall. As I went to get my wheelbarrow and fork, the plan changed. As I am not allowed to be by myself in the arena with Bailey, someone has to be working their horse at the same time. Donna offered for me play with Bailey while she played with her horse Zaina.


I got my rope halter and the twelve foot line and went in the stall with Bailey. I normally ask her to take a step back or porcupine her head down to get a connection. But today she connected with me the moment I came into the stall. Her eyes were soft and she lowered her head for me to halter her.

I had led Bailey up the ramp before but she usually rushed up in a very tense way. However today she went up the ramp just as quickly as before, but her head was lower and her eyes were soft. She had a good lick and chew afterwards.

Since no one was riding I thought it was the perfect opportunity for Bailey to explore.

Together we went to explore the windows, the pile of grit in the corner, the door, the barrels, the wheelbarrow, the cavaletti, the little seating area in the other corner, basically everything there was to see in the arena.


Next Bailey and I worked on the friendly game. I smacked the ground I little harder and a little faster and dragged the string on the ground between her legs. Bailey was so relaxed.

Next we did some stick to me, working on our halting. My cue to Bailey was energy down and exhale--making it very obvious for her. She got so much lighter and more responsive.

Next, I asked her with my energy to step back. She didn't, so I moved my carrot stick ever so slightly. Then she took one step back, and licked and chewed briefly, then offered two more steps!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was amazing, I didn't even expect so much from her so soon.

Next we did some circling game. My method of teaching her circling game was to start to lounge her then stop my feet and allow her to walk around me. The first time Bailey stopped behind me so I turned around and resent her. On the second try she walked all the way around. Her disengage was lovely and the draw back was even better.

By then Donna was about to take Zaina down the ramp and suggested that I get Bailey busy so that she wouldn't get worried that there was no other horse in the arena. I thought it would be fun to see if Bailey would go sideways on the ground. I took her to the wall and asked her to go sideways. At first she took one step with her front feet then one step with her hind, then she put them together and took one beautiful step sideways!!!!!!!!!

To finish the session I hang the rope over her withers, inhaled, brought my energy up, and took our first ever step at liberty together.





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Session #2

11/8/2014

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Today was a slow day for Bailey and I.

The wind was howling outside and Bailey was  a little tense about it. I lounged Bailey in both directions, as Amanda was riding and I wanted to keep my eyes on Bailey at all times. We practiced changes of directions a little bit. Bailey likes going to the right more than the left. She sends much easier and maintains her gait easier to the right. I found the send to the left a bit harder and I had to get to phase 2 (which was very little with her--lifting my carrot stick). She listened, but she would glance in the other direction and was less willing to send. It would be interesting to see how she is in the next few sessions. Another thought is that it could be my lunging skills, because I prefer holding my carrot stick in my left hand and get a bit less dizzy when I'm going around in a circle with her when she's going to the right.

We did one more thing that session. I started teaching her the driving game backwards. She already knows how to drive backwards with me moving into her space. I'd like to teach her to move back without me moving my feet, just with my energy. The goal for now would be 12' without the carrot stick.

She was getting lighter and lighter with the back up during the session. At the end of our session Bailey would back up two steps at phase two driving game.  I think I will teach her the falling leaf pattern next.

When I put Bailey back in her stall I put some chopped up baby carrots on her feed bin. Then I asked her to wait politely until I allowed her to eat them. She was excited and tried to find her way around me. I blocked her with my arm. When she waited politely without barging into my space I allowed her to eat the carrots.  
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Session #1

11/7/2014

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Today I had my first Parelli session with my lease horse Bailey.

I started the session by grooming her in the arena. At first Bailey was calling to the other horses but soon settled and started to enjoy being groomed. She even let her eyelids and lips droop a little. After I finished grooming we did some stick to me in zone two on the rail. She was polite  but I could see in her eyes that she wasn't connected yet.

Next, we went back to the middle of the arena and did some porcupine on her nose.  It was pretty good for the first time I asked her.

I started testing Bailey's confidence with the rope by tossing it over her back. At first she went introverted and looked frozen, so I retreated and she softened her eyes again. She was much more relaxed on the second attempt. It took her a second to realize that all I wanted was for her to relax.

After that, she was relaxed even though I let the tail of the rope get longer and  swung  it a little faster. Then I moved on to the carrot stick. I picked it up and let Bailey nose it up and down. Next I placed it on her withers and stepped back to let her bend over and and touch it. After that I touched her all over her body with the stick. Then I let go of the string and touched her all over with it. Next I started swinging it over her head and dragging it on the ground and everything else I could think of. I was so pleased with her.

The last thing I decided to do was circling game. It had started to rain really hard on the roof of the arena and Bailey wanted to move her feet. Since she doesn't know circling game yet I started off by lounging her. I noticed her send was really good.  When she settled a bit I stopped moving my feet and  allowed her to walk behind me. Bailey stopped and looked at me, so I turned and sent her again. She walked  around me for one whole circle! That's something I struggled with  when playing with Brandy.

Her disengage was perfect, but at the bring back part Bailey assumed that I wanted her to go the other way. She stopped and started to walk the other way, so I disengaged her HQ and invited her to come to me.

When I was taking her down the ramp from the arena, she walked down slowly and carefully and didn't even think about rushing.  I don't think our first ground work session with her could have gone any better. Before saying good-bye to her, I put a little piece of apple in her feed bin.

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