More Cesar thoughts....

28 Sept 09

Didn't get to play all weekend as Rich working. Today, just went up to feed & took G in her wheelchair. Got the ball out for D to show off his dribbling skills to her as she'd been wanting to see this for some time! He was obliging but the best bit was he carried on after I went into the shed to make the feeds! Edmund wanted a ride so good old M was called upon and obliged by carrying him back to his grazing spot.

My blog is therefore just about thinking! Steady! When Cesar works with unbalanced dogs, his aim is for them to be calm-submissive. I was thinking about how this translates to D and here's my thinking on his moods compared to the doggie states of mind.

• Calm-submissive - definitely had this attitude on the ground when we filmed our audition. He was willing and frequently looked at me with a questioning expression.
• Calm-dominant - see this often when driving & circling. D makes faces, ears back and the occasional challenge.
• Excited-dominant - D was in this mood at the Essex course to start off with and seems to get this way when other horses are around - flamboyant, energetic, calling, not listening to me.
• Excited -submissive - I'm not so sure about this in relation to horses. I think excited-submisive would be a nervous introverted state so I guess this will be when D's tense & bracey which in turn will become sharp, spooky then extrovert if not diffused.

Soooo, I've been thinking about what emotional state I need D to be in at all times for me to stay safe and for him to feel secure? Calm-submissive of course. And I really must not settle for anything less for the sake of perceived progress as it will only set us back. My focus has got to be on how to create that state of mind rather than the patterns I have become focussed on lately. Yes! Done it again, become task orientated!!

Therefore, I must go back to the original plan of passengering until D is comfortable with that. He had become calm-submissive (i.e. confident!) about me mounting but had not got the confidence to walk about with me sitting up before I started asking him to walk (which is where it started to go downhill!). So rewind needed.............