Thurs 6th May 2010
Well, after thinking about riding D with a firmer but moving contact, I decided to try it today.
It's hard to explain this without demonstrating it but you hold the reins firmer in your hands but follow the horses head movement more exaggeratedly with your arms. This means there is a firmer feeling in the horses mouth but their head and neck movement is not restricted at all. Often horses will back off this contact so then more leg is needed to get them going forward into it. Once the horse takes the contact and is going forward, you can go back to a lighter hold on the reins.
I have used this self-discovered method (I'm sure other riders do this but no-one ever told me about it!) on horses who evade the contact by being above the bit or leaning on it whilst motoring forward without using their HQs (typically RBEs). It used to work fantastically on Tia who, looking back was RBI but became RBE out on a hack. On a loose rein she was a crazy jogger, on a restrictive rein she would fight (or others would go behind the bit) but this gave her confidence without feeling trapped.
So, surprise, surprise again with young Duncs. Who would have thought he needed this much hand-holding - well not me anyway! He's so much more confident when I'm on the ground or he's with Moet but he really is a different horse when you're on top.
I'm now realising (how fascinating) that being RB or LB defines a horse far more than the way they behave i.e. introverted or extroverted. This might sound so obvious but to me it's been a total revelation (TG and Linda P for Horsenalities).
To put it in traditional language, the fact that I need to treat Duncan, a "quiet" horse, exactly like a nervous "crazy" horse is very surprising. And that is why RBIs are the most difficult horses to understand and why so many are misunderstood I guess.
So, back to the plot, Duncan was far more willing to trust me today. He was NOT confident. That will come in time but he was willing to try whereas last time I felt he had to be cajoled, even forced a bit, which troubled me and is agin the Parelli ethos of course.
I got on at the bottom of the lane. D wanted to go into the woods on the left (where we had the "horse" incident). With my new exaggerated riding, he walked further before I felt him baulking and, when he stopped, he walked forward sooner and of his own accord, apart from twice I think. We walked up to the walled garden and then came back on the parallel path. D sped up going back but was not panicky nervous and I was able to keep his focus (there was a bonfire and a crowd of people coming up from H'Wood to distract him!).
I rode up the road, past all the building going on at P's and then down "horse alley". On a scale of 1-10, last time I went down the horse path, he was willing at about 2. As his willingness tends to reflect his confidence, you can see how unconfident he was. This time, he started at about 5 and went up to about 7.
I know I have to take into account that repetition builds confidence but I got a whole different feeling from Duncan today and could really feel that riding him on more of a contact is going to be the way forward for a while. By the end of our "up and down" the path, D was blowing out nicely and felt nicely relaxed (not totally!). One thing, I forgot...at the first snack point, D was reluctant to walk on and, without thinking, I gave him an unceremonious "boot"! Very Un-PNH! Whoops. Duncs actually let out a "humph" and was a bit affronted but he did get moving and maybe that added to his try!
Another mini triumph, we met CJ on her grey horse going out and back. We stopped and had a chat and Duncs was great. We were on safe territory both times - on the road. I was at pains to tell her her I don't usually ride without a hat (forgot to put it on and couldn't be bothered to go back and get it which is naughty but does demonstrate that I have more trust in D these days!!)
A very good ride, delighted with Duncs and can't wait til the next time!
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