I get to play with a LBI youngster. Thanks for the learning Duncan!

What's happening to me? I find I'm really up for a challenge - on the ground I hasten to add!

I went to visit my old friend Ursula (she's not particularly old - I've known her 24 yrs) for the weekend 9th/10th Oct. Urch has a 3 yr old Andalusian mare, Chenoa, who is most definitely LBI.

I was hoping I'd be able to have a play with her and, what joy, I got to play with her for a couple of hours each day. I really loved it. She is typically dominant but very switched on. She needed a lot of convincing that I was serious about her staying out of my space. It was a great chance to really work on getting the basics right and being particular without critical. Surprisingly, I found I had a lot of patience (?!) and stayed the course on each game until I saw a change. In the past, I would have quit at the first sign of a improvement, partly through lack of knowledge and partly through boredom (!) but I'm getting better at knowing when to keep going and when to quit.

The main themes we worked on were:

• Follow a feel from zone 1 - she was very sticky which made you feel like you wanted to flick with the stick! Worked on long and very clear phase 1 moving to quick effective ph 4.
• Yo-Yo - again, sticky so long, light ph 1 through to quick, effective ph 4. Good improvement here as she was very "Blah, blah, blah" initially!
• Circling - being very clear about the 3 elements of back-up, send and allow. Chen was a bit stressy about this, especially to the right when she wanted to either turn back, turn in or take off farting. I was extremely persistent with fixing each element as required and really happy with Chen's progress.
• Mounting Prep!! - I ended up lying over Chen's back, flexing her head towards me and "dismounting" into a run back. What I was delighted about was that this all felt so natural to me and I felt so confident. I'm sure, in a few sessions, I could be sitting on her thanks to the months of work I did with Duncs in this area - and the fact that Chenoa is a LBI with no hang-ups of course!

Amazing...at last, through playing with other horses, I'm becoming thankful for the hard time I've had with Duncs! I have a benchmark of how much I've learnt, and am learning, with him. Other horses have a lot more innate confidence than Duncan which makes it much easier to play with them. Duncan is the perfect guinea pig for me. I naturally bond with the extroverts, it's the introverts' respect and trust I need to learn how to win. I'm not there yet but I'm getting closer.......Thanks Duncs!

My calm, smart boy! Relaxed around other horses

Tues 12th Oct 2010

We went up to the car park and played extreme FG with Edmund's "Mr Bump" spacehopper which has handy horns to hold on to! Duncs was chilled, even with it bouncing on his back. Then off down towards the Scout Camp (left the hopper behind, I wasn't riding it!). Barely any thresholds - D was having a fine time. I had the 45' on - only the second time, feels very awkward and stiff.

How interesting! in the fields adjacent to the Scout Camp Lane, a local lady who is very successful in national dressage was showing off her youngsters to a photographer whom I later discovered to be Horse & Hounds regional reporter (Ooerr!) After 10 mins or so, they came over to the 3 youngsters who normally have a run-about when we pass.

The aim was to encourage the youngsters to trot/canter about for photos. They were not terribly compliant being far too LB and inquisitive. I ended up helping by throwing my 45' down the path and then lending P my carrot stick so she could chase the horses about. Through it all, Duncs was fab which was concrete evidence that he is getting over his "horse obsession". He didn't kink his tail up or snort once!

The herd even went for a flat out gallop but Duncs just stood and watched. I must say, I felt pretty proud of him! Not so long ago, he would have gone into orbit - along with my pulse rate!

Procrastination and Gold Nuggets

I keep putting off writing my blog because I get left behind and then it seems like a) too big a job which will take ages b) I can't remember what I've done c) don't feel inspired d) blah, blah, blah.

I usually spend ages reading other peoples blogs or doing other things on the computer in order to put off doing my own! Then I get left further behind and feel less like doing it. Just get on with it, Lucy!

To get me going today, I will just write about the interesting bits rather than recount in diary form. The overall picture is I have always been on the ground, mainly in zone 5 and either with the 22' or 45' line (whoo!)

Breaking News!! It's only taken 2 years!!! How to deal with RBI thresholds........

Last week, I spent a whole session dealing with Duncs concern over a moving blue tarp and a man chopping wood (the same man who has a jack russell and a squeaky bike!) by the side of the road. They were below street level which made them more spooky. Because I was chatting to the chap, my new approach of:

1. Retreat from threshold
2. Move feet
3. Re-approach

...was quite low energy and relaxed. I decided early on that I was going to take as long as it took to get past (I could have led Duncs and he would have gone straight by).

Something started turning over in my brain (steady!) - subconsciously - not a bolt of lightning. Without thinking about it, over the next couple of sessions, I started "turning down the volume" when moving Duncan's feet and noticing results.

Today, I know I'm really onto something. I think I've actually found a bit of savvy! It's like a nugget of gold and the weird thing is, I feel like telling ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN! Something like:

"HEY, ALL YOU EXTROVERT HUMANS WITH RBI EQUINES. Listen up! This might save you 2 years of struggle!!

"Did you know that when your horse reaches a threshold, you can build his confidence by retreating and moving his feet SLOWLY?"!!!!

Oh man, it doesn't sound like much but honestly, for me, it's pure gold. I think I might even be in with a shot for a second Savvy Spot award!

Seriously though. It's understanding that:

Once we've retreated from the threshold, I need to match D's energy when I move his feet. If he is introverted (as we are always told with LBIs), I need to move his mind to get him to move his feet. It's no good me starting to up my energy and phases when he's nervous/bracey/static. All that does is blow his mind and make him nervous of ME.

If, on the other hand, he is RBE when we retreat, my natural high-energy jinks are fine!

The results I'm noticing are fewer and fewer thresholds. Had a great session down the Scout Camp lane which I will put as a separate entry now for easier reading!

Back to one line zone 5 driving. How did I forget control of the feet? A funny pattern develops...

It's now a week since my last blog entry so I'll recap for the week:

Monday 27th Sept - pm

Had a tricky session in terms of my rope and dog handling skills. Flick (tiny Jack Russell) really doesn't like to be attached to me when I'm so close to Duncan but she's not obedient enough to stay off-lead on the roads. She wanders all over the place then just stands and stares when I call her (very annoying - it doesn't help my karma!). This is something I need to address obviously but, in the meantime, I will try to exercise her independently of Duncs for one of our 3 sessions each week.

Today I wondered if Duncs would be transformed after our bonding last week. I have a tendency to drift into storyland when imagining myself with horses (the reality of course being somewhat different!). It's the legacy of reading too many pony books in my formative years.

Well, Duncs was certainly different.....At the gate to go out, he was aware of some horses moving about up the road. I was chatting to Sarah whilst waiting for the goggling to finish but then D decided he wanted to go with them. I politely but firmly said no with the rope against the side he was leaning towards, whereupon Duncs threw himself round and tried to head back to the field.

I was a bit surprised and reacted instinctively - which was good because Duncan stopped - but not so good in that I gave a loud "NO!" and flapped my arms around feverishly! The "Old Me" would have followed this with some choice swearing so I guess I've come on a bit....

Whether I scared Duncs or he was just testing the boundaries today I don't quite know. I think it's a bit of both - the indicator is usually him pulling faces at me! I used to get bolshy back until I realised there was a bit of insecurity causing him to try to take the lead. I still haven't worked it all out...

Anyway, I was so wrapped up in retreating from thresholds and moving his feet, that I really didn't have time to worry. I had watched Pat teaching the circling game to a new horse the evening before where he emphasises the 3 slaps on the ground required initially to get the horse to understand they need to get going. I realised I have never been that strong or clear for fear of offending Duncs. This day, I gave it some welly! Perfect circles, Yes Maam!

We did back-ups for a long way, sideways, tapping the back legs to walk forwards 2 steps then back-up 2 steps, squeeze, lateral flexion. It was great and I remembered that I had forgotten about how important it is that you are the one moving the horses feet. How could I forget that? Too long spent walking in straight lines! Actually, too long spent "following" Duncan as opposed to "driving" him!

The other thing I realised was that I do need to go back to one line driving. How interesting...I need to be free of the second line so that at any moment, I can send Duncs any way because we are not yet at the level of communication where two lines can be used for refinement. I suddenly understood for myself why 2 lines should really only be used after you've mastered one (I have of course been told this by my ever-patient instructor!)

How typical of me...always trying to run before I can walk, jumping in at the deep end (how hard can it be?!) then realising I've forgotten to take the swimming lessons. Or, as I previously blogged, attach 2 lines, stand behind horse, then realise I don't know how to ask him to walk on! Is this because I'm gung-ho or lazy. Both, I fear! Must Try Harder....

We only got to the end of the road but I felt we'd covered an awful lot of ground. Duncs was quite sparky which, had he not been offering me things, I would have taken to be tension. Instead, I realised he was just really engaged. Err?? What's happening here?!

Tues 28th Sept 2010

Well, well. Duncs was really pleased to see me, Ooh, I'm getting the feeling....no, too early to be sure......am I at last going to find out the secret of how to be The Alpha?! Oooh, how exciting...

I can't remember all the ins and outs (probably just as well, this blog is going on too long) but Duncs was FAB!

I set myself up for success and went out:

• Without the dog
• With plenty of time
• Only one 22' line
• One carrot stick

Incidentally, before going out the next time (months after starting zone 5 driving!), I actually went onto the Savvy Club members site, searched for Zone 5 driving, dug out a DVD from 2006 and watched it!!! At last, a small glimmer of hope that I might become a responsible student!!!

We went up the road and into the village hall car park (we load up here so it's a good place to visit for a mooch) then back down and all the way into the scary Little Woods. I was very busy again AFTER retreating from each threshold. As we went into the woods Duncs was BLOWING OUT! I couldn't believe it. We went to the muck heap and I let him investigate it - he has a poo fascination, I guess from his days wild on the New Forest. I'm now wondering who, in a herd, would do the poo sniffing to see who'd been where. Have to Google that!

I had that really connected forward-going feeling from Duncs again today. He wanted to play touch-it with everything and was constantly looking round at me - hoping for a treat if truth be told! However, I know it's not just cupboard love. There's a bit more trust and respect going both ways between us now. Aahh. xxx

Thurs 30th Sept 2010

Whoah! Duncs went out like a rocket! Keen as mustard, very few thresholds, couldn't wait to go down the Scout Camp lane (his favourite - good grass and classy mares to look at!). Despite being keen, he was looking to me for guidance and was much more polite about eating, i.e. heading towards the grass but when I indicated I wanted him to go on, he did.

We turned up the path to the arena and Duncs trotted up there (!) which I encouraged. I was just loving how confident he felt. We came back down and Duncs willingly headed down towards the camp again, away from home. All the horses in the field alongside crowded up to the fence. Duncs was interested but, how funny, I have inadvertently trained a pattern into him!

What usually happens is the horses come over and Duncs does the equivalent of a dog straining on it's leash! I then back him up and, when his attention is on me, give him a treat. This day, in his super-confident mode, Duncan looked at the horses time and again then turned to me with his rapt "I get a treat now" face! Of course I obliged! Wow, I'd love to develop that pattern for when I'm on board!! See another horse, stop for a bit of apple? Yes please!

Despite Duncs good behaviour, I was aware that I still have my own thresholds round other horses. In the beginning, the mere sight of another horse would set him off cavorting and it's only thinly under the surface now. That said, he's come a long way (me too!).

I found myself thinking "Ooh, I hope they don't all start cantering about, I'd like to go back" but I said to myself "It's OK, you can go back any time you like, but just wait a bit longer as Duncs is actually fine". Hey, this approach and retreat works for me too!

There was a sticky moment when Duncs didn't want to leave his new buddies to go home but it soon passed and all the way home was asking me questions; "Shall I touch that wheelie bin?" "What about that cone?" "Shall I trot up the road like we usually do?" It was great.

Just so I didn't get above myself 'though, when I turned him out, he cantered off without a backward glance to the new grass!