I got an e-mail response to my last post asking for some ideas for working in small spaces. So here's a challenge - and don't think because you've got 20 acres that you get a pass - TRY IT!
Pat Parelli always says, "Exaggerate to teach, refine as you go along." But I think a lot of us get stuck in the habit of exaggerating - being bigger, faster, stronger than we need to be. We bypass the tiniest Phase 1 and go right to Phase 3 before we know we've done it. Even if we do start with a Phase 1, do we continually work on getting a lighter Phase 1? Well, if YOU do, you're a better man than I!
Let's start with what we want the OUTCOME to be: for your horse to shift his weight at the mere ENERGY of your intent. Kinda like how one horse can get another horse to skeeeedaddle just by moving an ear...
To help you remember the process, just think ANSWER.
ASK your horse to move one foot - and it helps to have a marker to aim for (a cone, a rope on the ground, even a piece of poo!).
NOTICE how much energy you're using, notice your focus, your body position, notice every detail you can about how you asked.
SCORE yourself on each of these details. Let's say 10 means as light or right as you can be. Was your energy level a 6, was your focus a 10 or a 5? Remember, anything you can measure, you can improve.
WRITE down your score. This is important - don't just mentally score yourself, because you'll want to do this over the course of several days and you will want to see where you started and how much effort (or how little!) it took to get to success.
EXPECT a lot, accept a little and reward often as you...
REPEAT the process, becoming more subtle, using longer phases and lighter cues, until your horse will shift his weight with just the energy of your intent.
You can work on this for 10 minutes a day - you're already out there to feed or pick feet. By the end of a week, my bet is that you'll be amazed with what you've done together.
For some other ideas check out my Ten Minute Tips that will give your horse 60 HOURS of training at the end of a year, with just 10 minutes a day.
Meanwhile, did you get the latest copy of the Savvy Times? Be sure to read my article "I Got... NO Rhythm" and then check out the fabulous video that David Lichman created to help me!
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