A Tall Tail of Teaching

Release.

The single best thing I've learned through the Parelli program.

I practice on my timing now but every moment I spend with my girls is both a learning experience and a teaching experience all through the process of release.  They are both great, interested in me and what I am doing. Especially if the music playing is getting me to groove to the beat while grooming them.

Sunrise is very laid back and thoughtful, while Cayleigh always has thoughts racing through her mind.

Tonight everyone was in out of the cold rain so I thought I'd spend some time just brushing and making them look pretty. Sunrise had managed to get all kinds of little spikey seed pods into her mane so I spent 20 minutes combing it out. It was interesting to me that she stood for it. She hates having her mane pulled and while I'm very careful I'm sure the occasional hair does get pulled. Up until this time I've had to "make" this type of grooming happen but tonight, loose in her stall, she curved her neck towards me and just waited. I wish I could get it into words the soft look in her eye, the relaxation and curiosity. This is a big improvement in our relationship.

The day before I had some success with Cayleigh teaching her to yield to pressure on her tail. I thought it would be a good thing for Sunrise to start to learn too. The farrier often wants her to step once to the side due to her bad foot so a "control" handle on her butt would be good. Sunrise was not nearly as easy to teach as Cayleigh. As I pulled, adding pressure trying to get 4 phases, she would pull away from me in opposition reflex. My phase one is standing back to give room for the step and running her tail through the open palm of my hand. Phase 4 is letting her pull my full weight around.

Well, it took a long time before I even got a slight shift of the hips my way! She dragged me around the stall quite firmly while I tried to maintain steady pressure, but even eventually she stopped and her weight automatically shifted my way. Release! I figured stopping was enough for the release but I'll take more when offered. Well, a minute of butt scratching later, (boy does she have an itchy butt the way she makes faces!) and the lifted tail meets with an almost imperceptible shift towards me I drop the tail but my reaction time just wasn't fast enough and she stepped away. I'm slow slow slow and think too much! Oh well, taking longer than it could have I just repeated this 10 times and was getting two to three steps with a slight lift of the tail. Good stuff, repeat that on the other side with about the same results.

Backwards! Well, Sunrise is a smart horse, she may be stubborn but she thinks, a lot. Standing behind her and a minimal pull on her tail gets me a full step! The release lets her know she did well and boom, lesson taught. Three to four steps easily, and that's as much as we can do in the stall.

Every time you are with your horse you are teaching them something. What are you teaching them today?