I decided to come back to this blog. I left it last May when I started posting all my progress with Kjarda to the Parelli Connect website. That has been a great way to log my hours and progress in the Parelli journey. But it doesn't really allow for the full meal deal of thought and process. I'll do both this year.
As I was reading back on my previous posts, I saw a consistent thread and it is still a consistent thread, because I haven't completely learned it yet. How to WAIT! I am still dealing with WAITing for Kjarda to think, to relax, to move without pushing her. So . . . this year, I will continue on that journey and hope I can get off the plateau and climb the mountain of progress!
We did make some progress last summer in spite of myself. Kjarda is so patient with me and so willing to please. We are riding bridleless now, and working in Level 4 of Finesse. However, though I have gone through all the patterns and almost all the tasks for Level 4 On-line and Liberty, we are not consistent. And there is where the problem with waiting (or not waiting) shows up the most. First, I need to be willing to go back on-line when Kjarda leaves; second I need to wait for her to absorb on-line before I go back to liberty.
Last summer I had the pleasure of attending a Norwegian Fjord breed show. Kjarda and I won the Senior High Point Award! We did good. And we were only two points away from winning the versatility award. Why did we not get those two points? Because I was unwilling to wait for Kjarda during the natural horsemanship trail course, and I pushed her through several moments that if I had waited, or slowed down, we would have earned those needed points. I learned a huge lesson there. I also performed two demonstrations . . . one was a bridleless riding demonstration which went really well. Kjarda did almost everything I asked her and when she didn't I tried to make it look like she did! We also did a liberty demo. It was the first time we had ever performed at liberty and had never been in such a large arena. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience and did not go really well. We had some good moments and she never completely ran off and left me . . I always got her attention back and she stuck with me. But we have a long way to go before I will try that again. And if I do, it will begin in a round pen where there are definite boundaries. My goal is to be able to eventually play at liberty in a large arena with complete connection and relationship. Again . . . I have a long way to go.
What now? I have been doing more studying this winter . . . watching the Success Series, the Walter Zettl "A Matter of Trust" DVD series, reading. It is only February. I have a couple more months before Kjarda is home. Lots of prayer, contemplation, study, learning to wait . . .
My goal this summer? Officially pass Level 4 in all four savvys. Lots of prayer . . .
Let me know via connect if you have posted a blog? I'd love to follow your journey.
ReplyDeleteWonderful that you are working on achieving level 4. Some 2 star instructors are teaching for a while and still working on achieving level 4.
Me, my challenging allure type Zola, made me eat dust and fulfill his needs and up my technique, knowledge, flexibility and savvy in not being a horse you can follow the curiiculum with. So I had to set my goals aside and make it about him.
Only these last months I have dared to ask for quality in execution, feeling ready to begin to check off all requirements for level 3 online. Being assertive and particular has meant that my horses insecurities and dominant moments are up from mild to bordering on extreme again.
Making me more aware of how much it is a balance. For a long time, I had completely let go of 'achieving' level 3 because the relationship was more important. And boom: this resulted in major and consistant, continuous progress!
The point I was at before, where I truly from the bottom om my heart if we were level 2 or level 62, don't know if I will find that again because I want to progress for both me and my horse. In my mind I feel I'm saying sorry to him for putting my needs first, because this is how it feels to me. Putting myself or my needs first is alien to me to begin with anyway....
Maybe once I feel truly from deep within that it is okay to have needs and goals with my horse, and trusting that it does not have to be inspite of my horse or in sacrifies our relationship or the parelli principles will all be in balance and come together....
Pffff, having a bfo here..... Just wanted to say, I understand and hear you....
Hmmm, this always happens when I start typing. Sorting your thoughts helps gain insight and oftentimes answers your own questions!
Maybe I need to find time to blog again too....
Wow, Ilana . . .thank you for that comment. This stuff helps both of us (all of us?). Because it's true! When we put aside our goals, quit being direct line, as Linda would say, and look at our horse for who they are and what they need . . . slow down . . . only be particular after they understand . . . all that is SO important. Reminding each other of that is good. Balance is another good word you used and sometimes hard to achieve. That's where the "savvy" comes in and I for one do not have as much savvy as I wish I had.
DeleteBut as for you putting your needs first . . . don't be hard on yourself. Just having a horse fills a need we horse people have. That's okay. But if our need to dominate or be right gets in the way of achieving something with our horse at his/her expense, then you're right . . . we need to put their needs first in that respect.
I have delayed my Level 4 goal a bit already in order to figure out this online/liberty plateau we are on. I'm praying I get chosen as a demo horse for the Puyallup, Washington, Horse and Soul tour stop. If I do, it might just be the catalyst for getting me going again!
Thank you for the conversation. I probably won't blog again until April. I have an unofficial "clinic" on April 14 with some local friends. I love to teach! I'll have more to report then.