Tomorrow is a day I am not looking forward to. Filly has to go to a vet about an hours drive away for an MRI scan on her hoof. The result of this will determine our future.
But to prepare for the journey trailer loading practise must not be ignored. It would be a shame not to be able to get her to her appointment. So the afternoon was spent playing with the trailer.
It's best not to focus on the trailer as a means of transport when doing this as I get too focussed on getting her in, and not focussed on improving our communication. Today I decided to really work on my skills at feeling her slightest try. As luck would have it I have just read Mark Rashid's book "Horses Never Lie" again. That must make the fourth reading. In it he describes closing his eyes to see if he can feel a "try" even better than in the past. I decided to give the idea a go.
The feel I wanted was of the porcupine pressure I was applying to the lead rope to ask her to enter the trailer. To do this I had to be standing in the trailer of course, but on the side another horse would occupy.
I started with my eyes open as she was a bit worried and played very gently until she relaxed. Then I closed my eyes.
That takes a lot of trust ! But Mark was right. As soon as I closed my eyes I could feel communication down the lead rope I had never felt before. I can't even describe some of the feelings that were sent to me. But it was intuitive and obvious as to when to release the pressure. I had to feel it, I couldn't see it. Filly became softer and softer. Even her eye changed its intensity and became soft.
This softness lead to me discovering that what she was really worried about with the trailer was not getting on, it was getting a back feet over the lip of the trailer and onto the ramp as she got off. She feared the metal strip, which to her metal shoes felt slippery. We spent a long time just letting her "pad" her hind feet around until she became more confident with the transition from trailer to ramp.
As that confidence grew, so did her confidence in getting on. Without the calm softness we had developed when I closed my eyes I am not sure I would have noticed the problem.
Maybe I should play with her more with my eyes shut :)
But to prepare for the journey trailer loading practise must not be ignored. It would be a shame not to be able to get her to her appointment. So the afternoon was spent playing with the trailer.
It's best not to focus on the trailer as a means of transport when doing this as I get too focussed on getting her in, and not focussed on improving our communication. Today I decided to really work on my skills at feeling her slightest try. As luck would have it I have just read Mark Rashid's book "Horses Never Lie" again. That must make the fourth reading. In it he describes closing his eyes to see if he can feel a "try" even better than in the past. I decided to give the idea a go.
The feel I wanted was of the porcupine pressure I was applying to the lead rope to ask her to enter the trailer. To do this I had to be standing in the trailer of course, but on the side another horse would occupy.
I started with my eyes open as she was a bit worried and played very gently until she relaxed. Then I closed my eyes.
That takes a lot of trust ! But Mark was right. As soon as I closed my eyes I could feel communication down the lead rope I had never felt before. I can't even describe some of the feelings that were sent to me. But it was intuitive and obvious as to when to release the pressure. I had to feel it, I couldn't see it. Filly became softer and softer. Even her eye changed its intensity and became soft.
This softness lead to me discovering that what she was really worried about with the trailer was not getting on, it was getting a back feet over the lip of the trailer and onto the ramp as she got off. She feared the metal strip, which to her metal shoes felt slippery. We spent a long time just letting her "pad" her hind feet around until she became more confident with the transition from trailer to ramp.
As that confidence grew, so did her confidence in getting on. Without the calm softness we had developed when I closed my eyes I am not sure I would have noticed the problem.
Maybe I should play with her more with my eyes shut :)
2 comments:
What an interesting idea! I will definitely have to try that, and check out the book.
Hope the trailer ride tomorrow goes well. :)
I mentioned it to Josh, my instructor yesterday. He did not seem at all surprised. He just said "no one feels as well as a blind man feels" and left it at that. I do remember Pat Parelli saying that one of his instructors made him play with bare hand, a blind fold and a forty five foot rope. If you get it wrong those ropes really really burn. He said he had rope burn from hell, but learnt how to get a soft feel
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