21st october, 2009 Things we discussed, demonstrated and did

Awake at 7 this morning, I was thinking over the things that Jim and I discussed, demonstrated and did and it went something like this:

Key concepts - pressure and release (also finding a release before the horse finds his own)
prey and predator
Into pressure response
Memories as pictures (actually a video with sound and smell)

You move the horse, the horse doesn't move you
Give attention (affection) when you want to not when the horse demands it
Answer the horse's question, not his decision
Leadership as proof that you are "there" for the horse - the difference between alpha leadership and passive leadership
Keeping body language back with you not at the horse
The difference between behaviour you want to keep and behaviour you don't
If in doubt, halve the pressure
Catching technique - acknowledging their first offer
Use of the Dually
Asking for a horse's attention
The use of a "motorbike" hand and core stability - v- open hand and knots
Leading technique - "smile in the line"; brain in your hand and using your peripheral vision
Use of angles and eye contact
The horse's neck as an adrenalin graph
Does the beginning of negative reinforcement punish the status quo?
Use of clicker - how it works and sometimes doesn't
Horse probably needs prior clicker trainig for it to be useful in an emergency
Loading - use of pressure and release; too much pressure releases endorphins causing the horse to plant
The running foot
Using touch and move away technique to desensitise to new equipment - in this case a yellow forward assist strop that Petra thought looked a bit alarming (and yet accepted with three touch and move aways). Within two minutes she had it around her tummy and between her front legs without a murmur.

"Wow, did we do all that yesterday??!!!
Thanks again Sarah, had a good time and feel more confident now, still lots to learn though!" JG