10/29/2013- I know, I know!!!! I am such a slacker at writing updates! But seriously, who wouldn’t rather be riding horses?! Well since it has been a while since we chatted and I was able to share my adventures with you I better get busy. In September, I was lucky enough to get to travel to Colorado to visit the Parelli Ranch and all my Parelli Family. I spent a week participating in the Instructor Conference where we Instructors had the opportunity to get all the latest and greatest updates from Pat, Linda, Neil, Sue and the rest of the Parelli Corporate Team. We got to see the fabulous new Parelli 4 Savvies product which is everything Parelli has released in the last 30 years re-filmed and re-organized for everyone to have in one place, one pack and all updated. I can’t wait to be going through it all and watching it start to finish! The biggest thing I took away from the few days of the Instructor Conference was how Pat and Linda were making sure the “family” was back in Parelli, how important it is to them to be clear about what is “Pure” Parelli and what is the program so there is no confusion about it. And with so many products, videos and new things continually becoming available to us it started to get confusing for a lot of people and they apologized for that. What an invigorating experience!
After that there was the Savvy Summit and the big news about the Road to the Summit competition! 8 Instructors were selected by a panel to draw numbers and select an Atwood Ranch yearling to develop over the next year, start them under saddle and bring back to the Summit next year to compete! I am one of the lucky competitors and brought home a gelding named “Wyatt” that is almost a clone of Newton. They even share the same Grand-Sire, Dash for Cash! He is now with us here in Virginia after a long trip from Colorado and we have begun getting him settled into our herd of geldings and he got to appear in a Spotlight with Lil’ Grey and Sandy the Wonder Pup at the Horse and Soul Tour Stop this month in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The Spotlight was our fourth session together and he was fantastic! You can see the video on Facebook by clicking here. The Tour Stop was a lot of fun and I had the opportunity to be involved in 5 different sessions on my Super Lil’ Grey horse. But I am jumping ahead! Before I went to the Tour I had my Fall session in Illinois and was very impressed with all the progress made by students and horses!
When I teach I talk about the progression through the type different types of lessons that happen. First there are the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” type where might need to help do it and show you, then you do it. Followed by the “Coaching” type lesson where I get to sit in my rocking chair and coach you through what you are learning about. My favorite however is the “Smile and Wave” lessons where I give you an idea and get to sit back, smile and wave while you play with it and show me how awesome you are! I got to do a LOT of smiling and waving this trip with everyones progress which makes me SO PROUD!! I can’t wait to be back in the Spring to challenge everyone to step it up to the next level again.
Now back in Virginia and back in the swing of things we are getting settled in to being home after all the traveling and Tour Stop and and and! I have a great group of outside horses in for development and many are in for multiple months. I have “Bootcampers” that have committed to a big block of regular lessons to get themselves to the next level and one of my very best friends is coming to town to stay for a bit Dancing Pete Rodda!! So look out because there is going to be lots of fun and excitement happening here at The Ranch this fall.
I will leave you with a bit of information sharing to maybe help you with your horsemanship or offer another perspective on some ideas. I have been spending a lot of time getting more understanding on relaxation in my horses and what does that feel and look like. I have over the past few years been putting a lot of effort into being good at the sensitization of my horses and the horses that come to me for development and to balance that sensitivity you have to have a REALLY good Friendly or Confidence Game. Your control of your energy up and energy down has to be spot on to help your horse know when you are applying focused energy, or pressure, or just having energy in your body or around the horse, which unfocused energy is a kind of Friendly Game. So I have been adding lots of Extreme Friendly game into my sessions and even while playing one of the games to teach my horses to be able to read the Human. Here is an example, while playing the Yo-yo game, where you use the rope to drive your horse back, play the Extreme Friendly Game with the Carrot Stick and String or the Flag. The horse must read that the focused energy in front of Zone 1 that is talking about back up and the unfocused energy of the Stick that is just Friendly. Or what about playing the Driving game or Porcupine game on a circle while paying the friendly game over and around your horse with the Stick or Flag. These kind of puzzles really help the Horse to read the Human and teaches the Human to learn to control their energy so as to not accidentally focus it in a wrong way which will confuse or bother the Horse.
Want more?! Well then get out here and come play with us! It is a Pony Party everyday here at The Ranch and there is almost always something going on. There are some up and coming events that you know about! Dancing Pete and I will be teaching together in Pennsylvania this November so check the Schedule to see more info on those Workshops. If you are interested in getting in for a “Bootcamp,” otherwise know as the Experience Package, or having your horse come in for Development, don’t wait to contact us as we are almost full through the Winter and Spring for those in house packages. I will be offering Horseless Workshops over the Winter to give you a chance to brush up on your Theory and Simulations. These will be really affordable and fun events to keep the community playing together until we can offer Playdays again in the Spring. Do you want something special??!! We don’t know unless you ask for it so do NOT hesitate to contact us and let us know. We are here to help you grow so if you have questions, comments, concerns, confusions or requests pass them along so we can address them!
Now enough of this sitting on the couch typing stuff, I am ready to get to the barn and PLAY! I hope to see you there sooner rather than later!
Jake