July 10-12

Workshops with Julia Ryman, assisted by Mollie Vacco and Lori Northrup

July 10: Workshop #2 Level 2/3 Freestyle Patterns and Fluidity

• When doing a pattern, stick with it until there’s a change.  If there is a change, and you’re not sure whether to wait for more, it’s safe to release sooner rather than later.  You want to reward so the horse knows what you want.  If your horse is right-brained and not improving (and you have a time limit or just can’t keep going), you can interrupt the pattern.
• Fluidity: Have a good focus!  Sit taller, but remain on your balance point with lower back still relaxed and a little rounded.  Use the retarding seat as the first phase to slow/stop.
• Three C’s: ?, Confidence, Competence.  Each progresses into the other.  Fluidity is in the conpetence stage; until you get the first 2 c’s, you can’t focus on how you’re.

July 11: Workshop #3 Level 3 Fundamentals of Liberty

• Before playing at liberty you should be able to play with the belly of the rope on the ground and have a great draw!
• Falling leaf technique: criss-cross your arms so that you can disengage with the carrot stick, then resend with the carrot stick without changing hands with the rope and stick in the middle of asking the horse to go the other direction.
• Backward-s pattern is all about building draw.  You are looking for the horse to want to come to you with enthusiasm.  That’s the whole goal of the pattern, so if he draws great, gets a nice experession, asks to come in, let him!  Even in you haven’t even done the pattern (ex. you start to do it and he wants to come in right away)!
• When doing sideways, if zone 5 is lagging, think about drawing zone 1 instead of driving zone 5 and accidentally pushing him forwards.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and experiment.  If things go wrong at liberty, you can always go back online.  (But remember that that the more you practice something wrong, the more it becomes a pattern.)
• Three reasons to play online: 1. Pre-ride checks (or checks for liberty).  2. Teach horses new things.  3. Teach riders new things.  -  If you’re not doing one of these three things, play with a different savvy!

July 11: Workshop #4 Secrets to Bridleless Riding

• Be effective to get nice phase 1’s.  Your horse should stop off of your seat.
• When stopping while riding, if the horse leaks forward, the more they leak forward, the more vigorously you want to back them up.
• When backing, using the carrot stick for backing effectiveness and the reins for straightness.  As the horse understands the carrot stick means back-up, you can use the reins less and less.

July 12: Private Lesson with Julia

• When circling, if he’s disconnecting and is unconfident, don’t leave him out there to get completely right-brained.  If he’s mostly left-brained, but still disconnecting, wait for the connection, then bring him back.
• Change of direction.  To help increase connection and draw, do the change of direction when Cal’s behind you.  Turn with him with carrot stick raised to create energy, then run backwards to draw him in.  Wait for two eyes, the resend.  Make sure not to send so hard that he starts not wanted to come towards you for the first part.  Keep in mind the goal: to just lean or step back and have him change, and when he changes direction, his hind end essentially stays on the rail and he just swings his front end around.
• For the figure-8, run backwards to draw, rather than disengaging.  The goal is to go backwards less and less.  If he starts to leave, disengage.  Play with bringing him back or continuing on the pattern when that happens.  If it goes three times, and it’s not getting better, maybe bring him back.  Also bring him back if there a good time with effort.
• To improve lead by the tail, start refining by doing a long-ish (maybe 3 seconds) phase 1, then quick 2, 3, 4 with the rope (or stick if at liberty).  To turn while backing, make it a game to stay in zone 5.  While teaching, use the carrot stick to drive zone 1.
• To do sideways towards, swing the savvy string, and for the next phase, flick the other side with the end of the savvy string.
• Combing the reins (with the confidence snaffle and fluidity reins).  When you comb, reach all the way forwards and then comb all the way to the chest.  Keep a good rhythm, with a decent amount of drag on the rope.  Continue until horse pushes against the bit and stretches down.  After the horse get’s the stretching, start looking for them to stretch for more strides.  Usually only do this at the walk adn trot.  Don’t do it in the halter/hackamore because you don’t want to teach the horse to lean against that (which is what you are teaching them with the confidence snaffle).
• Use combing the reins for longitudinal flexion.  Once you have longitudinal flexion, it’s easier to ask for vertical flexion.
• Three goals of combing the rein: 1. Confidence/friendly game in zone 1.  2. Raise the back.  3. Lengthen the stride (so that they track up more with the hind end).