July 17

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

July 17: Workshop #5 Online Patterns and 45' Line Savvy

• Cool simulations with the 45' line.  Tip: separate the coils so the rope doesn't tangle when you toss it out.  (Be able to do it without looking.)  Also did a simulation where a person ran at you, trying to step on the rope, and it was your job to pull in the rope as quickly as the human was coming.  That was hard.  I need to practice. =D
• Only other thing of note was change of directions.  You should really have the picture of your horse's front end just moving around, become the way it is.  When you've got it like that consistently at the trot, the canter changes will come a million times easier.
• If your horse cuts in towards you during the change of direction, focus on driving the front end away.  If he stops wanting to come, you probably drove him too hard and made him feel wrong.

July 17: Workshop #6 Level 3 Liberty and Round Corral Savvy

• Figure-8, I had done three sessions since the workshop the weekend before.  I was starting to feel it was going good enough to try trotting, and sure enough, at the clinic she had me ask him to trot.  Cool, cool!  Nothing to note except it's going great.
• Changes of direction, on the other hand, had gone down-hill from last weekend.  He didn't want to come to me at all when I wanted to change.  Julia gave some tips, but I don't remember what they are.  I kind of felt that I didn't get a clear answer on improving that.  My thoughts now are that I just need to experiment, and get it amazingly fantastic online.
• Spins!  Yup, we playing with beginning spins.  Did a simulation by creating a box in the center, so you understand when to draw and where and when to drive.  (Change of direction, you just go backwards and forwards.  Spins, you move to the side to drive the front end around.)  I've got the idea.  But it'll be a lot easier to play with when I've got the change of directions going better.
• And a random tip.  If your horse doesn't go right into the canter, don't let him trot out of control, slow him down and then try again.