Another thing to think about is a quote that Parelli didn't invent, but uses regularly. This applies to any sport and most every hobby or...

Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

If you continually allow imprecision and lackadaisical responses, your horse's performance will reflect that. There is no one else to look to but the rider for this.

Then, when you really need precision, your horse has no concept of complying with you since you don't ask for it in a training situation.

After today, it is more evident than ever that Joe Paterno is right.

I'm thinking of making his quote my battle cry. Those of you who don't scroll down a bit here, the quote I'm refering to and paraphrasing is, 'Most have the will to win, few have the will to prepare.'

Why, why is sort of, kind of, close enough, oh well, whenever, whatever, hmmmm, maybe tomorrow, good enough???

I've really buckled myself down for some exceptional results lately. Close is not EVEN close enough and the results and fun have grown exponentially. Of course, we, me & horse, have had some time where we disagreed on the outcome of a request. Of course, horse expects to get his  way and I expect to get mine. Of course, one of the two will come out with the better outcome. Will it be you?

Has horse been winning these bracing battles for the last dozen years?

If so, you can't expect to win everything back in just an hour or two, but if you never jump into the skirmish, there isn't one because horse has already won. Once you start becoming aware of how mental bracing causes physical bracing and how this applies to darn near every single task or request you have of your horse, you'll probably be amazed at the points, skirmishes, battles and eventually the war that your horse has been winning and you thought you were just going for a ride.

People frequently tell me that horse was great when they first got him. But, a year or two later, they're pondering getting rid of horse or don't want to ride because they're afraid of what may happen due to misbehaviors of horse now.

Yes, over time, horse is very good at assessing your skills, or lack of them, and taking, for him, appropriate action.

If you honestly consider your horsemanship skills and the training level of your horse, which are you closer to:  A pencil drawing around your hand and fingers that you make a turkey out of? or a Monet?

NOW time frames. As in your own. Keep doing the same type of work with your horse and getting results that you think are a bit of give on the part of your horse and not saying to yourself, "What would I have to do and how long would I have to do it to get my horse to understand that that just isn't enough anymore?"

Honestly, it will boil down to the person. Does the person have enough stick-to-it-ivness to see it through and ask for it in a certain way NOW. The response doesn't need to be good the first time or even the fifth time. Of course, horse will protest the new manner. But, if you don't stick with it, ya got nothing.

10 years of having horse get his way or 2-7 hours of the two of you learning that you can have things your way, too. Enjoy! Get the struggle over (between you and yourself and you and horse) if you're always 'non-confrontational' with horse...you've already lost.

NOW time frames - sounds pushy, doesn't it. Until you really need or want your horse to do something (like turn left) and horse says, "Um, I'm reading the last chapter of Black Beauty. Check with me later."

Unless horse understands the concept of when you say now you mean now, don't expect any great result for any task. You may have mediocre results or less than you like, but you're willing to accept it results, or darn, I wish my horse...    but until you do something about it, too bad.

Do your homework at home so it works a bit better when you're not at home. Put your horse in positions where you would like him to comply and see if he does. See HOW he does. Willingly, 15 times in a row. Or does he do it sort of once and then says, "I'm done with that."??? And are  you done with that?? Because he said so? Because you won't persist longer than he?

I heard a quote the other day from Joe Patino - I'm paraphrasing sort of but...   Most everyone has the will to win. Few have the will to prepare.

Time frames - I'm so pleased with my Peka girl. It's amazing what 7 days in a row of riding her will do. I am delighted with our progress. We've been working so hard at maintaining position, giving to the slightest degree of request or pressure and getting better and better at putting her where I would like her. Moving it up to walk, trot and canter and backup without changing her head position and not bracing,  maintaining the same pace, moving in and out without changing anything.

Everyone I'm working with is working on the same stuff. I'm on a tear! My leg is getting better all the time and it's time we all buckled down and got this done. There is nothing that needs to happen for exceptional horsemanship more than your horse willingly moving forward, backward, left, right, up, down or standing still. Everything...everything falls under this category. It may be jumping a 3'6" fence, barrel racing, competitive trail obstacles...everything falls under this category. So, we may just as well get on with getting it done.

Note to self - musings on the word 'just'.

I came upon a youtube video two days ago. I'm absolutely inspired and could barely wait 'til the next morning to start what I need to do with my untrained heathens to get on that train.

Inspirations like this make me feel like going out right now. So, I keep videos like this handy for those times when I feel I'm too tired riding everybody else's horse to ride my own and to get me started on what I may want to go for today.

It was going to be a secret until I got some work done on it, but I'm too excited to keep it a secret. The Stacy Westfall video falls into this category, too. But, this will be my new preference.

On youtube punch in "working equitation speed test, Beja", then...get to work!

Back to time frames and results - What, exactly, are you accomplishing in your hour on your horse? People learn in different ways, so do horses. The same thing will not work with each horse in the same way. The mantra is "Analyze and Adjust".  What, exactly, is happening now? If I do this......what just happened? Was it something I like or don't? Now what? What if I do this???? Hmmm...better? Or not such a good idea?

I'm always amazed when people tell me how good their horses are. Not that I mean there are a bunch of bad horses out there, because there aren't. It's just people's idea of good is lame. I have prospective students telling me about themselves and their horse and they repeatedly use the term 'awesome' to describe their horse. Well, just what is it that's so awesome? Then they go on to either show or tell me that their horse won't stop, goes the other way when they want to turn, pushes through the bit, reaches around and bites their leg when horse gets mad, spooks, bucks, runs off....etc, etc. Sheesh, if you use awesome for that, what are you going to use if your horse actually whoa's?

I'm all for you liking/loving/enjoying your horse, but a bit more word accuracy will probably help you produce a better horse. If you believe yourself when you say how good your horse is, you're less likely to buckle down and work on making it 'awesome'.

So many concepts to ponder and muse about. Every time I talk to someone more comes up. So, I'm going to start listing subjects I'm musing about and may or may not get into the blood and guts at the moment, but anyone who wants to post an interest and then that will take priority. Either that or I should just stop talking to people! Ha!

Impulsion, lack of, or perceived lack of, or a difference of opinion of how that would manifest itself.

Time frames & results - what is too long to be 'learning' something? How much learning is actually going on? I recently was one of 4 judges for a Challenge for a rescue operation. 7 local trainers each got a horse from the rescue for 90 days. The horses were either thoroughbreds from a breeding mill type deal, or mustangs. Only one had ever raced on the track. At the end of the time frame, there was a 'show' where each contestant entered the arena and presented the results of their work. One of the spectators thought I would have been really impressed with the fact that one horse, on line, moved when his person moved and stopped when the trainer stopped. "Well," I said, "it's nice that that went well, but what did the trainer do with the other 89 days?"

Doing nothing at the right time can be difficult, but also most important.

Dwelling

It's not enough to start doing the right things with your horse, you must stop doing the wrong things.

Bending, suppling, softness, consistancy, why are you asking so little of your horse?

Then there's this BIG one - fears. Fears about your horse, fears about your skills or lack thereof, fears about going out of the arena, fears about being in that big arena, fears about other people, fears about other people's horses, fears about trotting or cantering or...dare I say it galloping, fears about asking your horse to be an enjoyable ride.

So, I'm starting to get a feel for what the heck I'm doing blogging. If that makes any of my students feel better, I suppose that's how you feel in lessons sometimes, eh? Not to worry, I'm familiar with the 'don't know what the...' feeling. Just on different subjects.

But this butt thing...start playing around with distances when your horse is at liberty. Try to throw in some observation time with this when you aren't going to work with your horse. Feeding time, check the water time, put the fly masks on or off, whatever. But, move around an observe when your horse moves relative to when you've moved and which way horse moves. You don't NEED to DO anything. Just become aware of what happens.

I will probably start writing a lot more detail, just figuring out my time. All of this is 'bookable' but of course, you won't be the only one on either side of the story. Everyone thinks they're the only one until I use an example and it's the same thing that happened to them.  Besides, I always change names to protect the guilty. Now, don't let that stop you from posting!!! Give me your thoughts and feelings and if you're leaning in a different direction please tell me about it. 

Horses are big. Why do we ignore a horse presenting us with his butt until the idea occurs to us that MAYBE he's thinking about kicking us if we don't back off?

What would you think if a person turned his back to you as you walked up to talk to him? Would "I'll just rope your head and get some gear on you and then ride" be a likely solution to you? Would you expect the person to forget all about the 'incident' and give you a good ride?

Today I had the opportunity to help some new people realize what their horses were saying with...their butts.

Yes, when you approach your horses out in the pasture and they turn tail and run, you may want to give some thought to that. Why are they doing it? When did it start? How long have I not noticed it? How am I going to change it? What do I do? Where do I move?

Is it position? Respect? Where do I start? What equipment do I need? Is there a better place/area to work in so I can have some success?

I'll be back with some considerations and how's PDQ.

Musings on horses and horsemanship keep my mind going day and night. Why do people do what they do with their horses?  Why don't they know what their horses are doing? How is it possible to not know when you're standing there holding the horse on line or mounted on said animal?

What's the best way to approach the fix?

Where are they on the ladder of their horsemanship and where do they think they are?

Insight into what you're actually thinking under whatever circumstances you want to present are welcome.