Wednesday Fluidity II Finesse Day Three

This morning was beautiful again - chilly and still. Remuda with Kristi was a low energy affair, with lots of discussion regarding our use of fluidity the day before. It was helpful to hear other's successes and issues - it reminds us that we are all learning and experimenting.

Next, to the classroom, where Kathy took the lecture on the Parelli Formula and Leadership - this I was looking forward to, especially since Roget and I are still working on this area! So what is the Parelli Formula? Simply put it is a people training programme initially until the human has the foundation, then the human can begin training the horse. So what is the human's foundation? At the most basic level it is the first three levels on top of the philosophy of rapport. Read on for more detail.....

The Parelli philosophy is rapport - this means trust, understanding and empathy (walk in your horse's shoes). This is the most important building block as it underlies anything that comes after it. The philosophy is what makes Parelli horseman different - horses are not sports equipment, but life long partners.

So the first level of the human's foundation is the mental or respect building block. This is where safety, partnership, leadership, a positive attitude and 'Yes' versus 'No' responses are addressed. Next comes impulsion or the emotional where 'Go' equals 'Whoa', the human and horse start obtaining skills and relaxation is the emphasis. The last level in the foundation is flexion or the physical, the whole body is now addressed, including posture, collection and the human also starts obtaining tool savvy (bridle, saddle, stick, etc).

It is interesting to observe that if the human is fit in all this, as the leader in the relationship, any horse will start to look as if they are too! Remember the first step towards change is awareness and that your 'learning cup' is never full - there is always room for more knowledge.

The 10 qualities to obtaining the foundation and being the successful student of horsemanship are in the following progressive order:

1. 1/2 Heart and desire (1/2 horse 1/2 human)
2. Repsect
3. Impulsion
4. Flexion
5. Attitude - positive, progressive and natural
6. Feel
7. Timing - both for the release and asking at the right time
8. Balance - mentally, emotionally and physically
9. Savvy
10. Experience

Bruce Lee quote (just for Gareth!): "In learning to master yourself, you don't need to train your muscles, you need to train your mind. There is as much mental and emotional development to be learned as there is the physical".

This afternoon Roget and I worked on the leadership and respect aspects of our relationship! My plan was to allow undemanding time and then without any brace play one of the 7 games with an obstacle. This worked a treat - he really enjoys this type of format, and so do I - he gets to have lots of rest and chill out time and I get to progress my leadership and our relationship in a positive, brace and tension free way - perfect! Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'm going to do some riding using this same format with an emphasis again on the leadership.

This evening was the last campfire of the season, so everyone turned up including Pat Parelli, Tim Sullivan and Katie Drake. Unfortunately it did rain, so we moved from the fire to the lodge porch where the sing song continued unabated. It was a great night and I took lots of photos to hopefully remind me at a later date.