One Parelli Tour Stop and Lucky Star acts like a willing horse with a go button. I found the secret. All I have to do is pretend I’m Linda Parelli and poof, Lucky Star fell for it! One portion of the Parelli program is bringing in four horses that have each personality type…left and right brained extrovert and left and right brained introvert. Lucky is a left brained introvert…”What’s in it for me?” More Whoa, Low Energy, Tendancy to stop. Linda took us on a tour of each horse’s personality in the arena surrounded by us crowd people.
And it was the Lucky Star act-alike’s turn to be in the spot light. Linda took over the horse and within a few seconds, that horse became a horse with tons of go! Everyone that goes to a Parelli Tour Stop event can’t wait to get home to play with their horse and use all the knowledge that was packed into our head for two wondrous days.
Three factors made Lucky Star into a go horse today: Longer Rope, Acting like Linda Parelli, Using Parelli learned horsemanship and Chiropractor Treatment.
Ground Game circle- I acted Like Linda Parelli when I asked Lucky to move and he took off at a canter! Not only did he take off at a canter, but he went around the 22′ circle multiple times at a canter. Then we practiced canter to trot to walk and back up to a trot to canter transitions. After some rest, licking lips to digest his thoughts, we went around again and jumped the barrels…multiple times. I wanted to faint with happiness, but managed to keep upright. This is the second time I have learned about the wonderful difference made by the 22′ rope. I wonder if I will ever have to learn it again. This is the second time I have learned about the importance of leader body posture when making a request of a horse. How many more times will I have to relearn this?
Riding-we practiced pushing passenger riding for me to gain confidence and for Lucky to experience freedom to think. Linda demonstrated the arm position to keep yourself from folding up into a ball when struck with nerves. The arm position ..pushing…also keeps your pockets in the saddle, instead of your upper legs when you fold into that bent over fear position. Without my permission, Lucky went from walk to almost a canter on his own choice. This is not the normal Lucky Star! We ended up hustling from one end of the arena to the other end…stopping at the barrels.
Next I took up the reins for a little bit of control. We did flat foot walk to fox trot to canter transitions and down while on the rail. Transitions down for Lucky Star used to be from a go to a whoa. Today, there was a brief moment of whoa argument and the rest of the time we experienced real downward transitions and non-argument faster transitions.
Finally, I decided to canter arena size figure eights with a drop to trot lead change in the middle. Once again, I am thinking someone switched horses on me as cantering around the arena is just not something on Lucky Star’s want or able to do list. Getting to do drop to a trot lead changes is my idea of heaven! Flying lead changes with Lucky would be a miracle!
Chiropractic treatment from Dr. Randy Huenefelg last week has helped Lucky with his “Physical Ability” to canter. Longer Rope on the ground game made it possible for Lucky to run like a locomotive engine. Acting like Linda Parelli convinced Lucky Star that I was totally in charge and that I would back up any request that I asked for. Good Lordy!
Above is horsemanship and caring for the physical. All of this can be learned from Tony and Jenny Vaught at clinics and lessons! Join us at For the Horse group on Facebook and www.forthehorse.org. Visit your chiropractor or sport horse massage professional for the physical!