The Art of Natural Dressage

NO!! You are not holding him back at all and that´s the beautiful thing. You are actually helping him so much to use his potential. And you are learning together. Imagine you would put a lot of tack on him and go the ordinary way. THAT would be holding him back.

I do love the way you describe the timing Romy...thank you for that!

I am not REALLY feeling like I'm holding him back...I meant it to be funny. I am very proud of what he's learned, but I am aware of how much quicker he could learn if I was more naturally a graceful person who could really control her movements. That consistency is very important!! Tam is a very fast learner when I get it right. We slowed down a bit on some things when we got to the point that two cues were similar, and only vaguely different from each other. We slowed down because I would get the cue wrong. For instance, my "send away" is very similar to "bring your hip around to me". So he can get confused and I have to work on myself so that he can get it right.

I just got an email from Tamarack's breeder. I have an opportunity to put together a nicer, larger video with Tamarack, and they will play it at their booth/table and an equine event coming up in April.

It would be a nice, subtle way to show what can be done with a cordeo, some kindness and some patience (and many cookies)

I could also show some links in the video...like AND!

It's funny you know, but if you don't explain how you do something, people just assume the horse was just born that way. There is a lady at the stable...nice lady, I see her and talk to her a lot. She was watchign me play with Tam and I mentioned how cool it was that he was thinking collected (even if he didn't quite show it) from the very first time I rode him. Her reply was, "He must be a natural". I laughed and said, " No, it's NINE months of ground work!"

Don't I know...

'But of course it's easier with a Shetland pony'
'With a Real horse (fill in: purebred arabian/Dutch warmblood/dressage horse/fjord/hyperactive horse/really slow horse) that would never work'
'Your ponies just like to move, mine is just way too lazy'
(phew, the work it took me to restore that love of movement!)
'Such small ones are much easier to control, with a large horse that would never work!'
And on...
and on...
and on...

Of course they really mean it, but I always think it's quite funny to hear, knowing how hard I (with the emphasis on 'I' ) had to train, work and learn to reach this point with the ponies!

Karen I only had teh time to watch your video's now...
And you gained so much confidence!!!!
I really liked to see how you and Tam are interacting...giving me all kinds of nice idea's for the colts I have to start this summer.

Really nice job!!

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Make love not war!

Well, I have just accepted that as long as I can't run as hard as the ponies, I'll never keep up with them.

By the way, I split the posts on turning during halt in a new topic in the riding forum!

Translation: "I am too ignorant and lazy to both figure out how and work hard enough to make that happen."

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Love is Trust, trust is All
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So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Hello Anna! Thank you! I have no butterflies in my stomach when I'm on Tam. I trust him very much!

I have been missing a lot lately. I just looked at your video " a little bit of this , a little bit of that"

This is breath taking! Wow all the things you accomplished with Tam so far. He is so in-tuned with you.
It is about time I get a bit more serious with Bravada.

Also I just copied your description on how to get the piaffe at liberty. I am off to the stable with it in my pocket.

You are a gem! Thanks for your time. You are very generous.

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Madeleine

Oh, Madeleine, thank you!

I don't know about "breathtaking" though!

Because you are use to him and you don't see how good he is under your training

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Madeleine

Seems Karen you are getting too blaise about your achievements or you just don't believe how truly special you and Tam are. It takes others to remind us sometimes how far we have travelled. I think this is especially true with C/T and honestly taking the time it takes. A lady on one of the clicker lists described this way of training as 'filling a 44 gallon drum, one teaspoon at a time'. We are focused on all those little tries, we forget to step back and see and appreciate where we are compared to where we come from.

So thank you Madeleine for reminding me to again marvel at what we all here at AND are achieving.

Such a great video!! I am so impressed! Both of what you two do together, but also that there is other horses in the arena, and Tam is still only focused on you - no ropes ties him to you, but he don't run off and check them out... Great!!!


And Miriam - I know EXACTLY what you are talking about - I have had the same things with my dogs over the years. Mine used to be just born that way for some reason...

ohhh Karen!! Awesome!!! Much respect!

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Great videos
Mountain goat is perfect

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Helen
http://wwwesprit.blogspot.com