A Look Back: Psychology 101 with Linda at the Maryland Horse and Soul Tour

One year ago yesterday, I received a much anticipated phone call from someone at Parelli Central. I had been selected to participate in a demo with Linda Parelli at the Maryland Horse and Soul Tour Stop. The session was called "Psychology 101" in which Linda took four students, each with a horse representing one of the Horsenalities, and showed them how to use Psychology to bring out the best in their horse. Below is a blog post that I had written about my experience as part of the demo which I had not published until now...Enjoy!

I wouldn’t normally consider myself to be a very spontaneous person, however my recent confidence with my horse, Rydel, led me to throw caution to the wind, step out of my comfort zone, and apply for a chance to participate in the 2013 Horse and Soul Tour stop in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. While I had the opportunity to choose from an array of different demonstrations or lessons with Pat and Linda, there seemed to be only one obvious choice for my horse and me: Horsenality 101 with Linda.

I have had my horse for nine years. Several months before purchasing her, my 4-H group had received free tickets to a Parelli Tour Stop.  After watching Pat and Linda from the stands, I was instantly hooked. I convinced my parents to purchase the level one pack and watched and studied as much as I could until I finally got a horse of my own. From the day I brought Rydel home, I began putting the Parelli principles I had learned in that level 1 pack to purpose and I truly believe it was this prior knowledge that kept me safe around what I later learned to be a very right brained horse. Everyday, I would go out to play the seven games with my horse, but something seemed to be missing. When I would ask her to back up, for example, she would freeze, and when I increased my phases and added more pressure, rather than responding appropriately, she would absolutely explode! We struggled on like this for a few years, and just when I was about to give up, the concept of Horsenality was introduced, and my whole world changed! Suddenly, I had arrows in my quiver to deal with my very extreme Right Brain Introvert, and the amount of progress we made in such a short period of time amazes me even to this day.

Having impacted the relationship with my horse in such a dramatic way, it is easy to see why getting a chance to demonstrate Horsenality was so important to me, and when I received the call that Rydel and I would be in the show, I was ecstatic that everything was coming full circle. When the big weekend finally arrived, I was so concerned with making sure my horse was ready for the show, and so focused on being able to demonstrate how truly wonderful these Right Brain horses can be, that I wasn’t taking a step back to focus on myself. The day of the show the lack of self-focus hit me like a ton of bricks and I began feeling uncontrollably nauseous. As I groomed and prepared my horse for our big debut, it took every ounce of energy I had to not collapse from the amount of retching my stomach was doing. Every deep breath I took, and every attempt I made to talk myself into walking into that arena seemed futile as I slipped more and more into a state of panic.  Finally, after no longer being able to hide my emotions, I burst into tears in a small room behind the retail booth and received some much needed mental coaching (read: friendly game of the mind).

At what seemed like the very last minute, I composed myself and Rydel and I walked into the arena with Linda Parelli and the other horses and humans who would be represented in the demo. In the ring, my worries melted away and I was able to just have fun with my horse. Linda took each horse in turn to demonstrate each Horsenality to the crowd. Rydel was the perfect example of an extreme Right Brain Introvert and Linda talked about and demonstrated the importance of managing your energy when playing with these types of horses. Ladies and gentlemen, cue the licking and chewing!

Principle number seven states that “horses teach humans” and this tour stop was a great reminder of that principle for me. When I submitted my application to be a part of a demonstration on Horsenality, I assumed I would learn a lot about my horse. In reality, being a part of a demonstration on Horsenality helped me learn a great deal more about my own personality than I ever would have imagined! Because of this experience, I now feel more equipped to deal with my own emotions, especially in new or stressful environments, and to be the leader my horse needs me to be all the time, even if when means admitting my limitations and seeking out support. I am so grateful to have a horse that teaches me something new at just the right moments, and I am even more grateful to have the support of the Parelli community to lean on when it’s me who needs a lesson in becoming calm, cool, and collected. 

Rydel at the fairgrounds, relaxing after the show!

Sunday Funday: Sledding With Horses!

Today I got the chance to scratch something off my horsey bucket list. The weather has been absolutely horrible thanks to the polar vortex of doom here in the US. However, today we decided to take advantage of the snow and play with something new. Yesterday, one of the girls at our barn decided it would be fun to hook her ponies up to a harness and have them pull a sled. After hearing about it and seeing the videos, of course I wanted to try it with my two horses!

With this plan in mind, I started my session with Rydel with a lot of friendly game. My ultimate goal was to get her to be able to drag something behind her confidently. I have to say, when I pulled the tarp out (after conveniently stashing it away all winter), Rydel's snorts and skepticism quickly had me thinking this was not going to be as easy as I had initially anticipated. After playing various versions of the friendly game in every zone for about a half hour, Rydel was still not very confident having the tarp or bag dragged behind her. Sensing the need to retreat, I decided to take a break and focus my attention elsewhere. After a short but sweet time at liberty, I decided to hop on Rydel bareback and watch as my fellow barn-mates took turns having their horses pull the sled. After some more friendly game following them around on horseback and of course, after I took a turn riding in the sled myself, I decided to bite the bullet and put the harness on Rydel. I wanted to see how she would react, and I was basically prepared for the worst.

At first, Evan stayed behind and put a little pressure on the rope while I lead Rydel around. Once we got the hang of that, I had Evan get in the sled and led Rydel again. I was AMAZED at how well she did. She really seemed to understand the purpose and even leaned into the harness to give herself more leverage. Before I knew it, we were trotting around and having a great time! We played with this with both Rydel and Lilah and they both did great! Even though we were having a lot of fun, we kept our playtime short, sweet, and successful, knowing that we would definitely be practicing with the sled again.

At the end of our playtime with the sled, Rydel let out a big yawn and had a big emotional release. I could not be more proud of the confidence she demonstrated today, and I am even more humbled that she so willingly accepted my leadership and attempted something scary that she had never done before. What a great way to end the weekend!

What is on your horsey bucket list?

Passive Persistence...

EDIT: To see the published version of this blog, please go to http://central.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/2012/12/passive-persistance-asking-for-the-try/

Expect A Lot, Accept A Little, Reward The Slightest Try.

Reward the slightest try: a Parelli-ism I had always tried to live by for my Right Brain Introvert horse. I was doing it all by the book, giving her time, using approach and retreat, and waiting for her to build her confidence. For the past year I have been trying to live by this motto (I even have a bracelet with the saying to remind me), yet last night I came to a realization that sheds a whole new light on what it means to reward the try. 

In order to reward the slightest try, you must first ask for the horse to try. 

This, my friends, is the basis of my revelation. In the past year, as I began to get more involved with many Parelli Professionals in clinics and lessons, a reverberating theme has been incorporated in all of their advise to me. I must not be afraid to ask more of my horse. In other words, (for lack of a more imaginative way to put this), I must expect a lot. This in and of itself is not a major epiphany. I've said it here, and here and probably even more than that, and yet, today it makes more sense. The real understanding for me comes from what it means for my horse to try for me. I titled this post "Passive Persistence"because this is what is required from the horsewoman (or man) as she asks the horse for the try. In the past, if Rydel showed opposition to something (say, for example, an upward transition in the saddle) I would avoid doing it, I wouldn't push her because I didn't want to compromise our relationship. I figured it would come in time, I wanted it to be her idea. I don't think this was a wrong way of thinking, but I understand now that it was not the best thing for my horse. You see, in avoiding all the issues we would have when asking for higher gaits, I compromised my position as the best leader for my horse. So long as I use passive persistence in the proper position, anything I ask of my horse would be an appropriate amount to request her to try for me. So long as I keep myself centered and my emotions out of it, I should ask until my horse responds with the slightest try. 

That being said, the way you ask for the try will be different if the horse is left or right brain at the moment. In my case, Rydel would buck or throw her head when asking for an upward transition to the canter. I first got off and assessed if it was pain, fear, or defiance and discovered online that it was the latter. Knowing it was a left brain behavior, I felt confident addressing the issue from the saddle. First I asked her to change gait using my focus, energy, a smooch, and then a tap on the rear with my hand. She would respond but would buck, spin, and stop in every effort to avoid actually going forward. In an effort to be more effective I grabbed my carrot stick and played plink, plink, keeping passive persistence in mind, I did not give up even when she bucked. I stayed calm and kept asking for her to find the right answer. After all, we are still playing the seven games, right? It was a long, painful few minutes as Rydel tried all the tactics that had worked for her in the past to avoid going forward, until finally she cantered a few strides without protest. And that was it. We ended the ride. Rydel licked and chewed after our ride, but it was me who had more to think about after our ride. I've said constantly that I want to be the best I can be for my horse. Well, unlocking this part of the leadership, relationship, partnership puzzle is one huge step closer to achieving that goal. :)

Rydel and me when I was in High School, we've come so far!

Soaring With Eagles (Part 1)

This past weekend was a major boost to my confidence and I'm so excited to share my experience at the Level 3/4 Clinic with Parelli Professional, Jesse Peters. As Jesse so adequately described it, sometimes you have to soar with eagles in order to bring out the best in yourself. That's exactly what this weekend was about, challenging myself, my horsemanship, and my expectations! I've decided to write this as a series of posts because it would be a book if I didn't. So, without further adieu, I give you Part 1: Set Up For Success.

Rydel and I taking a break from the heat

Leading up to the clinic I had mixed emotions about whether or not we should even be going. I was worried we would be too far behind the other participants and that perhaps because of my lack of confidence and practice with freestyle that we should just wait and do the level 1/2 clinic. However, my lesson with Juli was a turning point for my confidence and she really helped me see that we do have what it takes to hold our own against other level 3 students. In the days after our lesson I started playing a lot with our upward transitions and was thrilled to see major improvement! Suddenly, we were able to go from the trot to canter on the circle using only phase 1. Even better, she would stay completely calm and ask a lot of questions rather than feeling the need to go right brain. We also rode a lot more and I paid a lot of attention to my keeping my focus. The day before the clinic we had the best ride yet, during which time I didn't have to pick up my reins once! :D

The day of the clinic, we arrived feeling ready to go and spent some time warming up online. The focus for me was on staying at the end of my 22 as much as possible, getting good upward transitions, and waiting for Rydel to ask a question or make a change before moving on to the next game. Because there is so much to do at the playground, it is really easy to become task oriented and move too quickly for an RBI, so I tried to incorporate a lot of moseying and undemanding time. One thing I noticed is that Rydel seemed to be having a lot of trouble moving her HQ around to give me her right eye, something we had trouble with in the past. Jesse came over to help and told me our hide your hinny game is broken and that I need to be really making it a game to get her to give me the other eye. Working on this would be key to our liberty sessions later. Jesse took over for a bit and played "if I were you...I would be embarrassed to show my tail." Pretty soon she was offering her other eye every time I asked for a hind quarter yield!

Parelli Professional, Jesse Peters with Rydel

Throughout the day Rydel and I both became more comfortable and confident. Things that were major challenges for us just a year ago at the playday we now a breeze and Rydel was offering more and more!

This looks familiar ;)

I am so proud of how hard she tries for me. Arthritic hocks? No problem!

Look mom, two feet! 

By the time we took a break for lunch, I felt like this clinic was a pretty good idea after all... :)

You'll Never Fall Off the Cliff If You Always Remember To Retreat

Whew! I had one last lesson monday with Juli Piovesan before she heads to Colorado and my head is still spinning! Juli has always had a knack for observing me and then pulling out things to work on I would have never recognized as problems. And as it turns out, the things she chooses for us to work out are much easier to deal with and usually are the root causes of the things I identify as problems.

Juli and me at one of her workshops :)

At the beginning of the lesson Juli mentioned that I even though Rydel is an introvert, I need to be asking more of Rydel and that I shouldn't be afraid to push her a little bit in order to keep progressing. Rydel is ready for this and I need to stop avoiding the things that give us trouble. She then said something that I will never forget. She said,

If you keep asking for more, you will make progress, just remember to approach and retreat. You'll never fall off the cliff if you always remember to retreat.

This is so powerful and really speaks to how I need to approach building a relationship with Rydel. We have come so far, and have so much potential. This was a huge wake up call to me because I had been too afraid to deal with our problem areas and too worried about hurting or scaring my RBI to get to the next level. I had spent so long convincing myself that she was going to be too arthritic to ever be a level 3/4 horse that I had allowed myself to be stuck in level limbo. Well, no more! During our lesson Juli helped me realize that I had been avoiding upward transitions online because that's where things fall apart. She helped me face my fears and deal with the situation head on which yes, involved some obstinance and BBE freak-outs from Rydel, but Juli gave me the savvy quivers in my arrow necessary to deal with these and before I knew it, I had a happy, confident horse cantering along on the circle and squeezing between myself and the wall. We practiced upward transitions during the circling game and figure 8 remembering to make it a game and give her time to think. The goal is to help her learn that she can be left brained while going fast and that going fast is not only for escaping. This will definitely help with our upward transitions during riding (why didn't I think of this before!?)

Last but not least we played around with fitting my Theraflex and Juli had me cup the back of Rydel's scapula while she moved her forward to determine which shim pattern and placement allowed for the best possible movement of Rydel's shoulder. Got on and did a lot of friendly game playing with changes in my weight, bending down to touch my legs, and using my stick to rub her all over. Finally we played with keeping my focus while riding and learning how to not over-correct. I'm definitely going to need a lot of practice with this! However, this lesson could not have come at a better time. With the level 3/4 clinic less than a week away, I'm feeling very confident! 

Whirlwind Weekend!

Guess what I did this weekend....

That's right! I officially have my Bachelor's of Arts in Public Affairs and a minor in Political Science! After three years of undergrad I am finally done and in the real world. Ending school was bittersweet but as they say, I am a student today and a Buckeye forever! 

I also started a new job today at a pet hotel called Petsuites of America. It's honestly the nicest facility I have ever seen and the level of care offered is unparalleled. I encourage you to check it out!

Last but not least, I FINALLY got to spend some time with my sweet Rydel. Spent some much needed undemanding time together, then played on line and freestyle with the emphasis on consistency. In other words, whatever we practiced on the ground we would practice in the saddle. I believe a lack of consistency in the past was causing confusion for my RBI, so I'm making consistency my motto of the week. We had a much better freestyle session as a result and not only was she putting more effort into the patterns but she was actually relaxing and blowing out a lot today which made me feel so good! We ended the day with a cool bath and some more undemanding time. Despite not getting to see her that often this past week, we are still making visible progress every time we play! :D

Love those faces!

Why I Love My Right Brain Introvert

My RBI has taught me more than I could have ever imagined and for that I am very grateful. While it is often easy to focus on the negatives of Horsenality, or use it as an excuse, I wrote this poem to focus on the positives of my horse's Horsenality. It is also to say "thank you" to the best horse in the world!

Why I love My Right Brain Introvert

Dear RBI, you are SO willing to please,

you try very hard and offer a squeeze.

A very sensitive horse you are,

a little pressure will go quite far!

I take my time, wait and see,

just how great you can be!

Foot on the pedestal, a jump or two,

it doesn't take much to be a breakthrough.

You taught me balance and how much is too much,

Cones, barrels, tarps, with your nose you now touch.

Sweet little horse, you are just what I need.

Together as partners we will succeed! 

How Interesting...

Lately I have been feeling a little bit stumped and the fact that I haven't had much time to play with Rydel has only made it worse. When I do get some time, I've been practicing my catching game with Rydel and found out some interesting things......It doesn't take long for her to turn and look at me and even keep her attention on me ears forward but it seems like no matter what I do, turn around, turn around and walk away, walk away keeping my body facing her, turn around and bend down, etc. I cannot get her to follow me. The whole time she will just stand there with her ears on me almost as if she's saying "well!? Are you coming over here or what?" Now, if I put enough pressure on her hindquarters I can get her to eventually have to turn enough that she will walk a few steps with me, but this feels like cheating and I don't know if her heart is really in it. Tomorrow I will try to play the catching game in a smaller space than a pasture or large arena, for now though...all I can say is "how interesting."

The catching game may have us stumped but we are great at playing touch it! 

RBI's are so funny- it's hard for her to look at me with two eyes from this distance.

Pattern Savvy!

This weekend we participated in a Parelli clinic put on by 2* Juli Piovesan with the intent of introducing people to Parelli, the games, and Horsenality! Emily did a great job of explaining the event and taking photos which you can view here. It was so much fun and a learning experience for everyone! Not only did I learn that Rydel and I can have success away from home, I also learned that we are going to need to do a lot more pattern work (both in the saddle and on the ground) if I ever want to help build Rydel's confidence with maintaing her own responsibility. You see, it was extremely obvious at the clinic that my little RBI needs to likes to have her hand held during tasks, and I have been inclined to do that for her. This weekend really helped open my eyes to the fact that I am not doing her any favors by not helping her develop confidence and ability to maintain gait and direction without constant interference. In fact, as I stopped micro-managing her with the reins, I eventually got a horse who was much more connected to me and was listening to my focus, seat, and legs a lot more which allowed me to use my carrot stick and reins a lot less! 

So this week I have been playing with the follow the rail pattern adding transitions such as neutral lateral flexion to stop, hindquarter disengagement to stop, fore and hindquarter turns, and walk trot transitions. After playing with this for a few days we had a GREAT ride last night. Rydel was really catching on to the pattern and was even acting particularly left brain and food motivated so I introduced her to the corners game and it was a total hit!

Someone wanted to tag along. 

Not only did she really understand the pattern and was moving off of my focus and seat most of the time and my legs all of the time, but the motivation of getting to stop and eat the clover in a corner of my choice kept her putting effort into getting there! She actually offered to trot and gave me happy ears while doing so which rarely happens! I could tell that the guessing game of figuring out which corner I was going to let her stop in was confusing her a bit because she would put a lot of effort into getting to the corner and then be upset when I wouldn't let her eat. Knowing that she is innately RBI and needs structure, I think I will develop a pattern with the corners game rather than having her guess. For example, I will let her eat every 3rd corner.

Love my arab! <3

 Despite not having my comfort zone of riding in a saddle, I had a lot of fun with this ride and it helped build my confidence riding bareback. I'm excited because I know the more patterns she learns, the more responsibility I can hand her, leaving me with less to micromanage on my ride!

Glued to the rail- look at those ears!

All in all, it's been a very Parelli-filled week and I hope to keep up the momentum! Practice leads to savvy! :)

Using "Horsenality" As A Tool Rather Than An Excuse

Ok, we've all been there...A quick login on the computer to check email suddenly turns into hours of watching Parelli and other horse related Youtube videos. Along with these videos comes feelings of inspiration, encouragement, and sometimes jealousy and frustration. It doesn't have to be frustrating but sometimes it's hard to fight back that natural human emotion. In 2007, Linda Parelli brilliantly launched her new concept of "Horsenality" which gave her students the tools necessary to put their horses into categories that would allow them to tailor their horsemanship to meet the needs of their horse's specific "Horsenality" or innate social attributes. Horsenality seemed to be the missing link for Parelli students, and since learning about how to best provide incentive and reward for my Right Brained Introvert, our relationship and level of progress has soared!

Despite all the perks of knowing the theory behind Horsenality, lately I have found myself using it to make excuses. For example, when watching a video of a Parelli student who taught their horse a cool trick, I'll find myself saying "Rydel and I could never do that, especially since she's RBI", or "That seems like it would be only possible with a Left Brained horse." While I believe that LB horses might catch on to certain things more quickly than RB horses, simply because lack of confidence or trust is  not an issue, this is no reason for me to make excuses for myself or my horse! We may have to take things a lot more slowly but it doesn't mean we can't one day accomplish these higher level tasks and tricks. No more excuses! As long as I use Horsenality as a tool for success and not an excuse, I know we can do anything!

To get your mind going, here is a quick explanation of what each Horsenality needs from HorseChannel.com. 

The Right Brain Extrovert needs safety. Never push him past the threshold until he's calm. You will need to retreat and to interrupt the pattern. You must have a strong focus and must match the horse's high energy level. Give him a job to accomplish to replace his fear with something positive. He must think of you as his "safe place."

The Right Brain Introvert needs comfort. The worst thing you can do is push this horse before he's confident. You'll ruin his trust in you if you push him before he's ready. Taking your time is important because you'll need to wait on this horse to process things. He needs to believe in you.

The Left Brain Extrovert needs play. He craves creative, imaginative tasks and can't stand to be forced into anything. Because he hates to be bored, you'll need to speed things up, be enthusiastic and come up with variety in your lessons.

The Left Brain Introvert needs incentive. There are plenty of ways to offer incentive without "bribing" him. (Think rest, grazing, treats, scratches.) This horse needs to have a purpose and wants to go somewhere. Riding circles in an area with this horse will lead to resistance and defiance. Use reverse psychology for best results

Feeling Accomplished.

I had mentioned on my Parelli Connect Page that one of my goals is to send in my level 2 online audition video by the end of the month...Well, it's not even close to the end of the month and I'm ready to submit a video! To be honest, I had been "ready" to send in a video for a long time, I even tried taking a few preliminary videos just for practice. But every time I went to actually do it, I would get really nervous and emotional and try to micromanage everything! (I wrote about it here). It took me a few months to have the confidence in myself in order to get to the point that I could relax and make a video worth sending in. The biggest thing I needed to realize is that my video doesn't have to be perfect and if I continued to spend time trying to perfect things I would probably never send in an audition and drive myself crazy in the process!

So, as I get ready to send in my first official audition ever I am feeling extremely accomplished. First of all, I am happy with the progress Rydel and I have made in the last year. I wish you could have seen the horse she was when I first got her, I swear you wouldn't even recognize her! I am so grateful she was patient with me through all my years of avoiding horsemanship and being too afraid to admit that I needed help and support. This brings me to point number two; I am so incredibly glad that I found loads and loads of support and help from Emily, Jesse, and Juli, without whose support and instruction I would have never been able to get to this point. Finally, I feel accomplished because no matter what score I receive on my audition, I can feel good about just sending in the video! I really don't think I ever would have sent one in had I not had the support from my fellow Parelli friends and in turn gained the confidence in myself to feel comfortable doing it. Now, I can't wait to start working toward sending in auditions for more levels and more savvys! It has become a motivator instead of something I fear.

So, without further adieu... Here is my not-so-perfect-and-I-don't-care Parelli Level 2 Online Audition video! Enjoy.

Play With the Horse That Shows Up.

"Make no assumptions," is one of the key tenants of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and adherence to this principle requires responsibility on the part of both the human and the horse.

After the Play Day, Rydel had made so much progress, it was necessary to stay on track. To keep focus, I started taking lessons from two star instructor, Juli Piovesan. Juli helped me see exactly what I could not, my horse was not tuned into me, she would blow past me without giving two eyes when I would ask her to come in, and she was blowing over obstacles unconfidently, without asking questions. Well, hearing that seemed to do the trick because within a few weeks Rydel had completely changed! Once I changed the way I was asking her to do things by slowing it down and encouraging her ideas, Rydel gained so much confidence and even started to bring up her play drive during sessions! This was something I had never seen from her before and I was loving it! However, after so many fantastic play sessions, I started to forget that at the core of it all, I still have a right brained horse. Slowly, I began to expect that Rydel would be confident and playful all the time...Make No Assumptions.


About a week ago Rydel and I went into the outdoor arena to play- the first time we had both been out there together at our new barn. Assuming that she would be calm and confident as she had been for the past month or so, I began playing with her without really getting warmed up to our surroundings. I see now that everything was far too fast paced. We started playing the circling game and as she was cantering along one lap, two laps, thre-- BAM! She totally blew up, ripping the rope from my hands and galloping around the arena. After being jolted from my neutral position I realized two things. 1) A noise that sounded very much like consecutive gun shots (why hadn't I noticed that before?) and 2) While I was letting her canter she was getting more and more tense and thinking less and less. She must have gone inside herself without time for me to notice before it was too late. Even two laps can be mindless circling for an RBI. Lesson learned, make no assumptions.

So, today I played with the horse that showed up. The wind and rain pelting the metal walls of our indoor arena posed a threat, but I didn't let it bother me and made sure to keep Rydel busy. I decided I wanted to try getting her on a schedule for Hill Therapy and set up some barrel jumps at my 9 and 3 o'clock positions. Rydel was to circle me and jump the jumps for five minutes in each direction. Now, I should tell you I have not forgotten about my previous lesson in circling, but Hill Therapy requires a constant flow of motion, not a lot of stopping and starting to be effective. Not to mention, the obstacles would at least keep things a little interesting. After a few attempts at skirting around the barrels, Rydel finally learned I wanted her to jump them, and jump them she did! Before long she was flying over the jumps without asking questions or doing a lot of thinking. Taking a tip from Emily who had just dealt with her LBI plowing over jumps, I quickly disengaged Rydel and asked her to put her nose on the barrel, not to jump it. I swear her mind was blown! This time, it was my horse who was making assumptions. She thought seeing a barrel meant jump, no matter what, and this was not the case! The reverse psychology really worked and she suddenly had her ears fixed on me and was asking so many more questions- SCORE!

(My Teacher <3)

My horse is not predictable, and what I ask of her shouldn't be either. Consistency has its place, no doubt, but keeping her asking questions helps us both slow down and think things through. (Not to mention, it keeps me in charge!)