Upping the volume -- need coaching

[neen]

I am, by nature, a very quiet soul, and my loan pony is, by nature, practically bombproof. The signals I give to him are, I think, too quiet and indistinct, and he is very good at ignoring them.

He's not a bad boy at all, but I do have trouble getting his attention at times. When my buddy came to meet him and show me some NH groundwork, she had to get VERY BIG INDEED before he realised he was meant to be doing something. Then he did it really really well. Meanwhile, his more sensitive fieldmates had been neatly backing up across the fence for some time, just in case the instruction was aimed at them, while he gazed dreamily into middle distance. One of his nicknames is "rhino" :p

I think I need coaching in how to be more black and white in my instructions to him. Is this the sort of thing an RA would be able to help with? If not, who would? He's not a problem pony at all, so I don't want him "fixed" -- I just want to learn how to get big when I have to.

I'm based in SE London / Kent. Any ideas?

[TevisCup2012]

Parelli has a great method of slowly building pressure and getting 'as big as you have to':) In fact, he even words it exactly like that.

[neen]

I read your post about the success you've had with Parelli -- well done, you must be so chuffed.

Did you get a trainer out to work with you at all? That's what I'm after -- I really want someone to see how me and the ponio are, and coach me, face to face, on how to get bigger. Someone to say "yes, like that" when I get it right. I believe for most people, the horse provides this kind of feedback ;) -- but with my boy, you have to go a very long way indeed down your chosen path before you get any kind of reaction, so it would be helpful to have a bit of coaching of the "don't stop now, you've nearly got it" variety.

[india]

I agree with TevisCup2012, Parelli would help a lot, but to get a PNH professional to teach on a one to one basis would be very expensive. If you could get a group together for a half or full day lesson that would bring the cost down.

The other alternative would be to book onto a L1 clinic or even attend as a spectator - it's surprising how much you can learn from just watching one of these.

Or, better still.......

I'll pm you some information. :)

[KateWooten]

I think you need to expose yourself more and more to other people's ways of working. You've just got into a one-neen personal culture of quietness. I think you know what you have to do - and you've seen it done a couple of times ... Personally, I think you just need to get out more. Go visit some other NR's who do some or any of the NH variants. Just ggo out, smile your normal smiley self, and get invited over to do some groundwork with some people. You have the car ... and you're a lovely guest to have .... go visiting !!!

A Parelli demo would be an idea - not my first choice. Auditing at a locla parelli trainer's clinic would be a great thing to do. Watching the CA groundwork series over and over again would also work.

Now, no excuses about the Pone. The Pone is a Pone, like any other Pone. Your 'BIGGER' buddies are quiet as a mouse all the time their own horse has his attention on them. And they're quiet as a mouse when they're around your pone, all the while he has his attention on them, and is waiting for his next instruction. They only get BIG when he switches off, starts day-dreaming, zones out, and starts dreaming of teatime. And you are very aware of when he does that. At that point, just get his total focus back on you. How big ? As big as you need to be to get his attention back RIGHT NOW.

Now would be a good time to consolidate your observation and awareness skills with the Pone. Simply expect his undivided attention - two eyes - the hula-hoop game - go read it again ... and every time his focus wanders, bump him back to you NOW. Then every minute or so, send him out on a circle NOW. Expect an instant response. RIGHT NOW. And when he is on the circle, trust him to stay on the circle - just ask him the once, get the response, don't ask again. Don't LEAD him round the circle hoping he won't stop. SEND him out on the circle and EXPECT him not to stop. If he stops, tap him, expect a response.

He's not a bad boy at all, and I have no trouble getting his attention at any time. When my buddy came to meet him and show me some NH groundwork, she had to get ever so slightly big, just one time, and he immediately responded. Then he did it really really well. And continued to do it really well. Actually he enjoyed knowing exactly what to do, and showing off his responsiveness. One of his nicknames is "hummingbird".


Wow - I can't believe you wrote that !

[TevisCup2012]

I read your post about the success you've had with Parelli -- well done, you must be so chuffed.

Did you get a trainer out to work with you at all? That's what I'm after -- I really want someone to see how me and the ponio are, and coach me, face to face, on how to get bigger. Someone to say "yes, like that" when I get it right. I believe for most people, the horse provides this kind of feedback ;) -- but with my boy, you have to go a very long way indeed down your chosen path before you get any kind of reaction, so it would be helpful to have a bit of coaching of the "don't stop now, you've nearly got it" variety.

I recommend getting the Level 1 kit (including tools) and just starting. Linda Parelli does it step by step adn it is very hard to get 'lost'. Parelli certified trainers also offer video assestments in case you don't have an instructor near you that you can meet with. You can send them a video of you playing the Seven Games and they can give you feedback. Attending a clinic is also a great idea, but they do recommend that you have a grasp of Level 1 before attending.

Good luck!

[mayoguinness]

If you can get to any NH clinics thats always good to, just day ones and you come away with so much, it would defanatly help:D

[neen]

Thanks for the replies, guys -- I'll follow up on Parelli and look for local demonstrations, too. And I'm going to order some CA DVDs. It's really the feedback aspect I'm looking for, but it really wouldn't hurt for me to have more input, too. A friend of a friend does Parelli right next door to me, so I guess I should make friends with her.

And anyone in the south east who'd like to have me over -- feel free to invite me! (Kate -- if they do, should I cook them kale? What do you think? :confused: :p )

Your cunning rewriting trick has reminded me of an agreement we made during my visit. So here is another version:

He's not a bad boy at all, but I have trained him to not pay attention to me in a training situation. I have achieved this excellent result by confirming his innate suspicion that training, along with all other activities involving the expenditure of energy, is a valuable waste of good eating and sleeping time. For example, when he says "Isn't this all a bit of a waste of time? Let's just stop and stand about peacefully" I sometimes do. :o

To illustrate that he is a good boy when it matters, after our little session last night, when I had to get about 7 times as big as I would have thought possible just to get him to shuffle a step backwards (looking a bit surprised), I then sent him reversing to the back of his stable with the slightest waggle of my finger when I took his feed in. He could see the point of that all right -- make way, make way, lady with dinner coming through! Maybe I'm not setting the context right when I'm training? :confused:

Finally, can I just say:

When my buddy came to meet him and show me some NH groundwork, she had to get ever so slightly big,


:eek: You were mahoosive, missus!