reflections: Parelli UK conference

I'm not going to go into a blow by blow account - just comment on some of the things that struck me. Pat was pretty much Pat, and Linda was Linda. So both told stories in their own style. One of the new sayings (to me) that struck me was Pat saying "It is not that there are questions to be answered, but that there are answers to be questioned"

He also defined "respect" - which was interesting as it is a much-used word (my horse doesn't respect me etc etc). Pat defined it as "respect is an appropriate response to pressure".

I'll bet that is not what most people mean when they use it about their horse.

They had one of their lovely big green balls there - he commented that they use it for relaxation, to work with rhythm, and to give a retreat (you take the ball away when the horse needs a release - my interpretation).

There was a comment about the weight distribution for a horse - how it moves from 60% on the front (40 on the back), through 50/50 in trot, to 40/60 in canter. And how you see that weight move as they go from trot to canter. Yet the rider instinct is so often to lean forward (to go faster) rather than go with the way the horse moves his weight back.

Linda also talked about "pedalling" and how it had helped her work on her balance, seat etc Pedalling seems to be an alternate small movement in the ankle and leg, to alternately flex each ankle, as you might as you cycled... The movement can be hardly visible to the eye.

It was a bit of a damp morning this morning, and I had borrowed big sis's treeles dressage to try on Fi. As I was not sure what focus I could insist on in canter when she had rain in her face - I decided to work on things where I knew it was fair and reasonable to get her attention and focus. (It was that "soft" rain, so not too awful to ride in).

The treeless made me even more aware of Fi's movement, and she can be quite a senstive soul - so I have a feeling she is more aware of me in it as well. I had been warned it would feel *wide*, and even with being used to riding Fi (wide) on a western saddle (wide), this still feels slightly more so.

Anyway, I felt I was bouncy a little - so just for fun, decided to try pedalling. And it is interesting in that it does do what Linda had suggested - stops you locking up your ankle joints so you can absorb the movement, and also helps keep the other joints mobile and absorbing as well.

But Linda had suggested it didn't really matter which leg you pedalled with in relation to the horse's movement. I would suggest this is because the horse tends to "throw" you into a particular cycle (based on its footfall and associated barrel swing) So you *do* end up pedalling with the "correct" footfall.

But it also seemed to help get the rest of the body in harmony with the horse. It certainly seemed to help get the figure 8 going in the hips (ref: Mark Rashid). Overall I felt more fluid and that I was sitting better.

Interestingly Fi was matching me by moving more - so as I sat better, the movement got bigger and moved me more ! So it might not have looked as improved from the floor as it felt ;)

Rain stopped play, so I haven't really tested the treeless as far as I would like. I rode in it briefly the evening before and Fi was hopping and skipping a little and wanting to canter rather than trot. That *can* be a sign that she is not happy in trot. Or it can be that she fancies cantering :rolleyes:

As a result I did not want to come to a conclusion until I had a chance to ride for a longer session in it - make sure she was properly warmed up and not distracted by handome highland ponies being in the same arena (:sigh: she just wanted to go where he was going.... women !)

One further thought about the pedalling though - Peggy Cummings teaches a small bounce in the leg (she describes it as if you are moving the thigh bone inside the leg, but not visibly pulsing the thigh muscle). Its a subtle thing - if she sits on a gym ball and has you hold the reins, you can feel the difference ! But I could not quite click in to the movement. I wondered whether Linda P's pedalling is a bigger less refined version of Peggy's leg bounce ? (one that is easier to teach ?).

I think if you keep the pedal small, it is not a crude movement that is visible to the observer, but still gives you the benefits. What Linda P appeared to show was a sensible absorption of the movement through her leg - but she was making it an active process rather than a passive response, and hence preventing a lock or brace.

Ah well - its late so that's enough for now. Maybe more another day.