Building Confidence & Understanding Above Our Horses

When you understand the horse’s nature as a prey animal it becomes clear how and why they are so highly sensitive and perceptive to distance and approach. They are quick to notice things that they deem potentially threatening and respond differently depending on how and where it’s approaching from.

It is useful to know that horses have 7 areas, or zones, of space.  Each zone influences the horse differently.  If you want to see a diagram and learn more about the zones and how they influence the horse in detail click HERE. For now, here's a quick overview:

• Zone 1 is the nose and everything in front of it for one mile.

• Zone 2 is from behind the ears to the break in the withers.

• Zone 3 is from the break in the withers, includes the front legs, back and ribs.

• Zone 4 is the hindquarters and hind legs.

• Zone 5 is the tail and everything behind it for one mile.

• The Delicate zone is everything that fits inside the halter (eyes and ears).

• Zone 7 is the personal space of the horse (can vary based on the horse).

THEN we need to consider the strata of the zones.  Similar to the horse's personal space, it's the area around (above, below, to the left and right, front and back) of each zone.  

Have you noticed how your horse might be okay with the flag held out right to his nose (Zone 1) but become quite skeptical or fearful once that flag is on the ground or up in the air, below or above Zone 1 respectively?  

When we ride our horse we are sitting on Zone 3.  Our heads and hands are above it, our seat and legs are on it, and for some taller riders their feet are below it.  ;)  If I am developing a young horse, helping an unconfident or reactive horse, or just advancing a personal horse I like to spend time helping them understand both Friendly (rhythmic motion/stimulus with no intention) and Driving (rhythmic motion/stimulus with intention) Games from above.

Have you ever been riding a horse and wanted to take your coat off, unwrap a sandwich, or even wave at a neighbor and the next thing you know your horse has practically jumped right out from under you? Well, I have. It’s no fun feeling like you’re riding on eggshells where everything has to be just so, you have to be nice and quiet, no unzipping zippers, no undoing velcro, no sneezing or else you could really startle your horse.

I love one of Pat Parelli’s sayings, if you want your horse used to blackbirds get them used to eagles. Meaning don’t sneak around your horse. Instead do more around and above Zone 3 than you might want to while riding. Then when something does happen in the saddle your horse is less likely to overreact because you’ve been practicing for much bigger things. For example, getting your horse to the point you can ride around shaking a tarp or a flag means that you’ll likely be able to take your coat off while moseying down the trail without a problem.

Building your horse’s confidence overall builds rapport. When she knows she can trust you and your tools and toys without question, and your communication has reached a point that you can help her through tough spots, you’ll have really accomplished something.

So, how do we do this? Rather than try this while sitting on your horse, or if it’s a colt that hasn’t been backed yet, you can begin creating and growing confidence while you stand or sit on something from above them. Once they are not just tolerating but accepting of what you’re doing from there you have a pretty good chance of it working out well from the saddle.

I usually sit on a secure fence so I am above Zone 3 with my horse on a 12' Line.  I then play Friendly and Driving Games that I have taught on the ground first and test from above.  Being that I am sitting on the fence it holds me very accountable not to push my horse too far, too fast.  It would be quite easy to have a loose horse or get pulled off the fence if I didn't truly honor the horse's timeline, had a good application of feel, timing, and balance, and hands that close slowly and open quickly on my rope. Alternatively you can try this standing on your mounting block for something less tall than a fence. When you get really good you can try it while standing on a barrel, on the fender of your trailer, or on a trampoline… get creative!

Comment if playing in different strata of the zones is a new concept for you.  If it's not, let me know how you've been expanding the communication between you and your horse in different areas around her body! 

Interested in learning more about the Zones of your horse, how to build your horse’s confidence and acceptance with the Friendly Game, or the quality of her yielding and response to a suggestion with the Driving Game? Click my link HERE to join the Savvy Club or contact me to set up some one-on-one coaching! When you’re in the Savvy Club check out Level 1 On Line Friendly Game: Zoneology and Level 3 On Line Theory: Strata of Zones.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Lessons + Stay Motivated

Here's the scene:

Your instructor arrives for your lesson. You haven't caught your horse yet and your tack isn't ready. Lesson time is spent catching and readying your horse while talking about everything you did since you saw your instructor last. Maybe you didn't do anything with your horse or you've been having the "ala carte experience", dabbling in a little of everything, not making focused improvement on any one thing. Or maybe you tried a little homework but were confused because you couldn’t remember all the information so you didn’t get anywhere.

You may feel frustrated that you're not making progress and therefore unmotivated. You want to do something new but alas since you didn't work on the skills from the previous lesson, you're doing the same thing… again. Your horse is bored and so are you.

If any of this sounds familiar, or if you’re interested in getting even more out of your lesson and horsemanship time, then read on!

1. Have a goal! What are you excited to achieve with your horse? What are you willing to do to get that? Verbalize your goal, write it down, and set measurable objectives along the way. Having a destination helps add purpose to your journey. Not sure how to get started mapping out your goals? Ask your instructor for help. They should be using your goals as a blueprint for your lesson plan. I’ve included some of my favorite ways to track goals at the end of this post.
   

2. Be ready! Have your horse caught, groomed, tacked, and warmed up (unless you require assistance for any of those things) before your instructor arrives. Your horse should be in a learning frame of mind at the top of the hour because you've spent the time in your warm up getting her calm, connected, and responsive. Now when your instructor arrives you are ready to jump right in to the good stuff and maximize your lesson time!
   

3. Come with questions! You will have good questions if you've done your homework between lessons. Show your instructor that you've been practicing by demonstrating what tasks are better and what still feels a little sticky for you and your horse. Share what strategies you've tried to resolve the problem and ask for help on with the remaining challenges.

   
   Be sure to keep asking questions as needed throughout your lesson. There is no such thing as a stupid question. If your instructor answers and you’re still not sure what they mean, keep asking. It is the instructor’s job to rephrase the answer as many times as necessary, finding creative ways to share the information until it clicks for you. This is your time and your learning is your responsibility. Make the most out of it by taking advantage of your instructor’s wealth of knowledge and experience while they are there.
   

4. Take notes and ask more questions! When your lesson is wrapping up ask for a recap and for specific things to work on for homework. Ask any lingering questions so you have all the information you need to take the reins on your learning between sessions. Bring a pad and paper or send yourself a text or voice memo with the notes so you don’t forget.
   

5. Practice, practice, practice! This is the BIGGEST piece to your progress. 10 quality minutes with your horse is better than no time spent at all or an hour of unfocused time.
   
   This might not sit well with everyone but I challenge you to pause when you find yourself saying "I didn't have time" and instead ask yourself if it's really that you didn't make the time. We make time for things that are important to us, when it’s our priority.
   
   Try this, schedule yourself at least one homework session with your horse between lessons, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Put it on your calendar and act as if it’s an important doctor appointment, showing up to your job or a meeting with your child's teacher. Treat it like it’s something you wouldn't ignore, not show up for, or put off indefinitely. Of course, the more you practice the more progress you’ll make. I see the most progress in students playing with their horse 3 - 4 times a week, even if it’s only for short sessions. Your goal in each session is just to be 1% better than you were last time. That's progress and that's achievable! You can do this!

The success of the student isn't about how talented they are or how well trained their horse is. It's not about access to beautiful indoor facilities or owning all the best gear. It's about goal setting + tracking, preparation, practice, and commitment to their horse and to their role as student. It’s about getting comfortable with the idea of hard work and not being afraid to fail. Only then will you see your dreams become a reality.

Here are a few things that have worked really well for me in staying on track with my goals and progressive in my horsemanship.

Linda Parelli’s Goal Board

This goal board can be found in the Savvy Club. If you’re not a member you can still create your own. Pick one or two big dreams for your long term goals and a date you want to achieve them by. Then break those goals down into measurable objectives for your short term goals. For each short term goal break it down into what 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% progress looks like. Each time you meet a quarterly milestone, check a box.

Parelli Self Assessment Tasks

Use the self assessment tasks to inspire you to achieve excellence with your horse. Play with a small handful of tasks for 7 sessions in a row before picking new ones.

I made tiny check marks or dots next to the task each time I did it with my horse to keep track. After 7 times I marked off the big box. It’s not about perfection, just get it a little better and move on. You can always circle back to it. All the skills compliment each other so don’t drill your horse and turn these into jobs. Your horse will thank you for staying interesting and progressive.

Regular Infusion of Inspiration - Podcast, Instagram, YouTube, Savvy Club

I thrive on a daily injection of something that makes me go “WOW!” and reinforces why I started this journey in the first place. I love listening to Kristi Smith’s podcast, I love Amy Bowers’ Instagram account, I love Ryan Rose’s YouTube channel, and, of course, I love the Savvy Club (now available in a user-friendly app!) for it’s wealth of education and inspiration from Pat and Linda. Find someone who embodies your dreams with horses and connect with their accounts regularly to stay excited about your own horse and journey.

And that's it! I'll leave you with Pat's "45 P's" here. I bolded the parts that stand out to me in relation to being progressive for your horse by being prepared for your lesson and practicing with quality in mind.

Pat Parelli proudly presents his provocative and progressive programs and the proclamation that prior and proper preparation prevents p-poor performance, particularly if polite and passive persistence is practiced in the proper position. This perspective takes patience from process to product, from principle to purpose. The promise that Pat plans to prove is that practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect and, isn’t it peculiar how these poor prey animals perceive people as predators prior to practicing the Parelli Program.