This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Gail,
VERY INTERESTING! Dr. Deb Bennet talks a lot about this sort of thing in her "BIRDIE BOOK". I really think you and Odin would benefit from a clinic with Harry Whitney, who's ideas were really the inspiration for Dr. Deb's "Birdie Theory" The "Birdie" being the horse focus of attention. At any rate, It sounds like Odin is a great teacher for you..and I bet he will turn out to be a great horse when you get it figured out. Very intelligent but get confused and as Pat Parelli says, the right brain takes over. I have been watching a lot of new Parelli DVD's and videos, he stresses getting the horse to "think" with the left brain and not just react with the right brain. I especially liked the new DVD "My Horse won't Go" about the supposedly lazy horses or as Pat calls them "short" horss, who need a REASON to do something and go somewhere. Also his DVD on "Spooky horses" is really great. I highly recommend these and especially Linda Parelli's video "Riding with Fluidity" In Parelli's "My Horse Won't go" DVD he suggests putting a bucket with treats or grain on the other side of the pasture and you ride your reluctant horse with YOUR focus on that spot and when you get there, let the horse stop and eat some grain...Make a REASON to go there. Every time you ask the horse to go to a "Destination"..Stop for a moment when you get there..for a moments rest, treat, etc. He also says that horses like tis get really bored going around in circles in the arena, as they see no point it. Sound like FJords? I used to be totally "anti-Parelli, didn't think much of his big show, type thing. but he seems willing to learn from all the good horsemen of the ages and incorporates into his constantly changing program. I think where he is different from the other really good "Natural Horsmen" is that he has been able to break it down into the very small steps so we ordinary folks can understand it..He is not training horses, he is training people. The other good ones like Klaus Von Hempling in his "Dancing with Horses" video and book does much the same stuff, but does not present it in the small step by step way and it is much harder for me at least to extract from his book just how to do it. Well, I could go on and on. It is a continuous learning experience. If you treat each horse as an individual and the difficult ones as your teachers, you can learn so much from them! Jean in Sunny but smoky Firbanks, Alaska, where we're now getting smoke from A fire 120 West of us..can't win! >Actually, after working with Odin myself for a while, I have discovered >that he apparent obstinance may only be the result of a combination >mis-applied training methods and his natural sensitivity.....neither of >which are obvious! ************************************************************ Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
