>>> The games have been going great--then, the last few times I've played with Orri he's been acting paranoid about the CS. He's responding to the games with my hands but as soon as the CS lifts he starts getting nervous. I'm not doing anything with it that I would think conveys any reason for him to be scared....why was he OK before and now he isn't?
I'm sure he has a reason - too bad they can't tell us what. In a case like this, rather than getting obsessed with the carrot stick, why not just drop the issue for a while? Do whatever you can to get his trust back...and watch for clues for what really might be bothering him. There have been times when I couldn't see an issue and couldn't see it - then boom, one day it would hit me like a ton of brick what the problem was. Personally, I don't think there's a thing wrong with avoiding a problem - for the short term. Sure, you want to work through all the holes in a horse's training eventually, but you have time - and I know you think that too. Thousands and thousands of people find success in following Parelli's program by the book...but don't forget that many, many horses do well with other gentle, common sense approaches. I use parts of the Parelli program, but in the situation you described, I wouldn't be opposed to hiding the carrot stick for a while, if that helps. You can always try it again when your and his confidence comes back. If you're doing something wrong, or are reminding him of a bad past experience, you might be better off just to avoid the issue for a while. A couple of clues in making a success with ANY program, Parelli's or others: don't be a perfectionist. And don't be afraid to take some time and just observe and think about all your options. Those have been two of my problems over the years. Sometimes I've been surprised to find that when I have had the most success working through an issue - well, often the solution has been doing less but thinking - and feeling - more. Anyone doing Parelli games notice their Icelandics react differently than the 'big' horses most Parelli students play with? I think every horse is different. You'll find some of all kinds in every breed. The good thing about the Parelli program is that it's so organized that they can make it into a step-by-step program. The bad thing about the Parelli is that it's organized into a step-by-step program. :) In other words, it's great for most horses, most of the time...but there's no way that anyone can make ANY program work equally well for all the horses with all the possible baggage they may bring to the table. That takes knowing each horse and taking your time to think about what may make your horse different from the average. If I were you, I'd stick with it - but I wouldn't be opposed to taking a break now and then. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
