>> > The horses are standing facing me. I point to the left with my left >> > hand, and foot, the rope is in my left hand--the horse doesn't move. >> > I lift the stick which is in my right hand, the horse doesn't move, I >> > throw the rope of the carrot stick over to the horse and off they go >> > to the left. I stand still and they go around and around and around >> > while I wind them in and eventually they stop facing me....I'm hoping >> > with practice they'll get the idea that I'm not trying to lunge. >> >> >> In reading this, I felt, with the instructions, that you WERE asking them >> to >> lunge! > > > I was copying what I saw Pat doing in a video--his horse only went > around him once or twice while mine seems to think I wanted continuous > circles.
OK, I get it! You are not asking for "disengagement of the hindquarters" only; you are asking for the Circle Game with a disengagement at the end. Right? OK, so you send the horse around once or twice. Then you should prepare yourself, to ask, for the stop and disengagement. How do you do this? First change your body frame. As you're asking for the Circle, your body has some "chi" or energy going in the direction of the circle. In asking for the stop, you'll drop that energy down to the ground. Slump your shoulders if you have to. Look down, if you have to. Let everything in your body melt. (This may take some time and practice, so don't try to do it all on the first time!) The horses may be new to the carrot stick and may not know what to expect from it. They may not know that it can ask them for a "send" and then not ask for anything. If you have to drop it or hide it behind you, do so. When the horse stops. Let him stop, at first, without asking anything else, without asking for anything in regard to body position, where to stop, what to do after that, etc; just a stop. Reward. We'll do a little back-chaining next.... you've practiced the disengagement of the hindquarters separately, from a standstill, hopefully, so that you have it good? Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
