I took this quote from some notes I took Sunday auditing a day of Mark's clinic time in New Hampshire.
** You have to feel what you want first, offer that, then use the aid if needed. **
Yesterday I played around with this because it really struck me as a missing piece of my how I can help my horses be successful with the things I ask of them.
How I interpreted this: when I'm wanting a transition using the rhythm and counting in my head, I have to first feel and count before I expect the horse to make the transition. I think I'd been a little unfair before.
An example from yesterday... walk trot transitions... I'm walking with a 1234 1234 going on in my head and body, then switch to 12 12 and by the third or fourth 12, I'm adding an aid if I need to. Amazing how well it worked! I managed some halt walk, walk halt, walk trot, trot walk, trot canter, canter trot, and walk canter transitions.
It helped me feel so successful being on my gelding, Rusty, who is super sensitive to me anyway. Then I did some of this (halt walk trot variations) with Sofia who has fewer wet saddle blankets in her history, and 'historically' I might have said her favorite speed is halt. I love it when my horses make me change my mind about who they are!
Great day it was, yesterday auditing and today playing around with some new ideas.
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