Post by Calaminty Jane on May 4, 2013 11:00:20 GMT -5
Friendly Intent
-by Linda Parelli
The Friendly Game is the most important of the Seven Games. In fact, if your horse cannot accept your friendly intent then you should go no further because if he’s fearful or doesn’t trust you, communication and learning will be difficult.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR: GAME #1 – The Friendly Game
Preparation
You need to practice before you try this on your horse. Get your Savvy String and put it on the end of your Carrot Stick. Practice being able to release and catch the end of the string in your hand. This is easily done by holding the stick straight up and allowing the string to swing into your hand. It will take a few repetitions, but pretty soon you’ll have it.
You need to know this as sometimes you will use the stick and string to be friendly, and other times just the stick. So knowing how to capture the string is a good technique to have.
The next thing to practice is just getting handy with the stick and being able to convey the right feel down it, as though it is an extension of your hand. Can you softly stroke a chair with it, rub and scratch with it…? Then try it on a friend!
Finally, practice being able to throw the string over something without flicking the end as it lands. The way to do this is to put a little flow into your arm, having it go forwards in the direction of where you want the string to land rather than staying still or pulling back a little… that’s what will cause it to flick! Once you can lightly fling it over the back of a chair and around the legs of the chair, try it on a friend.
When you have the control and feel you want, it’s time to try it on your horse.
Note – The Carrot Stick is 4’ long and is sturdy, not at all like a whip. You cannot use a whip for this exercise as it is hard to control and does not exactly convey your feel.
What to do
First the Carrot Stick:
Have your horse on a halter and 12’ line, with slack in the line…
If your horse is quite confident with you, you should be able to allow him to smell the Carrot Stick and then start rubbing him all over. Let him feel your heart through the stick as you gently rub his body, neck, legs and face. The objective is to have him relax so look for a soft and blinking eye, lowered head, lack of tension and steady breathing or a big sigh and licking of lips.
Then the Carrot Stick & Savvy String:
Now you’re going to progress to gently flinging the string over your horse’s neck and body, then around his legs. Remember that you practiced this in preparation so you can do it without causing the end of the string to flick your horse as it lands! It actually feels really nice when the string lands lightly and then you draw it off to do another one.
The principles of the Friendly Game are: Rhythm, Relaxation & Retreat.
This means that you should use a nice, easy rhythm instead of sudden or irregular movements, that you should be relaxed and gently persist until your horse is relaxed; and that if your horse has trouble you ‘retreat’ which means:
» Slow down
» Walk backwards and draw the horse towards you as you continue
» Touch the ground instead of the horse
» Stop and wait until the horse is relaxed
» Etc…. and then reapproach as the horse shows he’s ready.
Likely reactions from your horse
If your horse gets worried it tells you he’s perceiving this as threatening, he may have trouble standing still. Walking backwards and away from him as you draw him towards you can help a lot to build his confidence and pretty soon he’ll be able to stand still. The more you go towards him the more threatening it feels, so the more you walk away and draw him towards you the more his confidence grows. You can’t force this on the horse, you have to prove that your intentions are friendly and that he can trust you and your toys. Right now your toy is the Carrot Stick & String. One day it can be anything… a rain coat, a blanket, a saddle, a pack saddle, your body, a rider… you get the picture!
How often to repeat it
The Friendly Game is something you will use a lot. Even though you might not be desensitizing by tossing the stick and string over your horse “flogging him with kindness!”, but any time you need him to settle down or know that he’s done well you will use the principles of rhythm, relaxation and retreat. That’s what the Friendly Game is all about.
-by Linda Parelli
The Friendly Game is the most important of the Seven Games. In fact, if your horse cannot accept your friendly intent then you should go no further because if he’s fearful or doesn’t trust you, communication and learning will be difficult.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR: GAME #1 – The Friendly Game
Preparation
You need to practice before you try this on your horse. Get your Savvy String and put it on the end of your Carrot Stick. Practice being able to release and catch the end of the string in your hand. This is easily done by holding the stick straight up and allowing the string to swing into your hand. It will take a few repetitions, but pretty soon you’ll have it.
You need to know this as sometimes you will use the stick and string to be friendly, and other times just the stick. So knowing how to capture the string is a good technique to have.
The next thing to practice is just getting handy with the stick and being able to convey the right feel down it, as though it is an extension of your hand. Can you softly stroke a chair with it, rub and scratch with it…? Then try it on a friend!
Finally, practice being able to throw the string over something without flicking the end as it lands. The way to do this is to put a little flow into your arm, having it go forwards in the direction of where you want the string to land rather than staying still or pulling back a little… that’s what will cause it to flick! Once you can lightly fling it over the back of a chair and around the legs of the chair, try it on a friend.
When you have the control and feel you want, it’s time to try it on your horse.
Note – The Carrot Stick is 4’ long and is sturdy, not at all like a whip. You cannot use a whip for this exercise as it is hard to control and does not exactly convey your feel.
What to do
First the Carrot Stick:
Have your horse on a halter and 12’ line, with slack in the line…
If your horse is quite confident with you, you should be able to allow him to smell the Carrot Stick and then start rubbing him all over. Let him feel your heart through the stick as you gently rub his body, neck, legs and face. The objective is to have him relax so look for a soft and blinking eye, lowered head, lack of tension and steady breathing or a big sigh and licking of lips.
Then the Carrot Stick & Savvy String:
Now you’re going to progress to gently flinging the string over your horse’s neck and body, then around his legs. Remember that you practiced this in preparation so you can do it without causing the end of the string to flick your horse as it lands! It actually feels really nice when the string lands lightly and then you draw it off to do another one.
The principles of the Friendly Game are: Rhythm, Relaxation & Retreat.
This means that you should use a nice, easy rhythm instead of sudden or irregular movements, that you should be relaxed and gently persist until your horse is relaxed; and that if your horse has trouble you ‘retreat’ which means:
» Slow down
» Walk backwards and draw the horse towards you as you continue
» Touch the ground instead of the horse
» Stop and wait until the horse is relaxed
» Etc…. and then reapproach as the horse shows he’s ready.
Likely reactions from your horse
If your horse gets worried it tells you he’s perceiving this as threatening, he may have trouble standing still. Walking backwards and away from him as you draw him towards you can help a lot to build his confidence and pretty soon he’ll be able to stand still. The more you go towards him the more threatening it feels, so the more you walk away and draw him towards you the more his confidence grows. You can’t force this on the horse, you have to prove that your intentions are friendly and that he can trust you and your toys. Right now your toy is the Carrot Stick & String. One day it can be anything… a rain coat, a blanket, a saddle, a pack saddle, your body, a rider… you get the picture!
How often to repeat it
The Friendly Game is something you will use a lot. Even though you might not be desensitizing by tossing the stick and string over your horse “flogging him with kindness!”, but any time you need him to settle down or know that he’s done well you will use the principles of rhythm, relaxation and retreat. That’s what the Friendly Game is all about.