A helpful clinic

Busy busy busy! I know it's been a few days since I posted, but I haven't had time to work on a post. Friday to Sunday, I audited and photographed a Bruce Koch clinic, it was for Level 1 Parelli students. I found it really interesting, and was able to pick up some tips on things I could do with Kai- but I'll get to that later
With my husband away for 6 days visiting family in the Edmonton Alberta area, I didn't want to get on Kai, so this clinic came at perfect timing.
I really liked this instructor: he spent a lot of time explaining things clearly, spent plenty of time with each individual and horse, and had all 7 students in the arena at the same time. Also, he had a great sense of humour; when the horse was being particularly resistant, he would just laugh- he said it works better than getting frustrated. Also, he kept everyone smiling, as well as learning. Here are a few photos from the 140 that I took- don't be alarmed- only 3 here!

This is his personal horse, Jake. Apparently, Jake loves the pedestal. He will walk over to it and stand like this for about 15 minutes while Bruce is working with the students.

This lady warmed my heart. She was the highlight of the clinic for me. She came with her 15 year old granddaughter, they are both just getting into horses. She had never ridden before, but wanted to do this for her granddaughter, to help her become involved with horses and not boys. She was very shy and not at all sure about riding, but they matched her up with this 23 year old retired rope horse, who took very good care of her. She went from being very nervous and having no clue what she was doing, to being confidant that she could steer, control the speed, go over and around obstacles, and even went on the little trail ride at the end of the clinic. With a huge grin of delight!
This next one is a group photo of the riders and instructors. What is so cool about this is that some of these folks thought that this is something they never thought that they could do, but by the end of the clinic they had such a good connection with their horses that it was no big deal.

The lady who invited me to attend was having major issues with her horse- a dominant mare who was pretty used to just doing whatever the heck she wanted. By the end of the clinic, she had enough confidence and skills that she had no trouble handling the mare that she had previously been rather fearful of.
A good clinic, I'd say.
So, getting back to Kai, I picked up some tips on things I could do to improve his fearfulness and avoidance issues. One thing I had been doing was avoiding using the stick and string around him because of his strong flight instinct whenever he heard it zinging. So tonight, I brought him in the round pen and worked on that. I flipped it around and over him like I normally do, then started whacking the ground with it- still ok; but at one point I swung it hard at the ground by his left hip- and he was leaving. Round and around he went at a gallop; but this time I just stood still and kept whacking the ground, not turning with him like I did before. Pretty soon, his feet stopped, and he got a rub and a "good boy". Then I swung it again, and off he went- but for a shorter time. Rinse and repeat.... about the 4th try, he just stood there as I swung that string wherever and as hard as I pleased. Ha! Just right! That little tidbit was worth all the time I spent at the clinic, although I did pick up other useful things too. I'll be working on all those little things that are bugging Kai, until he is not a fearful pony any more. Also things like the way I use my body language and energy, and a few exercises I can do on the ground to make things easier under saddle. A lot of the stuff I already did with him, but I reviewed it tonight, like the tarp. I wasn't sure he would walk over it, as I hadn't done that with him yet, it was on my to-do list but....

Yes, Kai, you look good in blue...

The tarp held no terrors for him, and when I asked him to walk out with it on, and it fell off, he didn't bat an eye. When I has him circle around me he stepped right on it and walked up to me- I felt bad making him keep on walking but I hadn't asked him to come in. 

Well that was not very exciting ! (Yay!) I did a little more work on yielding the rear quarters and front quarters and sidepass, and called it a day.