Let’s clean up your phases!

• Can you have an attitude of “don’t make me pick up the stick!”?
• Or “do we have to go there?”!

 
I would like to challenge you to see how little it takes for your horse to offer the answer to the question you asked him or her. Just because you are holding a Carrot Stick in your hand, doesn’t mean you need to use it, whether that’s in the saddle or on the ground.

Remember your phases for different games & situations:

Hair, skin, muscle, bone.

My mare Catty is a great teacher of that. If I skip the “hair” phase, aka Phase 1, she will let me know right away! 

• • • Schwiegermutter Blick, finger, wrist, elbow, arm
      Remember to use your energy & intention!
    • Lead, lift, swing, touch.
      Very often, what happens is that lead & lift happen at the same time. Be sure to differentiate between Phase 1 “lead” and Phase 2 “lift (the Carrot Stick)”
    • Energy up, smile, squeeze, smooch if you please, add rhythmic pressure

     

These phases for going build upon each other. So while you are upping your energy, add a smile, while your energy is up and you’re smiling, add the squeeze and while your energy is up, you’re smiling and squeezing, add a smooch and finally, while your energy is up, you’re smiling, squeezing and smooching, add some rhythmic pressure—if needed.

Quit riding, lift one rein, hold, bend.
The same goes for these phases of whoa-ing. Once you quit riding, you shouldn’t change that state of energy, even if you have to hold and bend your horse. It helps if you use your other hand to push on the saddle horn or pommel to steady yourself in the saddle.

To recap, check yourself:

• Are you offering 4 distinctive phases to your horse?
• Are you stuck in Phase 2.3333?

 
Hope this helps to get the dust off and get back into the swing of things?