Hi everyone,
I just got an email from Fran to tell me of her recent great success as a result of what she learned and uncovered in her lesson with me in Ohio.
When you make a breakthrough, the next time you approach that same spot it’s not the same because there’s been a fundamental shift at the psychological and emotional level. What was there has been cleared. I just love hearing from students when they experience it because sometimes the hardest things for us humans to do is forgive our horses; we keep thinking they’re not going to change. But our horses are different… I think they keep believing we can change. Fran, you’ve made a great step forward in getting Crest to believe in you and I commend you for your commitment as a learner because even when it gets tough you never stop looking for solutions.
Read and enjoy… oh! And try to watch Tony Robbins on NBC Tuesday nights at 8/7pm CST. He has a six episode, special series called “Breakthrough” that he told us he was thinking about doing when he came to the Florida Parelli Campus last year. I know that all us avid students of behavior and change will learn a lot.
The email from Fran:
Subject: YES!!! HAPPY Crest update!
Date: July 22, 2010 9:03:01 PM MDT
Hiya,
Just wanted to shoot you a Crest update that I think you’ll really, really, REALLY like 
I got inspired to ride for real today (first time I’ve ridden him for over 15 minutes since the lesson). Main reason I haven’t been is because I haven’t had a rail to follow, but right now we’ve got a section of pasture about the size of Arena Grande fenced off because it’s been grazed down, so I can use that.
Anyway, I warmed him up pretty strong On Line–he’s always got few hops and bucks in him–usually these days it’s playful, but I always get them out anyway–better playful On Line than with me on him! I went ahead and got on, and pretty much went through the same things as in the lesson–walked him until he was in a good learning frame of mind, then started playing with walk-trot transitions with partial disengagement. It took him a while to settle into transitioning downward–the first few minutes it was taking at least a side of the “arena”. This went on for about 45 minutes, getting gradually better.
Then, just like in my lesson, he started to lose impulsion, but unlike the lesson (hindsight is a handy concept!) I didn’t ask him to keep going when he slowed down. I actually asked him to stop in the corner where he started to slow down, and I let him sit. He took a deep breath and licked his lips. We went through a couple minutes of one. step. at. a. time, but it didn’t seem full out right-brain so much as just hesitant, and then he seemed to snap himself out of it, he let out a big sigh and turned and looked at me like “…why were we doing this, again?” and walked off down the rail on his own. This repeated a couple of times at the same spot on the rail (nearest the gate), but it got gradually less dramatic, to the point where I felt like I could resume asking him to do things.
His movement took on a really different feel after that–much more through in his back, he started to actually stretch into the trot (By far the NICEST trot I’ve ever ridden out of him). As I came around a corner enjoying this awesome trot, I thought to myself “I wonder what would happen if I asked him to…” and without hesitation (or being asked!), he jumped into the most balanced, calm, centered canter I have EVER ridden on him in my life. I think I let him go for 8-10 strides before realizing I’d better stop him while it was going well 
After that, I of course, got off and ended the ride. And yes, I did burst into tears The best part was that he was totally calm afterward. He had a leg cocked, and his breathing was normal as I untacked him, and he followed me like a puppy to put my saddle up.
Needless to say, I’m elated. After last week being so on-and-off with him, it was wonderful to have such a great ride, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually can’t wait to ride him again! Woohoo!
Just had to share!! Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for everything you’ve shared with me to help us get here!!
Hope you’re doing well!
F
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Holly – please call our 800#: 800-642-3335. They will listen to your problems and help you find the right, natural answers.
L
I am new to the blog and have read the news about Fran & Crest. I was there also and was moved to tears at the time that you, Linda, took the time right then to help that horse through whatever he needed get through. Things have changed so much for me this summer. I was hurt quite some time ago (my mare was scared very badly, whirled and took off bucking and running with me on her and I ended up bucked off, knocked out and in the hospital for 3 days with a bad concussion ), and I haven’t really gotten over the fear of riding faster than a trot. I finally decided that this summer I was going to focus on my relationship with my horse instead of pushing myself to ride. I am working on my Level 2 and hoping to send in my On-line part very soon. I have begun to feel so much better about the responses I have been getting from Lexus (LBI) and finally have started riding w/bareback pad and I feel so much better about it. Funny how when the stuff on the ground is better and more understood by both horse and human that the ride is better! Go figure! My horse is actually seeming to enjoy my company where before I made a very conscience effort to change my attitude, she just seemed to just “put up with me being there”! It is very exciting to me to realize that she is starting to depend on me to help protect her from the other horses coming up to us when we are in the pasture. Our relationship is just so much better in so many ways! I am getting closer to the relationship with her that I have be looking for with a horse for the last 30+ years! Parelli has been a…
Hi Linda,
It never ceases to amaze me how I can read your blog, look at a Savvy Club dvd or read one of the magazines and find something in it that is exactly what I need to work on with one or both of my horses! (Maybe that means I need helps with EVERYTHING. LOL.) Anyway, I read with interest about the figure 8s because I’ve been trying to get this pattern with both of my boys and neither will do it. They are both LBIs and when I read that Fran’s horse blows through and behind, I thought, “that’s what mine do!” So last night I decided to try your approach. Interrupting his pattern didn’t seem to work so I slowed everything WAY down and backed up a bit. I went to zone 3 and put my hand on my horses back and walked the pattern with him about 4 times. Then I put the carrot stick on his back and let him make the turn without me. As he would get something, I’d give him a little more rope until VOILA a perfect figure 8 a the walk! He got a cookie and we moved on to something else. I can’t wait to see how it goes tonight. Thank you thank you thank you! I am having so much fun teaching my young horse Parelli!
Update to the above. It’s actually several play sessions later and each time the figure 8 with my young horse just keeps getting better. I’ve made the figure 8 much smaller and my body language much clearer and Fonz doesn’t try to blow past me anymore. He’s looking to me and asking questions. My husband took 10 days and rode his motorcycle to Sturgis in the past two weeks. This morning when he saw me playing with Fonzie he was amazed at the progress we’ve made. This has been so helpful. Thanks again for posting it.
Excellent example of “chunking down” Christine. This is an educational term that means breaking things down into smaller, essential elements to make it easier for the student to understand. Looks like you found the right chunks for your horse. Well done!
L
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