Page 65 - ST November 2013

what he already knows and what you are trying to directions? Changing gait and changing reins are

teach him.
both shifts in the context.
For example, I often get asked about how to help The greatest tool that Pat has given us to learn how

build a horse’s conidence while trail riding. I will to shift the context in a logical and sequential way is

start by asking the student what they are doing at the self-assessment check list. Let this document be
home to prepare their horse for the trail. The most your guide. Once you have solidiied all of the be-

common response is that they have been teaching haviors on that list in all Four Savvys, you will have

their horse the Seven Games. The gap between apartnerwhocangettoa“yes”answerregardlessof
knowing how to play the Seven Games and going trail the context.
ST
riding is as wide as the Grand Canyon. That would

be similar to expecting a child that has just learned
his ABCs to write a novel. He simply would not be

able to string those letters together to form such a

complicated series yet.
Let’s take the Porcupine Game for example. This

game is often the game we play the least on the

ground, but need the most while we are riding. Pat
challenges us to be able to do things like lead by the

tail or a front leg to help us understand that changing

zones will change your horse’s response to steady
pressure. Changing our position from standing

on the ground to riding on the horse’s back is also

a change in context. So, it will be important to un-
derstand that you will have to begin again with the

phases and strategies that are required for teaching

and controlling those responses, while you may be in
the reinforcing and reining stages of that communi-

cation on the ground.

Parelli students learn several basic rein positions to
practice and improve regularly in Level 2. However,

many students get stuck in the teaching and control-

ling phases at the halt, which is only one context.
When we irst learn to perform neutral lateral lexion,

we learn to lift the reins and comb one of them three

times. Reach down as far as we can with the same
hand. Push on the front of our saddle with the other,

and bring the rein hand back to our thigh. The horse

is meant to keep their feet still and be soft in the neck
and face. When that happens, we release the rein.

This starts them on the path of learning to hurry up

and get relaxed when lexed laterally. That communi-
cation needs to always be available and should be re-

visited regularly. However, there are ways to advance
it and keep it interesting. In Level 4, it would be

great to see neutral lateral lexion coming from your

body and not the rein. You can also advance the rein
communication by establishing it in all gates. When

was the last time you practiced bending your horse

to a stop from the walk, trot, and canter in both

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