Day Two, Fluidity 2

We had a good talk in the remuda and then started simulations. They were very, very good. I partnered with Jenny and Molly. With Jenny, we did swapping partnerships. That was interesting. Jenny and I are both leaders. However, with Molly it was very fun! She led, then I led, then I allowed her to lead. I gave her leadership (no talking) and just waited for her to take over. I waited. And waited. About 30 secs later, she finally took leadership. We laughed about it afterward. Z has taught me to WAIT. I've gotten quite good at it.

We had more discussion on brace and I realized this is my time to figure out brace. How I create it and how I cure it. Sometimes Z uses her head to take leadership and I've created that pattern in her. Today, she went to yank her head away and there was nothing to pull against. I wasn't there bracing against her and I could see her look back at me like, "Hey, aren't you there?".

Responsibilities:
Horse - don't act like a prey animal, don't change gait, don't change direction, watch where you put your feet
Human - don't act like a predator, have an independant seat, think like a horseman, use the natural power of focus.

Funny - I could recite the horse responsibilities but only 2 of the human responsibilities. ???

We watched a video of a Russian martial arts expert. It demonstrated the idea of staying balanced and flowing with the attack instead of getting tense against it. Also, rounding your back and bending your knees - "so your eyes would be attached to your feet". He avoided blows and then assaulted his opponent. It looked very fluid and easy and we all tried it. Interesting how hard it was to move my partner when they stood straight up and how easily they lost balance. When the stood as the Russian man demonstrated, my partner could "glide" around when I pushed.

We talked about Fluidity; what it means, what the dictionary says, words that we think of when we picture a fluid rider. The idea is to be "smooth over rough ground and not rough over smooth ground". I like that one.

Learning phases: UI to CI to CC to UC.

Had a great couple hours with Z. I'd taken her out after lunch for some grass time. Then later, after working a little, I tacked her up and took her adventuring. She's still a little RBI about it, but I started to feel like she was LBI and it was time for me to step up my leadership.

I took her to arena grande and we practiced riding the rail, circles, going over jumps a little, pushing passenger at the trot. We did some ground work, too. I'm spending too much time working on things we know, I think. I need to shake things up. She's settled in enough and it's time to get things to seem interesting to her.