3 Major Obstacles to Progress

Jerry ~ I am sooo glad to see that you really are okay now! When I heard about your accident at The Summit I almost felt ill! I went to visit Dakota and just wrapped my arms around her neck and cried and prayed for your full recovery. Thanks for the really honest video about fears. I just bought a new 6 year old APHA mare who has a wonderful mind and has had some great natural training. I’m finally able to ride again! I had a stroke 2 years ago that had me too weak/coordinated to ride – now I’m doing great! We are looking for a home for Biscuit – Dakota’s half-sister. She needs a Parelli home and someone who can start her right. Any suggestions?

Jerry and Bonnie,

I was so thrilled to watch Jerry’s video on “Dealing w/ Confusion,Fear and Non-Connection”.
Jerry you are fantastic! You are looking so well and have such wonderful ideas and presentations! I prayed for you when I heard of your accident and know that a lot of other people did also — looks like it worked just fine for you!! I know you will continue to get stronger and heal more deeply as time goes on. Keep sending out those inspiriing e-mails as your Dream
and our Dreams continue to grow.
Best to you both, Gale Hair (from the “famous” Parelli Collection)

Hi Jerry!!! Sorry to hear about your accident and so glad to see you are much better Thank you fro the great topic and the tools to follow up on them, very useful and it got me thinking. I miss being in Florida and had to come back in Aug Tristan and I are suddenly progressing quickly, I can finally use my phase 4 without any emotions attached to it and WOW things are GREAT. We are having so much fun and I started playing with some level 4 stuff Very proud of my heard of 2. Thank you fro the blog “scary Jerry ” I look forward to the nest one and when I see you again some day.

Roxy

Jerry, so good to hear from you again and you look and sound wonderful!
You hit the nail on the head once again. I get on to look at the stuff regarding riding and end up off on so many tangents that I forgot what I was looking for to begin with. Sometimes I don’t wonder if this is as much to to with a fear of succeding as with acutally lacking clarity, though there is quite enough of that. Seems everytime I am succeding I do just the right thing to muck it all up.I know I am good for making a plan or setting a goal and then working on just everything but that plan or goal; strange thing to do but I manage it all the time. I just don’t really understand why I do it or how to break the pattern. New pathways needed here!
Lots to lick and chew on.

great talk – made me take a moment to think about how I would rate myself in clarity, confidence and connected and now have some new ideas about my own journey! Thanks

Hi Jerry – I just loved the scenery! What a beautiful setting. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Confusion is a great subject to discuss. I am finding more and more that without a goal and plan I get lost in where I am and what I am doing. Feel like I am chipping away a bit at my horsemanship but not making the steady progress a goal and plan would facilitiate. Guess I need to work on a goal and plan!
Fear – can be disguised as self protection – have to dig deep to put out where my fears are.
Isolation – a real biggie for me. Would really appreciate being able to connect with another Parelli person who I could bounce things off of, organize a play day, get a critique from, observations with, etc.
Thanks for discussing these and for putting some tools out there for us.

Thanks, Jerry, that was awesome and so applicable to life in general, not just horsemanship. So glad you are doing better and recovering well. It certainly has been a year of challenges but this is a good motivator. I’ve had that circling the drain-( tread faster!) feeling quite a bit lately for myself. The horses are great! Merry Christmas to you and Bonnie!

Jerry,
It is great to see you “back in the saddle” again! God has truly been faithful to both you and Bonnie. Pass Sue and my love on to your family and we look forward to seeing you when you are passing through KC!

God bless you and yours and have a very Merry Christmas and the very best in the New Year. Tell your family hi from us.

In His love, Chuck and Sue

Jerry. First of all I am so glad that you have recovered. It must have been a very frightening thing to have to go through. That being said I found you comments to be very useful I have struggled at one time or another with all of those obstacles and your ideas have given me some very useful things to think about. I wrote a blog about my struggles with cantering entitled, Fear of Flying which I shared on Parelli Connect recently.

So glad to see another wonderful video and well timed. As a new year is almost upon us you have caused me to stop and reflect on these three obstacles. I have never been good at having clarity or goals, sounds like a good New Years resolution! As I reflect on this last summer I think my confidence has been on an upward spiral. I just hope it can continue after a winter break. I try hard to be connected but I think I could do better. There is so much information out there that I need to take advantage of and I want to further the relationships I currently have and hopefully make new ones! Thanks so much Jerry for the opportunity to stop and reflect. Merry Christmas to you and Bonnie!

Hi Jerry and Bonnie, glad to see you back at it. You have really inspired me again. I seem to want to spiral and then something will bring me out of it. I to fall in the “I’m not good enough, I look foolish, I fear what others think.” I need to continue to look forward. I have really been thinking about making the 2 week course in June, refining the four savvys. Filled out the paper work and then thought. I’m not good enough, I can’t be at that level. So the paper work lays on the desk. So “Thanks” will really set this at the front of the table and deside what to do. I have found that leasing the horses has been a great help. I had a problem last year and at this time I feel that I have spilard up with the leasing program. So Thanks for the boost, will get things back on the right track. Have a Merry Christmas and a Bless New Year.

So glad to hear from you. You’ve hit the nail on the head with your 3 obstacles. I can say that I have all 3. Not clear in my direction–I think I should commit to auditioning for a level just so I have a goal. Fear–at least the first one. Not comfortable with Winelover outside of the arena or my own pasture- though we have made progress–just slow. Hadn’t thought about it being approach and retreat but that is exactly what we’ve done and have graduated to the neighbors field, our front yard…..just not a real trail ride yet. And the last, isolation. I do feel isolated and so look forward to when I get to do the next clinic with you and always hoping that my friends from previous clinics will be there. Wish they all lived closer so we could get together more often.
Will be counting the days towards spring and you all coming back this way. Can’t wait for the next clinic.

Hi Jerry, thanks for breaking down those great points and sharing!
It’s wonderful to see you doing so well and able to share your wisdom.
I could personally relate to the view on the ranch! It truly is breathtaking, however your right my parelli dream started in my back paddock as a 16yr old! So for me to finally see that view this summer with my own eyes gave me a measure point of how far I’ve come.
Love to you & Bonnie over the festive season!

Jo Marshall
South Australia
Xx

So good to see you, Jerry. You are looking great. This summer I spent some time on your back porch talking to your mother-in-law about her art, my book, and Italy. Good times. Fear has been a huge obstacle in my life from time to time. This summer in the August fast track, under the gentle guidance of Ryan Rose repeatedly telling me I needed to work on my relationship with my horse, I realized that my relationship was stuck because of my fear of loss of the relationship. I was projecting into the future rather than relishing the present. This breakthrough has made the difference in our progress. I feel like I’m a ‘chosen one’ having opportunity to be a Parelli student! I look forward to your next clip. Thank you.

Thanks Jerry for the great video. It is true that to have a game plan for the dreams we hope to achieve is a good Idea. Often I fly by the seat of my pants and don’t get the things I would like done. Hopefully in the future it will improve with a focus on planning the future;.

I appreciate your video,thank you. My fear of cantering has to do with “asking” for the canter. I have been bucked off twice by this horse and I’m no spring chicken. I have done ground work with her in the past but how can I be sure she will be ok when I ask when mounted?

I am so glad you are back blogging as you past blogs were always so interesting, thought provoking and helpful. This video presentation is a wonderful way to deliver a great message. Many thanks!

Great to see you Jerry!!! You bring up some very important questions that I face on a daily bases. Clarity, I struggle with this because I don’t seem to have a specific goal in mind, “What do I want to do”. Confidence, online is not the problem, it’s riding thus causing fear, not a lot but it’s there which keeps me from not progressing. I don’t like riding alone in the indoor arena because Lola spooks at every little noise until we really get working and I have her brain, so building confidence in me and her is needed. Connected, I need to make more of an effort to call other “like minded” people at my barn to come out and ride. To practice what we’ve been learning and support each other. Without this I feel isolated and that’s my own fault.
It’s interesting how you have identified these elements (Clarity, Confidence, Connected) and I can relate to each one…..and know that I’m not alone. On the upside, I do is get involved with clinics, it’s an important piece for me to over come these issues, I’ve already got some booked for next summer. Jerry, so good to see you again, and look forward to a future clinic with you.

good stuff Jerry ! what about riding to music ! HA ! personal agenda..ha..but it sure does help one not feel as isolated or stuck in your head..get more into FEEL and HEART and joy..yes ?
fyi..have a brand new cd out called THIS LOVE OF HORSES i so hope my Parelli Family like the new music. have a wonderful 2012..i like yer style !

Jerry – always enjoy your videos and tips! I’m sorry to hear of your set-back this summer, but glad you have mended. I’m sure it was very scary for both you and Bonnie. God speed. Best, robin

PS Leggs, Pookie and Henry are all doing great!

Jerry, great to see you in FL last week, and great to see you here in Pagosa, my favorite place on earth. This is wonderful advice; succinct and probably three of the most critical stumbling blocks in life. You’ve pared it down to manageable, practical steps for students who may feel any or all of those qualities, and I think your words are filled with wisdom. Thanks for sharing, and continued best wishes for your full recovery. Love to you and Bonnie!
ps- I didn’t hear any woodpeckers during your video….. : )

Jerry,Great to see you! I love these three topics and three tools!Thank you for the boost!

It is just what I needed.
All the best to Bonnie too.

Yes I have been on this downward spiral as well. I am playing in L3 and all of a sudden have confusion because I have lost clarity which then has brought the fear up(no confidence or belief in what I have been doing) and then the isolation begins which brings up the fear more and more.
How many times do I have to be told approach and retreat!!! Thanks Jerry for the video you put everything in perspective.

Thanks very much for this video, it’s great. How relevant to the rest of my life as well as my horsemanship. I can certainly relate to how all three of these obstacles has held me back or put me into a downwards spiral at one point or another. The biggest challenge of these for me in my life is presented in the form of fear – fear of not succeeding, fear of looking foolish, fear of not being good at something, fear of what other people think, fear of wasting time & energy, etc.

I intend to take the first thing that comes up tomorrow that I feel some fear about, and implement Jerry’s advice on playing approach and retreat with it!

I recognize that back porch! I use the things I learned from you on that porch as much as the stuff I learned in my course last year…maybe even more so! It’s SO SO SO great to hear you talking and teaching! I’m going to be staying in a condo, but will have to invite myself over for a visit while I’m out next summer for the Aug FT – I look forward to seeing you and Bonnie again!