I came across this video the other day and I found it quite amusing. But it got me to thinking there might be more to this than meets the eye.
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I laughed out loud when I saw this for the first time, yet I thought back to the winter that I wanted to learn flying lead changes. It was an exceptionally cold winter in Kansas and I could not spend as much time with my horse as I wanted.
So I devised a plan to work on the mental aspect of my riding. What I did was bring my saddle home, bought a saddle stand and set it up in front of the TV in the family room. On those cold days I would sit on my saddle and watch my Parelli Level 3 videos and ride with Pat. I would try to copy what I saw what I saw Pat doing in my body. That time that I spent “riding with Pat” probably helped me with my lead changes more than if I was on a horse.
That whole learning experience caused me to think a lot about the process of learning a new skill. I also recall my youngest son and how he would watch basketball on TV with a ball in his hand. He would watch for a great move and mimic it over and over and as soon as a timeout came he was out the door to try his new move outside. He was doing things in the third grade that I never dreamed of even in high school but he saw his hero do it on TV so he copied it and in a short time he could do it too.
What I want you to take away from these illustrations is to create a clear mental picture of what you want to accomplish then repeat the actions until it’s clear in your body. Is there some part of your riding or playing with your horse that you could practice mentally, so that you get it down solidly in your mind and body before you try it with your horse?
Please leave a comment about your experiences.
Jerry
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Tags: Parelli, Parelli Instructor
Leave A Reply (4 comments So Far)
Colleen
1144 days ago
As a kid, I could only ride once a week due to parents finances but I made a horse out of milk crates and the wagon. I put a cut out head and yarn for the tail. I rode that horse alot even praticing my posting on it, which was not easy feat considering it was a square horse and no stirrups! I like the idea of saddle and saddle stand while watching dvds. My husband will think I have completely gone over the cliff but I am sure my mare will appreciate the improved me. It is cold a long time here in New Hampshire so that is a great idea. The video was very amusing!!
Tina
1150 days ago
I think that there is a lot of power and usefulness in un-mounted practice. When I used to ride dressage, I’d often “ride” my tests on foot in the arena (sometimes leading my horse) to help memorize the pattern and diagnose tricky spots. I love the idea of riding along with the videos! Then you can get the muscle memory locked in without your horse having to suffer through with you!
ingrid henigar
1155 days ago
YES, TO SANTA BRINGING A SADDLE STAND -
THERE HAS TO BE ENOUGH ROOM IN THAT BIG RED BAG.
THANK YOU THIS IS JUST WHAT MY HORSE AND I NEED
Kelleen
1175 days ago
Summer ’07 I began taking monthly unmounted riding lessons (in my saddle on a saddle stand) and subsequently would practice each morning (unmounted) what I had learned in my most recent lesson. This spared my horse the damage I was doing to him from my poor riding skills and allowed me to practice as much as I wanted. Through those lessons (which I still practice) my riding has improved more in one year than it did in the previous 10 combined. I would now love to take that a step further and practice my on-line skills, specifically timing and feel, without my horse. I now just have to figure out a way to do that. Any ideas?