Level 3/4 Clinic with Rob McAuliffe DAY 1

This is the notes from the clinic. Mostly valuable for me but might be useful for others.

Thursday 11th. Settling in.

Friday 12th of August:
Rob McAuliffe 4* instructor
Louise Atkinson 3* instructor
Marylin Southern 1* instructor
Natalie Warnes 1* instructor
Ashleigh Rowland (Esperance)
Elle Byer
Helen Adam
Peter and Nat Jones
Doll (from South Africa)
Sarah Pitcher
Lisa (Polo cross)
Christine (Lake Grace)

                                   Session 1: Review of the 7 Games 

key point: In level 3/4 use subtle phase.

YOUR PHASE 1 OF TODAY SHOULD BE YOUR PHASE 4 OF TOMORROW!

• Phase 1 is mental connection. Have a clear picture in your mind of what you  are asking your horse. INTENT ( Phase 1 is never driving)
• Phase 2: Life up

                                               THE SUPPORTING GAMES
Game 1: Friendly- Confidence Game, at the standstill and in motion.
What affects a horse confidence:

• Innate Characteristics 
• Learn behaviour
• Environment
• Spirit

Everything should be done with the Friendly in mind.

Game 2: Porcupine. It's a teaching game. Horse gain understanding. Most underused

• Follow a feel
• Yield to pressure
• Steady pressure
• Mental game. (mental, emotional and physical)

Game 3: Driving. Rhythmic pressure. Overused

• Yield From Pressure
• Phase 1 is never driving, rhythmic pressure is supporting
• Not to be used as no 1

                                         THE PURPOSE GAMES
Game 4: yoyo Whoa = Go, Straightness

• personal space, early yoyo with foals
• later on used in up and down transition. If problems in saddle with transition, Improve yoyo on the ground!

Game 5: Circles

• Find rhythm and relaxation
• Maintain arc in body
• Anytime you do an arc, even little ie 90 degrees

Game 6: Sideways

• Help horse think down to their feet. 
• Mental engagement: Great with extrovert horses
• Physical engagement: Use of core muscles. 

Game 7: Squeeze. Identify where claustrophobia is coming from. 

• horses are afraid of shadows because they do not have depth of perception
• Trailor floors are black, that's why Pat often have saw dust on them, easier for horse.

                                               SIMULATION OF DAY 1: 
Phase 1 is intent. Bring your life up. Give the mother in law look!
Yoyo Game: your horse (human congo horse) should be able to see the difference between "At ease" and "life up"
Exaggerate to start with! Then up your phase quickly if you know that your horse understand.
Bring back. Put a feel on the rope, much like picking the reins for contact.
Practice being sexy with your rope handling!
Take the contact: Feel your horse, Move your weight back and take up the rope, much like a sliding rein. Initially you may need to walk backward, then you should just rock you weight back.
Feel for your horse
Feel with your horse
Feel together.  

Circle game:

1. The send is a form of porcupine game, you need to take up the contact. Yield your horse forward and open the door, at 4 or 8 o'clock, much like a direct rein. Depending on how much life you pout in your send, should tell your horse how fast to go. In the send you need to extend your bubble to where you want your circle to be. You may need to move your feet to push your horse away. Cause him to find the end of the rope. Use your CS to reinforce at 9 o'clock or 3 o'clock not just behind your horse otherwise is mind will go behind him rather than forward. You want to take your horse mind forward. If he is not arc on the circle then his mind is elsewhere
2. Allow: Your horse should find the end of the rope, then it's his job to put the belly of the rope on the ground. Use a sliding movement with the rope, don't just drop it! Neutral must be neutral.
3. Bring back: It's an indirect rein. Look at the HQ but practice taking a feel and doing an indirect rein. Make sure it's the HQ that move most not the FH! 

Key Points:  The most underused game is the porcupine. Must do it more. Mental contact is part of the porcupine game and leads to liberty.

Reflection about Cisco: When Cisco doesn't want to change direction it's a leadership issue.

• What should I do to cause him to ask more questions? This is what I need to find out. When he is on the circle wait till he ask a question then ask him for a change of direction or a bring back or whatever. Get mental engagement. Get the conversation going and get my leadership up. 
• need to start paying attention to everything. Everything means something. Cisco is talking to me all the time and basically being subtly dominant by moving his shoulder towards me or shifting sideways when he is meant to be straight.  Kind of like a teenager giving me the finger behind my back! I need to be particular without being critical to let him know that I know what he is up to when he plays his little dominance games!

End of day 1: Ready to crawl in my swag!