Never Stop Learning

So much going on, and not enough time to write about it all! First off, we have finally confirmed we have enough people for the workshop with none other than Lillan Roquet! She has been working directly with the fabulous Linda Parelli for the last year! So November 10/11 will pretty much be my dream weekend, short of actually going to Colorado that is ;) She will be accompanied by my local 2* PP Alanna Farrell, who is fabulous! Both ladies are experienced, knowledgeable RBE's so this is guaranteed to be the most fun you could ever have at a workshop! The layout is as follows:

Day 1
-The art of warm up: calm, connected responsive on the ground
-Advancing Liberty
-Creating perfect impulsion
Day 2
- Horsenality Strategies
- Ride Well: focus on posture
- Preparation for Game of Contact

Secondly, last Saturday I had my first lesson with 2*PP Sarah Merry :) The focus was on bridleless riding, and since my horses are currently in eastern WA, I was allowed to ride her (almost L4) mare Cassie. What a fabulous experience! I learned a lot about how my shoulder position is negatively effecting my turning (when I used to take dressage lessons I learned I drop my left shoulder, and this is still plaguing me!) and to not lock my hips while focusing on my upper body. Poor Cassie at one point was going straight in her hindquarters, but turning with her forehand, and it turned into a really awkward sideways when I was just trying to straighten her out because my upper and lower body were telling her two different things. Poor thing! But Cassie was tolerant, sensitive, and an incredible teacher who gave instant, clear feedback :) Sarah had us work on the clover leaf pattern and the weave, and by the end of the day, regardless of it being cold, rainy, and very very windy, Cassie and I were in sync and rocking it! At the end of the lesson, Sarah said I was very well qualified to ride Cassie, and since she is so sensitive not many people have success with her bridleless :) It was a huge compliment that really made me leaving feeling great! 

Parelli is such a fabulous method.. honestly, what other instructor could have you warm up OL, do a quick mounted warm up in the arena, and then take the reins off for an hour and it be no big deal to anyone involved?! This is such a wonderful program, and I couldn't be more grateful for Pat sharing it :)

There is so much more I want to write about, however I am running out of time ;/ I'll try my best to keep you all posted, and I can't wait to share what I learn with Lillan! This is my dream clinic! She is definitely one of my favorite Parelli Professionals, she is from WA, around my age, and to top it off her horse's behavior is almost exactly like Cheyenne's :) And I can guarantee that Chey will be there in all her extroverted, spooky glory as she always is when we are in a new place, so it will be the perfect opportunity to learn new strategies :) And Alanna is an incredible instructor who I always learn SO much from, and has a wonderful, postitive but perfectionist teaching style that I absolutely love... EEK! I CAN'T WAIT!!

Lillan and Damo at the Horse & Soul Puyallup, WA tour stop May 2012