It's not about......

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.....the ground pole.


See this?




Doesn't look very threatening does it?

Look again...



Now do you see it?  The scary monster that lives within it, around it, through it???  No?  Me neither.

But she sees it....or feels it....or just wonders....




what the deal is....





This sweet little mare can be completely undone, transformed into something closely resembling a badly-cartooned version of a tazmanian devil ......by just a close proximity to this evil ground pole.
 
I'll bet I can conservatively estimate us as having 30+ hours of work on ground poles over the last few years.  I've even broken it down to just a stick on the ground, even just drug my foot through sand and worked with that.
 
Doesn't matter.....she can still become completely unhinged....at just the hint that we are going to go work on groundpoles.
 
For a while they were on my 'avoid at all costs' list with her, but I always knew we would have to revisit that demon.
 
She'll go over them, but she clears them like she is aiming for the far side of the Grand Canyon and worse is the emotional havoc it creates in her.
 
I want her to be able to cross them in a good state of mind...relaxed and unafraid.
Parelli says, it isn't about the _______________.  Fill in the blank.  Trailer, blanket, clippers, ditch.....whatever...... even....ground pole.
 
It IS about the relationship I have with my horse and how much confidence and trust I can inspire in her......how much leadership I can get her to have faith in.
 
Last week I decided to revisit the ground pole.  We've been coming along through the levels and she is complete with Level 1 on-line and moving well into Level 2.  I know we will have to build a bridge over this gap in our relationship.
 
While practicing short-range driving and having her touch things, I thought....oh-geezo-whizo....why didn't I think of that?  Just have her touch it.  I've used the nose, head, neck and maybe feet philosophy, but just getting her to be comfortable putting her nose on it and working with it like it is just another object is something I have not done.  She'll drive around and touch about everything I ask....so we approached it.....the evil thing.
 
She was very hesitant but I stayed "patiently persistent in the proper position".....and when she touched it....we moved on to the next thing.  We are repeating this and she is also getting a carrot slice when she touches.  She is HIGHLY motivated by food, so I am seeing the beginnings of change with her concept of that ground pole....more like...hey, are we going to go visit the ground pole today instead of I'd rather die than go near the ground pole.
 
 
 
Last time out....she even rested her foot on the pole.
 
Good girl.
 
Best of all, she didn't look at me like I had decided to put her in the equine equivalent of a Chinese Water Torture device.
 
That's a good thing indeed.
 
 

Sue, positively persistent in Ohio


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