Actually I was hoping a new CA thread would come up.
I'll try to keep it short. But I tend to ramble... sorry....
In November I bought a "beginner safe horse". Harumph. He's a 14 yo paint, but he acts more like a 3 yo thoroughbred. I bought him from a lesson barn, and didn't bring my coach, and... well, he's mine now, and I'm trying to make the best of a very bad situation. (He's so bad in the cross ties that we are both sweaty and upset by the time I get his saddle on.... so, I'm too worked up to ride him, and have only ridden him ONCE since I've had him.)
Thus began the search for "what to do"? (He IS for sale, by the way....but, I figure I need to make the best of a bad situation.)
I found Carson James, joined his club, ran through all his videos in about a week, earned most of the "badges", and that was that. I found "Invisible Horse Control", bought those videos, ok, a couple of good tips, but not enough for my boy. Started watching CA on youtube. I loved the results, but was turned off by what initially appeared to be "abuse". Read the forums here, and started taking a look at Parelli. Bought their "step one" and their "horsenality" videos. (By the way, there's a LOT of anti-Parelli sentiment in prior posts about CA, PP and LP)
The Linda Parelli "horsenality" videos, to me, have been quite helpful. Helped me to realize the sort of horse I'm dealing with, and had a whole DVD on "his type" (right brained extrovert). Still, not enough to get him into a state that I can deal with him. But cantering the andrenline down did seem to make a quite difference in his level of tension.
So, circle back to CA. I bought the ebook "Establishing Respect and Control", because I didn't want to join the club, and I surely didn't want to spend the serious $$ to buy his fundamentals DVDs before I had more of a warm fuzzy that his "method" would work for me.
I've bought some training for my horse (no change really... but the barn changed his feed to low carb). I posted a video on Carson James' sight of him going mental on me... rearing up on his lead line...which was met with all kinds of "he's in pain"... "why do you have the stud chain on his nose"... yada yada.... had the vet come out, who put the stud chain on his nose.... (after all, maybe they know something I don't know)... he's fine... the vet said (since he "acted out" for the vet too) "he's just a punk."
Anyway, yesterday, armed with a few "techniques" from CA's book, I went to barn to work with my horse... first he ran me over, knocked me down, yelled to his pasture mates... kept cutting in front of me to get to the fresh snow (what's up with THAT)... just general WTF? (can a horse have ADD?)
FINALLY got to the indoor and began lunging... he was "ok"... CA's "thing" is "move their feet forward, backward, left and right"... so, backing up is a big "thing".... I could get him to back up, but not without pushing on his shoulders with all my might. So, using CA's "method" of swing the lead line and swing the stick under it.... voila! two steps back without me shoving my weight against him. Though I did feel like I had to put a LOT of energy into that ... in made me think, "Hmmmm..... could we have a winner in the "method" " to select for working with this bad boy?
I'm going again today, and hope to do at least four days in a row of working with him, to see if I can get a daily change in him. So, right now, my "plan" is to do the Parelli 'Horsenality', canter him on the lunge line until 'there is a change', then work the CA ground work with him....
*I* would appreciate some POSITIVE suggestions. I am NOT a trainer. I have only been riding about a year and a half... I'm pushing 63, so, I'm not a kid anymore, and don't have the ability to "bounce" when I fall, nor the energy to deal with this very high energy horse! Please keep the flames down, or away completely. I was flamed enough on the Carson James FB page.