Africa: Our Journey #50 Micromanaging

It may be synchronicity, but for sure I'm getting a message.  I read Linda Parelli's blog (Peeling Back the Onion Layers) dated July 23,2010.  She was writing about the session she gave in Ohio at the Celebration on Sunday.  The student had "no neutral" and was micromanaging her horse.  As I thought about what Linda said I knew I was doing the same thing; "send, coax, coax, draw, draw, push, push."  In other words, as Africa and I are playing at Liberty, I'm micro-managing him.  I'm not giving him the responsibility to do whatever pattern I have asked him to do.

The next day, while auditing a Jesse Peters' clinic, he talked about making your "send" good enough so that you did not micro-manage your horse. 

When I went back the next day to play with Africa, I paid special attention to micro-managing him.  When sending him into figure 8 and weave, I tried not to raise my stick again after the send. I'm trying to use drive and draw and body language more.  It's really hard.

It will give Africa more responsibility and ask him to think more.