Lights, Camera, Action!

Cheers to my first video blog! Here are 6 short videos of Vanilla and I playing on-line. Some of the skills are very new to Vanilla and are still being polished, such as jumping over barrels and leading by the tail. She is also a low spirited RBI (see previous blog to find out what that means) and needs to do things at a slower pace in the learning stages. We are really just taking our time and playing around, but this was a very valuable learning experience in how to make the most of filming in the future.

Part of accomplishing my Parelli goals involves filming my official assessments as well as filming a short video to go along with my Fast Track application. In preparation to complete these goals, Toby Brooks (my wonderful boyfriend, talented photographer and videographer) came out to do some simple test shoots. I must say that being filmed is not as easy as I thought it would be because it tempts the predator in me to jump out and be over critical of myself and my horse. I want to be excellent, but not at the expense of my horse’s confidence, dignity and respect, so I need to be particularly aware that I never sacrifice principles for my goals throughout the process.

Here are three important lessons I took away from the experience and will apply next time the camera is on me…

• Prior and proper preparation prevents poor performance: Next time I will play more before the camera is rolling to make sure that Vanilla and I are on the same page.
• Practice like I’m being filmed and film as if I was just practicing: I need to be as consistent as clock work to ensure that Vanilla and I are at our best.
• Never compromise principles to reach a goal: I touched on it earlier in the post, but it is worth repeating. Keeping the relationship between my horse and me intact is more important than any filming! There is always time to do it right.

In the end, I was really happy with the videos! They are a great way to step back, reflect, and evaluate my horsemanship as if I was a fly on the wall. Some of the qualities I look for in myself when reviewing the footage are timing, use of phases, release from pressure, and consistency of body language and communication. When looking at Vanilla I like to make note of her facial/ear expression, whether she is responding or reacting, lightness/slack in the rope, and how much she is offering me on her own. Basically, does the overall picture look like harmony, trust, communication, respect, and fun between two friends, or does it look like anything short of beautiful? I hope this helps people following my blog, who are not familiar with horses or the Parelli method, view these videos with more understanding of my goals. I will be posting more videos and pictures in the near future so stay tuned because it’s only going to get better.

Keep it Natural,

Lianne Joy