I‘ve accepted that show jumping and XC are unlikely to be for me. I found another goal to challenge myself with.
I want a partnership with my horse, a mutual trust, a bond that allows both of us to feel safe. ’I’d seen some results from Parelli through my support for TheHorseCourse and watched the dance of Francois Pignon ‘The White Horseman’ at Olympia. Perhaps Rosie Posie and I could at least learn one or two steps of the dance. Having watched copious Youtube clips both for and against many trainers and their methods, I stumbled upon Connection Training run by Hannah Weston and Rachel Bedingfield who are dedicated to reward-based training using a clicker. (I know clicker training was pioneering with zoo animals years ago and has been adopted by The Guide Dogs for The Blind Association, who I work for.)
I am teaching Rosie to play ball. (We’re a long way from five aside and we haven’t even achieved a two left feet dance yet, but we’re trying. Have a look at Connection Training after lockdown ends we are joining the club.