My intention in playing with Amigo yesterday was to accelerate our learning. Not to artificially go too fast, but to speed-up learning the basics of our communication – Parelli Games 2-4 – Porcupine, Driving and Yo-Yo Games.

I had read in one of the Parelli Level 1 PocketGuides that Level 1 can take 3 weeks to 3 months with the assumption of spending 6 hours a week playing with your horse. I found this to be astonishing!

First, that Level 1 could be completed in 3 short weeks (3 months seems reasonable). And second, the idea of spending 6 hours a week playing with my horse. An hour a day for 6 days – that seems doable (although implementing it is more difficult). But I was confused about to spend that hour.

Since we’re learning the basics, wouldn’t I bore my horse to death, playing Porcupine for an hour? I mean, how many times can you do the same thing? I’d read elsewhere that you don’t keep repeating the same ‘task’ once the horse gets it, you move on. So I was confused. Up until now, I’d played with Amigo for 30 minutes at a time – at most. Usually 15 minutes at a time. And guess what? It’s taking forever to move through Level 1.

Yesterday, it occurred to me that instead of asking for exactly the same thing every time, I could mix it up; and ask for more. So that’s what we did.

Amigo and I played Friendly Game, Porcupine Game, Driving Game and Yo-Yo Game for 40 minutes. Mixing it up, playing around, keeping it interesting. Amigo is highly food motivated, so a treat after a Phase 2 response kept him interested in our play-work. And a good scratch on his most favorite spot – under his belly – had him feeling really good.

Lots of effective communication . Lots of licking and chewing. Lots of smiles.

By the end of the 40 minutes, Amigo was responding to every request with only Phase 2. Smart horse!  Next time, we’ll practice on yielding FQ and HQ in a circle…  

Naturally,

Lauren

P.S. – One challenge is that Amigo will back up (do the Yo), stop and then wants to come forward to me. We’ll have to work on that.

Log Entry: Level 1: Lessons 6-7: Games 1-4