Played with all 4 (but not at the same time yet....!) and learned a LOT

Between showers I played with all 4 yesterday as they have been in the arena a couple of days due to the wet. I didn't want them to hoon in the slippery paddocks when I first put them out again,and they didn't. I've just sumarised the main points - I have done so little with the twins - this is the first proper play since autumn, I thinkwhere Ihave asked fora littlemore. They all look quite similar but very very different horsenalities - how much savvy do I have to have....

Shiraz
She appears solid LB until I ask for something new - then very quickly goes RBE if i put pressure on - I didn't push too much and she very quicklybecame LB again. She actually needs very little energyto get lots of go - far more sensitive than I realised -she has become a lot more confident over the past year or so but she is still sensitive.... I need to focus on yo back and wait - she thinks back means go but isn't worried about stick and string. BUT she doesn't quite understand when 'game is over' and doesn't yield her hq on a circle very easily. She gets worried, but thinking about it, we have probably only played with circling about 4 times (thats how 'bad' I've been and how 'little' I've done..) so I can't expect her to be like Cam - you'd think I'd remember...
need to remember to use clear phases to send - step sideways and lift line is usually enough. I used the 12ft then the 22ft as she needed more line. She does actually circle better than Merlot -interestingly that's what she does when she plays by herself or with the others....

Merlot
He goes LBI veryquickly if he doesn't see the point -you can almost see him pout!! I tried a few circles but even moving he wasn't really motivated and kept bringing his shoulder in at me. However, if I get too much energy up in my body he gets worried. We started figure of eight at a walk - got that very quickly, lots of licking and chewing (and no nibbling), especially as he got a carrot for a 'good' figure of eight with no guidance. He learns SO quickly which is why I have done so little with both twins - don't want to be too slow and teach the wrong thing. I need to 'send'betterthoughand get him off me. A long ph 1 and quick ph 3/4 worked in backing him off me.He really likes liberty/stick to me even though we have done so little online - he offered a jump over a single barrel to get a carrot - has he been watching Cam?? I've obviously never done that with him. Horses are so clever!!! I feel sometimes I need to go to a 12ft to get more connected and let him know I can tag him if I want. Driving from Z3/4 and turning the fq doesn't take much -give him a chance to respond and stop when he first moves his nose...got a whole lot more when I asked next - nose neck maybe the feet of course it works-just need to remember to use it!!

Rafiki
I discovered as I had suspected when I rode her in the parelii clinic in March that she really does not understand porky. She was very heavy on the rope then and as my goal was to ask Jackie Chant if she was rideable and we achieved that, I have gone back to filling in the gaps with her, as it has made a huge difference with Cam. If I ask online, she tends to turn to the side I'm on. If I'm way out behind her and put some tension in the line she seems to understand but not close up, which is not good obviously for riding!! I think it stems back to the fact that when I got her she soon became VERY dominant, rearing, striking at people, dogs etc so I barely used the 12ft, just drove her away withthe 22ft until it was safe to get closer, which it hasbeen now for a year or so. If I do flip the line over her body and ask her to turn away and disengage she gets a bit panicy with the line on her legs -need to do a lot more before riding. So what if she is 7 later this year -take the time it takes. I'd have been dead or injured through her if I'd not known about Parelli and when it was safe to get on.
We did OLP1 and OLP3, (not Shiraz's version of OLP3!)then a few circles at walk and trot - she stayed nice and soft and willing and slow, and out at the end of the 22ft. She is another one who likes to 'lead/dominate' with her shoulders given half a chance. I also did some driving from Z3 or 4-she is much harder to turn than Merlot(- previous baggage??)- need to keep my energy down as otherwise she just goes faster. then OLP2 - she really doesn't'get' it in trot yet -gets too emotional. But she got it faster thistime in walk AND with a nice attitude. Driving from Z5 with 2 reins (thought it might help with porky) was 'interesting' -need to do with one rein first as Linda says - so she understands - it is not about the task!!I find with Rafiks more than any of the others I have to really break things down and take it slooooooowly - when she gets it though she really gets it. She goes introverted SO easily.
She had some spooks 'inside her skin' but drew to me not the others - mini spooks another sign of introversion...I know what happens if she spooks extroverted -she goes like Allure on a 'bad' day!! She was 100 times better with lf and stroking nose - think thats the answer -slow and right. She looks a lot better and has regained the weight she lost -wooly cover when it is cold and extra feeds are working!

Cameo
We just had a short session today-OLP5 (weave). She got it almost straight away in walk, so we moved to a trot, having spaced cones out a bit.Interestingly we got a lovely slow rhythmical trotand she really thought about it. I was able to move out so I was using about half the 22ft. Also did backwards from the tail, much better, sideways over a single barrel and jump towards -no trouble with any of them! The new thing we did properly today was one foot on a pole-she did it first go! May be a fluke need to try tomorrow. We also had a short bareback ride focussing on me and my balance really - we did OLP5 with no visible guidance!!She basically did it herself -so pleased!! She wanted to trot butI dissuaded her -no bareback pad or anything so all a bit slippery when I haven't ridden her like that for ages.So we stopped when she was really motivated.