April 18, 2011
In preparation for the 5-Day Parelli Experience Camp that I was attending in May - a request from Parelli Professional Todd Owens, to list 7 things we hoped to accomplish at the event. This was #2 on the list that I emailed to Todd:
#2. I have a very BIG goal to be able to ride in a Walter Zettl clinic. I would like to find out where we need to be in order to get the most from a WAZ clinic. I would like to be assessed as to where I am currently and have some assistance in putting together a plan (aka - a list of tasks to accomplish) to allow me to reach this goal.
This was the first time that I had actually stated my Walter dream out-loud!
June 26, 2011
The rumour was confirmed today! After the search for a facility to host Walter's summer clinic, it was decided that it be held at the barn where I keep my horse, QuarDream Equestrian Centre in Mt. Forest! Walter Zettl in our own barn?? Could fate be playing a hand in this?
July 11, 2011
Today I got one of the best phone calls ever! Parelli Professional Todd Owens, called to tell me, in person, that he had a rider spot for me in the upcoming Walter Zettl lesson days! WOW. wow. I've been smiling ear to ear ever since. How did this happen?? In all honesty however, when Todd told me several weeks ago that he felt I was ready to ride with Walter - I didn't believe him. How could this 38 yr old mother of 3 be anywhere near ready to ride with such a master?? But Walter is looking for students who are well into Level 3 and ... get this ... are enthusiastic learners! So I may not be destined for the world dressage stage any time soon - but I am, if nothing else, enthusiastic. With a short list of preparatory tasks in place, I have left my anxiety behind and am just excited to have Walter Zettl help me with my horsemanship.
July 23, 2011
Only 14 days until my first lesson with Walter Zettl!! I can't believe how quickly this dream has come about. The preparation is going forward on many levels. I continue to increase the physical activity level for both Tido and I - this lesson will challenge us like nothing we have experienced before. WAZ's video library that I ordered arrived last week and I take any spare moments to watch him teach and listen to his lilting voice. Trying to let his accent wash over me so that I can hear his terminology. I have pulled every Savvy Times since 2008 and read every article that mentions Walter! My support system has been wonderful with many emails arriving from Parelli friends who plan to be in the audience watching. I am sure that some would find an audience cause for anxiety, but the positive energy from our group helps me immensely, in both the preparation and the actual ride I went through a phase of being extremely self critical of my riding abilities, my body image - even my pants! But I am now in a place where I combat negative thoughts immediately with positive ones about Walter's only intention being to help me become a better horseman.
July 26, 2011
Today I had a private "Finesse" lesson with 4* Parelli Professional, Don Halladay as a preparatory preview of what I can expect in my lesson with Walter Zettl (yes - I had a lesson, before a lesson). In all regards in went very well. Don reviewed all the tracks and paths involved in the precision pen with is much more difficult to ride than it looks. Those intersections come up very quickly, and that was only at the walk! Don also reviewed the various lateral movements - leg yield, half pass, shoulder-in, haunches-in among others. Quite an intense hour but I feel as though I have a bit better mental grasp on what to expect next weekend. 10 days and counting!
Friday August 5, 2011
I arrived at the barn at 12:30 today to meet Walter and watch him teach 5 lessons throughout the afternoon. My nerves started jangling as I parked the truck, but the moment I met Walter, they vanished! He is such a calming presence! He motioned me to sit beside him and there I was for the next 4 hours. Immediately upon the first horse & rider entering the arena, I learned why Walter is considered a master. From the first several footfalls the horse takes - he knows what instruction the horse and rider need. Nothing short of amazing to watch the transformations in each 45 minutes lesson. His sense of humour is infectious and although he "saved" me many times from flies with his swatter, there were several instances I got a good swat when there was no fly present. Although I was glued to his teaching, I am sure it was a "pay attention - this is important" reminder! I left the barn feeling as though I had been at the spa - relaxed and peaceful.
Saturday August 6th, 2011 - 11:15am
My first lesson with Walter Zettl. Although I didn't feel nervous, in hindsight, I wasn't as relaxed as I usually am (imagine that!). Of course, Tido picked up on that immediately and he slipped every so slightly into the RB quadrant. Walter immediately picked up on Tido's difficulties going to the right and our ongoing challenges with straightness. Something as simple as a slight shoulder-in to the right when asking for a halt left me shaking my head at the wonderful simplicity! Being my first time riding with Walter - I would be lying if I didn't mention that I found this learning platform very difficult. I wasn't at all prepared for the rapid fire instructions that came through my earpiece and the high degree of accuracy that is the goal of precision riding - my confidence took a bit of a hit. I found myself very cautious about using a trial and error method of figuring out what Walter was asking of us. As we left the arena I was not pleased with how things went. Although from the outpouring of support from spectators and Walter himself, it appeared we had no outward reason to feel disappointed - I felt that the harmony between Tido and I was less than I knew we were capable of. My day continued watching the other riders and then finished with a student dinner with Walter, his wife and the other riders/instructors.
Sunday August 7th, 2011
I was scheduled to ride in the afternoon, I took some extra time at home that morning to rest and collect my thoughts. The learning over the previous two days was large in volume and I felt as though my brain was reaching the breaking point. Being an RBI myself, the days of meeting new people and riding before a large group of spectators added to the stress of being out of my comfort zone. Even after taking a little extra time, I was still in my seat watching lessons by 9:30am.
As I got Tido saddled and warmed up in the afternoon, I focused on staying relaxed and riding in harmony with Tido during our second lesson. As we entered the arena, I attempted to clear my mind and just let Walter's voice guide me. Wow. Right away I could feel the difference. The challenges we faced in the previous lesson were virtually gone and Walter was able to take us into new territory - trying out some of our lateral work at the trot and continued practice with our ever challenging downward transitions. I was more confident in puzzling out some of Walter's instructions and achieving the proper response from Tido came much quicker! The intersections didn't seem to come up quite as quickly as they had the day before and I was much more able to think my turns before I made them. Our attempt at a collected trot drew a loud exclamation of "he's a Grand Prix horse!" from Walter and we finished with an "almost" perfect straight ride down centre line and a pretty good halt! Phew! But as we prepared to leave the arena, my best moment of the entire weekend occurred. Tido wouldn't leave. He kept looking over at Walter and all the spectators with a calm, confident expression that said, "hey that was great. Now where are my pats and treats?" After a spray bath and some undemanding time grazing and fussing over him, Tido hung around the pasture gate when I finally put him away. All the positive comments from Walter, spectators and other riders paled in comparison to my horse tellling me that he enjoyed our ride together.
Walter caught me in the barn at the end of the day and gave me a hug and the comforting words, "vunderful, my dear, vunderful.". I did it. I rode with Walter Zettl.
107 days ago, I dared to state my dream out loud. 107 days later, I am filled with the joy of having achieved that dream. But it was more than just riding and learning with Walter. It was meeting new people, rekindling with old friends and enjoying time spent immersed in a world of horses that I love. It brought talk of plans and opportunities for the future and stories told of the past. It was learning that sometimes, having your dream become a reality isn't as hard as you might think! And it was knowing that riding with a master is addictive and I look forward to my next opportunity to learn from Walter Zettl!
