Left-Brain Extroverts need to be more:
RESPONSIVE
“You’re not the boss of me!”
LBEs are born to argue. If you can use their curiosity to develop responsiveness, rather than demand it, they’ll get calmer and more connected.
The Touch It Pattern is ideal.
Keep them guessing, and don’t be
too repetitive– you usually
get to do it the same way
about three times and then
you’d better think of something
new!
Remember this horse is a
super-learner. Be provocative
and progressive – it keeps
sessions mentally stimulating.
Right-Brain Extroverts need to be more:
CALM
“I don’t feel safe”
When you can help the RBE get calm, they get more connected to you. Only then you can work
on responsiveness as they will be less
reactive.
You need to be a strong, calm, focused
leader; rapid disengagements
will help you
get control as they interrupt the
horse’s flight response. In
some circumstances, asking
the horse to speed up for a
lap and ‘cruise for three’
until he volunteers to
slow down or stand next
to you is very effective.
Left-Brain
Introverts need to
be more:
CONNECTED
“What’s in it for me?”
When you give the LBI what
he likes (cookies, rest, scratches),
he’ll get more connected to you and
then more responsive to your ideas.
LBIs are already calm, so that’s not
usually the issue!
Give him a treat and rub him - don’t ask him
to do anything. Once he’s looking to you with a more positive expression, ask him to do something really little and give him more treats and scratches. Build from there by occasionally asking for more effort or two or three tasks before treating. One day, you will be more interesting than the treat! LBI horses are physically slow (at first) but mentally fast. Learn to be mentally intense, but move more slowly at first, and use reverse psychology by doing things like asking him to go slower rather than speed up. This helps keep the connection.
Right-Brain
Introverts need to be
more:
CONNECTED
“I don’t trust you”
When you can prove to the RBI
that you are not going to rush
them and you understand their
need for things to be slow, they
start to trust you, becoming calmer
and then more responsive.
Doing nothing is the best thing when it comes to RBI horses. Just standing next to them, or sitting, or leaning in a friendly way until they take a deep breath is worth waiting for. As they start to let down their defenses and relax, you can begin to communicate, gently asking for what you want and waiting for them to respond rather than ‘upping your phases’.
Gentle repetition works better than increasing pressure.
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The way to connect with extroverts is to get them responsive and calm. Only then will they like us. On the other hand, introverts need connection to become responsive – they have to like us first. Here are some examples:
Parelli Focus
www.everythinghorseuk.co.uk December 2013, Issue 3 55