7 Games Goals Flashcards by Susannah Jaggers

Friendly Goal

Relax!

Confidence in all aspects of the human environment

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Friendly Keys

KEYS: Rhythm, Relaxation, Retreat. Stop when horse gets calmer.

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Friendly Purpose

Builds confidence, relaxation and trust. Look for lowered neck, blinking eyes, cocked leg, soft mouth and ears. Absence of fear or tension.
The more pressure you need a horse to be able to handle, the stronger your Friendly Game needs to be.

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Friendly Game Teaches

Increasing bravery, overcoming fear of people, places and things, relaxation, suppleness. Stand still, relax. Move with relaxation.
Friendly Game is also the release of pressure to reward the horse for a try or the desired response.

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Friendly Game Fixes

Spooking, anxiety, stress, fear of rider or handler, sudden noises or movements, catching, saddling, bridling, shoeing, vet, dental, bit contact, leg aids, tension, brace, etc.

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Porcupine Game Goal

Make sense of steady pressure, don’t lean

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Porcupine Game Keys

KEYS: Apply pressure softly and steadily but slowly increase it until horse seeks comfort and moves away.

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Porcupine Game Purpose

Yield from steady pressure in all parts of the body, seek release:
Forwards, backwards, front end, hind end, head down, neck, legs, tail, sideways.
Soft and easy response vs brace, escape or no response.
Pressure motivates, but release teaches

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Porcupine Game Teaches

Sensitizing horse to the aids: halter, leg, rein, hand, bit, ropes, etc,
Increases responsiveness, flexibility, softness and lightness of response. Teaches horses not to lean on pressure, to find / seek relief. Teaches human to use more feel, and to release.

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Porcupine Game Fixes

Dull to aids – rein or leg, heavy, lazy, bracy, stiff, unresponsive or slow response to seat or leg. Hard to lead, pulls back, difficult to maneuver; pushy. Also helps horses that are afraid of pressure and tend to escape it.

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Driving Game Goal

Respond to energy and rhythmic pressure

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Driving Game Keys

KEYS: Rhythm, phases: Begin softly, increase intensity and proximity but don’t get faster or slower. Tap the air, then the hair, then the body. Stop or soften when the horse responds depending if you want the horse to stop or keep moving.

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Driving Game Purpose

Move the horse without touching, or by using rhythmic tapping. May also be used to support Porcupine Game.
Forwards, backwards, front end, hind end, sideways
Pressure motivates, but release teaches

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Driving Game Teaches

Moves horse with energy, rhythmic pressure in all zones – with or without touching. Teaches horse to move away from a suggestion / body language, motion or noise. For example a waving a stick, hands, jumping jacks, etc.
Holds a boundary, stops horse pushing through pressure, increases energy.

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Driving Game Fixes

Fear or misunderstanding of whip/stick; inactive hind leg - activate by tapping the shoulder; unresponsive to inside leg - tap next to leg

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Primary Games

1 Friendly
2 Porcupine
3 Driving

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Purpose Games

YoYo
Circling
Sideways
Squeeze

YoYo Game Goal

Equalize backwards and forwards

YoYo Game Keys

KEYS: Wiggle the rope increase pressure in ‘phases’ starting very softly with the rope: Wiggle the first part, middle part, the snap, the whole halter… as needed. Ride forwards & backwards to varying degrees.

YoYo Game Purpose

Equalize backwards and forwards, create impulsion, keep horses out of your space and have medium to long range influence. Horses are naturally programmed to go forwards and rarely go backwards.

YoYo Game Teaches

Equalize go and whoa for true impulsion – controlled forward energy’;
Back up/rein back, transitions, shortening- lengthening, half halt, collection, engagement, piaffe, slide stop, jog.
It engages the hind leg and promotes longitudinal flexion

YoYo Game Fixes

Hard to stop, rushing, pulling, on the forehand, half halts don’t work, won’t back up, poor upward or downward transitions, inactive hind leg. Piaffe problems, slide stop problems, engagement issues, lack of suspension.

Circling Game Goal

Mutual responsibilities of a partnership

Circling Game Keys

KEY: There are three elements: Send, Allow, Bring Back. Understand the importance of “NEUTRAL” from the horse’s point of view.

Circling Game Purpose

Improve the quality of the partnership and the connection between horse and human. Horse: Act like a Partner, Maintain Gait, Maintain Direction, Look where you are going. Human: Act like a Leader & Partner, Have an Independent Seat / Feet, Think Like A Horse, Use the Natural Power of Focus.

Circling Game Teaches

Teaches the HUMAN to leave the horse alone when it’s doing what you want! Connects the horse to the concept of circles - bending, pirouettes, spins. Unlike longeing, the Circling Game exercises the horse mentally, emotionally and physically

Circling Game Fixes

``` Partnership issues, distraction, lack of motivation, increases the horse’s effort and stops the human from micromanaging with constant steering, pushing or holding back. Keeps the horse connected to you, looking in vs out or pulling away. ```

Sideways Game Goal

Straightness, equalize right and left

Sideways Game Keys

KEYS: Move the front then the back… repeat until horse flows sideways – on the ground your arms form an Lshape; When riding, your body is straight and balanced.

Sideways Game Purpose

Equalize sideways right & left, and develop straightness - without dragging HQ or counter-bending neck. When you know how to be straight, you can be crooked on purpose ;)

Sideways Game Teaches

Lateral maneuverability, suspension, collection, leg yield, shoulder-in, haunches in, half-pass, canter leads, flying changes. Teaches rider to be straight and balanced in their body – head, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, stirrups.

Sideways Game Fixes

``` Canter issues. Difficulties with flying changes, leg yielding and lateral movements or canter lead in one direction vs the other (or both!). Bending through the body, yielding to the inside leg. ```

Squeeze Game Goal

Seek the space, enjoy compression

Squeeze Game Keys

KEY: Horse can pass through narrow spaces calmly, then stop, turn, face and wait before repeating. Bow-tie pattern.

Squeeze Game Purpose

Overcome claustrophobia, feel empowered in the squeeze rather than threatened. The bow-tie pattern is soothing due to its repetition of ‘squeeze’, disengagement and release. It helps the horse to think its way through the issue.

Squeeze Game Teaches

Tight situations – trailer, jumps, ditches, water-crossing, bridges, veterinary stocks, girthy/cinchy. Enjoy rather than fear the compressing effect of collection – bit, reins, rider’s seat and legs. Confidence & positive power.

Squeeze Game Fixes

Doesn’t load or travel well, refuses or rushes jumps, afraid of narrow places or scary spots, cinchy (girthy), fears the rider’s legs, tension in collection.

Goal of the 7 Games Goals

To Teach the Horse the Goal

What are the three "R's" of the Friendly Game?

Rhythm Relaxation Retreat

What is the purpose of giving the horse a purpose?

Testing the Principles ex Purpose Game #4 YoYo is testing Principle Game Driving Purpose Game #5 Circling is testing the Porcupine Primary Game Purpose Game #6 Sideways is testing Principle Game Driving Purpose Game #7 Squeeze is testing Principle Game Friendly