The Harmony Program Level 2/3
What you might want to know & bring to attend Harmony Courses & Camps.
Welcome to the Harmony Level!
Level 2/3 on the ladder to becoming a Horseman.
Once you have overcome Opposition Reflex (in Level 1) its important to progress to a point where your horse not only has no opposition reflex, but has positive reflexes. In simple terms this means the horse will respond to whatever you ask “without hesitation”
A positive reflex means your horse does not put pressure on rope when you are playing YoYo, Circling, Sideways and Squeeze Games. You could do them all with a tiny elastic band between the halter and the snap! And it takes only your fingertip pressure to ask the horse to yield forwards, backwards, right, left, up and down, nothing more than phase 1.
When you are riding it means it takes no more than a squeeze to ask the horse to go and the slightest lift of the reins to slow. He yields backwards and sideways easily, does not change gaits or directions unless you ask and he travels in a straight line without need for correction. He crosses puddles, poles and jumps without hesitation. he leaves the herd without trouble.
Sounds like the perfect horse doesn’t it? Positive reflexes are what makes a horse a pleasure to handle and ride, there is not resistance. The big question is ” how do you get a horse to feel like this? It takes savvy of course: attitude, focus, feel, timing, balance and experience are the keys.
Level 1 brought great results, and now..
As a result of Level 1 we often have seen great improvement where horses have become much more compliant, some having come a long way for some very disrespectful or fearful behaviour. There is one trap, however. If you play the 7 Games every day the same way and are not provocative enough, the horse will get bored with you. And as you start to become predictable for the horse then they start to become disrespectful again, but now at a different level, it’s not so much that they don’t do what you ask, it’s that they start to delay their responses. It’s important for you to recognise this and to do something about it. Level 2 will help you here as well as significantly increase your skills as a handler and rider.
So welcome to a new level of incompetence! The journey through Level 2/3 opens a lot of doors into your horse’s mind while increasing your skills as a rider and handler.
Following the Program.
Level 2/3 is a huge subject. it raises the respect system, works on the impulsion, develops mental, emotional and physical fitness to new levels in both you and the horse, increases the riding elements significantly and culminates with manoeuvres such as lead changes, the soft feel and turns on the haunches. in addition you learn to play the 7 Games in a whole new way: first you learn there are 7 categories of games and therefore a thousand ways to play them and secondly you learn to do more than play the Games.. you learn to win them.
Now don’t get too overwhelmed! You can take as long as you need to get through it. This of course can be accelerated if you are working with an instructor, attend courses and camps.
There are sections on Theory, psychology, tools and then there are 9 stages to work through. Your main information is in the theory and then your tasks and instructions are outlined in Stages.
Preparation: The stages are designed to teach you what you need to know before you can do the next thing. By following its path you’ll find yourself being properly prepared, mentally, emotionally and physically for what’s coming up next.
Level 2/3
Twice the challenge,
Four times the savvy
Now that you’ve passed Level 1, there’s no turning back.. to normal that is!
If you’ve taste that sweet feeling of having a horse join with you and act more like a partner then a prey animal, it’s hard not to want to go on and see how much more you can do with him now he is willing.
Level 2/3 is twice as challenging as Level 1. This is not meant to discourage you, but to give you a perspective on how much more is available to you, to advance both you and your horses skills.
Something I am becoming more and more insistent about is developing a “well rounded” approach to becoming a Horseman. I want you to become more than just a rider, more than just an handler, to become someone who is truly effective with horses both on the ground and on their back… naturally.
There are “four savvy” when it comes to horses, two on the ground and two on the horses’ back. If you re good at only one thing with horses, like competition riding, colt starting, problem solving.. there’s three other Hugh areas that are missing. It’s like sitting on a stool that has 3 uneven or missing legs. You will have gaps in you knowledge and your ability with horses. Horses need you to be savvy. They deserve it . Level 2/3 therefore starts to really expand the study of this.
The Four Savvys
There are four savvy in natural horsemanship, two on the ground and two on the horses back:
On the Ground – 1. On Line 2. Liberty
On the Horses Back – 3. FreeStyle 4. Finesse
In becoming a horseman you need to be strong in all four Savvys. its easy to be good at just one, maybe even two. But all four takes well rounded knowledge and a great deal of horse savvy. We develop this over four levels of this program.
In Level 1 there was very little Liberty, a lot of On Line, and an intro to FreeStyle and very little Finesse.
Level 2 and 3 now gives you more Liberty, more On Line (with longer lines), more challenging Freestyle tasks, and introduces the 4th Savvy, Finesse.
As you progress through the Levels, the two most challenging areas are usually Liberty and Finesse because of the attitude, focus, feel, timing, balance, savvy and experience they require to do it well.
Become more than a rider, become a natural horseman.
In the normal world 99% of what people do with horses takes some form of concentrated riding. They use short reins and are very focused, sometimes over focus. they do next to nothing on the ground their communication is little more than a series of kicks and pulls until the horse does what they want. And most often they don’t. Theres a lot of resistance around and a lot of good horses tuned, sold or destroyed because. they can’t put out with the force and lack of understandithey are subjected th through lack of savvy. We need to become good enough to help horses reach their potential too.
80% of what you need to know about horses I on the ground. if you are not working on yourself and your horse in this area you are making things much harder for both of you. Take a lesson form the Spanish riding School. They devote years of training on the ground. Horses need to have a trusting relationship with you, a communication system and no fear or resistance in order to understand what you want before you ever get on their back. If not you’ll be dealing with control, resistance and safety issues the rest of your riding life.
I encourage you to keep working on yourself mentally, emotionally and physically. It’s not what level you ultimately achieve that’s important. it’s that you are developing as a natural horseman in all four areas of savvy…equally. And that you keep progressing in some way. I know I’ll be doing that for you, to constantly find better ways to teach you.
Theory:
- The 7 Keys to Success
- The Eight Principles of Natural Horsemanship
- Lateral thinking & Reverse psychologhy
- Impulsion
- The Eight Responsibilities
- The concept of “Feel”
- Equine Psychology
- Natural tools
Level 2/3 9 Stages of Tasks…
All of the information can be viewed on my Current Student Page, if you are a current student (have attended a course or camp within the past 12 months you have access to this information via my current student FB page).
Harmony Course/Camp Details…..
*This is a Level 2/3 Online(ground skills), Freestyle Riding, Liberty & Intro to Finesse Parelli Natural Horsemanship 2 or 3 Day Course or 5 day Camp. Prerequisites, you need to understand the 7 games (this can be done at home or by attending a Partnership Level 1/2 – 2 day course), and be able to walk & trot in a fenced area or arena. David knows that confidence is hard to get and easy to loose and puts the relationship first when it come to taking care of you.
*Equipment you may need for Level 2/3 courses and camps: 12foot Lead Rope & Horseman’s Halter, 2 Carrot Sticks & Horseman’s String, 22foot Lead Rope (45foot Lariat Line optional) Horseman’s bridle with Horseman’s reins or Natural Hackamore (or whatever you have usually been riding in) Saddle & Saddle Pad.
David carries some of Pat’s essential equipment with him for sale, if there is some equipment you know you would like to purchase, please feel free to let David know prior to the camp start date.
2 day course $600, 3 day course $900 & 5 day camp $1500 includes all tuition, camping with power & secure horse yards. Students numbers vary between 10-16 depending on venue. (fees may vary depending on location see calendar below)
Below is the Harmony Program Level 2/3 DVD’s and more of the essential equipment needed to proceed through the levels. Pat designed his Tools, pacifically to assist you accelerate your results, they are of high quality and will last you a lifetime of learning. The equipment is recommended when attending courses and camps, and the DVD’s will continue to support your progress at home.
