Green and Growing

It's My True Passion

2012-02-05T21:22:00.001-07:00

I just love being with my horses! I sometimes wrestle with fear and lack of confidence in myself when I think of going out to play with them; but I always feel on cloud nine and full of life when I push past it and just go have fun! Being a Parelli student has truly helped me play with and enjoy my horses.

I still struggle a bit with the fear of judgement from those watching me with Gypsy. They think I am nuts to just play on the ground and not ride. But the progress we have made in our relationship in just 4 sessions spread over a months time is amazing. I can only imagine where we would be if we had more frequent sessions!

Gypsy stayed with me today when I took the line off in the pasture! It felt great because I could feel her penned up energy from not being able to exercise or play for the last two weeks. When we started to run and play stick to me she would get faster and faster. So I decided to encourage her to let loose since I can't keep up ;-) She went for a couple of laps around the pasture and came back to me.

We did some "touch it" and then I thought we could see how our circling game was... How interesting this was. It reminded me a lot of the day I did ride her. Everything turned into "You're not the boss of me." She was very entertaining and it seemed to blow her mind that I wasn't getting frustrated or giving up. It took about 45 minutes to get two nice full laps and that is where I ended the session. Now that she is trusting me more she seems to be more LBE (left brain extrovert) which is still new for me. Who knew one horse could teach me about all the horsenalties!

I just keep hoping one day to do this everyday; not just once a week if I'm lucky!

Enjoying Now

2012-01-15T14:48:00.001-07:00

Although I have not been blogging about it; I am still studying the old Savvy Club DVD's. Last night I watched issue #35 and it complimented my sessions with girls perfectly today!

Specifically the Lesson with Linda section, that I somehow missed before.

I used the same concept as my last session with Gypsy and headed over to my neighbors pasture. She was much calmer today and actually stayed with me when I took the rope off. It wasn't until my neighbors horses came to the fence to see her today that she "left". She would check in with me and when I suggested we go away from those horses and play on our own she actually chose to be with me and followed!

Gypsy was much more LBE (left brained extrovert) today. Where last session she tried to get too close because she was scared and unconfident; today she would get pushy and dominant. I how found this is not only great exercise for her but for me too! She would mirror me if I walked, ran, stopped, or backed up. Sometimes she would get in front of me a ways throw a good buck, head toss, and a big snort but come back to me again.

I hoped she would stay with me as we headed back into the arena, but she booked it for the gate. Then she paced the fence at the front of the arena calling to Pokey. I started doing the same things I had done last week to get her to catch me again but something was different... So I used Linda's "how interesting" thought to stay left brain myself and not take it personally.

Then the breakthrough thought came. In the Lesson with Linda clip she had said "Match what the horse is doing and add about 4 ounces. Or they won't even know you're in the room!" That was the difference, that made the difference. Once I brought my life and enegy up and tried what I was doing before she turned and "caught me" and we continued our session.

I felt she was testing my leadership today and was very confident with me. So I thought we would progress past just hanging out. I played "touch it" with some objects in the arena as well as moving her front end away from me which to no surprise to me was harder today then usual. I just had to play with the horse that showed up today ;-)

I am still so happy and impressed with the softness and try that Gypsy has been offering.

Now moving on with Pokey's session. She has been moving around really well and I want her to get more exercise. Being an introvert she does not "exercise" herself much at all! So I thought I would try the pasture stick to me game I had done with Gypsy with Pokey.

You see that Lesson with Linda also addressed what you do with a left brain horse that likes to give dirty, snotty looks. Anne, the lady in the lesson, would let her horse pin his ears when he was asked to do something. Linda showed her how to address it, and mentioned how many of us take it from our own horses because they are our "babies" and we see it as no big deal. She goes on to explain that it can be dangerous if left alone and even if it doesn't get to that point the horse loses respect for you as a leader if you do nothing.

I get dirty looks from Pokey a lot and have always let her get away with it. Not today ;-) She was quite comical to play with. She likes to do it behind my back too, so I was playing in different zones, as well as me walking backwards some and I would correct any snotty looks.

By the end of our session rarely were dirty looks given when I asked her to do something. I could feel a difference in her responses as well as her respecting my space more and not crowding.

It has been great to just play with my girls without being stuck on just performing a job or expecting a certain outcome. I do go out with a plan of what I would like to accomplish, but it doesn't frustrate me if the plan changes.

I can finally enjoy where I am, on the way to where I am going, with my horsemanship journey.

2012 A Year of Possibilities!

2012-01-09T16:38:00.001-07:00

So I dropped off the blog for awhile. Sometimes I get a bit introverted and have trouble sharing my thoughts and feelings.

I am not usually one to get excited for the New Year concept;the resolutions and that sort of thing just doesn't appeal to me. But 2012 seems different I feel it is a year of change and possibilty for me and my family.

Recently Pokey mysteriously started losing her balance/coordination in her hindquarters. It went from slight to severve in about 10 days! After having a vet come and not give much insight; it left me with ME.

This situation has forced me to trust what I have learned and studied about natural remedies and modalities. I even used some flower remedies to help me process the fear and pressure this stirred up in me. I am glad to say Pokey is doing much better. Although the balance is still off and she is not rideable at this point she is making progress in the right direction.

Next of course is my journey with Gypsy...it has been my journey "less traveled", but I do believe that will change. Last Saturday I had some time without my son. Normally this would be when I would ride Pokey or at least turn the girls out together. Since neither of thoses options were available I turned myself out with Gypsy ;-)

I thought it would be a great way to play the catching game in a exteme case of a 10 acre pasture. It was more of an experiment without expectations. I day dreamed of how it would be and amazingly it wasn't far from those dreams!

She was on another planet as I led her to the pasture. Explosive, snorting, my fire breathing dragon the whole way. (I often call her my Toothless; for anyone who has seen the movie How to Train Your Dragon)
I took off the halter and away she went! She first ran over to check out my neighbors horses across the fence. They were disinterested in her so she decided to run and play on her own. I watched in awe as she ran with all she had around the pasture bucking, rearing, and all that jazz. It was great till she spotted me and came flow blow my way. I know we all dream of our horse running to us in a pasture; but this was too fast for my comfort. I put my carrot stick sideways and moved it side to side. I was trying to slow her without discouraging her idea to come to me.She got about 15ft away from me tossed her head threw a buck my way and turned around and headed for the gate. She did a slide stop there winnied to Pokey who was calling from home and took off again.
By now all of her left brain playfullness was bordering unconfident and lonely. She began to pace the fenceline. This felt like the time to connect with her. I walked around with purpose but not placing my focus on her. It only took me looking at Zone 5 once before she turned and faced me ears and eyes looking for safety. I ran backward and she trotted to me. Her life/energy was still very high so I kept politely asking her to respect my space. She misunderstood me a couple times and would turn to leave me, but it took very little to get her back. Once she understood I just wanted her out of my space she stayed connected and we jogged around and grazed "together" with no halter or rope. Just her wanting to be with me. She is an amazing creature with so much to teach and offer me. I only hope I am up for the task.

I don't know if would have meant a hill of beans to someone watching but it was heaven on earth for me! It was the first time sinced Gypsy was given to me that she has connected without shutting down or getting defensive, so it was a breakthrough!

Even hanging out with the girls yesterday was different. She is much softer when you approach her. I even groomed her without her teeth or butt comming after me :-D

Gypsy's Horsenality...

2011-03-22T22:17:00.001-06:00

I decided to get a Horsenality Report on Gypsy. Partly to reassure myself about how I read her and to give me a clear direction of what she needs from me. I have not read the report entirely yet, but I am excited at what I have read so far.

The results Right Brain Extrovert-

This is the little cartoon that Parelli uses to help us understand and visualize a RBE.

It was nice to read in the report that ear pinning is common for a RBE, and is a self defense mechanism that tells me I am going to quick. It was also mentioned that these horses often have spots that they do not what you to touch. Although my intuition "knew" these things about Gypsy, I started to doubt my abilities and understandings of her. It said that undemanding time is a great way to build trust and a relationship with these kinds of horses... read my last post...

This is a confidence booster for me and is full of tips of do's and don'ts to help Gypsy and I progress naturally together! I want to get one of these for Pokey too. I will post notes and more things I learn as we continue our journey.

Some of you are probably wondering; What is she talking about?? Check out this link for more information. Horsenality This is great stuff!!

Great Weather ~ Great Sessions

2011-03-13T18:34:00.000-06:00

Saturday I finally went out and played with the horses. I played with Gypsy for the first time since last fall, and it was awesome. I filled an old truck tire with rocks and poop to use as a pedestal. I used a tarp and my big green ball to play some games with her. She offered so much and seemed to really be having a good time. She offered to get right up on the tire, go across the tarp, and even gave the ball a push. This may not seem like much but I am used to having to have lots of ideas and strategies for making my ideas Pokey's ideas, but Gypsy is a lot more curious and really wants to please her person. I just have to work on going slower and giving less "aids". Gypsy is very sensitive and gets offended when I go too fast or "yell" with my aid. She really is a neat horse!

Pokey of course enjoys watching and rather I left it at that! But I did play with her online with the pedestal and rode her around bareback working on walk-backup transistions and other exercises that help her use her abs and hindquarters more.

I think the cutest thing with Gypsy is how important it is to just hang out with her. I sat in the pen for about an hour with them yesterday after out sessions and she just stayed be me the whole time. She stood in front of me with her nose on my neck, it was perfect!

Our little herd of three is happy together!

Signs of Growth...

2011-02-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

This winter has been a time of learning and realization for me. I have been reading, listening, and watching a lot of Parelli material lately and it is making sense in a whole new way!! I don't know how many times I have heard Pat and Linda say "It's not about the trailer, it's not about the tarp, etc." But even after hearing this and watching them work horses over and over, I would go play with my horses and make it about the trailer, about the "toys". My sessions would be focused on accomplishing tasks. Then when I felt I was being to direct line and my horse "hated" me, I would throw my "tasks" out the window and lose any sense of direction and leadership. At the end of my session I would feel lost and often bored! I am sure my horse felt the same way!

Surprising enough I think it was something I heard on the radio that finally made the whole thing finally set in! There was a Christian singer on the radio talking about his new song and the importance about having a relationship with God. He said that is about spending time everyday and just enjoying being with God and being in His presence.

LIGHT BULB! I don't know why it never made sense that simply for me before. I know how to spend time with God, my son, my husband. Why don't I know how to spend time and enjoy my horse? So as the weather warms up and the days get longer, I will be able to put my "new" found revelation into action. I am sure it will still be a process but it finally feels like I get it!!!

It's about relationship. This may seem like a very basic realization for months of study; but it is a understanding I have been longing for since I was a young girl who knew how to be with horses!!

Moving through the levels...

2010-11-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to go through the Parelli levels of horsemanship but have always gotten to direct line in my approach or lost interest because I did not have a way for me to track my progress. Now Parelli has come up with a great solution for people like me Parelli Connect. It looks and operates similar to a facebook but I can track my sessions there and it gives me tasks to check off on to move through the Parelli Pathways (Levels). Both of my horses have a wall to post on, plus I connect, share, and follow with other Parelli students and even instructors.

The tasks will help give a little bit of structure to my play days. I struggle with focus sometimes when I am playing with my girls. I played with them online today warming them up before I turned them out to the pasture. Gypsy was really stiff and sore the last time I turned them out so I thought warming them up and some body work would help prevent or minimize that.

Here are pictures of them playing today....

Teach your horse to catch you.

2010-11-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

So I said I would post some pictures of my girls having fun out in the pasture. Of coarse I forgot the camera when I turned them out. Even if I did they would have looked like tiny dots or fuzzy blurs... they ran two laps around the 15 acre pasture before coming back to see me. It was great that they came back to me but I left them there for about 5 hours. Here are some pictures of them waiting for me when I came back.

Pokey was so sweet she even nickered at me as I approached.

I could tell Gypsy was not as sure she was ready to be caught; so I made it a game I headed out the gate as if I was taking Pokey home with out her. She trotted to me then and let me halter her right away!

It felt like Christmas morning...

2010-11-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to order 22' feather lines from the Parelli site , I didn't have my own drive lines and saw these when I was at the Performance Summit in September. So I have been waiting since then to order them. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I enjoy ground driving and look forward to playing and improving! It will help pass the time till I can order my saddle.

Here is a really cool video link my Mom sent me (thanks Mom!!). It is the inside story of some wild horses; it was great to watch! There is so much to learn and appreciate from watching wild horses.

Cloud Video

Savvy Club DVD June 2005 Issue 10

2010-11-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

I learned so much from the segment with Pat and Scout!! My mare Pokey can react a lot like the horse in DVD. The last clip showed a group of young savvy club members in Germany riding bareback and bridle less, it made me cry. I can only imagine how much more playing with horses would have been if I knew Parelli at that age. It is great that Parelli is spreading to all age groups. With winter weather and the time change making my time with my girls even harder to squeeze in, I will be watching, reading, and plotting new games to play with them!!

Posture and Goal Setting--

2010-11-13T13:20:00.001-07:00

The May 2005 Issue 9 Savvy Club DVD is such a great compliment to what I have been focusing on with both of my mares. Linda talks about and actually marks the areas of some horses to show posture issues that should be addressed to preserve your horses well being and soundness.

Since both of my girls have things about their posture that could use some improvement, this was a compelling segment to watch. I also watched a segment called "Swinging Shoulders" on a recent Savvy Club DVD, that I feel would be a great exercise for Pokey!

They have been great and having them here at home is nice. I am hoping to turn them out this weekend in my neighbors pasture for part of the day, to give them some room to romp around and play. It is looking like maybe Sunday will work best to do this... I will take some pictures; I am sure Gypsy will let loose.

I have only done short sessions in their pen, just encouraging movement and working on my bond and relationship with Gypsy. Our relationship is growing in leaps and bounds since she has been here at home! I feel my trust for her growing and she seems much more confident in me. I can finally pick up and clean her hind feet; which was a big fear for me. I didn't have this problem with Pokey and I knew it was just a trust and relationship thing between Gypsy and I.

Gypsy has also made great progress physically. She was real stiff in her hips and hind legs, and when she picked up her hind legs she could not walk off. This issue seems to be subsiding progressive, which I am thrilled to see. I can now visualize us working together: ground driving, playing on the ground, and even riding! Usually I can only do this with Pokey, so it is nice to have these thoughts and feelings with and about Gypsy.

Gypsy is also helping the bond between Pokey and I grow... Pokey usually engages me for attention and seems to be eager to interact with me; which is a pleasant change to her usual "bug off" demeanor.

I would also like to share a recent blog post from Parelli Central that was encouraging to me and gave me some tools and ideas that I think will help me stay on track both in my horsemanship and in my lifestyle in general...

Petra's Pick of the Week-Get Off Your Butt- Goal Setting Ideas-

I often set too many goals and try to accomplish too much at once. This leads to an end result of burn out or it leaves me feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. The tips and ideas from the Zen Habits link on her blog, I think are a simple and effective answer to my problem!

It mentions started small and he uses related to exercising, which is actually something that I am trying to incorporate into my schedule right now! But my focused goal and ambition related to my horses is to save for and buy a saddle. So I am using some of the tools and ideas from that sight to achieve this goal... I am publicly voicing my goal! I have set a date November 20th to start my plan for the goal, it will probably take about 4 to 5 months to have enough saved. So I will keep updating on my progress here. Thanks Petra for your post and for following and commenting on my blog!

Change is in the air!

2010-10-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

With the change of the seasons, comes a change of seasons in my life as well. I moved my girls home this weekend. It has been nice having them here at home... they greet me anytime I go outside. I will now have the freedom to use and study the Parelli philosophy and move towards my dream of having a partnership with my horses. For now I am letting them settle in and get used to things here at home. Soon I will start taking them to my neighbors facilities to get back to our sessions.

Returning to the DVD back issues...

2010-09-15T16:00:00.003-06:00

March 2005 Issue 8

Pat has more inspiration of what can be done with foals to start them naturally! Water crossing and introduction to fly spray at 4 1/2 days old. Wow! Dr. Stephanie Burns makes a great point that time passes whether we are achieving our goals and dreams or not. We are truly the only one who knows what we are ready for as students. It is our responsibility to respect and honor our limitations and boundaries, but we also need to make sure we are allowing challenges and that we are growing and progressing. Which is often not in our comfort zone and is not always fun!

Karen Rohlf and Craig Johnson give a fun demo of how with the foundation first there is not that much separating the worlds of english and western horses and the tasks that are asked of them. Then to top off this DVD there is an inspirational clip with Silke Vallentin, playing with two of her horses in her power chair.

I enjoyed all the clips but Dr. Stephanie Burns Fear Makeover Section was still such great information and as with the previous two fear makeover sessions this one shares great insights into our brains. Helps us to overcome the similar road blocks that many of us horse lovers may come up against.

Pictures

2010-09-14T22:34:00.000-06:00

Photographic is not my speciality, but here are some photos from the Parelli Performance Summit.

There was a moment of silence followed by a song and a patriotic ride Saturday morning to honor the fallen of 9/11

Linda and Remmer's lesson with Walter Zettl

Pat and "the kids" Vinny and Moxie

Linda and West Point. Who we will see a lot of in the future...

Showing what a great foundation does with a couple of the Atwood Yearlings.

My pic with Linda :)

My farewell photo of the ranch.

Sunday was everything I was hoping for and more! There was great demos by mastery students. Linda shared her secrets of planning and performing spotlights and demos. Including choice of music, what to expect or keep in mind, and above all else PUT THE HORSE FIRST!! Pat and Caton ended the day with a great father and son spotlight. They unveiled an upcomming feature for Savvy Club members called Parelli Connect that will increase our connectivity with like minded students and will also offer a way to effeciently track and journel our sessions and progress with our horses. It sounds very inivative and exciting! There is also some great new products on the way that will make creative and skilled play even more fun. I already bought my ticket for next year's Pagosa Event... Liberty and Bridleless... doesn't that sound fantastic?? What a wonderful weekend!!

Amazing!!

2010-09-11T22:10:00.000-06:00

I almost cried as I pulled in the driveway of the Parelli Pagosa Ranch yesterday! I was in awe that I had finally come to a live event and at the ranch! This is my first live Parelli event besides a clinic I went to locally.
Although I arrived late Friday afternoon, I managed to get there right as Pat and Linda rode into the the arena. Friday was all about purpose. Pat demonstrated how to play the 7 games with another horse while riding and brought out some creative tools for simulations like the Robo Steer, and Hot Heels. Ryan Rose, Pat Parelli, and Caton Parelli demonstrated purpose and skill with roping, moving cows, and having a lot of fun.

Today was even better!! I got much better seats today, so I could see! I met up with two other students today, one who starts her externship next week in Florida! I am so excited for her and it is such an inspiration to see someone else achieve their dream. It affirms to me I can do it too!

The day was focused on competition and specialization. There was so many great demos and talks from Walter Zettl, Linda, Pat, Lauren, and some of the mastery students. My favorite parts of today came from a demo Pat did with 3 of the mastery students on making the patterns provocative and fun, but he also demonstrated why consistency is important and how to know when to do which. Later in the day Pat used a pattern simulation that would apply to barrel racing that I found very interesting and so simple yet great for the horses mental state and emotional fitness. I used to enjoy barrel racing, but did not like the effect it had on the horses behavior. So this was a great idea for a simple natural solution to that problem. Linda and Lauren both spoke about dealing with nerves, planning and preparing for an event, and how to improve your focus.

There has been so much to learn and take in so far and I am ecstatic about Sunday! It will be focused primarily things like planning and preparing for demos, spotlights, and artistic performances. I know that is also something I would love to do in the future.

I am so thankful I came to this Parelli Performance Summit, it has been inspirational, encouraging, and has hopeful giving me the spark I need to take my horsemanship up to the next level! I will post some pictures when I get home!

Back on Track...

2010-09-02T22:37:00.000-06:00

Wow where did I go??? I gave myself a wake up call that I am not super-woman. I thought I could work two part time jobs, be a mom and wife, and still have time for my horses; but that didn't go as planned! My son started lashing out in odd and creative ways and I was too tired to be motivated to work with my horses. I truly respect and admire those of you mom's who can do it all!! I am accepting that I can not.

I have been riding Pokey a few days a week, still just short sessions bareback. It must be good for our relationship, because she has been hanging out with me and approaching me when I am out and about doing chores. It is great that our connection is improving. It usually feels she is just "putting up with me", so to have her engage and participate is nice. My son has also rode her a couple times this week and he seems to really enjoy it and is very proud of himself.

Gypsy had been unsound and locked up the past couple weeks. I wasn't confident that I could help her and she really picked up on that. Any bodywork session I did seemed pointless and left her issues unresolved... Andrea and I finally got our schedules together, and Andrea did two sessions on her. It was great to watch how Andrea handled Gypsy's feedback. I usually would get unconfident in my abilities and what I was doing. Andrea would block and protect her space and just continue working. She stayed grounded and present the whole session and it did Gypsy wonders. The first session Andrea did Gypsy would threaten to bite numerous times and swung her butt a couple times to offer to kick, but as I watched Andrea's responses it became clear that Gypsy had no intention of hurting anyone she was just expressing the intensity of the work being done on her. The second session was much less "eventful" and started to boost my confidence that I was doing the right things.

So Monday I noticed she seemed a little locked up again. So I did a bodywork session on my own, and it went great! We had a couple of moments of fear/unconfidence but overall it was productive and effective. Gypsy is a kind spirit and I love hanging out with her! She follows me around while and clean pens and is always happy to see me. I enjoy playing with her too, but she causes me to grow in some areas that can be a little un-nerving and intense!

I will be going to the Parelli Performance Summit in Pagosa Springs the 10th-12th!! I am really excited and I am sure there will be much to share when I return.

I also received my Big Green Ball and will have to get pictures of the herd and my girls as I introduce it!

Staying Progressive...

2010-08-05T23:50:00.002-06:00

One definition of the word progressive is; favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are. So it is important to advocate and take action to head toward making a change opposed to waiting and wishing it to be.
So how are we supposed to stay progressive and not get stuck? Deliberate, simple steps forward. Please read the previous sentence again... I used the word simple not the word easy! Depending on what you are facing it may be more of a challenge.

Right now in my life trying to balance my two part time jobs, family, me, and my horsemanship has been a challenge that I really feel will help me grow and achieve great things. That is if I can maintain a healthy balance and keep focused. I began to feel overwhelmed with how I would have time to watch my Savvy Club DVDs, play with my horses, have time for my husband, my son, myself, etc. Then I realized I was getting into a pattern of worry and over thinking...

I may not be able to watch 1 DVD a week, I may not be able to play with the horses 3 days a week, but I can watch a segment of a DVD, play at least once a week with my girls, have one quality day with my son... Do you get the picture?

This is a season of my life, I want to enjoy it. I have peace about what I have taken on, so I move forward! Since this blog is about my horsemanship journey here is my simple and deliberate steps forward for my horsemanship today...
I watched a segment on the next Savvy Club DVD I will blog about soon and I finally ordered a Parelli Big Green Ball!! (I have wanted one of those things for a long time as silly as it sounds.)

So what do your simple steps need to be?

PS.
I have been watching Breakthrough with Tony Robbins on TV and following the web only footage as well. This is a great show, be sure to check it out!!
Breakthrough Link

Being Honest With Yourself....

2010-07-27T15:43:00.000-06:00

Savvy Club DVD Feb 2005 Issue 7

This DVD was like a sequel to Issue 6. Pat of coarse begins with playing with Smart 7; he introduces a massager (clipper simulation), a ground pole, walking on a saddle blanket, tarp, pedestal, and yes even a trailer! Keep in mind Smart 7 is about 4 days old!! This is one of those clips that I may never get to practice out in real life, but it is so fun to watch and see that with patience and skill such a session can peacefully take place with a foal.

The second part of the fear makeover was still the home hitting segment for me. Dr. Stephanie and Linda discuss how to safely approach thresholds; while with your horse (on the ground or riding). Linda introduces simple ways to tell if your horse is right brain and how to know when to get off. What I thought was most interesting was when they talked about how we as people make excuses and reasons not to "do" something that causes a fear reaction in ourselves... Things like you would love to play with your horse but... and your list is always there full of excuses and reasoning's. Many of us are not even aware that we are doing it intentionally. How odd does that sound?

So watching this clip made me look closely and deeply at my feelings and reasoning's of not being able to play with my horses these past couple weeks. I started another part time job last week and my duties (mainly poop duty) where the horses live have been taking first priority. After careful consideration I have concluded that at this point in my journey, it is not fear related. I miss playing with my girls so much and hope that by next week I can master a new schedule and balance out all of my priorities.When I think of working with either of my girls even as I sit and write this, I just want to go do it!

One other point that this segment made clear was horses are way more than riding; and we must not ride if we are not ready or the horse isn't ready!! I find myself fighting impulsion's to rush Gypsy along so I can ride her. I love playing with her and she really has come so far, but I find a part of me questioning my "horsemanship abilities" because I am not riding her yet. I have been on her a handful of times bareback, but I am sure most of you can relate to feeling like you haven't pushed far enough... luckily for my safety's sake and Gypsy's sake the "horse savvy" side of me knows if we take the time it takes for us both now, we will reap the benefits later. Our relationship and connection is growing and I can sense in both my girls that they miss me playing with them as well. That helps me know I must be doing something right!

Strategies for facing fear...

2010-07-24T21:00:00.000-06:00

Savvy Club DVD December 2004 Issue 6

This DVD has more with Smart 7 when he is 3 1/2 days old, and then shows a clip with Pat working a horse at a tour stop. These were both great information clips, but the fear makeover segment was what "spoke" to me. My recent breakthrough with bareback riding along with how I worked up to trotting bareback really made the methods and explanation of working through fear crystal clear! Dr. Stephanie Burns breaks down and picks apart what causes fear and how to work through and address those fears in a safe way.

I think we all have had a fear hold us back with our horses... whether it was on the ground or riding. If you are struggling with fear issues of any kind this is the DVD for you!

Savvy Club DVD Nov 2004 Issue 5

2010-07-20T15:56:00.000-06:00

Clip 1
“Even if you can’t do it yourself, get the concept and the picture of it in your mind, to know it can be done.” Pat makes this comment as he plays with Smart 7, who is about 60hrs old at the time of the filming. That statement really resonated with me! I have been immersing myself in so much of Parelli’s material, because I believe that it not only teaches me concepts, tools, techniques, etc. but it gives me a focus and vision of what is possible. I don’t know how far my horses and I will go; but I know and see where we can go… thanks to Parelli!

Clip 2
Attention LBI owner’s!! If your horse makes cranky face at you while playing this clip is for you! Linda's Liberty Session with an unmotivated LBI gelding is a good lesson to observe and make note of how Linda handles this horse’s cranky face, naughty games, and button pushing antics. I think the main thing I have learned with my LBI mare Pokey is to not let her win the game and to keep a healthy sense of humor. This is briefly discussed in this segment.

Clip 3
More beautiful inspiration with Karen Rohlf playing with her horse Monte and Pat and Linda's horse River. I love to watch her ride bareback; she is just great to watch!! So natural, rhythmic, and balanced!

Clip 4
Lastly a look back in time… Dr. Stephanie talks about what was then the new Level 1 (red box). This segment was such a great reminder of the dedication and hard work that has been put forth; for us to be able to learn such a phenomenal program at home!! Although I dream of participating in courses and clinics someday… I would be “lost” without the home study. Thanks Pat, Linda, Dr. Stephanie, and all the behind the scenes people who make our horse dreams reality! I think I will rent the DVD’s just to re-watch the “old” level 1 footage.

Hot!

2010-07-19T21:14:00.000-06:00

Over 100 degrees the past four days! I have been cleaning pens in the morning while it is cool, instead of playing with horses. Luckily it is cooling off (back to the mid90's) again so I will have more fun with my girls!

I still learn so much about horses while on poop duty...I get to see how they communicate and interact with each other. From the passive leaders to the dominate bully leaders, I can observe different tactics and styles of horse leadership and how the other horses respond or react. I also get to enjoy occasional visits from my girls and other herd members to be a temporary "fly buddy" and itch scratcher. They are a truly fascinating and therapeutic group!!

Sept 2004 Issue 4

2010-07-15T10:21:00.000-06:00

Join Pat, as he journal's more of Smart 7’s start in life. Pat explains how he visits the mare and foal 2-4 times a day. He plays with the mare and foal together and discusses the idea of playing with the horse’s nature. This clip shows how some situations even this early in life can be the opportunity to Teach-Control-Reinforce-Refine.
Linda’s segment “Time to Think” demonstrates when and why slow deliberate moves are necessary. Gives more tips and tools on watching for zone thresholds, reading left brain vs. right brain behavior, and how your send quality will affect your allow. It shows another example of saying to yourself “oh, boy! How interesting,” Instead of “oh, no” and getting frustrated.

Just for giggles watch the Outtakes with Allure, it will make you laugh for sure!

Finally!

2010-07-14T22:55:00.001-06:00

Monday's Session
I am starting to feel more harmonious with my horses! I worked up the courage to trot bareback on Pokey. We also did sideways, lateral work, forequarter and hindquarter yields. I truly did not want to stop riding. But knowing Pokey was offering a lot of effort and energy, which is not her favorite, I forced myself to take what I had and end on a good note... That can be hard to do when you are having fun! Then I saddled Gypsy and just let her hang out.

Wednesday's Session
More bareback with Pokey, I will make myself saddle her soon (maybe). I feel I am learning and feeling so much without the saddle! I do need to try some different exercises on the ground and with drive lines to help with the canter. She "can't" even find canter without me on her back. She did offer to canter Monday, and although I was appreciative; I just rewarded the try.
Gypsy got to carry the saddle again, I asked for more movement today and also took her to the mounting block which brought up some issues. I found it so interesting because without a saddle she is excited to go to the mounting block. She still seems so perplexed that I don't ask more of her. I believe I am taking the time it takes; so it will take less time. Also it will be much safer!!

August 2004 Special Edition Back Issue

2010-07-13T08:05:00.001-06:00

Smart 7 was a cute foal! This DVD was the start of Smart 7’s “journal” as a Parelli horse. Pat explains how he starts the relationship with a foal, talks about imprint training, and impresses how important the first week is.

Linda does a session with Allure at one of the tour stops. I think this was a great clip for putting the relationship over your agenda, and how to work with confidence issues. I never realized how big Allure is! I don’t know why I had noticed it before. Seeing him next to Remmer and next to the barrels made me aware of his size. He sure is beautiful to watch move. No wonder Linda wanted him, but there sure is a lot of horse there. Linda teaches Allure to jump the barrels (standing upright). Lots of good information in this clip!

Lastly, Linda does a demo of flying lead changes on Remmer. She makes it look so easy! I can remember doing flying lead changes on my mare Pokey as a kid. Where did all that “naturalness” go, it must be in me somewhere!

The Horseman's Apprentice Show~

2010-07-11T18:40:00.000-06:00

What a great show! I love it and I am hooked already. It is nice to have a sneak peak and an inside look to what being an extern means. It also can prepare those of us who dream of being there one day for the high expectations and the journey! I am sure most people just enjoyed watching it like a normal TV show, but I am so eager to learn and pursue their program that I have watched both the web episode and TV version a few times; dissected it and took notes. I recently herd Linda say in one of the Savvy Club back issues, how obsessive she would become to learn something. It was a comfort that maybe I am not the only one who wants to live and breathe this until it becomes natural for me!

I like how they point out that there are always the “nervous” ones and then the “cocky” ones. I can’t imagine going into that environment cocky! I must be more in the nervous or excited category. I truly enjoy learning, growing, and being challenged. I can’t wait for next week’s show!

Anyone can watch and follow this show... go to http://www.parelli.com/ and look for the Horseman's Apprentice link. They don't have the TV episode posted yet, but it should be available this week. You can still go watch the web only content now!

~Simple and Fun~

2010-07-11T17:46:00.000-06:00

Friday I played online with both my girls, playing with obstacles. Pokey’s session had more traveling circles, to burn calories. Gypsy needs to burn calories too, but we are working on some right brain tendencies she has with the circling game. Pokey had confidence issues with the tarp but otherwise was willing the whole session which is an improvement to say the least. There was no real breakthroughs or aha moments from their sessions, but we had a great time and feel like we are heading in the right direction!

More Tools and Savvy at the Right Time!

2010-07-08T09:18:00.000-06:00

Issue 3 June 2004

Just what I needed to hear more of… The clip with Linda discussing fluidity mentioned so many of the solutions to what I have been working on! My recent bareback sessions with my horses have been so enlightening for how unbalanced I am. This DVD explains balance is where your confidence comes from.

It is so amazing what you can "get away with" not knowing or improving while riding with a saddle! You just end up using more leg and more rein.

Linda talks about how she rode bareback a lot; to learn how to move with the horse. If you want to improve your riding this is a segment for you! You will learn great simulations that will bring awareness and understanding of many things, how to find your balance point, how to sit the trot, and what stiffness in your body does to you and your horse, the difference in how men ride vs. women, and more. The clip starts with Pat describing what happens when you put your goals before your principles. A must see if you ride!
The rest of the DVD was still great to watch, but just did not penetrate me as much. I am sure that is because the first clip still has me so captivated, since it relates to what I am currently experiencing with my horses. Although the girl reciting the 45 P’s was really cute. I was surprised how much of it was already in my head, just from watching and listening to Pat and Linda’s teaching so much!

Positve Changes

2010-07-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

The herd was in the arena again this morning, it is their favorite napping and hanging place when they are not out on pasture. Gypsy must have got the memo that I was going to work with her this morning. She just let the others go around her as I rounded them up and put them in their pen. She usually tends to follow the herd but it was clear where she wanted to be. That was a great start to our session!

As I started putting “toys” in the arena Gypsy just continued to watch me; at attention. When I rolled some barrels in she decided those were worth investigating. She followed behind me very curiously. When I got the barrels where I wanted them she started to play with them. It was so entertaining to watch her, I just sat and waited at the mounting block. Much to my surprise she quickly came over to me.

I spent time just being with her before I put her halter on. We then played with the obstacles I had set up. During the session there were times we seemed in to be harmony and times when my communication was below par. It was nice to play online this way; I haven't done so in queit some time.

I titled this post "positive changes" because I noticed two very positive changes in me… I didn’t get mean, mad, or frustrated with anything my horse did or did not do and I am not frustrated or discouraged with how much I have to learn!! It is such freedom to just enjoy my horses and learn and grow with them on this journey.

March 2004 Issue 2

2010-07-06T11:06:00.000-06:00

Each DVD I watch just blows me away! For any of you savvy club members thinking of following along, I can’t encourage you enough to do so. Watching these DVDs is bringing creativity, imagination, inspiration, desire, and just refreshes hope for my dream of being great with horses!

I am not sure I have a true favorite segment this time… The first segment Pat discusses some great principles of keeping it natural. Here are some great comments he made.

The more that we understand and practice the theory the more it will become instinct.
To error is human; to blame the horse is more human.
Horses know everything we know and everything we don’t know. Most people don’t know what they don’t know.
Understand the horse so much, it becomes innate.

Next I watched as Pat played with a horse named “Splash” at the Love Language Leadership Tour from Feb 2004. He was so entertaining, fun to listen to, and to watch.

As he often does, he discussed hands that close slowly and open quickly, how backing cures biting, and that it is the horse that decides how quickly the horse progresses. What really stuck with me from watching Pat with this horse was what a “non-event” her rearing or “aggressive” tendencies were. It was great to see how calm and yet very effective Pat was. This is another segment I am sure I will re-watch and study.

Another favorite Pat quote, “Every time the horse licks its lips, it is digesting our thoughts.”

I can’t leave out Linda’s Trailer loading clip! It was very informative. She demonstrates and explains the art of the squeeze game, understanding thresholds of try, the 4 phases of the 4 phases, right brain vs. unconfident, and more. Watching this horse reminding me a lot of how my horse Pokey is with the trailer. I am glad I saw this, because I want to start playing with the trailer and this session will help me so much! My aha moment of this clip was "trick vs. communication" with your horse. I think that was great to point out. I know some people who feel Parelli is “trick” training. So this was a great session on how to prevent that and to have solid communication with your horse.

Lastly, the little tidbits at the end of the DVD- they were just fun to see! I enjoyed the one with Karen and Jack the best! It was just a beautiful and inspirational piece!

So what did you see…?

Sibling Rivalry...

2010-07-05T21:04:00.000-06:00

All the horses were in the arena area today. Since they are usually respectful; I thought I would do my session with them hanging around. Much to my surprise Gypsy came over looking all sweet and as I was brushing Pokey she pinned her ears and bit her nose! I felt terrible for not protecting “my herd” with Pokey. I also was shocked at Gypsy’s rudeness! I drove Gypsy away with “my ears pinned” so to speak, because she was very out of line. When I returned to Pokey she was licking and chewing (although I am not sure if it was because I drove Gypsy off or because her nose hurt).

I decided we would move into the pen and ride in there instead of moving the other 9 into the pen to ride in the arena. Pokey was being “gate and herd sweet” which she has not done under saddle for quite some time, but she knows I am less confident bareback. She really uses that to get out of work. It was easier to push through for me today then on Friday, so she is helping me grow in confidence! I only had like 30 minutes so I just played with more bareback work.

I didn’t play with Gypsy today. I did go put fly spray on her and pet her awhile to "make up" for having to drive her away. I must have "drove" her away without being mean or mad because she didn't seem unconfident with my approaching. I wish I would have had time to play with her today, because she really showed some feedback with how she treated Pokey. She tends to get nasty with all the other horses when I work Pokey and not her. Having two is hard when I don’t always have time for both! I am sure over time Gypsy will realize there is no need to try to compete for my time. I think she is just so ready to have a human partner to connect to. Having Gypsy has had a positive effect on Pokey; she is sweeter when I have her out. I just appreciate that they both enjoy our time together.

I will try to post pictures of our sessions soon…

Life is Good!

2010-07-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

Friday was one of those days when my “horse session” synced with my “studying session”. I gained a wealth of information that with more time and experience will hopefully become natural for me!

With my horses’ it was more bareback exploration. Riding bareback without fear is such freedom. Even with bouts of un-confidence it feels amazing! I rode both Gypsy and Pokey bareback. I am honored to have Gypsy as a partner! She was respectful and caring of my unsure moments. While Pokey is my task master… she tends to push and challenge me most when I feel unconfident. It is a great balance though because they both encourage and allow change in me.

With Gypsy short sessions are still our MO. Andrea did some bodywork to address some “trouble” areas for Gypsy and help her release some unproductive patterns she has in her posture. After some processing it was time to mount up. I made sure to be aware of any brace on my part or Gypsy’s part during the whole session. We played with how little it takes to get Gypsy to move and for me to follow the movement. We ended on a relaxed, positive note. It was so rewarding because when I took her halter off she followed me and didn’t choose to go to the herd. My biggest breakthrough with her that day was feeling and following the movement of her hind legs!! There was so much movement to follow.

Next was Pokey’s turn. I was going to saddle her up and work on the bowtie pattern, I saw in the last Parelli DVD I watched, but I thought going bareback would serve us both better. I did some in hand lateral work and got on. I decided to do some of the spinal exercises we learned in the clinic last weekend. I wanted to feel her spine “align” and move with mine, and boy did I! That was “our moment.” It was so exciting to feel her, lift her back under me. I plan on doing this work with her more often. I hope it will help me, be more aware of this movement even when under saddle. Because this is a “weakness” for me now, and with Pokey it is important for her posture that I can feel her engaging beneath me.

To top off my day, I went home and watched Mark Rashid’s Understanding Foot-fall DVD. That was icing on the cake! It just reiterated everything I experienced with my horses early that day. He explained the simple bio-mechanics of the horse, how to know and understand the foot fall from the ground, as well as feeling and cueing with the timing of the horses feet while riding.

The “kicker” for me was when he discussed, how the rider can disrupt the horse’s motion and circles of energy. This is what I need to work on.

It was one of those days that it all came together!! I will take those when they come and soak it in.

Explore- Issue 1 Dec 2003

2010-07-01T13:03:00.000-06:00

Wow! This issue had a lot of great and inspiring information! My favorite segments were “ATTITUDE- A Tribute to Tom Dorrance and Ronnie Willis with Pat Parelli” and “IMAGINATION—Liberty is More than the Round Corral! With Pat and Casper.

The tribute segment was so heartfelt and emotional! Pat tells stories of what he learned from his masterful mentors Tom Dorrance, Ron Willis, and Ray Hunt. My imagination was stretched at the thought of them starting 300-500 colts at a time. Can you imagine that?? That really must have taken dedication and perspiration. Along with patience and never ending self improvement. I bet a day didn’t go by without learning! I only have two horses to work and they teach me something every time we work together!

Pat shared two great quotes from his mentors… “Never, ever, knock the curiosity out of a horse.” Tom Dorrance and “Touch a horse with your heart; and son put your heart in your hand.” Ronnie Willis.

I enjoyed Pat’s horse lovers that start with “N”- natural, normal, nuts, nuisances, nerds, the nervous, and the lowest of them all the “knockers”. Which one are you? I guess us savvy members are trying to be in the natural group right?!

Do you need more imagination? Check out the segment with Pat and Casper!! It was so inspiring to me that Casper was so intent on “trying” and he truly wanted to do what Pat was asking. I loved when Pat got on the picnic table and Casper was going to get on it too! I want my horse to respect me that much and to have that much rapport to go with it! That in and of its self is a goal!

In the other segments Linda shows and explains simple lead changes using the bowtie pattern, Pat teaches the knots to know, they give a clip of what Parelli has envisioned to keep kids safe with horses, and a behind the scenes commentary of when Pat and Linda met the Queen.

I am practicing the different knots and will use the bowtie pattern tomorrow when I ride Pokey.

Great DVD with tons of information! If you feel bored, uninspired, or stuck get into the Savvy Club Vault!

The Start of my Parelli Savvy Club Vault Exploration

2010-06-29T12:42:00.000-06:00

Sept 2003 Special Edition- DVD

My notes and observation don’t do this DVD justice so please be sure to view it on your own!! I actually received this DVD the first time I signed up for the savvy club. I have since viewed it many times and find the session with Pat and Allure so helpful.

Pat talks about how to teach our horse to be calmer, brave, smarter, and more athletic. This can be accomplished by using relaxation, rhythm, and retreat. Also keeping in mind a golden rule from Tom Dorrance, “Never knock the curiosity out of a young horse.”

To keep yourself safe you “don’t learn the tricks of the trade; you learn the trade”. Learn how to use your tools (ropes, carrot stick, etc.) and do it accurately and effectively. This will also help you know which rope to choose to allow drift. By knowing and feeling comfortable with your tools you can focus more on the horse, reading and gauging the responses and reactions. Is the horse just drifting or is the horse trying to escape? Pat tells you how to tell the difference.

When you use the Friendly Game™ you can start to take note and observe what traits the horse is expressing. Allowing you to decide on what Horsenality™ you are working with that day.

It is great to watch as Pat goes through each of the Seven Games™ with Allure. It is so natural, not direct line or task oriented. It is so clear that Pat has a plan, but it is flexible with the horses needs. He also doesn’t push things in search of perfection. Which I know in the beginning, I did that and my horse wanted to “kill” me. When I watch this segment it helps me to remember to not over think, to be in the moment, read the horse, and use your instincts.

Watching the other segments of the DVD show how there should be a fun, playful side, to your time with your horse. You don’t have to turn your plan into pressure and torture! Make it fun and enjoy!

The behind the scenes footage is so cute to me! It really shows that Pat and Linda want to share themselves with the Savvy Club…Thanks to all at Parelli for the hard work, dedication, and perspiration you put into making the world a better place for the horse and the human!!

Bareback Breakthrough!

2010-06-28T23:41:00.000-06:00

This feels a little awkward to share because it was pretty deep for me, but maybe it will support and encourage you...

My new partner Gypsy and I got to share an emotional breakthrough today! It was one of those days we needed a camera. It was a true Kodak moment for sure. Although you would have had to seen it to get the full picture of the support I was receiving, I will share what Gypsy and I experienced together.

Gypsy has been so apprehensive about a saddle it was not in my mind to ride her today, but as I climbed on the mounting block just to play approach and retreat with the idea… she positioned for me to mount. I had a clear sense of “get on”. Fear and butterfly’s rushed through my body. I am familiar with this feeling; it comes every time I think of actually swinging my leg over bareback. Even with my other mare Pokey who I have a great deal of trust with. I usually push through it with Pokey because I truly trust her. Gypsy and I still have a growing relationship and I just couldn’t push through it!

I asked Andrea if she would hold Gypsy so I could mount. When she came to my aid she asked me to first just sit with the image that makes the fear arise. Doing so was hard because I felt I have no “reason” for this fear. Lucky for me we had even more help today. Sitting there feeling my fear and rising frustration with myself. Joyce came and placed a hand on my back. All of the sudden I began to cry. Gypsy came over to me and softly placed her chin to my shoulder and pressed down. Then Huey another lovely horse in “our” herd came in behind me and place his nose to my back. It was such a great experience. It almost makes me cry to think about it now!

After my “issue” seemed to have released I gained my composure and proceeded to get on Gypsy. It was the most healing and peaceful experience. I will not forget! It is like there was a void I didn’t know existed inside me and it has been filled!

Thank you so much Gypsy, Andrea, Joyce, Huey, and Fafner!

The horse that is with me in my profile picture is Fafner.

If it’s not broke don’t fix it…

2010-06-28T18:42:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning came and went, all seemed normal. I helped Pokey’s companion for the day, Kay, get her saddled and ready to go, then I went about completing the morning’s chores. Later that morning I returned to halter Pokey for the bareback exercises, I became fixated on her “banana hammock” posture. “I need to fix that”, I thought to myself. It was as if her posture was screaming at me. I couldn’t let it go. Pokey does have a tendency to slip into this pattern, but usually after some in hand work or tactile stimulus she improves. Today that wasn’t happening! It looked to me like she just kept sagging her belly lower and lower.

We all went to lunch, reviewed things in the classroom and heading out for one more riding session tacked up. I kept thinking I will fix it this time… Initially we were going to ride in two groups. So I had the perfect opportunity to mount up and work some magic! Needless to say we started to run late, so Kay needed to get on so she could experience our classroom work in the saddle. Luckily for Pokey the afternoon chores distracted me from my mission of “fixing” her. That would have to wait for Sunday…

Sunday morning we met up in the classroom. We did our exercises/movements and went out to tack up. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that I noticed the difference in my approach to Pokey; but when we tacked up I wanted to help encourage a different posture, because I felt a genuine concern for her well being carrying a rider without her engaging her abs and supporting her back. I did our usual in hand work and tail pull exercises and gave her over to Kay. Pokey and Kay moved great together and her posture was much improved!

After lunch and more mat work, we all started sharing what we knew now that we hadn’t known before. One of the other students mentioned that she now understands that she doesn’t have to “fix” her body or her patterns; that she just needed to allow and support change. I thought, “Huh that is the same thing I learned the first time I took the clinic.” Then I asked myself what I learned and it hit me like a ton of bricks! I didn’t fix Pokey’s posture… I supported and allowed change; there was no frustration involved and the results were effortless.

My breakthrough for this clinic was the same as the first clinic, only it was how I viewed and perceived my horse’s body vs. my own.

Our undesired postures and habits need variation and the opportunity for change. We are not broken and do not need “fixed”. Same applies for our horses!!

Thank you so much to Carol and Andrea!! It was a great clinic!!

Fellow Savvy Club Members

2010-06-24T16:26:00.000-06:00

I invite you to join me as I explore all the great information in the Savvy Digital Vault. I just recently rejoined the Parelli Savvy Club™ and want to learn as much as I can. In the current season of my life I am unable to take any courses or go to any Parelli events that require much or any travel. So I want to take advantage of what I have at hand which is my horses and the vault.

The first posts will start with the Savvy Club DVD back issues. From the top... so Sept 2003 SPECIAL EDITION. I want to share this exploration with you so I will wait to do our first post on Tuesday the 29th.

So go get logged in and watch the video and I will "see you" here next Tuesday!

Busy, Busy

2010-06-24T10:54:00.003-06:00

This weekend is approaching quickly, as I help Andrea prepare for her clinic. I am excited for what is to come. I learned so much from the last clinic. This is only the second clinic Andrea and Carol have hosted together, but the first one was informative and helped me so much with my riding!

I did a session with my mare Pokey yesterday evening to be sure she is ready for the clinic. She is going to be rode by another participant that couldn’t bring her horse. I often use cookies to motivate her and I forgot them. Since it was still pretty hot outside and it was getting close to feed time; I wondered if I was pushing my luck to keep her in a happy, willing mood. But she was great! I did some in hand lateral work from the ground to warm up and did a short and sweet riding session with more lateral work and circles. She has been so sweet and willing; which is a huge step from where we were. I just try to work in undemanding time with her and I usually remember the cookies.

The clinic is called: The Awakened Human and the Horse: Training the Functional Awareness of the Rider -This class provides a unique opportunity for deep self exploration into our movement and postural habits. The class will consist of mounted and unmounted exercises. Bring your horse and experience: being a presence that does not disturb the horse's balance; gaining self-knowledge to change a pattern of discomfort; awakening the mind's conscious control of movement and agility; restoration of comfort and health for horse and rider. (Description from www.andreadatz.com)

Hello,

2010-06-24T10:32:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my blog. I started this blog because I have a desire to share with others who understand and take interest in horses. I truly enjoy learning and growing, and I feel writing about it helps the information to settle in and make sense. I hope this blog will be a fun read and a great place to share. Most of the theory and principles I post will be from two main sources…

Parelli Natural Horsemanship™
www.parelli.com

Integrative Horsemanship
www.andreadatz.com

Feel free to check out their sites to learn more about them first hand. Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!!