Winter Mud

Oh I really dislike mud! It's been really wet this winter.... someone told me in May it was going to be - it was hard to believe after a 6 month drought..... but there you go.... of course with the drought the grass was very thin when the rain did come, and of course now we have extra mud!

So - we have been playing a bit in the washbay on the 'little things'.

Yesterday we played head down with Garbo - he's never really been that good at that particular task... he'll put his head down but then snatch it back up after 1 second... so I just kept persisting until he left his head down for a bit longer..... after a while we actually made some progress.... he must have been getting a bit of a headache (or dizzy) with all that up and down.....

Coco and I have been playing can I lift up your feet? He says yes you can on my back feet but no the front is still too scary..... the look on his face now is so much braver than it was 18 months ago....

I actually patted him on the face 4 times this last week, and he didn't move away, and I gave him a hug!! Around his neck... who would have thought I would have been able to do that one day after seeing him arrive shaking like a leaf a year and a half ago?

This is feed time these days....

Coco pokes his head round the corner.... keeping an eye on the herd leader in the next yard... Garbo is watching him too.

Then almost in the door!

Then Garbo snarls at him....

Oh my goodness - I just used up my 1GB of space with blogger that comes for free... 3 years in 1GB - not bad really - anyway - paid a whole $5 to upgrade to 20GB so I'll be here a bit longer yet folks.

Molly

Sheryl & Molly

A friend of a friend called me last week - said she needed some help - she had the Horsenality DVD and the Seven Games but was 'stuck'. Well it's not often people approach you for help having 'started' watching some Parelli already so I said I would give her a hand.

Turns out her lovely mare has had some pretty bad head injuries taking 6 months to heal - Molly (the horse) was a real sweetie and the owner just wasn't quite sure how to read her - 'not sure if she should scowl back at her' she told me....

So really all I did was go over the first three games with her and played a little bit with Molly - then got her owner to do the same.... it's really bizarre how you don't realise how much you know (and how many Parelli'sms' just pop out of your mouth, until you start showing someone else the games.

The owner found it difficult not to micro manage and also to release at the right time.

We finished showing Molly the Touch It Game and I asked Sheryl to rewatch the DVDs and play with her horse and that I would visit her again in 2 weeks to see how she is progressing.

I am not interested in helping people out if they are not going to do the hard yards themselves and spend the time... so we will see..

Molly really responded well to the games and her hardest was Yo Yo (I think she is part Clydie)... so it will be interesting to see what she is like in 2 weeks.

Blinding Flash

I was just reading Linda's blog - and there she was describing Garbo and the issues we have with sending.... he'll go from Left Brain to Right Brain in an instance....

hmmmmmmmm

Still reading - I'll keep you posted!!

Good news - the sun's showing it's face today!

Leg work

Sunrise at home this morning.....

After the boys had their spinal alignment on Friday I was instructed to rub compfrey cream into a couple of their muscle dents and also to do some leg stretches with both of their back legs (forward and then up like the letter J backwards)....

Well since my back is a bit sore I decided to use the 12ft line to achieve this today. It worked quite well... Maraschino thought pressure behind the leg meant go forward initially.... but I think we got it in the end.

We did lots more rubbing rope over his head and ears today (from nose to neck)....

Then I just gave them a good brush and put their winter woolies on for the night and fed them their dinner...

Jane's Visit

Dante studying Garbo's Horsenality Report!

Today Jane kindly drove her float just over an hour from her house to mine so I could have a go at loading both horses into it - with the idea that I will need a new float if I want to take both big horses out together - most likely one like Jane's For you overseas readers float= trailer. LOL.

Firstly we went to stick some posters up in feed stores about Jackies November Clinic. Then Jane bought us a birthday lunch - which actually wasn't that fair since her birthday was two days before mine!

Then back to my place to have a play with the boys. Firstly I showed Jane a few things I am currently working on with Maraschino - working on getting him to move forward with me in Zone 3 and also to take notice of the rein aids and also the one rein stop (once I plant my feet).

Coco joined in too.

Then we had a play with both horses on the float - Garbo has never been on a different float apart from his since I have had him (5 years now) and so I didn't push it too much but we ended up right on and going on and off several times calmly. We'll leave doing up the dividers to another day (maybe a sunny one)....

Maraschino was very keen to play Touch It on the float with Jane and he was trying to nudge her onto the float so he could also get on and get all the carrots. It was quite funny. Jane was playing the game no - you can't get on the float. Great!

Doesn't Maraschino look huge!

Thanks Jane and awesome awesome news!!!!!!!!

Another walk up the road

I know this must sound monotonous but it's winter so I can't play in the paddocks and I don't have an arena - so the road is it... lol

Maraschino was much calmer yesterday - I took him and my friend took Garbo. We stopped at the sheep paddock and looked at the sheep (all of us) for ages because a lamb had just been born and it was calling out for his mother and we could see a sheep lying on the ground not moving, further away so we were a bit worried - but they are not our sheep so couldn't really do anything. Later that evening I heard the farmer on the quad bike so fingers crossed. We shall check on them tonight.

Maraschino spent a very long time taking in the view - one he doesn't normally get to see, and the sheep and the farmers dogs etc, he was very calm walking and we even had a little trot (practising for our inhand coloured show in December).

Garbo is becoming extremely confident up the road now which is also great.

Up the road again

Coco has started following me around whenever I am down at the barn... I have dates - and he LOVES them.

My friend came over and offered to come with me (and my two horses) and walk them up the road - we live on a private road and it's a lovely walk - we get to see sheep, cows, dogs, horses... all sorts.

Soon I'll feel confident enough to take them both alone but for now while Maraschino is still gaining confidence, it's the savvy thing to have one horse each.

Tracey took Garbo and I took my 'baby' who really is not so much a baby anymore - thinking that he'll be 4 in October!

He was so cool calm and collected today - we went further than last time and we had no thresholds - we stopped and looked at the dogs barking at us, and sniffed the car parked on the side of the road, then my husband arrived in his car so we stopped and chatted.... he had his head down alot - which was just fabulous.

When we got back since I had someone with me I extended my lean over Maraschino a bit more to have 90% of my weight over his back - he just turned his head and tried to nip me - I think he was looking for treats actually. I got off and he did three big yawns. Then I leaned over him again - and then he looked all sleepy so I got off and ended the session there.

Great news - the round pen is being built on Tuesday!

This is Maraschino doing his RB "what was that/what is that"!

I have been grazing them on the side lawn and there is a pile of topsoil from building the barn, and Maraschino just loves being up high and looking around.

Sunshine again

Finally (touch wood) the sun is coming back for a few days - we have had 200mm of rain in two months..... so the paddocks are very soggy and my boys are treating their track a bit like a race track - especially Maraschino (rising 4) who loves to do donuts and slide stops. Then he bucks all the way round the track.... just because he saw a cow!

heehee...

Last weekend it was really foggy and I got this great photo of my up and coming dressage horse (Maraschino).... he loves circles being a Right Brain Introvert so I think he'll be more suited to dressage, of course I will only compete naturally and only when we are both ready. (About 4 years I reckon lol) ...

Click on the photo to see full size... Garbo's just doing his usual Left Brain Introvert - "what?!"

I am off out to the washbay to do some more ground riding with Maraschino... it's too muddy to venture out anywhere else.

Oh - and my course at Pagosa is all booked and confirmed - yay - Aug 15th 2011... !!!!

Leaning - mounting practise

I managed to stand on the chair in the wash bay today - and send Maraschino out on a half circle away from me, turn and face me and then lead him forward so he was standing alongside the chair. I rubbed him for ages and then did it again once he moved away (to look at a cow).... once he rested there for quite a while I leaned up and over his back - it wasn't all my weight as the chair was too low! He turned his head away from the side I was 'mounting' from and did a great lateral flexion to see if I had a carrot - cool as a cucumber. We did this about 8 times. In between times he would yawn loads.

When we were done I gave him an apple and put him back in his yard. We had already done our ground ride and some disengaging the HQ... he's going so well. I am very pleased.

Rode a different horse today

My friend owns Garbo's half sister (same Dam), and my friend has recently had her knee operated on and also her horse was diagnosed with ringbone. With three months off her and the horse feel much better and she wanted me to ride her first since if anything happened her knee is not back to full working order just yet.

When I arrived she had just got off the float and was a little nervous due to some horses training (trotters) next door which she could se - also a farmer in another paddock. I worked he a little on the ground then we took her to the indoor arena (what luxury)... it's another friends.

I played with her online for about 10 minutes and she was very calm (she has the same horsenality as Garbo - they even gulp the same way).

Then I got on, finding her itchy spot on her wither at the same time which helped. She was just fine, nice and calm and walking with her head low and relaxed (it was her first time in a hackamore).

So after a bit Bronwyn got on and had a go too. I introduced her to the mind set of not micro managing your horse but allowing her to go straight until you want her to turn - then do something.

Bronwyn loved it!

Critey was very responsive to the lightest of aids and she loved not a having a bit. She yawned about 20 times afterwards!