Dear Cyber friends (not sure if anyone is out there, but here goes). :) this pic is a little blurry but my camera is acting up! This is Fiona, ID. Look at those ears. She's always been very friendly and comes to me whenever I go into the field. Very gratifying.
Been a while, just been really busy with the farm, getting up hay, and trying to work two jobs. I'm sure you know how it is.
Lately with my partner Fiona (lovely girl RBE with more LB tendancies these days) I have been having some fear issues with the RB portion of her mind....will she freak out when I'm on her? will I be able to stop her? Fear plain and simple...not fun.
My Quarter Horse Dancer's Boss (we just call him Boss) is 22 yrs old and a been there, done that kind of guy. He's LBI and can be quite a standoffish horse but if you can get his attention (give up the treats now!) then he's quite lovely. Anyway, I am thinking that my first experience with especially riding and getting the horses to know what I want should be easy. So I'm changing my primary partner (although I'll still play with Fiona as she is brilliant especially on line).
First day I did undemanding 30 mins. he ignored me totally.
Second day I rubbed him all over and played seven games heavily laced with horse treats. he was into it! Ears forward and happy.
Sat on him third day. Bareback Pad and halter. Asked nothing....bent toward which ever direction he bent in and just mirrored.
Day four tit for tat. Stood in sun (bareback pad) , roasting for 30 mins while he swatted flies. Then I got up my life and asked for us to go into shade (It was 98F that day). Stood there for 30 mins. Then he took me into the sun again. Thirty mins of roasting. Back into the shade for 30 mins.
LOTS of licking and chewing....I hope he realized I was not going to force him to do anything. We did give treats with the asking to go into the shade.
Fifth day treats were given a little less liberally (I don't want him to become a monster about it) and we did mirroring and tit for tat and let's stay on the fence. We used orange cones to give a visual place to turn around and he did brilliantly with the rope being thrown over his head. This guy is wonderful. I have had him for 18 years and he is such a nice trail horse. But he has a really rough trot. I'm begining to appreciate him, however, since he's just so laid back and easy going. I can take him anywhere on the farm and I'm not worried.
Once before Parelli my husband, a runner, said go with me...I'll run, you ride Boss. So along we went on a dirt road about half a mile from home. Boss stopped and wanted to back to the house. If I had known what I know now....sigh.
Boss is hilarious when we play on the Parelli playground. I have to not circle him as he can go Right Brained on me, but if there is an obstacle to jump over then he's ok. He can go introverted and then catatonic if I don't take breaks (we don't go there anymore).
Along with Boss there is Exy, who is now two years old. She is a Percheron/QH cross (her mother was a PMU mare from Canada. She has been immersed in Parelli Natural Horsemanship since the very day of birth and is a joy. She follows me around like a puppy! I just love her...she'll eventually be a wonderful partner. She's mostly LBI with some Exuberance at times. She needs lots of time and is very responsive to the most subtle cues. I just love her. Did I say that? In the middle of a month long program of saddling the savvy way. She is ok with saddling so far. I went right along with the video and did things the way they said. She was allowed to paw, lick, bite, chew an old western saddle I had (dry rotted so she can do what she likes with it) and she was ok with me putting it on her and taking it right off. I have put strings around her middle and tightened them, then loose immediately. Tight. Loose. Tight/Loose. She sort of jumped the first time, by the third it was a non-issue. I guess I'm coming up on GETTING ON HER FOR THE FIRST TIME! That will be interesting....I can feel my butterflies acting up although truly I'm very happy that I'm FINALLY in my life able to start a horse from scratch and do EVERYTHING. Not one other person has ever played with this horse or done anything with her. (BIG SMILE!) For some reason I'm fearful (what if this, what if that...) gotta master this. I've about had it with myself!
Was able to talk to Linda Parelli at the tour stop I attended, and she said treat myself like a LBI. Go slow...lots of breaks. So I am.
O'Rion is my three year old ID. He is a sweet heart. Very mouthy and Left Brained but can go introverted on me if I push too hard. I've had to learn to go slow with him but it's amazing how quickly he "gets it" when he's taught something! Very smart boy. he's playful and funny. Very obedient once he's in his halter and is a joy to work with. He LOVES the green ball and playing with it. So does Exy and I laugh at the two of them trying to play soccer with it. Not too long ago I turned my head and O'Rion pulled out the plug and the ball deflated. We were able to find the plug, re-inflate (albert said he pumped the green ball up for what seemed like an hour!) and play with it some more. Just took a second.
On July 4th some people came over wanting to see "that thing I do with my horses" :). So Fiona and I put on a "7 games with an obstacle" show for them. They were impressed! We did sideways with and without a fence with me 15 feet down the rope, mirroring along the fence backwards and forwards, squeeze game with a fence and another horse, And just think we're only Level 1-2 ground skills--we did all games with some poo and the fence, and sticks and whatever else I could find to back over, sideways over, whatever. Put your nose on this tree, (I was in zone 4). She is really a great horse, and I love her. Wish I weren't so stinking afraid when I get on her back (I guess watching how she USED to be has gotten me spooked, and to get over it I need a baby sitter--Boss).
Weather was growing stormy so we quit but hopefully I have some converts! Maybe they will buy the program and get learning before they buy a horse (they are looking for one now, and they love Gypsy Vanners, Shelley!) The lady wants a Vanner and the man wants my O'Rion. No way will I sell him! Unfortunately, O 'Rion is the type of horse that people might challenge and then beat as he might seem a bit unruly and dull at first, but get his cooperation and you're in! (TREATS and lots of them now and no one gets hurt).
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