tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81447496665875405552024-03-14T01:58:25.953-04:00Musings from the Bottom of Chestnut HillMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-57421170283420864812010-07-21T07:57:00.003-04:002010-07-21T08:23:16.376-04:00Where I've BeenHello? Hello? There's an echo in here. I think I see one little face way in the back. Hi there!<br /><br />I'm still here, sort of, but in a much different place than I was when I started this blog.<br /><br />The story goes like this.......<br /><br />Jan 2009 I went back to work after being home with children, and Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue for a few years. With the help of a great MD (Dr. Robban Sica in Orange, CT, can't recommend her highly enough) I was able to claw my way back up from the depths.<br /><br />I had been working for the local firehouse a couple of days a week. But in September of 2008, my husband was laid off from his job in construction. My 10 hour per week job wasn't going to cut it anymore. So I began expanding my horizons to further than 5 miles from home (close to the kids in the school system in case of emergency). The very next day I made that decision, I received a phone call from my massage therapist. Tara works in concert with my chiropractor, Dr. Lou, and I've been seeing them (incidently because of the CFS/Fibro) for the past 10 years. Tara told me that the current office staff was experiencing crisis, including an unexpected death of a very close family member, and the other a move to Bermuda. They needed help, and fast! Was I looking for work?<br /><br />Hell yah!!! I had an interview the next day (a Friday), which wasn't really an interview but more of a "We need you, will you please work for us?" and started on Monday.<br /><br />To make a very long story short-ish, what started out as a part-time 20 hour per week receptionist type position turned into a full-time plus position where I am now managing the office. There have been a LOT of changes, as there were a lot of things that were not taken care of due to lack of knowledge, motivation, and time. I'm not the type of person that can do an incomplete or shoddy job even if that is all that is expected. So aside from doing things the right way, I also educated them as to how an office is supposed to be run.<br /><br />In the meantime, back in <a href="http://shellyct.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-bad-and-ugly.html">April of 2009 I had a wreck on Lakota</a>. It was a pretty good wreck, and its been almost a year before my back is beginning to feel somewhat normal again, but the area I fell on still tends to give me fits from time to time. The footing in my roundpen has washed away over the last year or so, and we have pretty much hit a plateau in our work together with just a small roundpen to work in. So for a multitude of reason, I haven't spent much time working with the girls. I did take Lakota out and just walked around the roundpen a few times, and she was perfectly fine. But with the lack of footing, time constraints, and just being plain old tired after working 6 days a week, I haven't done a whole heck of a lot with her other than loving on her and feeding/cleaning up.<br /><br />Lakota did get a bath last weekend, and she actually let me spray her with the hose this year! Its taken a number of years to get her over her fear of the sprayer and water, and I've had to take it very slow, starting with just a sponge bath and not being upset about water pouring off her, to pressing hte nozzle of the hose right against her skin so it wouldn't make the spraying sound, to now she can tolerate a little bit of spraying against her skin, but only for a few seconds at a time. She's such a good girl, and she tries so hard, and she amazingly seems to get better when I give her long breaks between teaching her things, she apparently likes a LOT of lick and chew time. At this rate she will be ready for the dressage ring if I stay off her for a few more years, LOL! Just kidding!<br /><br />So in addition to managing the chiropractic office, I have received Reiki Level I training in November of 2009 and plan to continue through Level III over the next year or so, and this year I am learning <a href="http://www.bowtech.com">Bowenwork</a>. This is something I have wanted to learn for many years, and I'm finally at a place in my life where I can learn and offer this amazing healing modality to others. I have completed through Module 3, and have 3 more modules to go, then testing sometime during the beginning of 2011 for my certification. Then there is a lot of great continuing education after that. I'm very excited, and seeing positive results in our patients at the office, and friends and family as well. I'm also in the process of revamping the <a href="http://www.bethanychiropractic.com">website</a>, we're developing a new logo, and adding more services for our patients.<br /><br />My daughter continues working with Jen. She has spent a lot of time just tacking and untacking her to get her over her fear of gear. She progressed to leading her away from the barn and the other horses until she was calm about that. Now she is beginning to take her out of the paddock and hand graze her around the barn, with short little walks away from the barn then back again. Jen is responding well, and has developed a relationship with my daughter so she trusts her more and more every day. <br /><br />So, while my horse time has not been very exciting, which was the purpose of this blog, my life has been anything but uninteresting!<br /><br />So in case you thought I fell off the face of the earth, I haven't. We're still here doing well, the horses are all still doing well but enjoying a bit of a respite from work.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-32192797258466990392009-10-20T21:15:00.002-04:002009-10-20T21:17:04.346-04:00A Suburban HousewifeThis is making the rounds on Facebook -- omg its pee your pants hysterical! Warning, foul language and hardcore drug inferences -- but hysterical!<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q57aNsKQNaE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q57aNsKQNaE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-10150627903164794752009-10-11T20:02:00.003-04:002009-10-11T20:07:57.648-04:00Pics for no reasonOther than the fact that I haven't posted anything in a long time :-)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;">"Mom! You never visit us anymore! Come give me a scritch, right there......"</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJyiDHUybI/AAAAAAAABXI/V2lsu65o-K4/s1600-h/Lakota10112009-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJyiDHUybI/AAAAAAAABXI/V2lsu65o-K4/s320/Lakota10112009-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497633193052594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><style></style> <div></div> <div><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;">"Brick Shithouse? I've never heard that term before. I'm sure it must mean that I'm beautiful."</span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJydW7UPJI/AAAAAAAABXA/ApIHGgcoWFk/s1600-h/Lakota10112009.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJydW7UPJI/AAAAAAAABXA/ApIHGgcoWFk/s320/Lakota10112009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497552612048018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;">"Look at my beautifu</span><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;">l ear curls. The dried mud really helps add emphasis."<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJycbUn7eI/AAAAAAAABWo/3IhzhXSaWt8/s1600-h/CurlyEar.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJycbUn7eI/AAAAAAAABWo/3IhzhXSaWt8/s320/CurlyEar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497536612068834" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span>"I love you, mum, let me touch you all over and fog up your glasses with my hot breath...."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJycqi3W-I/AAAAAAAABWw/QezyorGnNJg/s1600-h/Jen10112009.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJycqi3W-I/AAAAAAAABWw/QezyorGnNJg/s320/Jen10112009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497540698332130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;">"That damn little one always has to steal my glam shots....."</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJydKiyJrI/AAAAAAAABW4/YBjnzef1CWE/s1600-h/Jen10112009-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJydKiyJrI/AAAAAAAABW4/YBjnzef1CWE/s320/Jen10112009-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497549287925426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;"><br />"It's all about mmmeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJycHPKo4I/AAAAAAAABWg/zn_cY_ug7gA/s1600-h/April10112009.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJycHPKo4I/AAAAAAAABWg/zn_cY_ug7gA/s320/April10112009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497531220468610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:85%;">"Put that @#$% thing away and bring the food already before I stuff my hoof where the sun don't shine ...... <grumble,>"</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJyiVvW5FI/AAAAAAAABXQ/-C-RBGg8oao/s1600-h/Whinney10112009.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/StJyiVvW5FI/AAAAAAAABXQ/-C-RBGg8oao/s320/Whinney10112009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391497638192800850" border="0" /></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-42378874231840039482009-09-05T21:20:00.000-04:002009-09-05T21:21:11.630-04:00I did it!<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Some of you may remember the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://shellyct.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-bad-and-ugly.html">wreck that I had with Lakota back in April</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. Well, between pain, exacerbations, and my 11 hour work days, I had't ridden since that fateful day. Until a couple of weeks ago.<br /></span> </span><style type="text/css"><!-- /* start of attachment style */ .ygrp-photo-title{ clear: both; font-size: smaller; height: 15px; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; width: 75px; } div.ygrp-photo{ background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-color: white; border: 1px solid black; height: 62px; width: 62px; } div.photo-title a, div.photo-title a:active, div.photo-title a:hover, div.photo-title a:visited { text-decoration: none; } div.attach-table div.attach-row { clear: both; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div { float: left; /* margin: 2px;*/ } p { clear: both; padding: 15px 0 3px 0; overflow: hidden; } div.ygrp-file { width: 30px; valign: middle; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div div a { text-decoration: none; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div div span { font-weight: normal; } div.ygrp-file-title { font-weight: bold; } /* end of attachment style */ --> </style><style type="text/css"> <!-- /* start of attachment style */ .ygrp-photo-title{ clear: both; font-size: smaller; height: 15px; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; width: 75px; } div.ygrp-photo{ background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-color: white; border: 1px solid black; height: 62px; width: 62px; } div.photo-title a, div.photo-title a:active, div.photo-title a:hover, div.photo-title a:visited { text-decoration: none; } div.attach-table div.attach-row { clear: both; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div { float: left; /* margin: 2px;*/ } p { clear: both; padding: 15px 0 3px 0; overflow: hidden; } div.ygrp-file { width: 30px; valign: middle; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div div a { text-decoration: none; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div div span { font-weight: normal; } div.ygrp-file-title { font-weight: bold; } /* end of attachment style */ --> </style><style type="text/css">.ygrp-photo-title { TEXT-ALIGN: center; WIDTH: 75px; HEIGHT: 15px; CLEAR: both; FONT-SIZE: smaller; OVERFLOW: hidden } DIV.ygrp-photo { BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: white; WIDTH: 62px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; BACKGROUND-POSITION: center 50%; HEIGHT: 62px; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid } DIV.photo-title A { TEXT-DECORATION: none } DIV.photo-title A:active { TEXT-DECORATION: none } DIV.photo-title A:hover { TEXT-DECORATION: none } DIV.photo-title A:visited { TEXT-DECORATION: none } DIV.attach-table DIV.attach-row { CLEAR: both } DIV.attach-table DIV.attach-row DIV { FLOAT: left } P { PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; CLEAR: both; OVERFLOW: hidden; PADDING-TOP: 15px } DIV.ygrp-file { WIDTH: 30px; valign: middle } DIV.attach-table DIV.attach-row DIV DIV A { TEXT-DECORATION: none } DIV.attach-table DIV.attach-row DIV DIV SPAN { FONT-WEIGHT: normal } DIV.ygrp-file-title { FONT-WEIGHT: bold } </style><style></style><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Mandy, may daughter, ro</span><span style="font-size:85%;">de her first, she's been jonesin' to ride, so I promised her she could ride Lakota. It rarely goes well. Lakota is so sensitive, and Mandy has only ridden lesson horses. So there is frustration between the two of them. Mandy is asking something, and Lakota is saying "huh? I have no clue what you are trying to say, so I'll just stand here and do nothing". She doesn't fill in any blanks at all. Its actually kind of fun to put Mandy on her when she gets all cocky and thinks she can tell me how to ride ;-) So Mandy learned that she has to soften and relax her leg, not use her heels to ask for forward, keep her wrists straight and keep that straight line from "bit" to elbow (i.e., no spagetti arms), to look where she wants to go, to be clear and deliberate in her asks, and to keep her seat bones neutral or they will just go backwards around the roundpen. And to keep her focus or Lakota starts looking around for monsters.<br /><br /></span> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I just wanted to make sure it really was Mandy and not Lakota, so I hopped on (no stirrups, I had my sneakers on) grabbed an old beat up helmet, and had a blast! Lakota was sooo good. There were some distractions, and she did just fine with "coming back" just by touching the reins. She moved of nice and softely, whoaed beautifully when I just stop riding. Then I did some serpentines, and OMG her bend was just GORGEOUS! I have never, ever gotten such a beautiful arc in her body from nose to tail before. It was one of "those moments" that you go WOW, this is IT! It was a touch sticker to the left than right, but still nice and a lot of try. So we repeated that about 3 or 4 times then I hopped off. I was just flabbergasted with how wonderful she was after 4 months and our last ride ending in such disaster. This girl can be an awesome horse given the right rider and enough time.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SqMODmWMBsI/AAAAAAAABWI/1-FzglxBnZs/s1600-h/LakotaMe081609.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SqMODmWMBsI/AAAAAAAABWI/1-FzglxBnZs/s320/LakotaMe081609.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378157835006510786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SqMOEGvqw5I/AAAAAAAABWY/IhCsCNlnQ9s/s1600-h/MeLakota081609-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 296px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SqMOEGvqw5I/AAAAAAAABWY/IhCsCNlnQ9s/s320/MeLakota081609-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378157843703317394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SqMOD3xU2LI/AAAAAAAABWQ/VlfSgFvpkZQ/s1600-h/MeLakota081609.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SqMOD3xU2LI/AAAAAAAABWQ/VlfSgFvpkZQ/s320/MeLakota081609.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378157839683737778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-15398199987791353802009-06-27T21:45:00.002-04:002009-06-27T21:50:22.669-04:00Busy, busy!Wow, I can't believe its been over a month since I've posted. Well, there's been nothing to tell, really. Its been RAINING for an ENTIRE MONTH. Honestly, no exaggeration, it has rained since the middle of May, every single day. Either pouring down rain totally more than 3 inches, or all day drizzle, or spotty rain, or vehement thunderstorms that wash out driveways, basements, and roundpen footing.<br /><br />I have done nothing with the horses in a month other than feed them and trim their feet. They're turning feral again. I've been working my backside off at work and trying to keep this house in some semblance of less-than-disgusting. I've been working 50 hour weeks (not bad for a part-time job), although I do LOVE it. The reason for the double-hours is because I've been working on/building a website for us. It is now FINALLY finished! I'm proud of it, we have worked hard on it, so that it reflects exactly what we are about, gives the information that we want to put out there, while still being concise and eye-catching. <a href="http://www.bethanychiropractic.com/">www.bethanychiropractic.com</a>.<br /><br />No other news, really. I would like to send Lakota out for some professional training, but I lack the funding. All cash is going toward hay now. Still no job for hubby, though I am extremely hopeful he finds something soon. So we just keep on, keepin' on. All plans are on hold, and wish lists are growing longer and longer. But you have nothing if you don't have dreams, right?Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-23498278972265051152009-05-19T19:22:00.001-04:002009-05-19T19:22:28.858-04:00Stand By Me -- amazing version!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Us-TVg40ExM&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Us-TVg40ExM&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-26484894542984315072009-05-17T18:43:00.002-04:002009-05-17T18:46:14.398-04:00Amanda's first show!My daughter attended her first horse show today! She did great, First Place in Equitation, Second Place in Pleasure, and Fourth in ground poles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ShCTh4cvzHI/AAAAAAAABV4/OvDIObwCePg/s1600-h/show.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336927768731962482" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ShCTh4cvzHI/AAAAAAAABV4/OvDIObwCePg/s320/show.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ShCThxBhdxI/AAAAAAAABVw/77qlwWYuO7w/s1600-h/show2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336927766738728722" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ShCThxBhdxI/AAAAAAAABVw/77qlwWYuO7w/s320/show2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ShCTiK_Ii0I/AAAAAAAABWA/cmwEFK8T2zY/s1600-h/ribbons051709.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336927773708028738" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ShCTiK_Ii0I/AAAAAAAABWA/cmwEFK8T2zY/s320/ribbons051709.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C9HGjvw908U&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C9HGjvw908U&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-68855429889822315752009-05-06T07:49:00.001-04:002009-05-06T07:52:27.911-04:00You have GOT to watch this -- amazing!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e3kyNGVK-hI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e3kyNGVK-hI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-16020890074879862742009-05-02T15:34:00.001-04:002009-05-02T15:34:21.561-04:00Don't Stop Dancing by Creed<div id="c_s01KQcW6LYtHN6Ndq5dBLYzPA="><div class="ilike_content"><ul style="LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none" class="song_list_preview"><li style="OVERFLOW: hidden"><a class="song_play_btn" title="Don't Stop Dancing" href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Creed/track/Don%27t+Stop+Dancing">Don't Stop Dancing</a> by <a href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Creed/Creed">Creed</a></li></ul></div></div><script src="http://www.ilike.com/api/s?c=1&k=s01KQcW6LYtHN6Ndq5dBLYzPA%3D%3D"></script><br /><div id="ilike_s01KQcW6LYtHN6Ndq5dBLYzPA="><div style="FONT-SIZE: smaller; BORDER-TOP: #dddddd 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px">More <a href="http://www.ilike.com/artist/Creed">Creed</a> music on <a href="http://www.ilike.com/">iLike</a></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-14101415148417644212009-04-27T17:22:00.002-04:002009-04-27T17:22:44.062-04:00<p>A great message from one of my favorite bands...</p><p> </p><p><object width="420" height="346"><param name="movie" value="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/widgets/videoplayer_swf/2455"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/widgets/videoplayer_swf/2455" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="420" height="346"></embed></object></p>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-90339389635047533312009-04-26T07:57:00.003-04:002009-04-26T08:08:07.826-04:00weatherI just checked <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/">www.wunderground.com</a>, and clicked on the history for yesterday. At 15:42 we reached 97.9 degrees. Average temps for that day is 66. Its already that now at 8 am, so I expect a repeat today. eesh.......Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-13950170389068122012009-04-25T20:23:00.002-04:002009-04-25T20:28:06.207-04:00Still Alive ...Nothing much has been happening. I'm feeling 99% better after our little wreck last week, just some residual issues in my upper back, which I think took the brunt of the hit, and it is a structural weak point for me, anyway. I had hoped to get back on this week, but we had gobs of rain, so everything was slop. Then the slop dried up today, because it was over 85 degrees! I am sunburned from my sons baseball game, and exhausted from the heat, and more is expected for tomorrow and Monday with air quality warnings. I thought this was April, not August! The horses were all standing around inside, lethargic in their winter coats. They did manage to perk up for a minute when I let them in the grass area, but even that didn't last long, and 90 minutes later when I headed back out for grain/dinner, they were all up top waiting for me. Even grass wasn't enough to keep them in the late day sun. So its not looking good for this weekend, perhaps I can get back on Tuesday (my short day at work). I know the longer it is that I don't get back on, the harder it will be.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-64016912301975284492009-04-15T21:54:00.004-04:002009-04-15T22:53:16.161-04:00The Good, The Bad and the UglyI rode Lakota for a short while yesterday, and we had a les than stellar day. She was a little resistant, and I wasn't sure if it was her mood, or I was being conflicting.<br /><br />So when I had the chance to take her out again today, I was excited. The kids are off school this week, so I don't have to meet any school buses, and have the luxury of time after work.<br /><br />First, my daughter wanted to ride Jen a little bit. That went quite well. Jen was mostly happy to be tacked up, although she is still a bit tense at the saddling/girthing process. We just go slow, and give her lots of pets and reassurance through it.<br /><br />We tried moving away from the crutch of myself walking along beside them for reassurances. At first Jen was resistant and didn't want to move forward for my daughter. Then she realized that I was out of the picture, and she was pretty good, although extremely herdbound. Even though she was riding in the paddock, Jen kept wanting to head back to the barn. So after about 3 or 4 discussions between the two of them, with my daughter getting her to walk a few steps away from the barn, she ended the session on a good note, with Jen taking 4 steps away from where she wanted to turn back to the barn, and she dismounted and untacked facing away from the barn. Jen is improving with every ride, so I'm sure we'll be able to help her along with her barn sourness, although I suspect it will a lot of time and patience.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeaT-Q3SHaI/AAAAAAAABVg/5CNgASWPMjI/s1600-h/MandyJen041509.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325106307300203938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeaT-Q3SHaI/AAAAAAAABVg/5CNgASWPMjI/s320/MandyJen041509.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Last night I was thinking that perhaps the tiny bit of attitude Lakota had yesterday may be boredom. I always struggle with the line between boring them, and overfacing them, considering I have no experiencing training a horse. So today I decided I was going to do some cone-weaving. I brought Lakota out, and she was good as gold. We did the cones from the ground first, then I circled her w/t a few times in both directions and she was soft, willing, and quiet the entire time. I mounted up without incident, and we did about 1/2 dozen weaves through the cones. Her gait felt a little funny to me. My daughter thought she was hesitating, asking questions between steps, and I wasn't sure if she was trying to do that odd gait she has that I don't know what it is. I still had the camera in my pocket, so I rode over to where my daughter was sitting, we halted nicely, and I asked her to come get the camera and video tape it so I could see what it looked like.<br /><br />As my daughter reached up for the camera, she touched Lakota and Lakota got a zap of static electricity. I didn't know that's what it was at the time, but all of a sudden as I'm leaning down to hand the camera over to my daughter, I feel Lakota coil up under me, and up she goes then spins in the other direction. My daughter said I stayed on for quite some time, but I did eventually fall off. I landed ass/back/head in that order, I think, judging from the amount of dirt shoved in my underwear. I remember hitting the ground hard on my upper back between the shoulder blades, and looking up to see my foot wrapped up in the reins, which were over her head and she was standing there looking at me, horrifed, and slowly backing away from me. I looped my foot out of the reins, and she started to move off. I asked my daughter to go get her, and that is when she bolted, snorting, and headed up to the barn.<br /><br />I told my daughter to just leave her be, and I laid there, assessing damages before slowly hauling myself upright. Wow, was I hurting! I've fallen off before, but never this hard. This was no slo-mo fall, first she was under me, then she wasn't, like cartoon, and I just landed with a heavy, old thud.<br /><br />I hobbled back up to the barn to make sure Lakota didn't get her leg caught in her reins with my daughter following me apologizing profusely. Lakota did not want my daughter anywhere near her, and kept snorting at her and shying away. My head was quickly starting to ache, not to mention my ass (sacrum for you scientific folks), and my mid-back (thoracic) felt like it was in a vise. I had my cell on me, and called work immediately. My new job (for the last 4 months) is working for my chiropractor whom I've been seeing for the past 9 years. I made arrangements to head to Lou's house (because it was now after business hours) and get things put back where they belong immediately. But first I had a horse to attend to.<br /><br />Lakota seemed otherwise calm unless my daughter came near her. So I had her sit aside, and I brought Lakota back down to the riding area. I walked her around a little to make sure she wasn't spooky or nervous. She did want to sniff and snort at the HUGE divots her hooves made in the dirt with her massive piourrette, or whatever the hell she wants to call that maneuver. I shuffled on over to the mounting block, and managed to haul myself up there. Let me tell you, it was NOT easy, thank goodness more physically than mentally.<br /><br />I got on her, and we literally did I think 3 circles of the roundpen, and then I hopped (or more likely, slithered) off her, and brought her back to the barn. I just wanted to end on a good note, for both of us but mostly for her. She was still definately very afraid of my daughter, so after getting her inside and untacked, I handed my daughter a handful of treats. The first one she snatched from her hand and leapt back so fast as if she would get bitten. But when she didn't, she then took 2 more treats nicely. I gave her a scritch, and hobbled my butt down to the house to change my clothes (I had somehow managed to pee my pants when I landed on the ground, that's how hard I hit the ground), and needed to get cleaned up before I headed anywhere! Let me tell you, that was NOT easy, I was that stiff and in that much pain already that changing my clothes was extremely difficult and painful, but I managed the 20 minute drive, got adjusted, and felt immiedately better. Certainly not good, but definately better. My daughter helped me feed tonight, I can't shovel manure, stuffing feed bags is difficult, but the worst is sneezing! And of course I have a sniffly cold thing.<br /><br />My daughter managed to snap this only photo. This is when I got back on after the horrendous crash for our couple of circles. You can probably see the dirt all up and down my left leg, on my butt, on my back, and also on the back of my helmet. I'm grateful that I always wear a helmet! There was a goodly amount of dirt ground into the back of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeaT-vFXEHI/AAAAAAAABVo/tqq_KqdwQaA/s1600-h/LakotaMe041509.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325106315412312178" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeaT-vFXEHI/AAAAAAAABVo/tqq_KqdwQaA/s320/LakotaMe041509.jpg" /></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-51368036124845323632009-04-14T18:43:00.002-04:002009-04-14T18:49:07.740-04:00Equine Supermodels<u><span style="color:#0066cc;"></span></u><br />This really tickeled my funny bone -- Michelle<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sometimes things don't have to have a point - they just have to make you smile. Jockeying for position to be best-in-show, it was up to award winning advertising photographer Julian Wolkenstein to keep the supermodels of the equine world in check.<br /><br /><img style="WIDTH: 287px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324681688021613618" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeURyKyOPDI/AAAAAAAABVY/NjxOu918Dzw/s320/rastahorse.jpg" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">As you do: Stylist Acacio da Silva and photographer Julian Wolkenstein made Harmony the horse look like a tourist in the Caribbean</span><br /><br />'The idea for these images came from a discussion with a friend who said, 'Hey wouldn't it be fun to shoot horses with big hair?',' says Sydney-born Julian, 36. 'It is important to do personal projects just for fun, not to sell anything, but just to remind you why you make images, but mostly, and simply, to make you smile.' Putting the project into motion, Julian teamed up with prominent hair-stylist Acacio da Silva to whip the horses into shape.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeURx4_ekSI/AAAAAAAABVQ/NxJHobbZlHE/s1600-h/glamhorse.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 268px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324681683245371682" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeURx4_ekSI/AAAAAAAABVQ/NxJHobbZlHE/s320/glamhorse.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Just for fun: Misty the horse actually appears to be giving the camera a flirtatious grin as she enjoys her new flowing curls</span><br /><br />'Each horse took around four hours to groom, with hair extensions being added by Acacio, and then when they were presented in front of the camera's and lights they would shake their heads, give a neigh and then ruffle up their hair,' said Julian - with a somewhat forced grin. 'To get them just right, with their hair all set and standing to attention was a bit of a battle. 'But the horses loved the grooming. The lights and camera, well, they were less taken with that.' At first, Julian thought the shoot would be a quick affair. 'We initially thought how hard can this be? A couple of hours on each one,' he said.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeURx2wifoI/AAAAAAAABVI/BqBoMivfu48/s1600-h/demurehorse.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 305px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324681682645843586" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SeURx2wifoI/AAAAAAAABVI/BqBoMivfu48/s320/demurehorse.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Only in Australia: Florence the horse looks demure with her fringe and ginger mane</span> </div><div></div><div>'Well, we figured out pretty quickly on a test day that it was a major undertaking. 'Apart from casting horses and preparation work which took a few months, each horse took a full day to shoot.' </div><div></div><div>Even for a seasoned pro, such as Julian, there were hitches to his horse hair project. 'I tend to be drawn to projects where just in trying to describe and trying to explain the concept to all the crew and the people who supplied the horses was fascinating ,' says Julian. 'Most of the time you could see the cogwheels of the mind trying to work it out, trying to visualise it in their own minds, then, a bit of a smile, a chuckle and then the inevitable question - why?' Of course, sometimes - as these pictures show - it's better to live life by asking, why not?</div><div></div><div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-15449286296948925092009-04-12T10:23:00.004-04:002009-04-12T19:06:56.047-04:00Spring Centered Riding ClinicThis weekend, I attended and rode in a Centered Riding Clinic at <a href="http://www.foxcrossingequestrian.com/">Fox Crossing Equestrian Center</a> by <a href="http://www.centeredriding.org/showinstructors.asp?id=443">Jamison Wallace</a>, Level III Centered Riding Instructor and Vice President of Centered Riding. My daughter audited.<br /><br />For a variety of reasons, I chose to use a lesson horse for the clinic. Cost was one factor, including having to get rabies and current coggins, etc., on Lakota to bring her, but also the fact that she is very green, and hasn't been off the property in a year. I felt I would get more out of the clinic working on myself by riding a BTDT lesson horse who was already comfortable in the surroundings. I was assigned <a href="http://www.foxcrossingequestrian.com/lesson_horse_bios.htm">Beau Dandy</a>.<br /><br />Friday evening started off with a talk, and introduction to some of the basics of Centered Riding. We covered Soft Eyes, Breathing, Centering, and Grounding. We practiced different ways of walking, moved through the crowd with our arms extended like an airplane using our Soft Eyes to avoid each other. We took turns wearing a bridle while our partner guided us with the reins, being as soft as possible. Its amazing how the "horse" can literally feel the persons thoughts through the reins, without even engaging the reins. We also "danced" with each other, and practiced opening our shoulders and arms to straighten a crooked or evading horse.<br /><br />Then we sat on the big exercise balls, and found the "allow" upward for posting trot. Then we moved on to the exercise trampolines and trotted on them, again finding the allow, balance and centering.<br /><br />On Saturday morning over coffee, we did some exercises to help us find out body awareness. We did some different stretching exercises, and again practiced on the exercise ball, finding our center and "allowing" the motion. We used the "tippy stool" (I forget what its called) to practice engaging our seatbones. Then we put a saddle on the ball, and again, practiced in the saddle, and we again practiced engaging our seatbones through the saddle to the ball. I finally understand now how to engage a seatbone! I do have much trouble rounding my back and tipping my seatbones forward, but no problem arching my back. This explains why when I get tense, Lakota goes backwards, my seat is telling her to! But I finally "get" the feeling of left/right seat bone, its more of a "scoop" or "roll" motion than a "jam it down" motion.<br /><br />Then we headed out to the horses. I was in the 3rd group. At first I led Beau around the ring awhile just to get to know each other. I love doing this with any horse I ride, and still with Lakota. Its just a way for us to connect before I climb aboard. I think its kinda rude to actually just grab a horse and leap on them, I think its only polite to get to know them a little first, and I'm glad that it was encouraged, rather than discouraged or looked at oddly. He was very sweet, and lead next to me beautifully with his left nostril just barely touching my elbow the entire time.<br /><br />The first thing Jami does, which I love, is the "rain drops" on your feet. She pats the bottom of your foot, and you begin feeling it in your foot, then through your ankle. Then as she suggests, you begin to feel it up your leg, to your thigh, then hip. Then she continues to suggest feel it up your torso, then your neck, and your head. What was really amazing, is that as she did this exercise, I not only literally felt it up through my body, but as it got to my torso toward my head, I started to get really, really light headed, to the point I felt like I had to put my hand on the pommel of the saddle to steady myself. It was really something, and then she repeated on the other side, and I had the same experience again, although very slightly less intense. It was like the energy was moving up through my body and right out the top of my head.<br /><br />During the ride, I spent quite a bit of time "finding my toes". I could not manage to stand in the stirrups balanced and kept falling back (although it was certainly not as ugly as it was the last lesson I had in August! I spent a lot of time laughing during that lesson). Then finally I realized that I had no toes. Its not that I was crunching them or "monkey feet", but I just had no awareness of them at all. They just tend to disappear. When I wiggled and "found" my toes, I spread them out a bit in my boot, and suddenly my horse, who was calm and relaxed anyway, did this little shudder, then sighed and licked and chewed. WOW! That was really something. So when my legs would start getting out of position again, or I started to lose my balance slightly, I realized that I had lost my toes again, and once I found them, suddenly I was able to balance. So amazing! So this is something that I am now practicing, especially when I drive. Oh, I also need to work on holding my head level, too. I have no "c" curve to my neck, so it tends to jut forward, so then my chin is sort of pointing up to compensate. My daughter is the same why, so I suspect its just the genetic way we are built, rather than from an injury or arthritis.<br /><br />So all in all, it was a great weekend. Now if I can just remember all I've learned :-) I plan on practicing at home, of course. And I'm hoping to start up some lessons again in the next couple of months. I think I may be able to manage a monthly lesson at least. My daughter is really looking forward to a little schooling show on 5/17, it will be her first one. So the cost of that his been difficult these past couple of months, with the show fees, practice fees and lesson fees, not to mention the show clothes she needs. Eeek!!! This kid better not grow another inch until she gets a job! So once the show is behind us, I think I can maybe squirrel away a few bucks for myself per month. And the better a rider I can be for Lakota, the more and easier she is going to learn.<br /><br />Edited to add: in chatting with some friends, I remembered a few other exercises that we learned.<br /><br />One that I'm finding really, really interesting is that you lick your teeth. Sounds weird. But try it. Take your tongue, and run it all around your top teeth from front to back (on the outside of your teeth), and do the bottoms. Do it over and over. And then note what you feel when you are done. Almost all of us felt a release of tension in our necks and shoulders, and jaws. Some of us (me included) did a LOT of yawning after.<br /><br />Another one is to stand with your feet straight ahead, feet slightly apart, like 2 feet, so just slightly outside the width of your hips. Slightly bend your knees, then bend at the waist so that your torso is 45 degrees from your legs. Hold your arms outstretched to your sides like an airplane. Then turn to the left as far as you can from the waist, and when you can't go any further, then stretch your right arm over your head continuing the stretch further. Do the same thing on the right. <br /><br />Another is again same stance feet slightly apart, standing upright. Then slowly "crunch" by collapsing your body (arms hanging down), one vertabrae at a time. When you get as far down as you can go, take a deep breath, let it out, and you'll drop some more. Repeat again, and again. Then slowly "uncurl" standing upright one vertabrae at a time.<br /><br />Also you can do the "lunge", much like the regular exercise you would do with weights. You stand with one foot forward, and one behind you. The one behind you is sideways toe facing out, and the one forward is pointed forward. Reach forward as far as you can with one foot, and stretch, but not to the point of pulling, just go as far as you can until you meet resistance. Its better to slide the back foot back to go lower, rather than slide the front foot forward. Repeat by swapping the feet.<br /><br />Then of course, roll your head. Turn your head side to side as far as you can. Then from neutral, tilt your chin down to your chest, then tilt your head back, and to both sides as far as you can. Not pulling or stretching the limits, but just going as far as you can, then you go side to side again and you'll see that you have gained some range of motion.<br /><br />Oh, we also did some grounding exercises. Where you ground yourself and try to push each other down. Very cool that when you are not grounded, standing in the same position, you are easily pushed over, but when you take a deep breath and "think" grounded, planting your feet, you simply cannot be moved. <br /><br />And when using our arms in riding. Do not use your biceps. Your biceps become neutral, they are not used at all. Back and forth arm motion uses the triceps. Hold up your arm and hold it firm by using your bicep. Have a friend try to bend or move your arm. You'll see that it CAN be moved, and so can your body. Release, and then hold your arm in the same position but use your tricep to hold your arm, and the friend will not be able to move your arm, and also will not move your body in their trying.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-31654451369350971832009-03-28T22:41:00.004-04:002009-03-28T22:54:49.226-04:00Horsey Day today<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Mandy and I had a nice little horsey day today.<br /><br />She had her lesson this morning, which went well. She did some dressage basics, i.e., straightness, balance, riding from behind. She had some nice canter departs today! She will likely go to a show in mid May, w/t/c and possibly some cross-rails, we'll see about that. She's excited, to put it mildly.<br /><br />Then we came home and had some lunch, and headed out to play with our girls before the two, yes TWO inches of rain that is supposed to start tonight.<br /><br />First up was Lakota, who heard us come outside. And as I was cleaning up the yard from winter debris so we had a safe-ish place to ride, she came over to the gate and was watching us and calling. So cute. So today we tacked up properly which hasn't happened since last summer. Today, she decided the yard was scary. Maybe because it was cleaner? lol! Who knows.<br /><br />So we spent a little time snorting at all the corners before settling down, which actually didn't take all that long. I decided to try ground driving, after chatting with some friends about Lakota's issues with trust in me when I'm not in front. A first for both of us.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gX6_A9AI/AAAAAAAABSQ/rnfsKEu3SEA/s1600-h/LakotaGroundDriving032809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318434911546307586" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 179px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gX6_A9AI/AAAAAAAABSQ/rnfsKEu3SEA/s320/LakotaGroundDriving032809.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />It went better than I expected. I did have to swing the tail end of one of the reins at her rump a few times so she understood forward. She did a LOT of thinking about this, as it was quite new to her. Once I got her going forward, she moved along nicely. Whoa didn't go as well. I usually use my body, not my hands to whoa, and she whoas on a breath out and when I stop riding. Well, I couldn't really do that with ground driving, unless I turned myself into something like an anchor. So any ideas/advise would be great. When I asked for a stop, I did "breath out" which she responded to somewhat, and then I just closed my hands, and when she ran into that, it was upsetting for her. She fought the pressure a bit, then she turned sharply and wrapped one of the lines around her hind pastern and stepped on it. She didn't freak out, but she hit the pressure, felt it on her leg and wasn't too happy about it. I easily got her out of the mess, but after that she wasn't really a fan of this game anymore. She was ready to head back to the barn, which is so NOT like her, so I knew she was upset.<br /><br />So I asked for one more circle, and then we took off the lines, and I mounted up.<br /><br />Riding wasn't all that exciting, the roundpen was still pulled apart, I didn't feel like taking even more time to put it back together, and we're trying to get away from that crutch, anyway. So since it was only our second time out of the paddock since last fall, we stuck to just some figure 8's inside the pen, although both ends of it were open. She softened and relaxed into the pattern nicely. So after that, we called it a day. She was quite warm and sweaty considering she did nothing more than a walk. It was warm, around 55F, and she still has her full winter coat, but I think it was more emotional sweat than physical sweat, she really didn't do much at all, and the sweat was in her armpits, and her chest and underside of her neck, and behind her ears.<br /><br />Mandy got this shot, which cracks me up. And of course shows how much more relaxed she was with the riding as opposed to ground driving. </div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gYGSotnI/AAAAAAAABSo/LJWamf4lyM0/s1600-h/LakotaYawning032809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318434914581395058" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 245px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gYGSotnI/AAAAAAAABSo/LJWamf4lyM0/s320/LakotaYawning032809.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then Mandy took these two shots, which I like.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gX6YnilI/AAAAAAAABSY/g9DlnIAGkbM/s1600-h/LakotaMe032809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318434911385258578" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gX6YnilI/AAAAAAAABSY/g9DlnIAGkbM/s320/LakotaMe032809.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />Lakota has never been a fan of kisses, but she has learned to at least humor me and tolerate them, as is obvious from this photo. </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gX2-AlWI/AAAAAAAABSg/rt3PWR8KqUE/s1600-h/LakotaMe032809-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318434910468347234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gX2-AlWI/AAAAAAAABSg/rt3PWR8KqUE/s320/LakotaMe032809-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then it was Jen's turn. She was eager for her turn to get to play. Mandy tacked her up with no problems, other than her bracing and getting worried when girthing up. I suspect that will take a good long time to overcome the old "kick in the gut" girthing process. But we went slow, one hole at a time, with a lot of reassurances, and she never moved a foot. I also remeasured Jen for the gullet size, and she measured right on the wide side of medium wide, so I decided to put the wide gullet in the Wintec with the thicker fleece pad (I really hate changing that thing, "easy-change" is a misnomer and it takes quite a bit of grunting, slamming, and swearing to get it back together). I looked more objectively at Jen's back, and she has the same conformation as Lakota, which is not a good thing. She has those huge shoulders that rotate about 4 inches under the saddle, and the same weird long withers, short back and forward girth-groove (sigh). But I was hopeful this would work for her. </div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gXk6YqWI/AAAAAAAABSI/pWufZW4yAPU/s1600-h/JenTacking032809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318434905621309794" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7gXk6YqWI/AAAAAAAABSI/pWufZW4yAPU/s320/JenTacking032809.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So Mandy led Jen around a bit to make sure her mind was connected, and they did fine.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g-3wizAI/AAAAAAAABTY/YMHozBwJDJ0/s1600-h/MandyJenLeading032809-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318435580695202818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g-3wizAI/AAAAAAAABTY/YMHozBwJDJ0/s320/MandyJenLeading032809-2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6jjTtZI/AAAAAAAABTQ/B9nKXCIembo/s1600-h/MandyJenLeading032809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318435506551502226" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6jjTtZI/AAAAAAAABTQ/B9nKXCIembo/s320/MandyJenLeading032809.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />Mandy REALLY wanted to bring Jen out of the paddock, so we did. Jen was worried, she is an extremely herdbound horse, so considering that she did quite well. We left the gate in stages, taking breaks, turning back from time to time. I think it helped that the other 3 didn't really care that she left (although they stood at the gate and screamed for Lakota when she was out).<br /><br />We made it out to the yard, and checked it all out. She was nervous, I could feel it, but she was well-behaved and tried to be brave. The ducks were flapping around, as were chickens, the goats, the goose was playing it up, it was a lot to take in for a horse that hadn't been out of the paddock in a year, and had only been out two or three times in two years. Then I took Jen for a bit, and asked her to move her feet around me, and we meandered her and there and I asked for her attention. Then Mandy laughed, and she teleported a bit, so I knew then that she was quite tense as I had suspected ,but was trying to stuff it down and be brave. So I slowed down then, and just spent some time standing and petting her, chatting with Mandy, and relaxing. And then Jen started to drop her head, blow, lick and chew, and relax. Her head was about at my waist level now. I decided that was enough emotional stuff for her today, so we slowly brought her back to the barn, stopping along the way to look at this or that.<br /><br />Then Mandy hopped on her for a short bit in the paddock. Jen was a bit anxious about that, and she had a real grumpy face as we walked through the paddock. Then we stopped for a photo op, of finally trying to get a pick of Mandy in the saddle. Jen didn't look real happy, and she kept biting at Mandy's foot. </div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6GMS0BI/AAAAAAAABSw/URUoeSS0iUc/s1600-h/MandyJen032809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318435498670346258" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6GMS0BI/AAAAAAAABSw/URUoeSS0iUc/s320/MandyJen032809.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6VsIxoI/AAAAAAAABS4/i88Pain2VVk/s1600-h/MandyJen032809-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318435502830438018" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6VsIxoI/AAAAAAAABS4/i88Pain2VVk/s320/MandyJen032809-2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><br />So I decided that the saddle still wasn't fitting well, and asked her to hop off. After untacking and putting our gear away, I decided at the last minute to toss the Barefoot London treeless on her, just to see how it looked. It looked OK on her, so then I asked Mandy to hop on. We went for another short walk, and I was really blown away by the difference in Jen.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6hEcDWI/AAAAAAAABTI/hgrWsrpU9_0/s1600-h/MandyJen032809-4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318435505885154658" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6hEcDWI/AAAAAAAABTI/hgrWsrpU9_0/s320/MandyJen032809-4.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6RkAetI/AAAAAAAABTA/ulHnigTDW_w/s1600-h/MandyJen032809-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318435501722598098" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sc7g6RkAetI/AAAAAAAABTA/ulHnigTDW_w/s320/MandyJen032809-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />so that was our day. I really hate saddle shopping. And its not in the budget, either. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I suppose I can sell both our Wintecs and see how much I can get for them toward a Treeless for Jen. For now, I guess Mandy can share my London. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-50617542941238969552009-03-24T15:51:00.003-04:002009-03-24T15:53:55.312-04:00Is it spring?The temps sure don't feel like it, but my crocus' seem to think spring is coming.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6EGc4TMI/AAAAAAAABQY/umGBU90KW9Y/s1600-h/crocus032409.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316844677213211842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6EGc4TMI/AAAAAAAABQY/umGBU90KW9Y/s320/crocus032409.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6ER-V1DI/AAAAAAAABQw/KTsmy-LSTHI/s1600-h/crocus032409-4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316844680306349106" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6ER-V1DI/AAAAAAAABQw/KTsmy-LSTHI/s320/crocus032409-4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6EeAjAvI/AAAAAAAABQo/ll6Mn_PJHTo/s1600-h/crocus032409-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316844683536827122" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6EeAjAvI/AAAAAAAABQo/ll6Mn_PJHTo/s320/crocus032409-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6EICqBnI/AAAAAAAABQg/qPR_2wUdYP4/s1600-h/crocus032409-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316844677640095346" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/Sck6EICqBnI/AAAAAAAABQg/qPR_2wUdYP4/s320/crocus032409-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-37360104118637504572009-03-22T16:19:00.002-04:002009-03-22T16:23:17.268-04:00Clicker funI spent most of the day yesterday cleaning so I could spend time riding today. And last night around 9 pm I started to feel "the crud" come on. How frustrating! So I'm stuffy-headed, headachy, low energy, and have occasional bouts of light-headedness. (sigh).<br /><br />I trimmed hooves this afternoon, and when I was sitting down on the stoop waiting for my back to quit hurting so I could actually stand up straight, Lakota came over and was begging for attention. She stood next to me and kept touching my arm. Then she started to paw. I took the hint that she really wanted to do something.<br /><br />So I went inside to gather my clicker/treat back, and while I was doing that, Lakota decided she was going to start without me. I had the camera with me, so shot some video. I had so much fun, I'm glad she talked me into playing.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UmIZKfAoVPo&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UmIZKfAoVPo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-81928524654596074832009-03-21T23:35:00.004-04:002009-03-21T23:40:21.247-04:00Spring has arrived!<div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>The girls went out for their first bit of grass today, and boy were they happy about that!!!!! I did have the forethought, however, to only let them out an hour before grain time, I knew I would never get them back in again if I didn't have something up my sleeve ;-)</div><div><br /> </div><div><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUVoQ4MI/AAAAAAAABP4/7TAfazEZhlY/s1600-h/TheGirls032109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315850997653889218" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUVoQ4MI/AAAAAAAABP4/7TAfazEZhlY/s320/TheGirls032109.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUi9xXlI/AAAAAAAABQA/xAOl5Z3WSVU/s1600-h/TheGirls032109-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315851001233759826" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUi9xXlI/AAAAAAAABQA/xAOl5Z3WSVU/s320/TheGirls032109-2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Lakota: "Ummm, Hello? The gate is closed! Would you be a dear and trot right on over here pronto and open it back up again?"<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUaOTS8I/AAAAAAAABPw/x2DzzcRvM2E/s1600-h/Lakota032109-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315850998887173058" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUaOTS8I/AAAAAAAABPw/x2DzzcRvM2E/s320/Lakota032109-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>"What do you mean 'no'? Fine, I'll just wait here all night until it opens back up again."<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUChS02I/AAAAAAAABPo/X8TKpbrCNY0/s1600-h/Lakota032109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315850992524383074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUChS02I/AAAAAAAABPo/X8TKpbrCNY0/s320/Lakota032109.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Jen: "Whaddya mean the gates closed? It sounds like its biting, too. Damn, that sucks!"<br /></div></div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUkYY8GI/AAAAAAAABQI/H0OrSrspL7M/s1600-h/TheGirls032109-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315851001613840482" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyUkYY8GI/AAAAAAAABQI/H0OrSrspL7M/s320/TheGirls032109-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div>Whinney: "Get your lazy @$$ over here and open this @#$% gate, NOW!"</div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyYbTemYI/AAAAAAAABQQ/Sh7YZU0HszA/s1600-h/Whinney032109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315851067896797570" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/ScWyYbTemYI/AAAAAAAABQQ/Sh7YZU0HszA/s320/Whinney032109.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-5057986837579277802009-03-08T16:38:00.005-04:002009-03-08T17:24:33.726-04:00Before the rain comes .....My daughter and I had a nice day today. The 8 inches of snow has melted and left mud in its wake of course, but it was GORGEOUS in the 50's and up to 60 with a bright, warm sun this weekend, so I couldn't possibly spend it in the house cleaning. I did get the worst of it cleaned up though ;-)<br /><br /><br />My daughter really wanted to do something with Jen. You may remember that Jen is a rescue (see <a href="http://www.savingmissjen.blogspot.com/">http://www.savingmissjen.blogspot.com/</a>). The first year we had her we spent just dumping food into her, and loving on her to get her over her tension, anxiety and fears. Last year we started clicker-training with her, rewarding her for attention, focus, and fun games like targeting cones, follow-your-footsteps, touch-the-goblins. She will not accept a bit in her mouth, she clamps her jaw shut and flings her head up, no matter how many, or what value treats we use. So I've started her in the Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle. She was quite tense mounted. I guess I can't say "under saddle", since we used a bareback pad, because her back muscles were still quite wasted and in no shape to hold a saddle. She braced, wouldn't move forward, and was a balled up bundle of nerves and anxiety. When I bought her, I was told that her only issue was being herd-bound.<br /><br /><br />I rewarded her for taking a few steps forward, and flexing her head/neck to both sides, and then put her away for the fall/winter. I've just spent more time loving on her, expecting some more respect on the ground, and just being very calm and loving with her, and spending time just stroking her and talking softely to her.<br /><br /><br />Today was her day. Unfortunately, I left the camera in the house, but hopefully I'll remember next time. So we changed out the gullet in my daughters saddle and messed with girths until we got an OK combination. We decided to stay in the paddock to keep her emotions down for the first time we've done anything for about 8 to 10 months. She was only mildly concerned about saddling, but treats took care of that, she sighed and did a lot of licking and chewing. She took the Bitless with no problems at all. I stood on the ground and we practiced a lot of lateral flexion. Her first reaction to the feeling of any pressure at all is that her head goes up and she braces. I don't escalate pressure (start where you want to end up), I just take up contact and wait, while she works it out. the head goes up, it goes down, she tries pulling the rein out of my hand, then finally, the neck relaxes and she gives her nose. BINGO! instant release with a click, and then a treat. Yehaaa!!!! Repeat ad naseum. Jen has a lot of braced default behaviors that is going to take a lot of time and repetition to undo. Did the same thing on the other side. Then hubby came home, so I stopped to talk to him for a bit. Jen fussed, pawed, fidgeted, and was trying everything to figure out how to get another treat. She finally settled down, dropped her head, relaxed, closed her eyes, and then it was time to reward her with more fun.<br /><br /><br />I briefly repeated the lateral flexion on both sides, and she braced at first again, but remembered much quicker this time. I think I'm going to have to use this sort of thing for her for awhile, a lot of repetitions on one thing, then a break and do it again. She tends to forget between sessions, so hopefully a break and repeating it will break that habit. She also needs repetition, or she gets anxious wondering what the next behavior is that she will get rewarded for. She gets fizzy and tries too many things. Lakota, OTOH, gets bored, so we do something until she gives me a good try, or improves, then we move on to something else, and go back to the first thing (maybe). Interesting difference in horsenalities.<br /><br /><br />So then I had her walk along side me, and we practiced backing up a step each time I asked her to whoa. Interestingly, she settled down, relaxed and was very happy to be moving, where she was more tense with the flexion at a standstill. I think she was anxious about the other horses in her space while there was food involved. But she needs to learn to deal with that, too, and she actually was much better than she has been in the past. Then rather than saying whoa and stopping abruptly for a halt, I decided instead to "breath out" and just "stop riding(walking)", and blow-me-down, but she whoaed beautifully and so relaxed! We practiced that for a bit, and it was fantastic, she was so soft and relaxed, very unlike herself, it was beautiful!<br /><br /><br />It wasn't in the plan today, but she was doing so well, I asked my daughter to hop on board. Jen is supposed to be her horse, I didn't know she had so many issues when I bought her, but I did figure she wouldn't be as perfect as the seller said she was. She hopped on board, and we walked through the paddock. At first, I did the leading, as we had to walk past the other horses grazing, and Jen can be pretty defensive of her personal space, I wasn't sure if she would act differently while someone was on board. But she was! She did fantastic! At first she braced and her head went up, but we didnt' ask for anything. Just stood there at the rock she mounted from, and scritched her withers while I rubbed her neck and told her what a good girl she was. When she softened and relaxed, we moved off. After a few laps, I gave up the reins to my daughter, although I walked alongside just in case I needed to snatch them. But she did beautifully, and whoaed on a breath out. Gorgeous!<br /><br /><br />But the BEST part, was we dismounted/untacked on the far end of the paddock away from the barn, and Jen was astounded! She sniffed at the saddle and mouthed it multiple times while my daughter wsa holding it, and I had the bridle hanging in my hand, and she turned toward me and put her nose right into the noseband. Awwwwww....... she wanted to keep riding!!!! Both of us were just so happy to see this, after the tense, anxious little girl last year. This is exactly how I wanted to leave her ,wanting more, not thinking "When will this be over with?"<br /><br /><br />Darn, I wish I had the camera.<br /><br /><br />But we did take Lakota out for a little spin in the yard. Everything is mud, so we only did a few circles and figure 8's in the gravel of the drive, but she was really begging for a turn, so who was I to say no?? =D<br /><br /><br />Threw on the bareback pad and Bitless, and walked around the yard a bit to look for goblins. Then I mounted up, and we had a nice little ride, and Lakota was her sweet self, as usual. Then I asked my daughter if she wanted a turn, and she said "Sure!" with a huge grin on her face. She mounted up, and it was just so comical! She has been taking lessons, and is a nice little rider, W/T/C ready for jumps now, and perhaps just a wee bit cocky about her ability. But she's been riding school horses, not uber-sensitive older greenies. She usually has a comment about my riding ability, my lack of ability to post, the fact that I haven't cantered since I was her age, etc. Well, she could not keep Lakota on a circle to save her life. Poor Lakota was so confused, and getting a bit ticked off. Lakota doesn't fill in the blanks for you, and my daughter kept looking down, losing her focus and thinking about something else, or yakking and not paying attention, and she almost ran Lakota into a trailer twice, the roundpen panel, the woodpile and a truck cap. She couldn't keep her bent, and she kept trying to head back up to the barn. She had a little bit more respect for her mothers riding abilities after trying to ride MY horse. Not that she's bad, certainly not. She is just incredibly sensitive and reads your thoughts. And you simply can NOT get strong with her, or she will either brace, or get upset and start getting spooky. Less is more with her, and if she isn't doing what you ask, then you are not being clear, or are just being too overbearing.<br /><br /><br />I hopped back on Lakota after my daughter was done for a few circles just to get her confidence back, and then we were done for the day. My son ran in the house and grabbed the camera, so I at least have some photos of Lakota and I and my daughter.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2Rr251-I/AAAAAAAABNw/zKfDNNaGpWg/s1600-h/MeLakota020809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310929538035341282" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2Rr251-I/AAAAAAAABNw/zKfDNNaGpWg/s320/MeLakota020809.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2Z7bHvEI/AAAAAAAABOQ/38wi5HQuksU/s1600-h/MeLakota020809-5small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310929679652731970" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2Z7bHvEI/AAAAAAAABOQ/38wi5HQuksU/s320/MeLakota020809-5small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2RwxkbEI/AAAAAAAABOA/q0VRvm0oKMk/s1600-h/MeLakota020809-3small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310929539355143234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2RwxkbEI/AAAAAAAABOA/q0VRvm0oKMk/s320/MeLakota020809-3small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2R5YXYsI/AAAAAAAABN4/HjMVkTNXW4I/s1600-h/MeLakota020809-2small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310929541665350338" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2R5YXYsI/AAAAAAAABN4/HjMVkTNXW4I/s320/MeLakota020809-2small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2Rm5UPFI/AAAAAAAABNo/QAzLeu3gh7o/s1600-h/MandyLakota030809small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310929536703282258" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2Rm5UPFI/AAAAAAAABNo/QAzLeu3gh7o/s320/MandyLakota030809small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2adXwV_I/AAAAAAAABOY/rIeO7FGoES0/s1600-h/MeLakota020809-6small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310929688765421554" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SbQ2adXwV_I/AAAAAAAABOY/rIeO7FGoES0/s320/MeLakota020809-6small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-37428855241904459702009-02-20T21:09:00.003-05:002009-02-20T21:28:38.012-05:00Fly Free, Ducky<div><div><div><div><div>Ducky is no longer with us.</div><br /><div></div><div>You may remember Duck from November. The Muscovy ducks decided to hatch out a clutch of eggs on Halloween night, and they were all waddling around on Sat 11/1 early morning. Except for one, who was upside down, cold and half dead. My son found her on the ground, and despite my best "it will probably die, such is nature" speech, the kids insisted on bringing it in the house ,warming it up and trying to save it.</div><br /><div></div><div><a href="http://shellyct.blogspot.com/2008/11/newest-addition.html">http://shellyct.blogspot.com/2008/11/newest-addition.html</a></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>And they succeeded. But it was too cold for Ducky to go back outside in the winter after being raised in the house. She was apparently premature and behind her siblings, she just couldn't keep up.</div><br /><div></div><div><a href="http://shellyct.blogspot.com/2009/01/ducky-update.html">http://shellyct.blogspot.com/2009/01/ducky-update.html</a></div><br /><div></div><div>So she was raised in the family room, with a dog crate and an x-pen for a duck house. She had visits to the garden to play when the weather was warmish (30's and up), and visits to the bathtub for swimtime, and was allowed to roam the family room from time to time when we kicked the dogs out of the room for awhile, always supervised.</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>This morning, I had Cher gated in the kitchen to eat her breakfast (she's a little food aggressive, so eats separately). Ducky was in her x-pen in the family room, which is up a flight of stairs and around the corner from the kitchen. I went out to feed horses, and when I came back in the house, Ducky had somehow managed to fly out of her x-pen, down the stairs, around the corner, and over the gate into the kitchen. Cher killed her. My guilt is enormous.</div><div></div><br /><div>Good bye, Ducky. I'm so sorry.</div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDorozpI/AAAAAAAABNY/C6_dkDdG3ds/s1600-h/ducky012109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305071098711821970" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDorozpI/AAAAAAAABNY/C6_dkDdG3ds/s320/ducky012109.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDpjc-CI/AAAAAAAABNg/zMn5SgCJI3k/s1600-h/ducky012109-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305071098945927202" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDpjc-CI/AAAAAAAABNg/zMn5SgCJI3k/s320/ducky012109-2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDsklDCI/AAAAAAAABNQ/OI4X064E-04/s1600-h/Ducky012309.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305071099755957282" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDsklDCI/AAAAAAAABNQ/OI4X064E-04/s320/Ducky012309.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDemC-NI/AAAAAAAABNI/y0d0elSD4Rw/s1600-h/ducky0121209-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305071096004016338" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDemC-NI/AAAAAAAABNI/y0d0elSD4Rw/s320/ducky0121209-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDWP0QnI/AAAAAAAABNA/hWRonYMB1Kk/s1600-h/ducky0121209.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305071093763293810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SZ9mDWP0QnI/AAAAAAAABNA/hWRonYMB1Kk/s320/ducky0121209.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-7908949424607047532009-02-17T21:21:00.003-05:002009-02-17T21:53:48.007-05:00I'm Baaaack -- I'm Back in the Saddle Again!<p><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RrG2mGbXMCs&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RrG2mGbXMCs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p></p><p>Wahoo!!!! </p><p>I haven't ridden since September. In case you can't count too well, that's FIVE months!</p><p>But I only worked until 12:45 today, rushed home and had a quick lunch. It was around 35F and sunny with NO wind, which we've had for about a week now, so it was a gorgeous day. I headed out to see my girl, Lakota. I did not, unfortunately, have my camera with me.</p><p>The roundpen is muddy, with deep holes from frost heaves with the constant freeze/thaw thing that has been going on for about 2 weeks. The paddock didn't look too bad though, with hooves pounding them all down. I decided to just toss on the Bareback Pad and Bitless and head into the lower grassy section of the paddock. I figured its been so long since we've doing anything, I thought it would be a good idea to stay in the paddock, plus there was the whole mud issue.</p><p>I walked that area first looking for holes, and it was a bit squishy down on the bottom half, but not bad on the top half, but of course its the side of a hill, with stumps, and rocks, and ledge. I picked up all the downed brush, and the girls apparently knew what I had in mind, because they were all on high alert (GRASS!!!!). April started racing along the fenceline with her nose on the ground looking for a way through. Its only electric, and it was off, not a good combo with a mini.</p><p>I brushed Lakota, which she of course enjoyed, but then she side stepped away when I went to put the bareback pad on. I gave her another scritch, and then she was fine. It took us a little bit to put the Bitless Bridle on, she's always been funny about headgear, and if we dont' work on it consistently, she reverts. But I only waited for less than 5 minutes for her to decide to put her nose in, and of course she got a treat after, so all was OK in her world.</p><p>We headed down to the grassy area, and as I gathered the electric fence handles in my left hand, with Lakota's reins in my right, sure enough they all came flying over. I managed to keep two out, but the mini eluded me (sneaky little shit that she is) she squeezed right through. </p><p>That was enough to get Lakota upset -- the little brat was racing around snatching at tall grass, Lakot awas trying to snatch at grass at the same time she was spooking, at the same time I was trying to reattach the gate handles. So Lakota and I walked back and forth about a half dozen times, feeling the footing, looking for holes, and trying to catch the little yellow shithead. It didn't work, and I gave up, figuring I probably wouldn't ride long enough for her to founder, anyway.</p><p>I lead Lakota up to a rock, that was about literally 3 inches wide and 6 inches long, but tall sticking out of the ground. She lined right up like a good girl, she'll line up to just about anything now. And then she stands quietly while I zipper my back, turn it to the side, and try to figure out how far I have to jump to get on her. Admittedly, it does take awhile, she's so patient. So I ungracefully lept -- and slammed into her side with a big - huh! Ooops, sorry girl. The next time I managed to get more air and belly over so I could scramble up.</p><p>So Lakota and I walked back and forth for about half hour, while the little yellow demon ran around snatching as much dead grass as she could stuff in her little face. Lakota did quite well considering we have mostly only ridden in the roundpen, where it is relatively flat (its all relative around here, nothing is flat, not even the house, anything dropped that is round all ends up in one corner of the house). She really wasn't a fan of carrying me through the mud, she doesnt' like to slip at all with me on board, which is OK by me. So we used the higher side, but I was worried about a big sinkhole over Leroy's grave which I had filled in, but I didn't trust it. Lakota kept wanting to go higher and higher away from the mud. She did mind my leg mostly when I asked her to yield around the filled-in sinkhole. She got a little upset a couple of times, onced when she slipped which wasn't so bad, her head just came up a bit and she got a little rushy, but she settled right down again when I said "easy, it's OK" (which seems to be my default not-thinking thing to say when they get nervous). The other time she got upset, spooked and squirted forward is when that little yellow demon squeezed between us and a 4 foot high ledge outcropping, which her fat gut caught my boot and twisted my foot around backwards, likely goosing poor Lakota in the ribs. We did OK though, she setled right back down and I did not lose my seat, despite being only on the Bareback Pad, and on the side of a somewhat slick hill with tons of rocks.</p><p>We rode that for about a half hour, interspersed with a lot of standing and relaxing/doing nothing. It seems that now when my phone rings (actually it was my school bus alarm, which goes off twicde at 15 minute intervals) she stops and drops her head about a foot, cocks a leg, sighs and closes her eyes. lol!</p><p>The footing was getting a little slick from being churned up by you-know-who, so I thought about it a bit and decided to ride in the upper dirt area where the girls are fed daily (not the top "upper paddock", up the steeeep hill). So I dismounted, brought Lakota out, and remounted without incident. She was a little confused "now what?". I just asked her to walk-on, which she did, which is great, because forward can be a little sticky sometimes. The first time by the gate to the steeeep hill "upper paddock", which is where we rode the last time, only once, way back in September, she stopped and looked up the hill. I asked for foreward again (straight), and she wanted to veer up the hill. There was no way I could sit on her, over that horrible rubble which is like something out of those Tevis photos you see, up that steep hill, in a bareback pad on a fat out of shape mare (not to mention my condition!).</p><p>We avoided that, and did a couple of laps. And on the way by Jen (as April continued to gnosh) Jen flattened her ears, threatened to kick and made a really nasty snaky face. Lakota is Alpha Mare, but it seems that when I'm riding, Jen gets nasty toward her. I really have no idea why, but this is not the first time she did this. I hollered at Jen, which upset Lakota, but she did OK (she hates it when I yell at the other horses, although two of them really tend to deserve it often, Jen and Whinney). We circled around, and Jen had come around the barn and was blocking out path, making nasty faces at Lakota! She was not listening to me telling her to get lost, and Lakota was being SO good. She knows that we don't play horsey games when the humans are nearby, all of them know that except Jen has been having a hard time understanding that rule.</p><p>So I finally decided to dismount, and put Jen in the stall. I remounted, and Jen was tossing a fit, pushing on the door, and pawing it with her front hoof. I was afraid she would do something really stupid, so we did one lap around the paddock, and I dismounted and let that little pita out. </p><p>Jen continued to be quite obnoxious for the rest of the afternoon. After catching the little yellow monster with a cookie and some roundpen-type body language/movements, I stood and hung out with Lakota for a bit, which she liked just standing next to me dozing. Jen tossed a fit, and was racing around ,bucking, and zipping by us with April in tow, then back again, being a total pest. Then she came around the back and stood behind me making faces at Lakota (who mostly ignored her aside from a tight face). I backed Jen up a few times as she was getting to be a pushy pest.</p><p>I'm not sure if she was jealous, or taking advantage of the alpha, but I'm going to have to come up with a better plan, I guess. I had hoped that Mandy and I would be able to ride together, I don't know. Perhaps Jen just needs more work, (which she hasn't had much of). I do need to work with her, she loves it so much. But then she is a total in your face pest for months, lol!</p><p>So, in any event, I'm excited that I finally got to ride again, and really excited that Lakota was so, so good after 5 months off. She really wanted to head up on that hill, and I may do that next time, once I figure out what to do with Jen. I also got all the defrosted manure and frozen, trampled, peed on/pooped on hay scraped up, so its all clean and spring-like, ready for the snow, sleet and freezing rain predicted for tomorrow night :-(</p><p>For any of you who are RAC readers, I'm posting this over there too, but a much abbreviated version. They have far more interesting thing sto read than my long-drawn out drivel, but in case you were feeling a bit of deja'vu reading this, that's why ;-)</p><p><br /><br /> </p>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-62192294009013363042009-02-15T21:44:00.002-05:002009-02-15T21:47:45.510-05:00A sighting ...Early Saturday during the morning feed, I saw Jen looking at something. I stepped so I could see better through the barn doors, and saw a bobcat running across the neighbors backyard! It came across the stonewall and over Bobby's junk cars that are on the property line. As I watched it disappear into the trees, suddenly, a second one followed the first along the same path!<br /><br />I have never seen a Bobcat before. Its possible it wasn't, but I'm pretty sure. It was dawn, and the sun came over the horizon where they disappeared into the woods, so I couldn't see any coloring or markings, they were sillouettes, but the size, shape and movement fit a a Bobcat perfectly. They didnt' make a sound, not a single leaf russle they moved silently along, very cool.<br /><br />I was just reading up on Bobcats, as I didnt' think we had them here. And now is there mating time, and they are active at dusk to midnight, and dawn to 3 hours after dawn. So it fits perfectly to see two of them together, possibly in pursuit, and at dawn.<br /><br />What a gift! <br /><br />as long as they leave my poultry alone, that is.<br /><br />And of course I didn't have my camera with me.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-27481514995678453702009-02-08T21:10:00.005-05:002009-02-08T22:12:41.937-05:00How to get them to want to work for/with you<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-cD79bViI/AAAAAAAABMw/kz-NWHrYxEo/s1600-h/LakotaApril03-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300626877887239714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-cD79bViI/AAAAAAAABMw/kz-NWHrYxEo/s320/LakotaApril03-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-bzI1UH-I/AAAAAAAABMo/pOlrRsyDWPs/s1600-h/LakotaApr03.jpg"></a><div><div>This came up briefly a few posts ago, Funder had made a comment after Lakota didn't want to go back to the barn, something to the effect of "It must be so nice to have a horse that wants to work with you". Well, Lakota sure didn't come that way!</div><br /><div></div><div>Some of you may remember, but likely most don't, that when I bought Lakota 6 years ago, she was inherently a nice horse, but she was also largely unhandled and/or mishandled.</div><br /><div></div><div>Back in 2003, she was a 7 year old broodmare being bred to her half brother. When I sent some emails to the seller (and I am not badmouthing anyone here, this is a learning exercise) I asked many questions since I couldn't visit her myself to meet her. </div><br /><div></div><div>Some of the questions were:</div><br /><div></div><div>How are her feet/hooves? The answer was "We have lifted Lakota's feet and she does fine. She has never needed to have them trimmed, she self-trims"</div><br /><div></div><div>When asked how much training she has had, the answer was: "Yes, she keeps a halter on, and leads well, has been trailered, has not been handled a lot but you can't tell she is a very sweet."</div><br /><div></div><div>In reading between the lines later on, the answers were more like: "We thought we should trying working with her feet, but never got around to it" and "We keep a halter on her at all times becuase otherwise you can't get one on her without an act of Congress, but she isn't mean about it".</div><br /><div></div><div>So the horse that got off the trailer back in April of 2003 was scared to death, having never been away from her sire, dam or siblings at the age of 7. She was trailered once, when she was bought by the person I bought her from, they bought an entire family/herd.</div><br /><div></div><div>I mistakenly took her halter off her in the paddock as I always keep my horses without a halter unless they are uncatchable, and then they wear a breakaway. Well, I can't remember how long it took, but it was week sbefore I got halter on her, that I left on (breakaway). She didn't know how to hold her feet up to be trimmed, either. She is deathly afraid of the dewormer tube, and her eyes pop out of her head and she rips her head away if you even think about looking at her left ear. Don't try to approach her right side either or she's gone.</div><br /><div></div><div>So how did this horse end up being the one that doesn't want to go back to the barn?</div><br /><div></div><div>Well, it has been 6 years ;-) But she's been like this for awhile now. I had to go back to square one with everything I learned. Lakota has taught me SO much. She was not this way because she was resistant, or "bad". She was truly just scared, and unsure, and very, very sensitive, and had no life experiences to draw from.</div><br /><div></div><div>I found that sending her off when she did the wrong thing, was a very bad thing, and created a horse that snorted and went on alert whenever she saw me. I had to sort of sneak in the back door, not let her realize that she was learning something and make it seem like she had figured it out all on her own.</div><br /><div></div><div>So I hung a halter next to her grain bucket. It was a larger, oversized halter with a breakaway poll. After a few weeks of that, I held the halter while I delivered the grain. Then I progressed to touching her with it. Then we moved on to having her touch it before she could get her bucket of grain. Then I asked her to let me slip it on her nose, and then I took it right back off and let her eat. She didn't get to have her grain at all until she let me do these things. Then we progressed to her wearing the halter while she ate. Then she was tied and she stood tied while she ate her grain. Eating grain while being caught turned being caught into a positive thing, without getting anyones emotions up.</div><br /><div></div><div>When this worked so well with her, I started thinking more and more about clicker training. I had heard of it, but everyone I knew poo-poohed it as "bribery". But using food as a reward worked so well in getting her caught.</div><br /><div></div><div>So halter on/off everyday with grain worked really well. And when I caught her to groom her was no problem, either. But if I had to catch her for the vet or farrier, suddenly she was uncatchable again. It took me a little while to realize why that was. It was my emotions, and my intent. When I was feeding or grooming, I had no agenda. It didn't matter if she didn't get caught, so it was no big deal. But my thoughts were that the farrier or vet didn't have time to wait for me to try to catch a horse, so I was purposeful in my mannerisms, and that scared her. The snorty, avoiding horse was back again.</div><div></div><br /><div>Then I realized that if I approached her, and chatted while giving her a scritch on the withers, or a rub on the neck before haltering her, she was completely fine with being caught. My girl needs a little bit of foreplay before she'll give herself up to you ;-) She can still be this way to this day, although it is not nearly as often, and its always when I'm in some sort of rush, or very distracted. She's a great barometer for my mental outlook at any particular time.</div><div></div><br /><div>I also rarely catch my horses. Seems counter productive, doesn't it? They still get haltered/tied for eating grain (I don't have stalls yet), and they readily drop their noses into their halters and stand very quietly and relaxed to be haltered. But for hoof cleaning, grooming, hoof trimming, blanketing/unblanketing, and even temperature-taking, they don't get haltered or tied. I carry my goodies on out to the paddock, and do what I need to do with them loose. The first few times I do this with any new horse, they usually walk away. After I am persistent and follow them around, finally they sigh, and just munch some hay. With them not being caught, they have the freedom to leave, so they don't feel trapped. Knowing that if at any time I do something that upsets them and they can leave, they are less inclined to be worried and want to leave. As a matter of fact, when I head out the door with my trimming tools, or an armload of blankets, I often have horses lined up waiting their turn.</div><div></div><br /><div>Other times, when I'm feeling kinda low-energy, or I don't have much time to spend with them, I'll head out to the paddock and do nothing. I may putter around fixing something, or I bring a book and sit in my little video chair I keep in the barn, leaning against a tree, and read. Sometimes I'll even sit down and fall asleep in the sun. I always have at least one horse who comes to stand guard over me, and most times they take turns. I trust them to not step on me, and they don't. </div><div></div><br /><div>There have been times when I head out with the intent of riding, or some task I want to work on. And perhaps the horse I want to work with is having a nice doze in the sun and doesn't seem interested. Many times I'll decide to sit with them and doze myself instead. Or choose a different horse. I usually have volunteers, or horses arguing over who gets to be first, or next. Sometimes they are way up on the hill enjoying a play time. Sometimes I'll go up and get one, but many times I won't, and leave them to their games. Sometimes they'll come down and be keen to go do something. But if they really are not interested in playing together, then I don't push it. I learned that if the horse wasn't interested that day, then we usually did NOT have a good time at all. Either a spooky horse, or a grumpy resistant horse, or many times it is them reading me, and knowing that I am really not in the right place to work with them that day. I respect that, and we are more of a partnership than a dictatorship.</div><br /><div></div><div>Then I started playing around with clicker training. I found that using this method taught ME to be more precise in my timing. And it also was far more interesting for the horse, and they were more keen to try. And I can tell that it certainly is not all about the treats. I have had horses take the treat from my hand and spit it back out again if they didn't want it. I've had horses refuse to take the treat, and instead offer the behavior again, because it was fun for them. It is engaging, they become a willing participant in the game. They offer just that much more to the game. I use clicker to train something new, but once its become old hat, the click/treat fades for that old task as we move on to something new to teach.</div><br /><div></div><div>Lakota loves the "touch the goblin" game. As a mare that had basically nothing outside her paddock until she was 7 years old, new things were pretty darned scary. She is a "stop/snort/stare" kinda girl. Now when she sees something scary, she stops/snorts, then looks at me very expectantly asking if its safe. When I tell her it is, she appraoches cautiously and touches the scary thing, and then looks at me saying "See? I touched it, can I have my treat now?" Then she'll thorougly investigate the new thing, touching it all over in many ways, sometimes progressing to playing with it if I allow her. </div><br /><div></div><div>When teaching a new move, or teaching to stand still for mounting, that precise instantaneous timing showing exactly what you want, helps her to get it so much better. She says "AHHH, so THAT is what you wanted! I can do that!" Many times she'll offer better and better each time. Without using clicker, and using only pressure/release, Lakota tends to get dull. " I really don't have a clue what you want, so I'm not even going to try really hard, this is boring and it sucks, can I go have my hay now?"</div><br /><div></div><div>Lakota started off as a very inverted moving horse. She is 25% TWH which I think influenced her movement conformationally, and at 7 years old of boodmare/paddock living, her movement patterns were pretty commited to muscle memory. We also do some roundpen work, using Dan Sumerel's methods which are very quiet, without running the horse around, tiring them out, or waiting for submission. You look for acknowledgment, not submission. </div><div></div><br /><div>Anyway, my point was, during this I noticed that Lakota moved very inverted, hollow back, ewe-neck, all strung out. As the roundpen relationship work evolved, I started clicking her for moving less inverted, progressing on to carrying herself. Now she gives me the most gorgoues, collected trots you have ever seen. And she is so proud of herself, that she now offers them to me all the time, then as I'm giggling about how cute she is, she'll stop and look at me with her ears perked up and forward, both eyes on me, so proud of herself, saying "See? Look what I can do!!"</div><br /><div></div><div>While we have not progressed to any kind of advanced or even mid-range manuevers, which is mostly due to my lack of knowledge, ability and time, we are muddling along at our own pace, but we are both happy, and I have a horse that is excited to head out of the paddock away from her buddies, one who was so herdbound that she screamed for her herdmates and turned to jelly. I have a mare that puts on the breaks and refuses to go back to the barn while her buddies in the paddock are hollering for her, rather than one that puts on the breaks refusing to leave.</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-bzKAOpnI/AAAAAAAABMg/79BvkaWsqLc/s1600-h/LakotaHead011809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300626589599311474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-bzKAOpnI/AAAAAAAABMg/79BvkaWsqLc/s320/LakotaHead011809.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-dOJtxkXI/AAAAAAAABM4/v-YAenljk_0/s1600-h/LakotaNapping020109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300628152890003826" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BaTxa6Efyx0/SY-dOJtxkXI/AAAAAAAABM4/v-YAenljk_0/s320/LakotaNapping020109.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8144749666587540555.post-16993580361680887862009-02-06T21:27:00.002-05:002009-02-06T21:30:43.582-05:00Ode to HorsesWhy do I like horses? I think I must be mad.My mother wasn't horsey -<br />And neither was my dad.<br /><br />But the madness hit me early - and it hit me like a curse.A<br />nd I've never gotten better. In fact I've gotten worse.<br /><br />My stables are immaculate. My house is like a hovel.<br />Last year for my birthday - I got a brand new shovel.<br /><br />I hardly read a paper - but I know who's sold their horse.<br />And I wouldn't watch the news - Unless Mr. Ed was on - of course.<br /><br />One eye's always on the heavens -but my washing waves in vain<br />As I rush to get the horses in - in case it's gonna rain.<br /><br />And though they're wearing 15 rugs, the best that you can get,<br />I bring them in to keep them dry - while I get soaking wet.<br /><br />I spend up every cent I've got - on horsey stuff for sure<br />I buy saddles, bridles, fancy rugs - and then I buy some more.<br /><br />I should have had my hair cut - or bought that nice blue shirt<br />At least it wouldn't now look ripped to shreds and in the dirt<br /><br />I can't make a bloody sponge cake -I don't even try<br />But I can back a truck and trailer - in the twinkling of an eye.<br /><br />It's jeans and Muck Boots that I live in night and day<br />And that smell of sweaty horses just doesn't wash away.<br /><br />Once every now and then I dress up for a ball<br />Make up and a hairdo - with high heel shoes and all.<br /><br />I ache from long forgotten falls. My knees have got no skin.<br />My toes have gone a funny shape - from being squashed again.<br /><br />But late at night, when all is still - and I've gone to give them hay,<br />I touch their velvet softness and my worries float away.<br /><br />They give a gentle nicker and they nuzzle through my hair<br />And I know it's where my heart is - more here than anywhere<br /><br /><br />- Author UnknownMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06077353902007793840noreply@blogger.com1