Weather and season hasn't provided for much play time. We got down to a chilly 17 degrees for nearly a week!! Much colder than us Californians are ever prepared for!

I'm progressing one checkmark at a time on my level 3 chart. This is where loping come into play a lot more. Not so easy with a LBI!! So we began steps twards a figure 8 with a bit of loping. Hoy, what a task. Much easier said than done. We spent about 4 days improving drive and draw at the trot....and then that freezing cold hit!
Yesterday I went out to the pasture and just play with my horse. He was slightly unmotivated, but got more and more silly as time went on. LBI's can REALLY trot! They will trot for days if it means they don't have to lope! As I asked for the dreaded gate of a lope, he leaped in the air and took off jumping and bucking. I quickly took a hold of zone 1, and everything came to a stop. Tucker looked at me so innocently like he was awaiting my next que. To keep things interesting for him, I asked him to go the other direction. He quickly picked up the trot, then lope again. As soon as he offered, I brought him back in. A try was all I was looking for. Now the other direction, picked up the lope right away(a little rambunctiously, but still). Half circles...that's almost a figure 8. After a few change of directions he had beautiful departures, drive, and draw. All the ingredients I was looking for! I called it quits there.

The ground right now is pretty much either slick or slop, but I'll continue to try to make the best of it. I'd rather have rain than heat!

Dec. 09

Like my posting, my horsemanship has been spastic. Except...maybe not quite as scattered! ha.

All the ponies are doing well. Tucker hurt his leg, but it didn't seem to effect him much. He had a couple of days off, and is healing nicely. He has been backing great up and down hills, over logs, and even off the back porch(don't worry, not as dangerous of a situation as it sounds)! I think he'll load quite comfortably soon. We also began backing by the tail! Such a swell guy who puts in his whole heart when you put in yours.

Rascal is also plugging along. We can always find something new and scary, but the basics are coming easier for him to deal with. I run over them in and extremely friendly way until it's normal, like: dropping brushes while grooming, picking up all feet from one side, lateral flexion from the ground(both ways from one side while leaning over his back), cinching simulations, yoyo, circling, and squeeze. Feels good to make a list, really reminds me how he arrived almost a year ago, a snorting prancing deer I could hardly catch!

Looks like a Parelli tour stop is scheduled for Aug. of next year! Yippee Skippy! I'm stoked. Until next time, I'm out riding and playing to my little hearts content and a little more! ha, Savvy On.

After having been sick for a couple weeks, and really just not feeling up to par, I didn't spend much time with the horses. I pulled Tuck out yesterday, and boy did we have fun. He started off looking exactly how I felt, dragging his feet(and head) everywhere. I didn't ask for much, and was very slow but deliberate in whatever I did ask. Awhile later I asked for the circling game...and he certainly gave it to me!! He leaped in the air, and took off like a rocket! It was fabulous to see such exuberant energy! When I he was settled down, I asked him back in, and it hardly took a half of a breath before he came right to me. I loved it, and can't wait to get out there today.
A better a horse goes backwards and sideways, the better he does everything else. And I've been working on those a lot this last week, in hopes to improve our trailer loading...didn't think about how it might improve everything else as well! awesome.

I've been spending lots of time with Rascal too, and that little horse just makes me smile. I love seeing his true colors come out, and can't wait to continue developing his confidence. He's got a heart of gold.

This weeks thought -- Horses have a brain the size of a walnut, and a heart the size of a watermelon. To effect his heart would create greater results than anything else. We've all heard of horses who've run faster and jumped higher out of heart and desire.

I finished the book Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses. It was so inspiring!! I absolutely loved it. It was great to see how people in your life shape who you are, and that divine appointments with each of them falls in perfect timing with our creators plan. Pat also mentioned at the end of the book something about sunday school, and how he remembered a verse about performing for kings and queens. The verse he was talking about turned out to be in Proverbs -- "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings, He will not stand before unknown men". I liked that. I don't need to perform for royalty, but if you take care of your horsemanship, it'll take care of you.

I particularly liked this segment, and thought it really wrapped things up:
"Principles purpose and time are the ingredients in the learning formula and regardless of how effective and efficient you are with horses, as long as you put principles first, the goal second and allow timelines to come naturally, you'll get where you want to go with a horse."

I'm reading one of Pats books called, "Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses". It's a fabulous story of how Mr.Parelli got to where he is today. It's wonderful to hear about all the many many people who have influenced who and what he is, and that he wasn't always a master.
It's hard for me to remember that it's okay to try something and fail. Trying is better than not trying at all.

I have a drive to work with Pepper again. He's been sort of in and out of my journey for awhile now, but I would really love him to be rideable someday, or at least an online/liberty superstar. He's capable of a lot, but he can't put that brain to good use if I don't help him.
Things are continuing to progress with Tuck...he's slooowly getting more confident with zones 4&5 as I direct to and backwards from obstacles, lead by the tail, and drive from zone 5. This week has felt a little more laid back than usual, but I really need to step things up and get in shape(myself and Tucker).

I'm brushing up on the basics, and remembering to do them with excellence.
"Whatever you do, do it with Excellence. Do it with class."