Getting back in the swing of things.

Wed. Dec. 24th. Happy Christmas Eve!!!!

Yesterday, I got Beau out and went to mosey around the property together . We progress to doing some circles and discovered that he is having more trouble going to the left than to the right. It is alot like the purity of gait issues Linda is having with Alure. But it didn't surprise me since I have not been able to play with Beau lately and I know he gets stiff after not being used. I will cont. to watch and decide if the Chiro. needs to come back.

Ok so today, Saddled up Beau. Went into the arena and played online. Going to try to get back to following a plan. So going to work on backing. ( our bug a boo). So online I set up a row of poles on the ground to back him thru. Did it until I got some good licking and chewing. Then moved to some figure 8's and weave patterns at the trot. Back to the poles for some backing. Played with cirlcing trotting and some cantering. Decided to get on and ride. FTR at the walk to work on the a soft stop without brace. Then went to walking thru the poles to the rail and asking for a back up. Working on no brace once again. (Trick was to sink my weight down and turn my toes out for the back up. )Did some figure 8's while riding ......not to bad. Surprised me. Also the weave pattern from my leg pressure. Great!!!

To summarize: TO make into a program.
A. Online
1) Backing thru poles, soft , and respectful.
2) figure 8's
3) weave pattern

B. Riding
1) FTR- soft stops no brace
2) Walking to a back up.....using the rail to start with.
3) Figure 8's
4) Weave Pattern

Hours posted Dec. 23rd. online .....30 minutes
Dec. 24th online .....30 minutes
riding .....45 minutes
Freestyle........30 minutes / Finesse ......15 minutes

Coming to terms

Well It's been awhile since I last had a chance to post or play with a horse. My mother has taken a turn for the worst health wise. I have been busy caring for her. She no longer understands what is going on. It has been a tough couple of weeks. The whole family is a bit out of sorts. Christmas is just going to be very different this year. I have had to place her in a home where people are more capable of caring for her needs. Right at this time I am feeling like the rotten kid, but I do know she had made arrangements for this. So I still could not make myself go visit with friends or play with the horses today, just a lot of sitting around and thinking. My mother is the person that got me started in horses. She was always there when I was growing up and started showing horses. Then when I finished college it was her that introduced me to competive trial and endurance riding. I believe that is where I got the love of trial riding that I still enjoy the most today. We rode many miles and camped many places together. All great memories that I will treasure. So by the end of day the picture is getting clearer in my mind. I feel very soon I will be taking the step forward to my future. I will stop thinking what could of been done in the past and move forward and conquer fears and problems with open eyes and heart. Tomorrow is going to be a new day!
Mom I love you.................always.

Can't believe it

Last night I heard a bang. Went outside to see what it was and Kash out of his pen. When I get out the barn and look at his pen , his gate is toast!! Looked like something scared him from out back ( animal or kids ) and he decided to ram the gate of jump it. Anyway it is just smashed in the middle. He seemed to be fine......no cuts or bumps anywhere. Checked him out this morning and all looks good.

Kathy came and picked my up. Went to the Tack Sale in Ocala . She brought a saddle or two. I picked up a sheet but thinking of taking it back. Got some nice Kerrtis pants from Peggy.
Had to come home early because mom was having a bad day. Made for a long night too.

Horse hours

Dec. 5th Friday

Horse hours:

Beau
20 min - undemanding time
20 min - Liberty....to eval where we are to know what I need to work on to accomplish my goal set in the next 30 days
HT - day 1.....did pretty good. Let him stop when he wanted to ....but shows my circling game is pretty good........who knew? haha

Kash
Decided he needs some therapy. SO will start Hill Therapy with him. I know it is not fair since he doesn't know all the games. But I will take it easy and see how it goes.
Played online....game 1, game 2 of zone 1, game 3 of zone 1, game 4 more trouble going away....LB attitude. Game 5. to warm up for HT .
Used about 30 min of play online. HT he did good. When he wanted to stop or come in .....no problem. After a little bit he just stayed out there. Need to help his back some.

Friday , Dec. 5th

Just got Jerry's homework from my group lessons with him. Wow he is really going to make us think!! Lesson 1 on his web page is Learning exactly what are the 4 responablities of the human and how it applies to our journey.

We were to come up with a goal that we want to achieve in 30 days. It needs to be something we can not do now but something that is attainable. So after lots of thought...................I decided to work on my liberty. After all he is the one at the last lesson that was telling me I should be playing with this.

Goal...To be able to play games 1-7 with out my horses feeling the need to run away.

Now to clarify some: I am not talking perfection. Just kinda of what you would call level
1 - 2 at liberty.

Areas to work on:
#1 I do feel my main area to work on will be the yoyo game. The part of the yoyo game that has a problem is the backing away. He wants to turn front end to side and not directly face me. I am thinking my bull horn is too load. So game plan to work on this is.....online if he takes two eyes off when backing there is going to be a consiquence. Once two eyes are back on me , I will first stop and relax and then ask very softly for backing again. Make it easier for two eyes on me than anything else. The bring back of the yoyo is fine ( at least for now).
#2 The other area to work on ....porcupine of zone 4. I think all I need to do is more time practicing while online.

Also, Jerry sent a video that was labeled 212 degrees. Boy that sure makes you think about how if you are off by just a little bit it can have a big impact.
The site is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJQqzJj534

OK just a review of the last Two group lessons .
1st.....developing a mental picture of what you want.
2nd ...developing a mental feel of what you want.

Beau and Shan my boys

Dec 4th Thurs

Just went out today and spent some undemanding time with Beau. We had such a great day yesterday at the lesson that I thought I would go out with no expectations of him. Just wanted to hang out and let him enjoy himself. Work on the relationship. It was nice and seemed to be very relaxed time for both him and I.
30 mins undemanding time.

Shan the Man....time to go play online some . The usual stuff. I guess I need to add some spice to his life. Will have to work on that one. Our yeilding of zone 1 with the driving game is great! Porcupine is pretty good. So I think next I need to work on yeilding zone 4 .
30 min online

Group lesson with Jerry Williams

Dec. 3rd. My 2nd group lesson

Arrived early so I could spend some time with Beau. Unloaded nicely , went to go play down with the obstacles at the far end. Included, ditch, squeeze between the man made ditch, car wash, and teeter bridge. Let's just say Beau said no way to the man made squeeze. So I did the cirlcing game around it.......then change of direction ......and finally yoyo up to it and then finally into and out. He did great...really tried to do what I was asking him.....I saw a lot of trust!! I am glad I didn't take it away from him. We moved on and went thru the car wash and even did pretty good with the teeter bridge. ( He hates bridges with the hind legs)

Then Jerry came out. Stated everyone was running late.....I had a private lesson for a little bit. Went over last lessons questions. Talked about where I am at in my journey.
So then he asked me to start playing again with Beau and we would start to deal with some issues. Like his punkyness at the circling game. Of course , he didn't do it then, but got a game plan for when he does. (Game Plan # 1 - Imd. stop the behavior....do what it takes to interrupt the pattern)
Then sent Beau out in canter.......got part of a lap.....game plan.(Game plan # 2 - imd. change of direction........don't worry what it looks like.....then ask right away to canter new direction....keep this up until he goes "I think it is easier to just canter") I am happy to say as soon as he suggested it ........it worked. Love that power of suggestion.!!!

Finally others showed ....we went out and played on the obstacles. What fun.....nice relaxed and responsive horse. !! THen it was into the ring ...going to try a little liberty. Beau did well. No circling game at this time, but all the other games at close range. Jerry suggested I start playing a lot of this since he did so well and seemed to enjoy it. So game plan #3 - Start playing liberty in round pen at home.

We saddled up and rode in the ring some. I asked Jerry to help me with Beau's oppisition to me picking up my reins. So he suggested I become a fence post - Game plan # 4. When I pick up and as soon as he starts to tug with nose my hands need to become solid no give until he releases. Started FTR with walk and trot to the corners . At the corner stop and ask for 9 step back up. That is where game plan #5 comes in......I am to only use 4 oz of pressure with my hands......if no backing .....then start with phases of feet or tapping of rein lifting up in phases. ( He suggested the feet , but don't be afraid to go to phase 4 if needed). It started working. The key to this lesson today was to not only get a mental picture of what I want but to also get a mental feel of what I want. So I stop asking for the back when it feels like I want it to feel. Soft and light.

SO ended with the homework of being prepared to log hours I spend with my horse.

I had to leave a little early because I had to get back to take mom to get a cat scan . Wow that only took 10 min at the hospital......can't believe it.

Rest of Nov.

SO the rest of Nov. just played online with both Shan and Beau.
Continued to work on yeilding zone 1 with both the porcupine game and driving game.
Both are doing well at it. I also started playing with Porcupine game zone 3 to develop a side pass . The driving sidepass is pretty good.....little bit of drag on the hindquarters. Shan will even sidepass to me on the left side. Haven't tried this yet with Beau.
Played sticked to me ......bring energy up in my body....walk......then trot .....energy down to a stop and maybe back up. The go and whoa are starting to equal. Hum Implusion?

Rode Beau freestyle one day.......mostly with just neck rope. A little walk and trot with go and whoa. Did good.