Spa day

Gorgeous Saturday--Try and I reviewed stuff for Dan Tuesday then had a spa day!

Sunny lovely fall day--great day to be with horses

Feeling lazy in the sunny October weather. Played with Target (see blog) and with Try.

Try: we did a little lazy trotting circling game reinforcing the idea that she can come to me not necessarily change direction from the draw. Also riding she still wants to stretch all the time--how interesting. Easy leg yields--suspension rein. Laid back day.

Just watched the last episode of the Horseman's Apprentice and my lovely lazy day would not have cut it at the Parelli ranch. I have had a lot going on with rain, flooding, trip, deaths and health concerns among friends but I now want to get ahold of myself, reassess priorities and get ready for next week.

Round corral day

We started in the paddock out back because the grooming stuff was there then ended up doing the whole session there. Two good draws/catching game tho not terribly energetic--I did put her boots on. Some good energy in sideways, backing and lovely liberty walking figure 8. Also stick to me. Next time it would be good to film. Also to film the stretching in riding.

Try is a mind reader!

I adore this wonderful horse. Light, responsive, she can figure out what I want from 20' away from increasingly smaller cueing etc. i.e. backing thru cones, setting her up to be square for the back up. Sideways she trotted and got a carrot slice as a reward for the exuberance--I upped my energy to get the trot.

Circling I wanted to do to improve the bring back/vs/change of direction and keeping slack on the ground. Dan has suggested my leaning on the rope to help with the slack issue but I was not able to lean as she never pulled and the rope is mainly on the ground--will ask about that next week. Also still getting the snarky ears in circling but was careful to reward her when I was getting good ears by bringing her in. Also bring back/draw at the trot was nice but Try is confused about the canter--I think a little shake of the rope as I back may be all we need to add.

Riding: so funny, Try immediately offered lots of stretching--can't wait to discuss this with BA and Dan, film and discuss again with Kelly.

I feel so lucky to have this time with Try.

The perfect horse for me?

1. Calm and safe!! Deal breaker
2. maybe quarter horse and geling
3. conformation more uphill--also a deal breaker
4. willing
5. maybe LBI or RBI but not extreme
6. trained for riding but not Parelli trained so I can do it
7. maybe smaller i.e. 15 hands

Catch up

Well, I have been posting at Target's page or PP page. We have been having 1/2 week of heavy rain 24/7 with few breaks so largely a week off.

Yesterday BA and I had our riding lesson indoors primarily discussing what I experienced at the clinic last weekend with Kelly and phone conversation with Dan and preparations for the next week and a half with Bethanna gone on her honeymoon.

Got a break in the rain mid afternoon and came back to the barn to play with Target in his pasture--first 3 games. Lovely, confident horse.

Joyous clinic

Saturday and Sunday clinic with Kelly Sigler. Joyous celebration of the journey past, present and future including two private riding lessons on making the transition from freestyle to finesse riding and level 3 finesse fluid rein, stretching.

More on this in PP sub blog soon.