I didn't get to go to the stable on Saturday. But I went yesterday! So this is a very late (and very short) post.
Brie was absolutely perfect!
She was so good. I got her out of the paddock no problem. She was very calm when I rode her. We even went outside and she had minimal freak outs!
I think it's due to my Parelli training =] and due to the new supplement we got her started on, Calmex-V.
I can't wait for this weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Days 27 & 28
I'm getting increasingly exhausted on the weekends and often go to sleep before I write these, so bear with me.
Day 27
When we arrived, Brie and Nina were outside in the paddocks. My mom told my brother that she'd give him ten bucks if he could catch Nina and get on her bareback. He did! And she just stood there. I went over by Brie and she came up to the fence and sniffed me, then proceeded to walk away. Once my brother got off Nina and went back in the stable, I played around with Brie and successfully got the halter on her and lead her back into the stable.
I finished the second disc of the Parelli Level 1 set. I learned the Porcupine game, the Driving game and the Yoyo game. I only got around to plaing the Porcupine game, it's kind of hard to play the other two when we don't have a round pen.
She was just a little crazy. She was very good inside and in the outside arena I discovered that she officially knows how to canter on command! I just have to work on getting her to slow down, because her canter is super super fast, almost like a gallop.
My mom rode her outside and she was pretty crazy. She ran into a few trees.
After all of this, Brie and Nina got their feet done. We flew up a farrier from Florida again, the same guy from last time.
Day 28
I got Brie out of her stall! She didn't even turn around to kick me! Not once! I'm so proud of myself.
The blood was kind of near the soles after the farrier, but he was still there so we asked him about it. He said she was okay so we rode her.
It was an amazing day. She kept at good speeds and she cantered on command again! It wasn't just a trick! My mom rode her and didn't get upset with her. A very good day.
Now we won't be able to ride Nina for a month because Ray is training her. It makes me kind of sad, but we can still play with her. Now I can teach her all of the games! And I have to give Ray some credit. After just a week, Nina is looking much better with her gait and headset.
And those supplements I said I ordered for Brie? yeah they didn't work. So we're trying a new supplement, Calmex-V I think it's called. It has valerian root which is supposed to be really calming, so we'll see how that goes.
Let's just see how she is at the end of the month.
Day 27
When we arrived, Brie and Nina were outside in the paddocks. My mom told my brother that she'd give him ten bucks if he could catch Nina and get on her bareback. He did! And she just stood there. I went over by Brie and she came up to the fence and sniffed me, then proceeded to walk away. Once my brother got off Nina and went back in the stable, I played around with Brie and successfully got the halter on her and lead her back into the stable.
I finished the second disc of the Parelli Level 1 set. I learned the Porcupine game, the Driving game and the Yoyo game. I only got around to plaing the Porcupine game, it's kind of hard to play the other two when we don't have a round pen.
She was just a little crazy. She was very good inside and in the outside arena I discovered that she officially knows how to canter on command! I just have to work on getting her to slow down, because her canter is super super fast, almost like a gallop.
My mom rode her outside and she was pretty crazy. She ran into a few trees.
After all of this, Brie and Nina got their feet done. We flew up a farrier from Florida again, the same guy from last time.
Day 28
I got Brie out of her stall! She didn't even turn around to kick me! Not once! I'm so proud of myself.
The blood was kind of near the soles after the farrier, but he was still there so we asked him about it. He said she was okay so we rode her.
It was an amazing day. She kept at good speeds and she cantered on command again! It wasn't just a trick! My mom rode her and didn't get upset with her. A very good day.
Now we won't be able to ride Nina for a month because Ray is training her. It makes me kind of sad, but we can still play with her. Now I can teach her all of the games! And I have to give Ray some credit. After just a week, Nina is looking much better with her gait and headset.
And those supplements I said I ordered for Brie? yeah they didn't work. So we're trying a new supplement, Calmex-V I think it's called. It has valerian root which is supposed to be really calming, so we'll see how that goes.
Let's just see how she is at the end of the month.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Day 26
(originally started at 1130pm last night)
Today was a not so good day.
And thinking back about it, it's been my first not so good day in a while.
It started with trying to get Brie out of the stall. With the Parelli knowledge, I tried the same thing I did yesterday but she kept giving me her butt. Discouraged and thinking my horse hated me, I cried (which was bound to happen when you try something new) and was upset that my mom had to help me get her out. She came out, I brushed her. When I tried to get on, she kept moving. I wasn't even anywhere near the mounting block! She kept fidgeting around and moving, so I made her turn on her front legs, which she was doing when she was moving. Finally she stopped (only because my mom started looking at her ughhh) and I got on. Slightly disheartened, I figured I'd jump because she loved that so much.
Wrong.
She kept refusing the jump, and finally I got her to accept it, only after she reared up before it while deciding whether to spin around and run away or go over it and stood like that for a whole 5 seconds, without moving, which is actually pretty long to be balanced on her back legs. She hop-skipped over the jump and after that she had a better attitude.
I can't really be mad at her. This is the first time that's happened for a while now. And I can't be mad at myself for the whole stall sour issue, because so far, Parelli hasn't addressed that. I guess he assumes you can at least get your horse out of the stall without killing you.
I plan to watch more of his DVDs this week if college doesn't kill me first.
Today was a not so good day.
And thinking back about it, it's been my first not so good day in a while.
It started with trying to get Brie out of the stall. With the Parelli knowledge, I tried the same thing I did yesterday but she kept giving me her butt. Discouraged and thinking my horse hated me, I cried (which was bound to happen when you try something new) and was upset that my mom had to help me get her out. She came out, I brushed her. When I tried to get on, she kept moving. I wasn't even anywhere near the mounting block! She kept fidgeting around and moving, so I made her turn on her front legs, which she was doing when she was moving. Finally she stopped (only because my mom started looking at her ughhh) and I got on. Slightly disheartened, I figured I'd jump because she loved that so much.
Wrong.
She kept refusing the jump, and finally I got her to accept it, only after she reared up before it while deciding whether to spin around and run away or go over it and stood like that for a whole 5 seconds, without moving, which is actually pretty long to be balanced on her back legs. She hop-skipped over the jump and after that she had a better attitude.
I can't really be mad at her. This is the first time that's happened for a while now. And I can't be mad at myself for the whole stall sour issue, because so far, Parelli hasn't addressed that. I guess he assumes you can at least get your horse out of the stall without killing you.
I plan to watch more of his DVDs this week if college doesn't kill me first.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Day 25
So, based on the method I learned in the first Parelli DVD, which I finally got around to watching yesterday, it took me an hour to get Brie out of her stall. But I felt good, because I did it! And without getting kicked or angry at her.
Basically I sat in her stall for a while, she came up to me, smelled me, touched her nose against my hands and I pet her. I never made eye contact with her, because this is what predators do and we don't want to come off as predators to a prey animal. I went and got her halter and she immediately ran into the corner of her stall. So first I stood outside with her halter, then I stepped inside and stood there, then I started walking around her stall with the halter. She got curious and came up to me, and I rubbed the halter on one side before she shoved herself in the corner again and I couldn't get her. I kept walking back and forth, then started swinging the halter back and forth as I walked. She looked at the halter as it swung and kind of reached her nose out to it. So I took the lead rope and started swinging it at her. I swung it around her legs, on her back, her butt, her tail, her neck, until I got close enough to pet her with the other hand. I held the rope around her neck and then rubbed the halter on her. She finally put her head down and I put her halter on.
I was so proud of myself!
The other thing I worked on was mounting while she stood still. I took her away from the mounting block today to do this and she stayed pretty still.
I rode her in the outdoor arena. Ray finally moved in today, so he watched. He worked with Nina more, because he'll be training her for the next month.
I went over the super long sound board outside and Brie didn't get scared she'd fall off of it because now they leveled the sand with the board.
Then we practiced cantering! I was so happy with Brie, she got it at the first signal in both directions! She didn't mess around halfway gaiting/halfway cantering. I can't wait to try again tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
New goal:
Be able to mount on the mounting block by the end of November.
Basically I sat in her stall for a while, she came up to me, smelled me, touched her nose against my hands and I pet her. I never made eye contact with her, because this is what predators do and we don't want to come off as predators to a prey animal. I went and got her halter and she immediately ran into the corner of her stall. So first I stood outside with her halter, then I stepped inside and stood there, then I started walking around her stall with the halter. She got curious and came up to me, and I rubbed the halter on one side before she shoved herself in the corner again and I couldn't get her. I kept walking back and forth, then started swinging the halter back and forth as I walked. She looked at the halter as it swung and kind of reached her nose out to it. So I took the lead rope and started swinging it at her. I swung it around her legs, on her back, her butt, her tail, her neck, until I got close enough to pet her with the other hand. I held the rope around her neck and then rubbed the halter on her. She finally put her head down and I put her halter on.
I was so proud of myself!
The other thing I worked on was mounting while she stood still. I took her away from the mounting block today to do this and she stayed pretty still.
I rode her in the outdoor arena. Ray finally moved in today, so he watched. He worked with Nina more, because he'll be training her for the next month.
I went over the super long sound board outside and Brie didn't get scared she'd fall off of it because now they leveled the sand with the board.
Then we practiced cantering! I was so happy with Brie, she got it at the first signal in both directions! She didn't mess around halfway gaiting/halfway cantering. I can't wait to try again tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
New goal:
Be able to mount on the mounting block by the end of November.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Day 24
My mom's okay.
She's also better at getting Brie out of the stall than I am. I don't know how to fix this, but I'll find a way.
Brie was very calm today, it made me happy. I cantered her around for a little bit and then she got all worked up. Of course. I walked her around after that to calm her down, my mom did too.
We're getting better at the mounting block. She now knows that she should go to it to make us get off! Now just to get her used to standing there while we magically get taller to get on her.
We're working on bringing Nina's head down because right now it looks "like she's swimming" as my mom calls it. Her head is way high up in the air. Just the past two days we've been exaggerating how low we put our hands and it's bringing her head down to a more relaxed position. We still have much work to do though.
If I want to win first place with Brie, I can't just give her a break over the winter. I have to keep working on those tiny things that keep us from the elusive blue ribbon.
She's also better at getting Brie out of the stall than I am. I don't know how to fix this, but I'll find a way.
Brie was very calm today, it made me happy. I cantered her around for a little bit and then she got all worked up. Of course. I walked her around after that to calm her down, my mom did too.
We're getting better at the mounting block. She now knows that she should go to it to make us get off! Now just to get her used to standing there while we magically get taller to get on her.
We're working on bringing Nina's head down because right now it looks "like she's swimming" as my mom calls it. Her head is way high up in the air. Just the past two days we've been exaggerating how low we put our hands and it's bringing her head down to a more relaxed position. We still have much work to do though.
If I want to win first place with Brie, I can't just give her a break over the winter. I have to keep working on those tiny things that keep us from the elusive blue ribbon.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Day 23
Happy Halloween! =]
I would put up pictures, but my camera ran out of battery and my charger's at school.
Today I gave apples to Brie and Nina as a Halloween treat. Brie ate it in about two bites. We're still working with the mounting block. It took me at least a half hour, I didn't keep track of time, for her to stand still next to the mounting block and let me get on. We did that twice! Not in a row, though, because that would be way too amazing. So I felt very accomplished. I try not to get discouraged when people tell me that I should just give Brie one good smack and then she'll understand what I want her to do. That wouldn't help solve anything, that'd only make her upset and even more confused. While people say that she doesn't care how I feel. I don't think that. I think she cares how I feel. Horses have to be in tune to how their riders feel, that's what makes them nervous and gives them confidence, it affects their whole mood. So I'm just going to go on the way I have been, even though it might seem soft, because I want to teach Brie by showing her primarily what I want her to do, not what I don't want her to do.
My mom fell off of Nina today. It's like a curse of bad luck at the stable. She didn't full blown fall off of her like the owner's wife did. Nina was gaiting across the sound board and turned around to go on the sound board next to it and the saddle slipped and went sideways with my mom in it. My mom sort of gracefully fell onto her butt from there. Nina wasn't moving, like the good horse she is, until she saw my brother running towards her to help my mom. She ran down the sound board and I cut her off with Brie. My mom's okay, so that's really good.
Did I mention that Dominic isn't coming? Yeah, he was supposed to come two weeks ago, but the owner cancelled it because the clinic would've only been us at the stable. We couldn't get anymore people that were interested to attend, so we just have to wait until the spring to try again.
Aside from all of that, today was a good day. I'm bringing a whole load of books with me to school this week to read about horse manners, dressage for Paso Finos, thinking like horses. I'm even bringing the entire Parelli Level 1 DVD set. Yes, I'm that bored at school. I don't have any homework ever. So this should be very productive.
I would put up pictures, but my camera ran out of battery and my charger's at school.
Today I gave apples to Brie and Nina as a Halloween treat. Brie ate it in about two bites. We're still working with the mounting block. It took me at least a half hour, I didn't keep track of time, for her to stand still next to the mounting block and let me get on. We did that twice! Not in a row, though, because that would be way too amazing. So I felt very accomplished. I try not to get discouraged when people tell me that I should just give Brie one good smack and then she'll understand what I want her to do. That wouldn't help solve anything, that'd only make her upset and even more confused. While people say that she doesn't care how I feel. I don't think that. I think she cares how I feel. Horses have to be in tune to how their riders feel, that's what makes them nervous and gives them confidence, it affects their whole mood. So I'm just going to go on the way I have been, even though it might seem soft, because I want to teach Brie by showing her primarily what I want her to do, not what I don't want her to do.
My mom fell off of Nina today. It's like a curse of bad luck at the stable. She didn't full blown fall off of her like the owner's wife did. Nina was gaiting across the sound board and turned around to go on the sound board next to it and the saddle slipped and went sideways with my mom in it. My mom sort of gracefully fell onto her butt from there. Nina wasn't moving, like the good horse she is, until she saw my brother running towards her to help my mom. She ran down the sound board and I cut her off with Brie. My mom's okay, so that's really good.
Did I mention that Dominic isn't coming? Yeah, he was supposed to come two weeks ago, but the owner cancelled it because the clinic would've only been us at the stable. We couldn't get anymore people that were interested to attend, so we just have to wait until the spring to try again.
Aside from all of that, today was a good day. I'm bringing a whole load of books with me to school this week to read about horse manners, dressage for Paso Finos, thinking like horses. I'm even bringing the entire Parelli Level 1 DVD set. Yes, I'm that bored at school. I don't have any homework ever. So this should be very productive.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Day 22
Didn't make it out yesterday because I was at my very first football game! Yay! We won, too!
So, apparently the owner's wife broke one rib and she's on her way to a recovery. I hope that it's a speedy one.
And apparently Brie was kind of nuts because my dad rode her yesterday. My dad never rides. Ever. So he didn't know what he was doing and she kind of went crazy.
Today she was okay. She was happy to see me, I could tell. I rode her inside for a little bit. My new goal: Getting her to line up and stay still at the mounting block. We've recently acquired one at our stable and I want full use of it! I don't think I'll be jumping Brie until her hooves grow out a little bit more in front. I think she's sore, because there's really no hoof wall, she's walking on her soles.
I rode her outside in the arena, where new, very long, sounding board was installed. It's slightly raised above the sand because we need more sand still, and Brie was okay with it the first time, but then when she realized she could jump to get on it, she jumped. Not good, since it's pretty much a 2 inch difference between the sand and the board. Then she kept falling off sideways and I got freaked that she'd twist her ankle or something. So I had her walk very slowly over it a few times, and she got the idea.
Nina is her pokey little self.
And next weekend is Halloween! Maybe I can go trick-or-treating with Brie and Nina =]
So, apparently the owner's wife broke one rib and she's on her way to a recovery. I hope that it's a speedy one.
And apparently Brie was kind of nuts because my dad rode her yesterday. My dad never rides. Ever. So he didn't know what he was doing and she kind of went crazy.
Today she was okay. She was happy to see me, I could tell. I rode her inside for a little bit. My new goal: Getting her to line up and stay still at the mounting block. We've recently acquired one at our stable and I want full use of it! I don't think I'll be jumping Brie until her hooves grow out a little bit more in front. I think she's sore, because there's really no hoof wall, she's walking on her soles.
I rode her outside in the arena, where new, very long, sounding board was installed. It's slightly raised above the sand because we need more sand still, and Brie was okay with it the first time, but then when she realized she could jump to get on it, she jumped. Not good, since it's pretty much a 2 inch difference between the sand and the board. Then she kept falling off sideways and I got freaked that she'd twist her ankle or something. So I had her walk very slowly over it a few times, and she got the idea.
Nina is her pokey little self.
And next weekend is Halloween! Maybe I can go trick-or-treating with Brie and Nina =]
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