Warmward Bound.. AGAIN!

OH BOY!!

Almost a year exactly since the last time I left for Parelli... a new adventure begins!

So there I am, innocently sitting at the kitchen table, eating my current favorite Mac and Cheese [home made] when my phone rings... with an Ocala area code. Why, who could that be? A few random stores seem to call me with specials, could it be one of them? I answer it, skeptically. IT WAS B! Calling in official Parelli capacity to invite me to come down to the 2* Instructor course that was [apparently] included in my Extern Program! *squeeeee*

This, coming hot on the heels of a few terribly depressingly cold days, coupled with little horsey time for me has just perked me RIGHT up! Christmas time really tends to wear me down, and its been to cold to do more than wave at the ponies as I drive by, so I have been a little drawn lately. This is EXACTLY what I need. I leave on Tuesday, and dont come back until next Thursday. How much better could it be, other than being able to stay down there of course.... but I am just grateful I can go at all! Its a good thing that I have reliable family to watch over mes animaux! All of them...

I love travelling!

:-)
S

Good Quote

I was just watching one of those ever present forward emails that produce a nice slide show with little notes on the pictures and found one that really resonates with me.

Dont Audit Life.

I love it. It shall be my new motto I think. My old one is pretty good too - Without dreams there is no future - but I really like this one. To me it just says dont sit back and watch other people do what you want to be doing-  go do it! Grab life and hang on for the ride! 

I audited life for a very long time. Too long actually, but I could never find the courage to take part in a larger role than auditor. Being able to step up and take part has changed things significantly for me. The old me never would have gone to Florida... TWICE! Let alone with ponies in tow!

I am very proud to say that I no longer just audit life, but take part whole heartedly!

:-)
S

What Can You Do At A Walk?

Being trapped at the walk sounds boring doesnt it? It is. Honestly. Usually. We have a few horses at work right now who are currently experiencing this unique brand of boredom. I feel bad for them, but do to injury/layups, they arent allowed to go play and kick up their heels as I am sure they would like to.

My current favorite is Sassy. She is on layup from a bowed tendon with an 11% tear... which doesnt mean a whole lot to me, but I know it isnt good, she may never race. Anyways! She is on stall rest.. and has been for the last.... long while. She gets bored, and has to be walked twice daily on conrete. That was all well and good when we had no snow, you could take her out around the property and go places and she was pretty happy. With our recent DUMP of snow that plan isnt viable, because having the extra cushion is exactly what she DOESNT need. The less stress on the tendon, the better - obviously !

As such, we are relagated to wandering up and down the barn aisle, luckily it is pretty long and if you do it right you can make a loop. Still, this was boring and Sassy was getting pushier and pushier and more and more rude. I have a big pet peeve about leading around pushing bullies, especially in a confined aislway, knowing we have to continue this for weeks, so I finally savvy'ed up and had a BFO. Did anyone say I couldnt play with her at a walk? NOPE!

And so we began!! We cant do much obviously, so I just make little games... can you walk this slow, can you walk this fast, can you STOP [OH BOY this one was hard for her to get!] can you BACK up [ EVEN HARDER! TB's dont have reverse....] and suddenly I had a curious inquisite, THINKING horsey on my hands. Most of all, a respectful one! I could take the chain away - without fear of death - and we could actually play. It was really fun teaching her to back up, I used my yo-yo game a little, and then because I was beside her and P4 yo-yo is the equivialnt to shanking [basically] in the normal world, which Sassy is immune to, I instead took the end of the lead and helicoptered it in front of zone one, backing it up slowly until she ran into it. She learned pretty quick to back up when P1 came around!

So now walking with Sassy is fun. We check things out, we sneak around slowly [she does a good impression of tip toeing] or we speed walk, do transitions, little baby stick to me things. For me, my big thing is I feel SAFE. Not like flying a crazy psycho kite anymore. It is one thing to handle that to and from a paddock, but to walk for 15 minutes twice a day in a confinced space, no thanks! Funny how little it took to change that... ONE WALK!  I got to start the same thing with B-sharp today. Good times!

Sometimes the answer is just so obvious, I just need to open my eyes and SEE it. Doi.

:-)
S 

BIG NEWS!!!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, I really havent done ANYTHING because of the weather - rain, rain and more rain. That, coupled with several work roadtrips, means very little more than "Hi ponies" *brush brush brush* and leaving again.

IN OTHER NEWS!

From a WONDERFUL Savvy Club member one of my long standing dreams has finally come true!  I FINALLY OWN A FLUIDITY SADDLE!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEE

And of course, today is the first blizzard of the year so the odds of said saddle seeing a horse before spring... slim! Oh well! Until then, I get to polish it and drool near it and enjoy the smell of leather!

:-)
S