Obviously, I am the worst blogger ever, but I promise, I have good reason! I have be BUSY! Sooooo busy! About a billion things have happened since little ole Day One with the amazing Fawn Anderson! In order they are - the other THREE days with Super Fawn, Horse Day Ottawa, with the epic and amazing MO [in addition to Fawn with her amazing mare Summer, and Jeanette with her super gelding Toby!] After Horse Day, we were whisked off to London, Ontario to take part in the Horse and Soul Tour, in Colleen Kelly's segment on Rider Biomechanics!
From there, we got to come home for a little while, before jetting off again, this time to Coteau-du-lac in Quebec to assist with a week long camp with Genevieve Benoit. Home again finally after that, for a little while before loading up Gambler to go home to Rhode Island. I swear I have seen my own bed this summer, because there have lots of workshops and riding ponies at Hunter Paces, Poker Paces and in a lesson with the one and only Farrah Green going on too!
So you see, life has been quite a whirlwind since the last time I posted. I am mildly exhausted just going back over what I've done! Phew!
Back to thing # 1 - the rest of Fawns clinic. Wow. Just WOW. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend the extended time this spring with Fawn. The way she approaches topics just makes them so clear and easy to figure out. We talked a lot about Liberty - and building a solid connection before getting to Liberty, and knowing how to keep it once you took the rope off. Day two was lots of riding, building excellence in our freestyle patterns. Mo was a little rusty on her follow the rail [because we don't have a rail, so haven't ridden that pattern in two years] but she picked it right up after a lap or two. We played with a figure eight-ish simple change pattern as well. At Liberty we played with the property game, and Mo was great. The first time, we were in the indoor and had six quadrants. Mo stayed until I asked for a canter circle and then left. The best part though, was that when she came back, she went right back to her circle! I just stayed in neutral and brought her in after she settled on her pattern again. AWESOME!
The second time we played with Liberty, we were outside and there were just four of us, so we had a bigger square. We actually did a BUNCH! Mo was soooo connected. We played with the figure eight pattern the best we ever have. We even did problem solving... AT LIBERTY... AT A CANTER! Rock on MO! She blew my mind, honestly! Best. Liberty. EVER.
So that was our week with Fawn. I am absolutely certain I missed stuff... because, lets be honest, it was in May.....
Next up : HORSE DAY!
Simply put, a day all about horses! Horse Canada in conjunction with the OEF put on this fabulous event at the former Nepean Equestrian Park in Ottawa. There were representatives from almost every sport, and quite a few breeds as well. Each of us were allowed 20 minutes for a demonstration and also a table in the little 'marketplace' - for lack of a better word. I worked really hard getting Mo all shiny and kept her white as white as I could for our demo. We showed up around 9am, and Mo got to take over a big stall filled with fluffy new shavings. Suffice to say, she had two separate naps even BEFORE our demo at 1:45... *sigh*
With Jeanette and Fawn there, it was just like a day hanging out with good friends, with some fun horsemanship and meeting new people thrown in for fun! We had some great help from a few super students too. Mo made me so proud during our time in the arena. Fawn, Jeanette and I went in to some music - Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics - and played around online for a bit until Fawn did our intro. Thank goodness she was there to talk! She knew all the right things to say, and I just got to hang out with Mo - coincidentally, in front of a few hundred people....!
We played Online for a few more songs and then Fawn did some talking about our riding savvies, so we mounted up, and did about another ten minutes of Freestyle riding. Did I mention that Mother Nature cranked the heat as soon as we went in the arena? It seemed like all the wind stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun was trying its darndest to bake us in the arena! I rode Mo with a neck string and carrot stick, and she rocked my socks. She was a great partner. She was adrenalized a bit, and had a few speedsy moments, but for the most part, I could not have been more proud of her!!
After our time in the arena, Mo and I headed into the Social Box, which was an outdoor stall set up for the public to come and meet the horses and ask questions about our demo.
Overall, amazing day! We all met loads of new fantastic people, and all of our horses were great ambassadors of the Parelli Program. I am so proud that we could be there!
Horse Day was on a Saturday, and then we left on Thursday for London! The trip down was uneventful, if wet. Rainy day through Toronto and such. nothing dramatic though. Mo unloaded at the Agriplex happy to move her feet. Its a long drive down to London!
After getting to move her feet and get settled in her fluffy-shavings filled stall, I got all of her tack unloaded into the tack stall and went to meet up with all my long distance Parelli amis!!! Some of my very good friends are on Road Crew, or just were attending the event, so it was amazing to be able to spend time together!
Our rehearsals on Friday went great. Colleen Kelly is SO much fun!! She has a great sense of humor, on top of a brilliant Aussie accent, so she makes everything so easy and fun. Mo did me proud in the new arena with all the seating. Not worried at all, and actually trying to make friends with the horse on the poster for some grain, HA!
Saturday morning came, and I was once again on a mission to make Mo have sparkly white feet. Possibly, I cant wait until Zephyr is old enough to go to these things.... no white... Thank goodness.
Finally, shined and braided to perfection [and re-braided again because I am super picky] it was our turn! We entered the PACKED arena with Jan Brooks and her mare Selena, Genevieve Benoit and her mare Menina, Randee Halladay with her gelding Rio, and Ryan Pfouts on Colleen's gelding Saint! No pressure in such high company, with 2500 people watching! YIKES!
Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I had SO much fun, and Mo was the best, most amazing partner. She wasnt worried about anything - the crowd sitting or moving or anything! I cant even express how proud I was of her!! Even in the warm up arena, which bordered on the sales floor [aka teaming with people!] she was so relaxed and connected.
Sadly, come Sunday night we had to go home once again :( We said our goodbyes and see you soons, and loaded up to go home. Enter Drama. Not even half an hour out from the Agriplex, some kind gentleman pulls up beeside me on the highway and lets me know I have blown a tire on my trailer. Whoopsy! I couldnt even feel it! Thank goodness for good citizens! I was a little worried, because I wasnt near an exit, so I had to pull over on the side of the very busy 401.
Here is where things get amazing. Can you believe that someone recognized my rig from the Agriplex and pulled over to help me! Nicest lady EVER! I am so so very grateful for good people in the world - especially good horsey people! She tried to get her CAA to come for me - since she had her horse trailer covered, but it turned out that her plan didnt actually, but the thought was there. How generous! In the end, we changed the tire [thankfully had a spare] on the side of the 401. Mo was great. So brave with all the traffic going by. The amazing saviour lady wouldnt even let me pay her for her help and time. Within an hour I was on the road back home, with renewed faith in humanity.
We made it home without further incident - thankfully. I think Mo was happy to be home.
Ok, where are we in our timeline here..... Fawn, Horse Day... London... Ok.
There was a little bit in between London and Quebec, but it was a busy few weeks that flew by filled with teaching lessons, workshops and doing hay. Jeanette and I were both assisting at the clinic in Coteau-du-Lac. It was supposed to be put on by Ryan and Hillary Rose, but unfortunately they were denied entry to Canada at the border :( Everyone was pretty dissapointed [including me, Jeanette and Genevieve most of all I think!] but we still pulled together and put on a great week. What an experience that was! All of the students did great and made huge changes.
Barely home long enough to say hello and ride a pony a few times, Gambler and I headed off to the local Hunter Pace! We had a blast, and he rocked his first event off property! We made a great game of following the 'brown tail in front of us' - aka Toby. It was pretty funny because Gambler was so big and Toby was so small, but he was so respectful and responsive. Really proud of his last hurrah before heading back to Rhode Island.
The next week, Gambler and I loaded up once more to make the big trip over the border to head him back to the wonderful Avery Gauthier, who allowed me to have this wonderful big boy in my life for the year. Our trip was uneventful, if about a billion degrees. Easy driving, interstate all the way, and we kept moving so Gambler wouldnt get to hot in the trailer. We pulled in and he re-met his old herd with no issues. All was well, and my trip home went easily.
Next up! Me and Mo took off to a trail ride held by the OVH to simulate an actual Hunt Field. There were three fields - a slow field that just walked with a little trot, and medium field that walked, trotted and cantered, and a full out super field that went at speed. We rode in the second field, and it was great! Beautiful day, beautiful country, wonderful people! I love OVH events!
The weekend after the trail ride was the Poker Pace. Me and Mo headed out with Jeanette and Laura on Toby and Blue. We had a wonderful ride, lots of trotting and cantering out, we jumped as many things as we could and generally had a great time. We even galloped, jumped a jump and then cantered up a giant hill and down the other side. It was great! Towards the end there was even a stair case hill we played with, jumping up and down the steps. Sunset Farm was SO pretty, and the day was perfect again.
After we did our Pace route, there were three log jumps in the warm up area that Mo ROCKED out over! It was her best, smoothest, nicest series of jumps she has ever done for me. We trotted in, and catered the other two logs. It was GREAT!
Which brings us to our final event so far this summer. Our lesson with Farrah Green! On Thursday we trailered out to Drogheda Manor in Lunenburg for a private lesson. By we, I mean me and Mo. Of course. I could have taken Phyr.... but I just dont think she is ready yet. We got there early, typical me-style and so Mo got to hang out and eat some grass. We warmed up online before, a little bit of just moving her feet, stick to me slow canter, and then in the arena, touch its and push the balls back to the corner.
Our Online warmup with Farrah was all about engaging the hind end elasticity [theme for the lesson!] and using sideways to do it. First checking our trot sideways - and allowing more of a 45 degree angle - which is REALLY good to know! Then cantering a circle and turning it into sideways and hoping for a flying lead change [need more practice] and then looking for trot/canter transitions while going sideways. SUPER FUN! Our sideways with energy needs practice, and its good strengthening for Mo too! Warming up Freestyle, we looking for quality and quantity with HQ yields, looking again to loosen up and be ready to power up in the HQ. How many HQ yields can she do with flow, before it gets sticky? One and a half or so. Again, practice.
The next exercise was a bullseye, using inside leg to turn [aka driving from the HQ! More engagement!] It was easier for Mo on the right. On the left she had a harder time bending and also tried to escape more forward from the leg rather than yielding. We did this at a walk trot and canter. In the canter I was to use a direct/open rein to help lift and move over the shoulders, to help Mo find better self carriage.
Canter-walk transitions using sideways! The next step in amazing walk/canter/walk transitions! It to ME a while to pick up this pattern, because I am a spazz, but I finally got it at the end -poor Mo. Thank goodness she is so tolerant. The idea was a little sideways [45 degrees to the wall] then change your weight and lift off to canter, then to transition down, sideways nose to the wall again 2-3 steps MAX and walk. Our upwards transitions got really nice, Mo really up-jumping into the transition instead of nose diving! Downwards were still relatively messy, just because I wasnt sure what I was supposed to be asking until the last one... oops! Definitely going to practice!
Farrah also gave me a super bunch of grid ideas to play with for jumping, which I cant wait to try! I think I remembered everything.... It was a very jam-packed lesson. I loved every second of it!
Jam-Packed has been the theme of my summer so far, and it has been downright AMAZING! Basically, the best summer yet! Mo has been a total trooper and reliable partner every step of the way, and I am so so very lucky to call her my best friend :D
I cant wait to see what is in store for the rest of the year! We've got Workshops on the horizon, along with another trail ride , the Fall Hunter Pace and hopefully more time with both Fawn, Farrah and possibly Jerry Williams and Pete Rodda!
Savvy On!
- S
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