Northwood Farms Winter Challenge!

Today marked the start of the 12 week, 40 hour, 30 ride challenge hosted by Northwood Farms. They host the challenge through a Facebook Group and this year there are over 1000 challengers! It is kind of like NaNo for horse people, to keep motivated in the winter time.

I just started playing with Mo again, after her being lame for what seemed like forever, and then just taking a break from playing, giving myself permission to just do or not do, to keep myself sane with the winter darkness and bad weather. So now, to re-motivate ourselves in the depths of a gross winter, I thought I would join this challenge. You sign up with only one horse, and your goal is to spend 40 hours with your horse, over the course of 12 weeks, with 30 rides - only 5 of which can be bareback, so you must actually saddle up! It doesnt matter how long those rides are, but you must saddle up at least 25 times! I've chosen Mo to do the challenge with - in part to re-connect with her after her time off, and in part to get ready for our time with Lauren Barwick in May.

This morning dawned one of the coldest mornings we have had lately, BUT, I am the proud new owner of a HEATED JACKET and I could not be more pleased! It has battery power and heat settings of low, medium and high, to keep me toasty warm no matter the temperature!

Since today was the official FIRST day of the challenge, I felt like I couldn't not go out at least for a little while. I bundled up in all my under armor warm things and heated jackets, with snow pants and down jacket on top. I must sort out the fingers and toes bit now. I do not yet own the perfect gloves. I went out in the mid afternoon, hoping for the warmest part of the weather today. It was COLD and slightly breezy, so it was a bit sharp out to be outside. I decided to bring Mo into the barn, so we could play in the barn alley.

Ive been playing with the Art of Academic Riding lately, following the style and teachings of Bent Branderup, teaching correct posture, self carriage and engagement through ground skills before ever riding. I have done a bit of this with Mo over the last year and some, but not super consistently. Zephyr is really quite talented at it comparatively, as she is much straighter through her body. Mo, in all her squigglyness is much harder to align and have her choose to stay that way.

Today we focused on the haunches in. Shoulder in comes quite easily to her, so organizing and uniting her hind end is a much bigger challenge. To the left things come much easier to her. She seemed to understand the idea quickly and be able to maintain it down the length of the alley. The right side she had a harder time with, being able to maintain only a few steps by the end.

The other thing we worked on was being able to pivot on the HQ while drawing the shoulders towards me, without letting the hind end leak out in the last few steps. This was super challenging for Mo, but she did sort it out eventually. We practiced in the alley to change directions and also in the stall where there was more room.

To finish I checked out our school halt as well, which we started working on I think twice now. She still gets a bit unsure which leg I am asking her to weight - and I think she is a bit like me, tight in the hamstrings, so the "sitting" action is challenging. It is so interesting to have seen Zephyr do it though - because she can almost sit right down! I am not sure if Mo is tighter in her back end because of the extended lameness or if thats how she is, or if she just isnt sure what I am asking yet.

Overall, an hour and twenty minutes later, we concluded or inaugural Northwood Challenge Session!! Here is to many more in the next 12 weeks!

Demo Psychology

Doing a demo is such an interesting thing.  I think it says a lot about a person. You have to be brave to want to get out in front of anyone with something as personal as horsemanship - brave, or supremely dedicated to your horse!

This past weekend, me and Mo went out to the local fancy equestrian park with two other Parelli Professionals to show the area what Parelli is all about. I think we were very successful, and shared our message in an appropriate way.

Its everything that goes into sharing that message that has been making me think, over the last few days. First, there is the OH BOY factor in originally signing up. That point when you go "YEY! I get to ride at X Fancy place!". The joy of sharing that message with everyone you know - the "HEY! Im going to be riding here on X date! Come support us!" That part is one of my favorites. I love getting people excited about coming out to fun events.

After that comes the "Oh, I guess I better make sure my horse is ready for this" part, when you go out and play with your horse and practice the fun stuff you want to share. For me, this time around, it was pretty interesting. Firstly, Mo was just coming off an injury, so I wanted her to have as much recovery time as possible, before starting to push her buttons, so we didnt DO a lot. Secondly, the first time I did try and test out my  bridleless FreeStyle - which is usually our specialty - Mo was a crazy gooberball. She was tight, tense, fast, over reactive, and generally not a super demo horse to watch. It was such an odd ride that night. She was doing what I asked, sure, but there was just so much.... internal fizziness... that it just wasnt pretty or fun looking. It was extra interesting, because its the first time I can remember consciously thinking "Relax, go through the process, it will all work out and be fine tomorrow. Embrace the messy". I totally surprised myself on that one. My inner voice was so calm and blasé about the whole incident! When did that happen? [Im usually one of those terribly perfectionist type people] Apparently Ive turned a new leaf.

That whole thought process in and of itself caught me so off guard. But, apparently, I was completely correct. The next day, I went out, saddled up, hopped on, and VOILA. My perfect demo horse was back! Now, what all that fussyness and crazy business was about the day before, I will never know. What I do know, is that I guess my inner self was right, because once I embraced the messy, it resolved itself, and my normal pony came back to me.

Going into this event I wasnt to sure about Mo's fitness level. That tends to be the one thing I worry over, when taking my horse places. We have a lot of pasture. She is fairly round. And due to her time off, she wasnt/isnt in the best shape of her life. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. But I still dont like to over-face my horse and leave her exhausted by accident.  We had maybe a handful of rides before the actual day. She was so good though, I wasnt going to over stress it.

After you know your horse is ready, its time to get YOU ready. Getting myself ready for these things, is probably the hardest part. I always forget things. This time, I forgot my BUSINESS CARDS. Seriously. I thought I had everything. Every. Single. Thing. Any yet, somehow, that one little IMPORTANT cardboard box, sitting on my desk, got left behind. *sigh*  Luckily, I have 5 or so in my wallet, to put in my display, so it didnt look too sad.

Getting to the venue on the morning of is usually somewhat chaotic. This time, I felt fairly prepared, and woke up early before my alarm, so I had loads of time. Mo loaded like a pro, and we hit the road with Derek in tow for once. That was nice :) Having a someone to keep me on schedule and make sure I eat/drink enough water and to collect the various things I forget in various places was a real treat at this event!

Setting up the booth went pretty well. We were so lucky to have a super helper team - so I really didnt even have to do anything! By the time Mo and Toby were settled, I  went back and voila, gorgeous booth! Having a super support team can really make or break a day! I am so appreciative of the people who came out to help us!

Talking to people is the easy part for me. I love to say hi and share all of our free stuff! Somehow, it was already time for us to get the ponies ready for our first demo though! Mo was in heat, so she had made a mess of her back legs.... ew... and needed a quick wash up. After washing her up, I  didnt really have time for a warm up, so we kind of saddled up and hoped for the best!

Going into the arena for the first time is always a rush! A) ITS HUGE [grand prix stadium ring!] B) there are PEOPLE watching! C) You want to show Parelli at its BEST for all the people who have never seen it before.... no pressure.

Our music was great though. Started out nice and slow, and let us get in and get comfy before bringing out the exciting tunes to do exciting stuff to. It usually takes me about 30 seconds to forget where I am and who is watching me, and to totally and completely become absorbed in my horse. This isnt unusual for me at all. This happens at home too... I lose hours and hours when it does!

Mo was a total rock star. Allow me to re-iterate. SHE WAS A ROCK STAR!  She was spot on, perfect. I couldnt have asked for more! We played, we laughed, we had fun, we rode, we had some goofies, and then somehow it was over? That fast, it was time to finish up!

Looking back at the pictures is always my favorite part - I always wonder if it looks like as much fun as I am having in the moment. Sometimes, when you are having fun and concentrating hard, you forget to tell your face to smile and tell the world you are having fun. Seeing the photos from this event, there was no doubt I was having the most fun time out in the arena with my pony :) Im glad my brain remembers to tell my face ;)

Demo # 2 was so much more mellow. I didnt really have any expectations of Mo, given that she gave me her all in the first time slot. She pulled out all the stops once more for me though! That pony is all heart! I love her so much! I didnt even blink at the crowd the second time, I just went and had fun with my best pony, and it showed, to her, I think. Thats why she gave me so much, all over again.

It was such a great day, with so many great memories made, and hopefully many new friends!

   - S

The End of An Era

One of my most cherished and favorite times in my life has came to an end on Saturday around lunch time. My dog Ajax slipped away into the afterlife, quickly and without pain in the end. It was the worst moment of my life this far. A moment that I have been dreading in the back of my mind for a while now, knowing that thirteen and a half years old for such a big fluffy fella was a lot. The only thing I can come with that might supersede the pain of Saturday will be the day Mo goes...

Things went quickly, and for that I am grateful. I never want any one to suffer. Friday night all was well, he was tail wagging and stalking me around the house eating cookies. Saturday morning he went out for his usual yard tour and then we got a freak snow storm. He was napping on the front porch, becoming a snow dog when I brought him inside. At first I didnt think anything was really wrong - sure his hips were stiff, but that has been semi-common the last week or so, on and off. Having to carry/drag him in just seemed par for the course lately.

When he got in though, things were different. Subtly, slowly at first, but then progressing faster. At first his breathing rate was just elevated. Not to all out panting, just .... heavier. Harder. Like his tummy hurt. I tried to give him a treat but he wouldnt take it. Not even CHEESE. That was a big uh-oh. He drank water though, so that was good.

The day was a busy one around the house, while D and his father went about lifting and re-setting the floor with insulation. Trying, one step at a time to make out drafty old house just a little bit warmer. I, luckily, wasnt needed to help so I sat on the floor in the front room with my old fluffy pal and snuggled him, while trying to red light away his pain. He wasnt comfortable, kept shifting from laying flat to laying up on his belly - but I thought maybe his hips were bothering him.

Then I noticed he started drooling. Jax NEVER drools! That was a big red flag. Then I noticed he had peed himself - just a little. Another big red flag. I started to panic. Ill admit it. All my biggest fears were coming true, I could feel it, and I wasnt ready! Jax was supposed to get another bad haircut this summer. Jax was supposed to be a best man at my wedding, in his little [big] doggy tux. Jax still needed to run over Varo a few more times so he stops going to the road!

He gave me the look though. That look that sees right through your soul and tells you its time. I wanted so much for him to be able to just pass quietly in his sleep one night. No pain or fear or car rides to the vet. At the same time though, I am thankful I was home that Saturday. Thankful I chose to snuggle him on the floor all morning. Thankful each and every night before going to bed, I hugged him and told him I loved him.

When he gave me the look I couldnt control myself anymore... and D walking by asked me what was wrong. I am sure he didnt expect me to say " I think Jax is dying" - but when I did, he did the right thing, hugged me and echoed T's sentiments of taking him to the vet.  It was a snow storm though, and all the emergency vets were in the city. Our regular vet was closed. D went online and found out that one of the other clinics in town was open. With a tiny shard of hope in my heart, that they could just give him some medicine and he would be better, we went off to the vet in town.

I sat in the backseat with him on that slushy snowy car ride to town. Held his head in my lap, burying my fingers deep in his winter fluffies. I must give credit to the clinic we went to - they were great. When we walked in - D carrying Ajax- they rushed us right into a room and a vet came right away to see him. I was a mess, but I tried really hard to answer all the questions they wanted to know - how old is he? 13.5 What happened? He is old.... What did you notice that was wrong? His breathing, he couldnt walk, he peed, [he had also pooped when we came in.. ] his tongue and gums were getting paler.

They went through their analysis, the vet and her assistant, while I sat on the floor, touching as much of him as I could. I wanted him to know he wasnt alone in this strange place. He was never alone. When the vet finished her assessment, she said what I knew, but what I didnt want to hear -"He is trying to die" She said. My heart broke. Clean in two, Im sure. She said likely his internal organs were shutting down, or some kind of heart failure. His heartbeat was already really slow, and obviously with the uncontrolled pee and poop, that was a terrible sign. I made the choice, the one I never wanted to have to make, to help him slip those final few steps to peace. And I hugged him and told him how much I loved him the whole time. He was never alone.

Just like that... in the space of a few hours, my best friend for more than a decade was gone. No more patrolling the property line, no more bad summer haircuts, no more summer shed brambles rolling around until fall, no more inopportune flopping in front of me while I walk, begging for a belly rub.

I cried for a long time. I dont envy the position of vet clinic staff in those moments.

Then they finally had to ask - "What did you want to do with him now?" Obviously, they have that service, where they do... I dont even know what with bodies of passed animals. I panicked and just wanted to say YOU CANT HAVE HIM HE'S MINE. But its winter. What can I do? A quiet voice in my head said Go to Russell. So I made D call my dad. It was a quick phone call. "We had to put Jax down, can you bury him please?" "Yes, bring him to my house" and that was done. Thank goodness. I am so grateful that on that day, my dad was home, and free, and has a backhoe that can dig through snow and frozen ground to give my best friend the burial and honor he deserves.

Finally I was able to compose myself just enough to be able to get Jax back in the car, and get home to switch vehicles so I could take him on his final trip to Russell. I cried the whole way there. Sometimes I would get some control over myself, but mostly it was awful. I dont actually know how I made it there, but I made a point to keep two hands on the wheel and my focus on the road....

I had been texting with T this whole time. I cant even imagine how she felt getting the text simply saying "hes gone" .... I hate that I had to do that to her, but I am so infinitely grateful that, without hesitation, she was on her way to dads too. Jax was her friend too.

I passed dad on the road to Russell as I was heading to his house. He was on his was to the Garage to pick up the backhoe. Probably better that way. T and I met at dads and just hugged each other and cried for a long time.

Finally dad came back with the backhoe, and after more hugs and tears, we went into the field to dig a hole. He dig a nice hole, by a nice tree. Jax went out in true Russell style, charioted to his resting place proudly in the backhoe bucket, between T and I . How many times have I ridden around in that bucket? Countless. I never thought it would be for that reason though. I never thought I would have to get in that bucket to escort Jax to his final nap.

After one final hug and ruffling of his fluffy scruff, Dad reverently laid Jax down - and for that I am thankful. I looked away while he covered him... that part I couldnt watch. And then it was done. Just like that... I needed some way to mark it. So comemorate the amazing partner in crime that he was, so dad took the bucket and scratched some bark of a tree and gave me his knife to carve his name with. It seemed that when they do that in movies, the trees are not made of real bark, and it was much harder than anticipated. Dad got his chainsaw though, and made it permanent. His name in a tree, while he overlooks the river and the hayfield, forever at peace now.

And so the Era of Ajax comes to a close. He was so loved and touched so many lives with his infections joy and conversation. Nothing will ever be the same. 

  - S

What a Cool Horse!

WOW I met a cool horse today!! He may just be the horse of my dreams...

He is a six year old Connemara Thoroughbred gelding. Nothing flashy, just medium bay with a star. He is a pretty good size, maybe 15.3. He can move like a floaty cloud. Just wow. This boy OOOOZZZES charisma. There is just something about him... that *it* factor, is there in spades!

His temperment is amazing - he is a total LBE. Confident, playful, spirited, curious! Smart, brave, athletic! He belongs to the barn owner where I was going for a lesson, and since the owner is away on vacation, my student is going to start playing with him until she can return.

He has never done any Parelli before, so we were going to start at the beginning with him. When she brought him into the arena though, he was basically a kite. A happy, confident, exuberant kite, but a kite none the less. He was NOT going to stand still, and he was basically trotting and cantering circles around my student, occasionally bucking when she accidentally pulled on the lead or he hit the end of it. Poor guy just wanted to MOVE! With all the ice rain we have had, there is a good crust on all the snow, so the horses dont want to move through it. With this being his first adventure into the arena in months, he was just happy to have good footing!

As soon as it was safely possible, we got the lead off of him and just let him move his feet! WOW. Just wow. Thats all. :) He ran, he played, he bucked, he goofed off, he tested our bubble, and then he asked a question. It was such an interesting thing, watching him play around. Everything he did had a purpose. He checked out every obstacle in the arena. He cantered circles near us, moving about two inches closer to us [we were in the corner, protecting all the things he could get tangled in or hurt on] He just kept testing the bubble. How close can I get to you guys before you move your feet? Luckily I was armed with a carrot stick so I was able to just claim my space, without managing to offend him.

What was really cool about him was how EXPRESSIVE he is. If you just claimed space, he was totally fine with getting out of the way, even if he got tagged. IF he felt like I was coming after him, or being unfair, he bucked! What a goof! I love that dignity! I hope no one ever takes it away from him :)

Once he had moved his feet, he became very curious about us people! He would check in and move off and check in and move off, so we started tracking him, since he was more walking/trotting now, rather than cantering/bucking. He was immediately curious, and basically ended up giving us small liberty circles, yielding his hind quarters as we followed him. It was amazing!

The whole key was to shape what he was already offering, and not give him anything to brace on - part of the reason we stayed at liberty! He followed us all over the arena after that, checked out the tarp, checked out the brush jump and poles on the ground. All four feet on the tarp and he jumped the jump on his own. He got fixated on the door for a bit, because his buddy was out there, so we went over and claimed the door as our space. He figured it out pretty quick and really started softening and offering to connect and come over without bowling us over!

We played with him from our spot. sometimes he would fixate on the outside, so we would see how little it took to get him to refocus. He was so light!

To finish, the student connected with him and walked over to where the lead rope was and took him out. He tried to revert to his usual pushy self so I had to remind her to treat him with zero brace and just yield his hind quarters without pulling to get him to focus. As soon as she did that, he was soft and connected and everything went wonderfully. She said it was the best he has been about turning out through the gate :)

What a cool horse!!!! I had so much fun playing with him :)

:)
S

Happy New Year!

Today is officially the first day of a new year - this wild and crazy year of 2014!  Which, coincidentally, is also the Chinese Year of the Horse. How cool is that?

Of course the traditional thing to do to kick off a new year is lay down some resolutions or goals. I have a few so far.

     1- I would like to become more physically flexible. This will help my riding and general comfort in life, and it is something I have really neglected since... forever. I think playing with flexibility on a continued basis will also help out my club foot situation so I can be more balanced.
     2 - I plan to become 'extraneous' debt free in 2014. Obviously, I will still have a mortgage [barring a lottery win!] but I have a plan to pay off all other debts owing.
     3 - I will set aside actual planned time with my own horses, and not let them slide by the wayside because I get to busy teaching/training other people and horses. Especially poor Zephyr! The Phyr-Child will be grown enough physically to be able to do more, so I can use that 'excuse' for her any more. Id like to accomplish some L3 auditions with Zephyr this summer.
    4 - I plan to attend as many learning experiences as I can justifiably accomplish, given resolution #2. Progression is key to motivation for me. Whether horse related or not!  

One of the things I decided to randomly start doing this year too, was something that was floating around facebook - its to start a savings jar. Each week you put the dollar amount in the jar that corresponds to the week numer - IE: this week one dollar, next week two dollars... etc...  http://thehousemadehome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/52-week-money-challenge-are-you-game.html
It seems like a great way to save money without really noticing, because the most you will ever put it, in a week will be $52! But as each week adds on to the last, you will end up with over a thousand dollars by this time next year :) Who doesnt want to start the new year with a little extra cash?

There was another thing I saw on facebook that I plan to do too - its another jar. I like jars I guess. But in this one, you write notes of all the amazing things, the fun things, the silly things, the OH BOY things, and you put them all in the jar. So you can remember how amazing the past year was when you get to this time of year and start reminiscing again. As someone who wishes they blogged more about the little things in life, this caters to me perfectly :) Now I just have to find some jars/bowls/buckets!

Happy New Year everyone, I hope it is filled with joy, laughter and of course lots of horses!

:)
S

Christmas Time

This isnt a particularly horsey post, just some thoughts I wanted to write down :)

Its that time of year. Christmas/New Years/Holidays. Ironically, a time of year usually associated with a lot of stress.

The norm for me is to feel the pressure this time of year. I am not really sure why, but it isnt usually a good time for me. This year surprised me though. I felt really good leading up to the holidays, and Christmas and all its kerfuffle ended up being a really joyful experience - Just like its SUPPOSED to be!!!!!

My family really likes Christmas - my mom and sister LOVE to celebrate and decorate to the MAX! I am basically the polar opposite. I have one snow man stuffed fellow who sits on my couch [all year actually, I just like him] and thats it. No tree, no extras, nothing. Too much is overkill for me. I like watching my specials on tv, I like my snow man, but for now, I am happy with my second decoration-less christmas :) I think it helped me be really happy and excited for everything because I wasnt 'done' with it before it even happened.

This year me and my sister went to do our Christmas baking at my moms on the Friday before Christmas. It was really fun! We decorated the tree, we reminisced over all of our old ornaments and school crafts, we colored - one of our traditions - and we baked EVERYTHING!!!! Soooooo many cookies and tasty things :)

It turned out to be a wicked snow storm day, so we ended up spending the night at moms, which made the whole experience that much more fun and nostalgic. Even driving home the next morning was really dicey - it was a lot of freezing rain, which is my ultimate winter nemesis!

The weekend after baking was spent mostly trapped indoors, as the rain continued for two days. Yuck! Ice Storm, mini version! The ponies were less than impressed, to be sure!

Christmas eve dawned sunny and COLD. -20ish. But still my FAVORITE part of Christmas. Cousin Christmas day! For the last nine years, since our families kind of stopped doing things together, me, my sister and our two cousins our age have made our own Christmas together. This year was no exception, and as always, when the four of us get together, things get epic! Christmas Intensifies, most certainly! The show stopper of this years shin-dig was certainly the present me and Tanya made for Crystal - we made her her own version of Monopoly - Crystalopoly! We worked really hard on it, and were really proud of it. I think she loved it as much as we did :) We all had a great time playing it, and then subsequently laughed our butts off playing Cards Against Humanity.

After a late night at Tanya's Christmas eve, we got up early to go to Moms for the super yummy Christmas breakfast, featuring my very favorite crepes!! YUM! Then, after a fantastic visit at moms, with Grammie and Grampie, Derek and I headed up to his parents for his family get together. Following the trend of awesome, the afternoon/evening there was also a resounding success and joy. We brought Varo, and he was a total doofus, as always.

We came home with lots of chocolate, treats and amazing thoughtful gifts :) Then on Boxing day, my dad came over with Tanya and we had another great adventure day. We tried to go to St Huberts for Lupper, only to find out it was closed :( Scores was a great second choice though, so it all worked out in the end and we all had fun!

Such was my really good Christmas marathon this year!

Now if only the ridiculous layer of ice could leave so the horses can walk over snow without hurting and I could maybe ride :)

:)
S

Pennsylvania Adventure

This past weekend a friend I headed south of the North Land to a small town called Altoona, in PA, to attend a series of workshops being put on by Jake Biernbaum [3*] and Dancin Pete Rodda[2*]!!

It was only about seven hours away, so really not that far in the grand scheme of life. To be fair, I drove that WITH Mo in June for the tour stop. So going without her [sad:( ] and getting to take Kara's bigger-on-the-inside teeny car [seriously, $35 to fill up.... are you kidding me??]  up into the mountains of PA for some Parelli fun.

I went with the intention of supporting Kara in her first long distance driving foray, and also to socialize and catch up with my friends. Turns out I got a whole lot more out of the weekend than I planned for!  I really am not even sure I am finished digesting everything yet, and about 70% of it isnt even horsemanship. Kara and I had some amazing conversations that have really caused me to think a lot, plus what we talked about with Jake and Pete and the others at the clinic.

We arrived Friday afternoon to our B&B - which was GORGEOUS! Full on HOLY WOW when you drove up gorgeous. This is it - http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/pa-tyrone-stonypointbedbreakfast.html?gclid=COaf6qGzi7sCFa9aMgod7i4Atg in case you are headed to Harmony Horsemanship Center and need a great place to stay! It was beyond beautiful, with so much character and a story! Apparently it was built in the 20's from timbers off of old rail road cars, when they were converting all the cars to steel! There was a connection to the Free Masons as well. Very cool history.

The house itself was just so welcoming. The carpets were plush, all the doorways were arched and inviting. Our rooms were luxurious and used RADIATORS for heat!! The radiators were inset into the window frames, so there was shelving on top of the one in my room - I laid my pjs and clothes there each day, and was rewarded with warm clothes to put on each morning and night! What a treat, because it was COLD!

After settling in on Friday, we headed over to the facility where there was going to be a demo and dance night. Getting to see Pete again was so nice! He was just here in September, but re-connecting with friends is always great. Its been much longer since I saw Jake [ 2011?] so it was great to catch up in person again too. Thank goodness for social media - really, it doesnt feel so long between visits with all my worldy friends thanks to things like facebook.

The demo was great. River - Pete's mare - is looking AMAZING - and she was pretty before! Lil Grey was adorable, and it was fun to see him 'live' after seeing pictures and video of him before this weekend. I always love watching parelli people - especially instructors - with their personal horses. Its one thing to get international instructors to come teach locally, but to see them interact with their own horses, where the relationship is the foundation, its just awe inspiring to me.

After the demo, we learned the 7 games dance. Ive learned it before, but it was tweaked a little since then, so I wasnt quite as comfortable as I thought I would be. Consider the silly bridge crossed. Surprisingly, it was quite 'warm' the first day - 13 degrees or so. We mistakenly thought that would set the tone for the whole weekend.... *sigh*

Saturday morning was COLD!!! The wind was picking up and snow was threatening! How rude. The arena at HHC is gorgeous - The whole east wall is open to view the mountains! It just isnt all that warm unfortunately. Though honestly, I am not sure anything could have kept us warm.

The first workshop of the weekend was about personal space. Jake and Pete presented their ideas surrounding 'Brick Wall and Feather' - are you the wall, or are you the feather? After the theory discussion they headed out to play with some of the ideas for the morning.

The afternoon was all about rein positions and leg positions - theory and then practical. I will admit to being so cold I bailed to the heated viewing room/class room, so I didnt hear everything, but saw most of it. The evening was finished off with an amazing lasagna and meatballs meal presented up at the house. The amazing and gorgeous house that had RADIANT HEAT FLOORING in the dining room. I was not the only one who laid out on the floor to de-thaw that evening!

The meal was delicious, the company was fantastic, and the time seemed to go to fast. It felt like no time at all before we were headed back to the B&B to gear up for the next day.

Liberty was up the next morning, after a theory session about the lines in a round pen. With all the snow the day before, the outdoor round pens were 'out of order' [aka - none of us wanted to stand out in the snow and wind] so we concocted one in the indoor arena made from barrels, jump standards and ropes laid on the ground to mark the boundaries. Then all the people stood around the outside to reinforce said lines. It worked out pretty well! It was a really interesting morning, if VERY cold!

At lunch time, there were leftovers so we all got treated to more hot food and warm floors!! Best invention ever! I thought for a minute there might be a schedule change to keep the afternoon session horseless, but the riders were brave and headed out after the theory discussion, ready to ride patterns!

Jake did a great demo about getting/building neutral on the figure eight that really dropped the last pieces in place from what I had learned from Pete on his last two Canada visits. It allowed me to come home and get to where Mo trotted two laps pf the pattern all on her own while I stood in neutral, in just one 15 minute session!

Right at the end of the clinic, one of the horses coliced - seemed very mild though. We quickly treated her with the red lights and essential oils, and she was up on her feet in about 45 mins - and I heard she was doing great the next day too. After that scary interlude, we all went up to finish off the last of the lasagna and meatballs and enjoy some more time on the heated floors.

We had more good times after dinner, playing Pete's board game called the Seven Games [all Parelli trivia] and then trying to learn how to juggle with lemons - I learned that if you drop a lemon enough times, you get lemonade! We had some pretty squooshy lemons by the end! Finally, late into the night we said our final goodbyes and headed back for one last night at the B&B. One more night of warm jammies and then we packed up to head home Monday morning.

It was sunny again, no more snow falling. The temperature rose steadily as we got closer to home - ironic, no? We got lucky and had great, easy travels in both directions. Great discussion and music, great friends and tons of learning.

The funny thing is, that if you were to ask me what I learned this weekend, I am not sure I could pin point it. I learned that I am on the right track with a lot of my thoughts. Everything that I have been playing with this summer seemed to get touched on, even briefly, at some point during the weekend. So thats good. I learned a lot about feel. I learned that I knew a lot about feel - which was kind of surprising.

I still have more to soak on, but it was a really great weekend that left me plotting ways to get to Florida so I can continue my education this winter....

:-)
S