Show reveals respect hole

OK, so I have lots of catching up to do since I got a really nasty cold three weeks ago. Amazing how far behind you can get when you sleep most of a week to recover. Anyway, despite my cold, I rode in the last dressage show at Sienna Stables.

Walker took advantage of my lack of energy. STOPPED in the middle of my first 20 meter circle to poop. No amount of urging would get him to budge until he was done. Needless to say, we did not score well at all. As hard as this is to believe, in all the time we practiced our pattern, he had not done this, so I had not had an opportunity to work through it before. With my flagged energy, I just did not respond well.

Needless to say, we had work to do! Walker gave me the opportunity the very next evening to work on this when in the middle of playing under saddle he stopped again. This time, I asked him forward got nothing. Then I tapped him on the behind, no movement, tapped him harder, nothing. Finally, I smacked him hard and he jumped forward with double back kick. I think I really surprised him with the energy I put into the last smack! Since then, just a slight tap on zone four is all he has needed, if that, to remind him he can poop and move at the same time. In fact, Walker has proven he can poop daintily and move at the same time. Last Sunday, he left five very precisley spaced piles of poop, having timed his poops between trotting strides. :)

The following Friday, Cody, Walker and I had a very good lesson. Cody said she was impressed that Walker had become so much more obedient and willing to get round under saddle. I think she was surprised we had made so much progress in such a short period of time. I believe that Walker has upped his respect for me, as I was willing to go to phase 4 when needed under saddle, something I was hesitant to do before when Walker was so unconfident and emotional under saddle. But when I corrected him about stopping to poop, he was not emotional at all, just surprised. And when he has kicked out since then, I have corrected him with an appropriate swat, which has again upped his respect level for me. Walker and I learned how to get better rythmn under saddle both at the trot and at the canter. Now, we need to work on maintaining contact when transitioning gaits. And we need to practice the training level 2 test for out next show. Stay tuned . . .

On the Trail Again

Walker was doing so well on Saturday,  I asked Wendy if she and Bingo could hit the trail again on Sunday, and the answer was "Yes!". So we hit the levy about 10 AM. It was overcast and warm with a nice breeze, making for a lovely day to ride. It worked out well because Wendy did not have a lot of time to ride, and I did not want Walker to get over worked, so we mostly walked and stopped to eat grass. Both Walker and Bingo gave us nice extended walks, as they both seemed very happy to be away from the arenas.

We knew they were enjoying themselves when we turned for home and they did not want to go back! It is an amazing feeling to know that your horse wants to hang out with you instead of heading back to the barn where all the other horses are.

The best news is that Walker should be good enough to ride in the dressage show on Sunday, so we are going to get another crack at our first show.

And, before I forget, here is a shout out to Sandy in Iraq. Here's to you, Sandy, spreading the can do optimism of America on the other side of the planet.

Vet trip

We got some good news on Friday. We took Walker to Katy Equine Clinic where he was examined by Dr. Josh Zacharias. They were very nice there and took good care of Walker. Walker did very well in a new environment, I was very proud of him, he gave the vet tech and the doctor no trouble at all. 
Of course, the day started with some drama when I got to the barn to find one of my trailer tires had literally fallen apart. Shame on me for not checking it out more regularly, I won't do that again. Thankfully, Wendy was near by and willing to lend me her trailer, so we were able to make the trip. I was anxious to rule out a major injury. Randy helped keep me calm, as he usually does when I get a bit too emotional about unexpected, adverse events.

And we got, at least for now, good news. The vet tech trotted Walker around and he already looked much better while moving than he had all week. Still favoring his right hind, no doubt, but not nearly as much. Dr. Zacharias then put Walker through a lameness exam, stretching each area of his leg to see which was sore. Again, the stifle stretch showed that area to be sore.

Once that was done, Walker was taken back to the stocks, and he resisted only slightly then walked right in. He stood quietly while Dr. Zacharias gave him a mild sedative to take the x-rays, which showed no bony problems and no reduction in joint spaces. So, for now, Walker is on stall rest to see how he will do without any other treatment. Dr. Zacharias said to see how he does over the next 10-14 days, and if all looks good, we can start a light work schedule. I feel badly that he has to be cooped up in his stall all that time, but it can't be helped. At least for now, he seems to be on the mend.
On Saturday, Ben changed the bad tire on my trailer. Thanks, Ben! In retrospect, I am really happy the tire did not fall apart while we were on the road! I think that is a blessing pure and simple. 
We are finally having beautiful weather here in the Houston area. After all the rain we've had, the Brazos River is straining its banks. The levy near the barn is as high as I have ever seen it. The turnouts are so sloppy, it will be another day or two before all of the horses go out, so at least Walker will have his buddies with him during the day until it dries up. 

Show scratch

This has been a very stressful week, hence no posts. My husband, Randy, had neck and thumb surgery on Monday. Thankfully, all went well and now feeling has returned to his fingers and triceps muscle. What a blessing. Randy has been through so much with his spine. We are really lucky to have access to such wonderful physicians like his pain doctor, Dr. White and his surgeon, Dr. Bindal.

On Sunday, Walker came up lame for the first time since he had hoof abscesses over a year ago. We had to scratch from the schooling show that day. It was very disappointing, but mostly I a concerned about how serious his injury is. He seems to be favoring his right hock area, but our vet, Dr. Criner, is coming to see him today, so I will know more then. I hate having to leave him in his stall, but I have no choice right now, I need to make sure he doesn't injure himself further. The only bright spot is that we have had so much rain, he would have had to stay in his stall anyway, at least now there is a really good reason for him not to get out and about.

Getting ready for show

I am coming to realize that writing a blog takes serious time and commitment. I also have to admit that I enjoy reading and re-experiencing my past moments with Walker and everyone at the barn, both horses and people. I wonder, does that make me egoistic, just completely horse crazy or both?
The last week we have had great weather and even nicer evenings at the barn. I have taken advantage of this by riding Walker in anticipation of my first schooling show this coming Sunday.
Walker is coming to realize that we need more speed and rythym when under saddle. And I believe he is actually starting to enjoy the challenge. I am very lucky that he is so food motivated, as I believe it has really improved our friendly game to the point that he would rather be with me than with his horse buddies.
Can't wait to go out and see him today! We've had torrential rains the last two days, so he is going to have lots of frisky energy to expend!

Blue skies, horse whinnies and liberty

What a great day at the barn. After weeks of miserable weather, today was spectacular; dry, completely clear and about 70 degrees. I had decided to ride as Walker and I had not done so for over a week. 

Today was a day that illustrated why it is so important to assess your horse before riding. Walker had a lot of pent up energy. It could of been because of the fall air. Or perhaps his heightened tension was a result of so little turnout these past two weeks. Whatever the reason, he was in no mood to be ridden when we first walked into the arena.

We started with some friendly game and then yo-yo to circling game. Walker did more dancing than circling, looking every which way but paying attention to me. To get his mind more focused, I asked him to change direction several times both at the trot and the canter. Interestingly, he got most focused at the walk. We followed this up with some weaving in and out of barrels. Walker did this very well, so we followed this up with the same, but at Liberty. He did this so well that I knew his mind was ready for riding. 
How many accidents happen because people think of their horses as though they are an inanimate object, like a car? In fact, it is very likely that there are many people who own and work with horses who should stick to inanimate objects. You cannot expect that every day you see your horse that they will be ready at a moment's notice to do everything you want when you want it. There are no video controls attached to Walker's withers. If I had not warmed him up, any riding attempted could have resulted in unpredictable events, from poor performance and obstanance to disaster. I personally like my body parts in their current configuration, so I prefer as much predictablity as possible. The seven Parelli games have helped me to keep my horsing around safe and fun for over 5 years now.

We rode in and around the question box, four barrels arranged in a square. First we did this at the trot with contact then alternated to freestyle. Walker was much less resistant to contact with the bit today, and he made a much better effort at rounding himself and moving uphill. It has been common with Walker that when he gets time to think about something, it is easier for him to accept that for which I am asking.

Then we took the bridle off and again worked through the question box again at the walk, trot and canter. Walker has been getting more and more willing at moving forward when going through question box instead of wanting to stop every time we go through.

Cantering without a bridle is an amazing feeling. What a privilege for Walker to offer his effort without so much as a string attached to his face. What's more, when I ask for a stop from the canter in the question box, he does so on a dime. I can picture the day when he will move forward with collection without wearing a bridle. 

What a brilliant horse is emerging!

I then rode Walker bareback out to the turnout. Despite my tailbone issue, I can ride for brief periods of time, and going out to the turnouts is about perfect for me to get in some bareback time. We stopped once for Walker to dive into some really juicy grass, and then we moved on. We were greeted at the gate by Captain Jack, Dozer and Poco. They were very polite letting us through to the adjacent turnout where we met with Bingo, Dash and Mooney. Bingo and Dash got very excited over Walker's arrival and started mixing it up between them. Rarely have I seen Bingo kick out, but he did so when Dash got a little too close. As the water trough by the gate was so muddy, I walked Walker to the third turnout where he took some deep pulls from the trough. Bingo, Dash and Mooney followed us and Bingo and Dash were still full of energy. Good leadership in a situation like this is important, so I made sure Bingo understood he should not approach Walker. No reason three horses should start mixing things up. Once Walker was finished drinking, I fed everyone some cookies and walked back to the barn. Along the way, I fed Captain Jack and Dozer cookies, sorry Poco, you just couldn't get your nose past those two big boys!

Lovely, . . .

. . . a word and a state of being that is not so easy to find or attain in a modern world that values activity, image, fantasy and speed above all. But the other day, lovely was the best way to describe a few moments I had standing on a levy in Missouri City with Walker and Bingo.

I arrived at the barn knowing I had only about 90 minutes to get Walker, and maybe Bingo out of their stalls after another day stuck there away from their soggy turnouts. I took Walker to the small indoor arena and we played on line together, lots of moving circles, falling leaf pattern, and all at a good pace. Walker, though wanting to be a bit snotty, could not help himself but to enjoy the movement, the dance. I have to admit, that as a dance team on the ground, Walker is a bit more athletic than I am, but we had fun nonetheless. He forgives me for being 51!
Then I got Bingo out of his stall and we walked over to the levy for some grazing. As Wendy and I had done this over the weekend, I knew they would behave themselves up there without needing any micromanaging from me.

We went through an opening in the fence, and I tossed the 12 foot lead ropes over their backs so they would be free to graze without hindrance.

They moved away from me and tucked right into the grass, which had grown up to their hocks. Now and again, they would come over to me to touch base and get a cookie and then they would move off again, bending their necks to the grass and eating eagerly. Bingo seemed especially willing to stay with me versus eating the grass, so as a reward, I used the end of my carrot stick to scratch his neck, to which he hung his head all the way to the ground in complete surrender.

There was a wonderful breeze at the top of the levy compared to the stifling heat in the stalls. Walker and Bingo, both covered in sweat when we left the barn, soon dried off. It must have felt really good to them.

While they ate, I gently leaned on my carrot stick and read a novel. I glanced at my phone to determine what time it was and was happy to see we still had an hour to spend time together. What a lovely hour it was. Poor Bingo, when it was time to go, he followed me like a big sad puppy dog! Still, I like to think they appreciated the time out. I know I did . . .

Wendy, Bingo, Walker and I had a good time at the barn yesterday. Poor boys, cooped up now for days thanks to all of this crazy rain here in the Houston area, they really needed the time out of their stalls. When they have to stay in them this long, we are sure they think of them more like jail cells.
We decided Liberty would be the best way to go. No need to go from the stall to a halter and rope in the arena, and riding them would probably not have been a good idea with all the energy they had pent up. Walker jumped the barrels with virtually no argument at all. Bingo did a very nice yo-yo at Liberty! Good job on that one, Wendy.  Walker and I even managed to get a bit of weave pattern in, and then Bingo started running and . . .
Once they got started running, they really got some exercise. Walker did a very good impression of a fire breathing dragon, minus the fire He got very tall, bowed his neck, flaired his nostrils and piaffed across the arena. He can really show off his stuff; all Arab when he gets his energy up. Bingo tore across the arena several times, but came up a little lame when he grazed across a damp spot in the dirt. He looked OK, though, after walking it off a bit.
After that, we sat on the barrels and fed them cookies, which of course, made them extremely content. They love their horse cookies! They were both nuzzling us to get that last cookie including the crumbs in Wendy's fanny pack!
So, imagine this, two women sitting on barrels with two horses loving all over them for their cookies. There is just no better stress relief, not if you love horses.

Riding bridleless

Although Walker and I had ridden bridle-less before, this weekend was really exceptional. He has gotten so much calmer under saddle that he really acts much more like a left brained extrovert now under saddle then a right brained extrovert. I felt as though he felt restricted with the bit I am using, a very nice double broken snaffle, so I wanted to see if taking off the bridle entirely would make a difference with his rhythm, especially at the trot. And it did! He became smoother, steadier, more consistent without the bit. So now I am going to have to consider using the Parelli cradle bit for the left brained extrovert. Wendy and I are going to train with Kerri Joosten in December, and she said she has one I can try, so I think that is what I am going to do. My dilemma is that it may not be sanctioned yet for dressage competition, so I will have to find out from Cody if that is true for training levels as well.
I will be very interested to see if the bit makes a difference. My gut tells me it will.
I can truthfully say that when I first started playing with Walker over 5 years ago, it never entered my mind that I might feel comfortable enough some day to ride him with no bridle. What a privilege he has given me to become his partner in this way. He is not as happy about it as I would like, especially when I ask him to speed up or move up into the canter, and that is one of the things I want to discuss with Kerri.

Cantering together

Whoop! Last night was the first time Walker and I cantered together, and that was at Liberty (no rope, no halter). We were very lucky to have the arena to ourselves last night, so we took advantage of it by playing together, first on line then at Liberty. I am pretty sure Walker did not quite feel the connection between my movement and his yet, as when I tried to move down to a trot, he did not do it until I asked him down with the carrot stick, but that will come in time. It was an amazing feeling. What a privilege to have an animal of so much intelligence and natural fear of predators to canter with me. Maybe the best part is he now circles me, and I don't need a round pen to do it.

I look forward to the day that we feel that connection in the saddle. There have been glimpses . . .

He also stood up on the pedestal at Liberty, but I can tell he is still a little unsure about it. He almost walked over it, but got a little worried, so we went and worked on our sideways game again. No need to push the issue, he'll come around in time; so far he always has. 
He is so funny about using his hind end at the trot and sideways! But his resistance is starting to crumble, as he kicks out less and less, and I can tell he is really trying, beginning to understand better what I am asking him to do. I can see his stomach muscles starting to work as he gets under himself at all of the gaits, and I know we are progressing in the right direction.

The best thing is that I never anger or frustration to get the better of me anymore. I have learned to stop and think about what we are doing and how I might approach things differently so he can understand better, have more clarity. Sometimes he just resists, but those times get fewer and fewer.

Crazy Bridge Drivers

Oh, by the way, I secretly wish that my horse would kick the gas out of the cars that people drive like maniacs over the bridge next to our barn. Just so you know . . . 

Trail riding joy

Saturday (Sept. 19, 2009) was a great day on the trail. We live near the Gulf Coast, making us vulnerable to heavy rains. So here in Sienna Plantation we have a series of levies to prevent flooding. The benefit for us is lots of riding trails we can use. Even better, there is usually great grass we can take advantage of as a reward and rest for the horses. 
My friend Wendy keeps her horse, Bingo, at Sienna Stables where Walker is. In fact, Bingo and Walker stay in stalls right next to each other, and they go to the same turnout each day. So they know each other really well, which makes heading out to the trail even better. Bingo is a very handsome white on bay paint. He is also a very clever left brained introvert/extrovert, so reading him can sometimes be a real challenge. Lucky for Bingo, Wendy is more than up to the task.

Last year, Wendy had decided that the advice she was getting about many of the "issues" she was having with Bingo was just not working, so she also decided to go down the Parelli Natural Horsemanship path. Wendy and Bingo have made some really big breakthrough moments, but maybe none as fun and thrilling as yesterday.  
We decided at the start that we would ask  more of our horses this day, with lots long trotting. And, if all went well, we would allow Bingo and Walker some good rests and grass along the way. What we did not know was that our horses were going to offer us even more than we asked. 

We warmed them up on the ground and then both of us did the dressage Training Level 2 Test, which Wendy and Bingo had never done before. Wendy was a little concerned that Bingo might struggle with the canter, but she was pleasantly surprised by his performance, so the day started really well. It was going to end really well, too.

We started the trail by walking with impulsion. Both Walker and Bingo seemed very happy to be heading out from the barn.The trail starts by going north with the baseball fields on the left and under the train bridge adjacent to the barn on the right. But first, we always have to go west over a large levy bridge that serves the recreation area where the ball fields are located. This can be tricky on a Saturday morning, because even with horses on the bridge, some people feel the need to blow by us in their cars going ridiculously fast. Seriously, what are they trying to save, 10 seconds less to the parking lots? Fortunately, both Walker and Bingo are very calm about the whole thing, thanks to our training, but it makes us angry that some people have so little regard for other people and our animals safety.  It really makes my blood boil. Probably does no good for my blood pressure! Anyway, I digress . . .

We started with a nice warm-up walk. We followed that up with a steady medium trot that ended at a turn in the levy. We stopped briefly to give the horses a little grass, as we knew the next stretch would be fairly long.  The grass there was really tall, and Walker and Bingo enjoyed the break.

We then turned east along the levy and began a long stretch of trotting and posting, slowed to a walk to cross a tight drainage area, then picked up an accelerated trot. Wendy and I were floating over our saddles to really free up their movement. Walker normally likes to follow Bingo, but I urged him forward to come level with Bingo.  Neither horse interpreted this as an invitation to race, instead, they synced up with one another for a good 50 yards.  What fun! Wendy and I slowed them down as we approached the next drainage bridge area, and we both started laughing at how good that stretch felt with our two very different horses getting in rhythm with each other. 
We then crossed the drainage bridge and picked up the trot again. Wendy was having a little trouble getting Bingo to feel how to get more rounded, so we slowed to a walk and I helped her focus on steadying her hands and getting them in the right position so Bingo could more easily move into the bit without feeling claustrophobic or nagged. We also talked about taking up more feel in the reins so he could real feel what Wendy was asking for. They made some good progress over about a 100 yard stretch asking for better rounding with a more impulsive walk, so we stopped again for a grass break. As we had finally gotten a little rain last week, the grass was so lush that neither horse needed to move for a good 10 minutes as Wendy and I chatted and the they ate. 
Finally, we headed back in the direction we had come. Interestingly, neither horse moved any faster than they had before, either at the walk or trot. However, Walker now felt brave enough to take the lead, so we set the pace going back. At one point, Walker had some trouble staying at the trot, breaking into a canter instead of staying at the trot. He did this twice, so the second time, after bringing him back to a trot, I asked for the canter. What a great feeling when your horse comes up under you at the canter! Wendy had not really experienced this before with Bingo, but when she saw us canter, Bingo felt so calm, she asked for the canter with contact, and he came up under her in a very relaxed, steady canter. I knew something good was happening behind us when I heard Wendy laughing. When we stopped for our last grass break, she had an enormous smile on her face. She described their canter as "floating" and "free". That it was by far, "the best canter Bingo has ever given me!" And that it felt as though he really enjoyed the bit contact, that he had not avoided it, but had actually moved into it. What a great breakthrough moment for both of them. 
We turned south towards the barn at a nice walk. We continued on under the train bridge, and as we got closer to the barn, both Bingo and Walker started walking more and more slowly,  resisting the direction we were asking for. The only way for us to interpret this was that, instead of being "barn sour" they actually did not want to go back to the barn! How great is it when your horse would rather be with you then at the barn? The good news for them, of course, is that they weren't going to stay at the barn, we turned them out after a nice hose down. When Walker and Bingo got to the turnout, they both drank deeply from the water trough and then they calmly began to graze. 
So to the question, " Was that as good for you as it was for me?", Walker and Bingo's answer was "Yes!" What a great morning for all of us.

Entering my first Dressage Schooling Show and getting sage advise from someone who knows the "normal" and "natural" world

I told my friend Nancy about entering my first schooling dressage show next week, and she had some pretty great things to say about it, so I decided, with her permission, to quote her here: 

"Looking at the partnership through the microscope of showing is more important than winning. It gives the process way more meaning and gives me a new way of seeing things."


"I think going to a show is a great challenge. It's not so much the judging and competition that is the big deal."

"Can I get us to the place we need to be at the time required? Can I read my horse and know what he needs or sometimes more importantly what he doesn't? Can I accomplish this at the moment that I need him to be his best? Can I get myself there as well? For the new at showing: Can I control my emotions? Can I deal with my ego? Can I deal with all the other human distractions? Can I maintain a focus with all the unexpected things that happen at the show? All of these factors multiple your relationship issues and test your weaknesses a hundred fold. To me this is the ultimate read on where you are. This is what I have come to love about competing."

"I think you will find the showing experince both fun, in all the ways we talked about, and bizarre. The bizarre will come from the "normal" world. People will be focusing on more external forces such as "OMG the ground at X is boggy", or "there is not enough warm up space", or "so and so just did what ever"... it will consume some. The thing that always makes me laugh is that they usually find something they 1) can't control and 2) is a negative then focus and fixate on it. They just can't seem to help themselves. This was always good b/c I knew I had them beat before I ever stepped into the ring. The other thing I think you will find interesting is all the folks that are requiring external validation, usually from their trainer and and/or friends."


My plan is always to be as prepared as we can be; skills, understanding of the rules, clothing, tools, etc. So, regardless of what level we attain, for Walker and me the question at a show will always be, when we have to, can we? 


When we have to, can we? Every show will answer that question. And my training should always have that question in the back of my mind. This will mean that our relationship will have to be really good. Because some days, he may not feel like doing what I am asking, but he'll do it anyway, for me.  

Is it possible to get misty-eyed when your horse urinates in your presence?

The answer of course is, yes, since that is exactly what happened to me yesterday. After being cooped up all day in his stall as the turnouts were still really sloppy, we went out in front of the barn for some relaxed grazing. Because of all the rain, the grass was nice and tall, so Walker got right down to business. I read a book while he grazed. At first, with the cars whizzing by, he was a little nervous, but he settled down nicely once he got focused on the grass.  For the first time in 5 1/2 years, Walker felt comfortable enough with me to pee out in the open right in front of me. He very politely walked a little way from me, which got my attention since he had hardly moved at all while grazing. Then he did the four point spread and peed for a good 40 seconds or so. Wow! Before, if I came up to the stall while he was peeing, he would immediately stop as if I had invaded his privacy or startled him enough to want to flee. And unlike people, this may be Walker's way of telling me the honeymoon has finally started.

This has been a week of firsts, in so many ways! Maybe Walker asked someone when my birthday is and decided he would give me a week's worth of gifts. Either way, what fun!

Having a willing instructor

It would be a "shame on me" moment if I did not thank Cody for being the kind of person who is willing to work with me in our training sessions. I understand what she is saying regarding spurs, and I totally admit that she is absolutely right that Walker is blowing off my leg cues. What I told her was that I did not feel ready for the spurs. I really felt that to use them at this point would be to "force" my horse to listen, when what I really need to do is get him even more hooked on to me both on the ground and in the saddle. We are working on that, and I think last weekend proved that what we work on together progresses naturally and sometimes quite rapidly. How smart is my horse? He gets smarter every time I have an "ah-ha" moment!

So, thank you, Cody! It took me a long time to find you, and I am so happy you are right here in my own backyard. You are a most unusual combination of brains, passion, common sense and optimism. The fact that you love and understand Arabs in no small measure adds to your list of positive attributes.

Impulsion Breakthrough, spurless!

What a fabulous training session Walker, Cody and I had on Friday afternoon. Walker was in a very snotty mood, jumping through the arena gate as though he was about to run down a quarter mile track. I did not like that very much, so I asked him in and out of the gate backwards until he softened just a bit. 

We then took advantage of Walker's extra energy from being cooped up in his stall for two days and put it to work moving out at the trot. We started with a simple Dressage test and basically slopped it up. Then Cody had us do something we are calling "racetrack", getting Walker to really move out at the trot around the arena. Walker tried his usual "Oh no, I've never seen that judging stand before" moves. No one can bend away from an object like my wonderful Arab! Unless of course, it's my leg. Anyway, without spurs, I really engaged my focusing molecules and insisted that he stay focused on the game under hoof. What happened next was pure magic. For the first time ever, Walker really moved out at what Cody called a medium trot, and it felt like riding water skis on a very calm lake. She then asked me to hover over Walker's back using my knees as shock absorbers. It was an ncredible feeling, like floating on the wind. For the first time ever, I was able to concentrate on what I was doing as much and even more than what Walker was doing under saddle. 

We took that momentum into the dressage area, sitting the trot. The next amazing sensation was the feeling of being glued to the saddle as a result of his getting rounder and coming up to meet me. I did not have to push him at all at this point as he seemed to really be getting into flow of our momentum. We then did the test again and knocked it out of the park, at least for this stage in our development. Cody felt that we probably would have scored a 61, which she described as respectable. To me, it felt like heaven on earth, a number could not possibly describe that hour with my horse. Funny thing was, I could almost hear Cody in my head giving me mental nudges, a shoulder roll here, a leg suggestion there. This is the first time I have really felt "savvy" in the saddle. We had nibbled around it for the last year, but today we were squarely in the freestyle and finesse "savvy zone".

Here may be the best part: I was really exercised and sweating, having used muscles under saddle that I really had never used before, especially hovering over the saddle while trotting. Walker was not breathing hard at all. When we were done with our second test and stopped in the middle of the arena, he just gave a big sigh, as if to say, "I had that in me all along!" If he could, he might have pulled out a hoof rasp and nonchalantly started to trim his own hooves in complete self satisfaction. I love my right/left brained extrovert. He got lots of cookies, which he enjoyed immensely. What a day!

Level II Parelli finally filmed

Yesterday, Wendy was nice enough to help me tape my Level II freestyle DVD. As soon as I get it downloaded, I will be sending off to the Parelli Center. I was disappointed that Walker was not more impulsive, but he was very willing depsite this. It is hard to get everything into 10 minutes in order the way you would ideally like to do it, but I also know that it should show our level of savvy, not so much how well all of the tasks were accomplished.

Circling "Lunging" and pedestal at Liberty

Last Sunday night was pretty special . . . with Liz and Sandra at the barn watching, Walker circled me at liberty walking, trotting (both gaits he had done before circling at liberty). But on Sunday night, he cantered as well. Amazing considering where we started 5 years ago . . . when he could not go in a circle on line without losing his mind and galloping madly until I would disengage his hind quarters. This is the horse who ran over my friend, Nancy, ass over tea kettle in an eventual successful attempt to get him in a horse trailer. I still remember being terrified that my "crazy' horse had trampled Nancy in a fit of terror at the prospect of entering that cave on wheels. 

To add to my amazement, when I asked him to put his two front feet on my pedestal, with only a bit of hemming, he obliged. Again, at liberty! What an accomplishment for the two of us. This was followed by feeding him lots of cookies and smiles and some good stretching to finish the night.

Spurs?

My dressage instructor suggested the use of spurs to get Walker to listen better to my leg. I have not decided, after having used them under her supervision, whether I want to do this or not, at least not yet. I want to see if I can put my imagination to work to get him to do what I am asking.

So, this weekend, I decided I would get very focused on making any idea he has, that is not also my idea, very difficult. On that note, when he started moving away from the rail when I was focused on staying on the rail, I turned that thought of his into a very tight circle, maintaining whatever gait we were using. This resulted in a great deal of very tight trotting circles. If he argued with doing a full circle, I asked for an even tighter second circle. We did lots of circles that day! When he got more interested in going straight, I quit that task and moved on to something else.

I am now very committed to following this prescription every time we ride. I will be interested to see how long it takes him to decide it is not worth arguing with me about where we are going. I suspect this will lead to greater respect in other areas as well, but time will tell.

No spurs for now!

August 28, 2009

I have thought many times that as amazing as my journey with my horse, Walker, has been, I should have long ago written down all the transforming events, large and small, that the two of us have experienced getting to know each other. Well, today is the day.

Later, I am going to Sienna Stables in Missouri City, Texas, where Walker lives, to play with my handsome, mischievous horse. He is an Arab/Quarter Horse cross, and a right/left brained extrovert with lots of energy and strong opinions. As I blog, if I have time, I will define unusual terms for you. I hope for whomever might be reading this, you find this useful. For me, defining things has always been helpful, just to make the knowing of them second nature to me.

Today I am going for more dressage training, as much for me as for Walker. Thanks to our new coach, Cody Seibert, we are having a lot of fun doing it. She does not object to the fact that I have chosen to follow a natural path with my horse, not one that most people in the world of horses choose to do. In fact, many in the horse world look at us "naturals" askance. That's OK with me. I've always been a bit of a maverick anyway.

My own personal definition of a natural horsewoman starts with one who puts the relationship between the horse and human first. I don't always succeed, but I try my darndest!

I'll post more later, but for now, I just want to remind myself again how far Walker and I have come. His first inclination used to be total and complete disdain for me and all other humans. Not any more. Now he whinnies when he hears the sound of my voice as if to say: " Isabelle, what are you doing? Get over here and let's start playing for goodness sake!" I can't wait to see what he'll say to me today . . .