It's official!!! It isn't spring until I can sit on my deck under the umbrella and have my breakfast while writing on my blog. Isn't wireless laptop technology the best? I can now look out over our acre and a half of property with its majestic douglas fir trees and enourmous alders, shading the beautiful slope of green grass-beautiful, that is, until I have to mow it. The striking yellow goldfinch that is our state bird is hanging on the bird feeders and the flowers I planted in the pots last week are blooming. Just behind me I can heard the buzz of the hummingbird tentatively swarming the feeder, trying to decide if that human is just a little too close for safety. And my adorable dog, Benji is sunning himself on the deck chair, watching the birds come and go in front of him, sniffing the air to see if there is anything out there that demands his attention. Ah...I could sit here all day!
The weather this weekend will be some of the warmest we've had this year and as I see it, I have several choices. I could lounge on the deck all day, taking in the sites previously described, I could plant more of my perennials, starting with the shaded areas first and waiting until after 6 to plant the sun exposed ones OR I could head out to the stables and take my girls out and play with them. Why not do ALL THREE!!!!! I've already spent almost an hour out here enjoying the beautiful nature that is in my back yard. After a very long, harsh winter, I deserve to sit and watch the trees turn greener, the flowers bloom larger and hear the chirping and buzzing of the birds in the trees. But...as usual, those stables are calling me.
I am fortunate in that I have access to so much information that can help me improve my relationship with my horses. I try to take a little bit from everyone I watch. Last night, for example, I popped in Barb Apple's DVD again and watched her demonstrate with her beautiful horses how to transition from online work to liberty using the string that comes with the Parelli carrot stick or the Clinton handy stick. She wrapped it around her horse's neck and as she asked her horse to "shadow" her she reached for the string to gently remind her horse to stay with her. I'm finding that the less I pull and tug or even make direct contact with my horses, whether on the ground or in the saddle, the more calm and responsive they are. They are so unaccustomed to being "handled" with direct contact when relating to each other, that it makes sense that once we place some artificial connection to them on their body, that they find it at the very least, annoying and at the most frightening.
I worked on more lateral "mobilizing" exercises yesterday evening (warm and sunny at 7 pm) with Chanty and found that if I practice moving her hindquarters away from a fence while first walking parallel with it, I can get her to make a specific movement without walking forward and then I don't have to pick up on her face AT ALL! She loves that and is so calm that I barely have to shift my weight with almost no leg on her side to push the hindquarters over. Then, when I tried it off the fence, she was less worried about it, knowing what I wanted. I know I've done that exercise before, but more as a prelude to simple side passing. Now I know I can use it to practice leg yields and shoulder in or haunches in. We finished with her quiet and walking slowly and I think we both felt better.
I'm telling you, this stuff works, but it is an ongoing project. One day you feel like you've progressed and your horse is giving you the trust you were looking for and other days, you forget yourself and blame it on your horse. I guess it's like living with family. Your moods affect their behavior and vice versa. It's the big picture that matters. As long as I make a sincere effort to work at my relationship with my horse every day, then, it will continue to improve.
I think I'll hang out here a little longer. Benji has moved off of the chair, so as not to fry his little body and the hummingbird is getting braver. I think the birds are taking a mid morning siesta, but they'll be back-I just filled the feeders. I think I'll have time to enjoy the outdoors today, no matter what I choose to do.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Priorities-What Can You Do in 30 Minutes?
I don't know about you, but around here it is just beginning to feel like spring-barely. After gorgeous sunny weather in the 70s, it's now in the 50s and raining. In order to take advantage of the nice weather to plant my garden, I've had to take a break from the horses. How do you get it all done in one day? That has been a challenge for every one who owns a horse and a home and has a job and a family and a garden and on and on.....
So, I've learned to prioritize with the things that I do. Even if I have just 30 minutes to spend out at the stables, I try to make the most of it. In addition to having my horses to ride, I have access to at least 4 other horses, but tend to limit myself to 2 that are on my "needs consistent work" list. I've begun making a physical and mental list of what I am hoping to accomplish with each horse.
After watching Karen Rolff's DVD "Dressage Naturally", I went out and worked on her mobilizing exerises. She finally made it clear to me just how to break down the lateral moves so that both me and my horse can understand them. She demonstrates how to first practice it on the ground so that you learn to move your body while on the ground with the same lift in your upper body as you would when in the saddle to lighten yourself in preparation for asking your horse to move sideways with the hind quarters in a turn on the forehand or to lighten the front end for a turn on the hocks. I spent my precious 30 minutes the other day working on Chanty doing just that. Unfortunately, I had my "let's get this done" attitude, which is the last thing Chanty wants-pressure. The more I pushed the issue and forced my body and hers into position, the worse it got. Karen talks about exercising your horse on a loose rein (no bit, just halter) until they are calmly able to physically move without resistance. While her horse was more of a left brain, slow to go forward horse, I deal with the one who when nervous, goes right through my hands and runs away, before I can ask her to bend or soften or lift her back.
Most of my short sessions are done on the ground, because there is so much you can do with your horse that benefits them emotionally and physically. I've been working on getting Sally to walk and trot while I walk behind her on a 22ft rope. I ask her to whoa and gently lift her tail, without a pull and ask her to back up. Then we walk, trot and canter along side one another, in preparation for doing at liberty. It's tough for her to canter alongside me on a small circle, due to her hock arthritis. She shadows me so well and is getting so good at working on a really long lunge line. I'd work with her at liberty more, but we have only a small pen that's enclosed right now and that is too much work. The pasture works well for wide open running online.
The most fun I've had recently when using my imagination online, was when I had 30 minutes to exercise TWO horses. I had them both on 14 ft lines and I "asked" one to stand next to me in the center and then sent the other one out to walk, trot and canter around me and her buddy. At first, Blondy (the 23 yr old) was very nervous about me lifting my hand over her head and body to let the rope circle around and she kept moving. Eventually, though, they both got the idea and took turns going out to lunge while the other stood in the center with me. Eventually, I'm going to try it at liberty and see if I can keep one close by while the other runs on the outside of a round pen. I'll let you know how that goes.
It's always going to be a challenge to juggle all of the day to day activities. With warm weather, comes more things to do outside. As long as I can give my horses 30 min of my time, I feel it's worth it, as long as I'm stimulating their minds as well as their bodies.
So get out there and challenge yourself-what can you accomplish in 30 minutes? Use your imagination. And if you don't have one, get some great ideas from the best in horsemanship-check out a video at http://www.yourhorsematters.com/
Enjoy the spring!!!!
So, I've learned to prioritize with the things that I do. Even if I have just 30 minutes to spend out at the stables, I try to make the most of it. In addition to having my horses to ride, I have access to at least 4 other horses, but tend to limit myself to 2 that are on my "needs consistent work" list. I've begun making a physical and mental list of what I am hoping to accomplish with each horse.
After watching Karen Rolff's DVD "Dressage Naturally", I went out and worked on her mobilizing exerises. She finally made it clear to me just how to break down the lateral moves so that both me and my horse can understand them. She demonstrates how to first practice it on the ground so that you learn to move your body while on the ground with the same lift in your upper body as you would when in the saddle to lighten yourself in preparation for asking your horse to move sideways with the hind quarters in a turn on the forehand or to lighten the front end for a turn on the hocks. I spent my precious 30 minutes the other day working on Chanty doing just that. Unfortunately, I had my "let's get this done" attitude, which is the last thing Chanty wants-pressure. The more I pushed the issue and forced my body and hers into position, the worse it got. Karen talks about exercising your horse on a loose rein (no bit, just halter) until they are calmly able to physically move without resistance. While her horse was more of a left brain, slow to go forward horse, I deal with the one who when nervous, goes right through my hands and runs away, before I can ask her to bend or soften or lift her back.
Most of my short sessions are done on the ground, because there is so much you can do with your horse that benefits them emotionally and physically. I've been working on getting Sally to walk and trot while I walk behind her on a 22ft rope. I ask her to whoa and gently lift her tail, without a pull and ask her to back up. Then we walk, trot and canter along side one another, in preparation for doing at liberty. It's tough for her to canter alongside me on a small circle, due to her hock arthritis. She shadows me so well and is getting so good at working on a really long lunge line. I'd work with her at liberty more, but we have only a small pen that's enclosed right now and that is too much work. The pasture works well for wide open running online.
The most fun I've had recently when using my imagination online, was when I had 30 minutes to exercise TWO horses. I had them both on 14 ft lines and I "asked" one to stand next to me in the center and then sent the other one out to walk, trot and canter around me and her buddy. At first, Blondy (the 23 yr old) was very nervous about me lifting my hand over her head and body to let the rope circle around and she kept moving. Eventually, though, they both got the idea and took turns going out to lunge while the other stood in the center with me. Eventually, I'm going to try it at liberty and see if I can keep one close by while the other runs on the outside of a round pen. I'll let you know how that goes.
It's always going to be a challenge to juggle all of the day to day activities. With warm weather, comes more things to do outside. As long as I can give my horses 30 min of my time, I feel it's worth it, as long as I'm stimulating their minds as well as their bodies.
So get out there and challenge yourself-what can you accomplish in 30 minutes? Use your imagination. And if you don't have one, get some great ideas from the best in horsemanship-check out a video at http://www.yourhorsematters.com/
Enjoy the spring!!!!
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