Video Inspiration

He may not be Pat Parelli, but you gotta have respect for anyone who can stand on two jumping horses while controlling 8+ more...

Fun with contact

 Did Follow the Rail with Chey today, and played with "strong elbows, soft hands". I've never done much work with collection with Chey, but she did really well. She has a tendency to want to look out when she has connection, so we worked on that, and when I felt we had a good circle, we stopped to process. My old dressage instructor, Diane Royse, used to tell me "when they are rounded properly, the weight should be on your outside rein and you should be able to pet your horse with your inside hand". I put all that to use today, and she did really well for day 1. I don't want to mess with contact too much until I can afford the GOC DVDs because I don't want to start bad behaviors I'm not aware of, but I'm happy to see she understands it so far.

It was interesting to see when tracking to the right she picked up contact better at the trot (typical for most horses), but tracking left (her hard side no matter what the task) she picked up contact easier at the walk, and understood it better.

On a side note, you know it's time to expand your tack room when you add an extra bridle to the hook and it falls right out of the wall! =p

Megan Michelle Photography

Select photos of mine are now for sale :) Check them out! More to come as the year progresses


http://meganmichellephotography.smugmug.com/ 

Level 2 Online Pre-Audition :)

Here's a video I took a few days ago to see what we look like from an outsider's perspective. I think we are ready to go!! I noticed from the video however that when we do sideways I can probably do it from the end of the barrel instead of having to be right up next to her to give her some space, any feedback and/or comments are always appreciated! :)

Bridless video

http://youtu.be/yqCPhZU10b0

Bridless riding... CHECK!

RODE CHEYENNE BRIDLESS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER TONIGHT!!!! It was the last minute of our ride :) I removed the hackamore from her back, and we took a lap around the pasture. Asked her to stop and reverse a few steps, and called it a night :) Short, positive, and AWESOME!! For an RBE, that was such a big deal, and so so rewarding! =] It took a lot of prep work, and it all payed off tonight :) First thing off my 2012 Goal List!!!! Yipeeee! 


Before that we did about 30 min OL working on thresholds, and used sideways w/o a fence, squeeze, and the f8 pattern to help relax and refocus her. Rode for about 60 min after that, working on steady rein and point-to-point to help relax her in the trot. Haha it was so cute, at one point she put her nose right next to the top of a cone and exhaled, and found out it made a funny noise! So she sat there for about 30 seconds making nostril music, it was the cutest thing!! Then she had enough and started chewing on the cone lol. She also started chewing on the barrels tonight in the middle of our f8 patterns :) She is so curious. Lots of blowing again tonight under saddle, followed immediately by licking and chewing. She seems to have had a lot of breakthroughs yesterday and today, and has been the epitome of LB while under saddle. I've also notice i'm more relaxed, detail oriented, and flexible in our game plan, and that has made a huge difference in my entire night with the horses. Today and yesterday have been the easiest it's ever been for me to live in the moment, stay completely at ease, and play with whatever comes up. Using patterns and not emotionally reacting has come naturally, and I'm really hoping this change is permanent :) I feel so much calmer, and it has a ripple effect onto my horses that is making every night 10x more effective.


My Gwenasaurus Rex did good tonight, too :) Just 15 min OL, working on extreme friendly game again with the carrot stick and savvy string slapping the ground while I walk around her, sideways for the first time, and driving from z3. Driving went well, and i'm hoping that improves our Freestyle dramatically. I'm going to hop on her tomorrow for the first time in about a month to see how much our OL has helped :) I can't wait to see how it goes!

I Dream Of Fast Track

Knowing I will be graduating L2 by summer, dreams of the Fast Track in Pagosa Springs come flooding back to my mind :) If you pay in full 6 months prior, it is only $3500 to attend! This isn't counting board for myself or Cheyenne, or the diesel to get us there lol, but those are minor details! ;p And I would have another 6 months to save up for that. 


Can you imagine?! Being in CO at the Parelli University, learning from the best of the best :) And to be able to come back home and make a living teaching these life changing methods to other people in my area, and watch their horsemanship grow. Can you think of anything cooler to do with your life?! Because I can't! 


I'm starting to save up, and hopefully attend FT next spring. By then I should be pretty far into L3 in all four savvys, and that in itself is exciting! Cheyenne and I have been having some amazing sessions lately, and it's been months since she's gone RB for more than just a few minutes, and even that is becoming rare. I really think we are ready for this :) Oh man... so much to look forward to!!


I've attached a video below from Sharon Tiesdell Smith talking about her experience during the Fast Track, and how she was even presented with her green string at the end :) Hats off to you, girl! 


Fast Track student review