Friendship - Horsemanship

Bestest Pony!

To beat the unexpected summerheat I left early to the stable and did a short long reining session which we ended with a lovely lay down - see picture.
Squeezed in 30min beach time before going to work and a quick shopping tour for catfood for the little homeless danish cat, which we have been feeding for 2 months now. On my days of my dear collegue Dahlia who lives close by our work is going there to feed her - and I guess all the other cats that come around for free buffe ;).
In case anyone who lives around Helsingborg or Fredensborg who would like to give a little gray cat a forever home feel free to contact me  marionprincic@yahoo.de

Wise Words by Steve Jobs

"For most things in life, the range between best and average is 30% or so. The best airplane flight, the best meal, they may be 30% better than your average one. What I saw with Woz was somebody who was fifty times better than the average engineer. He could have meetings in his head. The Mac team was an attempt to build a whole team like that, A players. People said they wouldn’t get along, they’d hate working with each other. But I realized that A players like to work with A players, they just didn’t like working with C players. At Pixar, it was a whole company of A players. When I got back to Apple, that’s what I decided to try to do. You need to have a collaborative hiring process. When we hire someone, even if they’re going to be in marketing, I will have them talk to the design folks and the engineers." Source: Isaacson's book

On being excellent
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”—Steve Jobs

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

“There’s a phrase in Buddhism, ‘Beginner’s mind.’ It’s wonderful to have a beginner’s mind.”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully."

On June 12th 2005, Steve Jobs gave the commencement address at Stanford University. Below are a few clips from his powerful speech

Find your true passion and do what you love to do

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.”

 

The Days Are Long But The Years Are Short

aka time flies when you are having fun...and in my case even the days are way too short.
So much to do so little time...
Summer returned to Sweden and we have spending our afternoons on the beach and doing lots of fun stuff - not horserelated, like picking blueberries and raspberries, having lunch at the "Tomaternas hus" in Vallåkra where I ate the best tomatoe pie ever and afterwards we visited a huge antic place and it felt like being in a musuem except you could actually buy all the things. I love antics!
Last Sunday we got invited to Johan´s friends down in Malmö and met a bunch of nice, intelligent people. It was super fun and stimulating!
Of course I have been playing with Milva almost every day as well. Yesterday it was really hot here and I was at the barn very late. After having swedish chocolate cake with the girls I played for a little while with the pony and came home at 10.30pm. It was still a bit ligth when I left the stable and fairly warm outside. It was marvellous!
Mostly we are playing with level 4 tasks with the sadle on and by the end of the sessions I usully put my foot in the stirrup and wait for her to relax.
Milva is still super sensitive when I put my foot in. No progress with the green ball yet. I can have all kind of other stuff on her back though like the big white plastic wrap from the hay. No sitting on her though before she accepts the ball...
I´m waiting for the grass to get cut and then I will try to tape my level 4 audition. She has been doing flying leadchanges with the sadle on as well but it´s still a bit hard to maintain canter for several laps. It just doesn´t make sense to her...lol...

Bestest Neighbour Ever!

Johan ordered two books about photographing horses. I already think he is doing an amazing job as it is! More great pictures will come...

Green Ball

No riding Milva yet. I don´t consider her ready yet... I´m still trying to get her used to have the Parelli ball on her back and it kind of baffled me that she wouldn´t except it and actually get really worried and right brain about it...how interesting... So tomorrow I will bring a smaller ball and see if that makes a difference.
I have played the 7 games with her with the saddle on and moved her around alot in w/t/c - so far so good.  Only I have to watch out that she doesn´t lay down with the saddle on.
Yesterday I moved the saddle around and put my foot in the stirrup which was a big thing for her because she yawned alot afterwards and licked my hands very much.
Today we went blueberry picking up in Småland and in the evening I gave a little liberty demonstration to the dutch girls that are visiting the farm right now.

Busy Days

It´s been some busy days lately. With playing with Milva and riding Orkan before going to work there is not much time over for internet and then it´s busy at work as well. Seems to be highseason for "crossing over".
Shawn has been riding Orkan a few times and it goes very well. Milva and I haven´t been doing anything serious lately, just fooling around more or less.
Today I had the luxury of going to the the stable twice.
Early afternoon I let her graze for 2 hours and then played 20min at liberty. While she grazed she had the bareback on.
In the evening I put the sadle on and played through all 7 games and w/t/c in the circling game.
She was a trooper when I saddled her. She didn´t have a saddle on for over one year. As far as I remember I rode her maybe 7 times last year. Neverless she stood completely still while I saddled her - loose, munching on her hay.
Maybe there is hope that she too will be a ridinghorse one day ;).
Well, actually Shawn said he would sit on her tomorrow so we will see.....

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

...the question is, how many books can you have in your favourite top 10 list, farthermore how many books can be the number one favourite book?

As you all know I read alot, and I mean ALOT. All kinds of books for that matter.
When I started to read this book it became a marathon read which doesn´t happen too often. I read 6 hours straight when I first started to read it and I took it with me everywhere. I read in the stable while Milva grazed, in the car when I had to wait for Shawn somewhere and so on.
You know when I always say, "if you read only one book a year this would be the book" - well, here you go again... read this one, really, it´s one of the best!
I often have a notebook (in the iphone) close by when I read to write down some notes or other book recommendations.
Naturally Steve Jobs read alot and I got some awesome recommendations which I plan to read:

- "Diet for a small planet" by Frances Moore Lappe
- "Mucusless Diet Healing System" by Arnold Ehret
- "Zen Mind, Beginners Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki
- "Autobiography of  Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda
- "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" by Chögyam Trungpa
- "Be Here Now" by Baba Ram Dass

Yesterday Summer - Today Autumn

...feels like that anyway...
1 hour of grazing and 30min longreining.
After giving Milva a few days break I started her slowly again today. We started with lots of scratches after taking her in to the ridinghouse - it rained all day (again). Then we slowly started with some sideways and two lay downs. Today she didn´t hesitate when I asked her to lay down and instead followed my suggestion immediately. While she was laying down I fed her cookies and when she stood up by herself I stopped then I asked her one more time to lay down while I sat on the floor and she laid down again :)). "Braves Mäderl" - like my Dad says.
We finished our session with longreining from z5 with lots of transistions and change of direction while circling - turning away from me.

The Three Musketeers

protecting the little one in the middle

Orkan, Paulina, Milva

                                             Tinka and Bea

Anita took some pics when Bea joined our herd. Tinka became friends with Bea immediately but the other three are more suspicious. Those three are so tight and it´s always hard for a new horse to be allowed in their little group.

Friday & Saturday

Papa hanging out with Milva

Papa, Marie, Anita & Lilla Prinsen

                                               Milva sharing hay with Anita

My Papa just left and is on his way back to Austria again. Talking about a short visit. His older cat back home hasn´t been eaten well since he left and is looking for him everywhere so of course he got concerned and wanted to leave earlier as planed. Understandable though.
At least he got to meet Milva and got to see how we live now.
We are planing on going down to Austria in autumn for a visit. It really is not that far if you think about it.
A new horse moved into our turnout stable this Thursday. Because of my Papa´s visit I forgot to mention it. It´s a huge swedish halfblood mare called Bea and with her comes a super nice owner - Marie. I totally like Marie. We had already "fika" - swedish word for coffe & cake twice and we went together with Johan to pick strawberries.

Family Visit

My 74 year old Dad drove all the way up from Austria for a weekend trip.
Family time this weekend.

WOOOHOOOO - HUGE Present From The US :)))

my very dear friend Janine, check out her blog http://enzo-janine.blogspot.se/ sent me a huge gift!!
The original Colt Start DVD & Rider Biomechanics! How lucky am I to have such awesome friends!
I told Janine a while ago that I would take some extra shifts after my holiday to order the new DVDs, guess I don´t need to anymore!

Taming and starting horses is the foundation of horsemanship as a whole. As Pat says, make the first ride as if he's been ridden a thousand times... and ride your horse for the thousandth time as though it was his first. Getting the smallest details right is critical to becoming a horseman.

Taming and starting colts shows you where you fall short quicker than perhaps any other stage you go through with your horse. Now, for the first time, Pat's renowned step-by-step young horse development program is available for at-home study and self-development support for any serious horseman.


Runtime: 9 hours, 10 minutes.

Colt Starting Segments include:

The Formula:
• Accept the Human
(as a friend and a leader)
• Accept the Saddle
(placement and wearing it)
• Accept the Rider
(as passenger then guider)
• Accept the Bit
(wearing, communicating)

The Basics:
• Confidence and Respect
• When to Quit
• Haltering
• Yielding
• Horsenality
• Bareback mounting
• Saddling
• Driving
• Saddle Horses
• Stepping On
• Passenger Lessons
• First Rides
• Handling Feet
• Preparing for Tying
• Guiding
• Riding Outside
• Gait Transitions
• Accepting the Bit

Rider Biomechanics with Colleen Kelly and Linda Parelli

Parelli is excited to bring you the work of Colleen Kelly, a talented biomechanics scientist who is also a multi-discipline rider, performance coach and retired Grand Prix judge.

This 2-DVD set will teach you the essential basics of rider biomechanics and natural riding including achieving the most balanced seat, posture and stirrup length.

You'll also learn the startling truth about why your horse goes crooked, and then watch Colleen coach students (including Linda Parelli) through exercises to address a wide variety of essential topics from straightness to circles and half halts to corners. Not only does Colleen make the technicalities of rider biomechanics really simple to understand, but she helps you visualize good habits for posture and communication. No doubt, you will be itching to race out to your horse and try it for yourself.

Rider Biomechanics segments include:

• Naturally secure seat and position!
  Balanced position - the keys to confidence
  
• Natural rider balance!
  Using your seat and position for straightness, circles and transitions
  
• Natural rhythm and timing!
  Seat and position for rhythm, sitting trot, canter and jumping
  
• Natural Finesse!
  Using your seat and position for laterals and jumping

Just Saying.....;)

that´s for you Ulrika...

Assisting Ulrika :))) - YEAH!!!

On the 2nd and 3rd of August I will be at http://www.hassleholm.se/hovdalaslott , see picture above, assissting Ulrika www.dramahastar.com when www.davidlichman.com and guests are coming to teach her theatergroup - same group that will be at the Circus 2015.
What an awesome oppurtunity!!

Circusproject 2013

www.dramahastar.blogspot.com

My friend Ulrika is working on a big project for 2013 which includes a 5* Parelli Instructor and www.dancingwithhorses.org - JoAnna Mendl Shaw.
For more information please contact Ulrika.

It´s gonna be a fun year for Milva and me - Circus and Neumuenster after :).

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D.

"Not just a book but a spontaneous act of generosity."

www.mscottpeck.com

“The Road Less Traveled” (RLT), by M. Scott Peck, has sold more than 7 million copies and spent at least 598 weeks on bestseller lists. The book’s first words are “Life is difficult,” and its premise is that most of our unhappiness in life is the result of having attempted to avoid the legitimate suffering or pain (sustained effort, discipline, self denial) required to face and solve life’s problems.
Peck postulates that solving one’s problems requires discipline and that four tools of discipline are essential.

Quotes out of the book:

Life is difficult, mainly because the process of confronting and solving problems is painful. The benefit that results may be pleasurable but the process is painful. And since life poses an endless series of problems, life can be painful.
Yet it is this process of meeting and solving problems that gives life its meaning. Problems are the cutting edge between failure and success.
Fearing the pain, most of us attempt to avoid problems rather than meet them head on. We procrastinate, hoping they will go away. We ignore them, forget them, pretend they do not exist. We even take drugs to assist us in ignoring them, so that by deadening ourselves to the pain we can ignore the problem that causes it. We attempt to get out of our problems rather than suffering through them.
The key to learning to deal constructively with our problems lies in a system of discipline comprised of four tools.

1. Delaying gratification: Scheduling the pain and pleasures of life so as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with
2. Acceptance of responsibility
3. Dedication to truth
4. Balance

Good discipline takes time to think through the appropriate form. Often when we become aware of a problem in our personal lives, it so discomforts us that we demand an immediate solution and are not willing to tolerate our discomfort long enough to analyze it.
Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and development of the spirit.
To willingly confront a problem early, before we are forced to by circumstances, means we are putting aside something pleasant or less painful for something more painful. It is choosing suffering now in hopes of future gratification, rather than choosing to continue present gratification hoping future suffering will not be necessary.
If we have a deep internal sense of security, a deep sense of our own value, of consistent safety in the world, we can delay gratification, secure in the knowledge that the opportunity for gratification, like home and parents, is always there, available when needed.
Dedication to reality
Truth is reality. That which is false is unreality. The more clearly we see the world, the better equipped we are to deal with it. Only a fortunate few continue until the moment of death exploring the mystery of reality, ever enlarging, refining, and redefining their understanding of the world and what is true. Most feel that their maps are complete and accurate. Even if this were once true, the world is forever changing and we must continually revise our views. Yet it is so very difficult to give up our maps, behaviors that have worked in the past, that we have been positively rewarded/reinforced for continuing to use them.
Mental health is the on-going process of dedication to reality at all costs. We must always hold the truth to be more important, more vital to our self-interest, than our comfort. Life must be a continuous and never-ending stringent self-examination. We only know the world through our relationship to it. Therefore, to know the world we examine both it and the examiner.
The only way we can be certain that our map of reality is valid is to expose it to the criticism and challenge of other mapmakers. In other words, live a life willing to be personally challenged. Entering psychotherapy is an act of the greatest courage because by doing so we deliberately lay ourselves open to the deepest challenge from another human being.
A life of total honesty (clearly seeing reality, the better to deal with the world, for how can we make correct decisions/choices based on faulty data?) demands that we seek out opportunities to risk openness. (NOT to run from problems, though that is a very natural human reaction to what is perceived—and sometimes intended—as an attack, yet it also is an opportunity to test—not defend—our maps. “How we perceive the problem is often part of the problem.” If we see it as an opportunity to grow, we will learn. If we see it as an attack to be defeated, we regress. Value the differences!)
Insofar as the nature of the challenge is legitimate (and it usually is) lying (even white lies), is an attempt to circumvent legitimate suffering (the pain of confronting and solving a problem/issue, as growth can be painful). Circumvention raises the issue of shortcuts. It is okay to avail yourself of any legitimate shortcuts to growth; the key is the legitimacy, and only stringent, honest, self-examination holds the answer.

Withholding truth
Yet truth/reality can hurt, wound, even destroy. Selective withholding, the suppression of opinions, feelings, ideas, knowledge may be necessary IF it serves a higher principle.

1. Never speak falsehoods, and bear in mind that the act of withholding the truth is always potentially a lie that requires proper weight/attention be given to the significant moral decision involved.
2. The decision to withhold the truth should not be based on personal needs, such as a need for power, a need to be liked, or a need to protect one’s map from challenge.
3. Withholding should be based entirely on the needs of the person from whom the truth is being withheld.
4. Assessment of the needs of another is an act of responsibility that can be executed wisely only when one operates out of genuine love.
5. The primary factor in the assessment of the other’s needs should be that person’s capacity to use the truth for his or her personal growth.

Honesty requires self-discipline, which is why many people opt for a life of very limited honesty/openness, hiding themselves and their maps from the world. It is easier. Yet the rewards of the difficult life of dedication to truth are more than commensurate with the demands. By virtue of the fact that their maps are continually being challenged, open people are continually growing people. Through their openness they can establish and maintain intimate relationships far more effectively than closed people. They are sources of illumination and clarification; they are totally free to be. They are not burdened by the need to hide. They do not have to construct new lies to hide old ones. They waste no effort covering tracks or maintaining disguises. Ultimately, the energy required for the discipline of honesty is far less than the energy required for secretiveness. The more honest one is, the easier it is to continue being honest. Just as the more lies one has told, the more necessary it is to lie again. Through the exercise of their courage to live in the open, they become free from fear.
Balancing
To be organized and efficient, to live wisely, we must daily delay gratification and keep an eye on the future. Yet to live joyously we must also possess the capacity to live in the present and act spontaneously. This requires flexibility and judgment, our discipline must be disciplined.
Growth is change and frequently requires giving up something, which is painful. If we are to grow we must continually give up parts of ourselves, sacrificing what we are today for what we can be tomorrow. For a relationship to grow, we must give up parts of ourselves.
The only alternative to this giving up is to not grow. Strange as it may seem, most people choose this alternative. Yet, it is in the giving up of self that human beings can find the most ecstatic, lasting, solid, durable joy of life, the joyful sense of rebirth that accompanies the successful transition into greater maturity.
Bracketing is balancing the need for stability and the assertion of the self with the need for new knowledge and greater understanding by temporarily giving up oneself, putting oneself aside, so as to make room for the incorporation of new material into the self.
Each time you approach a new object, person, or event there is a tendency to let your present needs, past experiences, or expectations for the future determine what you see. If you are to appreciate the uniqueness of any datum, you must be sufficiently aware of your preconceived ideas and characteristic emotional distortions to bracket them long enough to welcome strangeness and novelty into your perceptual world. This discipline of bracketing, compensating, or self-silencing, requires sophisticated self-knowledge and courageous honesty. Otherwise each present moment is just a repetition of something already seen or experienced.
Self-discipline is a self-enlarging process. For all that is given up, even more is gained.

“Throughout the whole of life one must continue to learn to live, and what will amaze you even more, throughout life one must learn to die." - Seneca

Discipline is a system to deal constructively with the pain of problem solving. The strength and energy to use these techniques of discipline is provided by love.

Breakfast In Bed

That´s how I met the horses this morning. Lina is missing cause she slept in the stable instead.
I sat next to Milva for about 10min before she decided to wake up and when she did she gave me a deep whinney. I fed her some oats while she laid down and she stayed down for another 5 minutes, completly relaxed.
I put the 45´ on her and got my carrot stick and took her to the ridinghouse, fed her some more cookies gave her some scratches and left again and took her grazing combined with 10min of stick to me over cavalettis.
25min passenger lesson on Orkan, using my bareback pad, around the pasture. Yesterday I rode him 20min - passenger lesson.
On the way to the stable I listened to an awesome Parelli audio. I think it was the one from May. Got to listen to it again and write down some information about it.

RB?....And It´s Not About....

I screwed up big times.
Instead of putting our relationship first I totally got obsessed about our level 4 audition. Well, I should have filmed it a few weeks ago when things still were going fine because now it might take a while to get to that point again.
As Linda likes to say....it´s not about....
What got in my way was my sense for perfectionism. Another quote of Linda...horses hate perfectionism...
Milva looking outside in the circling game - see post underneath - yes, she rather would be somewhere else than playing with me.
Today she topped it when she started to whinney which she has never done before on the circling game. Well, good thing she has never done it before!  It was like an alarm clock going off - wake up and face the problem. If I still would have ignored that sign and continued to torture her with the circling game I would have destroyed even more.
Another problem I had to face today was her galopping in the circling game instead of cantering. She did give me a nice lap in the beginning and that´s where I should have brought her in and rewarded her and let her rest to give my little lbi more time...but I did not...which resultet in protesting even more.
Oh my... but it´s no use to beat myself up over it, lesson learned and time to move on...
After consulting with my Savvy sisters I have new arrows in my quiver and a new plan.

Longeing vs. Playing by Linda Parelli

I´m just saying - WOW, sometimes I´m a real idiot!!! I should get this article tattoed behind my eyelids!! How could I forget...

Something is happening with Parelli students all over the world that is a bit concerning, and it compelled me to write this blog. I need to clearly explain the difference between longeing (or “lunging”) and playing with your horse – because I’m seeing the Circling Game turning into longeing!

At the very first clinic I attended with Pat Parelli in 1989, he said, “I am a one-man coalition against longeing. I think it is one of the worst things you can do to a horse. Longeing exercises the body while the mind goes to pot.”

Wow. That hit me hard at that time; I was longeing my horse for at least 30 minutes to get him safe to ride. But of course he didn’t get safer, just fitter.

Recently I’ve been able to watch a large number of students, in different parts of the world, warming their horses up for riding and I’ve seen a pattern developing that would make steam come out of Pat’s ears!

- People walking in circles watching their horses intently as they trot around them.

- Horses being asked to carry their heads low as they trot.

Yikes – this is just like longeing! The horses are going in mindless circles, and their heads might as well be tied down because it is not by choice that they are carrying their heads that low.

I don’t know where this is coming from, but it’s spreading and I need to say something about it before people start to think this is how it should be done!

Warming a horse up on the ground means that you allow him to express himself; you give him what he needs and then he’ll want to do what you want. This is what Pat means when he says, “Cause your idea to become your horse’s idea, but understand your horse’s idea first.” Circling is often the first thing people do on the ground, but it is not necessarily what the horse needs. Yes, you should be able to do the Circling Game, but don’t make it your automatic go-to first thing.

How not to longe your horse: Keep your feet still, encourage the horse to use his brain (he has to think and take responsibility to maintain gait and direction without micromanagement), and allow him to put his head anywhere he wants because that’s going to tell you about his mental and emotional state and help you think about what you need to do.

- If his head is up, he’s on adrenaline: You’re going to need to get him calmer by getting him to go a little faster and run off the adrenaline (see my previous blog about asking the horse faster for a lap and waiting for three to see the effect, repeat as needed); if it’s a left-brain horse, do something else to get him more connected, such as a Touch It Pattern at walk then trot, or going exploring with him.

- If he is looking out of the circle, he’s wishing he was somewhere else! You probably need to back off the pressure, stop micromanaging or bring him in more often to find comfort with you and maybe even get some scratches or treats.

- If he lowers and stretches his neck, with nose leading (not over-flexed) and above his knees, he is relaxed and swinging through his body. This is what you are aiming for, and when you use the right approaches for your horse’s Horsenality™, this is what you will get. And once you’ve got it, your horse is probably ready to ride.

I hope this helps you to think more about how to do what your horse needs and to focus on making sure you are using psychology rather than mechanics as you play with your horse and develop your skills. Your horses will thank you, and we’ll keep that smile on Pat’s face… not to mention keep making the world a better place for horses and the people who love them.
Tagged as: linda parelli, Parelli Media
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http://linda.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/2011/12/longeing-vs-playing/

Rain, Rain Go Away

another one of Johan´s pic. I love the colours in those pictures!
Not much new on the horsey front. Very unlike me I made a very short trip to the stable today, only to check on the critters, gave Milva some extra hay and left again.
My beloved Scooty decided to break down yesterday when I was about to scoot home from work - at 10.00 p.m. The downside of working in another country - like me in Denmark, is, that it can get pretty complicated to get home in the middle of the night. All the pouring rain didn´t make it any more fun either.
One of the reason why I love my job so much are my amazing collegues! When one of them found out that I was stranded, she immediately called her husband, without telling me - they live 40km from our work, and he came in the middle of the night to lend me their car so I could get home and he drove home with my collegue. Gotta love them!!!
As a typical sagitarious I thought a little bit of rest, some more gas and oil would fix Scootys problem - like with horses, a bit of undemanding time, some carrots and hay. Needless to say it did not...lol...
Now I´m looking forward to an adventerous trip home tonight, using train, ferry and bus.

My Heart And Soul

Milva is putting all her heart in  trying  to understand what I mean, now that I got particular with the circling game.
We played with cavalettis to help her to lift her back up and some small jumps. Milva will never become a jumping horse though. After every jump she stops and turns around...lol... too much squeeze game, maybe ;).
We got 4 perfect flying leadchanges as well and all 4 times she continued to canter. Those flying leadchanges come very naturally to her, it´s a bigger deal for me than for her ;).
Another picture taken by Johan.

Hi Ho Off To Canter We Go

...and happily looking outside, with some grass in her mouth - to make the circling game a little bit more fun you need to bring a snack - of course ;). I totally understand her, I would do the same thing...
Playing with lots of sideways - to loosen up her shoulders which will help her with the flying leadchanges.
As Pat says, the better they can go sideways and back up the better they can do everything else.
We also play with lots of backing up to bring her weight more back.
Lots of transitions like 8 canter strides and then 8 trotting steps and then 8 canter again. Lots of canter transition will helpen her to get more strength plus keep the circling game interesting and her more alert. The more I keep her occupied the smaller is the change that she starts to make up her own games ;).
I also make the circles smaller and then bigger again.
My goal is that she will lift her back, arch her neck and relax from her poll and that she will not fall on her inside shoulder and twist her head to the outside. So I wanna bring her nose onto the line of the circle.
Can´t be that hard, really.

Glad Midsommar - Happy midsummer everyone!

Anita and I spent all afternoon/evening in the stable. Needless to say we were the only ones. Everyone else was out celebrating midsummer, which is huge holiday in Sweden, almost bigger than Christmas.
Anita brought her young Main Coone kitten Apache for environmental training and he got to meet Milva and Orkan.
I played with Milva a little bit at liberty and got a lovely sideways over the barrels. I could send her sideways over it from standing several meters away - yeah!
Online we played with some level 4 tasks I wanna have in my audition like longreining her in trot in the weavepattern, circling game with 3 flying lead changes,...
I could film my audition any day now BUT I really want to get her canter better on both leads. To the right she still likes to look outside, push her shoulder in and takes off.
Like Anita said she simply doesn´t have the strength, muscles nor the physics yet to stay in better balance and the right lead has always been her weaker side.
Let´s not forget that Milva is not ridden either, she is only played with on the ground. A well ridden horse has of course a better physic, more muscles and strength and therefor a better balance.
It was good to get Anita´s input on some things cause she can see things I don´t, or just got accustomed to and think it´s normal.
I´m pretty satisfied with the canter on the left lead though. It´s more balaced, relaxed, uphill and slower. We will just continue to play with the canter some more and see how much we can improve over the next few weeks.
My ropehandling needs to get better too - I´m still getting Milva or myself wrapped up in the 45´ - or I stumble over it...lol. The good thing though is that Milva always stops as soon as I got her tangled up - even if she all exuberant and bucking around. As soon as she can feel the rope between her legs or under her belly she stops and gives me the look - "again?"
I also rode on Orkan in the NH and using my bareback pad, doing 20min of passenger lesson. It was super fun! I need to watch more freestyle dvd´s though and the fluidity dvd´s as well.

After we took the horses out in the pasture again we met the stable owner and she asked me how it went so I told her about our canter challenge. Big mistake - why do I never learn to just shut up and not tell her anything. Of course she gave me her opinion which was that you need to put sidereins and a bit on a horse to get it in the right form otherwise you will never get a balanced, uphill canter and the horse will never use the right muscles.
Really? Well you just watch me....

Snuggle Time

2 hours of grazing time with the munch this morning. I let her take over and just followed her where ever she wanted to go and graze - except for the big field cause the grass is growing again and we are not allowed back there until they cut the next batch of haysilage.
I still think it´s very fascinating to see which herbs she chooses to eat.

Stick To Me In W/T/C

I totally love all those pictures Johan took! An awesome, professional camera, linse, tripod and a good eye for the perfect shot makes all the difference! Also, he is always willing to come - early mornings when it had - 20 outside or late evenings, even though he has to get up early next morning to leave for work. We sure have the perfect neighbour - and I do think he likes my cooking...lol
Yesterday, Anita and I spent 2 hours of undemanding time with the ponies. We sat in the sun and let the horses graze between two pastures.
Today I took her grazing in the morning, asked her for one lay down in the sand paddock and then played a short session of circling game with one flying lead change.
I know now why the flying leadchanges didn´t work for a while. When I asked her to change direction in canter I put my energy so much down so she would slow down and trot instead of maintaing gate.
It always works best if I just do things without thinking and analyzing too much.
I guess the flying leadchanges came just too easy to us and that´s why I started to over analyze them and trying to figure out why it worked so easy.
Today I was just going with the flow and waited for what happened, and see there - it works again - dah!

June Photoshoot

Johan, our neighbour came with his super cool camera to take some pictures tonight.
Those pictures are taken between 8 p.m and 9 p.m - love those light swedish summer nights.
I was in the stable in the afternoon as well but just as I started to play with Milva the stable´s dressage trainer came and started with her lessons... needless to say that I do not wanna be in the ridinghouse while she is teaching and it was pouring outside. I took Milva grazing instead for a little while and went home again and watched some videos on Parelli tube to get some inspiration.

The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family,

children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.

 “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are

important to you...” he told them.

 “So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

 One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Playing In The Big Field

We have been playing in the big field for the last week, mostly with different variations of the circling game like travelling circles in trot and canter using the whole 45´line, lots of transitions and change of direction, S-pattern and making circles bigger and smaller.
Left lead circles are going very well, right lead circles need some more practice.
It´s totally fun to have her on the end of the 45´and watch her way out there while she still stays connected.
I hoped to take some videos today and pictures but of course it´s rainy again...

"I Believe - When What You Believe Matters!" written by Eldon Taylor

I know, I always say - this is one of my favourite books...but honestly, if you only read one book a year then read this one.

From NY Times Best Selling Author - Eldon Taylor

What is the foundation underpinning success in all areas of life? Is there a blueprint? What if you learned that your beliefs were the very cornerstones that supported success, and that having a few of these could give rise to success in some areas while complete failure in others? Would you choose to build a stronger overall foundation?

Very few people today doubt the power of positive thinking. We all know that if we expect to fail, then failure is inevitably what we get, and there is also the issue of the mind/body connection—science is repeatedly demonstrating the power of mind and belief to heal. What you believe can and does have a huge impact on the quality of your life—from success in business to success in relationships, from your ability to learn and master new subjects to your ability to heal your own body. But have you ever stopped to consider your own beliefs—to truly examine them and decide for yourself if they are serving you or sabotaging you?

www.eldontaylor.com

Harnessing The Magic of Your Beliefs

What is the foundation underpinning success in all areas of life? Is there a blueprint? What if you learned that your beliefs were the very cornerstones that supported success, and that having a few of these could give rise to success in some areas while complete failure in others? Would you choose to build a stronger overall foundation?

Very few people today doubt the power of positive thinking. We all know that if we expect to fail, then failure is inevitably what we get. We are all familiar with the mind/body connection, and science is repeatedly demonstrating the power of mind and belief to heal. But this power of belief goes much further! What you believe can and does have a huge impact on the quality of your life—from success in business to success in relationships, from your ability to learn and master new subjects to your ability to heal your own body. Your beliefs influence almost everything in your life, from your DNA to the operation of your endocrine and immune systems; from your emotional well-being to the stability of your mood states and attitudes; from your relationships with others to your relationship with yourself—in short, with literally every aspect of your life?

But have you ever stopped to consider your own beliefs—to truly examine them and decide for yourself if they are serving you or sabotaging you?

Eldon Taylor has spent over 25 years researching the power of the mind and developing scientifically proven methods to use this power to enhance the quality of your life. I Believe is a book that will not only inspire you, but will highlight the kinds of beliefs you hold that may be causing you to fail. In the process, it will provide you with the opportunity to choose, once again, the beliefs that drive your life.