Thanks Caro!

A big thank you to Caro, my dear friend from good ol´ Austria for solving the mane puzzle! It´s very helpful to have a future veterinary as a friend :)
Milva´s mane is on the right side which makes it easier for her to bend to the right. Side of the mane - "shorter" side, easier to bend. Left side must be the stronger side then. Shawn just tried to explain it to me as well but it didn´t understand it - now I do though :)
Thanks Caro and Shawn!

Long Reining

I forgot to mention a thing about yesterday. When Milva was loose in the ridinghouse she came trotting towards me a few times :) while she was at the other end of the ridinghouse. Cute little babyboo!
Today we played for 45 minutes. 30min longreining, first from z3 and then from z5. It seems to be easier for her to do it on the right hand. It´s no problem for her to stop when going on the right hand or to back up from z5. On the left hand she seems to be a bit more confused or not comfortable enough. When I walked in z5 and stopped her she turned around. To make her feel more comfortable I walked in z4 and did transitions from there which was going fine.
She really is the cutest. Always when I stop her she is turning her head around and asking a question.
After longreining we did some circling game. The same there - she rather goes on the right hand and tries to change direction by herself. I wonder if she has pain on the left hand - it doesn´t look so, or maybe she is just more stiff on that side.
Oh, I remember Anna mentioning something about on which side the manes lays is the stronger or weaker side. I have to look that up!
Instead of doing circled to the left she turned around and offered trott. To even it out I asked her to trott the other direction as well and it was going ok.
When I left the stable she was calling after me - like a mare calling her foal. It sounded so soft.
I wish I would have more time to spend in the stable or having my own stable so I could go out there whenever I wanted to.

I´m Back!

After a week of spending undemanding time with Milva I started to play with her again yesterday.
Last week the weather was just miserable here! Snowstorms and freezing cold. Shawn had the stomache flue for a few days. Even though I didn´t catch it I could feel my body fighting against getting it which made me even more tired.
Milva enjoyed our time together though. She happily tried to share her hay with me while I was sitting next to her watching her eat.
Yesterday morning I watched the first part of the mastery lesson online. As a goldmember we receive a mastery lesson every month this year. Last year it was the mastery manuals. The lessons are very informative and it´s super fun to see Pat´s private barn and watch the mastery students. In the first part Sam was playing with Brooke (after Casper out of River). The lesson was about maintaining gate, direction and look where you are going. By the end of the lesson Brooke got more engaged to Sam and had a nice bend towards him - instead of looking outside.
I tried that with Milva as well and realized how much work we have left to do. As a lbi she finds the circling game rather boring and doesn´t put much effort in it. Smelling poo or a leave is much more intressting than paying attention to me.
I did alots of change of direction and transitions. At the end she could do 2 circels in trott with a nice bend towards me. I left it like that - you certainly don´t want to overdo it with a lbi.

Lack Of Energy

Milva and I haven´t been doing anything except spending undemanding time together.
I was sitting with her everyday for 2 hours while she was eating her hay - even when it was the worst snowstorm. So if anyone had any doubts about me maybe being normal I definitely have erased all hopes for it....lol
Milva loved it though.
I guess it´s time to start taking vitamines, iron and minerals as well. I´m good with buying stuff for Milva but for myself...not. I hate to be so tired all the time though. Shawn got the stomachflu yesterday. Hopefully I won´t get it!

Week Of Short Playsessions

Circling game in walk and trott - nice expression and bend towards me
Longreining one rein - back up from z5, change of direction, throwing the rope over her head from z5
Squeeze game - over cavaletti in walk and trott, have to work on the rope handling
Sideway game - without the wall or cavaletti, had never been a real problem, she is always going sideways easily
Liberty - over the cavaletti, draw to me, definitely have to start working on our liberty

Growth And Change

I had another short session with Milva today. Short because she put so much effort in it - again.
We did perfect figure 8s with a slope in the 22 foot line, no carrotstick and just a soft, litte point to show her the direction, a little step back to draw her to me and change of direction again.
It was all about how little does it take to get the result I want. Very little when the horse is mentally connected to you.
Learning requires growth, growth requires change and both require vulnerabilitiy.

Short Play

We worked on our circling game today in walk and trott. Circling is not the most exciting thing to do for a lbi but Milva was doing her best anyway. And because she put in so much effort our playsession was not longer than 15min today.
I also worked on tossing the rope over her head again.
Oh and I did had the saddle on her while playing with her.
Talking to my menthor Sabine in Canada yesterday. I soo miss them all!!!!

More Riding Preperation

We had a nice, mild winterday here in the south of Sweden today. I let Milva eat with the saddle on again. Poor pumpkin was really hungry.
We played for 45 min in the ridinghouse. Mirroring, she is really paying attention to my steps and lengthening and shortening them as I do. I didn't try the spanish walk though. I want to do some more research on it before trying it again. It's funny to watch her watching my steps. She is also picking up the speed. When I walk very sloooow and put my foot down sloooow she is doing the same.
We also worked on longreining with one rein walking in z5, stop and walk transitions and backing up from z5 with one rein, which is working again.
Squeeze game over a cavaletti in walk and trott, turn around and face me. Sidewards game over cavaletti and stepping over with one front leg and backing up.
I'm pretty satisfied with todays session. Especially with the backing up from z5 which is a level 4 task.
Milva is such a fast learner and so incredible smart. If I wouldn't be so slow we would be much farther by now. I have to work on my imagination and on the being progressiv part.

Saddling With A Hug

I watched the freestyle dvd of the new level 1/2 program this morning and decided to focus on saddling with no resistent today. Milva didn't had any saddle on since november. She didn't show any resistance whatsoever.
Since I started saddling Milva I always kept Patg's word in my mind how to put the saddle on with a hug and a swing and not like a Grizzly bear trying to kill. I'm always cinching up in at least 3 stages as well.
Saddling a horse is a very intimidate moment and should be done with awareness. I have to admit that I'm pretty proud of my little girl. She is standing still when I saddle her and not trying to go anywhere even though she is not tied up. I don't even need to have the rope in my hand.
After I saddled her today I let her eat some hay. I don't want that she thinks oh saddle on means let's go.
After eating for a little while we went to the ridinghouse and played for a little bit. We did change of direction in trott, tossing the rope over her head while standing in z3, yoyo, some circling game and we started with the spanish walk. She raised her left leg up to the spanish walk in one step so I stopped it right there.
In the cicling game in trott she started to canter behind my back with a squeeky sound and when she was in front of me she trotted again, coming behind me same thing - squeek and canter. That was too funny! She has never done that before!

Building Up The Relationship

After the ferrier incident I have the urgent need to build up our relationship again.
But I think it's more my feeling than Milva's. Probably it's my bad conscious to let such a thing happen to her.
Anyway, saturday evening I went back to the stable. Shawn suggested I should end the day on a good note and do something short and nice with her. When I came to the stable it was already dark but all the snow made it still light enough to go for a walk with her. First I took her to the big hayball so she could eat a little bit and then we went for a 15min walk.
When I came to the stable yesterday she left the bathtube full of hay and came to me instead. So I assume our relationship is not that much demaged after all. I took her out to let her eat outside instead and gave her a big scratch. I also started to give her some oats and minerals and herbs again. Helene said it was ok to give her just a little bit and I want to make sure she is getting enough vitamine b for her hooves.
I took her for a little walk again and put her on the big rock and yoyo her into the ridinghouse. I rewarded her alots and gave her carrots. I know that she loves doing those 2 things and I wanted to make her feel good and smart.
I'm leaving to the stable after lunch today. Not sure yet what to do with her. It depends on how many people are going to be there if I can use the ridinghouse and start riding her or not...

Ferrier Time

Helene our vet came today to trim Milva's hooves.
I failed on proper and prior prepertion which prevents poor performance. Helene insisted on trimming the hooves in the stable on hard surface. Which makes perfectly sense if you wanna have a perfect trim. And of course that's what I was looking for - a perfect trim.
Just I failed on preparing Milva properly. We are never in the stable cause I always brush and saddle her outside the turnout stable. I just have to drop the rope outside the stable and there she stands. Well, things are different inside the stable. Unfamiliar environment makes her sometimes right brain.
Make a long story short - she did not want to stand still and was just right walking over me. Well, she was clearly expressing her opinion which was to get out of there.
We decided to give her sedation so Helene could trim her.
Guess we are spending some time in the stable now over the next few weeks...
On the good note - the trim is perfect! Exactly what I wanted and a big difference to the last ones!
Now I'm going to watch the Olympic Openings in Vancouver on TV and after that I will go out to the stable again and start playing with my punkpony.

Will This Crazyness Ever End?

I kind of expected things to slow down after last weekend. But no...still going on. The appartment is almost fixed though so hopefully I´m going to have a relaxed weekend where I can concentrade on The Milvs!
As every morning I fed them again today. I love going there early in the morning!
Milva was already waiting at "her" bathtube - bathtube nr.3. As soon as I put the hay in she stepped with her two front feet in the bathtube. It looks so funny! I think she wants to make a statement to the other horses that it is HER bathtube...lol
I was sitting with her for an hour watching her eat. The snow sparkled in the sun and it was very cosy to sit there and listen to Milva eating.
I called my vet Helene today. She is going to trim Milva´s hooves on saturday :)))
Perfect! Now I don´t have to worry anymore!
Malin is trying to talk me into taking on the little brown ponny - or buying it.
I don´t know though. Sure she is cute and seems to have a good temper. But she is not a Trakehner... When I bought Milva I decided to just go with Trakehner´s from now on. Well, I will think about it. There is also the time factor though. Milva takes a lot of time - or I like to spend a lots of time with her. Not sure if there is any spare time for another horse yet - unless it would be Milva´s foal.
Lot´s to think about....

Crazy Busy

It is still crazy busy here with the moving, work, Milva,...
On the good note - we passed our level 2 online audition :)))))
I´ll scan my audition sheet later and will post it here.
Milva is doing fine. We just cuddled the last few days and spent undemanding time together - which she loves.
As soon as things have slowed down - hopefully this weekend, we will play again :))

Busy Week

This week has been crazy busy. I was in the stable every day as usual. Feeding the horses in the morning and doing the stable chores and hugging Milva. But somehow there wasn´t time for anything else!
Malin had birthday today and I offered her to take care of her 2 turnout stables as well. Taking care of 3 stables is a lot of work but so much fun!
We still have alots of snow here! And surprise - I still completly LOVE it! Finally a real winter!!
Tomorrow it´s going to be another busy day. Going to Ikea after feeding the horses, stablework and work. I have to go to work a bit earlier tomorrow because of a meeting.
Hopefully things slow down after we have fixed our new place! Planing on riding my babygirl next week :)
Off to bed now...

Information About Trakehner

www.americantrakehner.com/The%20Breed/history.htm

Connery

What a super smart pony I have! I did some longreining with one rein today. Backing up from z5 - which is magically working again ;). Going over obstacles, change of direction by tossing the rope over her head standing in z5! Sideways over cavaletti - working againg too!
We did the same yesterday as well.
Anna came in with Luxus her stallion and walked with him. Milva was very intressted in the boy ;). I could convince her though to listen to me - for most of the time.
Anna told me that Milva´s dad CONNERY is going to be used in Flyinge (swedish breeding station). Anna said it is a real good thing and I should be proud of it.
Having the only Connery offspring in Sweden right now I think they should have at least asked me first *joking*.
The only thing that concerns me is Connery being a Trakehner and Trakehner being very special. Trakehner are not a horsebreed for everyone. I know that sounds maybe arrogant but that statement is not coming from me. Just read about Trakehner and you will understand what I mean.



This afternoon a really bad blizzard came in over Skane again and it´s still going on. I drove out to the stable one more time to give the horses their evening hay. I´m truly glad I have a SUV! Sam feels pretty secure to drive even in the worst winterstorm!