Friday, July 30, 2010

Let It Rain


Not much new to report from here. We started to feed extra haywrap again and the horses seem to be happy about that.
I got my operation date - 19th of august. I can´t believe that it takes so long time and I hate the thought of walking around with a Nefrostomi until that.
But oh well, on the bride side, it gives me plenty of time to catch up with all the savvy dvds. I will also watch Liberty & Horse Behaviour again.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Lots And Lots Of Undemanding Time

With this stupid tube sticking out of my back I really can´t do much in the stable. My movements are very much restricted. I can´t even through hay over the fence - that´s how bad it is.
Luckily Milva is so well behaved - thanks to the Parelli Program. Otherwise I couldn´t even take her out of the pasture.
Haltering with savvy comes in very handy right now. I don´t even have to tell Milva to lower her head cause she knows what to do. She is giving me a nice stretch towards me, head a little bit down - just perfect for haltering. While doing all this she doesn´t move a bit, waiting for me to open the gate then I send her out, disengage her hindquarters, she turns around and looks at me and then off we go.
I should also mention that I can´t walk very fast right now, it´s more in a snailspeed but Milva walks there right with me. I don´t even have to hold her rope. She just chooses to walk in my speed.
Right now I prefer not to lead her in case she would spook at something. It´s very unlikely that it would happen but with my luck lately I better stay on the save side.
When we are in the big field - where I usually let her graze, I sit down in my chair and she grazes around me. When she gets too far away I call her and usually she comes back to me.
I´m so lucky to have a horse like Milva!!!!
I still haven´t gotten an appointment for my kidneystoneremovemnt yet. It´s pretty annoying to walk around with a Nefrostomi I have to say!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Tempelhüter


Tempelhüter is one of the stallions registered in Milva´s bloodline.
He is by Perfectionist out of Teichrose.
Tempelhüter, who was chief sire in Trakehnen 1916-1931 was considered as the perfect example of the Trakehner horse. As illustration of his unrivaled significance, a statue of this magnificent stallion was erected in front of the Castle at Trakehnen where it remained until being taken as war booty to Russia after World War II. It was placed in fron of the Russian Horse Museum in Moscow. An exact replica of it was made possible in the early 1970s by efforts from Hans-Joachim Köhler, and in a very special moment, was introduced to the public in front of the Horse Museum in Verden, Germany.

At that time, the last horse originally born at Trakehnen, the chestnut stallion Keith by Pythagoras out of Ketzerin by Ararad, born in Trakehnen in 1942, was present (well into his 30s), and more than a few eyes were wet that night!

Trakehner - Horses For Life written by Imke Eppers


I just read this book which gives a nice overview about the Trakehnerhistory and breeding.

Friday, July 23, 2010

I´m Back - And Alive

Sorry for not updating lately but I had to spend a few days in the hospital. Last weekend I got fever and when it went up to 40 it was even too much for me.
Monday morning I went to the emergency and after being diagnosed with a lifethreatening kidneystone and a big infection in the whole body they kept me there.
As a nure I hate being a patient in the hospital. And I have to admit I´m not the easiest patient to have to do with either.
Anyway I was allowed to go home thursday evening but I still have the stone in me. To help my kidney I have a tube in the kidney now, next to stone. The tube is going in through my back and it´s super discusting and hurts! I probably have to go around with it for another two weeks. So much to the great swedish health system!
Anita and Patricia took care of Milva baby and I went there today for a short little while to pet her. Not much horseying around for me in the next couple of weeks but alots of time to catch up with my Savvy Club dvds :)

Friday, July 16, 2010

Equanimity

There´s an old story that illustrates the wisdom of this state of mind.
A farmer´s most valuable asset is the one horse he owns. One day it runs away. All the townpeople commiserate with him, "Oh, what terrible luck! You´ve fallen into poverty now, with no way to pull the plow or move your goods!"
The farmer merely responds, "I don´t know if it´s unfortunate or not, all I know is that my horse is gone."
A few days later, the horse returns, and following it are six more horses, both stallions and mares. The townspeople say, "Oh! You´ve struck it rich! Now you have seven horses to your name!" Again, the farmer says, "I don´t know if I´m fortunate or not, all that I can say is that I now have seven horses in my stable."
A few days later, while the farmer´s son trying to break in one of the wild stallions, he´s thrownm from the horse and breaks his leg and shoulder. All the townspeople bemoan his fate: "Oh, how terrible! Your son has been so badly injured, he´ll not be able to help you with the harvest. What a missfortune!"
The farmer responds, " I don´t know if it´s a missfortune or not, what I know is that my son has been injured."
Less than a week later, the army sweeps through town, conscripting all the young men to fight in a war...all except for the farmer´s son, who is unable to fight because of his injury.
The fact is you can´t know what changes your life will bring or what the ultimate consequences will be. Equanimity allows for the mystery of things: the unknowable, uncontrollable nature of things to be just as they are. In this radical acceptance lies peace and freedom - right there in the midst of whatever pleasant or unpleasant circumstances we find ourselves in. When we open to the truth that there is actually very little we can control other than our own reactions to circumstances, we learn to let go.
Cultivating the qualities of kindness, compassion, and joy opens your heart to others. Equanimity balances the giving of your heart´s love with the recognition and acceptance that things are the way they are.
However much you may care for someone, however much you may do for others, however much you would like to control things or you wish that they were other than they are, equanimity reminds you that all beings everywhere are responsible for their own actions, and for the consequences of their actions.
Without this recognition, it´s easy to fall into compassion fatigue, helperburnout, and even despair. Equanimity allows you to open your heart and offer love, kindness, compassion, and rejoicing, while letting go of your expectations and attachments to result.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Hot Hot Hot

Over the last view days we had always over +30. Nice!
Milva and I haven´t been up to much. Spending lots of ud - grazing time together and slowly check of our level 3 online list. We should be able to tape it soon.
But to be honest it´s just way too hot to do any serious work/play. Our sessions are always very short. But because Milva is such a fast learner it really doesn´t need to be longer anyway.
I´m getting now nice 4 circles in trott on both leads. I´m very satisfied with that :)
Usually it looks like this 5min play, 20min grazing and me laying in the sun, 5min play, 20min grazing/suntaning, and so on, depending on how much time I have.
It seems to work pretty good though. Yeah, two lbi found their way ;)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Swedish Heatwave


+31 today. It almost feels like living in Petawawa, On. again. Which brings a lots of sweet memories back.
I went late in the evening to the stable yesterday and took Milva and Orkan for a online walk around the pastures. It took 30min with Milva and 20min with Orkan. Hehehe, my introvert is not moving as fast as Orkan who is an extrovert. What a difference and fun experience.
I also talked to my dear friend Sabine from Pembroke for a while on the phone. Sabine is the one who introduced me to Parelli - the propper way, and helped me with the Appendix gelding I had in Canada.
On the picture you can see me riding her horse Lugano.
Right now I´m laying on the couch and waiting for my kidneystone to come out. Which hurts like hell! I´m going to watch some Mastery lessons now and later on I will go to the stable.
Sofie is coming down next weekend and I told her i would ride Milva a few times before she comes down so maybe there is a change to film the freestyle level 2 soon ;).

Friday, July 9, 2010

Alexander Technique



www.alexandertechnique.com
"The Alexander Technique is a method that works to change (movement) habits in our everyday activities. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities. It is not a series of treatments or exercises, but rather a reeducation of the mind and body. The Alexander Technique is a method which helps a person discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. It can be applied to sitting, lying down, standing, walking, lifting, and other daily activities..."
-Alexander technique for riders

Way More Than Riding

I could go on and on about this topic forever. Parelli truly is way more than riding, it is way more than horsemanship. It´s a lifestyle and when you start with Parelli be prepared for a change in your life.
How you approach your horse is a reflection of how you approach the world.
Parelli isn´t nearly as much about training the horse as training the handler. It is a method of communication and the way how you communicate with your horse will mirror how you interact with other persons.
I think that´s why most Parelli people are such nice, open-minded and warm people.
Enough said about that now.
After sending Frida off to Birmingham I went back to the stable and tried Frida´s Fluidity saddle on Milva. What can I say - it fits like a glove. Now I can´t wait to order my Parelli Dressage saddle!
I had a kind of amusing talk with the lady who bought my Innova today. She asked me why I sold my saddle and when I told her because it was too narrow for my horse she wanted to know which breed I had. So I told her that Milva was a Trakehner which got her started about how hard they are too handle. She has a Holsteiner who has alots of Trakehner blood in it and he is very difficult to ride and to handle, and anyway all Trakehners are crazy. She also had one Gribaldi offspring in her stable and he was the worst. I couldn´t help and started to laugh. While I was talking to her Milva was walking around me at liberty, outside the pasture, grazing and occassionaly coming by to sniff me.
Hmmmm, ja, my crazy, hard to handle Trakehnermare ;).
I told the lady then that I probably have one of nicest and easiest to handle Trakehner on this planet but it all depends how you handle and treat them.
Trakehners are known for their intelligence. They are like Einsteins - it´s a thin line to insanity. But if you treat them with respect and always be fair to them they will go through fire for you.
I wish all horses would come with a Horsenality Report but particular Trakehner horses!
I also told the lady about Milva being a pure Parelli horse. She had never even heard about Parelli. I gave her a brief insight what it is all about and now I really want to call her back to ask her if she googled it.
And about Milva - I´m very well aware of that she would be a completly different horse with a different owner. But luckily she is with me. Two left brain introverts who love food and undemanding time ;). Ja, I guess you can say she is my mirror.
Todays session:
2 hours udt with Milva (cough, cough)
10 min online, she showed me what I asked for so I left it by 10min
20 min experimenting with Frida´s saddle
25 min online with Orkan - walk around the pastures
10 min grazing

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Orkan & Milva

1,5 hours of udt with Milva and a short session of circling game. She gave me 4 nice rounds in trott on both hands so I stopped there and went out grazing again. Effort needs to be rewarded immediately.
Freestyle riding on Orkan for 25 min in walk with the natural hackamore and without a saddle - I did wear pants though today. My goal was to get him relaxed and stretch forwards downwards which he did. Orkan is pretty big compare to Milva but very comfortable to sit on without saddle. I´m going to horsesitt him over the weekend as well :).

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Today´s Playsession

almost forgot about it...
2,5 hours of udt
30min online, circling game in walk and trott, compliment

Parelli Friends

...are with no doubt the best friends. It must have something to do with sitting in the same boat (-preferable on a MacGregor 65 ;) ).
If you want to fly with the eagles, don´t hang out with the turkeys. - one of Pat´s sayings. I strongly agree with him on that one!
Anyway, lovely Frida - Marksman´s mum, is going to lend me her Parelli Fluidity saddle this weekend. I´m speachless about her kindness cause I would never lend out my Parelli saddle to anyone. Her saddle is a super wide so we are going to try it on Milva to see if that´s the size I have to order for the Parelli dressage saddle.
What an oppurtunity and big help! It´s going to make it so much easier to try one before ordering. No headaches about the right size and if I like it or not. Sure, the Fluidity is going to be slightly different than the Dressage saddle but that´s ok. It´s still a Parelli saddle!!
Sofie - Panter´s mum, is probably coming down on Sunday and giving me all the inside information about the Fast Track course. Sofie and Josefin just got home from the Fast Track Course in Colorado. It´s going to be super nice to catch up with Sofie again and maybe we even have time to play some with Milva ;).
Because I´m always on my own playing with her it´s nice to get some input from another Parelli person. Last time Sofie was here she helped me with my level 2 online and that one playsession with her was very valuable for me!
About "The Festival Of The Horse" - well, unfortunately I can´t go. I have to get my kidneystone fixed on thursday before it´s getting any worse.
Frida is going to get my plane tickets and the tickets for the Parelli saturday evening show, for the Savvy sunday and for the goldsummit.
I´m perfectly fine with it :). I have been to the gold summit last november and loved every minute of it but Frida hasn´t been there so it´s going to be a nice experience for her. And I really don´t mind not going. I´m going to the Fast Track course next year anyway so I´m going to meet everyone there instead :))).
Plus - I´m going to ride in her awesome Fluidity saddle all weekend, that makes it up for staying at home - hehehe.
And by the end of the day it´s all Karma. If you are nice to people you get it a hundred times back ;). So come on Universe, where is my MacGregor 65???

Sailing


The sea, once casts its spell, holds one in it net of wonders forever. (Jacques Yves Costeau)
Sailing again.... awesomeness
Dear Universe, above you can see a picture of the sailingboat I want - a MacGregor 65. *wink, wink*

Monday, July 5, 2010

Ferrier Time


1 h udt
1 h ferrier time
second visit
30min udt
Ferrier visit went kind of well. Could have been better but Milva is Milva ;). She is not not mean or anything, she just has her own opinions about things. Which is fine with me. Yes, my horse is allowed to express her own opinion.
Shawn and I went back there a second time this afternoon cause he wanted to spend some time with Mandrick. It was lovely to see that Mandrick came towards him when Shawn called for him. They spent some udt together and Mandrick followed him around like a dog.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Hot Summerday




but at least we don´t have any nasty flying insects here. Not many anyway. I guess that´s the advantage of living so close to the sea.
2,5 h of undemanding time with Milva
10 min online with Milva - Kompliment
10 min udt with Mandrick and carrotstick
10 min udt with Miss Tik
10 min online with Orkan
30 min freestyle with Orkan
I rode Orkan with the Natural Hackamore again and without saddle - with my skirt on. I guess we must have looked even funnier than usual cause people looked even more amused. I´m glad I can amuse people :). I was simply too lazy to saddle him and I forgot my ridingpants at home. Usually I have a pair of jeans in my SUV but I took them out yesterday to finally wash them. And I thought when I ride in my skirt my legs get a suntan as well. Who said I´m vein???
Orkan was lovely. No arguments today.
Milva was doing well too. She was a bit upset though that I took Orkan and not here. It was heartbreaking to see her standing there looking at me. I think the next time I take her with me.
My little girl got almost eaten by blue horse-eating plastig bags. She ordered me to go and check them out first - to make sure they would eat me first instead of her. When she saw that I survived and the bags wouldn´t attack me she came too. All cocky of a sudden and biting in them. Better to kill first than be killed ;).

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Yes, I Have OCEANS Syndrom, And Yes, I´m Proud Of it

OCEANS Syndrome
Just recently, after years of research, I have finally been able to give a name to what my wife and I have been living with for years. It's an affliction, for sure, which when undiagnosed and misunderstood can devastate and literally tear a family apart. Very little is known about O.C.E.A.N. Syndrome. But it is my hope this article... See More will generate interest from researchers involved in the equine and psychological sciences. You will, no doubt, begin to identify similar symptoms in your own family and hopefully now be able to cope. Obsessive Compulsive Equine Attachment Neurosis Syndrome (O.C.E.A.N.S) is usually found in the female and can manifest itself anytime from birth to the golden years. Symptoms may appear any time and may even go dormant in the late teens! , but the syndrome frequently re-emerges in later years. Symptoms vary widely in both number and degree of severity. Allow me to share some examples which are most prominent in our home.
The afflicted individual:

1. Can smell moldy hay at ten paces, but can't tell whether milk has gone bad until it turns chunky.

2. Finds the occasional "Buck and Toot" session hugely entertaining, but severely chastises her husband for similar antics.

3. Will spend hours cleaning and conditioning her tack, but wants to eat on paper plates so there are no dishes.

4. Considers equine gaseous excretions a fragrance.

5. Enjoys mucking out four stalls twice a day, but insists on having a housekeeper mop the kitchen floor once a week.

6. Will spend an hour combing and trimming an equine mane, but wears baseball cap so she doesn't waste time brushing her own hair.

7. Will dig through manure piles daily looking for worms, but does not fish.

8. Will not hesitate to administer a rectal exam up to her shoulder, but finds cleaning out the Thanksgiving turkey cavity for dressing quite repulsive.

9. By memory can mix eight different supplements in the correct proportions, but can't make macaroni and cheese that isn't soupy.

10. Twice a week will spend an hour scrubbing algae from the water tanks, but has a problem cleaning lasagna out of the casserole dish.

11. Will pick a horse's nose, and call it cleaning, but becomes verbally violent when her husband picks his.

12. Can sit through a four-hour session of a ground work clinic, but unable to make it through a half-hour episode of Cops.

The spouse of an afflicted victim:

1. Must come to terms with the fact there is no cure, and only slightly effective treatments. The syndrome may be genetic or caused by the inhaling of manure particles which, I propose, have an adverse effect on female hormones

2. Must adjust the family budget to include equine items - hay, veterinarian services, farrier services, riding boots and clothes, supplements, tack, equine masseuse and acupuncturist - as well as the (mandatory) equine spiritual guide, etc. Once you have identified a monthly figure, never look at it again. Doing so will cause tightness in your chest, nausea and occasional diarrhea.

3. Must realize that your spouse has no control over this affliction. More often than not, she will deny a problem even exists as denial is common.

4. Must form a support group. You need to know you're not alone - and there's no shame in admitting your wife has a problem. My support group, for instance, involves men who truly enjoy Harley Davidsons, four-day weekends and lots of scotch. Most times, she is unaware that I am even gone, until the precise moment she needs help getting a 50-pound bag of grain out of the truck.

Now you can better see how O.C.E.A.N.S. affects countless households in this country and abroad. It knows no racial, ethnic or religious boundaries. It is a syndrome that will be difficult to treat because those most affected are in denial and therefore, not interested in a cure. So, I am taking it upon myself to be constantly diligent in my research in order to pass along information to make it easier for caretakers to cope on a day to day basis.

Milva & Paulina

Thistle - A Liver Healing Herb


What's the best-researched herb in the world? From the standpoint of known active constituents, proven pharmacological mechanisms of action, proven clinical effectiveness through dozens of controlled clinical studies and decades of experience, and an excellent safety record, there is only one herb that can fit all of those criteria. It is milk thistle.



Milk thistle, Sylibum marianum, can be given to dogs, cats, horses and birds and is a wonderful healing herb for the liver. In animals (people too) it has been shown to protect the liver and regenerate liver cells. Its active ingredients are found in the fruiting bodies, the seeds and the entire plant. Birds will readily eat the tasty millet-size seeds, making milk thistle an excellent addition to the diet for any pet bird with liver problems.


There is a nutraceutical extract of milk thistle called silymarian, which is a flavonoid that has an affinity for the liver. It is used quite commonly in Japan and Europe for acute liver toxicosis. It's primarily used to regenerate hepatocytes, where it improves the flow of bile and fat to and from the liver.


Milk thistle, or silymarin, is one of the best herbs for liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, acute toxicosis of the liver and fatty liver disease. It is also beneficial for bile duct inflammation and is a potent anti-oxidant.


Clinical Applications


1. Regeneration
Milk thistle helps the liver regenerate healthy cells and repair old damage.




2. Skin Disease
According to Chinese medicine, inflammations of the skin are basically caused by a weak liver. Milk thistle is helpful in the treatment of skin diseases because of its positive impact on liver health.


3. Toxic Liver
While removal of the liver disease-causing substance is important in management of toxic liver situations, silymarin is the best documented drug for treatment of liver intoxication.


4. Mushroom Poisoning
Milk thistle has also been used as a preventive and/or antidote to poisoning by Amanita phalloides, the deadly deathcap mushroom. Animal research has found that milk thistle extract completely negates the toxic effects of the mushroom when given within 10 minutes of ingestion. If given within 24 hours of eating the deathcap, the herb significantly reduces the risk of liver damage and death.


5. Antioxidant
Milk thistle is many times more potent than vitamin E.


6. Cancer
Laboratory studies also suggest that active substances in milk thistle may have anti-cancer effects. Silymarin has strong antioxidant properties and has been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate, breast, and cervical cancer cells in test tubes.


7. Detoxification
Milk thistle has been shown to increase the glutathione (GSH) content of the liver by as much as 35 percent. Glutathione is one of the most important hepatic detoxification pathways of the body. More GSH, helps the liver more successfully process environmental toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides. It also improves protection against carbon tetrachloride, galactosamine, and praseodymium nitrate.

Riding Orkan


2 hours udt with Milva
20 min online - playing with the compliment
20 min udt with Orkan
10 min online with Orkan - getting him used to the Natural Hackamore
30 min freestyle with Orkan - walked, follow the rail, figure 8´s, and outside on the field
Another hot summerday in Sweden. I planned to go to the beach today but never made it there.
I grazed Milva for 2 hours. I know that sounds long but time flies by so quickly when I´m with her. Our online session went good as well. She is such a quick learner. I finally read up on how to teach the compliment the right way and when I started with the first step today she went down herself and of course caught me by surprise again. She really is a super smart girl!!
Anita was so kind and let me ride Orkan today - and tomorrow as well. He is a fun boy. Left brain extrovert I would say. First he wasn´t sure about me and I had to proof him that I was the leader he deserved. He tried to argue a bit and was crumpy but I didn´t give him anything to argue about which I think surprised him. After a little bit of thinking he started to cooperate. Sounds like a lbi when I write that now, but I´m pretty certain he is a lbe. He is a super fun horse and Anita did a good work with him. She often rides him with a mechanical hackamore so he is used to go without a bit but it was the first time with the nh so I took it easy with him. My goal was to let him stretch forwards downwards which he did after a while.
I´m looking forward to tomorrow :)

Sold My Bates Innova - Parelli Saddle Next :))


A girl called about my Bates today and bought it. She kind of cought me by surprise. I didn´t expect it to sell so quick and it leaves a bittersweet feeling behind cause I actually really like the Bates.
But with Milva being so wide a Parelli Dressage saddle deffinitely will fit her better. And just the best is good enough for my girl ;). So after I have received the money I will order it. I´m going to order the bareback pad tomorrow though or buy it when I go to Birmingham next friday so I can use it until my saddle arrives.