Hospital

I just received information about my upcoming operation tomorrow. Sometimes I am really naive. I thought it would be a tiny, east surgery. One that can be done left-handed. But no, that's not the case. The operation will take 2 to 4 hours with full anesthesia of course. Usually the patients are staying in the hospital up to one week. I've already announced that I'm going to go home on Wednesday. Which gave me a doubtful glance from the nurse and a laugh fro the surgeant. He promised me to do his best. Well he better be cause I need my daily doses of milveroni! I going to watch some videos from the savvy vault now and pretend I'm in a spa with roomservice.

Resting

I'm taking it easy this weekend and trying to prepare myself mentally for the upcoming surgery on Tuesday. Shawn is going to drop me off at the hospital tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to this. If everything goes well I can go home again on Wednesday which means I gotta go to see milva again on Wednesday. So this weekend I have been spending udt withilva and helped Shawn in the woodshop.

Our First Spin Ever - yehaaa

I talked about trying a spin in days now and practised on Shawn to be clear in my bodylanguage. Simulations are so helpful. I sure will use them more often now.
And what shall I tell you - it went way over my expactations :)))). Super smart pony I have!!
And it´s so simple - starting with change of direction but instead of changing I directed zone 1 with the carrotstick and drawed her towards me again, while doing all that doing a circle move in my body - voila a spin. I did manage to get her all tangled into the rope though so that´s why I took the rope of and did it on liberty instead - way easier. Her face was too cute - all concentrated on me :)).
I found it particular important to do the circle in my body as well to not confuse her with change of direction - that´s what I was practising over the last days.
We did 3 spins today and after giving her a carrot after the first liberty spin she put really much effort in the second one - love those lbi!!
Horselife with Parelli is so easy and so much fun! Before I would have never thought I could teach a horse to go sideways at liberty, back up at liberty or spin!

Indian Summer Day

Today was a typical canadian autumn day which made me long back even more. Hm....
The thing that scares me is, that I know when I get this feeling inside me, there is not much that can stop me.
Hm.... I have to plan better this time though and set it up for success...
The first thing I´m going to do is to go back to university. I have my nursing degree but to be on the safe side I want to take extra courses to broad my knowledge and to be more "aftersought". I also should specialize on something - but on what??
On a second thought - I do have a very good life here in Sweden and a jobb I love with great workingcollegues and not to forget very well paid and lots of time off. Who else works 2 days, 2 days off, work 5 days, 5 days off.
ARGH - but there is something in Canada that´s waiting for me. I just can feel it.
Decisions, decisions,...
Anyway, Milva and I worked on our level 3 online assesment and it´s going well. She is just the super smartest pony in the whole world ;). I know - everyone thinks that about their pony.
We also did a bit of liberty but I want to watch more dvd´s about it before going into details.

My little pony...

and I had super much fun today. First we played stick to me outside on the big field - after she had been grazing for a while. It still amazes me that she chooses me over her herd and over food, especially the food part is pretty impressing.
After the ridinghouse was empty we played a bit at liberty - weave patterns in walk, figure 8s in walk first with stick to me and then I was sending her around. Because she was connected to me I asked her to trott the figure 8s, which was the first time. She trotted the whole figure 8 pattern :)) but when coming through a second time she took of in galopp, bucking away. I disengaged her and she came flying back to me looking all proud with her ears forwards. I gave her a big scratch, some candies and she stood next to me for a while chewing and yawning. Too funny.
We finished our session with longreining and I asked her to change direction alot - preparing for our next ridingsession. Which is going to be after the operation and after I bought a saddle. I still can´t make up my mind. My first choice was to buy the Parelli dressage saddle but I think I have changed my mind now and I really want a Parelli western saddle. BUT - I have never ridden in a westernsaddle before therefor no clue how it feels, and I also have no idea how to fit it on a horse but that´s something you can research. So I´m kind of thinking of getting a Wintec x-tra wide and a Parelli westernsadddle. And maybe next year I could get the Parelli dressage saddle when doing the fast track course. Hm....
But what if I don´t like the western saddle...also the westernsaddle would be cheaper cause I don´t have to pay the 25% importtax cause it would come from Germany not like the dressagesaddle, which is made in England but shipped to the US first before shipped to Europe again.
Well, I better find someone who has a westernsaddle to try if I like it or not...darn, I should have done that when I still lived in Canada.
I´m going back to Milva now to trailerload her and to play a bit online, the online part only if my stone doesn´t interfare again.

Ales Stenar & Hällristningar in Järrestad

That´s were I went yesterday, together with 3 germans, which was kind of intresting. I think the more languages you speak the more you forget from your mothertongue. That´s my theory anyway.
Ales Stenar is one of my favourite places on this planet. The "Hällristningar" in Järrestad are very fascinating as well. If anyone of you wants to go there let me know and I can give you a describtion of the way - because there are no signs were it is, no parkingplace and the locals were sending us from one place to another one. We just found it because I wanted to look at some horses in a pasture. Horses of course - they always lead my way ;).
So if you do decide to go there without contacting me before. It´s right after the horsepasture (pasture on your left hand), you can park on that little acre, or well, can and can, that´s what we did anyway, then you follow the little way up to the stones, step through the little magical gate and voila, you have reached the enchanted place. It´s well worth going there!
The Järrestad carving contains over 550 figures and 700 cupmarks. This makes it richer in figures than any other rock carving in Skane. You can find ships, riders, animals, sunwheels, helixes, weapons and cup marks. Swedish rockcarvings were usually made during the Bronze Age, from approx. 1800 - 500 B.C

"What other people think about me is none of my business!"

Right! I just have to keep remembering it when I need it!
*big sigh*
I know it must be jelousy cause there can be no other explanation. Or that´s what I want to believe anyway. I know for a fact that Milva´s and my relationship is a harmonious, balanced one and that I´m doing the right thing with my horse.
If other people think my horse is not well behaved then that´s their business. I should have asked how this person is defining "well behaved". I don´t have to put my horse in cross ties to get it saddled or lead it outside so one person can hold the horse while the other one saddles it. No, I don´t. My horse stands still where ever I put her and waits for me and when I saddle her she stands still too - and if she wouldn´t stand still I would fix the problem and not try to put paint over the rust. And yes, my horse is allowed to have her own opinion. You know why? Because she is not a robot, she is a living creature and all living creatures are entitled to have their own opinion - in my world anyway.
But hey, whom am I to charge anyone else? I´m just an ordinary Parelli nerd that loves her pony and wants the best for her. And yes, feelings are allowed when it comes to horses, animals. Why else would you have a horse or any animal if you wouldn´t love it?
Strange world we are living in sometimes.

One of those days

I'm sitting in the stable right now watching Milva eating her hay and listening to the rain. It was quit a good day until I arrived in the stable. I already got a funny feeling in my belly when I drove in to the driveway. Intuition it' s called I guess. I hate when other people make someones elses day miserable just because they have problems themselves. Sure we all have our bad days but there is no reason to involve other people in ones misery. Anyway, enough said about that. Milva and I are going to play some now.

More Books :)

It's here! - The Circle of Trust
In this beautiful new book, Herr Zettl discusses those who have a critical influence on the welfare of horses and the future of the sport of dressage. That group includes the breeder, the owner and sponsor, the rider, the trainer and/or instructor, the stable manager and groom, the show committee; and the judge
Dressage In Harmony
Although the author does not directly address the beginner rider, there is much to be gleaned for beginners in this book. Good habits are best started early. For those with more experience, Zettl's explanations of the different movement and training principles are insightful. This book also functions as a handy reference book for rider's and trainers seeking to review a movement or understand what it is that is blocking them, or their horse, from achieving it One of Seattle's basic premises is that you should give the horse enough freedom with each exercise so that the horse can learn to do it almost by himself. "The rider is, of course, always ready with his aids to help and control," he adds. Zettl's philosophy is based on his understanding of the nature of horses and the nature of people. "Every day the rider must find the partnership again with his horse. We cannot take his trust and willingness for granted." Hunter-jumper riders or riders from other disciplines would also find this book to be of benefit in their riding and schooling. Highly regarded in Europe, Walter Zettl was trained in Germany under the famous Col. Aust and has over 40 years of instructional experience in Germany. He came to Canada in 1981 and served as dressage coach for the Canadian Three-day event team for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. (T.B.) HIGHLIGHTS - The goals of dressage riding - The foundation of all riding - The seven elements of training - The gaits: working, medium, extended and collected - Preparations: equipment, stabling, mounting, warm-up - Use of the aids - The young horse: longeing, free jumping, the lead horse - Introduction to advanced training: ride to the limit, but not over, forward, straight, natural balance, collection and self-carriage - School figures: the corner, the circle, the serpentine, figure eight - Suppling exercises: Cavalletti work, leg yielding, turn on the forehand - Riding transitions and movements - On the subject of collection - The full bridle - Flying changes and canter pirouettes - Piaffe and passage. 244pgs, H, 1998
Just received my two new books I ordered last week. Can´t wait to start reading them!

Rain & Storm

I´m not feeling too well today. I feel a minor discomfort in my back today after the ESWL treatment from yesterday which makes me restless and feeling very weird.
Anita came by today and we watched the Celebration dvd from Parelli. It´s definitely my favourite dvd so far.
I went to Milva for 2 hours. She looked surprised when I left - already? Her coat is getting long and she looks all fluffy.
Shawn and I took a short trip to Denmark this evening which was really nice. I start missing my work now but it´s only 3 more weeks then I can go back.
Pizza and movie now.

More Books About Trakehner

Im Herbst 1941 unternahm Marion Gräfin Dönhoff mit ihrer Cousine Sissi Lehndorff einen legendären Ritt durch das südliche Masuren, den sie in einem Tagebuch festhielt und später unter dem Titel „Ritt durch Masuren“ veröffentlichte. Rund 300 km weit sind die beiden „voller Erwartung“ durch das stille Land geritten „mit jener Gewissheit, mit der man das Wunder erwartet“. Der Ritt führte durch die ausgedehnten Forsten Südmasurens von Allenstein nach Osten und dann entlang der Großen Masurischen Seen nach Norden mit dem Stammsitz der Lehndorffs Schloss Steinort als Ziel. Die beiden Damen vergessen abseits der Zivilisation in dem ursprünglichen und verwunschenen Land ihren Alltag, während sie auf dem Rücken ihrer Pferde durch die Landschaft traben. Dennoch ritten die Sorgen wegen des im Osten tobenden 2. Weltkriegs mit und brachten bisweilen böse Vorahnungen.
Another wonderful coffetable book with lots of pictures. A must have for all Trakehnerpeople.
Marion Gräfin Dönhoff is one of my faourite writers. I remember being a child, reading her books and being fascinated about her life and the horses she mentioned in her books.

Books About Trakehner

Hans Graf von Lehndorff
Menschen, Pferde, weites Land
Das Leben unter liebenswerten, teils auch skurrilen Menschen, der tägliche Umgang mit den Pferden, das naturverbundene Aufwachsen in diesem weiten Land: Graf Lehndorff lässt aus der Erinnerung eine unwiederbringlich verlorene Welt noch einmal vor uns entstehen. Die Aufzeichnungen handeln von der Zeit zwischen dem Ersten Weltkrieg und dem Beginn der dreißiger Jahre und schildern ein Stück Vergangenheit im Osten des Deutschen Reiches.
Wonderful book about Eastprussia, Trakehnen and their magnific horses. I´m not sure if there are any translated version into english though.

Taking It Easy

It was super fun to meet Ulrika. Yesterday we played a little bit with Milva. I had to show off our backing up from z5 and sideways at liberty. Milva is such an entertainer. At one point she walked off but stopped after 5 meters. You could see her thinking....and then started to back up towards me. Too funny! Well, I guess it´s dominant behaviour but netherless funny.
Later on in the evening we drove up to Halmstad to visit Sofie and Josefin. Too much fun again! It sure feels good to hang out with Parelli people!
Today I just gave the horses some hay, cuddled Milva, Mandrake and MissTik for a bit and drove home again.
Pooped after the hospitalvisit.
Surgery is going to be in 2 weeks. 2 more weeks of watching Parelli dvd´s :).

Waiting For A Savvysister To Arrive

Supper is prepared and I´m sitting on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a swedish teacake and waiting for Ulrike and her two dogs to arrive. She is going to stay until thursday morning and I´m looking forward to a horseyday tomorrow which includes a visit to another savvysiser - PanterSofie, like Elisabeth calls her.
Isn´t Parelli amazing? Bringing all those people around the world together which without Parelli I would have never met.
Now I just wonder what our two cats are going to say when they meet the two dogs. Molly is probably going to hide which she always does when new people arrive - or I should say when visitors come, it doesn´t really matter who it is. Hoodlum probably won´t care at all and just think it´s fun.
I haven´t done anything with Milva today either. Just spent some udt with her. Maybe some play tomorrow.

The Art Of Not Doing Anything

Mila and I have mastered it pretty well. I took her out to the big field again yesterday and let her do her own thing. On the way down there I played stick to me and look how far she would follow me without me touching her leadrope. She did follow me all the way down to the big field but after getting there she wasn´t intrested in me and my little games anymore ;) - gras, lots of gras....

Budweiser 9-11 Tribute

"When You Take Off The Halter And Lead, There´s Nothing Left But The Truth" Pat Parelli

Milva and I had a super fun playsession at liberty today. We started with stick to me over a cavaletti in trott and canter. She put so much effort in it that she actually jumped over it and afterwards bucked away. I disengaged her and she came trotting towards me again. Gotta love my little pony!!!
Then we did circling. I got one circle very close around me but then she had enough and wondered off "can´t hear you, don´t see ya" typ of thing. She walked straight to the ridinghousewall and sniffed it. The wall was probably 8m away from me. I gave her the sign to back up to me and shazam - she backed straight up towards me!
I have to figure out a way though to make the circling game more intresting so she stays connected to me.
We also did some figure 8s at liberty. First with stick to me and then I was sending her. I got it perfect the first time but after that everytime she came around the cone she came sidewards towards me instead of changing direction. Argh.
Maybe instead of taking a step backwards I should just engage her hindquarters and send her off again. I think she thinks me going backwards means coming sideways towards me unless I´m behind her.
You can see it in her face that she is trying so hard to understand me and getting all angry when I screw it up.
New try tomorrow.

Somewhere There Is Grim Reaper Without A Syth

Busy saturday. I cut the gras around the pasture so it wouldn´t touch the electric fence anymore and making this annoying "click" noise. Well, I cut a quarter of it then I could feel my kidneystones moving which was the sign to take it easier again and do something else. Which I did - fixing the fencing around our pasture before the autumnstorms start again. I would love to get the fencing changed that goes down from the stable. It´s more or less batched together and it´s not safe at all nor does it look good. Just don´t know how to bring it on to Malin yet.
While I cut the grass Milva was loose on the big field and doing her thing, which included eating alots. Later she helped me to fix the fencing - or was in the way.
In the evening we went down to Landskrona to Michael´s 30th birthday. Sonja and Paul have been doing the cooking - Indian food. We got to bring home alots of leftovers cause they were cooking for a 100 people but we actually were just 25. So now I´m wating for lunchtime to eat the delicious food and for supper to eat more of it. Love Indian food - especially when it´s cooked by Paul & Sonja!

BRRRRRR

Where did the Indiansummer go? And what happened with those long swedish summernights? Now it´s already dark at 8.00pm - brrrrr.
I followed with Patricia & Tinka to the veterinary today. Tinka is going to be fine and allowed back out to the turnout in about 2 weeks :). What a trooper she was today! She is just 4 but was super well behaved. She went straight on the trailer and no fuss at the veterinary. Even when they x-rayed her she didn´t care.
The veterinary clinic was small but cosy. I loved those stonebuildings they were in!
More trailerloading with Milva. Today in Anita´s trailer. I have to say I like that trailer much more than the other one. It´s way smoother and easier to handle than the big Boj-trailer. And it is much lighter inside and the ramp was more stabil as well. Milva walked straight up to her oatbucket and munched her snack up on the trailer. She did come down a few times to check out the other horses in the pasture but was overall more confident with staying on the trailer today. I´m pretty proud of her I have to say.
We also played a little bit online while Patricia watched us. Yoyo is working again - most of the time anyway. Transitions on the circle are getting better as well. It just seems to be that I speak a different language when she is going to the left cause somehow she doesn´t understand what the whoahand means then. Hmmm...how intressting. Better make sure I don´t do anything different in my body.
Change of directions were going nice as well today.
Canter on the 45-foot line with no bucking and she started to canter only using phase 1. Well the first two times anyway when I asked her the third time she had enough. My fault, silly me, what was I thinking?? Cantering twice is really more than enough in the beginning. Point taken Milva :).
I went back to the stable again in the evening to let her graze on the hand again. Lots and lots of udt.

Play At Liberty

Milva and I did some liberty today - stick to me, change of direction, yoyo and walk-stop transitions.
We haven´t done much liberty lately but I will put it into our daily play now cause it´s so much fun! I haven´t decided yet if I should use the roundpen for the liberty audition or make a little roundpen in the ridinghouse.
No trailerloading today cause it´s was a stormy day once again.
I did watch the level 4 online dvd from the new levels program today. So much information! I started to make notes while watching the dvds.
Tomorrow I´m going to follow Patrica and Tinka to the veterinary clinic to check out Tinka´s leg. Hopefully it´s nothing serious!

More Trailerloading & Circling

Another busy day - or as busy as you can be with a kidneystone.
As always I started with grazing Milva for one hour while talking to Sofie (Pantersofie) on the phone. She gave me some clearity about the level 3 online audition which she just passed.
I already have a plan in my head how our program is going to look like.
More trailerloading again. Milva put all four feet on the ramp - all by herself. I didn´t even ask her to do it.
Helene trailerloaded Dupont. Dupont is a swedish warmblood and a year older than Milva is. It was not a big deal for him either. He just went straight on the ramp but did get a bit worried while inside the trailer.
After the trailerloading I did some online with Milva. Nice canter departure today without bucking.
She did ignore my whoahand today though. I had to remind her what it ment. And she also forgot about change of direction - what change of direction?? You clearly must mean that I come towards you so we can cuddle! Oh, and btw lets forget about that stupid circling game and lets scratch each other instead - or sleep.
And yoyo game was like a foreign language to her too today. Instead she offered the compliment and sideways towards me. I´m just glad I haven´t thought her yet to lay down. And on a second thought I think I will not teach her to do that before we have established our riding. I already can picture her laying down all the time - with or without the saddle on.
She becomes very inventive when it comes to not doing the circling game ;).
It´s hilarious and she makes me laugh alot.

Trailerloading & Online & Liberty

Our online session was a bit of bla, bla, bla today.
Weave patterns in trott are improving. I could use more of the 45-foot rope.
Cicling game was a big bla, bla, bla. Lots of bucking in the left lead canter in the beginning. I just ignored it and let her do her thing. She was flying and leaping around for a few rounds. I think she just needed to get it out of her system. When she was done she came in to me with a face, ok, now I´m able to concentrate a bit more ;).
So we started again. This time the cantertransission was smooth. I let her canter for half a circle and asked her in again. Same on the left lead - nice and smooth canter.
Then we had a little break and went grazing. Then we did squeezegame over the cavaletti again. First in walk and trott and then in canter where she jumped again. This time we did it in both direction.
I gave her a little break in the pasture after our online session and in the meantime I put the trailer on Yosemite Sam. I´m glad I didn´t buy a new car yet cause once again I managed to back into the trailer. But Sam has already so many scratches so one more or less really doesn´t matter anymore. I might as well keep him some time longer until I´m able to put a trailer on the car without backing in to it ;).
Trailerloading was not a big thing. For todays session I wanted to achieve that she is putting her frontlegs on the ramp and she did that as soon as we got there.
Such a good girl!
Helene watched me for a while and we started talking about Parelli again. I told her that I would trailerload Milva for 7 days in a row now so she asked me if she could join me with Dupont tomorrow. Awesome!
Lead by example, ey?

More Play With The 45-foot Rope

The swallows are leaving for the south soon. End of summer.
We had a wonderful Indiansummer day here today. I spent all afternoon in the stable playing with Milva.
She was coming in full gallop towards me again when I called her - talking all the way. Too cute!
I always start our time together with grazing. I think it´s a good way to do it like that - and a polite way. While doing that I check on which side of the pasture she woke up that day and according to her moode I plan our playsession. I do have kind of a plan what I would like to do when I go to the stable but in the end it´s Milva who decides what we are going to do.
Today we started our playsession on the 45-foot rope again. First I yoyo-ed her in to the ridinghouse, using as much rope as possible. She knows exactly what to do and I almost don´t have to wiggle my finger. Then we started playing with the weave patterns again. I haven´t done that for a while but it´s going to be required for level 3 online. We did the weavepatterns first in walk and then in trott. Then we did sidewards away and towards me. Sideways is really easy for her and so is backing up from z5.
Our figure 8´s were not that good today. Change of direction is not the problem but she likes to cut the corner around the cones - I have to work on my focus when doing them.
Milva choose to start the circling game on the right lead today. Because that´s her bad side I let her do that. When I asked her to trott she started to canter after a while - by her own!! No bucking involved. I let her canter for a round and asked her then to trott by switching the carrotstick to the whoa hand - and it worked!! Yeah!!
After giving me one more circle in trott I asked her in and then we took a little break and went grazing again - she deserved that big times!
After the break we played the squeeze game over a cavaletti in walk and trott and in canter - which made her to jump it for the first time!
The last time I tried to jump her she took the whole cavalleti with her and stumbled over it. She just didn´t know how to jump until today. I disengaged her after the jump to make a squeezegame out of it and rewarded her big times.
Another little break with grazing time and then more circling game on the left lead with canter. On the first ask she bucked again, but not much and I think I asked her with too much energy. Second try was much smoother and no bucking so I stopped our playsession right there.
More grazingtime with Patricia and Tinka afterwards talking Parelli :).

Million Transitions

After watching a Savvy club dvd this morning I realized that it´s high time to get more creative with the circling game. Of course we have been doing traveling circles, circles with obstacles, cloverleaf, S-patterns, falling leaf, figure 8s and change of direction...
Hm, ok maybe we have been creative after all BUT what I never asked Milva to do before was transitions on the circle. Yeah, transitions up but not down. Our trotting and cantering circles usually end with me engaging her hindquarters and her coming towards me in whatever gate she was in.
I started of walking next to her and switching the carrotstick from the go-hand to the whoa-hand making my ssss-sound for stopping and rewarding her. On the second try I just had to switch the carrotstick and she stopped. She is so super clever.
After that I sent her out in a circle and did the same thing there. First walk - stop - walk transitions and then walk - trot - walk transitions. All that by just switching the carrotstick from one hand to another - not wiggling the rope once.
She was a bit unsure about the trot - walk transitions and stoped in the begining but with a little tongueclick she understood what I ment.
She was putting a very concentrated face on while doing those transitions. Too funny.
A million transitions definitely works for motivating a lbi.
I wanted to finish our day with taking a walk around the pastures but realized quickly that I couldn´t walk that far so instead we did some travelling circles in trot on the big field and went grazing again.

May I Introduce One Of My Mentors - Mark Lemke

I met Mark in the winter of 2005 at Petawawa´s annual Christmas market. Shawn and I went there for inspiration and to look at all that wonderful craftmanship.
Inspiration I truly found - in a different way than I was looking for and way more than I could ever imagine.
I guess you could say that was the birth of my Parelli journey.
I had heard about Parelli before but I guess I was just not ready for it. Like the quote says, "When the student is ready the teacher will appear".
Back to the Christmas market. Mark offered candlelight holders made out of horseshoes and everything horserelated I had to check out of course. On his displaytable he also had a Savvy magazine. While Shawn started to talk to Mark I frantically stared at that magazine and wondered what the heck SAVVY means. Of course I missed the whole conversation and was kind of baffled when I noticed both guys looking at me.
"Ha?"- was my typical response to their faces. Shawn explained that Mark had a bunch of horses and that he had told him that I was a rider. I don´t recall much of the rest of the conversation, only that Mark had invited me out to his farm to come riding.
Horses!! By that time I had been without horses for a year due to my move to Canada. I had sold Tjelver in Sweden befor my move and the man I was leaving Sweden and my horse for - my ex-fiance (I guess that´s the closest thing to marriage I ever was and will be), showed no interest in horses and wasn´t very supportive for my passion either. Living on a military base didn´t make my wish for another equine partner easier. I don´t think it would have been appropiate to have a horse in the PMQ´s.
Anyway, with Shawn the horses came back into my life. He arranged with Mark that I would come out on sunday to look at his horses.
There it was - in front of my nose, the opportunity I had been dreaming of in months - to touch and smell horses again!
Sunday came and Shawn drove me out to Mark´s farm. It was another cold winterday with alots of snow. Mark introduced me to his herd. I think it must have been around 12 horses back then. The first thing he explained to us was that the pasture is the horses home so he is not just entering it but knocking on their door instead and asking for permission to enter their home. Then he started to talk about Pat Parelli and his principles and their homeschooling program and their levels.
The more he explained the more I felt like home.
After talking and discussing for a while Mark must have found that we were on the same page and he offered me to ride any of his horses. I didn´t wear any appropiate ridingclothes nor any suitable clothes for being outside in the cold, -20 we are talking about, for several hours. But I didn´t had time to care about such small things cause I was going to ride.
Shawn left and I started to ride...after Mark had explained the 7 games to me. That day I rode 4 horses. When Shawn picked me up that evening I wouldn´t stop talking about Mark and his horses.
That winter I learned alot about Natural Horsemanship, about Parelli and about people who do Parelli. I spent alot of hours at Mark´s farm asking him questions - and he was never tired answering them but at the same time encouraging me to solve the puzzle. We had alot of discussions, watched many Savvy Club dvd´s, rode alot of trailrides in the snow by -25, played alot with his horses and drank alot of tea.
Another significant experience for me was meeting all the other Parellipeople. Coming from the competetive, english dressageriding world I wasn´t used to so much camraderie between horsepeople. It truly felt like being accepted in one big family.

Super Fun Playsession!

I totally love the 45´rope and so does Milva. Today I skipped the 22´rope and started with the 45. For a warm up we did follow the rail, first with one rein and then I used the 45 as longreins. I wish I would be able to run so I could do some walk-trott transitions but it is impossible right now. Well, only 2 more weeks and then the kidneystone nightmare should be over.
After longreining we did some figure 8s in walk and trott. I used as much rope as possible, speak I was on the end of the 45´ and I put a big distance between the cones. It worked perfectly and she changed direction nicely and walked for most of the times around the cones. I noticed when I put my focus farther behind the cones she walks around it but if I focus on the cone she often stops at the cone or cuts the corner. Intressting! In trott I have to get better and quicker with my ropehandling. Somehow the 45´seems to be longer in trott and Milva got it between her legs more than one time. I´m just glad she is so used to that and doesn´t freak out about it. Often she stops by herself out in the circle and looks at me with a face - again?
We also did some travelling circles in trott and canter. Canter, yes! On both leads :)! She did buck a bit when I asked her to canter the first time but it was nothing compare to last weekend.
Ulrike reminded me to change direction when she is trying to come towards me without asking a question. After doing that a few times the problem was solved.
For travelling circles I used the whole ridinghouse. By doing that I gave her somewhere to go and therefor it was more meaningful to her than just going around in circles.
Now we have to work on being neutral while she is maintaining the canter. But I will wait with that a few more days until she is more used to the canter.

What A Difference A Day Makes

Moll-Poll sitting in the dill, and we always wondered why it was doing so bad.
"Fika" with Sandra, Patricia and Sofie (Panter-Sofie)
Quick update on our cantering experience. It´s all good. Panter-Sofie was coming down for a visit today and I showed her Milva´s cantering tantrum.
Today it was definitely not rb and she didn´t buck very much at all. It was more little happy bucks and everything was under controll and on the second try no bucks at all so I quit there. She also starts cantering by just pointing and a little tongueclick. Gotta love my little pony.
Pretty happy with today´s session.
We just got home from the movies - watched Inception and loved it. Finally a good movie again. Off to bed now. Good night everyone!