Let It Snow

I haven´t been doing much with Milva the last 5 days besides spending 1,5 hour of undemanding time with her while she was eating her extra hay outside the pasture. It has been snowing like crazy here and I had to leave for work a bit earlier to get there in time. You never know if the danish people are cleaning the roads or not - yesterday night they hadn´t and it took me 40min to get to the ferry instead of 20min. I´m sure glad I drive a SUV I can tell ya.
Looking forward to 2 days off now and to play with my pony. The featherlines arrived on friday and I´m thinking of longreining Milva tomorrow.
Hold your thumbs that my saddle arrives next week!

Bluegrass & Snow & Hot Coffe & Fresh Buns

I love the wintertime and all the snow! Feels like heaven to me!
We bought a radio last weekend were you can listen to all kind of radiostations around the world online. It´s super fun. So now I can listen to Ottawa Valley Heritage Radio while having my morning coffe. It´s a radiostation that plays mostly bluegrass and country - have to get tuned in for my western saddle ;). And I totally love to listen to the traffic announcements. "There was an accident on Black Bay Road in Petawawa..." Oh, I know where that is...:))). Isn´t it nice when such small things can make your day. I don´t mean the accident of course.
Off to the stable now to longrein my pony. Glad for my new winterjacket from Pikeur I bought yesterday. It sure will keep me warm now.

Saddle Update

I received an email from Parellisaddles last night saying my saddle is on it´s way from the US. I thought it would be shipped from Germany because that´s where it´s made but no. Depending on the swedish custom now it might arrive here this week :).
A nice Fedex man just knocked on my door and brought me my bareback pad and the dvd´s.
I´m going to go to Rycketofta after dropping Shawn off at school and look if I can get a cinch for it and a warm winterjacket. It starts to snow here now *me love*.
Don´t know yet what I´m going to do with Milva today, depending on if the ridinghouse is empty or not.

Thank You Ali!

I got those 2 beautiful items from my dear friend Ali Samaniege Hegler from Texas a while ago. Just didn´t had the time to post them before. I totally love them! Both items are handmade. The little box she bought from "Willowtree" and the egg she made herself. How lucky am I to have such wonderful friends!

Just Ordered My Natural Performer

Wonder if I get it next week, the positive thinking Sagitarious thinks so.

Parelli shop-aholic

Hi, my name is Marion and I´m a Parelli shop-aholic. I couldn´t resist and had to order the bareback pad and the remaining 6 dvd´s of the Success serie as well this month. After deciding on the Natural Performer I thought I might as well continue my shoping.
And it´s not finished there. After getting home from the stable this morning I received Parelli´s catalog and had to find out that there are some holiday specials and free shipping. Because I just put in my order 2 days ago I gave Parelli UK a call and got to talk to Jenny who was very service minded and super friendly. Because I paid the full price on my order I will get a refund on my next order - which is simply an invitation to shop more ;).
I have laid my eyes on the featherlines for longline driving.
Tomorrow we are finally going to measure Milva for the sadle. To get the right measurement a flexicurve is requested. You also can use a clotheshanger. But everyone who knows me, knows I will not settle for a clotheshanger. If it says a flexicurve - a flexicurve it will be.
Shawn is going to make one for me at his shop tomorrow morning and then he helps me with the measurements. I´m going to put in the order tomorrow evening then which means Parelli saddles might processes it on Monday and maybe, maybe I will get my saddle already next week. IIIIeeeeehhh can´t wait for it!!
Milva and I played some more in the ridinghouse this week, mostly at liberty.

Measuring & Circling Game

Today and yesterday we continued to play with the circling game. I switched back to the 22-footline and Milva was doing fabulous. I got a nice slack in the rope and her body was arched towards me and she asked alot of questions. We played with change of direction and transitions.
I called yesterday parellisaddles to see if they have the required NP saddle in stock, and yes they do :))). I got to talk to a very nice man who is responsible for the shipping and he was very helpful.
I also called my Parelli instructor Petra who talked me through all the required measurements. This saddle buy is a once in a lifetime thing and I want to make sure I got everything right.
I found alot of information in the old level 2 pack as well and I watched everything about saddling and saddle fitting on the savvy vault and on old Savvy club dvd´s.
So I think I´m well prepared now ;).

Vilda Milva - aka The Wilde Side Of Milveroni

As much as I want to I´m not even close to videotape my online level 3 audition. Netherless we had a hilarious playsession, my pony and me. Not quite sure who had more fun.
The circling game is definitely our weak point, no surprise with a lbi.
I started with asking her to walk on the 45 foot line which was going fine, I got my 4 circles asked her in, yoyo-ed her back and changed direction.
Because it was going so fine I got this crazy idea to ask for a trott. First suspicious look - you really want me to trott? What about if I offer you a faster walk? That´s fine, I take it. Change of direction and trott again and there it started. Trott on the right lead - you gotta be kidding. I could see her in the mirror doing a 180 degrees turn on her hindlegs and taking off in galopp, all 4 legs up in the air and bucking. There is a good reason why I get a western saddle I can tell ya.
Not enough with that, just to test me even more she stopped right in front of me - still out on the circle though, facing me with ear forwards, putting on her dragon face and blowing out fire.
Hmmm how intressting I thought, lets make a game out of it...
I asked her in, scratched her, yoyed her back, asked her to trott and asked her to change direction before she even thought about it and change of direction again and again and again.
She really enjoyed herself and got very exuperant. It was hilarious and I just couldn´t help it but had to laugh all the session through. Once more I wish someone could have videotaped it.
When she finally relaxed and asked questions again I stopped.
I know that she is way smarter than I am and she has me all figured out. On some days she is more horse than I can handle but I wouldn´t change her for anything in the world.

My New Saddle - Natural Performer

After a long time of soulsearching and thinking about what I actually wanna achieve with my horse and after a nice talk with my favourite Parelli instructor - thanks Petra, I finally decided to order the Natural Performer saddle.
It´s kind of funny. I have never ridden in a western saddle before and I have no clue how to cinch up the girth but I´m sure it´s all going to work out.
Anita already offered me Orkan to try the saddle on him before riding Milva. Which is really nice of her and it´s going to be much easier for me to find my balance point on Orkan and to get used to the saddle.
So now it´s offical - Marion the former dressage rider is going to be a cowgirl ;). How intressting...
Tomorrow I´m going to meassure Milva and email all the requiered paperwork.
I´ve settled for the dark brown colour which I think is going to make a nice contrast to Milva´s future white coat.
I´m working on my december book list order. If any of you has any suggestions, please let me know. I´m almost through Parelli´s reading list. And talking about reading lists. Shawn said this morning that every organisation like Parelli has a reading list. I asked him what he means by organisation and he said, well an organisation which promotes intelligence. Intressting thought...

November Shipment

November Savvy Times
This month's issue features articles on the Game of Contact, the Parelli scholarship program, a natural horsemanship progress report, and more... plus your stories from around the globe!

Mastery Lesson
Pat's Lesson - Riding Excellently
Linda's Lesson - Ingredients to the Backup

November Audio CD:
"Exploring the Attitude of Justice"
Pat expands on why Principle #5 is critical in developing trust and cooperation from your horse

Remember Fallen Horses on Veterans' Day

The Horse | Remember Fallen Horses on Veterans' Day
Remembrance Day is a day full of emotions for us. Several of Shawn´s friends have lost their life while they served with him in Afghanistan. I knew some of them.
And of course it makes me think about all the horses that have lost their life in war - and it makes me think about The Treck and Milva´s ancestors.

In Flanders Fields

Remembrance Day - Lest We Forget

The Ode of Remembrance:
They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest we forget
Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, thinking about all the soldiers that fought for our freedom.

Tuesday

My horse time today included reading in Ray Hunt´s book, watching Savvy Club dvd´s and Mastery Lesson dvd´s and playing for a little while with Milva at liberty.

Udt

Due to a workmeeting - yes, on my day off, I just had time to snuggle with Milva and spend some udt with her.

Busy Sunday

Where does the time go?? It´s already Monday.
I helped Patricia with the 7 games yesterday and explained to her how the audition works. I didn´t realize how much I missed to have another Parelli person to talk to. I was really spoiled when I lived in Canada and was surrounded by like minded people.
We took both horses into the ridinghouse. I put up some obstacles to play with - a plastic tarp to go over, a cavaletti, a blue barrel, a black tube for the sideways game, cones for figure 8 and weave pattern. I turned Milva loose and started to play at liberty - weave patterns, figure 8 - yeah!, stick to me at walk and trott, sideways away from me with the black tube, sidways towards me, squeeze game over the cavalleti and back up from z5. Milva did really good and wasn´t to distracted by Tinker.
I also demonstrated the yoyo game and figure 8s online to Patricia. And wow, we actually did come a long way since I started with Parelli.
To clearify the 4 phases for the yoyo game we played with simulations. I never had anyone before to do simulations with but oh boy, does it really help! It´s much easier to understand when doing it with each other instead of with a horse.
After our playsession we fixed the stable and fed the horses. But don´t think my day was done by then. Shawn decided he wanted to ride again so Anita was so kind to lend him Orkan. After dropping off Patricia we had a bite to eat and went back to the stable. Shawn rode Orkan for in walk - just to get the feeling again and to find his balance point. Orkan was on his best behaviour and very uncomplicated. Nice to have so well behaved horses in the stable - for most of the time anyway ;).
Picture of gorgeous Tinker and Patricia and Tinker and Milva in the ridinghouse

Saturday Afternoon

I spent all afternoon in the stable and didn´t get much done. The ridinghouse was occupied all the time and I don´t wanna go in there when other people ride their horse. I socialized with some of the other boarders and gave Milva a long brush and lots of scratches.
The foals moved next to Milva´s stable yesterday. They are just adorable!

Another Stormy Day In Skåne

When I decided to move to Skåne no mentioned to me that it´s constantly blowing here. Helsingborg isn´t called the city of wind for nothing. The positive side is that Milva is getting more and more windproof.
We played with liberty and online today. In liberty we did weavepatterns, sideways away and towards me, figure 8, stick to me with transitions, back up and spinning. Milva is getting so eager to please and wants to do everything at once. I really have to watch my bodylanguage cause she is reacting to the tiniest movement of me.
When she is tuned in a little phase 1 is enough. Which of course is super cool but it also makes me think about how often we are not aware of our bodylanguage - maybe because we are destracted by our stablecollegues or tired or just not aware of how sensitive our horses actually are.
Well the session today was sure an eyeopener. The thing is, I always knew how sensitive she is but I think I just didn´t quite understand the importance of it.
Sometimes she must feel I scream at her with my bodylanguage.
Talking about having a big Aha-moment.
In online we played with level 3 and 4 tasks.
Last day at work and then 4 days off :)). Lots of stable time coming up.

Cradle To Cradle written by William McDonough, Remaking The Way We Make Things

Another book I ordered this month. A very intressting read and I highly recommend it. I will write more about it as soon I finished it.

Birmingham in April, Anyone Wanna Come With Me?

I´m planing on going to Birmingham in April - once more. Anyone wanna come with me?
Planing on staying at Stoneleigh Lodge again. The rooms are nice there, price is reasonable and the food is good.
Hopefully there will be another Gold Summit as well, according to the Parelli office in the Uk there will be none though. Oh well, we will see, maybe they are changing their mind again.
Undemanding time with Milva today. Spending 30 minutes with your horse is better than nothing. But somehow I still have a bad conscious if I don´t play with her or spend more time with her.

Babies

Two of the new babies which are going to be living next to Milva´s turn out stable. Too cute! I longreined Milva with the 45-foot line for 30min today. We did alots alots of transitions between walk - trot - stop and back up. She was super responsive and very light in the hand.
We ended out playsession with a spin. I think we both figured it out now. I will see if I can get someone to film it this weekend.

Ferrier & Longreining

I had Helene N. out yesterday to trim Milva´s hooves again. Well, what can I say - Milva still doesn´t like her and is turning into a dragon as soon as she lays eyes on her.
I just don´t know what to do about it. She doesn´t give me any troubles ever with her hooves. I can pick all four of them up from one side and can do whatever with them.
Another ferrier is simply not an option because I want to have the best one available and that´s Helene N.
We had already decided in advance to give her tranquilizers. Milva was never needleshy before but we had to bring her into the stable, into a box to give her the needle. And even in the box she didn´t want Helene N. to come close to her. But after a short little while it worked and she was standing still.
Luckily Milva´s hooves are very strong and healthy according to Helene N. I´m also really greateful that she is so patient with my little dragon. I really wonder what got into Milva.
Shawn thinks it´s because I don´t let anyone else handle or touch Milva and that´s why she doesn´t want to be touched or handled by anyone else - except Shawn and auntie Anita.
Well I don´t know. It did cross my mind to do a ferrier course so I could trim Milva´s hooves by myself but I can´t even file my nails so I think trimming Milva´s hooves is a bit to far over my head for me.
On the positive side - longreining was going well and we did walk - trott - stop transitions. Now if only I would be in a better shape so I could keep up with Milva´s long strides.