Hot Hot Hot

+27 when I played with Milva today - 4 hours
Playing with different level 3 tasks, asked her to lay down twice - which she promptly did with a happy face, she also laid down behind my back once in the circling game and waited there in a sitting position, too darn cute!
10 circles in trot both leads with me standing in neutral :)))
Better update comes tomorrow cause now I´m gonna watch the first episode of the new season of True Blood.

Glad Midsommar! Happy Midsummer!

Today is Midsommar in Sweden, which is a big celebration. Almost bigger than Christmas. Friends and family get together and eat pickled herrings with new potatoes and play games and get drunk - most of them anyway.
Shawn and I were invited to friends place as every year - together with 40 other people. Phew, lots of people for an lbi.
I played with Milva 3 hours today. I started to play in the big field and finished in the ridinghouse. Mostly playing with different versions of the circling game and sideways game. She offered once more some canter strides. We are getting there :).
Asked her to lay down once which she happily did.

All Good So Far!

The hoof seems to last and not bothering her at all. Spending 1,5 hours of grazing time with Milva today and hopefully I can start playing with her again tomorrow.

Sleeping Beauties

Milva´s hoof seems to be ok so far. No sign of lameness so far.

Oh No!

Exactly a week ago when MIlva had one of her little moments playing the circling game online, she jumped on one of those iron crosses that holds up a jump. Besides a bleeding wound she also got a crack in the hoof and today a part of the hoof fell of. It looks pretty deep but she doesn´t show any kind of lameness, is not warm, has no temperature, is eating normally and uses all four legs as usual.
Helene is coming in two weeks to trim her hooves - if I don´t call her earlier.
After looking at Milva´s hoof at least hundred and thirteen times she got pretty tired of me so I took her grazing for 2 hours instead.
I´m going there first thing in the morning tomorrow to see how she is doing. Sunrise is at 4.21 ;).

Saturday Play

I managed to squeeze in 1,5 hour of playtime before leaving for work. We did one short session of circling in both direction with trot - walk - halt transition and that was it for today. Even though it was very short it felt good and efficient.
Now I just have to watch out not to get carried away with my tendency to perfectionism.

Rained On

10min of play and 2 hours of udt due to heavy rainfall and storm

Milda Milva

4 hours of online play with lots of grazing and scratching
I focused on our circling game today and only did a little bit of sideways away from me in all 5 zones and towards me using the 45 foot line.
We played on the big field beside the turn out stable. The grass got cut last weekend and made into hay wrap. I started out playing on the 22 foot line but Milva was calm and collected so switched over to the 45 foot line.
Milva was doing really well and circling on the big field was super fun.
What I liked was:
-when we have our little breaks and she is grazing I just have to engage her hindquarters and she follows with me back to the field
-I don´t need to trag her back to the field - it sure pays off that I start and finish every session with scratching her favorite itchy-spots, cause she follows me happily with her ears forwards
-she doesn´t try to eat while circling or when I ask her to stop on the circle
-she doesn´t try to eat when I ask her to come in but instead patiently stands there with me and cuddles
-she responds to slightest suggestion from me speak I straighten my body and raise my arm and she trots, I switch the carrots stick under the rope to the other hand and she stops and looks at me
-she used the whole rope and trotted on the end of the 45 foot line with her ears forwards now and then asking a question if she could come in
-she offered canter once and cantered for half a circle relaxed and with a nice pace ( I did forget to look if she cantered on the right lead though - mental note for tomorrow)
-she loved to cuttle when standing with me in the middle and put her head to my belly and I hugged her with both arms around her head and she would just stand there totally still and closing her eyes - what a sweetie.
She sure was very mild and relaxed today. I´m totally greatful to Billy´s mum for writing about those short sessions she got recommended on her last clinic. They sure make a big difference for my little lbi - and to me as well. It´s fun to play now!

Madeleine - Milva´s mum

http://www.guengerich.dk/
Milva´s beautiful mum Madeleine who lives in Finland now. Her owner Barbro just started her in her first dressage competition. Pictures borrowed from Barbara´s homepage.

Homepage Of Milva´s Breeder

http://www.guengerich.dk/
if you go to Nyheder (news) and scroll down you can see a picture of Milva and I

Parelli Connect iPhone App Overview

Parelli Connect iPhone App Overview

Total Lunar Eclipse

Just came in from watching the lunar eclipse. Thanks Dad for calling us to remind us. It was really beautiful to watch.
2 hours play with Milva. Same patterns as in the last few days. Finished with asking her to lay down and three circles in trot both leads.

“Be The Change That You Want To See In The World”

“Be The Change That You Want To See In The World”

Charly on the way to enter the living room through the window

4,5 hours play with Milva with lots of breaks
Basically playing with the same puzzles as yesterday only focusing a bit more on circles today. Trot circles were going very well again and she offered half a circle of canter :), but then she flipped out again and cut herself with her left hoof on the right leg. That was the end of today´s session. Her wound should be healed enough tomorrow though so we can continue to play then.

Recharging

Perfect weather for playing today, +24 and overcast. I played for 3 hours with Milva with lots of grazing breaks. I started to play with the weave pattern followed by sideways over a black tube from z1, z3 and z5, squeeze over a fence from z5, engaged hindquarters and drew her back towards me over the jump again and then I finished our playsession with circling game with walk - trot - halt transitions which went very well :).
It sure felt nice to play without time pressure!

Saturday Play

2 hours play, mostly weave patterns in walk and trot with lots of grazing breaks in between. I asked her to lay down once which she promptly did :) and that was it for today. More grazing than playing but we were both happy and satisfied after our play session and that´s what it is all about, isn´t it.

Time Warp

Seriously, where does all the time go?? Another week has passed and I have to realize I didn´t accomplish very much - again. I´m going to have some time to play with Milva today before leaving for work and next week I´m going to be of for 5 days - not for 9 as I hoped for. My boss asked me nicely if by any chance I could work extra next weekend as well, which will be my 6th weekend and the week after I have to work my own weekend. Phew. All work and no play right now.

Udt

1,5 hours of udt

Hot Hot Hot

+27 and sunny today.
After 1 hour of mucking out the turnout stable and filling up water in all three turn out stables I took Milva down to the paddock and played with her for 2 hours online with lots of grazing breaks.
We played with weave pattern at walk around some old car tires I found, sideways away and towards me over the black tube and then we finished with the circling game, mostly walk and trot transitions.
I also asked her to lay down once which she promptly did :).

Sunday Brunch

Sunday brunch with the girls and Malin at the stable. I didn´t get much else done today cause I got home late from yesterday night. Blond me forgot to turn of the light of Shawn´s car which I drove to work yesterday. The reason I took his car was to save gas money cause Sam drinks a lot. When I came out after work of course it wouldn´t start. Four nurses tried to push it but that didn´t work either. Our starter cables were in the back of Sam - who was in Sweden of course. It ended with that one of the other nurses drove me to the ferry station and Shawn picked me up there. Today I will drive Sam over to work and we are going to pick up Squeaky on tuesday. Ah, what an evening. But pretty hilarious as well I have to admit. We had a blast when we tried to get Squeaky going.
Hey Ho of to work I go now.

Udt

pictures taken 3 years ago at the old stable
udt with Milva today, it´s my 4th weekend at work this week and I start feeling tired but only one more week and that´s it with extra shifts for my part :).

Thursday Play

I managed to squeeze in 2 hours of playtime before going to work again.
We played all 7 games in order and then concentrated on our right now not existing circling game. It did get better after a few tries though. I started with the 22´and switched to the 45´ later. Lots of grazing breaks in between and I made sure to always scratch her favorite itchy spots each time we entered and before we left the play ground. When she gave me 2 nice circles in trot with change of direction and 2 more circles on the other hand with me being in neutral I quit. I couldn´t be in neutral in the beginning cause she always laid down behind my back, which is pretty funny I think but wouldn´t look so good when filming level 3 - one day, right now it seems far away again because of the not existing canter. But that´s entirely my fault cause I´m not consistent enough and quit too early. Oh well, we will work through it eventually. Some things just take a bit longer than others.
I also asked her to lay down once which she did of course. I think that´s pretty amazing that she also does it outside, especially cause she usually got so right brain in that particular paddock.

Babies

Pictures taken by Klara
I had to safety Sam today which took way longer than expected and therefore only 40min udt with Milva.