Beautiful Winter Morning

We had the most beautiful sunrise this morning when I fed the horses.
I had a busy weekend at work and couldn´t squeeze in so much playtime with the horses. Not that it matters that much. Orkan is busy with his dressage tainings and showjumping trainings - his mum is gonna take him to an event training next month, talking about a horse with versatility.
Today I managed to get up earlier in the morning, which is not always the case considering I´m coming home from work at 11.pm (if I manage to catch the ferry, which is a whole different story),anyway, I finally had more time for playing with both of them.
Stablework takes more time now too since the water is frozen. I actually timed it today and with mucking out 4 wheelbarrels - which is a must for 5 horses, fetching warm water, feeding them, putting in new straw and sometimes preparing evening and morning hay it takes 1,5 hours - and that´s just our turnout stable if I help the stableowner with her 2, well than we are talking about 3 hours. I sure wish a day would have more hours.
Milva and Orkan switched horsenality today. Milva was all punky funky and needed to move her legs, pretending to be an arab again and having her own circus performance and Orkan needed time to think and digest today. Very interesting - and funny, both of them.
When Milva was ready to have a conversation again she gave me the best liberty circles in trot so far. I had to concentrate to stay in neutral and follow her with my eyes. She sure in an amazing mover. I know she is bred for it so it´s kind of a given but it still amazes me. Today she stayed rather close to me when she circled and she had a lovely arch in her body towards me and stretched her neck down and ears forwards. Occassionaly she bucked behind my back, but whatever, that´s just her, expressing her opinion...lol
With Orkan I played online and as I mentioned before he was thinking a lot today. Sometimes when he thinks it´s too much he stumps with his foot to let me know not to push him or to give him more time. I retreat then and wait until he is ready again and slowly ask him again, slowly going up in the faces to give him a chance to react. His faces are just too funny!

Funky Milva

Short session online with Orkan in the morning but then one of the new people came into the ridinghouse with her pony and she was doing academic on the ground....hmmm....that´s the only comment I´m gonna write about it.
Nice lady though and crazy pony. I don´t understand why a mum whould let her daughter ride such a out of controll pony...hm....
Liberty session with Milva who discovered her well hidden arabian genes this morning and there was not much talking to her cause she had made up her mind to be all silly billy so I had no choice than join her.
I tried circling in the beginning but didn´t get enough connection with her so instead we were chasing each other around the ridinghouse. I ran after her and then she ran after me and when I turned around she squeked and ran away tale up and bucking. When she was chasing me she arched her neck and rolled her eyes and snorted alot and put her tale up. Too funny.
In the afternoon we went for a walk in the snowy fields just when the sun went down and it started to snow a little bit too *me love*.

Zen Mind Zen Horse written by Allan J. Hamilton

Mindful work with horses, says neurosurgeon Allan J. Hamilton, can enlighten the human handler as much as it benefits the horse. Evolving over 30 million years to become the quintessential prey animal, equines have developed acute right-brain survival skills, such as leadership, awareness, empathy, and cooperation. In particular the horse has finely honed abilities to lead, communicate, and connect not with words, but with the vital emotional energy described in the Buddhist tradition as chi. When we learn the language of chi, we become more effective as leaders, more attuned to others, and more joyful as human beings.

Zen Mind, Zen Horse begins by examining how the equine and human brains function, often related to their respective roles as prey and predator. Going on to draw insights and wisdom from spiritual traditions such as Zen Buddhism, Ayurvedic healing, and Yaqui shamanism and from the great horse cultures of the Mongolians, Bedouins, and Native Americans, Dr. Hamilton shows the importance of developing right-brain awareness and quieting the left-brain dominance of our Western brains.

Seamlessly integrating spiritual principles and practical applications, Dr. Hamilton shows how to apply the chi-based approach to every aspect of horse-human communication, including:
• The act of grooming as a spiritual practice
• Techniques of alpha-horse leadership that make others gladly follow
• Gaze, stance, and gesture as training tools
• The irresistible power of infinite patience

Ultimately, the author shows the depth of insight humans gain into themselves, as well as horses, after working with these amazing animals.

-worth reading, very much like Parelli so there wasn´t much new information but still worth the time.

Parelli January Shipment

January 2012 DVD:
"Million Transitions - Liberty"
In this Savvy Lesson, we’ll explore how doing many transitions results in your horse becoming mentally, emotionally and physically collected. In the first session, Lyndsey and Hot Jazz show you how important confidence and consistency are at Level 3. The next session features Amy and Sapphire playing at Level 4+, during which they focus on responsiveness and sensitivity. No matter what level you’re at, these sessions have plenty of essential education to offer. These lessons are a continuation from our December Savvy Lesson, which focused on A Million Transitions – Freestyle.

January 2012 Audio CD:
"Linda Parelli-Looking Back & Into the Future"

On this month’s audio CD, Neil Pye shares a radio interview that Linda did with HorseWyse Magazine in Australia. During the interview, Linda shares her life’s story, starting with growing up in Singapore and begging her parents for a horse. A few years after that, while living in Australia, Linda entered a tack store and saw a video of an American cowboy who would soon be putting on a local clinic. The rest, as they say, is history. In addition, Linda describes her revolutionary Game of Contact, as well as the ways that Parelli Natural Horsemanship has grown throughout the world. Linda concludes with the following words of encouragement: “You can have your dream.”

January 2012 Mastery Lesson:
Linda's Lesson - Puzzle Solving with Two Barrels
Pat's Lesson - Developing a Connection at Liberty

Winter Oh Winter

Why oh why are you so late for a visit this year?? I feel for spring and sun!
-7 again this morning and I watched a wonderful sunrise while I fed the horses.
I played with Milva at liberty again. Circling without a roundpen, all kinds of variations of sideways in all 5 zones - z5 is definitely my favourite right now, lay down, spin and stick to me in walk and trot. I have to watch my energy in trot though. It´s enough to raise my energy just a little bit and she starts troting and it sure doesn´t take much to blow her up. More sensitive horse you have to look for.
I also asked her to lay down again while she was out on the circle and later I asked her to come sideways towards me while she was out on the circle - too much fun!!! Her circles in trot are improving as well and from time to time she has a real positive, cute impression on her face.
With Orkan I played with bulls eye, walk trot transitions without rein, a little bit of sideways - reward at the slightest try. Figure 8s without rein and follow th trail. He is super smart and always remembers where we stopped the last time. He sure makes me laugh a lot. The last time I rode him a stopped at the cones which I had laid out for weave patterns and today after I got on him he started to walk towards the cones and stoped at the first one, turned his head around to see if he gets a cookie, nope, ok, of to the next one and then to the next and then to the last one. Asking a question at each cone, too much fun!
You can´t anything else but love those 2 ponnies!

Snow & Sun

-7 this morning. I do love winter and snow and actually missed the snow very much! But no scooting for me today and tomorrow, car it is.
I played with Milva at liberty this morning. Same as the last two days and our circles are improving.
So my plan with her is to do our liberty level 4 audition of course. Which I don´t see any problems in. It should be a piece of cake in my opinion.
By preparing her for the auditions she will build up more muscles and find more balance in trot and canter. When I feel she is ready I will start playing with her with the sadle on and then carefully start to ride her.
I do think the muscle building and balance part have priority before putting my weight on her.
I also can tape my level 4 online then with her.
I also managed to play a short while with Orkan this morning. Online to help him with his sideways and focusing on to how little it takes to move him.
I will have more time tomorrow morning so I will ride Orkan tomorrow and play a bit longer with Milva.

Winter Arrived In Skåne - Yikes!

...and I´m kind of wondering if I can scoot to work tomorrow. Probably not such a good idea but I really really don´t wanna take the car over to Denmark and pay so much money for the ferry ticket again. Well, I´ll see tomorrow.
Played with Milva at liberty again. Same as yesterday except I ask her to trot in the circling game at liberty - without a round coral.
I only asked her for two circles in each direction though but the result was pretty good. She stayed connected all the time :).
It took a little while to get her started with the circling game though cause she had planed her own circus show. So I just let her and when she was done performing her own little show we started with my ideas. She is just too darn funny sometimes.

Milva The Achiever

Yikes, not at all happy about all the snow that came today.
Milva on the other hand was very happy and very cheeky today. We played at liberty - circles, stick to me, spin, sideways from z5 and figure 8s at trot.
I thought her today to lay down on a circle, like being 10m away but on seconds thought it wasn´t the smartest thing I´ve done ;).
When I dropped the carrotstick and bend down to pick it up Milva flopped immediately down. Ähm...
When I bend down to tie my shoes Milva flipped down so fast you couldn´t even think ähm...
And then she flipped down behind my back. I could see her in the mirror stopping, thinking, ears forwards, flopping down and waiting there in a sitting position.
When I didn´t react she went up, shaked her head angrily and came towards me and flopped down next to me looking all cute and pretty so of course I rewarded her. I know not the smartest thing to do either but at least I know all the bad habbits she has I thought her happily and I´m not complaining about them.
We did sideways from z5 at liberty today as well. It was our first time and the situation and timing was just right so I tried it and smartypants picked up on it immediately. She is such an achiever. If she would be human she would have straight A´s in everything.
We finished out liberty session with figure 8s at liberty. Out of fun I suggested with a very light phase 1 trot and see there she trotted figure 8s with an arch towards me in her body and ears forwards. She did two rounds and then we quit.
I´m just saying wow!!! I don´t know what I did to deserve such a horse!

Feels Almost Like Spring

Orkan lost a shoe and got shoed this afternoon, no riding today though.
With Milva I took a 20min walk in the morning and a 30min walk in the afternoon - in the sunshine! Real Sun!!!
Our walk was pretty uneventful, she behaved like a grown up horse and was all nice and soft.
I managed to clean my NP today - the first time since I bought him *cough*.
I think you can first become friends with your sadle after you thouroughly cleaned him.
My dear friend Pia is coming next week to look at Malins horses. Pia was our matchmaker and brought Milva into my life :). We haven´t seen each other for 4 years now but always kept somehow in touch. Pia is competing up to St.Georg and I always liked her riding. She is very fair and humble about it.
Pia is also an expert on Trakehners and it´s gonna be fun to see what she thinks about my little pony.

Liberty & Freestyle

Orkan: passenger lesson, back up, sideways and walk stop transitions, bulls eye and question box

Milva: circling game in a big area at liberty, close range circles and change of direction, sideways, spin, stick to me, back up.

# 7 - Start Valuing The Lessons Your Mistakes Teach You!

Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving. Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures. One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.

Breakthrough!

Milva: longreining with 1 rein, walk - stop - back up transitions, sideways both direction from z5 with 1 rein and follow the rail. I had planned a liberty session with Milva but the showjumping trainer was here and riding another horse while I played with Milva. I don´t think he would have appreciated another horse turned loose ;).

Orkan: I started with a passenger lesson, which he found quite interesting and amusing. I could see him think. First he didn´t know what to make out of it but then he got into all kind of adventures - he is such a clown!
He starts to remind me more and more of Milva in a way. Today he asked lots of questions and started to offer all kind of things :))) - yeah! He had a positive expression on his face all the time, ears forwards and a very concentrated look on his face trying to figure out what I would ask next and putting really effort in pleasing me :))) - yeah!
I always try to ride with very subtle aids, looking for how little it takes to achieve my goal but be prepared to be firm if necessary.
Today I only needed a very soft sss and he stoped and when I wiggled my feed only a little bit he started to back up - withour me using the rein :))) - yeah!
I was very satisfied with todays ride.
I was less thrilled about having a second person riding while I rode. It astonish me how people make their horses numb with constantly clicking with the tongue and making all kind of other weird noises to make their horse move forward and constantly using their leg and rein, not giving the horse any time to think or react.
I could feel my irritation grow more and more, at the same time I got angry with myself because I cared what the other person did. I decided it was time to take a few minutes time out and Orkan and I went to the middle and I gave him a good scratch on his neck while I thought about the situation.
The conclusion I came up with is that I need harmony and peace around me to work with a horse properly. Positive people and positive energy. I´m just too easily distracted otherwise and can´t focus.
I rode for a little while longer staying at the other end of the arena and then called it a day.

Monday

I started to play with Milva today again. She seems to be completly feeling alright again. I took it easy though and longreined her with 1 rein for 10min, doing walking stop transitions.
With Orkan I played with 15min online. Focusing on sideways and yoyo. As soon as he got it I stoped.

Happy & Sound

One of my austrian friends tipped me about putting a "Sauerkraut Wickel" around Milva´s hooves. It´s supposed to help wonders for an hoof abscess, and see there, she walked normally today and her leg is not swollen anymore. Hmmm...how intersting.
The ferier came today and cleaned out the little abscess and put a small bandage around it. Milva was even nice to the ferier today.
Good day today!

A Well Educated Horse Is Worth His Weight In Gold

Last Sunday I rode Orkan again. We played with Question Box, Bulls Eye, Sideways, Backing Up, Follow the trail and all kinds of transitions.
Today we played with walk stop transitions and don´t make me pick up the rein. Circling game with let´s not make me pick up the rein some sideways and backing up. We only walked today and I focusd on him stretching forwards downwards. Orkan is a true lbe, way more go than whoa and he easily gets bored, always wants something to happen. He kind of reminds me of Shawn, never can sit still either. He sure is a great deal of fun and starts to ask questions now. Lots of licking and chewing during our session and when we were done he was all tired - mentally.
Milva´s leg looks better again :). She was a bit upset when I took her boyfriend today and not her. I did let her eat outside after I brought Orkan back. I think I will take her with me in the ridinghouse when she is sound again while I ride Orkan.

Munch Is Doing Better

Glad to raport that munch is doing better. After the ferier was here, the girls rapported in the evening that she is walking much better. Yesterday her leg was more swollen on the outside (that´s where the ferrier thinks the abscess is located) and she classicly put her toes down first. She didn´t look to have much pain any more though so maybe the little abscess the ferier opened helped a bit. Today she looks even better, leg still swollen but walking better again and she is her old perky self again.
Me - I´m more calm now and convinced she will survive a hoofabscess as well ;).
Quick early lunch and then I´m heading back out there again to play with Milva putting one foot on a bucketlock and riding Orkan.

Quick Update

The abscess could not be located yet. Ferrier will be back on thursday. He found something very little and cleaned it out but according to her lameness something bigger is in there - just not ready to pop yet.
And no Miss Milva did not cooperate, or after a while she did but not in the beginning and the sedation I got from the vet was not very effective. It took 40min to see some reaction which lasted 5min. The medicine I used was Sedatine and when I read the prescription it said for moderate sedation - æhm, there is nothing moderate about Milva that´s for sure.
The vet was a new girl that started to work for out old vet and hasn´t met Milva before. She didn´t believe me that that nice soft looking horse would make troubles for the ferrier and then she asked if she could have a look at the hoof. I told her if she is able to pet Milva she can give it a try but I have my doubts. Her answer was that horses loved her and she never has any problems. Yeah sure. Making the story short - no, Milva did not give her permission to touch her and didn´t even sniff her hand nor did she take the carrot the vet offered. Well, Milva is Milva, she sure has her own ideas.
Surprisingly she kind of likes the new/old ferrier though. She did give him some troubles but in the end she stood there with the rope on the ground sniffing his bum all the time and checking out what he was up to.
Sure hope the abscess is poping soon and she is gonna be ok.

Update On The Munsch

talking with the ferrier on the phone

Seems to be it is a hoofabscess after all. At least that´s what the people say who should know. Ferrier is contacted and will call back tomorrow morning to see when in the morning he can come. Called the emergency vet to get some sedation for tomorrow, have to call her back in the morning and then she will drop an ampule off around 9.00. I hope she has something else though I can use for sedation, cause there i no way that I can give Milva a needle. I can do it on humans, that what I do at work daily but not on Milva....ahhhh...panic.
I definitely need one though cause it´s gonna be very unlikely that she will hold still. She almost didn´t let me pick her hooves today. We all know how concsious she is about her hooves. She is in alot of pain as well, only hope this nightmare is over very quick.
Her spirit is still up though which I´m greatful for.
Hanna and I tried to put a jod bandage around the hoof to make the abscess ripen quicker but that didn´t work out too well. We got the jodopax all over us and Milva through all things around and got quiete angry. She sure shows what she likes or not in this case.
Another thing I worry about - so much to not taking worries out by forehand, is if we can get everything done before I have to leave to work. I´m not sure I would get a day off because my horse is sick, but who knows I´m can be pretty convincing ;).
So people out there, cross your fingers for us tomorrow and send healing thoughts!

Hurt Pony :((

Milva is lame - righ front. No visible wounds, not swollen anywhere and not warm - not in her hooves either.
She was ok yesterday when I went for a walk but today in the morning I could see something, but I thought she maybe stepped on a stone. When I got back in the afternoon she didn´t want me to give her left hoof to clean it out.
In the ridinghouse I could see how lame she was. Sometimes she looked sore in all four feet and then you almost couldn´t see anything only when she turned. Helene helped me to check her and when we took her out in the yard you definitely could see it. Poor pony!
I´m gonna back there early in the morning tomorrow anyway and check how the situation developed. I kind of suspect a hoof abscess but then the hoof would be warm and there would be pulse in it, wouldn´t it?
She has no temperature either and looked quite her usual self just slightly annoyed with me checking her legs all the time.
I guess I just have to wait and see what´s happening...

# 6 - Start Noticing & Living In The Present

Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.

SUN!!

Drake

Malin & Untan - her foal is expected in february

Hanna cleaning up in her turn-out stable with the help of Magica and her foal,I think it´s called Minnerva

What a difference a little bit of sun makes! My dragon and I went for a 30min walk and she really enjoyed it. Her ears were forwards all the time and she looked around alot, blowing out lots of air. Love my dragon!

#5 - Start Being Yourself, Genuinely & Proudly

Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly. – Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Be yourself. Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it

Playtime

Despite the bad weather I played with Milva & Orkan today.
With Milva: circling game with positive expression, she offered a nice trott with a wonderful stretch downwards. Also played with the Falling leaf pattern and I asked her to back up on a cirlce on the end of the 45`and then sideways towards me from outside the circle while I kept my feed still. She is such a smart cookie.
With Orkan I played the 7 games focusing on sideways which will help him to improve his flyging lead changes and yoyo. Cause what´s Pat saying - the better a horse can back up and go sideways the better the can do everything else.

#4 - Start Making Your Own Happiness A Priority

Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most

Open Up The Windows For The Storm

What a winter we have! No snow in sight but plenty of rain and storms.
This morning it was blowing 80km/h. Needless to say that most of the breakfast hay flew away and so did the straw. I went back to the stable this afternoon to finish the chores and to play with the Milva munsch.
Cornlia was playing with Lilly at the same time and I watched her riding freestyle. She totally rocks!
With Milva I focused on the circling game again and on scratching her sweet spots.

# Start Being Honest With Yourself About Everything

Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are. Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there. Read The Road Less Traveled.

# StartFacing Your Problems Head On

Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them. Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.

2012 Rule Nr.1 - Start Spending Time With The Right People

Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.

Milva The Transformer

Milva decided today would be a good day to mutate into a flying dragon again for a change...lol.
I had planned on a nice, calm walk with my little pony to build up her strength and muscles today. On Milva´s agenda stood "turning into a firespying, flying dragon and see what Marion thinks about that". Well, first I thought "oh crap" and then I thought how the heck is she getting her big belly that high up in the air and how the hell can she stay up in the air that long and perform all those crazy jumps up there and then I thought, oh my goodness I will never be able to stay on her if she decides to do that when I sit on her and then I continued to walk stoicly in the direction I wanted to go and trusted that she would soon run out of energy, after all she is a lbi and see there, after a while she decided to put all four hooves on the ground again and to mutate back into a horse and off we walked.
It wasn´t her fault that the dragon took over again. Really, she can´t help it, it´s like a child on a sugar rush - it just needs to come out. She is very impressive though when she does it, lots of horse coming out. It totally cracks me up when she does it though, well, it cracks me up as long as I don´t sit on her when she does it ;).
So let´s try this again tomorrow and see what´s happening.

Some Of The Comments I Got On My Liberty Audition From The Savvy Club

... not that I´m looking for attention or proove or something like that...lol...isn´t that very much unlikely for a lbi person like me. What´s going on with me I wonder...lol
Anyway, I feel so flattered by some of the comments I got so I decided to post them here.

Isolde,

I just had the time to view this in full, what an absolute pleasure to watch, thankyou. Your partnership is something to be admired. I, personally, think this is one of the best Liberty auditions I have watched.

Steve

WOW! Congratulations! You're horse should be Parelli's new poster child for the LBI! So awesome!

Very nice....absolutely love your energy....and obviously so does your horse!

That was fantastic!! Congratulations!

Congratulations! You really match your energy with your horse's, beautiful audition

Ilka

Absolutely amazing!! You have every reason to be proud!!

Marion, that brought tears to my eyes on so many levels. What an astonishing syncroship you have with Milva. The music was perfect...Halleluja indeed. Honestkate

Absolutlely lovely, just loved it, so calm and serene, beautiful.
Kim

Marion, I just wanted to agree with Steve and say I don't think I've seen a better Liberty audition either. You raised the bar.

That was a pure delight to watch. Very inspirational. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ktcharb

New Year´s Day

Early rising for me in the morning to check if the critters survived the night, and yes, they looked all relaxed when I came to the stable. I was there earlier than usual and Milva and Tinker were still laying down sleeping. Orkan and Paulina were guarding them and little Annabelle stood outside. I totally love our little herd.
I´m also feeding one of Malin´s breeding mare in the morning. Magica lives in one of the other herds in the turn out stable. It´s funny to watch her expression when she sees me in the morning - ears forwards and a nicker and then she usually walks with big steps into the stable, chasing everyone else out and waits there for me.
I managed to play with Milva 20min online again today. Mostly focusing on the Circling Game. While I played with her Charlotte came in with her horse. She started to became interested in the Parelli program and I gave her the old Celebration dvd and lent her the new one. Exciting to see what she thinks :).