Preparing for our level 4 online audition aka REALITY CHECK

ok, this is the longreining part. I´m quiete satisfied with it but not a 100% because we have been doing better. What I wanna change is the lay down - she is hesitating too long in the beginning which takes too long time, after all you only have 10minutes for the audition right.
Then I wanna have sideways over the barrels, which I skipped because it´s not always sure she is doing it immediately - not from z5 anyway. I also wanna have the weavepatterns in trot and then go over to canter directly after the weavepatterns and do more of canter - trot transitions. The jump I wanna have me in z5 and not z3 or z4.
I didn´t even bother to add the circling game with the leadchanges cause they are a disaster. I have two versions. The first one she stops directly after doing a leadchange and comes in for a cookie - be aware of what you teach your horse...lol....so yes, I have leadchanges, both leads several times with a happy Milva coming in every single time...lol
The second version I asked her to continue, which of course Milva didn´t agree to, no cookie - me going crazy...lol....so she through a flying dragon Milva tantrum instead.
So no, after doing a reality check I don´t think we will submit our level 4 online just yet...lol....but me being positive, I think we can retape it very soon. Small adjustments and we should be there....
Plan for the upcoming week is to play more with figure 8s and build in the leadchange there which will make it easier for the Milva pony to continue on the pattern. Me think...anyway...

Swedish "Fika" Time

Carrot cake and coffe with Anita and Hanna a la Parelli style, with the horses loose.

Testing Leadership

 

Yesterday we took a walk around the pasture and stopped for a little talk with the two year old Wolfgang and his little sister.  Orkan in the background watching out where Milva is going.

Milva has been a little punk the whole week, testing daily my leadership and having in general alot of own ideas - usually the opposite of what I was asking and happily pretending not to understand what I was talking about.
You just gotta love lbi!
I must have been doing something right though cause today she was her sweet, cooperative selv again and even offered a few laps of  collected canter.

Clapton The Autobiography

Clapton: The Autobiography is a book all about Eric Clapton, from his days as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream to his solo career. Eric talks about his addictions, drug and alcohol. He talks about Pattie Boyd and his obsession for her. He speaks of his road to recovery which is sure to inspire anyone who has an addiction and the crossroads that led him to his recovery. Clapton talks about some hobbies he does with his spare time, from collecting art to fishing. This is an autobiography unlike a lot of others where the subject tries to dazzle and impress you, but rather, Clapton the Autobiography is where he bares his soul and instead of trying to impress he is being real.

"I  found a pattern in my behavior that had been repeating itself for years, decades even. Bad choices were my specialty, and if something honest and decent came along, I would shun it or run the other way.”

One of the best books I´ve ever read. I know I say that alot...but Eric´s book is one of those I just LOVE! I have to admit that I´m not that interested in music and we got the book because Shawn wanted to read it who is a big Clapton fan and really into music in general. In lack of any other books to read I started this one and I was spellbound from page one.
Clapton is a genius, a perfectionist and the real deal.
I can identify myself with some parts of the book which was an eyeopener to say the least.
My dad always says to be aware of the thin line between genius and insanity. So very true...

Playing & Playing

Playing with figure 8s in canter on the 45´ rope and change of directions at the moment.
I still haven´t put my audition together yet, but now that it is done it´s suddenly not so important anymore - how interesting...
I visited a friend today who moved her horse to another turn out stable in Vallåkra which is pretty nice - from a horse´s view anyway. The horses have a huge adventure pasture - probably four times as big as the three turn-out pastures together in our stable and the barn where they can sleep in is bigger than the whole turn out stable at our place, which holds 20 horses right now, limit for the one in Vallåkra is  6 horses. Riding house is a 10min ride up the road and the area is supposed to be nice for trail rides. It´s way less than half the price we pay now.
I´m not planning to move but it´s always good to have a back up plan...especially because of some didscussions going on again about the feeding.
Oh well, let´s see what´s happening...

Mooses On The Move

Before we filmed my audition yesterday the guys saw three elks on the other side of the road, just up the little road that leads to the barn. I was in audition fever so I didn´t care. I wouldn´t have cared if it would have been a pink flying elephant.
Today it was pretty hot here and sunny. I was so tempted to run down to the beach but then decided to drive out to Milva instead. I took her grazing at liberty. I have started doing that this summer and the goal is not to touch the rope - unless I have to put it back up on her back. The game starts as soon as she steps out from the stable and ends when I ask her to go back in - still without touching the rope. We can walk around grazing and investigating for hours and she follows me like a dog - or I follow her. It´s super fun and it sure brought our relationship to a whole different level.
After grazing time we walked around the pastures and finished the day off with a little online playsession.

Level 4 Online Audition Taping - DONE!!

 

 

Those pictures are taken from Wednesday though (by Johan) but it pretty much looked the same. First we taped my longreining part and then circling game with flying lead changes on the 45´rope. I must have been watching almost all auditions that are out on Youtube. Lots of people filmed their audition in two parts and that´s why I decided to do the same. Now I only have to figure out how to put them together, send a prayer to the audtion goods, fill out the paperwork, find some decend background music (that´s the hard part) and then send it in... Cross your fingers for us please!

Slow Feeder Net

Today we put out our new slowfeeder net which we bought from www.caisasshop.se . It wasn´t very cheap but if it lasts, it sure it´s worth the money - and finally I can play with Milva again the days I´m working and don´t have to let her graze extra two hours a day.
The old farmer worked yesterday all day and today in the morning on the feeding place. He put sand under the stoneplates, evened everything out and put gravel around the stoneplates so it won´t get that muddy there and before that he had to move the plates from the small feeding stations we had before. We like to keep him busy ;).

Once In A Blue Moon...

 

Yesterday was the second fullmoon of August and therefor called "Blue Moon". It sure looked magical!
We did a testrun of our audition on wednesday without camera and everything was going smooth. I haven´t trailerloaded Milva since our last audition filming, which must have been online level 3 and that was the mainreason for a testrun - which was unnecessary. As soon as Milva laid eye on the trailer she walked right towards it and then on it. I didn´t even ask her to do it. Super smart pony!
On thursday we filmed the whole audition and everything was going super well again - except the camera shut itself of after 5 minutes and the film cannot be found anywhere. It did record it though - or so we thought, because the last minutes I have on film. Flying leadchanges and long rein driving was going super well. The only thing that didn´t go so smooth was sideways over the barrels from z5. I´m thinking of skipping that part the next time maybe.
I couldn´t convince Shawn for another filming session tonight so we will give it another try tomorrow... cross your fingers for us!