Drachili

Pictures taken by Antje and Konstantin

Parelli Fluiditiy # Domini Dressage Sadle

Mein Patenkind - Drachenbubili wie Antje so schön sagt....

Untamed Liberty

It wasn´t that calm as it looks like ;).
Photosession with Patricia.

Altweibersommer

Mein kleines Patenkind...Deneah´s Stormy

Zauberpferd

photo - playsession with Patricia on a sunny late summer Sunday.

Godmother

I´m gonna be godmother to this little stallion :))).
Born at 5.30 this morning by his lovely Oldernburger mum Dennah.
We are still waiting for a second baby to be born which I´m also gonna be godmother to.
My dear soulsister Antje and her lawyer husband are breeding Oldernburger down in Germany and those two little "Zwutschkerl" weren´t planned at all.
Antje borded her horses on a breeding station last winter and obviously the mares had male visitors on more than one occassion but no one told them and now a few weeks ago they found out that two mares were with foal.
Well, the first one arrived....one more to go. Poor Antje and Konsti have been sleeping in the car for over two weeks now cause the herd is in the summer pasture.
Iiieeehhh...I´m already totally in love with the little one :))).

Liberty session

focus on sideways, therefor different variations of the sideways game.
close range circles with change of direction
lay down with extreme friendly game
spin

Left Brain Introvert Playsession

aka brainoverload...

Horsey Day

Sandra giving Milva some well deserved scratches.
Lots of grazing this evening and some online and three lay downs with extreme friendly game.
Anita dropped of her "old" dressage sadel, which isn´t old and we tried on Milva. It seems to fit fine so those three times I ride every year I can use that one ;).
No use in owning an expensive Parelli sadel if I don´t use it. I got my Fluidity sadel three months ago and maybe three weeks ago I tried it on Milva for the first time. I haven´t even looked at it. Those few times I ride I usually ride in the bareback pad which I love, so I decided to sell the Fluidity.
In case I do get serious with riding again one day I always can buy a new one.

Morning Ride

Trail ride with Anita & Orkan at Anita´s stable. I got to borrow Dundra. Super much fun!

Back in the game...

 

 

Monday: online, traveling circle game with lots of transition, seven games
Tuesday: liberty and online in the dressage paddock. Online different variations of circling game. Liberty - seven games, lots of sideways away and towards, shoulders in, haunches in, circling game, mirror and lay down with extreme friendly game.

"The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you´ve had."

Der Weg des Pferdes - Dokumentarfilm - Deutsch Untertitel

Summer comes to an end...

Undemanding Summertime

Bara för den är fin...

Jag har lärt mig......

Jag har lärt mig
att det spelar ingen roll vad som händer,
eller än hur svart allt känns idag, så går livet vidare
... och i morgon blir en bättre dag.

Jag har lärt mig
att oavsett vilken relation du har
till dina föräldrar, så kommer du att sakna dem
när de inte finns där mer.

Jag har lärt mig,
att skaffa sig pengar och saker,
är inte detsamma som att skapa sig ett liv.

Jag har lärt mig,
att livet ibland ger mig en andra chans.

Jag har lärt mig,
att när jag beslutar något direkt från hjärtat,
så har jag också tagit rätt beslut.

Jag har lärt mig,
att även om jag har smärta,
så behöver jag inte ge andra det.

Jag har lärt mig, att varje dag
ska man sträcka ut handen till någon.
Alla behöver en varm kram eller en klapp på axeln.

Jag har lärt mig,
att jag fortfarande har mycket att lära.

Jag har lärt mig,
att människor kommer att glömma bort
vad du sagt och saker du gjort.
Men de kommer aldrig att glömma,
hur du fick dem att känna sig.

Ur boken: Vishetens pärlorSee More

Trailerload at Liberty

I met Patricia this morning and we trailerloaded our horses. I guess that´s the first thing Milva and I did this summer ;).

Summerevening

taken by Anna - Linafina´s mum

New Bridle

Ordered from www.taur.se
Good quality and nice service.

If Horses Could Speak by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann

I´m still in conctact with the lady I switched saddle with. Besides speaking hours on the phone we exchanged some movies. The latest she sent to me is this one. It´s about 60$ new but it´s worth every dime.

This provocative and ground-breaking film is based on the best-selling book Tug of War: "Modern" versus Classical Dressage—a book that shook the equestrian industry upon its initial release around the world. Now, you can take a step further into the examination of the horse’s "riding experience" and see just how specific kinds of movement and posture impact the horse’s skeleton and musculature.

Through the magic of amazing three-dimensional animation—as never-before-seen in an equestrian video of this kind—viewers are shown how the horse’s limbs, muscles, and ligaments interact at various gaits. In addition, live-action examples of riding, both good and bad, demonstrate the effect human beings have on their equine "partners." Viewers are sure to be astounded by the direct role their riding has on their horse’s physical and mental health and well-being.

If Horses Could Speak includes interviews with professional riders, veterinarians, and academics who specialize in the study of the horse’s anatomy and how riders can best work with it, rather than against it. Plus, shocking clips from warm-up arenas around the world expose the dark side of competitive horse sport. Altogether an illuminating and eye-opening visual experience, this DVD is not to be missed by anyone who desires to train and ride horses in a way that nurtures and builds them up, rather than wears them out and tears them apart. 75min 2008

Dr. Gerd Heuschmann trained as a Bereiter (master rider) in Germany before qualifying for veterinary study at Munich University. There he specialized in equine orthopedics for two years before accepting a post as the head of the breeding department at the German Equestrian Federation. He has been an active member of the "hyperflexion" debate, weighing in at the 2005 USDF National Symposium and the 2006 FEI Veterinary and Dressage Committee Workshop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TahYWzsCdQM

Carl Hester´s 35 top tips on Dressage

1 Dressage is not just for competition. It is gymnastics for horses and all horses can benefit from it, as they are more likely to stay sound with a long, stretchy neck, soft body and easy movement.

2 You don't have to spend a fortune on a horse for dressage - as long as the basic paces are there, the rest can be acheived through training. The main paces to look at are walk and canter, as with a bit of work a horse with a very normal trot can trot beautifully.

In walk, the horse should use the whole of his body and have a good overtrack, where the hind foot lands in front of the print left by the front foot. A good canter has a bounding stride, with the hindleg jumping right underneath the horse and the front end lifted. Above all, though a good, natural rhythm is essential and is always more important than big movement.

3 When a horse is tired, he’ll try to stretch down. Let him do it for a while as it’s something you want to encourage. To stretch your horse, lengthen the rein, lower your hand and massage his mouth with the bit by gently squeezing and releasing each rein. Stretch him regularly throughout your training sessions to relax him and reduce the risk of tension.

4 In canter always ride forward – imagine there’s a big jump at the end of the long side that you’re going to take on!

5 Dressage is about repetition, repeating exercises over and over again until it becomes part of the horse’s way of going. It takes dedication, but is simply about producing a well-schooled horse – something we’d all like to have!

6 Even if your thing is dressage, mix your horse’s schooling up with hacking and jumping as it will keep him relaxed and interested.

7 Always compete at the level below the one you are working on at home, so that you are able to cope at the competition where there are many more distractions.

8 Mirrors are a huge help in training as they enable you to see what your horse is doing – for example, how do you know whether he is straight without being able to see him?

9 Working-in is one of the most important aspects of dressage. You want your horse to be long, round and stretching before you start more taxing work, to get the muscles in front of and behind the saddle soft and working – gymnasts don’t hop straight onto the top bar! Ideally, walk for 10 minutes to start with, but if your horse is fresh, it is best to trot on to settle him down.

10 Your horse must work in front of the leg. This means that he should move forward of his own accord and not expect you to keep motivating him – for example, if you ask for canter, he must learn to stay in canter without any leg pressure, until you tell him otherwise.

11 If your horse is not responsive to your leg, ask for halt and with a loose rein, give him sharp quick taps with your leg until he moves forward – it doesn’t matter what pace he goes into, just let him move forward.

12 Create a work station on your yard, where everything to do with work happens – for example, tacking up and washing off – and keep his stable for relaxation only. Then your horse knows he can totally relax when he’s in his stable and won’t be expected to work.

13 If your horse is too sensitive to the leg, work on lots of downward transitions.

14 Lots of transitions between canter and trot will help to improve the trot by getting him to carry more weight on his back end.

15 To maintain balance while you’re working your horse, use lots of half-halts. Think about using one before you ask your horse to do anything.

16 Give your horse sugar during training sessions as a reward and to help him mouth the bit, which will encourage him to salivate and make him lighter in the hand.

17 Riding your horse ‘on and back’ involves asking him for a few lengthened strides before asking him to come back to his working pace, then repeating it several times. This will help you to get him to carry his head and neck, and achieve self-carriage.

18 When doing tempi changes – a series of flying changes – with more advanced horses, we ride along the wall of the arena to help keep the horse straight.

19 With a horse who is trained to do collected canter, you want to aim for a speed where someone can walk alongside you.

20 Use leg-yield in canter to make your horse more aware of your legs.

21 To help you maintain the rhythm while riding, keep a song in your head and sing it to yourself while you ride.

22 Get someone to video you riding so you can see what’s working and where things are going wrong. Sometimes it’s more beneficial than having someone on the floor telling you what you’re doing wrong.

23 A good trot is all about suspension. When our horses are strong enough, we teach passage and use it to get suspension in the trot. We rise while doing this exercise, as it makes it easier for the horse and encourages lift. From passage, we take the trot forward until he realises that he needs to keep the suspension that he had in passage. If he loses the suspension, we halt, ask for passage and then try it again until he maintains the suspension in trot.

24 As a test of your training technique, go into rising trot and drop your reins. Your horse should stretch down, but if he sticks his head up, something needs adjusting in your training.

25 Never tell your horse off when teaching him flying changes, just keep repeating them until he gets it right, or he’ll start to get nervous and tense about doing them.

26 If you can’t halt square on the centre line, it’s your fault! It requires training, so to make sure you can do this, teach your horse that he must always stand square, even for mounting and dismounting. To teach your horse to stand square, ask for it along the side of the school. Trot, ask for a few steps of walk, then step forward into halt. He must step forward to halt, not back to halt.

27 Hacking up hills will help with fitness and muscle development.

28 In walk, try not to interfere too much and remember that during a test, a long walk on a free rein is not a time for a break! It requires as much attention and concentration as the other movements.

29 Don’t rush your schooling and ask for too much, too soon. It’s important that your horse is strong enough to be able to do what you’re asking him to do, or he could suffer injury. It normally takes four to five years to get to Grand Prix level, without any problems along the way, as it takes that long for the horse to become strong enough to perform the movements required at that level. If you have any setbacks, it can take longer and often does.

30 When you stop and salute the judge at a competition, remember to smile!?

31 Get to a show in plenty of time and hack your horse around the showground on a loose rein, so he has time to get used to his surroundings before he is expected to concentrate.

32 Plenty of turnout allows your horse time to relax and he’ll be more relaxed during his training.

33 At competitions, wear clothes and tack that you and your horse are used to and comfortable in. Suddenly using different equipment on competition day can affect your performance. If you have special show boots and tack, have a few dress rehearsals at home just before the show date.

34 The key to training horses is patience and consistency – you will get there!

35 If possible, recreate the type of arena you’ll be riding your test in at the competition and have a practice in it. For example, check what size the arena will be and measure one out the same size at home to practise the test in, or if you usually work in a school, but the competition is on grass, practise riding the test on grass.See More

Summer Laziness

I have to admit that we are not getting much done right now.
Milva doesn´t mind though as long as I take her grazing.
Mini Parelli meeting today with Patricia, Cornelia, Angelina, Ronja and Hannah.

Milva & Linafina

My new sadle arrived yesterday and I love it!! Parelli sure makes good quality sadles!
I haven´t tried it yet though cause Milva was all wet when I came to the stable today.
Horsesitting is going well so far. Sunny is getting extra food every day and I´m taking care of Tinka´s mudfever.
Milva got mudfever as well. She never had it before. I tried with Salisylsyra creme but after talking to my german and danish friends I´m gonna buy Lebertransalbe in one of the danish pharmacies on Friday and try that one instead. Not sure what it would be called in swedish but lots of people say that was the only thing that helped their horses.
If you ask 10 different horsepeople about mudfever you get 10 different questions.

Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick

My dear veterinarian friend from back home tipsed me a long time ago about Carolyn Resnick.
Being in the Parelli fever I was just not ready to look outside the box I guess.
Anyway, now I started to follow  Carolyn´s blog http://www.carolynresnickblog.com/ and ordered her book. I really like the way she thinks - not that I´m looking someone else to follow. I still think it´s better to go my own way but it´s always good to get some inspiration!

"Above and beyond the big organizations of trainers like Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts and others, and the proliferation of their 'certified' students, Carolyn Resnick is a lifetime horsewoman and one of the finest, most talented and best horse trainers I have ever experienced. Her work is exceptional, elegant, quiet, without ego, sincerely from the heart, wisdom based, totally devoid of coercion, compassionate and extremely effective and efficient. Carolyn does not want people to be devoted to her. She wants them devoted to the horse. Additionally, Carolyn is a gifted and effective teacher."

Franklin Levinson http://www.wayofthehorse.org/index.php

The Last Wishes of Alexander the Great

The last wishes of Alexander the Great:

On his death bed, Alexander summoned his generals and told them his three
ultimate wishes:

1. The best doctors should carry his coffin;
2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should
be scattered along the procession to the cemetery, and
3. His hands should be let loose, hanging outside the coffin for all to
see.
...
One of his generals who was surprised by these unusual requests asked
Alexander to explain.

Here is what Alexander the Great had to say:

1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that, in the
face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal
2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees
that material wealth acquired on earth, stays on earth
3. I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that
we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed
after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted, and that is TIME.

TIME is our most precious treasure because it is LIMITED. We can produce more wealth, but we cannot produce more time.
When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back.

Our time is our life.

Higher Level Horse Person

One of the hallmarks of a fine and higher level horse person is their willingness and openness to hear the opinions and experience the work of other professionals. No BHS certification makes anyone the final word on horsemanship. A Parelli or Monty Roberts certificate doesn't make that person the all knowing expert about horses. It is unfortunate that so many allow their egos to explode simply because they have received some sort of certificate and passed some tests. Truly the greatest horse people are the most humble, most open and least likely to want to be known as experts. The horse is the only expert I know of in this arena. (Franklin Levinson)

A Day At The Racecourt

Fun day at the race track down in Malmö with a fellow boarder who owns a racehorse.

Summer

Mini trail ride alone at home. No one else was at the stable this evening so Milva and I explored by ourselves.

Parked Pony

Well behaved pony, waiting for me to finish whatever I was doing.
Online this morning with lots of canter transitions and change of direction with flying leadchanges.
The Natural Performer is packed and ready to ship and my new sadle is on it´s way and should be here by monday or tuesday :)