Susan's Viewpoint

Our first trail ride in over three years was today.  Sue was fabulous, just fabulous.  She has the nicest flat foot walk and goes anywhere.  She went everywhere, except when I told the crowd she would go anywhere. Then she refused.  It’s up to the horse to humiliate the rider whenever possible.  No matter, it was down a steep hill into a ravine.  I wouldn’t have wanted to go down that hill either, but this was a trail ride.

This was an official Fox Trotter Club ride and Hope and I were the leaders.  Hope took our leadership very seriously.  She wouldn’t let me go on the secret trails.  Hope is a stickler for rules.  We went on the mowed trails.

Sue has a nice flat foot walk and then goes into a pace.  It’s a pretty nice smooth pace, but I dislike it all the same.  It will be fun to work that out.

Two of our riders were new to the fox trotter club.  Mike and Ken are wonderful riders.  They are safe and very nice to chat with.  I love riding with safe riders, especially on my first trail ride with Sue in our second time around.

Nichole Copple has done a great job with Sue!  She is a fabulous horse to ride on the trail.  You would think that Sue would be huffing and puffing on a six mile ride after three years being a brood mare.  Occasionally, she did breath hard, but we slowed down and she did fine.  I think she has such an efficient gait and it doesn’t take a lot of effort for her.  Or she has a huge heart and lungs.

Hope had quite a time getting to the park.  Her truck wouldn’t start.  Her perfect husband jump started it and she made it early to the park.  After our perfect trail ride, Hope’s truck wouldn’t start.  Alan, the perfect husband, came with tools and battery.

While the perfect husband was on route to the park and then working on Hope’s truck, I just let Sue stand in the grass with the lead rope on the ground.  I fed her some grain.  It was quite an effort to get her to eat on the ground.  She didn’t dive down and eat the grass.  She didn’t move. She didn’t move for at least 15 minutes.  I wondered if anything was wrong with her.

Finally, I came to the conclusion that she has been trained to ground tie.  You throw the rope on the ground and she doesn’t move. This is amazing when you also stop to think that she is a hard-to-catch horse.  In fact, one of the reason that I bought Sue was when people wanting to buy her took her to this park to try her out.  They rode to the far end of the park.  Sue bolted when her rider patted her on the rear. The rider fell off and Sue raced back to the trailers, right in the same place where she was now ground tied.  They had to round up all the people at the park and form a circle to catch her.

The new Sue did not move for about 30 minutes.  I groomed her, rubbed her, fly sprayed her, sprayed healing stuff in her tail where the ticks had bit her.  I walked all around her.  She did not move her feet.  She was tied to the lead rope on the ground.

Amazing!

Sue returned home yesterday. I left Lucky Star with Tony and Jenny for a 5 day Lucky upgrade. This gives me no one to ride but Sue.

I took Sue for a walk today around the neighbors turf farm. It’s fun to take a horse for a walk if they don’t try to run over you, eat grass, balk etc. Sue is a perfect horse to walk with. She is an exercise horse! I even ran with her. She stays about 6″ behind my shoulder. I can run for about 30 steps prior to getting a heart attack. Both dogs enjoyed the walk and I enjoyed leading Sue around to help me with my exercise program.

In the afternoon, I rode at the house. It was horrid windy. Sue told me how much she didn’t want to leave the barn. Her head was pointed to the gate, but her body was trying to return to the barn. I asked Sue to ride in circles and figure 8′s. We compromised and made it to the end of our property where we did more circles and figure 8′s.

A woman fishing at our pond today asked me if she was pregnant. No, I replied, just a little rubenesque. The woman said, “Well, at least she’s getting some exercise.

Me Too!

I was so happy to have a left brain introvert. Introverts don’t move their feet. Their mouth generally doesn’t grab stuff and play with it. Their lips stay right in their head which doesn’t move. Extroverts move their feet and their lips play with anything they can find. They constantly demand your attention.

Since Lucky Star proved immensely difficult to move his feet per a human request, he was diagnosed as introvert. Turns out he’s an extreme willful dominant horse who cared little what pressure was put on him to move his feet. Lucky Star willingly follows your request only if he likes you. I’m not saying that he will try his little heart out if he loves you, but it will come to that later in the year for Lucky and I.

After two months of training with Tony and Jenny, Lucky Star started to move his feet. Tony had some fun with him on the 60-90 day period. When I started riding him, his feet were stuck to the ground. He improved greatly every time I rode him. I had to bond with Lucky and prove my love and leadership to him. His feet started obeying my feel better and better as did his impulsion.

He’s moving his feet and his lips are starting to pick up anything within reach. His nose nearly always beats my hand to the gate, bridle, halter, carrot stick etc.

Jenny diagnosed him as a left brain extrovert. He was a left brain extrovert in disguise!

I left the left brain extrovert with Tony and Jenny for a week of expert attention. Five days with them is like 5 months of progress with me.

Yee Haw for Lucky Star!

Once again on a trail ride at James A Reed park,  I yelled multiple times, STOP, STOP STOP.  This time Hope yelled STOP also. She also yelled “Young Horse”. We both put our hand in the air in the universal STOP language.

Here’s how it went late this afternoon.

I was riding Lucky Star and Hope was riding Chip.  Lucky Star was in the lead and we were walking over a storm pipe.  It’s dirt where the horses walk, but the pipe is visible on both sides.  There is thick forest and gunk on each side.  It’s the breeding place of monster evil lizards or something primeval. It’s a narrow place, not wide enough for two horses.  Usually something like this is scary to horses new to the trail.  Lucky Star was walking over it fine.

and then…

around the corner popping out of  trees, came a flying wedge of six or seven riders and horses going very fast in a speedy running walk.  The horses were TWH’s and they were all going the same speed, about two or three horses side by side and packed together in a herd.

They were headed right towards Lucky Star.  Horses are generally on high alert ready to bolt when something is running at them out of the woods.  Lucky Star was on high alert.  He didn’t offer to move.  He didn’t back up.  He didn’t offer to spin and fall into the ditch.  He didn’t offer anything except high head alert.

Finally the riders stopped their horses.  We can’t figure out why they didn’t stop when first asked.  Plus what were they planning on doing to Lucky Star and I on the storm pipe crossing, just run us over? Good GAD!

Of course Hope is always nice.  I pretended to be nice and we chatted with the group for a second or two.  Lucky Star wouldn’t go forward.  Then I asked him to back and he did that. We backed off the crossing and they were able to file single file past us.  Good LORD!

I am thankful to be riding such a confident horse as Lucky Star.  He saved my life today by remaining left-brained.

I’ve been riding with Lynette for years at clinics and horse camps with natural horsemanship trainers, Tony and Jenny Vaught.

Two years ago Lynette bought a Missouri Fox Trotter from Big Barn Ranch named DJ. DJ had been trained by Tony and Jenny Vaught, but he still had a journey to cover with Lynette to bring him along into being a happy “finished bridle horse”.  I was there participating in some of the clinics in which Lynette and DJ participated.  It was fun to watch Lynette learn what Missouri Fox Trotting horses can smoothly do.  It was fun to watch DJ learn to love and trust Lynette!

Lynette decided she would get out into the competition world with DJ and compete in ACTHA events. She won and kept winning. She won the Missouri State Championship Pleasure Division.
When Lynette was announced the Missouri Champion, she had to submit a video. Jenny filmed this video and edited it.

This is what we do with Tony and Jenny Vaught!  We learn to communicate with our horse, develop the partnership and have tons of  fun!

Here’s the announcement from Lynette and the video.  I “sniffled” at the end. This is true high level communication and trust between horse and human!

“DJ was accepted by ACTHA for Americas Favorite Trail Horse-pleasure division competition to air Tuesday, May 29th!!! What a great horse…and thanks to all for your support. Lynette Shoup Ralph”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgxgNQpphBc&list=FL2AMtUgLjWRX4KnnqYyTBaQ\
&index=1&feature=plpp_video

We will be voting here!  The videos aren’t up yet.  http://www.actha.tv/

I’ve been formulating how to convey the learning experience I’m getting with Lucky Star. He is an extreme left brain introvert. I’ll say my piece later. This will help you understand why I have developed such a deep relationship with Lucky Star.
Words from Linda Parelli:Linda’s Blog has posted a new blog: ‘Horsenality™ Is Not An Excuse!’

The reason for this blog is that I keep hearing this comment: “People are
using Horsenality™ as an excuse!” We’ve all heard people say “I can’t ask
my horse to do this; he’s an introvert” or “She’ll always be crabby and
bitchy because she’s a Left-Brain Extrovert!’”

Let’s be clear – knowing your horse’s Horsenality is not about being able
to make excuses. It’s about bringing your full attention to this question: are
you bringing out the worst or the best in your horse? Knowing about Horsenality
means you have the inside scoop as to what it is your horse trusts and respects
in a leadership style that would bring out the most positive behaviors. And when
you know just how to approach your horse, it will help you make faster progress
and get better results.

Let’s talk about introverts:

Introverts take time to process your request, either because they can’t do it
or they don’t want to do it right away. Guess which is which!

Right-Brain Introvert – can’t do it. That’s because their emotions get in
the way so their first reaction is stress, and stress makes them clam up and
shut down until they trust you and can feel completely confident around you.
Putting it in human terms, this is the Right-Brain Introvert mother who is both
caring and effective with her children. She can think on her feet and do the
right thing in the moment. But in another setting, she is tentative and easily
intimidated. The more extroverted the situation, the more introverted the
Right-Brain Introvert becomes. These horses are often called unpredictable,
aloof, tense, and oversensitive.

Left-Brain Introvert – won’t do it. That’s because their opinion of you
gets in the way – they think you are lower than them in the pecking order!
These horses are often called stubborn, lazy, and arrogant.

When a horse is acting tense, over-reactive, stubborn, lazy, etc., that’s
because the rider is bringing out those behaviors. Rushing an introvert will do
this – not giving them time to think, and in the case of the Left-Brain
Introvert, not being provocative enough at the same time. Note that
“provocative” does not necessarily mean to do it faster!

You may view the latest post at:

http://linda.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/2012/05/horsenality%e2%84%a2-is-not-an-excuse/

You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are
posted.
Yours Naturally,
Linda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvJkc_B99ew&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My 1996 steel horse trailer roof has been calked and recalked to stop the leaks. The roof was moldy and rusty. The side windows had to be held shut with duct tape.
Now I have a bright shiny new roof that is guaranteed not to leak for 50 years. The cost for this trailer was $624.  Comparing $624 against the cost of purchasing a used trailer with a no rust roof… well, there is no comparison!

Plus they fixed my windows and added grab bars. No longer am I wondering when to sell it for scrap and borrow money for another trailer!
GACO was developed by NASA to cost space shuttle rockets. Now GACO coats roofs and makes them waterproof for 50 years! Plus it reflects heat. Structures coated with GACO don’t feel like an oven. This is especially wonderful for horses traveling in a horse trailer in the summer. There is a huge difference in my trailer from before to after.
Besides the roof, RoofKC.com fixed my windows that has to be duct taped shut and installed grab bars. I’m so happy with my trailer!
I paid $500 to paint my smaller trailer roof three years ago. The seams are starting to rust out again. I’m going to pay RoofKC.com $495 to cover it with GACO for 50 years of no rust!!  I’m so excited about this product for the use on horse trailers.

If your trailer is starting to have rusty roof, contact RoofKC.com. 866-333-1410.  They are a very personable and hard-working company.  You’ll have a great experience, just like mine!

What did Lucky Star think about the clinic and horse show?  Lucky Star recounts his first Horse Show  Story:

 ”It was an adventure!

My good friend Sheyna came to stay with me in the barn the might before the clinic and rode in the trailer with me to the clinic. That was fun.  I like Sheyna.

When I got there, I got to eat green grass.  That trailer parking lot was plush grass.  I liked that a lot too. After a while who shows up and parks right behind me?  My friends, Nova and Velvet showed up.  I tried to boss them around from where I was standing, but they ignored me. Tony and Jenny were there too and said hi to me. That was nice.   I continued to eat great green grass.  Yum!

After a while my mom came back and saddled me up.  We got to go into a big building and there were a lot of other horses in there. Sheyna got to come too.  Nova came by me every now and then, but she didn’t try to boss me around.

I was a little bit concerned about stange looking ground on the outside of the arena dirt.  I tried not to get close to it.  My mom seemed to be concerned with me going along the rail.  I didn’t want to get close to the rail and that strange looking stuff. There were humans perched on top of this stuff too.  (Susan translation:  cement)

My mom wanted me to back thru a lot of things.  Well, I’m just OK with that.  I’m not excited about backing thru stuff, but my mom was asking me politly and I decided to comply.  She wanted me to sidepass over a pole too.  I decided to comply with that request too.  I didn’t eagerly move over the pole, but I did move. She seemed grateful for my generosity of movement.

I got to meet a mailbox. What a strange thing that is.  In fact, she petted the mailbox for a while, just like she rubs me.  I decided the mailbox wasn’t going to eat me.  Then I discovered that it opened up.  I was OK with that too.  Then I found out there was something inside of the mailbox.  It was yellow.  Mom took it easy with me.  I was a little leary about the yellow thing, but decided my mom was trustworthy, so I just stayed still but a little tense when she rubbed me with the yellow thing.  It didn’t hurt or try to eat me either.  Finally, I decided that mailboxes could be trusted.

We zipped around the arena at times and when I got a little out of breath, we played with the obstacles.  Oh I forgot. There were three poles sticking out of the ground in a triangle shape.  My mom wanted me to back thru the poles.  I had to turn around and back at the same time to back thru the other side of the triangle. What a wierd sensation that was.  I tried to back over the poles with my rear end, but my mom was insistent that I back thru, not over. humph.

I had a pretty good time in the arena and we left.  I got to be tied up again.  I had eaten all the grass, so I got to have my hay bag filled with delicious hay.  My mom loosened my girth and I got to eat.  People were buzzing around.

All of a sudden I looked up and there was a gorgeous human being that looked a lot like my mom. But she had on an outfit that blew me away.  Lordy, the cowboy hat was fabulous.  I liked everything a lot because her outside was the same colors as I am. Wowsa!

Mom looked ready to ride.  She got Kelley to hold the saddle while she mounted from the trailer living quarter.  Guess I’m short enough that she can get on from the door.  I wasn’t able to tell mom, but she didn’t tighten back up my saddle.  I decided to keep her balanced so she wouldn’t fall off.  I like her.

We stood around for a while and took pictures of all the other dressed up people.  It’s amazing how people can change their skin like that.

Mom decided to go check on the arena. She discovered that “my class” was next.  I wondered what a “my class” was.

All of sudden someone decided I was the first to go into the big place insomething they called Trail Class.  I zipped into the arena at a fine fox trot to find that it had totally changed.  I was headed right for a row of poles. They stuck straight out of the ground. I was going at my fastest fox trot.  WHOA…Whoa! What are those things!?  I slowed down to get a look at them.  I decided the poles weren’t going to eat me when mom decided to make a course change and we ended up weaving thru the poles.  That was above my pay grade and I argued about the direction changing on such a rapid gait.

We came out of the poles and mom charged me up into my flat foot walk.  After a while I let her think she had talked me into going at that speed when we came to some poles on the ground.  No problem here. We had practiced backing thru the “L”.  I did that pretty darn good and only touched the poles when my mom was celebrating me doing so well at the end. 

Now we turned  and went slowly to a pole laying on the ground. Mom told me she wanted me to sidepass over the pole and I did that pretty darn good. Good enough that she had me sidepass back over it again the other way.  I told my hind feet that they could bang into the pole right when she was thinking how perfect I had done.  I am only a beginner horse.  I don’t want mom to think that I’m perfect and stop practicing.  How dull that would be?

We turned to the back of the arena and there was the  mailbox in a new corner.  The mailbox was near that different colored ground (cement) and there was a dog sleeping on the ground. Good GAD! she wanted me to sidepass so she could touch the mailbox in this scary place.  I didn’t move for a while, but thought about it.  I decided that no one was going to eat me and decided to sidepass over to it.  I could tell this made mom really happy.  She took the yellow thing out and put it right back. That dog never moved.  We were done with mailbox!

Mom made me walk over some poles on the way to freedom out the door. Whew.  You know I was the only horse in that entire arena.  Why was that?

I stood there for a while with all the other horses and everything was nice and relaxed.  Mom was chatting chatting chatting and I got to flick my ears at all the other horses.

Later all the horses and riders went into the arena.  There was a bunch of noise from the riders and the people standing and sitting inside the arena.  Mom called it clapping. She clapped a lot too.  No one handed me a ribbon or clapped for me.  I was OK with that because the judge came over to tell me I was “coming along”.   He smiled and mom smiled so “coming along” must be a good thing!

We got to rest outside the arena again. Someone said Western Pleasure horses into the arena.  All the horses and riders single filed into the arena again. We zipped in. All that obstacle stuff was gone and the arena was wide open.  As we went down the side with the strange ground (cement), it looked more threatening and I veered to the inside.  The judge spoke to me about that as he might have been only about 6 feet from where I zipped.

I was pretty concerned about that different ground the entire time I was in the arena.  I tried really hard to keep myself as far to the inside as I could.

We lined up again and people clapped again.  My mom was happy and we left.

This is all that happened to me on this strange day called Horse Show. This is totally a different life from being a former pature ornament.  I like the excitement of this life!”