Susan Engle
Sue – How Do You Deal with Susan’s Fear?
It’s become apparent. It’s out there for the world to notice. Jenny noticed today and that’s a sad thing.
Yes, no longer can we talk about Sue’s fear. Her fear has abated to flinching and perhaps a few quick steps…or a head up.
Yes, we have to talk about Susan’s fear. It’s now greater than Sue’s fear. My latest fear came from being bucked off last year and breaking my collar bone. Boy Howdy did that hurt!
My brain flashes back to a horse bunching up and then bucking. My left brain knows that Sue is not going to swell up and buck. My right brain is not at all convinced.
Sue had a pretty good time in the arena today. She was so relaxed that she took a snooze while Jenny was talking to us. Of course I was on high alert for horses that might be coming to close to us and scaring Sue (and me!).
In the Level 1 Advancing Clinic, Sue and I got bunched in the middle of 2 or 3 horses. We try not to let that happen, but in an Advancing clinic, horses go everywhere.
Sue’s head came up and she started backing. Jenny told me that I pulled back on her too…a big no no. All I’m supposed to do is to get her head pointed at the source of her fear. Jenny told me to pretend to relax…fake it until I make it.
sigh
I also did a big No No again today. I told someone in the clinic not to get to close behind me. I’m supposed to be able to adjust to that myself…not tell another clinic person with a three year old mustang, not to get close to me.
So, I’ve had a big talk with myself tonight. Sue is fun to ride. She speeds up when startled, but calms right down. In fact today, I was pretty relaxed at one point when riding her. Something from behind made her nervous and she sped up for about 5 steps and then calmed right down again. My spook mechinism didn’t even have time to react and it was all over! KEWL!
That’s another thing that I like about Parelli Natural Horsemanship and me. I like fighting with my fear and winning. There’s nothing better than to conquor pure fear. It’s a rush!
My next rides on Sue are just going to be joyous events. I have given myself a directive to “Let the FEAR GO!”
Nova’s Notebook – The Beginning
Pat Parelli is always telling us how he’s got yearlings on up that have happily learned the level 1, 2 and 3 tasks. Since Nova is at Pine Dell boarding stable, I decided that she should become a level 3 baby. I’ve given Jennifer Vaught this task.
This is what she looks like at 18 months!
Jenny has fallen into the “I Love Nova” club. Jenny reports that Nova is bright and light. Nova is fox trotting and trotting during her training sessions. We’ve not seen any sign of the dreaded pace. She is doing great in her training. Jenny is going to have her ten year old daughter be the first one to ride Nova. She would like Nichole to start the experience in “starting horses” and Nova is the ONE. Jenny is going to lead Nichole around riding Nova. I wish I were going to be there to watch my baby take her first big step towards “Saddle Horse”.
I was chatting with a women yesterday. Her horse is in the same pasture as Nova. She told me that Nova was a sneaky horse. What? Well, when this woman goes out to get her horse, she’s walking along and all of a sudden she feels hot breath on her neck. It’s Nova. Nova has been following her.
Another couple who have a horse in the pasture have told me how they love Nova. She comes over to visit them. She’s sweet, pretty and friendly. Another person told me when they ride by the pasture, it’s Nova that runs over to meet their horse.
There will be more and more people in the “I love Nova” club as time goes on. The next one will probably be Nichole!
Jenny is Jennifer Vaught, long time friend and Parelli 3 star instructor for 15 years.
Velvet and Susan attain (original) Level 3 in Pat Parelli Program!
FIRST MISSOURI FOX TROTTER ATTAINS ADVANCED STATUS
IN PARELLI PROGRAM
The Parelli program is modeled after Martial Arts program (Judo) with the different colored belts to signify the status. Velvet and Susan will be wearing a green 6’ rope, which is the mark of their status. Each level has from 20 up to 53 tasks that must be assessed by a certified Parelli instructor in person or via videotape. Velvet and Susan had to be assessed on 53 tasks in Level 3.
Most of the tasks seem simple, but none of them are easy. For instance, Susan had to load Velvet into a trailer on the end a 45’ rope. Velvet had to trot or canter into the trailer. The farther away you get from your horse, the easier it is for the horse to do the opposite of what the human wants! Forty five feet is a long way. Velvet also had to side pass and back 45’ away from Susan.
For Susan, this was an eight year undertaking to pass all three levels. Velvet and Susan started on Level 3 tasks in 2000. It took three years to pass all the tasks. Each task was video taped at least once and sent away to a four or five star instructor in the program. Many tasks were taped more than once when the video was returned and the task not passed. It took a lot of focus and dedication to realize this goal.
The Parelli levels’ tasks take the horse and human through supreme versatility. Many of the tasks in Level 3 are dressage related. Velvet had to canter diagonally, change leads and then canter diagonally the other direction.
She had to counter canter once around the arena in a refined manner. (That was very difficult for her.) She also had to perform “haunches in” for a distance. Her head & forequarters traveled straight and her hindquarters traveled in a separate track to the inside of the arena.
Velvet had to show a collected walk, trot and canter with a kite string in her mouth. Susan also had to canter Velvet bareback and bridleless three times in a circle and, still at the canter, turn into the center, stop and perform a forequarter turn. It took Susan 2 years to be able to ride that well bareback!
Velvet also had to drag a barrel both going forwards and then turning around backwards to face the barrel. She had to gallop a barrel pattern with four barrels. She had to canter around each barrel without breaking down to a trot and then gallop off to the next barrel.
At liberty in a round pen, she had to do flying lead changes when she reversed direction. She had to canter around the round pen and come down to a trot, a walk and then stop at a signal from Susan who was standing in the middle. She then had to trot into the middle and join up with Susan…this was all at liberty. These are just a few of the tasks that Susan remembers best on this journey!
Pat Parelli honored Susan and presented her with the coveted green rope signifying the graduation as a Level 3 Student. This occurred at a Parelli event in Springfield in front of a large crowd. Many of Susan’s friends from Kansas City and southern Missouri were in attendance. They gave her a standing ovation!
Velvet has been a tremendous public relations versatility horse for the Missouri Fox Trotter Breed. There were nearly 2000 people in attendance who saw Jennifer Vaught, a certified Parelli instructor and Jennifer’s four year old daughter both ride Velvet during Parelli events at Springfield, Tulsa and Council Bluffs this year. These appearances plus Velvet’s past appearances at Kentucky Horse Park for the 2003 Missouri Fox Trotter breed weekend, Equitana, the MidAmerica horse show half time demonstration and Kansas City Fox Trotter club all breed half time horse show demonstration shows add up to about 18,000 people.
The videotape of Velvet’s and Susan’s halftime performance at the MidAmerica Missouri Fox Trotter breed show has been circulated all over the United States, Canada and Germany among hundreds of Parelli students!
What’s next for Velvet? Velvet is semi retired- NOT! She plans to have one foal and perhaps do some demonstrations. Susan plans to stay busy bringing up young horses and following the path that Velvet has set!
Velvet, a ten year old mare nicknamed “The Princess of the Pasture”, has carried Susan Engle through the three (original) Parelli Natural Horsemanship Levels Program: Novice (Level 1), Harmony (Level 2) and Refinement Level 3). Velvet is the first Missouri Fox Trotter in the Universe to pass Level 3. It is estimated that more than 2000 gaited horses are in the Parelli program, but Velvet is the third gaited horse to pass this level and the first fox trotter!
JR’s Journal- JR the Tall is a Guard Horse
| May 27, 2003 |
| I was out in the pasture yesterday. The horses were across the lake. I walked way over there to see them and to trim some nasty saplings growing around the lake.The dogs came with me…as they always do. Cricket,our black dog, just got her 25lbs of hair removed in her yearly summer trim. She turned into a small short haired dog with a cute little bandana. JR saw me and started walking towards me to say HI. Then he started running to me. “WOW,” I thought, “He’s really happy to see me!” His focus had changed to Cricket. JR was in full pursuit of the strange black dog, and Cricket was running for her life! He chased little Cricket ALL the WAY around the lake. She barely escaped thru the gate.JR didn’t recognize Cricket as a small short haired dog! He was protecting the herd!
I didn’t realize that JR was the pasture guard! Cricket didn’t come back into the pasture on that day. JR THE TALL -GUARD HORSE |
JR’s Journal – Susan’s Big Blank Duh Look
JR and I were in a combined L2 and L3 clinic today doing just lovely.
We do have a horse in the clinic that tends to get upset when another horse
comes near him or touches him. I knew that from being in an earlier clinic
with him…but I got too close.
All of sudden we heard the squeal, the back up to kick, only we were too
close. The horse whirled and then the head snaked at us. Ears pinned and
teeth barred. The horse went in for the big bite and back up.
In a few hours after the dust settled, maybe in real time it was a
millisecond, I saw that the horse had my reins in his mouth. He was pulling
on my reins.
I sat there with a dumbfounded look on my face. DUH! After a few more
hours which might have been millisecond #2, the other rider slapped her horse with her mecate and he dropped the rein.
JR and I went running to JENNY! Jenny told me that when things go bad like
that, get off the horse! You have no idea what is going to happen…and
anything could happen. My best bet would have been to quickly get off.
I made my face go DUH again with a big blank look so everyone could see what a quick thinker I had been when danger started.
A lesson learned.
Why does this horse do this? It’s not because he is dominant and hates other
horses. It’s because he’s scared of other horses and puts on this great act,
so no one will know it.
During the rest of the clinic, we worked on those fears. First, we put him
near other horses and when he snaked his head and started after a horse, he
got to canter for a long time. He got to do flying lead changes. It took
two times before he settled down in a group of horses.
Next, some of the riders with a treat in their pocket came over and fed him.
Wow…that was a great surprise for him.
Lastly, we stood next to him and petted him with a carrot stick. His whole
attitude had drastically changed when the clinic was over. Not to say that
he was cured…but Jenny gave the owner some things to do at home to further work on this.
whew..Ok, here it is again…The big Blank look with open mouth…Duh
JR’s Journal – Jenny’s Opinion
JR’s proud Daddy came over to see him and Jenny wanted to show us how she first gets on a colt. She gets on the colt bareback. In case she has to suddenly bail off, there’s no stirrups, horn, etc preventing immediate ejection!
Jenny got a small stool and stood by JR’s side. He moved and she went through about 3 minutes of moving him around until he was very grateful to stand still. She jumped up on his back and just hung there, rubbing him all over with her feet and her hands. She did that about three separate times. Then she did it on the other side. Finally, when she jumped up on him, she swung her leg over and sat up. JR just stood there. He was very very calm. He thinks that’s all he has to do. Jenny was giving several people lessons during this and finally she got to sit up and resume giving directions to the students in the arena. After about 4 minutes, Jenny got off and then got on the other side. She got right on this time, and again, JR just stood there as calm and relaxed as can be.
Watching him, I did think that he looked just a little bit like a horse rather than my baby!
Later that weekend, we had a going away party. Terry asked Jenny, “What do you think of JR by now?” I shuddered. I had wanted to ask that very same question, but was fearful that she might tell me that “it takes him a long time to figure things out…or something else horrible.” So, I have been afraid to ask. Jenny replied, “I like him! He’s smart and catches on very fast.” I about fainted with relief and pride. Then the daring Terry asked, “What will he be like compared to Velvet?” I thought, what a stupid question. No one can top the esteemed Velvet! Jenny replied to Terry, “I think he’ll be better than Velvet. He’s very laid back and picks things up quickly.” I lost control of my body parts and slid under the table in pure shock!
JR’s Journal – Clinic Journey
At official yearling status…exactly one year of age, JR attended his first clinic at Pine Dell. It was his first time to ride in a trailer by himself, to be in a barn, and to be in an indoor arena. He was just a LITTLE upset when we arrived at Pine Dell. I heard a lot of yearling whinny during the first part of the day…most of it right in my ear.
BUT, he did just great! He had the least problems of any horse in the clinic. Of course he hasn’t had the time to develop many opposition reflex habits. We played all the games. I discovered he knows how to follow the feel of the rope and he moves when he feels pressure. At the end of the day, we had many barrel and pole obstacles to walk, trot and canter across, over or go between. We finished all the tasks before anyone else and we were in our stall eating our late lunch. The bigger horses got to stay and be rode for another hour.
About a month later, we went to another beginning clinic. He did even better this time. He certainly didn’t whinny like he did the first clinic. He grew up a lot that first clinic and bonded with me. After the second clinic was over, I felt like JR and I shared the same skin. His general inclination is to stay close, no matter how many times I shoo him back.
So why am I paying to take JR to a clinic when he is too young to ride? Easy Answer! These two clinics got him in an arena with nine other horse…all running around with their humans. He certainly got used to being in a crowd. He hasn’t had a chance to develop opposition reflex yet, so I was easily able to do all the tasks assigned. He is easy to convince to do what I ask of him. I feel that I’m developing a much better horse by taking him to these clinics. At a delicate time in the building of his personality, I’m in an arena with an expert trainer…my safety net.
Besides, we had a good time!!!