Cisco tries to Leave the Arena

January 16, 2016Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
The arena where Cisco expands a lot of energy has a sliding door with a larg opening leading to horse heaven. Go through the door of the arena into the barn aisle filled with horses in stalls, standing hay and feed tubs with yummy food. Cisco knows all this to be true because once he opened the door, pushed aside a light table and entered into horse heaven, He probably chatted with horses, then found the hay then followed up that with the grain in the tub. It was a…

Cisco-that amazing little wretch

January 7, 2016Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter, Parelli
Yesterday - Cisco and I are now stuck together. I take off the halter and run around the arena and he stays with me. I turn. I stop. I back up. I turn and run the other way. His head stays right even with my body or he runs to catch up. That's how good we are doing while we are playing in the arena. Alone in the arena. So, there are other people in the arena yesterday. I decide it is time to do a little Susan and Cisco…

Winter Time with Cisco

December 29, 2015Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter
Last year I decided that forty degree winter riding would be just right for me. The year before, I pegged it at thirty degrees. I have not rode in twenty degree weather since, since...well, a long long time as I thought I was delicate. Yep, totally insane I have gone. I rode Cisco this morning in about 24 degree weather and this afternoon again in the high twenties. Who am I? This year is the year of the winter stall and indoor arena at Patterson Performance Horses stable not far…

First Day Live in the Barn

December 18, 2015Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter, Parelli
Cisco spent the night in his new stall. He screamed at me this morning when I came into the barn aisle. This living in a stall thing is going to be really good for my life. I have to get up in the morning as I must clean his stall. Cisco gets out of his stall and spends some time in the arena while I pick up the little brown "apples" littering his stall. When done, Cisco and I played some games in the arena. I get to take my…

What! A Self Assessment Task Checklist? NOoooooooo!

November 24, 2015Posted inCISCO, Jennifer Vaught, Missouri Fox Trotter, Parelli
In a smug tone, I tell Jenny all I have to do to pass the Level 4 Free Style is bridleless flying lead changes which Cisco and I will be able to do because we can do them while jumping over a barrel. Jenny tells me that Cisco and I won't need to use a barrel by the time we develop this skill. "You'll not need to jump that high," she sez. Note: I was thinking that you, the reader, might believe barrel jumping means success at flying lead changes.…

The Cisco Journey 11-9-11

November 11, 2015Posted inCISCO, Missouri Fox Trotter, Parelli
Cisco gets bestest treatment after our riding session. He followed my feel when trotting outside around a small round pen. I was bouncing at the hard trot and managed to get my heel on him so he could know I wanted him to follow the rail instead of spurt to the other end of the arena. This is such a difficult concept for Cisco and tough physically for me. We are no where near show-off stage. We are more like horrorific stage. In between successes, we walked around the arena…