Lucky Star Lost His Slide Stop

Lucky Star has a two foot slide stop from a slow walk.  You think I'm exaggerating!  OK, try this... Lucky Star can do a slide stop at the slowest walk speed that exists.  He can almost do a slide stop from a halt.  He's got the chunky four corner square body and conformation to do this. So that's why I was really surprised when our slide stop evaporated at the Cow Clinic.  It turns out, Lucky loves to move when he's dealing with other horses and cows.  Stopping fast isn't…

Just Act Like Linda Parelli!

One Parelli Tour Stop and Lucky Star acts like a willing horse with a go button.  I found the secret.  All I have to do is pretend I'm Linda Parelli and poof, Lucky Star fell for it!  One portion of the Parelli program is bringing in four horses that have each personality type...left and right brained extrovert and left and right brained introvert.  Lucky is a left brained introvert..."What's in it for me?"  More Whoa,  Low Energy, Tendancy to stop.  Linda took us on a tour of each horse's personality…

He Did What?

I must post this as documentation of Lucky Star's progress.  Weather has turned nice and I'm able to ride and play with Lucky Star most every day.  We make amazing progress when consistency happens. Are you sitting down?  This is a stunner. We have been practicing our jumping with the latest success of jumping over barrels with only the front legs...and that isn't often.  Usually, Lucky Star balks at the barrels and just plows into them.  We have managed to jump the barrels with his front legs but then he…

First Trail Ride in 2014

March 15, 2014 turned into a 70 degree afternoon.  A good friend with a fabulous young horse invited Lucky and I to ride at Holden Lake.  I didn't ask Lucky and said YES!  I was excited about the ride.  We've not been on a trail ride since, wait...sometime last year before all my 2013 foot problems started.  I bet that I've not rode on a trail ride since last June or so. Lucky had developed a fear of wind last year.  He went into training with Nichole Copple and Paul…

A “Demo” Horse

Long have I and the multi-talented, willing Velvet been doing solo demonstrations.  My demonstrations  are all about showing lot's of WOW Horsemanship along with a little bit of humor.   (judged Free Style entry for your enjoyment) Velvet and I started doing "demo's"at Equitana in Louisville in 2000 and I've added bits and pieces to the original demonstration since then.  Our 2009 demonstration was for Pat Parelli, Walter Zetl (dressage master) and an adoring crowd of 1000 people.  Velvet and I brought down the house.  The thought of doing a…

The Yes and The No

Ride Today featuring "The Yes" AKA Susanfxtrt and the "Mister No" AKA Lucky Star We had an arena ride which was cleverly disguised as a fun way to get the "NO" to canter without breaking gait.  Getting Mr. No to Canter is a bit of a challenge.  The Yes put out barrels in a circle pattern.  Yes and No had some fun going around in the circle pattern and stopping to rest at a barrel.  Barrels became the reward without too much effort.  The Yes managed to get the NO…