Velvet

It's a Journey Velvet and I are going for Level 3 in the Parelli program. We are doing very well. We have 25% of the tasks passed and making great progress on the remaining tasks. But you know how I love to tell pathetic dramatic humorous stories as we take the journey.... The task Velvet and I are focused on right now is cantering around an arena bridleless and bareback. Velvet is to have nothing on her body except me! Then (at a canter), we have to turn into the…

I've been coached while doing flying lead attempts for 4 years. I've reached almost Master's Degree in flying lead changes. Jenny, the coach, always sez, "Squeeze with your right/left LEG" at the magic moment when changing directions. And that's exactly what I have done all these years. I have squeezed with my entire leg. Actually, I've pressed my entire leg on the side of the horse. What good do you think that has done? This is like the difference between the web halter and the rope halter. DUH This is…

Velvet did her normal extraordinary job during the clinic last weekend. No one else lives in a stable that has Parelli lessons every week, so it's not hard to figure out why Velvet is so highly trained. We had riders from 11 different States attend this advanced clinic. There aren't many level 3 clinics given in the United States (or world, for that matter). So those advancing thru the PNH system have to go long distances for these few and far between clinics. I got over the last vestige of…

Today in a restaurant, I was playing with my little metal toy horsie. I was running the reining pattern on my table. You know how people stare at you when you aren't looking and then you look at them and try to catch them. Well, I didn't try to catch them staring. I imagine they thought I was a 50-70 IQ person playing with my horsie! I'm carrying my metal horsie where ever I go. When I have a chance, I run the reining pattern with him. It really helps…

I took my yellow slicker, my blue tarp and a bag of pop cans over to Pine Dell tonight. I made a water box with the tarp and logs. I hung the yellow slicker on top of a traffic cone that was sitting on top of a barrel. I had Velvet carry the bag of pop cans from the barn to the obstacle course and we warmed up with them bouncing on her saddle. She smelled the water box before she confidentally went through it. She ignored everything else. In…