Velvet – Practice for Celebration Trail Class

August 21, 2001Posted inVelvet
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…

Sage the Pony Horse and the wretched Bumblebee

August 1, 2001Posted inSage, Velvet
I was ponying Velvet yesterday while riding Sage. Velvet started to rear and buck and run back and forth on the "pony side". I knew we had trouble in River City! I had to concentrate on keeping my leg from getting tangled up in the lead. Velvet also rubbed and pushed against Sage, pretty close to where my leg is fastened on. Sage held firm. I lost all control of the rope and Velvet got behind Sage and up on the other side where she became snubbed. Her head was…

Velvet – Flying Lead Changes at Equitana – IV

June 24, 2001Posted inVelvet
Pat's new resolve this year was to teach something useful during each Savvy Demonstration. He waited until the last performance to teach flying lead changes. He and some of the students demonstrated the proper body position and drop to trot lead changes. He asked the instructors to demonstrate flying lead changes over two barrels. Luckily, Pat set this up for Velvet to change leads from left to right. Jenny was relaxed as Velvet has been doing it flying lead changes in this direction over barrels at home. Jenny was last in line and she jumped…

Velvet at Equitana – TV STAR – III

June 23, 2001Posted inVelvet
This demonstration was held in an arena that was too small for the Savvy Team and there were not enough seats for the crowd. Lots of people had to stand and couldn't see very well.  The exciting thing was that Horse TV was filming this Savvy Demonstration. Hopefully you will all be able to see Velvet on DISH TV, which shows channel 9409, and Horse TV. Even though the arena was too small to handle 9 horses doing their thing, they went in anyway. Since each horse is tightly focused on…

Velvet at Equitana -Velvet the Slow -Herd Breaker II

June 22, 2001Posted inVelvet
The 2nd Savvy Demonstration was held in Freedom Hall. That's the ultimate facility. It was full to watch the much talked about Parelli demonstrations!This is the facility where the evening performance, the Mane Event, is held. You can be in the arena and look up at the seats that go to the sky. The instructors came and wowed the crowd with the things that they can do with their horses. People were abuzz about this one and that one. Velvet seemed to be much more relaxed on this day. She…

Velvet and Equitana – Introduction

June 20, 2001Posted inVelvet
 Velvet, the black Missouri Fox Trotter, was seen by approximately 12,000 people at Equitana 2001. Perhaps the numbers will increase as one of Velvet's Parelli performances was filmed by HORSE TV. Pat Parelli's live demonstrations in the big arenas pulled in approximately 3000+ people each day. His demonstration was squished into a smaller arena once with 5 deep people in the standing areas.  My performances with Velvet at the Missouri Fox Trotter Breed Demonstration pulled in 100-200 people each performance Background: Jenny Vaught, endorsed Pat Parelli instructor, took Velvet to…