Velvet – Practicing for Reining at Celebration

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…

Velvet – Practice for Celebration Trail Class

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

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

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

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

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…