Sue – How Do You Spell Progress?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
This was a three hour group lesson in brutal heat. We started at 9:00 am and by noon everyone was very willing to STOP. Last night I had watched the latest Parelli pod cast. It was about horses that are scared to have horses behind them or meet other horses. Talk about right on time Pod Cast! Pat rode his pretend fearful horse, Cash, in the round pen. Linda's job was to canter around the outside of the round pen. Cash rode on the rail inside and when she got…

Sue – How Do You Do with your Pathetic Rider?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
Monday nite lesson. Here was another riding experience when I was more scared than Sue! Of course you know that Sue doesn't like other horses too close to her and certainly not Behind Her!At the Monday nite lesson, someone rode too close behind her. Sue tightened up. I tried to zip around the arena, cut through the middle etc and lose the horse, BUT NO! The horse stayed right on Sue's tail. I asked the rider not to ride that close to us, but nothing happened. I was pretty desparate…

Sue – How Do You Deal with Susan’s Fear?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
It's become apparent. It's out there for the world to notice. Jenny noticed today and that's a sad thing. Yes, no longer can we talk about Sue's fear. Her fear has abated to flinching and perhaps a few quick steps...or a head up. Yes, we have to talk about Susan's fear. It's now greater than Sue's fear. My latest fear came from being bucked off last year and breaking my collar bone. Boy Howdy did that hurt! My brain flashes back to a horse bunching up and then bucking. My…

Sue – How Do You Do at Bonding?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
Sue-I Do Bond with You At last, a chance to really play with my girl, Sue. I groomed her while she was eating. She has a patches of dead skin on her tail. yeccha. One was an inch square. I got them off. Several times she turned and stared at me. I told her what she had. These spots where a little raw under the dead skin patch, but she didn't flinch. I'll treat it tomorrow with special salve. She was as calm as could be while I was grooming…

Sue – How do You Do Your First Day with Me?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
Sue is  an emotional wreck. She has emotional scars. We surely wonder what happened to Sue!  She was sold only six months prior.  She is a fruit loop fearful horse.  It doesn't get too much worse than Sue's extreme people fear.  I bought her to save her.  I had really really liked Sue when she had been sold.  I had some reaction when she was sold that she really should have been my horse.  Everyone thought she was going to a new home with wonderful people.  Something happened and Sue,…

Nova’s Notebook – The Beginning

Posted inNOVA
Pat Parelli is always telling us how he's got yearlings on up that have happily learned the level 1, 2 and 3 tasks. Since Nova is at Pine Dell boarding stable, I decided that she should become a level 3 baby. I've given Jennifer Vaught this task. This is what she looks like at 18 months! Jenny has fallen into the "I Love Nova" club. Jenny reports that Nova is bright and light. Nova is fox trotting and trotting during her training sessions. We've not seen any sign of the…