Sue – How Do YOu Do with an Uncoordinated Clod of a Rider?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
My personal life got in the way again of riding and time has passed. I also haven't reported on the great rides Sue and I've had in the Monday nite lessons...She knows the other horses now and is very relaxed. So, I've taken off work and riding during the day all this week (except, I got interupted again by my personal life). Anyway. There are three horses being rode in the arena. One of them is standing still. The other one is zipping around. I decide today is the new…

Sue – How Do You Do in Arena Chaos?

Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
The arena was filled with horses. One horse and "new to us" rider  didn't even know we were fearful. She was new. We rode in an organized chaos. We all rode in a straight line somewhere and first stopped and did hindquarter perfect turns. Then we trotted, stopped and did our hindquarter perfect turns. After we did that for a while, we started at the walk again and did perfect forequarter turns...and then again at a trot. How do you think Sue did with horses going every which way? She was…

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?

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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…

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…