Sue – How Do You Do -Still trying to Canter

September 14, 2008Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
The round pen has fairly deep sandy footing.  That's why Sue canters in there so well. Sue doesn't canter in the arena with me riding.  Oh maybe a step or two now and then when I have a pole for her to lift up her front end. When I ride her, she is still nervous when I put pressure on her to go faster.  If we are trotting and I put pressure on her to go faster, we disintegrate.  (Sue does a lot of disintegrating.) Occasionally I'll get a couple of canter…

Sue- How Do You Do- No-Where Horse Back at the Park!

March 7, 2008Posted inSue - How Do You Do!
Sue and I went on a trail ride at James A. Reed Park. It took us 14 months to get here. This park is the precipitating event of why she became my horse. When she spooked at this park and her rider (who was trying her out as a trail horse) fell off, Sue set herself up to come to me. Neither of us knew it at the time. She had no where to go after that. The no-where horse became my horse. After 14 months of slow fear recovery,…

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

September 7, 2006Posted 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 with your Pathetic Rider?

July 10, 2006Posted 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?

May 20, 2006Posted 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…

Nova’s Notebook – The Beginning

January 13, 2006Posted 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…