{"id":3087,"date":"2014-11-08T12:21:09","date_gmt":"2014-11-08T18:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/?p=3087"},"modified":"2014-11-10T11:52:44","modified_gmt":"2014-11-10T17:52:44","slug":"five-days-with-cisco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/five-days-with-cisco\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Days with Cisco"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five Day Natural Horsemanship Clinic at First Step Farm in St. Louis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cisco and I left on Friday noonish to get to destination clinic near Eureka, Missouri. \u00a0It takes 4.5 hours to get there. \u00a0I don’t think Cisco has ever been in a trailer that long.<\/p>\n

First Step Farm is in the mountains southwest of St. Louis. \u00a0The roads are narrow and wind around rock formations. \u00a0We were in Eureka and when a truck and big horse trailer pulled ahead of me into my road. \u00a0Interesting…the trailer made the same turn at the next intersection where I was turning also. \u00a0Again at the next intersection, the truck and trailer turned the same way that I was headed. \u00a0I knew they were headed for the clinic. \u00a0I was certain this was one of my #1 Boyfriends and I would get some help backing my trailer. \u00a0Oh the joy.<\/p>\n

We arrived and I discovered the truck and trailer belonged to people from Wisconsin, not my long-time #1 Boyfriend. \u00a0But \u00a0I was hopeful that I would get the driver of the long horse trailer to back my little two horse stock trailer. \u00a0John soon had his trailer backed into a spot and I knew he might qualify to be my next #1 Boyfriend. \u00a0Sure enough. \u00a0He volunteered to back my trailer into the spot where it was meant to be and even unhitched it for me. \u00a0John is now a life-long #1 Boyfriend. \u00a0He even skipped over the #1 Boyfriend Trainee status!<\/p>\n

I had put a hay bale and a hay bag in the trailer. \u00a0My plan was for Cisco to eat hay out the bag but Cisco’s plan was to decimate the hay bale. \u00a0When I opened the trailer door to get Cisco out, he was standing knee deep in hay. \u00a0 The hay bale turned into a thick hay carpet.<\/p>\n

We found our stall, got Cisco grain and enough hay to last him the night. \u00a0We waited for our friend Apryl to arrive. \u00a0JR arrived in the trailer and was glad to get into his stall. \u00a0Since my truck was unhitched and it was dark and cold, we decided to leave Apryl’s truck and trailer hitched up. We parked it on the grass near my truck. \u00a0The rig might have been a little to close to my truck . \u00a0Yup, I got stuck in the grass and a small little grassy ditch. \u00a0It wasn’t even steep enough to call it a ditch, but my truck decided it was too steep. \u00a0We rocked; \u00a0We made some headway, turning away from the ditch headed towards the blessed gravel and then there was no movement. \u00a0I hopped out of the truck and locked the front tires into four wheel drive. \u00a0Got back in and the truck still refused to move forwards or backwards. \u00a0It was getting late, it was cold and dinner was calling our names. \u00a0What do women do when things go wrong with moving vehicles? \u00a0We call a wonderful man. \u00a0We called Tony. \u00a0He left his warm place with his family and came to our rescue. \u00a0He hopped into the truck and had me shine my light at the dashboard. \u00a0“I see this is still in two wheel drive,” he said. \u00a0Oh Lordy, I was nearly sick. \u00a0He put the dashboard controller in 4 wheel drive and drove right out of the ditch. \u00a0I was bent over in the ultra humiliated position ready to throw up. \u00a0He hopped out and I slunk into the truck. \u00a0I think I was able to say “Thank You.” \u00a0As he drove back to his warm house and family, Apryl told me, “You know they will laugh at you.” \u00a0Oh yes! \u00a0Plus I put mud tracks in Lynette’s beautiful grass. \u00a0I wondered if I would be asked to leave the premises the next day when the muddy tire tracks could be seen in the light of day.<\/p>\n

Apryl and I then visited our hotel room and were thrilled to find a Cracker Barrel restaurant very near. \u00a0Apryl and I got enough Cracker Barrel food to last us the night and we retired to the hotel room. zzzzz<\/p>\n

Day One – ground games outdoors in the big pasture that became our clinic playpen. \u00a0Riding in afternoon… \u00a0the horror of the 360 hindquarter turn. \u00a0Cisco lumbered thru the 360 turn. \u00a0He moved his back feet. \u00a0He moved his front feet. \u00a0Sometimes he moved both the front and back at the same time. \u00a0My nice soft wonderful hands were too fast and moved far out of position. \u00a0Good Lordy! \u00a0Finally, Jenny and Tony got through to my brain. \u00a0Slow down myself. \u00a0Anchor my arm in the right position. \u00a0Take calming breaths and go slow. \u00a0Magically, finally, it worked. \u00a0We got one or two nice 360 hindquarter turns. \u00a0Who knew hindquarter turns could be so imperfect after a million tries where I was doing the exact same wrong things for the million tries. \u00a0sigh. \u00a0We got to relax for the rest of the afternoon seeking out a dog walk, a flat foot walk and a smooth slow fox trot. \u00a0I loved that part of the afternoon. \u00a0And the best news of all…Lynette valued our friendship much more than her ripped up grass. \u00a0Whew! \u00a0I got to stay.<\/p>\n

Day One was over. \u00a0Apryl and I drove to Cracker Barrel for our dinner. \u00a0I discovered Cracker Barrel Raspberry Lemonade. \u00a0Oh the Joy! \u00a0We ate and went to the hotel. \u00a0I had not drank but a cup of water all day. \u00a0I was dehydrated and it was a good thing. \u00a0After I plopped into my bed, I was too tired to get up again. \u00a0I was too tired to change into my PJ’s, too tired to for anything. \u00a0A couple hours later, I managed to get up and take care of the teeth brushing, PJ change and other things. \u00a0Then I was dead until the next rude morning awakens.<\/p>\n

Day Two – ground game goal was for Cisco to be moving around me on the circle game and stop when I relaxed and took a deep breath. \u00a0Nope. \u00a0So if Cisco didn’t stop, I asked for a hindquarter turn for him to face me and then do half circles with hindquarter turns to stop. \u00a0Finally Cisco did one stop right where I had asked. \u00a0We dwelled with much petting. \u00a0We did the circle again and Cisco would not stop until he had passed by me. \u00a0I thought he should stop right when I had asked, not go past me and stop. \u00a0We tried and tried…failed and failed. \u00a0Jenny came over and said, “He stopped. \u00a0That is good!” \u00a0OH!<\/p>\n

Cisco and I did a lot better on our mounted 360 hindquarter turn. \u00a0My arm stayed in the correct position and I took it slow. \u00a0We will have to practice this quite a bit in the months ahead. \u00a0A hindquarter turn is the answer to almost every problem and improvement.<\/p>\n

One of our first riding tasks was to ride in a circle that included riding beside the fence, stop, do a 45 degree turn on the forequarters and hurry off on the circle the opposite direction. \u00a0Cisco did good at everything except the stop. He hasn’t yet picked up on my body cue to stop. \u00a0 Our hurry off was a fox trot and it was smooth.<\/p>\n

Another riding game was the follow the pretend cow (another horse and rider), do a 360 hindquarter turn and hurray to catch up to our “cow”. \u00a0 We switched back and forth becoming the cow or the cowgirl and doing our turns. \u00a0Since there was no stop involved, Cisco did good in this exercise. \u00a0Horses like to follow each other, so the hurry up and follow is easy for them. \u00a0It’s nice to have your own partner and follow them around.<\/p>\n

Cisco and I went into the indoor arena and cantered around. \u00a0The sun was setting, there was some light and dark spots in the arena. \u00a0That didn’t bother us at all. \u00a0We were cantering around the arena down a long wall and we saw “us”. \u00a0There is a large mirror. \u00a0I saw us cantering and decided to cut that corner a little shorter so we didn’t come face to face and scare us. \u00a0Later when we stayed inside because of rain, Cisco and I checked out that big mirror for a long period of time. \u00a0Cisco is fascinated with himself! \u00a0Just imagine if you had a long life and had no idea what you looked like. \u00a0A magic window appears, you smell it and maybe as you move your head, you realize that it is you in the mirror!<\/p>\n

When the day was over, Apryl and I headed to our destination Cracker Barrel and hotel. \u00a0Again, I was very tired, but not as bad as the first day. \u00a0Every night there-after, I got less tired. \u00a0By the time the five days were up, I was a ball of energy! \u00a0Fitness is a five day horse clinic!<\/p>\n

Day Three is when Mother Nature insulted us. \u00a0Mother Nature decided to sleet up on us. \u00a0This was not in the forecast. \u00a0The sky was looking grey and this frozen white stuff came out of the sky. \u00a0We all had forgotten the meaning of the word sleet…and then we remembered! \u00a0I was feeling pretty cocky about the sleet because sleet is frozen. \u00a0I was thinking Mother Nature wasn’t so bad after all. \u00a0I could be comfortable outside, even when the frozen stuff was landing on me. \u00a0Whoops! \u00a0Then we learned that sleet melts. \u00a0Time for some of us to bale into the indoor arena. \u00a0Jenny came in to give us some ground game instruction. \u00a0We were to teach our horse to side pass towards us and make certain the side pass away game doesn’t get broke. \u00a0Jenny came over and proceeded to teach Cisco to side pass towards her in about three seconds. \u00a0I was amazed. \u00a0He is so sensitive and willing to move. \u00a0He tried out moving in many directions when she asked. \u00a0She gave the release immediately when he experimented in side passing towards her and rubbed him. \u00a0When she asked again, he side passed towards her. \u00a0Three seconds! \u00a0I am still amazed!<\/p>\n

In the afternoon of the third day is when I learned that Cisco has impulsion. \u00a0Our job was to ride and stop when I let my breathe out and completely relaxed. If slow down with a hindquarter turn. \u00a0Cisco has not caught on in the least little bit that my body is telling him to stop. \u00a0 Cisco is still not stopping on my body cues. \u00a0This is somewhat amazing if you consider that I’ve had a horse for the past three years who stops when I take the slightest breath. \u00a0Lucky stops at any opportunity. He is a stop horse. Cisco is a go horse. \u00a0Cisco thinks he is happier to be moving!<\/p>\n

So Cisco and I got to be a demonstration horse. \u00a0We got to be in the round pen while everyone was watching. \u00a0Tony had me tell Cisco to go faster than a walk, let go of the reins and ride. \u00a0When Cisco slowed down to a walk, I was to rub him. \u00a0The goal was then for him to slow down to a stop. \u00a0If he kept on walking, I sped him up again to a trot. \u00a0He slowed down to a stop a few times. \u00a0We need to do this a lot more<\/p>\n

On the rainy day four morning and the final five day wet\/slick day, we did the liberty ground game inside. \u00a0We have a certain number of horses in the arena. \u00a0We all line up in the center, take off the halters and tell our horses to go out on the wall at a trot. \u00a0What the horses do is go different directions, get mired at the arena corners and separate from the herd. \u00a0Additionally, each horse has to figure out where they stand in dominance with each horse in the herd. \u00a0Occasionally, we have much bickering for lead horse. \u00a0Our goal it to get them all going the same direction, no slower than a trot and stay on the wall. \u00a0Humans are lined up in the center ready to fix any problem including: horse that walks, or stops; herd gets stopped at corners; horse cuts off the end of the arena and appears to get a little too close to the human at the end; horse that decides to change direction; horse that decides to cut through the middle. \u00a0Us humans must be aware of all horses in the arena, especially when the herd separates. \u00a0Human heads must swivel back and forth to watch out for a horse running behind you. \u00a0 \u00a0When the horses are all in a herd, going nicely down the walls, the last horse gets called into the center by its human. \u00a0The human steps out from the lineup, the horse sees the wonderful owner and comes in to rest and be rubbed. \u00a0If a horses is not bonded to its human, this can take a while. \u00a0I would say that this is our favorite ground game. \u00a0Watching all the horses run around the arena is about the most sensational view a cowgirl\/cowboy can have. \u00a0Cisco is very bonded to me and wanted to come into me before it was decided that we could “have our horse catch its human”. \u00a0After all the horses had caught their human, we walked around with the horse still at liberty. \u00a0Some of the horses always run off and we deal with that-help the horse find its human again. \u00a0This is a great warm up game too. \u00a0Once your horse goes thru this game, he\/she is usually ready to ride!<\/p>\n

We also learned how to lead our horses with their mane. \u00a0We went forward, stopped and backed with the pressure on the mane. \u00a0Of course Cisco went forward with me easily. \u00a0He follows me well. \u00a0Backing with the pressure on the mane needed a little help.<\/p>\n

Also we had to back with pressure on the trail. \u00a0Cisco was not having that! \u00a0I pulled his tail and he swung his hips away from me. \u00a0We had to isolate the task and work up to it. \u00a0It didn’t take too long because we had to back with the tail to leave the arena and have lunch!<\/p>\n

Our last morning was a driving day. \u00a0I haven’t prepared Cisco to be soft as I would have liked in a halter. \u00a0I had two long ropes that are hard to keep control over and it was frustrating. \u00a0Jenny had to come and help me at least three times when my temper was starting to heat up to match my hair. \u00a0I now hate driving which means Cisco and I will have to go through a lot more driving experiences with halter and long ropes. \u00a0sigh…. \u00a0Sadly, my emotional fitness went off the charts when driving. \u00a0I was frustrated, greatly. \u00a0I remember the wonderful days of driving Velvet after she was soft and I was adroit with the ropes. \u00a0Cisco and I have a way to go before we can equal that.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to the final point. \u00a0It’s the journey that is fun. \u00a0The journey is filled with frustrations and rewards. \u00a0Experiencing and overcoming the frustrations using natural horsemanship with the instruction, coaching and encouragement from Tony and Jenny Vaught is what makes this the best journey! \u00a0It’s the journey with Cisco and it has become my new life journey! \u00a0I love it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five Day Natural Horsemanship Clinic at First Step Farm in St. Louis Cisco and I left on Friday noonish to get to destination clinic near Eureka, Missouri. \u00a0It takes 4.5 hours to get there. \u00a0I don’t think Cisco has ever been in a trailer that long. First Step Farm is in the mountains southwest of St. Louis. \u00a0The roads are narrow and wind around rock formations. \u00a0We were in Eureka and when a truck and big horse trailer pulled ahead of me into my road. \u00a0Interesting…the trailer made the same…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106,125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cisco","category-missouri-fox-trotter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3087"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3115,"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3087\/revisions\/3115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mofoxtrot.com\/viewpoint\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}