"turn in your body..."

Hey peoples! 

I got a dressage book from the library called "Build a better athlete" by Leslie Webb. It's been really helpful, as long as you keep sitting on your balance point and sit on those pockets you'll be fine and you'll get a lot of help from it. 

Things that are so true that I found in it:

1) Turn in your body. I have heard this before but never has it worked so well with me. As Cricket gets better with bareback and bridless riding, I noticed (at the walk) that all I need to do to get her to turn in her body is to turn in my body (I don't even need to use my legs!), if she can feel a fly she can certainly feel the slightest change in my seat. 

2) Use your seat more than your legs and hands. This was an amazing point, yes do use your reins and feet if you don't get a response when just using your seat.

Something I learned without the book:

Just because you ride bareback without a bridle doesn't mean you're any better than all the other riders out there that use three bridles! It's about how you treat the people (well... and the horse, but I'll talk about that later). :) I wish someday that I can be as good with people as Emily is. <3 

Finally, if you feel like you are having trouble communicating with people in the horse world (or any other people!) without being a jerk, put on the emergency brake with your horse and sort it out with the people first. If you plan to make a career out of horses it's the people that will matter more. 

Well... Toodles for now! *Dude, I hope this post made some sense*

Priscilla 

Doesn't this explain all the fun we have?!?!

Some more videos!-- LEVEL 3 ONLINE!

Some more videos-- They aren't long and I hope you enjoy...

Part 1-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oED-GXbH1P0

Part 2-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHpVeD9uNaU

Part 3-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZoKshZYFfI

Do forgive me for making the ucky faces, it was SO cold and I was trying to focus, I couldn't see my computer screen, the snow was making it all look white. I'm also trying to not be stressed in front of the camera so when audition time comes I won't blow it. *Phew*sigh*

Okayyyy...

Toodles for now!

Priscilla

It'll be soon.. :)

Cricket and I are (in this picture) playing with a little Dressage at liberty (on purpose and in the pasture!!!). I have some superb chums just starting Parelli and I can't wait 'till they can do this too! 

Look at the bend in her neck! Oooo! And she's crossing her feet!!!! YAY! 

                                                          

New Video!! LIBERTY!

Hey ya'll!

I have a new video of Cricket and I working at Liberty again! She is working SUPER hard and we are in the pasture so it's even more challenging!
Ya'll might be thinking, "My! What is she waiting for?! Give 'er a slap!" It's actually really challenging for us because I don't want to send her so hard she runs away and not so soft that she is running over me. I'm trying to balance them. She is leaning more on the idea running over me. :)

Hope you enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/user/lbiparelli -- It's the latest video.

Toodles!

Priscilla

Hello....

This is a test blog post. I don't know how many people are reading my blog post, so if you read this, please email or [preferably] comment.

Piggie!

I was out giving the horses some scraps and I brought my camera and took some pictures of the horses, but of course Cricket is the cutest soooo.... She ended up on here! Enjoy... The one with her nose in the camera is my favorite!

Liberty

http://www.youtube.com/user/lbiparelli#p/a/u/1/LjhKe_rG474

http://www.youtube.com/user/lbiparelli

So, Cricket JUST woke up in these videos and I had NO preparation, so I had to get quite firm. We need to work on our circling game, she sticks to me WAY to much... I also need more online prep, GET OUT OF MY SPACE! I've let her in a little to much, but isn't she SWEET!?

Comments are welcome!

Shadow

Shadow, Paul Tanner's stunning yearling colt, the one I trained all by myself, died Sunday. I hope he went peacefully.



Oh why, thats what I am asking
Was there anything i could have said or done
God only knows why he'd take you from the stage in the middle of a song

Now in my mind ill keep you frozen as a 1 year old
Rounding third to score the winning run
You always played with passion no matter what the game
When you took the stage you shined just like the sun

Oh why thats what I keep asking
Was there anything I could have said or done
Oh God only knows why he'd take you from the stage in the middle of a song
Yeah

Oh I theres no comprehending and who am i to try judge or explain
Now your gone and we'll cry
I wish you could've stayed to finish
Your beautiful song
Your absolutely beautiful song

(*I edited some of the words for the occasion... You say it as a poem, not like a song, it's based off of the song "Why" by Rascal Flatts*)

Toodles!

Priscilla

~~~~~Cricket and I~~~~~

Sepia-Glow-Soft Focus

I've been playing with special effects on my computer and this is one of many I messed around with.

I love you Daddy!

Daddy bought and sent me a pink rose for Valentines day! Isn't it PRETTY?!

I love it!

Priscilla

Level 3!! YES YES YES!!!!!!!!

Level 3 will take your horsemanship to a level of excellence that most people only dream about. This is where you take giant steps towards becoming a horseman, someone who understands horses from the inside out.

• Take your On Line skills to new heights -- greater distances and increased subtlety lead to a new level of savvy and refinement.

• Develop greater harmony in your FreeStyle riding, building the foundation for bridle-less riding.

• Pat introduces the third Savvy -- Liberty -- and shows you how to set up this ultimate test of trust and bond to be a thrilling success for you and your horse!

People! This is me! We are at our first vacation stop! We are smoking along, I need to buy the new one though (our tape player is broken and all they had for level 3 then was tapes). *sigh* 

Mittens

Isn't she SWEET!?

Amazing song that can make me cry...

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Ludovico+Einaudi/track/Giorni+dispari

Be sure you pause my playlist before playing the song... It's a music video, but I just go to a different tab and listen to it while I do something else...

"Poor little invalid singing the blues about trail ride gone wrong"

Sigh

Ok, so after taking Omnibus Secondary, as usual mom and I went on our run. Mom started before me and Cricket and I were having a tiny bit of trouble. So I eventually got off to walk her by the highway (186, three mile loop). It was trash day (the day the garbage cans are all out and the big truck comes and collects all the trash) and Cricket and I had passed many trash cans already and I felt I could get back on safely. So, Mom was too far ahead to have any hope of her being able to ride and Cricket and I were now walking down the road leisurely. We continued like this for 1/4 of a mile and were soon approaching 3 more, run of the money, every day, trash cans. OK? So, she came up, "it all happened so fast! It was woosh! And she was gone!" (anyone who has seen the Andy Griffith show called "Opie and the Spoiled kid" would know what I'm talking about), so I'm in bed with a skinned elbow and side with a really badly sprained ankle. (*Please! No more ice*)

What I learned and will share:

1) I didn't know just how Left Brain Extroverted Cricket was getting (big lesson and that's super), see number 3.
2) Play more!
3) Do a Horsenality Chart more often to see where she's going.
4) Get Cricket "sweet" on garbage cans (jump them, put treats on them).
5) GET OFF! No need to ride that bronc, work it out on the ground.

Lessons learned!

Toodles for now!

Priscilla

Horsenality

http://files.parelli.com/HorsenalityChart.pdf


To identify your horse's "horsenality," consider every trait listed on the chart to the right and make a dot on the specific ring that best corresponds to your horse. For example, if your horse is extremely playful, you would put a dot on the outer "extreme" ring under this trait. If he is non-responsive, but only some of the time, you would put a dot on the middle "moderate" ring by this trait. Some of the traits may not apply to your horse at all. You can have dots in different quadrants, but the vast majority of horses will end up with most of their dots in one quadrant, which reveals that horse's Horsenality.

Once you have identified your horse’s “horsenality” profile using the chart, here are some strategies for working effectively with each Horsenality type for a more successful partnership.

The Right Brain Extrovert needs safety. Never push him past the threshold until he's calm. You will need to retreat and to interrupt the pattern. You must have a strong focus and must match the horse's high energy level. Give him a job to accomplish to replace his fear with something positive. He must think of you as his "safe place."

The Right Brain Introvert needs comfort. The worst thing you can do is push this horse before he's confident. You'll ruin his trust in you if you push him before he's ready. Taking your time is important because you'll need to wait on this horse to process things. He needs to believe in you.

The Left Brain Extrovert needs play. He craves creative, imaginative tasks and can't stand to be forced into anything. Because he hates to be bored, you'll need to speed things up, be enthusiastic and come up with variety in your lessons.

The Left Brain Introvert needs incentive. There are plenty of ways to offer incentive without "bribing" him. (Think rest, grazing, treats, scratches.) This horse needs to have a purpose and wants to go somewhere. Riding circles in an area with this horse will lead to resistance and defiance. Use reverse psychology for best results.

Out of Curiosity..

I have been researching Cricket's pedigree. I have the link to show you, http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/asset+rfm That's (Asset) her dad. It's super cool! If you see a little red star (*) by by name, click on the name, you can hover over the picture icon, next to the name in bold font, and see the picture. If you click on one of the names way over to the right and keep on clicking on the names on the far right you can go back as far as 1811! I went so far back as to see the Arabians in her bloodlines. If I keep this up, I'll go as far back as King of the Wind! He he he he....

I also typed in some of the names on her pedigree and got her uncle, half brother, and one other that was her grandfathers daughter.

This was so fun and cool!