Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Level 4.. It was great!

Wow. Amazing and breathtaking session today. Totally Left Brain Extrovert (naughty, playful, willful and exuberant) crazy awesome, LOVED IT. I could just shift my body in one direction, stare at her and have a lot of intense energy and she'd take off cantering and bucking. It was awesome for such a lazy Left Brain Introvert (stubborn, slow, argumentative). This was incredible. Whenever she hit the end of the line (which wasn't very often), she's spin around and canter back to me. It was SO cool! So much motivation and she was even willing. Don't worry, none of this was Right Brain (meaning scared or hyper alert).

I defiantly saw Level 4 Drive and Draw in the same session! So much good stuff.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Willing and motivated? Yeah

In the past 3 or so months I've noticed Cricket (LBI) getting more and more snappy and happy. I play with her almost everyday and the last time I played with her, she was brilliant. 

We're preparing for our Level 3 Liberty audition and she's learning everything so fast. Her response has been ears forward all the way. Here's what a conversation with her is like. 

"Cricket, can you-" 
"Yes, ma'am!" 
"Do you mind comin-" 
"Sure, you mean this?" 
"Yes!" 
"Why don't-" 
"This, right?" 
"Yes, again!" 


I've found that in Level 2 your horse starts trying to read your mind and usually gets it "wrong". But in Level 3/4 they get smarter and start seeing things clearer! It's BRILLIANT! 


At liberty I can now ask for close and long range circles (no round pen!) walk and trot when about 2 months ago that was impossible! 


We can do extreme friendly game, stick to me canter, circles, sideways towards and away from me, yo-yo back and forth (22'!), Figure 8s (walk and trot)! It's INCREDIBLE what an LBI will give you once they're interested. WOW! 



I was talking to Karen Koetsier a long time ago and she said being at the young age that I am (14 years old) and at this level of horsemanship, people would KILL to be in my shoes... 


I'm so thankful that God gave me Cricket because she's really the one who does all this!! 

Monday, May 16, 2011

Liberty Circles? No round pen?

Yeah, baby.. You heard me.

I played with Cricket at Liberty this morning and she offered to walk and trot circles at Liberty! No round pen!

WAHOOO!

We are SO ready for our Level 3 Liberty audition!


-Elrohwen

Yes, that is my amazing pony at Liberty!


We played at liberty in prep for our Level 3 Liberty audition…. no round pen!!! We play with all the tasks, especially our spins. I was able to get some nice circles and a really good stick to me.. I’m soooo very proud of my girl.
All in all.. Here’s what we did.
Extreme Friendly Game
Backing by her tail and hind leg
Lead by ear and chin
360s (like what reining horses do)
Stick to me/mirror me
Sideways over log and sideways towards me
Draw at trot and canter
Figure 8 (which was really good)
Circles (walk and trot!)


I was very impressed with her.... And she didn't leave me once... 

Thursday, May 12, 2011

"Don't ever guilt yourself. It's best to commit wholeheartedly or not at all. Commitment is more powerful than guilt and it is lasting." -Unknown

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

You must understand

Imagine all the times you've been lonely, tired, wet, cold, and/or miserable. What did you look forward to and what was your refuge? Perhaps a another person, a soft bed, a hot water bottle or simply something to change.

Cricket came to me when I was nine years old. I was a lot like every other kid, except that I was very blessed. In spite of all those blessings, there are always times when you feel alone, tired or any other emotion that leaves us feeling bare. Sometimes we forget to take things to God and we lie to ourselves and we try to make us think that we're deserted, we wallow in self pity.

Gather up all those days where you've felt bare or without. What was it that brought you up? In spite of how blessed and young I was, it doesn't mean that I was unable to feel any real grief or pain.

There were times where I felt like life wasn't meant to be this way. When Harrison and Emily left for college, I'm very close to my siblings, they're my best friends. When we moved repeatedly away from people I've loved dearly, people who had helped me. Times when the whether wasn't the limit. When I watched one of Lottie's puppies die after she'd accidentally laid on it, there was nothing I could do. When someone had hurt me, unintentionally or no.

I've felt pain. Maybe nothing that people deem significant. But I think I'm one of those people that feels very deeply. I am so very very thankful that God made it possible through all those times to be able to take Cricket with me.

People that are more mature than me usually remember to pray, sometimes I don't remember. Cricket has not been my sweet, fat, cute hobby. She's been something that pointed me to God and his love. I think I was afraid of God and his judgement, he gave me Cricket for a reason. To show me that he is a loving God and that he is merciful and that he is with me always.

Cricket is a gift from God. A gift to me. And a gift in itself. A talent. God revealed his plan for me in the most beautiful way that I can think of. Cricket is not just a gift to me, she is my gift.

Please understand, you must understand. I write about Cricket so much because she is one of the best things. I cannot describe it.

Don't try to suppress me. I will always laugh, write and talk about her-- with good reason.


-Priscilla

Monday, May 9, 2011

Parelli Core Values

Put the Relationship First


Always. Always. Always. If you put the Relationship first, everything else falls into place. It's not about the _______.... It's about the Relationship! 




Be the Best Me That I Can Be


Positive and Progressive. Some people forget to keep progressing and learning. Others forget to count their blessings and look on the bright side. 




Get it Done, with a Little Fun


Imagination isn't frivolous. Imagination can mean getting it done with a little fun. 




Exceed Expectations


I'm really big on this concept. So many people set a status quo for young people around my age. It seems as though they say, "You don't really need to improve, you're perfect the way you are!" Not true. We are always in need of improvement. 




Embrace Never Ending Self Improvement


We cannot improve ourselves, this is not what it's saying. A lot of people say it's the horse that needs improving, when really it's us. That's why it's called "Self Improvement". 




Do More With Less


I think this really goes with "Undemanding time" and "Riding for tomorrow". You can change the way your horse thinks by living in the moment. Spending undemanding and what others would call "meaningless" time with your horse will cause your horse to change everything he ever thought of you. They can sometimes think that we're out there to do something. We can do more with less if you only do nothing. 




Be Humble 


This ties into Attitude. We can have all the "right" answers and something that was once milk and honey can turn into a moldy and bitter drink. It's all about Attitude.  


Truth, Transparency & Trust


I don't know why but I usually think of these with Liberty. Liberty reveals these. It' makes your truth and trust transparent.




Keep it Natural


Keeping it Natural is not just the way you communicate with your horse, it's a lifestyle. Everything will tie into this concept. 



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Breaking

break

verb, broke or (Archaic brake; bro·ken or Archaic broke;break·ing; noun
–verb (used with object)
1.
to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce topieces or fragments.


Wow! Really think about that definition and then try to think why people would want to say they 'break' horses. It sounds like abuse and sometimes it is. That's why I like to say I 'start' horses because it's the 'start' of the relationship and partnership. A journey of communication and mutual respect. 

Reading

“You cannot fully read a book without being alone. But through this very solitude you become intimately involved with people whom you might never have met otherwise, either because they have been dead for centuries or because they spoke languages you cannot understand. And nonetheless, they have become your closest friend, your wisest advisors, the wizards that hypnotize you, the lovers you have always dreamed of.”
-Antonio Muñoz Molinas

Monday, May 2, 2011

Glue

Right now Brego and I are trying to figure out how we actually stand. Whether we have a real bond. A connection. It's a very emotional thing. I was able to talk it through with Mom and Rene' (Rene' is one of my Parelli mentors/study buddies). I'm still praying about it and thinking through things.

-Priscilla