The morning after my fourth clinic with 3-star Parelli professional Ron Pyne and, as always, he did not disappoint! My mind is full to the bursting point with new information and I am exhausted mentally and physically. Where to begin, where to begin? Because we covered so much in two days, I am going to journal it in two pieces and try to recall and capture the key topics ....
Level 2 - Refinement Clinic - Day 1
One of Ron's main keys throughout the weekend was one of "expecting more". As advanced level 2 students he stressed how important it is to strive for the best responses from our horses and to be very particular when playing - something that is necessary to become a successful Level 3 student. We began the two day clinic with snuggling our 7 horses together and "protecting our herds of two"! Difficult when you have 7 horses who don't know each other and would love a chance to visit with each other! Throw a mini in the middle and things really get interesting! All the horses soon settled and we had a chance to chat with each other and discuss what we hoped to take away from the clinic.
The Saturday morning online session began with some porcupine game - moving the hindquarters and the forequarters in a figure of 8 pattern - all while striving to be as light as possible. "Addicted to Lightness" is my favourite part of all the 7 games and, as I soon realized, has some room for improvment!! Lucky for me Tido is quite responsive but this segment of the clinic served as a reminder that I need to keep playing with it. We also played with turning our horses loose (removing the halter), disengaging the hindquarters and having them turn and look at us before they moved off into a pasture (or stall). Important for safety and building the relationship. While this is something I try and do regularily, this session made me realize how important it is to do EVERY time!
Next we began to play with the driving game from zone 3/4 to prepare for the afternoon's adventure of riding with the carrot sticks. For me, remembering to bring my life up and let Tido make the first step forward was key.
The afternoon's riding was truly an adventure!! All 6 riding partipants looked like fish out of water
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Clinic Countdown!
I am 5 days away from the fall clinic with Ron Pyne (Oct 24 & 25 at QuarDream Equestrian Centre, Mount Forest, Ontario). This will be my fourth clinic with Ron and is entitled "Level 2 - Refinement". As always, my nerves have started and I don't anticipate much sleep on Friday night!! Not that I am unconfident about our abilities - I just find the clinic style of learning a little nerve-wracking. Learning something new in front of fellow horsemen, whether participants or auditors, is never an easy thing to do. It involves stepping WAY out of your comfort zone! Hence my butterflies and lack of sleep the night before!!
I am looking forward to seeing all the Parelli-fans that I am now priveleged to call friends. It is always a treat to see them, their horses, and get together to discuss, enjoy and completely submerse ourselves in Parelli! And, as always when Ron is present, I am looking forward to being presented with so much information I will nearly reach the breaking point!! It is amazing that for weeks following the clinic, little bits and pieces will resurface each day. I am promising myself that I WILL make notes at the end of each day of this clinic in an effort to retain as much of his teachings as possible. Our next clinic won't be until next spring and winter can be loooonnnggg!!!
I had better get out for a play and practice perfectly a few of our "works in progress"!!! I am slowly building Tido up to sidepass over barrels - last session I had him sidepass over a rail raised 12" off the ground! Only a session or two more and he should be confident about passing the barrels under his belly.
Naturally ....
I am looking forward to seeing all the Parelli-fans that I am now priveleged to call friends. It is always a treat to see them, their horses, and get together to discuss, enjoy and completely submerse ourselves in Parelli! And, as always when Ron is present, I am looking forward to being presented with so much information I will nearly reach the breaking point!! It is amazing that for weeks following the clinic, little bits and pieces will resurface each day. I am promising myself that I WILL make notes at the end of each day of this clinic in an effort to retain as much of his teachings as possible. Our next clinic won't be until next spring and winter can be loooonnnggg!!!
I had better get out for a play and practice perfectly a few of our "works in progress"!!! I am slowly building Tido up to sidepass over barrels - last session I had him sidepass over a rail raised 12" off the ground! Only a session or two more and he should be confident about passing the barrels under his belly.
Naturally ....
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
In the beginning ....
I have spent much of my life around horses. Dreaming of horses, praying for a horse, riding horses, caring for horses and, most of all, loving horses. My love affair with the horse began at birth, or so I am told. As a young rider I took bi-weekly lessons from a wonderfully "natural" riding instructor for 12 years. I successfully competed at many levels and explored many aspects of the horse: from trail riding, showing, carriage driving and parades. I have enjoyed spending time with a motley collection of horses during my life.
In 1999 my twins were born and I soon discovered that my horse's care was suffering as the babies demanded so much of my time. My thoroughbred gelding, Charlie, was moved to my dad's barn for a few years to be enjoyed when time would allow (which wasn't often!). I missed my special boy but family demanded my full attention for a time. Just as my 3rd child was old enough that I was considering moving Charlie home with me again, tragedy struck. In March 2004, Charlie broke a hind leg after a quick thaw caused a deep sink hole in the lower pasture and had to be humanely destroyed. I was devastated at the loss of my partner for 11 years and I turned away from horses for over a year.
But soon the horse bug would bite again and I began to have an urge to re-introduce horses into my life. I decided to search for a breed that had always interested me but I had never owned. I purchased a 4 year old appaloosa gelding, Duke, and brought him home after a test ride showed him to be quiet and laid back. My 3rd ride on Duke had me thrown twice from rearing and a third rearing incident brought him over onto his back. I put the horse into the pasture and didn't touch him for 12 months, my fear overwhelming. After many, many instances of attempting to ride this horse, the fear was too much and I considered listing him for sale. Fellow horse people at the barn where Duke was boarded convinced me to take a Level 1 Parelli Clinic from 3 star Parelli professional, Ron Pyne.
That weekend was a turning point for me. I discovered that Parelli was what I had been searching for all along and was actually echoed in my brain from the teachings of my first riding instructor all those years ago. The process brought me back to where I had first started with horses! Duke and I played through our issues and reached a very solid Level 2 in our progression through the Parelli program, but still the fear remained on a reduced level. In March 2009, I made the decision that, although we had come along way, I was scarred from our sour beginning and was never going to be able to trust him completely, and thus never have the relationship I truly wanted. I committed to finding him a good home - no matter how long that took before beginning the search for my perfect partner. (Ironically, while attending the Celebration in Harrisburg PA in April, Walter Zettle solidified my decision with the statement "if you don't trust the horse, he will never trust you".)
Little did I know that I didn't have long to wait. A buyer came along the end of May. After a few days of phone tag, we agreed on a price and Duke was off to his new home. During those days of Duke's sale, I happened across an ad (I really wasn't searching for a horse, the ad was literally just there!) that sounded too good to be true! I phoned and made an appointment to see the horse and waited with bated breath for 4 days, fearing that the horse would be sold before I could see him. He did sell, to me.
My perfect partner is named Tido and he is a 5 year old, 15.2 hh gelding of mixed breeding. His white face was what caught my attention and his unusual colouring is what people notice first. He is trusting and playful (an extreme Left Brained extrovert). Some days, I still can't believe he is here! I always joke that my fear got on the trailer and left with Duke, but that isn't far from the truth. I trust Tido and my confidence has soared since his arrival. My 3rd ride on Tido was done bareback with the Parelli halter and savvy string. No fear. So our journey together has just begun ... and I can't wait to see how far it takes us!
In 1999 my twins were born and I soon discovered that my horse's care was suffering as the babies demanded so much of my time. My thoroughbred gelding, Charlie, was moved to my dad's barn for a few years to be enjoyed when time would allow (which wasn't often!). I missed my special boy but family demanded my full attention for a time. Just as my 3rd child was old enough that I was considering moving Charlie home with me again, tragedy struck. In March 2004, Charlie broke a hind leg after a quick thaw caused a deep sink hole in the lower pasture and had to be humanely destroyed. I was devastated at the loss of my partner for 11 years and I turned away from horses for over a year.
But soon the horse bug would bite again and I began to have an urge to re-introduce horses into my life. I decided to search for a breed that had always interested me but I had never owned. I purchased a 4 year old appaloosa gelding, Duke, and brought him home after a test ride showed him to be quiet and laid back. My 3rd ride on Duke had me thrown twice from rearing and a third rearing incident brought him over onto his back. I put the horse into the pasture and didn't touch him for 12 months, my fear overwhelming. After many, many instances of attempting to ride this horse, the fear was too much and I considered listing him for sale. Fellow horse people at the barn where Duke was boarded convinced me to take a Level 1 Parelli Clinic from 3 star Parelli professional, Ron Pyne.
That weekend was a turning point for me. I discovered that Parelli was what I had been searching for all along and was actually echoed in my brain from the teachings of my first riding instructor all those years ago. The process brought me back to where I had first started with horses! Duke and I played through our issues and reached a very solid Level 2 in our progression through the Parelli program, but still the fear remained on a reduced level. In March 2009, I made the decision that, although we had come along way, I was scarred from our sour beginning and was never going to be able to trust him completely, and thus never have the relationship I truly wanted. I committed to finding him a good home - no matter how long that took before beginning the search for my perfect partner. (Ironically, while attending the Celebration in Harrisburg PA in April, Walter Zettle solidified my decision with the statement "if you don't trust the horse, he will never trust you".)
Little did I know that I didn't have long to wait. A buyer came along the end of May. After a few days of phone tag, we agreed on a price and Duke was off to his new home. During those days of Duke's sale, I happened across an ad (I really wasn't searching for a horse, the ad was literally just there!) that sounded too good to be true! I phoned and made an appointment to see the horse and waited with bated breath for 4 days, fearing that the horse would be sold before I could see him. He did sell, to me.
My perfect partner is named Tido and he is a 5 year old, 15.2 hh gelding of mixed breeding. His white face was what caught my attention and his unusual colouring is what people notice first. He is trusting and playful (an extreme Left Brained extrovert). Some days, I still can't believe he is here! I always joke that my fear got on the trailer and left with Duke, but that isn't far from the truth. I trust Tido and my confidence has soared since his arrival. My 3rd ride on Tido was done bareback with the Parelli halter and savvy string. No fear. So our journey together has just begun ... and I can't wait to see how far it takes us!
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