This video is such a great example of exactly that. Apparently the kid in it is only 5 years old. How cool to be riding like that at age 5.
I recently had the opportunity to play with a level 4 horse that knew far more than I did. Boy was it fun to try some things out and learn from the feed back that she gave me. My horses are always teaching me something new – every day in fact but I didn’t really understood the full significance of this principal until I played with a horse who has done way more Parelli than me.
I have been having a lot of fun playing with all my horses recently. Dexter and I are slowly progressing building confidence and friendship. He is such a beautiful horse who loves attention and smooching. I am enjoying playing with Dexter so much because he needs a lot of repetition with things and likes to have a pattern to feel safe and confident. It is just so relaxing after playing with Strider and Ollie who both love variety and change or they get bored. I am always thinking of creative ways to engage them. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE playing with Ollie and Strider but when I play with Dexter, it is so peacfull and relaxing. I feel like I can just enjoy the moment because I seldom have to come up with anything new to impress him or keep him motivated. He wants to go slow on things and please me. I guess that is the difference between left brain horses (Strider and Ollie) and Right Brain horses – Dexter.
Now that I have come to that realisation, I understand that if I don’t try and rush things with Dexter, things actually go quicker. Go slow to get somewhere faster. How interesting.
It is wonderful to see Dexter’s curiosity and confidence growing all the time. The other day, he was dead set interested in my camera, wanting to sniff, touch and bite it……
Dexter early in the morning with the sunlight shining through the trees.
Dexter coming up to check out the camera
Dexter gets up close and personal with the camera checking it out!
Cassie, Celina, Ollie, Princess and I all headed up to 2* Parelli Professional Susan Castel’s place the other weekend for a fantastic day of sunshine, meeting fellow Parelliers, playing and riding. It was a GREAT day. We each had a go at doing a savvy spotlight. Ollie and I played online to a Kylie Minogue tune LOL. Biggest hi-light for Ollie and I is that he had a go at standing on a pederstal which we had never attempted before as I don’t own one. I was thrilled with how both Princess and Ollie loaded and traveled so well and stood tied up to the float at lunch time on their best behaviour. My broken arm is now better and all good to be playing and riding again.
Special thank you to Celina who took these lovely photos:-)
Currently Watching Parelli Wild Horse Taming Naturally live webcast and it is awesome! Lots of learning and plenty of fun and laughs too. Go Pat and the Colt Staring Team! http://www.todocast.tv/parelli/wildtaming
Funny video… (Apologies to those who have seen this before, it has been around a while but I only saw it for the first time yesterday!) But it is so true. What do two silly medieval men have to do with Parelli?
Everything. How much do we learn with our horses and in life in general if we don’t step out of our comfort zone? For me, the biggest times of growth have come when I have stepped into something new – tried something that really challenged me – tried something that I wasn’t entirely comfortable and confident with……. A classic Example of this was the first time that I tried using my 45 ft line. I had been staring at this lovely white waxed rope for over a month, all wrapped up in it’s original packaging. I felt overwhelmed by it and just left it sitting there untouched for ages. When I headed off to Wongaburra to a course with Rob McAuliff and Christine Corbidge, I put the rope in my car just in case.
Day one of the course – First thing – Get out 45 ft lines. I was terrified, plus, I knew that everyone else there had already used one before and I hadn’t. I had heard many horror stories of how difficult they were to use. I didn’t have a choice. My Clydesdale was so Giant and Clompy that he needed the space allowed on the 45 ft line. Rob and Christine showed me the basics with the line first so in the interest of not looking stupid, the 45 ft line went on Solomon the Clydesdale and off we went. Talk about baptism by fire, Mr Clompy Solomon almost had me airborne on several occasions. Yes, it was hard, but boy was it so much fun. Ironically, the 45ft line in now my favourite piece of equipment to use on the ground. By the end of the course I was a lot more confident with the long line and loved using it.
Sometimes it is all too easy to sit back and just stick with things that we know that we are good at. I know that Strider and I are good at Liberty and Finesse so it’s really easy to spend time on those things as I know that it will go well, BUT, Online and Freestyle are what need our attention the most. Hopefully Strider will be better in the summer and we can work on these things.
For the past two days I have been at an education conference with the theme of ‘Moving Forward’. While the focus of the conference is mainly on school classroom practice, I realise that moving forward and out of our comfort zone applies to everything in life, especially playing with horses.
Well, I am pretty excited because South Australia’s first Thornhill Berlin saddle arrived this week! I totally 100% recommend the Parelli Fluidity saddle as it is just amazing in every way, but, for those who honestly cannot afford the Fluidity, then, the Berlin is a brilliant alternative at about a quarter of the price! The widest Berlin is a little wider than the standard Fluidity but not as wide as the super wide Fluidity. The Berlin works brilliantly with the theraflex pad and when shimmed correctly, it puts the rider on their balance point.
I am very pleased to be accepted as Thornhill USA’s Australian sales representative! Thornhill has massive range of gear, the Berlin is only one of many fantastic leather saddles available. Leave me a comment if you are interested in the Berlin and I will get back to you with more info:-)
Go to www.thornhillusa.com
to check out their complete range of cool gear and let me know if there is something you want more info on or want to order.
Above is Ollie, a horse that I am looking after for a friend, modeling the Theraflex and Berlin. I have really been enjoying playing with and riding Ollie, however, an incident with Strider has left me with a broken elbow so all the horses will just be big paddock pets for the next few weeks. I am sure that they won’t mind in the least!
I recently completed the horsenality and humanality match reports for Dexter and I. Looks like we are both pretty complex individuals! But probably a pretty good match for each other too.
So I am all over the shop really, not surprising though. I have the most left brain extrovert attributes but I am also very right brain extrovert as well. At home and at work, I am mostly that LBE character but often when I am out of my comfort zone or under pressure then the right brain side shows up. How interesting.
Dex is a very complex individual also! He is the reverse of me – mostly right brain extrovert but closely followed by left brain extrovert. Interestingly enough, he has already changed and developed since I filled in the chart a few weeks ago. He is already a lot more calm and balanced. I put this down to the fact that he has settled into his new environment now, he has got to know me better AND I have been following all the suggestions from the Horsenality/ humanality results. I am thrilled with all the practical advice, strategies and ideas for our play times together. Yes, it certainly is working.
The break through game that was suggested in our match was ‘me and my shadow’. I would have never even thought to play this with him but the results have been excellent. My goodness, he thought and thought and thought the first time we played it. Dexter is very unconfident away from the herd or his stable area but with this game we have been able to move further and further away whilst building his confidence.
So if anyone reading is wanting to understand their horse better or themselves better, I have to recommend the horsenality, humanality and horse/human match as a great start. It is definitely helping Dexter and I.
Another Photo that is too good not to share – big thankyou to Cassie for this one. Strider and I doing what we like to do best (going pretty fast of course and moving our feet!) in the huge Arena at the Australian Parelli Center on the Fast Track a couple of months ago. This photo is my favourtie of Strider and I becuase it captures us in action doing what we like to do best. It also reminds a lot about my trip becuase Strider and I spent many many MANY sessions on the rail, learning to LOVE the rail and learning NOT to rush. It wasn’t until I had the realisation right down into my core that ‘it’s not about the rail’ but it’s about the learning journey and ‘taking the time it takes’ did we progress from the rail to doing other more exciting things.
Strider and Dexter playing racing games together in their paddock!
Dexter LOVES to move his feet. Strider tires of the games quite quickly but Dexter could play all day.
These are some photos I took a couple of weeks ago when the boys moved to their lovely new property. I have been using them as a desktop background for my computer and decided that they are too good not to share. Dexter has actually put on a bit more weight now than in these photos. He is an excellent eater and always gobbles up everything that he is given. If only Strider would be like that too LOL. Strider is the fussiest eater I have ever met but I suppose that is all part of the charm of Strider……Nothing with Strider is ever straight forward.
Hi there! I'm Rebecca. Click here to read a bit more about me.
