Back at it again,,,,

Well for almost a week I have been suffering with almost all the symptoms of the Swine Flu [H1N1]. It is not confirmed that I have it but it is very likely. So for most of the week I was inside with very little horse time. It was nice having a little break but I am SO glad that, even though I am only feeling a little bit better, I can be getting back out with the horses. I can't move around to much or else I get a head ache but I can't complain!!!

Yesterday Sunday November 8 2009 I played with and rode Prince. I missed him so much!!! I don't know what I would do with out him in my life!!! I would have been happy just doing nothing with him but there were a couple things I wanted to play with.

The first, and the most major thing we did in the play session was cantering on the circle. We had it REALLY good... I mean Prince would canter 5 circles no problem...... but then there were a couple things that fell apart [my fault totally] and that was one of them. When I think about it it wasn't really fair to Prince to ask that much of him that soon, considering we haven't really played in over a week and we have been having a hot spell but Prince did really well and tired so hard!! We got three circles with out breaking gait going to the right I think it was. Then one circle with out breaking gait going to the left. Prince was so out of shape and with his winter coat [or some of it] he was sweating like crazy. I felt kind of bad but he recovered from it. It is definitely something we need to play with!!!

After a long rest I then got my trimming tools and played around with them. I expected Prince to be defensive but he had a nice surprise for me in the fact that he did REALLY well. I didn't actually trim anything but I was simulating it so that Prince will get used to me being the one to do it. I was able to play with all of his feet and he did really well.

So after we were done that I got my helmet and climbed on Prince bareback. Being sick has totally knocked all the spring out of my legs that is for sure!! I tried jumping up onto Prince [which last Sunday I could do] but there was no way that was happening today. My mom said not to exert myself to much since I was still sick so I got onto the pedestal and got on from there. Prince and I had the most AMAZING ride!!!!!!!! I didn't plan on doing much but it ended up being a wonderful, wonderful ride.

We started off with some Follow the rail, that was really good. Then I asked Prince to trot the first two times I asked him to trot he pinned his ears but then trotted off. So we did some transitions. Then we did a REALLY cool yo-yo game but first... before I went out to play with Prince I was reading in one of the original Level 2 pocket books and it was talking about advancing your 9 Step back up. So I read it. One thing it said was that if while you are closing your fingers (steps 4,5,6,7) you slow do step 8 and 9 you will have a much fast and lighter back up. Okay hopefully that didn't confuse you! So anyways.... I tried that with Prince.............. and you will never guess!!!!! IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prince was a million times lighter. It was so cool!!! Then that was when we did the really neat Yo-yo game. I asked Prince to walk forward two steps, then I would sit back, focus high and just put a little tiny bit of pressure on the reins and he would back up two steps, then we would repeat the process again. Prince was SO light that we did most of it at phase 1!! Even our back up go so light that I just thought "back up" and focused and Prince was already stopped and shifting his weight to back up. Then we did it at the trot!!!! It was SO much fun!! I couldn't believe how light Prince was!! It was VERY cool!!!

Then we played around with our Direct rein. Again I was reading in the Original Level 2 pocket guide and it was talking about getting your horse to "Cross his front end over" and is said to use your outside leg and that in Level 1 you rode the inside of your horse but in Level 2/3 you want to be pushing your horse more. Interesting. I remember reading that before but it is always good to re-read something. So Prince and I played around with using my outside leg when I asked him a Direct rein. I had been playing around with it before but I was never sure if it was right so I just went back to using my inside leg. So when I tried it the results were incredible!!! Prince responded beautifully!! One time we were walking along the fence and came up to Mom and Knightly so I just looked at the 3 o'clock position and put a little bit of pressure on with my outside leg and Prince turned exactly where I wanted him to go and we walked straight across the riding ring then turned back onto the fence.

Prince and I took a rest after that. My mom was sitting on the fence and had Knightly lined up to get on, she had the rope hanging over his neck and he decided to walk away. So I asked him Prince and I could get him..... I thought that looked like fun!! It was SOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun!!!!!!!! Prince was a gem!!! He even tried to help.... it wasn't his fault that Knightly kicked back at him. The lead rope had of course dropped on the ground so I had to get Knightly to bring his head around do I could get the rope. Then once I had it we started walked a long the fence back to mom. But then Prince started trotting.... I am not sure why but I think it was because Knightly was bothering him. I was trying to let more rope out for Knightly and stop Prince and the same time but something didn't go right so I just dropped the rope. I didn't want to give up then so we went back and got Knightly. My mom tossed my her carrot stick so I could reach the rope.

We were going back to mom and Prince offered me a BEAUTIFUL sideways!!! Then I realised that the carrot stick to "active" Prince was so sensitive!!! So we went sideways for about 10ft then continued on our way. After we had accomplished our mission Prince had a major lick and chew!! One thing that was really cool was that Prince was really in tune with me the whole time, if I needed him to back up I could just wiggle my legs a little bit and he would back up, turning was never easier, our whoa and go were wonderful. It was a lot of fun!!

Since it was a really good note to end on I got off. Then Prince and I just spend some time hanging out together. I love him so much!!!!! He is wonderful!!!! Can't wait till next time!!

~K

CONGRATULATIONS LEA!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Lea on passing our Level 3 Online!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know my savvy sister, Lea passed her Level 3 Online with a Level 3+!!!! I am so proud of you Lea!!! You and Eddie have a wonderful relationship that will carry you where ever you go!!! When ever I watch you guys play I have to smile!! You guys looks like you are living a dream!!!

Love you girl!!
~K

Here is a friends Level 1/2 Online Audition...

I am so proud of you guys!!!! I am positive that you will pass with flying colours!!

~K

Short but sweet!

November 3 2009

So today I played with Twosox. We didn't do much but what we did do was really fun. For the first little while we just stood together, playing friendly game in different zones, and just over all getting Twosox truly calm before we started playing.

When we were up in the corral we did some Stick to me, Figure eights, and I played around with his feet. Yep, that is all!! But it was really cool!!! When we were doing the Figure eights Twosox started offering things!! He offered to trot and he was bending around the barrels, not bracing the other way.

He did really well with his feet too. I picked them all up and cleaned them out. Lots of friendly game!!! Then I sat on a tire and helped my mom with some things. Right before we were going to finish Prince and Ruffy came up into the riding ring. Ruffy was SO playful!!!! I am surprised that Prince is fat!!! ;) Prince and Ruffy started rearing and a whole bunch of other stuff. I could watch them play for hours!!! It was interesting because one time they got to close to Twosox and I so I started twirling my rope [I didn't have my carrot stick]. Prince and Ruffy got the idea and moved away but what was really cool was that Twosox didn't get worried!! He just stayed right behind me and was calm the whole time, even though I had to bring my energy up really fast!! It was neat!!

So even though our play time was short it was a really good play session because Twosox was relaxed and responded really well!!

~K

Lots of little things...

Over the past week and a half we have been cleaning our corral out. There are over 1ft of wet, soggy manure that we didn't want there. It was awful!! We were supposed to get a guy with a tractor to come clean it out but with all the rain we had the guy said that his tractor would get stuck..... so started the process of cleaning it out....... by hand. It was a HUGE job but we finally finished it on Monday. I was so happy!!!

Anyways the point of me telling you all that was that while we were cleaning the corral out I got to spend some wonderful time with the horses!!! Prince and I had some fun playing at Liberty and just hanging out. Twosox and I were able to just spend some time with each other. It really paid off because I have NEVER seen Twosox so relaxed when he is around me!! It was wonderful!

I also got to play around a lot with the horses feet. I carried my hoof pick out with me each day just in case I got the chance to pick up any of the horses feet. It was really interesting because on one of the days we were working in there I had to ask Prince to move out of the way so we could take a wheel barrel load of manure out, so I asked him to go sideways over..... well earlier that day my mom had to move him and so she asked him to move his hind quarters over and he just walked off but since he moved out of her way she let it go. I think it happened a couple other times also so when I asked him to move over sideways Prince was like "Yeah right!" and he walked off..... well I couldn't just leave it there right?? So I followed through with what I was asking. We ended up going all the way out of the corral, up the hill, back down the hill, into the corral again, and then finally Prince disengaged his hind quarters. Then I asked him to go back over to where he was before he ran off and then I asked him to go sideways... but not just normal sideways.... I asked for quicker, snappy sideways!!!! This time Prince responded and went sideways really nicely!!! I then relaxed and went back to shoveling...... It was so funny to see the look on Prince's face when I left!! 

The horses were really curios about us. It was really neat. Knightly would come and stand right side you and want you to scratch him, and he wouldn't leave until you did. He is funny!! One day I was cleaning out around the manger and of course I couldn't exactly have four horses there or else I would have been taking the ground from under them. So I sent them all away. It was interesting to see how each horse dealt with it. Prince I hardly had to do anything, he didn't even try coming back!! Ruffy moved but tried to get back to the manger a couple times but then he went over to Prince and they slept together. Knightly was positive that I had sent the other horses away so that he could eat. Every time I moved even a little bit away from the manger Knightly wouldn't start to move in. Finally he got the idea that he couldn't eat either so he went and stood in the shelter. Then there was Twosox..... my sweet RBI boy. He figured out that if he was really really sweet and softly came in and moved when ever I asked him to that he was fine and could eat. I have a soft spot for RBI ;)

It was funny because on that same day when I had to climb out of the corral for a minute, as soon as I was gone all of the horses came right back in and when I came in they all left. I guess they figured out who was the Alpha mare ;) hehe

So yeah, even though it wasn't the best of jobs it was great to be able to hang around with the horses!!

~K

A whole new generation is starting.....

November 1 2009

YIKES!!!!!!!! It is November already!!!!!!!! It is crazy how fast time goes!! I remember when it was February and the Auditions came out!!!!!!! Wow!!

My two little brothers had a fun time this afternoon playing with Prince. So that it will be less confusing I am going to call the older of my two younger brothers M1 and ny youngest brother M2 [Both of there names start with M ;)].

M2 lead Prince up the hill to the riding ring. I could tell that he was alittle nervous but still very excited. Since M2 is a extrovert he had A LOT of energy.

So M1 started playing first. He did very well. So did Prince. M1 did Touch it, yo-yo's, circles, sideways with out a fence [that is what you get when you have a Level 1 kid and a Level 4 horse playing together ..... when the release isn't fast enough you get stuff you didn't ask for ;) hehe]. When they were doing Touch it, Prince offered four feet on the pedestal! It was so cute!!!! M1 did VERY well on the circles. Everything, his send, allow and bring back were PERFECT!!!!! I was so proud of them both. M1 looked so savvy!!!

By this time M2, being the extrovert he is, was getting very impatient waiting for his turn. So it was his turn. It was my job to keep his mind on what he was doing and make sure he stayed safe. He did really well though. M2 did porcupine on the nose to back up, he did Touch it [The look on his face when Prince climbed on the pedestal with all four feet then looked at M2 and asked a question was PRICELESS!!!!] I think Prince felt the different energy level between M1 and M2 but he did well. He was so sweet!! Always lowering his head to let then rub him and doing what they asked.

After M2 had played for a little bit he got his very first ride on Prince. When I put him on Prince at first he had SO much energy. I could tell Prince wasn't sure what to do with all that energy up there so I had to tell M2 that even though he was excited he still had to settle down and not have so much energy. At first M2 didn't want to go very far or very fast. But then once we took a couple steps he was fine. He didn't want to get off. So we walked around, M2 would decided where he wanted to go then we would walk over to that spot then stop have a quick rest and then be off again. I had the bareback pad on Prince and it was really cute because M2 was holding the handle and some of Prince's mane. I think I have a picture of it.....

Yep! Here is a pic....

After a little while M2 got down. I showed him how to get off the right way. I was REALLY proud of all three boys [M1, M2, and Prince]. They can hardly wait to play and ride again. M1 has decided that he doesn't want to start riding until he is in Level 2 Online. That is totally fine with me.

After the boys were finished playing with Prince I played around with him feet. He did really well. I don't have to play with him before I pick up his feet now so that is an improvement. After I was done with his feet we just spent some undemanding time for a while. Then just for fun I climbed up on one of the small tires and started playing around with mounting Prince bareback from there. I can do it from the pedestal so this was more of a challenge. Prince got a little defensive about be bouncing up and down. I was prepared for that though because of what happened to him before I got him. So I just kept bouncing and not really playing any attention to his pinned ears and such and after a while he realized that everything was fine. I was able to mount him successfully about 6 times. I was pretty impressed, considering I was only about 5 inches off the ground.

Anyways.....

M2 is now saying he wants a little pony. My mom and I were watching one of the Savvy DVD's and M2 saw Barmun and fell in love with him. So that is how it all started. I didn't know if we will get one but you never know!!! I never thought we would have 4 horses!!!! Should be interesting.....

~K

My boy Prince...

Oct 30 2009

Yet again Prince, Knightly, my mom and I went out to our friends farm! I am totally spoiled!! :) I spent some time cleaning Prince up. He was a mess!!! I don't really mind him being dirty but I did want him to look nice today. I tried to untangle his tail but that was hopeless.... as someone said "It looks like someone dipped his tail in chocolate" hehe that was about right. The first 1ft was nice and clean but the rest was brown. His mane was a little bit more cooperating. By the time I was finished our friend was here and so we loaded the horses up. That went well and so we were off.

When we got there we unloaded the horses. Prince and I did some stick to me in the field. That was fun!! Then I saddled Prince up. He did really well like usual. Then we went and checked out the little kids. Prince loves kids!!! He let them rub his face, hug him, give him apples [that was his favourite of all ;) lol] Then we went and played. We ran most of the way down the arena. Prince stayed right with me the whole time. Then we did some Weaving. Prince was a little clumsy at first so we kept it up until he was paying more attention. After that I asked Prince to jump a little barrel. At first he was like "You want me to do what??" but then he figured it out and jumped right over it!! It was a little but more of a challenge getting him to jump it straight on because is was shorter plus it wasn't as long so he went around it a couple times. In the end he got it though.

After that we did some Traveling circles, Transitions, Change of directions, Sideways over a log from 22ft away [at a phase 1 too!!!!] Jumping, and Touch it. It was a lot of fun. I think that if we go back again I will have to have some new things to do with Prince because I have to say it was a little boring for both Prince and myself. I had to go get the video camera so I let my good friend [parellihorseplay.blogspot.com/] hold Prince and play with him a little. They both did very well. I was so proud of both of them!!!

When we were done playing Online we played at Liberty. We did Stick to me, Jumping, Touch it from 20ft away, Sideways, Leading by the tail and more. One of the things I did [that I have always wanted to do but never had enough room to do it] was drawing at the trot but not stopping when Prince got to me but just keep running backwards [sorry if that was confusing ;)] Anyways.... it worked. Prince kept trotting and we went back quite a ways. It was fun!!! By this time it was raining pretty hard. I still wanted to ride so we kept going. Before I got on I gave a 3yr old girl a ride on Prince. It was the first time that any younger kid has been on Prince since I bought him [only myself and my sister have ridden Prince since I got him]. I wasn't sure how Prince would respond but he was a gem!!! We went for a long walk around the arena. He didn't pin his ears once!!! Which was really nice considering he was used my pony rides before I got him and he DID NOT like the idea of anyone getting on him especially little kids. I was SO proud of Prince. He did so well!!!

Now it turned out good because my saddle was wet and well I got on right after she got off...... and so I didn't have to get my jeans wet ;) ;) just kidding. Anyways Prince and I had a wonderful ride. I have to say I was more pleased with our ride than I was of our ground play. That is weird but I just thought I could have done better when we were playing on the ground. Oh well next time I will be more prepared.

Prince and I had a blast while we were riding. I rode with my two savvy strings tied together to make a set of reins. It was SOOOOOO nice riding with really light weight reins but still having two. We did Follow the rail, A Million Transitions, Point to point at the trot [most of that we did going length ways down the arena!! It was so much fun!!], Sideways, 9 step back up, refined direct and indirect rein, Weaving [at the walk and trot!] and the Question Box.

I want to comment on a couple of the things we did....

First the Point to point at the trot. I was confident enough to go all over the arena this time. We trotted for REALLY long distances and all over the place. Prince did really well and I hardly hard to redirect him and when I did it was really light, not like normal when we are trotting he doesn't want to listen to me. Plus what was really cool was that I could (1) sit Prince's trot for longer and (2) I could do a rising trot [posting] and direct Prince!!!! Normally I loose my balance a little but not today!!! It was wonderful!!!!!!! Prince and I did a lot of trotting. We both loved it!!

Secondly the Questions Box..... IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! Prince was light and VERY responsive. We did it at the walk and trot. I didn't have to correct Prince to much either. I was really pleased with how that one was coming along. It was out third time doing the Question Box pattern at our friends place.

And the third thing I wanted to comment on was the Weave. Prince gave me a nice slow trot [a sitting trot trot ;)] while we did the Weave. I made sure to look where I wanted Prince to go it felt amazing!! Prince was light and we did half the Weave at a trot and the other half at a walk. I am amazed [even though I shouldn't be] but how well Prince responds to my body when I get it right!! Before Prince was just doing what I was asking!! *sigh* Never ending self improvement!! Gotta love it!! :)

After I was done riding Mrs. Smith wanted me to ride bareback for a bit. So I took my saddle off and quickly hopped on before Prince got all wet ;) There was a nice little dry patch where the saddle had been so I didn't want it getting wet. We rode over to the pedestal and climbed up on that. Prince is beginning to really like that thing now ;) Before he would walk circles around it before he would get up, now he just walks right on. After that we trotted the whole way over to the gate. The best part was that (1) I WAS BAREBACK!!!!!!!!!! and (2) Even when the sitting trot got a little bit bouncy I stuck with it and made sure I was doing everything right and it got smoother. It was interesting feeling the difference between riding in my Fusion and riding bareback. There isn't a huge difference at all. Of course riding bareback is a little bit bouncier when you start trotting but all in all it was really comfy!!!!

Since it was still pouring rain we all went in for lunch then when it was time to go my mom and I started walking down to the arena where the horses where. We had just come around the corner and where still really far away and we called them, both of them started walking over to the gate. What was even cooler was that PRINCE CAME TROTTING TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course they got to the gate first but it was SO cool!!! I couldn't believe it because we were so far away when we called. I love my pony!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a really fun day all in all, even though it rained for most of it. I didn't even notice it!! We were having to much fun!! :)

~K