Oh My Gosh! This is even better then Yesturday!

I don't know what it is. Why is Sharlie so willing and trying so hard? I was so happy today when I went down to the stable, and now I am on a cloud and in shock! Today, I decided to play with Sharlie with the trailer again and working on walking and trotting on the bigger figure 8. Did the figure 8 first. 2 perfect laps at a walk without any mistakes. I rewarded her by letting her graze. I asked her to trot the figure 8. I got a perfect 8 and a half. I decided to reward her by taking her back up to the barn and letting her rest. I let her rest and graze by the trailers in the trailer parking. I do that to get her to think that the trailer means rest and food. Tom got back with the truck and trailer again, just like yesturday, and I went to go play with Sharlie. Sharlie always spooks when the trailer door opens. I open the door, right in her face, and she doesn't spook one bit!!! She was nervous about the inside, but she could smell hay and feed. I did approach and retreat. Then suddenly, out of no where, she puts both front feet into the trailer and starts eating the bucket of feed in there. :o!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we stood in there for about 10 minutes while she ate the whole bucket of grain. I never imagined that Sharlie would do that! Maybe our relationship is stronger then I thougt!

New goals: (updated in Goals column) Get Sharlie in trailer by Labor day. Maybe this streak will continue and I will manage to achieve this goal!

Today blew me away!

Today was...amazing! And I thought it was just going to be a regular day.
Today, I set up a slalom and another barrel to the figure 8 barrels so it made up 2 sides of a rectangle, one figure 8 being bigger then the other. I started playing with Sharlie, just singing a funny little song that I made up as I went about how dirty and muddy she was. We did the slalom for the first time. First at a walk. She was so good. At first she was confused but she tried really hard to I rewarded her and moved on to the figure 8. Sharlie and I have had trouble with figure 8's because we only had itty bitty cones available and Sharlie couldn't see them. With the new barrels, we started at a walk on the smaller figure 8. Then we moved onto the bigger one to try the trot. It was sort of chaotic because she tried to circle me instead of changing direction, but then, after about the 4th time, she did a complete figure 8 at the trot perfectly! I just couldn't ask for more! So I decided to end on a good note. I was on a cloud. After letting Sharlie graze for about 10 minutes, the truck and trailer pulled into the stable. I decided to just get Sharlie used to walking around a truck and trailer since I knew from earlier experiences, she was absolutely terrified when the trailer was attached to the truck. She surprised me yet again by calmly walking around the trailer, grazing, sniffing and even cocking her leg! I decided to end there , not to push her by opening the trailer door, and put her in the field where she gave me a hug!
I love you Sharlie!

Slowly but surely...

Sharlie and I have slowly been working on our online and liberty. I am trying to get Sharlie to understand that not everything means go. I have had to use alot "savvy-string-draped-over-neck" but otherwise we are making slow progress. It would be interesting to see how Sharlie reacted in an arena with no grass. Online, we are working on preping for the trailer. Stepping over things, stepping on things, Squeeze game, etc...
Its coming slowly, but remember "Take the time it takes so it takes less time". That is Parelli.

I am also trying to write an article I can send to The Savvy Times team.

Bareback and the...trailer.

Bareback:
I have found it very fun to ride bareback now. I can walk and trot! Sharlie's trot is so bouncy, I can only go a few steps at a time. But I am working on slowly trotting longer and longer.

The Trailer:
You may know that Sharlie is terrified of the trailer. Probably abused or in an accident or something. We have been making steady progress with the trailer and a few days ago, Sharlie put both front feet into the trailer for 10 seconds! She turns extremely LBI around the trailer so I had to realllly motivate her. Unfortunately the barn owners have been using the trailer recently and now it is full of junk, so I will have to wait a few days or weeks before I can continue working with Sharlie with the trailer!

Playdate!

Hannah and I have been talking about arranging a playdate. I really hope we can do it soon because she is such an inspiriation! It would be like meeting a hero from a fairytale or dream. Well, it would be because I am living the dream, and she is my hero. And I think it would be amazing if she managed to play with Sharlie.

So I am praying and crossing my fingers. I really hope we get to have a playdate soon!

7/31/09-Level 1 graduated

On the last day of July, Sharlie and I passed our Level 1 unofficially. I don't want to send in a Audition for a while. I want to get my money's worth!