My New Year's Resolutions are the following: - 2012 will be a year to meet new people and make connections in the Natural Horsemanship and Parelli world. - I shall finish at least one novel and continue to improve my writing. - I shall continue to put the relationship first with both Sharlie and Casper, fix my flaws and make progress in our horsemanship journey. - Survive the end of the world. :)
This is a new thing I want to do for the blog, if only till the end of summer. Not only is this an attempt at attracting more readers and followers, (who am I to complain though with almost 10,000 views) this is also an attempt to read more non-fiction and horse related literature.
So I just finished reading Mark Rashid's book Horses Never Lie and to describe it in one word: magical.
This edition of Horses Never Lie by Mark Rashid was combined with beautiful drawings and sketches as well as well-spaced words. Overall it's rather large book but it's such an easy read.
I believe that the rather large layout makes it easier to read. The whole atmosphere of the book and reading the book is magical itself. Mark Rashid gets you very detailed examples are both entertaining and educational and give you a clear picture of what he's talking about.
Being the kind of person I am I need to rate it out of five stars. I would give this 4.5 out of 5 stars because while it was very entertaining and educational read, it did tend to lag in some parts. This could be just me and my problem or it could be the book itself that's up to the reader to decide.
One thing that I feel I must point out is that through his writing, you can find that Mark Rashid actually has a great sense of humor. His words are also able to relate to you how easy and laid back he is. I can truly admire a writer who can indirectly inform the reader of what his personality is because I've read too many books where the writer is cold and inpersonal.
I do look forward to reading his other books in the near future.
I know I have been absent from here for a long time so I think that this is the time for a well deserved blog post.
School is finally out for the holidays. I plan to do a lot of writing and riding. Or- knowing winter weather- just a lot of horsey time.
As my Christmas post I have decided to talk about my darling Casper. Honestly- what is new with Sharlie? Not much...
Plus Casper and Christmas...both begin with C! :)
So Curious Casper. I have noticed that Casper's attitude while being ridden with or without a bareback pad/saddle are different. Completely bareback he is relaxed and curious. (Though it kills me because it is so bony. It is actually really painful) However with a pad (which is much more comfortable for me) or saddle he is tense, walks faster and more likely to spook.
A few days ago I went to go play with both Sharlie and Casper and I rode both. I rode Casper with the bareback pad and he was very difficult. I needed to cool off so I put him in the round pen while i played with Sharlie.
When I came back 20 minutes later to take him back to the field, I hopped on him completely bareback with just a halter and leadrope- no helmet, no nothing. And he was the best little horse I could imagine. He was curious, wanting to investigate everything. He even tried to climb into the tackroom. He went up to and pawed at the roof tilings that he had found terrifying only an hour before.
Perhaps it was my attitude too, as well as his that caused this.
One thing is for sure. No matter what I do when I ride Casper, I always feel extremely safe on him. Even when he is like a coiled spring, ready to be released. I've ridden him a bit without a helmet and those rides seem to be the best that we have.
Merry Christmas
Julia
PS- Sorry its short. Will have another post on this subject in a few weeks. :)
Just felt like sharing my adorable kitties with you guys!
Wapka: Wapka is the oldest cat. He is black and white, has the cat equivalent of a beer belly and is about 70 if you translate from cat years. He has traveled the world. We believe he was born on the Mexico/California border before being picked up by the pound in Orange County. We adopted him and since then he has traveled to South Carolina, France, England and now Tennessee. He is grumpy, lazy and loves Gold Fish and Lays. Don't question it!
Walle: You know how they say someone has 'lost their marbles'? Well Walle never had any marbles to begin with. Walle is open, friendly but still rather stupid. He is the cat that you will find laying out in the middle of the street when the garbage truck is coming. Walle is now 3 years old and has lived on this block of the neighborhood his whole life. He was born next door and now lives here. He is the hunter of the family. (As proven by the dead squirrel on the porch as well as countless birds, mice and chipmunks) There has been some suspicion he is an alien from another planet here to steal human brains and replace them with his own. It has not been confirmed nor denied.
Wabu: We got Wabu about a year ago from the pound. At first he meowed and meowed and meowed. Never ever shut up! Now he is much more quiet. He has let his walls fall slightly and we can see the vunerable, insecure Wabu. (Which is not always a good thing!!) We now get to see paranoid Wabu, damsel in distress Wabu, can't-hold-onto-my-bladder Wabu and many more. However he can still be rather affectionate and lovable. We can only guess that Wabu used to live in a frat boy college dorm room/gay couple's apartment. Not quite sure which one. :)
Wikipedia: THE FIRST GIRL CAT WE HAVE HAD IN OVER A DECADE! We picked up Wiki in the Mcdonald's parking lot.We planned to give her away to a good home because we were happy with our three cats (above) but she has wiggled into our hearts like some sort of adorable fluffy heart worm. She is rather intelligent and communicates via a series of purrs, squeaks and tiny mews. She the inspiration of a Christmas story I am writing.
Hi, As a result of spending bill H2112, slaughterhouses in the United States will be able to resume slaughtering horses for human consumption.We are not a nation that raises horses as food animals or one that consumes horse meat. Rather, horses are largely considered companion animals, more similar to dogs and cats than to animals raised for consumption.They should therefore be treated as such, and not subjected to mass slaughter. "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi That's why I signed a petition to The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate and President Barack Obama, which says: "We ask that the House of Representatives, Senate, and President Obama pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011, S.B. 1176/H.R. 2966, to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption.This is particularly importantfor the following reasons: 1) Horses are revered for their contributions to the building of this country, their long-standing history of working alongside humans in a variety of tasks, their companionship, and their special bond with people; (2) Horses are not raised for the purpose of being slaughtered for human consumption and as a result, American horses are not raised, fed and medicated within the FDA guidelines established for food animals, making them potentially unfit and unsafe for human consumption; (3) Horse slaughter is not humane euthanasia, and does not allow for each animal to be respectfully treated as an individual; (4) Banning slaughter would encourage breeders to be more careful in the number of foals they produce, and ultimately would reduce the number of horses in need, while improving horse welfare; (5) President Obama made a campaign promise to permanently ban horse slaughter and exports of horses for human consumption; and (6) Allowing commercial horse slaughter for human consumption in the US uses American tax dollars to support an industry that caters entirely to foreign interests, instead of directing those tax dollars to domestic interests." Will you sign this petition? Click here: http://signon.org/sign/ban-horse-slaughter-now?source=s.em.mt&r_by=1731668 Thanks!
This happened a few weeks ago but I forgot to write about it!
I have always wondered what would happen if you put a Level 1 horse on a 45-foot line. Pat and Linda always talk about it, how you shouldn't do it until you and the horse are ready for that sort of thing.
I understood why but some part of me couldn't help but wonder...what would happen?
So one evening I clipped the 45 foot line onto Casper's halter and began playing the 7 games. (Except Sideways. Still having trouble with that game) I left Circling for last. The other games went fine. He didn't act any different. He didn't really stray more than 15 feet away though either.
So last came Circling Game and I knew that this is where something would probably happen. At first I asked him to walk then trot. I asked him to move out 15 feet away...then 20...then 25. He was a little unsure at first but after some Bullseye-ing and walk/trot transitions he was pretty relaxed. I even got him to jump over a barrel a few times!
Then I decided to ask him to canter. He gave me a look as if to say "Really?" before he bolted! He took off faster than a bullet from a gun. I gripped onto the end of the rope while he took me skiing. I didn't even think of letting go. All I did was tell him "Casper! Young man you better stop right now! What do you think you are doing? Casper!!"
Then as suddenly as he had took off, he stopped - dead on with a cone too. I can see that Point A to B paid off- and looked at me as if to say "What? I only did what you asked. Its not my fault!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. He was rather silly. He just did it to have some fun since his ears were pricked the whole time. But dang that little pony is strong!!
Anywho. Now I know what happens if you put a Level 1 pony on a Level 3 rope. :)
Let me start out by saying Happy Turkey Day to all of you, even if it is a day or two late!
So as you probably have guessed I have been a very busy girl. School has been working me to death. I know its horrible. But yet I am such a hypocrite cause I love my school :) No seriously. I had a bad dream that it was shut down and I had to go to the high school in Ooltewah and I cried. And cried and cried.
Dead serious.
I am probably the only kid who enjoys school. Oh well. I always knew I was weird.
Anyway hopefully with the end of the semester approaching my work load will lighten (not likely) but at least it means that Christmas break is almost upon us! (It can not come fast enough) Between convincing my Algebra 2 teacher to give me extra credit and doodling horses in ACT Prep class, I have my hands full ;)
Now that I have given you the update on school (I know, you guys were so looking forward to it.) Let me tell you about the high light of my Thanksgiving Weekend. I GOT TO WATCH THE MOVIE BUCK!! :D
Trailer below *points down*
I have been looking forward to the day when I could finally see this and I am glad to say I was not dissapointed. I laughed and cried and had shivers running down my spine multiple times. It is an amazing documentary.
Even if you have no interest in horses, I recommend you watch it. It still is just...amazing.
It confirmed several things as well. It confirmed that I indeed was following the right path, the natural path with horses. Also that this is the life I want to have. Clinics, traveling, meeting new people and catching up with the old. Learning from mentors and teaching students. I cannot wait.
On a note of mentors and students. I am glad to say that my mentor Emily Larramore has done splendidly at the Ocala Fast Track despite a hiccup involving switching out horses. She overcame it with grace and still did wonderfully. I hope to talk to her and see her soon. Its amazing how close you can get to someone. Or maybe I'm just clingy. *shrugs*
Now onto students. I have a new student! That brings the number to an all time high of 2!! Riley is a family friend. She is in the 6th grade. Go do the math.
I chuckle when I think of how she thought Casper (a little 13 hand pony) was big. (PS- She is tiny!!) However Casper fell completely in love with her. She was very soft and kind with him as I taught her to lead him around the arena, going over jumps, doing figure 8s around the barrels and so on. At the end of the lesson we sat on our barrels and he just kept his head right next to her the whole time, relaxed and falling asleep. I was taken back by how much he loved Riley because usually Riley is a hyper little ball of energy and for a Right Brain Introvert like Casper, it usually is too much! But she was calm, almost timid!
I look forward to future lessons with her. Jimmy, my other student is doing well. We have already covered the 7 games and more and may or may not be moving onto riding. With the way the weather has turned, it looks like all riding will have to stop soon. Too cold, too wet, too slippery, too miserable.
I have come to enjoy teaching children. It has indeed been a challenge to think of things from a child's point of view. (But you are a child too Julia! True, but when it comes to what I am teaching, I am used to learning it and thus teaching it from an adult's point of view) Though I still hope to be able to teach an adult soon. I think some balance would be nice. Maybe its the fact that I am 15. Why must people always judge by age? Ugh.
NOW onto that pony. Oh goodness, don't we all know I have a soft spot for ponies. All ponies, all horses. I love them all!! Can I just buy all the horses in the world then give them to people who do Natural Horsemanship? (This is where the child inside me comes out) Anywho, back on topic. I am so excited. I got permission today to go and catch the uncatchable horse and groom her! :) So maybe I'm a little confident about being able to catch her. But I was able to catch Casper when he was deemed uncatchable!
This pony isn't much different. She just has associated being caught as a really really terrible thing. (Can I blame her?) As do many horses. As did Casper once upon a time. Anywho I am excited.
To those who don't know- catching is my THING. I love the phycology of catching horses. If I could make a living off of that, I would do it. (Well that and other stuff. I think I would get bored eventually) The point is that the whole though process on both the human and horse's sides fascinate me. Why does a horse react the way they do to when the human moves over here? Why does the human walk around this way instead of that way? Does he think he is being sneaky? Wow really you think the horse can't see you? Wow... (interior monologue continues rambling off until you can't hear it anymore)
So thats all I have for now. I'll let you know how catching the uncatchable works out. I'm SO EXCITED! :D (Can you tell?)
Also- Do you think I can convince my school principal to let the teachers play the Today Show during first block at school? I have been thinking about it because I seriously want to watch the news in the mornings at school while I work. And I love the Today Show.
Maybe I'll shoot her an email after Christmas.
On a final note I have felt somewhat out of touch with my dear horsey friends. So let me just say to Kara, Hannah, Emily, and the others (you know who you are!) (no I totally did not just forget who you are!) I love you guys to no ends. CALL ME!! :P No, seriously. Or email me. EMILY email me girly! I MISS YOU! YOU TOO KARA!! Hannah, I get to see you at Conyers!! EEEEEKK! LICK THE WINDOWS! :D
So since watching the Million Transitions DVD I have been doing some pretty serious thinking about the Circling Game. "Million Transitions" or Yoyo game on the circle were not new to me, but I never really thought about it.
Maybe also finally saying out loud that I am going to become a PP also has made me start thinking.
Anyway ever since watching that DVD the horses and I have learned and accomplished quite a lot.
Lets start with Sharlie: The other day I did some canter-gallop transitions (video above of one of those times) She did buck a couple times at first but after a couple of laps she had a steady gallop which I found impressive! Though I did find out that it hard for Sharlie to do even just one lap cantering and our downward transitions need work.
Then yesterday I practiced my Neutral while sitting on a barrel as Sharlie was to maintain gait and maintain direction. From sitting on that barrel Sharlie walked, trotted and changed direction. However on the canter I had to stand but did not follow her around (like I did in the video)
It took us about 10 or 15 minutes for Sharlie just to complete one full circle of canter. We ended there by backing her out of the arena from 40 feet away. I stood in one spot and she backed all the way out by just using Phase 1/2!
Casper was truly a shining star yesterday. We have been working on him relaxing trotting on the circle and finally yesterday he relaxed. He blew out and his gait slowed. As he walked and trotted I learned something else about Casper. He is AMAZING at maintaining gait/maintaing direction. Not exactly Level 3/4 yet but still advanced level 2, beginning level 3!
Anywho after a few laps of relaxed trotting I took a risk and asked him to canter! In responce he did something he rarely does- express himself playfully. He arched his neck, pricked his ears, threw his front legs out and then proceded to buck before taking off in the canter.
This evening I had the pleasure of curling up in front of the TV and watching the 2 latest Savvy Club DVDs, accompanied with a snuggie and cookie dough.
The Project: I have decided that Mickey is the perfect combination of Pat & Linda. He can teach like Linda but talks about philosophy and previous experiences like Pat. "Step Tree!" :)
A Million Transitions Online: Really got me thinking about all sorts of Yoyo Game. Going to try some transitions tomorrow. Also may try getting Sharlie to gallop...hmmm
I have decided to write a post- a detailed one at that- about my future. What I plan to do with my life.
I am one of those people who needs to have an exact, strict plan of what is ahead so that I can allow myself to breath because I know what is coming. I need it to be planned in order to be spontaneous.
So you can imagine how hard it is to be able to relax, be spontaneous when something like college and onwards is always uncertain...
Many people are puzzled by my need to know what I am going to do in my life and just how terrifying the words "I don't know." are to me. So perhaps by writing about my future will help people understand a bit more what exactly I mean.
With the path I am on at school right now I will hopefully be able to graduate in December of 2013 rather than May 2014. I am progressing well with my credits so hopefully I will be able to accomplish that.
Some recommend staying in school till May because you are less likely to get off-track for college. However I think that if I was to have those 8 months before I started college, it would be almost a gap year for me. I would finish any books I am writing at the time so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I am also hoping that during this time I will be able to perhaps intern for Emily again, focus on my horsemanship and my two marvelous horses.
Now it is the beginning of summer and I am leaving for Sewanee in a few months. Why Sewanee? Well I have compared MTSU and Sewanee and I really love the fact that Sewanee is in a rural setting. Have you seen the photos? It is gorgeous.
I once shared a dream with Kara of going somewhere far away for college, escape from Chattanooga and all the rest of it. But is soon dawned on me that with Sharlie and Casper I couldn't go running off to New York, Utah or anywhere else for that matter. Also I have built a small- very small in fact- network of friends here. Emily, Hannah, Kara... I plan to build it a bit more before I leave.
However I still don't want to stay too close.
Now of course there is the thing that Casper currently belongs to the stable. My plan is to buy him a couple months before I go off to college. I would buy him now if I could afford it or work off the hours but I can't. Especially not now that I am juggling 4 after school clubs and such.
Once I buy Casper and he is officially mine I plan to take both Sharlie and Casper with me to Sewanee (hopefully by this point Sharlie will have had a major break through and will load like any other Parelli horse. If this does not occur, then I will have to ride her there.)
That is where some 'I don't know's come into play. I don't know where I will keep Sharlie & Casper. Sewanee has a stable but it is small, expensive and I have a feeling there won't be very many Parelli people there :/
No, what I am hoping is that I will find a Parelli-friendly stable/ a stable where there are a couple Parelli people. That or I find a Parelli person who has their horse(s) on their own land and I board them there...something along those lines.
At Sewanee I plan to get my English degree so I can continue to write. Whether it be writing novels or editing for the Savvy Times, I still want to write.
After I get my English degree, I will probably take a year or two to get my horsemanship to the point it needs to be to begin my journey to becoming a Parelli Professional. I would get a job and start saving up to the trip to Colorado. I am not sure what sorts of scholarships Parelli will offer at that point and time but I'll be hoping to get alot of them.
There is of course my horses. By the time I make it to Pagosa Springs Casper will be almost 30- retired for sure. I am planning on retiring him when he is around 25. He is a healthy pony now but he is beginning to show signs of wear and tear. For example his joints hurt him from time to time, become stiff and painful during the coldest part of winter. When he retires I won't be able to afford to keep him. My plan? Find a good kind loving home where someone (Parelli of course) will continue to play with him on the ground from time to time perhaps, and make a great companion for another horse.
Sharlie will be bordering 20 at this point. So it is very unsure of whether she will be the horse to come with me to Pagosa Springs. She may come and stay at the center later, when I am an intern or something but not for the beginning.
So I will be horseless? No. Emily plans to have a QH breeding program in a few years time. I hope to go and study with her when she has the program set up because it is something that has always held my curiousity. And I am hoping that perhaps there I will find a young horse that will be my partner through the next step of my life.
I spoke of focusing on my horsemanship before and after university. Well while I was writing this post I began talking with the 3* Parelli Professional Jamie Evans, who lives out in Colorado. It was very interested to talk to him. I enjoyed it a lot.
He mentioned a new intensive study program he and his wife (Mattie Cowherd, also a 3*) were offering and encouraged me to look into it. Reading about it now I find myself very excited about the idea. Not something to do at this very moment but perhaps during my 8 month break before college. I couldn't take Sharlie or Casper out there because it is too far but still.
I always thought that Ocala was the place where I would begin and perhaps complete my journey to become a Parelli Professional. However this news that they have to sell the center obviously changes that. When Parelli announced that they were selling the Ocala campus I cried. I know, but its true. You see, going to Ocala with my horse (whether it be Sharlie, Casper or someone else) was on my bucket list. Now that goal is never going to happen.
Emily and the others who are going to Ocala for their fast track are lucky. They are one of the last few to go there before the center shuts down. Savor it.
So my new future home will probably be the Pagosa Springs campus, a magical place in itself. I still am excited to go there, it is just a little farther to drive. Okay, a lot farther. But if it is meant to happen, it will happen.
I look forward to the day when I can ride under that same view and study under Pat & Linda Parelli.
I realize its a taboo subject but they are not going to around forever. (Or maybe they will! :D ) So we are entering a new stage of Parelli I believe...an expansion, a large bound of progress. And I want to be there when it happens.
So those are all the gory details. The main factor that involves all of this is money. Of course. If only I could win the lottely, a million dollars, and I wouldn't have to worry in the slightest. Of course life doesn't work that way. But I will make it happen. Its what I am going to do in life.
"Many people are puzzled by my need to know what I am going to do in my life and just how terrifying the words "I don't know." are to me. So perhaps by writing about my future will help people understand a bit more what exactly I mean."
Now what is "Hey, Remember Me?" Allow me to explain.
Ever since I got into Parelli all those years ago (hehehe...) I've always wanted to go to 3 (or more) tour stops in 1 year/one touring. Just so after the second one I can go up to Pat and/or Linda and say "Hey, do you remember me?"
It's not possible to do it after just one because I am pretty sure they won't remember you. However if you go twice before and then the thirt time they see you, I bet they may remember you!!
Anyway that oppurtuny may have finally arisen! Thanks to the Parelli Horse & Soul tickets being free for Savvy Club Members, it is now possible for Mom and I to go to the Conyers, GA event in February and the Murfreesboro, TN event next October. Also there is the possibility of me going up to Ohio to visit the same friends who I just went to go visit in Savannah (they are moving) and we can go to the Columbus, OH event together!
The Ohio option is still VERY up in the air so nothing for sure, though I would love to go because it would mean completing my bucket list goal!!
Scenario @ Murfreesboro even after going to previous two..(lets just say it did happen...)
Julia: Hey Linda, remember me?
Linda: Oh my gosh, yes! Didn't I see you at.. Conyers and umm...Columbus?
Julia: Yep! And I'm back again!
Linda: Oh wow. Where do you live?
Julia: Chattanooga. So this is the closest one out of all. I think you should offer free tickets more often. It really makes alot more things possible. ;)
Linda: Obviously. *laughs*
Julia: Would you mind signing this photo that you have already signed twice once again please?
Linda: Sure.
Lately, I have found myself amongst so many new oppurtunities it has become hard to keep track.
I have also found my past coming back around to find me in odd ways.
The first thing that has come back around is the fact Casper is doing lessons again. (With me of course)
When I first began playing with him I was determined not to teach lessons with him till I deemed him ready. Some part of my mind even decided that he would never do lessons again. At that time he was completely wrong for the job. His horsenality, spirit level, emotional, mental and physical fitness were all wrong for it.
Now he seems to be the perfect match for Jimmy. I have been using Sharlie too of course but still. It is odd how things come back around in a circle.
The important thing is that Casper is thriving. Something he wasn't doing before because he couldn't. [This is where I could go on and on about why he couldn't before, but I won't do that.] What is important is that his enviroment, emotional, mental and physical fitness are all in great shape and the most important facter- he is happy.
Another thing that has seemed to come back around is that I feel like I am accepted at the stables again. I think the summer away caused me to feel like a bit of an outsider but I feel involved again. Of course it had nothing to do with anyone leaving me out. I did it to myself. I went off in my own little bubble for a while with just Sharlie and Casper. When I started teaching lessons, I came back out of the bubble and back to the stables.
Some people from my past have come back into my life. Some via Facebook, some in other ways. Not quite sure what to make of it yet...though I have a feeling it will turn into something or another.
I have officially been writing Casper's story for a year and a half! (give or take!)
Here is a excert from Chapter 3.
"Startled and frightened, Tangerine shot forward into the stream. I began running toward the stream, expecting Tangy to come running out the other side. However she had stopped in the middle of the stream, realizing what she had done. I watched as she tried to turn around to go back but she seemed to be sinking into the sandy bottom of the stream. Since that didn’t work she tried to wade towards me on the other bank.
I realized in growing horror that Tangerine was stuck in the sand and seemed to be sinking. It hit me with a jerk.
“Quick sand!” I shouted."
Now onto new doors...
A few days ago, a lovely old horse by the name of Callie passed. She was a sweet and gentle darling but was in pain. Callie's owner Melissa contacted me today (or was it yesterday?) about what I did with Sharlie and Casper, was it Parelli, etc... Melissa also has Little Bit who was Callie's bestest friend in the whole wide world but Callie was Melissa's soul-pony. (Soul mate, soul pony...get it?) Thus she and LB never really had the same relationship as Callie and her.
LB and Callie used to be therapy horses and I was delighted when Melissa told me she did the 7 games with them way back when.
Anyway we set up an exchange of sorts :P
I help her out with Little Bit, the queen of all Left Brain Extroverts. (No, seriously!)
And hopefully she can help me out with my teaching technique when it comes to lessons!
"Good, better, best, never let it rest! Make your good better and your better best!"
Now you may have noticed I have added some music to the blog. I love music and I have been thinking about adding a playlist. I hope you like the music. Hopefully the list will expand past what it is now (as in...5 songs! :P)
If you want to turn the music off, it is at the bottom of the page!
