Indy's First Ride!

It's been a while since I've posted anything, not because I haven't done anything, but because I've just been too busy.

But today was awesome! I've been working with Indy this week - just lots of the 7 games - and today I introduced the bareback pad. It was such a non-event that it looked like someone had been working with her behind my back! There really hasn't been anything that has fazed Indy. She reminds me so much of what Gypsy was like at this age... everything is A-ok.

I put the bareback pad on her (note to self: get a smaller girth for these fillies... even with cinch tightened right to the buckle, it's only snug enough not to fall off, not enough to keep it from moving), and nothing happened. She always starts by wanting to chew everything I introduce to her, so obviously she's completely unconcerned. Then when she let go of the bareback pad, I threw that on her back as well and cinched it up. No reaction. So I asked her to move around me in the round pen. She'd take a few steps and stop and look at me or graze. So I added more pressure and she tossed her head and started trotting around. Nothing bothered her. So I asked her to keep trotting and turn into me to change direction a few times. She did everything perfectly.

After some yoyo, circle and driving game, I decided to sit on the fence above her and ask her to come closer. After lots of friendly game (and because she started ignoring me), I swung my leg over her back and settled my weight on her while still holding on to the fence. NO REACTION. Again, a complete non-event.

By this time, the kids were home from school, so Holly took a couple pictures of us while I had Indy walk around. She was more interested in grazing the grass than she was in me! Pretty cool! Next time I'll try the saddle. Since the bareback pad, girth or me riding her doesn't seem to faze her, I suspect the saddle won't be a problem. We'll practice mounting from both sides and see how she does. What a star! I was so proud of her!

She still has to work on moving forward more. Every time I picked up the lead line while on her back, she'd back up rather than turn or move forward. Maybe some more ground work using the driving game. She did move a couple steps forward when I squeezed her and held the squeeze for a few seconds, but not more than that. She's going to be the opposite of Skittles as far as her impulsion is concerned. Indy seems to have more whoa than go. I was pretty pleased with how everything went though. Very cool!

Skittles and the Trailer: Take 2!

Yesterday I spent time with Skittles and the trailer again, since it was still out and hooked up to the truck (and so didn't require moving). Skittles seemed anxious to come with me when I went to get her, almost as if she thought she could get in on some of the action that Gypsy had been in on the previous day! (They were all pretty excited to see her when she came home Sunday night).

Our last session with the trailer was cut short because I had to take Callum to gymnastics, so it was about time to try again. The last time we worked with the trailer she went in, but the turned right around and LEAPED out. So I wanted to make sure she would go in, stand quietly and then step out quietly.

Well, she only hesitated once (stepped in with her front and then backed out) before she stepped right in. She didn't come out too gracefully the first time, so I asked her back in again. This time she stayed in and sniffed around, turned around, pawed the floor, bumped the sides, backed up, and then came out forward.

I walked her away a few steps and she seemed to get all agitated. So I let her lead me to where she was comfortable and guess where she went? She went straight back into the trailer! Too funny! I asked her to come out again and she went right back in again! I didn't have my camera, so I took her out again and asked my son to hold her for me, but as soon as I left, she pulled Pearce back to the trailer and got back in again! What a cutie. So funny. Eventually I had to bribe her OUT of the trailer.

I started wondering if Gypsy was bragging about her prowess at the Parelli Games the previous night, and maybe Skittles thought if she stayed in the trailer she might get a chance to try it too!

I don't think I'll have any trouble trailering Skittles!

Parelli Fun Day!

Last Sunday, Gypsy and I attended an organized Parelli Fun Day, hosted by our much-loved and admired Parelli hostess - Amy (who is a Level 3 student). This was essentially a day for local Parelli students to get together and pit their Parelli skills against one another in friendly competitions of the "Parelli Games." I brought my camera, but after taking only the two photos attached, the batteries died, so this particular blog entry will have to wait until I get copies of Amy's pictures before I'll be able to post any of the actual "Games".

The first "Game" consisted of a line of pylons that our horses had to weave back and forth between, then at the end, turn and face, then back up 7 steps. The catch is that the human had to stand behind a line of poles that ran parallel to the pylons to guide the horse from (you can sort of see the pylons and poles behind Gypsy in the attached photos... you can see both the "easy" line and the "advanced" line of poles behind the first). If we stepped over the line, or if your horse knocked a pylon down or missed one, you would lose points. There was a second line even further from the first for advanced level 2 or level 3 students. I just stayed behind the first line. Gypsy did great (as expected) .... only knocked over 1 pylon.

The second game was sitting on a chair and asking your horse to back away from you between 2 barrels about 20 feet away. You weren't allowed to get off your seat to guide your horse. Once the horse's front feet were between the barrels, she had to stand for 7 seconds, then come back to you, then you had to back her up between the barrels one more time. This was Gypsy's best event. She was perfect!

The next event was the squeeze game over barrels. The trick though was that you had to stand behind some poles again (and for L3's, even further away in a hoola-hoop) and ask your horse to approach and jump the barrels, turn, stand for 7 seconds, and jump back over the barrels the other way. But since there was a good 6 or 8 feet between the pole we had to stand behind and the barrels, many horses opted to scootch around the barrels, rather than go over them. It took some patience and good communication skills to get them over. Gypsy and I haven't tried any of these things at home yet, so for this one, I ended up standing in front of the poles. She succeeded with me at a closer distance, but we only got half points for that one.

The last event was standing on the outside of a 20-foot circle and ask your horse to go into the circle and stand with all 4 feet on the blue tarp in the circle. Then count to 7. You could get extra points if you could get your horse to stand in the circle (with you outside) with the tarp on their back. Gypsy got the task points PLUS the bonus points. She did just awesome - especially considering we haven't done any of this at home yet.

Throughout these "Games", Gypsy was completely focussed on me and asked all kinds of questinos and tried so hard for me. I was so proud of her! The photos included here are of her stepping up on to one of those huge tractor tires. She wouldn't step up on her own, so I wrapped the lead line around her front hoof and helped her lift it up on the tire. Once we set one hoof on the tire, she stepped up with the other one too. After these photos were taken, she got up with all 4 feet on the tire. Very impressive! We tried it again after lunch and she stepped up without any help the second time. She's such a star!

Later in the afternoon, after the games, anyone who wanted to went on a trail ride. We rode for about an hour or hour & 1/2 give or take, climbed a few hills, went down some steep hills as well, and even galloped up one as well. In all the years I've had Gypsy we've always galloped through pastures and fields when we've gone on trail rides, so for her to stay at a walk (with this ride and with the Blackfoot ride a few weeks ago), she had a hard time staying to a walk. She almost seemed to say "THANK YOU!" when I let her gallop up one of the hills. She was definitely impatient, but she still listened and behaved. No pulling. We had a blast!

What a perfect day! The weather was beautiful, the company was great and we were surrounded by horses. Who could ask for anything more?