18th March 2010 - Still can't get over how much try Bella put in tonight both online and at liberty, never mind Blue string, hello green!!

I had the most amazing play session with Bella tonight. Both online and starting to play at Liberty.

I have been trying to hold the though in my head that Terri said to me …. If you want her to act like a level 4 horse, play with her like one … just think that you are playing with Pumpkin and see what you get! Well what I got was a light, respectful horse ….. Mmm how interesting ;)

14th March 2010 - Equissage Massage

Bella & Dougal have been working hard recently so I decided to treat them both to an Equissage Massage with Liz's new machine. Bella was a little unsure of the buzzing at first but after a bit of friendly approach and retreat with the hand unit she was happy to wear the blanket pad. She was quite sleepy by the end so I think she enjoyed it.

Dougal as always didn't care about the buzzing, he was just happy to have a massage whilst eating hay :)

14th March 2010 - Reflecting on the fact that this time last year Bella was for sale, what a Journey this year has been and how far have we come!!

This is what we have achieved in the last year (although I will probably miss some out!)
• Level 1++ online
• Started by James Roberts
• Figure of 8 walk and trot
• Change of directions - online
• Clover leaf (ridden)
• Falling leaf – online
• Level two clinic with Terri
• Play day at Di’s
• Circling game in walk and trot without her being a brat!
• Side ways – with a fence, over a pole, with nothing, from z5
• Driving from Z2, Z3, Z4 & z5
• One foot on pedestal
• Over tarp
• Squeeze over jump
• Ridden bareback in a halter on the beach! Heck just went to the beach!
• Ridden bareback
• Confidence, relationship, report and respect have majorly improved – we are no
longer ‘surviving’ but starting to have fun
• Led by the leg
• Lead by the main
• ‘spin & go’
• lateral flexion
• massage legs
• upped the friendly game
• shoeing prep
• hold the tongue
• drive and draw – now there! But also in walk and trot
• All 7 games now at a better standard
• Playing on a 22ft line
• Trailer loading

Will add more as I think of them!

2nd March 2010 - Yay for lighter evenings!

Yay, it’s getting lighter in the evenings!! I got to have my first weekday play with Bella tonight. It was a great session. I decided to focus tonight's session on the figure of 8 Pattern as we have been having some problems with this recently.

One of the things I have really picked up on in Terri's clinics is about keeping going with a pattern even if it feels like its not making a difference.

Tonight I decided to test that theory on our figure of 8's. As normal Bella did two beautiful laps then kicked off at having to do more! So I stuck with it, and made her keep going, when she kick off I asked for more, when she softened i did less, and it worked ... to a point ... but something was still not right, which got me thinking 'what am i missing here???' .... I then had a LIGHT BULB moment! I was moving my feet! So I stood on a Frisbee to make my self stay still and after a couple of laps she suddenly dropped her head, snorted and her pace change, she looked like she was gliding round.

What a difference a few little changes and keeping to the pattern can make! Thank you Terri!!!

27th Feb – Spectator - Adv L2 – Terri Martinus

I have recently been to watch several of Terri Martinus’s Level 2 Clinics which I have learnt a lot from and this Advanced L2 one was no exception. The thing I love about spectating is that I can watch and learn without having to worry about dealing with mine or Bella emotional fitness!

During these workshops I have had the opportunity to study a wide range of horsanalitys and levels of savvy. I also got the chance to play with a very lovely young Arab Mare!

I have learnt so much and I am looking forward to watching more later on in the year. One of the most powerful things I have taken away form theses clinics it the power of the patterns. I have watched how time after time the patterns have made HUGE changes to a variety of horses, and their owners!

Hold the Tongue - Session one

As part of our study group we have set ourselves 12 challenges (one per month) to complete by the end of the year .... That way if nothing else we can all say we can do 12 more things than we could do before! Each month we pick one out of our own envelopes and have to do that ... This month I got 'Hold Bella's Tongue!' YUK

So today I set about on part one of my tongue holding program : Friendly game around her mouth and carrot stick in mouth.

We worked in the field shelter because, yes you guested it, it was raining. Bella was great, and she acepted everything I was doing with her really nicely. Everytime she made a real try I rewarded her with 5 mins of licking the Garlic Lick ... well she is a LBI/E!! I managed to progress further than I thought today as I even got my fingers into her mouth and massaged her tongue and gums a bit. I then stopped on that note as I didn't want to push her.

Will repeat this for the next few sessions and it will just become part of out day-to-day checks ... check legs, rugs, friendly, driving, porcupine ... and teeth and tongue!!

New Toy

Well, the weather conspired against our play session in the end so I decided that I wouldn't waste the time and sat in the entrence to the Hay Barn (with the door wide open) and spent some UDT with my heard whilst making a new obstacle for our play session (if it ever stops raining!!).

I have been thinking about making a 'carwash' lately as I am going to be doing some 'HorseAgillity' days with Bella this spring/summer. So what better time?

Ingredients:

• 2 complete (tall) electric fence posts
• 2 (tall) electric fence posts with the spikes broken of (courtesy of the pony's!!)
• lots of baling twine
• two long foam swimming floats cut into a 3 bits each (6 pieces in total)
• a washing line (I chose bright pink ;) )
• scissors

What to do:

1. Tie one broken pole to the top of one complete pole to make it taller. Do this twice.
2. Tie a length of washing line to the tops at the width you want to make it
3. Take each of the section foam swimming floats, put a hole through it near the top using scissors or a knife, and thread through either baling twine or a small length of washing line and tie the the main line so they hang at the required height
4. Repeat above till you have done all the sections.
5. You can even leave it like this or do what I am going to and tie on lengths of the washing line or fine rope to simulate vines etc

TA DA One 'Carwash' !!! and it is light and easy to move :)

Pic in Blog above :)

A different outlook

Well this week I have set myself a task to look at things from a different point of view. So, with that said I decided to re think the whole "Dominance Threshold" scenario and as dominance is a form of brace I need to give her an alternative or incentive not to brace, but to be prepared to stand my ground at the same time. Maxine has given me some ideas if she does hit a "Dominance Threshold" so will be playing with those to.

With this in mind I have a plan for my next riding session. I am going to set up an obstical course. Play with it online then move to when riding, therefor giving her a job and me some imagination!!

Whilst doing this I am going to focus on how little I can do and still get the result I want. My goal it to find a way of being provocative with her both in and out of the saddle ... Something I struggle with!

I am also going to try and get my riding and playing filmed so i can review and brake things down later and see where I am not reading her correctly. I really want to find the key to her motivation.

"dominance thresholds"

Well in our ride today we hit a new challenge that I am calling "dominance thresholds". Everything was going well and we where working on trotting figures of eight when bella got in a strop and decided to buck so I shut her down quickly. So she then decided not to move and buck if I suggested otherwise! When this got her nowhere she started backup up, so i said "let me help you" and asked her to back up faster and in a large circle. When she decided that wasn't getting her anywhere she stopped and bucked/cow kicked again, so I politely, passively and persistently asked her to walk forwards and ignored all her attempts to kick, swish her tail, toss her head, and kept my focus till she took a step forward then I released. All the time thinking 'what would James do?' After two or three times of this she gave up and walked fine and I ended the session by stopping at the pedestal.

I have since talked to some friends and got some more strategies to 'fix' this if it happens again so I almost want her to .... is that wrong?? Oh well :)

Catch up!

Well I have got a little behind on this lately, but I have been busy!!

Ok, Lets see .....

* Lots of studying and watching videos and Planning our Level two. We even did a trial run but it went to pot so we scrapped that! Gave me a lot to think about though!!

* Quiz Night - Parelli of course! A fantastic quiz run by Beth and Alison. J&L (my tack shop) donated the prizes.

* The 1st Study group . We have set up a small study group locally and we had the 1st meeting the other day. We have set ourselves goals for the new year - one per month.

* Spectated a Level two clinic. This time I went horseless and it was great to be there without her as it gave me a chance to really watch and learn what Terri was teaching as well as giving me an opportunity to practice reading horses that I have never met.

* Teaching. I have started teach my friend riding again and am loving the opportunity to share what I have learnt as well as put them on a path for success.

* NEW TRAILER!!! I sold my lorry and have bought a new Ifor Williams 506 !! Will post pics when it arrives