14/11/09 – The onslaught of the storm

Well after a long, wet and windy night I walked down to the field to check the pony's where ok – they were very reactive but fine in themselves. The field however looked like a bomb sight! Barrels had been launched across the field and where now wedged in hedges, then riding arena fencing was down and spread around the field and half the roof of the railway carriage (one of our storage units) was blown off!!

It took several hours to put the field back together again (bar the roof) but at least all the horses where ok.

13/11/09 - Savvy Sussex Meeting @ Di’s

What a night! The weather was setting in for a storm but it was well worth batteling through it to catch up with some old and new friends as well as to had out the tickets for the PARELLI CELEBRATION that arrive that morning :)

Once again Di & Paul where fantastic hosts and a great evening was had by all.

21&22 Nov 2009 – PARELLI CELEBRATION!!!!

How do you sum up two of the most amazing days of the year in a few lines! The celebration was yet again mind blowing and I got to see how much my Savvy has grown since last year as I was seeing things at a whole new level!

Some of my personal highlights where:

* Getting my book signed By Pat & Linda!


* Catching up with James Roberts and tell him how things where going with Bella since we left him.

* Pat and Magic once again wowed the crowds and Pat talked about what his ideas and hopes for the future of training horses

* Pat’s Demo Horse - Pat worked with a racehorse called Tippy. Tippy is a LBI. For me this was a great demo as all mine are LBI or LBI/LBE crosses so I managed to pick up loads of tips!

* Linda’s Horseanality Demo – Introverts and Extroverts. Linda as always is an inspirational and the videos she used to demonstrate the different horseanatlites really hit home. For me this was one of the best bits as I am fascinated by the whole concept of ‘Horseanalitys’

* Savvy Spotlights
The Parelli Professionals once again blew our sox’s off and Garry Stevens getting awarded an Internship on Pat for all his hard work and dedication was a real tear jerker.


* Sat Night – Parelli UK Dinner and Disco – The UK team put on a fantastic night with food, music and dancing.

* Linda & Walter Zettl – a Lesson in Dressage Naturally! WOW is all I can say. Dressage is a passion of mine, and to get the chance to listen to Walter teaching was amazing.


* Lauren Barwick – Lauren is one of the most amazing women you will ever meet. There was not a dry eye in the house by the end of her session and a perfect way to sum up the weekend.



If you want to know more about the Celebration go to http://shop.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/product.jsf?productId=1022
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwRjvnWNbGI

Confidence Lesson – 7/11/09

Today I was joined by a good friend Claire H to carry on our sessions with building her confidence on and around horses after a serious fall in America a year or so ago. Once again Dougal’s wonderful temperament shone through as he helped me work with Claire using approach and retreat to build her confidence both in playing on the ground and when in the saddle. We also did lots of friendly game – Dougals favorite ;)

Today Claire even managed to walk around without me holding him or even being next to him!!! This is HUGE!! And I am so proud of her!

Thank you Dougal for being such a perfect partner today.

I then hoped on him and played some provocative games in the saddle using transitions, change of diction, flying changes and sideways, as we wanted to end the session with him having had some fun and feeling like a winner!

Afterward I got Bella out and played with her. She was fine online, if a little grumpy, but when I got on she decided she didn’t fancy trotting thanks very much! So we played some point to point with me asking her to walk and trot REALLY SLOWLY and she was soon offering a nice working trot ☺ Oh how I love Reverse Psychology!!

Finally uploaded my blogs!!

I have been writing these over the past few days and finally got a chance to upload them! Enjoy!

Playing With Storm

Today I got the chance to play with my friends Lovely LBI Storm. He and Bella used to be stabled next door to each other when I first bought her, but I have not seen him much in the last couple of years.

Janie invited me to come and play with him and ride him and I was only to happy to. We had a great play session and he throw everything he could think of at me to try and intermidate me (he has been out on loan for a year and has run rings around them). But when all I did was laugh and play games back he was very confused to say the least!

After our play session I hopped on him and did a bit of freestyle riding as he has not been ridden in about 3 months. He was fab and remembered everything that Janie had taught him over a year ago.

It was great fun to play with a completely different horseanality to my two and a great learning curve for me. I will hopefully be playing/riding storm a bit more frequently for a few months to get him back on track for Janie so watch this space!

Afterward I went and had a play with Bella, we worked on sideways without and objects and backing into the fieldshelter and playing with a flag :)

Bella Goes To The Beach!

Well I have been promising myself that I would take Bella to the beach soon and as my cousin came down this weekend I though I would kill two birds with one stone and take him, Dougal and Bella to the Beach together (with the help of my mum!).

After a good play and bareback session with Bella in the morning (prior and proper preparation)



Followed by a pub lunch, we set off online to the beach. Mum and Will played with Dougal whilst I played with Bella. Then me and Will hoped on Bareback and had a little walk round on the beach, exploring rock pools (Dougal wanting to lye in them!) and general having fun. I then got off Bella and we headed home, stopping off on the way back for some small children to come and stroke to ponies :)



Once we got back we had a visit from Janie who hasn’t seen Bella in years so it was a shock for her to see how big Bella has got!

New Field Shelter Arrives!!

The pony's are now living in luxury! Their new Redmire field shelter has arrived!

Dougal Goes To The Beach!

Well the tides, the weather and timings have finally all come into play so we took Dougal and his ever loving sharer Becca, to Climping Beach.

As Dougal has never been to the beach before we played online first and he had a whale of a time splashing in and out of the rock pools.


Once I was happy I hoped on and had a little ride round then gave him a good canter, giving him the chance to take off if he wanted, but of course being Dougal he didn’t and satisfied he was safe I handed him over to Becca to ride.


I’m not sure who enjoyed it more Dougal or Becca but I think its safe to say they both had fun. Thanks to Liz for taking the pics!

Merlina Returns

Today Liz’s old Show Jumping Mare returned after being sold 4 years ago. Welcome Back Mellie!!

Liz Comes To Visit

Bella Has been home a week or so by this point and we have had a few rides in the field ane a few short hacks out.

Liz came to visit us today, armed with phone with camera! Here are some pics of our riding session. Thanks Liz for taking them.

First Ride When Back

After Giving her a few days to settle I saddled up for our first ride together at home. I Must confess I was somewhat apprihensive, but I ran through everthing as I had with James and everything when perfectly. She wasn’t even worried about Jon’s Jack Russell puppy – Poppy, playing tuggie-tuggie on her reins !

Bella to James Roberts

Well In August 09 I took the plunge and sent Bella to 3* Parelli Professional James Roberts of the JR Foundation Station, Whiltshire, to be started for riding.

I couldn’t be happier with the result. Bella has come back like a changed horse. She went away as a cranky stroppy teenager and has come back a sweet, gentle, calm mare who is a pleasure to own. I must say James has got the most amazing facility's and the whole place is clam, friendly and relaxing.

During her time there I visited her there on the 2^nd week. Watching James work with her and many other horses was a real eye opener. I learnt so many tricks/tecnics and skills just from watching him. I really got to see what focus really meant!

I was shocked to see have far Bella had progressed in only a week! I must confess I had to do a lot of licking and chewing to get my head round the idea of her being a ridden pony! After seeing him work with her for a week I was even more convinced that I had made the right choice in sending her. My old mare was there having some schooling so it was great to see her and her new owner again too.

When I returned after the 3^rd week for the two day hand over, I was again shocked at how far she had come and I was privileged enough to get a private lesson with James in the afternoon. He went through all her training and made sure I was up to speed on what I need to do when I got home ….. Then I got my 1^st ride on her!! Wow!! I couldn’t believe how good it felt to finally be on her. She was so calm and steady that it was as if she had been doing it forever. James talked me through Direct and In-Direct Reins, Lateral Flexion, Follow the rail and transitions.

After riding for about half an hour in the indoor arena, we went and played with some clover leaf patterns in the outdoor arena, then headed off round the savvy park to ‘check fences’.

On day two of the handover all the colts and their owners, escorted By James, Josh & Janine (his working students) went on a trail ride in the Whiltshire countryside. It was great to see all the horses being such cool, calm and collected partners and we all came back beaming from ear to ear not wanting to get off!

We traveled home the next day, and even though I was sad to leave James’s (I would have happily move in!) I was looking forward to being able to ride Bella at home.

Big thank you to James, Vicky, Josh & Janine for making us both feel so at home and If anyone gets the chance to go I STRONGLY recommend it. It will be the best decision you ever make for you and your horse and I can't wait to go back with Bella for some Clinics!

Here are the links to the video's of our first ride together. Enjoy!