30 Day PNH Blog Challenge - Day 1

Found this today over at Brooke's blog Our Horsemanship Journey. Okay I'm up for a challenge.

PNH BLOG CHALLENGE


Day 1-How did you find PNH?

It was a change from cable tv to satellite that led me to PNH. In August 2007 I had just reconnected with horses through some friends who raise Morgans; it had been 24 years since I'd last been around these beautiful creatures. Around that time, one Sunday morning Sam and I encountered a new station called RFD-TV and on that station a show called Parelli Natural Horsemanship was on. Here was this cowboy wearing short chaps (chinks I later learned) playing with a beautiful black Friesian gelding...and I was hooked. It was immediate affinity. Everything this guy did made sense to me and I felt I was watching not only a cowboy, but a master horseman. I wanted to learn more and turned to the internet to find out who this Parelli guy was (wasn't there a tire company by that name?). One thing led to another and while I had always dreamed of having a horse someday, finding PNH was the first step toward that dream.

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Just a moment

Hmmm, what have we here?

Left brain (flash) right brain

Interesting session with Duke last night. Played for over an hour. Inspired by some tasks suggested on Parelli Connect (a new social media for Parelli students) I set about to see if:

1. Duke would put his front feet on a pedestal with me 22' away from him.
2. Put his hind feet on a pedestal.

Sent him to the pedestal at a casual walk from the end of a 22' line. Both front feet on the pedestal. Check.

Switch to the circling game at a trot and sent him to the pedestal from the end of a 22' line. Steps up and places both front feet on the pedestal. Check. And at a canter on the same line. Check.

With enthusiasm.

Okay.

Now to work on task #2. Hind feet on pedestal.

This one is gonna take some time.

Started by asking him to back up to the pedestal and just stand next to it. He did and it was so uplifting to see him doing this with ears forward and a happy, engaged expression on his face. Asking questions.

Duke hasn't asked me questions for a long, long time! Is this what being provacative is?

Several attempts made it clear that I needed to stop and step back because at this stage of his learning it was too soon to expect him to place one, let alone two, hind feet on the pedestal. Everytime his hoof touches the pedestal, Duke takes a small step away. He's not sure exactly what I want. So out come the hoola hoops. Make it easy.We'll start with these and work our way up. He never quite got both hind feet in...but he was trying. My communication could have been clearer too, so I'll work on that.

Move on to something else. We can come back to this later.

At this point the most interesting thing happened. Duke went from left brain introvert to right brain extrovert in a flash. He did this performing a task he has performed dozens of times before. Dozens of times, and each time he was calm and rather non-chalant. But last night something was different. We were playing 'follow a feel' on the 22' line. I thought it might be a good way to send Duke off on a circle, rather than using the same old back up cue using rthymic pressure to push him away from me. As I have done before, dozens of times, I slowly placed the rope over Duke's head, then looped it around his body, back behind him and then stood, waiting for him to follow the feel of the rope, turn 180 degrees then face me. Usually he stands straight for a second, then turns his head away from me, bending his body around as he follows the feel of the rope. Usually. Last night he stood there, looking at me, ears foward. Asking. I took up the slack ever so slightly to encourage him to turn his head the other way, which he did, and then BAM! He quickly whirled completely around 180 degrees and began to back away from me. As if in fear. 100% reactive. No calm slow left brain, been there, done that response. This was a complete departure from the norm.

What changed?

Why the change in behavior? I repeated the exercise several times, and each brought about the same response. Stand for a moment, looking at me, then WHIRL around, hooves flying and try to get away. Even Debbie commented how odd his behavior was.

After thinking it over, I got to wondering if the rope resting just above his hocks was causing the problem. So we tried again, only this time I kept the rope higher and let it drape behind his rump. He was better and slower this time, so we repeated the exercise, and again got a slower more confident response from him.

Hmmn, how interesting.

On that positive note we ended the session. I still don't know exactly what caused the big change from left brain to right brain because we've done lots of desensitizing on the hind legs...lead by the hind legs, friendly game, the tarp wrapped around his hind legs and he took it all in stride. Meh. Didn't care, not a bother. Now I have something to think about, and it will be interesting to see what happens when we play tomorrow. Didn't have time tonight, had to get my hair cut, but we'll give it another go tomorrow.

We need to get ready for our Level 2 auditions: on-line and freestyle. If I'm going to reach my goal of passing both by the end of the year.

Come to think of it, I'm seeing a lot more extroverted behavior in Duke these past couple of months. Hmmm.

Thankful...once again!

Wishing all my on-line friends a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.

Take a moment to reflect what you are thankful for!

Another new goal...

Found this by following Parelli instructor Petra Christensen's trail. I'm inspired, awestruck and so ready to try to recreate some of the obstacles in this course and try it. The rider is Mark Bolender riding bridleless on Checkers during the Mountain Trail Championships at the Oregon Horse Center.

Time...and time again

Ugh! I hate being sick! I'm home nursing a severly swollen throat with chills and stuffy sinus'. Double ugh!

Duke, on the other hand, is healthy and happy. Yesterday the farrier pulled his shoes for the winter so now he's barefoot.  He's put on his teddy bear coat...getting all fuzzy and turning from summer slick red to winter rich chocolate brown. I love running my hands across his long neck and feeling his plushy thick coat. Think I'll forego blanketing him this winter, unless the temp drops down below 20 degrees; let him go au natural!  The cut above his eye from three months ago healed nicely and is no longer visible, thanks to Vetricyn. Anyone with animals needs to keep it on hand! Seriously.

Been getting several rides a week in, bareback and with a saddle, working on upward and downward transitions, leg cues and side passing. During a session last Sunday I realized the problem with side-passing was me...I wasn't using my seat properly. So I set Duke up to side pass to the right over a pole, only this time using my left seat bone to push him. It took a couple of tries but he did it perfectly, without any bend in his body or neck. Each time we accomplish success like this, I am reminded that Duke already knows everything he needs to know when I'm in the saddle, and I'm the one who needs training.

Last Saturday night I thought I'd try my hand at team penning, but in the end I wasn't quite ready. I was tense and nervous (this was my first rodeo!) and didn't set it up to succeed. Had I been thinking properly I would have taken the time to warm Duke up in the little arena, away from all the noise and other riders before we headed to the larger upper arena where the event is held. So for me, I'll be taking baby steps toward this goal. Next time we'll warm up like we always do in the lower arena, then just hang out and give myself time to get used to the sights and sounds of the upper arena. It's all very fast paced and as a Level 2 student I'm not quite there in my training. However, my friend Debbie (who has been there for me through it all!) expressed an interest in riding Duke for one of the rounds; he is after all a former ranch horse who spent the first eight years of his life on a cattle ranch. She offered to pony him during the warm up after I realized I wasn't ready for this. Duke took to it like milk to a cookie as I watched from the sidelines. He ponied great, never rushing ahead of Debbie and Ringo, nor dragging behind them. He showed interest in the cows and moved with them whenever Debbie stopped by them. Funnily enough, everytime he'd pass by where I was standing, he'd look my way as if he was searching for me in the crowd. At least that's what Debbie said...I think he was looking for the gate.

Met up with my brother Mick and sister-in-law Char on Sunday while they were visiting from their home in the Portland area. Turns out they are both into horses and have two beautiful Arabians named Bay (short for Baythoven) and Boo. Who knew!!! One day I receive a friend request on Facebook and lo and behold, it's my brother. I have to admit when I saw Mick's photo of him wearing a cowboy hat, holding Bay you could have knocked me over with a feather. At first I honestly didn't think it was him. My brother...into horses?! Cool!!!! We spent two hours swapping horse stories at a local Starbucks. Sam was a real trooper, and if all that horse talk bored him, he gave no outward sign of it. It's been a long time since I last saw Mick and Char (1998) and seeing them again was a real heart warmer, and a great way to start the week.  BTW Char has a blog too, cleverly titled Canterbalance...pop over and check it out!

Fall trail challenge

On Saturday, October 23, Duke and I participated in our second trail challenge held at Lewis Clark Saddle Club in Clarkston, WA. This challenge was quite different from the one last May and more challenging. There were a few tense moments, and Duke was definitely on his toes, more extroverted than normal. All in all, we had a lot of fun and learned a great deal. This was a real test of our relationship. And I have my homework assignments.

But I'm gonna have to have a serious talk with my cameraman-husband, because at times I'm not sure what he was recording.