You'll Never Fall Off the Cliff If You Always Remember To Retreat

Whew! I had one last lesson monday with Juli Piovesan before she heads to Colorado and my head is still spinning! Juli has always had a knack for observing me and then pulling out things to work on I would have never recognized as problems. And as it turns out, the things she chooses for us to work out are much easier to deal with and usually are the root causes of the things I identify as problems.

Juli and me at one of her workshops :)

At the beginning of the lesson Juli mentioned that I even though Rydel is an introvert, I need to be asking more of Rydel and that I shouldn't be afraid to push her a little bit in order to keep progressing. Rydel is ready for this and I need to stop avoiding the things that give us trouble. She then said something that I will never forget. She said,

If you keep asking for more, you will make progress, just remember to approach and retreat. You'll never fall off the cliff if you always remember to retreat.

This is so powerful and really speaks to how I need to approach building a relationship with Rydel. We have come so far, and have so much potential. This was a huge wake up call to me because I had been too afraid to deal with our problem areas and too worried about hurting or scaring my RBI to get to the next level. I had spent so long convincing myself that she was going to be too arthritic to ever be a level 3/4 horse that I had allowed myself to be stuck in level limbo. Well, no more! During our lesson Juli helped me realize that I had been avoiding upward transitions online because that's where things fall apart. She helped me face my fears and deal with the situation head on which yes, involved some obstinance and BBE freak-outs from Rydel, but Juli gave me the savvy quivers in my arrow necessary to deal with these and before I knew it, I had a happy, confident horse cantering along on the circle and squeezing between myself and the wall. We practiced upward transitions during the circling game and figure 8 remembering to make it a game and give her time to think. The goal is to help her learn that she can be left brained while going fast and that going fast is not only for escaping. This will definitely help with our upward transitions during riding (why didn't I think of this before!?)

Last but not least we played around with fitting my Theraflex and Juli had me cup the back of Rydel's scapula while she moved her forward to determine which shim pattern and placement allowed for the best possible movement of Rydel's shoulder. Got on and did a lot of friendly game playing with changes in my weight, bending down to touch my legs, and using my stick to rub her all over. Finally we played with keeping my focus while riding and learning how to not over-correct. I'm definitely going to need a lot of practice with this! However, this lesson could not have come at a better time. With the level 3/4 clinic less than a week away, I'm feeling very confident! 

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Today I had a revelation that I think will certainly better my relationship with my horse in the future. I've mentioned that lately I have not had a whole lot of time to spend with Rydel due to my new work schedule. Since today was only the second time this week that I have been able to see my horse, I was in an extremely good mood when I got to the barn. Walking in, seeing her face, and getting to scratch all her itchy spots was so refreshing and instantly motivated me to make the most of my time with Rydel. We spent some time outside grazing together while I asked for various tasks here and there after she circled and paid attention to where she was going I would let her stop to eat. It was the same for the touch it and porcupine games. I didn't have much of an agenda during all this, i was just testing things here and there. After a while we went into the indoor where I recieved the best connection we have had in a long time online! We were playing at the end of our 22 foot rope and Rydel was asking all kinds of questions and putting lots of effort into the patterns. I was thrilled at how well she did today despite all our time apart.

So all this got me thinking...It's not necessary the distance that makes our relationship better than ever when we return to one another, but it is the fact that the distance causes me to be in a good mood when I do get to spend time with my horse. Furthermore, the key is to not come in feeling rushed, but to appreciate the time you have and focus on enriching the quality of the time together. This attitude adjustment on my part has my horse instantly more relaxed and connected to me and allows me to breathe and brush off any issues we do have which in turn helps those issues to slowly become less and less. Since I've started work and limited my horse time, I've actually noticed my horse is quicker to start thinking and become LB, quicker to respond to me, and more willing to be with and stay with me as opposed to being with her barn buddies. This is all not because of the time we spend apart, but because the time we spend together is that much more precious. Horses are so smart and sensitive, they know when you're being direct line (which is me almost all the time for me when I focus too much on passing levels rather than building a relationship). Well today I appreciate this valuable lesson my horse taught me, because if I've learned anything these past two weeks its that a horse doesn't care how much you know until they know how much you care!- Pat Parelli

Be The Leader

I've had a lot of food for thought to chew on lately along with a few decisions to make and I've come to some very important conclusions. Ever since the Parelli tour really demonstrated just how introverted I am, especially when it comes to holding in my emotions, I've been thinking a lot about how being introverted effects my ability to be a good leader for my horse. Online I can generally control my emotions and be the leader my horse needs, but lately I've noticed that during our rides its hard for me to stay focused be able to give clear direction, especially at higher gaits.

So, keeping in mind the fourth Principle of Horsemanship: Horses and humans have mutual responsibilities, the goal for this week is to work on becoming the leader my horse needs me to be which means learning to control my emotions and come out of my shell enough to be assertive and effective. I am
in charge of our success together and Rydel is counting on me to be her leader. I think this little attitude change will go a long way and help us both gain the confidence needed to move on. :)

Rydel loves her scratches :)

Appreciate The Little Things

My life has been extremely busy lately and I haven't been able to get into a good schedule with Rydel. Sometimes when I do get over to see her I'm too worn out to even do anything. Today's goal is to appreciate the little things, even if it means just spending time together (grooming, eating, and getting scratches). :)

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me."<3  

Whirlwind Weekend!

Guess what I did this weekend....

That's right! I officially have my Bachelor's of Arts in Public Affairs and a minor in Political Science! After three years of undergrad I am finally done and in the real world. Ending school was bittersweet but as they say, I am a student today and a Buckeye forever! 

I also started a new job today at a pet hotel called Petsuites of America. It's honestly the nicest facility I have ever seen and the level of care offered is unparalleled. I encourage you to check it out!

Last but not least, I FINALLY got to spend some time with my sweet Rydel. Spent some much needed undemanding time together, then played on line and freestyle with the emphasis on consistency. In other words, whatever we practiced on the ground we would practice in the saddle. I believe a lack of consistency in the past was causing confusion for my RBI, so I'm making consistency my motto of the week. We had a much better freestyle session as a result and not only was she putting more effort into the patterns but she was actually relaxing and blowing out a lot today which made me feel so good! We ended the day with a cool bath and some more undemanding time. Despite not getting to see her that often this past week, we are still making visible progress every time we play! :D

Love those faces!

Refreshed.

I've been avoiding writing this blog post because I just don't know how to sort out all of the emotions I've encountered this past weekend. Today though, I am refreshed. It was a weekend of total catharsis.

 For those who are not aware, the Parelli's just came to Columbus with their Horse and Soul Tour and I was lucky enough to be accepted to volunteer. There have been defining moments within my horsemanship journey and I must say that volunteering has been added to the list of those moments. In fact, it positively changed my life. Something totally snapped during those 60 hours of sorting, bagging, lifting, explaining, helping, laughing, clapping, and crying (yes, ending with lots of crying)! During my time as a volunteer I went from a Parelli Student, someone who admired the Parelli's wholeheartedly and strived to follow the program in an attempt to better the world for horses and humans, to a Parelli Team-Member, an insider, someone who is personally invested and affected by the success of the team, someone who strives to achieve that success not just for herself but for the good of the whole. We Are Parelli, I Am Parelli, they are one in the same.

Columbus, Ohio 2012

This experience did not just reaffirm my belief that I made the right decision to not give up and get serious about my relationship with my horse, but it has humbled me. I feel grateful to be a part of a group of individuals who care so passionately about one another, who share the same beliefs about horsemanship, and who have a vested interest in changing the horse-world for the better.

Yes, I realize Emily used this picture but It's just SO perfect! My Girls and Pat!

Furthermore, this weekend I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I gain confidence when I'm around like minded people. I also learned that despite this confidence, I'm still an introvert and I bottle my emotions like crazy- bad emotions, good emotions, it doesn't matter. As a result, I sometimes "blow myself up" and end up a blubbery mess trying to say thank you and goodbye to her beloved Parelli Professionals. :D

All in all, I'm addicted. I love this program. I love these people. And I can't wait to volunteer again in Tennessee!