Positive, Progressive, and Natural!

As we ring in 2014, I cannot get away with not talking about my goals for this new year. I have decided to set myself up for success this year and keep my goals simple and attainable. I was recently reading 3-Star Parelli Instructor, Jake Biernbaum's newsletter in which he reminded me to keep working on my horsemanship, keeping the phrase "positive, progressive, and natural" in mind. What a perfect theme on which to base my goals for 2014 (thanks, Jake)!

2014 Horsemanship Goals

1) Seek out more support to keep a positive attitude throughout my journey

2) Teach my horse something new every month to stay progressive

3) keep it natural, always!

What are your horsemanship goals for 2014? Feeling stuck? Take a look at the eight principles below to help you generate ideas!

Note: This photo is property of Parelli Natural Horsemanship.

Shout-Out To The Parelli Central Blog

A few months ago, I submitted a blog post to the Parelli Central team about a mental breakthrough I had conceptualizing my progress with Rydel. At the time, it made a lot of sense for me to hash out my thoughts on paper, but I didn't really expect much to come of it. Well, today I received notification that my submission has been posted on the Parelli Central Blog! I am honored, excited, and a little embarrassed! Of course, I feel like my writing does not have much universal clarity. After all, I had mostly been writing for my own sake, to sort out all my thoughts and emotions. But, nevertheless I am absolutely thrilled to make my first major mark on the Parelli social media world, and I can assure you, it will not be my last!

View The Post Here!

The Tour Stop that started it all!

Their Story

A while back I posted about how my boyfriend got his very first horse, Lilah Rose. Well, this is their story...

Evan has always been allergic to horses (in fact, the first day I came home from the barn and stepped in the house he began sneezing immediately as I walked in the door!) but as he became more and more interested in horses and natural horsemanship, we started researching possible options for him. Naturally, we came across the only hypo-allergenic breed in existence, the American Bashkir Curly Horse. Relatives to America's Mustangs, Curly Horses are a rare breed. Eventually, Evan's horse fever got this best of him, and his parents knew they were going to have to do something about it. After doing a lot of research and promising his parents he would make an appointment with an allergy specialist, Evan was finally given permission to buy a curly horse of his own.

Unfortunately, Curlies who have had any formal training or have been in the show ring are very expensive, so our only choices within price range were untrained brood mares or babies. So, despite Pat's famous saying of "green on green, makes black and blue," I pushed for getting a "fresh canvas", rather than a horse who has altered opinions of humans. Lucky for us, we found Silver Storm Farm in Tennessee who seemed to have exactly what we were looking for. The choice was between a 1.5 year old mischievous colt, and a slightly younger sweet little filly. It became clear during observation that Lilah is an introvert, but Left or Right brain we weren't totally sure. Regardless, she stole Evan's heart, loaded perfectly and took the 9 hour ride back to Ohio like a champ!

It didn't take long to figure out the Lilah is a LBI/LBE cusp. She has so much energy but only wants to use it if it's her idea! Evan began teaching her the 7 games and soon enough she had them learned and was figuring out ways to get out of them. She was smart, and we knew we had to increase our knowledge if we were going to keep up. This June Evan decided to participate in the Level 1/2 clinic with Jesse Peters. It was such a great decision and a huge confidence builder for Evan.

Focusing on learning

A private lesson with Marie

Using phases effectively.

The bareback pad is a non-issue.

Her headband says "princess" :)

Post clinic, we are focusing on the basics and getting Evan prepared for his level 1 audition. Lilah has already learned so much, I am so excited to see just how far they will go in the future!!

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!

Short, Sweet, and Successful!

This past weekend I had a chance to go to Equine Affaire multiple times and it was a great source of motivation! I watched four different demos put on by Linda Parelli and all of them were eye opening, especially the Game of Contact! During her demo Linda said one thing that really resonated with me... "Keep your sessions short, sweet, and successful." In other words, when learning something new it doesn't take a lot to get your horse's mind working. My motto from now on, is now "short, sweet, and successful."

Throughout the weekend, I've had a lot of time to reflect on my horsemanship journey with Rydel.

(I even got to tell my story to Linda!)

Rydel and I have come a LONG way in the last two years, and while it has taken a while to get to this point, our momentum is only gaining. I'm grateful to Linda for developing "Horsenalities" as I truly believe this was the breakthrough I needed that turned everything around. It's going to be a great summer :)

Holy Cow, My Boyfriend Has a Horse!

From the time I was a little girl, I had ideas about how wonderful owning my own horse would be. I also had ideas about who my Prince Charming would be and what he would be like. Well, never in a million years did I expect that my Prince Charming would also be into horses, let alone actually own one! Much to my ultimate surprise, this past weekend the unthinkable came true...My boyfriend got a horse! This past  Sunday we made the 7 hour trip back from Tennessee to bring home Lilah Rose, Evan's one and a half year old American Bashkir Curly Horse!

I feel so lucky to be dating someone who is so accepting and supportive of my dream with horses. I am also especially lucky to have someone who has his own dream with horses! I am so excited to see how things progress with Lilah and Evan's relationship- they are already off to a fantastic start! And think how lucky that horse is to have a leader and a partner who has never known anything other than Parelli! I have great expectations and I'm sure I'll be posting lots of updates. :)

It's A Brand New Year.

Thinking back on 2011 has made me realize just how far Rydel and I have truly come. As I was going through old Facebook posts one day, I came across the date that I moved Rydel down to Columbus with me: September 14, 2010. It's amazing to think it has only been a little over a year that I have had her here with me, but what's even more amazing is the fact that my first lesson with Jesse was August 28, 2011- Almost an entire year since Rydel came to Columbus- and that was really where it all came together for us. From that day forward, the rest of 2011 had become a whirlwind adventure full of horsemanship, an incredible new friendship, and consistent improvement.

The Holidays flew by with a blur but were wonderful and relaxing as always (Ok, they were a little busy too considering I have not had a chance to update on here). Anyhow, I received a fantastic gift from Emily, an engraved leather bracelet that bears the phrase "live your dream", an incredibly symbolic and appropriate gift with which to start out the New Year.

As cheesy as it sounds, this bracelet reminds me that I have the ability to hold my dreams in my hand, to take charge of my life and stop making excuses for myself. My new years resolution is to never lose sight of my dream with natural horsemanship, to always strive to reach my goals and to never settle for less than better than best. I love that Emily has one too, reminding us that we are in this ride together as best friends, personal cheerleaders, and horse lovers.

I am so excited for whatever this year will bring, and I'm sure it will be full of surprises but it will also be a year of living my dream and building on that dream and making it bigger. I'm ready for some incredible transformations in my relationship with my horse and in my life in general! 2012, BRING IT ON!
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And of course, I didn't forget. Here is my Natural New Year's Resolution #3: Make the Switch! Whenever possible, switch to organic products. I have always used organic cleaning products such as Greenworks dish detergent, but I also just recently switched my makeup and makeup brush to all organic products. I recommend Physicians Formula Organic Wear and Covergirl Natureluxe products. Let me know what organic products you love!

Christmas Is Almost Here!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas this year! Whether you are lucky enough to spend the Holiday with your equine partner, or whether you are traveling or with family, have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Natural New Year's Resolution #2: Dump the Disposable! I'm guilty of keeping a lot of disposable forks and spoons around because I hate doing dishes. This year I'm going to go greener by getting rid of all those and promising to reuse my silverware. There are so many things you can do to cross this one off your resolutions list. Buying reusable razors, batteries, and shopping bags are a great start! Get creative- even ink cartridges have refill packs!

Sometimes you have to take a step backward in order to move forward.

This past week I have learned that looking at things with a fresh prospective can allow for immense improvement. Of course, sometimes gaining a new prospective means borrowing someone else's. One day, I was trying to figure out how to improve our "Stick to Me" game. I had worked on the friendly game in zones 2 and 3 so that Rydel would be comfortable with me walking next to her instead of leading her from the front, but for some reason we would always revert back to that position, with her behind me. After watching this for a few minutes, Emily suggested that I give Rydel a consequence for not sticking to me. So, the next time we tried it and Rydel fell behind me I waved my carrot stick behind me to cue her to catch up. It didn't take very long for her to catch on and soon we were completely connected. It was a simple fix but something that would have taken me much longer to figure out on my own.

Also, as I previously mentioned, I have been trying to video more of my play sessions in order to become more comfortable with the camera. What I've found is that watching my videos helps me see what I cant always see during sessions. Of course, it's sometimes difficult to critique oneself, which is why I was thrilled when one of the Savvy Club members watched my video and offered some practical advice. I won't bore you with all the details of the conversation but I am so grateful for the advice and information I received. The next time I played, a few parts of her advice crept into my consciousness. One of the things she helped me become more aware of is the fact the cues I give with my rope hand are often misleading. (For example, holding my hand up and out while asking for the sideways game is confusing because typically holding my hand out like that means go forward). The other piece of advice that stuck in my mind that day was that I should view our driving game as my bubble trying to move her bubble. Thinking about these two things I decided to take off the 22 foot lead and play at liberty as I was afraid of accidentally confusing my horse with my rope hand. As soon as we were at liberty I was absolutely ecstatic to find that our stick to me game was fantastic! Im so happy to have such a strong bond with my horse that Rydel actually wanted to be with me! She stuck to me for over an hour! Even at rest while I was talking with another horse owner at the barn (the perfect opportunity for her to walk off and distract herself with other things) she stayed right next to me, leg cocked, patiently waiting for my next cue! :D I couldn't have been happier to see the effects of a bond I had worked so long to build.

Here is some video from that night. Of course, I got kinda emotional once the camera went on so my focus is a little off and the video DOES NOT do the whole experience justice. As always comments are welcome and in an effort to critique myself I noticed the strange expression on my face, the fact that my headband is falling off, the fact that some of my cues/phases are way too strong than what would have been necessary, and my directions are not always clear. Rydel needs a strong leader and I don't always offer that. Lucky for me, she is understanding that I am learning too and I am so excited to keep improving for her!

Sometimes taking a step back means viewing yourself from the other side of the video camera.

The Final Key To Success Is Support.

Until I made the decision to bring Rydel to Columbus, I didn't realize how much I was lacking in support. While my friends and family always had my back, it was nothing like having the support of fellow Parelli people who were going through or had been through the exact same trials and triumphs as I. My first taste of this kind of support was at the first barn I went to in Columbus. The barn owner practiced basic natural horsemanship and would have the barn members over for dinner on sundays to chat and watch the Savvy Club DVDs. At the time, I was satisfied with this as it was heaps more support than I was receiving previously. It was at that barn that I finally started to develop a relationship with my horse, an actual bond which I had never had before. I was happy that Rydel trusted me enough to be her leader and we were able to make a fair amount of progress, but it was far from our potential, and in the back of my mind I knew we were missing something. Nonetheless, I was overjoyed to have some horsey friends that didn't criticize my every move. Even if they didn't follow Parelli to the book, they helped me gain confidence in myself- something I desperately needed when it came to horses. You see, despite my understanding of natural horsemanship, I hadn't had a riding lesson since the 4th grade. I lacked total confidence in my riding and the only thing I feared more than cantering was going out of the arena.

Of course, just as Linda and Dr. Stephanie Burns had said, the only way to truly learn and progress is to step out of your comfort zone; Easier said, than done! Finally, one day my friends told (not asked) me that we were going on a short trail ride down the road. We were going out of the arena, off the property, down the road, to a cornfield and then back. Being the Introvert that I am, I had to make a choice: go and leave the comfort of my arena, or stay and be ALONE! In the end, the prospect of being without my "herd" of friends was too much, and before I knew it I was riding out the gate to the property. Slowly and shakily I rode down the road toward the cornfield complete with passing cars. (At this point, I feel compelled to point out that I was the only one riding in a rope halter.) Before I knew it, we were riding out of the field and back up the road to the property of the barn. I couldn't believe I was actually riding on the road, and my little arabian was handling things like a champ! That was a real turning point for me and my confidence. Later that year I was coerced into applying for clinics at Equine Affaire. Much to my surprise, Rydel and I were accepted for two clinics, riding clinics! After about a week of working with the trailer, Rydel walked in confidently the morning of our clinics. Once there, however, we were both a mess! She was practically flying around the fairgrounds and by the time everyone in our first clinic was on their horse, there I was with Rydel, still not mounted, doing my best to hold back my tears. It took every ounce of courage to put my foot in the stirrup and get on (which I know, was absolutely against better judgment), but I was in front of at least 70 people and it was do or die. Well I did it, and I didn't die. Eventually, I was able to get Rydel thinking about the tasks at hand, weave these cones, follow the rail, maintain gait, and oh yeah, relax! It was a long day but we got though it and I might not have gained any horsemanship skills, but I am extremely proud that I overcame my fear! After all, how could I possibly ask my horse to be confident, if I couldn't learn to do the same!

(Rydel and I at Equine Affaire before our second clinic.)

Throughout that year I continued to be a more confident rider, I learned to relax at the canter, and even started learning to jump. To this day, I definitely don't have show-quality equitation, but I am happy to go out and have a gallop on the trail, and I'm fine with that. Of course, up until this point I still didn't have the support of anyone whose heart was really in Parelli, and that is what I needed most. I began frantically searching the Savvy Club forums for members who live in my area. That is how I found Emily, my Parelli enthused new best friend! Emily was the spark that relit the fire in my heart for Parelli. Even without actually meeting her, she had me excited about Parelli again, and together we promised we would go to a Parelli clinic together. Within a few short weeks of knowing each other we had made plans to go to a Parelli Play Day at Parelli Professional, Jesse Peter's farm. The moment our horses stepped out of the trailer, there was a calm that fell over the place. Everyone was in a thinking frame of mind, the horses were calm, and Emily and I knew we had found exactly what we needed! That day was the beginning of so many breakthroughs for Rydel and me. After a private lesson with Jesse, I had a completely different perspective and I was ready to take on the world! I learned that matching Rydel's energy when she gets right brained minimizes the amount of time she stays that way before she starts asking questions. I also learned how to be a more effective communicator and my new motto: retreat, retreat, retreat! After that day I felt like I had a clear and easy way to deal with Rydel's blow ups, how to make things her idea, and how to build her confidence. I couldn't be more grateful we decided to go to that Play Day!

 (Emily and I with our horses, Rydel and Sonny at the Parelli Play Day.)

It was definitely a new beginning; the start of something great!