2009 Plans

Well I made a page of notes of what Eddie and I want to accomplish. Let's start with Online...

~ONLINE~
Be able to lead by anything-tail, chin, hocks, ear, legs
Stand totally on the pedestal
Drive from zone 5-all games
Jump towards
Change of direction at canter
Maintaining gait over obstacle course and build up amount of laps
1 lap at back up
Trot sideways
Jump a barrel standing up (maybe)
Sideways towards
~LIBERTY~
Draw at trot and canter
Lead everywhere with everything
Stick to me at canter and trot
Equal YoYo coming in at trot and walk
Transitions-walk trot canter stop and backup
Change of direction at walk, trot and canter
Sideways towards and away at trot
Straddle a barrel (half over)
Large jump at circling game
All 7 games with and without an obstacle
~FREESTYLE~
Bridle from back
Hold tail over shoulder
Passenger lesson at trot and canter
Savvy string usage with game 5 and 7 (keep hackamore on)
Back up transitions with 2 carrot sticks
Lateral flexion with 2 carrot sticks
Circle around obstacle with less then 3 corrections walk/trot
Sideways with carrot sticks
Jump over barrel or 18 inches
~FINESSE~
Everything with a positive attitude
Soft feel at walk and trot
Leg yeilds at walk/trot/canter
Legs to backup/Jingle Bell stops
Back a corner
Walk/trot/canter transitions
10-30 meter circling game
Sidepass while walking
Open a gait
Jump and back up
180 turns
Canter leads

So that's my plan for 2009! I'm really hoping that I can complete them all. I played with Eddie today and our relationship is AWESOME! My timing has gotten so much better and I have a lot more feel. We're playing for fun and having the time of our lives!
I'll ttyl!
Lea & Eddie
Partners for Life
Pagosa Bound

Pictures!!!

Eddie and I playing the day before Christmas
Eddie and Scout on a FREEZING day

Look at all the snow we got!

Such a pretty sight...

!Lea!

Christmas & New Years

Well the new year is on it's way. But first, Christmas was amazing.
We stayed at home and opened presents on Christmas morning. I got the new Nancy Drew computer game, Narnia 1&2 sheet music, a book on how to make beautiful cupcakes, a lable maker, chocolate and the Celebrations tickets. Scout, our Carhart coats, Prince Caspian extended edition, and clinics were also Christmas presents that we got in October/November/December.
Scout has had an abscess, so he's been inside for a while. We called a new vet, Dr. Spaulding, to come out and take a look at Scout's foot since we couldn't get a hold of Dr. Rykoff. He is a very nice vet and is perfect in emergencies. I don't know how good he'll be for Eddie, since Eddie dislikes men and he is somewhat of a normal. But he's just a 'just in case' vet. Our first choice is still Dr. Rykoff.
Well today we took Scout and Eddie out to pasture. It was really wet yesterday and it froze last night so everything is icy. I took Eddie out in the pasture and we played at liberty for a half an hour or so. We would stop, back up, graze, and he trotted towards (and away) from me multiple times, so it was a lot of fun! Then we went back inside and in ten minutes or so we're going to go do it again.
Well with the coming of the new year, I'm getting really excited! The new auditions are coming out, the Celebration is in June, Eddie and I get to assess, and it just marks a whole new year. I wonder what we'll get done next year... I hope to get a red string and maybe get a few Level 2 certificates. All we have to work on, on the ground, is Liberty transitions and change of direction. He gets a little worried with those, but his 7 games are great! I still trying to figure out who to assess with. I was thinking about Carol Coppinger, or Helen Topp. I think I will go with Helen for my Level 1/2 but maybe Carol for Level 3 (in five years!). Anyway, it's not about the string. Me and Eddie's relationship has improved so much. I'm becoming a better partner for him and he is learning to come to me for leadership/love/language.
Well,
Savvy out and have a great New Year!

Lea & Eddie
Partners for Life

!!!!Stupid Cold!!!!

Yesterday was... let me put it this way, it felt like we were in Siberia. 0 degrees tops and a wind chill of -35. We had to keep the horses locked up for the whole day because of the FREEEEEZING weather. So all that occupied my day was lounging about in a heating blanket watching movies. I think we watched three total.
Today it is pretty good out. It's sunny, there is a soft breeze and the temperature is around 5. Which feels tropical! So the one day I could play with Eddie I feel miserable! My nose is stuffy, I feel yucky and my throat hurts. All that I'm going to do today is watch all the parelli I can and go on the Internet. I went out about 20 minutes ago and cleaned Eddie's stall and almost got on over his blanket while he was by the fence. Then he walked away and I pouted.
Tomorrow it's supposed to be warmer and I hope I feel better by then.

Stayin' warm,
Lea & Eddie

He offered it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so proud of him!
This morning my sister and I babysat and when we got home we cleaned up the house a little. We're having some company out tonight so we had to get ready for that. Then once I was released I ran outside and had the best play session with Eddie. We drove from zone 5 to different points, and soon I want to do an obstacle course. We sidewaysed away and towards over a barrel AND we jumped over a single barrel. I was so happy! It wasn't upright, but nonetheless it was amazing. That was definitely the highlight of my day.

Getting savvy in Level 3,
Lea & Eddie
Partners forever

Cold weather, blankets and wind chills OH MY!

It is freezing. Period. End of statement. RAWR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I strongly dislike cold weather. Today we kept warm by filling water buckets, scoopin' poop, taking wheel-barrels {I have no idea how to spell that!} out to the muck heap and sorting hay. The wind chill is about -27 or something INSANE like that. I wonder if I'll have to blanket Eddie tonight. Better bring his blankey in anyway.
Hope you all are staying warm!

Lea & Eddie --- Partners for life

Pictures!

Here are some recent pictures!

Today it was really cold outside. So all we did was take them for a walk in the pasture to get their energy out. Eddie did great canter transitions. He's getting a lot better at them!

Savvy on!

Lea & Eddie

A walk in the snow

Today my sister and I took both the horses outside! We took them all over the property, up by the house, behind the rock garden, through a tight squeeze of trees and by the barns. It was awesome! Eddie did so well. He was so confident (mainly because Scout was along) but he ate different trees, it was hilarious to watch, and jumped through huge snow drifts. Here is a picture!

It was so funny, Scout rolled in the snow and Eddie watched him like he was such a dork!

I'll post more pictures tomorrow. I'm tired!

Lea & Eddie

Update!

Sorry, I haven't been on in awhile! It has been really cold these past few days and it's also been really windy. So the only things we've been doing with the horses is grooming them and playing at liberty a bit. Eddie is doing really well with liberty, it almost feels like it's online! But today it is really sunny and not windy at all, so I was going to play with and possibly ride Eddie. I'll try to take pictures, or get someone to take a few.
Well there was a big discussion on the forum the last few days. I'm mostly in agreement with them though. Leah, a lady on the forum who knows her stuff, had watched the December DVD on Fluidity of Gait. She said that Allure looked lame and wouldn't lead with his right shoulder. Well I haven't seen it yet, but I've seen Remmer's feet and his are TERRIBLE! If these horses are in pain we SHOULD tell Linda and.or Pat! Linda even said in the segment that Allure was a little stiff that day, but still she asked a lot out of him! So, then the post got deleted and everyone was saying how the Faculty was micromanaging the forum. It even says in the policies that they don't want to micromanage you. But anywho, every program has its ups and downs. I just hope that none of the Parelli horses get hurt with their feet issues.
Guess what!? Keri might be coming down from Ontario to come to the Celebrations. I really hope she can come, we have so much in common and I think we'll really hit it off! We already have! Love you Keri!
Well I think that's just about everything. Christmas is on its way and the snow isn't going anywhere. My books are taking off, sometimes I'm stuck for ideas, but they always come blasting towards me like an avalanche! =-)

Naturally,
Lea & Eddie

OUR FIRST CANTER!

This was my first canter ever. I had cantered Eddie before, only 1 or 2 strides, but this was our first, "Let's go!" We were walking down the north end and I asked for a trot. Then he just offered it. We cantered for... a long time and it was so AMAZING! I can't even describe it. It was awesome. We did it again twice and then ended on an amazing note. This really makes me realize that our blue string isn't far off. I totally see God opening doors one after the other.
So, today was the best day. I can't wait for tomorrow. =-)

Naturally,
Lea & Eddie

DECEMBER!

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW... IN A ONE HORSE OPEN SLEIGH. ORE THE HILLS WE GO... LAUGHING ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!
Today is the best day ever. There's just enough snow on the ground to make everything pretty. I went out this morning and picked Eddie's then right before lunch my sister and I went out to ride. Eddie did AMAZING! We did a piaffe... Literally! We were trotting through a snow drift and I shortened my reins and he collected himself and did a semi-piaffe. It was amazing to sit!
Then after lunch we had another AMAZING session. I took the 22 foot line and we went for a walk. I felt like walking something, a puppy, a kitten a horse. =-) So then we did these amazing canter transitions because he was so playful and LBE. He also did great by leading from zone 5 and we trotted, stopped backed and did point to point. I was so happy!
Then I tried riding again, he didn't want to do that. <3>SWELL!
Wow, I feel so happy and on cloud 9! Last night I asked God to get me out of this rut I was in. Can you tell? My last post was... weird... And this post is awesome. <3

Naturally,
Lea & Eddie