Playing, Playing, Playing!

Today I played with Scout and Eddie! Separately though. ;-)

First I took Scout out into the outdoor and played at liberty with Diesel. So that was fun, until Scout decided that it was more fun to chase Diesel. Poor little guy! I guess I learned to play like that online first, and not at liberty. hehe!!
So after everyone was calmed down, then Scout and I did a few little things, and went for a walk. He had a blast going for a walk though. We found some fresh alfalfa, and then trotted up and down the east stretch of grass, grabbing clover in between 'trottings.' :-) Then we circled back around up to the barn, to the track and we ended there.

By that time, Eddie was in the pasture, so I haltered him up. Then we played for a nice long hour!

We did some advanced squeeze games, over the log with long reins. Then we did some long rein circles, and sideways. Oh, and we also did some lateral collection, which was fun! We've never tried it before, but I asked him to tuck his head, and then do different things. Which was fun and new! So after that we played with some hill therapy, which was pretty small, but it was still a hill! That got him very interested in the ground shape and such, so he was really interested! It was sort of hot out, so I sat in the grass and let him graze for a nice long time. We ended with some stick to me, and then I brought everyone off of the grass, and into their paddocks.
So overall, I was out there for a good 2 hours. But it was fun! I love my horsey days out there!
Oh yeah! I also sat on Eddie for a little bit. Which was fun!

I have been thinking about our riding lately, and more and more, he has given me days where he gives me his all. And I know that one day we will have one of those 'give-it-your-all' days and everything will be perfect! We've had quite a few of those days lately for Freestyle.
1. When we cantered for the first time
2. When we jumped for the first time.
3. When we trotted for a really long time in the outdoor
4. And when we rode bridleless for a long time in the outdoor.
 So they have gotten a lot more frequent lately. Which is awesome!! Our freestyle is slowly progressing, and pretty soon we'll be able to both overcome our fears and just ride. :-)

I love you Eddie! <3

   ~Lea & Eddie~
~Scout & Diesel~

Zachariah 14:9

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.
      In that day it shall be—
      “ The LORD is one,”
      And His name one.

Eddie had lots of energy today! So we had a blast!

We went out to the pasture and did some traveling circles at the canter and trot, and then we did some canter stick to me at liberty. Which was really fun!

It was great getting him to think about the cavaletties too. At first he was very uncoordinated, but I reassured him, and brought him in a few times. Then he was fine, and did them perfectly. Which was good, since we haven't done that for a while and it was good for his back.

So we did some more confidence games, because he was on adrenaline a little bit. But by the time we were done with our walk he was great! Very ride-able!

So we ended on a wonderful note, and grazed for a little bit.

We had a blast, and I'm so happy to be home!

:-)

~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 138:8

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
         Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
         Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Back From Ohio!

Well, we're back from Ohio!
Mom and I got back yesterday afternoon, and I got to take Eddie out for a walk. It was really nice to be home, but we had a great time!
I got to meet my best friend, see another Parelli event, and just spend a great week with friends. I would upload pictures, but there are just way too many!!! :-) hehe! But here's one! ;-)

So overall, it was a great weekend! I did see some things that I didn't quite agree with, that the Parelli's did. But, it was a fun time.



So, today Eddie and I had a wonderful play session!
(next post)

~Lea & Eddie~

Horse Play

Yesterday Eddie and I had some real fun, doing things that horses do with each other.

You could see that his joy was skyrocketing.
His energy also!

We first played with some spin isolations, getting him to wait with him looking away from me, and then we hopping backwards, and him spinning and running over to me. He liked it, but I could tell 
that he wasn't finding it too enjoyable.

Drop the stick.
Up the energy!

We played like we've never played before! We just ran around the outdoor, he would chase me, rear up, flail his front feet and then run off bucking! Then I would chase him, and he would canter around for a little bit, before I would run backwards and he would run back in to me and we'd do it all over again and again! You could just see how happy he was to play!
We did a few more things, like jumping over some barrels, and playing with some shoulder in. Now THAT was one fun game! It was structured, but he was so into it!

I would ask him to walk in front of me, while I was walking backwards. Then I would slowly motion with my hands for him to move his ribs over and he would do a few steps at a sidepass. Then we would walk straight for a few strides, and I would ask him to do it again. We did that probably a 4 times each way, and he caught on so quickly! It was a ton of fun!!


We ended there, and I hopped on him for a few moments bareback and bridleless, and then hopped off. I didn't want to push it. :-)


It was such a fun play time! Now if only this heat would subside, and I'd be able to get out more often and play with him! ;-) But I know that it will be winter again before I know it!




~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 121:7-8

⁷ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
         He shall preserve your soul.
 ⁸ The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
         From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Here is a video of the things Eddie and I have been playing with lately!

Time Flies...

...when you're having fun!

It seems like every time I come in from a play session with Eddie, there is always something to do, and I don't get around to posting on my blog!

So I shall be better about posting every day.

Lately Eddie and I have been having a lot of fun. We're doing more liberty in the round pen (which is a big accomplishment for him, since he hates the round pen), and more things with long reins. Our zone 5 driving has gotten really light, and everything feels like a whisper now. Especially our riding!

We're been riding more and more lately and last time I rode, he was so light! With our backing up especially. Now I just pull a little bit on his mane, and wiggle my toes, and he backs up, or slows down. Which is wonderful!!!

So we're having a ton of fun, and advancing our horsemanship day after day!

My mom and I are also preparing to go to Ohio for the Parelli Event! We're meeting some very special friends there (http://savvyisthegoal.blogspot.com/) and it will be for the first time too! To say that I'm excited, doesn't even come close! This will be our 4th Parelli event, and I can't wait! We're leaving on June 24th and coming home on the 28th. It will be a long time away from Eddie, but I'm sure that my sister will take care of the herd. ;-)

Savvy on friends! And keep it natural!

~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 46:1-3

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
         A very present help in trouble.
 ² Therefore we will not fear,
         Even though the earth be removed,
         And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
 ³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
         Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

We also got a truck!!! :-) YAY!
And I got Eddie's baby pictures!!! :-) He is so cute!

Rain, rain! And HAY!

Yippee!! Today we got a shipment of hay!

100 bales of orchard grass and clover and it's very nice! The horses love it!

Anyway, I had to wait until 5pm to play with Eddie, since it was raining for most of the afternoon. He did really good! We played with a little bit of everything out in the pasture, and then I hopped on for a little bit. He did super, since he wanted to graze a lot since he hadn't gotten out much today. He was really patient, and I was very happy that I got to hop on, so we ended after 45 minutes of playing, and I went in to make their 'supper.'

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of times I've played with him!

~Lea & Eddie~

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not; for I am with you. Be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Play! Play! Play!

Hooray! Eddie and I got to play today!
We went into the pasture, and did some small things, just to play, and get back in the swing of things. We did some nice sideways, good circles, and lots of mind things.
Guess what?! I also hopped on for a few seconds from the cavaletti! Which is really good, because it's only a couple of inches off of the ground! Yippee!! I'm getting closer to just swinging my leg up and over.
We went for a nice long, walk around the track and ended with some good itches up by the barn.
That's pretty much all that we did today, but it was a good, fun day and I'm glad that Eddie is feeling much better!

Oh, and he drank 7+ gallons of water today! YAY! Much better than what he's normally been drinking. He still should be drinking more, but it's getting there. And it helps that he's getting more salt now. :-)

What a wonderful day!

~Lea & Eddie~

Listening Again

Yesterday was an interesting day.

Listening to Eddie can be easy. If you know how to listen the right way... He presents things clearly and plainly, (sometimes not so clearly) and to me, it's always easy to figure out what he's trying to get across to me.
Well, yesterday I took Eddie out to play, and he was NOT himself. Bucking too often, his head was itchy, and he was cranky. So I ran into the barn to get grain, and then tried to feed it to him. No go.
Colic?
Yup.
I took him in, and I had my friend, Rebecca, who was over, go get my mom and the bute. She did (thank you Rebecca!) and mom gave him the phenylbutazone (bute). After about 40 minutes to waiting, and watching Eddie slowly get better... He took his first drink that day, and was on the mend from there onwards.
~~~whew~~~

So, this has been the 2nd time this year that he has coliced, and mom and I don't want it to happen again. It is always after he doesn't drink enough water, and he gets bad gas/upset stomach.
We've been posting things on every horse health/nutrition forum, and we're slowly putting some things together. It's a slow go though.

But Eddie is on the mend, and acting as spunky (and hungry) as ever.
My special boy, will always need some special care. :-) I love you Eddie, and I'm so glad that you are better!!

~Lea & Eddie~

Habakkuk 3:19

The LORD God  is my strength;
      He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
      And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Listening

Today Eddie taught me a little bit about listening!

I went out to the pasture, where he was grazing, and haltered him up. Which he stood perfectly fine for. Then we played with some cavaletti stuff, and pretty much just 'warming up.'
So we trotted around a little bit, and I notice that he just isn't himself. Yesterday he was so playful, but today he just really seemed like he was trying to tell me something. Yes, that's what I think, and I'm not anthropomorphizing him.
So I stopped after we had a discussion about going sideways on the long reins. I took the long reins off, so it was just one long rope, and just stood there for a moment. Trying to see if something was wrong, or what it was exactly he was trying to tell me. After a few seconds, Allison, my sister comes around the corner and yells,
"You need to come in! It's going to rain really hard!"
"OK!" I yelled back. Well.....
I guess that's what Eddie was trying to get me to do, realize that the clouds to the north of us were pretty dark. I rubbed Eddie and we ran inside together with the ponies as they ran inside too.


It's funny though... After I realized what the 'problem' was, Eddie was SO light. I had to grab a few things as we were going in and he just waited patiently and was so good.


I guess it always comes down to what your gut instinct tells you to do. I could just tell that something was amiss with Ed, and sure enough, he knew that there was a storm a'comin'.
:-) What a patient horse I have!

James 1:19

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

The Epitome of Play

Today Eddie and I had an amazing session! We went into the pasture and started with some online.

We did some cavaletties, and a three barrel jump. Aka, there were three jumps lined up about 20 feet apart. Then we went and did a 6 cone weave. He weaved in and out of those perfectly, and at a trot. :-) Yay! So, after that Eddie was ready for something new, so I took off the 22 foot line and we played at liberty!

And my sister looked over...

And said, "THAT is the epitome of play!"

Because we were doing...

Gallop stick to me flying across the pasture, 3 barrel jump, 6 barrel weave, cavaletti play and just having a jolly good time! Eddie would buck and hop in the air, and then go galloping off, and come right back to me, all the while I was cracking up! It was so much fun!!

I just love playing with him! If that is all that we ever do, I'd be so happy with that!

Woohoo for liberty! It really brings out the 'horse' in all of us! :-)

~Lea & Eddie~

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

 

Thoughts on... Purpose

Purpose... Not something that we think of often when we play with our horses. Well, maybe you do... But it's probably not first and foremost in our minds. Purpose can mean...

the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used,

to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself.

Bottom line, is that if our horses don't see a purpose to the things we are doing, it's like digging a hole to just fill it back up again. When we play with our horses, try to think of things to do that have a purpose! Don't just back up your horse for the sake of backing up. Or to 'perfect' it. Once they get the general idea, move on. It's the little things that make the big things come together!

Here are some examples of horses doing things with a purpose!! :)

June 3rd

Today Eddie and I had an awesome session! We started in the track and did some zone 5 driving with one rein. Which was a great preparation for what we did next!

We went into the pasture and did some sidepasses from zone 5 with one rein, and he did amazing! They were super pretty, and it gave him something interesting to do!

Then we ran around for a little bit, playing with jumps, doing some direction games, where I got his focus on me, and what we were doing. Which was really fun, and like before, it was a great preparation for what we did next! ;) hehe!

I had my sister go and get my reins (because she was going inside anyway) and my helmet, and we rode for a nice long time! It took a little patience on my part, and consistency on his part, but he offered the direction making/speed decisions over to me and we ended up having a lovely ride! And it was just beautiful out! We did some sidepasses, which were really fun, and I was seeing how light I could be, which was much lighter than I normally am! Just a thought, or a look to where we wanted to go, and Eddie offered to go there. :) YAY! I've been waiting a long time for that, and he is finaly feeling comfortable with it, as am I! Yippee!!!

What a great play session, thank you so much Eddie! <3

~Lea & Eddie~

1 Chronicles 29:11

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness,
      The power and the glory,
      The victory and the majesty;
      For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
      Yours is the kingdom, O LORD,
      And You are exalted as head over all.