Pictures From Sunday!

Here are some pictures from last Sunday when Rebecca and I got together to play with Jigs and Savannah!

Ridin' in the Fog

Windy and rainy day. But hey, we got to play!

This morning it was the only nice part of the day. After noon, the rain came, the wind picked up and it was not very nice outside... There are 60 mph winds out there!
Anyway, we did get to play this morning and we had a wonderful time! Eddie and I did some more invisible long reins (which my sister called Blind Driving.) I like that better than Invisastyle... LOL!

She took some pictures which I posted down dare.

 l           l           l
 l           l           l
V         V         V

We worked on those few things and some more changing eyes. Then I hopped on and we rode for a little bit!
Mainly we just did some trotting around and stuff. Although I did ask him to flex at the poll a little bit. I saw my friend, Rebecca doing it and it inspired me to try it with Eddie.
He did really good and collected himself more than he usually does! Yay! :-)

This afternoon Al and I did take the horses for a walk around the track. they were SO hyper and I let Diesel go and he just RAN around. It was so funny!

They are such good boys! And now it's freezing out and windy so they are all snug in their barn. <3

Hope that you all are having better weather than we are here.



~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~

John 3:20-21

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Invisastyle!

Invisible long reins.
Changing eyes.
Going for walks.
That about sums up my day with the horses!
And the first two are from Buck Brannaman's DVD on groundwork. Let me tell you, I see a difference already! Especially with the changing eyes.
Eddie had a little bit of a hard time with it at first. He didn't really get where to go or what to do. But with quick releases and lots of reassuring, he got it. If you want to know what changing eyes is, go to this website and get the DVD! Or you can just buy it from Buck. He can explain it a lot better than I can.
http://www.giddyupflix.com/detail.php?id=282
http://brannaman.com/


Then we did some long reins. INVISASTYLE!

lol!
I would walk behind Eddie (and I did it with Scout too) and direct him with subtle cues. It was really awesome and I think both of the horses liked it! It was a lot easier too because I didn't have to worry about muddy lines.
:-)
I definitely recommend trying it! It's a lot easier than it sounds and the horses love it!

I played with Scout afterwards and we ran around out in the pasture. Trot. Graze. Trot. Graze. Trot. Graze. Trot. Graze. Canter. That was Scout's mind as we played. The grass was long, lush and green and he wanted to eat it all. But we trotted over some cavaletties and then went into the outdoor to do our invisastyle reins. I think he was a little confused and was thinking "Why are you following me?!" But he did good and whoahed when I dropped my energy.

They are such good boys! It was such a nice day, it didn't rain at all!


~Lea & Eddie~

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

An Amaaazing Day!

With my friend!!! Check out her blog here: http://becnsavyllj.blogspot.com/
That's a picture of her jumping with her horse. Way to go, guys!!!

But yes, it was an amazing day!

First I played with Eddie this morning. We went for a walk around the property, played in the outdoor and he jumped a few times. Well, more like he flew over them! It was so funny! Then I hopped on and we rode around for a little bit. He was really hyper, so when we first started trotting, he was SO elevated and extended! It was like riding a dressage horse. :-)
We went for a walk around the track after that and it was raining a little bit. Oh yes, it was raining while we rode too, but we didn't mind.

So, in the afternoon I headed down to the barn and met Rebecca there. We brought down Savannah and Jigs and played in the indoor for over an hour! We would run back and forth in the arena and Jigs would just GALLOP after us. It was so fun! Savannah just stood and watched Jigs like, "What a weirdo!" Rebecca rode Savannah for a while and I laid on Jigs. He was really good and stood really well. What a good boy!
After that we went out to the outdoor and I let Jigs graze while I took lots of pictures. It was so nice out and the clouds totally cleared up. Such a beautiful day! Plus I think Jigs was happy not to be trimmed. Usually it takes me a while to trim him, so I don't have time to play. But today we had TONS of time!
I put Jigs away when he had his fill of grass and then we went into the woods. It was so pretty back there and I took lots of pictures and videos. I love to take pictures! :-)

Oh, such a fun day and such good times with my best friend! <3

~Lea & Eddie & Jigs & Rebecca & Savannah~

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I Have An Amazing Horse

I truly do.
We have come so far in 4 years and he continues to blow my mind every day.
The past couple of days have been really relaxing and yet we've done a lot. We bring in the ponies every morning, play with some different things with our riding and then they get their nibble nets. Then in the afternoon, we play out in the pasture and ride a little bit more.
Can it be? We ride twice a day when he is spunky and feelin' good?!
I love you so much Eddie! <3
What an amazing horse God has blessed me with.
Yesterday, we trotted a whole lap in the outdoor and didn't stop once! Yippeee!!! <3
I am just so happy and I think he is too. He has become what Mark Rashid calls a truly soft horse. On the outside and the inside. Of course he has his moments, but don't we all?

"Whole Heart, Whole Horse. Now that really is something." -Walter Pruit (excerpt from Whole Heart, Whole Horse by Mark Rashid)


~Lea & Amazing Eddie~

Romans 5:3-4

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Seven Hundred

Can it be?
700 blog posts?
I started this blog on September 6th. 2008.
On this day, exactly 3 years ago, Eddie and I were taking a Sunday afternoon off after I gave him a bath.
We sure have come a long way.

Today, Eddie and I rounded up the ponies in the outdoor. He is LOVING that job! He gets to run after them, nibble on em a little bit and once we got them back into the paddocks, we closed the gate (from his back) and rode around in the outdoor for a little bit.

 We trotted here and there, worked on some more of our rollbacks and we're still figuring out that back up problem.
I have no clue why it's still a problem... I know it's something I am doing, but I just can't see it. However, I am going to ask some of my friends and see what they say. Maybe they can see something that I'm oblivious to.

Anywhos...
It's a BEAUTIFUL fall day and I'm headed back out to play with Eddie with some groundwork and take the ponies for a walk on the track. Should be fun. :-) When don't I have fun with the horses?!

Hope that you all are enjoying this beautiful day!

~Lea & Eddie~

2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Let's Go for a Trail Ride!

Well, sorta...

It was a blustery, chilly, and cloudy day. I walked out to the barn and was greeted by Eddie's big white blaze. I haltered him and led him out through the outdoor to the area behind it. He danced around a little bit and was quite excited to eat all the long grass.
So we just trotted around, I let him graze and then I tried to hop on.
he-he...
Well he wasn't too keen on me riding, so we went for a trail walk instead. He stood great, he just didn't want me to ride. :-) Which is understandable since it was spooky out.
After we went for a walk down the east line, we went back into the outdoor and played around in there for a little bit. I hopped on and we walked a lap in there. He was such a good boy! Very hyper, but still a good boy! <3
Hopefully it won't be so slippery out tomorrow and we can do some more things together. :-) It rained all day yesterday so it was very poor footing out there today. But like I said, hopefully tomorrow will be better.


~Lea & Eddie~

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

What to do?

Well, as I have been blogging about lately, I was thinking of what Eddie and I should do next.
What do we aim for?
Where are we going?
Because how can we make significant progress when we don't have a goal?

I don't know, maybe I'm being too direct-line.

However, with that being said I was still trying to come up with a... for lack of a better word... a dream.
When I left Parelli, my dream with PNH had dissolved because I knew that was not the way I wanted to go. Now I'm shooting for a new dream.
And I have no idea what it is.
I'm going to pray about, think about it and spend some time with Eddie to see if I get any ideas. Although this is what I have come up with in the last couple of days...

}{ Here it goes }{

wish me luck!


My horsemanship dream is somewhere between the lines of...

~ Being able to walk/trot/canter Eddie in the outdoor easily. We are so close! Can do walk & trot and canter is going to be a piece of cake!
~Going on trail rides with Eddie.
~Being able to do some sort of cutting or ranch work. Now I have no idea how to do that or why I want to do that. Maybe it's just a phase, but when I saw Eddie 'cutting' Scout in the outdoor I know he has it in him.


 So, that's it for now. Maybe I'll add more when I think of more. :-)

 ~Lea & Eddie~


Philippians 2:3-4
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Busy Last Couple of Days

It sure has been busy lately!
Yesterday I trimmed Jigs in the morning and then in the afternoon it drizzled on and off. I played with Eddie in between rain showers and we had fun! It was so still and quiet out, so we played with long reins out in the pasture and in the track. It was really cool, because he was SO light and soft. :-) He is such a good boy! <3
The day before it was a beautiful day and I played with Eddie and Diesel and I rode Eddie for just a little bit in the outdoor.

Today looks to be gorgeous and I'm going to play with Eddie the next time he comes off of pasture. We'll probably ride too since it is just beautiful out!! <3
Plus, I'm starting to right down a list of things Eddie and I need to work on with our riding. I'll post it as soon as I finish it! :-)

Hope that you all have a wonderful day!!
~Lea & Eddie~

Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

It's FALL!

Yippee, yahoo, blogger just lost my post...
Here it goes again!

Well, I don't even remember what I said...
Oh yeah!
I LOVE FALL!!!!!!!
It is totally my favorite season!
Eddie and I have just been doing small things and taking a break. Figuring out where we are going and looking back to where we have been. :-) It's fun and I'm getting excited about what we're going to start next.
So yes, my Edward has been frisky and we've just been having lots of fun! Diesel and Scout are frisky too and they have been having a blast running around together.

When I thought of writing this post, this picture came to mind:

I LOVE FALL!!!
Naturally, I'm headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather! <3
Talk to ya'll soon!


~Lea & Eddie~

1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Takin A Break

Seems like all we have been doing lately is ride... Trotting in the outdoor, trotting over the cavaletties, trotting around the corners. Been doing that for about 4-5 days.
I like variety. Eddie likes variety.
It was time to change things up.

Today was just played with the pasture and did 3 laps in the track. It was nice to take a break from riding so we could both soak up all the things that we have learned. Now I do admit that I sat on him while my mom gave him grain, but we didn't work on anything.

This breather will be fun. I'll play with him again tomorrow and then we'll probably go back to riding / playing. We cantered out in the field (which he doesn't really like right now - he gets a little nervous) but I just let him stand until he relaxed and then we did some more lunging-type things out there. Just running around, jumping over things and burning off some of his energy. :-)

So, now I just have to think of what we can work on next in our riding. Taking a step back and doing a little evaluation can sometimes make me see the holes in our relationship and horsemanship.
Hmmm.... Still evaluating... I'll get back to ya on that.

But yeah, it's so nice outside and great to be out with the horses all day. <3

~Lea & Eddie~

1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

Yet Another Video!

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.

I remember, this time ten years ago, I was 7 years old and we were sent home from school early. My sister and I were sitting in the family room, and I was wondering why we were sent home early. My dad came home from work because he worked in Chicago. His office was right next to the Sears Tower and they thought that the Sears Tower would be the next target. I remember being scared that if there had been a terrorist attack in Chicago my dad, therefore our family, would have been affected.
Thank God for the men and women who lay down their lives for our country.

Video from my Sister!

My sister made me a video today!!
I love her so much and she is my best friend!
Thanks for the video, Al!
Here is her blog if you want to check it out!
http://tattingfarmchick.blogspot.com/

Wonderful Ride!

It was a wonderful day out today! Sunny and just a little hot, but that's ok. :-)
While the horses were out grazing, I hopped on my bike and did a lap in the track. It was fun and even more so because I was listening to The Sound of Sunshine. It's a song that was in Soul Surfer and is just a happy-go-lucky song.
Anywhos...
When it was time for the horses to come in, I brought Eddie into the outdoor, he got a big drink and we rode for about 45 minutes.
We did a lot of things, so I'll only talk about a few of them. We trotted around a few barrels and almost did a whole lap! I'm so proud of him! Then we worked on backing up. Well, we actually didn't... lol! I would ask him to back up and even if he shifted his weight back, I would let go and we would go and do something else. See, he has a bit of a hard time backing up because he gets stuck and I don't know what to do... So I just released on the slightest try and went and did something else. That seemed to help a lot and by the time we were done, he was taking 2-3 steps back without getting stuck. :-) So there's an improvement! Yay!
Eddie and I then jumped over the cavaletties and just had a ton of fun! He really reads my focus now, especially when we're trotting. We kinda have to be in tune.
So yes, it was a fun day and we had a great time riding!
Time to go and feed the horses! :-)

~Lea & Eddie~



Ephesians 3:12
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Blast from the Past!

Eddie and I, 2 years ago.
Thought that it would be cool to share it with you all. We have come a long way!!

Pictures!

Oh, those wonderful picture posts! I love em!

Updates!

Well, sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Just been kinda busy.
But, Eddie and I have doing awesome! We are making lots of progress with our riding and we're having so much fun!!
First of all, we've been doing more laps in the outdoor. He's gotten a lot better with the corners and today we trotted (at liberty, not riding) around the whole thing multiple times. So I'm excited! I think we'll really be able to do it riding soon! :-) He is such a good boy! <3 I love him so much!
Today we played in the outdoor and just hung out together. Kind of a lazy day. :-) It's cloudy, yet bright out and cool (because of the breeze) yet warm. It's a little weird...  lol!
Anyway, I'll post some pictures of what Ed and I have been doin!
P.S. I also got a new hat! It's an outback hat and I like it a lot!


~Lea & Eddie~


1 John 3:16
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Guesssss What?!

I'm going to be a DAEP!
A Degreed Applied Equine Podiatrist.

"The essence of Applied Equine Podiatry is the conscientious study of the equine foot, always striving to expose it to the proper environmental stimuli, making every effort to promote proper structure and function as we progress in achieving high performance. It is accepting the facts that the horse has the innate ability to heal itself and that man's interference has caused imbalance and has broken the golden rule of do no harm.
Applied Equine Podiatry is a Holistic approach to hoof care; it is instrumental to those wishing to practice the art of Whole Horse Health Care."

That's what I'm going to be doing and I am so excited to start! So it's off to Florida for a course in three months and I'm also starting the online this month.
I would just like to say that I am so thankful to God. I have so seen His hand through all of this and He has helped me and made everything available to me to start this career path. If it weren't for Jesus Christ, I wouldn't be where I am today. Ever since I was a little kid I always wanted to do something with animals. And now I am!

Totally exciting and completely amazing.

~Lea



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.’ 

A Beautiful Day!

Today was BEAUTIFUL! In the 60's/70's and sunny and breeeezy!
Eddie and I played in the outdoor and rode around bridleless. We both had so much fun and he was very happy to play.
Also, we did some cutting game and I think he liked it! It would be fun to practice that more and maybe one day we can be 'cowboy ranchers!' lol! JK! I think Eddie would freak if he had to do something with a cow. ;-)

So yes... We ran around, enjoyed the weather and it was really nice to ride again. It was windy, but Eddie was calm and willing.
Oh yes! And I also trimmed Eddie! His feet look amazing. The hinds were a little out of balance, but I got em back to where they need to be and now he is as balanced as an I-don't-know-what.

Hope that you all had a wonderful Labor Day with friends and family!


~Lea & Eddie~

EDDIE!

WE GOT TO PLAY TODAY!
YAHOO!!!
It's been 8 days since I have last played with him.
I think that is a record.
But ya know, he did ok! We didn't really have to do many 'refresher' things and he was eager to play and do stuff! We went in the pasture and just ran out there together. He bucked. A lot. He jumped around. A lot. But he was having a good time, so I just let him be crazy. :-)
After that we went for a little walk by the south line. Aka the scary, zombie-filled brush line. Eddie did ok though. We walked up and down it a few times and by the time we were done, he was feeling pretty good about it.

Also! I picked up The Faraway Horses by Buck Brannaman again. I read the first few chapters about a year ago and I honestly thought it was rather depressing, so I put it down. Well, after realizing that the book has to get better because Buck is an amazing horsemen, I picked it up again. About halfway through it now and it is amazing! Learning a lot and it's just a really good read. I definitely recommend it!
Buck has been through so much and he has such a positive outlook on life and has moved past so much. I really admire him and can't wait until he comes to Southern Wisconsin (Sunflower Farms) in fall of 2012.

So yes... A day that I get to play with Eddie is a good day indeed! <3

~Lea & Eddie~

Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart,
      I test the mind,
      Even to give every man according to his ways,
      According to the fruit of his doings.

Summertime Ends

  And what a summer it was!

May
Diesel had his laminitis episode in May.
Mom and I also went to the Mark Rashid clinic in Cedarburg, WI.
I helped our neighbor imprint her foal.
We dug up and excavated the track.
Played with the horses a lot.
I turned 17!

June
In June I graduated high school!! After 9 years of homeschooling, I graduated in my junior year!
Eddie and I started to jump and canter.
I started working Eddie a little harder since he was a little plump.
Played with all three horses a lot in one day.
Trimmed the horses a lot, it was cooler and wet for most of the month!
My sister turned 21.

July
It was hot!
Trotted Eddie a lot.

Rode almost every day.

Didn't play as much. We just rode!

Trimmed horses.

Diesel went to the vet and had a tooth pulled. Poor Diesel-doo!

Eddie and I cantered more!

Rebecca came out and played with us too!

August

I can now say that August is over! 0_0

KC La Pierre clinic.

Cantered and jumped with Eddie!!

Didn't play on the ground as much.

It was very hot and very dry. We went through about a month without any rain.

Lots of produce from the garden.

Played with Scout a lot too and he got a small wind gall. :-/ It's going away now, but it's taken most of the month.

And onward!
So, summer is over and fall is almost here.
Autumn colors, apple cider, sweaters and furry ponies!
My favorite season!!
Nonetheless, this summer was incredibly fun and I finally realized that I don't have to play with Eddie before every ride. We can just go and have fun now. We're made some huge progress and Eddie and I are making progress by leaps and bounds!

P.S. Thank you all for following our journey. I hope you learn as much as I do from our herd and the things I blog about them.

~Lea & Eddie & Scout & Diesel~


Ecclesiastes 3:1
To everything there is a season,
      A time for every purpose under heaven:

Feels Like...

The Last Day of Summer

Can I really be saying that?!
It feels like just yesterday it was spring and things were mmmmmelllllllllting.
But alas... Fall is almost here and in a few days the high is going to be in the 60's.
YAHOOO!!!!!
I love fall!!

Eddie and I didn't do anything today. :-( But I did hose him off and give him a bath. He really liked that! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to play with him and do something productive. It was just so hot today...

Tonight or tomorrow, I will post and sum up summer. That will be a fun post!! :-)
Stay tuned!!


~Lea & Eddie~


Psalm 119:2
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
         Who seek Him with the whole heart!

I'm Baaaack!!

Whoa! I can't believe that today is September 1st!!!!
So, here is a summary of the last five days - the KC course.

Day 1 - Classroom day. Learned a TON and took over 30 pages of notes.

Day 2 - Classroom day again. Took more notes and asked lots of questions. I will post some of the highlights soon.

Day 3 - Classroom for most of the day. Dissection towards the end of the day. That was super cool!

Day 4 - Trimming cadavers. Which was quite nasty, but very informational. I trimmed two hooves and got the balance perfect.

Day 5 - Trimming live horses!! Yesterday was SO much fun!! I trimmed an older 20+ year old horse whose name was Blaze. He had some bad flares and thin walls. When I was done, KC checked it and said that the live sole plane was just a touch high. He also took a little more flare off because Blaze's flares were bad and infected.

I am so stoked!

Needless to say, I'm going to trim our three boys once it gets cool out and then go and do Jigs too. One of the big things I learned was that little details are SO important. After this course, I KNOW that this is what I am supposed to do. And I can't wait to take on more horses!

Eddie is very happy to have me home and I am so happy to be home too.
Life is good.
God is great!


~Lea & Eddie~

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.