Snow Day 2011

This much snow is super rare in Mississippi. Normally, we may get a light snow that is pretty much all melted by 11am. So very rare & thanks to Foxy for allowing me to experience a dreamy bareback ride in the snow.

Direct Line Thinking & Cash's 1st trim

If you follow the Parelli program, you hear the term "direct line thinking" a lot! If not, it's probably something you never hear & certainly not something most people in the horse world think about. Interesting (to me at least) how much happens when my horses have their feet trimmed. I'm incredibly fortunate to have a farrier who not only has studied Parelli but is a very natural thinker. The previous time he was here, our rescue & foster, Cash, was still pretty wild so didn't get trimmed. He's now been here 3 months & for all appearances is the definition of gentle, loving, sweet, tolerant, etc. So it surprises me when he reacts to new things like a normal horse. Now when I say normal, I mean a horse who hasn't had tarps, umbrellas, flying plastic bags, bright orange sticks, etc. as part of his life since birth or shortly after as my Kisia & Zorra have. When my farrier approached him, shiny rasp in hand, he kindof left the planet. That little guy is lightening quick...he moved up & away from that thing before you could blink. Hmmm, I didn't think about that! It was clear we weren't getting near him with the rasp so I informed my farrier that I would work on that & he could just trim him next time. Being a natural puzzle solver he said OK & that he'll just pick out his feet. What he really did although, was a sort of dance of trust. He moved slowly around him, clearly & so quietly asking for a foot....cleaning it, but so much more! Cash keeping a close eye on him stood perfectly still & was the model of concentrated effort. He then allowed him to approach with the rasp & rasp each foot. I was mesmerized! It's hard to even say what happened. But taking it slow, starting with what he understood already (picking his feet up) & being very clear helped him to accept the rasp which obviously terrified him. Mark left me with an old rasp & Cash's cute little feet look WAY better! Patience, clarity & solving the puzzle rather than just doing what your there to do (direct line thinking!) is what horses understand! Cash pictured here yesterday getting a back scratch & letting me rub the white hairs on his nose. He almost always stands this still & has that zen-like expression on his face.

Cash's sire, Repo

Another video from Mississippi Horses. This is Repo. A few months ago he was a stallion in a herd of mares, foals & young horses. He was also starving to death. After rehab at a foster home, he's just recently been gelded & sent to a trainer. He is most likely Cash's sire as well as the sire of the foal Sedona is carrying. What a temperament! What great work this organization does! Picture below is Repo with the leake county herd just before being rescued.

HorseRescue 2010

Sedona & Cash are ready for adoption

We've reached the end of our foster agreement. I'm pleased to say that looking at Sedona & Cash now, you'd never know a few months ago they were emaciated, starving horses. Sedona is looking very pregnant & would be a wonderful opportunity for someone who wants the wonder of having a foal without contributing to overbreeding. I can't imagine her foal won't be an absolute delight. She & Cash have fabulous, people loving temperaments. They've been gracious & gentle with all I've asked of them. Sedona now has the run of our "foaling paddock" as well as the front pasture/pond. She shares a fence line with the other horses where they hang out, visit & Cash still nurses about once a day there. Cash is the little man with my 3 mares. They had finished off a large bale of hay several days ago & had to get by with me putting out stacks in the evening, which of course run out. So they were all excited to have a new large round bale to munch on non-stop. As I was heading back to the barn after getting them set up...Cash looked up at me, left they hay bounty & started following me back. I stopped & waited for him to catch up. He came over, put his head in my hand & I swear said thanks....He knows someone is taking care of him & appreciates it. I imagine all rescues are special...but having know these two personally can say they ARE special. Follow the first link here to find out about adopting them & many other rescues available. The second link is to a slide-show of their progress since coming here. Will get some updated pics of them, this holiday weekend & post here soon.


http://web.me.com/stephb0213/Site/Available_Horses.html

http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc295/alicefill/Sedona%20and%20Cash/?albumview=slideshow

Ocala Parelli Center Pics

Pics here from my trip to the Ocala Parelli Center last month. They aren't the usual quality but even I got some decent shots due to the beautiful setting. Most of these were taken on a weekend as I was busy having the time of my life during the weeks. Since I took them, no shots of me....mainly my lovely lease mare, Faith. Faith, a black & white paint mare, was so very different from my horses at home. She taught me a great deal & my girls are quite probably thankful to her ;)

Good to be home!

Missing Alice from Randall Barr on Vimeo.



Having completed the two week Level Two Breakthrough course yesterday, I must say it's nice to be home. If only I could have brought the Florida weather with me & maybe moved the Parelli center just down the road too! Had a wonderful time, learned a lot & made some good friends. My favorite part? Well, let's just say there were several people it took the entire two weeks to learn much of anything about their life back home. Sound weird? This is because everyone I met was as happy as I was to discuss horses, horses & more horses. Love it!
So, I learned many small things...small details to improve my game play & my horse's opinion of me. Horses are so very sensitive to body language & the small things. I'm looking forward to applying these details to my time with my horses. In particular my LB Kisia who I've let the relationship slip with....not on purpose but really just through taking her for granted. Kindof like a couple who's been together so long, they don't worry about the importance of the small things. This has totally been on my part so we shall see what she thinks of her new more polite, more clear & relationship focused girl. The video above is my gang here while I was away doing what they do & some of them apparently getting quite plump! Wow, what a round bale of hay can do in two weeks is amazing. This video was a wonderful gift from my husband who never fails to set the best example of "putting the relationship first".