Anna's Parelli Journey Blog

December :D

2009-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

School is almost out!! Only 2 more finals and then I am free! I am so excited to be able to spend all day with my horses, and the horses that I play with. I want to start back up with Captain, my little RBE buddy, and Zip, a 16 hand RBE. Both of them are incredibly interesting, and also a challenge for me. :D Love it!
My other four: Dream ~ LBI/E boy. We are going to start more liberty, and also lots for freestyle. He's a good boy.
Syd ~ I get to start Ms. Syd pretty soon!! I can't wait! She is totally ready for it. I love starting horses. I love the idea of giving her her first ride, and doing it NATURALLY. I would take this girl to be mine forever in a heart beat.

Pip ~ My main squeeze!! Pip and I are finally getting over the RBI stint. She is displaying quite a bit of LBE behaviors actually. Love it. We are working on her muscles and just having fun again.
Daisy Mae... ~ Little twerp! We are having so much fun at liberty. She is such a natural at it.

So school is almost out and Christmas is almost here! Life is going good right now, just as long as I pass my finals. Off to study. :D

Play on,
Anna

FRIDAY!!

2009-11-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

I love the weekend. I have three days to play with my horses, play with Dream and Syd, and if I want to... do homework.
These past few weeks Pip has been displaying a RBI attitude. I'm not quite sure why she has been so cautious about everything, but its definitely a new challenge for me. I haven't played with a RBI before. I'm really enjoying it. We have been playing with the Flank Rope. Its something rather new for both of us, but she is getting quite easily (that's when she actually calms down :D). We needed a change of pace, and I think this is it. The Flank Rope is a great way to stretch our savvy. I think I will video soon! :D

Little Indy... wonderful little puppy. She is only getting up once a night, she doesn't bark too much, and she is just about fully potty trained!! Yay! She is about 20 pounds now, and only 11 weeks old! I'm enjoying every minute of her!

New week, new puppy

2009-10-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we got a little yellow lab. She is 7 weeks old, absolutely adorable! Her name is Indy. I love her to bits. In a few minutes, we are going to crawl into bed for a few hours before I have to let her out around 2 am. Ah but she is the cutest thing in the world!

So, Pip and I have been doing lots lately. We have been playing with lots more circles. It isn't always easy to motivate Pip to canter, but it is getting better. Also, we have been playing with more distance on the 45 foot line, and getting her more LB about the trailer. She has been backing in at liberty lately, but I want to advance it even more. Today, we loaded from zone 5 with one and two reins, and we did it at the trot on the 45 foot line. She seems to like it all!
I then rode Freestyle this afternoon. We are playing with the Corners Pattern - which Pip gets and loves! She gets to stop! So, after playing with this for a bit, we moved onto the Weave Pattern. We were going around at the trot, and then Pip offered the canter. I took it and we played with that. One of our goals is to canter 4 circles with my arms crossed. Well, today, we got it! They weren't perfect circles, so we will progress that, but it was pretty good! In early June, I couldn't even direct her canter. I'm very happy with our progress. When she was sick of circles, we went to the pedestal. Pip has always been able to put two feet up, but not four. Today she got that for the first time. It is difficult for her due to her lacking so much muscle, but it is really good for her back. She must be gaining muscle if she can do it now. :D yay! We played with keeping her front feet while moving her back feet around it, and vice versa. She seemed to get it right away.
All in all, I'm quite proud of my girl. Tomorrow, I want to do more of the circles and trailer, but I want to incorporate the flank rope. I would love it if that was my only means of communication. How fun?!

I can't believe it's been soo long!

2008-12-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

Well, time flies. My life has been crazy these last few months. Maybe it will start to slow down...but probably not!
UPDATE!
Pip: She is doing amazing right now. Getting happier and savvier with me all the time. She loves the cold, although I don't! Her saddle isn't moving forward anymore, at least most of the time. I am very pleased with our relationship right now, although this recent cold snap has slowed things down for us.
Daisy: With school and babysitting, Daisy and I don't get to do much. Especially now that it gets dark at 5:15. But we do do lots of UT, and she thoroughly enjoys that.

I will try to get on here more often....:D

Anna

New Round Pen!!

2008-10-12T14:19:00.001-07:00

Mom and I spent all day on this thing. We had to take down one of our fence lines, measure the entire thing out, go shopping for everything we needed, make the fence, make the round pen, and then finally put the finishing touches on. It is AMAZING!! 60 feet in diameter, big enough for her to canter in it!! Yes! I can't wait until we can play in it later on tonight. I am so ready to start Liberty Patterns. I think Pip is going to like it too! And the best part, Daisy can't climb under it! When she gets the slightest disconnected, she climbs under, through or over fences. So, this is going to help us tremendously!

WOOHOO!
Anna

Playing with the Patterns

2008-10-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

It is definitely chilly out now, which Pip and I LOVE!!! All three of us hate it when it is over 70 F out, so this is perfect! They have more energy, as do I, so we have been having great days lately!

Pip and I are playing with the Patterns, on our fifth day of them, I believe. Our weave is looking really good, she totally gets it. Our only thing to work on is the corners and keeping the trot. It isn't so subtle yet, but we are truely getting better everyday. Since she HATES trotting circles, the Figure 8 is giving us a little bit of trouble. When she doesn't want to go to the next barrel to circle it, she goes out super wide, nearly behind my back, before tuning into me....A new trick she has learned the other day...

Riding, we have gotten our back-up to the canter transitions quite good. She still gives me a little bit of the trot, but it is looking so much better than when I had my lesson with Nita Jo Rush in July. Probably one 15 feet until she is in the canter. And, this is all at Phase 1!! I am very happy with her, it is really cool to feel that with her. I love it!

We are redoing our pastures, moving and adding them. Where our grass pasture was, we are going to be adding a round pen sort of in it. It will be sticking out of the fenceline that is there now, but it will be so nice to have a real round pen. We have never really had one, only makeshift ones. Now we will have a really nice set up! I am pumped!

Anna, Pip and Daisy Mae

The Patterns are HERE!!

2008-09-29T18:23:00.001-07:00

While I was away at the cabin, my Parelli Patterns came!! The come in the prettiest cardboard box, with beautifully designed Parelli boxes inside! The dvds are great, short and concise with lots of visual info for me, the visual learner. The books give you more info and more pictures to admire and learn from. I can't believe how fanatastic they are.

I have done 2 days of the Patterns. The Figure 8 is going pretty well, Pip walks the turns instead of trotting, but that is minor right now. Also, with the Weave, she does fantastic with that, we have done some witht that, but not as a program. I can't wait to see what is all in the rest of the Patterns. I think I will get the most out of Finesse, then Freestyle, then Liberty and finally Online. I am so happy that I was able to buy them!!

Anna, Pip and Daisy

Happy Birthday To Me!!

2008-09-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Yay!! I 'm 17! So exciting, right? Well, normally this is one of the greatest day of the year, but of course, I got a massive cold last night. So I spent more time today w/Kleenex's than w/ the horses. Not that I could do much, it rained most of the day, and being sick already, I didn't think being out in the cold was such a hot idea. I probably got sick from sitting out on the tramp until midnight w/ my friends last Friday.

But, the sunshine is coming!! Dayquil is here to save me, and my Parelli Patterns are on their way! Mom and Dad helped me pay for them for my birthday, along w/ the money Grandma Angie and Ray, along with my grandpa Ed and his wife Laura. I am so excited! I hope they come before we go to the cabin on Friday!! But, that may be wishful thinking.

Yesterday, Pip and I had a great day. We started out Online. Lately we have been trying to canter a lap on the correct lead. To the right, Pip is getting pretty good, but to the left, she gaits or picks up the wrong lead. It is getting better though, so I hope I can get it right before the snow starts flying. I think we are getting close!!

Then I hopped on bareback and bridleless. We did some minor things, basically walk, trot and canter in straight lines w/ little direction. We aren't quite at the point to do a lot of direction. Oh, and we weren't in an arena, so I knew if she got irritated w/ me she could and has gone galloping to the barn before. So, I was trying to avoid that!! Again, not too long from now, and we will be able to do it!

And finally, we went into the arena to do Liberty. She gets fiesty and leaves in the beginnning, but then comes back SO SO SO easily, and normally at the trot. Like, "hey, what you doing?" So we did some Yoyo, where she came trotting back to me, and Stick to Me. I am not very creative in the arena....something I have to work on big time!!

I am very proud of my girl! Happy Birthday to me!!

Anna

Pics from today!

2008-09-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Will add more later....

Ponying Daisy Mae...

2008-09-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I tried ponying Daisy while riding Pip. At first, it went really well. We were having Daisy jump while Pip and I trotted by, we could do turns, stops, and sometimes backup. But then Daisy decided that she was tired of it and started lagging behind. So, while I was trying to get her to come forward, Pip felt that she lacked leadership from me and started taking over. After about 5 minutes of this, I figured it would be best to quit with Daisy for the night and focus on Pip.

Once I took Daisy off her lead, Pip and I were trotting around, doing Point to Point and having her follow my feel w/o me having to do much to get her to do more. It didn't take too long for her to figure out that I was back in charge and my leadership came back. Yay! We went into the arena and did some body exercises and going deep into the corners. I was having her bend around my leg in the corners and focusing on a slower trot. Surprisingly, she did really well!! I was quite proud of her, and w/ the sun setting we decided to call it quits for the night. I am so excited to try it again, but I have to find out how to keep Daisy motivated. Pip was giving her the evil eye the whole time, so that didn't help at all! Pip must want me all for herself, how cute! Pip does get jealous when I play with Daisy Mae, so this must not help that.

:D Should be fun!

Anna

My birthday parteh!!

2008-09-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

So, I had 10 or so of my closest friends over...and we had a blast! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, even though we just hung out in my basement! People played pingpong, Guitar Hero, DDR, and just had a great time! With a few unexpected guests along the night, it didn't matter, we couldn't have had more fun! My voice was hoarse (snicker :D) by the end of the night from laughing, talking and singing all night. And ended the night with 3 of my greatest friends just hanging out on the tramp until midnight...it got really cold. My teeth were chattering!

Anna

Having trouble figuring this thing out....

2008-09-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

Anybody know how I get the cool things on the side? Where I can put quotes, pictures etc!?! Having trouble! Thanks!!

Anna

First Blog!!

2008-09-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

:D My first blog! I figured it would be a good way to keep my thoughts straight. Well here is about me. I am two beautiful horses, Pip, black and white Paint/Qtr./Saddlebred mare, and Daisy, brown and white Shetland/Welsh Mtn Pony. They are amazing. Pip is LBI/E and Daisy is all the way LBE! A mini Allure some days!! I would love to be a Parelli Pro someday, but I am taking it one day at a time. Living my dream right now!

Anna