He's Finally Here!

Today was the day; I picked up Eclipse from his previous owner and hauled him to the new private farm we will be boarding at. When I first walked up to him his eyes were wide and unsure so I took my time and allowed him to approach me. He walked forward slowly and after sniffing my hand he quickly relaxed and sighed. It is so apparent that Eclipse really wants to trust people but it is equally apparent that he has baggage from his negative experiences with us predators. Today I was also hauling another horse from the camp to Canton for one of the counselors. Both horses were not accustomed to using a ramp and while it took the first horse several minutes to sort out this new contraption, Eclipse followed me on fairly smoothly. I was thankful that our first trailer loading experience was more of less positive, however I am looking forward to building his confidence so that I can teach him to self load. 

The trip went well and when we arrived at Fly Away Farms, Eclipse tentatively backed off the trailer. Once off he did what any sensible horse would do, he started grazing; this was a pleasant surprise for me as I had expected him to be more unsettled in a strange environment. I led him down to the pasture and began calling for Calatar who must have been hiding behind a tree because the next thing I know I hear him whinny from behind us. I took the halter off Eclipse so he could meet Cal and it was the smoothest introduction I have ever seen; they just sniffed each other and then started grazing. After setting up an array of salt and mineral blocks I went to check on them and they were still grazing together as if they were long lost friends. I stood in amazement and disbelief that I am now the proud owner of two horses! I have to say it was such a wonderful feeling and I can't wait to see where these guys will take me.

Magnolia Creek Farm

I had such a wonderful time at Magnolia Creek Farm; it was a wonderful opportunity to work with some beautiful Friesians! I played with Piterke on four more occasions and she was so wonderful. Piterke's experiences before arriving at Magnolia Creek Farm were all with traditional training and as a result she really seems to have developed resentment for being told what to do. After our first two sessions Piterke was mentally avoidant of me and I decided that we needed to play the catching game. It seemed to have made a big impression on her and she started acting more like a partner. When she realized I was asking her to do things instead of telling her she really started to offer more and her driving game improved considerably. Piterke did very well with her first natural under saddle experience. She was predictably dull since she had always been ridden with spurs and a bit but she stayed calm and confident throughout the session. When I asked her for the trot she swished her tail and threatened to buck but I stayed passively persistent and she eventually offered five strides at the trot. I was very excited because I knew that was the first time that she had willingly trotted under saddle; I decided to end on that good note. 

I played with Tori on three more occasions and my main focus was on desensitizing her to a spray bottle. She did alright on the left side but the right side took considerably longer. Tori showed improvement but she still needs some more practice with it. One session I also decided to put a bareback pad on her and it was a piece of cake. She bucked a little when I asked her for the trot on the circle but other than that it really didn't seem to phase her at all. Tori's mother, Sami, was also fun to play with. Sami needed a little practice with yielding her shoulder but she caught on very quickly and she should be able to go sideways in no time. Under saddle Sami was a little hesitant to go forward at first but she settled into things and eventually offered a very nice trot. My time at Magnolia Creek Farm was wonderful but it went by so quickly. I felt so at home with Lisa and her family and I would love to come back if I can find the time.

Toriana & Piterke

Well my love affair with Friesians is official. I arrived at Magnolia Creek Farm yesterday and have already had the wonderful opportunity to play with both Toriana and Piterke. The forecast called for brutal heat but I was able to work with Toriana some this morning and it was so much fun. Tori is so left brain and easy going (I can't believe she is only two!); you can tell that her owner has done a wonderful job raising her. I have to admit she was a little pushy but as I have learned that is not uncommon for Friesians. I didn't do too much with her, but we played with the first four games and she showed good improvement. 

Thankfully we had some rain in the afternoon and it brought the temperature down considerably. I played with Piterke in the evening and she was excellent with friendly and yo-yo and did alright with porcupine. Her driving was a little rusty but she did make improvement. Mares are so interesting because they really have their own thoughts about everything! You have to do so much more to impress them and they really "don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Piterke is such a beautiful mover on the circle and I introduced zone one pressure to ask for a downward transition. She was unsure of what I wanted at first and really moved out (WOW) but after a few tries she started to get the hang of it. I am having such a wonderful time here and I can't wait to ride a Friesian for the first time!

Dream Summer Job

While on the Parelli™ boards this morning I found an excuse for not getting a "real" job for at least another week. There is a farm in north-east North Carolina that has been looking for someone to come and help play with their horses for a week...how could I resist, especially when the horses are Friesians and a Dutch Warmblood! It just so happened that I was already going to North Carolina this weekend to visit my grandparents and so why not stay an extra week for a wonderful learning experience? Since I have more experience working with geldings this is going to be an excellent opportunity for me seeing as there are four mares at the farm. I plan on taking lots of pictures and I will keep my notebook handy to record all of my experiences. Wish me luck!