FRIESIAN KEURING

Hello all, I had sooo much fun yesterday! I got to go to Ionia MI for the 2010 Friesian keuring!!! If your not sure what is is? It's basically a breed confirmation show only on Friesians. They all get ribbons and marks on their confirmation. I got to go with my friend, who owns 2 of these beautiful mares below! Their names are Isabella and Belle. Belle is Enzo's mother!! And my friend is the one who sold me Enzo.

Isabella

Isabella above

Isabella

Isabella

Isabella

Belle above

Belle being judged at walk.

Belle, sooo pretty!

Create great moments~Janine and Enzo

Love truth

Well I had a great night last night with Enzo and I was soooo super proud of him! I took him to the indoor arena. Now that it gets dark early, I will be spending a lot more time in the indoor arena. Anyway, I was playing around with the Parelli seven games on a 22 foot line. After a while, I was getting bored. So, I decide to try Enzo at LIBERTY! I have only tried it 2 other times for less then a minute when Enzo was 10 months old. And let me tell you it was pretty darn ugly! Enzo constantly came into me with ears flat back, and at the last second would rear straight up in front of me. If he ran by me? Enzo made sure he got kind of close and then would try to kick out. Other times he might come in and then try to bite me and herd me! Needless to say, you can see why I put the lead line right back on only after a minute!!!! Enzo was being super dominant and I could obviously not handle him at liberty. So yesterday, I decided to take my life in my own hands and see what the TRUTH had to say??? Enzo is now 13 months old and I have been playing with him a lot. I let Enzo go and stared at any thoughts he had? I softly asked him to back up. Then, to come back to me. That went fine and his face was happy. I then asked him to back up again and circle to my right. I thought for sure he would take off and go crazy. Enzo just started to circle and we turned it into a moving circle game. I only chose that because this way I could keep my eyes on Enzo the whole time. I really didn't want Enzo to sneak up behind me and try something. I even dared and asked Enzo to change directions. OMG! It was sooo pretty and I did it again. Finally one time Enzo ran off a bit, but came back very fast and very easy! How cool, I was soo thrilled. Then I realized it felt sooo good and I better not pass either one of our thresholds and end on a great note!! I asked him to come back in again and we played lots of friendly game. OMG, did that ever feel like a friendly connection between us. It actually felt even better than when the line is on him. I think it's because he was able to move more free on his own with no rope and me probably not telling him what to do sometimes. I try not to do that, but I bet I do sometimes and Enzo is sooooo sensitive that it is amazing what he can feel from so far away. So I would say my TRUTH test went pretty well after 3 months more of playing together!

Create great moments~Janine and Enzo

UPDATE on the grass escape artist...

So I have been playing with Enzo on not running away to just go eat grass when he feels like it. The other nights, I went into the INDOOR arena and shut the arena doors. I wanted to make sure that Enzo really was just doing this to get to the grass. Sure enough... I was correct. Enzo didn't try to run away once in the indoor! Then this Past Sunday, I got to the barn just as Enzo finished his lunch time hay, just by luck. Anyway, I decided to use this to my advantage and set up the play time with success. After I haltered Enzo from his Pasture I let him loose in this other area, that has nice grass. I let Enzo fill himself up on that as well! This way I figured Enzo wouldn't have such an urge to run away and go eat grass! I could already tell Enzo wasn't that hungry. Since, he was just picking at the grass. Then we took our walk to the outside arena filled with lush grass. I started to play all the Parelli 7 games in different fashion and moved around the large outdoor arena. Of course! Enzo didn't run away once to go eat grass at all, yahhhh!!! Ok, so I cheated a bit. Well I call it.... setting UP for success! Either way, my theory was correct on all this and it worked. Now, I just need to keep building on my success even when Enzo is not full to the gills of hay and grass, LOL!!

Create great moments~Janine and Enzo

Learns too quick....grass escape artist!

Enzo my smarty pants is learning too fast sometimes. Not only can he learn the "GOOD" things fast. Which of course, I just LOVE! But Enzo can learn the "BAD" things just as fast! Let me give you 2 examples. First example is that, I decided to teach Enzo how to shake his head from side to side. Which in turn, is him learning how to say "NO". Enzo of course, picked it up SUPER fast on the first lesson!! Enzo also tried to shake his head at other times of the day, just to see if he could teach me to hand out treats when he wanted? Well that wasn't going to happen, LOL. But it was pretty darn cute! I even had to warn the barn owner of what I had taught Enzo that day! Otherwise, she probably would have thought Enzo had an ear problem, or something, LOL. I did ask the barn owner the next day if Enzo tried to say "NO" and get treats out of her? But to my amazement she told me Enzo did not try! Yeah! Anyway, after I taught Enzo how to say "NO". I went out to the outside arena to work on all of our Parelli 7 games. As mentioned before, I have been sooo happy with Enzo's progress. But today would go different and this is example number 2, LOL. Enzo's pasture grass is finally getting all eaten down. The outdoor arena I work in is ALL grass. Plus nice longer grass! Enzo would prefer to only eat, when we go out to the outdoor arena instead of play with me. I on the other hand have other plans and have not been letting Enzo get into the habit of grazing. While in the outdoor arena. I started to play with Enzo. After a while, Enzo took off like a bat out of hell, on the 22 foot line!! And he ran to other end of the very large arena and began to eat grass. Of course, I just laughed and new what I was in store for. I went and got Enzo, with moving his hind end away and had him turn towards me. I then played friendly game and moved on. In a spilt second, Enzo again took his 800 hundred plus pounds in the opposite direction, like a bat out of hell!!!! Back to the other side of the arena and continued to eat grass. I thought ohhh boy. How do I fix this??? I went and got him the same way and Enzo walked straight up to me this time on his own. What a good boy and I played more friendly game and decided I better call it a night. I came again the next night. I didn't really have the night before on my mind. I went out to the outdoor arena and started to play with Enzo. He was soft and fun and then all of a sudden gone! Enzo again used all his weight and power against me. This happened about 4 more times, agghhh. Yes, I am to use the power stance, and yes, I am too help Enzo, before what happens, happens. But, Enzo is soo fast, turns in opposite direction and runs straight. I have NO leverage and Enzo knows it! Plus I am only 5'1 and 120 pounds. Enzo is not doing this out of fear either. He is doing it to just eat grass. Enzo is SUPER food motivated! Grass was just enough for him to start this game on me! Plus, when he leaves, he is not scared. He runs fine. Meaning, no bucking, no trying to jump fence to leave, not continuing to run around arena in fear, and he wouldn't throw his head down so fast to eat! I know Enzo and any other horse. When they are really scared they don't eat. Enzo definitely is using this against me to go eat. Hmmmmm, something new to work on. That is why sometimes Enzo learning sooo fast is sometimes not good, LOL. Have your horses learned something bad so fast??? I'll keep you posted on the great grass escape artists!!!

Create great moments~ Janine and Enzo!!!

What a good weekend....

I got to spend sooo much more time with Enzo and enjoyed every minute of it! I posted some pictures below. They're not in perfect order, but I am sure you can get the idea. But I worked on all the Parelli games. I tried to be more conscience of how I ask Enzo for things and how long I ask. I am trying not to be annoying to him, I don't want that. I also brought my flip video and taped most of my evening. This is the second time I have done this and I love this idea. It's really nice to see the progress again at home and it's also nice to see what I need to do different!!!! I realized I need my Yo Yo game better. I am letting it not be effective and Enzo is started to learn to kind of ignore it, oppps. That's ok. Without my video, I would have not noticed this and I appreciate the learning! Friday night was the second time that Enzo has seen my weasel ball that moves! Enzo was not thrilled with it the first time he saw it!! I made sure I made the game, NOT about the weasel. As mentioned before, Enzo is a super fast learner. By Friday night, when we passed by the weasel Enzo wanted to check it out. As you can see in the photo Enzo handled the weasel ball just great! And it flopped around in the old child's sandbox I garbage picked, so the ball doesn't roll away. I also have been practicing with Enzo to come sideways to a fence, or sideways to a mounting block. Once, Enzo comes to the mounting block. I practiced my arms over him, my body over him, then my legs over him. He loves to smell my shoes. He is only 13 months old. So, no I do not put all my weight on him and this is all for practice only for later in life. As you can see Enzo is doing great! I hope everbody is having a great Labor Day with their horsey partners as well!

Practicing On and off, On and Off!

Enzo smelling my right foot, he he.

Enzo coming sideways!

Enzo starting to come sideways.

Enzo learning to tie to a wall with tie ring.

Enzo jumping barrels.

Enzo standing on only small pedestal I could get him. Better than nothing.

Enzo walking over a jump.

Working around the street cones.

And Enzo checking on the moving weasel ball!!!!

I love you Enzo! Create great moments~Janine and Enzo