We had fun yesterday with my Parelli Lesson!!

Wow, a 1 hour Parelli Lesson goes by so darn fast! I did saddle up Kaspin in case I was to ride in the lesson, but instead the 1 hour went totally to the ground work and was over in no time. I did ride after Steve left though(he did great). I usually have Kaspin lead ME everywhere we go together. Yeah, this might seem odd to people! But Kaspin is very non confident outside of his herd. Kaspin will follow me anywhere if I lead, but Kaspin just ends up hiding behind me and never seeing the world and just follows me. When I have Kaspin lead us places. Then kaspin needs to really look at the world ahead of him and be confident enough to move forward and lead. Most people have horse that are happy to lead and completely take over. This is not Kaspin and I am helping him explore his confidence. Either way, it's been going really good for us. Kaspin will lead out to the outdoor arena very easily, since of course, that is his favorite place to go! Going up to the indoor arena Kaspin has more of sticky feet and he goes too slow. When I first started this a year back or so. It would take me sometimes literally an hour to get somewhere, or to get to the indoor arena. Now it might take me 5 mins or so. I showed Steve yesterday and he thought Kaspin was in a good frame of mind and now I need to ask more of him. Meaning when Kaspin stops and thinks he really doesn't want to go anymore? Than I need to say yes we can and insist a bit more and get moving. Have a purpose of where I want him to go. I practiced after Steve left and I even got Kaspin to trot up the hill to the indoor arena, very cool! Steve informed me that I did a great job on getting Kaspin confident with the indoor arena and now I can move on with asking more from Kaspin. I cannot explain my whole lesson. This post would be 10 pages long, but I can list the main things we played with. Here they are!

1) When Kaspin leads us, give him a purpose and really have him go somewhere, no more sticky feet.
2) Give my backup more of a purpose, no dragging hooves from Kaspin.
3) Give my send in the circle game a purpose. No more Kaspin walking off like he doesn't care.
4) Don't forget lots of friendly game with kaspin in between games. To keep his confidence up.
5) Get more trot laps from my circle game on a 22 ft rope.
6) Kaspin uses "touch it" during all my other games to use it as his own rest area. Move Kaspin on, he doesn't need to take a break and touch everything along the way, LOL.
7) I shouldn't hang on phase 4 on the rope, when Kaspin won't come to me. Don't get to phase 4 on rope, meaning don't pull any and just pick up my stick instead, to get Kaspin to come forward.
8) Play more extreme friendly game with my stick and string, eventually get to zone 5 on Kaspin. I am still standing in zone 1. Move on Janine! Move with Kaspin if he moves when I play the game.

So that is the list! I am really thrilled to know I did a great job on getting Kaspin confident with me and getting Kaspin confident being in the indoor arena. Let see how well I do today in the indoor arena with Kaspin? Today we're having 35 mile an hour winds! This should make for lots of noise in the arena today! Winds were even higher last night and I have to say I hardly slept, listing to a running train noise all night. I think I will sleep much better tonight.

I also forgot to mention the most important part of yesterday! I usually can get Kaspin to blow out a bunch of times in the outside arena(8 to 20 times). That shows me that Kaspin is mentally relaxed. Anyway, in the indoor I cannot get a blow out if my life depended on it from Kaspin. Well yesterday Kaspin gave me 1 blow out when were riding in the indoor arena yesterday. Wooo hooo! I hope to eventually get more in the future in the indoor arena!

Keep it savvy!! Janine, Kaspin, and sweet thoughts Enzo

Another spring shot:) I love the ears Kaspin has on me:)

A Parelli lesson today, yeah! Also bit, or no bit?

Looking forward to my 1 hr Parelli lesson today with Steve Andrews! I have been continuing to work on keeping Kaspin confident and happy in the indoor arena away from his herd. Now I want to know how to start moving a bit more forward in our Parelli games, but without losing Kaspin's confidence and losing his leadership with me? Then  I might get into some riding? If there is enough time? I really want Kaspin to learn the one rein stop really well. This past summer I fell off of Kaspin, due to my fault! I totally forgot to tighten my girth on my saddle(stupid me). The saddle started to slip and Kaspin got worried and started to run. I was trying the one rein stop. Kaspin for 1, didn't really know it well as of yet. And 2, Kaspin was too worried to listen to a 1 rein stop(and Kaspin was in a bridle that day, I was the fist few times outside and I hadn't trusted him yet without one). I need Kaspin to really understand that 1 rein stop for any possible emergencies in the future. Currently I am only riding Kaspin in the hachamore. I need Kaspin to be just as soft in bending and I don't need a bit for this of course. I too try to always go without a bit any and every time I can ride!!!!!! I do however take a bit when I go to different new scary areas Kaspin is not familiar with for both of our safety!! Just because I put a bit on Kaspin, really doesn't mean I need to use it ever. People get so confused with this!!! I have Kaspin wear it and I have the reins just hanging or hanging on his neck. I only pick up the reins if Kaspin can't understand my thought, eyes, bellybutton, legs first. Then I can only pick up the reins, not the bit. BUT I love to take a bit also, because crazy things happen on trail rides and I want to be able to save my life and my horses life! YES, I have had friends that were hit by cars(literally)one horse didn't make it, so sad. I have had a friend that was attacked by a turkey in the woods and the turkey flew up on her horses withers when they rode by! I have had a friend that her horse was clipped in the rear end by a deer running by on the trails. Needless to say, if you have a horse bolting from some of these instances. Yes, these are extreme examples, but they do happen! Then these are times I am not Pat Parelli who rides 365 days a year! And if I need to use a bit to help stop my horse from running off into other cars, or other dangers? Than I rather use a bit for that ONE moment. I would feel even more terrible, if I cannot turn my horse hard and fast from an on coming car out of control. My friend had to do this once also and luckily the horse got out of way in time and she fell off her horse after and never got hit by  the car either. This all happened from a teenager speeding on a dirt road and lost control of the car. Did  my friend did use her bit that day? Yes she did. Did she pull hard? Yes she did. Did they both live? Yes, they did. Does she otherwise ever use her bit like that normally? Absolutely not! Ok, I went way off of course here, but I am all for natural as possible! But us regular riders who ride only a few times a week for fun. Then I feel better taking my bridle and myler soft bit on my trail rides and in any new scary areas. Have to be ready for the UNTHINKABLE:) Any piece of equipment can be hard on a horse. As long as I always remember to be as soft as I can(like a fly). This equipment will never hurt my horse, nor cause him to be fearful of the equipment. Even a hackamore can be too strong in the wrong rough hands. So today I want to work on continuing my softness in the hackamore and bending of the neck, the horse body, and moving the hind quarters of Kaspin. Update coming soon! In the meantime. I long for the nice green grass of spring like this one below. And of course, the warm sun on my face! Keep it natural!!! Janine, soft bending kaspin, and the ever so missed Enzo

Here we are 2013!

Well Kaspin and I both had a great Christmas and New Year! Here is a picture of some more cookies Kaspin got for Christmas! The ones on left are from me(Kaspin LOVES them, I need to order more!). The cute basket with horse muffins came from the barn owner!!! HOW CUTE!!! And Kaspin adores these hand made beauties!!! 

My New Years Kiss to Kaspin:)

Kaspin has one more hand made gift coming for Christmas, but I told the lady to take her time. Since she of course, was super over loaded with Christmas gifts to make for others. I told her Kaspin was patient enough to wait after Christmas:) I will post once I get it!!

I have had 2 Parelli video sessions with my Parelli trainer Meggie Andrews. I needed some more savvy arrows of dealing with Kaspin in the indoor arena. Kaspin is a very super RBI horse in the indoor and outside arena Kaspin is a very confident RBI horse. So now that I am spending a lot more time indoors(due to weather & darkness). I noticed how problematic Kaspin is. Indoors Kaspin is (to him) way too far away from the herd! Yes, Kaspin is herd bound. Not my favorite, but I am hoping someday kaspin can trust me to be the leader of our herd of only 2 when we are together alone. So far Kaspin doesn't believe me yet. Anyway, added the 4 walls where Kaspin cannot see the safe outside, makes it even more scary for him. Kaspin cannot see the outside danger coming! One day the barn owners were talking in the driveway. Most people wouldn't think this was an issue, but Kaspin was super duper worried! Lucky for introverts don't move much, LOL. Kaspin gets worried when a car drives by on the driveway next to indoor, the dogs are let out by the indoor, or a plane flies over head. None of these are issues for Kaspin outside. Kaspin see it all around him, where in the arena Kaspin just cannot see these things going on. Just so funny to me of course, not funny to Kaspin! So I play lots and lots of Parelli friendly game in the indoor, Parelli approach and retreat, and the Parelli game of touch it for more confidence. And keep everything SLOW for Kaspin when we are in the indoor. If I go too fast Kaspin cannot handle the away stress from the herd, the claustrophobic arena, and deal with me!! So much for a little horse to learn! But getting my video help from Meggie has helped us both and I enjoy the extra savvy arrows indeed! 

 Here is a commercial of Meggie's video teachings! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zvkK5LP6jA

Keep it savvy!!! Janine, Kaspin , and the never forgotten Enzo

New Year!

HAPPY 2013 TO EVERYONE!!! 

LOVE, J9,KASPIN, AND THE GREAT ENZO