Believe

Believe.  What a powerful statement, and it doesn't even need to be a fully realized sentence.  Having the ability to believe in whatever it is you're going after, and in yourself, is crucial to staying happy in this life.  Believing that the impossible is possible is something that's been lost to many.  I see it daily with the people I interact with-with their heads hung low, they grit their teeth in frustration while telling themselves they can't do it-anything, really.  We've all been there.  But we can't stay there, in that place.  There is no moving forward, and no happiness is found there.

It takes a lot of strength to get out of that place, of course.  It takes forcing your thought patterns to change, constantly re-enforcing that, and taking responsibility for your own emotions, taking yourself out of the stage of 'victim' in your predicament.

However, like most things in life, anyone can do anything they set their mind to.
 

Just musings.  (I take no credit for the video featured.  It just rung a bell with me.)



                                                  HORSEMANSHIP SECTION

Hindquarters, Hindquarters, Hindquarters.  

Lately, I've been focused on getting to the point where Chase and I can send in our level 3 freestyle audition.  I've been taking lessons from two instructors-one, a two star instructor Bryna Helle, and a non parelli but incredibly knowledge-able and talented dressage rider.  Both of them have come to a similar conclusion, in different focuses-hindquarter control.  My most recent lesson with Bryna revealed and taught me that my communication with the hindquarters needs to be established a bit more thoroughly, as well as the ever present challenge of going up my phases with a sense of humor, rather than just smacking him at the end.  Steering, stopping, transitions, everything needs to be communicated with the back end.  And so the freestyle pattern we've been set on includes follow the rail with half hindquarter yields, turning into full hindquarter yields depending on the level of responsiveness given.

My lesson with the dressage rider had a similar conclusion with a different difficulty being addressed in our riding.  The difficulty addressed in these lessons have mainly involved, again, asking more from the hindquarters, but in a different way.  Chase has a habit of dragging his back end when he moves-putting in the minimal effort possible, of course.  :)  So in these lessons our focus has been getting him to put a little more bounce in his step and put effort into carrying me more, rather than just plodding along and jarring the heck out of my back.  The most recent lesson I had with her also focused on our canter, which was disunited in both our parts.  I didn't know how to signal him properly, and he didn't understand how to balance properly with a rider at that gait.  So our conversation kind of went-

"Let's canter!"

*ears pinned instantly*  "Don't want to.  It's hard."

"Just go!"

"FINE!" *bucks and then charges in a sort of gallop/canter follow the rail*  

Thankfully, the instructor had a fantastic way of setting us up properly-teaching me how to position my hips in a very similar way to the fluidity concepts in parelli-who know, right? ;) -as well as a tip I didn't know or think of but made complete sense and helped us out a lot.  Releasing the outside rein as I asked for a specific lead, and tapping his outside hip with the crop to encourage him to switch over in the back too.  It took only a few minutes before Chase's crabby expression started changing into something much more positive, and I started to feel completely in harmony with his movement.  We got a couple of absolutely beautiful canters in that lesson on the lead I asked for-I'm pretty proud of what we accomplished.  

That's all for now!  :)

The Countdown Begins

Ahh a pic of a much warmer day than, well, winter in minnesota this year.  I can dream, I can dream.
Anyways, circumstances have changed, and six months from now in July I'll be attending the Fast Track at the Parelli Center.  Six months from now-my feelings are a mixture of YAY FINALLY and 'CRAP that's SOON.'
A few things have yet to be in order-first and foremost, I need to film the other two savvies of my level three, online and freestyle.  Chase and I passed our liberty audition about a year and a half ago with a 3++ rating-needless to say, I was ecstatic.  Completely chickened out for the next two savvies, and spent the next year and half playing with a 'we're not ready yet' mindset.  Camera broke somewhere along the way, and well, the moment's practically here, ready or not.
So, in a few weeks, I'll have saved up enough to get a camera, and then after that, filming time.

Second, a less fun topic-allergy shots.  I need to work up to my maintainance dosage by then, which shouldn't be too much of a problem, and then transfer my vials over to the nearest allergy clinic in CO for that month.  Bleck.  Shots.

And third but definitely not last-I need to drive myself and Chase there.  Which involves, admittedly, getting a license.

Lots to do, but all in progress.  :)

Sunchaser (Chase)

Chase is my four year old left brain introvert partner.  My family had always responded to my pleas for my own horse with "when you can pay for it yourself", so when I got a job, first thing I did was cash that in.  And so came Chase, a four month old stud colt.

I've always described Chase as the 'most reckless decision I have ever made that I will never regret'.  And that's because it's completely true.  We are complete opposites by nature, and we clashed a lot, even after he was gelded.  I do not recommend anyone starting out to take the road I did.  There are so many ways it could go wrong.  I just wanted it badly enough and had the right people to guide me.

On the other hand, because we were both green, and complete opposites, it set me up for an incredible learning experience.  The kind that constantly frustrates you to the point of tears, scares you, angers you, and then finally, teaches you an incredible amount of patience, and changes your attitude completely.  

Chase has become my best friend, my teacher, and my dream come true.  Though the road to where we are now was rocky, it was worth it.  

I still really don't recommend anyone taking the route I did on purpose, though.  Even if I had the right guidance and it worked out for me, starting your first horse from scratch is not a safe route to go.  If I hadn't been as patient as I had been, solidifying the bond between us on the ground completely first, things would have gone severely wrong when I got on his back for the first time, especially as an inexperienced rider.  As it was, I had been interning at a Parelli-based facility that just so happened to have Farrah Green living there at the time, and she supervised and helped with the first few rides and with solidifying our relationship.

       

Since then Chase and I have taken lessons from Fran Latane and Bryna Helle, and gone to a John and Kathy Baar clinic, and played almost daily when my asthma and allergies allow it.  Chase has become my forever partner and friend.