Back in the saddle again

Hi there I'm back.
I haven't been doing much since my return from Colorado just working and spending time with Aristoitle.
I keep thinking that I need to keep a more thorough record of what I do with Aristoitle because some days we just have amazing rides where he is so tuned into me.

The last time I rode him I used my bareback pad, halter with reins clipped on to the chin loop, and one carrot stick. I attached my reins to the loop on the bareback pad and decided not to use them and only steer with my body (eyes, bellybutton, legs) .. and use the carrot stick as a reinforcement if he didn't "hear" me. Okay, that was working well this night, but we still had trouble getting together on the WHOA part of the equation. I used to ask him to change from trot to walk by not riding with my body, I would exhale, relax... Aristoitle wouldn't respond to these cues and would continue trotting. Yet sometimes he would hear me and slow down, but this was very hit and miss.
This time I decided a whole new approach was needed.

When Aristoitle is at a standstill and I want him to back up I raise my heels towards his shoulders and gently tap him until he begins to back up. I lean backwards as well when I am tapping him like this. I then lessen the tapping but keep my heels up there so that he continues to move backwards but with less of a cue from me. He has learned this pretty well, so I decided to try this while he was trotting.. and wouldn't you know it.. speedy Gonzales heard the message and came down to a walk! Now I can ask him to trot by inhaling deeply and getting my energy up, then after trotting around the arena a while, I exhale and raise my heels up to slow him down to a walk. While he is trotting I try to keep my energy up and I breathe normally. I try to be aware of my body and whether or not I am leaning one way or another or gripping with my legs. If I do need to grip with my legs I do so from my knees up-- NOT the other way around. I try to go with the flow as much as possible. Believe me it is difficult to get all the muscle memory going and doing things the right way so I don't interfere with him, but when it works out right it is MAGIC!

Okay enough of this computer stuff ... I need to go visit Aristoitle before work. Bye.. have a good day!

Colorado in bits and pieces..

Last day of the conference and rain started to fall pretty hard about a half hour after the final presentation. The timing couldn't have been any better weather-wise.. we had just left the big arena and started walking down to the car when this storm blew in. Beautiful clouds on one side of the valley, and a rainbow at the other side of the valley.

Colorado

What a great trip! We had a fun time, learned a lot, took TONS of pictures. Here is a photo to get you hooked.. that's probably all I'll post for today because I need to go see Aristoitle now. :)

Be back in a few days..

Aristoitle stays home while I go to Colorado for the Savvy Conference this weekend. The Savvy Conference is a Parelli Natural Horsemanship event where Pat and Linda Parelli show us new techniques, release new learning materials, and put on a demonstration of Natural horsemanship as only they can do. I'll be back on the 10th.. Ciao!

Bienvenue

Shameless self promotion :-)

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY. WooooHooooo !!





I bought this shirt here

August 13th in pics

stunning photography brought to you by Mallow and her LG cell phone that has been dropped on its head too many times to count; and Aristoitle, a horse outstanding in his own field.

Hoof comparison part 3

Hi.. still coming back for more hoof pictures? (really?)

Previously you were wowed by this story and photographs. Here is a brief update with crummy cell phone photographs for those of you who like looking at pictures. :P

This is the right front hoof before I did anything to it. You will see there is one place on the sole that is lighter in color than the surrounding material. This is a piece of the sole that chipped off exposing new healthy sole. I took my knife and gently exfoliated all the sole that would crumble off.


This is the result of the exfoliation and lowering of the outer hoof wall. Nearly all areas of the sole crumbled off on their own except for one fairly large spot at the apex of the frog. I left this patch of old sole alone with the thought that treating it like a scab will allow the sole underneath to do what it needs to. I don't know if this is the 'right' approach, but it felt better to me to let it stay rather than paring it off.


I did rasp over this patch on the toe when I went around the hoof wall and lowered it. Normally one wouldn't want to rasp over the toe callous.. but since I have this buffer scab of hoof I didn't see any harm in bringing it down a little bit.

Once I lowered the hoof wall I finished up the trim with a bevel, or mustang roll all around the hoof wall.

Anyone interested in barefoot natural hoof care should visit the web page of Pete Ramey. Here is why I advocate his web page and his approach..
1. After studying many cadaver hooves of foundered and healthy horses, along with the feet of wild horses Pete has learned to use the hoof (sole) topography as his guide to trimming. There are no predetermined angles that the hoof must be trimmed to fit into.
2. Each foot is an individual and is treated as such.
3. I appreciate the fact that Pete is constantly learning, and trying to better himself and his trimming.
4. He has a conservative approach to trimming based on his study of rehabilitated foundered horses, and cadaver hoof dissection. He knows what is going on underneath that sole topography we see when we pick up a hoof.
5. Pete has a collection of research articles which he has written and shares them on his web page.
6. I noticed that he now has a DVD collection of his lectures for sale. If this DVD collection is anything like his weekend seminars - they will be full of great information!
7. ** Pete is not paying me for any part of this endorsement.**

B-day preparation count down..

I found this on Toothpaste For Dinner. Go visit his site for more cartoons, you'll be glad you did.

Here is a great stop motion movie

Short Film: Tony vs. Paul

From my photo archives

You HAVE to see THIS

Buggy Rolling

Ahh

This photograph was taken from a moving car. I was driving and snapping. Okay not a good thing to admit, but I was all alone on the bridge and there was no oncoming traffic. I'm grateful for living in a place where driving one hour away from home takes me out to the countryside. I hope you like the photo. Have a good day everyone.