Our journey: lesson parelli savvy step

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Continued Growth

Satin and I have not scheduled any play sessions into our (my) busy days, but I seize every opportunity to test my savvy. When I am taking her in and out of her stall, feeding, or just brushing her off, I try to use some technique to keep us both mentally challenged. Just the other day I backed her 12 feet from me from outside the barn to inside the barn, until her back legs touched a wooden box. She was so polite and responded well when I was particular about her backing straight.

Unfortunately, due to my work schedule at the vet school I had to reschedule my lesson (which I had planned for many weeks now!). I am only pushing it back a few days, but I am itching to get a lesson from Karen again! I am SO ready for the next step and I need a more experienced horseman to give me that little push.

The good news about moving my lesson is that John (my DH) will probably be available to film my session. Super!

Satin, 1997 Snowflake Appaloosa mare

Satin, my best friend. Her stall name plate (well, one of her stall plates) says it all, "Satin, Mommy's Brat"
She's been with me since she was weaned (too early) as a 4 month-old. I was barely 14 and desperately wanted my very own horse. My family was not horse savvy, although I did get my mom into riding when I started taking lessons as a girl. I dragged my parents across Sarasota, Florida, classifieds in hand, trying to find a horse for me. I still remember the ad catching my attention for two reasons - "filly" and "$500". She was cheap and she was a baby! I had no idea what I was getting into. Never had any experience with foals (I was 14!) and had no experience with any sort of training. I taught her how to halter, tie, load, clip, lunge, started her under saddle, dressage, eventing.. you name it, Satin and I did it on our own. She has taught me how horses talk and how important it is to speak in a way they can understand. Here we are in 2010, starting our new journey to an even better friendship!

Dancer, 1996 Chestnut TB rescue

When I describe Dancer to anyone, the first thing I say about her is "She has such a big heart." She is so loving towards other horses and my hope is that this Parelli journey will allow her to love humans just as well.
Dancer was considered trash to the TB breeding industry. She had 4 foals, then didn't take one year, then didn't take another year. So they gave her away. She was useless to them, so they tossed her out. Someone with no experience picked her up. They held on to her for a short time before realizing that 'owning' a horse is expensive and hard work! So they offered her up for "free" in the classifieds. This was before US slaughterhouses has been shut down. She was picked up by a kill buyer and brought to their transport facility. Fate was shining down on Dancer when she was bought back from the owner who's friends told her the whole deal was odd. She had given Dancer away for free but the buyer made her pay money to take her back. She picked her up the day she was to be shipped to slaughter.
That's when I met Dancer! Abandoned at a boarding facility, nervous of humans but totally a doll to other horses. I knew she needed some love.