More Rearing and Fun!

Sonny now rears 100% of the time (when cued, of course).  He goes about 1-2 feet off of the ground :).  I'm ecstatic to say the least.

I've also decided to not follow Parelli full-heartedly (not that I ever did).  Instead I'm going to start using less pressure and not 'ask' for things as often.  But to instead get the horse to offer them.  I'll still ask for things but I want my sessions to be more play sessions than a work session.  Parelli focuses more on the maneuver than I'd like...  It also doesn't help that they are VERY focused on money ;).  I don't mean to be rude but they are a bit money hungry :).  But they are both VERYtalented horseman and women...

Trotting totally bareback and bridleless (no cordeo* or stick) is coming along OK.  I haven't had a ton of time to play with it.  But when I do play with it he seems to be doing well :).  He (Sonny) argues a little bit (OK a bit more than a bit) but he's starting to understand that it's much more fun to listen to mom ;).  And less annoying...

Toby almost laid down on me yesterday!  I was playing with getting him to bow and he decided that it would be better if he went down on 2 knees and lie down on mommy.  We decided it would be better to stand up and bow on just one knee ;).  He though that was cool ;).  I think I've also found his play button!  I'm still playing with it, though...

The Tobster's freestyle is getting better too :).  He doesn't buck anymore!  YAY!  lol ;).  But his go button is still stuck ;).  The brake is held down all the way and I'm not sure how to ease the foot off of it without blowing him up ;).  I have the feeling that someone's also pressing full throttle on the gas.  So, we're trying to figure out how to ease one foot off of the brake and ease off of the gas pedal at the same time.  Fun, eh? I think so (and I'm not being sarcastic).  But I love a challenge.  I know, I know...  I'm weird...  No one ever said otherwise.

On a side note, I'm watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull right now.  I watched it last night but my papa, on my mom's side, came over so we're watching it again :).  I love the Indiana Jones movies.  Night before last we watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Good movie ;).  I know, I'm a dork ;).  But hey, I love action/romance movies *grins*.  And Indian Jones is just that :).  It doesn't hurt that they're good actors too ;).  lol.  Well I'm going to watch my movie now ;). I don't want to miss anything ;).

~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

Toby (with a *new* picture! Woot Woot!)

How do you like the new look?  I'm digging it ;).

Toby during our session today

Today I worked with Toby on our online and freestyle :).  His online was AWESOME!  I got 1-2 laps of trot and a half a lap of canter *bug eyes*!  That is amazing for him.  He doesn't like to move much ;).  His changes of direction were really light and he looked like he was having fun :).  A HUGE plus!

When I hopped up on him he OFFERED a canter!!!!!!  It was going towards Rambo but still IT WAS A CANTER!!!!!  YAY!  He also didn't buck once ;).  I can't believe how fast he's coming along under saddle!  He's going to be a super horse for sure :).
~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

I broke my wrist :(

Wow!  I'm gonna post twice in 1 MONTH!  Crazy, huh?  I'll do a more 'detailed' post about what Toby did to himself at a later date ;).  It's pretty graphic ;).

I've been working with the horses broken wrist and all.  Rambo and I are becoming good friends :).  PLUS Sonny and I are *pretty* much ready for our L3 online and freestyle auditions!  YAY!  I also hope to do my L3 (or 4) Liberty audition in 3 or 4 months :).  I'm REALLY excited!  Sonny and I are becoming REALLY good friends and Sonny starts out at the beginning of a session a LBI and not much of a partner but at the end he is a mild LBE and a fairly good partner.  Even with all that yummy spring grass ;).  We have sooooooooo much fun now :).  Our circling game is stellar.  He is REALLY connected and keeps TONS of slack in the rope.  We go on trail rides all the time and canter fast ;).  We're also working on our circling game at Liberty in the middle of our arena!  YAY!  His Liberty is doin' good too ;).

Toby and I are working out his bucking kinks Online and Freestyle ;).  He's *pretty* much over them now ;).  He's a lot of fun and likes to follow me around at Liberty ALL THE TIME!  LOL!  I try to work with another horse and he's ALL in my face!  lol!  Well, I should probably head outside ;).
~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

A small update on Toby :)

Like the title says this is an update about Toby.  I have really been working on freestyle the past couple of days and he went from barely walking, not listening to the hackamore, and not listening to ANY cues to cantering for the first time, trotting with out doing point to point with treats, steering well, walking around the neighborhood for the VERY first time (and I was riding him O.O!), settling down a bit, and acting like a partner (FINALLY!)!  Woo Woo!  I'm sooo excited!  *screams*  Well I should probably get off of the computer and go work with the horses...
~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

Our Freestyle is...

Sonny and I  2-3 years ago

AWESOME!  I can now (some/most of the time) ride Sonny ABSOLUTELY bridle-less!  As in NO neck rope/carrot stick!  WOO HOO!  We are still working on refining it.  But I am soooo HAPPY!!!!  YAY!

Toby and I have been playing around with our freestyle too :).  He can now walk on with out me having to start tapping him with my carrot stick on the rump :).  Over the past few weeks Toby has gotten really good with his halter porcupine game.  He now moves off of the littlest amount of pressure.  This is big for him.  You have to remember that this is the horse that used to play tug-o-war with me EVERYTIME I would ask him to move off of pressure from the halter.

I may have enough money to get the L1/2, L3, AND L4 Parelli *new* level packs!  I have the savvy club now so I only need $300 to buy all 3!  YAY!  I'm going to be getting around $50-100 next weekend and then for Christmas everyone gives me money so I should get $100-200 from that and then for my b-day (January 9th.  I'll be 14!!!  I'm going to be driving in a little more than a year!!!!  Scary!  Stay off the roads!) I get the money they would normally spend going out to eat ($100-150) because I will eat home instead PLUS I get all the money relatives send (I have LOTS of relatives too :} ) so I should be ordering them by Febuary!  I'm really excited!  Well I have to go and price all of my stuff for our yard sale :} .  UGH!

~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

Freestyle Patterns...

YAY!!!  I JUST finished ordering the freestyle patterns and I CAN NOT WAIT until they get here:)!  Well on with the horses~

Sonny and I have been doing hill therapy although I still ride:)!  The hill therapy is doing pretty well:)!  I have also been working on him moving going AWAY from the other horses and he was doing horribly but last night I got him LB again by doing a ton of close range circles with slack in the rope.  He did REALLY good:)!  I've also been working on our bridleless riding and I can now do about anything with him bridleless w/ carrot stick and savvy string of course:)!!!!!  I can get him to back up with me just wiggling my legs, Lateral Flexion with my carrot stick, jump him 18-24 inches high, and a start of a spin:)!  I am sooo excited!  I won't post a video of it yet because we are still pretty uncoordinated:)!

Red and I have been working on mounting and dismounting, the 7 games, and some jumping from the ground:)!  He is slowly but surely getting better about everything...  The dismounting can sometimes still warrant a nasty look but we have pretty much fixed that:)!  lol!  Well I've gtg eat lunch:)!  ttyl!
~Savvy Out and God Bless~

Riding Red and Playing with Sonny

Hi y'all!  Sonny's stifle is locking AGAIN!!!  UGH!  Oh Well...  Lots of Cavelletti!  lol!

Well Sonny and I have been working on our circling and sideways games:).  I have figured out why our circling game was so horrid was because I was doing the phase 1 I have always done but Sonny decided that was a phase 2 or 3!  So I started to do an even softer phase 1, AND IT WORKED!!!  YAY!  He left at a trot and maintained the trot for 1 or 2 laps!  I have also been working on our freestyle and he is starting to round himself out and develop the self-carriage he used to have???  Confusing 'cause I am not asking him to round himself out...

Red and I have been doing well I rode him again yesterday with a rope halter, the 12' tied into reins (of course!  lol!), and bareback!  Wheeeeee!  I did it w/out a "leader/spotter" and he did really well.  By the end of the session I had him moving off a squeeze and a cluck.  He was bending well and turning fairly well for his 4th time riding:).  We had a lot of fun!
~Savvy Out and God Bless~