horsegirlonajourney

Carried along by the River of dreams

Posted on February 5, 2011 by horsegirlonajourney

But he learned more from the river than Vasudeva could teach him. He learned from it continually. Above all, he learned from it how to listen with a still heart, with a waiting, open soul, without passion, without desire, without judgment, without opinions. ~ Herman Hesse, Siddartha

River will be joining our family this month, as soon as I can get the paperwork and payments processed. Her AQHA name is AR I’ll Be Powderific, and she is by I’ll Be Smart and out of Powder River Smoker by Powder River Playboy. None of this meant anything to me, or mattered, until I fell in love and realized that every single thing about this filly is wonderful and fun, including pictures and “stats” about her relatives.

She is an innate LBE with a medium spirit, about 14.3 hands, a “long yearling” who turns two for realsies in April. She is curious about everything and checks in often when she’s not sure what a person is asking, and she is quick to provide her own ideas when mine become unclear or boring.

I’ve known since the Parelli Reno Celebration 2008 that if I ever got another horse, it would be from Atwood Ranch Naturally (or some other Parelli-certified place, should that come to pass, although with Atwood Ranch Naturally only two hours from where we live, it would still make sense to go there).

My reasons for this decision are many. Obviously, partnering with a sound horse who has had the least amount of human-related trauma and baggage possible is an amazing and sensible dream.

But I also get to support two horse businesses that align with my principles, and to grow a relationship with of them, in a very tangible way. I get to put my money where my mouth is — horses are being given away free in this economy, and I chose to enter a purchase contract where I feel I’m getting an unbelievable bargain and value, while the business earns some return on their investment and knows that I am financially as well as emotionally committed to this horse.

And I get to be a part of history, as Tom Atwood wins his gamble of “going Parelli” in such a public way. What other major brand, so visible in professional and competitive equine pursuits, would be so thorough in revamping the entire horse operation and co-brand the marketing and then have to wait a few years for the foal crops to grow up enough to win respect and visibility?

It’s a big deal from a business perspective that a fish as big as Atwood Ranches would leap into the PNH pond so visibly, what with so many people willing to heap vitriol on PNH. (I’m not talking about criticism or disagreement based on information and knowledge of whatever parts of PNH the person disagrees with; I’m talking about the judgments and gossip based on assumptions, defensiveness, misunderstandings, willful ignorance, rumor, and the need to be “right” that people spew online and in person to anyone who accidentally stands still long enough to hear it.)

I didn’t expect to be able to do these things for another few years, but my grandparents — always supportive of my love of horses, proud when I was able to scrape it together to get Rocky — have made it possible to take the leap of faith now.

Grandpa passed away in his sleep just before Christmas at the age of 96. He was a Purple Heart veteran of WWII who went on to be a police officer in the San Francisco bay area for 25 years. During the racing season he daylighted as a security guard at the Golden Gate Fields racetrack. He retired from the police force the year I was born but kept the racetrack job until he was 75, when they couldn’t make any more exceptions to their age limit for guards even though he was fitter than most of the 50-somethings he worked with.

Grandma passed away almost 10 years ago in her late 80s. She was one of the first women to graduate from University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in mathematics in 1937; it was a time when women were not allowed to take the CPA exam to become full accountants, but she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing her education, her passion for numbers, or her career. She worked at the local plant nursery as a bookkeeper, kept a sensible household budget, and always made wise investments, managing their modest salaries into a comfortable retirement and a legacy to their descendants.

As a child I got to spend an entire weekend or school break with them a few times a year, and grandpa would get a pass that allowed grandma to take me into the stables at Golden Gate Fields where we could watch the horses being groomed, bathed, medically treated, walked, fed, wrapped, hot-walked, cooled off, and all the other things that make up the racehorse’s daily routine. Just being around the horses, existing in that space and time, was transcendent.

I took my grandparents’ love and willingness to get horsey for granted, back then. And if they didn’t want me to spend my inheritance on horses instead of investing it wisely, it’s their own fault. 😉

A character in Longshot, one of my favorite Dick Francis novels, refers to the racehorses as “great elemental creatures.” Not a day of my life passes without a sense of awe and wonder that I should be this lucky, to have the privilege of partnership with my own herd of elementals, and to undertake this lifelong journey with them.

We all end in the ocean, we all start in the streams, we’re all carried along by the river of dreams in the middle of the night…

Categories: Love | 2 Comments

The power of infinity

Posted on February 1, 2011 by horsegirlonajourney

“The longest I ever cantered a horse on this pattern was an hour,” Pat said. He was referring to the series of figure 8s — infinity signs — that make up the barrel racing pattern of the Parelli Games.

Here is a quickie video I took with my cell phone, to show you the pattern. The production values are horrible but it’s only 35 seconds and you can see how the pattern differs from rodeo barrel racing (while also teaching horses the pattern so they can zip through a rodeo lightning-fast but without panic).

Pat explained how sticking with the pattern longer helps horses relax and become more confident. We see it happen during the 16 minutes of video, where he canters One Smart Peppy around the barrels on a loose rein, adding the variety of a slide stop at X twice, to keep Peppy from zoning out or getting bored.

The segment ends with a cool example of how this pattern can lead to rather dramatic performances, but because I hate spoilers, I shall tell you after the jump if you want to know before you watch or if you aren’t a Savvy Club member. (Hint: It involves balloons.)

Pat ends his session by asking the students, “What did you learn about Patterns today?” The first, heartfelt answers are that we don’t stick to a pattern long enough and that we’re too boring for our horses when we do the patterns.

I learned last week when I played with Rocky on the 12-foot line and then the 22-foot line and a flank rope that I haven’t been sticking to patterns long enough. In some cases, it’s because the circles put too much stress on Rocky’s ankles. But in other cases, it’s because the moment I see him look uncomfortable — even if it’s a “don’t wanna” rather than an “ouch” — I stop. And thus I am neither particular nor provocative, and what’s more, my genius Appaloosa has figured out that if he bobs his head and looks at me, I’ll let him come in.

If you’ve spent enough time to develop a relationship with an Appaloosa, you know that they have the best smug smirk of any horse.

I was inspired to play with the ropes after I saw Jake developing the yearlings up at Atwood Ranch Naturally, and how the different horses and horsenalities reacted. The medium-spirited LBE filly couldn’t be bothered to be bothered by it, but the high-spirited LBE gelding had a definite opinion and was not afraid to express it with some spectacular kicking and farting. (Boys. I’m sure he just wanted the excuse.)

I started with the rope where the saddle girth would go, then gradually moved it back toward Rocky’s flank, having him follow the rail at the walk and then the trot. At the walk, no problem. At the trot, he decided it was squeezing him to death and that he should come off the rail into a circle and then if that didn’t work, buck a little, and if that didn’t work, shoulder-in toward me with a high head. I kept my energy steady and I can defend my space now with a look and the barest twitch of the carrot stick, and it didn’t take long before he resigned himself to wearing the dang thing. It took longer for him to relax and blow out and be willing to engage with me in a game of touch-it. A brief game, as we had come to a good place, and I wanted to end the session before I got him worked up again.

So, as I re-start my Parelli journey today with the DVD viewing and reflection on my last session, I have a plan for Rocky’s week:

Friendly game with ropes around his body
Follow the rail online at the trot, being particular about his staying on the straight line
Persist until we get to relaxation, not stop just because he’s resigned himself to whatever I have asked of him
Bring out the SMB splint boots I used to put on him the first year we were together, to see if they help
Balloons

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