Oh! And just one more post for today!

The Christian magazine, Girlz4Christ (www.girlz4christmagazine.org) is in need of some writers, photographers, and artists. It really is a great magazine, and a great group of girls who put it together, so check it out. And if you want to contribute, shoot them an email with some of your stuff. ;)

Okay. I should go to bed now. x)

My own little devo. :P

Thought I'd share this here. This is actually a little bloggy post thingy from another site that I'm a member of,  www.newreleasetuesday.com. If you're a Christina music freak, then you need to visit this site! Special album previews, artist profiles, downloadable music, music videos....all kinds of stuff there!

Anyway, I'm not the best writer, and I'm especially bad at devotional type writing....but this is the best I've ever done, I think. Except for that one about the rain and the horse show and the really nice dude....okay, I'll post that one soon. x) Here it is:

______________________
My heavens, it's been a while! Such a crazy life! Which leads me to this, my latest blog post....

Picture Perfect.

Those words have been ringing through my head ever since I thought of them a few weeks ago. Those words might not surprise you, coming out of a minor photography geek ( :P ), but I know they surprised me.
Let me explain myself.

I can tell I've changed lately. I'm impatient, I'm worried, I'm trying to look different....I'm trying to be picture perfect. I'm trying to be that way because that's the way the world wants me to be.

But I've decided that I don't want to look that way. I don't wanna be picture perfect. Or at least, the world's version of picture perfect.

The words came to me on a late night trip to the barn (as stated above). I was driving along, with some good ol' Thousand Foot Krutch blasting. The weather was beautiful that night, so we had the windows down. You know how you get those moments when your just happy? You don't have a care in the world, and you can't help but smile over nothing and think about how good things are? That's how I felt that night. I realized that I hadn't felt that way in a while, and that it felt good. I felt like everything was perfect at that moment- picture perfect.

That got me to thinking. I realized that to be picture perfect is great- depending on what your picture is made up of. If your picture is full of drugs, sex, and other crap, then I'm sorry, but I don't want to be looking at it. If your picture is full of Jesus though....then you've got it made. :)

I started thinking (heavens, I sure do a lot of 'thinking' and 'realizing') about what my picture looks like- and you know what, I was surprised at what I saw. Sure, it wasn't the worst picture ever, but it needed some serious editing. (Heh heh, getting nerdy here! :P) There were blemishes all over the edges that needed to be retouched, and it needed some serious sharpening. The contrast was all messed up as well. And the camera flash had highlighted a few things that I really didn't want to see. At all.

So, yes, I've edited. And guess what? I feel a mile high! My picture may not be perfect yet, but it's on the way! And when it's done developing, it'll be perfect.
Picture Perfect.
For real this time.

So, I don't have a bible verse to go with this. But if anybody else does, feel free to say it! I need to hear it!

Hope you enjoyed reading my nerdy little post. I've been meaning to share this for a while, but I suffer from "it's-not-good-enough syndrome", which is also something I'm trying to edit out of my life. :)
Ta-ta for now!

PROGRESS!!

I worked Buster this evening for about an hour. I'm so happy!! He did some serious thinking yesterday. He had his attention completely on me the whole time. He tried to go into a canter once, in the beginning, but I immediately disengaged him the way Mrs. Miller taught me, and he was great after that! We did beautiful walking circles, and then 1 and a half trotting circles to the right, and almost a full trotting circle to the left! We also worked more on the snappy back up, and on his leg yielding from the ground. He really likes the leg yielding, I think.

I put the saddle back on him and worked for a while in that. I actually really don't mind riding in the saddle. I got the stirrups shortened, so they weren't flapping about this time.

I'm feeling so motivated and encouraged right now

The only dampener: The stirrup fell of the saddle horn today when I was tightening my cinch, and hit me right in the glasses. There's a huge scratch on the right lens now. Hopefully next week we'll be able to get new lenses put in though. Come to think of it....these glasses deserve to be retired permanently. They've had several sets of new lenses put in them, and they've never sat straight on my face since that time Arragon whacked me int he face with his knee....man, that was not fun. I actually have a permanent scar above my left eye from that. Battle scars, baby! But anyway, I;m getting off topic here.....x)

Oh my....what a big day!! A day full of learning experiences! In other words: a good day! :D

Mrs. Miller and Casey came over today to help me with Buster. We started at a walk, and we would change direction every 1/2 circle. If he went into a trot, we immediately stopped him. The biggest point she made is that I'm too easy on him- which is why he's taken control. He's a more advanced horse now, and I need to be a little more firm, and a little more particular about what I want. She told me not to be afraid to shake that rope hard. So I shook it hard every time he went into trot. I would also use my carrot stick- I'd smack it hard on the ground and make a 'saw' out of it. It didn't take long before he was paying attention. Then he started offering more. We still kept to a walk though, until we got three full circles- relaxed.

We then moved on to the trot. He blew up several times, but Mrs Miller was there to tell me to hold my ground, or when to relax and stop the fight. We would let him stand and relax for a second, and then we would ask him again. In the end, we got two full circles at the trot- completely relaxed and paying attention!! Of course, we gave him some mental breaks every now and then. Mrs. Miller taught me how to leg yield from the ground, and Buster picked up on that immediately!

Before the Millers left, they showed me how to put my saddle (Ms. June called the lady who's saddle I'm borrowing, and the lady said that I was welcome to use it!) on correctly.
BUSTER.
LOOKS.
SO.
DANG.
CUTE!!!!!!
He looks kind of like Pat Parelli's Mr. Skyline Peppy! So cute!!!

He did well with the saddle. I got on him after a little bit, and we both took a short ride around the arena. The only issue I had with him was getting him to go. I can't move my seat as well to ask him to go in a saddle, so he was a little confused at first, but he picked up alright.

We also did some cleaning on our saddles after we were done riding. Mine needs a ton of work.

Overall, I think I gained a little bit of respect from Buster today, and I think we both gained some confidence. I feel more motivated than I have since January! I'm happy! :D

My 4-H Achievement Night Speech

So, for 4-H Achievement Night, I'm doing a speech on the Horsenalities. This is still kind of a rough draft, but here's my outline. I'll have some posters to go with it (charts, horsenality clip art).

_______________

Hi, my name is Maggie Mae Doster. I’m 18 years old, and I’ve been in 4-H for about five years. I’ve been a part of the Dreamcatcher's horse project for two years. In our horse project, we practice Parelli Natural Horsemanship, which is a form of Natural Horsemanship developed by Pat and Linda Parelli. Parelli Natural Horsemanship focuses on teaching the human, rather than training the horse. Pat and Linda have discovered that understanding the psychology, personality and nature of horses can become the basis for a deep, seamless, and mutually beneficial relationship between human and horse. This approach is now recognized worldwide as an innovative and effective method of natural horse training.

Halfway through my Parelli journey thus far, I was introduced to the Horsenalities, a term coined by the Parelli’s. Horsenality is a combination of the words ‘horse’ and ‘personality’, and is a convenient way to characterize the different personalities found in horses. The Horsenality system helps people to discover the horse’s innate character. If you know how your horse thinks exactly, then you can figure out how to ask him to do things without confusing or frustrating him. By knowing what’s uniquely important to an individual horse, both horse and rider can become more balanced, centered, and confident.

Within the Parelli method of horse training, Horsenality is divided into four main categories: Extroverted, Introverted, Left-brained, and Right-brained. It’s all pretty simple once you break it down.

Extroverts are:

• high energy
• they have a tendency to run
• they have more ‘go’ than ‘whoa’

Introverts are:

• slower, they have a tendency to stop
• they have more ‘whoa’ than ‘go’

Left-brainers are:

• dominant
• brave
• confident
• calm
• tolerant

Right-brainers are:

• submissive
• fearful
• not confident
• nervous
• reactive

Horse personalities come in 4 combinations:

·        Left-brained Extrovert

·        Right-brained Extrovert

·        Left-brained Introvert

·        Right-brained Introvert

Right-brained Introverts are quiet and obedient, but tend to be hesitant and distrustful. They can blow up at the drop of a hat. Right-brained Extroverts tend to be hyper alert or panicky, high-headed and over reactive. Right-brainers have to have a leader- someone to depend on- in order for them to relax. If they can’t relax, they can’t hear or see you, and that’s a really good way to get hurt.

Left-brained Introverts are clever, food oriented, stubborn, and often times unmotivated. A Left-brained Introvert needs someone that is creative, but willing to take thinks slow. Left-brained Extroverts are, to say the least, fun! The fact of the matter is that they think ten times faster than us. A Left-brained Extrovert is mischievous, very mouthy, playful, and charismatic. They’re the type of horse that would steal your hat and run away with it.

Each of the different Horsenalities has many positive attributes. Extroverts are athletic, and are fast learners. Introverts are calm and dependable- they make good therapy or school horses.

The Parelli’s have developed these Horsenality charts, so that we can effectively diagnose our horses. It’s important to remember that some horses can be ‘well-rounded’- they exhibit characteristics in every quadrant of the chart. Some horses can be Left-brained one instant, and Right-brained the next. A horse’s Horsenality depends on which quadrant has the most spaces filled in. Once we know how to talk to our horse in a language it can understand, we can develop a much stronger bond with our horses.

Any questions?

Linda Replied To Me!!!

I mentioned before that I had asked Linda Parelli on her ParelliConnect walll about Buster's cantering issues. Well, Ms. Parelli herself replied to me! Yeah, that makes Me feel special, in a way. :) But anyway, here's my question again, and then her answer:

Hello Linda!

I've been working with Buster, my LBI, Quarter Horse gelding for a year. When we got him, he had little to no real training at all. I was just starting out with the Parelli program at the time, so we've kind of been learning together... moreHello Linda!

I've been working with Buster, my LBI, Quarter Horse gelding for a year. When we got him, he had little to no real training at all. I was just starting out with the Parelli program at the time, so we've kind of been learning together- as we go. We've both made a lot of progress since then, and we've both overcome a lot, confidence-wise. I know we're ready to pass levels 1/2 online, and level 2 Freestyle, with flying colors!- if we could just get over one more bump: circles.

Buster was perfectly fine with the circle game until we asked him to canter. He was on a 22' line, and had been doing nice, relaxed trotting circles for a few months before I asked him too, but when I did, he blew up (meaning, he started bucking and jerking the rope out of my hands). I went back to walking and trotting relaxed circles for a while, but the next time I asked him to canter, he did the same thing. He's gotten worse about it since- now, he won't even trot a circle, and he's not even completely relaxed at the walk. It doesn't help that I'm constantly worrying about what he'll do next. Our trust is completely shattered. My guess is that he's gone back into 'longeing mode', and I don't know how to bring him back out. I really don't think that what he's doing is play- it might have started out that way, but now it's progressed to something else, and I don't know how to handle it. There are no Parelli instructors in my area, and I'm getting to the end of my rope. I can tell that I'm getting frustrated with him, and I know that I can't do that. What should I do? Should I reprimand him? Mirror him? Change the subject? Any advice would be so greatly appreciated! :)


Linda's answer:

Have you done a Horsenality report Maggie? It sounds like when your horse got going and hit the end of the rope that he lost confidence and then either started avoiding it or fighting it. Using retreat and reapproach will help (trot faster, slow... moreHave you done a Horsenality report Maggie? It sounds like when your horse got going and hit the end of the rope that he lost confidence and then either started avoiding it or fighting it. Using retreat and reapproach will help (trot faster, slower, then finally canter), as will being inside a round corral at least 50' diameter or bigger will help too - stop him pulling as he gets wider.
Try to see it from his point of view and that will help you do the right thing. Remember, he needs your help. Think about it and get more calm and focused... and get more knowledge as per my suggestion above. :)


I'm so happy that she replied to me- even though her answer isn't what I wanted to hear. A round pen is the one thing we don't have. And there's no way any of us could possibly afford one. I'm going to search for ideas on cheap round pens....maybe I can fish something up.

However, her words: " It sounds like when your horse got going and hit the end of the rope that he lost confidence and then either started avoiding it or fighting it."; really hit home with me. That makes total sense! That's why I didn't think it was play! He's avoiding and/or fighting the rope! I wish I could start him cantering at Liberty....another reason why we need a round pen or a fenced in arena. Gah! I'm having trouble staying motivated here!

Mrs. Miller is coming with Kat and Casey on Thursday to help me with him. Maybe we can make a breakthrough.

I finally got up the gumption to ask Linda Parelli herself about Buster's problem with circles. I went to her Parelli Connect wall, and this is what I wrote:

Hello Linda!

I've been working with Buster, my LBI, Quarter Horse gelding for a year. When we got him, he had little to no real training at all. I was just starting out with the Parelli program at the time, so we've kind of been learning together- as we go. We've both made a lot of progress since then, and we've both overcome a lot, confidence-wise. I know we're ready to pass levels 1/2 online, and level 2 Freestyle, with flying colors!- if we could just get over one more bump: circles.

Buster was perfectly fine with the circle game until we asked him to canter. He was on a 22' line, and had been doing nice, relaxed trotting circles for a few months before I asked him too, but when I did, he blew up (meaning, he started bucking and jerking the rope out of my hands). I went back to walking and trotting relaxed circles for a while, but the next time I asked him to canter, he did the same thing. He's gotten worse about it since- now, he won't even trot a circle, and he's not even completely relaxed at the walk. It doesn't help that I'm constantly worrying about what he'll do next. Our trust is completely shattered. My guess is that he's gone back into 'longeing mode', and I don't know how to bring him back out. I really don't think that what he's doing is play- it might have started out that way, but now it's progressed to something else, and I don't know how to handle it. There are no Parelli instructors in my area, and I'm getting to the end of my rope. I can tell that I'm getting frustrated with him, and I know that I can't do that. What should I do? Should I reprimand him? Mirror him? Change the subject? Any advice would be so greatly appreciated! :)


Hopefully she writes back!

My Photo Won!

I'm so happy!

A few weeks ago, I entered a photo of Cooper into a nation wide pet photo contest, hosted by Tails magazine.

AND MY PHOTO WON!!

I got the email last night! It made my otherwise bad day, really good! :D

Here's the picture:

















I can't remember what category I had entered him in...I think it was 'Photogenic Pets'. Either way, he'll have his picture featured in the magazine, and we'll also get a portrait of him drawn by Rockwell Moments ( http://www.rockwellmoments.com/index.aspx )!

Mah little puppeh ish famous! :D
Anyway...I'm really happy. I just had to celebrate...scream it to the world, you know? :P

Something Cool I Found...

Yay! This is similar to what we're doing with Lady (Miller) right now, but I'm going to try this tonight.

http://www.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/horse-training-tips-partial-disengagement-for-relaxation-while-riding/?utm_source=FBPNH_Wall&utm_medium=SM&utm_campaign=FBPNH

I'm teaching a horse clinic this week, and last night, I got to ride Lady for a few minutes after wards. It was the best ride I've had on her in a long time! Mrs. Graham has been playing with Lady a lot, and I think it's relaxing Lady, a little. Mrs. Graham just knows the basic seven games right now, and she still has trouble doing them sometimes, but I think going back to the bottom basics like that is good for Lady. of course, Lady can't stay there...she knows how to do much more advanced things...she just has trouble keeping her cool on- and so do I. But anyway, back to yesterday. Lady was extremely relaxed, which helped me to relax. We did lots of trot work and some fast figure eights, and neither of us got antsy! Yays! :D Hopefully, we do as good- if not better- tonight!

So Excited!!!

One hundred ninety-eight days until Horse and Soul!!!!

198!!!

http://shop.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/category.jsf?catId=177

Today's ride...

I rode Emmi today, at work. Dang it, I forgot just how much I love riding that mare!! She is so dependable and consistent. I love my Buster, but it's so nice to get on a consistent horse every once in a while!

Cyrus came with me, and I asked him if he would take some pictures of me while I rode. He was happy to oblige. I let him use Ernest, so he was stoked. And you know what? That little brother of mine took some pretty darn good cool pictures!!























Isn't she such a pretty mare? I've decided that she's a left brained extrovert.













Is this not the most amazing picture ever?? :O


















































He was just a little too far ahead for a series of pictures like this- otherwise they would've been perfect!! I think I'll let Boo take pictures more often. :P

Yay! Got to work Buster today!

Finally had a chance to get out and work Buster today! I wasn't expecting much, because it's been like, 2 months. Buster blew me away!! On the ground, he yoyo'ed over a pole at phase 1/very light phase 2!!!! I. Was. Stoked. Yoyo has really become his favorite game of all!

When I got on to ride, I had to get a little tougher with him. Two months off and he's gotten pretty darn stubborn again. I have to use a lot of direction on his head, and heavy leg aids. He's also gone stiff again. I worked on loosening him up and stretching him out, and started some easy releasing on simple things, to get him to want to play- not resist. He also was really 'lazy' today- it was about 85, so I guess part of it was the weather.

We gave both Lady and Red baths after we rode- they loved that!! They both stood really well, after they realized that they were going to cool off.

In other big news:

Katy and I are showing Buster and Lady this year!! We're working out getting a hold of tack and show clothes right now. I might possibly be able to use one of June's western saddles, if it fits Red, and Mr. Freet also has a saddle for Red, but it's a man's saddle so it might not fit me. Katy has either Mr. Wilson's English saddle or Mrs. Rosenthal's English saddle coming for her. We both want to do both styles, but this year we might be stuck with just one- which is actually okay, because I prefer western, and Katy prefers english. We're not sure yet whether or not we'll be able to use bitless bridles. As far as show apparel goes, we're going to up to Golden Horseshoe soon and check out what they have.

I am so excited for this summer!!

OH!
And we ordered our tickets for Parelli Horse and Soul!!!