Play Day!

I played with Brizzee today for about an hour. It was GREAT!! She was curious, confident, and followed my SUGGESTION, most of the time. hehe. We had poles lined up so it was like an alley way. I was just walking around the arena, and would point to stuff and Brizzee went through the alley way, went between the cone, between me and the fence, she just went wherever I suggested for her to go.

She was a little confused about going over the poles and between the tires, but after we did somethig else and went back to it, she did it, and she got a reward afterwards. Then I tried to squeeze her between our pedastal and the fence, she was a little unconfident with that, so we just went to other things. She went Sideways really well. I think she was a little Left Brain Extrovert today! When we played Stick to me she kept trying to GO, that is really unusual for Brizzee.

Then, I lined her next to the fence and she backed up with me standing in Zone 4. I didn't even need to wiggle the rope, I just wiggled the stick in front of her and she backed up, that was really neat!! I even squatted down and massaged her legs, scratched her stomach, all kinds of things. Boy, she sure looked different from down there. lol.

She didn't offer to put her foot on the pedastal, so I just lifted it up and placed it on the pedastal, and then she kept her foot there, searching for food. She's so funny. But all in all, it was a GREAT day, especially from just being out there for an hour. I wanted to play with her some more, but the darn fog had to roll in, the wind came up, and the temperature dropped and it got really cold, so I decided to end with massaging her legs. My mom is at a Team Sorting today, so I was alone, but I was able to take some pictures.

She looks bored/tired. hehe.

Standing on the cement. Our place used to be a Dairy, so there's cement all over the place, and all kinds of weird things.

There's the nasty fog rolling in (now it's foggy all around). Brizzee stepped forward just as I snapped this...Oops. She's such a funny girl, but I'm so glad that she's MY GIRL. =)

Brizzee with her fot on our pedastal. She's searchign for food. My mom came up with the idea of putting a tire in a big semi trailer. It's not a fancy pedastal, but it works. Hopefully someday she'll OFFER to step up on it! And when she does that hopefully my mom will be around to take pictures.

So, that was our day. I have to go put Potatoes into the roast, yeah. I am so glad that today went really great! Brizzee really tried today, and I was very proud of her for that! Our friend (the one with the foal) went by when Brizzee was backing up with just the Carrot Stick while I was standing in Zone 4, and we weren't even next to a fence!! I'm hoping that he'll let me play with his foal this spring and summer!! Keep your fingers crossed. lol. Maybe, not this spring, but next spring maybe I'll be able to breed Brizzee, but not unless our partnership/relationship is strong!

Thanks for reading!

Savvy On,

~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~

Pictures

Okay, here are some pictures I took today. We didn't do anythign with the horses today. Instead, we were running around town and I got a natural herb for my horse's hooves for my Science Project. But, when we came back I was in the mood for taking pictures, so here's a few that I took today.

Simmer-On. This fall we put tarps on the sides of the pens as a little wind break thing. We keep the horses in the pens at night, and then let them out during the day.

That is our second corral or as we call it, the "Play Pen". You can see some of our toys down there. We squeeze the horses between that huge barrel and the wind break. With Brizzee I even back her through it.

And here is Brizzee, Ute, and Storm. As you can see, they are all searching for FOOD!

This is our "main" corral. And you can see the windbreak in the middle of it, and our play pen.

This is a Racoon print that I took a picture of this evening. It was right in our driveway, os that's kinda neat. I love the way the print looks. It's so neat. As you can tell, I'm a bit "outdoorsy".

Well, that's pretty much it.

Savvy On,

~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~

Went to the Arena today

I rode a little today! My mom and I took the horses up to an indoor Arena today. We took Brizzee and my mom's horse, Ute. Right after we got there my mom had to help a friend of hers in the kitchen, so I was alone playing with Brizzee. We had cones, a tarp, and a ball. Well, we weren't the only ones in the Arena, so meanless to say we didn't use any of that stuff. I started playing with Brizzee while Ute was tied up...meanless to say, that didn't go well at all. She didn't even try to do anythign I asked. She just wanted to be right next to Ute and as soon as I asked her to do anything (even near Ute), she'd refuse and we'd get into an argument.

It was a little nerve racking, but I was able to squeeze her between myself and Ute *hehe* and then we move aroudn the arena. Brizzee was kinda tense until we headed back for Ute. Course, there was a guy working his horse on the other side of the Arena and he was really getting after his horse.

We played all the Seven Games (around Ute...but it was slightly difficult) and then I got clueless. I had no idea what to do next! I mean, there was no obstacle, I couldn't really do anythign with her unless Ute was right there. Which that made me feel bummed because I was hoping that she would have enough faith in me as a leader now, but she did do better there then she has in the past, and she looked to me more, but she had to be right beside Ute.

I then just rubbed her, thinking about what to do. I went out to the trailer and got the saddle, saddled her up, and then practiced lateral flexion, hopping up and down, getting on her, getting off of her, all near Ute. I want her to learn that as soon as I get on her, we need to hurry up and just stand there. See, it used to be that as soon as you get on her, she'd go. So I'm trying to play with that. She was confident and everything after a few times of this (she wasn't that confident with the right side, but we'll play with it) I put my leg over.

We sat there for a few minutes and then she left Ute! That shocked me and then I just kinda went with her. I (big oops) didn't notice the nice little green haystack she was going towards. I noticed it right after we got there, so I turned her around and we started riding around the pen. Everything was fine. I asked for a trot and just as I asked for it the guy working his horse cracked the whip or whatever he was using. Brizzee went into a very fast trot and went right next to Ute. She would not listen to me AT ALL after that. That's when I called it quits.

We were there for a few hours, and this guy that was working his horse, had his children in the pick up, with NO HEAT on!! They were toddlers! It made me so mad! A while before we left he started the engine, and when he was back across the Arena he looked at me and you'll never guess what he said; "Who's teaching you the stick method?" I darn near laughed. Stick method?, I never heard of that before. I came so close to saying; "Why?" But I didn't. Instead, I just cleared my throat. "Pat Parelli," I was going to go on but he just kinda nodded his head and rolled his eyes. Oh, that made me FURIOUS. He's free to do whatever he wants with HIS horse, and I won't bother him, but that means that I should be free to do WHATEVER I want with MY HORSE!! He doesn't need to act that way!

I was mad...I have to admit though, he was doing some pretty interesting thigns with his horse, if you can look past the head tossing, tail swishing, chewing at the bit constantly, and acting up. But, anywho, that was pretty mcuh it. Here is a picture of her when we were getting ready to leave. She looked like a pack mule, lol. She's a bit stary eyed because he was getting after his horse again...I feel so sorry for those horses...and feel so helpless :(

OH, before we went to the Arena we groomed the horses. That went really well. As soon as we were out of their paddock, Brizzee was looking for F-O-O-D *hehe, that a Left Brain Introvert for you*, and then after she finsihed we played the circling game, and squeeze game betweent the trailer. I then tied her up and groomed her. I stood right behind her again, grooming her tail. I don't think I was even grooming it for a minute before she relaxed it. I am so proud of her!

She then had manure and crap on her legs, so I was grooming/massaging her back legs, and even picked one up. I felt so stupid. In my head I'm pretty sure that she's not going to kick me, but I'm arguing with myself worried that she will, but I don't think she will, so I'm arguing with myself. Anyways, I ask her to lift her back leg. She shifts her weight, just ever so slightly, so that she can lift it, and what do I do? Jump and go running backwards. Great leadership huh? I smacked myself on the head (kinda like those V8 commercials. hehe).

But, in the end I picked up her back hoof a total of three times and she was basically asleep, and her foot was very relaxed. And then we loaded her up and took her to the Arena. It's funny, if there's another horse in the trailer, you can't stop her from getting in there, but theren't no horse in the trailer, and you can't get her in there! Course, that was before we started Parelli. I can't wait until this snow, ice, wind, and COLD leaves so I can PLAY WITH MY HORSE!! Come on, WARM UP! lol.

I have a Science Project I have to do for a Science Fair...Ugh. I am not looking forward to that at all, but my project will be interesting! I am going to take pictures of Brizzee's hooves, Storm's hooves, and either's Simbo's, or Ute's hooves. Brizzee has been foundered from eating too much grass, and Storm has been foundered by eating too much grain (her orginal owner gave her two coffee cans full of grain TWICE a day). And Ute and Simbo's hooves are fine, except Simbo is a Mustang. So, I'm going to take pics of their hooves and explain about how they got foundered, etc.

My mom and I are going to go to a Natural Herbal/Remedy/supplement place and see if they have something for hooves about founder, and start her on something and explain her progress and how her hooves are changing, etc. Plus, hopefully our trimmer will be here to trim their hooves soon, so then I can document that. So, I'm a little excited about doing it, just not setting up and... *gulp* having it be judged and talking to the Judge. And most importantly, there will be PEOPLE there...Ahhh!

So anyways, I'm probably going to be posting a lot of hoof photos. lol. I hope that everyone is having a SAVVY journey so far!

"Horses don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - - Pat Parelli
"This is a dance, between horse and man." -- Mary Ann Kennedy

Savvy On,
~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~

Rode today!! :)

I rode Brizzee today...YEA!! It was great! We played the Seven games, especially the Porcupine and Driving Game. One of the horse's didn't eat all of their hay so Brizzee was a bit interested in that, but it went okay. We played the Circling Game and change of direction, which went really well. I jumped all around brizzee. I didn't plan to ride her, but she was so calm and left brain I decided to. So, I lead her over to the fence, leaned across her for a while, and got on her. It was great! But, as soon as I got on her she moved over to the gate and just stood there. Her head was down, her hind foot was cocked. She was totally relaxed. I didn't ask anything of her, I just let her stand there and I was just a person sitting on her back, doing nothing at all. It is so much easier (after you play with them on the ground) to just get on their backs instead of putting on a bridle, or tying the lead rope to the halter, or saddling them. You can just lead them over to the fence and away you go. It is so FUN!!

I miss playing with her! There's not enough hours in the day. I can't wait until all this cold weather and snow goes AWAY. Well, the snow isn't a problem, but the frozen ground and ice is.

I wish my mom was out there to take a pic. I was in my black coveralls (which those are now covered with white horse hair :) ), a face mask, a stocking cap over that, and real thick, heavy glooves on. I didn't get cold, so they did the trick! Plus, I was even listening to my mom's CD by Mary Anne Kennedy. It didn't bother Brizzee, or any of the other horses at all.

I am so glad and feel so lucky that I started the Parelli Natural Horse Man Ship program!! It has just been an amazing journey. If Brizzee's owner would see her now, he would probably think she is a completely different horse! And in a way, she is a different horse, but in a good way. In a "natural" way. I am so thankful to my dad for getting my partner, BRIZZEE (which her name used to be Breeze, but I changed it to Brizzee)!!

Savvy On,
~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~

PICTURES!!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted on here, everything has been pretty busy here lately. I don't really have much of an update. I haven't done a lot with Brizzee lately, except groom her and play some games every now and then, but that's pretty much it. This week is supposed to be pretty icky but I'm hoping it'll clear up soon and then I can play with her!! Here are some pics of some of our horses:



This is Maple. She is at least 38 years old if not more. My mom bought her from the sale in 2006...I think. A few months after we bought her we took her to get her teeth floated and her upper lip was tattoed. Oh, and in case you're wondering, she is a Thoroughbred. So we have an O-L-D, tatooed Thoroughbred. She is a sweet ole' girl, but TERRIFIED of the Carrot Stick.

Me riding Brizzee bareback with just the halter and lead rope.

Simbo (Simmer-On), my mom's Mustang standing on our tarp.

This is Sugar. My mom and I are playing with her. She belongs to one of our friends', but he doesn't have much time to do much with his horses, so we're playing with/teaching her. She's a four year old Quarter Horse. LBE/RBI

Little Buddy! He's our Bichone Frise` puppy.

Simbo walking over the tarp again. He was kinda LBE that day.

This is my mom with her MUSTANG, Simmer-On. He's up on our "pedastal". A "dangerous" mustang...lol. That's what so many people call him. But he doesn't really look that dangerous there though, does he?

Brizzee didn't step up there so I just lifted her foot onto it and then massaged her leg.

My mom and Simbo again. He's playing with our barrels. lol.

Brizzee. I just finished grooming her. I just looped the leadrope around the pannel, so she isn't really "tied". I usually just leave her free when I groom her, but my mom was playing with Simmer-On, and I didn't want to disturb them. All these pictures were taken on December 7th, by the way.SIMBO!! His head is pretty big, but it matches his horsenality. lol. He's a very "flashy" boy. He reminds me a little bit of Casper and how he shows off. :)

My German Shepherd cross, Kiah Dawg. I'm not sure how old she is. This was taken yesterday.

So, that's our horses. Again, there isn't much to update. I hope that everyone that reads this is having fun with their Journey!! Oh, I did finish one of my books. I started it on December 12th, and finished it a few days ago. I'm reading over it now and so far it is 240 some pages long. Computer pages. I'm also working on a Ranch/Horse/Romance book, a Vampire book, a Werewolf book, and a lot more horse books. I am very anxiously counting down the days until TWILIGHT the movie comes out!! I've read all four books in the series and can't wait for the movie!!

Savvy On,

~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~