Urgle!!

Okay so I guess Photobucket doesn't want to cooperate right now and make my pictures smaller! Ill try this again some other time

Whoops!

Sorry those pictures were way too big! here's some smaller ones!
This one is my favorite picture of us!

Cavallo after our session! He's so handsome!!








There!

I felt like Pat and Magic!

I had the best best best session with Solo on Sunday!! It had warmed up and little and the snow melted big time!! Of course, with melted snow comes water and puddles EVERYWHERE, but we dealt with it! lol I got Solo and we made our way down to the arena, grazing on little grass patches along the way. once down there, we did some little things because I wanted to make sure the footing was alright to trot and canter! Lately he's been very extroverted! but i think that has something to do with the treats i bring with me! ;D So we did some things online including weaving, jumping, jumping half way, sidepassing, and all that stuff! Then I decided that long 45 foot ropes saturated in water and in turn saturating me, weren't necessary! So off came the halter and off we played at Liberty! He was AMAZING!! times 55445553! Yeah, that much! lol He was his usual goofy, silly, so full of attitude little self! we weaved, jumped, played stick to me (which was so awesome!) he was as light as hes ever been! then i thought, heck with it!, lets play circle game! So I sent him in a circle, and at first he kept coming back and checking in, but then I just make my send bigger, so his circle got a little bigger, but this was the first time he was able to make like four laps in our big arena at the trot without wandering away! He was doing so well I thought I'd ask for a canter! I knew my send didn't have to be big at all, so I brought my energy up and cantered in my body, and sure enough, he cantered! This was first outside of the round pen! I asked him in and he got the rest of his cookies and was a happy pony! Then I saw our mounting block and thought, "Hmm what would he do if i stepped up there?" so i did and he sidepassed over like PLEASE get on! So I slide on bareback and bridleless and we had a good 10 minute ride! here are some pictures!









That one is my new favorite picture of us!
and here's Cavallo after our session!

He's so handsome!!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Yes it stopped raining! AND it's sunny, AND I CAN SEE GRASS! I guess today has turned out to be a pretty good day after all! My mom and I are probably going to go out and play with our horses for a while in the yard where there's still snow so we don't ruin our grass! EEEK I'm so excited!
Savvy On!

Yuckie Weather And An Impatient Girl

The weather here hasn't been the best. It's been damp and moist and today it started misting. I think it's going to rain tomorrow. Well, the upside of that is that some of the snow will be gone! I really want the snow to melt, 1. because that means that it's warmer outside! and 2. because I'm sick and tired of trudging through the snow to play with my horse! At least I'm getting a lot of time to make some goals and things I need to work on. Well I really don't have much to write about..other than the fact that I can't stop thinking about my horses and how much I love them and how badly I wanna play!!
Savvy On!

I'm lovin' it!

Today was finally a day I could play with Solo! I hate winters in WI!! I had 11:00 release today from school because it was the last day of finals (hope I will get straight A's again this quarter!!) and the last day of the semester. So I came home and went outside with Solo. Well where do I start?! He was FABULOUS!! Right from the start, he was SO exuberant!! Usually, that takes some motivation...hmm maybe he could smell his cookies in my pocket! ;p We play with circle game and transitions with the carrot stick. WOW! He is getting so responsive and light!! It's so awesome!! He can canter on a 12 foot line now it's just crazy! He's become so flexible and his topline has gotten so strong in the last six months! After circle we play with some cutting. We're trying to get it snappier so it actually looks like cutting. LOL Next, we did some long lining which was really good! We started with a tight weave at the walk, which was pretty much flawless, then I make it bigger and we trotted it. He did so well! I'm so proud of him! After that, we went in the round pen and did some liberty. We played some stick to me, which was awesome! Then we worked on our draw. After that, we played circle game, which was hilarious!! He started circling really big, but the snow was really deep around the edges, so he started circling closer and closer and closer til his sides were practically on mine! He was so cute! Then I asked him to canter for a few laps then asked for a flying change which was beautiful! The next time I asked him in we did some cutting because he he had so much momentum! Then I brought two barrels in there and did some jumping and all that fun stuff! Then I got on and we rode completely bareback AND bridleless! Usually I have a string and stick but I didn't feel like it this time! LOL The suprising part was that he was better than when I have my saddle and bridle on. I had so much fun! And I can't wait to film my Level 3 Liberty! EEEK!
Savvy On!!

SO EXCITED!!!!

I can't believe it!! I'm literally still in shock.
Today I rode, we actually sat on, Cavallo for the first time!!! When we were playing, Pat's saying, "Does this horse look rideable?" Kept running through my head. The more I looked at him, the more i thought, HECK YES he does!!! He knows how to give to pressure, does all the games with Level 2 quality, and does lateral flexion on the ground from both sides, and backs up from zone 3! I took him in the barn to saddle up, and then we went into the round pen. First I just lined him up and stood there and watched my mom ride her horse Mandala (she got her the same time I got Cavallo, and was in the same situation, but instead of being used for dressage, she was being used for a therapeutic riding center) for a while. When she was done, she came over and loosely held Cavallo's leadrope while I stood in the stirrup a few times to ask for permission (and I was a little nervous!) Finally my mom said, "Just get on him! He's pretty much falling asleep waiting for you to get on!" So I got on him and he just stood still! Mind you, I'm not very graceful at mounting! My foot brushed his butt, but had no affect on him! So I sat on him for about 5 minutes, then got off, and went back to the barn and unsaddled him!!! The whole time he was licking and chewing! I think I blew his mind!! YAY!! I'm so proud of him, and me! This was the biggest hurdle I've ever had to jump!
Savvy On!

Thinking Back

Wow! I know I've already posted about 2010, but man I have such a good feeling that this year is going to be great!
Thinking about to about a year ago, wow have Solo and I improved! A year ago, we had only officially passed the old Level 1. We had no performance experience, and I really wasn't advancing. Now, we've performed twice, once at the Parelli Celebrations in Madison, and I did a demo at the Holistic Horse Fair at The Horse First Farms. We have officially passed Level 3 Online (and we plan on sending the rest in once this darn snow melts!!) and we are progressing everyday! Solo is coming more and more out of his little RBI shell more and more everyday, and instead of a shrinking violet, he's a blossoming flower. He's such an amazing horse, with so much wisdom and patience. He's an excellent teacher, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

Last year, I didn't really have much experience with other horsenalities or horses for that matter. I only really played with Solo, so I only had experience with an RBI.
I now have another horse who is quite challenging (LBE/RBI) and he is teaching me so much!!

I feel like this year only has room for improvement! I'm so excited and I feel renewed!
Well that's all for now!
Savvy On!

Thinkin Back

Licking and Chewing

Today I had an outstanding session with Cavallo!!! I feel like I'm really starting to build a great relationship with him! Here's how our session went:
I brought him out behind the barn where theres not so much snow. I opened the "gate" to our round pen so it sort of resembled trailer loading. We just stood there for a while while he sniffed everything, then I just play some friendly game with him. I slid the string off of his back and he walked right into the round pen! YES! He's so smart!! Then I asked him back out and gave him a rub. Next we went over to our "pedestal" (it's the base to a basketball hoop that broke) and I just stood there and let him have his own fun with it. He pawed it and stomped it and licked it...then looked at me like 'okay im done, what would you like?' So I asked him to step on it, but it was wayy to slippery for him to stand on so when he just rested one hoof on it, I asked him off. Then I had him walk over it both ways. Next we play some driving game and I drove his HQ and FH to different things for him to touch. He really enjoyed it! Then we played with some sideways at the trot! He's amazing at sideways!!
After that, we played with some circle game on the 45 foot. He was much happier on the 45 foot! He had so much more drift so he could leap around. I asked him to trot until there wasn't any tension in the line, and then I brought him in. Next, I asked him to canter, which was beautiful!! After all that, we just spent some UDT together. He started yawning and got all relaxed, which is really great to see! I can't believe how much more relaxed he's gotten since he's been in my ownership. He tends to suck on his bottom lip, which makes his mouth look really small. It's a really great indicator when his mouth gets longer, because I know he's relaxing.
The reason I named this post licking and chewing is because I have never had a horse lick and chew so much in my life. When I first got him, he had that secretive RBI lick where he doesn't show any tongue, but now he does an LBE lick with a ton of tongue!! I LOVE IT!!
It's so amazing watching him grow and learn. He's gonna be such an amazing horse!!
Savvy On!!

I've Had Some Time To Think

Since it's been so friggen cold out, I really haven't been able to do much with my horses lately. To fill my emptiness, I've been doing a lot of reading on the Savvy Forum, and in the Savvy Club Vault. I now have more ideas to work on..little things that don't require warm weather. One thing I want to work on is bowing. Another thing is mounting from the neck! I'm horrible at mounting from the ground.
I've also been thinking about my relationship with Solo, and what's missing. I've realized that yes, we do have an exceptional relationship, but I've been rushing things. I need to slow down again and stop making my goal that darn green string. I'll get that when I'm ready...actually...when Solo is ready. I've been getting kind of task oriented...I hate when I get like that! So I've decided to just have fun and live in the moment...hey! like my horses! I should really listen to their advice more often. =)
Well, that's all I have for now.
Savvy On!
Molly and Solo