Unstoppable!

Well, that's how I feel right now! Solo, Cavallo, and I have been making sooo much progress! It's really amazing and I am SO proud of both of them! I'll start with Cavallo!
Ever since I made the decision to just push riding out of the equation, he has improved tenfold! I've been working a lot on zone 3 driving, to simulate riding! The past couple of times, I was able to drop the carrot stick and do it! He is brilliant! Yesterday was the first time he really looked confident. He was blinking, licking and chewing, and looking at me like he really realized how much I care. I see so much hope for him and it really is heartwarming! His patterns are getting much better! We can now do a trotting figure 8 and weave with slack in the rope and lots of exuberance! (= YAY! At the end of our last session, I lined him up to the mounting block. He was very skeptical about it at first, so I remained passively persistent until he had a flash of confidence, and I released the pressure! Boy, what a difference! He came a little closer, and I gladly scratched his itchy spot, which is conveniantly on his back! Wahoo! I am falling in love with this guy! <3

Now for Solo, my ol' man (=
Well, he's doing great; we're doing great! When we're together, it feels like we're one and it's the best feeling ever! Impulsion isn't a problem anymore, he asks a billion questions, and is just the most amazing partner I could ever ask for! Our liberty is also better than I could ever imagine! As far as riding goes, I'm speechless. Ever since my clinic with Nita Jo, we've been having the rides I've always dreamed of! Right now we're working on the suspension rein, getting transitions snappier, and haunches in! He's doing really amazing, and I can't believe I've been honored with these two spectacular horses! (=
Savvy On!

I did it!

Well, the title says it all! I finally taped my Level 3 Liberty Audition and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to! I hope it passes because Solo and I's relationship really shines through! He was a complete goof ball and so animated it was a blast!! (=
Hopefully I'll have it up soon! I'm not too savvy with video editing and all that jazz! (=
Savvy On!

Progress, Progress, oh and MORE Progress! (=

Well, it's been a fantastic spring so far!!! Solo and I have made soooo much progress and are learning so much! It's almost overwhelming how proud I am of him!
For a while, our liberty was going downhill. I think because we hadn't played too much this winter, and then this spring I thought we could just hop right back into our usual liberty play, but that wasn't the case. So I decided I would just stop playing at liberty for a while and fix up our online and freestyle. Well, we were also struggling a tad during freestyle! Jeepers! I recently got some help from two things. 1.) The amazingly talented Nita Jo Rush.
2.) The Parelli Patterns.
Ever since starting the patterns, Solo has been so much more tuned in and enthusiastic about everything!!! He maintains gait at any gait, and asks a TON of questions! Oh man, horses really do teach humans! (=
Well, on Monday, I thought, what the heck, might as well try our liberty again! I went at it with a positive, fun attitude and guess what?! Our liberty was AMAZING!! Solo was so tuned in and we were dancing. It was the best feeling I've ever had! He was doing small circles at the trot and doing flying changes! Eeeek! He's so amazing I just love him soooo much! I'm thinking about taping my Level 3 Liberty, because we are so ready! (=
Savvy On!

My First Clinic!

On Saturday, I went to my first clinic! Well, actually, it was a workshop! It was with 4* Parelli Professional Nita Jo Rush! It was an amazing, fun-filled, positive learning experience! I learned a ton!
First off, Nita Jo told me that my stirrups were too short! YAY! That means that I'm developing a great seat! By the end of the day, I had lowered my stirrups 3 holes! WOW! It feels so good! Now, I'm leaning more towards a finesse seat when I ride, which is really exciting! So at the workshop, I worked on getting Solo's upward transitions really snappy! First, we did walk to trot, and instead of a jog, I wanted a TROT! I ended up getting a trot so big I could barely post to it! :D Next, we had to work on our whoa! Nita Jo told me that the reason Solo is downhill is because his downward transitions aren't fast enough, so he tumbles onto his forhand. We used a suspension rein to fix that, and by the end of the workshop, our downward transitions had definately improved! Lastly, we worked on haunches in. Solo really caught onto it! I was also informed that I am ready to begin finesse! All in all, it was a very positive and progressive day and I learned a lot of new and useful information! I'd like to thank Ms. Nita Jo Rush for all of the lovely advise and information! She is a wonderful, talented, sweet woman who I would love to keep working with!
Savvy On!