PNH BLOG CHALLENGE
Day 1-How did you find PNH
Hope was at the time an extreme RBE/LBE and we had her at a friend's house. This woman was actually Teresa, who took Cherish and I on a trail ride about a week ago. We weren't finding any answers and Hope wasn't improving at all. She let us borrow her Parelli Level 1 set and we couldn't go back from there. We knew it was the right thing to do and Hope has now improved dramatically. She is very mild and calm now, and very happy with Natural Horsemanship. I can't ever go back to treating horses normally.
Day 2-What is your favorite savvy and why
Even though I haven't gotten very far with it, I love to play with the horses at Liberty. I also love the Horsenalities savvy arrow that I have because I have used it literally everywhere I go.
Day 3-What is your partners favorite game
Cherish has recently decided that she loves to play the Stick to Me game, but we also enjoy the other various games.
Day 4-One BFO (blinding flash of the obvious) moment you've had
Oh wow.... Hmm... Probably when I finally realized that I was being too direct lined and even though I always used Phase 1, was still WAY too "loud" for my RBI. Everything that I did, I thought I was being so light, but to Cherish it was like I was SCREAMING at her.
Day 5-What is your favorite DVD, Celebration, Tour Stop etc..etc…moment
I love to watch the Live Celebration DVD. I also really liked the Liberty and Horse Behavior set too. I haven't actually been to any Celebrations or Tour Stops.
Day 6- What is your dream with your horse
My dream is to have Cherish to be connected enough to me that I can ride her on an Endurance ride bridle less.
For Hope, I want to be confident enough to ride her at back up, halt, walk, trot, and canter in Freestyle. The past that I have had with Hope has definitely influenced our present. She is the only horse I still have confidence issues with when riding.
For Finale, I want to have her trust me and care about me enough to play at Liberty in a pasture and not have her leave.
Day 7-A time you turned a moment of frustration into a moment of "Hmm How Interesting?"
Cherish used to go explosive every time I played the Circling Game with her. One day, I thought "Hmm... How interesting." When I finally started to use more neutral and make it more fun with obstacles and traveling circles, she improved dramatically.
Day 8-What is your horsenality, what is your partners horsenality and how do you make them work together
My personality is actually RBI/LBI innate. If you look at the RB/LB characteristics of the human brain, one side is analytical and the other is artistic. I have both. Cherish is a RBI who can switch to any of the other three horsenalities very quickly. We actually go together very wonderfully. Hope is an innate RBE with some learned LBI tendencies. This has been an interesting mix and has definitely taken more savvy on my part. Finale is a LBE with learned RBI tendencies. She is fun to play with and I am able to let my "fun" side shine. I am able to get really hyped up and creative with her, but also have to withdraw at times.
Day 9-A moment you have had with your partner that would not have been possible without PNH
Plenty. With Hope, I am able to play with her for hours at all the gaits. Before I couldn't even lead her at a walk on a six foot lead rope. She was terrified of two things: Everything that moved and everything that didn't.
When I got Cherish, I couldn't even come near her in the stall, much less the pasture. In the stall she threatened to kick (out of fear) every time, in the pasture she would just walk away. She learned the seven games fairly quickly but I had to go very slow because she would explode at any moment if you did just the wrong thing. She has definitely taught me to be light and neutral- two things that I never had before. She only knew how to be ridden by kicking to GO and I mean GO, pulling really hard to whoa, and neck reining her to turn. I had to teach her all of the new aids... I have ridden her bridle less several times (in the pasture), taken her on a trail ride (where she did wonderful and even impressed the endurance people who I was riding with), played with her at Liberty, and gotten really far On Line.
With Finale, simply getting her out of the pasture and home safely would have been impossible if it weren't for our savvy. We have had some good times On Line, but we still aren't very far with her thanks to the wonderful winter land weather we have been getting.
Day 10-Post your favorite picture of you and your partner and write about it
Day 11-Pat and Linda don't where a helmet….do you? Why or Why Not?
I always wear a helmet because I know what can happen to someone when you don't. I have had many falls in the past, but one in particular that most likely would have caused brain damages if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.
Day 12-Your favorite horsenality to play with and why?
I love to play with all of the horsenality. It is probably a little biased to say that I love playing with RBIs because of Cherish. I also love to play with LBIs, which I found out recently. It's a great puzzle to solve and once you get to their mind, it is really easy to get to their feet.
Day 13-Post a video (could be an audition) of you playing with your horse
I actually do not have one.
Day 14-What PNH tools, clothing, tack etc. do you own?
I have a RBI T-shirt- "Be gentle with me." I also have three 12' lines, a 22' line, 9' foal handling and get down string, 9' tie line, plenty of savvy strings, three Carrot Sticks, two Cradle Bridles with two C2 bits (for Hope and Cherish), three 9' Finesse reins, a Confidence Bit, a Sweet Iron Snaffle Bit, and so many DVD sets, SC DVDs, SC Audio CDs, and Savvy Times... I can't even count.
Day 15-How is PNH perceived where you live, board or ride at?
We have our horses in our backyard, so our barn is a PNH only barn. Any horse that steps foot here will be treated with savvy, love, language, leadership, and lightness, and any person that steps foot here must at least be kind to the horses- if they don't know how to be savvy.
Day 16-What is the most challenging horsenality for you to work with?
Definitely the RBE horse.
Day 17-What is your favorite game
I love to play all of the games...
Day 18-A time you have seen Pat & Linda live. If you have not seem them live would you like to, what do you think it would be like?
I have not seen them live. If I saw them on the street, it wouldn't be too big of a deal because I'm not the type of person who gets really "celebrity oriented". If I saw them playing with their horses, now that would be cool. I love to watch people being Natural with horses and the more chances I get to see it, the more I enjoy it.
Day 19-A time you were able to help a "normal" horse or horseman using PNH
A friend in Mississippi was having problems working with and riding her Arabian/Appaloosa cross. This horse was a LBI with some learned RBI tendencies. I had that horse doing some Level 3 things for me On Line within fifteen or thirty minutes, and we must have played for a couple hours. When I rode her, she was very LBI but I had her doing everything for me that I asked her to.
Day 20-A PNH clinic or lesson that was inspirational. If you have not been to a clinic or had a lesson what educational material has been particularly inspiring
I love to watch all of the materials that we have. They have all helped me at different times. We have a great PNH library.
Day 21-Criticism you have about the PNH program
There is the problem of prices. It tends to be pretty expensive and even when they said that they would drop the prices, it didn't really seem like it. All it did was shush the public. I would love to see them making their courses more affordable because as of right now it seems I will never be able to afford it.
Day 22-How do you explain PNH when people ask what you are doing with your horse
It depends upon the person. I have to treat different people differently- there are some people who want to hear about the dream, some who want to hear about the systems and levels, some who want to hear about the different horsenalities, some who want to hear how far you can go, and some who want to hear about my personal experience. You have to treat each person differently.
Day 23-SADDLING: do you use the PNH saddle and/or theraflex pad if not what do you ride in and what does your horse think of it
I do not, but I do use a barefoot saddle and barefoot saddle pad. Because this saddle was designed to morph to the horse's back, my girls absolutely love this saddle and so has any other horse that I have ridden in it.
Day 24-A time PNH made things harder for you and your horse
Everything is so much easier in the long run. It may have taken more effort and time from myself but it was all so worth it.
Day 25-What is the most challenging aspect of your relationship with your horse
Cherish will still switch to the other three horsenalities frequently and I think that she will continue to. I have to morph myself and make myself flexible to deal with each horsenality that she shows. I have to be so very light because if I suggest too much, in the wrong way, or with too much pressure she switches on me.
Day 26-What is your favorite obstacle to play with
I love creating things out of different obstacles. For example, we have drainage pipes left over from building our house. I put each end of the drainage pipe (probably 12' long when stretched out?) on a different cone and made a squeeze game out of it.
Day 27-A time you have impressed someone with your PNH skills
Just recently, when Cherish did so wonderful on her first trail ride.
Day 28-Love, Language, Leadership: what is the easiest for you and what is the most challenging
When I was starting out, language was the hardest for me to display. I would not say that any of these are challenging for me now.
Day 29-If you could ride one of Pat or Linda's horses which one would it be and why?
To tell the truth, I don't think I would want to ride Pat or Linda's horses. I would not be a partner to this horse, nor would I be used to its horsenality. Why ride a horse that is a stranger to you?
Day 30-What have you learned about yourself since you have started doing PNH
I have learned a lot about myself... Especially with how nervous I can get. I have also learned how to control my direct lined and more dominant behaviors around people. I am two extremes- I used to be either way too assertive and argumentative, or be too timid and give in very easily. I have learned how to balance out my personality more now... But have kept the good things, like insight, very extreme.
ORIGINAL EQUESTRIAN BLOG CHALLENGE
Day 01- When and why you started riding
I started taking riding lessons when I was four years old. I was always begging for riding lessons, always begging to pet a horse, always begging to go and have a pony ride. I was bitten by the horse bug at birth...
Day 02- The last time you rode a horse and what you did
I rode Cherish on the trail ride. I left the reins on her withers just in case (riding her in the Cradle Bridle) and had the savvy string around her neck. I was using my legs, seat, and energy most of the time. I only had to use the reins a few times when we got near the roads and then when we had to go underneath a tunnel bridge with traffic above.
Day 03- A video of your best riding
Once again, I have no videos.
Day 04- A ride that impacted your life
The first time I rode a horse after I lost all of my confidence- on the same horse that had originally taught me to ride. He had carried me with caution then and carried me with caution again when I was beginning to take steps to gain back my confidence. He died when I had gained just enough confidence to go on and be around other horses.
Day 05- Your first fall
I really can't remember.
Day 06- All the tack and riding clothes you have (brand/color/other details)
Oh, I don't know. I have a lot of Parelli stuff. We have an HDR saddle but never use it because it doesn't fit our girls. I wear Kerrets Jodphurs when I wear jodphurs. Usually, now, I just wear jeans with half chaps.
Day 07- Your favorite ribbon won at a show and why
The Champion ribbon that I got at the Harmon Hopefuls show- it wasn't a big show and for most people was a "practice" or "training" show, but I really enjoyed myself.
Day 08- A little about the barn/stable you ride at
I ride and play with our horses at home. We are all natural here and only have ourselves. We don't have any boarders, but friends are welcome when we invite them to play. We have a four stall barn that I designed, a small-ish arena, two pastures that are each about four and a half acres, and are getting our playground put together in the backfield that we have. We also have a forest of pine trees that we are hoping to thin out in a few years so that we can ride through it.
Day 09- Any injuries that occurred from riding
I never got any outward injuries, but I did get a concussion.
Day 10- How your family/friends feel about your riding
I think it has scared my dad ever since I started. My mom loves it because she can play and ride with me- she also loves horses and plays with Finale and Hope all the time. My friends are okay with it, some of them think it's cool. I have a couple friends who have horses- one that is natural and one that isn't. They both think that it is really cool that I have the relationship that I do with my horses.
Day 11- Find a horse for sale online that you would want to buy
I would love to be able to have a foal at some point, imprint on it, and eventually take it into competitions. This would probably be later in life because we don't have the set up that I would want for the foal here. The foal would most likely be a Canadian Warmblood, Irish Sport Horse, or otherwise Warmblood/Arabian cross. I would also love to rescue horses, and am hoping to be able to rescue a horse before I leave for college. I will most likely rescue an Arabian because they are one of my favorite breeds.
Day 12- Favorite horse color
I started writing them but realized that I was about to write all of the colors of horses on here. The only ones I really don't care for are the lighter duns/buckskins or the pintos with the large, round spots.
Day 13- A video of your worst riding
Once again- no videos.
Day 14- Your dream barn/farm
I wrote about it in the last post.
Day 15- If you could speak to any horse, dead or alive, what would you say?
I wouldn't. That's the beauty of horses- you don't have to use your words.
Day 16- Your most recent fall
The last time I fell was pre-Parelli. I am so fluid on a horse that I usually don't fall off, but most of the time I realize the warning signs and deal with it before it gets too bad.
Day 17- Your equestrian idol
I don't have an idol.
Day 18- Your grooming routine
The horse doesn't care about a routine. I don't either. I do groom them usually every other day though.
Day 19- A discipline you would like to do that you’ve never done before
Reining seems fun, and I would love to try Endurance. I would also love to get back into Dressage and Jumping, but I guess that doesn't count because I've done/started that before.
Day 20- Your favorite horse show
I don't know.
Day 21- Your perfect schooling outfit
Haha.
Day 22- The importance of riding in your life
The importance of horses and the partnership I share with them is far beyond the importance of riding.
Day 23- Critique a famous/well known equestrian’s jumping round of your choosing
No thanks.
Day 24- Your best riding friend
I enjoy riding with different people because each experience is different.
Day 25- Your dream trailer
I would love to have a trailer that you could change the angle of the slant so that the horse wasn't always falling on one shoulder. I would also love to be able to have a trailer where the horses were loaded backwards, because they would prefer to be either sideways or backwards.
Day 26- Biggest riding pet peeve
When people bounce all over the horses back, pull on their mouths too much, have all these gadgets to tie the horse's head down, etc, etc.
Day 27- You know your an equestrian when….. (Give 5 original ones)
You come in with hair on your seat, you have more saddle leather cleaner than Windex, you pass up friends for riding days, you find yourself thinking about the newest challenge you have with your horse and how you're going to go about it while in Biology class...
Day 28- Helmet or no helmet?
Helmet.
Day 29- A style/trend in tack/riding appearal that you don’t like
Shiny sequins ALL OVER the western shirts, with the shiny half chaps, giant red lips, red cheeks, shiny blue eye liner, colored saddles... ugh.
Day 30- Your Future With Horses
Wherever I want it to go. [:
4 comments:
Wow! I'm impressed. A 30 day blog challenge in one day and both versions, too. Very cool!
Petra Christensen
Parelli 2Star Junior Instructor
Parelli Central
So technically its a 60-day challenge! lol
Very fun to read! I'm answering all mine right now as well - I'm too excited about all the things the survey brings to mind to wait 30 days to share it all!! :) Excited to have found your bloglink on the SC! :)
Thanks Samantha! I will have to look at your blog too.
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