My Journey through Natural Horsemanship

My grandma got it for me as an early Christmas present! Thank you Manna!!!!! Well I just wanted to shout that out! Later I will post what I've been doing...
~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

Things that I need to work on~

ALL THE TIME, and for ALL 4 SAVVY'S:
1. Put the RELATIONSHIP 1ST ALL the time!!!
2. If things are goin' great QUIT! You know the old sayin' "Quit while your ahead" well apply it to horses:)!
3. Set things up for Success
4. BE INTERESTING!!!!!!
5. Make it a pleasant experience for all
6. Move on and not being such a perfectionist!
***7. Take the time it takes so it takes LESS time***
. HAVE FUN!!!

On Line:
1. Being more clear with my cues
2. Patience~ Not getting mad so quickly, and waiting, waiting, and a wee bit more waiting:)
3. Being more Assertive, not aggressive or a wimp
4. Being more organized
5. Being more imaginative
6. Act as if I don't have a rope on to prepare for Liberty
7. Set things up for Success
8. HAVE FUN!!!

Liberty:
1. Put the halter back on the 3rd time something goes wrong
2. Act as though I had the rope on
3. DO NOT PANIC/take it slowly, one baby step at a time if thats what it takes
4. HAVE FUN!!!

Freestyle:
1. Having an independent seat
2. Go slower and really take the time it takes and warm-up
3. BE INTERESTING!!!!!!
4. Patience~ SO not a God given gift at this time of life:D!
5. If things are goin' great QUIT! You know the old sayin' "Quit while your ahead" well apply it to horses:)!
6. Set things up for success
7. HAVE FUN!!!
And LOTS more that I just can't think of:)!

Finesse:
1. Be Fluid/Flow with the horse
2. Be your horses recreation, not its doom
3. Work on collection and sitting BACK
4. Stretch me and the horse before and after every lesson to prevent stiffness:)!
5. Do some TTouch with the horse to create body awareness and to relax the horse before and after each workout
6. Work on smoooooth transitions
7. Float my hands/imagine my hands are floating on a cloud at ALL times
8. "Melt" my arms during transitions
9. HAVE FUN!!!
10. TAKE THE NECESSARY TIME TO WARM UP

My Goals in Life

~To have an understanding of God's word~
~To do what God would want me to do with my life~
~To have a family when I grow up~
~To take in unwanted teenagers, mustangs on their 3rd strike, and rescue horses and turn their lives around (with God's help)~
~Becoming my own Natural Horsemanship trainer w/ DVD's and stuff at an affordable price:)~
~Owning a ranch.... With me as the trainer~
~To feel like I've done something worthwhile in my life~
~For my name to go down in History~
~Becoming the Best Horsewoman I can be~
~Not being so shy, be confident, and to be proud of myself~

Horse Quotes

With riding a horse we borrow freedom~Helen Thompson

Riding the art between you and the ground~Unknown

No Hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle~Winston Churchill

He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots
~Unknown

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horses ears~Arabian Proverb

Ah steeds, steeds, what steeds! Has the whirlwind a home in your manes? Is there a sensitive ear, alert as a flame, in your every fiber? Hearing the familiar song from above, all in one accord you strain your bronze chests and, hooves barely touching the ground, turn into strait lines cleaving the air, and all inspired God it rushes on~Nikolai V. Gogol

To ride a horse is to ride a sky~Unknown

There is no secret so close as between a rider and his horse~Robert Smith

A horse loves freedom and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open~Gerald Raferty

I bless the hoss from hoof to head-
From head to hoof, and tale to mane!-
I bless the hoss, as I have said,
From head to hoof, and back again
~James Whitcomb Riley

Horses lend us the wings we lack~Unknown

Gipsy Gold does not chink and glitter. It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark~Gypsies of Galaway

Horses-if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself.~Unknown

The horses paw and prance and neigh,
Fillies and colts like kittens play,
And dance and toss their rippled manes
Shining and soft like rippled skeins;...
~Oliver Wendell Holmes

A thousand horse and none to ride!-
With flowing tail and flying mane,
Wide nostrils never stretched by pain,
Mouths bloodless to the bit or rein,
And feet that iron never shod,
And flanks unscarred by spur or rod,
A thousand horse, the wild, the free
Like waves that follow over the sea,
Come thickly thundering on,...
~Lord Byron

We are a wild spirit like the wind,
Do not try to control us for we are more powerful and beautiful then you think,
We will always run free, we are full of power and love
We Are Wild Horses
~Slick Myster

When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air;the earth sings when he touches it;the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.~William Shakespeare

A canter is a cure for every evil.~Benjamin Disraeli

God forbid I should go to any Heaven in which there are no horses.~R.B.Cunninghame Graham

My horse's feet are as swift as rolling thunder
He carries me away from all my fears
And when the world threatens to fall asunder
His mane is there to wipe my tears
~Bonnie Lewis

She lifted the drooping muzzle with both hands... It was a special embrace saved for special occasions.~Jean M. Auel

Your Horse is a Gift

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter
of a few short years, a horse can teach a young girl
courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on
for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is
mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the
fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or
being publicly humiliated at a horse show is
an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be
grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a
computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it
requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the
couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break
the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose
responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and
drink heartily; we know we've made the right choice.
Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a
science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more
than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of
clean water. Others will test you - you'll struggle to
keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have
their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone
missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll
swear they're intentionally finding new ways to
injure themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know
that they have unique personalities. You'd expect
this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever
horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a
sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by
finding new ways to escape from the barn when you
least expect it.

Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic,
obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and
others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of
horses as there are people - which makes the whole
partnership thing all the more interesting.
If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume
it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend.
You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday, but
to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a
living being is far more complex than turning a key in
the ignition and putting the car or tractor in "drive."
In addition to listening to your instructor, your
horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a
good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program
and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear
he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps
he's fed up with how slowly you're learning his language.
Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to
challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider)
or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It all
depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all
about.

If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to
work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment,
and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You'll
discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal,
how little you know, and how much you have to learn.
And, while some people think the horse "does all the
work", you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally.
Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that
sitting on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven.
You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you
really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will
your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust?
The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When
it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment
brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding
between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with
absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.

If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our
lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our
over saturated schedules; balancing our need for
things equine with those of our households and
employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to
ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen
pleasures.

If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life
with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our
tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their
ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered
place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep,
someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some
of us need these reminders.

When you step back, it's not just about horses - it's about love, life,
and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a
foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there
is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a
life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life
cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that
caring for these animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is
more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways
our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy,
awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their
brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To
see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry
lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise
worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors
and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.
Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of
journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses
rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in
return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can
hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden
loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder
the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true
companion.

In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us
to our horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter?
We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the first place.

Author Unknown

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

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About Me

Million Dollar Friend Award~

Things that I need to work on~

My Goals in Life

Go to My Story (Slick Mysters blog)

Horse Quotes

People I look to!

Your Horse is a Gift