Update

Beth is currently running with the Welsh D stallion and has been since early July.

Prior to this she had a new saddle fitted a comfort Saddle and its amazing.

Standing to mount no problem and generally going a lot better and responding to the 7 games.

Introducing the Parelli Kit!!

Well with still being in between Dingwall & Caithness i'm not getting a regular parelli fix my my two......

This week I handed in my notice at work and by this time in March I will be in Caithness full time....woohooo first time since I left in 1999!

Anyway back to progress, firstly Beth got a new full set of shoes this week which she really needed as she was feeling it on her front feet without them, Finn managed a trim, he wasn't up for it to begin with but I had been practising lifting and holding his legs so he was a good bit better, but we did end up coaxing him with a little feed (probably totally un parelli - yikes).

Anyway we have managed to get up to lesson 4/5 in Level one introducing the tools, Beth took no time at all in accepting the carrot stick & savvy string, shes just such a different horse in the year I have had her. Both pre and post parelli. Tomorrow I hope to start the 7 games with Beth.

Finn on the other hand is totally unsure of the carrot stick and string, hes quite keen and inquisitive to sniff, nibble an biff it out the way but not at all interested in it rubbing his shoulders, even using reatreat approach, but tomorrow is a new day.

Maybe I should be focusing on the one horse but although Beth is very obliging and keen/quick to learn I really want to get Finn's education going as he will be 3 at end of March.

He has come on leaps and bounds since he came to me at end of December though!!

Not much to say tonight....just cant wait for the weekend!!

Sunday 10th Feb 2008

SoI have been reading my new Parelli friend - Shelley's blog....its totally inspiring and full of excellent stories and pictures..... must asipre to greater things with this blog

Today has been amazing......did the 30 min quiet time
with both horses this morning, and am just about to start on DVD 2 of
Level one.....getting used to the tools....halter, string & carrot
stick.....

Both horses showed similar behaviour in the quiet time, both coming to
me straight away for a nosey and a poke about then off to graze but
coming back once or twice for a bit of interaction...... Beth likes to
muzzle in at my neck and around my hair.....(must like herbal
essence...hah).......after watching the interpreting horse behaviour I
feel so emotional already....because when I listen to Linda talking
about horses not wanting to be caught and not really wanting to
interact with my owners for various reasons I am so delighted that
Beth always wants to come to me, she responds when I call her name
across the field she lifts her head when she hears my voice, she walks
towards me when I enter her field...... all this despite the fact this
this year has been a roller coaster with her various injuries and the
nature in which I took her on where just over a year ago she was deep
littered with several other horses in amoungst cattle in a byre,
totally being the bottom of the
hierarchy of the herd...... then
laterly when bring her back into work.... Pre Parelli...... she had
been bothered with her hip out of place but yet she still let me ride
her , jump her (to a point) and work with her when she was in pain,
only 6 weeks ago she would nip in her stable, spin on her hind
quarters etc.........but yet she still LOVES ME enough to come up to
me any time I am in her field and WANTS to speak to me - even though
there may be a chance I would still want to just get on her and see
how she would behave......(NOT THAT I WOULD DO THAT NOW)...... she has
the capability of being such a wonderful partner.....

Amazed!

I am now.....
L1S (<- I am SO proud to now be able to say that instead of pre Level one....)

8th February

One or two things to report tonight.........

I was in bed most of the week before last with the dreaded sick bug so despite getting my Level 1 parelli pack in the post I was unable to get started....... so tonight i've gotten stuck in - in the hope that tomorrow (Saturday) will be a nice day so I can get a wriggle on..... here's hoping......

Beth and Finn are both rugged up pretty well at the moment as its been pretty windy here in the North of Scotland , and Beth always looks pretty forlorn in her field if she's not cosy!!!

Since Kay McCarroll came to see to her back/hip she has been much more settled in herself and I feel is in a good place, head space wise, better than she ever has been, to start our Parelli journey!

It will now be a full year since Beth came into my life, its been a pretty hectic year with her having been out of work for so long, but lets hope 2008 has better aspirations than 2007.

Also apart from this last night I attended the North Highland College's even in class in Equine Management, its just the NC level but is pretty full on, already missed half of the first year but the tutor reckons I should be able to catch up with the work and the assesments, so week two - (next week) will result in me sitting a test.....great.....got to get clued up on wormers, infectious & contagious diseases amoungst others...... im quite excited about it...... hopefully this and my decision to join the school of Parelli will result in a much better horse WO man !!!

Only just starting to get used to this blogging so im looking forward also to looking back over my journeys...... just a shame I hadn't been using this facility more last year , but then I may have looked back at it realising how I should have done things SO differently for Beths sake.

Onwards & Upwards!!

29th January

Kay McCarroll , the McTimmoney practitioner has been to see Beth and found that her off hip was out of place, after manipulating it back in , Beth has almost immediatley become a happier, more level horse....not to mention pain free.... I hope!!!!

Only now she is a touch lame in her front feet after losing shoe.......ahhhhhhh well the challenge goes on......

Just waiting now on the farrier to come back - a new farrier - since we have moved - Margaret Norquoy from Orkney, seems a really fine lass, trained with Keith Hedley in Ross Shire.

Will be taking it easy, still waiting on L1 Parelli course arriving......

15th January 2008

Well I haven't managed to keep up this blog very well have I.....

Beth has now lost a lot of her weight and is back in Caithness now with her new stable mate Finn.

I am awaiting an appointment with a McTimmoney practitioner at the end of the month for further inspection of her back .........

I have also decided to order some Parelli kit and see if we can take a different approach to her training, she is an intelligent horse but with some remaining issues and i'd really like to see her come into herself?

xxx

13th September 2007

Beth finally got shod on the 11th September and so last night I was able to take her outfor a 45 min hack at walk only. My pal Ann walked with us along the first part along the old drove road up to towards Tulloch castle and then back down through a couple of fields and through the housing estate.

She was pretty well behaved and wasn't too hard to mount. I have now changed her bridle to include a grackle noseband and her bit is a copper snaffle with a lozenge in the joint which is great as it is easy on her mouth which is not over tight in the grackle. She rarely shook her head but was pretty spooked by most things but that should relax with work i hope.

I hope to take her out again tonight and with the foot and mouth I should have a bit more time for her over the next fortnight!!