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[Dazzle]

Hey all!! My family (except my Dad) camped one night and rode one day on a wagon train last week. My sister and I took lots of pictures and I thought you'd all like to see them. Here is the link:

http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s307 ... in%202010/

We had lots of fun and were really proud of our horses for behaving and not having any rodeos like some of the others. There were at least 5 people that got dumped before we'd even gone a quarter of a mile! The rest of the ride went quite well, and we went a total of about 20 miles.

Then today we moved a bunch of cattle around and Dazzle did GREAT!! Even when we had to run to catch the front ones and turn them back the right direction. A lot of times she holds back thinking she needs to be behind them, but today she went right to the front without a problem!

Well, gotta get to bed! Going to the neighbor's to work cattle all day tomorrow, hopefully we don't get all wet!! We've been getting so much rain that our road has been flooded for about a month now!! It was rising again today and we had to pull the young horses out of their pasture because it was filling up with water! We parked vehicles out on the other side of the water tonight and so Sonya and I will have to ride Dazzle & Deago across the water to get to the trailer and go work the cows!

[Jerre]

A nice bennie about my new trimmer -- she's also an equine photographer! (She's the one who got such nice pix at the Karen Rohlf clinic.)

I don't know if you need to be on facebook to see these or not, but here's a look in still pix of our online audition. Still haven't seen the video.

http://www.facebook.com/jerre.redecker# ... 255&ref=mf

[Jessica P]

Nice pics Jerre! I'll bet your video is fabulous.

I got to ride Reba again on Sunday. We took a nice trail ride down the highway a ways and then along some dirt roads back home. She found some ponies along the way to linger over. She loves ponies. I also used my old saddle. It felt great. We didn't ride hard, but it didn't give her a sore back or cause that bump it used to cause on her back. I'm wondering if part of the problem before was the way I was riding. The whole balance point thing just wasn't working for me I'm afraid. But wow. Did it feel fabulous. The Parelli saddle gives me plenty of room and is comfy, but with my old saddle I remembered how it felt to feel like I was sticking with Reba no matter what and it felt good. I'm thinking I'll use my old saddle the next few rides to see if it makes any difference in our saddling anxiety. Sorta kicking around the idea of selling the Parelli saddle. We'll see. Sometimes I feel so bad for Reba for having to put up with my rather tardy response time when it comes to the need for change.

[Jessica P]

Sara - gorgeous pictures! Seriously. What an experience that must be. Loved it.

[Jerre]

*sigh* I just can't get myself to send in that audition. I think it would probably pass, but I see so many things I could do better. And, guess what? Some errors I thought Cleo made were actually caused by me!!! Looking at video is really quite wonderful.

I'm going to tweak my routine and move some obstacles for better camera angles, sloooooow down and SMILE!

I feel like I have some momentum though, so that's good.

[Janet from Vermont]

Jerre I bet your video is great!

My 3 year old was thinking of killing me tonight or as my husband said if she had wanted to she would have, but I got tired of her kicking towards my head and felt myself getting angry so i walked away. She screamed herself silly in the round pen before I came back to her all calmed down. Teenagers! I had to make myself utterly stone cold, then I put a halter on her and told her exactly where to put each foot and I was prepared to wait all night until she did it. Oh yes, the whole evening started with me actually wanting something from her. I wanted her to help me trim her feet. My idea was simply not her idea. She wanted....who knows. But I did not have her permission to touch her legs and she didn't have my permission to nibble on me so it all escalated.

Last week, I met the farrier who trimmed her feet before we bought her. He remember her very very well. I told him her feet looked great when we got her and someday when we had a week I would love to hear how he managed since she was a horror show. The worst he had ever had to deal with and now he is trying to manage her half sister and it is pretty terrible.

WHAT have I gotten myself into.

It all ended with her offering to pick up the requested leg perfectly while I sat on a chair and waited. She is grounded for the next month for sure.

[Willy (ON)]

Wow, Janet, she sounds like a challenge. Glad you persevered and got a win in the end.

Just in case anyone wants to see my pretty horse and the not-so-pretty me in action, here is the link to our L3 online audition, which transpired during our annual bootcamp last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLj9POqdeiQ

Had a longer post, but lost it, oh well!

Had fun at the Tom Curtin clinic 2 weekends ago. A few moments of brilliance at the best collected trot we ever had. Just think how great we could be if we rode every day for 2 or 3 hours, haha


Willy

[Jerre]

Please check out the new topic "We're on the move."

[Jerre]

Willy, good for you for capturing that on tape. She certainly looks nicely LBI on that day! Are you going to send it in? I loved her calmness with that very squeezy trailer and the teeter totter. As far as critiques, I would suggest getting farther to the end of your rope -- holding the popper in your hand more often. Pat emphasized that a lot at recent tour stops. I don't know if the assessors would want more energy or not -- I'm very curious to hear your feedback if you send it in.

I'm rehearsing my L3 online after seeing too much brace, some rope handling errors on my part and my Very. Grim. Face.

[Willy (ON)]

Hi Jerre

Thanks for the feedback - you are quite right!
I've always had trouble getting her off me, she wants to sit on my shoulder like a parrot. So it is actually a big improvement for us, although maybe not as much time at the popper end as there should be.
I also think we are heavy on the porcupine game that day although she is usually more light than that.
Her attitude was good and she jumped easily (that's a big advance too as she has been very resistant to jumping in the past). I also was quite emotionally fit and didn't freeze up and go stupid, haha.
I didn't intend her to go into the trailer the second time frontwards, but I was handling the rope and she took it as another send in. I thought it was cute!

So although it is not as good as we can be, I'm sending it in anyways for assessment. Will report on the PNH feedback when I get it.

Would love to see yours (either the current one or the new one you make). That's the first thing I ever put on Youtube and it was quite easy. However, it would have been impossible if I was still on dialup. I think it took about an hour to upload.

Willy

[Snickers]

Willy! You have a great squeeze game into the trailer, and a nice traveling circle game. You should have no problem with the audition.

[Willy (ON)]

Hi Lori
thanks for the feedback!

I've sent in my audition request to Parelli and looking forward to getting an assessment soon.

I watched it a couple more times and have been seeing the flaws, however, I still think we did ok overall, especially for us, haha

Next we will try to put together our L3 freestyle elements so we can tape that too.
Willy

[Snickers]

I don't think that I will be going on the new site very much. I really don't want to learn a whole knew system. I will keep up with you guys on Facebook who are on there. Best Wishes to everyone out there in their horse journey's! I will miss you guys...please look me up on Facebook if anyone new sets one of them up. I am there under my real name. Lori Whitman

[Colleen]

Loved your video Willi.

Nice to see you Lori. Just wanted to pop in here & say it's been a pleasure "knowing" you & your lovely horse. I don't have Facebook. I wish you all the BEST!

I did sign up for the new site, but haven't posted. I'm not sure I will be posting there or if I will stay a member long. So many avenues ( Lots of Parelli stuff available these days & tons of great blogs) to go to on the internet & only so much time do I want to spend on it.

I've really enjoyed the simplicity of this site & all of you here whom have taken the time to post & share so much of your journey. It's cool to think of what we all started so long ago when we started posting on Stephonie Burns site.

Warm Regards to All.
Happy Trails,
Colleen

[velvettouch]

Hey all! Well, I am signing up for the new site, for sure. Change is hard, but inevitable. Last time I posted here, it got a "general error" and it was lost. I really hope to see a lot of us on this group at the new Yahoo site. Savvy On!!! Thanks Joe and Maddrey for many years of great discussions!

[Jerre]

YAHOO UPDATE

We have 18 members, with a lot of the regulars from here. I know there are lots of social networking options now, but would encourage everyone to at least sign up and take the Daily Digest option. That will send 1 email a day to your inbox (or actually, 1 email per day or every 25 messages) and you can keep up with the discussions.

It's quite easy to create photo albums on the Yahoo site, if that's an incentive for anyone!

The link is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savvycirc ... =127393723

[cynthia peterson]

Hi to all. I am still checking in with you guys from time to time!

Sara, I see no trees on hills in your pics! Just what I expect the Dakotas to be like! I do think from time to time of still making it out there to see you after I visit my daughter on the Wisconsin/Mn border.

I am on facebook as Cyndy Peterson. My facebook pic (as there will be more then one Cyndy Peterson) is with a big smile and glasses. I have pics of Judy who used to post here, and I at a Brent Greaf clinic. We truly enjoyed it. He was in the Parelli program for a while. He worked with Ronnie Willis @ Parelli (seems Pat sent his colt starters off with Ronnie that were good) and Brent married a gal who he meant @ a Ray Hunt clinic that was doing Parelli. So you kinda' get a "two for one" at his Clinic. We liked that. They are the most open to questions clinicians I have ever been around. And we bombarded them questions! That's the way Judy and I "roll" (and my friend Betty who came up from TN to be with us at the clinic) Man, you really get your money's worth with Brent.

I am still riding. Went to a Dr Deb Bennett clinic last month too. She is exactly just like she is in her Forum. She's pretty smart. You really gotta' have your best game going--know your stuff every which way--to keep up with her and not get splattered. But, with age comes wisdom,-- and I survived and learned a bunch. To say Brent and Dr Deb's personalities (and style) are opposite would be putting it mildly.

Did any one here go to a Parelli Tour this year?

I also seen the new Parelli Apprentice show on RFDTV last night. It was very professionally done.