Just gotta say...

I've just gotta say that Parelli is rocking my world!!!

I visited Fort Worth, Texas in early May for 5 days with some of the barn ladies for the Parelli Colt Starting Naturally event. Totally. Blew. My. Socks. Off.

It was a colt start - but done with Love, Language, and Leadership. The horses maintained their dignity. No one died (or even suffered devastating injury). The horses barely broke a sweat. And were following cows under saddle by the third day. Parelli WORKS people!!!

Needless to say, I came home all sorts of charged up to get things really rocking with Olliver.

And. Um. Not so much.

The weather's been crappy. Work really sucks. I've had a lot of pain. And did I mention, work really sucks??

Anyway, we'll get there. Olliver is still young - he's only 3. In the Friesian Sport Horse world, 3 is still a baby. We'll get there. When I think back to where we were a year ago, we've gone miles and miles. Honestly, the only thing holding us back is me. Stupid fear issues.

But I WILL GET OVER IT!!!!! I've got such wonderful, supportive friends at the barn...can't help but have faith that I'll break through those thresholds and emerge on the other side unscathed.

Anyway - Olliver is wonderful. The Girl has turned 17. And I need a new job.

J.

Just thinkin'...

So I'm sitting here at work, thinking about my horse. Yes, I know...they don't pay me to do that - but it's been another crappy day in the salt mines known as TWFMC and if I think about work I'll pop an aneurysm...so I'd rather think about happier things.

I'm listening to Pandora...and this song just came on...totally makes me think of my Boy and how I feel about him...especially since we've started doing Parelli and I now understand him so much better...

Iris (GooGoo Dolls)

And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
'Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah you'd bleed just to know you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am



So those of you that know the Parelli program will understand where I'm coming from when I say those lyrics took my breath away...I think I may have found the song for my audition video...

Have a good one..!!

J.

This is getting ridiculous...

One blog post in 2010. How ridiculous is that? Or is it more ridiculous just how busy I have been?? Seriously. Between work and Mikayla and Olliver - there is little time for blogging. Which is unfortunate, because I am supposed to be documenting all of the fun things we are doing.

2010 was filled with lots of firsts for Olliver. We went horse camping for a long weekend with our friends from Yennie's. He wore a saddle for the first time...and he "wore" me for the first time. How exciting is that??!!??

We've been playing the Parelli games and working the levels. I've self-assessed us at Level One and we're working on Level Two. He's doing great with some Liberty games in the indoor this winter. He just so much damn FUN! Parelli has been amazing. I've learned so many things - and also had a ton of ideas that always were bouncing around in my head reinforced. It's nice to find out that you weren't really crazy after all...tee hee!

I still won't be riding him much. I haven't measured him lately, but he's got to be around 16 hh now. So big. Hoping that he'll start to fill out more this year. I guess we'll see. Playing with him on the ground is still fun and challenging. I'm in no hurry. I'd rather let him grow and give his joints time to mature before I make him haul my fat ass around :) Besides, he has plenty of good boy lessons left to learn...

I won't promise that I'll blog more. I'll try to though...in the meantime, here are some pictures...I've always got some of those...

Funny How Time Flies...

Ten freakin' months...

Okay...it's been awhile...A LOT has happened. Around the time of my last update - some crazy stuff went down at my old barn. Suffice it to say, I got smart and got out. I found the most fantastic barn, where Olliver and I have happily moved into. Olliver is doing absolutely fantastic!

He's two now. A sassy two-year-old. Still smart as a whip. His personality has totally blossomed at the new barn. It's amazing what making a change like this can do - for both of us.

My new barn is full of super women (and a couple guys) and amazing horses. The place is run by a great couple. It's like a home-away-from-home for me.

Olliver's training has come a long way. I've started working the Parelli program with him. What a difference! I am complete believer in this system (more on this later).

Anyhooooo....now that I'm back on the blog, and feeling much better about life in general - I promise to blog more often and try to catch up on things.

Including how Olliver has grown :)

Clean Boy Parts....

Remember my last blog? Snow in October? Well, fast forward to today. Sunday, November 8th. It was 70 degrees. Sunny. Nice warm southernly breeze. Same as yesterday. September in November? Why not? We had December in October.

Since it was a beautiful day, and Ollie has been rubbing his gorgeous tail off by molesting his feed bucket, I decided today was the day to clean his Boy Parts. Yes. His Boy Parts. And yes, you do have to do that. How else do they get clean? He does not have opposable thumbs. Or fingers for that matter. And trust me, his boy parts get nasty, dirty, smelly, grungy, argh! Just gross.

So I loaded up with KY Jelly. Okay, it was the Shopko brand, but I honestly think The Boy didn't really care. That left over glove from my hair coloring (I only use one) and I got The Girl to give me an old pair of knee socks that she no longer wears, since I guess knee socks are no longer cool.
I set to work. Olliver kept giving this look. You know the look. Your significant other may have given it to you at some point in your relationship. That "what in the hell do you think you are doing down there." Followed by the, " step away from Mr. Winkie and I will forget you were down there" look. Followed by the, "Oh my, Mommy...whatever it is you are doing, it's ALL GOOD!"... I felt like I was molesting my son. He got the cross-eyed, lop-eared, goofy grin look. Okay....I think Mr. Winkie is clean and my mission is complete.

Anyway, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that this is a twice-a-year job. Not a weekly, monthly or even quarterly task. While far from being the worst thing I've ever done....well, let's just say there are other things I'd like to spend my time with The Boy doing.

And no, there are no pictures of my arm up to my elbow in Olliver's nether regions. Sorry to disappoint.