Opal Lake
Just the name of this trail makes you want to go there. I googled the area and this is what I found: A portion of the trail is steep before it traverses an open meadow to the lake. Groves of large aspen line the trail and several beaver dams can be seen in the area. The lake is bordered by wooded hillsides and a sheer mountain face. Minerals deposited at the inlet of the lake give it its milky color. I had heard about it earlier this year and have been wanting to go ever since, so today I planned a hike with the puppies and I was not disappointed. It’s quite a drive to get up to the trail head and then a short hike to the lake (about 2 miles), but it was beautiful. Near the beginning of the hike I came across a small pond. It was blanketed with green algae...
Read MoreAugust Fast Track – Week 4
At the beginning of the week Linda was gracious enough to find time in her busy schedule to meet with the Fast Track and Flex Track groups. The floor was open for questions and the first topic was about ‘Zero Brace‘, a topic she recently blogged about. The theory goes like this: “Give your horse nothing to brace against, If they want to go a certain way say sure, great idea. They want to speed up or slow down, great let’s do it. Eventually they’ll start asking questions causing your idea to become their idea.” It’s a brilliant concept and it causes your horse to never feel wrong. Linda also talked about a horse that comes to you with their ears pinned back. “They are driving you she said. Send them back out and wait...
Read MoreAugust Fast Track – Week 3
Wow what a week this was. A lot of our focus was on Finesse, something that I haven’t done a lot of but have wanted to do with Sienna. We learned that a fluid rein can encourage your horse to stretch their backs, lengthen their stride and become confident in zone one. It was amazing to watch Sienna react and stretch as we tried this technique. We hadn’t done a lot of riding with a bit and I feel as if the fluid rein helped her adjust really well to having a bit in her mouth. We learned and practiced haunches in, haunches out, shoulder in and leg yields. When Pat talks about foundation before specialization I get it. Everything we have been doing before and during this Fast Track is building on her foundation and when you start asking for more like...
Read MoreAugust Fast Track – Week 2
Each week we are learning so much, but the common theme that keeps appearing is ‘Make a Game out of it’. By making a game of everything you can cause your idea to become your horses idea and make them feel like a winner in the process. When I started the fast track I thought I wasn’t provocative enough to come up with games to play, but I was over thinking things, It really doesn’t take much to get a change in your horse and have it be a positive experience. Walk-Canter transitions are a particular struggle for Sienna and I. She goes into a really fast trot and then will either take one or two steps at the canter or go back down to a walk. On Friday we were doing focus circles and I watched Ryan coach someone else with the same problem....
Read MoreAugust Fast Track – Week 1
The seven games are the foundation for everything that you do with your horse. I have heard this many times before but this week has caused me to really think about this. What I see in myself is that I might be a little guilty of ‘doing’ the seven games rather than ‘playing’ the seven games. It’s all about having a conversation with your horse. Don’t just pick up the lead rope and wiggle your carrot stick. Get your horses attention and ask them if they are ready. You will build rapport with your horse much faster and be surprised at how much they offer in return. Ryan talked a lot about being puzzle solvers, (something I need to work on) and making a game out of everything. When we first arrived on campus. Sienna’s...
Read MoreFast Track, August 2011
As I sit here preparing my tack for the upcoming Fast Track that starts tomorrow, I can hardly believe that check in day is almost here. For the past two weeks I have been studying like crazy, memorizing the 8 Principals, 7 Keys, 10 Qualities, Horsenalities, etc. I’ve had a whole year to study and I kept finding myself saying: “I’ll get started next month”. The thing is, I think I’m more prepared than I give myself credit for and whereas the Fast Track is the first step to becoming a Parelli Professional, for me I’m here to advance my horsemanship. I got started with Parelli back in 2002. I didn’t have a horse of my own so I went from barn to barn in Las Vegas where I was living at the time, to ask if there were any horses...
Read MoreThe Great Golden Retriever Round Up
What can I say, when you live in a place like Pagosa Springs, you never know what kind of activities will be planned for this small community of about 1500 people, just take a look at the Pagosa Chamber of Commerce calendar of events and you’ll get a feel for what I mean. So when I saw that there was going to be a Great Golden Retriever Round Up, how could I not consider taking Sophie and Milo along. The festivities started on the Friday night with a registration and BBQ at the Pagosa Lodge. The courtyard was the perfect place to host 50+ rambunctious and playful canine creatures. Each dog received a goody bag with treats, toys and entry numbers ready for Saturday’s activities. Local photographer Jeff Laydon was on hand to capture the evenings events....
Read MoreAbout Me
I consider myself very fortunate to have landed my dream job at Parelli Natural Horsemanship right here in beautiful Pagosa Springs, CO. I'm a dedicated Parelli Student and work at Parelli Central with an amazing team of people.