Graduation

We all graduated from this course and got our diplomas. Everyone had their private talk with Rob and then we had cake. It has been an outstanding three weeks and my horsemanship has grown by heaps. I have met amazing people that I look forward to seeing down the road. It has given me a great insight to what the Parelli program is all about. It all makes so much sense now. I recommend this course to anyone who really wants to be great with horses. It takes some stamina but what it gives you in return is priceless. The Parelli program was born from the colt start process. Another layer has been pealed off and there will be many more to come. However, I'm leaning back to enjoy my own personal journey on this ship we so dearly call Horse-Man-Ship.  

Never ending self improvement

Hand over day

And it's pouring down rain!! The only day of rain since I got here and it had to be during this day?
Berin had put out a speaker and wrapped around a plastic bag for the rain. And just to spice it up they had put another big trailer and car on the playground. The horses were more then excited and the humans were nervous! The owners showed up and all of them were wearing big rain clothes and umbrellas. Talk about a real test of the friendly game!! We started on the ground and Berin guided us through every exercise we had been working on. The rain never stopped during the all day. We were all soaked to the teeth. Despite the circumstances everybody did a great job!

Prepare for the possible, the probable and the inevitable. 

Day 13

One more day before the hand over day. Rob took us out on the playground and we trotted and cantered around the place. Preparation is everything. Getting a little bit nervous about tomorrow. I keep on thinking I have forgot something. Going through the checklist and everything seems to be there. I'm talking behavior wise! However my horse is a real star and I will be sad putting her on the trailer tomorrow. Like Rob says, the hardest part about working with horses is to give them back to the owner. I will have to try to get used to that feeling.

Slow and right beats fast and wrong

Day 12

Continuing with mounting. Follow the rail and indirect and direct rein. It's beautiful weather every day and we need to put sunscreen all the time to not get burned up by the sun. If this is the Australian winter they don't have a lot to complain about! :)

Expect a lot accept a little

Day 11

Monday morning and we are in the week of reinforcement. We repeated the same patterns that we learned last week. My horse is a star and I really start to like her. She reminds me a lot about my own horse back home.

Trust that they respond but be ready to correct, not one more than the other