Yesterday I was at the barn for two hours in the morning doing chores and then back out there from noon until 7 p.m. for lessons. Keil Bay had the day off due to his eye, so Apache Moon and Cody were in the line-up for the afternoon.
The wonderful thing about these lessons is that Marlis conducts them like a clinic so that we get information even when we're on the sidelines watching. We're working on softness in the bridle and helping the horses to find their own places of comfort with the bit.
Apache was experiencing some "pony" issues, but as usual, my daughter and Marlis worked through that quietly and competently. Every time I see this process, it has a bigger impact on me. Marlis advocates "letting the horse have the argument with himself" and this approach really works but it also feels very humane. There is never anything harsh or loud.
The lesson ended with Apache Moon doing 5 strides of incredibly soft, collected movement that had everyone present marveling.
Next up was Cody. Marlis had asked if it would be okay for her to get on and feel him move so she could better help us teach him to use his body well. We were excited at the prospect of seeing Marlis in the saddle - she doesn't do much riding of students' horses because she feels it's important to use the lesson time to get the student and horse connected and communicating. But with Cody we felt it would be useful for her to get the feel in the saddle.
My daughter and I have been trying hard to keep Cody in regular work this spring. We've come up with a riding schedule that allows Cody to be ridden every day (with a day or two off each week) by one of us. I work on bending and suppling and she does the endurance/stamina/overall strengthening work of lots of trot/canter. It's paying off.
Marlis noticed immediately that he was moving better, and she focused her time in the saddle on creating softness in the bridle and helping him feel comfortable. All this work was done at the walk. She talked through everything she was doing and why, so that when I got on I could pick right up with it. (she also did some work with Cody on stepping away from the mounting block - he was afraid of it when we first got him, and now is okay with it but will often take a step away when you mount. Marlis fixed that in about 5 minutes, with no words, no fuss, and it held when I mounted)
The instant I got on and gave him the cue to walk, his back rose up under me and the softness in the bridle rippled back through every muscle in his body. It was amazing. We walked until he and I got our signals clear with one another, and then did a little sitting trot work to maintain the softness at the faster gait. The main effect I felt was that his trot was incredibly soft and springy as his back came up to me with each stride. It was exactly like when you bounce a basketball and the ball comes up into your hand on the up bounce, that moment before you push it down again.
I noticed that the stirrups were hanging on my feet, and one slipped off, because I didn't need them. They weren't a part of riding that trot at all. It was really nice. The other thing was the synergistic thing that happens when one part of the horse-rider team gets soft. The other one follows. As Cody started out soft and stayed that way, my body got more and more relaxed and in rhythm with his body. As that happened, my position got better and better. By starting with softness, we "fixed" a number of things without fuss or bother or drilling position.
This is part of the magic in Marlis' work. She comes at things from a very organic place that flies in the face of the way I've ridden in lessons before. And the effect is that while there are moments when you feel you're taking baby steps, back in kindergarten, suddenly you make these huge leaps forward and realize what you're doing is quite advanced. In fact, so advanced you might never have done it before.
After my ride, Cody got a break and then did another lesson with our friend Sue, who had similar experiences of her own. She shared a technique for opening the pelvis while in the saddle that I'm eager to try. And I think it's safe to say we're all eager for our next round in two weeks' time!
Last night my husband discovered that three of our baby barn swallows had fallen out of the nest. All were safe and he returned them, and added a small "baby gate" so that they won't be able to tumble out. All is well this morning on that front.
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
breaking news
"I'll miss their voices when they leave us."
Two of the baby barn swallows fell out of the next earlier today, into the stall where Keil Bay had been only minutes earlier. Luckily, this was the one day none of the cats were sitting out there waiting for just such an event.
I suspected the nest was crowded - there were so many voices up there. We have them in a small box with warm cloths and are feeding them every 20 minutes. Water with Rescue Remedy and diluted cat food. When husband gets home we will try to put this "secondary nest" up beside the other one to see if the mother will resume the feeding.
One is doing well, the other one seems to be getting weaker.
They are huge but have only a few wing feathers and wispy tufts on top of their heads.
You cannot imagine the looks on the faces of our four cats when we brought that box with squawking birds inside. We have them in their little nest box inside a cat carrier so we can move it as needed to warm spots of the porch.
Update, 7 p.m.:
They're both doing really well right now. My dedicated daughter has fed those baby birds every 20 minutes since we brought them in, and while there was a touch and go hour, they are now very warm and eating like mad every feeding time. When you open the front door they go nuts. Their eyes are now open and clear, and they're shaking their heads and stretching their wings. We're figuring out what the situation with their nest is before we decide what to do next.
And finally, 9 p.m.:
The babies have been successfully returned to the nest, well before dark so we could make sure their mama had time to re-group before the sun set. She was in and out many times after they reunited with their siblings, and the chorus of what we think is 5 was restored!
Two of the baby barn swallows fell out of the next earlier today, into the stall where Keil Bay had been only minutes earlier. Luckily, this was the one day none of the cats were sitting out there waiting for just such an event.
I suspected the nest was crowded - there were so many voices up there. We have them in a small box with warm cloths and are feeding them every 20 minutes. Water with Rescue Remedy and diluted cat food. When husband gets home we will try to put this "secondary nest" up beside the other one to see if the mother will resume the feeding.
One is doing well, the other one seems to be getting weaker.
They are huge but have only a few wing feathers and wispy tufts on top of their heads.
You cannot imagine the looks on the faces of our four cats when we brought that box with squawking birds inside. We have them in their little nest box inside a cat carrier so we can move it as needed to warm spots of the porch.
Update, 7 p.m.:
They're both doing really well right now. My dedicated daughter has fed those baby birds every 20 minutes since we brought them in, and while there was a touch and go hour, they are now very warm and eating like mad every feeding time. When you open the front door they go nuts. Their eyes are now open and clear, and they're shaking their heads and stretching their wings. We're figuring out what the situation with their nest is before we decide what to do next.
And finally, 9 p.m.:
The babies have been successfully returned to the nest, well before dark so we could make sure their mama had time to re-group before the sun set. She was in and out many times after they reunited with their siblings, and the chorus of what we think is 5 was restored!
when the party ended
We had a grand morning here yesterday, celebrating with the pony. It was a gorgeous day, and after lunch I went out intending to ride Keil Bay before leaving for the office later in the afternoon.
When I put his halter on he seemed grumpy, and I commented on it. We set up in the barn aisle for grooming, and I noticed right away that he had cut his lower eyelid. I went inside to get my med kit, some warm water, and a clean sponge, and then washed the cut to see what I was dealing with.
I knew when I started washing it that I would likely be calling the vet. Keil Bay is generally laid back about this type of thing, but he really didn't want me messing with that eye. Plus there was a small piece of wood chip on the edge of the cut that wouldn't come off, which made me think it was actually a splinter that was sticking in the wound itself.
This is the kind of thing that stresses me out. (I just need to insert here that right as I typed that last line and sighed, my son walked in with cinnamon toast and served it to me - I'd remarked earlier that I could smell his and it made me think of a happy household so he must have gone back down to the kitchen and made more!)
Anyway, I called the vet and fortunately the vet on call yesterday was right there in the clinic, which is only 15 minutes from our house. She hopped in her truck and came right over. Keil Bay got a little sedation so she could check the surface of the eye and make sure it wasn't scratched. Thank goodness it wasn't. She cleaned the cut and removed the splinter. Applied the ointment and gave him a shot of Banamine. By this time he had given me his head to hold in my arms. One of Keil's most endearing traits is his tendency to let me "hold" him when he is happy (usually after a good ride) or worried (usually a vet visit, a few times after the farrier put hot shoes on his front feet) Keil is a big horse, and there's something utterly charming about his desire to be comforted this way.
In the midst of the vet exam, the shavings truck came chugging up the drive. I motioned for the driver to stop outside the barnyard so we could finish the exam quietly. Once I had Keil Bay in his stall, the shavings got dumped, the vet got her check, and it was nearly time for me to leave.
We have spring vet stuff coming up and yesterday reminded me that I need to prepare for the two visits we have coming. One will involve Rafer Johnson getting gelded and the horses getting shots and Coggins plus dental checks. The second one will involve Rafer Johnson getting shots and the horses who need dental work getting that. This is all routine stuff, but I dread it. Our gang are all very good with the vet but I end up needing valium by the end of it!
Maybe cinnamon toast will do the trick!
Update:
Keil Bay's eye looks good this a.m. Less swelling and cut is beginning to close. He didn't fuss about the ointment, and took his Banamine over the stall door with no problem. However, he did come back in from the field with me after breakfast and stayed close while I mucked the paddock. I gave him a little hay so he could eat and hang out with me.
I went ahead and mucked his stall and left it open, in case he wants to hang out in the barn. Gave him some fly spray and once he realized I was done with the chores, he headed back out to the field.
The baby birds are growing up. Their little voices are getting mature and song-like now instead of the peeping sound. They get very loud if any noise happens in the barn, which Keil Bay discovered when he banged his stall door! I'll miss their voices when they leave us.
When I put his halter on he seemed grumpy, and I commented on it. We set up in the barn aisle for grooming, and I noticed right away that he had cut his lower eyelid. I went inside to get my med kit, some warm water, and a clean sponge, and then washed the cut to see what I was dealing with.
I knew when I started washing it that I would likely be calling the vet. Keil Bay is generally laid back about this type of thing, but he really didn't want me messing with that eye. Plus there was a small piece of wood chip on the edge of the cut that wouldn't come off, which made me think it was actually a splinter that was sticking in the wound itself.
This is the kind of thing that stresses me out. (I just need to insert here that right as I typed that last line and sighed, my son walked in with cinnamon toast and served it to me - I'd remarked earlier that I could smell his and it made me think of a happy household so he must have gone back down to the kitchen and made more!)
Anyway, I called the vet and fortunately the vet on call yesterday was right there in the clinic, which is only 15 minutes from our house. She hopped in her truck and came right over. Keil Bay got a little sedation so she could check the surface of the eye and make sure it wasn't scratched. Thank goodness it wasn't. She cleaned the cut and removed the splinter. Applied the ointment and gave him a shot of Banamine. By this time he had given me his head to hold in my arms. One of Keil's most endearing traits is his tendency to let me "hold" him when he is happy (usually after a good ride) or worried (usually a vet visit, a few times after the farrier put hot shoes on his front feet) Keil is a big horse, and there's something utterly charming about his desire to be comforted this way.
In the midst of the vet exam, the shavings truck came chugging up the drive. I motioned for the driver to stop outside the barnyard so we could finish the exam quietly. Once I had Keil Bay in his stall, the shavings got dumped, the vet got her check, and it was nearly time for me to leave.
We have spring vet stuff coming up and yesterday reminded me that I need to prepare for the two visits we have coming. One will involve Rafer Johnson getting gelded and the horses getting shots and Coggins plus dental checks. The second one will involve Rafer Johnson getting shots and the horses who need dental work getting that. This is all routine stuff, but I dread it. Our gang are all very good with the vet but I end up needing valium by the end of it!
Maybe cinnamon toast will do the trick!
Update:
Keil Bay's eye looks good this a.m. Less swelling and cut is beginning to close. He didn't fuss about the ointment, and took his Banamine over the stall door with no problem. However, he did come back in from the field with me after breakfast and stayed close while I mucked the paddock. I gave him a little hay so he could eat and hang out with me.
I went ahead and mucked his stall and left it open, in case he wants to hang out in the barn. Gave him some fly spray and once he realized I was done with the chores, he headed back out to the field.
The baby birds are growing up. Their little voices are getting mature and song-like now instead of the peeping sound. They get very loud if any noise happens in the barn, which Keil Bay discovered when he banged his stall door! I'll miss their voices when they leave us.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
a painted pony turns 8 years old
Apache Moon joined our family during his fourth year, when my daughter was 7 years old. Since then he has taught us so many wonderful lessons about riding and ponies and how little girls and ponies together can make magic.
His many nicknames offer a glimpse into his personality: Patch Pony, Little Man, The Thelwell. He is smart, talented, nimble, and sometimes a bit of a devil. He knows how to take gates off hinges and let entire herds out. He knows when fence tape is hot or not. He handles our 16.2 Hanoverian gelding with no problem. And today is his 8th birthday!
After being serenaded this morning and served a gorgeous birthday breakfast, his first act as an 8-year old was to escape the barnyard.
His next was to get a little birthday ride with his girl.
At some point she'll outgrow him, but we plan to train him to drive so we can enjoy him forever.
These are some of the things this pony and his girl have done together over the past two years, all firsts for both of them. Thank you, Apache Moon! You're a superstar and we love you!
His many nicknames offer a glimpse into his personality: Patch Pony, Little Man, The Thelwell. He is smart, talented, nimble, and sometimes a bit of a devil. He knows how to take gates off hinges and let entire herds out. He knows when fence tape is hot or not. He handles our 16.2 Hanoverian gelding with no problem. And today is his 8th birthday!
After being serenaded this morning and served a gorgeous birthday breakfast, his first act as an 8-year old was to escape the barnyard.
His next was to get a little birthday ride with his girl.
At some point she'll outgrow him, but we plan to train him to drive so we can enjoy him forever.
These are some of the things this pony and his girl have done together over the past two years, all firsts for both of them. Thank you, Apache Moon! You're a superstar and we love you!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
for the writers in the house
Derek Nikitas, author of the novel Pyres, as well as one of the short stories in the Killer Year collection, has a wonderful guest blog up today over at Murderati.
He's writing about literary thrillers - what they are, what the writers struggle with when writing them, and how they fare in the marketplace.
He totally nailed my current writing issue - what he calls "negotiating the interaction between subtlety and intensity." Which is exactly what I've been doing since late last week.
Reading his blog post this morning was like going to a top-notch writing workshop. He hasn't solved my problem but he has named it, and that's the first step toward conquering it.
Even if you're not a writer, Murderati is a great read, especially if you're a novel reader who likes mysteries, suspense, thrillers, etc. There's always good conversation in the comment section too - so don't skip that part!
And if you have a preference as a reader for subtlety over intensity, or vice versa, I'd love it if you commented about it here. I know it's a subjective thing, but I'm really curious about what readers look for in their idea of a "great read."
He's writing about literary thrillers - what they are, what the writers struggle with when writing them, and how they fare in the marketplace.
He totally nailed my current writing issue - what he calls "negotiating the interaction between subtlety and intensity." Which is exactly what I've been doing since late last week.
Reading his blog post this morning was like going to a top-notch writing workshop. He hasn't solved my problem but he has named it, and that's the first step toward conquering it.
Even if you're not a writer, Murderati is a great read, especially if you're a novel reader who likes mysteries, suspense, thrillers, etc. There's always good conversation in the comment section too - so don't skip that part!
And if you have a preference as a reader for subtlety over intensity, or vice versa, I'd love it if you commented about it here. I know it's a subjective thing, but I'm really curious about what readers look for in their idea of a "great read."
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