Our Congress photo has arrived!

I am more than thrilled to have finally received my picture from the All American Quarter Horse Congress. I had been an attendee at this amazing event for many years now, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be able to, though I so greatly desired to, compete at this show. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Being able to show with my own horse, Siren, who I have been working with for some time now, made the event much more spectacular. She received many compliments on her behavior throughout the course of the show. I truly could not be happier with Siren! She was a true gem all while traveling, showing, and posing for pictures. I do hope that showing at the Congress is a possibility for us next year. Thank you to everyone who made this journey possible for us!

America's HQrse

The results for the program were published in the magazine, America's HQrse. Siren and I made a small appearance. 😊

Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program results

I recently learned the results for this year's Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program. The results were made after the scores of all of the participants' scores had been tallied up. These scores included the project book, the professional horseman's checklist, and the monthly reports.

I am thrilled to be able to say, that I was awarded 3rd place this year! I was awarded $1,000 in scholarships and a $100 gift card to wrangler. More importantly, I gained so much knowledge over the past year. I also got the best horse that anyone could ask for! I am very excited and I wish that I were able to do this program all over again!

This is such an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity. I was lucky enough to have seized the opportunity to partake in such an amazing program. I am also lucky to have such supportive parents and friends who helped me with making everything this past year possible. I highly recommend this program to a horse crazy youth, looking to expand their knowledge. Thank you AQHA for creating this program!

"Your horse is a mirror to your soul."

 

It has been said that "your horse is a mirror to your soul." I sure hope that this is accurate because I certainly love what I see in both of my horses! I hope that I could behold even a portion of the positive attitude and life-loving personality that Siren withholds.  I would also like to believe that I possess even a fraction of her ability to draw people in and obtain friends. She has the most miraculous ability to draw people in. It seems almost everyone falls for her charm and instantly loves her. It's hard not to! No matter what the day brings, Siren's curiosity is never diminished. She is constantly exploring and trying to absorb what the world has to offer her, in the most positive way possible. She always takes everything in stride (pardon the pun  :P ) and uses her oustanding intellegence to learn more and more each day. I find Siren to be captivating. If you knew her like I do, you wouldn't find it odd when I say that I truly aspire to be more like her. To be loving, sweet, clever and humorous. To be endowed with the ability to bestow happiness upon everyone I meet.  

Siren in the snow!

Most people where I live, my self included, have not found this winter weather to be very enjoyable. The air is chilling and the snow makes driving a task. However, this weather does not deter Siren from having a good time! She and her buddy "Otto" had a fun time playing in the snow the other day. She rolled multiple times, creating some snowy Siren snow angels and also enjoyed romping through the deep snow.

-Have no fear! No horses were injured during this wintery play time!- 

Heading Into Winter

Unfortunately, winter is rapidly approaching. This means colder weather and shorter daylight hours. Not too long ago, Siren decided to welcome winter by shredding one of her new winter blankets. It would appear that she did not think that black is her color. However, she has been much more satisfied with her cozy blue and brown blanket. 

Today, Siren saw her first snow since last year. She was very eager to nuzzle around in it. She was also very energetic in the cool weather. She tore around the arena kicking up her heels. I look forward to spending the winter playing with Siren and watching her grow.

Siren at the Congress!!

We just returned home yesterday from the All American Quarter Horse Congress. I live fairly close to the show, and we thought that it would be a fun experience to take Siren and show her in the yearling filly halter class. She was a gem the entire trip! She was perfect for the trailer ride. I thought that she would be nervous, traveling that distance alone, but she just nibbled on hay and acted as though it was no big deal! She stood still for banding and grooming. She was very brave and calm; she did not spook at a single thing while we were down there! I was worried that she would be nervous in the class since she had never been in an arena like the coliseum before. I had nothing to worry about! She performed the halter pattern perfectly! Just as we had been practicing for some time now. It was the best experience I have ever had! I had so much fun! I was even more excited when we were named reserve champions!!

It has been my goal to compete at this show, ever since I started riding. I was so thrilled to finally be able to compete there, especially with Siren! This was hands down, the best day of my life!

Getting better!

Poor miss Siren was not feeling well the other day. She had a bit of a stomach ache. She was very touchy and grouchy. I am not sure what caused this, but I am glad to inform you that she is feeling much better and is back to her spunky self! We leave for our very first Quarter Horse show in just about a week! I am very excited! I hope that Siren has her game face on. We are showing in yearling filly halter. She has been very good while practicing at home. Hopefully we can relay these skills from home to the show pen! 

One amazing year!

As you can probably tell by me stating this about one million times, I am so thrilled to have been a part of the AQHA's Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program this past year. I have made, what I think, is a fun representation of our past year together. While it does not cover every aspect of everything we have done, it shows how much fun we have had and the love that I have for her. Please enjoy this video Here!

Happy Endings

I have said it before. I have have said it in different ways. However, there is no true way to describe how absolutely amazing this past year has been for me. I had never, prior to this year, imagined myself with such a young horse and such a large project. I can not believe how many doors this has opened up for me. Working with Siren has showed me that this, is what I truly love and want to continue doing for the rest of my life. I have grown to love everything about Siren and can not imagine my life without her. Thank you to everyone who made this past year possible, I owe you all indefinitely. 

As part of my final project with Siren, I had to create a video demonstrating my horsemanship skills with Siren. You can view this video Here!

Finishing up!

It is very sad that it has been almost a year since I first received Siren. The program that I am in is coming to a close. I feel blessed to have been able to partake in such an amazing experience that has opened so many doors for me and taught me so much. Most importantly, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to meet Siren. She has created a spot in my heart for her that will never go away. I love her so much! For part of the program, I had to make some videos on horsemanship. Things such as saddling, bridling, brushing, and leading. You can view this video here - AQHA Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program video. Thank you for watching and following along with us for this past year! I hope that you continue to follow our  journey as we continue developing our relationship and knowledge throughout the years to go.

Better and Better!

Today, I lunged Siren with her bridle on again. She was so much better! She chomped on the bit for a minute, as she did yesterday. However, after about one minute, she completely stopped and went about lunging perfectly calm! I was so excited! Also, today I saw a trick horse trainer do a demonstration for out 4-h. I am inspired to work with Siren to expand our trick knowledge. 

Chompin' at the bit!

Today was a big step for little Siren! She is slowly being submerged into the world of adulthood. Whether we like it or not, we all grow up. However, there are many steps that that are involved in this growing up process for a little filly. Today, Siren got a bridle put on for the very first time! She had a smooth snaffle placed in her mouth. She most definitely was not a fan of this unfamiliar devise at first. While she did willingly accept the bit at first, she soon began to think that this was a mistake! She was chomping on the bit  for quite some time. This was most definitely a strange feeling for her. She seemed to quickly get used to the feeling as the chomping slowly subsided. My next step was to lead her around. I tried to simulate how the bit would be moving and feel feel in her mouth while a rider is on her back and steering. She was surprisingly alright with this new sensation. She turned, stopped and backed. Then I wanted to lunge her with the bridle on. While she had no reins attached at this time, (I attached the lunge line to her halter which was on under the bridle) she still had to get used to moving forward with the bit. She had the hardest time getting used to the concept of "forward motion". Her reaction was almost comical! She acted as if it were impeding her ability to move! She was okay at the trot, but she was very hesitant to canter. Once she did canter, she dropped her head into the bit and was bouncing around! She quickly realized that this was not going to hinder her movement or ability to  continue forward and settled into her normal, casual canter around the lunge line. I am so proud that she is learning quickly and growing up so wonderfully. While I am sad that she is no longer my tiny little baby, I am happy that she is growing up well and will soon be old enough to explore a many new aspects to life.

Siren at the Fair!

I decided to take little miss Siren to the fair a few days ago to compete in a trail in hand class. I was very excited to compete since I had been practicing for quite some time. She was a little nervous coming off the trailer since this was her first experience trailering alone, and only her third time at a show. I was very impressed with how quickly she calmed down! She quickly put on her game face and was ready to compete! Before she could do that, she was to be assessed by an AQHA professional horseman. Lisa Mathews, our local professional horseman was at the show judging. She agreed to assess us, which I must do in this program, before the show started. Siren was wonderful and I think that miss Mathews really liked her! Soon after, Siren and I entered the arena to compete in our class. She was wonderful and won her division! I was so excited! She was then invited to come back the next day to compete in the championship class! This was her first experience spending the night in a new place. She did not seem to mind at all! The next day, prior to the show, we had our 4-H closing ceremonies where I was recognized for my work with Siren. I was thrilled! I received so many compliments on her. The championship class consisted of a pattern that Siren had never seen before. She was AMAZING! The judge asked me if I was the one who has done all of the work on her. When I informed her that I was, she seemed extremely impressed. She also informed all of the competitors that she is very experienced with the in hand trail class. She even gave us a minnie demonstration. She stole Siren from me and did the course with her. She was very impressed, as was I, that Siren responded to an unfamiliar handler. Siren ended up winning her championship class!!!! I was ecstatic! She received a large ribbon and a lovely embroidered bridle bag. As much fun as we had, we are both happy to be back home!

A very spoiled Siren!

Baby Siren was very spoiled yesterday! Here she can be seen with her new mint flavored treat, and standing in front of her fan. She loves mint! Shortly after this photo was taken, she was escorted to the pasture which she enjoyed overnight with all of her friends. She is too cute not to spoil! 

A Party!

There was quite a party in Siren's stall the other night while she was trying to nap. I went in to cuddle with her because she was just too cute! Then, the barn kitty, Ginger, crawled in and wanted some attention as well! Then the barn dog, Pants, came in to make it a complete barn animal party! I am not sure how Siren felt about her sleep being disrupted, but she sure did like all of her friends' company.

A very traumatic show!

Yesterday Siren partook in her 3rd show, and 4th ever halter class. It was her first show at this particular location. Siren was perfectly calm at the show! I was so impressed! She stood in a stall all day, never calling out or acting nervously. She went into the halter class and walked and trotted off with me and stood very quietly in her line up. At this particular show, there was no 2 and under age division class. That means that we had to compete with the adult horses! She ended up getting 4th out of 8 horses. The judge talked to me and said that she was very impressed with Siren and had to put her in the placings. She said that she could not place her higher because it was hard to compare a young horse who is not leveled out and filled out yet, to a full grown, and filled out adult horse. I am pretty happy with this! Siren is competing pretty well with the big horses!

Well, here is where the "traumatic" part fits in... First off, the night prior to the show, I had to get Siren ready, this included bathing her. Siren had been so good all summer at getting hosed off. For some extremely odd reason, Siren freaked out (There were a few people there and no one can figure out the reason for this) and she ended up breaking a cross-tie and falling down! I was so scared! She was shaking because she was so nervous after what she did. Luckily, she was OK! She only had one tiny cut on her upper leg, about the size of a dime. Unfortunately, the bad luck did not stop there! On the morning of the show, I backed up my truck to the trailer, only to find out that the balls for the hitch were left at home! We had to scramble to retrieve them and barely made it to the show on time. Unfortunately this started the day impacting our moods to that of worried and stressed. Then, somehow, even though the hay bag Siren had in the trailer was up high, she got her front hoof stuck in it! She luckily, once again, came out of this unscathed. Poor baby! She deserves some rest and relaxation after those rough couple of days!

Swimming!

This is Siren SWIMMING!

She was too cute!

On the property where we board there is a large pond which the owner has allowed us to swim in with our horses! I decided to take Siren to the pond to see how she would react to the large body of water, which intimidates many horses. I did not expect her to enjoy the water as much as she did. She loved it! While she was a little timid to enter the water at first, once she saw a few of the other horses walk in, she quickly joined. She decided to experience being in a body of water by first splashing in the water! She pawed at the water and wiggled her nose around in it. It was very funny when she decided to lie down and roll in the shallow water multiple times! When the water got deeper, and she was no longer able to roll, she would just sit like a dog. She was too funny! The best part of this experience, for me at least, was when I coaxed her into the deeper water and she swam. I wrapped my arms around her, and held her mane as she pulled me across the pond. She loved this experience! She enjoyed swimming a few more times. She is too adorable! 

This is Siren laying down in the water! 

She loved it!

Baby see, Baby do!

While this happened a little while ago, I still think that this is a very interesting and hilarious story! As summer approached, so did the flies. That means that the fly spray (Fly repellent) needed to come out to protect the horses from those biting little monsters! Siren was not a fan of me spraying her with the repellent. She would fidget and try to move away from it. One day while Siren and my other horse, Twister, were out in a pasture, I headed out with a bottle of fly spray for them. Siren, as usual ran up to greet me. Since she was there, I tried to fly spray her. She was not happy and fidgeted all around. Then I walked over to Twister, who is an old pro at this, and sprayed him with the fly repellent. He stood as still as a statue until I was finished. In the meanwhile, Siren had followed me over there and was trying to get my attention while I was spraying Twister. So, I decided to try to put a little more fly spray on Siren. This time, after seeing her friend Twister having this done, she stood perfectly still! Ever since she has had no problem with this. Actually, the same thing happened with bathing. I had both horses tied near each other in order to hose them off. Twister stood still while I rinsed him off and Siren stood still watching as I did so. Then, she stood still and accepted the chilly water like a seasoned pro! I was so happy! I guess the old saying "monkey see, monkey do" Is very true! Siren is so intelligent! I can not believe that she picks things up like this just from seeing! I am so excited to continue working with this little genius to see what else she learns! 

Trail in Hand

I have been looking for some new activities to do with my little girl when, I came across a class that I was unfamiliar with. Our local fair will be holding a class known as "trail in hand". This class has a pattern of multiple obstacles such as walking over a bridge, opening a gate, stepping over logs, and more. I thought that Siren would enjoy the challenge of trying something new. So, I decided to set up a coarse in the arena to practice with yesterday. She loved it! She hopped over all of the poles I set up, backed through the tunnel I made and stepped over the bridge. She seemed to have a great time! I am so excited to practice a little more with her and compete! I have no idea how she will do, showing in the class, but I am just excited that she has a new mental challenge to keep her sharp and happy!

I can not believe how smart, calm, and willing Siren is. It amazes me! I love her so much!

Rain, Rain, Go away!

If any of you live near where I do, you would know that the weather lately has only been favored by the local ducks! It has rained for quite a while. So, I had all of my fun rain gear up at the barn when, Siren just needed to be protected from the rain. The result... adorable!

Sleepy Siren...

Siren and the other horses have been getting turned out over night for the past few nights. This is optimal time for them since there is no intense sun, bugs, or unpleasant heat to contend with. However, this makes for one sleepy baby in the morning when she is brought in! Today, I saw her laying down sleeping, so, naturally, I had to go and pet her while she was being so adorable! I sat down next to her and rubbed her neck. She loved that! Before I knew it, she had stretched out and was laying her head on my lap napping! It was too cute! The feeling I had was unexplainable! i just felt so loved. This is an experience that truly connects you with your horse. I cherish every day with this amazing girl.

 She apparently thinks she is a lap dog... Haha! I love this little cuddly cutie! She is growing up so fast.

                      

*Unfortunately, there was no other person present to help me take the photo, therefore, I had to (attempt) to take it myself... This was the best I could do to capture this adorable, memorable moment!

Saddle up and get ready for adulthood, Siren!

Just the other day, Siren experienced something new! She was saddled for the very first time! I brought up my old Wintec saddle, which is very light, for her first saddling experience. I decided that while working on this, I would keep her outside on just a lead line. This way, if she became uncomfortable, she would not be confined in a barn where, if she were to become wound up, she could hurt herself. I began by allowing her to get used to the saddle pad, which, I waved in the air and over dramatized the lifting and throwing of it up above her back, and laying it on her back. I also drug it over her back and got her used to it being all over. It was then time to place the saddle on. I prepared her by lifting it up onto the air as if I were going to set it on her, a few times. I was fairly surprised at how calmly and well-behaved she stood during the process. Including, while I tightened the girth, which came next. I had prepared Siren for weeks for this by wrapping my arms around her, imitating the girth. At first, she thought that I was weird for doing this, but, she got used to it and stood quietly. I put the cinch on slowly, and tightened it over a short period of time. I did not want to tighten it right away, that would not make for a happy Siren! She was so precious! She stood just like she has been doing this her whole life. I then walked her around with it on to get accustomed to the feel of it. Then I took her in the round pen to lunge her with it on. I expected her to go a little crazy with it on. On the contrary, she was very well-behaved and calm about the entire situation! I am so proud of my maturing little girl!

Relaxing and Learning in May!

The weather has been pretty good up here, and Siren has been spending most of her time playing with the herd of horses outside in the fields. I noticed that she enjoys hanging out with the other mares, more than the geldings. She loves to run around out there and munch on the grass. I think that it is absolutely adorable that, even though she has grass and friends there, she still comes to me when I call her name! She is just too cute! She is really starting to look just like the adult horses out in the pasture. 

Aside from relaxing with friends, Siren has also been learning! I have been ponying her off of my pony, Twister. I have taken her onto the trails like this, where she has encountered a creek and hills, and I have also just worked her in the arena like this. That is a good way for her to exercise without having to lunge all the time. Also, since my round pen is located in the indoor arena, I am able to put Siren in there, while others are riding in the indoor. This allows Siren to get used to commotion and chaos in the arenas while people are riding. The other day, some friends and I were in the indoor jumping. Siren stood in the round pen and watched all of us with curiosity. This will help for when I work her and eventually ride her in the rings with other horses and riders. 

A leap into spring....literally!

It's spring! Even though the weather still feels a bit like winter. The outdoor arena was very busy last night! With all of the commotion and horses running in the pasture as well, Siren was a bit hyper. Siren is typically so well behaved, until everyone has their eyes on her! Haha! I took her into the outdoor arena to lunge her. Siren was rearing and bucking and bolting. She was so spazzy! I have never seen her like that! It was actually very cute and funny. She was never out of control, just very full of herself. It did not take long to settle her down, and she was soon lunging like a pro! Silly Siren...

Happy Mother's Day!

This is a picture of the adorable baby Siren with her gorgeous mother. Siren and I would like to wish all of the terrific mothers, especially ours, a wonderful day!

Our Second Show!

Siren attended out second show today, on mother's day. I could not have asked for a better yearling! My little Siren was amazing! She was a little bit nervous when we first arrived at the show, but quickly settled in. We entered in two halter classes. Siren was so well behaved! She walked and trotted with me perfectly, just as we practiced at home. She stood so still while in line up. She perked her ears and showed the judge her cuteness! Who can resist her cuteness? Not the judge! Siren took first in both of her halter classes today! Siren and I were elated! Siren was so excited about her shiny trophies! She sure deserves first place in my heart as well. I am so honored to be apart of her life as she develops into such an outstanding horse! 

A silver lining to a traumatic day

In my previous post, I discussed Siren's rough day. She had some problems with her legs. I at one point placed her in our new round pen so she could walk around a little bit. I did not want to leave her alone in the indoor arena due to the fact that that would make her more nervous so, I put Twister in the indoor on the outside of the round pen. I put him I put him on the outside of the pen and not the inside because he and Siren are not always kind to each other. Typically, Twister is a "bully" to her because he is jealous that I spend so much time with her. He is never extremely mean to her, he just displays cranky faces or will push her around a little bit. However, today, Twister displayed his true colors. He is truly a sweet pony who will always display affection and compassion, especially to those in pain. Rather than ignoring her, or bullying her, Twister stood by Siren's side the entire time they were turned out. He walked the perimeter of the pen following her around and exchanging friendly nuzzles with her. I truly began to tear up at this beautiful sight. It is times like this that remind me why I fell in love with these animals in the first place. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be able to work with animals so pure of heart. I love both of these wonderful equine friends and could not imagine my life without them!

I only wish that the picture could show the true beauty of the moment.

A very traumatic day!

Today was not a very happy day at our barn! When I arrived, I noticed that her hind legs were swollen. When I got her out of her stall to examine them, I noticed that they were very swollen and had some cuts on them. Her left hind leg was the worst! I was very worried. I cold hosed her legs twice, once scrubbing them with betadine scrub, walked her around, applied a salve called Corona to help the healing process, as well as giving her some bute to help with the pain. Her legs hurt her so bad that she was not keen at all on the idea of me touching them to help. She was not limping at all, but she was clearly hurting. The cold hosing process was a difficult one as she has never been hosed before. Therefore, the new experience along with the pain made her very nervous. I am not sure where she got these cuts, though I believe they were from another horse in the pasture. Siren will have some cold hosing and hand walking in her future! Poor baby girl! 

This picture is of me cold hosing Siren's legs. You can see some of the cuts she acquired. However, it is difficult in the photo to see just how swollen her legs were. I was so scared at seeing her in this condition and seeing her in pain is torture. I will do everything in my power to ensure a speedy recovery for this special girl.

Round and round we go!

I purchased a round pen just the other day, and last night, we set it up. I think that working in a round pen will be good for training purposes with my young horses. Especially for Siren while working on our lunging.  She is very good at walking and trotting and changing directions. We are working on improving our canter. She pulls on me a bit while she is cantering and also has trouble picking up her left lead. I think that by working in this confined area, she will not only not be able to pull on me, but also, due to the fact that she will be in a much more defined circle, she will hopefully have more of the correct bend to pick up her correct lead. I worked Siren for the first time in the round pen and she did very well! At first she was uneasy at the idea of being in this new area so she turned to me for comfort, by following and chasing me! She is so silly and cute! She soon got the idea to stay on the perimeter and lunge. 

Happy 1st Birthday! 4/23/13

Last night, Siren celebrated her 1st birthday! She spent the entire day outside in the sun with all  of her friends nibbling on grass. She enjoyed an extra special long brushing! She also didn't mind wearing her special birthday hat and attending her birthday photo shoot! I can not believe that she is already a year old! It is said that "time flies while having fun". Time sure has flown by in the time that I have had her! I have enjoyed every minute we have spent together and look forward to spending much more time and fun with her! 

Minor setbacks towards progression

I realize that I have not posted for a short while. I have been very busy with a few other things that I have not done much special with Siren or my blog. So I am going to talk about the day that we had the other day. While she has become a very good little filly when it comes to lunging, the other day she was so hyper that she insisted on skipping the walk and trot and going straight into the gallop. From there she wanted to drag me around a little bit and not listen to me! I had to do what I consider a last resort, I put the chain over her nose to gain her attention. She was very respectful of that! Once she calmed down, I removed it and she was much better. I am desperately waiting for school to end so that I can have more time to spend working with her. 

I have been working on her changing directions with her while she is lunging. She has been grasping the idea well! While she is still at a moving pace (Walk or trot. I have not worked on the canter yet) I put my hands together, swapping the lunge line and whip between my hands, and changing my body position over a little bit until I am in front of her shoulder. She is quickly learning to roll back towards me and change directions. This is a nifty little trick! 

Over the creek and through the woods...

Now that the weather is clearing up quite nicely, Siren got to experience the great outdoors! I took her on a trail walk today. Even though I am not able to ride her yet, I still feel that exposure to the trails and woods are going to be good for her. She absolutely loves the water in the creek! She is great with walking over the logs and ditches. The biggest challenge for her was remembering to take her time going down the hills. However, when it came to going up the hills, she was very good! Although she had to deal with me, being much slower than her.

The nice weather is also allowing Siren to explore the pastures with all of her friends! She is loving it! I really love her super sweet personality. She comes to me from out in the pasture when I call her and she follows me around.

Becoming better everyday!

As much as I would love to get on this blog and write more, I simply cannot find enough hours in the day! I have however, gathered enough time to brag about how well Siren is doing! She is learning so quickly! She is side passing without the need for me to apply pressure, but by just listening to my voice and body language. She is side passing over ground poles and cones. She is also getting better at her bow. I am hoping that I can work with her on staying down while bowing for longer durations. Once she gains the muscles to do so and becomes more comfortable with this, I hope that I will be able to use this knowledge to lead to other tricks such as laying down. I have also been refining her current skills. She is getting much better at leading and lunging. While this may not seem like some great accomplishment, it truly is for us. She is growing and learning like crazy.
She has also been getting turned out in the big pastures now that the weather has been much kinder. She is absolutely loving the freedom to run and play with her friends! One of her favorite friends is an orange barn cat named Ginger. Siren finds this kitty fascinating!

Getting better!

Yesterday Siren and I went about our usual business of working to get better at all of our skills. She has been getting much better at lunging! She does not have many problems with this any more. It took a little bit of energy on my part to encourage her to lope, but other than that, very good! She no longer tries to stop and go the other way. In hand, she has also become a pro at trotting and stopping and backing with me. The one task we have been working on is to side pass over something. She side-passes great, until there is a pole that she has to go over. She is getting it! We also practiced her bow! Siren is so adorable and smart! Currently, she is loving the extra brushing that comes with the shedding! I hope that the next month includes some good excitement and great progress!

Reflection, a necessity for moving forward

I want to take a step back today. I am not going to just discuss the typically happy-go-lucky life of living with a weanling. I want to share something that has to do with not just her, but all of my horses, and every horse that I have encountered. These thoughts today were triggered from a few different sources of which I can not pinpoint just one. Perhaps from the misfortunate moments encountered today, and perhaps by just looking at and admiring the beauty of being a partner with such amazing beings. Their instinct and passion is simply awe inspiring. Anyway, on with my point. If you have been following along with my blog, then one, thank you, and two, you know that I have shared that I was disappointed with Siren for a few days now. Today, I attended a show with Atticus and experienced the same feelings on a stronger level due to lack of attention and, on a few occasions, dangerous acts. At first, with both horses, I was upset, as almost any human with raw emotion would be. I want them to perform at their best, to show how hard we work, to show that they are both capable and intelligent! Instead they did not. They showed, not those aspects to everyone else, but a greater lesson to me alone. It is hard to step back and remember who these animals that we truly love are. Independent, strong, and instinctive creatures who all have different personalities and minds of their own. We forget that they are not acting up, they are acting the same way that we would if we were in their positions. I am not saying that they should be allowed to act inappropriately, but I am saying that they should be allowed understanding and forgiveness. I want to express how thankful I am for my horses behaving lately in a way in which I describe as "acting up" because I truly needed the reminder that you are horses and can not be expected, just as no one should, to be perfect. Their poor behavior does not show that we are weak as a team, or that I am an unfit rider or they an unfit horse, but that we are brave enough to try and that we have much to work on, that we are not handed perfection, but handed the ability to possess the a smile and a drive to move forward to accomplish our goals. I step back to look at the fact that I have been truly blessed, for my horses teach me lessons that no books or teacher ever could. They teach my to endure the hardest tasks, yet the ability to love as much as any one could ever love.

With success, comes roadblocks

It can't be all fun and games when training a baby. Even one as adorable as little Siren. She lunged beautifully the other day and went through the tarp well. However, she was a little stinker when it came to some other things. She was getting sassy when it came to doing things what we learned a while ago, like moving off of pressure. Instead of moving away from pressure, she  was just leaned into me and refuse to move off of pressure. She also was not being cooperative when it came to picking up her feet. She kept trying to squirm around. It is okay though! She usually tries very hard for me! I hope this little mood swing of hers does not last long! 

The feeling of true success!

For a short while now, I have been working on something with Siren. I am not sure if Siren likes the mental stimulation of learning new tricks or if she just loves the praise that she gets afterwards. Never the less, after much hard work and a great deal of patience, we have accomplished our first trick! She can now bow! She is so smart and picked this trick up so quickly! I am super proud!

With growth comes so much!

Siren is blossoming into such a wonderful horse! Physically, she has gotten so big! She has already outgrown two blanket sizes and is ready for to move from the weanling sized halter to the yearling sized halter! She is learning how to tackle more obstacles and accomplish greater tasks. Just yesterday, I decided to rig up some fun obstacles to take her through. A friend and I tied up a tarp to resemble a sort of, tarp wall, for her to walk through. She was so brave and walked through very well! (when she was not trying to nibble and tear down the tarp! Haha!) I also had her play with scary pool noodles and wear them on her back, which again, she did not mind. Her favorite activity was hopping over the line of ground poles! My father and I plan to create a few new obstacles for her as well. Such as a horse teeter totter and a horse pedestal. She has also become very well behaved and tolerant in many situations like when there are children and dogs running around and other riders all in one arena. She is very cooperative and non- skittish when it comes to the chaos. She is outgrowing many of her poor bad habits such as nibbling on people and trying to sneak out of her stall when someone opens the door to enter. Luckily, she is not growing up too fast! She still loves to run and play like a baby! She chases me across the pasture and she still whinnies to me when I walk into the barn or call her name. I love having her around! She is the sweetest little girl who does not possess a mean bone in her body! I look forward to working on more with her!

 A Rough Day Of Play!

 

(video not of today, but still cute! She is so speedy!)

I'm certain that Siren is completely tuckered out from today! Today's weather was absolutely gorgeous, (for the fact that it is the middle of February) being about 40 degrees and sunny. It was also the first day that we were able to turn out in the large pastures at our barn. She loved being free and running and playing with my other two horses along with another horse who's company she enjoys. However, at one point another horse got turned out and began causing trouble. He even chased poor little baby Siren across the field! He was a bully, but we still love him. It is a good thing that Siren is speedy and was able to outrun him! Don't worry, they were quickly separated and she was able to play for the remainder of the day. She was very sleepy when I brought her back to her stall full of hay. 

Playin' in the snow!

I will never forget actually laughing out loud at Siren's eyes doubling in size when she saw her first snow! She walked out of the barn and the ground was covered in a few inches of snow. She raised up her feet as she walked, snorting at the weird, new ground. It was funny to see! She soon realized that the snow is super fun! She now loves to roll in the snow every chance she gets! She also loves to play in it with her best friend, Atticus.

The essay they chose

As I stated, I had to write a 200 word essay to apply to be chosen for this program. This essay had to be about why I would want to be in this program. I love to write, especially about my favorite thing ever, horses! However, this was tough for me because 200 words is not a lot. So I felt as though I was not able to put as much as I would have liked to into it. But, I guess they liked it well enough! I have had a few people ask me about the essay that I wrote so I decided that I would just share with you what it said. Here it is:

There are many reasons as to why the American Quarter Horse is one of the most sought after breeds. People fall in love with their outstanding looks, sweet dispositions, and ability to perform in just about every discipline at any level. People pride themselves in owning one of America’s finest animals. Myself, being one of them.

         When the opportunity came about, to work with such an amazing animal from just a weanling, the thoughts of all the knowledge I would gain from this experience, the thought of how much fun I would have, along with the idea of watching something so precious, an animal whom I would hope to gain an impenetrable bond with, grow up before my eyes, went spiraling through my mind.

         I would absolutely love the opportunity to work with a weanling of my own. I would love to assert my knowledge towards a rewarding project such as this. I feel as though these experiences would help me greatly in life seeing as how I plan on making horses a part of my life forever, very possibly as a career. This is an opportunity I can benefit from greatly. I hope that I am given the opportunity to do so.

A lunge into training...

I would like to point out that this particular experience that I am writing about now is a recent one. Just occurring last night. We have many other exiting moments in the past that I do plan on writing about in time. However, I would like to talk about our excitement from last night.

I have been delaying the attempt to teach Siren to lunge for a while now. I do not want to put too much strain on her mind or body at too young of an age. I feel that she is ready now to slowly begin working. Especially with the poor weather impeding on her accessibility to the pasture on a regular basis, she needs some mind stimulation. With this said, last night I had her in the indoor and decided to try something new. I put the lunge line on her and held it so she was only able to go in a small circle. She, as expected, did not understand what I was asking at first and just stopped and looked at me like I was crazy. I clucked to her and tapped her on the rump with the end of the line. Se got the hint and began to walk around. From me leading her, she has become not only familiar with my voice, but voice commands. She knows walk, trot, and whoa. So as I half expected her to recognize them on the lunge line. I never in my wildest dreams to do so well! She is so intelligent! She, with a few glitches of stopping or tugging on the end of the line, picked up the concept of walk, trot, and canter in just a measly 10-15 minutes! She seemed to enjoy the job. She really enjoyed the scratches and praise she received afterwards! She obviously was not perfect, but I never would expect her to be. I do plan on continuing working with her but not too often, like I said, I do not want to strain her. I would rather her just run and frolic, having fun with her youth. I am so proud of her!