Trisha Wren Connected Riding clinic at Dereel

We were lucky to have Trisha over for another clinic in November, this time at Yvonne's place. While the weather was somewhat unkind, being unseasonally cold and wet, we managed ok and all had a great time.

Unlike last time, we mainly had local participants this time. But same as for the last clinic, we loaned some of our horses out, and Samba and Carlotta were on duty. I took Flamenca this time, while Yvonne worked with her new mare Bjoska NS.

Following the clinic, I had the opportunity to have a private session with Trisha. I asked her for some help in how to adjust some of my seat and balance aids, so that the cues I use to ask for gait can be more subtle and more in line with the Connected Riding posture. Yvonne took some video clips.

Trisha making postural adjustments - Yvonne

no more Cali kids

Yesterday I heard of the loss of a great little horse. It made me sad. Only a day before, we had gone out riding on three of the Cali kids.



Cali was a brown Paso Fino stallion who came to Australia in about 2000. He was registered with the Paso Fino Horse Association (USA) as Don Cristobal Mako. He was the stallion chosen by my friend Jorge de Moya to be part of the foundation of the first Paso Fino stud in Australia.

I spent much time with Cali when I ran Jorge's stud. Cali was a wilful, opinionated brown horse, and he wasn't always the easiest horse to handle. There was something about his personality though which I liked. Although I was fond of calling him a "little brown shit" and "the CRAB" (and a few other less polite things), I actually had a pretty good relationship with him. So I started riding him.

He was a handful under saddle as well, especially in the beginning, and we had a few adventures. But I really enjoyed the rides and he grew on me even more.

I was in the lucky position to have some good mares so I used the opportunity to breed them to Cali. And now, years later, we have sold a lot of horses and yet somehow have kept some of the Cali kids. They proved to be pretty easy to start. Both his purebreds back at Jorge's stud while I was still there, as well as the crossbred ones I bred.

 

Photo by Greg Lehey

It was only a few days ago, when we enjoyed three of the Cali kids out on a ride. Left to right: Carola (visitor from Austria) on Bluey, myself on Carlos and Yvonne on Carlotta. I mentioned yet again how it was funny that we were finally taking out a bunch of Cali kids and how great they were. We often joke how much they remind us of Cali, with a certain head toss, a look or a set of three wrinkles around the nostril to show disdain. Also of course, their beautiful gait.

Yes, it was pretty sad to hear that Cali is no longer around.

I am so fortunate. I have a purebred Paso Fino son and daugher of his as well as some really good crossbreds. The colt and the mares are now integral part of my Paso breeding program. And in that way, the opinionated little brown horse lives on.

spring is delightful

We went riding again today on Dacio and Carlotta. Neither seemed particularly impressed about the idea of going for a ride, but both went very well and we had a lot of lovely toelt and a relatively shy-free outing.

I got home in time for lunch and to feed the horses, before the rains came down. And down they came indeed! But that's spring for you :-)

Yesterday we had a long walk around because we had a visitor. The two pregnant mares are getting very broad indeed. As always, it looks like they couldn't possibly get any bigger. But they will :-) Having a big, fat, round baby belly make it hard to roll. And with all the winter fur falling out in lumps, the girls have itchy bits. And what face does a horse make when you scratch the itchy bits?

 

... a deligthed face of course  :-) 

That picture was taken by Yvonne and shows Samba (Paso Fino mare) getting a bit of TLC from yours truly. As you can see by the grey patch on her face, she had already indulged in a good face-rub, too.

spring is in the air

I've had a few more rides on Chewie. He's doing great.

He isn't quite so looky with things now. I suppose he's figured that the scary looking letterboxes don't contain evil horse-eating dragons. I've stuck Carlos, a grey half Paso Fino gelding, in with him and he's much happier now. They look a bit like Laurel and Hardy. Carlos is bigger, wider and darker. Chewie is smaller, white and quicker. They hang out like they are each other's shadow and eat out of the same bucket. Considering both are pretty opinionated (often macho around mares) geldings, I'm quite amazed.

The fun bit will come when I take one for a ride and not the other :-)

We took out a couple of Yvonne's youngsters last week. It was their first ride in months. The weather was sunny and all the neigbors were out on ride-on mowers and their kids on quad bikes. Everything was buzzing. I rode Dacio, Yvonne took Carlotta. We did a brief couple of rounds of lunging before we got on, as there were a lot of rolly eyes and busy feet. All ok, so off we went. Dacio had his usual 20 seconds worth of tight back. During that time, I ride "defensively" and keep a nice short rein. Just in case... Nothing ever happens and then he's fine and he's pretty relaxed for the rest of the ride.

However, with that sort of backdrop, and warm weather, and itchy coats (yes, he had scraped loads of winter fur out of them before the ride..), we did have quite a lively ride. There were some levades, a few shies, head shaking, foot stomping, that sort of stuff. Carlotta wouldn't go down some mini bank. Yvonne was going to let it be, but I made them go, haha. More snorting and footstomping, but they did it.

So they both got a good sweat up. Not a bad outing for two youngsters under the circumstances. Hopefully, we'll repeat it this afternoon. The weather is lovely. If Yvonne comes home early enough from volunteering at the dog show...

Yesterday, I took out Max for the first time in a long time. Oh yeah. Big red stallion, high opinion of himself, would rather be out surfing, that sort of thing. I put the Maestro bit on him, which I've been meaning to do for a long time. The last few years, I've ridden him in a snaffe, but I used to have him in a Maestro previously.

I think he bounced several times, kicked out at the whip at least three times, stopped, grunted, swished his tail and generally complained, all by the time we got to the front gate. So I gave him a job to do. Go. Fast. Rack on!

About a km or so along the forest trail he decided that this was beginning to feel like work and wanted to slow down. Nope. Sorry. We went a bit further and then I asked him to walk. Hey, what a beautiful walk!! He got his breath back a bit further along and we had another good long rack. His mindset changed from obnoxious prick to pleasant hack in just over two kms. :-)

He was a lovely horse all the way home. He didn't even grunt at the Arabs on the corner, and managed either a nice rack or a loose rein walk any time I asked. Was he sweaty when we came home? Do fish swim?

Well, there are a few more horses which haven't been ridden since the autumn or winter, and I'm sure I'll have more fun yet. I love it when they are lively like that. I won't accept stupid behaviour, but I have no objections if horses express themselves. I can't stand plods. That's why we don't have any :-) Even if it means that some rides are on the exciting end of the spectrum. They are alive. I am alive.

poor neglected blog...

It has been a little while since I last wrote here. Sorry :-)

As of February, I've been studying full time. Computer Science is fun, but there is a lot of extra work in addition to going to lectures, labs, and tutorials. A bunch of assigments for starters... Anyway, the first semester is just about over so I thought I might catch up with some horse stuff.

I have started a facebook group called "Paso!". If you are interested in Pasos, go in and have a look, there are a few interesting posts in the discussion areas now.

Occasionally, I manage to update our stud website, but there aren't a lot of updates to do because it's been pretty quiet at home. But have a look at narrawin.com .

Well, due to study commitments and with winter setting in, there hasn't been much training of young horses going on. While the weather was still good, we spent a bit of time on two of our Paso Creole geldings, Ron and Raffles, but we didn't quite finish and they are turned back out for the time being. Instead, we've been spending some time with Yvonne's youngsters Carlotta, Dacio and Samba. They were all started last year and are getting a bit of regular riding, weather and time permitting.

In the beginning, we always took out one experienced horse, usually Flamenca, and a green one, but of late we have gone to taking out two of the younger ones together. As they gain experience, that works pretty well. Also, we are extending our rides not only in distance, but in challenge. Instead of just quiet forest trails, we go up the road, picking areas with more houses, letterboxes, barking dogs, mini ponies, spotted screaming stallions etc. We had a couple of fun rides towards the Dereel CBD, letting the horses check out the fire trucks which usually get taken out and washed on weekends, as well as the scary bus shelter at the hall.

So there is plenty to keep the youngsters amused!

We only have one outside horse here, Nele's Icelandic mare Funa arrived yesterday. Pity it's so wet and windy today. There is just no way I'm going to be out there playing with horses...