Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Years Eve!

Hello Family!


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A new year is starting and I would like to congratulate you all on a successful year, and a new beautiful year to come. I am currently at the beach right now, it's our family tradition... at the beach for new years. I love going out on an early morning power walk when I am here and take a look at the camp ground, it is beautiful. There was a beautiful swan grooming at the lake, he reminded me of the beauty of life... and how beautiful, vibrant, happy and successful I want to be in this new coming year. I have a couple of goals for this year, and really want to enjoy it because this is the last year I will be staying home. 2009 will be the year I finish up school and get my green string, 2010 will be the year I go to Florida and take a few courses and become an intern.

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Goals for 2009:

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*Earn my green string by June-July 2009. (Almost done with L3 now.)


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*Perform in the Savvy Spotlight in Lakeland, FL with Sundance.

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*Become a more fit and active person, feel confident about my physical self.

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All my goals we're achieved this year, and plan on doing everything I need to achieve my goals in 2009.

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I just recently read a verse in my daily devotional, it is found in Luke 11:9-10...

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Luke 11:9-10 (New Living Translation)

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“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

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I really like this verse, and know it is true because ever since I started Parelli I prayed every night about my goals and for my family. God has given me everything I need, and my goals are being achieved. I know not all of you are Christians, but I would love to share this with my christian friends and encourage them... I respect all of you who are not a part of the same beliefs and hope that my blog is still encouraging and inspiring to all of you!

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What are your goals for 2009? What are you doing to do to get them done? I would like to encourage you to write your goals down and get them done. For an example of long and short term goals, you can got to the page "My Life, My Dreams" found on the left hand side of the screen.

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I have had a request for a video of my new mounting technique, and would love to share. I should be home sometime this weekend, so be looking for a new video coming soon!


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Have a happy new years!


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Mariah, Breeze, Sundance, Taco, Bebe, Starsky and Doc

Friday, December 26, 2008

Sweet Bee Update and Other Updates

Little Bee is 99.9 % better, tomorrow is his last day of entrapment in the arena. Today when I came out to give him his "Horse Pills" (Ha ha, I couldn't resist!) He made a little canter and buck circle and came back to me, without any sign of pain or irregularity in his body... so I think he is about ready. I am very pleased with the progress of his healing and that it was only a cut, it could have been much much worse. I am very thankful for the undemanding time we had over Christmas, it really showed me how much joy you can find in doing things for others... rather than yourself.

As with the fabulous Fabio, he is a snotty  punk... In a good way of course, I love my Left Brained Introvert! He will now give me the worlds energy, ENERGY, just raw energy. That used to be my problem, lack of GO. Now, he's got great equality when it comes to his Go = Whoa (Impulsion)... but now I am having to give him a good reason to use that impulsion at Liberty instead of just running around in circles when I ask him to do something he either doesn't want to do or he is confused about.

I have learned lately:

Don't stay on one thing too long, once he gets it... GET OFF!

EX: Jump went great *TREAT*... Go sideways at a long distance... Back to jump -great- *TREAT*... onto something else. (Jump was the main focus, we have been jumping the barrels upright on-line and liberty... soon onto Freestyle.)

Our family got a Wii (Nintendo) for Christmas, which I have thoroughly enjoyed by the way! I was playing a game, and not soon after I got a hang of  it (2 minutes into it?) I caught myself saying, "MOVE ON ALREADY!". I stopped and thought... "Mirror, mirror in the stall; who's the fairest of them all?". Jesse Peters was right, my horse is my mirror. Sundance and I have perfectly matching horsenalities, even though I have only started noticing this. If I spend even a little too long on one task he gives me the middle hoof, even if I give him a reward. Sound like me? Uh, yeah. So I have to find BALANCE in my TIMING, when is the perfect time to give a treat? Or stop? Or move on? I am learning, and what a good thing it is... learning so many new things from such a wonderful partner on such a wonderful journey! "If your ripe your rotten, If your green your growing!" - Pat Parelli

Sundance and I have been playing with:

1) Jumping upright barrels, ONLINE - LIBERTY

2) Refreshing Stick2Me at W-T-C-B-S, LIBERTY

3) Figure 8's at Canter with Flying lead changes, ONLINE-LIBERTY

4) Long Line Driving, ONLINE-LIBERTY

5) Refreshing maintain gait (CANTER), ONLINE - Higher Length Lines -

6) Introducing the Concentrated Rein at W-T-C-B-S, FINESSE

7) Jumping Upright Barrels, FREESTYLE

8) Saddless, Bridless, Carrotstickless riding, FREESTYLE

9) Bareback mounting - Jumping on from behind, FREESTYLE

 

Bebe and I have been playing with:

1) Circles with Upward and Downward Transitions at W-T-C-B-S, LIBERTY

2) Figure 8's, LIBERTY

3) Carrot Stick Riding, FREESTYLE

4) Figure 8's, FREESTYLE

Haven't been able to do much with recent injury and time consumption with the holidays... compared to Sundance.

I have turned in my application for Lakeland, FL Celebration (October 9-11, 2009) Savvy Spotlight. I already have 3 songs picked out and a rough-draft routine in my head, even though it's 9 months away... we have a LOT of room for improvement, so I am very excited. My goal is to get my green savvy string my summer 2009, before we perform in Lakeland. So if ya'll don't mind sending positive thoughts or a little prayer my way, that would be fabulous. If any of you have any prayer requests, or anything, you can email me and I would be glad to contribute! mariahhelms@hotmail.com

 

Thanks for reading!

Mariah Helms

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

 

CopyofHTUPDATE13.jpg picture by parellifuture5starinstructor

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from everyone here from Patch of Heaven Stables

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Prayers and Positive Thoughts for Little Bebe - DAY 2 AM

 

I just got back in from tending to sweet bee...


There was a teeny bit of puss and NO swelling at all! He is walking with just a slight limp now. So it looks like he is on the fast track to recovery... he should be back to normal in 3 days.


He was real depressed about staying in the stall last night when I spent some UT with him... and he is doing very well today so I put his hay up in a hay net and set a big bucket of water out in the arena and he will be staying out there today. He will be able to sniff his buddies and talk, but no horsing around! He rolled and a smile was back on his face... so I think today will be a much better day for him. A nibble of banamine will make the day better too, and he has PLENTY of toys as he is staying in my arena.


Thanks for all the support and encouragement, I'd say this time with Bebe is a great Christmas present... I really enjoy taking care of horses and tending to them.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!





Mariah & Bebe

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Prayers and Positive Thoughts for Little Bebe UPDATE

The Beebsters is going to be fine! The little man got a hidden cut under all that FUR (I mean he's a teddy bear) on the inside of his ankle. She said he has a little deep cut, that got infected (All up his leg, it is so pitiful to see him try to move). So she gave him a pain killer shot and showed me how to wrap it.
Here's what I have to do:


2 X a day - Morning and night.


10 anti-biotic pills with his sweet feed


Clean and re-wrap (with a million wraps) his leg


1g of Banamine for pain


And of course refilling the water and shavings and hay, because his hyper little mind has to stay in the stall. I really hate to see him like this, he is like a sweet 5 year old child that wants to do every single thing you want so bad... he just really wants to go out with Mom and play and it breaks my heart to tell him no.


I got him a little apple licker and put some jingle bells in there for him to play with, he also has a stocking in his stall and I got his vet wrap in his color. I seems like I will be staying in the stall with him for support this Christmas, I will enjoy time with this precious soul!


Thank you for all the positive thoughts and prayers! It must have worked because it seems the only thing that's wrong is a scratch! It cost us only $218, it could have been a lot worse. We are blessed, COUNT your blessings if you have a healthy horse this Christmas.

Much love!



Mariah & Little Bee

Prayers and Positive Thoughts for Little Bebe

Well, my precious mischievous 5 year old gelding and Level 3 partner has gotten into trouble again! A few months ago he got himself bitten by a snake... then he got himself thrown face forward into a rocky creek... nothing serious or anything. Very fixable and he recovered quickly.

But Sunday when I called early morning to feed I had to keep on calling him and he finally came up... limping. It broke my heart, to see my precious 5 year old limping for the first time in his young vibrant perfect life. It had been muddy, like heck... and he loves to "horse around" with our 13.1 hh jack every day. We are guessing he twisted something or got kicked, while playing with the other ponies. He's stayed in his stall for the past couple days, full of warm fluffy shavings and plenty of hay. But was pretty upset to find his leg (left front) was very quite swollen this morning, and he will only try to put weight on his toe. So I finally decided to call the vet, she will be here today around 12:00 EST lunch time to take a look at him. I am just praying that it will be nothing serious like the little snake bite and nose bump, and that it will heal up fast.


So please, little Bebe could use your prayers and/or positive thoughts right now.


Thank you!



Mariah & Bebe

Monday, December 15, 2008

Mariah's 17th Birthday Cake(s)

Cake for play day...

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(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Thanks Kat, I love you!

 

Cake for family party...

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(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Birthdays and Level 3 Plans

It's been very quite busy around here lately! I am very excited about my Level 3 progression, I was talking with a friend on the Savvy Club forum and told her my  plans that have come up for Level 3 and the Celebrations so far...

Yes, I will be assessing my Level 3 as soon as the new auditions come out in January. I have not started much Finesse yet, and can't get Sundance to jump 3 ft jumps yet.. so that's all that would hold us back.
I want to get my certificate showing I have officially passed online and liberty in Level 3 in January-February, because I know for a fact I can do that with Level 3/4 savvy and maybe even Freestyle... I think we are ready to tape freestyle through the auditions. I want to pass Finesse by June-July, and that would equal the green string = completed 4 savvies in Level 3. I want my green string in before Sundance and I go to the FL Celebration, so when we try out for the games they'll see a 17 year old with a green string! Wouldn't that be perfect? And so far, if the above goals go as planned it will only have taken 1 year for me in Level 3! I am so excited.

Can't tell I'm excited much, huh? I am very much, and I am excited for all my friends that are reading this that are living their dreams and have a great and savvy future ahead of them. I have met a handful of people that I know I will be meeting in Florida, and as an instructor and cannot wait to see how far we all will get with passive persistence.

My birthday is this Monday, but we are celebrating tomorrow (Friday). I have custom ordered the neatest savviest cake, and will post pictures. I will be 17 years old, I don't feel 17 but am not sure how you are supposed to feel at that age anyway!

We have a play day Saturday, with a Christmas theme... which is going to be very exciting.

I know all of you are wondering when I am going to release my website, I wish I could now but I don't want to tell anyone until I hear back from Pat's Attorney... Alain Martignier said he'd email me ASAP so it should be soon.

As for the babies, they are being amazing creatures! Sundance and Bebe come as soon as I call them or not, and Sundance neighs like the dickens when he sees me so I am ecstatic. They are progressing just well, and could progress faster but I haven't looked at the Steps lately so when I do they will shoot again.

 

Here is an email I sent Jesse Peters  (http://www.jesserpeters.com/)

Hello Jesse,

I have put this task off LONG enough! This is all I have left online and I want to get onto Finesse, I need to get this task behind me.(Positive attitude much? I know, I will have to have a positive attitude towards it with the horses, but I can show how I feel with you.)

Sundance and Bebe of course view the upright barrels as TOO high. How can I set it up successfully so they will not 'refuse'? How did you set it up for success for lynx? I personally am uneasy with jumping the upright barrels, but will bite the bullet and do it nonetheless...

I do believe I have jumped 3 feet once before.

How was the visit with the 'Parelli Elephants'? Not all Parelli Professionals get to do something like that you know!

Thank you!

Mariah Helms
Little Patch of Heaven Stables
Private Boarding & Riding Facility
704.233.4463 / 704.499.1019
Now offering affordable Private
lessons and Ground work classes
http://www.mariahpnhelms.blogspot.com/
PLEASE SEND ALL EMAILS TO MARIAHHELMS@HOTMAIL.COM.

I will post his response as I receive it.

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

The joys of being a leader!

I just read a post on the forum, title "My Mare Bit Me!"...

We played the Games (the first 4 as I'm working through Level 1) and she was sweet, a bit distracted today but she was learning and played the friendly game easily. Then we had a nice walk around the yard on the line, just chilling out. Then I rode her in the school for about 20 minutes, loose rein , a bit of more collected stuff now and again but lots of fun and rewards. No pressure.
Felt good. Took her back to her stable and because she gets dead grumpy when i start doing 'jobs' I decided to just chill out with her for a bit in a timeless way. Anyway I was squatting on the floor (not a great idea) and then a friend of mine came along and we started to chat so my relationship with my mare was interrupted. We chatted away and then my mare strolled over to me and put her head down to me in what seemed an affectionate way (although my friend said afterward that her ears were back.) I should have blocked her but for a split second I forgot she was a horse and then she bit my eyelid. I'm fine (dead lucky ) but have a black eye.
I feel very silly but also upset because it felt quite hostile. Did she want me out of her space? Was she feeling ignored because I was using her space to talk to my friend? Was she just being a horse and I should have warned her out of my space?
I can't get rid of the feeling that all the partnership work is going down the drain if she can do that and yet I know horses nip and she's a horse!!!But I should know that I've only had her 7 months and only been doing Parelli 2 months so I can hardly expect instant results.
Do others understand?

I read this, and know how she feels! But I don't get upset when things like that happen because I know things like this will happen, because you are placing yourself in your horses herd and telling them your the leader. WOW! Think about it! You come home after finding Parelli, then go home to your herd of horses and barge out and say I AM THE LEADER! THAT'S FINAL! Off course theirs going to be some opposition there! That's the fun of it, that's how you learn.

Here is what I posted back...

Just a couple minutes ago Bebe kicked me in the leg... Why? Because I kicked him, he just kicked back as much as I did + 4 ounces. I'm not worried, because I was playing with him and being sassy, and so was he! I re-established my place as a leader afterwards and kept on playing... it's all a part of having horses and finding a place in the herd.

Bebe did not hurt me, it was a sorry little LB play kick... I was surprised though, and laughed because he was giving me feedback on what he thought about me kicking him! I couldn't get offended, I did the same to him.

Sundance and Bebe are doing great, and I am having so much fun with them... those two little brothers follow me everywhere and will do anything for me, which feels so good. I truly really feel both of them see me as their leader, and that is amazing.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008