Thursday, June 16, 2011

Trials and Beauties of Summer

It's been two months since I have been back from Marc's in Georgia and seems to have flown by like a week! Sundance has changed as a horse, for better in his progress in our journey but for worse in the physical so I have been fighting a dilemma as his back has something wrong with it. I am trying to get some good chiropractors, farriers, and massage therapists out here to help him and see what is going on. But I am determined he will be better soon, he has done so well with his progress and I am ready to keep on, I am ready to get back on the ball with him.

My poor mother has been off of her feet because of her back also, so I have been playing half-mom, keeping the house up as much as I can, and cooking. Mom's do a lot of work and I have developed a new appreciation and understanding of her position. I used to think I understood when a mother said her "job was hard but the most rewarding", now I am starting to understand just how rewarding the job really is! Being a horseman also will play a big part in motherhood, I feel quite prepared thanks to Parelli in most aspects of life. I look forward to seeing how big of a difference in my life Parelli will continue to make when I become a wife and a mother, a teacher and a lover. Thank you Parelli!

I have been teaching my students here in North Carolina, enjoying teaching my free hours which are just about up! Sometime in July I should be traveling to a couple of barns in Virginia, which I am looking forward to.

Reina and Bebe have taught me quite a bit as I have been working on their development even further. Bebe is one of the best minded yet insecure horses I have had the pleasure of working with. He is primarily an insecure right brained introvert, and I have learned to keep it slow and to not make him feel wrong all of the time. Right brained horses are quite different when it comes to perceptions and the way they learn, very sensitive to everything you do and very smart though most of it takes more repetition and quiet understanding on our part. I have enjoyed learning so much from him.

We are primarily working on slowing it down and creating a security blanket for him to feel during liberty, to find ME as a safe place at liberty instead of loosing his confidence and speeding up. I have also been playing with freestyle and finesse in sensitivity to my seat and energy, go and whoa becoming more equal and also teaching him to carry himself in a better manner for a smoother ride and a better build. He loves the ladies, I told him the more he worked with me the better he would look for the girls... I have had no problems with willingness after that conversation. ;-)

Reina has been quite the interesting case, she is really teaching me to stay patient, slow, and kind. She has a LOT of baggage from having raced for those years, and I can really tell the toll is has really taken on her mentally. She is the only horse in the herd we have that is not crazy about humans and doesn't come running to us for our company. So she has been very difficult but every moment of progression has been very rewarding. I do believe Parelli people are so attracted to difficult horses because they become responsible for that horses mind. They get to see what they are, how they started, the progress in between and the new creature they get to create and enjoy. The progress of the horses development, and the development it causes in you is really a magical unexplainable thing. I do feel very privileged to be one of the few people in the world that has the skill and knowledge to be able to develop horses in such a way, not just because of the beauty you are able to create but the beauty that the horse gets to create in you. I will keep all of you updated on these horses progress, I am very busy for the next 3 weeks with my family, playing with horses as much as I can in between but after that I should be posting every day.

I will be leaving early in the morning (Friday) to spend a couple of days with family up in Virginia about 7 hours away, will be a very nice trip. I will be back late Monday night, the chiropractor will be visiting on Monday while I am gone to do a check-up on Sundance and will be getting a call from her to try and figure out what needs to be done. I will let you guys know when we get a lead on something, hopefully it will be a quick fix, let's keep our fingers crossed.

Happy Father's Day to all of you Daddies out there! Kids, be sure to hug your Father today for what he does. My father will be getting some home cooked meals, baked cookies, and lots of love and hugs!

I'll talk with you soon, thanks for hanging in here with me guys! Would love to hear from you, please leave a comment so I can catch up.

Keep it Savvy!

Mariah Helms

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