Mariah's 17th Birthday Cake(s)

Cake for play day...

 

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Thanks Kat, I love you!

 

Cake for family party...

 

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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!

I love Fran... she has more guts than I do!

http://savvyup.blogspot.com/2008/12/drama-is-so-overrated.html

XOXO

Mariah

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.

Sweet & Savvy Visitor from Georgia

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Thanks for stopping by Alayna! I had lots of fun.