Current Schedule and March Parelli Play Day

Hello Friends!

We just finished up a two-day playday here at Patch of Heaven Stables, the exciting new format gives people more of a chance to get here and learn! We had a wonderful group both days. On Saturday, we had a group come that I had already been acquainted with, I had done a performance with on of the ladies that came. I helped a couple of the students with problems they had in their journey. It's amazing what little changes, can make such a HUGE difference! On Sunday, we had a group from the Lake Norman area come, this was the first time I had met them. They were such a friendly group! A couple of them had just been introduced to the program, so I talked with them, and later on did a demonstration of the 7 Games and how they carry on into advanced maneuvers and eventually performance. I plan on hosting a 2-day play day every month, until I leave for Florida in November, email me if you'd like to join us. Enjoy the pictures!

New, Groomed and Improved Facility...

SUNDAY

7 Games Demonstration...

Christian and Reina...

SATURDAY

Fabio waiting like a good boy...

Christian and Reina, cutting Sundance...

Fun with our new playground...

Little Aamira, waiting patiently...

Bethany and Bebe...

Mariah and Starsky...

Mariah & Starsky, Liz and Eli, Nathalie, Heidi, Lisa and Duck...

Beth and Bebe...

Liz and Eli...

Laura and Ace

A Casual Day on the Farm...

We've been having a blast around here! As for everyday life on the farm, Christian and I are playing with 6 horses a day.

Reina - Coming a long nicely! Christian is playing with her daily, and am preparing them for playing on the 45 foot line. Christian can now canter her on a loose rein in an open pasture, with no problems. Reina has come a long way, I am very proud to be Christians instructor and to see them progress every day.

Bebe - We recently put up a liberty corral, and Bebe has never played in one before. He is more towards the RBI side in the liberty corral, so I am working on his confidence in that area. His canter has become more smooth, we are playing with a million transitions and riding in many areas for his emotional and physical control, his mental and physical fitness.

Sundance - Fabio and I are having a blast! We are about ready to film our Level 4 Liberty, I am very happy and excited about our current progress. We are playing with a lot of Finesse, with our Cradle Bridle and Pat's B3 bit. Lots of forequarter and hindquarter yields, along with sideways etc. We are also doing bareback, bridless and carrotstick-less riding, nothing on him! It is coming along well also, very fun to do! Such a testimonial to how far we have come. I am so proud of him!

Aamira - The baby and I have been playing consistently for 2-3 weeks now, and I already have her doing a lot of Level 3 tasks. At the moment, we are preparing for Liberty, which is VERY exciting! This little girl has a very bright future, I am so blessed to be a part of this precious life.

Starsky - Now Mr. Starsky has come leaps and bounds! I have been working with him consistently for 2-3 weeks now. He no longer jerks, bolts, kicks, bucks or rears. He is playing with Level 3 online, preparing for Liberty and Level 3 Freestyle. I rode him this Saturday, at the play day bareback for the first time in an open field, he gave me no trouble. I was so very proud, almost to tears! I have had him for three years now, and he has just now gotten to the point where I can start doing this with him. His progress is mind blowing, it came at the perfect time. His hooves are getting back to normal, so is his spirit... that had been broken the previous 20 years of his life. I look forward to playing with him everyday, he will live the rest of his life here, as a casual riding horse and partner, at Patch of Heaven Stables.

Breeze - She is retired and a finished riding horse. We are just working on her confidence on the ground. Sideways was rusty too, so we are tuning that up. She is a work in progress, I look forward to seeing her confidence grow, she is such a star!

Hooves, Dressage and a New Life

Hello Friends,

I returned home from Pat's barn, Sunday night around 7:00 PM. But this time, a pony returned with us. Reina, the rescue horse we adopted at the Lakeland Parelli Celebration, is home and very well. Reina is a very smart horse, with a lot of try! She looses confidence easily, but once reassured she gets back on task and tries her heart out. She is settling well here in her new home! She looked like a very centered Right Brained Extrovert at the Parelli Center, but now at home... she is not as centered. It's a new environment, with new friends, and new fears... but she is slowly becoming more centered and getting used to our schedule here at a Patch of Heaven. She was quite the topic this morning, because it snowed a beautiful fluffy 6 inches here in North Carolina. Mind, that Reina is a native Floridian and always has been... this was her first snow! This poor baby had no idea what the cold fluffy wet white creatures were on her feet! Regardless of her circumstances, I believe she handled it well. She walked slow overconfident circles, just staring and nimbling around at the ground. Then little Aamira, her Extreme Left Brained Extrovert pasture mate, showed her how it was done... and resided the rest of the afternoon at peace in her winter wonderland.

I had a blast in Florida with Jim Crew, I do believe he knows more about the mechanics of a horse and the horse itself than he knows HIMSELF! This man is jam-packed with information about the biomechanics of a horse, I was blessed to get just a sprinkle of his knowledge this past week. I met my newest and sweetest friend, Dr. Karen, at this course... I was blessed to have met her and share the course with her. She herself had such a great thing to offer to the course, besides her sweet spirit and enthusiasm, she discreetly added knowledgeable points to the course along with Jim. I feel like my eyes have been uncovered, and I am seeing things that I have wanted to see for the longest time... I now can listen to the horses body speak to me, not just the horses mind and heart.

I was also greatly blessed to have come the same time Walter Zettl chose to spend time with the Parelli's, I spent my days beside the dressage arena and sitting with Mr. Zettl, watching the mastery student and the Parelli's take a lesson from the master. What a privilege! Mr. Zettl knows how to make any woman's' heart melt to the floor. He has the softest hands, voice and heart... the countless kisses I received on my hand will never be forgotten. This time I got to also know Heidi Zettl, his wife... and Eddo Hoekstra, a man that Walter calls, his "adopted son". Take a peek at his mission at http://www.hoekstradressage.com/. It was a marvelous experience to spend time and grow with such wonderful people!

As for personal progress here at home, I have a TON going on! I think this is the busiest season of my life, and the best. Now that we received some good pointers at the way Pat's barn is managed, things have changed here. We are doing a LOT of little changes around here, on how I manage the barn and the layout of the property. It has made things much simpler. I do have to say, that taking care of 9 horses... with all specific needs, is a challenge! A true challenge! I now know why a mother says her job never ends, it's a twenty four hour job... but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. These horses are teaching me so much, and I know I am a better person for it.

I met Ryan Rose, a mastery student of Pat Parelli, and 3 star Parelli Professional, down at Pat's barn. I got talking to him, it was quite inspirational, he is around the same age as me and has and had the same similar goals as I have... and he is getting there, on step at a time through hard work and determination. We have coordinated a time for him to come here to Patch of Heaven to do a Level 2/3 Clinic and a day for private lessons, it is not official yet... but the potential is there, so we are very excited! MORE DETAILS TO COME.

As for my partners, we are having a blast! I have our days scheduled, with all the horses we have to play with and we are having the time of our lives. I am playing with Aamira, Bebe and Sundance daily, playing with all three of them really fires me up, I see progression in all of them and I see where they are heading... It is fabulous.

Sundance is quite the challenging horse, and always has been. Since we've graduated Level 3, it's been hard to progress as fast as I prefer. But I've stopped worrying about where I "should be" and on to where Sundance "is" at the moment, and where he needs ME to be. One of the hardest tasks for me to get him mentally engaged in is the figure eight... he knows how to do it, walk, trot, canter, forwards... even inside out and backwards! But he hates it, but I've somehow figured out how to get him engaged... and I am so happy! Today he really did a good job, and I promised him to never over do it ever again. Sundance and I really have a good thing going, wonderful, inspirational, but it has to be his idea first... that is the challenge, that is my puzzle to solve! Our long line driving has gotten much better since the last video, he really surprised me today! Cantering sideways from a walk, in both directions... just fabulous. Now we are finally to the point where we are playing with bareback, bridless and carrotstick-less riding! Nothing, nada, zero, zilch and what a feeling!

Little Aamira, I am convinced, is the smartest horse I have ever worked with. She gets things at the snap of a finger! She is charted as an extreme Left Brained Extrovert, she is an absolute blast! What a ball of fun.

Bebe is doing well too, we are playing with getting his confidence up at Liberty, and some bareback and bridless riding. Poor Bebe has the roughest canter I think I have ridden, but it is progressively getting better. He has really proven himself with the long line driving at all gaits, he is doing a fabulous job... all of them are!

Hope you have enjoyed my update, I apologise for them being so few and far between... but that is how life is rolling at the moment. I will try my best to update as needed. Shoot me an email if you want, with your thoughts on my current posts... previous posts, or any topic you'd like to discuss at mariahhelms@hotmail.com.

Naturally,

Mariah Helms

Out the Door...

I am now leaving a snowy North Carolina, for a sunny Florida... soon to be at Pat's Barn! :)

XOXO

Mariah

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Healthy Stride Courses and Reina's Progress

I will be leaving for Florida on January 31, 2010 to start my course with Jim Crew along with my farrier Fred Cloninger for 5 days, February 1-5, 2010. We will be right beside Pat's barn, Walter Zettl is scheduled to be there too, and I will be right beside Pat's dressage arena. So hopefully I will get a peek of the master in action with the externs, interns and proteges... maybe even Pat and Linda themselves! How neat!

Pat wanted to spend some time with us, on Saturday the 6th, so I could spend some time with Reina and see what he had been doing with her the past couple months. I am concerned about introducing her into our herd when she gets home, as I have limited pasture space (at least for doing correct introductions!) and lots of horses. So hopefully Pat will help me figure out the best way to get her started here at Patch of Heaven Stables. It will be nice to also see exactly where she is, so Christian and I can pick up where they left off with her. I look forward to learning from her, I think she will be a wonderful teacher.

I don't think I have been so busy or tired in my life! I am finishing up high school, teaching, teaching, teaching! Feeding, working out.... then doing more school! I am hoping it will slow down soon, as I am not getting a lot of time to play with Sundance and Bebe. I'd like to progress a lot more, but haven't had the time. Maybe on Wednesday as I only have one client, then I have clients all day Thursday and Friday back to back! Oh, I will find a way... there's more than one way to skin a cat, right?

Fred Cloninger, my Healthy Stride farrier, will be coming this Saturday at 10:00 am to spend a day teaching me with the ponies. I am excited, I love it when he comes to teach... what a blessing. I will try my best to get pictures of this Saturday, and me in Florida that next week.

Well, that's all for now, folks! Until next time...