I wanted to tell you how our horse version of baseball is developing.

I started with teaching  Zelador and Zeloso to follow a set path and come back. Did this once and had some success. The other day I introduced …

With “Family Day” creating a long weekend, Bill and I were able to work with both boys together at liberty for three days in a row. We placed the boys on their pedestals and worked on motions for “Knees Up …

Today after riding Zelador I took off his tack and turned him loose. He enjoyed a roll, then came to see what I was doing. I turned off the tape player. We played the piano, then I took him to …

The snow’s back on the ground…sniff. Due to some cold temperatures we were out of the saddle and back on the ground this past week. The tape playing machine in the arena does not like sub-zero temperatures. It’s quite painful …

I started teaching Zelador and Zeloso the piaffe in May 2010. We began in the stall with the horse raising one hind leg, holding it up for a short time, then putting it back down. Click/treat. Occasionally a month or …

Here’s Christi on Zelador. She doesn’t weigh very much…and I figured Zelador would appreciate my attempt to make his transition from learning the piaffe at liberty to under saddle a bit easier.

Lately Zelador has decided that when travelling along the wall to the left he should place his head to the right…bummer.

Today I used the clicker to help him flex to the left. I was in the saddle and we …

I introduced a new toy for the gang on the hill to hold. Teddy sniffed it. Duke sniffed it. Tilley didn’t faint. Georgie held it!!!! And, much to my surprise, Lulu sniffed it. I figured Lulu would hold it.

I …

Zelador and Zeloso both LOVE the big horse balls. Zeloso’s been out-of-control with them from day one. Zelador, on the other hand, started out calmly, but over time he, too, morphed into this wildly enthusiastic leaping maniac whenever the ball …

Just saw a DVD of the film “Temple Grandin”. It was amazing. In the Bonus Features she, the screenplay writer and the director comment on each scene as it’s played. Because of Temple I went to the Nobleton library. She’s …

This morning before I fetched the yearling, Marcus, from his stall I set up the arena. We have a wooden cut-out bull. I moved that from beside the piano to the south wall, between a low pedestal and the teeter-totter. …

Marcus was introduced to the mailbox today. I had the door open and placed a piece of carrot in the mailbox. He thought that was a good trick! Of course, he would have liked to play with the red flag …

I just watched the DVD, “Buck”. It’s about Buck Brannaman, who was the inspiration for Nicolas Evans’ main character in The Horse Whisperer. Buck also worked with Robert Redford in the movie. He provided technical expertise, served as a double …

On March 4th, we’re going to host a House Concert (at the house, not the arena!) with musician Marie-Lynn Hammond. She has several horse songs and many others that she’ll play for us. AND, animal communicator, Lauren Bode, will be …