LRTC Sunday Playday

LRTC Sunday Play day.

Opal and Ehawee in the arena for group exercises.

Day 58:

Opal is slowly leveling out and we've had a nice relaxing week of fun.  We had a nice sized group of people and horses out today for our play day.  We started in the round pen working with Mustang Aurora owned by Mairalaina Batoog.  We worked with Aurora on getting use to other people in her space by playing the hokey pokey (yes we danced and sang along) as well has having people approach her and touch her with a pole.  

Next we moved the horses to the arena, including my two mares, to work together as one herd.  We sent them around the arena and after several minutes, let them seek out their owners.  Opal and Ehawee found each other, then found me.  

We then brought in the hippy hop balls.  We began by rolling them all around.  As I went to grab one, Opal decided I was in a good spot to roll, so I let her.  She rolled twice right next to me and let me pet her as well.  HUGE!  It takes a lot of trust for a horse to roll near people as they are vulnerable while they are down on the ground.  Shortly after Ehawee took a nice roll.  I love these girls.

 Arena fun.

 Here we have horses from different pastures and corrals working together as a large herd.

4 months have passed

4 Months have Passed. 

 Opal at Litchfield BLM corrals.

I was going through some older pictures and I came across some of Opal at the BLM corrals before coming home.  We've had an amazing journey together in such a short period.  I thought I would share some before and after images since I stumbled across the video of her getting ready to load in the trailer to come home. 

 Getting ready to go into the trailer from the BLM corrals.

 Opal at BLM 4 months ago.

 

 Opal 4 months later.

 

 

A little break

A little break. 

Horse Course ready for the Post Halloween Playday.

Day 57:

Opal has had a well deserved week off from training.  She's been enjoying being turned out and grazing.  I still can't believe how amazing she was in Nevada.  We had out post Halloween playday at the ranch this past Saturday.  Just a few fun classes and a romp in the horse course.  We added in my daughter's club house as a new challenge.  You had to ride to it, dismount, reach in and grad a carrot for your quine friend.  Opal was ready to stick her whole head in for the carrots.  Her hind is catching up to her shoulders height wise.  I'll be measuring her again once she does.  We have a few clinics and events this month and maybe another local parade for the holidays next month, if our sunny California weather holds that is.

 Play day fun.

The Great Migration, Part 3

The Great Migration, Part 3. 

 Another beautiful day in Nevada.

  

Day 55:

It was our final day in Nevada before going home.  We had a few things to do before loading to go home.  First was the LRTC (Least Resistance Training Concepts) play day, then Greg wanted to ride Amigo onto his property, about a half mile from where we were and the play day would be.  Even though the play day was only a few houses down from where we were, we loaded the trailer up anyways.  We could have walked, but since Opal was being a pill about loading in the trailer, she needed the practice.   After everything she did so wonderfully this weekend, I'll take her being a pill loading....for now.  She loaded almost perfectly, only needed a little encouragement as she got up to the trailer.

We arrived at the play day and several horses were already in the arena rolling and playing.  The three mustangs from California joined in the fun.  We sent the whole herd, eight or so horses, around the arena trotting or cantering to get their wiggles out.  Once the reached the end of the ring, they had to jump over a few barrels that were over on their side.  It was a small jump and each one of them hopped right over.  There were several of us in the arena to make sure the horses played nice and stayed safe, and we were all in helmets so we were safe.

I don't know of one horse that doesn't enjoy a good roll.

Next I took Opal into the obstacle course in hand.  I wasn't going to ride her today, she had done too well, plus Opal is going through a growth spurt and I'm limiting her riding until she levels out.  There was one obstacle she had not done what we don't have out here yet, Stepping up in a tire/platform.  I walked her over to it, while I went to the opposite side and asked her to step up on the tire.  She walked around instead, a few time actually.  Finally I walked over it first and she followed right behind me.  Back and forth we went, then I asked her to halt on top of it with all four hooves on it.  It took a moment for her to get it, but she did.  

 The Tire platform.

After this, I went and got Greg and Amigo to head over to his property.  Greg rode while I walked Opal and Cynthia, who lives in Nevada, walked her Arabian.  The walk went quietly and we arrived at Greg's house.  We gave the horses water and took turns getting drinks ourselves.  I was holding Opal and the Arabian while Greg was holding Amigo.  All of a sudden and at the same time, Amigo and Opal's ears perked up, they raised their heads and started breathing in deeper.  Greg and I looked for something that would get this reaction from a horse, jack rabbit maybe??  A minute later the Arabian joined them.  We were convinced there was something there, we just couldn't see it.  A minute later, WHAM!  Big gust of wind came up.  Amigo isn't fond of wind and we had to trailer home soon, so I said we should head back and get the horses loaded asap.

The walk back was a bit faster paced as we didn't want to get caught in a dust storm.  Willis met up with us half way back to make sure we were all ok and on our way home.  We encountered one piece of debris on the way back, half of a box.  Willis pointed it out as I approached it, so I stepped on it so it wouldn't spook the other horses and told the Greg and Cynthia to go past me.  Apparently Opal watched me step on the box, and then did the same thing, at least she wasn't scared of it.  Not wanting to get caught in a storm, I loaded Opal as soon as I could and this time she walked right in like a pro!  We were on our way home.  While the ride home was a windy one, we all arrived safely. 

Day 56:

I went out to unload from the parade today.  Opal pretty much had the day off, except I made her get in and out of the trailer a few times.  Even the dreaded back spot.  She had no issues today.  She's back in her pasture with her friends tonight and has an easy week of grazing ahead of her.  She's deserved a few days off to say the least.

 

The Great Migration, Part 2

The Great Migration, Part 2

Walking the route to the tarting point.

The vast majority of the parade photos were taken by Phillip Takahashi, husband to Sarah Takahashi who owns the mustangs Gypsy Rose and Satin.  Big thank you to him for walking the route with us and taking the pictures.

Please note, I've had Opal 4 months now.  This was a lot to ask of her, or any horse.  I have been in training and riding my whole life.  I know how to read my horses, how to talk to them and I do my very best to avoid or get out of bad situations safely for everyone involved.  This is not something I would do with just any horse.  Opal has a great spirit and mind and we have a very strong bond.  Without proper time and training spent with a horse, taking them out to a parade can be very risky, even for me.  Please use extremely good judgement or ask for help when considering parades, they are a lot for any horse to take in. 

Day 54:

Opal decided she wasn't going to get into the back of the trailer, so I tried the middle of the trailer, and she wasn't having that either.  We tried several things for a long while, including tapping her on the hind with a whip.  She was planted, although I did get complemented on how desensitized she was, even if it was playing against us at the moment.  Eventually she went in, but the delay meant most of the prep would have to happen at the start line while we waited for our turn to enter the parade route.   Pulled up to the Parade ending point to see hot air balloons taking off on the other side of the building from where we were unloading.  Turns out the humans were more concerned about them and what the horses would do than the horses were of seeing and hearing them.  We were a dozen plus mustangs strong, some owners in costumes, some in regular riding gear, and some in their authentic garments or spiritual.  This was the 75th year of the Nevada Day's parade, so that's whoat I based Opal's get up on, while I went more like a show girl, without wearing so little I'd freeze my tail off.

Objects are closer than they appear.

 Getting Opal ready.

 Marialaina in her jingle dress (left), Willis and mustang Trooper as Swamp Thing (center), and Amigo and Greg as the Sheriff (right).

Opal only stopped to look at one thing on the route, an announcer's booth.  It had banners hanging from it and it caught her eye, so I walked her over.  She wasn't sure what to think at first, but once she saw kids up there, all she wanted was for them to pet her.  She got love from a few kids along the way, which made her really happy.  Then I heard Greg (walking his mustang Amigo) and Marialaina (who was walking her mustang Sancho) shout that there were motorcycles coming.  A dozen cop bikes to be exact.   I thought for sure, if Opal or the other two mustangs were going to freak, this was going to be it.  Nope, not a single care was given by any of them.  YAY! 

 Banners, kids, and motorcycles...oh my!

Once we reached the starting point for the parade, I finished getting Opal's decor on her.  She was quiet the whole time.  During the parade they were having mock bank robberies, with 'gun' fights going on.  Opal didn't seem to mind the noise much.  Kids in costumes, bands playing, balloons, or floats didn't seem to bother her one bit.  I figured I'd jump up on her and sit in the tack while we waited, get a feel of how she was going to respond to me with all this going on.

Opal wasn't a huge fan of the feather in her forlock tickling her ears.

We were at the start line by about 9:30a.m., the parade started at 10, I think it was about 11:30 when we finally got on the parade route.  As the called us up to the starting line, Opal was still being calm so I decided to see how she would do walking past the line of floats we had to pass to get on the route.  She looked for a horse who knew its way and fell into place, I was still riding her.

Our parade group.

We stepped out onto the parade route.  Opal's ears perked, she lifted her head, and started breathing in deeper.  She wasn't sure what to think.  I was talking to her, using the clicker when she was being good, calming and reassuring her while at the same time reassessing our situation.  We were stopping about every 10 feet it seemed while we got our pacing down with the float ahead of us.  I ride with my lead rope tied to my horn with an emergency release knot.  We had walked one block when I pulled the knot and made the decision to dismount the next time we stopped.  Tami Daniels, who was walking her mustang Ranger next to us, asked if I was ok, and I told her I was going to get off.  About two seconds later, Opal did the most amazing thing, she settled into the line up and walked along like it was no big deal.  She figured out what was going on, and I didn't get off.  I spent the next few blocks riding her, giving her a job; bending her left or right, circling her, and other things.  About half way through the parade I was able to give her a little more slack in the reins, hold them in one hand and wave to the crowd.  Opal took everything in stride.  The only time she reacted was when a motorcycle cop started his bike up one horse over form her, but even a few of the seasoned parade horses reacted to that.

I gave Opal lots of praise, reassurance, a few treats and used the clicker attached to my saddle to let her know she was doing great.  The more I let her know she was doing good, the more relaxed she became.

On the parade route.

Opal was doing so well that when we stopped, I braved taking one picture with me phone.

All the California mustangs did great, as did all the mustangs in our group.  Each one proving how versatile they can be.  I'm beyond thrilled with how every one of them did, and blown away by my girl.

 Greg and Amigo (left), Marialaia and Sancho (center), Tami and Ranger (right).

I received several complements about our progress, my training, and while they want to give me the credit, I know we are a partnership, we are stronger together than apart.  In thinking back on the day I went to see her and reliving that day with my Mom, Opal kept seeking me out, I kept getting drawn to her.  She found me, we connected from the start.  Ehawee found me as well, and I'm blessed to have two wonderful mustangs in my life.

Part 3, LRTC play day coming shortly.