So the summer is progressing. My boyz have completed the half day athletic camps organized by the school and in addition, I have found lots to do with the kids after work to make it fun. Now I have them going to the little summer camp run by the preschool/child care they used to go to. I know they are the oldest kids there but the teachers are especially fond of them, they are close to home, it's safe and I can afford the 3 days a week they go for half days. I have a good relationship with their pre-school teacher and she's amazed at how far they have advanced since she last saw them.
As well as having fun and lots of free time I'm now trying to steer a little back toward keeping up the academic gains acquired in kindergarten so they don't walk into school in September and wonder how to write a short sentence. So my idea is to have them do "assignments" from the workbooks I bought them for over the summer and their pre-school teacher will check and grade them. She thought that was an excellent idea and I think it's not too much since they are only at camp 3 days a week. The rest of the week they hang out and play at home.
So I pulled out the handwriting workbooks and we played "school" last night. I chose 3 pages of writing tasks and they sat at their desks and I was "mommy teacher" while they did the assignment. When they finished and we folded up the desks and chairs, they asked when I would be lining them up for dismissal. I asked, "dismissal? why" and they told me that when school was over, they clean up and the teacher walks them out to the busses for dismissal. Okay, I played along and they marched behind me outside to the driveway.
Then I told them our SUV was the bus. And they piled in. Now they wanted to know where we were going on our field trip. And I told them to the library. They were thrilled that the "game" had taken on a reality that was becoming more and more fun.
So I grabbed my keys, their book bag for the summer reading club and my husband and we went on a family field trip to the library!
I love to see them learn and am constantly amazed at how accelerated learning is from when I was a child. I know there are all kinds of things marketed at parents to raise a "super-baby" - you know, a kid who is potty trained by a year, can read novels at 2, write a thesis at 3 and by 4 speaks 6 languages fluently. So at work today, I kept hearing advertisements on our studio radio for Your Baby Can Read. And I laughed. If you've seen the TV commercials, it shows a product guaranteed to have your child reading before nursery school. I haven't used the product, my kids are past the age level of the product so I have no way of knowing if it would have made a difference for my boyz. But I just started thinking, "What next? Your Baby can Vote? Your Baby can Drive? Your Baby can figure out your Taxes?". I love my boyz and have always worked to read to them (and they both love books) and help maintain what they learn in school. But why can't kids just be kids and grow up a little slower? Does it really matter if they can read at 5th grade level when they are just finished with kindergarten? I'm not saying hold them back but the world is spinning so fast. Is it so wrong to see childhood not as a competitive sport for parents but as the most carefree and wondrous part of life?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Bring It!
It's working! The groundwork session last evening with T.S. was just incredible for me!
I was ready and waiting to get to work as soon as T.S. arrived. He was pleasantly surprised to see I had bought my own training gear while he was away. And he liked the tools that I bought. I will give a shout to E and M Natural Horse training supplies, who make good quality training tools at a very budget friendly price.
We went into the polo arena to work. I had told him I've been kind of keeping to the smaller arena behind the barn and he was expecting me to want to go there to work but I told him, no. I want to train in the polo arena while he was here to work with us. Then If I encountered any problems, I had him to coach me through it. T.S. liked that. Hey, I figure if I'm paying for the training, let's challenge ourselves and then when he's not here the rest should come easier.
T.S. also told me this time he was going to watch me work with Rugby and refine my cues. He was transferring the training tools from himself to me. And I agreed, that's exactly what I wanted to do this time, have him watch what I've been doing on my own the past month and let me know if I've maintained or backslid.
Long story short - I maintained everything and even perfected the cues and communication for the "quieter" exercises such as the backing on the line, desensitizing and the flexion work. I have noticed in the last 2 weeks, it has been like it has just "clicked" in Rugby's mind with me. He and I are connecting better than before. There's a level of trust that is blossoming here and I am working like mad to keep it building. I've even noticed my horse likes when you cheer him on verbally. When he's trying and getting it, if you praise him gently in a "happy voice" he will arch his neck and his eyes become "soft". He then gives you even more. T.S. loved that and told me to keep using that discovery to bring the connection closer.
When we moved into the lunging, it started out well. We've got the whole disengage the hindquarters and shoulders, change direction communication down. Then T.S. challenged us and told me to start working all of the arena. It got a bit rowdy when Rugby decided he didn't like the polo goal at the far end of the arena. He was trying to avoid going there and I wound up sand skiing on some of his circles on the lunge line (note to self: Draft horses on the lunge can be like holding onto Superman's cape!) But T.S. kept urging me and encouraging us and we worked Rugby past it until he approached the goal and I released the pressure and allowed him to stop and rest there. And he did! (and boy was I tired, too!) Then we did some gentler work to ask him to move away and approach the corners and goal at that end of the arena.
And it was amazing to me when Rugby followed my cues and approached the objects as I asked, with no avoidance and complete respect. Then T.S. explained something that clicked with me, He said, "You realize that now you are communicating with him from 22 feet away, and he's waiting, listening and focused on your direction. Imagine now how that kind of connection will translate under saddle". I can and I am so excited!!
T.S. complimented me. He explained that part of his training is to watch my body language as I work with the horse and my experience has served me well. He said he liked that when Rugby got rough, I instinctively brought all my energy inward, even bringing the line end behind my thigh with my free hand while continuing to hold with my other hand and "sitting" on the line to act as an anchor until the horse settled. He said you'd be surprised how many people don't figure how to do that and can get their shoulder dislocated or pulled off their feet.
Our assignment now is to continue doing what we are doing, but now Rugby has to wear his tack as we do the groundwork. In 2 weeks, T.S. will come back and we are getting back to riding. He feels we are ready! I know I am! Bring it!
I was ready and waiting to get to work as soon as T.S. arrived. He was pleasantly surprised to see I had bought my own training gear while he was away. And he liked the tools that I bought. I will give a shout to E and M Natural Horse training supplies, who make good quality training tools at a very budget friendly price.
We went into the polo arena to work. I had told him I've been kind of keeping to the smaller arena behind the barn and he was expecting me to want to go there to work but I told him, no. I want to train in the polo arena while he was here to work with us. Then If I encountered any problems, I had him to coach me through it. T.S. liked that. Hey, I figure if I'm paying for the training, let's challenge ourselves and then when he's not here the rest should come easier.
T.S. also told me this time he was going to watch me work with Rugby and refine my cues. He was transferring the training tools from himself to me. And I agreed, that's exactly what I wanted to do this time, have him watch what I've been doing on my own the past month and let me know if I've maintained or backslid.
Long story short - I maintained everything and even perfected the cues and communication for the "quieter" exercises such as the backing on the line, desensitizing and the flexion work. I have noticed in the last 2 weeks, it has been like it has just "clicked" in Rugby's mind with me. He and I are connecting better than before. There's a level of trust that is blossoming here and I am working like mad to keep it building. I've even noticed my horse likes when you cheer him on verbally. When he's trying and getting it, if you praise him gently in a "happy voice" he will arch his neck and his eyes become "soft". He then gives you even more. T.S. loved that and told me to keep using that discovery to bring the connection closer.
When we moved into the lunging, it started out well. We've got the whole disengage the hindquarters and shoulders, change direction communication down. Then T.S. challenged us and told me to start working all of the arena. It got a bit rowdy when Rugby decided he didn't like the polo goal at the far end of the arena. He was trying to avoid going there and I wound up sand skiing on some of his circles on the lunge line (note to self: Draft horses on the lunge can be like holding onto Superman's cape!) But T.S. kept urging me and encouraging us and we worked Rugby past it until he approached the goal and I released the pressure and allowed him to stop and rest there. And he did! (and boy was I tired, too!) Then we did some gentler work to ask him to move away and approach the corners and goal at that end of the arena.
And it was amazing to me when Rugby followed my cues and approached the objects as I asked, with no avoidance and complete respect. Then T.S. explained something that clicked with me, He said, "You realize that now you are communicating with him from 22 feet away, and he's waiting, listening and focused on your direction. Imagine now how that kind of connection will translate under saddle". I can and I am so excited!!
T.S. complimented me. He explained that part of his training is to watch my body language as I work with the horse and my experience has served me well. He said he liked that when Rugby got rough, I instinctively brought all my energy inward, even bringing the line end behind my thigh with my free hand while continuing to hold with my other hand and "sitting" on the line to act as an anchor until the horse settled. He said you'd be surprised how many people don't figure how to do that and can get their shoulder dislocated or pulled off their feet.
Our assignment now is to continue doing what we are doing, but now Rugby has to wear his tack as we do the groundwork. In 2 weeks, T.S. will come back and we are getting back to riding. He feels we are ready! I know I am! Bring it!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Update!
To those loyal readers who have bestowed awards on me, I am so thankful! I will pick them up ASAP!
Rugby and I are getting along so well. Tomorrow T.S. is coming for another session and I'm psyched!
My hoof trimmer came to work on Rugby's hooves and was impressed at how well mannered he is now about lifting and holding up his hooves to be worked on. Rugby was lifting each foot up by himself for the trimmer as he moved to each one! When I first got him, he wouldn't even lift his hoof and hold it up for more than a few seconds without having to put it down and try again. I take full credit for solving that one.
Now I'm keeping fingers crossed our little run of lovely dry weather holds for tomorrow evening!
Rugby and I are getting along so well. Tomorrow T.S. is coming for another session and I'm psyched!
My hoof trimmer came to work on Rugby's hooves and was impressed at how well mannered he is now about lifting and holding up his hooves to be worked on. Rugby was lifting each foot up by himself for the trimmer as he moved to each one! When I first got him, he wouldn't even lift his hoof and hold it up for more than a few seconds without having to put it down and try again. I take full credit for solving that one.
Now I'm keeping fingers crossed our little run of lovely dry weather holds for tomorrow evening!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
I want to ride again
I did some groundwork with knucklehead tonight in the big polo arena. And even though he was feeling good and gave a few bucks and then cantered around on the lunge line, he was not disrespectful and would disengage his hind quarters as soon as I asked and change direction immediately when directed. I lunged him over a groundpole and it was obvious that his attention immediately was on the pole and he settled right to it. In fact, I could see he rather liked the pole and headed straight for it each time, once or twice even jumping it! My heart skipped when I noticed his interest. He seems to LIKE jumping! I need to set up a small raised pole and see what he does with that on the lunge.
And it's another step toward me wanting to ride, again. My trainer, T.S. is back from his campground and he's setting up his schedule. Getting closer to our next session.
And Rugby's collected a new nickname. He's now affectionately called "Tushie". Because I stopped by one uncomfortably warm, muggy night around 10:00pm to check his water buckets and he was laying down, with his enormous rear end facing the door of his stall. And if his butt looks huge when he's standing, it really spreads out when he lays down! When he stood up it was just horse butt as far as I could see. So "Tushie" it is!
And it's another step toward me wanting to ride, again. My trainer, T.S. is back from his campground and he's setting up his schedule. Getting closer to our next session.
And Rugby's collected a new nickname. He's now affectionately called "Tushie". Because I stopped by one uncomfortably warm, muggy night around 10:00pm to check his water buckets and he was laying down, with his enormous rear end facing the door of his stall. And if his butt looks huge when he's standing, it really spreads out when he lays down! When he stood up it was just horse butt as far as I could see. So "Tushie" it is!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Horse Tweet - join up!
I'd like to give a shout about HorseTweet - new horse themed "Twitter" styled site and I'm having fun using it. It's just for horse people! Stop on by and sign up! Look for me there and add me to your subscriptions list and I'll do the same!
HorseTweet
HorseTweet
Friday, June 26, 2009
Not about Horses - it's about Talent
Love him or not, you cannot deny the talent. Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I Tweet, therefore... I have too much time on my hands
I know, I know. How long has it been since my last post? Too long! Just busy as the school year winds down, work gears up, summer plans need to get in motion and horse continually puzzles and amazes me.
I got myself back to Tweeting again to keep something fresh on the page in between posts. So if you like to read about my progress or regress with Rugby check the Twitter widget on my blog page.
Hope the rain has stayed away from whereever you are (because all it seems to do here IS rain!) and you are ready for a good summer!
I got myself back to Tweeting again to keep something fresh on the page in between posts. So if you like to read about my progress or regress with Rugby check the Twitter widget on my blog page.
Hope the rain has stayed away from whereever you are (because all it seems to do here IS rain!) and you are ready for a good summer!
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