CHIT CHAT in VOLTVILLE

[Renolizzie]

One thing Penny is not afraid of is plastic bags. That's because I often bring treats to the barn in them -- apples or carrots. When she hears a plastic bag crinkle, she licks her chops. Maybe something like that would work for you?

Wiseguy is worried about dogs, mostly but he has taken to shying and doing a little bucking over the darndest things. I put my foot down on the bucking and he is much better. Now, I think if I work with him on desensitization, he'll do a lot better on all things new or worrisome.

I'd like to build a round pen for him this spring so that we could do a better job with lunging, as well. I am out of funds for new projects for a couple of months. And I am all worn out. So, next spring I'll make a nice round pen. I am thinking about doing post and 2x6 rails. That way it would be reasonably safe for him to go out there to play and give me an extra pen for a second horse that I would like to get.

 

[SandySu]

Wiseguy is worried about dogs, mostly but he has taken to shying and doing a little bucking over the darndest things. I put my foot down on the bucking and he is much better. Now, I think if I work with him on desensitization, he'll do a lot better on all things new or worrisome.

I'd like to build a round pen for him this spring so that we could do a better job with lunging, as well. I am out of funds for new projects for a couple of months. And I am all worn out. So, next spring I'll make a nice round pen. I am thinking about doing post and 2x6 rails. That way it would be reasonably safe for him to go out there to play and give me an extra pen for a second horse that I would like to get.

A round pen can be quite useful. Be sure it's large enough, though: 60 feet across is a good size. I know your guy is little, but someday you may get a bigger horse, and you'll need that room. Meanwhile, does Wiseguy know how to longe? That's an often useful tool, and a longe line is a lot cheaper than a round pen. Another thing you can do with him is natural horsemanship. That's a Western technique that has some elements of longeing. A lot of people don't like Pat Parelli, but he does have a very well laid out system to help you along. His courses are expensive, but you don't need to sign up for them. Start with the 7 Games. You can find out about them online, or I could PM you with a description, if you want.

As for fear of dogs, do you have dogs? Is he afraid of dogs he sees all the time? If you don't have dogs, could you invite a friend to bring their dog over to visit? Just being around dogs a lot may get him used to them. If you have someone bring a dog, make sure the dog will be OK around horses. Some dogs get really excited when they aren't used to horses, and they bark and get really crazy. You want a calm dog -- at least at first -- to reassure the little guy.

 

[Renolizzie]

Hi Sandy Su - We have two dogs an big Aussie and a little Corgi and he is fine with them but he is worried about dogs when we are out and about.

Wiseguy knows how to longe but his owner is kind of uncoordinated I've seen Pat Parelli on TV. I like that Clint Anderson guy a lot. That little horse and I will just keep muddling along. We are doing pretty good together. It takes time and effort. I haven't put the time in for the last several weeks and it shows so while the weather is good, I am making sure we do things together.

 

[SandySu]

Hi Sandy Su - We have two dogs an big Aussie and a little Corgi and he is fine with them but he is worried about dogs when we are out and about.

Wiseguy knows how to longe but his owner is kind of uncoordinated I've seen Pat Parelli on TV. I like that Clint Anderson guy a lot. That little horse and I will just keep muddling along. We are doing pretty good together. It takes time and effort. I haven't put the time in for the last several weeks and it shows so while the weather is good, I am making sure we do things together.

So it's strange dogs he's afraid of. Is it because they are barking? Can you invite some well-behaved strange dogs over for a visit?

Longeing takes practice, but you have to do it so you get less uncoordinated. Some important rules: Don't wrap the longe line around your hand. Loop it so that if Wiseguy runs off, you can let go, not get caught in the loops. (This goes for leading with a lead line, too.) Don't let the line drag on the ground, no matter what those natural horsemen do or say. It can trip you or get wound around a leg and you can be dragged. Sometimes it helps to wear gloves, if your hands would get sore holding the line. You can teach him voice commands when longeing. That would help when you're driving him, too. When you drive him, does his bridle have blinders? I hear sometimes they help a horse be less spooky, though I can't understand how that would work. Then again, I know very little about driving, since all my life, I've ridden. I did take a few driving lessons from a friend who was very good at it, but I never even got so far as to remember how to harness the horse. Compared to saddling and bridling, that harness is so confusing!

 

[Renolizzie]

Yes, the bridle has blinkers or blinders on it. The thought is that a horse will panic or if the horse is panicking, that the sight of the cart chasing it would cause an even bigger panic as the horse will think it is being chased.

It is strange dogs he is worried about whether it is little chihuahuas or big farm dogs.

We'll keep trying the longing. He is actually a good little horse but this is a new world out here. There is a lot he has never seen before when he was at the stable. He does need to get over the scarier parts. He and I are not quite a team yet but maybe we are getting there


PS - When I say get he will have to get over it, I mean that in a nice way. We will continue to work on whatever he is worried about and I will keep learning how to help him.

 

[SandySu]

Yes, the bridle has blinkers or blinders on it. The thought is that a horse will panic or if the horse is panicking, that the sight of the cart chasing it would cause an even bigger panic as the horse will think it is being chased.

It is strange dogs he is worried about whether it is little chihuahuas or big farm dogs.

We'll keep trying the longing. He is actually a good little horse but this is a new world out here. There is a lot he has never seen before when he was at the stable. He does need to get over the scarier parts. He and I are not quite a team yet but maybe we are getting there


PS - When I say get he will have to get over it, I mean that in a nice way. We will continue to work on whatever he is worried about and I will keep learning how to help him.

Here's a video to inspire you. Panda: A Clicker Trained Assistance Horse, of Course - YouTube

 

[Renolizzie]

I'm off to the Christmas party. I'm taking 4 Volt 78's with cartos and the PCC. Plus I have the big batts for the drive with clearos. W figure about an hour and a half to get up to South Lake Tahoe. Cocktails, dinner and a show with a hypnotist. Should be fun.

 

[Bluesman]

Well, there's no way to really tell just what "someone left the cake out in the rain" means by itself. But if you include the surrounding lyrics, to me anyway, it seems like he's lamenting a love that is lost or gone wrong and will never have the opportunity to regain it or a love like it. (Can't believe I'm waxing that romantically about MacArthur park) Another interesting fact is that Jimmy Webb wrote the album, A Tramp Shining, on the plane on the way to California to record it. Talk about creativity under pressure.

Richard Harris was quite a "partier" and I heard a story where he and Pat MacCormick, the big Irish guy, both got arrested for D&D one Saint Patty's Day in New York City. It seems they were chasing one another down the street after imbibing a bit too much and tripped and fell......they tripped over the light bar on top of the police car they were chasing each other over.

Blues, someone explained this to me once, on a drunken night at a bar after a gig: The guy who had written the song just got dumped and MacArthur Park was where they used to have lunch. Rain = tears; if the park was like a giant cake (with green icing) and you drenched it with water, what would happen? It would kind of melt, right? Then the rest of it becomes obvious: doom and gloom, the guy thinks he'll never meet another girl to hang out at the park with again. So the joyful park experience is all gone. Oh nooooo!

See, I never knew all of that. It does make sense once you know what you just told me. The laments of a failed and fallen love. The thing is, now that you tell me that, the musical rhythm of that song fits in very well with the emotions of the lyrics.

The story about Harris and MacCormick is too much.

Thanks to both of you for that info.

 

[Bluesman]

I'm getting worried. Raven has had episodes like this before, but this seems to be going on longer than I ever remember. Are you sure she's OK, Blues?

I'm not sure she's okay, but if there was anything abnormal going on, Raven would tell me. Both of us have some health issues. Neither of us lets that stop us from enjoying life. We are quite open with each other, but we tell each other what's going and then move on.

In Raven's case right now, she keeps me up to date on how she feels. I haven't heard anything from her that I'm concerned any more than I usually am. If I felt there was something to really be concerned about, I would be on a plane to Indiana in a hurry.

Now, SandySu, that sounds like something I just might do. I'm going to check flight schedules tonight.

Raven's son is with her and he does a really good job of taking care of her.

I'll be sure to let you know what happens. Thank you for your concern.

 

[White Rabbit]

I'm off to the Christmas party. I'm taking 4 Volt 78's with cartos and the PCC. Plus I have the big batts for the drive with clearos. W figure about an hour and a half to get up to South Lake Tahoe. Cocktails, dinner and a show with a hypnotist. Should be fun.

You'll be vaping up a storm


I went to a two hour Christmas Concert this afternoon, only took one 78 with a carto topped off. Had a few puffs before and after and none on the way home. It seems as long as I have something in my pocket it is satisfying enought LOL. If I forget to take even one 78 with me, I kind of panic but I can live without them.

 

[awsum140]

See, I never knew all of that. It does make sense once you know what you just told me. The laments of a failed and fallen love. The thing is, now that you tell me that, the musical rhythm of that song fits in very well with the emotions of the lyrics.

The story about Harris and MacCormick is too much.

Thanks to both of you for that info.

The whole "Tramp shining" album is a kind of dark one. All the songs, or almost all of them anyway (haven't listened to the whole thing recently) involve lost love, failed relationships and death. At the same time, for some reason, they express a lot of emotions I think everyone feels at one time or another in their life. Harris's voice is so raspy and hoarse at times that the emotion just pours out of the speakers. Somehow music today, for the most part, seems to have lost that ability except in very rare cases.

Tell Rave to feel better for me and all of us.


You ladies have lost me with all the lounging. I am good at lounging though, doing it right now with my feet up, cup of coffee and my DIY tobacco mix I call "RS3".

 

[Raynes]

Hey, Raynes, that's progress!!!! Yee Haw, she's sitting on a horse.

Thanks Lizzie !!! It was just a test to see where I am. I've got a LOT more stretching to do,and I've got to figure out how to get my balance back. Even with the pelvic brace I'm real wobbly when standing on one leg,my timing is way off.when I put my foot in the stirrup to mount someone has to brace my leg and someone else has to pull my right leg over the cantle since I have to use a bear trap saddle for right now for added support. I'll have to get a velcro safety belt to secure me in the saddle to work on riding exercises.
There is a ranch horse competition this spring in Cullman.AL that I would like to compete in this spring.

 

[nightfell]

I'm off to the Christmas party. I'm taking 4 Volt 78's with cartos and the PCC. Plus I have the big batts for the drive with clearos. W figure about an hour and a half to get up to South Lake Tahoe. Cocktails, dinner and a show with a hypnotist. Should be fun.

I want to visit Tahoe one day.

 

[SandySu]

You ladies have lost me with all the lounging. I am good at lounging though, doing it right now with my feet up, cup of coffee and my DIY tobacco mix I call "RS3".

You silly! It's longeing, sometimes spelled lungeing. It's when you have a long line and the horse makes a circle around you out at the end of the line. It's a technique used for exercise and training. I always chuckle when I see people spelling it as lounging. But I know you were just playing, not in error.

 

[SandySu]

Thanks Lizzie !!! It was just a test to see where I am. I've got a LOT more stretching to do,and I've got to figure out how to get my balance back. Even with the pelvic brace I'm real wobbly when standing on one leg,my timing is way off.when I put my foot in the stirrup to mount someone has to brace my leg and someone else has to pull my right leg over the cantle since I have to use a bear trap saddle for right now for added support. I'll have to get a velcro safety belt to secure me in the saddle to work on riding exercises.
There is a ranch horse competition this spring in Cullman.AL that I would like to compete in this spring.

That's an ambitious aim. You are so good to work at this, though. I think your balance will improve from riding. Actually, if your hips are the problem, riding at a walk will be good for them, too. When you are stiff, does it hurt to stretch your legs? That's the problem with my arm. My shoulder's stiff, won't reach up, and when I try, it hurts. I have exercises I do every evening to loosen me up. I'm not one who enjoys exercises like sit-ups. I'd rather be out there moving, actually doing something. But I'm dutifully doing them so as to get more flexible. You may be able to do this yourself (with help), but if you don't seem to be progressing, consider a therapeutic riding program. They usually have a physical therapist who can assess your problems and work with you. There are 2 basic types of therapeutic riding, though some places have a combination. One is learning to ride, and the other is hippotherapy, which is like physical therapy using the motion of the horse. I admire you for working at riding, and of course I want to hear of your progress all along the way.

 

[SandySu]

I want to visit Tahoe one day.

I've been there. Besides gambling in the Nevada part, there's great skiing. If you go, be sure to look into the Cal-Neva Hotel. It's a historic old place with a huge fireplace in the lobby, right on the state line between California and Nevada. There's a stripe painted on the state line: gold on the California side and silver on the Nevada side. There's a small casino there, too, in the Nevada portion of the building. Lovely views of the lake. This place is really special, IMHO, and worth a visit if you happen to be up that way.

 

[Raynes]

Lizzie and I quote :"He and I are not quite a team yer but maybe we are getting there". Bonding IMO is the single most important thing you can work on ever. Cementing that bond. Once you get that bond established you can do anything with Wiseguy. Just like that girl in the video with that pony. That's the perfect example of the results of bonding.
There are so many trainers out there teaching people to train their own horses. They scare me,b/c you don't see the mistakes these guys make prior to filming or the horse itself.I'm a skeptic. I've never heard not one mention bonding.I could take any horse I have here,run them around a round pen until they are exhausted,keep on until I can halter,saddle, bridle, stick my dummy on them let them buck it out climb in the saddle and whoopie I could ride but what have I accomplished? I would be saying to my horse "You will do as I say when I say it or I'll run you have to death" I would have created resentment and don't think for one minute there wouldn't be a payback eventually. Essentially I would have ruined my horse.
All this to say, training should come from the heart and the bond is the key,to trust and communication,not with just horses but any animal.Create a strong bond,and Wiseguy won't worry about dogs he'll know he's safe b/c he knows your gonna protect him.Some days just go out there and be with him,I love to camp out in the pastures with mine and just watch them it helps me to learn how to be a better communicator. OK off my soap box

 

[CommaHolly]

Evening,,,,,,

Blues, thank you for the update on Raven,,,,,,,please tell her I'm thinking of her and missing her we all are,,,,,,

and I trust your instincts to know when something might be wrong

First candle lit 7 more to go

 

[awsum140]

Happy Chanuka everyone (almost forgot to post that)

 

[rave]

I'm not sure she's okay, but if there was anything abnormal going on, Raven would tell me. Both of us have some health issues. Neither of us lets that stop us from enjoying life. We are quite open with each other, but we tell each other what's going and then move on.

In Raven's case right now, she keeps me up to date on how she feels. I haven't heard anything from her that I'm concerned any more than I usually am. If I felt there was something to really be concerned about, I would be on a plane to Indiana in a hurry.

Now, SandySu, that sounds like something I just might do. I'm going to check flight schedules tonight.

Raven's son is with her and he does a really good job of taking care of her.

I'll be sure to let you know what happens. Thank you for your concern.

Now Blues - you know that I would tell you if there was anything to worry about. This is nothing that I haven't been through before. Put the plane schedules away. SandySu, all of you, I am fine - really! Sometimes MS is a little harder to cope with than other times. When those times are upon me, I go quiet. I just kinda "hole up". Ya know?

I really care a great deal about you folks. I appreciate it sooo much that you care about me too, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm touched by the sentiments that you all have expressed. But - I'm a tough ole broad. I've been through this before and I will again. Nothing can hold me down for long! I'll be back more ornery than ever. I'll try to poke my head in every once in awhile to let you know that I'm hangin' in there until I feel like fit company for such a fun, lively bunch. Okay? No worries!!