Parelli clinic report!

[laura jeanne]

I really enjoyed the day and learned a lot. Whether I would be able to do these things is another question.

Christi Rains was great, I was impressed with the way she was so gentle and patient and she demonstrated things very well.

There were 6 participants and not more than 25 at the most in the audience so we were able to sit up close and see everything.

I would love to try these things with my RS horse who is now only ridden by his owner (and my RI) and one other person besides me. He can be kind of a tense, nervous, spooky horse, but on the other hand, I can tell that he is smart and would really like to have some fun and he's very sweet. I bought him a ball on the lunch break (2 1/2 hours!) today and I am going to introduce it to him this coming week.

Everything looked so easy when Christi did it but then it was rather painful to watch the participants trying it themselves. I'm sure I would have been just as awkward, especially doing anything with the carrot stick in my left hand which doesn't know how to do anything!


Now the pics in no particular order. Christi is in the red jacket. btw, it was unbelievably cold and the arena was open on all sides.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/arena.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/3ofthehorses.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/arena2.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/Christi.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/draggingtarp.jpg

dragging the tarp
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/draggingtarp2.jpg


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/greenball.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/greenball2.jpg

Continued-

[laura jeanne]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/greenball3.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/mixc1.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/tarp.jpg

And some goats from the agricultural fair next door"

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/goats3.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/goats2.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/applevalley/goats1.jpg

I forgot my camera so all these pics are from my cell phone!!

[laura jeanne]

I loved the part with the tarp. Christi would drag it and have a couple of people follow with their horses and eventually, the horse in front would start to watch the tarp, then start to put his head down, then his nose would be right by it and finally, most of them would step on it and Christi would stop (heh, natually) and they would get to investigate it.

Another game was to drive the horse up to something, like a barrel or ball, and then relax and let the horse smell and/or lick it! hah, very cute.

[Est]

It sounds like a wonderful day LJ :) And your RS horse's owner might be thrilled to have someone try some of this work with him. Although we haven't tried it for a good few months now, Merrick plays football with my giant silver yoga ball and has a great time with it! :rolleyes: :D
Are you going to watch Christi again some time? Does she hold clinics around there frequently? :)

[laura jeanne]

Thanks Est, it was a very good day for me. CR is going to have some more clinics in Texas although looking at the schedule I have never heard of some of these cities and you know Texas is rather huge. I'll look up the places and see how feasible it would be to attend.

I wish I had taken notes at the clinic! I think my fingers would have been frozen if I had though, I was wrapped up like a mummy!!

I think I will try the friendly game with the carrot stick (using old dressage whip) and then the one where you just casually swing the line from the whip over the horse's back. And the ball :D and maybe dragging the tarp :D:D -