Weekend follow up and some canter work

This dog lives to go to the barn...I don't know what I did with his energy before?

 Loving on my boy after our workout...lol, he seems annoyed like "get offz my nekz"

Cliff came on Friday evening for a trim

Things are still looking good and he brought a young girl (assuming she's my age..young! ;)  trimmer learning to do this who was super friendly and great.  She is a certified practitioner-AANHCP and is now going through the school of "Cliff" 

 Laz, during his trim was more interested in his reflection in Cliff's car window 

He also bit at his car handle...um, no.....lol!

My Mom took some pictures of us hacking around

I swear between my dirty half furried horse, my giant muck boots and bubble head helmet..it's not pretty

 Doing carrot stretches helps him bend and become more supple

 A better stretch after 30 minutes of riding

 Toward the end of our ride, the 'scary' white dog that walks down the dirt road got his attention...and Mason's too

 I just pat at his withers, reassure him and wait.  If I let him stop and look, it avoids a blow up.  If I push him through it, he gets so flustered and rubber necked and BLOWS up.  

I'm sure this isn't proper training, but whatevs.

 Laz, my Mom (his Yiayia) and me

And Videos from the day:

Trot work with a baby 4 beat canter at the end....aw

...and us working on correct leads...fun but a FAIL going to the right....shocker.  

Baby steps. 

Cliff said having him W/T/C is fine, just don't have him canter for 15 minutes at a time. LOL, like I would! We maybe cantered for oh..3 minutes total, on and off.  As you know...I DON'T push it when it comes to his healing.  I may work on his canter 1-2 times a week, from the ground, in the beginning and see how he does for his correct lead.

I'm in no rush but he does have a fantastic canter!!! 

(when he doesn't throw his head down for a shoulder hump)

Laz has been cantering more on his own, so it seemed appropriate to bring it back into training.  I want him to work on it, while coming back down to calm instead of getting amp'ed up like he used to.  He's MUCH calmer now coming down from the canter....those leads we need to work on.

Any tips?!

Mr Spookerson

This is re-capping, this past Tuesday, April 5th.

Sunny, cool but nice and wiiiindy

Some windy days, Laz is totally at ease but this past Tuesday it seemed the whole barn wanted to be on alert and test their flight skills.

Ok with me..we know how to handle it via the ground NO problem

Also, my Mom came back with my Husband and I for the week so thanks for her support of hanging at the barn with me and taking videos/pictures! xo

Mr. Spookerson and Mrs Pale....eck

 "Watz that?!"

 Trying to groom him (he literally cakes himself in ear tip to tail in mud daily)

 "I see something!! Lions are out is the rumor!"

 He would go from highly on alert, to trying to enjoy his grooming, to anxious...he was a mental mess lol

 I had to remind certain manners, correct certain behaviors but overall he was ok.  My poor Mom was worried when he blew a few huge spooks and ran off and stopped.  Not his typical behavior but that was ok, we just re-set and started over.

 "Don't bruzhs my hairssss, I has to runs Mom!"

 Once he calmed down a bit, I rewarded with carrot stretches

Here are videos that re-cap the day

Letting him run his steam off before I could finish the grooming I had started

Working on our "COME" command from being off the lead

Our ground pole trot work.  

I love ground poles for him to build up his muscle balance

Another bonus and growth for Laz! 

Even though he started out spooky and motors blazing, once he got out his sillies and I put him lead back on him, he settled right in and gave no issues and went right to work.

It's a long way from where we were a year ago...another reason this blog has proven to be so great.  

It's nice to be able to look back and compare our progress.  

We are lucky

Am I hallucinating?

I know I'm horse obsessed...but literally the horse was EVERYWHERE this weekend when I went home to Evanston, to visit my family

This sculpture is showcased downtown E-town and part of Northwestern's Campus.

I'm pretty sure I randomly saw this artists work, while strolling around London a couple years ago too

 It's just gorgeous and so well done

It...He...She..seems to move as you walk around it

 Oh Laz..I missed you this weekend!

Yes, I patted the sculpture's muzzle as I walked by

I think the artist would feel honored

This is my photo of a store front in London, in Feb of 2009

Seems like it could be the same artist.  What are the odds?!

Pretty cool that this stick horse keeps following me around the world.

 And on Sunday, on our way into the city for my MUCH needed Dim Sum request of brunch craving, I saw the Field Museum lite up in a glory of HORSE!

I literally screamed "WHAAAAT?! is that!????!!!!" What's going on there?!"

My Dad yanked out his iphone quickly so we could snap photos for my blog. 

Thanks Mom for your skill with Dad's phone and promptly emailed the images to me

 Then I kept seeing these banners hung everywhere in the city....so cool

 We took this cruddy picture heading back home after brunch on Lake Shore Drive (as you can tell from rear window) but the glory of "The HORSE" was awesomely displayed in that beautiful museum front.

You can click HERE for more about the exhibit!

I plan on going for sure, when I return to Chicago in about a month!

 The exhibit thankfully is up until August, I was so worried it would be gone by the time I got back.

Can't wait!!!!!

Lastly...when shopping around downtown Etown, we went into this cool rock store when my eyes, of course, were drawn to this rock.

Obviously has a new home in my home.

I can't wait to see my real horse tomorrow!!!

"Gooooooood Booooooooy"

I must have said that to Laz a thousand times during our ride yesterday.

Why? 

Duh...he's a damn good boy.

The funny thing, he literally knows what I'm saying.  He equates it to something good because he's whole body language relaxes and comprehends that he did something correct.

Isn't it sometimes insane how much they learn from us?
Words, phrases, body langauge, etc.  Even the act of kissing their muzzle...how they know and allow it, to be something of a nice act, is so sweet.  

I don't know when I saw a horse last kiss anything horse or say "Hey..Good boy!" ;)

 Laz's double mane...I may channel the look of endurance Arab's and make long braids for this summer

"You gunna do what???!! Braidz are for girlz Mom! I iz razehorz"

 Furry ears are always watching Pine tree of death (on left) for hiding killer rabbits, laser zapping butterflies and horse slicing sparrows

 Mason walked with us our entire ride in the arena.

"When is we gunna go dirtz road walkin so I can rollz in yummie mudz?????"

 Long relaxed boy

 The ride:

45 minutes of walking, trotting intervals of circles, around arena, over ground poles, walking, transitions and surprise canters.  I suspect the canter was the easier choice as it came out during our later trot work and he was getting tired.  I rode it for about 4 beats in each direction.  He transitioned to a calm walk after each time and was angelic. No bucking or head tossing that sometimes comes with the excitement of a canter.  He was angelic.  The canter...dear god...amazingly rocking horse perfection of smooth delight.  

Ugh.....but I never want to push him into it so when he gave it as an option, instead of putting him back down into a trot (which I also did several times), I just let him rock it out for a few strides.

H.e.a.v.e.n.

After the ride, I massaged him and re-groomed him

He was a sleepy, tired boy.
I like to massage him after a longer ride to help his body

I know he's twisted and screwed up.

I aim to get the Chiro back out in May...but down at the end of the post you'll see why not sooner.

 Sorry for the odd angle, but I was taking pics while massaging his rump, thigh and back with his favorite jelly soft curry

 Gummmmby

Creepy eye lid roll, but total relaxation is a PLUS!

 Two sweet babes who love to play at the barn....and they are getting better around each other, as in no rumpus room, but I always watch out for my sweet Mason

And some very exciting news!

We are hosting a Masterson Method clinic at our barn!!!

Tamara, who you may remember came from Wisconsin to Michigan to give Laz bodywork (amazing amazing stuff!) is coming back to teach us a "hand's on 1-day clinic"

It's going to be on April 30th  and if anyone of you is interested in joining (and can come to Michigan or are already near), please leave a comment and your email and I'll send you info.  

We have only a few remaining spots!

I know Laz will benefit HUGELY from the techniques I'll learn from Tamara!

A horse in the hand

Sun, sun, sun!
LOVE it.

The sunshine makes the cooler than normal temps seem warmer and you can FEEL the sun's warmth.

Someone is shedding like a hot whore in a steambath

It's never ending...but I can't wait until his sleek summer coat

We worked on lunging over two ground poles, trotting in both directions for 10 minutes

Ground tied angel.

He did great, much MUCH better about picking his feet.

After the 10 minutes, he was steamy, nostrils flared red, and we stopped before he got too tired from picking up his feet to stumble. 

He did great

Instead of our road trail walk, I walked him around the property area.

We haven't done this alone yet.

He leaped forward when he heard the dogs rustling in the woods. 

I know, he knew it was the dogs but I think his anxiety just got the best of him.  He quickly started licking and lowered his head like "oops, sorry...just kidding."

Looking back at the other horses for reassurance

It's hard to tell in this picture, but it's like a major cliff. The other side of the dirt, is a drop off.

Eeeks.
I'm not a fan of walking by...I HATE heights.

Little white rimmed eye peeking through, not entirely sure

The dogs race down this hill..it's a steep hill regardless of how tiny and inviting it looks in the photo.

If you were to sled down it, you would FLY

Laz got a little amped up when walking..WALKING..down it.

I had to remind him "WAAAALK" otherwise I had visions of me getting yanked down, right into the hot fencing.  But..we didn't

My goal is to have Laz comfortable with our trail walks in hand, and splash in rides in between to gain confidence for us both.

Visiting Stormy, his Polish Arab buddy.  Stormy nickered to Laz the sweetest girliest nicker

Fatty gets his beet pulp and Carly likes to eat the slob's leftovers

And after Laz, it was Wicked's turn.

We did lunging over the poles and major grooming.

This boy sheds

He finally allowed me to pick all four hooves without yanking his little goat legs away. It's amazing what a carrot nibs will teach a pony.

"I nots a hunder jumpers poneee, I dontz wannaz workz in there...NO more!!!"