I just wanted to share some super exciting news. I talked to Farrah Green today, and she shared with me that she received her 3* PARELLI PROFESSIONAL RANKING yesterday!
If there's anyone I know who deserves that promotion, it's Farrah. She's been working hard to achieve that for 3 years, and it's so time for this. She's 3* and more in my book, and I'm SO PROUD AND HAPPY for her. She is amazing. I cannot wait to see what she continues to offer the horse world with this. Congrats, Girl!
Farrah and her two super horses, Caesar and Wesley.
...I WILL blog more often, I swear. All I can say is that life is freaking INSANE right now. Between traveling, teaching, assisting, playing with my horse, spotlighting, celebrating, and going crazy, I have found myself with practically zero time to do anything on the computer. As I write this it's currently 1:39 am, and I'm still up, babysitting a large load of laundry that needs to dry faster than it is. That gives you an idea of the time crunch I'm in.
For those of you dying to know, my spotlight went fantastically in Madison. I've heard a lot of really wonderful feedback, some rude feedback (okay, seriously guys, I'm sorry if my cantering around bridless bores you), and some downright strange things. But overall, I don't care, my horse and I had fun, and that's what matters, honestly. We scored exactly what I felt we deserved, and I'm happy with it. I'm not satisfied, because I know there's ALWAYS room for improvement, but I'm pleased, have lots of things to play with and I cherish my fat ol' green ribbon that we got, along with the compliments from Pat, Linda, and everyone else who I spoke to. Thanks for your wonderful support! Pics and hopefully a video to come soon (working out copyright stuff with Parelli)
As i said earlier, I'm currently in the laundry biz. I'm home for a night from Rochester MN. I'll be switching horses out tomorrow, and taking Crest with me for the remainder of my 10 days with Farrah. This will be a huge opportunity to really give my up-and-coming boy a lot of attention, and hopefully develop some new ideas and fast-track our progress :) I'll try to keep you all updated. It'll also be a nice opportunity for my girl to rest up and have some time off, so that when I get home we can start to play with our L4 more seriously.
Other than that, I just keep dreaming and playing and enjoying life. I'll do my best to keep you all updated. I've learned a ton, and now need to go to bed so that I have a hope at retaining it. Thanks all for being patient with me, and I'll be back in touch soon.
"When you cry, be sure to dry your eyes, 'Cause better days are sure to come. And when you smile, be sure to smile wide, And don't let them know that they have won. And when you walk, walk with pride, And don't show the hurt inside, Because the pain sill soon be gone."
~"Dream Big" by Ryan Shupe.
The past two days have been two of the most emotionally trying days for me in a very long time, and it's non-horse related, entirely. In addition to my being my allotted week to be moody, I've been sent lots of challenges to my emotional fitness for whatever the reason. Maybe it was time for a reminder that I'm not invincible, maybe it was time for an attitude check (I'm thinking that's it, actually), but whatever the case, it has really sucked, and I certainly don't pretend to have been right, either.
So, when I'm stressed, upset, angry, or just need to think, I often turn to my iPod. I'm always inspired by lyrics to songs. Even the music on my blog are songs that mean something to me on my journey to whatever I'm after--excellence in horsemanship, with people, as a person, you name it, the songs are meaningful (ask me sometime, there are some cool stories to some of it!)
The song quoted at the top of the page is one that, though I've heard before, didn't really hit home with me until last night, shuffling through my iPod at 2:30am, trying to fall asleep on the couch at my friend's house (HAD to get away). I had had a huge fight, a blow up, a debate, a meltdown, and finally a raucous dance party, and was honestly an emotional piece of work. The song, a pretty country-style, mostly acoustic piece, mellowed my nerves enough to keep me from over-thinking my situation (something I tend to do when I'm not confident or comfortable)and it put me in the state to really take comfort in some music. The lesson approached in this song are SO simple, and things that every person should consider, and remember. That, put into a beautiful song, and it's perfect.
Not entirely sure what the concept behind this blog was, other than to let you know what I've been up to. I'm off to bed now, and am determined to make tomorrow a better day, and be a better person because of this off spell.
Savvy on!
PS--Go check out the full lyrics to that song. Fantastic. I'm going to use it for my L3/4 freestyle audition :D
In the heat of my frustration, I ripped out my November Savvy Times to have a go at Bridle Wisdom before I totally gave up on my bridle. And of course, being an article written by LP, I find every single answer I need, before I get a chance to say "yeah...but" and come up with an excuse to email her! YAY!
Notes and Things for tomorrow:
*NEEDS to be on the Small rings for collection! I did not know this! I figured it would be *better*, but I've seen Linda and Remmer do it on the big rings, and figured it's something one should be able to do.
*Transitions, galore--encourages horse to elevate with the bridle on the small rings.
*Overbending--try a curb strap perhaps? Suggests that it helps "elevate" horses that come behind the bit, (tendency in horses that aren't forward moving...PRIN!)
*Non-Elastic chin strap. Put on loose and allow Prin to get used to feel. Head tossing etc is "normal". To quote the article, "...at first the horse may show concern when he feels the noseband restrict him and throw his head around or even run backwards. One needs to remain calm and allow the horse to do it, as after several repetitions he will stop, having realized what happens before what happens happens."
*Zone 1 is key in LB dominant horses, so solid chin strap will help. DUH!!!
Sorry guys, behind, behind, behind. I'm exausted, and really don't have much energy to recap the week's events in great detail, so here's a small, jotty list, comment if you have questions.
*Cricket's abscess popped out on Tuesday, no longer a lame girl *Virge arrived on Wednesday *Farrah got sick, and couldn't go to tour on Thursday *Thought I was going to take her spot on Savvy Team, but couldn't *Left for tour on Friday *Hung out with Savvy sisters/had a good chat with Linda, Nita Jo, and Jesse Peters on Friday *Saturday of tour--Cranky and sleepless, took care of Maylynn, Nita Jo's mare, saw lotsa people, had a couple hysterical conversations with Linda *Went riding with Lori Wegner on Saturday night...very fun. *Sunday morning took care of Nita Jo's mare *Great tour day, got used as a model, and will now NEVER let Pat stand behind me again with the intent to demonstrate how to get a horse to round it's back *Drove home *Filmed a new video on Monday *Gave Scoot his first ride, which had some FUNNY moments...he's a little mother bucker...and yes, you did read that correctly. *Ordered my Cradle Bridle on Monday afternoon *Edited video today *Got an AMAZING message from some one on the forum...Made me cry to think that I could inspire someone like I did her.
Watch my new video here:
If you have questions or want details on anything on that list, post a comment. I'm REALLY tired, and will try to get back on track tomorrow. Thanks loves!
In having this little blog, it is my hope to just share my experiences and thoughts as I travel through the journey to true unity with my horses. All of the horses I play with are very different individuals, and so each will challenge me in different ways, and I hope to share everything I can as I go. Thanks for stopping by!
Words of Wisdom
"The real skill in teaching comes when you don't cause chaos... that goes for teaching horses or humans. So setting it up for success and knowing what to teach when and in what environment is the key."
Hey There! My name is Fran Latane, and I'm an official Level 3 Graduate of the Parelli Natural Horse*Man*Ship program. I'm currently partners with 4 fantastic horses, playing with various stages of development with each. You can read more about them in the brief descriptions I have listed below. I aspire to be a Parelli Professional, and strive for excellence in all I do. I am a super-learner at heart, and am totally dedicated to this journey of never-ending self improvement. If you have any questions about my journey, or anything else at all, please feel free to contact me, or leave me a comment on here! Thanks so much for visiting!
