Making a Kelsey Connection

Don't you hate it when you sneeze/burp at the same time? Very uncomfortable. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Yesterday I experienced a magnificent St. Patrick's Day. Not because it was St. Paddy's, and no, I did not partake in consuming Green Beer (for obvious reasons). But more because my mother-in-law watched Adalynn for couple hours extra, and Trav gave me the green light to "do whatever will make me happy". I contemplated getting a full body massage, taking up the nunnery, or holing up in a coffee shop...but in the end I settled on scouring the clearance racks at Target (score!) and then torturing Kelsey.

Kelsey....where do I start? I love this mare. But, I have a confession: When I bought her, loaded her up, and brought her home - rocking the trailer around every turn - and then unloaded her, a doubt popped into my head. I tried to ignore it, but it was there...."What have I done?" I hadn't had a horse in a couple of years, and here's this mare pushing me around the barnyard. I knew that only a very kid-safe, non-anxious horse would probably be the next bet for our family. But here's this mare, she's anxious, I'm just a 'lil anxious...not a winning combination. We pushed through, and over the winter and nasty weather we have bonded.

BuT, pushy mare is as pushy mare does, and she still pushes me around on the ground. Not nearly as bad as the first day, but enough for me to want to nip it in the bud - especially for Adalynn and 'lil Britches sake. On Saturday, with Adalynn in the Kelty back carrier and Kelsey on her lead rope, traipsing through the VanPutten's lawn to the barn, Kelsey could have been a little more patient. Instead of pulling at the lead, looking intently at the barn while I'm stumbling over the rocks and mud.

The other piece? I'm contemplating taking her to a fun show the end of April. Just for fun. But I would probably only show in Halter and Showmanship...the ground activities...as I'm not 100% sure how she'll do around numerous other horses (although I suspect she'll be just fine). It would look pretty funny to have Kelsey leading me around the Showmanship pattern rather than the other way around. And I can bet that her pattern is NOT the same as the judges. Just a thought.

Anyway, so the name Clinton Anderson has frequented google when I type in "Ground Training, Horse" and "Respect, Horse". Evidently he's some cowboy transplant from Australia, is big stuff right now in the horse training world, and some people think he's the answer to everything. I'm not quite so in-awe and groupie like, but I am pretty impressed with this video of him and his horse, Mindy so I wanted to share it. That's what Kelsey and I will look like by the end of April, for sure.

Back to my great day, at the barn I decided to implement some of the groundwork exercises that I saw online and Kelsey took it really well. For once, she was calmly jogging beaut-i-fully on the lunge line instead of fast, choppy, stressful trotting strides and a broken canter. I'm sure Deb, her former owner, knows her capability and says, "Duh. Just have to do this...". But Kels and I are still learning together. And it was a very successful lesson yesterday. While I'm sure this ground training, respect, trust, and Kelsey's full-on puppy-dog adoration of me will take time and hard work, I need to maximize the time I have with her. But this is a good start.

Ahhh....and then a shower and I actually blow-dried my hair and put on some makeup? Tif, I almost felt good enough for a belly pic. Really. I thought about it. Travis actually thought that I got my hair cut...hmmm...no honey, I just took care of it. (how sad is that? really, I'm embarrassed). The cherry on top was a great Italian dinner - Shrimp Scampi Capellini (NUM!) and a foot massage. I felt seriously pampered and wonderful. So thanks, to Travis and Rennae, for allowing this fab day to happen.