Latest Update

Well, I rode Montana in her bridle instead of her hackamore and didn't really see alot of difference in her responsiveness at all. She was very quite in the mouth once she took the bit. That was really nice. I also worked a bit on the ground with Comet on the send on the circling game and we finished off with backing easily and doing a figure 8 around the barrels. We ended the session with both feet on the pedestal and a treat. The weather was beautiful at 78 degrees and i was off so I was not going to pass up this opportunity!

First Time on Pedestal!!

Easter Day, 2010! This was Comet's second time on a pedestal EVER! He has got one foot on befor, and would paw at it, but never stood confidently with both front feet. He Loved it too! Notice his ears are forward and he is very proud of himself. Imagine, one day I will post a pic of all fours on it. Montana and I are still doing our daily walks around the peremiter of my property and we are up to 2 times around. I have started working on asking her to circle me while moving forward. Kind of a backward falling leaf pattern.

Walk the Line

For three days in a row now, Montana and I have walked out property line. We both need the exercise. Comet likes to run so He lets us get way ahead and then runs to catch up! Today, He seems to understand what we are doing and was able to relax and walk with us calmly! He is able to stand next to Montana and not try to dominate her. We had our Natural trim yesterday and they both were Wonderful! I couldn't ask for more. I am even going to try to file Montana's once a week myself. I am looking forward to tomorrow. We walked a bit farther today as well.

Beautiful Day to Play!

Comet was the first to go in the round pen. As soon as he got in, Montana took off to the froint gate and Comet, being the alpha horse, wanted out. He had not even made it once around when he slipped and slid on his side for about 3 feet. Well, the day was starting out swell, LOL I worked on Montana's send and being a left brain introvert, kept trying to barge into my space and show her dominance. I think the hardest thing for me to learn when I am out there is when to quit. I think I quit and move on too quick. I will try to pay more attention to that in the future. She did much better on the porcipine today. I rode her bareback and followed the rail with one rein. Until next time...

The Ground is dried out!

I played with Montana in the round pen on Sunday and noticed really quick that she did not want to play the circling game at all. She only wanted to be next to me. I think I need to go to phase 4 to keep her back when she tries to come to me. Friendly Game is fine and she moves of pressure well in the porcipine game. This is what I will work on during our next play session. I have been working on keeping Comet from walking into my space while leading by stopping and backing him or jumping jacks or a squeal and a kick. Slowly adding more pressure for him to move off a bit quicker. Horses shouldn't run over their alpha, hum how interesting!!!!

Another Lousy rainy Day in Claremore~

Well, the horses are in their stalls because my place is flooded again! it just dried out too. I am just waiting for some better weather as both Comet and Montana needs to be reminded that I am the leader of this herd of 3! Comet was acting like he may be trying to colic but I just check of him and he seems a bit better now. This weather has been terrible since December 25 and I am sick of it!$^$^%$% I bought a new truck and haven't been able to get in my pasture to even hook my trailer up. Rain, Rain, go away!!!!

My Horse Cookies

Go to benevasbarndelights.webs.com

Peek a Boo

Comet and Trailer

Wonderful Sun!

The Sun is Shining Brightly but looks can be decieving. It is a chilly 27 degrees at noon. Burrrrr! Horses are in the front pasture grazing away perfectly content. I have heard we have 2 more rounds coming from the west coast. Global Warming huh???? Two day ago, I groomed Montana in the round pen and decided to play around at liberty with her. She was full of energy after I took the blanket off. She was free at last! I would ask her to stay and walk to the other end of the round pen then ask her to me with some energy and she trots right over, while wringing her head and willing to play. She would just stand there looking at me until I asked her to come in to me. It was Hilarious! I did it several more times just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. I will post it if I get it on video. It was so much fun....What a great day!

Rain Rain Go Away!!!!!

Temperature is 38 degrees and dipping to a chilly 28 overnight with rain moving in Sunday evening and changing over to snow on Monday with accumulations between 4 to 8 inches expected. This is piled on top of 14.97 inches of melted fallen snow which has caused the ground to be fully saturated with standing water!! I for one am Sick, Sick, Sick, of it!!!Hey, I could do the weather!!!!

Parelli Starter Kit

If your a savvy member you can sign in and get a carrot stick, string, halter , and 12 ft leadrope for 59.00 ! Regularly 190.00 This is quite a deal, so don't miss it. I bought the set because several years ago my sticks thread started unraveling so I just wrapped it with vet wrap!! It actually worked really well. The parelli products are of such good quality that they usually last for many years. 5 years so far for mine.

"When you get bit by a horse , say Ouch"

Actually, this incidence was my own stupidity. Pat Parelli was talking about how we can grab the horse tongue for a second and as I was trying to grab Comets tongue I slipped my finger too far back between his molars and crunch!!! I even had gloves on. I just came back in thinking some days it just doesn't pay to leave the house. On the weather, I recieved alot of snow, 9 to 12 inches here at the house and it is still all on the ground. I was trying to do something with them in this condition. If you belong to the Savvy Club and have watched the latest DVD you will understand what I was trying to do. Funny thing is, my horses usually never get hurt, but I do...

Frolicking Comet!

I went to film Comet because he was digging and pawing out of complete and utter boredom and started playing with him and this was what I got!! Go to Facebook and my page is Beneva McFarland to see it.

Ice Storm 2010

Snow and Ice. Comet and Montana, etc. Well, it is currently 29 degrees and it is wet and yucky out, however the horses seem to be ok with it all. Here is a video I took a few minutes ago. Hope you like it. Funny thing is the barn is 50 ft away and they are choosing to stand out in it. Montana likes to torture Comet like this. He hates standing out in this kind of weather! I couldn't get in to work today, Hopefully I will make it in tomorrow. I can't wait til spring! I hope everyone else gets through this ok.

Today

Didn't do really anything today with the horses as it is a skating rink of mud. Well, changed from a blanket to a waterproof sheet and back to a blanket this evening. Also the usual feeding ritual. I did hear that an earthquake was felt here from the Jones Oklahoma tremmer. Hopefully tomorrow will be better but I doubt it since it is supossed to rain tonight. I also found out that my daughter in law will be induced Monday so hopefully by Tuesday I will be a Grandma of a beautiful Girl!!!

It is 11:20 am and 29 degree's and Comet and Montana are napping in the Glorious Sun. In the round pen too. I wonder if they are telling me something?

Introduction to my horses

My name is Beneva and I will be blogging about my everyday life with my horses. I am 45 years old and divorced for a year now. I have to do everything on my 5 acre property as well as hold down a full time job as a Cake Decorator with a major Grocery store chain in Northeast Oklahoma. I have never been around horses and got my first, Comet, 5 years ago and Montana 3 years now . I have had to learn everything the HARD WAY!!! Because of the Dangerous Rearing problem with Comet I discovered the Natural Way with Parelli. I now practice Parelli Natural Horsemanship with my two horses Comet, an 1999 Gelding, Proud Cut, Off The Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) and Montana, a 1997 Quarter Horse Paint Mare. Both are purebreds and wonderful Horses. Each with their own, very different, horseanalitys. Comet is a Left Brained Extrovert and Montana , a left brained introvert. I would encourage anyone to go to www.parelli.com to learn more about Parelli Natural Horsemanship. Right now it is 21 degrees in Claremore and Snow and Ice are still on the ground from the 2009 Blizzard on Christmas day. Yesterday it got to 50 so alot of it has melted but has refrozen since. Today is expected to get into to the low 40's but on Wednesday we are going to a balmy 55 degrees and off come the blankets which have weighted my horses down for 17 days now of below freezing weather. I am still learning and have alot of fear issues that I am comitted to working through during the year of 2010 and I wanted to blog my journey over the next year.