In my limited Parelli knowledge, yes, loads of their followers stay on the ground. I think most people who pay the big bucks to go to the actual campus for several months, however, are inclined to ride.
At any rate, if she was indeed owned by a Parelli person, chances are that she was at least treated kindly. The Parelli types I’ve run across are maybe sorta loopy, and they don’t do stuff like we do stuff, but they generally put out effort to treat the horse well.
Interesting take on it. Her former owner doesn’t sound loopy at all. She showed Morgans, mostly Western Pleasure horses and used some of the most well-known trainers. At one point she had something like 10 show horses and prospects. She had Lola’s sire (gelded when she bought him), but he didn’t take to the show horse life. He’s now a very happy, elegant trail horse.
It’s possible the months at Parelli were another “what do we do with this tiny horse?” thing.
I took Lola on a little walkabout today around the farm. She was good, other than trying to steal grass and being a little nippy. Then hung out with her in her paddock for a while.
She was cross tied briefly next to an upset horse and didn’t like that. He was running in and out of his stall and run-out, and whinnying a lot.
I met her Morgan over-the-fence neighbor, a cute little chestnut gelding. He’s an inch or 2 taller but still a pony.
Showing off her long mare ears.
Oh, she’s beautiful! I hope you both have many happy years together!
Just saw this! Congratulations @quietann! Here is to you and Lola, and many happy years together!
Argh. I’m trying to keep Lola out of shoes, because theoretically she has tough Morgan hooves, but the farrier is worried about thin soles in front (and who knows what in back as I did not have rear Xrays taken.) She has been trimmed, but I won’t see her until Friday.
So … if anyone has good ideas for hoof boots for a horse who as of now has low heels and not-as-long-as-they-were toes – not the “perfect barefoot trim” that some brands assume – let me know. I can’t use anything that requires a lot of hand strength.
She will start on the Uckele Coco-hoof supplement on Friday. And she is now on a ration balancer instead of the, um, candy feed she had been on.
(The timing of her purchase and delivery was not the best, between our 4 day weekend on the Cape and needing to be in Boston 2 days this week instead of the usual 1. Trainer still absolutely loves her.)
Not fan of Parelli myself, but I had a co worker at the stable who did a lot of Parelli. She was an excellent rider and handler and very smart all around. Just like any trainer it attracts people for different reasons. Not all drink the koolaid ( so to speak) but can take training techniques and make them their own with success.
Could be Lola’s previous owner did some good by doing some of Parelli methods.
She doesn’t strike me as a “Parelli-fied” horse at all. She has good ground manners, mostly (though nothing compared to my older mare, who while not up to NH standards really does understand smaller cues well.)
Today, the trainer took Lola out to the orchards for the first time, solo. She was looky but really well behaved, and didn’t mind the traffic on the roads. The orchards are nice and soft for her hooves. We’re going out there with her (riding a different horse) sometime next week.
She is wearing Feronia’s old bridle, from Jerry’s Harness, that I bought back in 2008 when I was laid up from a riding accident. This makes me smile.
She’s lovely! And yes, she’s your horse, she doesn’t care if she doesn’t fulfill her potential. Just enjoy having a fancy and talented little horse!
She will soon settle down.
We just had a very (very) nice, international level FEI horse arrive in the barn. Hes been everywhere, done everything. He’s been here about a week from very fancy digs in San Diego, and has been calm as they come, unfazed by everything, including major construction work, small children, you name it.
But, an entire flock of sheep wandered in off the mountain behind the barn this morning.
Apparently, they do not have sheep in San Diego.
His world fell apart.
Even after they left, he was on total snorting, sweating high alert in the crossties an hour later. Even my guy (who spooks at rocks) was like “what is your problem, man?”
He will get used to it once he knows this is home and safe and the people are good and will protect him from the little wooly things. (Who are a perennial pain in the ass. None of the horses are exactly thrilled to see them.)
That’s hilarious. I sometimes wish all horses just had to spend time with livestock.
OTOH, my older mare… when I first had her, just said NO to passing by some goats. I later found out that as a yearling, she’d spent some time as a lawnmower with a big, mean goat for company, so I couldn’t really blame her.
The only time I came off her, in 13 years of riding, was when she spooked at some sheep, and backed into a cattle strength electric fence.
She’s also afraid of cattle, but very cowy and wants to herd every critter. Donkeys and mules are ok as long as they are horse-sized or bigger. The little ones are scary.
I have no idea how Lola will deal with livestock.
When I had my horse property, my neighbor decided to get some cattle. I thought the reactions from my horses were so funny: Crackers, the Hackney pony, wanted to pick a fight; Salt, the larger pony, was sure they were devils come to torture him; Sassy, the Paint mare, said “I know what to do with those guys! Let me at them!”
Rebecca
My young one has been reasonable around goats and cattle…but oh my god, the pig. That’s the line in the sand we cannot cross. God forbid, all porcine-affiliated entities need to be banished forever.
Loving the Lola updates. She makes me smile. Thank you for sharing! (Your scenery is so much nicer to look at than ours right now; we are inundated with autumn Damp and it is setting up to be inches deep in mud. I am depressed about it and looking at your orchard views with extreme envy!)
Well it’s been a very wet summer here. I haven’t been able to use the trail off the barn property where my older mare lives since May - it has been flooded the whole time. I take her out on the weekends down the sidewalk when there is less traffic.
These orchards drain pretty well. I had Feronia at the same barn a few years ago and the orchards were only closed when the freeze-thaw mud was really bad in the spring, or the owners were maintaining the orchards or actively picking fruit.
Pigs are evil. Feronia once saw some, and must have thought they were odd smelling boulders, until a white one stood up and we had a minor rodeo. Come to think of it, that one time she spooked at the sheep, it was because one of them stood up and started walking toward us.
I wouldn’t go that far. But they certainly smell … wrong.
And today I rode her! She is just lovely. We had a lesson in the indoor and then went to the orchards with the trainer on foot.
She feels just right.
!
Beautiful!
Rebecca
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