Ever since Virpi and I joined the Bay area savvy players group, we have been wanting to attend to one of the Parelli playdays they host each month. It has been difficult to plan the trip with our horses, not owning a trailer, But last month when I read about the upcoming playday it sounded like so much fun, that I decided to call the one person we know who owns a trailer, Ronda.
We were in luck. Ronda was available with a short notice and so on Sunday morning at 8 am after a "piece of cake" trailer loading we were on a way to our first ever Parelli playday.
We were excited about the day and laughed the whole one hour and fifteen minute drive down to Gilroy.
Steal and Madeira, who haven't trailered for at least 3 years were unexpectedly calm as we unloaded them at the the most beautiful place, a real horsey heaven, the Ruiz ranch.
The arena was set up with various, potentially scary obstacles in the most imaginative way. Virpi and I were put into separate groups and at first Madeira was quite right brain and nervous. She kept calling for Steal at the other end of the arena and Steal called back. It was like some Romeo and Juliet drama. I had to get her nervous feet moving, do lots of changing direction and focus, focus, focus to bring down her adrenaline. And the result completely exceeded my expectations. Although every once in a while she kept calling for her Romeo, she was still connected with me and completed each task with dignity. I was incredibly pleased and so very proud of her.
We played ground games until noon with a finale of firecrackers, which were set off in the middle of the arena. I was prepared for Madeira to be leaping thought the air in panic at the end of my 22 foot line as soon as the firecrackers would go off. Amazingly, I was wrong. She spooked at the first set of firecrackers, but her feet never moved. The second set of firecrackers, she never even flinched. Unbeliveable! Astonishing! Dumbfounding!
Aawww, my extreme right brain extrovert has come such a long way. I know I've said this before, but again, it is truly amazing what can be accomplished with horses, using only one ingredient, trust!
Madeira and Steal had a well deserved break in one of the paddocks in the barn while we ate our potluck lunch. They lounged about happily munching their hey.
After lunch it was time for mounted games. Virpi and I had planned to only observe the riding part of the playday, since we had expected our mounts to be pretty much unrideable. However it turned out, that Madeira and Steal were both so unexpectedly calm, that we felt comfortable getting on them and trying out the obstacles.
It went fantastically. all we did was walked around the arena for a few minutes surrounded by other horses and riders playing with the scary obstacles. And when we got to a point that we felt the horses were in a desired state of mind we decided it was time to call it a day.
We had so much fun! It was the best day! Thank you so much Deb for welcoming us to your beautiful place, and for everyone involved organizing such a fantastic playday.
I love this one with her hind feet tipi toeing, just barely on the pedestal.
