Catch Up

karina — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:09:13 +0000

When I was young my Mom told me a story that I haven’t forgotten. It seems that in my endless fascination with life I was always dragging behind. I guess I just liked to gawk at this and that. No doubt a symptom of being interested in anything and everything! I am still that way somewhat.
The story goes something like this.
Two Tomatoes, Mrs. Tomatoe and Baby Tomatoe were walking down the street. Mrs. Tomatoe was in a hurry. Baby Tomatoe was not. Mrs. Tomatoe told Baby Tomatoe…”Catch Up Tomatoe!”
After repeating this about a 100 times, Mrs. Tomatoe, frustrated with Baby Tomatoe went back once again to help Baby Tomatoe hurry up.
But just when she stomped her foot in impatience and shouted, “Catch UP Tomatoe!” Baby Tomatoe ran right under her foot and was squashed and that is how Ketchup came to be.
Morale of the story? If you don’t want to get squashed then enjoyed as a condiment, don’t lag behind!
This week and last week and the week before that and on and on….I am ketchup.
I can’t seem to keep everything going these days.
What with building up our business…AGAIN!…and the physical nature of my job (try talking on the phone while you are trimming a hind hoof of a fractious horse) I can never seem to keep these posts current.
But like Baby Tomatoe, my desire to do so is great.
Here’s the rundown:
Crockett is fitting into his new home fairly well. He has made a pest of himself like I knew he would. He pesters the two horses, especially the gelding relentlously, although I am told he is doing so less and less. He has learned how to jump fences and when last I saw him he had the marks on his back legs to prove it.
He and I rode together while his new owner (sort of) observed. I say sort of because her usually tranquil gelding was acting up throughout our whole ride. A problem she attributed to the fact that Crockett was intimidating. Most likely so. But Crockett, after having 2 1/2 weeks off rode out like a champ.
I saddled, threw a leg over and rode. He didn’t have one misstep.
That’s my boy! Er…was my boy…but I’m still proud like any trainer would be.
We trimmed several horses…uh…about 100 horses so far this past month…maybe more. My shoulder says more…the most memorable being a big buckskin mustang gelding that has been previously abused. He took 12 hours our first visit and 5 the next. He made a lot of progress but this Friday we are picking him up for more training. I love a challenge like this horse is presenting!
I took a call from an Extreme Mustang Makeover adopter. She adopted one of the horses from the makeover and the horse kicked her in the head and broke her jaw.
I think it’s just a matter of mixed communication but nonetheless that horse is now being signed over so he won’t end up back in the holding pen. He will recieve further training and we will see what we can do to find him the perfect home.
We trimmed some goats this past week and one of them bit me!
We brought 2 goats home (not the one that bit me).
Built a goose and duck pen.
Drug home enough posts and fencing materials to build a dog run and put several horses that are in training through their paces.
Fourth of July we spent broke down on the side of a mountain thanks to the monkey at Grease Monkey who didn’t put our oil plug back into the oil pan!
We saw Jesse James ride by on his motor bike, I think, followed closely by Kevin Costner (wink). Of course, that might have been heat stroke and stress doing funny things to our minds.
Thanks to good friends and triple A we were able to get the horses off loaded and back home and after getting towed to the top of the mountain by Triple A we were able to get the truck a new oil plug, oil and get it home. NO word yet on whether or not the motor in the truck was damaged. We’re thinking positive but will have the compression checked anyway just to make sure.
The puppies have continued to grow and are learning not to chase the chickens.
Kelly, our new border collie is learning her out runs and is turning out to be a fantastic stock dog.
Annie, our heeler momma is still fat.
Bowen, our heeler pappa is still happy.
Chloe, our fox terrier is keeping an eye on the resident coyote that has been hanging around the chicken coup and Jack and Black the oxen are fat, sassy and smell like Skin So Soft after Kirk sprayed them with the stuff. We heard it makes an excellent fly repellant so we are giving that a try.
Aemelie is as amazing as ever.
ShoGun has grown about another hand in height. He’s now a HUGE monster.
Lucy is recovering from a tumble she took over the fence.
Dunnigan is nursing a wounded rear leg. We don’t know how he managed to get cut but I’ve been doctor Lewis to him this week.
Mickey is slick and raring to go, as usual.
The new baby goslings have been adopted by the adult geese and the ducks are trying to figure out how they can spend more time in the pool that Kirk built them.

Roller Coaster

karina — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:23:34 +0000

I’ve never liked the roller coaster. That queasy feeling in my stomach going up, then down is not something that I enjoy. I haven’t been on a roller coaster in years but this weekend I wouldn’t have known the difference such were the emotional highs and lows of this weekends Extreme Team Mustang Makeover competition.
I left content knowing that my homework was done and that Crockett was as ready as he would ever be.
The last two weeks of riding him he was almost flawless. After giving him 3 days off and 2 days of light riding beforehand, I knew we were both ready!
Riding Thursday on our practice ride I was delerious with joy.
Many people stopped to compliment me on Crockett and what a nice horse he is.
That felt really good!
I worked hard with Crockett and looking at pictures taken by others he looked happy and content under saddle.
Going into the Makeover my goal was to produce a horse that anyone could take and ride and one that was happy being ridden.
Crockett and I accomplished this together.
We had a bit of a rough start during our interview.
Crockett spooked at the clapping and then unnerved, would not listen to me as we worked our 90 seconds in the ring. He blew out from under me and ran down to the end of the arena where all of the other horses and riders were waiting.
The next day we worked in the warm up pen and Crockett overcame his sticky behavior and we completed an almost flawless performance for our Coach Al Dunning.
Al suggested I use a bit more outside rein with him in his spins but otherwise really liked Crockett and said we would be stars.
I believed him!
During the trail course Crockett again executed an almost perfect run except that he missed his rear lead, which he quickly corrected when I asked him too.
Then came the afternoon competition.
I was really excited.
Crockett felt really good and he had done so well during the moring practice that it was a total surprise when he blew out of our pattern into a willful game of “I’m going THAT way even if you want me to go the other way!”.
I was disappointed but determined to find the root of his troubles since he’d executed a beautiful pattern earlier in the day.
I took Crockett back to his stall and stripped his saddle.
I palpated his back and found a small area that was sore. After a good massage he seemed to be perfect again.
Crockett and I warmed up for our second performance without incident. He felt really good.
But the evening performance was worse than the afternoon performance. I felt like he was flipping me the bird!
Needless to say, I was very frustrated.
However, my intution was buzzing.
Crockett was not afraid of the crowd or the arena.
Something was bothering him.
Again I stripped the saddle.
He was little bit sore but nothing alarming.
So I bedded him deeper and contemplated my strategy.
Intuition told me to go slow with Crockett. To hesitate just a bit if I needed too.
That evening we had another opportunity to work in the arena together so I exercised my strategy. Crockett blew it for the first 5 minutes or so but we kept at it and then he settled right in and after a bit of coaxing and some riding he settled down and executed perfectly in the arena. I was really excited!
I speculated that Crockett was a bit stressed over our long day of riding.
We rode in the Coaching session from 7:30 a.m. to noon with just a short break before the actual competition.
Then, during the competition I did something that I never do.
I felt Crockett hesitate for an instant in the first part of our early pattern.
So I pushed him.
Experienced has taught me that when a horse is stressed pushing them is the last thing you should do. Yet I did it because I knew that we were being judged and that we needed to execute a flawless pattern.
Crockett proved me right because the minute I set up to push he set up to push back and thus our public performance was night and day different from our practice in front of the coaches!
Horses need time to make up their minds and some do so more readily than others.
When Crockett is stressed he needes a minute.
He always comes around easily and I recognize that because he is a young horse he is emotionally still maturing.
Chalking all of this up I know my horse so I set out to be excited about the following day.
I had decided that if necessary I would allow Crockett to hesitate so he could get his mind focused even if it meant point deductions.
That split second moment I knew was the difference between a perfect run and one where Crockett would struggle.
But the next day checking Crockett I found his back to be tremendously sore.
It was tough to bein that spot again!
Lucy, my first Makeover horse popped a splint the night before our competition and I was forced to pull her from the competition.
However, that experience shaped this one.
I have always believed that it is best to work a horse at its comfort level.
Crockett and I conditioned to ride our two patterns but not for nine straight hours with only a short break.
That was a bit unexpected.
The heat of competition is strong though and now I can see how easy it can be to ride a horse into exhaustion…if you are so inclined.
I am not so I scratched Crockett.
I would rather preserve my kind little horse than ride him sour.
What kept going through my mind was not only his health and happiness but also the happiness of his future adopter!
My philosophy is to do less to accomplish more than to ride more, harder, rougher to get results.
More equals a sour horse and one that isn’t happy to see me when I ask it to work. Horses that are resistant to working rather than eager.
On the ranch we kept a string of horses. They were ridden hard but cycled regularly to keep them fresh and injury free.
After today, I know I made the right decision for Crockett.
We had a wonderful and fun presentation of him for the adoption and a lovely older couple adopted Crockett!
Just what I had wished for!
Kirk and I were able to take Crockett to his new home and we visited with his new owners and found that we have many things in common with them!
Week after next we will reconnect with them and take them for their first trail ride with Crockett.
After an emotional roller coaster weekend I have to admit that the day ended on a pretty big high.
Crockett was adopted by the perfect people.
I am so excited I can’t stand it!

PERFECT DAY

karina — Mon, 31 May 2010 02:07:30 +0000

Today was the perfect day. We started with hosting a breakfast for our friends and neighbors then loaded up for a group trail ride at Dawson Butte. As usual Crockett was an absolute joy to ride. He likes to be in front most of the time but today he met a buddy and formed a fast friendship with a welsh pony named Joey. They were darling together. Crockett is no wilting violet. He tried to kick Koa the big 17 hh 1400lb Cleveland Bay when he inadvertantly started following too closely behind him on the trail and just for kicks he put his head down to graze next to 9 year old green broke Joshua, a beautiful cremello appaloosa. As Crockett snatched at Joshua’s grass, just a playground nudge, you might say, he and Joshua’s forheads met and both of them raised their heads looking each other straight in the eye. It was as if they were toe to toe in the lunch line and sizing each other up. Then, just before the fight breaks out, they both cut loose laughing at one another for not being as macho as the other.
This little horse has so much personality I don’t know how I am ever going to part with him. I went into this competition knowing that I can’t keep him. I tried to resolve myself that I would stay strong and be happy with the fact that I got him out of the holding pen. But he is so happy and secure in his home here I struggle with the thought that at the event he is going to be adopted. I won’t get to take him home. He’ll go home in someone else’s trailer and I can’t stand the thought of him being insecure so I am moving mountains of positive thoughts that he will find just the right home. The kind of home that will love and cherish him as I have.

Chicken Whisperer

karina — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:44:00 +0000

Dogs and chickens are not meant to co-exist it seems. This is the second time our chickens have been attacked by a dog. This time it when grabbed one of our hens we were able to pull the chicken away from the dog before it was too mortally wounded….I think.
Dr. Dave Barton our infamous equine and human chiropractor and neighbor was on hand….luckily. He was over adjusting a boarders horse for her when the commotion began.
The chicken came away bruised and battered with a hole torn in its side and a leg that seemed to be dislocated. But true to form Dave jumped into action and began working on the chicken. He probed and massaged and said, “There’s nothing broken. It’s just out of joint.” And with that he popped the little chickens leg and promptly set it down. Miraculously the chicken walked away, still limping but mobile at least. She still has the wound to contend with but we applied Vetricyn to it and expect that she should make a full recovery.
This past month the power of energy and spiritual intuition has never played a more important role in the work that I am so priviledged to be a part of.
Today Kirk had his own interaction with it when another of our boarder’s held a tuning fork session for he and his horses.
Appropriately I was not here.
You see, at the last minute before we were to load up to go riding Kirk noticed that his mare had diarhea and that his gelding still has some pesky hives dotting his hide. Our boarder had just finished her lesson with me and as we had made plans to ride with others we chose that I should go ahead and keep our appointment while Kirk remained behind with our boarder who really has a unique gift with horses herself.
I don’t doubt the power of horses to heal and from what Kirk said and what I saw tonight in his behavior was prophetic. It’s personal, but let’s just say that I’ve seen this coming for a long time. I don’t know where its going but I do know that like it or not I am along for the ride.
I trust the Universe and all it has to offer. Sometimes I don’t like what it brings but in the long run I know that just like Dr. Dave working on that chicken, sometimes we walk with a small limp and sometimes a big limp. But in the end, it’s all in what we accept and convey and the help that we provide and convey along the way.

Weaselskin and Rasslemaster

karina — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:29:59 +0000

Kirk and I can never keep an animals name pure it seems. Our dog Annie has been affectionately called Nannerpus, Nannie Ba Nannie, and Neenie Be Neenie. She grins no matter what we call her. Bowen we christened Bubba Lubba because he’s such a lover. Chloe is lovingly called Munkin Punkin and the new puppies, Cruizer and Roxie have now been secondly christened Weaselskin and Rasslemaster.
This week Crockett, adoringly called Crockett the Rocket has now been dubbed Crockie Rockie.
This past several weeks Crockett was the center of attention along with the Oxen, Black and Jack, carinly referred to as Jack the Buckin Bull and Blackie Boy, at Dr. Dave and Katie Barton’s fundraiser, Canter for Chloe.
Crockett did what he does best. Charmed everyone.
This week we’ve ridden every day both in and out of the arena. Yesterday Crockett played support for a client and his horse.
He is always out in front. There is a lot of horse in this package.
I haven’t officially measured Crockett yet, but it doesn’t matter. He is all heart and that is what counts.
He has quit is bucking spree. The past week he’s only thrown a buck or two out of the blue.
I should reiterate that he never bucks very hard and every cell in your body can tell that even when he does it isn’t malicious. He is simply joyful.
Kirk rode Crockett for the first time this week and he’s really impressed.
Crockett has a nice back up. He has a wicked stop. He is beginning to spin. He is doing roll backs although he’s still a bit clumsy sometimes.
He mastered the side pass but needs to be more consistent with them.
His walk, trot and canter transitions are flawless and he is perfect with his leads, flying or not.
He sometimes still anticipates what I want so we never do the same thing over and over.
Crockett has a very active mind and he views our time together as his play time.
He’s discovered the joys of grazing so our time together and his hard work is always rewarded by something that he enjoys. Grazing, visiting neighbors, going for an adventure, etc.
There is no spook in this boy and he’s courageous to a flaw.
He never leaves my side. Wherever I go, he bumps me affectionately with his head, happy and content that we are friends.
Yep. He’s that good. I think he deserves a third name. Pocket Crockett.

Mother Bucker

karina — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:12:44 +0000

Crockett and I have been spending quite a bit of time together. Today we rode in the indoor in the morning due to the fact that the wind was blowing and then rode out on the trail in the afternoon. It doesn’t matter what I choose to do with Crockett. Like a good hand of poker, he’s all in.
And just like Poker he’s got a few bluffs in him.
Walking he sometimes veers right, then left. There’s no rhyme or reason. He walks to the beat of his own drummer and keeps me on my toes. He’s never malicious. He’s not even mischievous. He’s just being himself.
Trotting, he sometimes trots the entire circumferance of the arena. Sometimes he doesn’t.
Lately we’ve been working on the canter depart. From a trot he’s flawless on his leads. From the walk, he’s flawless on his leads but sometimes he departs and sometimes he trots, then departs.
And sometimes he just departs.
Cantering he bucks his happy little buck. It’s a defiant Crockett who allows me to canter him. He shakes his head and bounces forward. I just sit a little deeper and he works out of it. It’s in his nature. He’s not being naughty most of the time. He’s just being himself.
He took a canter depart today and then, just for the hell of it, threw in a happy big buck as if to say, “There, you want a canter depart, I’ll give you a canter depart and then some!”
When I started obstacles he took all of the obstacles without hesitation and then, just to show me he can do more, he took an obstacle all on his own squeezing between the coup jump and another jump. The whole arena was open. He didn’t need to go between the two jumps. He just did.
Yesterday the tractor was parked in the corner and on a revolution around the arena he darted from underneath me and into the corner between the tractor and the wall with perfect execution.
He never makes a mistake. He never gets anxious. He never seems uncomfortable. He’s just messing with me like I am messing with him.
I’ve gone through all of his tack. I can’t find anything that is pinching or poking him that would account for some of his erratic behavior. He has none of the telltale signs that any of these things may be the reason anyway. He’s just being independent.
Crockett’s happy attitude is noticed by all as is his special way.
So he might be a mother of a bucker but he’s my mother bucker.

Crockett Update

karina — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:22:02 +0000

Wow! This little horse has me spinning. He learns so fast that he keeps me busy! Generally its the other way around.
With the recent rotten weather we’ve spent a lot more time in the indoor arena than I like but Crockett hasn’t complained once.
He always greets me with his excited whinny and pops his head through the top of the stall to have his head customarily scratched. His jaws aren’t as itchy as they once were since the dentist scrubbed his teeth, but he still enjoys a good rubbing.
There are days I just don’t know how I am ever going to part with him. His happy demeanor is infectious and I know that more than anything I will miss this the most.
But for now, I still have days left with him and they are not being wasted.
Crockette has learned to back nicely. He will sidepass. Two tracks and has a super whoa. He’s collecting nicely, and working in the bosal. Crockett is also developing some pretty nice circles at the lope and today we started canter departures from the walk. Everything comes easy to this boy. He even entertains himself. He has this interesting habit of breaking apart from our work together without leaving me behind. We’ll be loping the arena and he’ll dart left and take a jump just for the hell of it. He’s always so proud of himself. It’s like he’s saying, “You want obstacles, I’ll give you obstacles.” He just tickles me.
At the arena there is a coup jump set up in th emiddle of the arena. It’s almost as tall as he is. Crockett will run over to it, stop and drop his head over the coup and look at me as if to say, “Someday I’m gonna fly so high I will sail right over this coup.” It’s darling. If I could afford a mini-cam I think I’d just attach it to my button hole so that everyone could enjoy this horse as much as I am. He is very special.

I GROUCH

karina — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:41:07 +0000

The power of animal reasoning is a hot debate. One camp insists animals can’t reason and the other insists they can. I camp in the ‘They Can’ camp.
Trimming a clients horses recently we opened up on the debate and readily agreed with one aonther that animals can indeed reason and she provided proof.
Her African Grey parrot has a vocabulary of around 300 words. Every so often when she goes to get him our of his cage he will say to her, “I grouch. I bite”.
Now this is interesting because she shared with us that she didn’t teach him to say this. She said to him when he tried to bite her once, “Don’t be a grouch.”
He interpreted the information, personalized it and then proceeds to now give her warning if he’s not in a good mood that day.
Pretty incredible if you ask me and this is one story I will be telling around the ‘They Can’ camp fire for sure!

Definition

karina — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:55:48 +0000

By definition I am a round peg trying to be put into a square hole. I’ve never fit the “norm”
Most people will tell you that they don’t fit the norm. I think that is everyone’s way of setting themselves apart.
Today while I was mucking stalls and cleaning water, it hit me.
I don’t work in the business of healing pain, I work in the business of bringing joy.
Listening to one of our clients describe to me someone that I know, I was amazed at the difference in our definitions of this person.
I saw potential.
They saw limitations.
In the world of the equine, holistic practices are becoming vogue. Therapy programs are booming and the way of the horses is becoming a way of life.
Having had horses impact my physical and psychological well being in some very profound ways, I can’t help but notice that most everyone seems to think they have a line on what is best for human and horse.
As I’ve grown in my practice and continue to grow, I’ve begun to open my mouth less and open my ears more.
It’s a strategy that is serving me well.
I get to know people more readiliy and find it easier to read between the lines.
Everyone’s perceptions are different but in this world of the equine one thing is certain. We will all go to our graves desiring to learn just one thing more.
Before I die, I want to learn how to increase others joy and to teach others the art of encouraging another’s joy.
Of late I have been fortunate to be surrounded by the most positive people. That hasn’t always been the case.
In this positive environment it has been increasingly revealing just how much people limit others with their thinking and with their actions.
Many times it isn’t deliberate. Limiting another comes in many forms and not always intentionally evil. Many times, the intentions are good or for good reasons.
In this moment of reasoning I know that what I am going to practice is what I’ve always practiced. The power of positive thinking. The enjoyment of personal gifts and the reward of sharing them with others. So that the empowerment of joy may be a focus and not the fixing of problems….

Worshipping the Bee Gods

One might say that this photo is a good example of this philosophy since Bee suits are sting resistant…not sting proof!

Vote for Karina and Crockett

karina — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:11:29 +0000

Hello Everyone:

The Mustang Heritage Foundation has stepped up their efforts to let all of you support your favorite Extreme Mustang Makeover Team! The Extreme Mustang Makeover to be held June 11 – 13^th in Fort Collins, CO pairs wild mustangs with approved trainers. Trainers have 90 days to train their mustang and present the horse for competition. After the competition, these horses are made available for adoption to the public. If it were not for these efforts, these mustangs would be left in permanent holding pens. Karina is doing her part to see that these horses have a fighting chance! Now it’s your turn to support her and her horse, Crockett in the Extreme Mustang Makeover!

For quick access here is the link: http://helperwidgets.com/widget.cfm?WIID=76A748B7-9CC1-9B58-907514F96D7E18B6

Want to know more? Here is the information!

Go to www.extrememustangmakeover.com and check out the Extreme Mustang Makeover voting bracket. New this year is our voting bracket that gives the fans a chance to pick their “favorite” trainer. The voting will take place today, through Wedesday, June 9th. The voting will consist of five rounds, then the final round will take place Sunday afternoon during the Fan Favorite “Throwdown”. The fifth round will continue through Wednesday, June 9th.

At 5 pm the voting will stop and the top two will be determined. The top two horses/trainers will compete in a “Throwdown” on Sunday during the tabulating. The throwdown will last approximately 5 minutes. Following the last freestyle performance the fan favorite finalists will be called into the arena where they will challenge each other to three horse maneuvers and one personality/talent maneuver. See specifics below:

1.    A coin toss will determine which trainer goes first.

2.    The first trainer decides what horse maneuver they want to attempt and then challenges the second trainer to do the same.

3.    The second trainer then does a horse maneuver and challenges the first trainer to do the same.

4.    The process is repeated with three total maneuvers.

5.    The final “Throwdown” is a people skill – trainers can sing, dance, tell jokes, juggle, whatever human maneuver they choose. Music will be provided if requested.

6.    The audience then votes with an applause meter determining the winner.

So, get all your friends and supporters to go online and vote for Karina and Crockett! The link will be pasted on the Colorado event banner on the home page.