HorseSynergy.ORG
Years have passed and I can hardly believe that I have now owned horses for almost ten years. Shiloh is now guestimate to be 20 years old and Ellie will be turning 11 next year.
I have learned so much since I first purchased Shiloh and it is because of very kind and generous folk who have shared with me their knowledge and experiences. The journey started with Michi Kirito who was in high school and now is married with a baby of her own, Roberta Rita who continually shares and teaches me what I need to know as I need to know it, Bert Miranda who got Ellie and me out of a rut and back on track, Francis Lau who had the patience and understanding of horsemanship and people, Katy and Bud Gibson who laugh with me and sometimes I think at me but haven't given up yet on guiding me to become the best horse person I can be. I'm looking forward to the next ten years and what I'll learn.
This year was dedicated to Ranch Sorting and the Performance Horse Series. Both events forced me to strive to become a better rider and to learn how to coordinate my hands, legs and feet, and body. Not an easy task at this age and I'm still working on getting it right.
We have set the dates for the 3rd Annual Ranch Sorting Jackpot Buckle Series 2011. Check out the page for the dates and results from the 2010. We are excited to kick off the new year with a Ranch Sorting Fun Day Pot Luck at New Town and Country hosted by Bud and Katy Gibson. Information posted on Facebook Hawaii Horse group and on Ranch Sorting page. Come and Play we'd love to see you.
Recently I attended a workshop that Waimanalo Feed hosted with HyGain a new feed that they recently brought in. I can't tell you how excited I am about this new product. As a horse owner I am always striving to make sure that my girls are getting what they need in their diet. Shiloh was recently diagnosed with Cushings and Ellie has always been a hard keeper and my show horse. What this means is that I spend a lot on supplements that they need and don't get from Timmy and Oat Alfalfa cubes. I currently feed Integrity Senior to Ellie and Integrity Lite to Shiloh and then all the supplements. Now, I can just purchase HyGain Showtorque for Ellie and HyGain Zero and Glucosamine for Shiloh. The savings are going to be great and the girls will still be getting what they need. I've uploaded the information about the feed and the power point presentation in PDF for your review if you are interested in checking it out.
Last but not least we will I will again be riding in the Kamehameha Day parade next year. Really looking forward to working with the unit, learning about the traditions of Pa'u Riding, gathering flora, and making lei.
This next year is going to be an exciting one and I can't wait for it all to unfold.
Happy Trails
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Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you out and about with your horse.
Gayle
Synergy: Comes from the Greek word synergia, meaning joint work and cooperative action.
Synergy is when the result is greater than the sum of the parts. Synergy is created when things work in concert together to create an outcome that is in some way of more value than the total of what the individual inputs is.
HorseSynergy.Org was created with the hope that all of our individual experiences will come together to create a bigger and better horse experience for us all.
There are three parts the human, the horse, and the trainer. When these three things come together and they work towards the same goal... synergy is created and amazing things can happen.
Trust is also an important factor when working with horses and trainers. If there is a trust issue between any of the players, owner-horse, owner-trainer, or horse-trainer the results will be limiting for horse and rider.
We need to remember to communicate, listen, and unless you are deathly afraid of what is being asked of you, be quiet.
When asked to do something with your horse and you trust the trainer, instead of making excuses, try it.
If we don't understand what is being asked of you speak up and ask for more clarification. I'm a visual person and sometimes I need the trainer to show me how to and I ask him to do so. I've learned that If you don't believe your horse can do what the trainer is asking you to achieve... ask the trainer to get on and show you that it can be done. Then do it.
We as horse owners often put our own fears and previous owners hang ups on our horses. How many times have I explained that my horse Shiloh just can't do something only to have a trainer get on and show me that she can.
The trick is learning what it was that the trainer did and then getting on and doing it myself while the trainer is there to help me do it. Don't you hate getting home and trying to do what you learned at a clinic with your horse and seeing the trainer do it only to find out that no matter how hard you try you can't. YIKES. Been there done that. Good money wasted.
Some times in life we are fortunate to meet people who are willing to share what they have painstakingly learned. I almost missed the opportunity and fortunately there was a wiser person around me to encourage me to step outside of my comfort zone and ask for help. I was so lucky to have found Francis Lau who was able to ride and train my horse AND he was able to watch and communicate to me, the rider, what I needed to do in order to get my horse to do what I wanted.
Words cannot express how thankful I am to him and how much I miss his words of wisdom, his faint smile when I was trying my darndest to do what he was asking and not quite succeeding, and most of all the twinkle in his eyes when he knew I was catching on.
I tried to hang onto every word and file it in my memory bank. Unfortunately, my brain was on overload. I can only hope that when I ride he is whispering in my ears directions so I can continue to become a better rider.
We lost Francis after a courageous battle with stomach cancer within months of being diagnosed. I was lucky to have had a few great months with him riding and learning. A few more months hanging out with him on the porch at Hamms Flats in Waimanalo. I won't forget him and all that he taught me. The picture above is one of the first days he put me and Ellie on cows. What fun we had. No clue as to what I was doing but because he was such an awesome horseman he made me feel like I was doing great.
My husband Mike came one day to watch us play wish the cows. He had the insight to catch Francis riding Zoom at first with his reins then without. His quite rhythmic riding skills amaze me and to see him riding Zoom with no reins, breathtaking. These photos were taken in May 2007. We lost Francis in March of 2008.
