A Warm Summer

I'm home from working at camp again! It was so much fun this week, i made lots of new friends and started some amazing relationships between horses and campers. I played with Ben a lot, taught him how to bow. He's more of a LBE/LBI now he's getting confident in the new place, he is available for lease so i think when i get my license i will be interested in that. He's extremely sweet, trusting, and gorgeous to top it all off.

This whole thing is more of a learning experience than a 'job'. I have learned a lot about the different horsanalities, how to pair up certain children with each horsanality. How to deal with all different personalities, how to be FUN and bring my energy up for them, which has always been hard for me.

We had new horses this week, a 7 year old tennessee walker, Anabelle. She was a RBE, new places made her unconfident so we played on the ground in our free time and explored a little. We had Gritz, a 17 year old paint/arabian, he was gorgeous, and perfect LBI for the kids. Then we had Jet, a 20 year old quarter horse, he was laid back but as the week went on he got a little sore and grouchy. Then Ben and Lily :)

A Week Of Change

Yesterday i got back from a week at Camp Cherokee. We have 5 horses up there, well technically 4 horses and 1 mini.

We have Aladin, a 28 year old Arabian/Tennessee Walker, he is primarily a LBI but can be a LBE when he has the energy! Ratadour, a 16 year old Columbian Paso Fino (sp?), he is also a LBI/LBE. We have Fancy, a 12 year old paint mare, she is a LBE/RBE. There is Ben, a gorgeous 7 year old haflinger, who stole my heart the moment i saw him, he's a LBI/RBI/LBE. Finally we have Tiger Lily, a 13 year old mini, she is LBI all the way.

Each day we see 37 kids, between the ages of  7 and 14. All different levels of confidence and experience with horses. The first day i introduced myself and our workers, then i introduced the horses (our partners for the week). We went over safety and some basic principles, treat them like friends (easier for the kids to understand, no hitting etc). Then we groomed and did some of the basic first three games. Then we did a pushing passenger lesson for each child, i walked with the horse on a 12 ft line and the kids had a rope around the horses neck as a 'safety net'. The second day we went over body parts of a horse then the kids played on the ground for a little while and groomed, we introduced reins. The third day we went over basic nutrition, different grains and different types of hay and started to let the kids do some point-to-point with obstacles. On the fourth day we painted native american symbols on the horses, then we did some ground play and riding. I came home last night so today Olivia did a small demonstration with her mare Fancy. Next week hopefully i will do a demo with Ben :)

The kids are so much fun, they leave an imprint on you that you will never forget. They get attached to you and really start to trust you. I had an amazing time, on the last day Ben laid down and i went over and sat with him. My heart filled with emotion.

Ready For A Leap Into the Uknown

Tomorrow, I leave home. For seven weeks. To work at a YMCA camp, Camp Cherokee, i will be working in the horse area with my vet and a few other people around my age. The children attending the camp are between the ages of 8 and 14. I am nervous, anxious but on the other hand extremely excited, happy to get this opportunity. I hope to make a lasting impression on these children through the horses, show them the love a horse can have for a human. The three main things needed to form a relationship not only with horses but with people, Love, Language and Leadership.

Love - –noun

1.

a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2.

a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

When i see a horse i feel a feeling of fulfillment and joy in my heart. To me that is love, a feeling of attachment.

Language-

1.	a system for the expression of thoughts, feelings, etc, by the use of spoken sounds or conventional symbols

Language= communication. Communication= two or more individuals sharing and understanding an idea. Communicating with a horse, like a horse would, becoming a part of their herd, a partner. Language is necessary.

Leadership-

1.

the position or function of a leader

2.

an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction

 

Leadership should be shared between you and your horse, he is not a robot. You are not a dictator, remember its a partnership. You should guide each other. 'Horses teach humans and humans teach horses' -Pat Parelli ( the 8th principle)

This whole experience is new to me. I'm excited to develop relationships, develop my confidence and learn to understand the human mind at all levels some more.

A Brand New Step

    I finally decided to start blogging again. This blog will mostly be about my journey with horses, but also about my life. I realized the more i write things down the easier it gets for me to express my emotions in person.

  For those of you that don't know, my name is Bethanie, but i go by Beth/Bef/Beffy. I'm 15 years old and about to be a junior in high school. I'll admit I'm so caught up in my future i rarely just live my life in the present, but i am trying to start doing that. I love horses, for so many reasons but let's just say i would be lost without them, they are my best friends. I was born in England but moved to the U.S. when i was 12 years old, a major culture shock for me.
 
  I'm excited to start blogging again and i will blog as soon as i can :)