Life Lessons

We have three newborn fawns that arrived at camp today.  As the Wranglers and I were walking back from lunch today we stopped in to see them.  It is a wonderful feeling to love and hold them.  It is a blessing to work here at Lonehollow.  We get to feel the same joy that these kids feel when they hold and feed a baby deer.
The lesson plan for riding today was to introduce various styles of riding to the campers.  Today we took the horseback classes out into the big field in front of the barn and played "horse games".  We did pole bending, egg & spoon, toilet paper relay and barrels.  We did a jumping, barrel racing and dressage demonstrations.  As the horse was getting ready to jump he stopped and refused the jump.  He did that 3 times. We changed the jump from a vertical to a cross rail and used guide poles.  He finally went over it at a walk and then a trot.  I used that as an example to the kids to show how we have to continue working on the problem to fix it.  Getting angry at your horse doesn't work and will usually make the situation worse.  The way to solve a problem is to think about alternate solutions until you can ultimately get the horse to do what you want.  I think that is a great life lesson.  When we came back to the classroom I asked them what they learned today.  The answer was not to get angry at your horse.  I hope they will remember.  That wasn't the original objective of the lesson but it was even better.  Thank you God for using horses that refuse jumps to show us how to work on solving problems.

This is Jess and Pizaz.  Tonight we had a theme night and it was holidays.  Jess came up with the idea for our booth and the kids made construction paper ornaments in the shape of gears and taped them to our pony-tree.  Pizaz wore a green slinky, a star on his head, and a little red nose.   I am happy with the way the horseback program is going.  I have never experienced the kind of joy you feel seeing a kid "get it" when they gain their confidence around a horse.  I am so blessed to be a part of that experience with them.  The first time they trot and they are scared and then when they realize they are safe and having fun; their faces light up.  I have had so many kids just this week that were scared to even lead a horse and now they are feeling so good about their new horse friend.  I remember how much I loved horses and how I felt as a little girl and it is a gift to get to be a part of this kind of giving to others.

I am so proud of Kristi for training GiGi to bow.  This is her 3rd day of training. Kristi loves to train the horses.  It is her gift. She will be co-teaching our Natural Horsemanship class.  All the girls are different in what they are gifted at doing with the horses.  It makes it fun for all of us to watch and encourage each other.
I have hired a Wrangler from Denmark and she will be arriving soon. We can't wait for her to arrive and meet her.  I think it will be so much fun to have someone from another country living with us.   We all have the common thread of loving kids and horses but there is still so much variety.  Looking forward to spending time on the trail with the kids, horses and great Wranglers.

The smiles will say it all

I just love this photo of Kristi and Azul.  The smile says it all.  I love my job and that I have the opportunity to share my love of horses with others that love them too.  We get to play and learn from each other.  The Wranglers and I have been putting in some long hours riding the trails at Lonehollow. It is beautiful here and we all have our favorite places (mine are usually in the shade along a creek).

For now the focus is on getting ready for the campers.  We have all role played teaching the many classes we offer.  I think we all like the mounted games class the best.  The good thing about role playing is that all the Wranglers can lead a class if needed.  They can also take ideas from one class and use them in their own.  I am so impressed with the creativity and imagination that they have written into their curriculum.  I can't wait for the campers to get here so we can put it all into action.  The smiles will say it all.

Here is a little bit of life at camp.  The girls and I got out one of the minis and took him for a spin yesterday.  We a having so much fun.  It is so nice to have a passion for something and to get up everyday doing that very thing.  I know the days will get long and hot but the excitement of the kids and the horses will keep it fun and interesting.  Today the Wranglers will be role playing and teaching different classes.  They are all so different and I think that is going to add so much variety to our program.  It is going to be a great horseback program.  Have I told you I am having fun?

These are my Wranglers.  I love them!  They are a great group of girls.  Hard working and they all get along so well.  I am so excited about this summer.  We have been riding for the past week and the horses are getting lots of attention.  The barn is clean, inventory is done.  One of the girls is helping me with a spreadsheet of all the horse usage.  It is so great to see how each of them uses their gifts to help the whole.  Some of the girls were working with a horse in the arena yesterday.  He wouldn't take the correct lead and they all gave suggestions until something worked.  It is that kind of cooperative spirit that is going to make it all come together this summer.  I go to bed tired but it is a good tired.

I have had a blast this week.  We have ridden horses everyday, two trail rides a day.  An easy one in the mornings and a challenging one in the afternoons.  The Wrangler girls are amazing.  They love the horses I have assigned to them and they are all hard workers.  It feels kinda strange being their boss and teaching them but that is one of the areas I am growing in.  We are leaving early in the morning so we can be in the Hunt parade tomorrow.  That will be a fun thing to do.  We will also go to town for some supplies.
I am keeping a journal of all the things I am teaching so that I can learn and improve every year.  I want to make this the best program it can be.  We turned out some of the horses this afternoon to let them eat grass in front of the barn.  As I was sitting in the grass looking at the horses and the mountains I was overcome with the feeling of peace and gratitude.  I am so blessed to hear the birds sing, to look at these mountains that surround me, to feel the soft breeze on my skin.  One of the girls said it is heaven here and I have to agree.  I am so blessed to be doing something I love and to have others around me that appreciate it too.
We talk horses, we ooh and awh at the beautiful things on the trails, we appreciate an honest horse and the challenge of training and riding a difficult one.  It is a thrilling thing to teach these girls about being aware of their body language, tone of voice, eye contact, etc. as they work on the ground training the horses.  It makes me focus on why I do the things I do and how I have learned to read horses behaviors.  Then I have to be able to explain it in detail to them.  I can tell I am going to grow from this summer in my leadership skills and my teaching skills.  I love it.  I want to always be striving to grow, learn and be better.