Santana and I go to School

wow... its been a while since I've posted for my boy. We've been very busy, good intentions to post, but just didn't... so, here are some updates.

Santana and I attended a Larry Whitesell clinic in Cave Creek March 11-14. Larry is a nationally renown natural gaited horseman, who believes in natural collection to get a horse to gait, NOT just sticking a big shanked bit in their mouths, ventroflexing them, to make them gait. I had never attended (as a participant) any horse clinic before, but I had LArry's DVDs and had been working on his method. His method really isn't his. He is the first to tell you that. It is basic dressage principals and exercises. These exercises enable the horse to relax, get his balance naturally and properly, which will enable him to do what he is genetically predisposed to do, which is gait. So simple, yet, so hard.

Santana had never been away from home like this before. The clinic horses (12 in all) were housed in a mare motel type barn with large run outs. He had never been in such a small confinement before, but he wasn't nervous at all, or restless, or anything. He acted like this was old hat. I know he laid down to sleep because his tail and mane were full of shavings each morning. He eat well, drank well, pooped and peed well. (only us horse folks get soooo excited about poop and pee!)

The clinic was held in a covered arena, which was surrounded by pastures full of horses. Ok, he wasn't too sure about the covered arena, but after about ten minutes he was fine. He was more interested in everything else going on around him... the horses moving in the pasture 800 feet away, or, the little yappy dogs that were just outside the arena, belonging to folks auditing the clinic. He was a little A.D.D. Curious about everything else going on around, and not really paying any attention to me. Not that that was a huge detriment, as I was the one needing to learn the exercises so I could do all this stuff at home.

It was fun to mingle with other gaited horse folks. I was amazed that I knew several people there already. I enjoyed camping in my trailer and visiting with others. There were people there from Wyoming, Utah, California as well as AZ.

Anyway, I learned a lot, and have been practicing the exercises with him almost daily, and he is starting to get it. I think he is humoring me right now, but eventually, he will understand that there was a reason for all of it, and be appreciative that I chose to take the time to teach him right, so that he doesn't live a life in pain from improper balance and collection JUST to get him gaiting right away.