Hello all!
I will be posting whenever I can to update everyone on Bodhi's adventures with his new riders. He has been a wonderful sport letting all of these new riders take him for a "spin".
I am Marci and I will be visiting Bodhi at least once a week and hopefully multiple times a week soon! I am just getting back into horses and riding after a long time away. I feel that I came back to my roots and what a better way than to spend time with sweet Bodhi. He is a pleasure to ride and even more amazing to just visit with. Well this is all for now...I am going to see if I can figure out how to post a few pictures and a video of the coolest pony in the world!





As Chris (horse husband) already mentioned cleaning Bodhi's hooves can be quite the task with all of this Manitoba "gumbo" but here Bodhi is waiting patiently!

Molly left for Africa 5 days ago. I have been left with the daunting task of caring for Bodhi, the most important man in her life. ;) I will be visiting at least once a week to groom him and make sure he is a happy camper. Additionally, to make sure he stays fit, I will be taking lessons with the barn manager. I promised Molly I would chronicle this process on her 'Golden' blog. Please keep in mind, if you're still reading at this point, that I am a horse husband. I enjoy being around horses and I appreciate them as animals but I am not, by any means, a rider or an expert. Having said that, I will do my best to keep the blog interesting and informative.

I had my first lesson today. Bodhi is still DISGUSTING because he spends all day wallowing in the Manitoba "gumbo" (mud.) After I finally managed to get him cleaned up, I began the lesson. It was a back-to-basics lesson. We reviewed how to properly tack up (western) and then walked around the ring working on my seat, posture, and steering. We practiced our 'whoa's and 'go's, did lots of serpentines to practice turning, and worked on controlling the speed of his gaits with my seat. I have ridden enough to know what I am supposed to do but not enough to do it correctly or effortlessly. The instructor said I had quiet hands and did a good job. The lesson was a helpful review and a test of Bodhi's patience, which passed with flying colors!

I have a question about hoof care and I would greatly appreciate any advice. I will consult with Molly directly but I think it would nice to hear what her friends and followers think:

I will be applying Thrush Buster as preventative measure once a week while the mud is still bad (once every other week as it dries, etc.) but the barn manager said I should only use it after a problem develops because it can damage the hoof wall. Has anyone else had experience with Thrush Buster or tremendous amounts of mud? Should I continue using it regularly or give it a rest until I notice a problem?

Thanks, in advance, for your input.

TIA

Here is the link to my travel blog. I hope I can keep you guys updated. Thanks for the friendship.

TIA

24 days and counting

I am leaving for Africa in 24 days now. I am not even close to ready! I woke up this morning to a blanket of fresh snow covering everything. This place is a real trip to say the least.

I gave Bodhi's part boarder a ground lesson yesterday and I think he will be in good hands in.

I probably will not post again before I leave. I am going to miss reading your posts while I am gone for 6 months. If I have internet in Africa I will post about my journey there but I am not counting on it. I hope you guys will be around when I get back in November because I am sure I will be chomping on the bit to get back into riding.

Bodhi the Great

My friend Marci comes out and rides Bodhi sometimes. She will be looking in on him while I am gone in Africa which makes me feel better. Here is a lovely photo she took of him. This also captures the snow we had in mid April!

I have discovered that my horse is very opinionated. I have now had several people try Bodhi for partial boarding and it is very obvious who he prefers and who he does not. He always tries a bit of sass with any new person much to my dismay. He pretends he does not know a few things and tries to convince them that "actually riding is just standing in the middle of the ring!" He also likes to proudly show them things they did not ask for. "Look at what I can do!" He then settles right down when the person is not impressed...

But some people he just shuts down and completely disrespects. In some respects I am not happy he is ever disrespectful. I thought I raised him better! On the other hand it is interesting to see what he will just not stand for. It is neat to see the individual even though sometimes it is a bit embarrassing.

Firsts

First Photograph of Bodhi I took.


First time wearing the saddle (learning to kick the ball)

First time on his back.


First time with the side reins

First Dressage test

First crossrail

First group trail ride

First water experience (and first trace clip!)


Sometimes I feel like I am not progressing fast enough with Bodhi. Looking at all our firsts though I know we are off to a good start! What are you favorite firsts?

Shawna Karrasch

Hey folks! Bodhi and I are still around though I have been very busy with grad school and Bodhi has been busy making new friends and enjoying the mild weather. I have some pictures to share and some news but for now I just wanted to share a horse trainer I just became familar with.

Her name is Shawna Karrasch. Her website is here. She has a background in training marine mammals and now applies the same concepts to horses. Talk about a woman after my own heart.
Her website has some great information about how to incorporate positive reinforcement into your training regime. Have any of you heard of her?

Video of a horse free jumping from the horse's perspective