My Partners and Best Teachers
My first Parelli equine partner to Level 4 was an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare named Jolie Demoiselle, first bred and trained as a galloping race horse. Before getting involved in natural horsemanship, I had transitioned her to a successful show jumping career. Jolie left us in April 2009 after battling a long and painful disease for many years (DSLD/ESPA). She would have been 22 years old and had been retired for several years.
Chantels Easter Bar (Easter) came to me as a seriously damaged horse. A very sensitive and unconfident Right Brain Introvert, she had a very bad start (at the age of 7!) which left her injured physically and emotionally. She was terrified of humans and anything associated with them. She was the spookiest horse I had ever ridden. With time and patience, she deeply bonded to me and her confidence in everything grew by leaps and bounds, including in herself. Easter passed away a couple of years ago.
Easter was a great-granddaughter of Three Bars and one of his last direct descendants. Three Bars is considered one of the four founding stallions of the QH breed and was the grandfather to Doc Bar, who sired many great cutting champions.
I bred and raised Menina du VifArgent, Half-Lusitano. Her lineage is impressive. Her sire belongs to the Veiga line of Lusitano horses, which are used for bullfighting and cow work in Portugal. Her mother Jolie (TB) was a very special horse in my life. Menina was imprinted at birth and was entirely developed based on natural horsemanship principles. She knows nothing else. She is the most challenging horse I have owned and played with. She is highly spirited, confident, very smart, super athletic, very sensitive, and gorgeous. She has been my best teacher yet. I had to be very progressive and keep learning to be a good partner for this horse. She is Level 10 and I am just trying to catch up! I was sent this great quote that fits perfectly to my relationship with this horse:
“The State of Mind of a horse (or person, for that matter) is everything. The ones who will do things even when they don’t want to are easier and perhaps make us feel confident & effective. But it is the ones that won’t do anything, unless we are pure in our techniques and intentions that either show us we actually are effective, or prove that we are not. Either way it is a gift.”
Menina is a Left Brain Extrovert. We have had many adventures together and she is now retired.
Blue Moon is my most recent partner. She was gifted to me by a student who felt she needed a partner with more savvy and who could give purpose to her life. She is a spirited, high-energy, strong-willed horse and can be somewhat skeptical. She is very smart, learns quickly when she is confident and is very self-confident.
Blue Moon is an Arab/Andalusian cross, with lots of go and very athletic, lots of power in a small package! She has lots of heart and desire and a great mind. We have really bonded!
Blue Moon is a Right Brain Extrovert on the cusp of Left Brain Extrovert. She is now retired from performance.