Hi Ronda,

How fantastic are those lessons!!!
Every time I am learning more and more. And when I watch a lesson for the third our fourth time, I see an other detail.
Every time when I am with Renske or Luuk I am trying things to see how they are reacting on it. Sometimes it goes right sometimes it goes "wrong". But when I come back to the lesson I can see how I can do it better and develop myself. I see that I am making progress step by step and I am glad with that.
I am now a student for 5 month and in this time I learned so much!!! I can't miss the lessons anymore!!!
My goal is to start a reception-center (hope I translate it right) for horses. I am in the middle of this process.
Tomorrow we (my husband, a ladyfriend and me) have an appointment with somebody who can tell us more about this.
I am so excited about it. If anybody told me a year ago that I am going to start a reception-centre, I would say yehyeh.... But it is coming on my path and it will succeed, I am sure.
My goal is also to go to Great Britain and take some courses by Kelly Marks, intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk. My first step now in this is to go on the 2nd of November to Okehampton (Great Britain), wauw that's soon!!, and see Monty giving a demonstration.
And when I have the possibility in the future I am going to Flag Is Up!!!
Maybe we can all put the same date on that, so we can meet each other one day... that would be nice don't you think?
So that's what I am doing with the information I get from the lessons and let me be clear, also the forum.

Have a nice horse day too,
May

Well I have just begun to re-watch from the very beginning of the lessons.
Now I will go outside to make sure my round pen is correct, in every way.
Ronda

I havent been in the Uni for very long, and today I watched the lessons on leads. I sort of had an idea on what they were but needed more info. Montys explanation, with the 2 girls, made me laugh, (they were good horses, although a bit odd looking) but it really helped me understand leads. This is something I have been wondering about for years, so thank you VERY much, Monty! I really appreciate it. Now I feel I actually know something! And more to come, oh, boy! Cant wait! I have had horses for years, but nobody ever told me anything, I just had to figure it out for myself. I am so grateful to have joined the Uni.

Phantommustang i am with you! I have had horses since i was little but my family just bought it and left it with me other than a few lessons to get me started. So i have muddled through for 20 years but wow what a difference having this site makes! Pretty awesome hey! We are on the right track now!

Ronda you have done great to watch all the lessons! I have been on here for nearly a year and have not reached my 100 yet! I blame having two young kiddies for that! As you know i have my new Brumby, Buster to train up and i am o thankfu to be able to do this Monty's way! I feel already that what i have done with him so far is setting up a good foundation for the future. I can't video everything as you will be doing - i hope we get to see it! - as i don't always have soeone to do it. My hubby works away most of the time so i rely on friends and most of them are very busy but i will do it when i can! My plan is to use these videos to help me do things the right way!
You are doing a marvelous job with Star! I can't wait for the day when we see you riding her with a HUGE smile on your face!
Happy horsing!
Janelle

When I got my first horse at age 8, the guy we got her from showed me how to get her going, stop, and turn, that was the extent of my lessons. I learned to ride bareback because we didnt have a saddle, and also learned NOT to get on her without a bridle, she walked under a low branch she fit under but I didnt. Thud.

I have just finished viewing the last lesson on Acupuncture and while I think the subject is going to be very informative I am very disappointed in the amount of information being presented. It almost feel like it is being geared to primary school children. The last few lessons have been drawn out and should have been a single lesson not two or three. If Equine University wants to loose the students interest then just keep presenting the lessons in dribs and drabs. I am very disappointed, not in the subject but in its presentation!

Not so many Cheers

Today is another big day, if it ever stops snowing.
I want to take Star into her medium pasture, there is bridge in there I use as a mounting block and I will attempt to put weight on Star's back.
I figure if she doesn't like it then at least I'll have soft place to land, the snow!!!
There has to be a first time for everything.
Have a great day guys,
Ronda
Yea it will be on video and posted, have a good laugh, everyone. I guess I won't let you know if I'm in the hospital, ha ha!!!!

Hi Janelle,
I am happy I was able to watch all the videos on the Uni, to.
I feel it is hard to give an opinion on something if I have not had the experience or read/watched the material presented.
It may seem that I have a lot of time and yes I do not have small children, I remember that, now that is work, right.
I work each night, look after a huge home(do not have a housekeeper right now) and large property and am a daily voluteer.
On top of all of that I have three auto-imune diseases and have to do extreme exercise programs to keep my self as healthy as I am.
I do not watch television very much and am an earlier riser so I do all my communciations/learinig during the early morning.
My husband and I are together 24/7, we even work together and volunteer together so he is here to help me and I to help him.
After 39 years together it is nice to have our style of life.
Some may say, aren't they lucky but really it is hard work on both parts to still care deeply for each other after all this time.
I'm happy you are able to work so much with your horse and are doing so well with him, keep up the good work. Use the videos for your guide and try to have yourself videoed to see how you are doing.
Happy horsing to you too,
Ronda

Hi Ronda,
Wow you are a very busy lady! You do really well to get as much out of each day as you can, i can learn something from that! You are also very lucky to work, volunteer and spend all your time with your husband, that must be real nice. It sounds like you both have a passion for life and doing it well so you are both to be praised for that :-)
Having 2 young kids is hard work yes! But they are worth evry minute of it and i know it will get easier as time goes on. I feel very thankful that i can spend at least some time each day with my Buster, even if it only going into the paddock to give him a groom or a rub. I was very bust the other day so didn't get a chance to do anything with him in the day but it was a beautiful moonlit night so i spent some time with him and the mini out there in the moonlight, it was lovely!
JAnelle

Oh Janelle,
That must have been beautiful, wow!!!
You may know this but the whiskers of a horse help them to see in the dark. They work as feelers, amazing creatures, yes?
Enjoy your children, they grow so quickly. And spend as much time with your hubby as you can.
When our girls were young we would get a babysitter and go away overnight every month. I think that helped us not to have the empty nest syndrome.
Life is so short and can end at any moment, I always ask myself, how do I want to be remembered? I hope it is said of me, "she loved to laugh !!!"
Have a sunny day,
Ronda

Ronda,
You commented that you were going to put weight on Star's back for the first time, let me give you some advise that might help you and Star keep from getting hurt. Move her over to a sturdy fence, climb up on the fence so that you are above her head. Her body should be next to the fence like you are going to climb on her. Pet her neck and let her see you above her, this is a new experience for horses that have never been ridden. They see on the ground next to them but not above them in a riding position. When she gets used to this (usually just a few minutes), then put one foot in the stirrup while still holding onto the fence and put some weight on it for a few seconds if Star is accepting of this put some weight in the other stirrup again holding onto the fence in case Star decides this is unacceptable. Then if all goes well slowly put one leg over the saddle, still holding onto the fence just in case. This allows Star to incrementally learn to accept weight and a rider while keeping you safe from a fall. Before you know it you'll be on Star's back and all will be well.
I hope this helps,
Kleinne

Thank you Kleinne,
I have seen that before. And if I were using a saddle on STAR that is one way to do it.
My STAR is a wild one and I can see it now if I were to do that with her.
Yahoo,,,,bronco buster grandma, here I come!!!!!
You are sweet to suggest this but I am in no hurry and I have all the time in the world to eventually get on STAR in incrimental stages.
She's only just turned four and has a lot of time as well. Yesterday I got onto her bridge and stood beside her only to realize she has grown and my husband will have to build a new mounting block for me.
I usually only lay on a horse, bareback, until they accept a human and weight. Then step by step I increase the pressure until I can sit on the back and get no reaction then get off immediately and walk them for a bit.
I feel safe doing it that way and I like to read my horse so I can govern if they are ready.
You have a great day,
Ronda

You want to hear something else funny.
My husband's first attempt to get on a horse was when he was little.
Neighbours owned jumping horses and Paul decided he wanted to get on this one's back.
He got a ladder, leaned it up against the horse climbed up and sat on the horses back.
The horse took off, Paul holding onto the mane and the horse decided to go one way and Paul went the other, right into a thorn bush.....What we all try, it amazes me any of us are still alive!!!
Ronda

I think i need to slow down my typing...i have noticed a few typo's in my last post! Yes it was a very beautiful time out at night with my ponies :-) I knew that the whiskers on cats and dogs help them in the dark but to tell you the truth i have never even given it a thought with horses! I'll be thinking of that now when i go out at night.
The story of your husband is very funny!...not the thorn bush bit though, OUCH! My hubby's first time on a horse he got on ok but not long after the horse gave a buck and he went right over it's head onto the ground! He hasn't been keen to get on them ever since!
Janelle

Good morning Janelle,
Another funny story for you.
My eldest daughter was visiting one of her friends when she was a young teenager.
Their neighbous had a beautiful "unbroken" gelding, beautiful horse.
She decides she want to ride this thing. She grabbed it by the hair,mane and tail, pulled it to the fence and jumped on it's back.
Away she went, horse one way she the other. Now she is six feet tall and all legs. Her friend said she looke like a frog jumping.
She broke her elbow and was in a cast for a bit but she never lost her love or devotion for horses.
Needles to say I was fit to be tied, explained to her that is not what you do with a horse and you know it. Of course I got, but Mom......
With my vivid imagination I picture things so easily and have a good laugh, much later.
Have a good weekend,
Ronda
PS: going to have my husband do a join-up with STAR and I will film it, we'll see how it goes !!!!

Yes another funny story, and that's just what my dad would have said to me if i did that! And i probably would have said, but Dad....!
Can't wait to see your next vid! I am hoping to do one as i introduce buster to a few obstacles i plan to set up :-) My hubby got me a timber pallet which i am going to put carpet on for him to step up on, and i have got a piece of flat board for him to walk across like a bridge and some bright red cones to set out too...should be fun!
enjoy your weekend too :-)
Janelle

I think you are doing wonderfully, Janelle, to have Buster and to be spending the time with him you do. I am sure you will fit in all the videos eventually. I was slow getting through them as it is time consuming but I had a few accidents last year which prevented me from doing all the other hard yakka jobs that are always waiting for me so I was abel to speed up a bit on the videos. When I had my two young daughters I had a full time job too so couldn't even contemplate owning a horse let alone breaking a young one in. Now I have little grandchildredn to mind often and they are very intensive so well done to you!! You are making amazing progress with Buster.

Thanks Maggie :-) I am getting there with the vids and learning heaps along the way. I am watching the Centaur series at the moment and really enjoying that. It is probably a good thing that i bought a young horse as i don't feel the pressure to be on him riding for a while yet! I am just enjoying doing all the lead up stuff at the moment. I bet your grandchildren do keep you busy! Young kids are so full of energy....i just wish it would rub off on me somedays!

Hi Janelle given you have so little time and the videos are time consuming you may wish to be selective rather than just going down the list. The videos I found best for a young horse were the initial join up and dually halter lessons and then Join up with Martin Clunes, Join up with the Farrier, Six Imperatives - all six videos, the Special Event series - really good for different problem horses and one of my favourite series, Georgia's Phobias, Spoooky Kadina and given you have children - Join up for Children.

Hi Maggie, great advice :-) i have been selecting those which i feel are relevent to me and have seen some that you suggest. I haven't watched the martin clunes ones yet and i am needing to finish watching the six imperatives ones. Oh and join up for children will be a great one! I think maybe i ought to take a leaf out of Ronda's book and get up a bit earlier, before the kids, and use that time to watch some vids.

Hi all,
I have posted a new video. My husband is doing join-up with STAR.
Just go to youtube and type in mystarmajestic in the search bar at the top of the youtube site. They will all come up and you can choose the one you want to watch. And subscribe if you like and then you will get notices of when a new one is posted.
I have another one of me and STAR with me trying to get on her from my bridge, but she grew. It is not great quality, she is black and I am wearing black so you can't see much. Also, I'm laughing, she is so patient.
Have a great day,
Ronda

hi Ronda i watched your husband doing join up with STAR...he did great! He should be very proud as STAR is so sensitive i assume it would be easy to make mistakes with her but he did a marvelous job :-)
The snow looks beautiful where you are! messy though i bet. Stinking hot summer here, sometimes too hot to even go outside for long!
Cheerio!
Janelle

Thanks Janelle,
Yes STAR is very sensitive and you have to be very aware of that with her.
You just have to move slightly and she will turn. I wish I didn't have to hear my voice on the video but he needed instruction and I was at the camera.
You may have noticed STAR kept looking at me as she passed, I wondered if she were thinking, why are you there and he is here.
I want to do join-up with her with a few people so she will learn to trust easily.
She is officially 4 now and can now start her serious training, can't wait for her new barn and training center, whopeee !!!
Sorry it's so hot down there, at least here we have a choice, get cold come inside for a bit, get hot go outside.
You all have a great day.
Ronda

I did notice her looking to you! I didn't mind the talking, it is nice to hear a different accent! I cannot stand the sound of my voice though and i guess most people are the same. So the fun starts soon with some new traing hey! I am sure you will both have a great time learning even more about each other :-
I much prefer the winter, as you say if you get cold you can always go get warm and vice versa, but here i don't have air conditioning in my house and i don't cope well with the heat...i am a bit of a sook there! Oh well the sunshine is nice :-)
Bit of good news...i went out to see Buster and i took my surcingle/roller as we call them here. I forgot my saddle pad but i decided to try the roller and see how he took it. He was fine! It is too big, meant for my old TB so i need a new one before i do any work with one but he responed fine to the girth and the chinking of the buckles etc. Was quite proud of my wild boy!
Cheerio!
P.s have you loaded the vid of you and STAR at the bridge on youtube...could't find it in your vids so thought maybe not yet?
Janelle

Hi Janelle,
No not yet, it takes so long to download, maybe sometime today, while I'm into something else!!!!
I need to finish a painting and do some drawing and today I feel it so I work when the urge hits me or it just doesn't come out right.
Good for you, well done. I'm glad he is calm, trust me we need that. The patience of the horse !!!!!
STAR"S surcingle is too big for her too, she just stood there when she once got use to the feel of it around her middle.
Her saddle, now that is a different matter, she hates that thing so I am doing other things to get her use to weight on her back.
We'll get there in time, I'm in no hurry.
It was so sweet, I was with some friends yesterday and I love children, all ages. I was talking with a group and one little girl who has met STAR and STAR really liked asked, when can I come out to ride STAR.
I laughed and said well honey STAR is a bit young and a bit wild and needs to grow up before a child could ride her. You ask your Grampy about this, her grandfather raised race horses, when he was younger.
She says, but I really love STAR and she is so beautiful. I told her you get Mom and DAD to bring you out to see her. I'll be getting an older horse soon and if he is acceptable I will teach you to ride him, OK?
All these kids love horses, it is wonderful how children love animals, maybe that is why I love being around them.
You all have a great day,
Ronda

Ronda that is such a sweet story! I have found that too, that some children just seem drawn to horses. I find it facsinating that horses seem to calm right down if there is a child in the mix too. have you found that with STAR? I know buster will very happily sand qietly while my 7 year old pats him out in the paddock. Now if that were an adult he would run off if i wasn't right with him! My old TB who died just loved kids. He would sniff their hair and it used to put him in a trance, the smell of babies especially...amazing to watch!
Enjoy your painting!
Janelle

Hi Ronda - thanks for posting your video. Unfortunately my computer is relatively old and I could not play it so that was disappointing. I did manage to play the others previously and enjoyed them so thanks for posting them. It seems that Internet Explorer just up graded and my computer cannot download the new Abode player. Looks like we need a new computer!! Can't afford one at present as we gave our grandchildren a new one for Christmas!!

Hi Janelle,
Yes STAR loves kids. It seems strange to me, she is flighty with grown-ups but with kids she is so curious.
To give you an example, my houskeeper, Donna, came over one day just for a visit and brought the whole crew, four kids all ages. Star just stood there and smelled them all and allowed them to touch her. I was really surprised and watching carefully that nothing happened.
That is so true about babies, Donna, was holding her boy and STAR seemed most interested in him !!
She really likes my granddaughter, who's eleven and already 5 feet 5 inches tall. She runs with her and STAR loves that.
Hi MaggieF,
Isn't that always the way. We buy for our kids and grandkids and go without. Hope you get a new one soon. If I could I would buy one for you !!!! Nice little laptop to carry around, like I do.
Have a great day guys,
Ronda

Right after my husband got his horse Emmett, a friend wanted to come and see him and Princess, so I said ok, thought it woud be just her and her boyfriend, but she brought along a bunch of kids, none of which I knew, and they had no dicipline at all, were everywhere and into everything, wanted to ride both horses and wouldnt mind anything. Luckily for them, both horses were perfect gentleman and lady. I kept telling them we had just got Emmett and didnt really know much about him yet, and Princess was just a baby.(swhe is 2 1/2) Finally I had to order them out of the corral and barn completely, my friend didnt even try. I had to tell her not to bring them back. She decided that when Princess gets trained, I am going to give riding lessons, which I am NOT qualified to do, nor do I want to. She never listens to anything I tell her, and I dont really want her around the horses either, she has no sense, I dont think. At least I kept the kids off the horses, and nobody got kicked or anything. She even decided she would tell some of her friends they could hunt elk where the horses are! I had to really put my foot down on that, we dont own the place. But at least our horses are gentle, I hate to think what might have happened if I still had wild horses. I like kids, but they really need to be under control around horses.

Phantommustang it is really dissapointing when people have not raised their kids with respect for other peoples property and animals hey! I am very sorry your experience in this area was a bad one! I have a friend with 2 children who are absolute ratbags for her but anytime they want to come in my paddock with my mini and wild brumby i give them very stern instructions to listen to me every minute and under no circumtances are they allowed near the brumby! her daughter in particular keeps saying she wants to ride the 'big' one meaning the brumby. My friend has heard how calm the brumby has been with his training and thinks it will be no time before her kids are riding him...i don't think so! I said to my friend that her daughter needs to realise that the mini is for the kids, the brumby is for me! There is a saying 'give someone an inch and the will take a mile' sounds like your friend and mine! I was always taught to be respectful of others' property and belongings . Unfortunately that is something most people don't teach anymore. My advice is if these people come near your horses again make sure you are the one directing the kids, don't leave it up to the parent if she doesn't control them.

They werent even her kids, I dont know whos they were. Many years ago when I was about 14, my brothers second daughter came foe a visit, and one day while I was at school or somewhere, cant remember where, Bonnie decided to play leapfrog over my moms pet shetland, and got bucked off and broke her arm. I think she was about 4 or 5, but she never minded a thing for anyone, just did whatever she wanted. And my nephew, years later, wanted me to teach him to ride while I taught my son, he was another who never paid attention and did whatever he wanted. Knowing what he was like, I told him very plainly not to do anything at all but what I told him to do, no yelling, no waving his arms or screaming, NOTHING but what I told him. He promised, then when my sister was there one day and he was on my horse, he decided he didnt have to mind me while ahe was there, and started waving his arms and screaming, and promptly got bucked off. My sister had a fit, wanted to go running to him, and I told her to stay put, he wasnt hurt, but needed to learn once and for all what was what. I went over to him, picked him up, told him to shut up, (he wasnt hurt)and told him NOW do you see why I said not to do that? He nodded, got back on, and didnt do anything stupid again. He was 7, and Nightwind wasnt that big, and they were in what used to be a garden that had soft dirt. It gave him a lot of respect for horses.

To all
Remember, that owning a horse comes with some real liabilities. If someone gets hurt around or on your horse you are liable for the damage to either property or person. It is too bad that you did not or could not get the people away from your horse and then control the access to the horse. Takiing one kid at a time to learn how to be around a horse would be a valuable lesson to teach, but if they do not cooperate, for your own protect you need to tell them to leave the area immediately. There are too many cases of kids being injured around horses and then blaming the horse owner.
I am glad you have sensible horses and it is too bad the lady doesn't have sensible kids around her

Cheers

Well, I have finished all the lessons that have been posted so far as well, but at times, I always go back and review any of the lessons that I wan to go over. One of these days, hopefully, I can go to the instructor in Maine and take the introductory course, in the meantime, I learn what I can here and take riding lessons whenever I can.

Great achievement Horse Addict. It is a good feeling isn't it. I guess now we re do lessons, waite patiently for those new lessons to appear and enjoy the comments on Forum.

Dennis, there were 4 or 5 kids, they boiled out of her car and were everywhere before I could stop them. I did get them away from the horses as fast as I could, I dont want anyone getting hurt. And I told her not to bring them back. I wasnt even expecting her to bring anyone but her boyfriend who never gets out of the car. You can believe next time, when she calls, I will make sure she doesnt bring any more kids. My horses dont need that.

yes Maggie I guess so.

I plan on working a lesson or two in on the weekends and then watching the next ones, making some notes, and trying them the following weekend. I keep a journal on what worked and what didn't and what I could change so I am sending the right signals. Gives me something to look back and reflect on. When spring break and summer rolls around, Sonny will get lessons more often. looking forward to lessons on trail and western riding.

phantommustang 1
God for you that was quick thinking. It always makes me wonder about people who just invade other peoples space with very little regard for them. I alway chalk it up to the fact they were not given the chance to practice manners. Hopefully you will not be faced with that situation again. It is also a good reminder to all of us when we invite friends to visit our horses. One of the people I show with had her family come and visit us at one of the shows. He niece kept badgering her to sit on her horse. Our trainer at the time did not think it was a good idea, but the niece got her way and was put on the horse. The horse how was the one that I learn to show on and was as calm as steady a horse as you could find, had a fit. There was something about the niece that the horse sensed and did not like. My friend said her niece is possessed!!!

Cheers