Silly horse antics

I am in video mode tonight! So here is another for your viewing pleasure: a horse acting very silly with a round bale. (And no, the horse is not really getting off on the hay — he is just bingeing and playing!)

Trick horse video

The barn manager is really amused by what a puppy dog my horse is, and we've talked several times about Panama's potential for learning tricks. I'd love to get him to lay down on command, and she seems to think I should teach Panama to shake hands like a dog.

In any case, I ran across this video today on YouTube, and it made me think of how much I'd love to teach my horse to do tricks. I especially love watching the horse bound after the soccer ball and then dribble it back. Too funny!

A better day with my horse

My trainer and I were having a hard time scheduling a session for later in the week, so at the last minute we decided to one yesterday evening.

I was definitely in a better mood going into it, as I had been working on my computer all day, and had the problems almost fixed. (It also helped that I read a lot while I was waiting for backups and software installations, as reading relaxes me.) Panama was also in a much better mood, and made a point of showing off how pretty he was by bending his head, picking up the right lead in the canter, etc.

Leslie rode first, and then I rode for a bit. She gave me some directions for improving my posture while I posted, and that sort of thing. We aren't able to schedule anything for next week, so I'm going to practice a lot, and hopefully be able to start cantering on him the following week.

I stayed for a little while after Leslie left, and was glad I did — Panama was really affectionate. It started when I went into his stall to take pictures of his girlfriend, who was sticking her head through an opening in the bars in her stall wall in order to watch what we were doing. Panama started nuzzling me, then followed me out into his run and nuzzled me some more. I scratched his neck and shoulder, and he put his muzzle in the curve between my neck and shoulder — like if I were another horse, he would have returned the favor.

Then Panama went and stood in his favorite spot for sunbathing in the evening. I thought he might lay down, and took a video of it just in case, but he just yawned a lot and acted really sleepy. Still, it's a cute video — check out those huge yawns!

Jousting from horseback at the Renaissance Festival

Last weekend Michael and I went to the Renaissance Festival. Although he had been there once before, it was my first time — but if I'd known it would be so much fun, I would have gone long ago!

Of course, one of my favorite parts was the jousting, which they do two or three times a day. The entire skit went something like this:

* The king, queen, and their court entered and took their seats
* Each of the four knights entered on horseback and was introduced
* The knights and the king exchanged some banter about the tournament (the knights wanted bloodshed, the king didn't)
* The knights made several practice runs on their horses — hitting targets with their lances, spearing small hoops, etc.
* The knights jousted
* The knights started knocking each other off their horses, and fought with swords on the ground
* The knights bargained with the king to get a rematch to defend their honor (the rematch was the last showing that day)

I had a limited amount of space on my camera's memory card, so I only recorded the actual jousting.

Michael and I noticed that one of the knights was a far better rider than the other three. While the others bounced around in the saddle with every stride the horses took, this guy's upper body barely seemed to move at all. After Michael pointed this out, I watched more closely and realized he was riding in a two-point at the trot and canter. His balance was excellent — so good, in fact, that he was able to twirl his lance impressively as he rode.

Of course, the video doesn't even come close to the excitement of actually being there, but still, I'm glad I got it on video!

Video of my horse

You know how when you were a kid and you were sick, you still couldn't understand why you couldn't eat what you wanted? Well, horses are apparently like that too.

Yesterday after Panama recovered from what was apparently a mild case of colic, I had to deny him his usual afternoon grain. When we didn't let him into his stall to go eat, he paced and whinnied indignantly for his grain. I took a couple of videos, because even though I felt bad about his distress, it was still kind of cute.

In this video he nickers right at the beginning, and then sticks his head and neck through the gate to show me that he wants to come through. (As if I hadn't already figured that out!)

More posting practice

After hardly riding my horse at all last week, I was so excited about yesterday's successful trail ride that I decided to get in some more posting practice this evening.

I feel like I've improved since the last time I published a video of my posting practice, but my ever-critical eye finds many things to be unhappy about in this video. I'm still bouncing too much, and tonight I caught myself sitting too far back in the saddle again.

I'll have to keep practicing whenever I get the chance. In the meantime, here's another video for you:

Posting practice

I rode my horse again tonight and practiced my posting. My husband took a video of it, so you can finally see what my posting looks like! It still doesn't look as effortless as my trainer's posting, but my control has improved dramatically.

My horse requests a kiss

Panama has the cutest habit of sticking his nose between the bars of his stall to get it kissed. Although I've been kissing my horse's nose all along, it was actually the stable owner who taught him this trick. (She is very affectionate with all the horses, which I love.)

I take full advantage of it, though, because I like kissing Panama's nose and because I think it's just too friggin' cute.

A little while back, I promised a fellow writer, Amy Derby, that I would get a video of this. So here it is!

Who says horses aren't companions?

I posted this video on my writer's blog last year. It's pretty cute: Patches the horse goes for a ride in the car, eats a "cheeseburger" (most likely it's not really a burger), gets a beer out of the fridge, talks on the phone, and tucks himself into bed.




Horses are our friends, just like any dog or cat — except, in my opinion, that they are smarter and therefore capable of more satisfying relationships with their handlers.

Panama nods "Yes"

When I first brought Panama to Denver, being groomed made him nervous, so I started a routine of giving him tiny apple treats periodically while I brushed him. Even though he is less antsy about it now, the routine has stuck.

Panama has learned what it means when I ask him, "Do you want a treat?" He always starts bobbing his head, almost like he's nodding in response. Here's a video of it, though you'll have to turn the sound up if you want to hear me talk:

Panama requests some hay

This video of Panama's nicker was originally posted on my writer's blog, but since I've decided to give him his own blog space I'm reposting it here.

As I explained on my other blog, Panama makes very different sounds according to what he wants. His nicker when he is asking to be fed is very deep, which is probably because we didn't have him gelded until he was a little over 2 years old.

You can hear the nicker if you turn the volume up on your speakers. It's at about 15 seconds on the counter.

Also in the video, when I open the door to his stall, I say "Back" several times, very sternly. This is because I found out from the stable owners that he had developed a habit of practically running people over when they entered his stall with food. I'm determined not to have a pushy horse, so I've been practicing with small amounts of hay or grain every time I'm there, making him back up and give me space when I bring it to him.