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May 2-3: Goodbyes and Trip Home

Marti Szczur
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Said goodbye to Bill and Claudia Parkhurst, who have treated as a family member for the past month. Such caring and fun hosts at their Forever Spring retreat. National Bloodstock Transport, LLC   https://nationalbloodstock.com    owned by Jennifer and Kevin Murphy, arrived at 8 am. They are such nice folks with a large and inviting trailer. Toby marched on the trailer and into his box stall, and off they went. I finished packing up and saying final farewell to HHHL friends and headed off to overnight with a college buddy, Kathy Booe, in Charlotte, NC. Another college buddy, Kelly Huffman, joined us for dinner. Toby overnighted in Florence, SC. And, afternoon of next day, I was at our home barn, Rodes Farm Stable to greet Toby. He was relaxed on arrival, had traveled well and was glad to see his old stable buddies.   Thus, ends my great horse adventure of 2022, studying the Happy Horse Happy Life curriculum with Linda Parelli at Happy Horse Haven. And, now begins my planning for continu
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May 1st: Last Day of Immersion

Marti Szczur
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Last lesson day of my HHHL immersion month was focused on reminders about my position (a never ending journey of learning, made even more challenging as my body parts age :-) and challenges of  beginning to improve lateral movements. Key to leg yields is having horse straight, as well as my body with quiet hands and legs. Look where on rail I want to end up, so I have a focus. And, softly direct with outside rein, while only correcting for straightness with inside rein, if needed. Hands together and use elbow and shoulders (torso) to control direction. It should be easy and fluid. Riiiiight. Shoulder-in was easier for us, and again, remember to keep my hands quiet. My torso is in same direction as Toby’s shoulder/head and leg aids are subtle.  Haunches-in is not easy for us. It was difficult for Toby to bend around my leg and place haunches in while bending. It was hard for me to keep my dang legs long. This will be an area for improvement. Luckily, the lesson was videoed, so I can go
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April 30: A Month of Learning and Fun

Marti Szczur
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Tomorrow is my last day at Happy Horse Haven with personalized instruction from Linda. It has been quite an extraordinary learning adventure. I feel so lucky to, 1st, be accepted as a long-term (month) student by Linda, and 2nd, to be healthy enough to thrive during the month of intensive riding and daily care of Toby. I feel I am riding stronger than when I came, and with more agility and balance. Toby has also benefitted from a month of daily riding and attention, and he is also stronger, more agile and balanced.  While we arrived with a good connection to one another, the relationship has deepened. One thing I learned over 70 years of horses in my life is that building the relationship both off and on the horse is a never-ending process. Sort of the same with all relationships really, including human-to-human.  Linda is a brilliant teacher … knows how to diagnose the horse and/or rider problems/barriers; how to get me to improve incrementally and when to push me a bit out of my comf
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A Powerful Lesson with Linda today

Marti Szczur
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Views on the drive to Linda"s this morning. Linda upped the bar on me today. Some things to be aware of and to improve, if I want to dance with my horse. Checklist of my body position's worst offenders ... Hand position - thumbs up and close fingers. Video shows that I ride with knuckles up and fingers flat ... makes contact not a comfortable feel for horse. Elbows bent and relaxed at side. They should move back/forth for speed control and turns,  and body move back/forth between elbows. Have a softer hold on the reins when doing transitions ... up and down. If I soften, Toby will soften. Keep reins equal length and don't fiddle with them so much. Be quiet and hold steady. Otherwise, Toby can't figure out what I am asking for. Remember to point “head lights on knuckles” in direction you want Toby's head to go and use pinkie turns.  I am really lopsided to the right.(So obvious when I see video.) Spent a lot of time adjusting and raising my awareness of when I am of
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April 26-28: Lessons with Linda

Marti Szczur
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   April 26-28 Fabulous set of lessons with Linda. I warmed up practicing what I had learned from Luis. We worked on improving the quality of the canter through transitions from trot to canter (only 3 strides) to trot and repeat. When transitioning from canter to trot, I need to get Toby into a controlled trot quickly … no run away strides.  Then, once there, reward with softness. Work in progress but improved canter today.  To be continued. Leg yield was good today. Just need to remember to use elbows for correcting straightness … no leg and no hands shifting around. Also, even though parallel to the rail, fix eye on point on rail where you are headed.   Also, spent some time continuing to work on my position. I have a tendency to lower my inside shoulder when bending to the right, and this results in squishing my rib cage, rather than be tall and balanced in saddle. Working on it. To continue to get the feeling of draping my legs around Toby, practice without stirrups and that nice l
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Ugh, the bugs are amongst us!

Marti Szczur
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  Nothing to do with horses …   I am not a big fan of bugs. I know they have a role in the ecosystem, so I acknowledge their importance in the big scheme of things. But, still, that doesn’t mean I have to like them. My least favorite are ticks, even if they don’t fly.  Stink bugs do fly and nonchalantly buzz you, and they are indeed, stinky, if  you squash them. The Asian lady bug is also on my yucky bug list, as they cluster together in inappropriate places, such as air ducts, and smell horrid when they are roasted by the furnace heat on the first cold day of Fall.   Florida has provided a new inductee into my yucky bug club. The Binomial name is Piecia nearctica, and they are a member of the fly family. They are called by several names, all of which are cover-up names for what they really are … f@c%ing bugs. And, I mean this literally. That is, during and after mating, matured pairs remain embraced, even in flight for several days.  They are called Lovebugs … no doubt because only bu
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April 27th: A Most Unusual Evening in the Company of a Tiger Named Maximus

Marti Szczur
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  A most interesting field trip last night. Near Ocala, there is an Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary (EARS)  https://earsinc.net . It was founded in 2001 as a  not-for-profit organization “that exists specifically to provide excellent living conditions for previously malnourished, abused and even abandoned big cats and other domestic and exotic animals.” Sue Nassivera , who is the Director of the Sanctuary, and her husband, David, are friends of Claudia and Bill Parkhurst (my hosts this month at their Forever Spring farm.) While I would have loved to have a tour of EARS, the weekly tours are on Saturday mornings, when I am training at Linda’s. However, Sue and David have a Siberian tiger named Maximus, who was born at EARS, and they raised him as a cub, and Max happens to live with them at their house.     Claudia and Bill invited me to join them for an evening visit at Sue and David’s house, which is when they have relaxing time with Max. Yes, in a wire protected enclosure, but beau
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