A New Year

Hello readers, it's been a long time. I have been so busy with school lately that I haven't even had time to post.  I am supposed to blog as part of my assignments, but my other subjects have been really hard. I really feel like I am finally getting my head above water! My latest Science grade was posted today, 97! Yeah, studying pays off! :)
I have been spending a lot of time with Kissie lately too. She has been a great pal to me, and a great riding partner. We have been learning a lot of balance exercises. Balance exercises are a great way to keep from falling off. :) There are many ways to maintain your balance, but they have to be done in a certain fashion.

I start by making sure that I have my center balance. This means that I should be in the center of my saddle, with my legs evenly on each side. This will help to keep you from falling off or from feeling as if you are falling off.

Next, I have my shoulders turned just enough so that they are even with Kissie's shoulders. When you are sitting the trot this will help keep her in the direction you want.

Another point that helps with balance is keeping your head straight up and always looking where you want to go. I have had a problem with cocking my head to the side to see if Kissie's head is vertically up and down (this is another exercise I will explain later, in a different post). So, my instructor is helping me by telling me that my head is cocked, or just saying "look at the tip of her ears".

There are some other things that go along with your balance, to help you look efficient. Like keeping your hands so that the backs are facing out, almost as if you are holding a candle and you don't want the hot wax dripping on your hands.

I am having so much fun learning new things every day, when I go to ride. Sometimes learning new things requires going over old things too!

Kissie is doing great! She looks great, and by looking at her you can tell she feels great.

I love her! <3 :)

                                                                                                      ~ Katie ~

My Homework

Now, with this title you might all be thinking...why is she telling us about her homework?
Well it's not exactly that kind of homework. It's Kissie homework!

Well, we figured out that my horse Kissie was being...well...a pain. She decided that she was the one in charge of me...something  I never realized this until it was pointed out. We figured out a way to fix this, and Roberta assigned it  to me for homework.

- Teaching her to stand still-
 Assignment due Saturday, October 1st....double spaced, 1,000 words....don't forget to cite your work! :)
    I started by showing her who was boss. I did this by teaching her to stand still, while I walked around her gradually got further away from her.

Before we started this, Ms. Kissie had her head held high prancing around like she was the princess of the castle....yeah... well the evil stepmother just came back home...me....poor cinderella!

This has a series of steps to complete this process.
 I started with leading her around the ring, then I asked her to stand, as usual she didn't want to do this, so as the punishment I ordered her to back up.
Then I asked her to stand once again, this time she stood for a little while longer. When she moved I said no and ordered her to back up again... asking her to stand once more.
I repeated this process until she stood there for as long as I asked her to.

Now, in this process, it's not exactly fair to make them stand there for a long time, so when doing this you should at least make them stand until you feel that they understand that they should obey when you ask them to.

Once I got the response that I was asking for, I rewarded her; but not with a treat. This is because she will decide that she won't do anything, unless I give her treats....  a bad habit I created.... Instead I rewarded her with a good pat, some love, and allowing her to walk out a little.

Then I asked her to stand again. When I felt that she was going to stand there, I started moving away from her still asking her to stand. In response, she followed me because I was walking away. So I, again, backed her up and told her to stand. After several tries,I think she was getting the hang of it, because she stood still while I was walking away.
Next, I started to move in a circle around her. Since, I was getting closer to her butt, her immediate reaction was to move it away from me. This is a good thing if I were doing a different excercise, like lunging, but at this time that isn't what  I was asking her to do. With my "Hey look at me I am in charge" voice, I said, "No, stand!" I eventually had her standing still while I walked around her, twice, with out saying "stand" a million times.
 This is a big achievement. Instead of looking all around not paying attention to me, she was paying attention to my every move, and listening to me whenever I spoke. This may have taken a long time, but it was worth it because now I am the boss!
Well...maybe not the boss...but I definately feel like I am in charge when I am around her.

I have a lesson today, have to turn in my homework, Pray for me! :)
 ~Katie~

Wild child

Grandma, this is just for you!

My grandma has a strange sense of humor. After I spent a day with her, I now realize where I get my humor from! This character should be left in the book, seeing it in real life is...kind of...disturbing.

Thank you for spending the day with me grandma!

~Katie~

P.S- Now I have seven followers, I'm so excited! :) 

In other news...

It has been reported that my Mom has the "oh look at the cute baby, I think we should have another one" look in her eye. 

• Witnesses report hearing her ooh and ahh over babies in the nursery, even to go as far as look through a Babies R Us catalogue.  (gasp)
• One bystander told of several babies being "kidnapped" from their poor mothers and held until the poor infant fell asleep, possibly due to "Boredom"; as one witness described.
• There has been no official word from my father on the matter.  He has repeatedly answered "no comment" Our staff psychologists refer to his reaction as denial, or maybe self protection.
• The current Lenhart children are threatening to go on strike claiming "cruel and unusual" punishment. (although they ALWAYS say that for everything, so I don't think she is listening)
• Stay tuned for further details as they develop......and folks...prayer might be a good idea at this time.

This is Katie,  reporting to you live from
My Life.


Katie

P.S. I love my mom, and it wouldn't be too bad. As long as they have a girl and she likes horses :)

Back to the Begining...

TODAY...was NOT... a good day.

Okay, so being the positive person I am, I can see many good things about today....but right now, I just want to be grumpy....SO... be prepared to be grumpy with me and join in, in my little pity party...All are invited :/

I had my first lesson today at my new barn....and it didn't go well. Oh, Roberta is a great lady, and a great instructor....but apparently I am not a good student (today anyways) She didn't say that, I just feel that way.

I have a lot of work to do...working on my seat, and my center of balance, using my back and my knees to control the horse...things that I learned when I was 8,...but I am getting sloppy...and a little lazy (Okay A LOT lazy) .  I am using my reigns too much, pulling on the bit, and Kissie is reacting to that.

Funny how you can get out of practice....I have been riding all summer focusing so much on endurance, and control, I forgot the basics....like trying to build a house on sinking sand (for all of you sunday school teachers out there) But I am just a little frustrated to have so many builders on site trying to build the same house using different blueprints.
Roberta is my 9th instructor...yeah 9..I have been ridin since I was 7 and I am almost 14.  (you do the math because I hate math more than this day) For the most part, they all have different ideas on the correct ways to ride, saddle, groom, everything....its insane and VERY frustrating.

Okay....enough whining...I had a bad day, I am feeling a little defeated but I am glad to have Kissie, glad to have Roberta, and Grandparents who are able to give me this time with them both....and I am even glad for those 9 instructors.  I learned something from each of them, and I am thankful.  Time to put on my muckboots and start working....I am not going to let one bad day get me down.

Okay, party is over.....Time to let things go and move on....thanks for coming...really...A pity party isn't very much fun when you are all by yourself. :)

Almighty...

Sometimes we forget.....

Forget how blessed we are,

How quickly life can change,

That God is in control,

How much people really love us....

Then....GOD reminds us....

Sometimes He does it softly, and quietly...

Maybe we feel a soft breeze on our face...and remember who made us...

Or watch a report on the news about a far away country...and remember how blessed we are..

But sometimes....in a split second of time,your world is forever changed in a tragedy....and you remember that GOD is still on HIS throne....Still in control...

Its easy to forget that...we always want to explain things away, or make sense out of every thing that comes our way...but we cannot possibly understand it all, possibly see the entire picture like God does.

Then we are reminded....that People love us...and no matter what, God does too.

"Be still, and Know that I am GOD" Psalm 46:10

Looking me in the eyes! :)

Me and my Buddy!

Giving me a hug, awwww!! :)

"Please, feed me more treats." :)

Finally, she is looking at the camera!

I know you have more treats in that pocket. :)

Kissie and Huggie :)

I love you Kissie!!! :)

Kissie's Kisses.