Pat Parelli and the Fair

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Midwest Horse Fair.

Sadly, I was disappointed in particular by one clinician there:

Pat Parelli

One evening, I was back in the barns with a friend relaxing after a particularly stressful day.  We were discussing round pens for sale and decided to wander into the stallion avenue barn to look at the sales demo that was set up there.

Pat Parelli was warming up for the evening show in the arena.  That was fine.  He was riding one horse and had another horse loose with him.  OK.

So he exits the arena and rides right down the middle of the pedestrian walkway through the pavilion.  Riding in a pedestrian walkway (marked in a VERY LARGE SIGN that says No Equestrian Traffic) is bad enough, but the loose horse is with him.  The stallions are getting riled up.

There are still people in these barns.  There are people appropriately in the pedestrian walkway.

I am disappointed that someone that is supposed to be teaching others chose to be a poor example and put people in the pavilion at risk.  Not all the people at the expo were horse people.  Many are not.  Trust me after a weekend of people trying to feed fingers to horses, it is apparent that plenty don't have horse knowledge.

How can a clinician that makes a lot of money selling information to (often) newcomers, can not realize the danger of his actions?

I am so very disappointed by this.

What's even more disappointing is that this wasn't an isolated event.  After reading on Facebook, apparently other Parelli trainers also present also rode through the pedestrian walkway.  Why?  What's it to prove besides to endanger individuals present?

Reflection: Star

 There are always those weeks when you think about the past, about the what could have been, and how it relates to the now.

Star was my first Arabian mare.  It's such a romantic story that an individual and his or her first horse grow together and everyone learns and there's a happy ending.

There's not always a happy ending, but in this case, I am glad for my time with Star, however brief.

I learned how to handle a sensitive horse.  She was not what I would call a hot horse, but one that wanted to understand what was being asked before being forced.  Less was more. 

The more you fought, the more she fought. 

She came into my life at an ideal time.  I was angry.  I was sad.  I was upset and broken from severe depression in high school.  I'm sure this horse looked at me and saw an incredible conflict of confusing signals.

I, of course, was confusing at first to her.  I was used to almost pushing horses around.  I grew up working with often spoiled horses and was used to calling out bluffs, riding out nasty behaviors and then going on with life.  

Totally different situation here.

I learned.  She changed me.  I hope I changed her life too.

I miss her.  There are days that I wish I could just have her back. 

I love my girls now dearly, don't get me wrong, but Star was quirky, but quirky in many ways like mean I think.

So sometimes the heart hurts.  But I hope this is always for the best.  But thank you Star for all you had to offer. 

Saving Cents: Vaccines, Equioxx, Zimecterin Gold

It's that time again and there are rebates being offered from several companies.

Today's company is Merial.

There are rebates for Equioxx, Zimecterin Gold, Ulcerguard, Gastroguard, and several Merial vaccines.

I have done the rebates in the past for Gastroguard and they did reimburse me when I purchased from an online company and not my veterinarian.

A few dollars at a time certainly adds up in the horse world!