# My summer project



## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

Good luck and be careful.

She has a pretty face, I like the marking on her nose.


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## cavon (Aug 10, 2010)

She's very beautiful, I love her blaze!


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

Just an update!

Dixie is now doing great at lunging and walks calmly by my side on a lead rope without spooking nearly as much. I put a saddle on her yesterday and she did very well! I walked her with it on for a little while but she was a little confused when I tried to lunge her with it on, but after a couple minutes and a couple of bucks, she was lunging perfectly. I so proud of this little girl.


Untitled by adayinmylife9, on Flickr


Improvement by adayinmylife9, on Flickr


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I was always afraid of any horse that I did not raise from a colt. You will know all there is to know about him since no one else has ever worked with him. I think it is the best way to go with something so big and powerful. It is also something to be proud of. I am past my horse days, but it is a great feeling to be in the saddle on a horse of your own makin... good luck.


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## Tonjad (Mar 12, 2012)

Pretty! Have fun - I love horses!


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

She's a cutie. She looks small - is she a pony? She has a sweet face - good luck with her! I used to train some of the young ones when I was in high school - that was my favorite part. It was sad when they got trained enough to sell to someone to start showing, but also satisfying, knowing that I played a part in their success.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

Fantastic! Just remember to relax, keep it simple and enjoy yourselves. Looks like you're on the right track.


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

georgiapeach said:


> She's a cutie. She looks small - is she a pony? She has a sweet face - good luck with her! I used to train some of the young ones when I was in high school - that was my favorite part. It was sad when they got trained enough to sell to someone to start showing, but also satisfying, knowing that I played a part in their success.


Thanks! She was malnourished as a baby when came to us at a couple of months old so she will probably stay tiny since she didn't get the right nutrition when she was young. She probably looks even smaller in the pics because I'm nearly 6ft tall lol. She'll be staying with us which makes me happy. We're hoping she will be a lesson horse eventually. I work with her about 3 or 4 times a week and the owner works with her as well so she is doing very well and learning pretty fast.


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## roulette (Feb 18, 2011)

If you have access to a round pen, it facilitates training in a huge way. Remember to always stop on a good note. Parelli exercises are great for ground work, I think, and fun and stimulating to your fillies brain. Good luck!


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

roulette said:


> If you have access to a round pen, it facilitates training in a huge way. Remember to always stop on a good note. Parelli exercises are great for ground work, I think, and fun and stimulating to your fillies brain. Good luck!


Thanks for the advice! Thats what I've actually been doing, lol. The round pen was just all muddy and wasn't dry enough to be used that day. I've been watching Parelli videos and thats how the barn owners have trained a couple of their horses and they actually have a horse trained by Parelli himself. It is the most well behaved horse I have ever met. He lunges like a dream, he actually taught me how to lunge! I'm a huge Parelli fan.


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## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

The training got put to a stop when Dixie cut up her legs pretty badly. About a week later, more wounds were showing up on her jaw and chin as well as more on her legs. We don't know how or what she cut them up on...we went around and checked her stall and the pasture and there is nothing she could have cut them up on...they just sort of appeared out of nowhere and after seeing a vet and treating them for a couple weeks they still weren't healing. We were researching and a genetic skin disease called HERDA (where the second layer or skin doesn't attach to the bone so a wound cant heal. It usually shows up once a horse is put under saddle and thats when it showed up) was a possibility because of her pedigree. The disease is carried by a sire named Poco Bueno (not sure on spelling) which we found on one side of her pedigree but we couldn't search back far enough to see if it was on the other side. We were scared and sent in her hairs to be tested. Thank goodness they came back negative. Her wounds are finally healing after 2 long months. 

I can't wait to put her back into training.


Untitled by adayinmylife9, on Flickr


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