Fun at the pasture

I think I am having as much fun and good time at the pasture as my horse! And for a change I wanted to share pictures.

Pretty bushes.

I've been working on a place to go back to our training. First step is to remove the rocks and make it comfy for the feet. One rock at a time ... I will get there!

This will be my Parelli playground#1

More flower here and there.

Happy herd.

 Happy Finale.

Well this one we don't want to keep it. It's what we call here fireweek aka Madagascar Ragwort. It's considered invasive and toxic to horses.
Important fact:

• Each flower can produce 150 seeds, each plant can produce 30,000 seeds per year that spread by wind, hiking boots, vehicles or by animals when moved from infested to non-infested areas. As you can imagine it's hard to control!
• Toxic to livestock when eaten, it causes slow growth, illness, liver-malfunction and even death in severe cases. Very scary. The good thing is that horses won't eat it but still not very reassuring to know it's there so little by little I help my friend to "clean" the pasture. 

One bag at a time ...

 Love the peace of being a horse gazing on the slope of Maui.

New Pasture

Finale with her new herd

Last week my mare changed home. From a dirt paddock she went to a 18 acres pasture with lots of grass, trees and other horses. Before the move I was very worried. Scared of the separation from her herd, scared of the trip even if it was only a mile, scared of the integration to the new herd.

But everything went really well and smooth. She was ready and deep inside I knew it. 

Enjoying plenty of grass

It's been a week now and I love this place. I feel so grateful that my friend offered me to put her with his horses. She is thrilling over there. 

The pasture has the shape of a horse shoe:) with different elevation, different terrain. There is flat part but also hills and rocks to make it more fun. There is different type of grass (don't know them all yet), bushes and trees. It's beautiful and very peaceful. 

She has been integrated to the herd. She made friend with the gelding and her best friend seems to be Emma the mule.

Finale and her new boyfriend Ehu:)

My Parelli coach came to check it out and she said it was a great place to play with a horse. There is endless possibilities. Level 2, here I come:)

Yes Finale, all this space for you!

But what I like about this week is that I could witness my mare being a horse: choosing carefully which grass to it, testing with her lips, being very careful where she was walking, measuring every steps, communicate with her peers to find her place, following her new friends to discover the area, figuring out where the new noises were coming from, analyzing the environment. I could see her thinking. It was very moving to me and I wish every horse could get that.