Parelli Job Update

I know I have taken forever to update people on my Parelli job interview. In ways, I am still processing my experience. It was a whirlwind of emotions for me. I flew in to Pagosa Springs, Colorado and met with Mark Weiler, CEO of Parelli and Sue Shoemark, VP of Parelli. We talked about everything "horse." Mark is very personable and I liked his energy. He made me feel so welcome and important. I think Sue is a kindred spirit, I liked her right away. On of my highlights is slipping away with her to get coffee. I felt I was out with a good girlfriend, not a potential boss. The morning flew by quickly and they had arranged for me to go visit Pat and Linda for lunch. I can't talk about specifics of our meeting just to preserve the confidentially of the interview, but I can tell a little bit about my experience. This is a story I will cherish and feel is fun to share for people who enjoy and practice Parelli. Mr. Weiler and I arrived at Pat and Linda's house and we went in. There was Linda, making lunch and Pat was just wrapping up on a video shoot. I put my nerves in check. They are important people to me, having been my inspiration for the past 3 years to become a better person for my horse. Not to mention, in my business, television news, I have been hired over the phone 4 times. Interviews are a new thing for me. I reminded myself to breathe, relax, and enjoy the opportunity. I think many would be surprised to know what an amazing cook Linda is. She started chopping things and whisking them into bowls. Within minutes, she had prepared a wonderful tuna salad and a cabbage salad with seemingly little effort. We sat down and talked horses and social media. We looked at many of your blogs. In particular, Mustang Diaries and Grey Horse Matters, I pulled you both up to show Pat. I enjoyed sharing with them the horse blogging experience and what our cyber community means to us. It was very enjoyable, but also very business oriented. I stepped out and they talked amongst themselves. I stood outside and took in the beautiful scenery of Pagosa Springs. The mountains surround you on all sides. It is a beautiful place. In that moment, I panicked a little. Could I be the right person for the job? Would they like me enough to offer me the job? Could I leave my life in Oregon? How would Maddy (my horse) deal with a move? Could I survive on half my salary to experience my dream job? Mark came out and we continued our tour of the ranch and then the rest of corporate. I ran into Ann Kiser, my mentor and teacher from Oregon. She is there on a trial position. It felt so good to see her. The Parelli Ranch is an amazing place. The corporate headquarters are stunning. I think they have revolutionized horsemanship around the world and they make a conscience effort to make this a better place for horses. So why didn't I take the job? Some days I ask myself that same question. For me, it was all about timing. It just felt "off." Things felt too perfect back in Oregon to disrupt and fears about the economy and a change in pay scared me. At the time, my decision loomed over me and kept me up at night. I quickly decided one day to just not take it. And as I hit the "send" in my email to Mark, I wondered "what have I done?" There is no way to know if I made the right choice. But I do know I will work for the Parellis one day in some capacity. Maybe I will become an Parelli instructor or a Parelli ambassador. The one thing I do know, I feel more confident than ever that I have chosen my mentors wisely and will continue to pattern my horsemanship after the two people, Linda and Pat, that have changed my relationship with horses for the better.

Bad Day on the Trail for this Lady

Breaking News, Clackamas County

Scappoose woman injured in fall from horse on Pacific Crest Trail

The Oregonian
September 28, 2009, 11:00AM

A Scappoose woman was injured Sunday on the Pacific Crest Trail after a swarm of bees spooked the horse she was riding.

Donna Tewksbury, 70, had been riding with four other women when her horse fell to the ground, knocking her off. When the animal, which was not injured, tried to stand, it stepped on Tewksbury's abdomen.

Tewksbury sustained injuries to her wrist and stomach.

Because Tewksbury couldn't move after the incident, a fellow rider, Alicia Smith, began searching for help around the Frog Lake parking lot. Smith, of Gresham, found a group of hikers who allowed her to use her cellular phone to call 911.

The victim was airlifted by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center in Portland about 8:40 p.m. after emergency personnel, including Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, reached the victim on the trail.

On Monday, she was reported in fair condition.

Hairy Trees

Life has been a bit busy. My mom visited for a week. I love when she comes out and hate when she flies away. Riding eases my sadness. Sometimes I miss my family so much, I wonder what the heck I am doing way out in Oregon. Then I ride and it takes my breath away. I live in the most beautiful place. If I could just get them to move out west. They are happy in Minnesota and Oregon seems to have captured my heart, so for now, we book lots of flights. The clip above shows one of the reasons I love Oregon..."hairy" trees. I also posted a picture of my mom. For some reason we are both fascinated with old mills. We found a amazing one next to a covered bridge up in Woodland, Washington. It is called the Cedar Creek Grist Mill. Wonderful place and they still mill flour and cornmeal to take home. Yummy hotcakes!

Birthdays and Indians

I spent Labor Day weekend in a little town called Springdale, Washington. It is just a bit north of Spokane near the reservation. It was my boyfriend's 38th birthday and we went to celebrate with his family and take part in the Spokane Indian tribe's annual pow-wow. Derek's mom works for the tribe and it is a good opportunity to meet her friends, visit, and enjoy the celebration. Every year, the tribe decorates tee-pees, they hold an Indian art auction, they make tons of fry bread, drum, and dance each night away. The video post is of one of my favorite dances, the Prairie Chicken Dance. Some of these guys are so amazing...the video doesn't do it justice. I shopped all the vendors and saw lots of little horse things, a few are pictured below. I wanted so many things, but right now I am in the midst of saving for a pickup for my horse trailer, so that kept me strong. I love turquoise and silver and there was an amazing necklace for $140 I was drooling all over. I left with some fry bread and honey and lots of good memories of the weekend. Sometimes that is enough.

Stupid Jury

Hey Tom Selleck....it's called a "vet check!"

Tom Selleck wins $187k in lame horse dispute

A California jury has awarded Magnum P.I. star Tom Selleck $187,000 after he was duped into buying a lame horse.

Seller Dolores Cuenca was accused of selling Selleck a horse named Zorro with a medical condition without disclosing its history. Selleck paid $120,00 for the horse, which was intended for his 20-year old daughter to ride in competitions but the horse's medical condition made that impossible. The defense argued that Selleck should have checked the medical records himself, but the jury disagreed. The $187,000 award covers the cost of the horse plus boarding costs. That means $67,000 in board. Where was this horse staying? The Royal Penthouse Suite? A second trial will be held next week to determine punitive damages -- it is not known how much Mr. Selleck is seeking.

There is no word yet on whether Mr. Selleck will be offering refunds on all the lame movies people were duped into buying tickets for -- Perhaps Tom Selleck can use whatever punitive damages he receives to set up a college fund to support the children of anyone who actually bought tickets to see Christopher Columbus: The Discovery.

I think we all know, if you're thinking about buying a horse -- even if it isn't a $120,00 horse -- don't fall into the same trap Selleck fell into. Look at the horse's medical records, have it looked at by an unbiased veterinarian, and take your time.

Renegade Hoof Boots

We had a woman, Kay Stowers, come to the barn on Saturday to do some fittings for hoof boots. Kay is an accomplished bare foot trimmer and a distributor for Renegade and Easyboots. In the above picture, Kay is putting on a pair of red Renegades on Willow.
Willow couldn't decide between red or black so she went with some Easyboots:-) (The Renegades didn't come small enough to fit Willow.) Kay usually spends about an hour with each horse, examining hooves, movement, and measurements. She had a lot of good information about the boots and was very honest about which ones people like and don't like. I own a pair of Boas and a pair of Epics. The Boas, a bit clunky, but not bad. They are about the only boots tall enough for her front because she has shoes. I do extra protection because of her previous coffin bone fracture. Someday, I hope to feel confident in her healing, but for now, I choose to put them on if I know I am going to be on rocky terrain. The Epics fit like a glove, but a pain in butt to get on. Even with practice, they can be difficult. I was excited to see the Renegades. I saw them last year at an endurance clinic, but at $189 a pair, I had put off trying them. We put them on Maddy, we watched her move in them, and I learned about why they are so great. They move with the horses' hoof and they are super easy to put on. Best of all, Kay had a used pair in Maddy's size that I got at a great discount. I rode today with them and put them to the test. We did lots of trot/canter transitions and the boots stayed on with zero impact on her movement. They took seconds to put on and take off. I am thrilled. I wish they worked for her front, but Kay advised that I stay with what I have been doing...the Renegades just won't work with shoes. If you have any questions about hoof boots, Kay would be more than happy to talk with you via email. Her email is shoelessnotclueless@verizon.net . Maddy is pictured below after our ride with her new-used rear boots. Very nice.