Revelation

I have been borrowing and watching the Liberty and Horse Behavior DVD's from a friend. I thought I would need some of the old Levels to help me out in piecing some things together. I found out that all I need is to watch this series! What awesome information!! Armed with this and your savvy checklist that you get from the website (patterns) you can do everything you need to and just wait for the horse to tell you when he's ready to go on. I am only on DVD 4 from the first group. I think I am going to buy this series so I can watch it over and over when I want. This series is for people so they can read horses better and get the partnership they have always dreamed of! Cool!!! (so I am no longer looking for Level 3)

New spinning batts

I am drum carding some new batts to sell on my artfire store. They are 75%Lincoln and 25% angora rabbit. In white if course. I am just showing them off here and you can go to the artfire store to purchase them. You can buy them by the oz. I hope to spin some as soon as I can get a bit carded for me! My artfire store addy is www.artfire.com/users/livingwaterfarm

Playground photo and others

Here are some photos that I took and couldn't get published on my blog Friday cause I forgot the camera cord. Seven and Simi like to have their picture taken but Sadarian on the other hand would quite well do without it! I am experimenting so hang in there!! I just figured out how to post mulitple photos.

Playground

Well I got started improving my natural horse playground. I got my husband to do some mowing in which he has to finish but it is good where the playground is at the moment. It's been hot here but I am going to start playing with the patterns. I have two barrels set up and a bridge, poles, small logs for the figure 8 and weave, and a pole to teach sidepassing with. Seven is not confident with the pole under him so we put one near the fence to try to help him. I will start with just a little bit of the pole and do more as he lets me know it's good. I will try to get a photo of the playground today. I am also going to put some plastic bags on the posts for the touch it game. That should be interesting for all!! Steve is also going to build a pedestal. ( don't know if that is spelled quite right but I hope you get the idea). I am looking to buy a copy of the Level 3 Refinement pack, with the VHS tapes. If I have something you want that I can trade for them that will work too. Email me if you have a copy that you want to relocate! livingwaterfarm@msn.com

Artfire

Well I thought about disabling my artfire.com account but I decided not to because I can send people there to look at my yarns. Now whether they do or not I don't know but something in me told me to keep on trying! I really need to get some yarn sold and grow a following. I do have one customer and she likes my handspun and knits and crochets beautiful things. She is talking about buying the mohair yarn for a shawl. Selling my wares keeps me inspired to spin and then again the fiber does a good job of that! If anyone would like to see my creations it is on www.artfire.com/users/livingwaterfarm. This will take you to my studio/store.

On another note, I watched a movie called "Coraline" last nite and it was the weirdest movie I had seen so far. I need to watch it again. This evening. I think I missed a lot because it was just so weird. It starts at the beginning and if you don't know what's going on you just get confused.

It has also been quite muddy so no playing with Seven at all this week. I did spend some time with him in the barn just playing friendly with my hands. Rubbing him all over and I could rub even under his tail without him getting tight. That was cool!

Yarn for Sale (part 2)

Here are more yarns for sale. 2 ply sportweight.

Corridale blues 156 yds 1 5\8 oz $25.00

Purple Passion 164 yds 1 7\8 oz $32.80

Icelandic 44 yds 5\8 oz $8.80

Red mohair 70 yds 3\4 oz $17.50 ( I have 7 skeins available, price is for each skein, yds also)

Yarns for Sale

Here are some of my handspun yarns, well actually all I have that I haven't sold or sent to Leslie's shop. Everything is 2 ply sportweight.

White angora 92 yds 5\8 oz $28.40

White angora 64 yds 1\2 oz $18.50

White angora 70 yds 1\2 oz $20.50

Chestnut angora 84 yds 1\2 oz $23.50

Grey alpaca 160 yds 1 oz $35.00

Grey alpaca 150 yds 1 1\4 oz $30.00

Grey alpaca 150 yds 1 1\4 oz $30.00

Black alpaca 90 yds 7\8 oz $22.00

If you see anything you like email me livingwaterfarm@msn.com

I accept paypal, checks and MO.

Thanks!!

Thinking Pink! and other ramblings

OK, I finally got some photos taken. I get to show you the pink yarn I have spun recently. I just have only more ball of roving to get done. Then it's off to Leslie's shop.

Since this is also a blog about my Natural Horsemanship I spent some time with Seven yesterday evening. I have a few things to work on, like saddling. I was just thinking about how he reacted to the saddle and I need to go slower it seems. We did good with playing on the ground but I saddled him before we did that to save time. I shall reverse it this evening and see if it makes a difference. I actually played with obstacles in our playtime and that might have been a bit much as of right now too. We might have to stick with the checklist to give ourselves structure but I don't want to bore him to death either. He is a LBI and learns fast but needs time to digest. We do have the figure 8 pattern real well. He actually looked for the small logs I use to go around. One of the other things, which was a breakthrough, was my yearling decided to come over and watch and he actually let me play friendly game with the stick and string at liberty! That was huge for him! I got to quit before he trotted off too. I also think he was quite pleased with himself.

Just thinking about the saddling, what I noticed was when I lifted the pads, saddle, Seven would turn his head away and act like he wanted to leave. I will try to work on that this evening and approach and retreat till he feels better about it. And also play on the ground first. I may not get the saddle even on and not even get to ride but I want his permission first. I want to let him know that I care about his feelings and I think that will change everything. He loves for me to sit around and pet him and generally just be with him. I got into a zone and had a time frame so I need to "take the time it takes" and wait. I keep forgetting "less is more" with him.

Spinning

I really need to get up to date on taking some pictures! Today, if it doesn't rain, I hope to play with Seven a bit. I decided that I am going to keep my synthetic saddle and use the reverse wedge under it with a shim also. Fits real well that way and also leaves room for his shoulders to move freely. I am currently spinning pink/blue dyed Border Leichester/Mohair on my wheel. Got two skeins to go and then it's being sent to Leslie's to try and sell it there. Also in this group of roving is pink/white BL/Mohair roving. Two skeins of each color, they are spinning up nicely. I did get to spin on my friend's great wheel last week and it was the best thing I ever did! It was so easy! Angie also got spinning on it and did great. Amanda, who never spins hardly at all, also gave it a try and was amazed on how she could spin a yarn as thin and even as we were!! She was excited!! On the garden note, all this rain has started buggin my tomato plants. Looks like I have blight! Grrrr! I need to get to talking to some people and see what to counter that with. The tomatoes are fist sized but green and I'd hate to lose them. The cukes are doing good so at least I don't have to worry about them. I hope that my one last pearl doe has found a home but I will need to see. I also still have the white buck from Autumn's litter to place because I don't think the gal that wanted him is serious about taking him.