5.25.2007

week 5 agility

class last night was amazing... we went in early again to work on the teeter... going from the big table and down to the ground, she nailed it 3x in a row... she even sat on bottom contact of the teeter and waited each time. So, even tho we had rented the space for a half hour, we worked for a total of 10 mins and were happy. Then class started w/a biggie... we had to crate our dogs and walk an 18 obstacle course... Waste' just laid right down and uttered not a peep.

The course was long and varied... She just nailed it.

after we all ran the course, we split up and worked on elements of the course... carrie set the training weaves straight... now, these are the type of training weaves that are in a straight line, but are hinged at the ground and will angle out left, right, alternating. Waste' slowed down when she came to them and deliberately and methodically, with her nose, pushed them aside. first left, then right - instead of weaving thru them. Damn! no one could believe she actually thought that out... she is a cheat!! LOL guess we'll have to stick with the channel weaves from now on... she can't move them... what a stinker!

5.18.2007

5/17 - class last night & Culver last weekend

Yep, she was good again! We did more gridwork and handling exercises. We also got her pausing and 'riding' the teeter down to the ground. Her dogwalk is getting more and more confident and her weave poles were so-so. She was also getting pretty tired by the end of another hour and a half!

I also have to say what a great time we all had at Culver Academy last weekend. One girl took Waste' off my hands during setup of camp and several other students pitched in to help us! The guys did a bunch of drilling and many demonstrations of cannon and musket fire. Waste' took it all in stride. She is recognizing Dave's voice when he calls out the drills and knows it precedes the gunfire. They had hoped to have the 3-masted ship in the water, but were unable to get her out in time for the event. Hopefully we'll have a chance to board her next year!

I encourage you to visit their website. I'll add it to my list of links. The webcam of the Parade Field from the Riding Hall shows most of the area that we camped in and also a beautiful view of the lake.

5.07.2007

Class update

She makes it easy. Carrie agreed and said she will be the kind of dog that will 'save my butt when I really need it'.

We got there early to do our 1on1 contact work. We had a couple of problems w/the dogwalk to begin with and it was more MY lack of confidence than hers. After a couple of trys, she was back to her old 'tackle it' attidude. The we hit the A-frame a few times - no problem there. Then Carrie set up the teeter to try a new exercise. She put each end under a table; the start table higher than the end one. The object is to move from one table to another. Waste' did not even blink. She rode that teeter down like she's been doing it all her life. We did all this in less than 15 minutes, so we took a break before class started.

The first half of class we did grid work. Christie began explaining the exercise and I had to interrupt her. I made the observation that this is gridwork and it is designed to teach her to rock back and round over her fences to jump in a better style. I told her that I had trained horses for 30 years and I may not know about agility, I do know about jumping! She got pretty excited and said I could probably teach her a few things.

It was first set up as 3 bounces to a one stride. As the height increased, she began to jump like a pretty little hunter! Dang, she can be good with those wheels. Then we worked on a half-circle exercise: 3 jumps set up on a pinwheel; all three left-hand standards touching each other. She got that pretty easily too.

She was also pretty pooped by the end of the first half hour. With Carrie we put some consecutive obstacles together including working on obstacle descrimination. A tunnel was placed under the A-frame so both entrances to the tunnel framed the face of the A-frame. The object of the exercise is to send her to the tunnel and not the A-frame. She nailed it each and every time. The we did some serpentines. She nailed the serpentine so well, Carrie had Christie come watch. Christie made the comment that this is a very advanced exercise. (see me brimming with pride).

Then we worked on the training weave poles at about a 2" spread. The only problem she had was with the one short pole... she kept missing that one...

Since she nailed every thing we asked her to do on the coursework, we quit a bit early.

5.02.2007

I'm a slacker...

Geez! I am just too busy with myself to get my fingers typing into this blog! I keep promising to blog more frequently, but have failed.

I have to brag... my little girl, Waste' is doing soooooooooooo well! We have had some problems w/our contacts - especially the teeter and we're working on that remedially w/Carrie. But our jumping control and weaves are just hot.

Our event season for re-enacting is upon us. We are going to Mansker's Station in Goodlettsville, TN this weekend. Tstorms are forecast. :(

Dan's daughter, Rita, got married and it was a fabulous day. I've been working on video of the whole weekend. Will add it when I get it done...

Culver Academies 2007

Beginner Agility 2

sheepherding 101

The last day of our first Agility class

Basketball herding

Susanne's bday party

New Year's Party 2007

My visit to Florida, Fall 2006

Feast of the Hunter's Moon 2006 - early Saturday morning

Mist on the Wabash River, Feast of the Hunter's Moon 2006

Massed Bands Part 1

Massed Bands Part 2

KohKohMah 2006

Theatiki 2006