i couldn’t help it.

i got a great picture of billy today that really shows his body.

and when i went back looked i was once again amazed at the changes he has made!

a lot can change in 9 months…

top may 2011, next june 2011, next september 2011, bottom january 2012

look at how much his rear end has changed!  his tail set is getting lower.

his croup is getting more round and less pointy.

Parelli is amazing.

and so is billy blaze.

is that even a word!?

you know how when you repeat and repeat a word and it starts to sound weird?

well randomness sounded weird the first time i said it!

some randomness from the last few days…

the other day i took some wheat grass out to billy blaze as a special treat.

i figured it’s green grass right!?  and it’s winter so green grass would taste really great.

as you can see…. it did.  he gobbled that right up!  i’ve put it in my kitchen window

 to see if i can grow it again.

one of my horsey friends and i went out on saturday, during all that great sunshine and blue sky

to take some pictures…

billy blaze with my friend and her horse in the background.

this is her arab gelding, azad….

they are doing hill therapy to strengthen his back.  it’s going very well!  not only is it working on his back…

it’s also strengthening their relationship.

and she took some of billy blaze and i.

i love these!  and just for the record i have on two pairs of pants and 6 shirts, plus my vest.

and here is a picture of an umbrella after two LBE (left brain extroverts) are done with it.

we used it for the pictures, then billy got a hold of it and it was all over!

time for a new umbrella

i have figured out that i’m not a playful person.  i don’t like to play games.  i don’t like to look stupid or feel like anyone is making fun of me.  i really HATE pictionary…

but, to be truly successful with billy blaze i need to learn to be more playful.  and not take life (or training) so seriously.  i have had a lot to think about since sunday’s lesson.

this journey is about more than just horsemanship.  it’s about ME.  and how to be a better me.  making my good better and my better best!  never ending self improvement, it’s a never ending cycle.

but i am struggling a tiny bit right now

it’s funny how people really don’t like it if i have a bad day or two.  it seems to really disturb them!  but guess what!?  we all have bad days…. even ME!

well, at least billy blaze knows how to play…

it was a wonderful lesson and brought up lots of interesting things for me to “lick and chew” over…

and sent me home to do some research of my own.

i found several very interesting articles that linda parelli has written over the years.

two things that really jumped out at me after our lesson today were:

* don’t get frustrated- respect myself as a student.

everything is a learning experience.

* every “problem” usually leads to an amazing breakthrough.

be fascinated by the process rather than defeated by it.

(LOVE that last one!!)

]]> http://mindyschroder.com/2012/01/15/11512/feed/ 7 ladybugfamily SONY DSC http://mindyschroder.com/2012/01/12/fishy/ http://mindyschroder.com/2012/01/12/fishy/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:44:34 +0000 ladybugfamily http://mindyschroder.com/?p=2497 ]]> usually we name everything at our house.

even our car and truck have names… christinia and sam elliott

but the fish doesn’t have a name.

he is just fishy.

i think it’s because we’ve gone through 4 fish.

yes.  4.

today i looked over and saw him basking in the warmth of the sunshine that was

pouring over his little fishy home.

he looked so handsome…

and then he spotted me…

then i had to feed him.  i mean just look at that face!!

photo shoots….

 with horses.

billy blaze with my friend's horse, pearl, in the background.

Pearl, a buckskin Morgan mare.

Kisses!

billy blaze and his saggy lip...

pretty pearl!

wonderful life changes.

and we bought LAND!!!

i can’t wait to see what the year 2012 has in store for me and my family.

here is the past year….

in photos!

a buffalo in mammoth...

my little leprechauns!

crazy boys!!

easter candy... yum!

easter girl!

i first meet billy blaze!

cheese!!

curly ears!

our drive home from bozeman...

my little helper

billy learning about BIG orange balls!

sweet angus

little L and big B at target practice.

the mustangs...

mustang butts....

yellow belts!

the flower shed

weddings!

walking with billy blaze... leaving the stable yard.

deputy schroder

beautiful summer in montana.

undemanding time with billy blaze

billy totally LOVING his parelli ball.

whiskey visited us in september!

she brought teresa!! yay!!

we went to yellowstone national park...

the boys LOVED it

hiking with billy blaze and angus.

angus looking up at billy...

totally LOVING my iphone!

totally AWESOME photo shoots

LOVE

my handsome boys...

little D...

big K!

peek a boo

billy LOVES his ball....

little L rock climbing.

christmas time!

sun shiny day!

our land!!! (picture by Mom aka Loree West)

]]> http://mindyschroder.com/2011/12/31/happy-new-year/feed/ 1 ladybugfamily IMG_8735 DSC01887 SONY DSC DSC02156 DSC02138 SONY DSC SONY DSC DSC02579 dsc03165.jpg IMG_8962 DSC03040 DSC03582 shootingboyscollage IMG_9269 IMG_9254 SONY DSC DSC04163 DSC03863 SONY DSC DSC03906 DSC04645 SONY DSC DSC04018 IMG_0150 IMG_0278 IMG_0293 IMG_0414 IMG_0462 IMG_0888 IMG_0899 IMG_0925 DSC06180 IMG_0696 DSC06429 SONY DSC DSC06616 angusdiptich PrinceBilly'sDiptich2 DSC07212 SONY DSC SONY DSC Dec 2011 Christmas 011 http://mindyschroder.com/2011/12/22/teeter-tottering-around/ http://mindyschroder.com/2011/12/22/teeter-tottering-around/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:52:25 +0000 ladybugfamily http://mindyschroder.com/?p=2450 ]]> out at the arena we have a new “toy”.  it’s a teeter totter for horses!

billy LOVES it.  he also loves to stand on his pedestal.  and on his bridge…

so much fun!

billy standing on his pedestal.

billy standing on his bridge.

"what's that noise!?"

billy and i went for a walk!  we needed a little time outside of the arena…

then i remembered how much i LOVE black and white…

so. much. fun.

and yes.  billy does NOT have a tail.

and yes.  that is normal

]]> http://mindyschroder.com/2011/12/09/beautiful-sunshiny-day/feed/ 2 ladybugfamily SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC http://mindyschroder.com/2011/12/07/straight-from-the-horses-mouth/ http://mindyschroder.com/2011/12/07/straight-from-the-horses-mouth/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:28:37 +0000 ladybugfamily http://mindyschroder.com/?p=2434 ]]> MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!