January is gone and so are the summer holidays. German and Suisse clients have arrived and left again and the next overseas visiors are on their way:-). Now we are already to weeks into the next month of the new year 2012. Despite the "interesting" weather around Chritsmas the sun was out in time for the Pony Play Weeks (the photos are uploaded in the gallery): Two weeks lots of fun, learning experiences and growing for the girls & boys and their ponies: Lots of trail riding, going swimming with and without the horses, developing their ground work skills, learning to jump and really buildin a relationship and bond with their own ponies or our horses. It was wonderful again for us to watch the kids grow, enjoyig themselves and the horses as well..so thanks again to our horses for their patient teaching and making up for their names: North RIVER horses:-).

After 4 very busy months in Europe teaching Humanship Horsemanship, we are happy to be back in beautiful NZ:-). Our horses are all happy and came through the winter very well, even the older ones. After 2 weeks of settling in and the first rides in spring weather, a lovely family from Switzerland stayed wih us and learned about themselves and horses. The Share-A-Horse riders and pony girls are back into having fun with our beloved 4legged ones and enjoying spending time with them. As the weather is turning a bit drizzly the horses are going bush now. A chance for Ian and me doing office work:-/, writing the newsletters and organizing the weeks ahead...oh yes and to all our European clients, planning the itinary for 2012:-)...

We are back in Germany. Everything is going great at our NZ home:-).
Over here In Europe we are waiting for the German summer to come back;-). On the road again, busy touring and giving Humanship workshops and sessions. Great To see friends and clients again, witnessing the development between horses and their humans and meeting new interesting people and horses.

So long since we have been updating our blog. Well, we have been very busy, wonderful people (mostly from Germany) staying with us and learning from and with our horses:-). Ian is a bit outnumbered with the amount of German being spoken in the house at the moment, poor guy;-).
Great sessions, big learning curves on the human side as well as on some on the horses side, all a great experience and wonderful to watch, experience and facilitate.
Just came back from a moonlight ride, truly magnificant and beautiful, everybody  (6 of us) absolutely loved it. Soon up for a repeat!

We asked for rain, we got it: Big Time!
Within 24 h , 210 ml..all the flat paddock were absolutely drowned, water up to the top fence line. Our horses are all fine, we had plenty of notice to put them in the hill paddocks. No big damage on our farm, but the on the neighbours. 2 days later, the river is still high and muggy, so you can't see the bottom of the river yet. Going for a ride out there is rather adventurous, we'll do it anyway;-). Big logs in Paddocks, whole river banks washed away, fences gone etc. Definately not the biggest flod, but a decent one...

The second Horse & Pony Play Week was such an experience again:-).The kids had a ball, learning heaps about themselves as well as the horses. As it was more beginners joining in, it was a pleasure to see the boys & girls getting more done & developing an understanding and a better relationship with the horses over the 4 days.
Even better: lots of changes within themselves e.g. changing their attitude from "I can't do this" to "I can learn how to do it & I can give it my best":-). " Humanship for children...
A big thanks again to our horses & ponies for their patience and amazing teaching on so many different levels: "only if you ask correctly and nicely I do what you ask me to do... and learn to listen to me:-)"..Ian & me being the "translators" we really enjoyed facilitating the processes.

They all had a go in playing "at liberty" with the horses as well one girl riding at liberty. The children had heaps of fun on the trails, swimming  and playing in the water, turning a log into a ferry etc.
So it will continue in the next term holidays:-).

Today was the last day of our Horse & Pony Play Week. It has been going really well with the girls' growing and developing their relationships with their ponies and having lots of fun: Games in the arena from the ground and on horseback (obstacle course with & without potatoe on a spoon: Who is the fastest? Who is the slowest?..and always points for the best relationship with your pony and loose rein.
Going on treks through the bush and river was also part of it, picknick & swimming with the ponies up the river, discovering an "island" and naming it:-) and for sure learning about the horse's behaviour and what they tell us in each situation.
This will definitely be a regular school holiday program:-).

We are enjoying the summer:-). A few days a go it was almost too hot to do anything with the horses. Yesterday a fast ride over the hills with our friend Tine from Germany on Oscar & me, Anke on Texas..the boys just loved to stetch their legs:-).
Today Pony Play Week and the girls going swimming on Podge in one of the swimming holes up the river surrounded by beautiful bush...what a life!

We wish all our friends & clients here in New Zealand as well as in Europe a Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year 2011 for you and your horses!

Well, this is new!
We will give this a go while the novelty and enthusiasium is high and the spelling probably leaving a little to be desired.  We will see if it is sustainable in the longer term when we are on the road in Europe or we are plain run off our feet over the NZ summer.
So today the rain continued, not heavy rain, just good soaking rain.  Not complaining though as the place was begining to feel like the middle of March last year, when we had the worst drought in 30 years.
I decided that the rain could do all the work outside today especially since the horses have gone bush for a few days.