Training Day #4

Today is day #4 in training Heidi. Day #1 was terrible... She pulled against the rope, and fought me at every turn. Day #2 was better, as I started the Parelli methods that day, and started gently teaching her to yield. Day #3 was a flop, as I was pushing her too hard, and we were both getting frustrated. So I backed up, and made sure that I made myself clear on what I wanted today, and more importantly, I relaxed and just had fun with my big goat. These videos show our small bit of progress that we accomplished today. :) We played for about 20 minutes outside. And I really mean it when I say "played". We both had a ton of fun, ended the session sweating, and Heidi didn't want me to leave. In this first video, Heidi has a 12' lead rope on, but I never once had to put pressure on it. All that was needed was to keep it off the ground, so she wouldn't step on it. :)

 This second video shows Heidi and me playing without the lead rope (known as "Liberty") . She had the freedom to go back to her pasture buddies if she wanted, but she was having too much fun playing! I was very surprised at how well Heidi responded to today's lesson. She has never been a goat that would follow anyone; so this was a huge breakthrough!

 Next steps are to continue to gain her trust and respect. I am excitedly waiting for the arrival of a rope halter for Heidi, as I think that is going to help things immensely, and I'll soon introduce the "carrot stick", which is a 4' long stick used as an arm extension when training. One thing that Heidi struggles with, is that she is head shy. If you reach for her head, she flinches, and sometimes jerks back. I'm assuming this must have started when back at her old "home" (if one can call it that). She's come a long way since I got her (used to not be able to even go near her head), but she's still hesitant about letting that fear go.

Confession: I've been holding out on y'all

Soooo... There's something I haven't told y'all, yet...

I suppose I should have, seeing as I've known about this since August.

But I've been a selfish creature, keeping this nice, little secret all to myself. Yeah, I'm bad.

I thought about coming clean, and spilling to beans. But I'm not that nice. Hehe.

I'll give you some hints.

Number one, I'm getting something tomorrow!

Something that I've had for years, but have never had before.

It's coming from a distance I've been to, but could not go to now.

It's been coveted by more than just myself, and I almost feel bad getting it.

Considering all things, places such as New Zealand, Africa, England, and the USA come to mind with this purchase.

And there I'll stop. ;)

But, my new treasure will be here tomorrow at 2PM, so come back then, to find the answer to the riddle!

Goats...

It never ceases to amaze me at how clever goats are... You think you've got them figured out, and then they prove you wrong just for fun. I smile just thinking about them...

Heidi was rough housing with Pepper a few days ago and somehow managed to break one of the vertical slats on the hay manger. No serious damage was done to either party, but the board was now swinging freely, and allowing the goats access into the fluffy pile of hay within. They thought they had died and gone to heaven... Two bales of wasted hay later, I was fed up with the goats clambering into the manger and ruining their expensive hay!! I can still see them... Smugly looking at me, as they lolled in the orchard grass hay, and chortling behind their floppy ears for discombobulating me so. 

 It was time to turn the tables and get the last laugh. Armed with a ridiculously heavy drill, some mismatching screws, and a hammer, I shimmied into my huge hay manger that my grandpa and older brother built for me.

Please just know that I'm not very talented when it comes to tools. I can identify a few of them. I can even use a couple of them all by myself, but for the majority of things, I'm just a bumbling oaf. I can help a goat give birth, shear a sheep, use a scythe, train a horse, and even make my own yarn. But please don't ask me to use a hammer.... ;)

I found out pretty quickly why the goats enjoyed being in the manger so much. It was like being on a big squishy bed. And to make things even better, Heidi couldn't squeeze her heft through the gap. So Capri, Ivy, Pepper, Poppet, and Shilling would all lie in there and smirk at Heidi who would be glaring at them from the outside. Pride goeth before a fall, Heidi dear... 

 It took me almost five days to get around to fixing that manger, and then it only took me five minutes to fix it. Why is it that the things we usually put off, are things that can usually be done fairly quickly? Putting a card in the mail. Making a phone call to someone. Finding a recipe for a friend... These all take just a few minutes of our time, yet we groan and push them to the bottom of out to-do list. I have to admit that phone calls are what I'm worst at.... Second to that is fixing things. Especially fencing. ;) 

 Getting out of the manger was interesting. What with my entry way now screwed firmly into place, the only other option was to scramble out the top. And for the record, I can stand up in that manger, and it still reaches to my chest. I ain't short, either. So scramble I did. Well, it was more of a jump, scramble, huff-and-puff, half falling out, sort of move. Poppet laughed at me. I emerged feeling like a veritable hay monster who just left his vegetative dwelling. I had hay in my hair, stuck to my shirt, all over my skirt, and inside my boots. Maybe I should have walked down the road apiece to see what reaction I could have garnered from driver's.... Hmmm.... Shucks, I'll have to do that next time!  

And yes, I feel just a little, teensy-weensy bit proud of myself. I actually used a drill all by myself, and no one got killed. [wink] Where's my medal of honor? I do believe I deserve one for my heroic act of service towards society. Okay, if I can't have a medal, can I at least have a snazzy car? No? How about just a cuppa' tea then? Good, I'll go put the kettle on. :)

 Now, what will those ornery goats think of next....?

Parelli Goat-Man-Ship

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

I could easily replicate this picture in real life... [insert evil laugh]

I've been a little bored lately (mentally, I guess... One is never without something to do while on a farm!), and wishing for a new challenge. Along with that, I've been wondering if I couldn't make Heidi a little more useful around the place. Add in the fact that Hoegger Goat Supply was having a sale on their harnesses, and you've got a recipe for some fun! 

My secret is out now... Yep, I'm training my whopping 200 lb. goat to be a draft animal! At first, I was just going by the books, on how to train her, but was getting extremely frustrated with myself and Heidi. She's a pushy goat, to say it lightly. She is either leading you around, or she's not budging. Disrespectful of your space, stubbornly fighting you at every turn, trying to get back to the herd... Things were not going right!! Then I watched a video by an acquaintance of mine... Her pair of goats were flawlessly trained in every aspect... Shucks, they even picked up their feet for her. Turns out she used the Parelli Natural Horsemanship methods on her goats!

I couldn't help but slap my forehead for not thinking of using Parelli sooner! I've trained a couple horses in the past using his methods, and the results are jaw-dropping. You can have a completely different animal in just a couple days. So, I went out this morning and tried a few horse methods on my goat, and wouldn't ya' know it. They worked like a charm. The problem was not Heidi at all. It was me. I was being entirely too confusing for the poor thing, and not allowing her the chance to respect me. Using the Parelli methods on her this morning completely changed everything, and for the first time, we had fun together. She's already understanding that being pushy, and being in my space (i.e. too close to me) is not okay, and has begun to anticipate my cues. 

So I'm excited... :) Training Heidi has given me the challenge that I have badly needed lately, and it's giving her a chance to be a very useful asset here on the farm. 

This was the first video I watched, and this is basically what Heidi and I worked on today. We just played together and worked on yielding. :)

I may not be able to train any horses right now, but I can at least do my goats... :)

So if you see someone going down Highway 18 in a goat-pulled cart, in the future,  just know that it's me!! LOL.

2011 National Sheepdog Finals

Oh to be in Colorado right now...

To watch in person, the 2011 National Sheepdog Trials...

But, since I can't be in Colorado, seeing as the goats wouldn't like my sudden departure, I'll have to go with plan B, and watch a free hour of trials online. Want to watch the trials too? You can do so, HERE.

So far, I have been extremely impressed the with the dogs and handlers this year. The sheep are surprisingly aggressive, and are really testing the dogs; which makes things interesting. :)

Off I hop now, to watch a few more trial runs before going to bed!

Handspun Goodness

I like yarn...

I enjoy knitting too, but spinning is a passion...

These are my latest creations:

On the far left is a beaded, two-ply, gray alpaca skein. Middle skein is natural colored, 2-ply Blue Faced Leicester (sheep), and the far right is a fawn colored, 2-ply, beaded baby alpaca. 

The gray is called, "Gypsy", the BFL is "Simplicity", but the fawn does not yet have a name...

Any suggestions?

I have an Etsy shop which has been pathetically empty for almost a year now, so I'm working on reviving it, and stocking some yarn in there soon. But it's driving me crazy not having a name for my favorite skein!

Silky soft, high luster, beaded... This is one of my favorite skeins I've done yet...

But then, it's baby alpaca, so of course it's nice. ;)

I believe this skein will be up for sale soon (I actually have two of this kind; making a total of somewhere around 298 yards), but not until it's named!! 

Of course, there's always the chance that I may trade it for something at the OFFF... I always like to trade things at the festival, instead of using money. It's loads of fun! There's definitely an art to pulling off a good trade. Last year I came home with a lovely alpaca fleece, some spindles, some sheep roving, a rabbit, and some yarn; all without paying a cent. I could have brought a lamb home, by trade alone, but there wasn't any room in the car for it. Bummer.

So, what think ye'? I need a name for this lovely yarn...

10 Days...

Until the annual Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!! Whoohoo!

The OFFF is one of the biggest highlights of the year for me, and I always enjoy every moment of it... :) Last year, there was a total of 3,000+ people who came during the two day span of the event, and believe me, it was crowded. The sheep barn is my favorite place, and it's always so hard not to smuggle a sheep home, every year. From the towering Wensleydales, to the petite Shetlands, I love them all... I have to admit though, that the Jacob sheep are my all time favorite. ;) I like their spotted fleeces (which spin up beautifully!), and their four horns. Someday I'll have my own flock of them. 

A Jacob ram

If you would like more information on the OFFF, click HERE