The very beginning - Xmas 07

Hi there, New to Parelli, glad I found this teaching though. Have just started out with my two horses. Jazz is a 24 yo mare, rescued to give her a good safe retirement. Star is my 7 yo TB gelding. Lightly raced but still bearing the scars of that ordeal. I picked two horses on instinct, was drawn to them actually. In the TB I have my work cut out for me. With Jazz I have a gentle old lady who is willing to teach if I will listen. She's progressing very quickly, it's almost like she's seen it all before. She is a RBI and Star is a RBE! I have ridden since I was 3. When I was 11 I had a retired stock horse from NT who taught me a lot. I rode him bareback 90% of the time with a rope halter and later worked out that all I really needed was a piece of binder twine around his neck. We jumped, trail rode and camped out together. I was on the right track back then. Later on I met a woman who was into dressage, we became good friends however she was quite against my "type" of riding. I was young and green and so I went her way. I became disillusioned with riding, sold a horse I shouldn't have, tried dressage, became a victim to peer pressure and in the end gave up miserable. It just didn't feel right any more. I had stopped having fun. I have missed riding, being around horses and for 7 years I denied myself any fun! Why? Maybe I was sour! I knew there was a better way, had heard about Parelli but had only been around people who were skeptics. I now have my own space, a husband who fully supports me and wants to share the journey with me and two horses who needed a second chance. I may not have picked the best horses but hey they will teach me so much. I have started out on this journey as Star nearly injured me seriously by not realising how big he is and how fragile I am. Now he is getting confident with our personal space, he's learnt the yo yo game in 2 days, he still tests my authority but I am determined to help him become who he really is. Jazz (my avatar) is learning the 7 games as well. She is a little more set in her ways but she's trying, she's patient and she's bonding with me. At the moment I think she sees me as her baby, she's very protective of me and from what I have read we need to turn the tables and she needs to see me as her protector. This morning was the best morning ever. Jazz always greets me with ears forward and a nicker to say hello which always makes me smile. She has been so badly treated by someone but she still has the grace to be kind to me. Star however can be a mish mash of feelings. Sometimes ears back sometimes disinterested. This morning I got, lip licking and chewing and ears forward and a whinny AND he walked to me! I got the full house! I am so overjoyed about this change. We have only been playing for 2 weeks but already I am seeing this lovely big boy start to feel more like being with me. I am so sorry this is an epic email but I need to keep my thoughts coming I am so excited to be having fun again. I am an avid learner and can't get enough of this training method. I hope to meet you all one day, if only here and not in person. I will post our progress so I can feel "part" of a friendly warm community of like minded people. Thanks for reading this and look forward to reading, talking more! Merry Christmas as well .