November has arrived two days early. There was snow on the ground when i got up this morning. The strong east wind is stripping the trees of their last bright colours. The rain is heavy and the ground is saturated from the days of rain we have already had this month.

As I look out my window the Guineas emerge for an afternoon stroll. They are drenched, their feathers dripping and clinging, yet they refuse to admit that summer has left and ignore the open door of their warm, dry shelter.

The leaves are whipping by and the rain is horizontal rather than vertical as the gusts hit close to 100 kms an hour. The power just flickered off, twice, so I am going to close this now.

Loss is often very difficult, especially the death of one you love deeply.

The fact that it is very busy at Mandala in the summer, is probably the real reason that I haven't written for a long time. But when I opened my blog and saw the photo of Remma, my beloved partner dog, I would close it again and find something very important to do. Its been 6 months since he died so suddenly and I can finally look at his picture or think about him without feeling totally empty.

Josie had joined my family about a month before Remma died. They had become good friends. After his death I found I almost resented poor Josie. She was not the dog I wanted. She was not him. Josie is very empathetic, very sensitive in a deeply grounded way. She waited. She didn't try to force herself on me, but she was always there when I needed a warm body to hug. She missed him too, although their friendship had been short. She accepted my grieving. And slowly, as the fog lifted, my heart opened to this very wise girl. Josie was,I am sure, born a therapy dog. That's why she ended up here.Remma was wonderful with and helped many dogs. Josie helps people. Including me.

later in the summer I fostered two lovely puppies for Atlantic Small Dog Rescue.What a great organization.They have saved and re-homed so many dogs.That's where Josie came from. One of the puppies got adopted very quickly. The other stayed with me and quietly wormed her way into my heart. Adopting her was a hard decision. She was a grand puppy and I truly loved her, but awhile ago I had set myself a two dog limit. If I adopted Shiloh, that meant I had made the decision not to get another Maremma. I loved that breed, I loved Remma. Shiloh eventually completely captivated my heart and the difficult decision was made. She's 6 months now and a very beautiful dog.

JOSIE

May is fast approaching and its getting busier at Mandala. Spring is definitely here, crocus out, peepers chorusing each evening, many birds returning. But as I sit at my computer by the window, its freezing rain outside.

The Family Dog Training classes are organized and starting up in May. Right now there is a class Sunday morning, starting May 1st at 10:30 am There is still one space left. There will also be classes available on Monday and Tuesday evenings, 7 pm. See below. A great time for you and your dog.

June 4th is the first TTouch for Dogs Workshop from 10am -3pm. Cost is $75.00 More information on the web site www.mandalariding.com.

June 25th is the first TTouch for Horses Workshop from 9:30 am - 4 pm . Cost is $75.00 w/o horse, $100.00 if you bring your horse.

News From the Farm: We have a new family member!! Her name is Josie and she came through Atlantic Small Dog Rescue. She is a great little dog, sweet natured and learning very quickly. Hopefully she will be my Therapy Dog partner as she matures. Remma is delighted to have a live in friend.

Family Dog Training

Classes are being offered to you and your dog

Classes will be small in number, with a maximum of four people/dogs.

They will focus on teaching you how to teach your dog to learn, using a combination of Operant Conditioning Behaviour Analysis (clicker training) and Tellington TTouch Methods.

Operant Conditioning Behaviour Analysis (OCBA) is an effective and efficient method of training based on applying the principles of learning to animal behaviour. Using Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) and a conditioned reinforcer, any species can be trained to volunteer behaviours of interest to the trainer. OCBA has become the standard of care and training in all facets of animal training and husbandry, and is used routinely with companion animals, livestock and zoo animals.

Tellington TTouch is a humane and kind training program that honours the spirit of the dog, and takes into consideration the mental, physical, and emotional aspects of the animal. TTouch promotes awareness, kindness, adaptability, thinking, feeling, and an understanding of life at a very basic cellular level. It goes beyond a system of training; TTouch becomes an integral part of one’s lifestyle and philosophy. TTouch is a simple path to overcoming behavioural and physical challenges for animals, and can be learned by people of all skill levels. By embracing TTouch as a method for relating to an animal, you open a world of possibilities with your animal -- from training to accelerating healing to creating a meaningful bond.

The classes will run for 6 weeks. You will have homework to do with your dog between each class and will learn how to keep written records of your training progress. Handouts and a clicker are included.

This is not your average companion animal obedience class!

Cost: $125.00 for the 6 week classes

Where: 157 Arlington Rd. Hampton, @ Mandala Riding & Awareness Center

With: Olga Comeau. Olga is a certified Tellington TTouch Practitioner and certified in OCBA training. She has had over 40 years experience working with people and their animals and 15 years experience teaching dog training classes.

For Information or Registration: call 902-665-2101 or

email: olgacomeau@mandalariding.com www.mandalariding.com

The website ( www.mandalariding.com) is pretty well updated. There are a few changes in the programs offered and still a little more to come.

You will notice a change in the calendar this year; rather than set out specific dates I am encouraging small groups to get together and pick a date that works for them and we will customize a program to fit your needs. Sounds like fun and the response is good so far. Gather a few friends( 4 is max.) and pick your date!

I may add a few specific workshops at a later date, probably for TTouch for horses and dogs, and perhaps a few day treks.

Family Dog Training Classes will start in the end of April. These can be one on one consultations or small group ( max. 4) and will consist of 6 classes. These will be based on Operant Conditioning Behavior Analysis ( clicker training) with a little added TTouch and you will keep written records of your training progress.You will need to be prepared to train daily at home.

Cost for the classes will be $150.00 for the 6 group classes, higher for private sessions.

New Program

Offered to those on the Autistic Spectrum and Their Families

Spending time in peaceful, natural surroundings has been found to be of great benefit to people on the Autism Spectrum.

At Mandala we offer a complete program that embraces that idea, providing open space, streams, woodland trails and an opportunity to interact with horses.

This is not a program about learning to ride. It is about communication, and opening pathways to the exterior world. Our Icelandic Horses are gentle, social beings that love to spend time with people. They have kind temperaments that invite interaction, verbal or otherwise.

The horse becomes an excellent sensory therapist, and children derive great comfort from lying on the horses back in a variety of ways.

Once they are comfortable on a moving horse, much learning can take place as the soothing motion of the horse opens up learning receptors in the brain and produces oxytocin, the feel good hormone. Verbal responses often result.

Some of our horses are taught simple tricks in response to a single verbal cue. A child that is reluctant to speak can feel very empowered when the horse responds to their verbal cue and this often carries through to other areas of their life.

This program includes the whole family, not just the child (or adult) on the Autism Spectrum. The input of the parent, sibling or care giver is very important, as it is essential to know what interests and motivates the child.

Program is facilitated by Olga Comeau and her Icelandic Horses with the help of wonderful volunteers.

Olga is certified as a Riding Teacher, Tellington TTouch Practitioner, Facilitator for Equine Psychotherapy, Horse Boy Method professional, level one Operant Conditioning Behavior Analysis, QiGong level 3 and has over 40 years experience working with people and animals.

Contact her at Mandala Riding & Awareness Center 902-665-2101

Email: olgacomeau@mandalariding.com www.mandalariding.com

Reflecting Upon a Year 2010

One of my philosophies of life is to live in the present. I have never found that anything is gained by dwelling on the past and, "planning for the future?"... well, for me, allowing things to unfold, listening to the Universe and trusting my instincts has always worked. So if you are looking at Mandala's calendar you won't see anything yet! Inspiration hasn't yet arrived and I am still waiting to see what this season will offer. But check again soon and it will be there.

So just a glimpse into the past year! Back to 2010. Was it a hard year? Not really. Was it a different year? Certainly. A year of loss, and gain and change. A year of new experiences.

The loss started on January 6th. 2010 with the death of my most loved step-father Ben. ( see earlier post) Many friends and clients at Mandala became friends and admirers of Ben. His presence in the Granny House was always very large. And his death left a huge gap in my life.

I began to fill that gap by spending more time visiting my grandchildren. Spending time with the very young instead of the very old. Rejoicing in the birth of Osk's filly and starting working the young horses had helped ease the passing of the last of the elder horses ( see earlier posts). And Alex and Anna did help to fill the void left by Ben's departure.

Much needed repairs and renovations to my humble cabin took place this year, from June through November and left me with mixed emotions. Joy, at getting it done, guilt for having left it so long ( the roof had been leaking for too many years), the stress that goes along with having your home torn apart, piles of stuff everywhere, construction debris marring the lovely grounds and gardens that surround Mandala and the constant presence of workers,even though I couldn't have asked for a more caring and mindful pair.

In the spring of 2010 I realized that I had been a teacher for forty years and began to feel a desire to be a student again. I also had the great privilege to work one on one with a few people with Autism. It was a very different experience from working with my wonderful Therapeutic Riding Groups ( for 16 years) and a very profound experience for me. Living with Autism is living in another world and it was wonderful to see the connections with the horses and the effects they had. I realized this was definitely something that I want to pursue further.

The twins had their first birthday, I cancelled several workshops because of the disruption here, and summer passed.

Fall offered me the chance to become a student again. I enrolled at the NS Agricultural College, one day a week, to take a level one course in Operant Conditioning Behavior Analysis. As some of you know, I spent many years dog training and running obedience classes. I stopped in the mid nineties, because getting a space to hold them became harder each year and also because the methods I had used, although positive and reward based, just didn't feel right. I worked with my own dogs using a clicker but didn't feel I had the depth of understanding that I wanted. OCBA is a very science based training method, using 4 techniques; we used shaping plans and kept training records and the animals learned with joy and retained what they learned. Our training subjects in class were both dogs and chickens ( my chickens name was Mara) and I chose to use Solon as my training subject at home.

Dog Training Classes will once again be added to my calendar. These will be based on OCBA, with TTouch techniques added and will only have 2 to 4 people in each class.

Also in December I was able to take a certification program with Rupert Issacson on his Horse Boy Method, an approach that he uses when working with people with Autism. I hope to incorporate more one on one work with people with Autism this year.

I ended up with a few health problems in 2010 which gave me some new experiences! My first stay in a hospital,my first ambulance ride, my first anesthetic, my first operation. Perhaps not the "firsts" that I would have chosen,but experiences that helped alleviate fears that I have always had.

2011 has started quietly. The snow is deep here making my lesson program an impossibility for the time being. The Icelandics are enjoying a good rest. I am spending a lot of time at my practice of Qigong and meditation, reading, snowshoeing or hiking in the woods with Remma and sometimes friends. Enjoying the beauty and silence that surrounds me.