Back to the 4th Day

On this morning we started out with ground work again. Most of the morning for me was spent on the ground and about 1 hour of riding. I asked Greg if he would help me with the flag. I was feeling very incompetent, like I had a bunch of left hands that couldn't work together. I watched him, then I gave it a shot. I wasn't very effective at first but with a little more help I had it. Chance was able to understand separation. He has never had a problem standing still and accepting the flag, it's the moving off that has been difficult. But we got it, I still fumble a little but it will improve with more practice. I found the flag to be a huge part of what we need to help him move. Then we did some bumping up to the fence, he loves this job! It gives him the ability to think through a problem. I can sit and with the slightest direction he can figure out what I need - one step forward, one step back or maybe one step closer to me. This is lots of fun for us.

After the ground work I got on and worked on straightness and soft feels. This too is very effective for him. His backing from the saddle (and the ground) is getting softer and more fluid everyday. The morning was very nice and it was time for lunch.

Lunch ended and back to work we went. A little ground work and then riding. Greg asked me if I would be willing to be the 1st one to try an exercise that everyone would eventually do. He thought it would be a good one to help Chance and I get a better connection between us, at this point Chance was getting pretty herd bound. Greg set up 2 barrels, we were to ride towards the barrels directing our energy through them and to a back corner where we would take off all pressure and just be together. (By now all of the 1st day jitters were gone, I knew that if I didn't let that go I wouldn't get everything I needed to out of the clinic.) So, with some direction from Greg we headed in the direction of the barrels and Chance turned back toward the other horses. When this happens we were to turn the horse pretty firmly in the other direction and ask for a trot. Now we were riding back in forth in front of the barrels, every time we went by the opening I would look at the spot I wanted Chance to go to, encouraging him to go in that direction by following my feel. Every time he didn't I would turn him very firmly and ask for more speed. He took me through the barrels a couple of times but even with me petting and taking off the pressure he didn't understand and rode back to the horses.

Sometime during this exercise is when something almost magical happened between us.
I don't know where all the other horses and riders went, but they were gone. It was just me and Chance. I could hear Greg's voice but I couldn't see him, I could only see and feel my horse. Chance was trying so hard to figure it out, he had never had to think like this before and he definitely didn't know how to find relief. I could feel him asking me what I wanted, I know he could feel my directions, but because he had never found true peace with a human he didn't know what to do. We weren't trotting anymore, we were flying around that ring, riding like I had never ridden before! At one point Greg had me put the reins around the horn of my saddle and we were actually going bridless at a canter. We were in true harmony, just him and I trying with everything we had to solve a problem. He was searching and would try something different, go through the barrels and take a right instead of left, or go through, turn quickly and go back through. He wasn't shutting down! He was thinking! And he was doing it while moving his feet! I would tell him no, that's not it keep trying, go this way and I would draw an invisible line to the corner. I don't know how long we were at this, time had just stopped, the rest of the world was gone. Then he finally made it. He went through the barrels, didn't make it to the corner but went to the fence and slowed down to a slow walk. I had to help him stop, he needed the help. I just sat there on Chance petting him and giving him the peace he has needed for so long. Then I looked up and everyone was back, even though they had really never left. We rode back to hang with the other horses and everyone else had a turn.

This was our turning point. We made it. Now I know what true harmony feels like. And the best part of this is seeing Chance in a truly good place. Our challenges are not over by any stretch of the imagination, but the rest is gravy.