My niece Emma just 2 hours old.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Nice Ride
I am feeling pretty pumped up, as good as I did after each day of the clinic. So here I am hot,sweaty, dirty and dusty writing about the ride Chance and I just had. After almost 2 weeks of not touching him, he was exactly the same as when I left him. Soft, moving well and willing to work dispite the heat in the ring.
I don't really like to use the word "work" when I do things with Chance. I am approaching things with him as fun, light-hearted, matter of fact. It is working well. But on the other hand, we have put a lot of "work" into all we do, therefore making lots of progress. So I guess I'll keep using the word but it's meaning doesn't necessarily mean working. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I know what I mean.
We started with some ground work, that went pretty fast, almost boring. I tacked him up and we did more ground work with the saddle on. Within a few minutes he was yawning like crazy. He was centered and feeling good, so I got on. We did lots of stuff we both know how to do and some new stuff. We now have the beginning of side steps down. We never got close enough to the rock I put on the fence pole but lots of good steps. The rock will be waiting for the next ride. Everything was going so well that I decided to open the gate that leads to the paddock near the road. We got through the gate lots of times and a couple of steps on the hill that leads to the shady spot. I now truly know what it means to have unity and trust. Even though I was directing his mind & feet in the direction I wanted to go, every step he took was his idea. We were both very relaxed and feeling good about it all.
Today was a wonderful confidence builder for both of us! The best ride at home we have ever had!
I don't really like to use the word "work" when I do things with Chance. I am approaching things with him as fun, light-hearted, matter of fact. It is working well. But on the other hand, we have put a lot of "work" into all we do, therefore making lots of progress. So I guess I'll keep using the word but it's meaning doesn't necessarily mean working. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I know what I mean.
We started with some ground work, that went pretty fast, almost boring. I tacked him up and we did more ground work with the saddle on. Within a few minutes he was yawning like crazy. He was centered and feeling good, so I got on. We did lots of stuff we both know how to do and some new stuff. We now have the beginning of side steps down. We never got close enough to the rock I put on the fence pole but lots of good steps. The rock will be waiting for the next ride. Everything was going so well that I decided to open the gate that leads to the paddock near the road. We got through the gate lots of times and a couple of steps on the hill that leads to the shady spot. I now truly know what it means to have unity and trust. Even though I was directing his mind & feet in the direction I wanted to go, every step he took was his idea. We were both very relaxed and feeling good about it all.
Today was a wonderful confidence builder for both of us! The best ride at home we have ever had!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Rundown and sick
It's been a crazy couple of weeks, I've run myself down and now I'm sick. My sister had her baby, Derek and my niece graduated - big party here last Sunday, Family visiting from Florida and New Orleans (saw my favorite uncle for the 1st time in 10 years) we finally sold the spec house after 2 years yea!(closed on Friday), getting the paperwork together to purchase the property across the road, and Marissa's 16th birthday is on Father's Day - this Sunday. All good stuff! But I'm beat!
Hanging inside with the A/C was okay when the temps and air were too much to deal with. But today is beautiful and I can't find the energy to ride. I'm not sure if I could pick up the saddle. A couple more days of rest is what I need so I'll just do it.
The up side to resting - I finished my book - Finding Pegasus by Terry Church. A very good book, thank you Jaye! Time to start another one.
And maybe I'll post some photos today.
Hanging inside with the A/C was okay when the temps and air were too much to deal with. But today is beautiful and I can't find the energy to ride. I'm not sure if I could pick up the saddle. A couple more days of rest is what I need so I'll just do it.
The up side to resting - I finished my book - Finding Pegasus by Terry Church. A very good book, thank you Jaye! Time to start another one.
And maybe I'll post some photos today.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Quotes
I am going to start writing down some short quotes for myself, I'm not sure if I am quoting other people or not, my only goal here is to write down some positive stuff.
-Difficult moments are opportunities, not problems.
-If you get to the end result without working for it, you have
missed out on the journey.
-Every horse has something to teach, you just have to be willing to learn.
-Horses are the best teachers of life lessons.
-If your horse won't go forward, the goal shouldn't be the next step. The goal should be improving the communication between you and your horse so he wants to move forward.
-If you 'know' you can ride your horse safely out of the ring you should go. If you 'think' you can ride your horse safely out of the ring you should wait until you 'know'.
-If you are riding and you feel you are just getting through it, you are just getting though it.
-If taking a big leap doesn't feel good inside go back and take baby steps.
-Building confidence takes time.
-Building a true partnership takes giving and taking. Mostly giving.
-Giving of yourself is the best gift you with ever receive.
-If you don't have your horses mind and feet you have an unsafe situation.
I'll add more later.
-Difficult moments are opportunities, not problems.
-If you get to the end result without working for it, you have
missed out on the journey.
-Every horse has something to teach, you just have to be willing to learn.
-Horses are the best teachers of life lessons.
-If your horse won't go forward, the goal shouldn't be the next step. The goal should be improving the communication between you and your horse so he wants to move forward.
-If you 'know' you can ride your horse safely out of the ring you should go. If you 'think' you can ride your horse safely out of the ring you should wait until you 'know'.
-If you are riding and you feel you are just getting through it, you are just getting though it.
-If taking a big leap doesn't feel good inside go back and take baby steps.
-Building confidence takes time.
-Building a true partnership takes giving and taking. Mostly giving.
-Giving of yourself is the best gift you with ever receive.
-If you don't have your horses mind and feet you have an unsafe situation.
I'll add more later.
The Horse Show
I decided on a whim to take Chance to a horse show a week after the clinic. I wanted to enter a trails class (mostly for fun) to see how we were doing. Riding at home has been fun and easy, so I know we have made lots of progress.
I could tell right away that the whole thing was overwhelming for Chance. The funny thing about him is that he usually looks fine, very calm. But I could feel him. His insides were not okay. He has learned to stuff it and get through it. After tacking him up I took him for a walk around the grounds to take it all in, then I got on. It felt like the old us. Not the pair that left the clinic. He didn't feel okay and I was trying with all I had to keep it together for both of us. We started walking around, he felt like a rusty tin man. His legs didn't want to move. He couldn't walk in a straight line.
I had to come up with a plan, and the plan was probably going to change from minute to minute. I started to feel defeated. Like what is wrong with me? My horse looks fine, but he isn't! Why am I scared to death??? Because he doesn't feel right! So the plan at first was going to be just support Chance and maybe I would start feeling better. That worked a little. Then I decided I would get on and off Chance. That gave me something to do. He needed a job but his legs wouldn't move. He was taking short choppy steps, all over the place. Lots of one rein stops, just keep his mind with me and try my best to get to the feet. I really wanted to put a couple of barrels together and start the excercise we did at the clinic. We have done it at home and it works for both of us. This wasn't the place for that, but I really needed a way to get to my horse. I new right away I wasn't going to ride in the trails class, but ended up making the final decision at the last minute. The decision came when Chance saw the driving carts. I don't think he had ever seen one of those things! What I had of his mind was leaving fast when he saw them. I felt his back hump up under my seat. That was him telling me that he was finished. I didn't want to jump off with him feeling like that and I wanted to see if I could still communicate to him, and if he was able to respond. I asked for one more one rein stop and then a soft feel. I felt his entire body relax! The big humpy back was gone and I could feel a softer more relaxed horse under me. And then I got off.
Was getting off a mistake? Should I have pushed him through it? Absolutely not! For some stupid reason I feel like I need to defend myself and explain. I'm not sure why because nobody else can possibly know what Chance and I felt like at that moment. He probably looked okay, but he wasn't. I know this horse and we have worked way too hard to blow it on a trails class at a horse show. Maybe we are taking a long time to get to the place I want to be with Chance. But it's the journey that is so important for us. I have no doubt that somebody with more experience could get through all of this stuff with Chance so much faster than I can. But I think that is what makes us perfect for each other. We both need to go slow. We both have lots of confidence to gain. But we balance each other out, where he is weak, I am stronger and vice-versa. I had the perfect little riding pony, I love Shadow and loved all the fun we had. We could go anywhere together, he spoiled me rotten. But I didn't learn anything with him. I didn't learn how to stay safe or how to support my horse. He didn't need it.
So I guess if I look like I am struggling, yes I am. But I am also loving every minute of it! Chance is teaching me so much and I know I am helping him. If I had to do this all over again I wouldn't change a thing. There will be a day when I can hop on Chance and take off into the woods for a trail ride without giving it a second thought. And when that day comes I am going to appreciate it more than anything in the world! But for now I will appreciate the lessons he is teaching me and the progress we are making, we are exactly where we are supposed to be, we are doing exactly what we should be doing.
When I went to Hemphill's to find a horse I told myself that if I wasn't able to do everything I wanted with the horse I picked he was going back. So here I am today with Chance, 1 & 1/2 years later and I can't even ride him at a show. But I wouldn't bring him back or give him up for a million dollars. The bond this horse and I share, and the lessons I am learning are priceless.
I could tell right away that the whole thing was overwhelming for Chance. The funny thing about him is that he usually looks fine, very calm. But I could feel him. His insides were not okay. He has learned to stuff it and get through it. After tacking him up I took him for a walk around the grounds to take it all in, then I got on. It felt like the old us. Not the pair that left the clinic. He didn't feel okay and I was trying with all I had to keep it together for both of us. We started walking around, he felt like a rusty tin man. His legs didn't want to move. He couldn't walk in a straight line.
I had to come up with a plan, and the plan was probably going to change from minute to minute. I started to feel defeated. Like what is wrong with me? My horse looks fine, but he isn't! Why am I scared to death??? Because he doesn't feel right! So the plan at first was going to be just support Chance and maybe I would start feeling better. That worked a little. Then I decided I would get on and off Chance. That gave me something to do. He needed a job but his legs wouldn't move. He was taking short choppy steps, all over the place. Lots of one rein stops, just keep his mind with me and try my best to get to the feet. I really wanted to put a couple of barrels together and start the excercise we did at the clinic. We have done it at home and it works for both of us. This wasn't the place for that, but I really needed a way to get to my horse. I new right away I wasn't going to ride in the trails class, but ended up making the final decision at the last minute. The decision came when Chance saw the driving carts. I don't think he had ever seen one of those things! What I had of his mind was leaving fast when he saw them. I felt his back hump up under my seat. That was him telling me that he was finished. I didn't want to jump off with him feeling like that and I wanted to see if I could still communicate to him, and if he was able to respond. I asked for one more one rein stop and then a soft feel. I felt his entire body relax! The big humpy back was gone and I could feel a softer more relaxed horse under me. And then I got off.
Was getting off a mistake? Should I have pushed him through it? Absolutely not! For some stupid reason I feel like I need to defend myself and explain. I'm not sure why because nobody else can possibly know what Chance and I felt like at that moment. He probably looked okay, but he wasn't. I know this horse and we have worked way too hard to blow it on a trails class at a horse show. Maybe we are taking a long time to get to the place I want to be with Chance. But it's the journey that is so important for us. I have no doubt that somebody with more experience could get through all of this stuff with Chance so much faster than I can. But I think that is what makes us perfect for each other. We both need to go slow. We both have lots of confidence to gain. But we balance each other out, where he is weak, I am stronger and vice-versa. I had the perfect little riding pony, I love Shadow and loved all the fun we had. We could go anywhere together, he spoiled me rotten. But I didn't learn anything with him. I didn't learn how to stay safe or how to support my horse. He didn't need it.
So I guess if I look like I am struggling, yes I am. But I am also loving every minute of it! Chance is teaching me so much and I know I am helping him. If I had to do this all over again I wouldn't change a thing. There will be a day when I can hop on Chance and take off into the woods for a trail ride without giving it a second thought. And when that day comes I am going to appreciate it more than anything in the world! But for now I will appreciate the lessons he is teaching me and the progress we are making, we are exactly where we are supposed to be, we are doing exactly what we should be doing.
When I went to Hemphill's to find a horse I told myself that if I wasn't able to do everything I wanted with the horse I picked he was going back. So here I am today with Chance, 1 & 1/2 years later and I can't even ride him at a show. But I wouldn't bring him back or give him up for a million dollars. The bond this horse and I share, and the lessons I am learning are priceless.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Busy Week - not much riding
My son graduates from high school on Friday and my sister had a baby girl on Sunday. I am so happy for both of them! What a funny comparison; my son is starting his new life, college in the fall and my new neice is starting her new life, from the beginning. It's an exciting week, but there hasn't been time for riding. Maybe I can sneek in a short ride today or tomorrow.
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