November 15, 2009
Today is a new beginning for me. I started riding ate age 6; horses are my passion. They defined me throughout my school years. As I ventured into the "real world" after HS, they came and went, but were always looming in the background. After a marriage, career, child and divorce came another chapter, and another marriage (the last one!). Somehow, I stumbled back into the horse world, and it was like wild fire. I left corporate America, and wound up back in the barn, so to speak. I went from being a stable hand to managing an Olympic level eventing barn, and having my own barn sitting business. Life led me to my first horse, Tango, who is my equine soulmate. He led me to become a barefoot trimmer and an equine massage therapist, and ultimately, to my new home in NH on 14 acres with my own barn and equine facility. We currently have 4 of our own and one boarder, a 37 year old Standardbred that is as young as the morning dew. Our newest addition, a spanish mustang named Katy, has seemingly stole my heart, or perhaps, is helping me find it. An accident (horse related, but not riding) in 2005 got me thrown, fracturing my spine in 5 places and severing my unrelenting confidence in horses and riding. To suddenly be overcome with fear around the animals I once found my only solace in was debilitating, humbling, exasperating, frustrating, you name it. It was like my identity was stolen.
Today, however, I took my new mare out from her separate paddock, where she is living until we mix her in with the herd, and "played" with her. I have done this with my other 2, but there has been a nervousness that I have struggled with. Today, no nervousness. I found myself lost in the process of getting to know her, her getting to know me, and trying to translate from my human body to her equine body what I was asking for, and she clearly, was trying to understand and comply. We spent an hour "communicating" and in the imperfection and flubbing, all my doing, we found a connection of love and joy.
She is not too quick to move from pressure, but she is quick to want to. She is a solid citizen, honest and true. She is willing and ready. She disengages her hind end, both sides, like a pro. She will move away from you on the forehand, although she is sticky. Her backup, well, sucks. And she is very reluctant to move her barrel off pressure, actually pushed into it once, but with confusion, not pushiness or aggression. She will not stand at a mounting block, yet. I ended with this lesson. I followed her holding the block until she stopped, at which point I dropped the block and backed my energy off. We ended the session with me lifting the block, her standing still (YAY!!) at which point I put it down, patted and congratulated her, and took her out for a walk and some grazing. I intend to do this ground work with her to get to know each other and bond and understand each other with trust before I ride her. And when I returned her to her paddock, she had no shyness anymore.
I also took Mr. T, Tango, for his therapeutic walk and to do hill work and stretches. My loving boy suffered a hip fracture, or rather, re injured an old hip fracture last year. His spirit is undeniable. He has an energy that says he is loving life despite his injuries, and I intend to be there to support him for as long as he wants to be here. He is mostly lame, but has made great progress for a horse with such an injury. We have used laser therapy and IMT; I am blessed to have a wonderful physical therapist that works with horses who is doing amazing things for him. I stretch and massage him, and do what I feel will help him, and he seems to respond. Today he looked pretty darn good. His front legs are short strided, not sure why, and he has stiffness in his neck on the right side. I walked him, backed him up a hill, up and down the hill, let him graze a few times, and then gave him a good massage and did his favorite carrot stretches. He looked pretty good. I'm hoping he will be loosened up by the time the winter really sets in as it does a number on arthritic conditions, of which he has many. I will hold onto the hope that we can help him, and will do what seems right by him until I am shown otherwise. I am blessed to have him in my life.
I have a wonderful feeling and am elated at how the day went. I had no fear. Katey was engaged. Tango was moving happily. Bring on tomorrow! Praise the Lord, I am on my way back!
Today, however, I took my new mare out from her separate paddock, where she is living until we mix her in with the herd, and "played" with her. I have done this with my other 2, but there has been a nervousness that I have struggled with. Today, no nervousness. I found myself lost in the process of getting to know her, her getting to know me, and trying to translate from my human body to her equine body what I was asking for, and she clearly, was trying to understand and comply. We spent an hour "communicating" and in the imperfection and flubbing, all my doing, we found a connection of love and joy.
She is not too quick to move from pressure, but she is quick to want to. She is a solid citizen, honest and true. She is willing and ready. She disengages her hind end, both sides, like a pro. She will move away from you on the forehand, although she is sticky. Her backup, well, sucks. And she is very reluctant to move her barrel off pressure, actually pushed into it once, but with confusion, not pushiness or aggression. She will not stand at a mounting block, yet. I ended with this lesson. I followed her holding the block until she stopped, at which point I dropped the block and backed my energy off. We ended the session with me lifting the block, her standing still (YAY!!) at which point I put it down, patted and congratulated her, and took her out for a walk and some grazing. I intend to do this ground work with her to get to know each other and bond and understand each other with trust before I ride her. And when I returned her to her paddock, she had no shyness anymore.
I also took Mr. T, Tango, for his therapeutic walk and to do hill work and stretches. My loving boy suffered a hip fracture, or rather, re injured an old hip fracture last year. His spirit is undeniable. He has an energy that says he is loving life despite his injuries, and I intend to be there to support him for as long as he wants to be here. He is mostly lame, but has made great progress for a horse with such an injury. We have used laser therapy and IMT; I am blessed to have a wonderful physical therapist that works with horses who is doing amazing things for him. I stretch and massage him, and do what I feel will help him, and he seems to respond. Today he looked pretty darn good. His front legs are short strided, not sure why, and he has stiffness in his neck on the right side. I walked him, backed him up a hill, up and down the hill, let him graze a few times, and then gave him a good massage and did his favorite carrot stretches. He looked pretty good. I'm hoping he will be loosened up by the time the winter really sets in as it does a number on arthritic conditions, of which he has many. I will hold onto the hope that we can help him, and will do what seems right by him until I am shown otherwise. I am blessed to have him in my life.
I have a wonderful feeling and am elated at how the day went. I had no fear. Katey was engaged. Tango was moving happily. Bring on tomorrow! Praise the Lord, I am on my way back!
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