What goes through your head as you go out to visit your horse? I used to think about the horrible accidents we had, spazzed out sessions and the struggle for who’s in charge. Also things like “what will we work on today? because that is what we’ve done for the last ten years but this year my horse and I shifted. We both started giving a little to each other. Trust is actually in the picture now for both of us.
Now when I go out to see her, it’s about honoring her choice of me. We have fun together and enjoy each other’s presence and this is exactly what horse ownership is all about. Finally!
I knew however the euphoria would not last forever.
Today was a bad day. Bad days stay in your mind and you ask…what went wrong, what did I do wrong and why did it change. After going over every variable in the day I gave in to horses have bad days too. I could go into all the differences but that is boring and won’t mean much. Let’s just understand that my horse was out in turn out when I arrived and when led out of the pasture with her buddies she didn’t respond kindly for the rest of my time out there.
Lessons learned…It doesn’t matter what your intentions were, horses give you a new plan upon asking the question. When you have extra time to ride and enjoy the day, the time you’ll get to work with will be on some lesson you didn’t really want to go back over. If you endure and follow through it will all be productive and helpful tomorrow (at least in your mind). Horses are really good about making you live in the present…they demand it.
And I will give you a new heart, and I will will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 