- working for a non-profit (versatility, nonverbal communication, teaching/learning styles, breaking down stereotypes)
- Obama and why he can't fix what people want him to (and what it's not his fault)
- marriage
I don't have time to post about either of those things right now, but I will, later.
There are few things I'd rather be doing on a beautiful autumn day than working out at the barn, and that's exactly what I did today. The drive out to the barn is beautiful. Construction on the bridge has forced a scenic detour through county roads, which offer views of Mariana butte, Estes, rolling hills, and fall foliage. It only seems appropriate to put on a little bluegrass, open the sunroof, and simply be present in the moment. (Of course, I'm always present in the moment when driving, but you know what I mean!) I didn't realize how much time I spend driving on these county roads, until one day I became suspicious of unfamiliar cars passing the opposite direction.
"Who are you! What business do you have back here!" I felt like asking.
This week is the national conference in Denver, so most of our instructors and staff are in attendance, which means lessons are canceled for the week. The horses are happy to have time off, and there are fewer people milling about. Today when I arrived, K was leading H in and out of the mounting block. Hope was being ornery and plowing through the block without stopping (which would be unfortunate if a rider was actually trying to mount her). I spent some time helping K desensitize H to the whole block experience, as it's a skill she must learn, and be good at. It's essential that a good therapy horse is able to stand soundly in the block for a period of time without spooking, since her rider may take an extended period of time to mount. Anyways, after stomping up and down, throwing my leg over her (kicking her, to mimic a rider who might not be able to mount gracefully due to physical limitations) and having H plow through the block a few times, we realized she was in fact feeling nervous about the gate to the indoor arena. Once we opened the gate, she had no problems with anything I was trying to do. K and I ended with her on a good note, with a good plan to help her learn her job.
Next K and I fit D in side reins and took him out to lunge. D is older than I am (only by a few months) and has severe lordosis (swayback) due to an injury about five years ago. As a result, he can't be ridden by a rider over 100lbs. He still needs to be kept fit and limber, so L assigned me to work with him from the ground. We worked in the round pen, which was a small victory for me. I had secretly been avoiding the round pen in all my time at the barn because of my accident. (I was working an unfamiliar horse in a round pen when she spooked and bucked me off, and then hip checked the fence as I scrambled over it, introducing me rather abruptly and headfirst, to the ground below) D was a dream, and didn't seem to have any issues with the side reins, despite the fact he hadn't been worked in the for several months (Some horses get confused by having their head movement constricted and try to back up, or even flip over). After we lunged and stretched I went to retrieve C for my lesson.
C is also my age, and a retired show horse. He is as trained as they come, but like most lesson horses, has gotten very good at tuning out his rider if he doesn't feel like working very hard. I rode in an endurance saddle today, which helped me keep my legs underneath me and helped me work on my seat. As a result, I was able to spend a good deal of time focusing on other parts of equitation, like reining and body posture. We worked C in a side pull versus a bit, and he seemed to be less responsive to my hands, so we spent some time working with a one rein stop, to work on his response. We spent 10? 20? minutes? an hour? the whole day? I'm not sure, I lost track of time, but we spent a good deal of time on the left side (which he seemed more reluctant to respond to). I would one rein stop him, and bring my left hand behind my thigh to my butt cheek and hold there (applying pressure) until he turned his head left, thus releasing the tension on the rein and letting it slack. Because he's a stubborn old boy, and not particularly phased by much, C took his sweet time giving in. We also did a bit of work with turns on the forehand/hindquarters, for both my benefit and his. Once we'd done some schooling, he went through his gaits for me nicely, and once L left the ring (he was prone to follow her rather than pay attention to my commands) he responded beautifully.
There is something so rewarding, and fulfilling as throwing yourself into a day of work with animals you love, and seeing results pay off. I love feeling every one of my muscles work harder and longer in the saddle than they do at the gym. I love the reward of a horse responding to a command, and the trusting partnerships that are formed and maintained.
Around 2:30 I crawled out of the saddle, put C away and finished my day. Driving home I was exhausted, smelly, and covered in dust, but feeling the same as I do every time I leave the barn; accomplished. satisfied. exuberant.
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