attitude of gratitude

As the saying goes, "attitude is everything" and I can't tell you the number of times this has held true for me in my work with horses! Just the other day, I was working with a young horse who had just been brought back into work.

Prior to her extended break, she was going very nicely and had made much progress. I thought I had started at a good place, acknowledging what she knows but backing up enough to give her a chance. Well, I was wrong! With her overreaction, I responded with a disappointed attitude and a huge sense of frustration! This only added to the troubles. I backed up a few steps, got a few things better and called it a day. I carried my disappointment and frustration with me all night, dreading the amount of work that lay ahead of me with this horse. When I woke up the next day, those feelings were still lurking. But then I had an "ahaa", maybe my feelings and attitude were making it worse. So the first thing I did was change my attitude, right there before I got out of bed. I made a plan that got directly to the root of the troubles she was having and implemented it without attitude. Amazingly, she came right through in a short session of work and progressed farther than I had hoped. As we were working that day, I offered gratitude every time she "got" what I was asking for...it seemed to cause a proactive shift in how she offered things up. So once again, I am reminded, attitude has a huge influence on how things go. So on this Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful for Andrew, all of my horses, dogs, friends, family and amazing experiences living my passion! Happy Thanksgiving!

transitions

Much can be learned from a horse in transitions. Transitions between gaits gives you all kinds of information about how connected to you the horse is, how well he is paying attention and what sort of influence you have with his feet. Additionally, transitions to new places will also tell you much about where your horse is mentally, emotionally and physically.
With my seasonal relocation to SC from NY, it is always fascinating to see how the horses adjust and take to the transition. This is the second seasonal trek to NY and back that my younger horses, Kaleigh and Whimsy have made. The first day after two days of travel, they were pretty tired. By the second and third days post travel, they were looking more rested and acclimated, happy to just be hanging out in the pasture for a couple of days. On the fourth day, I worked them lightly, checking transitions at liberty first in the arena individually. Both were connected to me and easy to speed up and slow down. Then, both had great quiet rides out and seemed to be interested and happy to go out. This is the fourth "transition" between north and south and each time it has gotten easier and easier for them. It has been a pleasure to help them have more tolerance for transitions.

the perfect horse

This is an excerpt from a email that was circulating,
"...The Perfect Horse has problems; He will teach you to deal with them.
The Perfect Horse knows that you can't learn to be a skilled horseman if everything goes your way.
The Perfect Horse will challenge you, but only as much as you are ready to handle. He will teach you that you still have more to learn..."

I just loved this part, it really resonated with me. All of us have aspired for "the perfect horse". Some of us have bought and sold horses, looking for that perfect horse. About a month ago, I was daydreaming out loud to my soon-to-be husband, saying how my next horse will have this and that characteristic. He smiled and said to me, "Be sure to enjoy the horse you have. Remember, he CAN do anything you dream up! And be sure not to miss the perfect horse you have right now!" I am not sure if he had read that email or just said what was in his heart. It was a great reminder to love and enjoy the horses that are right here, right now. Here's hoping you will do the same.