Deportment Lessons!

Can your horse carry a book on his head?

Which would you prefer when working your horse.... to exercise him/her for exercise sake, or to exercise him in a way that develops correct posture for physical development and well being?

Posture simply meaning having the correct position of body and limbs and the correct use of muscles.  Think deportment classes for horses!

For a dressage horse posture has to be one of our top priorities and the good news is that we can develop it from the ground.

In the past I've lunged Grace for exercise reasons of courses, and for my own safety before riding her to assess how calm (or not) she is from a distance - allowing her to burn off excess energy, BEFORE I get on.  I must admit that in the past lunging was more about attaining obedience to voice aids than achieving postural or physical well being.

That's no longer the case.  We are now embarking on a touch of Pilates by lunging with posture in mind.

How do we know when our horse has good posture?

Step 1: Your horse begins to stretch down reaching forward and down to the floor with his neck and head.  

Walking round in a circle on the lunge with their nose on the floor (or as close as...)  encourages them to round their back.  Down and round should be easy for our horses - they do it while they graze.

To offer this posture they have to step through from behind, which creates that lovely 'swing' in the back.  Think 'Bruce Forsyth dropping his chin down with concavity in the whole of his neck!

This video isn't the greatest demo but it was only our second time going for long and low - so you get the idea!

Step 2: You see the abdominal muscles coming into play! The 'heave line' appears and extends towards the girth as posture improves.  See below.

Granted our tummy is a little large given our period of forced rest, so the heave line is only just coming into play!

Step 3: Exhalation! Your horse begins to breath properly - from the diaphragm with lovely sighs and big exhalations to prove it - usually just as the abs engage!

It's a good idea for riders or trainers to plough through videos and photos of horses moving on the lunge and in competitions to learn to recognise this basic level of good posture.

To come full circle i'm not seriously considering asking my horses to carry books on their head but we're after the same goal - correct self carriage!

Somehow I suspect there is a lot more to it than these 3 simple steps but slowly slowly catch the monkey! 

Ignorance is Bliss!

They Say IGNORANCE is BLISS!

There may be some truth to that...

Before Margrit's visit I was a decent horse owner - I didn't over work my horses; checked weight changes weekly; paid for a professional to massage them every month - and went on as many horse related courses as time and money, would allow.  I'd quickly call a vet if needed and always give my horses proper time off while I was away...  what's good for the Goose etc.!

But there were many things that I was not doing or had not questioned before Margrit's visit.  Like my horses living out 24 x 7.  I had always been on yards where the routine was horses came in around 4pm each day.  Then there was the matter of shoeing.  I'd always had my horses shod because as my vet reminded me only last year "90% of horses in this country are shod".

What's really scary is that when Essy and Solar lived in America they lived out 24 x 7 x 365 days a year.  They lived on a ranch freely roaming hundreds of acres with 50 plus head of horses.  They were loaded en mass, into a trailer four times a week to travel to play polo.  They wore no head collars in the trailer nor travel boots.  In the fields they wore no rugs or fly fringes.  Naked ruled!

Yet, as soon as I brought them to live in England, I succumbed to our British traditions and piled on the layers, tied them up to transport them robbing them the freedom to find their balance. I stuck to human convenient feed times and wrapped them up in cotton wool for turn out with leg boots to look like the Michelin Man!

I had seen a different way of life in America but still didn't even STOP to consider my options once I was back in the UK.

I can't say I was subject to some big bullying oaf telling me  'it's his way or the high way' - I just slipped right back into how things are done without regard for if there was a reason why?

This is why I dislike  mediocrity, convention and rules, because it kills curiosity! Yet it's even worse when you realise you hate rules but you're the one now following them!

So is 'not knowing better than knowing and worrying?'  

In an earlier blog (what we resist, persists) - I fessed up about my habitual worry head nature. Of all the changes I've made and of all the insights Ive gained since Essy spoke with Margrit, one of them has actually reduced my need to worry.  It is this; now I know I can communicate with my horses.  So I do!  With intention, care, and conscious thought.  Perhaps more important is that I now wait for a response.  It might be a nod, or snort, a change in breathing, 'state' or expression.  By standing back, pausing and giving my horse space to 'hear me' - I am giving myself space to listen and look for a reply.

Suddenly moving yards ten days ago wasn't a big deal.  Ive never been so calm.  I had explained to each of my horses what would happen, why we were moving,  and I'd carried a mental picture of where we were going to be living so they could share that image, in advance of arriving.

If horses are like children - wouldn't some explanation and re-assurance be something a decent parent would offer their kid during times of unrest or change?  I'm not suggesting our horses are children in any way, but if we are supposed to love them AS IF they are .... we should honour them with the same respect.

Knowing that I can communicate with my horses and that they can react back means I no longer have to carry all the weight of the world on my shoulders. Horse ownership has at times felt like a massive weight to bear -  their health and welfare in my hands!  Once you have real communication (2 way) in any relationship the responsibility is shared, providing everyone is being honest!  Fortunately horses are always honest.  Question is are we?  Developing real conversations with my horses is making "honesty" a daily habit!

All 3 of them loaded within moments to move yard.  Grace hasn't loaded in over 2 years and Solar in nearly 4 years.  Last time we moved yard it took 3.5 hours to load Solar!  The difference now?  She's older, less fit for travel - which should have made it another long session.  What else was different? We talked! I asked her to trust me, I explained what would happen, that Essy and Grace were all coming too.

Essy poor boy, last time I loaded him in August was to have a hole drilled into his head so if anyone had reasons to not load it was him!  I had the same conversation with him too, only adding the promise of no hospital, no drill, no headache and no pain.  He walked straight up the ramp!

In the spirit of honesty then ignorance is bliss;  it reduces the number of decisions to be made.  It maintains the status quo.  It reduces our options and choices.  It avoids change.  It enables us to stay safe and 'fit in with others' and can stop us making an ass of ourselves or going it alone!

Conversely, ignorance is no excuse! It stifles curiosity, stymies our growth, and keeps us metaphorically asleep! Ignorance will dismiss intuition and deny us a way to integrate aspects of our life. It also opens up the possibility of regret!

We can of course continue to put our heads in the sand and plug our fingers in our ears...

Or, 

...we can seek to be what I term "map makers" and  carve out the route ahead. Take each turn in the road as it comes, and erect our own land marks along the way.  Finding our own 'path' guarantees a bespoke adventure and only tailor made solutions can ever meet our very individual life needs.

Time to stop hiding in the flock, take a risk and fly!

Waking up and connecting with our selves, our families, and the potential in our lives, requires our horse to be firmly in the center.  He is the catalyst for revealing more of who we are.  He or she will help us to transfer learning and skills across different landscapes: work, family, home, and sport.  He shows us what we are avoiding and reminds us how to help others be the best they can be!  All without expectation in return.

A Modern Day Moral Dilemma...

To Ride or Not To Ride ...?

Do you ever hear a voice inside your head asking...

"Why am I riding my horse?  
I know horses weren't put on this earth to have saddles and humans on top of them..." 

This is my current moral dilemma! 

Its a complex question leaving me not sure which way to turn for the best.  Who do I obey? Convention, tradition and the norm?  Or, follow natures lead and leave our equine friends alone, free from all the adverse effects that riding brings?

My decision is easier for my older horses; Essy and Solar who, both now in their 20's deserve a quality retirement - we only lunge, long rein or do a little Parelli to stay mentally awake and physically toned. 

Essy made it very clear to Margrit that he has always found it 'hard to move' with a saddle on and didn't want to be ridden anymore.  He's not had a saddle anywhere near him since, nor will he. Morally what choice do I have?  I'd never go back on my word to him especially after such a humble plea. 

The dilemma however is very real with my young horse Grace, now aged 8.

I have recently become obsessed with horse's backs.  Last year my obsession was hooves (more of that in a future blog).  Wherever I go my eyes are drawn to backs.  It's horrific to see the reality of what faces you when you stop and look...

Saggy backs, weak muscles, no top line, muscle damage and plenty of muscle wastage where the saddle sits.  Many naked horses actually look like they are still wearing a saddle - so ingrained is the muscle damage.  We take it for granted, barely notice or actually think that is OK because it is after all the NORM!

Then along comes a horse like Grace whose back in contrast is strong, supple, toned and free of pain.  Yes, physios and chiropractors have had nothing to do on her back commenting on how "unusual" it is to find in a horse, and not wanting to 'waste my money' with unnecessary treatments.  So, now that I am  preparing to get back in the saddle with her after a break for her seedy toe to repair - I'm torn!  Is it the right thing to do?

Ive got lost in my own morale debate which has spun off into other directions including 'should we keep dogs indoors?'  'Should I eat meat?'  'Should the human race fly?'

Because we CAN - humans have chosen to do so many things. If we weren't here (on earth) what wouldn't have happened that has?  My goodness how long have you got?

The closest analogy I identify with when it comes to riding or not, is our use of natural resources; gas, oil, wood.  Wood was not put on this earth to be burned.  Naturally occurring wood provides direct benefit to the earth through its production of oxygen.  We then come along and deforest it, using it for our own domestic or commercial purposes. Surely this is similar to horses.  They were perfectly fine in their wild herds then we came along and used them for transportation, wars, communication and agriculture.  Finally using them for recreation and sports - all our own purpose and design.

I'm not sure what the horse's 'direct benefit' to Earth was in the wild.  I'm sure experts and historians will know, but I am curious where it is all going?  We're now experimenting with cloning horses.  Why?  Haven't we go enough horses, or enough genetically great breeding lines?  Will we continue to do things outside of the laws of nature, simply because we can? Have we lost the spirit of hope and reliance and a bit of luck?  Since when was Mother Nature so out of vogue?

I know we can't turn back time but we can keep re-visiting what we do and why?  We can consider what is best for our horses on a case by case basis just as we chose to reduce our carbon footprint - on an individual basis instead of doing nothing and hoping others will do it all instead!

Will I ride Grace?  Yes, I believe I will.  I will do so with a strong plan of action to manage her back as I do.  It will be my most important priority.  I have never ridden her more than 4 times a week (simply to save her back) since I bought her, so that will continue to be our plan.  She will continue to be warmed up and cooled down properly.  I will always carefully feel and inspect her back before tacking up.  If she's sore, or tight and I can't release it with gentle massage, we won't even tack up!

She will have her monthly massage along with my other two horses.  Its' great feedback on how toned her muscles feel under an experts pair of hands.  We will also have saddle checks every 6 months or as her weight or shape changes.  I weigh my three every Sunday (along with temperature checks, membrane checks, respiration etc).  That way I can respond to any change quickly!

I rarely ride for more than half an hour. I'm happy with half an hour of quality work, if we are both relaxed and still comfortable.  But I won't obey modern conventions of keeping riding for an hour to get my money's worth or because that's the norm!  Who cares? Because its the norm does that make it right or good for the horse?

Riding with lots of breaks, to stretch, relax out muscles is key to keeping backs soft and muscles free of tension.  Both in me and in Grace.

After riding I massage her back and brush it to re-stimulate the circulation - anyone who believes a saddle strapped across your back with a 10 stone rider on top doesn't limit blood circulation must be bonkers! 

She'll have as much turn out as time and daylight will allow until April when she'll be out at night again which keeps heads and necks down, and top line relaxed and in a natural stretch for 16 hours a day.

Beyond these common sense practices I'm open to ideas.  I live in hope that her back continues to look like this....

An Ode to a friend - "Paradise Lost"...

Once upon a time...

 

...I noticed a young woman 

who spent her day smiling, laughing and enjoying life.

Daily she played with her off spring,

sharing her joy with her husband - to be.

One summers day they all moved house -

it was to be a move made in paradise;

an exciting time.... full of promise of luxury -

the best money could buy. 

The house inside a village was purpose built 

Facilities to die for, and friends all around! 

Could a girl dream of more?

But on moving in,  the skies darkened;  

heavy clouds and thunder rolled in, and hung over-head.

They say lightning never strikes twice; 

but here, it hit twice in a day!

No matter how often she asked for her kids to be escorted 

to and from their home - it didn't happen! 

She saw this to be the case but was told it was her imagination!

Food rations (to keep them trim) were ignored

over eating happened daily.

Extra curriculum activities agreed at the start of term

were unilaterally withdrawn,

Health and Safety caused her concerns

 Hygiene and cleanliness standards were poor!

When issues of welfare were raised, 'like it or lump it' was the reply.



Other families in the neighbourhood suffered too;

Kids weren't allowed to play together;

  House doors remained shut at all times;

'Green space' was for appearances only,

And medicines weren't administered.



 Then word came that term fees were about to go up!

...Paradise was lost!

Families everywhere felt cheated, bewildered and lost.

Things once so certain became unclear;

Purpose and direction temporarily lost;

Logic and reason abandoned their homes.

Saddened, friends stood by, unable to help.

 She would have to escape this land of broken promises

 to re-connect with what's most important.

To the lovely lady her friends wrote to say... 

"Don't look back; 
live for today

Follow your heart
 a great future awaits.

Ignore any who don't care

or don't know better,
Be your own best friend 
and be kind to yourself"

-----

Ethics!

"What is the moral correctness of how we conduct ourselves around our horses?"

 

As I battled with the trains and underground today I found myself relishing the thought of a meeting in Starbucks or a hotel versus the office.  It struck me that in this day and age work feels very different (positively so) when we conduct it OUT of the office.  Presumably most of us would rather NOT be at work hence the strategies to avoid it feeling like work. 

This made me feel instantly guilty for all those moments where I've 'got after' my horse on days where they clearly weren't in the mood to work either! It seems only natural that they should have on and off days - just like us right?

One of the most common habits I observe, when we work with horses is our propensity to 'nag' them! We nag with our leg constantly nudging their sides even when they are already going forwards.  Habit, or lack of awareness being mostly to blame.  Then there is our nagging on the lunge...  There must be nothing worse for a horse than being asked to keep on going round and round in a circle seemingly without purpose or rest bite.  Much like a day in the office of non stop back to back meetings!

If we go back another step, there are moments when we go to mount or tack up, and our horse steps away. This is our horses way of signalling they aren't ready to be mounted or tacked up. Yet often we proceed regardless.  Do we even notice and recognise its potential meaning? Isn't it like rape?

As humans it's in our nature to "ride others" to "drive for results", give people a "hard time" if at home or at work, but with our horses it tends to be counter productive.  It works against us.  (Perhaps this is why horses are such good teachers)! 

None of this makes us bad people but it does open up questions of ethics; what's right or wrong in our actions towards our horses?

This is the first year of keeping horses where I have tried to go 'rug free'.  All summer long the fly sheets have stayed in their bags.  To my relief my horses have been no more subject to fly bites than those horses wearing the protective sheets.  It's mid October and mine have all been naked day and night since early April.  They are still naked now (although they have just come in at night). 

It's actually felt uplifting to see naturally dusty coats, full of autumnal shine and warmth and to know their coats are full of natural oils, as nature intended.  

Grace's coat - not groomed for days!

I must confess I'm guilty of only grooming two or three times a week at the moment as it suddenly hit me that naked, they can roll to re-balance their coats or to boost circulation, promote coat loss and temperature control - far better than I could achieve for them!

So at the risk of sounding pompous - surely it serves us well to remember from time to time that the horse left alone can do a reasonable job of taking care of his own needs. We intervene with all our so called knowledge and that tends to trigger the demise of a simple and often healthy life for our horses.  

I'm keen to develop a checklist for boosting my 'ethics score' - this is how it looks so far:-

Don't .... ride out of balance.  Make sure my body is straight and in alignment using Equilates or similar routines.

Do.....  ride when my mind is in the right place for the job at hand: calm, present, focused, responsive and open to whatever comes along

Don't ... rely on old fashioned training methods - that require horses heads to be strapped down, creating tension and resistance - seek out alternatives based on compassion

Do.... remember horses don't have time lines or set progressive goals (that's our truth not theirs)

Don't .... think a 4 year old should be jumping 1 metre high fences - mounted and be impressed! (Long term physical and mental health will improve a horse's life).

Do... learn how to read a horse from the ground - to cement the relationship and learn how to move him/her around safely

Don't... expect perfection and understanding at the beginning of the relationship 
(we don't get that early on in our human relations so why expect it with another species)?

Do... think twice before mounting /tacking up a horse who clearly isn't happy!

Don't... rug, groom, stable or shoe horses unless its in their best interest

Do... ask myself what is right and wrong?  What feels right, right now? 


Don't... ignore gut instinct when it's directing me to do something different from how everyone else does it

Do... learn how horses' learn ! Help them be the best they can be! Play to their strengths and set them up for success!

This list won't float everyone's boat.  It may be helpful, it could be full of misguided error.  I'm learning too, so I'm not one to say what's the right answer to ethical conduct , but I am trying to ask better questions that will lead me to those answers.  I owe that to Essy and his clear message to me on behalf of all horses everywhere.  

That at least, feels ethical for now.

Fact, fiction or a place in between?

Facts and fiction are about as common place in our human language and understanding as jam and bread!  For some curious reason though,  I have been wondering is there something else - in between?

The cause of my musing was the sight of a White Chalk Horse, carved into the hillside, calling me to drive towards it!

Hackpen Hill, Wilts.

Is it just me who is compelled to turn off my intended route, in order to get up close and personal with hillside etchings? Do others find themselves drawn "off piste" in a similar way?

Why does it lift my spirit just seeing them carved into the landscape?  Is it their connection with the past?  Or because it's an image of a horse?  Am I reminded of "White Horses" the childhood programme that used to sweep me and my imagination away to Austria, every afternoon?

Instinctively I know it's none of the above.  The 'lure' is one of 'spirit' - awakening, calling - call it what you want.  There is something spiritual about these carvings; not faith or religion, spiritual meaning; moving, uplifting, and filling me with a sense of life.  These horses somehow remind me that there is much more to life than the small corners we currently perceive.  These horses are a connection point like a bus terminus between the past, present and the future.

I am sure that some would use facts (indisputable things) to explain their attraction and 'draw' for us -  facts about how long they've been around (impressive as that is). Facts about who first carved them; druids, medieval folk (I actually don't know who).  Facts about their position on lay lines or links with the earths magnetic pull. Robust sounding, convincing facts.

Facts however, don't make me turn off a road and romp, unplanned,  up a hill in my high heeled fashion boots! It has to be something else...

Standing on that hillside, with a 180 degree round view, a warm breeze and rain clouds rolling slowly toward me below an unending expanse of fields, kept me feeling comfortably small.  It is a nice feeling; reassuring me that the universe is far more than 'you and I'. 

Fiction is defined as 'stories about imaginary people or events' or 'invention'. I don't know of any specific folklore behind today's white horse (or any other) and the horses grazing there definitely weren't something I imagined - they are as real as the hill they munched upon.

Neither facts nor fiction are enough to explain why we sometimes do the things we do or the feelings that are stirred by certain events or experiences.

Is there a place in between facts and fiction  - a 3rd plane or dimension between the two? Logic would suggest if there is, its a place of indecision where we only exist while we wait to gather more information to conclude if something is real or not; fact or fiction. 

Mark Twain once said:

"It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense"

The attraction for me in the possibility of there being 'a place in between fact and fiction'. Then it wouldn't have to make sense or  be proven with facts or data.  It could just exist in Nomand's land calling us to our senses if we hear it, to indulge in whatever emotional experience it awakens in us. 

For me, this in part explains why we can be moved to tears by a scenic vista, painting or poem. Is that why these horses were carved in the first place - to unite man with the land?  To dig a deeper connection between us and nature, and to provide an outlet for our expanse of human emotion? 

Next time you notice a two dimensional hillside Horse give a thought to the mythology behind them; their early role in transportation, communication, invasion and conquest.

Ask yourself if you can resist it's power and try to drive on by without a second glance! 

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fiction.html#BJ41bq4DLhQH8kLJ.99

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fiction.html#BJ41bq4DLhQH8kLJ.99

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fiction.html#BJ41bq4DLhQH8kLJ.99

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fiction.html#BJ41bq4DLhQH8kLJ.99

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fiction.html#BJ41bq4DLhQH8kLJ.99

Dig Deep!

A Buddhist sutra states: 

"If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, 

look at the results as they are manifested in the present.  

And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future,  look at the causes that exist in the present".

As a follow on to 'Mirror Mirror whose in my shadow on the wall'.... I've been thinking about how we hide our true self from ourselves.  How this is the 180 degree opposite of a horse's nature of honesty; no masks, no pretence, no lies.

From the perspective of Buddhism, we never fail to receive the effect of our actions, whether good or bad; therefore, it’s meaningless to be two-faced or to pretend to be something we’re not. Do horses understand Buddhism I wonder?
 
American cowboys and natural horsemen believe there's no complexity to working with horses.  There are a limited number of different types of "problem horse" - horses that buck - buck; horses that rear -rear; horses that bolt - bolt, etc. With problem horses they deal with the problem not the horse.

In my coaching work with people who want to live more of the life they want  I follow a similar approach: we have to identify what's currently in the way of them having what they want, and  identify the cause/s and not focus solely on the effect or symptoms.  This is how it works...

In an earlier blog I mentioned how Grace was helping to teach me to be more Assertive, (for people who know me well this may come as a shock)!  Like many aspects of our personality a trait can show up (or not) in different situations or contexts.  Around horses, where my overriding desire to to keep everyone 'safe' and 'well' in my head there is no room for conflict, fights, and upset.  So, being assertive is something I can do in other parts of my life, but tend not to when around horses.  My belief is that it could end up with too much 'energy' on my hands and resulting in a fight or me being thrown off!  (Much like our horses our own survival instincts will usually win out).

So, given this is how I am, I could work on developing techniques - mental, or behavioural - that will improve my assertiveness with Grace.  However, I have to WANT to do that, then I have to REMEMBER those new tools and want to believe they will be of use to me.  Like a diet - the slightest sign it isn't working and i'll not bother!

Tools and techniques in life aren't always enough to get the behaviour change we need or want from ourselves or others.  (This applies when training our horses too). If it's not enough, then we have to dig deeper.  We have to search for answers to questions such as:

1. Where does this reluctance to be assertive come from?  
2. Why do I believe it is linked to  'safety'  or 'conflict'? 
3. How does it serve me well?  
4. What thoughts and feelings do I have about being Assertive?
5. What decisions have I been making, as a result of these beliefs?
6. What choices do I have?

Getting to the bottom of these questions will throw up the 'root cause' behind our current behaviours (symptoms) and the reality of why we don't do as others have told us to do, or apply techniques we've we have already learnt, or know.  

We have to dig deep to reveal things we may have forgotten about - hence they work like secrets: buried, locked away, never to be shared or discussed. Most of our 'secrets' are written and created by the time we are 7 years of age.  No wonder they aren't top of mind - that can be a long time ago!

When these forgotten events and experiences are significant such as experiencing fear, abandonment, violence, abuse, - they will have a habit of showing up again later in life as a pattern that keeps repeating;  another bullying boss;  partner who won't commit or leaves us;  another friend who can't be trusted.

Often when we struggle to be assertive around those who have some hold or power over us (in my case 600 kilos of horse power) a root cause lies in feeling that we don't have the right to assert ourselves.  At a deeper level that 'right' can originate in a life threatening consequence if we did.  That's very real.  Its a relationship with assertion that has a powerful hold based on fear, and needs to be healed before we can commit to change.

Hidden secrets can show up in unhealthy ways through our relationship with almost anything you care to think of: our relationship towards money, commitment, responsibility, trust or success, etc.  Does it mean we are in some way 'sick' because we have some buried secrets? No, of course not.  However, if secrets buried deep remain so, and do get in the way of us changing, growing or breaking free of unhelpful patterns then we can become ill.  Mentally and physically we can become sick.  We can even find ourselves accident prone, or suddenly suffering from back pain without an obvious cause. We trip up a lot, bang our right knee all the time, etc.  Small, apparently insignificant signals that we have 'stuff' to deal with.

When I fall off a horse I pay close attention to which part of me was injured, if any?  Which side did I land on?  Which part of me hit the ground first?  Luckily ive only had 3 falls in the last 2 years, but each one proved very helpful in revealing areas of my life to take a close look at.

Thank you Grace!

So rather than have secrets buried within us, I vote we all start to fall in love with ourselves, to find out whats lying dormant back there in the recesses of our past - and explore!  Imagine dating yourself for the first time - and ask all those questions you ask of another when trying to find out who they are and how they tick.

Most of all, remember why you fell in love with horses and ask yourself why?  Why you?  Why horses?  Why hasn't that love or need diminished over the years?  My parents used to say to me "one day you'll grow out of this childish horse obsession..."  I never did!  Now, it's even more apparent to me why I haven't.  Imagine the lack of personal growth in my life if I didn't have 3 wonderful equine teachers to give me honest, constructive feedback every single day.  This is something I'm very grateful for.

It is the Attitude of Grattitude that helps keep us well, balanced, healthy and able to experience the abundance that life has to offer.