From my journal, a long time ago (1999? 2000?).
Wanless:
"At least some of us ride to find out who we really are."
Henry Moore:
"The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for the rest of your life. And the most important thing is, it must be something you cannot possibly do."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:
"The best moments (in life) usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile ... one's skills are adequate to cope with the challenges at hand ... concentration is so intense that there is no attention left over to think about problems. Self-conciousness disappears, and the sense of time becomes distorted. An activity that produces such experiences is so gratifying that people are willing to do it for its own sake, with little concern for what they will get out of it, even when it is difficult, or dangerous."
N. (?) Seuning: (I can't read my own writing)
"Riding: The dialogue of two bodies and two souls whose goal is to establish perfect harmony between them."
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A bronze star trail ride
After last weekend's spectacular success, I shouldn't have had my hopes up for a repeat performance. And Willig was set up for failure because I found out this week (on Wednesday) that my beloved dog (my other blog) has a second heart problem on top of the first one, and I don't think he's going to make it much longer. So in the big scheme of things, I figured Willig and Mercury could just enjoy life this summer and I'll spend extra time with my dog.
Well, short version is Willig doesn't like "enjoying life." He'd rather I come out and work him every day.
He was pretty wound up today. I rode him Tuesday and then I lunged him Saturday, but for him, that is an extremely light week. So this morning, even though it was hot, he ran and ran and ran on the lunge line, and worked himself into a full lather. He just stayed jumpy after that.
To compound the problem, Sam rode Mercury, and I finally got to see the problems she's been talking about. They were suspecting it was a group problem, and since he's been on the trails tons alone and lots with one other horse, I wasn't sure one more horse makes a difference. It seems to. He was terrible. I told Sam not to ride him on trails anymore with two other people, but I'm not sure how I'm going to fix the problem since a) it's almost impossible for me to get two people to go out with me, and b) I only have two horses, so that means I have to get two people with their own horses to boot!
But at least we know now it isn't Sam, and isn't random with Merc. I don't know why he would be a weirdo with three but not two.
The high points, however, were that Willig and Erin were good in the water, and we did the medium hill (the steepest is still too steep) and we got to see Rainier.
As to the two comments posted to my last blog - I agree completely that I think I needed some time to get my "feel" back. Instead of making a list of questions for Bob, I have to figure it out myself, and while that's slower and I make mistakes in the things I try, I can "read" Willig much better now than I could when I first got him. It's like I'm regaining my horse sense, which I kind of wondered where it had gone too. I still plan to get a new trainer as soon as I can afford it (and hopefully diesel prices will stop going up!), but I think this summer has been well spent working with Willig and me on relationships, trust, and figuring each other out. He seems to be getting better and better (or at least, more predictable). I'm fond of him.
And I will try the keratex next winter! Thanks for the tip!
Well, short version is Willig doesn't like "enjoying life." He'd rather I come out and work him every day.
He was pretty wound up today. I rode him Tuesday and then I lunged him Saturday, but for him, that is an extremely light week. So this morning, even though it was hot, he ran and ran and ran on the lunge line, and worked himself into a full lather. He just stayed jumpy after that.
To compound the problem, Sam rode Mercury, and I finally got to see the problems she's been talking about. They were suspecting it was a group problem, and since he's been on the trails tons alone and lots with one other horse, I wasn't sure one more horse makes a difference. It seems to. He was terrible. I told Sam not to ride him on trails anymore with two other people, but I'm not sure how I'm going to fix the problem since a) it's almost impossible for me to get two people to go out with me, and b) I only have two horses, so that means I have to get two people with their own horses to boot!
But at least we know now it isn't Sam, and isn't random with Merc. I don't know why he would be a weirdo with three but not two.
The high points, however, were that Willig and Erin were good in the water, and we did the medium hill (the steepest is still too steep) and we got to see Rainier.
As to the two comments posted to my last blog - I agree completely that I think I needed some time to get my "feel" back. Instead of making a list of questions for Bob, I have to figure it out myself, and while that's slower and I make mistakes in the things I try, I can "read" Willig much better now than I could when I first got him. It's like I'm regaining my horse sense, which I kind of wondered where it had gone too. I still plan to get a new trainer as soon as I can afford it (and hopefully diesel prices will stop going up!), but I think this summer has been well spent working with Willig and me on relationships, trust, and figuring each other out. He seems to be getting better and better (or at least, more predictable). I'm fond of him.
And I will try the keratex next winter! Thanks for the tip!
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Willig gets gold stars today!
We had a great day today. I started things off with a change in routine, which is normally very disturbing for Willig. I got there and was grooming him in the cross-ties as the other horses were being put out, and he pranced around until he got two good, hard smacks with the crop, and then he was as still and docile as a lamb. He lunged (no crazies), and did a little lunging over a jump. Then I rode him (excellent) and we rode the jump both directions at the trot, and once at the canter. He is sooooo smooth to ride over fences. Even when he does a hop or takes off too close or too far, it is like floating on a cloud. I can feel the hang. And, special bonus, he isn't getting all crazy in the head and running around after.
The approach I am taking is to let him figure it out - on the lunge line and with me on him - I want him to learn, on these little flimsy ones, where to take off and how to control himself, instead of me telling him. In case of trouble, I want him to know what to do.
Then my friend Janis showed up with her mare, Erin, and we went on a trail ride. I tried to take them down the super steep hill, but Willig was scared and Janis declined, so we did the other hills (everyone was great), and then the dreaded stream. I got off, jumped the first bit to a gravel bar, turned around, saw Willig doing the little leap dance, and then shrieked like a little girl as he leapt at me. Being on the ground, with Willig slightly uphill, both legs tucked and coming straight at you like a torpedo is a little heart stopping. He splashed a little into the water, realized it didn't kill him, and then happily pranced around in it, doing his little downward horse, flipping it with his lips, and just stomping all around happy as a clam. Eventually Erin decided it couldn't be that bad if the idiot gelding was stomping all around all merry-like, so she came in too. Then, like a mare, when Janis had her foot in and was about to leap up, Erin took one step forward so that Janis fell in the stream. It was totally on purpose, and adds to my reasons to never, ever have a mare.
So then we rode around on the other side of the stream, went back across the stream, did some more trails and hills, went across the stream a third time, and just a little bit after that Willig's brain got tired.
He was excellent. Sometimes he led, sometimes he followed, but after that first big leap, the water was never a problem again. He's not as careful with his feet as I'd like, but he's learning, and best of all, he's starting to trust me.
Mercury was good today too, but Willig blew me - well, out of the water.
The approach I am taking is to let him figure it out - on the lunge line and with me on him - I want him to learn, on these little flimsy ones, where to take off and how to control himself, instead of me telling him. In case of trouble, I want him to know what to do.
Then my friend Janis showed up with her mare, Erin, and we went on a trail ride. I tried to take them down the super steep hill, but Willig was scared and Janis declined, so we did the other hills (everyone was great), and then the dreaded stream. I got off, jumped the first bit to a gravel bar, turned around, saw Willig doing the little leap dance, and then shrieked like a little girl as he leapt at me. Being on the ground, with Willig slightly uphill, both legs tucked and coming straight at you like a torpedo is a little heart stopping. He splashed a little into the water, realized it didn't kill him, and then happily pranced around in it, doing his little downward horse, flipping it with his lips, and just stomping all around happy as a clam. Eventually Erin decided it couldn't be that bad if the idiot gelding was stomping all around all merry-like, so she came in too. Then, like a mare, when Janis had her foot in and was about to leap up, Erin took one step forward so that Janis fell in the stream. It was totally on purpose, and adds to my reasons to never, ever have a mare.
So then we rode around on the other side of the stream, went back across the stream, did some more trails and hills, went across the stream a third time, and just a little bit after that Willig's brain got tired.
He was excellent. Sometimes he led, sometimes he followed, but after that first big leap, the water was never a problem again. He's not as careful with his feet as I'd like, but he's learning, and best of all, he's starting to trust me.
Mercury was good today too, but Willig blew me - well, out of the water.
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