Saturday

Visited Gwen this morning. She and Carrie were gone for about a week to a cattle herding ranch. It was good to see her.

Sadly, Monty isn't doing good. His muscle disease is acting up again. He has restrictions and they are trying to determine if he needs to go back on steroids. I am praying that God just heals him. His Will though. Poor Monty isn't feeling well.

Also, Angel has a rough ankle. She's been keeping off it for a couple of weeks - or longer. Gwen is trying to heal it, but she's also looking at getting a different horse, because she really likes to ride and trailer a lot. She can't have a horse that can't take her. I'm praying for Angle's ankle, too.

Thank God that my baby girl is in great shape. She and I did some easy and fun bareback riding in the round pen this morning before the heat came on. It was nice to just spend a little time with her.

I picked up some new treats, brushes, and a can of hoof dressing for her at Fleet Farm after I left. She's got some dry hoofs in this droughty season. A little cracking. I know Gwen will take good care of it, though. :)

Working Out

Rode this morning again. Loved it. Just went out on the trails across the street. We ran in the field a lot. She did great. Good exercise for us both. Very similar to Tuesday's adventure.

I'm enjoying this first week of Summer School that allots me 4 hours in the cool mornings. 

the beautiful intangible

This morning was fantastic. I dropped Zeek off at school and went to Gwin. It was in the high 60s, sunny, and gorgeous outside. 

I was stressed out about Jeff, and I could tell that I had a hard time connecting to her right away. I spent some time just loving on her, opening my heart up and resting in her unconditional love and understanding. 

I'm always amazed at all the ways that God enlightens me, sharpens my senses, and strengthens me in areas of my spiritual life using my experiences with Gwin. 

Once I was in a right mind and a light heart for riding we set off. 

We did some "round pen" work while I was in the saddle on our way down the long driveway. Backing, side passing, standing still, both of us listening. Then we made our way across the street. She ate some, we moved slowly and relaxed across the land. When we got to the fields we had trotted into a warm up. Once in the fields we did a lot of running. Back and forth, bolting up hills, walking down hills, around and around we went. It was so nice. 

I LOVE TO RIDE HER FAST. And she loves to go fast. And when something flies out of the woods and scares her, she plants instead of spooks. And it's so easy to stay on her. I found a lot of times that I wasn't even directing her where to go, how fast or slow. We were just in sync. 

On the way home I also noticed that her excitement to return to her friends was not there. FINALLY. She moseyed along, taking here time. She nibbled some grass, I bird watched and worshiped God, thanking Him for leading me to this. To Gwin. To following my heart. To learning what it's like to trust her. To listen to her and move when I know what she is saying. To navigate the intangible... the way I need to with Him. 

Once back to the barn, I brushed her out and turned her into her friends. 

I put on my Facebook,

"I can try to learn as much as I want about horses by watching, reading and listening to outside sources... but today I'm convinced that I would have never had a shot at learning all that I need to know about MY horse if I hadn't learned how to listen to HER ♥"

Home

Today, Zeek went to his Nanna's all day, and I spent about five hours with Gwin.

We started with a trail ride. She is SO responsive to the slightest coaxing with my right boot. That is awesome, since I really only had to prove to her that I would do the "one, two, KICK" during one ride, and now it's maintaining itself. 

Because of this, we had no problem getting around from one place to the next. She even crossed the street and the "bridge" well. These are areas where she used act up because she knew there wasn't much I could do. They are places where I would protect us first, and get what I wanted second. She's certainly no dumby. ;)

Once I realized where we were where, half way through our usual trails, we headed to my house! It was such a short way that I was laughing at myself we'd never gone before. 

Gwin was VERY uncomfortable when I took her straight onto my land and had her all over the yard and woods. It was eye opening for me, because I knew just how very safe she was. Knowing that I was fully confident and aware of our surroundings, and that she was not in ANY danger what-so-ever, showed me that she can be scared all on her own having nothing to do with reality or her riders insecurities. 

I felt great showing her around. We accidentally separated a mama deer and her sweet tiny baby/s in the woods. We had to leave so they could reunite. 

Up at the house, I took Gwin's saddle off. I tried to tie her to a couple of trees... each time she immediately wound herself around them and panicked. I didn't know where to put her so I could go in to pee, get some sun screen, and bring lunch out. 

I finally decided to try the dog trolley. It was AWESOME! She could get around. He lead was no where near her feet, ever, and she could be close enough to the house to feel safe. I still only went in the house quickly three separate times so I could keep a good eye on her. She was an emotional mess here. :)

My favorite was when she spotted herself in my front door (which is pretty much a big window), and thought there was another horse. She whinnied and whinnied until the neighbors came over! They used to have horses so they were very excited to see a horse in the neighborhood. 

On our ride home I was a little nervous. I think it was all that nervous energy from Gwin back at my place. But we rode past a mail man in his truck, and he had that warmest eyes. He smiled big and said, "great day for a ride", and I felt at peace again. Can't let all that horse drama separate you from being a human, right!? 

The ride home was fun (and quick). Just at the very end it sprinkled a little. So cool and refreshing. I groomed her in the stall for about an hour, taking care of her legs too. She loved having her legs groomed. She would even pick her feet up to push her leg deeper into the brushed. 

I turned her out to Monty and Angel. She must be in heat, because she was all over Monty, flirty and suggesting. Poor girl. Monty looks hot, but he's out of commission and has nothing to offer her. 

I drove to Jeff's to take care of things there by about 3:30. It was SO nice to have had the whole day with my girl. Can't wait for Monday when Zeek's summer school starts, and I will have four morning hours a day with her for six weeks! :)

Soft and Warm

Today, Zeek and I went by Gwin for about an hour and a half. Zeek stayed in the Jeep with the windows open reading and using his media hour. 

I worked Gwin on the ground in the round pen. First I used a lounge line (a morning tip I got from my A. Jude to help communicate head and body positioning). She did really well, and I was able to turn her in when I needed to. 

Second I worked her around with no lounge. She turned in to me perfectly whenever I asked her to stop. So nice. 

After that little work out of the mind and feet, I attached her rope reigns to her rope halter and did some more work bareback with leg reigning. I don't know why for sure, but when I got on her at first, she pinned her ears and backed at me a little. ??? It could have been that she wasn't expected me to mount off the fence. OR because it was my first time on her bareback skin to skin, because I was wearing shorts. 

Whatever it was, I checked her all out, reassured her, and let her get calm and ready before we began.

Her leg reigning is getting better and softer everyday. Which of course, it should. I'm just so proud of her. We worked on backing near the end of our session. She isn't quite understanding what I'm asking, and the leg cues are confusing her to where she isn't even sure what I mean when I ask her with the reigns as a last resort. 

We will continue working on that slowly. I'm just so pleased that we are connecting, warm and soft on the ground and riding. THIS is what I want from our relationship. Good listening and respecting, both from one to the other. 

Repeat

Today was much like yesterday, without the initial transition for Gwin once she realized that I was getting back to the heart of us.

Today, she knew the feeling as soon as I stepped out of the Jeep.

She was anxious for me. I could tell. I thought I would clean up her area a little, fill her feed bag, and then get to visiting and playing with her... but I could tell she was not thinking to wait for me the way she would have gladly gone about her business until I came to catch her in the past. Her energy was directed right at me, as if she were wondering and hoping that things would be the same today as they were yesterday between us.

And they were. After our hello and snuggles she politely followed me around, keeping at least 10 feet between us, but soft staring at me until I was finished working. We couldn't wait to get our hands on each other. :)

We went right out to the round pen first. I didn't even close the gate. I just led her to the fence and climbed on her bareback. We rode inside, practicing our leg reigning and stretching a bit. Then we went out into the yard.

It was beautiful out, again. We walked and trotted all over the place. Back the pond, up the tree hill, around the pastures, on the trails... Gwin grazed shortly now and then and I took in the time we had. It felt perfect.

Then tonight, I finished my first Mark Rashid book, and funny enough, he wrapped the whole thing up with a story about a woman who was all command and tactics and alpha. Her horse did everything she wanted it to, but she didn't have any connection to it. It has built a wall between itself and her, and the woman wanted more.

Of course, it all ended up that she had to build back the kind of trust that would bring the horse around to her heart. And of course, the horse preformed even better once she was allowed to rather than demanded/expected/forced to.

The woman wrote in a letter that she wanted to get back to the way she rode at heart when she was younger.

I couldn't help but remember what happened to me as a result of learning all the technicalities of photography AFTER I became a photographer at heart. It took all the heart out of it. My photographs just weren't the same when they were technically correct but had no heart connecting. I regretted letting that happen, knowing I would never be in a place of full instinct again having piled to much information, theory and technique on top of my natural work.

I won't do that again. Not with Gwin. 

At the Heart

Today was SO good with Gwin. I went out by her for a few hours in the early afternoon. I worked with her using some of the things Linda taught me on Wednesday. Gwin responded SO soft and well. It was fun. We had a great, connected, loving, bonding three hours together. And I couldn't have been happier. 

I talked to her. With my heart. I know that sounds a little crazy, but it completely works, and anyone who knows and loves horses knows it's true.

I've learned with Gwin, that somehow, if I stay loyal to my word and prove the integrity of my true character whenever I'm with her, she opens up to me. If I lie to her or myself in choosing/trying things out that I don't feel are right for us, I lose her altogether for that session. It's just that simple.

Today, we did MY kind of round pen work. And it was lovely. She did JUST what I'd hoped she would do. We rode bare back with just her rope harness and reigns. We did all leg reigning only in the pen. She was remarkable. Then we went out of the pen (first time bare) and rode ALL over the property. We did most leg reigning. Some trotting (I'm getting there) and lots of "partnering" on our walk. It was fantastic!

Then I spent some time with her in her space. Gwen and Carrie took Angle and Monty on a weekend trail riding trip, so we had the place all to ourselves. I kneeled and sat a lot. Stepped back when she made eye contact. (This really does make her come to me!) And just hung out without asking anything of her.

A few times she came over while I was down low, she put her face to my face softly and loved me. Once, she blew long and gentle on my right cheek and then did the same to my left. It was so sweet.

I let her out to pasture and took some photographs of her. Okay, like maybe 300 or so. :) It was so beautiful out and we were having such a good time together. I kept having to move back because she kept slowly working her way to me in her grass munching. ;)

Finally, it started to rain and I had to close up shop, bring her in for her beet pulp and supplements, and head home.

I can't wait for our time together again tomorrow.