The Good and the Bad

Yesterday was a good day: I visited Thunder and had a great ride.  I also met up with some old friends and met some new ones in the area's horse industry.  Today, not as much: the non-profit organization I work with lost a favorite mare from our therapy program.  That's not to say that the whole day was awful, but I think we all can agree that one event can turn around an entire day.  When working with horses, it seems like heartbreak or elation can happen nearly at random.

Starting with my ride on Thunder is a discussion of elation.  At the walk, Thunder kept his head focused and on the bit.  He bent in the corners and used his back evenly on the straight.  At the trot, he started off rushing through my breath and slow posting.  After working on his transitions between walk and trot for a little while, he slowed down and paid attention for the next command.  We extended the trot on the long sides and moved into a slow, seated trot on the short sides.  He listened beautifully.  When we picked up a serpentine pattern at the trot, he rushed on the straight and ducked his inside shoulder down into the turn, so I stretched the pattern out (making only three  times across instead of four or five), and even walked him through the pattern in collection once each way.  From there, he had it perfectly together.

After spending a few years not being regularly worked, Thunder has lost some of his fitness, and it really shows at the canter.  He throws his body rather than carrying it, rushing around, and he dips in the turns like a motorcycle.  It's especially pronounced on the left lead.  In order to try to get him to practice cantering while keeping himself together, we've done a lot of transition work there, too.  These transitions aren't entirely smooth, as Thunder is a clear case of "once at the canter, he wants to stay in motion," but they are becoming smoother and more collected.  I couldn't be happier with the boy.

The loss of Sweetie (the mare I told you about), on the other hand, is a discussion of heartbreak.  She was very old and arthritic, but she was certainly a "sweetie" and a barn favorite.  She will be missed by everyone who got the chance to work with her, volunteers and clients alike.  On Tuesday night I saw her as I did chores and pet her soft nose for the last time.  I'll really miss her a lot.

It's amazing how many ups and downs can come by within a week with horses, but to me, any time with horses is better than any time without.  As much as I'll miss Sweetie, there is still much work to be done towards becoming a better horsewoman for the rest of the herd on earth.  I have to keep practicing, keep thinking and focusing, and keep studying what I can to create the best equine relationships possible.