February 18th 2023
Thresholds
This week we hitched Jack and Ivy to a wagon to get some exercise. We drove down toward Given and there's been some work done in the area clearing brush. Jack was extremely suspicious of this change. Rob was driving the team and so I went up to Jack's head and coaxed him forward. We would take a few steps forward and give him some time to look around, eventually turning around and continuing with our morning. I have a few reactions in moments like this, first it can be a bit scary to have an animal getting reactive. It can also be frustrating, especially when they seem to be spooked by something very simple. Just like us, animals have thresholds. This can change from day to day, something that wasn't troublesome yesterday can be stressful today. Or some days there's some trigger that sends an animal's brain into flight mode and it can be very difficult to move them out of that headspace. When I find myself getting a little impatient I am reminded of my own irrational fears. The things that stress me out don't always make sense to other people, but that doesn't make them any less real to me. For instance, I hate the grocery store. (I used to joke that I hated it so much that's why I began farming.) Some days I go grocery shopping and everything is perfectly wonderful. Other days just the idea of having to make countless decisions in a very overstimulating space sounds dreadful. Some people I talk to completely understand this sentiment, while other folks don't get what the big deal is. It's easier for me to see an animal struggling, and pick up on their cues, and backoff when things get close to boiling over. Sometimes I need to find that grace for myself, or the people around me when they're stuck in flight or fight mode. Next week Jack and I will go back and revisit that space and it will get easier over time. I am learning over and over that when I try to force forward motion it always backfires. Sometimes the best thing to do is pause. Take a few steps, and pause again. It is not the fastest path, but sometimes it is the only way forward.