November 25th 2022
I’m reminded this week of the importance of time, practice, and repetition. On Wednesday I rode Jack again for the first time in at least two months. When we paused our training under saddle he’d been out half a dozen times and had maybe 4 hours under saddle. So we restarted from the very beginning and ended with some circles in the round pen and a short excursion toward the main drive and back to the barn. He was apprehensive and I think a bit confused but he went along with everything I asked and I tried not to push him. The only thing I wanted was a success, no matter what that looked like.
This morning we went across the road to deliver feed to the laying flock and we had to cross some steel plates. Scout paused to try to look at them, but Sam kept going and we were quickly approaching a conundrum so I urged Scout forward and she panicked a bit when she realized she was standing on the street plate and she scurried off of it. On the way back we paused and I had her walk between the plates instead. She still examined them but kept moving and once past we trotted up the street and went about our day.
Now these are two very different horses, working on two totally separate skills but the lesson for us humans remains consistent. We’ve got to be tuning in. We can’t hold so tightly to our own agendas or goals that we push things (or creatures or each other) past the breaking point. There’s something to be said for getting outside your comfort zone, but going too far, or too fast or simply on the wrong day can be worse than having skipped the work altogether. I don’t know about you, but I am always pushing myself. It’s very easy for me to see where horses require time or patience, I try to see it in people too, but that very rarely extends to my own self. The holiday season in particular can heap on even more expectations and demands, and even good and wonderful things can bring their own added stress. So I have been trying to give myself a bit more time. I have been trying to allow myself a break every now and then. Even if it means repeating a few steps or perhaps sacrificing progress I have found more appreciation in coming back around to things I enjoy with a clear mind instead of showing up already exhausted. I often wonder why it’s so easy for us to be kind and careful with other people and yet we can be relentless with ourselves. So be gentle, take a breath, take some time, hit the snooze and return to the world refreshed.