As the first decade of the 21st century winds down and I take a moment to reflect, it seems to me that horses in general--and my horses in particular--have given me a great gift.
They have also given me a lot of challenges and--this year in particular--some rather terrifying experiences. I am truly thankful that Steve's injuries have healed, were not worse than they were, and that he will still get on and ride. Someone asked me shortly after the accident if we were going to get rid of the horses and I have to confess it had not even occurred to me to do that. Luckily, it never occurred to Steve, either.
Both horses have had influence on and from us in 2009, each tossing their decidedly different quirks and personalities into the mix.
Lena has gotten less attention from me this year, and I haven't decided yet if that's good or bad. She has definitely made it clear that she would prefer to remain horse numero uno, at least where food and human focus are concerned, but on the other hand, she really doesn't need to be the center of attention for all three of us. I do have some goals for her for next year--mostly figuring out ways to get her out of her spooky little head by giving her other ways to use that big brain besides levitating sideways at the mere sight of something new.
Bar has gotten the bulk of my attention this year, and that will probably continue to some extent in 2010, though with a lot more work from the saddle going forward. Partly as a result of the ground work--and partly because of my own stubbornness and his willingness to keep at it with me--the trust (and fun) level between us has progressed. That's pretty exciting and keeps me focused on what we can do together, rather than what reaction I'll have to have to counter-act whatever thing he might do. Better not to send out those self-fulfilling prophecies in any case.
I don't really do resolutions, but I do like coming up with a plan for each horse for the next year. Nothing exact, mind you, but something that gives us all something to work towards in the never-ending quest to be better horse-humans.
1 comment:
Glad to hear that Steve healed and still wants to ride. Those of us that aren't spring chickens anymore certainly have cause to think twice.
Are the folks who asked if you were getting rid of the horses "non-horsey" people? I've found that they view them as "just horses", and do not realize how much a part of us they can become.
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