Slow down and take a look…

I had just so eloquently written my first blog post, after much deliberation wondering if anyone would really care to read my stuff then deciding it wasn’t for anyone but me when…I went to download a picture and hadn’t saved what I’d so beautifully put together. Opps. It was a read about shutting down our ability to comprehend, not being listened to or understood, and as it went on… the foundation to all relationships no matter the language is the ability to understand what is being communicated and how to effectively convey your position in the conversation with positive affects to both parties. Whew. I know that “focus” for some is a challenge and though listening you may not see what’s going on around you. Like the horse, observation and using your full peripheral offers opportunities to assess the energy and movements all around you. In part, that is keeping your surroundings safe. Be still and don’t miss a thing. Observations will be heightened if you just slow down and look around you.

I had 2 lessons this day with 94-year-old Courtney and later, a woman who has horses and donkeys of her own who’d lost some confidence after an accident. When Courtney arrived all 5 of the Nokota® horses were laying in a circle on the hill nearest the barn, basking in the sun. He called to them from over the fence saying that he was here for his lesson. Leoti popped up and beelined it inside the 40x40 space. I shut the gate because she likes the time on her terms to figure out what is up. Plus, she likes the quiet away from the bossy geldings so she doesn’t have to wear her bitch face. What I treasure most about the time inside the barn is that the horses don’t come up and in because there is grain or treats because there is not. There is equipment, saddles, pads, loping hackamores, sticks, strings, ropes…and a big ass mounting station, chairs and a safe space to groom, play, and ride in. So, when they come in, they want to stay. The gate is either open or shut no matter, they still are not eager to leave. Valuing the essence of the horses is as important as the people who come here.

Courtney has hit his time with exploring the use of the stick and string, ropes, the flag… We have settled comfortably with a 4’, tapered bamboo stick that is light enough for him to get full movement with and the smaller arena suits both him and the horses. Chief came in to make himself available for the lesson. So interesting as he came here the most shut down and physically compromised a year and a half ago now here we are, the three of us as calm as the blue sky outside. I drew a 4’ circle around Courtney, set a stool nearby for stability, handed him the stick to play with the 5 zones moving Chief at liberty. Sending him out, drawing him in, changing directions, and stopping him. Courtney is 94 with a diminishing vision. This means he is already slow and how can he see what’s going on around him? Yet, as I watched the horses’ reactions to him using his stick from the circle, I was thinking about the meanings of “blind trust”. I am watching Chief believing Courtney’s intentions and responding to the light raise, drop and use of the bamboo without hesitation. Here too, is what I saw… a man with wisdom and knowledge about life who wanted to learn a new language. His wife had learned Swahili. Courtney wanted to learn the language of the horse. Though both require understanding and communication, this new language for Coutrney has allowed him to see and experience truth in words whether thought or spoken. The patience gleaned from both parties, to recognize the need for boundaries and how to set them with clarity, kindness and confidence, has been a picture of love… then you start to understand what safety really means to the horse and the Old Man.

I opened a lower pasture after our session for the horses to go while I tied up a round bale in the bottom pasture. Why I am conveying this is because when the woman came later that afternoon the horses had found some grass and a new round bale. Why would they want to come up to the barn? What do you know… here comes Chief. Dude, again? Here he was standing at the fence to the 60x60 outdoor arena away from the rest of the herd. Are you sick? I thought as I gave him a good look over and opened the gate. I had brought a dually halter and one long line as a place to start. Let’s call her Lesa, has a desire to start driving her donkeys and horses. We introduced the new halter, attached to the left side-pull ring, I pulled out the zone chart and off we went. Asking very little or enough to be effective to drive the horse forward at a walk. See what happens when you step forward in front of that driveline? Take a good look at where you are as you and the horse are moving. When you change your position from his eye either forward or back you cause him to speed up or stop. The reason you want to drive from there is because that is the position on his body where you will be riding him. He sees you there. I let Lesa try and figure it out with some good, short go arounds. She was understanding the place where she should put herself but what was missing was the catching of the horses’ eye. This became apparent when I instructed her to ask him for a stop and send him the other way. The longline was still attached to the opposite side and he was turning around to adjust not because of the feel of the rope on the wrong side rather there was no direction being conveyed as to where he was to go. Lesa was looking at his feet not his eye. An “I see” moment and everything was really cool. Chief was then unhaltered and remained there. The gate from the arena to the pasture opened. He remained. What is it about what happens with those that come here to learn about horses that turns into so much more? This is what… Sometimes it takes getting out of your element or comfort zone or the noise of a bustling life to be able to slow down and take a look at what is really going on around you. All around you. To be heard, understood, considered, respected and see that some kind of language is going on here. All the while learning how to communicate with a 1,000 lb. It really shows us the possibilities and our own struggles. As I wind down, I have this song in my head … “slow down, you move too fast. You gotta make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobblestones. Looking for fun and feeling groovy…”