No matter how awful I feel, a good
ride always makes everything better and last
night I got just the ride I needed. I made some important life
decisions recently and while I'm 100% sure with the choice I made, it
doesn't mean it was totally devoid of emotion. As a result I haven't been feeling
quite myself but riding, once again, has proven to be my tether to
sanity and normalcy.
The goal was to do more bitless riding but I
wanted to get a workout in first and make sure I had a listening mareface. Lunged,
tacked up, we got in a nice ride with our normal tack set up with plenty of stretchy
forward trot and a little cantering. I made a point to work a lot on my sitting
trot, which I haven't done in a long time. My core burned fire at the end of
the night but steady improvement noted. I can keep my seat pretty well during
the jog, still some rough moments at the full working trot but I’ll get there.
Self-subjected torture complete, I hopped off and
switched to the bitless bridle. It was our second time using it since I made it
last year. Our first jaunt was a short 5 minute walk so this would be our first
real ride. I tested for brakes first then off we went. As expected it was NBD, walk and trot just fine. She did have a couple stiff neck moments
so I need to troubleshoot and see what is causing the issue. Other than that,
awesome mare was awesome.
I
had an interesting conversation with someone a few weeks ago who pointed
out that riding and going to the barn for him is like a some special
thing to do while for me, it's day-to-day commonplace and routine. It made me wonder if this life would ever become totally "routine" for me. When I took the horsemanship lessons at camp, being at the barn and getting to hang out with horses for the first time was pretty exciting. After spending years dreaming about learning how to ride, finally being able to take lessons as an adult and going on trail rides was certainly a novelty. A year and a half later, I'm not as new to things but I can honestly say I'm still excited. Though I admit it's a different kind of excitement- one where I am reminded of
how lucky I am to have the ability to afford my own horse and how lucky I
was to find her in the first place.
Maybe the act will be day-to-day, but I don't think that feeling will ever become routine.
horses are definitely my happy place too - but i'm pretty ok with referring to it as a 'routine,' esp as i am very much a creature of habit haha. i actually frequently wish it could be more 'routine' than it even is now - like if my actual professional work was in horses rather than a 9-5... oh well tho, those student loans won't pay themselves!
ReplyDeleteI agree haha a routine that involves working with horses wouldn't be bad at all! Maybe not in the books for us now, but who knows in the future right? (:
DeleteThey've been part of my life for the past 25 years, and almost a daily thing for the last 22, with a couple-year hiatuses thrown in the mix. It's never gotten old for me, even when I had my horse at home. I enjoy being at the barn every day and doing a large part of the care myself. I like choosing what they eat and being the one to feed them, knowing what their poops normally look like, and memorizing every little scar while grooming them and finding their favorite scratch spots. It adds a much larger dimension to being a horse owner and is part of what turns them into our true partners.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked with horses for a living, it really isn't all it's cut out to be; it actually took the enjoyment out of working with them, especially when I got seriously hurt by a horse I didn't know well. I've worked both as professional trainer and riding instructor, and was happy to return to a regular job. :) Granted my "regular" job is 3 12-hr work days so I still get 4 days a week to play with the ponies on my own time! :)
Even after all this time, they are still my happy place.
Oh yes I know it's not easy work at all, it's very labor intensive and I have a lot of respect for people who work behind the scenes to run a successful barn- be it private, boarding, training, etc. It's interesting that you mention how working takes the fun out of something- that's actually the reason I haven't taken my art from freelance commissions into a career or even making it into a part time thing!
DeleteI was so bummed though, you know? When I landed the horse training job I initially felt like I was living the dream. And the pay! If only the pay was proportional to the amount of work too...It was good to have the opportunity though. But yes, it's true that making something you love your job can take the joy out of it. It's been the same for me with my art too! :)
DeleteI grew up with horses so they are everyday for me, but the awesome thing about the equestrian lifestyle is that there is always something new to learn and explore! Once you get accustomed to one aspect, you'll uncover something else and gain a whole new perspective! :-)
ReplyDelete