I had a fun day with Tweed yesterday enjoying some rare mom and daughter horseback moments. Tumbleweed couldn’t believe he had a buddy with him and seemed to like watching her work and struggle more than he was. You go girl!
There was one point at which everything converged. He couldn’t see Epona and several groups of horses returned to the equestrian area. He went from concentrating on his work to struggling with his attention and then yanking and shaking his head to get out of it.
It was an “oh crap” moment and in my mind I saw myself getting dumped. His energy was at a 7, but in those moments you don’t know if they’re going to a 10.
I was on my own, so I had to trust what my trainer had drilled into me—meet his energy and continue to support him—he will come back to you.
Right or wrong, (it felt right in the moment) I decided to ask for less collection and more forward movement in circles and serpentines. We moved across the arena at an extended trot that I could post. We circled barrels and rode straight, long lines—mixed it up.
It must have been what he needed because he completely stopped worrying and we were able to get back to the program and have fun.
So, what does that little nugget mean for the trails? How can I support him in the same way out in the big world?
This meme resonated with me.
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We are hovering around freezing at night now which means we had to bring in the flowers we want to overwinter.
The petunias you see here are all volunteers that came up through the bricks.
It is the most glorious volunteer army of flowers we have ever had. I hope they come back again next year.
As for the potted plants, I read an article last week about people using their garages for patio space. We overwintered our plants in the garage last year, which kept us from parking cars in it. I figured, why not make it a patio space and enjoy the flowers all winter?
So we moved in some of the furniture and arranged the plants around a sitting space. The garage is fully insulated and we keep it warm in the winter. The only issue is sunlight, but we ordered an overhead system of grow lights to add to the floor grow lights we already have. I hope it works.
Great job working Tweed through his worries! And that appy is SUPER cute.
ReplyDeleteThank you. That’s Epona.She is my daughter’s from her mare, Cowgirl, who she raised from a weanling and then bred at 17 years old. She has been a lot of fun.
DeleteForward and thinking is a good way to sort out a tangled mind. I saw that meme too and it is sure on point.
ReplyDeleteThat patio idea is great! It should give you more time to enjoy those lovely flowers.
I agree. I didn’t let him get out of the collected work at first, but as soon as he settled and gave me his attention I rewarded him with that longer movement. In fact, at the very beginning of his yanking and tossing I had to do a tight circle. So there were a few more steps, but what got him fully back to me and settled was the movement and lighter contact. You do what you have to do in the moment, and sometimes it comes down to pure instinct. What can I handle, what can he handle?
DeleteI hope the flowers do well this winter. I’ll update this patio post when the grow lights are installed. It would be so nice to have a place to feel (fake) sunshine and experience foliage during the long, dark winters here. 🙏
How nice to share time with your daughter and horses away from home! Good job doing what felt right with Tumbleweed. He has really matured.
ReplyDeleteAmazing and determined volunteer petunia's! I have never heard/thought of a garage patio. Your wonderful new family space is sure to be enjoyed.
I think most people prefer to use their garages for the intended use—cars. Haha. But we never have. It has always been a workshop and storage and (last year) greenhouse. We just made it more user-friendly this year.
DeleteIt is always so fun to have my daughter join me, but one of us is usually watching the grandson, so it’s rare. ❤️