The oracle card theme of "Let Go" proved to be a beautiful reminder for me throughout this past week. Thankfully the weather was much more cooperative in terms of temperature and I was able to transition Annie into phase two of my conditioning plan for her which means we are back to saddling! This also means that I am consciously working on letting go of expectations in basically everything we do.
It's not like she has never been saddled or that I've never ridden her saddled, but I'm approaching things much slower this time around to preserve our relationship and create positive experiences for her. I've been riding her occasionally using a bareback pad in the last year but not spending much time in the saddle in favor of focusing on a much deeper level of emotional and physical healing for both of us after leaving the previous barn we were at. As I prepared her to go back to under saddle work at the end of last year, we focused on super slowly improving her posture and development. Last month we focused on improving her stamina and I upped the intensity of her physical conditioning because she finally felt ready for that.
With all of those pieces in play, I feel comfortable starting to saddle her again and add in that additional weight. I think a lot of people overlook how adding the sensation and weight of just the saddle impacts their horses which is also why I dedicate a whole phase of conditioning to working under saddle but without me in it. I'm absolutely over the moon that so far she has been incredibly comfortable and willing to respond and move just as well with the saddle on. I'm reminding myself to take each day at a time, to let go of any concrete expectations in order to allow our time together to progress organically, and to allow her to continue guiding our next steps - all of which has yet to steer us wrong.
I've also been doing a lot of work on myself to continue to improve for the both of us. I'm constantly learning to level up myself as an equine advocate for Annie and all of the horses I work with, I've been working with a therapist again since October of last year, I go to the gym with my husband a few times a week and work out at home, I practice yoga and meditation nearly daily, and I committed myself to getting massages for myself every six weeks. It's really important to me that I be as balanced as possible in my own body and mind to best support Annie from her back.
I'm a big stickler for not holding our horses to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. It's not fair to our horses to put all of this work into them with the intent of making them more physically fit and emotionally balanced while not doing the same for ourselves. Doing the work to create said fitness and balance in your horse is wonderful, but if you aren't also working to become fit and balanced, they will be forced to adjust for you rendering the work on their end null and void. This "do what I say, not as I do" mentality towards our horses is another way that we can easily diminish our partnerships with them. When we're not pulling our weight, we're forcing the horse to make up the difference in our abilities at their physical and mental expense. This isn't to say that you won't have areas to grow in, but it is very different to actively be working on growing and improving as a horse person in step with your horse rather than burying your head in the sand and putting all of the expectations for improvement on them.
We ended our week with energy and body work which was a lovely change of pace after a few really wonderful under saddle sessions this week to kick of phase two of our conditioning. I groomed Annie then brought her into the arena so she could do her thing while I meditated to ground myself before working with her. It was really sweet that she just stood over me for most of the time there rather than choosing to wander off and eat the hay that was available or explore the arena. I then offered her acupressure and massage before allowing her to self-select some aromatherapy oils - spearmint was a BIG hit for her this time around prompting a ton of yawns! By the time we were done, the horses in the barn around us were either falling asleep or totally relaxed, too. These "Sacred Sundays" as I refer to them are another area where I actively have to work to let go of any expectations around what I might see or even hope to see from Annie, I simply have to accept whatever feedback she offers and work from there, big releases or no. That being said, it's really such an empowering feeling to know that I can help support my horse in this way and I definitely recommend that everyone spend at least a little time learning how to offer their horse some sort of gentle bodywork or therapy in between visits from professionals. Not only is it a great way to help your horse feel good, but it is a really beautiful opportunity to bond with them and get to know them better.
Empowering Observations:
You should probably be thanking your horse more! Seriously, it's amazing to me how many people either practice gratitude but don't actively thank their horse while their together or don't thank their horse at all. I've always believed that part of what makes our relationships with horses so unique is the fact that we as humans are predators who are able to create partnerships with horses who are prey animals. I make a conscious effort to thank Annie for all that she does for me as much as possible from greeting me at the gate, to grooming time, to expressing herself, to choosing to work with me during training. We have SO much to be thankful for in relation to these generous creatures and I believe it's so important to actually tell that to them. Try it next time with your horse!
Conditioning your horse takes A LOT longer than you probably think! I've chatted with a few people who are surprised by how slowly I've been working on Annie's physical fitness which sparked this observation. A lot of folks give their horses the winters off and then pick up in the spring as if they hadn't. A horse turned out 24/7 will fare better than a horse that is stalled, but they still are not physically the same horse you had at the end of last season. It's so important to make sure you take the time it takes to appropriately prepare their bodies for the ridden work you will be doing - and it's not a timeline of a few weeks, it's normally at least a few months. Sure, you can get a horse fit to go fast relatively quickly, but that does not mean you are setting them up to successfully withstand injury.
Things I'm Loving This Week
Om & The Equestrian's Self Love Series - again! Okay I know I said this one last week but since it's still going on and I'm still loving this morning routine, I had to add it again. I really love the fact that Natasha explains how various poses and breathwork practices benefit us as equestrians because it makes the work so much more tangible to me. That, and I can say that I have definitely been noticing a difference in how my body is moving lately thanks to her yoga practices!
AB Equine Therapy's Helping Hand tool! This simple and affordable little tool has been such a welcome addition to my tack box and regular routine. It's a handheld massage tool for your horse that comes with a link to a "how to" video that explains how and where to use it. Not only does Annie love it, but it's also been great to massage Annie while also saving my hands from all the work that goes into massaging a horse's huge muscles!
After having to double blanket Annie with the insane artic blast we had last week, I started looking at different blanket options since I have to imagine that was not a completely random one-off fluke with how our climate is changing. I've been using SmartPak's Ultimate sheets/blankets for a while now because I like the 10 year warranty on them, but I'm not 100% in love with their fit on Annie even after sizing up with the changes in her chest and shoulders. I ended up going back to Weatherbeeta (my go to with my late gelding, Jäger) and I am SO glad that I did! They have a winter sale going on now and I was able to get a Comfitec Plus Dynamic II sheet and an Ultra Cozi medium weight blanket that both accommodate their clip-in liner system. Between the liners and the sheet + blanket, I'll be able to make eight different blanket combinations ranging from 0g of fill to 520g without adding extra bulk. I'm really thrilled with how they fit and I love all of the features they offer.
Equestrian Reflection
Journal Prompt: I can bring more ease into my life by...
I think the biggest way I can create more ease in my life is by allowing myself to let go of what I think I "should" be doing when what I need to do is what works and feels best for me. This is certainly a topic that has popped up regularly in therapy for me and it's an area I've been working to grow in. It's definitely still a process, though, and I often have to catch myself and question how I'm truly feeling about things. By letting go of the "shoulds" and focusing on listening to and following through for myself, I think I could generate a lot more ease in my life overall.
Affirmation: The things that feel easy to me are designed that way for a reason.
Equestrian Oracle
Theme for the Upcoming Week
Show Off
There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a horse prance through a wide-open paddock. They engage their muscles, arch their neck and move with elegance and suspension. It's like they feel proud showing off their beautiful body and expressing themselves.
It's ironic though, because when a horse shows off, we find it beautiful, but when a person shows off, we can often feel like they are too much. Too full of themselves, too selfish or too overbearing, but is this truly the case?
This card is calling you to realize that showing off and fully expressing yourself is actually safer than keeping yourself small. Because who do you think is really judging themselves the most, the person pretending not to be seen or the one on the stage owning it?
*The Equestrian Reflection and Equestrian Oracle cards are courtesy of Felicity Davies and can be purchased directly from her here. Full transparency - I receive no financial gain from sharing these, I just love them and find them to be helpful on this journey!
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