This week was an interesting one but a good one overall! I started off the week with a not so ideal situation, but we moved through it with some support and ended on a great note.
I got to the barn earlier than normal on Monday evening, just in time for dinner. I had fed Annie and Phoebe their dinner then brought Annie into the barn just before dinner was being prepared. I had groomed Annie and started practicing some in-hand pillar work (from the Balance Through Movement Method) in the barn aisle as it's generally a comfortable place for her and we can stay warm while we do a few slow, walking reps. At this point, after going by a couple times, I had turned Annie around and as I was doing that, one of the stalled horses lunged at her from the opposite side of me. She clearly did not want to run me over and because we were at the end of the aisle she couldn't go the other way. She spooked relatively in place despite the active threat to her safety and was visibly shaken after that. I took her out of the aisle and into the arena to move her away from the stalled horses. I had planned on following a conditioning set for the evening but even after walking a few laps of the arena, Annie was still quite tense and looky which is a tell tale sign for me that she needs more time to recover and recenter herself. So we did just that. I grabbed the mounting block and sat with her. Sitting quietly next to where she chose to stand, I matched her breath and held space for her to coregulate with me. We probably spent about 15 minutes like that, her slowly releasing little bits of tension before she let out a huge sigh and dropped her head to me. I spent a couple more minutes like that before she nudged me and we called it a night. I was momentarily bummed that we didn't accomplish the conditioning work that we set out to do, but I was more accepting that it just wasn't our night and it's been a long time since she has had a day like that - likely at least six months or so.
Sure, I could have worked her through that, but I chose not to. I know that she is a horse that is very keenly aware of her safety and it's my job to hold that sacred. I will not knowingly ask her to do something that makes her feel inherently unsafe because that is where her fear kicks in. If I respect her boundaries on her safety, she gives me absolutely everything she's got. Note that I am not saying I won't ask her to do things that feel uncomfortable, because we all feel a little uncomfortable trying new things and growing. That said, we can do things to make each other feel safe while we are experiencing some discomfort as we explore those new things.
The decision to handle the situation on Monday as I did paid off massively on Wednesday. I was at the barn later so no dinner drama, and the place to myself. I really love quiet nights at the barn when it's just Annie and I. Our barn and it's people are phenomenal, don't get me wrong, but I think we can all agree there is just something different about having the barn to just you and your horse. To be unapologetically your full authentic selves from start to finish. Or just to play your own music ha. Anyways! After a lovely grooming session, we entered the arena with only one goal - to find joy in our time together no matter what that looked like. Not only did we have a really organically playful movement session together, but Annie was so engaged, willing, and genuinely lit up with the work we did. I can definitely tell where she is getting stronger in her body which is great to see.
Because I went into the session with an intention of how I wanted to feel, not what I wanted to do, I was more easily able to find the things that would create that feeling. Setting lower expectations when you see your horse after a bad day is a great way to remind yourself that you are doing well and not all is lost. I often find that this also makes the following session (post bad day) even better than you could have imagined anyways.
We want our horses to enjoy the work we do with them. There is a reason we refer to training as working with them, not doing things to them. Often times, we end up doing the latter, but if we really think about what we want, namely a relationship, that means we should aim for the former. No one likes working with the grumpy person who hates their job and makes it known. It's the same with our horses except we have much more control over how we can help them enjoy their work (mostly forage, friends, freedom). Honoring their physical and emotional needs is a huge key to helping them enjoy and look forward to our time together.
We continued on with our conditioning work for the remainder of our sessions this week and again, I continue to see where we improve on each exercise week over week. With another week of training under our belts, we switched gears to our regularly scheduled energy/body work day. Annie had a ton of great releases that she guided me to and has continued enjoying her latest round of aromatics from our friend, Tessa, of Holistic Equine Connection. She's been really into the German Chamomile and Spearmint that she tested for this time. Tessa had sent me a great custom guidebook of meridians and points to work on with Annie which has been a great help. I'm starting to feel much more in tune with my abilities to perform acupressure which is exciting!
Empowering Observations:
Honoring your horse's feelings is what creates trust between you. I know that my session with Annie on Wednesday was so good because of how I handled her feelings on Monday. The more you show your horse that you will hear and respect what they are saying when you have the choice to do so is what demonstrates to them that you are a worthy partner. This isn't to say you won't get it wrong sometimes (spoiler alert - you will), but rather what matters is that you are doing your best to honor their body, mind, and soul to the best of your ability in that moment.
Being methodical and listening to your intuition can coexist. I had a wonderful chat with Angela Saieva of Equine Elevation and one of the things that we discussed was how what I have been feeling lately around The Positive Pony as a business. One of the big lessons I learned was that I am designed to learn by trial and error and then share those trials and errors as an example for others. We discussed how I am working on cultivating a more stable relationship with my intuition but have always been very methodical with how I approach things. I was feeling like I couldn't be both of those things. Angela definitely helped me see that this is not the case - I am uniquely drawn to do things that make sense methodically to me in an order that will bring me either more knowledge about what is and isn't aligned for me. Basically - by being methodical in my unique way, I am following my intuition.
Things I'm Loving This Week
I was approved as a Progressive Equine Partnership Professional! "Founded in 2021 Progressive Equine Partnerships aims to recognise and build a network of Equine Professionals and establishments who are moving away from tradition in favour of ethical practice that has the welfare of the equine at the core of what they do. We work to include all professionals who consider themselves to be pain and fear free, however we have a minimum criteria for members, who must agree to abide by our guiding principles."
Live yoga with Natasha from Om & The Equestrian! This week we did a balance flow and it definitely gave me some great perspective on what I can be working on to cultivate better balance. She also offers an online studio if you can't make her live classes. I'm also currently enjoying the beautiful candle she sent me which smells divine and is appropriately named "Om Shante"!
I started moving through the pre-work for Angela's upcoming Alchemy workshop (which is a steal at $33!) and really enjoyed the listening to her recordings while sitting in the pasture with Annie. I'm really looking forward to the live workshop portion that is being held on Feb. 5th. Sign up here and join me!
Okay, this one may seem silly, but the JBL Clip 3 speaker I got for Christmas! Not only do I love being able to play my own music at the barn on a small, efficient, and actually good sounding Bluetooth speaker, but I apparently didn't attach it all the way to my barn bag the other night... So it spent the night in the snow in my driveway and survived to tell the tale as if nothing happened! It didn't even really lose much charge to the battery.
Equestrian Reflection
Journal Prompt: I can celebrate my progress by...
I can celebrate my progress by slowing down and being intentional about scanning for progress throughout each interaction on any level, not just those that are more clearly in alignment with the goals we have set forth. Zooming out and examining the big picture of our relationship is also a great way to recognize and celebrate the progress we have made on our journey so far. I am working to be more consistent about journaling so it's easier for me to look back and really see the progress we continue to make.
Affirmation: I love appreciating how far I have come.
Equestrian Oracle
Theme for the Upcoming Week
Drawn Together
This card is calling you to reflect on your past and current relationships in your life and what you have learnt or are being guided to learn. You may notice trends in the types of people or animals you tend to attract; maybe they have similar traits or give you similar experiences. This isn't a random occurrence; instead, it is an opportunity for you to learn an important lesson to evolve to your next level.
So, what lesson are you being called to notice and learn from right now? Surrender to this lesson and move through it with grace, knowing that what is on the other side will be absolutely amazing.
*The Equestrian Reflection and Equestrian Oracle cards are courtesy of Felicity Davies and can be purchased directly from her here.
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