I sat down to write this week's recap and my body had other plans! I started to get a migraine just as soon as I sat down at the computer after getting home from the barn. That feeling quickly progressed and I thought I might pass out. So rather than push to meet my normal deadline of posting my recap on Sunday, I opted to go lay down, get some rest, and post a day late.
There is a younger version of me who would have pushed myself to either get this post done "on time" or to compromise by laying down for a little while, and then making sure to get it done the moment I felt a bit better. The version of myself that I am now knows that if my body is giving me a big signal like this, I need to respect it, no exceptions.
I know so many horse people who are overfunctioners. Those of us who feel like we always need to be doing everything, constantly crossing off every item on the to-do list and then immediately adding more to it the second we cross everything else off. We accidentally and incorrectly associate being busy with being productive and by extension, we associate resting with being lazy.
Logically, we know we need to rest, but it just never feels like there is a good time to do it. So I try my best to schedule rest time each week, but sometimes I need more. I think this week was one of those weeks but I didn't see it until it was a bit too late.
And that's okay! Rather than beating myself up over it, I listened to my body, went to bed early, and woke up feeling so much better.
There is a wonderful analogy that some of you may be familiar with that really helps me choose what to prioritize in my day-to-day life. Life requires that we learn to juggle a variety of balls. Some of them will be made of glass, they absolutely cannot be dropped or else they will break. Other balls (which are most things) are made of rubber, and will bounce if they need to be dropped - no harm, no foul.
This could wait. As much as I pride myself in my consistency here, this falls into the rubber ball category whereas my health is glass. The world was not going to stop turning if I didn't get this posted on my normal schedule and I still got it done, just not exactly when I expected to.
This is all to say that I'm a one-woman show in sharing my experiences and knowledge here. I know I'm not a bad person because I needed to drop a rubber ball in favor of a glass one. I know I will continue to drop the occasional ball and make mistakes as I continue to learn and grow. I'm not perfect and I can't make everyone happy. I'm just another human being, same as you. No better, no worse.
And the best, most magical part of that which we have in common? Our horses accept us through all of it so long as they know we're trying our best, no matter what that looks like each day.
Despite that turn of events to the end the week, Annie and I made some fantastic progress that I'm excited to share!
On Monday, I was pressed for time at the barn after my regular person job because I was filling in for dinner and bedtime chores while our barn owner was away and I had a call to jump on later that evening.
Normally, I don't try to do much of anything with Annie if I know I don't have a good amount of time with her because I don't like being rushed, and I know that she doesn't either. But for whatever reason, my gut said that I should just squeeze in a groundwork session. I know Annie well enough to know what I can ask from her just based on how she feels energetically to me when I bring her in from the pasture and when I groom her.
She clearly said she was up for it and I had to make sure not to get too excited by that since my energy level was already up due to needing to move faster than we normally do. Initially, she thought I was just asking for more trotting but she was not fearful, just responsive to my energy. She quickly settled down and realized that although my baseline energy level was up, I wasn't asking her to do anything new or beyond her abilities in the timeframe we had. It was a beautiful and controlled test of all of our hard work. There is a version of Annie from just a few years ago that would have been overwhelmed by this increased energy, but that night she took it completely in stride. I was so beyond proud of her!
This pride spilled over into Wednesday when I tacked her up and we practiced long-lining while the wind was blowing like crazy all around the indoor arena (a sound that can be a big trigger of hers). Again, despite some initial worry, she settled in quickly and was a total rock star. I wanted to end with a short ride, but she worked so well despite all the noise that I decided against it.
We had a wonderful liberty session on Saturday to switch gears and focus on play rather than doing any conditioning work. It's so important to me that we balance work and play so that she really enjoys our time together. We're playing with more verbal cues from a distance and asking for more duration on her body control cues.
And to close out the week, before my aforementioned Sunday snafu in the evening, we also got in a saddled ride! Again, Annie was amazing. While I don't prioritize riding anymore, when we do share time together in this way I am overwhelmed with joy at what we have created together.
It's so freaking amazing to build a partnership with a horse that is based on mutual trust and understanding, without force or coercion. There will never be a day that passes where I don't feel blessed to have Annie in my life, leading us down this path together so that I can share this with all of you who are searching for that same depth of connection with your own horses.
Empowering Observations:
Life is about juggling a mix of glass and rubber balls. You're going to drop them sometimes and that's totally normal! Do your very best not to drop your glass balls, take care of the things that actually matter to your health and self first. Then work on juggling the rubber balls, the things that ideally need to be done but won't cause your life to come to a screeching halt if you aren't able to get to them right away. Some days you will be able to juggle more balls than others. Some days you will only be able to juggle the glass balls, and some days you might even drop one of those, too. All of this is 100% normal and you have permission to give yourself grace throughout all of it.
Things I'm Loving This Week
Annie's Rambo Fly-Buster fly sheet! Between it being warm and wet here, the bugs have really come out in full force. I swear Annie tastes extra good to them, too, since she always seems to get bitten pretty frequently all throughout the warmer months. I love the Rambo fly sheets because they offer an amazing amount of coverage and actually fit without the neck piece pulling back. If you don't want the No-Fly Zone treatment that comes with the Fly-Buster, the Rambo Protector offers the same coverage and is a bit cheaper. Both are on sale (20% off!) at SmartPak for Memorial Day right now, too!
I owe a huge shoutout to Custom Equine Nutrition for crafting amazing equine-appropriate supplements that keep Annie feeling her very best. To balance Annie's forage and meet her nutritional needs, we use the Vermont Blend Pro, Omega-E, Copper & Zinc Blend, and Emcelle liquid natural vitamin E. She always looks fantastic year-round, but I'm always in awe of her overall condition as she fully sheds out her winter coat. I also love that the products are made locally to me, created by an equine nutritionist who lives by a forage-first approach, and it's a woman-owned company!
Equestrian Reflection
Journal Prompt: If I imagine I am 80 years old, what kind of life would I have been proud of living?
I'd be proud of a life full of love, joy, learning, and laughter (okay, sorry that sounds like a cheesy dollar store wall sign ha!). I'd be proud of a life where I shared my knowledge and guided others to trust themselves and their horses, one where I set boundaries to protect myself and my energy, one full of horses, dogs, time in nature, and one where I got to connect deeply with some amazing people.
Affirmation: Your future self is so proud of you for following your heart.
Equestrian Oracle
Theme for the Upcoming Week
Rise Again
It is normal to have periods of your life where you feel lost, doubtful or stuck, but it is important to remember that this feeling doesn't last forever. We always have the opportunity to rise again and move on should we choose to do so.
This card is calling you to realize that the moments where you feel low are happening to you for a reason. They appear in your life to teach you valuable lessons, but these lessons only appear once you decide to rise again.
It's time for you to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and seek out what you need to move forwards in your life. You are ready to rise.
*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!
Love your weekly posts. Even your mother can learn from you.