Sometimes, you have to step back to move forward. At least, that’s what I took away from Tuesday’s (November 23rd’s) training session. That, and a reminder that even if you’re a beginner, and would prefer to see things neatly aligned in straight lines, boldly coloured in black or white – well, most of the time you’re stuck with shades of grey. Or, as Megan put it, “The only thing I can tell you for sure is that nothing’s going to work all of the time.”
(On reflection, that’s a piece of wisdom that applies in lots of situations… maybe we should get that stitched on a pillow.)
Anyway, today was the day where we read the horses’ body language and responses, and made a decision that we wouldn’t throw a bunch of new stuff at them. Our session started with our usual routine of grooming, tacking up, a bit of ground handling, and mounting up. Then, we waited for them to settle – to relax fully, stand still, and wait for instructions. And just as we were planning our next steps, LT yawned hugely three times in a row. Which was enough to tell Megan, and therefore us by extension, that she’d had enough. Dolly soon followed.
Some days, it takes almost everything you have just to get out of bed and get moving. I guess horses have those days too! Better to be aware of that and end on a positive note, with happy horses, hot chocolate, and raisin-bran muffins. So we did.
(Thanks, Nadine, those muffins were great!)
