First and foremost – Merry Christmas to all my amazing supporters!🎄
The last several months have been an emotional rollercoaster for me. My mom is in declining health, and that topped off with me getting COVID put a monkey wrench in riding, as well as working on ground work with Flame. Although my mother’s medical condition is stable, she is currently in hospice. This has forced me to completely change my entire outlook on life.
Here’s a little tidbit of information you might not know about me. My type A personality needs to be in control, needs to have a plan always, and has this uncanny knack of looking ahead into the future, which comes with a constant state of worry. Not so much anxiety, but just plain worry, which then kicks my brain into hyper drive. The situation with my mother has forced me to change that. I know she is going to die, I just don’t know when, nor does she. Worrying about the when isn’t going to make dealing with her passing any easier, so I am now trying my hardest to live in the moment of each day, and not worry about tomorrow until tomorrow comes.
My apologies for getting heavy and deep, but this has changed my entire approach to riding, as well as handling and training Flame.
The last several weeks, my lessons have been different. The first time I got back on Copper my ride was short and sweet. Recovering from COVID has been a challenge. I don’t think I have what some describe as “long COVID”, but I was left with a pretty constant stuffy nose and dry cough. My stamina took a huge hit as well, lots of rest breaks with me catching my breath. But something that was different, that I noticed right away – I have zero anxiety about riding. And then, like a light bulb moment, it all made sense. I am riding in the moment. I am not worried about Copper spooking in the “scary corner”. I am not worried with him looking at a pole or cavaletti strangely. I trust him. Let that sink in for a moment. I. Trust. Copper.
Copper has been mine for just about 2 1/2 years. Of course you have to trust the horse you are riding a little bit, but to put total trust in a horse has not been easy for me to do. It took me 4 years of riding Alfie before I could say with confidence I truly trusted him. And although I trusted Copper, there was always that doubt I had – from worrying about something that hadn’t and wouldn’t happen, that stopped me from totally trusting this beautiful soul. Well all that seems to be gone. What a feeling it is to have finally reached that point of total trust,
When I was on the hunt for a second horse, I was looking for an Alfie 2.0. I needed a horse that checked all the boxes, and Copper did. What was lagging behind the full experience was me. But I’m not lagging anymore.❤️
That’s the update on Copper, we are enjoying our lessons and my new way of thinking which came out of necessity from a truly heartbreaking situation with my mother. Today’s lesson was a fantastic one. We learned some new exercises which will help with leg yielding. We worked on our stretchy trot, we had fun. I didn’t want our ride to end.
Now for an update on the other boys, Alfie and Flame. Both are doing fabulous. When I was sick, I was away from the barn for 2 weeks. That time away forced Flame to really trust other people who were handling him and he is doing so well. He and I are getting back into a routine.
Alfie and Flame are enjoying turnout for the winter in our indoor arena. Alfie had to have his shoes pulled because of an issue with his heel, so to make sure he doesn’t injure his feet on frozen rocky terrain, he is staying inside until he can have his shoes put back on. So far he is sound – he has navicular and needs shoes but if the shoes hadn’t been pulled off, the heel problem would’ve been more painful for him.
Below are some recent pictures of the 3 best horses I could’ve ever have asked for.
Again, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!❤️🐴❤️🐴❤️🐴
Confessions of an Equestrianoholic 