Catching Pixie

My first trail ride! It was everything I expected and more. Yes, I’m wearing a safety vest – we crossed many county roads. Anyway, if we’re gonna talk fashion, let’s talk about the cowgirl-kick-assitude that I was sporting all day. Walking, trotting, cantering, we did it all. Paulette even thinks she saw me in a hand gallop! Drifter was in peak form and I loved every minute of it. We were out for about four hours, but it flew by and felt like twenty minutes.

I can’t even express my gratitude to Ted and Paulette for giving me the skills and confidence to ride like I did on Saturday. I know I probably sound like I’m repeating myself, but I’ve come so far in what seems like such a short time. From being scared to even get back on a horse just over a year ago, to a four-hour-whoop-it-up trail ride this past weekend is amazing. So great!

Tomorrow night I’m heading to Kettle Moraine State Park with Paulette, Misty and Drifter (and a few other happy campers, both of the human and equine variety).   This is my first trail ride, and I’m so excited!  We are going to camp with the horses on Friday night and go for a trail ride on Saturday morning.  I hope to have LOTS of pictures.

After soccer on Monday night, I took the family: Eric, Kent, Amanda and Sebastian up to see Pixie.   We had an amazing breakthrough.  Ever since my return from vacation, Pixie and I have had a difficult time connecting.  I’m not sure if it’s the weather, bugs or what, but she’s spent most of her time walking away from me and it’s been hard to get in a good rub.  On Monday night, I was able to hug her, hold on to her, kiss her, and rub her for almost three whole minutes.  And my family and Ted (and the poodles), shared the entire experience with me.  Eric actually took some really neat video and if I can figure out how to post it, I will.  Making such a connection with Pixie while my trainer and family were surrounding and supporting me was an indescribable experience.  I’m still floating!

Monday night is soccer night at Harmony Horsemanship. We usually play one on one (sometimes two on one, depending on the players). This past Monday was so much fun, my family was there to watch, cheer me on and take great pictures. And Paulette and I played some awesome rounds of soccer. I think she usually won, but we definitely had some action packed face offs that were pretty intense. And the horses, Drifter (pictured above) and Misty (Paulette’s pretty girl) LOVED it. I think they get into it more than we humans do.

Last summer I played soccer with Drifter on the ground. Meaning, I was on the ground with a lead rope, directing him towards the ball. I can’t believe that in one year, I’ve gone from participating on the ground only, to playing mounted and actually trotting AND cantering. So much fun! And it was really special to have my family there to see my progression.

Two weeks is a long time to be away from the horses and poodles!  Since Eric and I returned from our trip a day early, I was able to fit in an entire day of activities at Harmony Horsemanship.  I shoveled poop (horse poop this time, not people), went for a cart ride with Maggie the donkey, visited with Pixie and helped train two horses: Pearl and Starman.  

In the above photo, I’m training Starman.  I’m working on desensitizing him to the flag, which you can barely see in my left hand.  My right hand is holding on to the lead line and I was swishing the flag, which is on a long stick, back and forth in the air.  The goal is to get the horse to stand still as you swish the air around him with a flag.  Starman wasn’t digging the flag and as you may be able to tell from the picture he definitely wasn’t standing still.  He was running around me in a circle, faster and faster and just when he was about to get out of control, I hind-quartered him.  That’s exactly what the picture captures: me lowering my left shoulder, leaning in and looking at his butt.  He’s giving up his hind-quarters (crossing his back right leg over his back left) and stopping. 

Eventually, I took off the halter and began to flag him in the usual manner.  Ted was instructing me the entire time, so I trusted I would be able to handle the situation.  I learned quickly that Starman doesn’t like the flag whether or not he’s on a lead line.  Once he was loose and I started waving the flag he started bucking, kicking and charging!  The good news is I had the flag, so when he charged, a quick wave would send him in the other direction.  The bad news is he wasn’t paying any attention to the direction I was trying to establish.  

I froze immediately and told Ted I wanted out, “I’m scared, he’s bucking, I can’t do this.”  And Ted said, “Yes you can.  Establish direction.  Commit yourself!”  Commit myself.  I thought, if I can’t do this with Starman, how am I going to do this with Pixie?  I need to commit myself to Pixie and her training.  I need to get over this fear.  So I committed.  I stuck it out, built myself up and soon Starman would switch directions on my command, stay on the rail and turn into me only when I asked.  It was so powerful.

One of the things I love most about working with horses is how much I’m learning about  myself in the process.  Again and again I surpass my own expectations, stretch the boundaries of my limitations and surprise myself.  I love it!