Post Linda: Day 9

Today was a bit of a pace change. I had big plans to play some more with my sideways and my hindquarter yields over a pole.

But it rained.

I’m no wimp, I’m quite happy out in the rain with my ponio…he is not!

I know as the winter goes on I will need to have times where I play in the rain. In fact the very shower that stopped me yesterday inspired my realisation that with a few alterations I could make a perfect exercise sheet using the rain sheet I had semi discarded earlier in the year because it is not quite waterproof enough for downpours, combined with one of those stretchy surcingle thingys!

Online only of course, but still I think a better fit than all the mainstream ones that come with a convenient hole in the middle for your saddle…not so convenient if you don’t have saddle on of course.

Anyway, for want of keeping my fragile little thoroughbred warm and dry, I put my original plan aside and decided to spend some time with him in the field instead. Parelli would probably call this undemanding time, I also follow Elsa Sinclair’s freedom based training program.

He was quite surprised to see me there with the intention of spending time with him and nothing else. It has been a while, probably too long.

I began as a follower. Just going wherever he goes. He took me to the hay and he stood and slept for a while. I love sleeping with Lawrence. It’s hard to describe, for me it’s like how people describe meditation in a lot of ways. I have nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to be. I can just exist in the moment, watching the sky and the birds and the world flick by. Peace.

But only for a few precious moments today! Then some licking and chewing and a lot of focus changes all of a sudden to the hay pile.

Lawrence lives with a truly lovely mare, but she struggles with her personal space. Personal space is a necessity in her life and she teaches this concept very quickly to all members of the herd!

She is strong and feisty and tends to fight rather than flight. Mostly these are things Lawrence is not. And right now she’s at the hay.

I stood with my little softie on the edge of the food area watching as he slowly built up the courage to sneak his way in to have a munch.

After watching the mare, who looked pretty happy with our presence there, I decided to help. Walking forward a few steps I offered my hand out to draw him towards me. I could see his eyes flick from the food to the mare to me. Insecurity rising, he snuck forward cautiously.

Blinking and thinking, he lowered his head.

I took another step and was eyed warily. He decided he could take the risk and stepped forward towards me.

We stood like that for about 60 seconds, completely frozen, before he took two little breaths in and then the biggest breath out I’ve ever heard! Yawning and relaxing, he started to eat, and with that, my job was done.

I hung around to make sure it stuck for another minute or two, and then left him to munch.

We spend so much of our time asking horses to do things that are important to us, and it’s not only so powerful when we step into their world and help them with their problems, it also feels amazing.

By listening to the horse’s needs and being prepared to be there for them when they need a leader in their personal life, when we come to ask things of them as a leader we can know that we have earned what we ask. And we will get the answers we are looking for, because we gave the answers they were looking for to them.

For me this is a huge part of non-direct line thinking. To focus on the relationship first and forget our own personal goals will get us so much further towards them than 1000 drills of the same exercise together.

I often come away feeling my best after a Lawrence based session. Today I felt centred, relaxed, calm and rewarded.

What an important session for us both. Maybe the rain will be a blessing in disguise this year….!