"We are all broken, that is how the light gets in"
- Ernest Hemingway
So Happy New Year everyone! 2018 is the year of having my ducks in a row, as opposed to trying to herd squirrels which is how the last few years have felt. Exciting plans are in the making for Archie and I. Firstly we are off to the Emerald Isle to spend time with my good friends Jane and Marc, who are hosting a clinic with Joel Conner in April.
Check out Joel here http://www.joelconnerhorsemanship.com
So finally after 3 years of failed attempts to cross the Irish Sea, Archie and I have our passports in hand and are looking forward to a few days of friendship and excellent horsemanship. It is a bit nerve wracking shipping your horse overseas for a clinic, and also me getting on a plane... but this year is about stretching my comfort zone in order to become a better horsewoman. Plus can wait to see my pals (bonus), learn from Joel and meet lots of like minded people.
In May I'm attending a cow clinic with Guy Robertson. Now cow work is something I desperately want to do, and actually something I want to work to succeed at. However, I had a particular incident back in 2016 which I will entertain you with in another blog, that has dented my confidence a wee bit. In addition, I have it on good authority that Archie isn't exactly keen on cows either... however real purpose is the making of a horse and indeed a human, and I feel deep down in my lily livered core that cow work is the purpose Archie and I need and WILL excel at. I'm confident that in continuing to develop our relationship, enjoying our weekly lessons with Alan of Payne Performance Horses which have been instrumental in helping with said ducks in row, and being in the very capable hands of Guy when it comes to meeting the killer moos, that our goal is achievable.
I am continually revisiting all of my Buck material and notes. I seem to find that the more I attempt to put into practice, the more I realise I need to refine my feel, and the less I think I know. Good old conscious incompetence and I are old friends. It's easy to get sucked in to the dark places that all the rubbish stuff that has happened tries to take you to, it is easier to not try. Is it better? No. I want to see what I am capable of, and what Archie and I are capable of together.
2015, 2016, 2017 hammered me from all angles and I'm not going to lie it has taken some processing, and still is, but its also given me some clarity as to where I want to take my horsemanship and indeed my life. Every blow to myself and my family has produced cracks in me that will never heal, but as Hemingway says, that's how the light gets in. So grab your sunglasses, as together with Archie, I intend to shine!
See you on the flip side xx
Links for clinics and trainers
Joel Conner Clinic
Guy Robertson
Payne Performance Horses
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