Atomic

Apologies everyone for neglecting my blog recently.  After the dizzying highs of learning I had a place at the clinic, life likes to remind us not to get too excited and I have spent the last 6 weeks with a damaged knee due to a freak accident.  For a while I was unsure if I would make it to the clinic at all, but I'm happy to say I should be good to go.  However, I have had to reassess things somewhat while injured, and I have decided I will be taking Tuff to the clinic, not Maite.  Maite would be more suited I feel, to a Foundation Horsemanship clinic rather than the H1 we are booked onto.  Tuff and I have more of a partnership and we will learn an amazing amount under the eye of such an epic horseman.

So why the title Atomic?  Well, for me this word equals energy (and a mighty good Blondie song which ironically has a horse in the video).

Energy is physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, and no more so than in the pursuit and development of a partnership with a horse.  Horses are pure energy in one of the finest forms on this planet, it still amazes me that they allow us the privilege to ride them.  The ebb and flow of such energy, combined with ours is as Buck's describes, " a beautiful dance'.  But for some of us mere mortals, there are times the dance looks less graceful and more like a bar brawl.   Not just with the physical elements of riding and groundwork, because let's face it, co-ordination is required.... but also the interaction on a more mental and emotional level.

Now, before I get all touchy feely, I'm not implying we should be sat around playing pan pipes and feeding them lots of carrots (although who am I to judge?).  What I'm talking about here is the sometimes constant yo-yo-ing within ourselves about things.  Such as am I doing the right thing by my horse?  Am I going to irrevocably screw him up by trying xyz?  Or by not trying xyz?  This is something I drive myself nuts with and if I'm not very very careful I simply.... stop... doing....anything.   Being consciously  incompetent sucks sometimes!

Both my horses have taught me valuable lessons when I struggle about whether I am good enough to be the steward of their lives and that is to let it go (cue my 4 year old singing an Frozen song), keep putting one foot in front of the other, trust myself and trust them.  Oh and never ever stop moving forward, even at an inch at time, to try to enjoy every moment and not focus on the past or the future, and to reward the slightest try EVEN IN MYSELF.

So that's what I intend to do in June.  I intend to be a rather large sponge and take everything in.  Not just from Buck, but from the whole experience, my fellow participants, and every one of you I meet along the way.

I also intent to drop 10lbs and not fall over in front of anyone but those two things are unlikely at best ...

So I am back in the saddle next week, and more blogs will be afoot (ahoof?)

See you on the flip side
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