the place of detachment

Words, who kneW if you typed them, you might learn to talk them better? Grammar police, pah! I have improved my speech, somehow. Duh. I don't think I can blame it on mentally pausing. We all do that, all of our lives, anyway. Stop, and ThinK.

I'll inspire myself by way of AofG, aGain. You better start blogging/writing, MissSophiadillo, as you find the time. No rUSh! Keep playing the pipes, 4sure. The world needs more bag-pipes.
Kestrel, too, the dialogue between the two as we talked about how it feels to ride was fascinating. Sorry, not just how it feels to RidE.

Every single moment of his/her day is either his own, or shared with you, if he'll let you. If your two energies aren't clicking, nothing's gonna happen. If you aren't aware of him, every minute you can smell him, touch him, Lucky people can SEE him, right, AofG, for goodness sakes, you aren't safe.

My useless Barn Manager at Tad's first barn told me a tale one day. He'd been working around a new gorgeous OTTB, and was of course gabbling away at someone. He was bent down, and reached under the horse's belly to do something, and the horse kicked him in the head, while trying to kick at a fly. I didn't say anything, but you know what I thought. Why weren't you aware?

Being unaware means getting hurt. Maybe a little, maybe very badly hurt, if you're unlucky/dumb, dead if you're extremely, well, y'know. Unaware. Boy, will you EveR be unaware. NeveR ride alone, if you're unaware of your horse. Never, ever, well, I'll be quiet, now. Hah.

The Place of Detachment, that AofG & kestrel "gestated/gestalted" in the (what else) CommentS was very cool.

People often ride the horse, as if he isn't there. No, okay, that's mean. I've often seen people doing this, through the years. Shoot me.
Hah. Missed.
Heck, I've done it before. Not paying attention, unaware, detached, boom, ground, thank YOU. You are detached, for sure, once you hit ground.

I'm very polite to my horses. They are blameless, as long as you know what you're doing. They respond to kind fair treatment. That doesn't mean kissin' 'em all the time:) Well, okay, go ahead, it's your horse after all.
(905 nw tdot anyone have a horse?)

They do need fair discipline, as you establish your rules, calmly, yes, Cesar, assertively. Not ROUGH!! Never in anger, or frustration. NeveR. EVER. If you don't know his rules, you are in huge trouble. Huge. Rules include conformation, temperament, age, breeding, soundness, health, sex, etc.. They are who he is. Better figure him out.

If you're not paying attention to your horse, and he's not responding well, blame yourself. Because, for sure, it's your fault. You've detached from him, why should he listen to you?? Horses do not need to be blamed for a bad day. They have no bad days, except the ones WE give them.

On that happy note, my idea is this. FANTASY ALERT!! I have 3 million gabillion dollars. I have a 50 stall barn. I have great help. I'm gonna run the best darn riding school EveR. I'd have rolling hills, trees, water, lots of safe fencing. Acres and acres.. The students would have their pick of the various breed/types that are out there. I'd have the best trained, soundest, most VariouS breeds/types. I'd..... please continue. Add stalls if needed.

Wouldn't it be so cool?
People riding well-trained creatures! People learning horsemanship FIRST. Oh, right. They have that. It's called Europe. What is it with Canada & the US?? meeeowwww-hissssss. Okay, that WAS mean. Sorry:)

Horses don't lie.

Otherwise, back to Monday-dreaming, I have this great place,'k? I'd have everybody, dressage,hunters,western,jumpers,3dayers,
saddleseat,driving,reining,cutting,barrels,trail+riding (yes, it's hard, you're riding a darned Horse aren't you??) heckquitation etc. etc. etc.

Oh, the poor lost, last tangential point, I'm trying to make? New Riders, learning Riders, re-riders, AnY riders would benefit from riding lots of different types and styles and disciplines, if they aren't going to be able to ride a lot. There is no substitute for hours and miles in the tack, and on the ground, grooming him, learning about him. Letting him be The Horse. You Rider. PaY Attention.
Butch might kick you in the head.

Oh, pictures of Flip, from the day we got her. Straight behind and a little to the right, across the pond, you can see Rusty's freshly dug cemetery.. Only two weeks gone, at that point.

You can see how glad Flip is to have met my husband, too. FliP was exHausted. Flip knew how weak emotionally I was then. I got her too soon after the loss.. It was hard on her, poor darlin' FliP, sounds JUST like my old Rusty dog.

Happy Birthday, my wee black dog. My Flip. FlipFlip! She's a born paper-shredder-worrier, the sheep DID beat her up, before I got her, with her female owner. Must be So embarrassing, still. Flip is descended from illustrious herding lines.

Flip's first owner admits that she rushed Flip, because Flip showed so much early promise. But she shook Flip's confidence at their first herding trial, and poor Flip was placed in with very experienced, cranky sheep and an over-anxious owner. The sheep stomped the crap out of Flip. Flip lost her confidence that day, as her owner wasn't aware of her dog. She didn't look at Flip. She looked at the potential, but not the actual dog.

I bet Flip relives her humiliation, in front of her mom, and dam. And relieves the stress with paper. Flip was a kennel dog, mostly. Flip lived under the shadow of her over-bearing dam for a very long time. I was told when I got her, at a year and a half, that she'd always been the owner's husband's FavouritE dog.

Flip likes men a little better. Okay, a LOT better.

Can't say I blame her.

:)

Flip loves me madly, don't misunderstand, and she teaches me a lot, as great dogs do. Flip is the sweetest old soul I've ever met. She loves everybody. But pain lingers, even in justa dog's brain. Animals always remember a painful situation. It's called survival.

Flip is 6years old... I sang Happy Birthday to her,and she got all mushy and snuggley. Well, more than usual, even for her. Flip is a love-bucket, pour it on. Sweet heart, Flip has. I'll bet she was trying to ask the sheep politely:)
Or Flip hadn't studied Bah-Ram-Ewe, to your fleece, your breed, your wool be true.

Bah, Ram, Ewe, Flip, ouch. I love the movie "Babe"..

I hope I write a little more coherently, after dinner. Can you tell, NCC?

Thanks, hon, sorry I was cranky, I do need sustenance, and running on empty increases the blathering, and decreases the coherence factors. A Tad. Okay, a large Shire-Sized tad.

Thanks for reading, kind folks. I HAFTA learn to eat before I type..

To Animals, and the awareness they deserve. They are so aware of us.