horsegirlonajourney

Apology Apple and Newness Afoot

Posted on January 27, 2009 by horsegirlonajourney

I popped outside this morning with an apple in my pocket, which I held for Rocky to take a bite, then put on the ground in his hay for him to nuzzle around and find. (Yes, I reserved a tiny little bite for Wesley, but not Paco as his person brings him carrots and apples and I don’t know if he’s “authorized” for any others. I’ll ask her next time I see her.)

I told him “Sorry I haven’t played with you despite the sunshine” and patted him once, then left the Back 40. I caught Erin standing still so we talked a little about a blog/website I’m putting together for her and asked her what she thought of Rocky. He’s been sound and not throwing shoes and doing his beautiful Big Trot on the muddy hill. He’s relaxed and even a little bored maybe, as he’s been chewing on the wooden fence posts. She’s considering moving Troy (Shire colt) to the Back 40 and putting Rocky in the Front Turnout with the other geldings just to see what happens.

I’d love to see him with the high play drive horses, like Dave and Pursuit. I always thought Rocky had a medium-high play drive, but now I’m realizing it was only in contrast to the aged LBIs he lived with. He does like toys and to put his nose on things and to explore with his lips and to interact, but his play drive is more like play short-term parking. Or maybe it’s a sign that he’s not as settled in as it seems, and so he’s not as playful as he used to be? Hmm, how interesting!

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I’ve become useless at everything else

Posted on January 25, 2009 by horsegirlonajourney

I’m sticking to my plan to give Rocky the day off, even though the rain has taken a break and I even saw the sun a little while ago.

Here’s a cell phone snapshot of him bundled in his blankie enjoying his dinner:

Rocky in blankie

Unfortunately the other plan, of my getting lots and lots of work done today while Rocky lounges, has not materialized. So far I have done two organizing tasks and I’ve washed the dog. But the article that’s due tomorrow is still in draft form and I’ve started none of the day job catch-up.

What am I doing instead? You Parelli folks know. I’m reading the forum, watching videos, analyzing recent play sessions, visualizing the improvements I want to make in the next session, wandering around the internet looking at pictures of horses even though all I have to do is go outside to see real-life horses. (But I can’t! I’m working! Sortof!)

I researched wild horse preserves and re-discovered one that’s only half a day’s drive away, which offers trail rides in the summer where you go out and look at the horses and camp overnight. How I’ll afford a vacation like that if I don’t get this work done, I’m not sure yet…

This is Wesley and Rocky wondering if I have carrots:

Wesley and Rocky

I think the Parellis reorganized their home study courses (introducing the Patterns, etc.) to encourage (force! LOL) us to spend more time outside and less time inside only doing horsemanship in our minds. However,
all of this brain-time does improve my emotional and physical fitness when I’m with Rocky. Emotional in that I feel like I have more savvy arrows because of taking the time to lick and chew. Physical in that visualizing my body doing things helps me do them. For example, when I take time to visualize making my body language and cues simultaneously more subtle and more clear, visualizing specifics with deliberation and conscious effort to engage my cells, the next time I go out I feel those changes in my body. (Alas, all this thinking/research/analysis does not help me get leaner. LOL)

It’s too late to take the garbage to the dump but it’s not too late to turn my article draft into a polished, useful piece. I shall now drop all other expectations from my day and just get that done. For realsies.