THE GREAT GET AWAY...

It was just a few months ago when I got the idea to start letting my herd OUTSIDE...outside the fences at Liberty. It was a major uber scary decision for me to make too. Liberty is the real test of your relationship with your horse(s). I'd worked hard at learning how to move in harmony with my herd, to understand their needs and to learn their language. Treating them with respect and, at the same time, retaining their respect for me was a bit like learning how to walk on the edge of a knife without cutting myself. It was immensely more complicated than just overwhelming them into submission. And it was so much more rewarding too!

When I let them OUTSIDE, I use good climbing ropes that I buy, by the foot, to create temporary perimeter fences to keep them away from the road.  They're bright, rugged, easy to tie off and easy to roll up and store. I've been doing this on various parts of the property we live on, allowing them more freedom and opportunity to explore their environment on their own. They love it. And I love the anticipation it builds for them. They never know which direction we're going in or what gate I'm going to open. The unanticipated side effect from this "outside the box" approach of mine has been the excitement they meet me with at the gate every single morning. 

This morning was the REAL test. As I was getting ready to go out for morning chores, I looked out the kitchen window to see where they were in their pasture...AND THEY WEREN'T! As I turned to look out the back doors onto the deck I saw them go thundering past ... OUTSIDE. They were out, really out, and with no guide. I've always been the anchor for them when I open the gates, so it's been an easy exploration for them. As long as they could see me, it was "no worries" and the world was theirs to run, play in and explore. 

Panicking, on my part, in a situation like this serves no purpose. It just frightens them more. From their point of view, monsters must be everywhere if the herd leader comes bursting out of the barn. Besides that, a person on foot cannot outrun a horse. Might as well save my energy and take the time to calm myself before going out. Took about 5 seconds for me to get through that phase. ( * big grin here* )

I stuffed my pockets with cookies, took a deep breath and walked out the door just as they went zooming past. Ho hum. Just another morning. "Hi guys. Nice morning for a run!" and I strolled on down to the barn, not stopping to see if they were following. SCORE! There's twenty foot long groves in my yard where they came to a slamming halt and then turned to follow. I could hear them in back of me, curious about where I was going.

When I turned to see where they were, there was Lucky peering around the edge of the shed at me. Apache was right beside him. I smiled, cocked over onto one leg and waited with my hands in my pockets just like I do every morning when they're OUTSIDE and it's time to come in for grain. SEMI SCORE. They came to me, Lucky first and then Apache. Willow was so cool, she didn't need to. She'd been in the shed stall all the time they were OUT, eating the hay they'd left behind. 

They touched my hand in our ritual horseman's handshake and then the game began.  It was obvious they'd gone out through our little donkey gate. It was hanging open. When I checked later, John had latched it but through the wrong hole. When I wasn't out there exactly on time, one of them tested it and VOILA!, it opened. I did a little tracking after everyone was home and all chores, inside and outside, were done. The ground's so squishy here today from snow melt that it made it easy for me to see where they'd been. 

They'd gone into the barn to flip some bales over, walked over to the middle bay in the shed to drink from the bucket I keep there for the cats and dogs, walked through the gardens in the front yard to the front door (where or where is Nancy?), gone on around the house to the raised vegetable beds to check them out, to the  arena to rattle the gate (gates are to be opened no matter which side you are on!), over to the pedestal to stand on it (wish I had a picture of that!) and over to the neighbor's yard and under her carport. Aren't horse's minds fascinating? 

Course there were divots all over the place from the running. I don't know what set them off. It was probably realizing they were really, REALLY outside in the big world without the herd leader. Turns out it can be pretty scary out there! But once I was there, it was time for the ten steps away game.

While I was throwing on my boots and coat, stuffing pockets with cookies and trying not to think about the open road where truck driving kids sometimes drive much too fast, just at the end of our drive, I was also forming a plan. I'd decided that this couldn't have come at a better time. I needed to be pushed out of my little hibernating comfort zone that happens in the Winter. This morning would tell me where we really were in the relationship and language parts of our journey. 

I wanted to see if we could play the inevitable "But I don't want to go in!" game that happens when safety is no longer the issue. And here it was. For me the challenge was to play "Stick to me" with no ropes, halters or carrot stick. Were we strong enough as a team to go home and enjoy it?

 I stood with them for a bit, but they were thrumming with excitement and energy. " WE'RE OUTSIDE! WOO HOO!" Standing still was just not going to last. That energy had to go somewhere and so did they.

Lucky danced away sideways, prancing. My Left Brain Introvert was prancing! (I'll have to think about that. How will I get that kind of excitement later when we're in a work/training environment?) It was an obvious invitation. " Wanna play? Wanna run?" So I decided to try matching his energy. Obviously I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him if he took off running again. But what if I took off in the opposite direction, even if that was away from the paddock?

So I did. I took off, looking over my shoulder at him with a big grin, down the path into the East pasture where they go when OUTSIDE, jumping into the air and trying to imagine myself bucking. I'm not very good at "bucking"...certainly not as pretty as they are when they do it. But I'm not afraid to play the part, so buck I did! "Yee Haw! WAA HOO!" I ran out into the pasture in a big circle and here they came, running with me! It was working! They were playing with me.

It was going great until I ran through a particularly soggy boggy part in the field and sucked one of my boots off. Swift Nancy! Now what do I do? I've got one boot on, one boot off, a muddy, soggy foot and two horses chasing me. I tell you, it's never boring! All I could do was stop, put my hands on my knees, lean over and laugh. Apache, never one to pass up an opportunity like that, came over and put his head under me and FLIP! up and out I went. Too bad I hadn't been practicing fancy mounts with him. If I were more prepared I could have turned it into a mount over his neck. The strangest things go through my head when I'm flying through the air!

I landed right on top of one of the muck piles. Oh, this morning was getting better and better! Now I was bootless, covered in muck, my horses were loose and the morning had only just begun. Not a bad place to land though. Nice and soft as landings go.

And they still hadn't left me either! SCORE! They were having fun. It was a game. 

"You OK Ma?" I did what any logical, clear thinking girl scout would do. I got up, laughing again, brushed myself off and walked over to pick up my boot. I emptied the snow and mud out of it, put it on with as much dignity as I could muster and walked to the barn to get the halter and lead. It was time to come in. And then SCORE!...they came in with me. Just like that THEY CAME IN WITH ME. All I had to do was give them each a scritch and cookie as they walked past me, through the stall door and into their paddock. JUST LIKE THAT!

I LOVE PARELLI! 

 The morning finished up the way it does every day. I fixed grain, cleaned out stalls and the paddocks, brushed them (this time checking carefully for any swelling or warm places from all the running. They were both covered in mud and snow, so I wasn't sure if they'd been rolling to blow off the adrenalin or if they might have fallen.), gave them each an extra cookie and went inside, squooshing all the way in my gooshy boot.

Today I was pushed outside my comfort zone and tested. It was unexpected and, after the fact, most welcome! No one was hurt. And it's obvious that, although we have miles and miles and miles to go on this journey, I'm further along and so are they than I thought! 

I was going to list all of the things I thought might pertain to this from the 7 Keys, Qualities, Principals and Responsibilities. But I think this morning pretty much hit all of them across the board! It just doesn't get any better than that!

I am, ever yours, Nancy, laughing and shaking my head in wonder!

MY HEART...

‎"The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." ~ Rumi

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Ten years ago, when my first horse came into my life, I decided that the best way to learn about this new world would be osmosis. In other words, I needed to put myself INTO the world of the horse as much as possible. At the time, the only way for me to do that was to find a barn with horses. I did too. I've been, over the years, associated with eleven barns and visited countless others. I wish now that I'd kept a journal of them. I've lost track of all the places I've been. 

For less than half that time I've been involved with the Parelli Program. One of the first things I was taught (and that not one other person or trainer...NOT ONE!...suggested to me) was to observe horses. Watch my horses, other horses and herds, other people with their horses, stake myself out somewhere with field glasses and JUST WATCH. Don't interact...watch. If I was to become a skilled practitioner of Natural Horse-Ma-Ship, I needed to 'become' horse. And the best way to begin that process was to observe...horses.

So I did. And I still do every single day. It's fascinating, this time I spend as a voyeur of  horses. I've hung out with them, watched them, napped with them, sunbathed, ate, swam, and moved as a member of the herd. It's never dull. I've seen and heard things I have no explanation for...cried with them, laughed and spaced out, going to that Zen place that only a horse can do so well. If you put yourself REALLY into their skin, my guess is that the 'Zen place' is just a way for them to conserve energy until they have to move to find water, grass, shelter or safety...safety being at the top of the list. That they allow me, the ultimate predator, to be in their presence so completely verges on a miracle. I say "Thank you!" every day for that gift. 

I've been taught that the horse sees, very nearly, in a perfect circle around them. Their eyes are widely spaced and on either side of their head, giving them two sides...two brains...that need to be communicated with (trained). They are blind directly in front of them. If you hold your fist up to your forehead, you'll get an idea of where that blind spot is. It's big enough for a horse that, when you are approaching an obstacle that needs to be jumped, the horse relies on you to see it for him! Now that's trust. You and your horse will have to work in perfect partnership to be able to gage where the object is, how high it is and when to leap. And I haven't even begun to discuss how much balance it takes, physically, on both yours and your equine partner's part to do this safely and effectively.

I've also been taught that the horse sees in silhouettes. I know how important that is to them because, if I change my hat or coat, they will be more cautious of me until they can verify who I am through smell. But my question to myself is how much detail can they see? 

The further I go into my relationship with my herd, the more it seems that the way we communicate with each other verges on being psychic. So what is it they see when they "hear" my request? Are they seeing tiny muscles move in my posture or face? Are they 'seeing' energy fields that my inadequate human eyes can't see? If they see in shapes and silhouettes, how do they know what's going to happen before what happens happens? 

What is it that they see in me?

I am, ever yours, Nancy...puzzled and amazed at these everyday miracles

FROZEN IN ONE PLACE...

I'm suffering from brain freeze again! Aside from last night's temperatures sinking to a record breaking low of minus fifteen (pretty good excuse for "brain freeze", don't you think?) and my extreme need to drink too much hot chocolate, I'm stuck! It's a mental "stuck" rather than a physical "stuck". 

I've been playing "small games" with Lucky and Apache. It's my version of what to do to keep the ball rolling when it's so cold all any of us can think of is eating and hibernating. I've been playing lots of Stick to Me with Lucky. He's been particularly needy lately, so it's more a matter of using the direction he's already going in rather than being original and edgy. He WANTS to stick to me. At one point this morning, when I was dragging yet another muck bucket full to the compost, I turned to look behind me and saw Joe (my cocker, dressed in his little blue jacket), Gypsy (my ancient lab mix dressed in her green jacket), Buddy (one of my barn cats, no coat thank you very much!) and Lucky, all lined up in a row. 

Now horses and ancient dogs being who they are (me included!), it isn't hard to keep everyone on the path. No one of us really wants to have to break a new trail through the snow. It's hard underneath where it's melted and refrozen just a bit, then soft and slippery on top with the new five inches of super dry snow. So I can't really say I was the only reason they were lined up behind me. I wish I could take all the credit, but I'm cursed with  honesty . Too bad too. It really did look cool!

I took a step...they all took a step. I took three steps, they took three steps. I backed up and they backed up! It looked like were dancing the Cha-Cha out there, in the snow.  It was so cold I don't think any of the camera's would have worked anyway, but I would have loved to get that one on film! I completely forgot about the cold. I was fascinated. Back and forth we went for nearly four minutes before I realized I was letting my "monkey brain" take over again, turning fun into work. I was laughing so hard that I slipped and fell in the snow. Nearly landed with my head in the bucket too! Now wouldn't THAT have made for a funny FAIL video on Youtube?

We've been playing one step versions of all the Games, when I'm cleaning and putting out hay. I've been trying to set it up so there's a reason to move. It's my way of being more particular. "Lucky, please move your left front foot back one step." and then I wait. The object of the game is to, literally, not pick up the Carrot Stick. I carry it with me everywhere, so it's usually leaning against a fence or wall or even my leg. I'm trying to learn how to "think it" without using noticeable signals. I'm successful more often than not now...maybe 50% of the time. 

Yoyo is a one step back, one step forward game. Sideways is one or two steps over, sometimes only hind quarters or front. Lucky can be pretty ho hum about it, but Apache will leave his hay or grain to come play. He loves "small games". The rise in his energy is palpable! The more we play, the more engaged he is. He'll stand there, poised and ready for the next step. He licks and chews the whole time too. I would love to get inside his head, really inside, to find out just what he's thinking. And he plays the games back , coming straight to me with no pause and trying to walk right through my space. What a Wiley Coyote he is! 

We're still playing within and through the gates too. My goal is to take the level of excitement and anxiety down to "null zone" so that when the weather is more conductive to longer sessions in the arena and round corral, it's no big deal when we're coming or going. 

I guess, looking back on this post, that I'm not as "stuck" as I think I am. There's my "silver lining" for today then. I'm still moving forward, even if sideways is the best way to get there. 

#2 in the Eight Principals of Horse-Man-Ship :  Don't make or teach assumptions.

I am, always yours even when my teeth are chattering...Nancy, smiling at the way things go

MIRROR...MIRROR

I hope I've done this right. This is the first time I've tried to load a video to my BLOG. It's one of the best examples of "mirroring" that I've seen. If you watch, you'll see the woman matching her energy to the lion seal's perfectly. She's quiet, polite, inviting, kind and never moves from the place that she's in. Her behavior is perfect in this situation. She suppresses her need to hold onto the seal, even putting off the opportunity to pet it. The quieter she is, the more intrigued the seal is!

By over riding her predator tendencies, she "becomes" seal, leaving the field open for exploration from the lion seal. She gains it's confidence with her quiet. Fascinating! If I were an instructor, trying to explain to my students about how to become "horse", I would show this video to them. It's exactly what I try to do when I'm with my herd...to just BE with them, no itinerary, no goal...just BE. I think that's why this worked for her and the seal...she just sat there and WAS.

How interesting!

Short post tonight...and way off the subject...and smack dab on target at the same time. Kind of Zen, don't you think?

Enjoy...and learn. I know I did when I watched it.

Nancy, smiling at the way things go...

HOME, WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE...

Magic...magic...magic...magic! The world has changed and everything is new. It's sparkling everywhere with a sugar coating on top of perfect white icing. Princess Willowmena came to me again. The fairy dust was all over, even in her usually impeccable hair and down the collar of her brand new Winter Coat.

"Oh, those pesky fairies! They haven't a lick of sense, not a single one of them. They've all gone quite mad and filled the world with an over abundance of sugar coating and fairy dust. How shall we get anything practical done today?" She was peeved, to say the least. It was everywhere you know. Ever so often the Fairy King sends his magic into the world of Mundanes, trying to get them to pay attention. But none of them  ever do, well...except for the littlest ones. They always seem to know just exactly what he's talking about. But the big ones, the people with wrinkles and worries (everyone knows that one causes the other and vice versa!), never seem to be willing to slow down enough to understand. Kings can be quite insulted when it comes to being ignored!

Everyone and everything is covered in fairy dust that's inches and inches thick! Things change when the Fairy King gets in this kind of mood. The light is different and the air is crystal clear, much as it is in the Land of Faery where the clocks never work and time just is...Everyone who is anyone, well at least the most important 'anyone's' ,are all aware of how things stand. It's time, as time is seen on the other side, to just stop and BELIEVE!

I heard the KING. He came to me in a dream and said " If you stop to breath the RIGHT way, to see CLEARLY, to feel GREATLY, then you will know me. I can only give to you what you need WHEN you are willing to take it. But it will take great effort from you to overcome the shortcomings of your Mundaneness. You must slow down to the pace of the Land of Faery. Follow the Big Red One. He will teach you. Ride the wind with the Little Kahuna. He will carry you. Allow the Princess to show you your manners. Then you will be welcome back to the Land of Faery, a place you left your heart in when you had not grown heavy with wrinkles and their attendant worries...or vice versa."

And so the day began again. And everything was deep in sugar, sweet and more than any one Mundane could ever use! And the light changed, brushing the world with gold and silver blue...

So we crossed the Great Sugar Glaciers and went into the...

the Forests of Faery, where the sky is always ten hundred shades of blue and what seems small is always taller than you think.

And then we climbed to the top of Mount Va-Poopius where anything can grow, even your imagination. And we found our way...

HOME, where anything is possible.

I am...always...yours, Nancy who still believes in half full glasses and fairy dust

WHITE OUT...

You never see paths that are straight. Sidewalks and streets, buildings and, usually, houses are built on a grid, but the paths we make on our own are organic, curved and unpredictable. We can't help that. When we walk up or down a hill, through a forest or across a meadow it's always in curves even when we THINK we're walking in a straight line from point A to point B. Funny thing is that we have a tendency to go back to that same path when we walk through that area again, even years later after the weather has erased our previous passage. Ever wonder why we do that?

Today we had a blizzard...the real deal. There were times this afternoon when the sky was as white as the ground and I couldn't see more than fifty feet from the house. It was a white out. Haven't been in one of those since my boys were babies, more than thirty years ago. Nature isn't something to be taken lightly, especially if she's decided to have her way. Today was one of those days.

It gave all of us pause. This image looks like I've photo shopped it. I didn't. That's how it was today...white out. There was a path running from the shed to the barn, along the fence line but still in a curve. I don't know how they knew where to walk, but it made sense to the herd so I used it too. I trust them to show me the way sometimes as much as they trust me in most other circumstances. It's a partnership.

John had the day off, but he wouldn't have gone in to work even if he hadn't. We're, temporarily, cut off. The electricity has been flickering on and off all day long. Happens a lot out here when there's ice on the lines or the wind is blowing hard. A tree comes down somewhere and falls across the lines or the wind blows them into each other and it shorts out. Call me crazy, but I like it when it's like this. This kind of weather reminds me to show respect, to remember that I'm pretty insignificant in the big picture. Living in the moment is all there is, so the tiny bits of time that are elemental like it was today make me appreciate the need to be prepared for whatever comes around the next bend in the path. Guess I've become somewhat of an adrenalin junky.

We were all wired with it today. The air was almost electric with the energy that a storm like this generates! I loved standing out in it, being pushed around by the wind and bitten by the cold. It snapped at me, leaving trails of melting snow on my face that froze about as quickly as they formed. I know I'm supposed to be careful when it's like this, but there's a part of me that wanted to take Lucky out and just let him go...ride him where ever HE wanted to go. (More than likely he would have walked around the edge of the barn , through the doors to the hay stack. He's smarter than I am.) I didn't. I've gotten wiser with the passing years, but that doesn't mean that part of me isn't still there, taking me down a path that curves when I least expect it to.

It's still snowing as I write this...hard. The forecast says that it will continue to snow with high winds all night long and into tomorrow. I think I'm half hypnotized with the Zen of it, the perfect take no prisoners force of it. I'm outside every single day of the year, doing the chores that always need to be done. Thing is, it isn't really a "chore" for me. It's my religion, dealing with this kind of weather. I love the focus that can't be avoided, the connection it gives me back to the earth.

The Buddhists say that it's a privilege to do menial labor...to sweep and clean and work hard. I agree. If someone asked me what I think Heaven is like, I would tell them I hope it's like this. I love the problems I have to solve, the focus that it takes for me to go down my switch back path and around the blind curves. I am so empowered by days like today!

I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings!

I am, ever yours, off around the bend (in more ways than one!)...Nancy, head back and laughing!