Thinking About Then and Now

A Head Shot (ohhh, those eyes!)

As you know, in the Fall of 2006, this handsome boy, Valentino, walked out of the trailer and into my life!  Even though I had been away from horse ownership for so many years, it felt very natural to actually own and "partner with" my own horse again!  And, as a result of the tentative steps of beginning such a partnership, the differences in each day have become quite evident - I must find the time to get to the barn in a manner in which I don't feel rushed or tense, even if that means leaving work on hold for later on in the day or even allocating it to the next day!  Because owning a horse can't be taking lightly, horses are living, breathing creatures and they take their cues from us and as such, any level of nervous energy on the part of the rider, you can surely expect that your horse with pick on on that energy and depending on the circumstances of the ride you have in mind for that day, the results could be disastrous.  However, more importantly, the fact that we are "a team" in this ongoing learning experience, me, getting back into riding in the English discipline again and him, adjusting to life away from the race track, has made it much more interesting and challenging but simultaneously requires a total commitment to living the lifestyle of an equestrian!

My hope for him and I is that despite the many stops and starts we encounter and then the challenges we'll face over the years and other situations that will surely arise, that he and I will forge through and become closer in an understanding of one another.  It's critically important for the horse to know what the rider is asking and just as important for the rider to know how to ask for it.  This type of give and take is built on trust and that's the primary goal, an ongoing building of this primal but basic bond that will enable Valie to trust me to make the right decisions for him.  So, we shall see where this journey takes us and I would love my readers to come along for "the ride"!