Some Thoughts And Other Things

'Luke' is still most pleased with his underling and every now and then proudly herds little 'Sam' around the field, just because he can! And every morning, the two of them hide outside the stable for a private moment:

Little 'Sam' has his work cut out, just like last year, he is 'Luke's main grooming pal. I'll be interested to see whether 'Sam' will join the communal grooming ritual ...


The sudden increase in temperature is most welcome although it brings with it THE FLIES!
It appears that 'Mr F' is and 'Luke' are more of a fly attraction than little 'Sam'. Perhaps all the garlic they fee him eats helps him keep them off! I added garlic to last year's fly spray mixture ... which was clearly noticable on a more sensitive nose ... not that it bothers me though as I eat plenty of garlic myself! It seemed to work though.

'Mr F' annoyed by the flies  ... time to dig out the fly mask.

'Mr F' coming to say hello ... 

For some time have I been trying to explain the sensation I experience when he comes towards me in his usual manner. In my previous descriptions I have used words such as honesty, pureness, love (not the attached romantic kind of love) and joy. Today, while out to take some macroshots of insects it suddenly occured to me: its the INNOCENCE - a KNOWING INNOCENCE. He (they) know(s) everything there is to know that matters.  And more: 'Mr F' in particular seems to know exactly what I should learn, I have been aware of this from the first moment when our paths joined. I am not talking about him teaching me to ride, that just goes along with it. No, he is teaching me something much much more important; he is teaching me how to become a free being ...

I am quite close to all the horses that I have been feeding and mucking out over the past 3 years, but none reaches out like 'Mr F' does. It is as though he has a mission to work on / with me ... much is being 'said' when we just stand next to each other without a single thought, something I wasn't able to experience even a year ago!

We humans are so trapped in our own worlds created by our minds. I certainly keep observing myself doing just that again and again: trapping myself. We resist, we force, we have intention, we want, we desire, we don't want ... we worry, we are afraid, we assume, we have 'images', we hang on to the past or fret about the future ... we are lost beings chasing after what is in fact right inside us! But of course we don't look there ... nobody taught us to look there ... 

And this will bring me back to Aikido ... but more about that another time.

A relief: after a full 6 months of mucking out and filling hay bags etc ... finally no more. The boys are moving to a different field without access to stables.

Sometimes, when things get a little busy and spare time is rare, some matters to get neglected a little. Although I make sure I do spend plenty of time with 'Mr F', it has been mostly ridden work lately'. But I also enjoy our walks out in the countryside, it is a different way of being together and is great fun.

With 'Mr F's back becoming quite stiff again, it's been a year I think since Neill has treated him the last time. Its time to make another appointment.

Recently I took 'Mr F' up to the 'fairy woods' - a small area of woodland with some quickly chaning up and downhill terrain. They sometimes use it to fool around with the mountain bikes as it has some quite steep runs. I shall take a photograph of it next time. 

It is a bit like an outdoor gymn for 'Mr F'. I walk / trott him through it and it is great for him as he uses different muscles to adapt to the quickly chaning terrain. He also has to navigate over the treeroots so it keeps him attentive and interested.

On the way to our outdoor 'gymn' on a very tranquil spring evening ... 

 

'Oh, what's rustling over there?'

  

I do little excersises with 'Mr F' which I think are usefull .One of them is to ask him to stand on the spot while I move away. I signal my wish for him to NOT follow me by letting the weighted (and rather long) leadrope drop loosely on the floor (while I still hold on to the end of it). As I walk away in this manner, 'Mr F' has learnt that I am asking him to wait.

As soon as I pick up the rope with a gentle pull he knows I am asking him to come to me. It's useful to be able to do this when I have to navigate them through the field gates. All I have to do is to either raise my hand (something he learnt 'accidentially'), or to drop the lead rope.  He will stand still and not move -well, unless there is 'something nasty' sneaking around somewhere ...

This was yesterday evening's ride out with 'Lillian' and 'Luke'. We are not yet going very far with 'Luke' while he is becoming accustomed again to being a riding horse. Although 'Luke' is doing very well and I am quite sure he'll be back to where they stopped last year in no time.


Here is looking forward to more sunshine!