After the previous day's lovely solo ride I thought we'd go out again today as I had another day off.
One lesson again: just don't expect or have intent.
I think 'Mr F' was trying to tell me something - mainly that he simply didn't want to go into the directions I wanted to take.
The main roads went fine but then I thought for a change we go back into our little 'fitness parkour' in the shape or a wooded area with ups and downs and tree roots over ground. Much footwork and balancing required. 'Mr F' and I have been in this wood many times, riding or walking. Always without any issue.
But today was a "bah humbug" day for 'Mr F'. We got halfway through the wood, all went OK, he slalomed nicely among the trees until we came to the steep part ... "NOPE ... not even a pig coming up from behind will get me up there, NOT today!"
There I sat ... wondering how best to proceed. OK, so here we have some proper napping (which is rare). I guess it is going to be a case of who is more stubborn/patient/strong willed. Although I didn't want it to become a battle of wills as such. I didn't want to have my ego involved at all.
Alright ... lets just stand here until 'Mr F' get's fed up with that too. Which happened after about 2 minutes. As he wanted to move I directed him again where he didn't want to go. Refusal. So I made him go backwards, sideways, anything that he would find irritating enough to stop refusing.
I had all the patience in the world, how much patience did 'Mr F' have?
Meanwhile I could hear the voice in my head "I don't believe it!". (for those that don't know: Victor is a grumpy old character in the British sitcom 'One Foot In The Grave'.)
Well, a good 10 minutes later we got where I wanted him to go ... I let him do a few strides, that's all I wanted. I praised him.
We moved on. This was followed by yet another refusal ... I asked him to go down a path that he doesn't like anyway. As he was in his 'Victor Meldrew' mood I proceeded as earlier. This time it took a little less time because I did trick him ... by moving him to a spot where he sometimes (NOT always) can eat grass and there I made him turn. By the time he realised what I did it was to late for him to refuse. Well, that was one way around his argumentative mood.
We continued a little further and things went ok. He did as I asked. I left it at that. It wasn't great but it was acceptable. He doesn't usually behave like this, he's done this perhaps 5 times in these nearly 4 years his been with me. Back on the main road he behaved perfectly and never makes a run for home.
Of course I did check him out for any sores etc ... but there was nothing. He was most interested in anything that was going one once back in the stable .., and of course there was his food to be served anytime soon, surely!
Today's ride was nothing like our last ride out but then right here I had yet another lessson of: stop looking into the past, the moment is NOW. Don't look back, because the horse doesn't. He doesn't stand in the stable thinking: 'oh perhaps we are going to have another lovely ride today like we did yesterday'. To him there is only NOW. For him there is also no tomorrow. Now imagine that - another thing to learn - all this time wasting of daydreaming about tomorrow ... wishing wanting hoping ... all wasted life. Making us miss living, being alive in the very moment.
Oh so much to learn from these beings (all 'non humans').
"I don't believe it!" ....
No comments:
Post a Comment