Restart
It’s been a strange winter here in Bend--so mild it is a little eerie. That said, I am not complaining about the 60-degree temperatures now that we have 11 horses on the property. It eases the “burden” of chores a bit, and I put that in quotations because I don’t mind chores these days. In fact, now that we have almost full-time help, I actually enjoy the chance to do them, as was the case most of this week.
A lot has changed in the year-and-a-half we have been on the property, and I am really proud of all we have accomplished. There is still lots to do, but overall things move smoothly, the horses are really happy, and the people who have become a part of the Desert Lily Farm community are lovely. We are lucky.
Almost two years ago to the day (March 3), Oliver arrived at Spirit Heart Ranch in Erie, Colorado from South Dakota. He spent 6 months in consistent training. During month four, after putting 10 or so rides on him, we realized that it was in his best interest (he was only two) to give him some time to grow before we did heavier riding work. Well, grow he has. And now he is coming 4 and we are ramping back up.
I would love to say that I have kept up with Ollie’s groundwork over the last 18 months, but the truth is I have worked with him a handful of times. He makes it easy to slack off--he lives with a small herd in large paddock and is a happy gelding. He has no vices and shows no boredom (though there is extensive evidence of the horseplay he enjoys with his buddies Split and Dante). He’s behaved for the vet and trimmer. He can easily slip under the radar.
Recently, I asked April, my riding coach and now friend, to help me to restart Oliver so we could get him under saddle again. April works with me (still pretty new to western riding) and Jeffrey, a giant, beautiful (and thank goodness he is good looking!) buckskin paint who has a solid training foundation but is still a bit green. I feel confident in Oliver’s start (Sean was an incredible trainer and mentor), but I also know I am not a trainer and that part of my hesitance in getting going with him again is that I don’t want to ruin that strong foundation. I also wondered how much of that foundation was still accessible.
Today was Oliver’s second day in the round pen with me (and April watching on). I wish I had gotten both sessions on video; they are a testament to what a solid training base can do. Oliver remembered just about everything we learned when we were at Spirit Heart, and the things he didn’t were likely because I had forgotten the cues (I will be rewatching our videos later and I owe Sean a call). Oliver is responsive, connected as ever, and though he got a little excited working on the canter, he was able to slow down and get a few strides that were balanced going to the right and left. All of this based mostly off of posture cues and a few kissing sounds (still working on that, Sean). We worked on and off the lead line and when we worked without ropes I was reminded of what a great liberty prospect this little mustang might be.
I have spent a lot of time in the last few days thinking about the foundations of strong, healthy relationships--the ones you can count on to be resilient whether you work actively to maintain them or not, the ones that develop the type of trust necessary for healthy communication. The conclusion I drew today in the round pen was that an important factor is a mutual understanding of intent. I am one of the first human beings Oliver interacted with at any great length and I have worked hard to be consistent and kind with him, to set clear boundaries, to be honest and to be direct. This is the only way I know how to be with him and alternate approaches would have failed. He knows my intent and my spirit well. He has insecurities, but he has gained trust and he, too, is always kind; he may show frustration or confusion, but never aggression.
What a gift the creatures are to us; what teachers they can be.
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“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” Thomas à Kempis
