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| Bow before my cuteness! |
Everything seemed so easy. Every part of my body responded instantly to every part of his, correcting, flexing, straightening, suppling. We just did a short session of transition work in the grass to build strength, but he was so happy and eager and ready and he felt so good!
I think back to the years I spent training, arguing, yelling in frustration, begging, the whole year I was afraid to canter him because it would only spiral into an unholy mess of gallop (I don't do bolters). To the bottomless rage that caught in my throat as we left dressage arenas and skulked back to the trailer where I wondered why he wouldn't just cooperate.
Now, I get on and he is poised and waiting at attention for anything I ask. I am undoubtedly a better rider (thank you, Encore) which I am sure Solo greatly appreciates. This horse who drove me to fury (immersed in love though it was) is now soft and receptive at the end of my reins and I just...enjoy. I know him down to his very blood cells, literally, and he gave his whole soul to me and reads my mind; there are no words which encapsulate the kind of gratitude and happiness that filled the cold air tonight.
Thank you, buddy.
What a beautiful way to describe a relationship :) I feel the same!
ReplyDeleteThis is soo true! They make you almost want to rip your hair out and completely stop riding. Then next time you ride they are AWESOME!! This almost made me cry!
ReplyDeleteOne of those moments we all live for :)
ReplyDeleteA relationship like this with your horse is one in a million. Cherish it!
ReplyDeleteI feel so lucky. Yet I wish I could give him more, that he so clearly wants. He is connected to so many things that are important to me, he is like a nexus of my life and changed everything about it.
ReplyDeleteDo you think they would notice if I brought him to work with me?
My first horse will turn 24 next month. I've had him since he was 2. Even when I don't get to ride him for months at a time I can get on him and just think what I want to do and it just happens. I'm sure you are a better rider than when you started but a relationship like that is also something that simply develops over time and requires sticking through those tough periods where we may want to rip our hair out. Congrats on not giving up and being able to have those special moments with your special guy!
ReplyDeleteBEST feeling. :)
ReplyDelete:D
ReplyDelete*sigh* Such a cute boy, he is.
ReplyDeleteWondering if he's feeling up to a little actual work now? Like, you get to compete again? Or are the muscle issues still ruling that out.. Just curious, as you haven't said in a while.
He's definitely still lopsided and always will be, but I think he could compete at a low level. He'd be less so if we redid his hock injections but those are out of my budget for now. I'm hoping he might get to compete with Amber this spring, but that is up to her. ;-) I can't afford to enter two horses in HT's, but if he got a bit fitter, he might be able to toodle around a jumper show. I keep trying to fit him up but tiiiiiiiime, I hate time.
ReplyDeleteLOVe this! What a great post! Isn't this the relationship we all strive for?! :)
ReplyDeleteLike putting on an old glove...
ReplyDeleteI have the same with Starlette, my mare...but didn't realize it until I got Friday, my gelding, two years ago and first started riding him. He had no clue what I wanted (he was barely started...just on trails, following). I'd ride him and then get on "read my mind Starlette" and totally fell in love all over again.
Of course, after two years, I now have two horses that can read my mind :)