Horse Training – Page 6 – The Hermits' Rest

We Can Navigate Challenges with Positive Reflection

It’s funny. The day we left for the weekend’s camping expedition, Lee and I were annoyed at everything the other did, even though nothing was really wrong. It made the day harder on us both.

Today, though, all sorts of challenges and opportunities to get angry presented themselves, and neither of us took the bait. As each little (or big) issue arose, we just dealt with it and kept going. I prefer days like today! Duh.

We’re like two old trees communicating through our shared root systems.

Here are just a couple of examples. First, after getting Seneca the motorhome ready quickly and efficiently, we drove off, waving at the neighbors and promising to stay in touch. We did, because just as Lee spotted it in his mirror, we got a text saying one of our storage doors was open. I got out, ensured that nothing was missing, and off we went. No one blamed the other one for the mistake. Why should we?

That’s right, Suna. Take it from a sparrow that roams the Savanna.

Later a bigger boo-boo happened. We had pulled Seneca up to gas pumps so we could refuel the Gladiator, which went ok. But as we pulled out, the corner of the big vehicle hit one of those concrete posts that guard gas pumps. It turns out there is a blind spot we didn’t know about.

Gas stations are scary. Photo from Pexels.

What good would it have done to get upset? We just assessed the damage, made impromptu repairs, and kept going.

Sigh, as it turns out, the accident that only seemed to have dinged the water heater cover must have caused a short, because there are power issues. We may miss our next trip, but hey, we made it over two years before any major oopsie!

I wish my reward for this achievement could be this belt buckle I saw in Boot Barn. Someone has a sense of humor.

Here’s what today reminded me. You reflect the treatment you receive. Friday, Lee shouted at me because I wasn’t where he expected me to be, I shouted back, and then I was on edge, leading to further misunderstandings. I reflected what he directed at me.

I’m sure this deep thought is not original, just like this free photo.

Today, on the other hand, we each took unexpected issues in stride, with no blaming or justification. And we enjoyed a pleasant trip home. We reflected understanding and forgiveness. That worked.

Goodbye lake (and last photo of pristine Seneca).

I did encounter more great birds before we left Lake Brownwood. I listened to a Greater Roadrunner calling for at least an hour, punctuated by Wild Turkey calls. A Black-and-white Warbler plus a Pyrrhuloxia also dropped by.

I’m not a Pyrrhuloxia but I also dropped by.

Still, I’m glad to be back with my familiar bird buddies, my chickens, and the horses, each of whom collected a few burs to welcome me home. Dusty was particularly glad to see me and almost beat Mabel in the race to say hi. He even cantered! It turned out he needed me. His winter coat needs help getting off, so I rubbed significant quantities of fuzz off him while he ate.

I’ll be back on him and fuzzy/sweaty Apache tomorrow!

Savoring Sweet, Slow Success

When he was little, my son wanted to be instantly successful at any new thing he tried. He’d get very frustrated if he had to listen to instructions and practice. I had some of this tendency, too, and it didn’t help that I’m a quick study on most things.

Just like a Mockingbird learning new calls.

However, I’m not as talented with large motor skills as I am with fine motor skills (knitting, etc.) or mental things. I know that about myself. Because of that, once I realized I wasn’t a natural at horsemanship (way back before Tarrin), I didn’t pressure myself to improve quickly. I wish I could have, but I am who I am and Apache and Drew are who they are, so things have had to take some time.

Ya know, just like it takes a while to grow a tree.

With Drew, it’s become apparent that his issues are beyond my ability and time. I don’t love him any less, I just know that me trying to work with him isn’t a good fit. Neither of us is to blame, but it’s a hard realization.

Knowing I struggled with Drew makes the slow but steady progress I d made with Apache (and Mabel) just that much sweeter. It’s been good for us to build a strong relationship and skill set slowly over time.

I almost forget how hard it was to keep him from twirling around, how long it took to get his laminitis episodes under control, and how afraid I was to trot. Bit by bit, Tarrin has guided us towards our goals.

Her goal for us has been cantering, which has taken longer than expected, thanks to Apache starting out with a dysfunctional canter that had to be fixed with strengthening and practice. I was happy to see Tarrin able to ride him at a canter earlier this year.

Today it was my turn to do it. We had been building up from fast trotting and taking off after backing up, to get him working off his hind legs. I have gotten pretty comfortable, and like I said today, it almost feels like I know how to ride a horse.

I laugh at that idea and he has no comment.

After three days on pain medication, Apache was feeling much better than he did Tuesday (yes, two lessons this week due to scheduling issues), so he was up for a lot of running. we ended our lesson in the round pen where he was to practice going over jumps properly, I was told. Ha. Tarrin knew he’d canter if I approached the jump really fast.

I lived, though I did hold onto the saddle horn. Slow and steady success is sweet! This was our big goal ever since we started our lessons. We did it! Now to get good at it.

My goal for the rest of the week is not to talk about horses constantly. I’ll switch to wildflowers tomorrow. No surprise there.

So Far, Retiring Is Heavy on the “Tiring” Part

And that’s good, really! I just hope not all future days are quite this busy, because I’m tired! I can really come up with things to do given the opportunity. Let’s see what this hermit got up to today.

A big dog with a yummy stick is a highlight of any day.

In the morning I went to our beautiful local bakery to meet with the folks who helped Lee get his Medicare supplement so I could get mine. They are pretty funny folks, and the poor wife can get confused, but I got something reasonable from a reputable company, plus a sticky bun.

When we finished, I had an hour before my usual friends’ lunch. So, since I hadn’t talked to Anita in over a month, I dropped by her house. We had a nice chat, just our normal conversation between two people who know each other very well. I need to have relaxed conversations more. I don’t have to explain what I mean when I talk to her. She knows my biases and idiosyncrasies so dang well.

Old but good photo. Anita and I have also stuck through a lot. Still are.

After our talk, I went to lunch. It was a small group, but we had so much fun. One member shared some of her late mother’s jewelry and it was like we were little kids trying the various quirky and beautiful items on. It was so kind of her to share her mother’s taste and personality with us.

Two items I got were these incredible handmade scarf slides. Both have snakes on them. I can’t wait to wear them with my Western clothing.

After lunch, I drove out to the place my phone always thinks I live, Burlington, a very small community north of here. I went to visit with some folks who are clients of a relative of ours. We supposedly had things in common.

For example, we both like rough-leafed dogwood.

That turned out to be very true, and I had a fine time with the woman I met looking at the plants on the property where camp and are adding a storage building. We talked about birds, photography, native plants, and other similar interests. Then she asked me what I did for my job, and when I said technical writing she burst out laughing because she’s also one. Ha!

I left all the fun plants and many migrating monarchs and was able to rest a half hour or so before heading out to Tarrin’s training facility again, this time with Sara and the lovely Jhayati, who is almost two years old now.

Glamour shot. I got to groom her, and you know how I love a thick tail. Hers has gray in it, like her face. She’ll eventually be all gray.

It was a special day, so I went along to take photos of Jhayati’s first experience with saddling. So exciting for us all! Sara and Tarrin have prepared the filly very well, and as a result, she handled the saddle well.

They practiced the saddle falling off, too, to teach her to stop and look if someone or something falls off. That’s good safety! I learned a lot about how to get a horse off to a good start.

Jhayati did very well walking and trotting with the saddle on, though I think she got a bit tired.

Finally, she got to jump a little (not too much, since she is still growing). I enjoyed watching how well Sara handled her and how you could see the concentration in Jhayati’s eyes.

In the end, she even walked back to the trailer like a good princess. I was so impressed. Even the continued dust and wind didn’t phase her.

I’ll sure miss those two when they move to the new farm in Wisconsin. If you want to follow their new venture, here’s a link to the blog.

By the time I got home and did all my horse stuff, it was time for dinner. Whew. I didn’t even have the energy to crochet much! I’m pretty sure tomorrow will have fewer trips and visits.

Mabel Takes a Trip

I’ve been writing a lot about Mabel, the Thoroughbred mare that Kathleen rescued in 2021 and who I’ve been caring for and rehabilitating since. In the past few months she’s blossomed. I guess the time to regain her health both physically and mentally was just what she needed to come back and do more than eat and sleep (though she’d be happy to do that).

Look at that engaged and interested face!

So today, not only did I take Apache for a lesson, Mabel went, too!

Now, Mabel obviously had training before we got her, since she was willing to let people ride her and trailered well.

But she looked sad and was so thin (this was not too long after we got her, and she’d filled out some already.

I was interested to see what she retained and where I could help her develop stronger muscles and a stronger relationship with me. So she walked into the trailer like a champ and went to Tarrin’s. Apache was gracious.

She did not enjoy the trip and pooped everywhere and made a slippery mess. So Apache did his lesson first while Mabel neighed a lot and was agitated. Tarrin said that shouldn’t be surprising in a new space where she didn’t ask to go. Poor dear. It was also extremely windy (again), which wasn’t fun for horses or people. So much dust.

By the time it was her turn, she had settled down and we did work with her. We made lots of progress together and I have lots of things to practice with her now. She never stopped looking engaged and happy, even with some corrections needed. Tarrin said she was smart. She probably says that to all the horse owners.

Backing up was fun to work on. We will get it all figured out, I’m sure!

Apache had an excellent nap during Mabel’s lesson. He’s a bit stiff so he’s getting pain meds for a short while until the grass settles down. At least he isn’t lame!

Wake me up when it’s time to go home, says Apache.

Before we left, Tarrin fitted the black saddle Drew had been using on Mabel’s shape. She has asymmetrical shoulders. Huh. Apache’s old cinch worked fine, so I can exercise her with the saddle to build more strength up. She isn’t ready to be ridden again yet, but it shouldn’t be too long.

Saddle fitting. It’s great to have an adjustable saddle that works on all shapes and sizes! Bonus dog butt.

One more thing! When we got home, Dusty and Drew were crowding the gate wanting to greet Mabel. I guess she’s their girlfriend. It was hard to bring her in until I shooed the boys away. It was sweet.

She already stopped pulling when walking the circle. Good girl.

I hope tomorrow is less windy. I have a bunch of things to do! But for now I’m enjoying a lavender face mask to get rid of the last of the dust!

And in the End…

…the love you take is equal to the love you make (Lennon/McCartney)

I re-learned this from a horse today, dear Mabel. Coincidentally, the blogging prompt today was about animals:

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

I have had an affinity with horses since I was a toddler, as I’ve frequently mentioned here. Even before I met my first horse, they made an impression in books and on television (I was a child when Westerns were popular, so you got to see lots of beautiful horses, and I read every horse book in the school library).

Horses always seemed to have good lives, mostly eating, hanging around with friends, and sleeping, with some running around to liven things up. That would work for me. Plus, as prey animals they look out for each other, but low rank horses get picked on by insecure bullies (a drama I often witness). That reminds me of how I ended up being very protective of friends and team members after dealing with a lot of bullying.

No wonder I like horses. They even have delicate digestive systems like me.

Mabel certainly has her issues. She’s choked twice.

As I’ve learned more about horses and how they interact with humans, it’s become so clear that your intention, your mood, and your demeanor affect them. It’s made a huge difference with me and Apache, and I’ve seen it break down with Drew due to his issues — no amount of good intentions has broken through his pain.

I’m just not able to help him like he needs to be helped. Makes me sad.

Healing can take time, and a horse in pain has trouble trusting people. That’s how Mabel was at first. Gradually, with good nutrition and care, she’s become healthy. And her attitude has shifted as well. I didn’t realize quite how much until the last couple of weeks, when she’s become downright friendly. All the love I’ve tried to pour into her may have helped, too.

This friendly expression makes me so happy.

This afternoon, after feeding everyone, I spent time removing winter hair and any new burs from each horse who’d let me. The last horse I groomed was Mabel, who isn’t as fuzzy as Dusty or Apache, but needs de-winterizing. I noticed how nicely she stood still and let me spend time on her, even lowering her giant head and asking to have it rubbed (I didn’t touch her head for at least two years).

I finished up, opened the gate to her pen, and set the grooming bucket down to keep the gate from hitting her when she left. But she didn’t leave. With her ears forward and eyes bright, she lowered her head so I could massage her neck. I ended up just holding this animal who’s as tall as me at her shoulders in my arms with her leaning her neck on my shoulder and her head cradling me. Other horses walked by us, but she didn’t move.

I remained with her. We watched a rabbit flee from a Harrier, then watched the bird hunt all over our field, still calmly sharing love (or safety or whatever a horse would call it) with each other. It was the most peaceful time I’ve ever had with Mabel. Since I’d already exchanged hugs, love, and peace with Dusty and Apache, I was all full of endorphins.

It’s not always this way, but lately these animals have repaid me for my efforts with so much. It’s the way relationships should be, giving and taking love as needed. It helps to identify with the animals, perhaps.

A Little Success Lifts the Faltering Spirit

The past few months have been pretty heavy. There hasn’t been much to counterbalance the sad, scary, and stressful. I miss Goldie, I’m disappointed that Drew and I aren’t meshing well, I miss the routine of a job (after ONE day of “retirement”), and I worry that more bad things will happen to people I love. As I read today, we’re in the middle of “the troubles” we’ve been warned about for so long.

With that background, you can imagine I would be in the market for some potentially positive counterbalance! Sure, hanging out in nature helps. But I was pretty sure by this afternoon that I could use more.

Spotted Horse to the Rescue!

It had been a while since I’d had an Apache horsemanship lesson, thanks to Tarrin’s glamorous famous horse trainer adventures and my endless nature exploration. Today there was a lesson scheduled, which was good news.

Maybe good news for you, Suna. It means I have to work.

One of the many disappointments last week was that I had to cancel going to a friend’s arena to participate in the first horse show of the year, a “virtual show,” where you can be anywhere and just film yourself doing the show tests. The weather yesterday did NOT cooperate.

That meant more time for Apache to bury his head in burs and make his forelock look silly.

I figured that part of my show was not in the cards. But I heard that Tarrin had the show obstacles set up at her house, and asked if I could do the two parts of the show during my lesson. She said yes, so I groomed the heck out of Apache (who had decided it was a fun idea to roll his white body on fresh green grass) and packed up a shirt with a collar and a belt. Off we went to see how we could do in a more laid-back setting.

Heading off to the arena. He’s loaded down with equipment.

Lee came along, too, with the fancy camera. He was also drafted into filming. What a trooper.

This is my favorite of his pictures. I’m talking to Apache while holding an awkward object and he is giving side eye.

Imagine my surprise when Tarrin said we’d do all three parts of the show this afternoon. She had the dressage arena set up, too. Unfortunately, I’d barely studied the dressage test, thinking I wasn’t doing it. Oops.

Lee was filming during dressage, so enjoy this photo of one of the horses in training.

But guess what? It all went just fine. Even I could tell that Apache and I have both improved, though he was trotting like the RV going down a dirt road: bouncy. We did okay on dressage!

On the next part, I was very pleased with his stops and starts and his patience at the four obstacles involving picking up objects.

I was pleased with myself for managing to ride over a bridge, step him over a tractor tire, and do a slalom all while holding an awkward object. He even backed up appropriately and side passed over a poke! Major improvement there .

Sure, our gate opening leaves a lot to be desired, and he stopped during transitions on the barrel maneuver, but we can work on that! I was so proud of us.

Will we get a ribbon? I am not even worried about that. I’m just so pleased that we are improving that I don’t need to compare myself to anyone who’s on a different part of their journey with their horse. See, I learned another life lesson, one that makes shows much more fun.

Having a bit of hard-earned success with my horse is just what I needed to buoy my spirits. I’m feeling more hopeful that I’ll find ways to get by, keep up with horse lessons, and have positive counterbalances to the near-overwhelming doom and gloom.

Let’s Pivot with Cautious Optimism

All the ideas I got from reflecting on my tarot reading last night swirled around me today. With the nudge I got that maybe I CAN get through these times and help others if I do what it takes to keep me centered, I decided to up my grounding ante.

I got enough time in today to enjoy nature, meditate well, and really see the big picture of what I’m surrounded by—the natural world and its order. Not always peaceful or perfect, but adapting as things change. Thanks, birds and clouds!

The clouds and sunset were gorgeous today.

After all the warmth and grounding I got from Apache and Dusty yesterday, I decided Mabel from the Stable needed a turn. She’d been looking at me with kindness and interest lately.

So, after Apache did his workout, I haltered Mabel, which is her least good skill, and gave her some extra alfalfa while I groomed and de-burred her. Neither was easy. She had mud dried into clay on her coat, which even with my nails I couldn’t completely eliminate. And while her tail is a breeze to get smooth, her mane is another story. For one thing, it’s way up there. She’s a tall Thoroughbred-style mama. And it’s very fine. But I did it, and noted that she was pretty patient.

As her “reward” I took her on a walk, and just for fun, did some longe-line work in the round pen. She was fine, other than getting a little excited toward the end. Her ears were always forward and she stayed focused. I got her to back up and side pass a bit. Well.

That was a lot more fun than working with Drew has been lately. I think we will pivot and play with Mabel while Drew gets a break and maybe finds a home with someone who can work with him the way he needs. If not, he may be the pasture ornament for a while. An expensive one. But I still love him! He’s just too much for my skill set.

I’d look much better without the burs. Yes, I’ll working on him tomorrow.

On the other hand, I feel very calm and centered working with the other three, so that’s good!

Another bucolic scene of nature and peace, brought to you by our back pond.

I Annoyed the Horses

I am feeling a bit better today, probably because after a misty morning, we had a beautiful day to enjoy.

After work, I went out to sit outside, but something caught my eye. I saw four horses and a donkey in front of the house, where the unmown grass is. Horse heaven.

I figured they’d finally noticed their fence along the driveway had only one strand of wire and it had mostly broken fence poles or whatever you call them. So I took out some new posts conveniently located in the garage, (ah, yes, we call them posts) and found a random piece of wire I could use to repair the broken wire-attachy-thing. This is not a permanent fix, because it’s a temporary fence and the original plastic posts are deteriorating. But it looks better.

The orange things are new and I “repaired” yellow the top attaching hook.

I got it all fixed, then as I was walking back I surmised that the horses (most likely Apache) had opened their gate to get out. I thought I must not have done as many tricky chain things as were needed to thwart him yesterday. I was all fine with that, since I knew they would come back in for dinner, and that field has some nice older grass for them.

There were little flowers to distract me, too. This is crow poison.

I went over to the bird-watching chair to write down what Merlin heard during my fence repairing (Purple Martin and Lark Sparrow were highlights). When I took a refreshing swig of my fancy soda I found in Kathleen’s refrigerator, i discovered something non-liquid and buzzy in it. I sure spat that bee out fast!

About 20 minutes later, I hit ANOTHER bee, got more drink all over myself, and gave up my reverie.

I lured the horses out of the grassy field with some food, which rude Drew tried to knock me over for until Apache pushed him away and escorted me to the pens. What a gentleman. As a reward, Apache got all cleaned up before his daily workout. Burs. Yuck.

Two old friends. I’m grateful for these two.

After the other horses were finished eating every morsel in every dish, I noticed some teamwork going on. Drew and Mabel marched right up to where the broken fence was, ready to head back to the grass. The new fencing didn’t please them at all. I realized they had indeed broken out and also opened the gate!

They went all the way down to the pond, testing for weak areas. They even pushed a bit. Whew, the fence held. Disgusted, they fetched Dusty for help.

Then I just had to laugh. It’s like Dusty told them to chill out, and the three of them took a nap. They really had eaten a lot!

I’ll probably find them out again tomorrow, but we closed the gate and the guy that is fixing Seneca the motorhome knows how to use it. Yes, all the yearly service is done and some things are fixed! There’s just a water issue to remaining to take care of. The cold was not kind to any of our couplings, it appears. But that’s for tomorrow. I hope I don’t have to disappoint the horses again.

Happy False Spring

There’s always a warm front that fools us into thinking winter’s over here in Texas. It often happens when the first migratory birds show up. This year, a Purple Martin arrived yesterday followed by a Scissortail Flycatcher today. Both were males. These are “scouts,” checking out the neighborhood.

I had to grab this fast, but you can see his long tail.

False spring arrives out of nowhere. One week you’re wearing all your layers, the next week you look like this.

Yep, the first orange (above 85°) flower on my temperature blanket will mark this day. I dripped with sweat for the first time in 2025, something I’d have gladly waited for. Apache, still in full winter furriness could have done without a lesson today, too.

We have confidence that this winter warmth will fade in a week or so. Until then, I’ll be able to enjoy birds in the mornings and sweat with the horses in the afternoons. And it will be good hiking weather, I hope.

Flowers are popping up! Red stemmed stork’s bill.

After a sweaty grooming session (my equine companion was entranced by a hawk and not very cooperative), we had another good lesson. Apache is learning finesse very quickly, as soon as I figure it out.

Yeah Suna. You’re holding me back. Let’s get rid of your head.

The cool achievement today was very smooth stopping. He can stop immediately from a fast trot and I hardly feel it. It’s my favorite feature so far in our journey toward cantering. We practice stopping a lot. Then going. Anyway, it’s fun to improve at our own pace.

I’m glad we had the lesson, even though Tarrin wasn’t feeling great. It made up for a challenging work day and some hard conversations with my friends. Plus it was nice of Lee to come along and take photos of me and faithful Apache. He also took cute pictures of Tarrin’s pets.

All in all, false spring isn’t so bad. I’ll enjoy it as long as it lasts.

No Surprises, Still a Bit Sad

Today Dr. Amy came by with Goldie and Harvey’s test results from her last visit. As we expected, Harvey still has liver cancer. He’s doing okay on his medicine.

I’ve lost weight but I’m still eating and barking.

We were saddened to learn that, as we suspected, the bumps on Goldie’s shoulder are more osteosarcoma. But it’s not all bad. The first thing Amy said after telling us the news was, “Look how happy she is.” Goldie was bounding around, thrilled to have a visit with her medical team and get those stitches out.

Yeah. She’s still happy, bouncy, and barky. She gets to live as long as she feels okay. We know what signs to look for. Until then, our dear girl gets to be loved on and treasured.

In other and happier news, Apache and I did well again today. I got him cantering around and Sara took a video. We look competent.

Even when Apache gets annoyed, we still work together. That’s what’s so rewarding. We are learning hard new stuff, and even though it’s a challenge, we’re in it together. I can’t believe he can canter under saddle, too! In the rain!

He did it. Not thrilled.

I also had a good conversation with Sara, since we did our lessons together. I appreciate her loyalty and understanding. I’m not easy to be friends with, and past me was worse! Growing and learning, we are!

It was a very long day, mentally and physically and spiritually. I think the hard things make the beautiful things more treasured.