oh! really? Thank You ❤️

Life lessons from my horse: Hold on señorita, Ill protect you!

Its been a rough few weeks work wise. More work than I can handle, conflict and temper tantrums from graduate students, and an emergency bathroom renovation, along with preparations for the revival (after a 3 year pandemic hiatus) of the biggest St Patricks Day house party … well Im teetering somewhere between high anxiety and anger with a heavy dose of insomnia. Not good.

Ive been trying to ride a few times a week but certainly not as often as usual, and my trips are short and abrupt. 45 mins, WTC, mostly solo. Grooming, thats for sissies. 😉

Yesterday, my horse was a tool. He tried to attack my friends horse as she passed me (albeit a bit too close), he tried to bolt when a cross country skier was crossing behind, he reared when the sleigh crossed our path with the double team, and he was just crabby and ears pinned whenever anything came nearby.

Today before I left for the barn my husband warned me to stay safe, and lunge him if needed. Safety first, yes, yes. 

I watched for signs of spring sillies while pulling him from the paddock with his besties and tacked up. All good. I payed attention when I got on and left the parking lot for excess energy or ornery behaviour. All clear. I watched his anxiety meter when he was looking for boogiemen. Tolerable. We trotted out, ok. We cantered on, nice and easy. Sigh of relief. This will be a good ride.

We hit the nice wide track where we can do long lopes and Ive got the reins dangling down as I pat him on the neck in between strides. He is flicking his ears back to me, and just giving me the most beautiful rocking horse lope. Glorious.

We round the bed and see two fellow boarders coming our way. I come to a walk and giggle at being caught having just way too good a ride. The oncoming front mare (an ornery, prancing, ears pinned, anxious type) is a little too fast and too close for comfort on the wide (but not that wide, maybe 6 feet?) trail and all of a sudden the energy changes. Q pins his ears, blocks the trail with his body sideways and is getting ready for a confrontation. The rider, clueless, keeps coming at us. I holler stop, spin my horse around, trot 20 feet down the trail, turn back around to face them and plop Q in the bank of snow so they can pass. Everybody is shocked at this unusual behaviour. The horses leave us, and Q and I proceed to have a lovely solo ride with lots of long and steady canters and trots.

It was lovely. And thats when it hit me. Q was trying to protect me. My anger and anxiety triggered his need for a bigger safety bubble, and anything that was a threat had him in protection mode (flight and fight). When we were alone, he was super chill and my steady eddie.

Horses are just magical. Best teacher I ever had.