Recharging on Solstice

Brenda, my great farm sitter, took care of the beasts last night when my husband had to work late.  She asked if I’m getting bored, being laid up after knee surgery.    

Nope.  I’m not a bored kind of person.  I’m frustrated, because I can’t go near the horses or sheep or do much of anything physical.  When you’re on crutches, at least one leg and BOTH hands are tied up, so it takes a lot of your important parts out of action.  It’s really annoying. 

Warning: Dog moves abruptly when person on crutches tries to get past.

Luckily, we have a set-up, here at home, where I can move things across surfaces.  A hot bowl of oatmeal goes from the microwave to the butcher block.  Then I hop around to the other side of the butcher block, and move the oatmeal to the island counter.  Then I hop around the counter and move the oatmeal from the counter to the coffee table.  Then, at last, I sit and eat the oatmeal.   Just getting a bowl of oatmeal is a major activity, and I’m sorry for people who are always on crutches, and so thankful that this is a temporary condition for me.

But back to not being bored.  I’m just not.  I have been pouring over saddle websites, plotting and dreaming about the perfect Western saddle and the perfect eventing saddle for Starlight. 

I have been reading horse training articles, having just discovered Andrew McLean’s website (click).   He developed and manages the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre, “the most internationally recognized horse training and behavior modification center in Australia.”  Who knew?  He is insightful and interesting.

Here's the book.

And I just got a Jane Savoie book from Amazon (I’m doing the “one for them, one for me” method of Christmas shopping) called That Winning Feeling, which has received good reviews from horse people since its initial publication many years ago.  Savoie is an internationally recognized equestrian coach, writer and speaker.

In the preface, Savoie writes, “…This isn’t just a horse book.  It’s not about competition; and it’s definitely not about ending up in first place on the scoreboard.  Instead, it’s a ‘life’ book.  It’s about struggling and picking yourself back up when you feel like there’s nothing left inside of you.  It’s about doing your best and facing the consequences of your efforts with no excuses. It’s about taking the principles described within and courageously applying them to so many areas of your life – from your career, personal relationships, other sports, as well as to your health.”

I’m surely not even close to feeling like there’s nothing left inside of me, but I do know that when I get back on a horse, I’m going to experience some new fears that I will need to acknowledge and conquer.  It will happen, after having major surgery to repair an injury.  It can’t be helped, and being honest about it and getting past it will be important to me.  So this seems like a good time for Jane’s book.

Oh, and I’m working on a painting of Hudson that I’ll show ya’ll, once it’s done.

So no, not bored, just repairing and re-energizing, and getting ready for a hell of a good year with horses. 

And happy Solstice, all!  The world has not ended, and after tonight, the days will start getting longer, and you know what that means!  Spring will be here in the blink of an eye, and we will be charging across green meadows and splashing through still waters -- on horseback, again.