Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Things I have learnt - Joey


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Thinking about my boy tonight and being grateful for the journey we had together.  He taught me many things:

1.  He taught me to be a better rider – I had to learn to be precise with my aids. I had to set him up to succeed.

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2.  He taught me to secure my seat… :P

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3.  He taught me that forwards is the best answer for misbehavior – by the end there was less spooking, less prop-and-whirling, less bucking; all brought on by allowing him to move forwards when he felt like something was scary or too much to deal with.

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4.  He taught me to be aware of my pelvic floor muscles and how they affect my seat; one of my biggest AHA! moments this year.

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5.  I learnt how much a horse can rely on you and trust to you lead the way.

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6.  He taught me that I can ride and train a young horse, but it takes a lot of work!

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7.  He taught me that even when I am ‘paralyzed’ with fear, I can actually ride through it without it affecting my riding too much.

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8.  He taught me that ground work is crucial – if your horse listens to you in hand then he is far more likely to listen to you under saddle!

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9.  He taught me how much fun it is to have a smart horse; and how hard it is to keep their brains active.

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10.  He taught me that if you push too hard, accidents will happen – you have to learn when to work through it and when to stop.

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But mostly he showed me how a horsey partnership can be – yes, we had our ups and downs, but we also connected.  And that connection is something I will always cherish. 

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Copper and I are developing our relationship further, and I am enjoying that; but they are different horses.  Sometimes I still miss Joey. 

See ya,

bonita

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Indeed. It's hard not to compare the two and wish I had both of them again - even with all the stress and problems that created.

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