Lesson #18: Will the Weather Ever Make-up Its Mind?

Tonight was a make up lesson from 2 weeks ago when we had snowmaggedon. But, as luck would have it, we expected another snow storm for this season. As if it didn't snow enough for Christmas, now it's making-up for it all. *sigh*

I got out there a-ok since the weather was just starting to get treacherous. I arrived late and Jessica, the stable-girl tonight, helped me tack-up Indy. I got another private tonight since the Tuesday bunch decided to cancel. That's ok, shortened lesson but the opportunity to focus on some of the things that I've been having trouble with--namely, the canter.

In addition to the usual active physical learning, Sheri took this opportunity to teach me about horse behaviour and listening to your horse "talk". I mount Indy and Sheri asks me, "what do you think about Indy's mood today?" The only thing I notice about Indy is his general reluctance to be in the ring. There wasn't one specific action or gesture that tipped me off otherwise but I noticed that he was not at ease. Sheri tells me to listen and look: there is a lot of wind blowing around outside and Indy's ears are roving around, listening towards the sounds around him.

Sheri says that for a horse that is attentive like this, I need to keep him busy and focused on anything but everything else. He's what Pat and Linday Parelli consider one of the right brain personalities (thanks Present Tense!) tonight. I didn't think he was particularly one, over the other but in general, right brained--this confirmed which personality Indy generally is labelled, too. Sheri was stressing that thinking ahead of what's happening around you; in combination with what a rider knows about both instinctive horse behaviour plus the individual horsey characteristics; is what will help you be safe and communicate effectively with your equine friend. It's something that takes time, and patience. In a day and age where everything was demanded yesterday, this exercise has some meditative qualities to it.