An Epiphany!!!!

So I've been reading up on lots of different approaches to training and relationship building with our equine companions.  Having learned my lesson that jumping on a single bandwagon no matter what even if your horse rejects said bandwagon does NOT work, I've decided to amalgamate some of the ideas that work with the philosophies that are milling about in my head these days.  Lately, I've been reading a lot about Carolyn Resnick Horsemanship from the Ground Up and her Ueberstreichen Exercises. I must admit, part of the interest is that it is great fun to SAY I am learning the Ueberstreichen Exercises, lol.  These exercises, according to Carolyn,
"...can be used on all horses no matter what level of training they have received. The purpose of the exercise are to enhance the forward expression of the horse’s gaits. They improve collected and extended gaits by giving the horse the ability to perform with ease. They support the horse’s way of going by removing locked muscles while simultaneously schooling the horse to respond correctly to rein and leg aids."  I am interested in these exercises because they are a way for me to focus my work from the ground (if you've read earlier entries, you'll know I was "grounded" with a tailbone injury in November). There is too much information to go into details here, but I encourage you to read up on them here: Intro to Uberstreichen

So last night, I went out to see Merle after work.  I went out and greeted her with neck scratches (her favorite so far) and cleaned out her hooves.  I observed silently from the ground for a bit settling in on my haunches...this made Merle wander over my way to ask just what the heck mom was doing on the ground!!!  After a bit of socializing, I put on her halter in prep to do some experimenting with uberstreichen.  We played a bit with having her stand on her own after I walked away, and following me on a very loose rein, stopping and changing direction whenever I did.  Then...we tried the first proper exercise.  In the first exercise, you stand in front of your horse, and loosely grasping on either side of the halter, gently ask for them to lower their heads and return to neutral.  The COOLEST thing happened - the minute I started moving her head, Merle gets this totally blissful look in her eyes. I think I have just discovered her relaxation button!!!!  I disconnected from the exercises, walked around with her and tried again.  She blissed out again!  I did this three or four times to make sure it wasn't a fluke... I can't wait to go out again and continue working with her.

Until then I leave you with this thought...

The eyes are windows to our souls...in the eyes of my friend I have found peace

oops - fell off the bandwagon a bit!

Alright, so the New Year has gotten off to a bit of a slow start...I was hoping to blog at least every couple of weeks, and here it is a whole month gone by with no word from me!

I spent a lovely 4 days out on "the farm" house/horse/dog/cat sitting for Hil while she was out of town.  It was a MUCH needed break from the chaos of my life in the city and it was a nice way to be able help out when needed.  The solitude of not having the phone ring, no cable, a good book and great animal companionship was just what the doctor ordered.  Things have been hectic in the final stages of our new home construction and it was lovely just to disengage from that for a bit.

There is something absolutely magical about being welcomed by the horses in the pasture first thing in the morning.  My first day of morning barn chores dawned with unseasonably mild temperatures - even the wind was warm!  I stumbled out of bed, bleary eyed and sleepy and threw some clothes on.  Out to the garage - aka the feed house - to prepare the chop mixture and then out to feed the kids.  The soft nickers of welcome "hey how ya doin' mom? what's that - breakfast? why, I don't mind if I do" were heartwarming.  I know they were mostly happy because of breakfast, but I can pretend I had something to do with it too :)  It was such a surreal and calm morning that I really did not want to go to work...I somehow managed to drag myself away. 

The weekend, which was supposed to be mild and no snow, turned out to be the beginning of one of those FANtastic Manitoba storms.  It involved trudging through near blizzard conditions, knocking ice chunks from manes and tails, and scaring the "boogeyman" (ordinarily known as snow falling off the barn roof) away for the night.  It was damp as well, so for Merle it was a multiple sheet change as I apparently need to get her something a little more water proof... guess what the next paycheque is heading for?

Hoping it warms up - our playtime this weekend might be pretty short...

until next time :)

I stand corrected...

In catching up on some of the blogs I'm following, I realized I had miscalculated the start date of my Horsey Parenthood.  What a bad Horse Mama!  Hil made some endearing comments about Merlyn's adoption on June 24, 2009.  You can read her comments here:  Hil's blog.  Thanks Hil, for the encouraging comments...

I may be spending a bit more time out "at the ranch" in the next little while to help out my good friend.  She's going through a rough time right now.  Her mom is really sick.  Keep them both in your thoughts and prayers. 

How we got here

One of the reasons I have decided to start up with the blog again is that I have been inspired by a woman in Manitoulin, Ontario.  She has created an equine sanctuary in the hopes of helping to keep the Sorraia breed alive.  She is also very in touch with communication and living more companionably with our equine friends.  If you have a minute, check out Lynne Gerard's blog: Journal of Ravenseyrie.  It's a lovely reflection on our changing relationships with horses and with nature.  Ravenseyrie is also where I learned a bit more about non-invasive and non-combattive ways of communicating with horses.  More on that later...

I thought that I would briefly catch you up (if anyone is out there...) on the first few months of my relationship with Merlyn.  Originally, I started riding with Merlyn just to get my riding legs back and to help get her out for some exercise.  As you may recall from my last post, what began as "non-committal-I'm-not-getting-attached" horse time evolved into full on horse ownership.  This evolution is something I am entirely grateful about.  I know that we can not plan for all things all the time, and the arrival of Merly in my life is merely one illustration of that. 

Merlyn was officially adopted in July of 2009, marked by an email to my friends about the "new horse mama" on July12.  Merlyn is a nine year old  Belgian cross mare.  I have decided that she is strawberry roan, and more Belgian than anything. Hil and I often laugh that from her croup forward, in profile she is 100% Belgian, but if you look just at her hind end, she could have some QH in her.  She has the softest, most expressive eyes I have ever seen and a lovely long blond mane and tail.  Being the tomboy that I believe her to be, that tail ends up taking hours to keep clean! 

Having learned from my first horse, Maya, that relationship building is probably one of the most important parts of having a horse, I decided from the onset that I would take all the time in the world getting to know Merle, and having her get to know me.  We went on some trail rides, rode to Birds Hill Park, played Parelli type games, and just hung out.  Throughout, I would intersperse some short "training" rides so I could try and assess where we both were in terms of our learning.  I was concerned that her saddle wasn't fitting quite right so I decided to put some bareback into the routine.  Ultimately, this led to the temporary demise of my riding due to a fractured tailbone.  Always looking for the bright side, I saw this temporary setback as an opportunity to do some real bonding from the ground and to do some reading into alternative methods of working with horses. 

The out of saddle reading time has led me to the work of Imke Spilker, treeless saddles, bitless bridles and "naked liberty."  It was also how I came across Ravenseyrie.  I hope to share, in upcoming posts, how some of my experimentation with different approaches is working out for me and Merly. 

until then...

Winter Dreams and second chances

It seems we all get a second chance at some point in our lives. Second chances can be vastly different in nature. I have had the odd second chance in life. Most recently, I've had the second chance to be a horse owner. This, coincidentally, corresponds with a second chance at this blog which I feel I have failed miserably. Originally started as a way to document my riding experiences, I found that I rarely dedicated the time to actually document anything! I stopped riding, started again, blogged a bit about other stuff and then moved back to the Prairies. A few short months after re-locating, we started to build a new house. This, of course, precluded any and all other activity. I rarely had time to sit and gather my thoughts let alone record them in any way shape or form. I hope that this entry is the sign of things to come. As the building process draws to a close, I hope to have the time to sit at the keyboard at least once a week to record my thoughts on this second chance.

Her name is Merlyn. She is truly a magician for we have been brought together in one of those chance situations. A name on a horse forum looking for contact information for a mutual friend. The realization that we were both looking for a riding buddy - someone horsey to hang out with - nothing too serious, just someone to ride with. She had an extra horse that needed riding, I needed a ride. We'd met when I'd lived in Winnipeg before, through a mutual friend, but we'd never really hung out before. From our first "horsey date" I knew I would enjoy getting to know her better. As a result of a chance re-meeting, I've gained a truly wonderful friend.

Merlyn was the other horse that needed a rider. She was a big girl - part Belgian, part who knows. She had soft eyes and one of those "aw shucks" expressions. Hil said she thought Merly might have been ridden hard in the past - maybe not full on abused, but definitely not treated right. She was scared of her own shadow when she had first arrived at Hil's - a horse purchased so her hubby could ride with her. Turns out hubby wasn't nearly as bit by the horse bug...lucky for me! We hung out for a couple months and had lots of fun. I'd been stung before by riding other people's horses and was determined not to let this one get to me. One day, that call came - the one I'd been dreading. "Hey, I need to talk to you about Merle..." I figured she was selling her, or decided she didn't need a rider after all. I couldn't have been more wrong.

After much thought, Hil had decided that Merle was a one person kind of horse. (Picture me waiting for the stinger, Hil wanter her to herself, she'd found an owner, etc.) Turns out, she had also decided, I was Merle's "person." She'd been watching me interact with Merle and noticed Merly was coming out of her shell. Hil liked what she had seen. Would I be interested in adopting her? She knew I was busy. Knew I wasn't really ready for parenthood yet. Still...would I think about it? It was a lot to think about - having a horse is a big responsibility. I spoke to my partner about it. What did he think? I spoke to my dad about it. I spoke to myself about it. In the end, it was a no brainer. I think Merly had picked me out. I'm glad she did.

Looking back on these past few months, I realize I have found my equine "soul mate." We're a lot a like, Merly and I. We've both seen our share of ups and down. I think we have soft souls, and strong hearts. She is wonderful and amazing and I can't wait to see how our relationship grows. I look forward to sharing our story, and hope you enjoy reading it...

Merle's Girl

She's Baaaaaaack!

Alright, so I've been a horrible blogger, and yes it's been pointed out to me by those who are more faithful to the keyboard. I DO have an excuse - moving across the country has tied up my time some what.... I am now re-located to the centre of this glorious country we call home. No, it is NOT Toronto...I am literally in the centre of the country - a little place we like to call the 'Peg.

After four days of driving, 3800 + kilometres and lots of coffee we made it, caravan style, from the East Coast to the centre of the Prairies. I have called this place home for more than half my years on this earth, so it's for all intents and purposes, where I come from. I've missed friends, family, and good kielbassa :) I have also left good friends behind in the Fax. You know who you are and you will be missed. Know that I am happy out here, and promise to stay in touch!

I've only just begun to get back in touch with my roots out here - slowly the word is out that we are back in town and I expect the days to be busy with lots of catching up. We have seen many friends, but there are still some to touch base with. I only hope they will be patient!

I had a meal that I have been waiting two years for - Number 28 Deluxe Vermicelli at Viva Restaurant on Sargent. It was TOTALLY worth the wait. I remembered it being good, but the bowl of delightful vermicelli yumminess was beyond my wildest imagination. The flavours were amazing and it was packed with goodies such as spring rolls, bbq pork, grilled shrimp and loads of flavours! It's GOOD to be home!

I am in search of a new horse to ride with a couple of leads - hopefully I shall fill the pages with riding stories once more.

Adieu for now...hopefully the drought is over!

Fabulous Freddy

...Fredericton, New Brunswick that is!

Fredericton was great - I had a fabulous time and my co-presentation went really well. Lots of time to catch up with old friends and make new ones besides! Ate at two really fabulous restaurants: Caribbean Flavas and a little Vietnamese noodle place. The latter was a little more expensive than you would expect for Vietnamese, but it was the closest I'd come to Winnipeg's Viva No. 28 vermicelli dish! Flavas was FANTASTIC! The staff were friendly and the food was amazing. Their roti is definitely the best!

without a horse, but not without the dream

Alright...so it's been awhile. Probably way too long. When I started this blog, it was mostly to document my riding - the training, the ups and downs, and the relationship I was building with my horse...the one that wasn't really mine. After a year of wonderful riding and training, Billy went to a different location with his owner. I didn't think it would effect me that much, but I haven't ridden since and that was over two months ago. I still think about riding an awful lot, and I've already started to look into other riding possibilities.

Until then, I guess I'll blog about other things. It's not like riding was ALL that I was involved in, lol. So I guess I"ll begin with where I'm blogging from....

I'm in Fredericton, New Brunswick this week for a work-related conference. It's been really great so far - I've seen lots of old co-workers and class mates and caught up with like-minded professionals. My colleague and I even gave a paper and it was well received.

Freddy is a lovely little city...definitely a small town feel. I have done some exploring, but the conference has kept me busy. It's odd being here - my parents were married in the church down the street and my father lived in Old Government house while it was the RCMP headquarters and barracks. Wonder what sort of trouble he got into on these streets....

Alright, so much for regular “diary” entries!! I have been horribly remiss. Not that I’m writing ground breaking, earth shaking stuff here, but I was hoping to add entries a little more regularly. Life has been hectic, and my computer time has been limited at home. My dear boyfriend has been hard at work in the evenings, and I don’t feel it necessary to interrupt his productivity to “blog!” My evenings have been busy too though – I’ve been thoroughly occupied with a knitting project. It’s my first “non-scarf” project – a baby blanket (NOT for myself!!!) knitted on the diagonal. It’s coming a long, and is quite pretty, but knitting up 180 (!) stitches is taking up lots of time. Pictures to follow…

I’ve been getting out to ride quite regularly and to visit “my” horse a couple times a week besides. He is such a lovely boy and has a great desire to bond. The days that I just go out to “hang out” and play, he is SO responsive. I’ve been doing some “horse play” games, loosely based on Parelli natural horsemanship. It tells a lot about his personality. I think he really enjoys working, and once he’s warmed up and “on” he is very receptive. The other night we played a bit of “yo-yo” where I would drive him away, and then beckon him back. Back and forth we went, and he seemed to really enjoy it. We also did some amazing free lunge (without a lunge line “at liberty” in Parelli terms). I directed him by pointing in the direction I wanted him to go, drove from his hind end (by clucking and driving with my eyes – looking directly at his hind end) and he took up a 20 metre circle naturally. It was so amazing. When I dropped the driving, he stopped, turned, and faced me – as if to say “okay boss, what next? I’m listening” It was spectacular! I’m curious to see how our next ride goes after that session. I’m afraid I’m bonding to him at a rapid rate – great for our riding relationship, but it will be tough when reality sets in and his owner either a) decides to start riding again or b) sells him. Wish I could figure out how to get that money tree growing…

Went to a fabulous restaurant last night – “Mezza” – it’s a tapas style restaurant serving Lebanese food. It was amazing. The flavours were wonderful and the food was freshly prepared and beautifully presented. It was obvious that the kitchen staff took pride in their job. It was my first time eating true Lebanese food, and I would go back in a heart beat!

A blissful way to spend the first day of the year...

New Year's Eve wasn't a big deal for us this year...in fact, it hasn't been for some time. The days of planning like mad, and being disappointed when things didn't happen the way you wanted are long gone. We were home quite early,and spent the evening watching movies (Shrek 2, The Kingdom...quite a contrast!).

New Year's Day I spent doing two things I love: hiking with my "boy" and our two dogs, and paying a visit to "my" horse. Although the weather here is fairly mild, some of the hiking trails we use get a bit more snow then others. The one we visited over New Year's was beautiful and serene. It followed the powerlines back into the bush, over a stream and out towards a lake. We didn't make it out that far, but hope to explore a little more in the future. It has great potential for mountain biking too...

Well, it’s the start of another year, and here I am, first time blogger running a self-experiment. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this up – if it will become a regular habit, a log of major events, or a running commentary on life in general. I don’t consider my life to be overly exciting, so I don’t expect major readership. I’ve always kept some form of diary off and on, so this is just taking it to the technological level I suppose. I remember faithfully dialogue with the locked diary kept safely under my bed as pre-teen, documenting the crushes and the ups and downs of junior high. As I grew older, I wrote poetry filled with teenage angst over unrequited love, and perceived inequities leveled against me by my parents. When I moved away from home, I started a travel diary, thinking it would provide a venue for dealing with the stress and anxiety of travelling so far to truly begin life as an independent adult. Alas, it did not last long…I guess it didn’t cause me as much stress as I thought it would! So, here goes…

As you may be able to discern from my blog title, I’m a bit of a horse-lover. For those of you unfamiliar with Celtic mythology, Epona, the “horse goddess,” or “divine mare” was a protector of all things equine. She was a goddess of fertility, but I use her name with reference to my love of horses. (See Wiki for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epona) I’ve loved horses ever since I can remember – a love that was fostered and encouraged by my dad. I loved all things horses and desperately wanted to have one of my own. I did have the privilege of owning a beautiful mare for a little bit, but had to sell her before I moved. I hope to one day own another of these gorgeous creatures. I still ride, and am training under an amazing coach.

I hope to keep this blog fairly anonymous, so I probably won’t give up too many details about myself. Maybe that will make things interesting, maybe not. So, what will I reveal? I guess I can say I’m a government employee, a university graduate, and a musician. I love to cook, and I love to learn. I have a wonderful partner whom I am very much in love with. We have a “kids” of the four-legged, furry variety…and that’s good, for now. I am looking forward to exploring our new province a little more thoroughly this summer, and perhaps getting in some camping and hiking.

That’s about it for now – I’ll start slowly and see where it leads….

Happy New Year!