the celtic cowgirl: An explanation and a realization

Some of you may have been wondering why I haven't been commenting/posting for the past few days, well.... My dear, dear, dear friend has been staying over at my house the past three days. Now this wouldn't be such a special thing except she's from Ukraine and I only get to see her for a few days every two years. An Extremely long time for both of us.

She is every ounce as horse-crazy as I am, but, unlike me, she has to live in a city with over 4 million people. I don't know how she can handle it! I get claustrophobic in a city of just 80,000! She is, however, able to have riding lessons(several hours away) every Saturday for an hour. (But still!)

Anyway, these past days we tried to give her enough horse time to last her till

she comes back. An impossible task, I know, but it was fantastic! We spent all day every day riding, playing and just hanging out with the horses. I have to admit that over the last month I haven't made much time to just be with them. I've been riding and working them, but that's it. I realized that if I wanted a stronger bond with them I would have to do more than that. I have to spend more time just petting them and talking to them, just being there with them. I know it all seems terribly simple and perhaps it is, but I was blind. The three days that we spent pretty much living in the pasture petting, talking, riding, and laying on the horses' backs with out the hinderance of saddles or bridles/halters changed my relationship with them for the much better! We get along better and understand each other on a higher level. I can now ask for something to be done while riding and get a faster response. It is truly amazing. I have never had a horse change so dramatically, so fast, and so simply. And it was more than just one horse!

If my friend had not come and had not been horse-crazy I would be most assuredly still be struggling with Shyanne and her side step, something that has always troubled her. But after being her pasture friend instead of just her instructor, we can work together. She has always had a problem trusting people completely {Thank you previous owner} but now I can feel her giving a bit more of herself, holding less back. She no longer tries to run when I go to catch her, either! You see?? This is just a mere fraction of what happened in three days! I cannot believe it! I cannot explain it well enough--! It's just--wow. All I can say.

If you have a problem with your horse I strongly encourage you to just spend time with it, in its own place; no bridles, no saddles, nothing but you and the horse.

The change is incredible.

My friend told me that I gave her a dream: to live as I do.

She gave me understanding. And it now nickers at me.