Day Seven

This morning, when I went out to play with Cherish, I didn't feel one bit bad for leaving Finale in her pasture as I have on previous days. I decided that I would get as much time to play with both of them as I good, and that would be the time that I ended up spending with them.

I was able to get Cherish to do a slow figure 8 at the walk without actual obstacles to guide her, because I was going mainly off of body language. She was able to do it just fine, but she had this look on her face that stated simply that she was not stupid, that she could do the same thing by herself, but that she would never do it by herself because it was completely boring. I have never truly liked the patterns, which is why I changed their names to "Abstract Designs", only to be done once you and the horse are already connected and focused and able to do such a thing.... with flow and lightness and expression and ease and a chance that at any moment you will completely abandon the thing at hand and go on to do something far more freeing if it becomes more of a task than a... possibility.

After playing for a bit more, I wanted to try and see if Cherish would mirror me... We started out with mirroring walk steps, then trot steps, and finally rounding of the back. Cherish did round her back with some effort, and at first her face expression was strained, but once she realized that there was far more lightness and ease when there was a rounded back and she began to soften, I let her feel it for a few more steps before dropping it and going to eat grass. I thought that this was really neat - the problem is, her top line is very weak. Today, I started the Journey to Roundness. We went up and down tons of hills under saddle and later trotted around on hills on the ground. Her back had improved within today and yesterday,
from the hills.

We all set out on a trail ride after that. I will not share the extent of the trail ride, but I will have to say that my absolute favorite part was where I abandoned all worries of making the others behind unconfident and went ahead and power trotted up the hill, a huge smile on my face and a freeing feeling flowing through both Cherish and I. There were all kinds of presences around, ancient ones and ones that had not yet seen the face of the earth.... Ah, it was so at peace there. Simply beautiful.

In the afternoon, (after my nap) Teresa Hanes managed to drop by the house. Most of what she and my mom talked about were rescue horses or flowers, but one thing that she said (and many things of feelings in underneath) was that she had had reoccurring dreams about me with an animal that was very special to me by the name of "Lyric". There were many things that related to that and went along with that that she was not telling me, even though she wanted to, but I decided not to explore her mind further than I had to. Lyric. The name is perfect.

In the evening, I went out to be with Cherish. As I look back upon the day, I have been spending less and less time with my Finale girl. I need to make an effort to spend both undemanding and playing time with both of the girls, and even riding both of them. I took Cherish out to the field, getting frustrated at the carrot stick once I got out there and tossing it. I didn't need that blasted thing anyway - and it proved right. I didn't. Was it that I was not savvy enough to hold it, carry it, or use it? No. It was simply this: I was done with it, as was Cherish, so when you are done with things, you are to leave them without looking back until you need them again. We trotted around together a lot, exploring mostly, but I did ask her to come up to the tire. At first, she didn't understand what I was asking, but once I stepped up on it, she got what I meant. She looked at me, unsure, and put her nose on it, her neck over it, and then just put her head next to my arm. She began to lift one leg onto it, but her confidence was not high enough to get all the way on. I didn't pressure her at all - if she doesn't want to step up, she doesn't have to.

After the tire, we went to step on some boards. She didn't get what I was trying to get her to mirror at first, but after a few tries she realized that we were mirroring each other. After that, I mirrored her for a bit and then she mirrored me again. We went over the little white jumps and then up the hill, through the posts, and to the maze. Once in the maze, we were very careful about where we put our feet... And as she was beginning to find that the careful placement of her feet was too much, we simply left and trotted off.

When we reached a suitable place, we grazed together. It seemed quite nice, to simply graze there. I hopped up on her back after a bit, having already taking her lead rope off so that she could graze without stepping on it. She took me on little mini - adventures out there, both in the physical, spiritual, and connection. Once my mom yelled that it was time to give her her grain, I hopped off... But she was not done. She wanted to continue going, continue exploring. I followed her for a bit before explaining to her that if she did not come back with me to the barn, that we would not be allowed to do this anymore and we would be watched closely, so that I did not do something so "foolish". She sighed heavily and stepped over, allowing me to touch her halter and her face and quietly lead her back to the barn. I barely used my fingers- only for the reminder that we were going - and then reconnected the lead rope and picked up the carrot stick about half way there.

To give your horse the freedom of heart, desire, mind, and choice, and allow them to teach you without restraints, is a gift that many are not allowed to receive.

I plan to spend much time with her like this in the future.