I'm so behind on blog posts! We have been doing so many amazing things. I have six or seven drafts sitting, waiting for me to complete and publish them. I might combined a few of them into one longer update post.
Avalon is amazing. I couldn't be happier with her if she was a finished six figure horse. I can say with 100% certainty that she is no longer herd bound! Woot woot! We take walks together every time I visit, and our relationship has grown in leaps and bounds.
I'm still moving slowly with her. I don't want to slip back into a perfectionist mindset. Sometimes I catch myself raising my expectations or putting pressure on us to be in a certain place by a certain time. When I do, it's just a matter of slowing down and focusing on the mental connection.
I'm starting to consider riding again, but this time approaching it with a focus on the process. Usually, I psych myself out by comparing myself to professionals or worrying about the outcomes. This time, I'm going to focus on the effort it takes. I know what steps to take. My goal for the next twelve barn visits is to lay over her back more often than not and practice our long lining more often than not. There is a post coming about our long lining experiences soon!
If you do the work on the ground, you'll be good in the saddle. It's the short cuts that get us. I've learned that lesson the hard way. Good work! You don't want that herd bound crap when you're up there.
ReplyDeleteI know that technically, but I'm most comfortable in familiar territory. I just have to remind myself that we've done our homework and get past this mental block. I'm not afraid of falling off, just failing. Which is silly, because the only way I can fail is by not trying. We'll get there. :)
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