Daily Journal for January 6, 2024

Saturday, January 6, 2024

It’s still freezing cold outside. And both of my horses have pens dirtier than they have been in the past 6 months. I can’t even clean their pens because the poop piles turn into poop-sicles. Making it nearly impossible to clean. I did get a little creative with it today, though. I broke out an ax and chopped away. It wasn’t perfect, but it is a little bit better. 

Thankfully their stalls aren’t too bad. I can still pick the poop out of Jesse’s stall. And Al-Capony, well, he only poops outside of his stall. Never inside. So his stall is very easy to clean.

Horse Chores

I did have to clean and fill the water tank today. This too is challenging in the freezing weather. But we had the foresight to bring the reeled-up hose into the garage so it was thawed and ready to use.

Both horses still have their blankets on. I guess the benefit of that is they are at least staying clean.

I replaced both web feed guards in their feeders, so I was a little productive outside. The broken ones will need to be stitched back together as a backup when the netting will inevitably get ripped again.

And after I worked outside for a bit, I wanted to do some more. So I began researching the basics of dressage. And since I don’t have my books yet, I turned to the internet.

I found a website called How to Dressage. And I started reading through their articles. The first one was all about how to create harmony with your horse.

The article starts off with this:

“Harmony is defined as the horse and rider working together as one in happy cooperation. It is built upon mutual trust and clear communication. The horse displays harmony by remaining relaxed, supple, and willing, presenting the picture of a “happy athlete.” When achieved correctly, the outcome is that both the horse and rider enjoy the ridden work.”

Ok, but how do I achieve harmony with my horse? There are a few things to help get to a harmonious union with my horse, and it is achieved with the following:

• Relaxation
• Balance
• Clear aids
• Asking for what the horse already knows

These are things I can work on while I am on or off Jesse. 

Starting with relaxation, I need to remember to relax. Breathe, take a minute, and always be in the moment with my horse. Not thinking about work, or what else I need to do. But enjoy my time with my horse.

The balance part, well, that will take work on my part. But I can do exercises out of the saddle that will help when I am in the saddle. Things like bending over on one leg and picking something up off of the ground. It is something so simple, but it does really help with balance. Even balance exercises for older adults can help.

The aids, well, this is something I will need to work on when I can ride. But I can focus on what I am asking of my horse and not confuse him. I can learn all of the aids I have at my disposal, which are:

• My voice
• My seat
• My hands
• My legs

These are my natural aids. I will start with these, and then if I need to add artificial aids later on, I will think about it first. One thing I have learned with horses, there is never a quick fix. Do the right thing, use what you have, and not try to put a band-aid on the problem. Less is always more when it comes to horses.

Asking for what the horse already knows will be a process. For Jesse, riding in English tack was all new to him when I brought him home. He was a dude ranch horse before he came to me. So I am sure the fancier dressage movements will take time for both of us to learn.

If the weather is a little bit nicer tomorrow, I will spend some time grooming him and rebraiding his tail. I will make the time to take him for a walk in the arena and at least get him used to the idea of having to work a little bit. We will see what tomorrow brings!