So as I wrote in my last post, I went to a new barn on Sunday. I'm still unsure as to whether I'll go back. Without going into a long-winded description of the four hours I spent there, here are the pros and cons:
Pros
1. The two horses I rode (Walkers) were sweet and sane
2. I have an opportunity to go trail riding
3. I can ride for free
Cons
1. I absolutely, positively HATE the dressage saddle I rode in (her only one unless I want to ride in an AP or cutback.) It's not a matter of snobbery, it is just a poorly-made saddle which = more difficulty maintaining a good position.
2. It's a 35-mile drive. Yes, I know, lots of people commute farther than that five days a week for work, but gas at 3.79 a gallon is still not what I would consider cheap.
3. The place is drowning in Roundup (an extremely carcinogenic pesticide manufactured by the "wonderful" corporation Monsanto.) Actually, within 5 miles of Ashville, there are signs everywhere touting "Production", "Technology" and other propaganda, so I shouldn't have been surprised when I saw the Roundup barrels everywhere around the farm. I feel sorry for the horses and the barn manager who lives on the property having to breathe in that s*** 24/7.
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Bottom line: I think I'm going to try to call the TWH barn I went to last winter. I sent the guy an email last week, but he didn't respond so I'm thinking it probably got sent to his junk/bulk folder and deleted. He was very nice, and didn't sore any of his horses (or even pad, as far as I can remember.) His farm is about 15 miles from my house, so a much better commute.
P.S. You might be wondering why someone like myself, interested in competition dressage, would spend time riding Walking horses or any gaited breed. To be honest, I never thought I would be as interested in them as I am now. Several years ago, when I was looking for my second horse, I looked into Walking horses and rode a few at a barn in Southern Ohio. I didn't think much of them then, but when I got the offer to ride at the barn I mentioned in the last paragraph, I fell in love with their sweet personalities and smooth gait. Since then, I've been toying with the idea of buying a Walking horse for trails, and obviously use dressage principles and the Training scale in our work. Since I can only aspire to own one horse when I settle in WA, it will be interesting to see what I decide as far as a trotting horse for competition (U.S. Dressage Association rated shows) vs. a Walking horse for trail and possibly NWHA shows.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
New Direction for the Blog
I won't go into the details here, but I just wanted to explain why the title has changed and why I will not be talking about Emmy anymore. I am not riding her anymore. Obviously, I am very sad about it as I was just developing a rapport with her, but I guess it was just one of those cases of "too good to be true". Currently, I am looking for a new opportunity and am actually scheduled to ride at a barn later this evening. I am told the barn manager has several horses for me to ride: two Tennessee Walkers; ironically enough, another NSH; and some Paints and QH's. I'll post tonight or tomorrow and tell how that went.
The new title is a reflection of my interests in Mindfulness/Zen and Dressage. For those who don't know, "be here now" is a prominent saying in Zen. It basically means that we should live every moment as if it is the last moment we will ever live--neither dwelling on the past nor worrying about the future. NOT focusing on the present moment increases the suffering we may already have because of events in the present that make us legitimately upset anyway. It can even create suffering that we simply don't have to experience now. I feel this teaching is very applicable to riding. To provide just one example, it is sad when we see people venting their anger or frustration out on their horse--yet it happens every day. If they were just "mindful" of their anger, they would be able to observe it and let it pass by without taking it out on their horse. The best riders are able to focus 100% on the movement they are doing at that particular time. They have to set aside their emotions and all other thoughts (easier said than done.) Dressage riders are often told by their trainers, "Stop thinking so much--Just ride the damn movement!" I think this is very true. Analysis is a wonderful tool that we humans possess. Yet it can actually impede our progress as riders/trainers if not combined with mindfulness. Ideally we should be able to analyze our riding when IN the particular movement, and then immediately move on mentally to the next movement. The mind and body are inextricably connected. If we're still mulling over that horrendous transition, how can we expect the next one to be any better?
So that's my brief introduction to mindfulness... :-D And no, I don't consider myself a "seeker", because I don't believe there is any truth or higher dogma outside of the collective human consciousness, hence, what is there to seek? Wisdom and love and peace and all of that good stuff is well within our reach; we just have to know how to tap into it. I'm not religious, and quite frankly I hate the word "spiritual" because it conjures up images of the Occult and our consumerist culture. If anything, anyone who knows me remotely well knows that I think the Occult is a bunch of garbage led by egotistical maniacs (and religion isn't far off...yeah..I said it! ;-)), and if buying 99% of my stuff used/bartering/making my own isn't anti-consumerist, I don't know what is. Goodwill and Craigslist are my friends.
Anyway, don't worry, if you're not into mindfulness, you'll still find plenty of technical horse- and dressage-related writing here. The primary purpose of my blog is still to record my experiences in catch riding (until I can afford my own horse, that is, *sigh*.) So sit back, grab some Fair Trade coffee/tea/wine, and enjoy! I doubt I can surpass FHOTD and I won't even try, but I'll try to be as entertaining as possible.
The new title is a reflection of my interests in Mindfulness/Zen and Dressage. For those who don't know, "be here now" is a prominent saying in Zen. It basically means that we should live every moment as if it is the last moment we will ever live--neither dwelling on the past nor worrying about the future. NOT focusing on the present moment increases the suffering we may already have because of events in the present that make us legitimately upset anyway. It can even create suffering that we simply don't have to experience now. I feel this teaching is very applicable to riding. To provide just one example, it is sad when we see people venting their anger or frustration out on their horse--yet it happens every day. If they were just "mindful" of their anger, they would be able to observe it and let it pass by without taking it out on their horse. The best riders are able to focus 100% on the movement they are doing at that particular time. They have to set aside their emotions and all other thoughts (easier said than done.) Dressage riders are often told by their trainers, "Stop thinking so much--Just ride the damn movement!" I think this is very true. Analysis is a wonderful tool that we humans possess. Yet it can actually impede our progress as riders/trainers if not combined with mindfulness. Ideally we should be able to analyze our riding when IN the particular movement, and then immediately move on mentally to the next movement. The mind and body are inextricably connected. If we're still mulling over that horrendous transition, how can we expect the next one to be any better?
So that's my brief introduction to mindfulness... :-D And no, I don't consider myself a "seeker", because I don't believe there is any truth or higher dogma outside of the collective human consciousness, hence, what is there to seek? Wisdom and love and peace and all of that good stuff is well within our reach; we just have to know how to tap into it. I'm not religious, and quite frankly I hate the word "spiritual" because it conjures up images of the Occult and our consumerist culture. If anything, anyone who knows me remotely well knows that I think the Occult is a bunch of garbage led by egotistical maniacs (and religion isn't far off...yeah..I said it! ;-)), and if buying 99% of my stuff used/bartering/making my own isn't anti-consumerist, I don't know what is. Goodwill and Craigslist are my friends.
Anyway, don't worry, if you're not into mindfulness, you'll still find plenty of technical horse- and dressage-related writing here. The primary purpose of my blog is still to record my experiences in catch riding (until I can afford my own horse, that is, *sigh*.) So sit back, grab some Fair Trade coffee/tea/wine, and enjoy! I doubt I can surpass FHOTD and I won't even try, but I'll try to be as entertaining as possible.
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