2015-06-22

Persistence Above All

She was thrilled that her recent car-pool-to-the-farm buddies were now regularly volunteering at the Pony Rescue. It was a follow up to their visit at the breeders with Jill. The shy foal sure wanted to have a good long sniff of the youngest visitor. Who was so lucky to get to pat that young one directly on the face! It reminded her how Lulabelle, the foal’s dam, used to give her a long head to toe sniffing, when she would stand near her in the paddock with the others… back then, she’d been trying to socialize a critter in need of it. It felt, out of time, and magical, like a whale approaching a human in water for complete examination. And, she liked to think it was useful to the equine’s development. Look at the life the mare was leading now!

Yes, AJ had posted a joke about cooking a naughty cat up for supper on Instagram. No, she did not know how to delete it. She decided to reminisce instead about the segment she heard on hoofbeats radio about the horse that spooked and executed a perfect rollback, ditching his rider.

When she’d showed up at the farm, just to sniff the air and look at horses to cure her agonizing jones for them, a generous part boarder delighted and surprised her saying “Do you want to hack my horse a bit this morning?” When AJ enthusiastically responded to the mounted rider, she added “Can you get on from the ground?” And so it was that AJ took a surprising, therapeutic walk on horseback. Apparently he was good any where you took him! To AJ he felt a little wiggy at the end of the fence line. Was it the yearlings come up alongside them? Was it the puddles of water? AJ had been able to actually hear the electricity buzzing through the paddock fencing, when she had been gazing over them instead of walking beside them, and considered that maybe the water was providing the gelding the threat of a little jolt as they walked towards the soggy ground. They probably shouldn’t step on ground that soft. Regardless, she insisted he walk on the forward straight line she was asking him for. After all, she was the human! But, she was also considerate of the farm and the horse’s concerns, and when he obeyed, she turned him around after a few steps to continue their march towards the comforting direction of the barn. She’d forgot to report in the barn when she got back that one of the paddocks had an electric waterer that was overflowing, she thought it might be of interest.

AJ lamented the irony of how the horse had given way to the motor car. She needed her car to keep functioning so she could get out to the horses! She remembered the university student looking for someone to take over her horse, “He definitely needs a strong personality.” Maybe her new goal should be to start riding in the fall. In the meantime, should she contact the yoga buddy who had offered an opportunity to try Western?

Despite the limited remaining use of her jalopy, she had taken a drive all the way out to the Therapuetic Riding Place, only to drive the long way back home without any recordings. It turned out it wasn’t the right environment to be thrusting a new surprise script at unsuspecting guests with special needs…. she would have to try another way.