Reflections of the week

I can't believe I started the week feeling so bad and finished it up having such a great day today. Maggie started with sniffles Monday and I was feeling yucky by the time I went to sleep Monday night. Tuesday I tried to lay low and rest but Wednesday and Thursday I developed a wicked fever and just felt awful. Friday my fever broke and I felt almost as good as new but still have cold symptoms. I have finally decided that I had food poisoning. It's the only thing that can explain all the symbols and the temp. It also explains why I felt good again so quickly. I'm just glad I'm back to normal. Missing a week if clients was I'll afforded with the next two weeks I have coming up. I'm going to be ready for a vacation in October after I finish doing pole canyon natrc ride.

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Love my iPhone

When I went riding today I had my iPhone with me. It was so great to rise bs listen to my music while I rode alone. I love that it has speakers so I can listen music and ride safely.

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I am sick

I am sick. I am not happy about it but can't change it. I would give anything not to be sick. I also have just one car at my house today. Peter took the truck so that he could work today. I will take the truck and work tomorrow as I am assuming that I WILL feel better then. I have a client who is mad at me for being sick. I was trying to squeeze in a makeup for last week (which was her fault for missing anyway) but now I can't because I'm sick. She said to me "you were ok on Tuesday". I wasn't actually. I was starting to be sick Tuesday but saw them anyway because I knew they wouldn't appreciate being missed. I did tell her she could bring her son to me for his appointment is she wanted to but warned her I was still sick. I wish these people understood how inconvenient it is for me to miss them. Between the vehicles and being sick I'm out a week of pay.

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Rotten luck

I wrecked my little truck when a driver pulled out in front of me on Friday. I got bucked off my horse Saturday. I came down with what I thought was a cold but that I now fear if the flu on Tuesday (running a temp). Clients couldn't see me last week now I can't see them this week. Then on top of it all the Rendezvous has to go to the shop too giving us one working car and me with a job that requires driving. So Peter will take my truck tomorrow while I convalesce and finish my sewing. Friday he may have to work from home while I see a few clients. This week is stuffed. I'm swamped the next 3 weekends and then I have pole canyon two months after. And I have been blessed with two more clients. I'm ready for the peace of mid-October

I'm thinking of taking on the natrc girl scout scamper in the spring and need a secretary. I also need a trail master. Any takers?

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Tonka moves on

This weekend was Tonka's debut into competitive riding. I had high hopes for her. She was going great on the ground and our trail rides had been pretty uneventful. I didn't expect to place but I did expect a slow ride. She was great for trot out and an offside mount. Then she became insecure and went from slightly nervous but quiet to a bucking bronco. Good news is that I Iasted 8 seconds and didn't get hurt. Bad news is that she didn't quit bucking till I was on the ground. I have sore muscles, rope burns and a skinned up arm but am otherwise fine. She is now at the trainer's house, no linger my problem. It about broke my heart to watch her run the fenceline after my trailer as I drove away but I have to admit defeat. She's a lovely horse but way too unpredictable for me. When she tossed Maggie I thought perhaps she had missed a cue from the mare. Now I'm sure that no cues were missed and she is just that unpredictable. All I did was to whoa her and tell her to stand and she lost her mind. I wish it were possible to explain to the horses what the problem is and find out what they needed from us.

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Animal communication

I realize going in that this will be a very controversial post and I'm OK with that. Some people will read this and think "what rubbish" and for them it may be true. Others may think that there are ways other than the horse actually talking to them that the information can be gleaned, and I will agree that is sometimes the case.

I have had a couple of brushes with communication with my animals.  When I acquired JJ Freeley 6 years ago, I had never felt such a profound connection with a horse.  He spoke to me...literally.  I watched and "read" him also, but he just talked to me all the time.  Then there was Frankie, my JRT who I had given away and came back to me. I started dreaming about him and that he was looking for me. I really assumed he was dead b/c of the circumstances under which he left me, but he turned up at the shelter and they called and said my dog was there. 

But...this is a story about someone else and how great a communicator she is with animals.  Her name is Anna Zimmerman. She's the daughter of my good friend, Betsy, and she is an animal communicator. 

Anna discovered her gift when her horse was injured and undergoing ultra sound. Her mom tells me that she would ask Ginger questions about how she was feeling and Anna started to answer these questions, as though she were Ginger.  Betsy realized what was happening and began giving her daughter, then a teenager, opportunities to talk to other horses.  Of course, this kind of communication is utterly unverifiable. You are either a believer or you are not. When she was learning her skill/honing her talent, she talked to Freeley a few times.  He told her things that I knew to be true or things I had learned myself.  I am not a gifted communicator like Anna. I see pictures, or get impressions, or observe behaviors, but she actually hears them.

I had her come over recently to talk to Tonka, our new horse.  I had gathered different pieces of Tonka's life from various owners and learned about various bad behavior, but I wanted to know why she did these things.  Or if she even knew why.  I wanted to know if she was hurting, if she didn't like us, if I could help her, etc.  Alot of what Anna told me was stuff I already knew. She hadn't been trained well, treated badly, passed from home to home.  She's happy with us, but likes Maggie riding her more b/c she's lighter, but she says I'm a better rider, with better legs.  She says she bucks because she got scared when they were training her canter and learned that she could easily ditch her ride.  She's willing to quit bucking, but she won't tolerate being hurt. She won't leave her herd to go with me alone b/c she doesn't know or trust me enough.  She hadn't had a herd before and now she has one and isn't letting them go.  Much of this reflects the facts, which Anna knew nothing about.

I also had her talk to Dixie, Maggie's horse, and this is where I know for sure that Anna is completely for real.  Maggie had said that she felt like Dixie had something to tell her, but she didn't know what it was.  Maggie wasn't there, so I conveyed the information to Anna.  What Dixie had to say was something that I understood about Maggie, but Anna would have had no reference point at all. It had nothing to do with riding or horses really, but more with Maggie herself. I was amazed.

If anyone feels that they need an animal communicator, I can't recommend  Anna enough.  She can be hired and is pretty inexpensive for the information you will glean.

Potential Equine Emergency

I'm anal about how I keep my horses. I try to make sure I look at them every day or if I can't look at them, I make sure someone else can look at them for me.  I've been going over board to make sure Joe Bear gets fed twice a day and puts on some weight.  Last night I had him separated out so he could eat a little extra Thrive. I have been feeding it to him free choice since he can't chew grass or hay.  I left him a bucket of water and and the promise to return this am.  Well, I almost forgot him.  I went to see my first client and had a long day up to Paradise after that when I remembered that I had left Joe in the front of the field with a single bucket of water on a 100+ degree day.  So, I had to rearrange my day to go let the little guy out. I felt so bad, forgetting my daughter's pony and almost letting him go that way all day...I shudder to think what might have happened.  So, now my next week has become busy with make up appointments and I'm home watching Dear John and doing my sewing.  I'm so happy I have understanding clients and a flexible job or I could have been in real trouble.