In Reflection ~ But…I Want to Ride

Pride.

Ego.

Impatience.

Stubbornness.

These characteristics got me in trouble on April 13, 2006. I paid the price in pain, humiliation, embarrassment.

Upon arriving at the barn, I jumped out of the car as soon as Tony parked.

I want to ride.

From the beginning, signs of trouble were plentiful and clear. I chose to ignore them.

I’m going to ride.

I went to the pasture to get Reecie. Cheyenne was in a bug-bitten tizzy, covered with gnats and biting flies. Reecie follows Cheyenne, so she was being difficult to catch with her pasture mate in such an emotional state. Reecie wasn’t willing to come with me, but I ignored it. When I finally got her haltered, I led her to the barn for grooming and saddling.

I really want to ride.

Reecie spooked in the barn when her butt hit the saddle rack in the aisle. She was jumpy, more than usual. But I ignored it.

I really want to ride.

After I had her saddled, we went to the round pen for some groundwork where things didn’t go smoothly either. She bucked in the round pen, but I ignored that too.

Impatient, eager to ride, I cut the groundwork short and moved to the mounting block in the main arena.

As I prepared to mount, she spooked and darted away at the sight of the hay ring being rolled across the pasture by people relocating it. Again, I ignored that she was frightened.

I REALLY want to ride.

Finally, Reecie stood still at the mounting block long enough for me to place my left foot in the stirrup and swing my right leg over the saddle. I settled into the saddle and did my warm-up stretches, reaching forward over her neck and reaching back toward her tail, on either side.

We started our ride. Yay! Finally.

But…Reecie’s mind was on the pasture, returning to her friends, DINNERTIME! I ignored all of these things.

There wasn’t any way to ignore what followed.

Reecie pulled on her bridle and sped up. Heading toward the pasture.

Crap! She’s headed to the pasture, going too fast. I need to stop her, what if…?

My brain lost all focus, my legs clenched. Tightened in the saddle my body hunched over, almost in a fetal position. I tried to steer with my reins, but my hands pulled too hard when turning her back toward the barn. Reecie, now in horse self-defense mode, bucked!

She bucked across the arena. Crow-hopping back toward the barn, she launched herself into the air to get rid of the screaming “monster” on her back.

Image by Debora Delaney from Pixabay

Yes, I screamed, “Help! Help!” As if that was going to do any good….

Off I went.

Onto my face.

In the sand.

Ugghh, sand tastes terrible. At least I’m still alive and nothing is broken.

But…I feel so stupid.

It certainly wasn’t the ride I’d wanted, expected.

Tony caught Reecie, stripped off her saddle and put her back in the pasture.

In Reflection –

Things to do differently when I want to ride. Respect the mood of my horse. Help my horse to relax. Be patient. Take lessons so I learn not to pull too hard on the reins. Do more groundwork. Don’t let pride, ego, impatience, or stubbornness rule over common sense and intelligence.

There are so many ways that pride, ego, impatience, and stubbornness get us into trouble. Think of what to do differently to stay out of trouble. God gives us great warning in His word.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall,” Proverbs 16:18 (NIV).

In Reflection ~ Influenced By ?

Springtime evenings at the barn, the air perfumed by wisteria, birds twittering, horses grazing in the nearby pasture, ahh, Lord, thank You for such a beautiful world. One of my favorite times and places.

After bringing Reecie in from the pasture and brushing her down, I saddled up for a late afternoon ride. My goal was to concentrate on my posture in the saddle and guide Reecie through and around various obstacles.

When I kept my head up, my eyes forward, weight evenly distributed in the saddle, as we walked over poles lying on the ground Reecie stepped over them without hitting any. If I daydreamed, slouched, or leaned to one side, her hooves clunked a couple.

Huh, even tiny movements, or my loss of focus, changes her reactions quite a bit. Interesting.

Someone had left a rope lying on the ground near the hay barn side of the arena. When I looked beyond the rope, Reecie walked past it. The next time we rode on that side of the arena I looked directly at the rope to see what Reecie would do. By golly if she didn’t go exactly to it!

She stopped and looked down at the rope as if she were asking, “What’s that thing and what am I supposed to do with it?”

“Walk on Reecie,” she stepped over the rope, and we continued on.

After about thirty minutes of riding over and around various objects I brought her to a halt and dismounted.

As I unsaddled and brushed her off, I pondered how much Reecie was influenced by my focus on where to go and how I rode in the saddle. I found it interesting that she was that attentive to me and what I was doing. Or even thinking….

In Reflection –

Where I looked, if my mind wandered, how I moved (or sat) in the saddle – all of these influenced Reecie’s behavior, her movements, and even her reactions to objects on the ground. She was tuned into me, placing her trust in me, taking her guidance from me.

Am I tuned in to, placing my affections on, Christ? Are my behaviors, habits, reactions, and activity influenced by Him?

How about you? What influences guide your life? Where have you placed your affections? Your trust?

“Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life,” Proverbs 4:23 (TLB).

In Reflection ~ A Committed Relationship

Slap!

I swatted Reecie’s behind.

“You’re not allowed to kick at me! I don’t care what your reasons might be. It’s unacceptable.”

Reecie had struck out with that right hind leg again. Not waiting for me to be in the proper position to clean that hoof.

Oh boy! The look of disbelief on her face at being slapped for her “unwanted” behavior almost made me laugh. I hid my grin, knowing that I’d made my point I went back to cleaning the hoof. This time she allowed me to take her foot when I was ready.

All of a sudden, the brain gremlins start in, the “what if?” thoughts, the fear — I’m not sure how this is going to go today. Shallow mouth breathing, fluttery feeling in the pit of my stomach, should I continue with my plans or call this ride off today? Agghh, Lord, please take this fear away from me. I don’t even know why it comes….

My plan was to ride Reecie in the round pen after some groundwork, but…

Some of the other girls who boarded here at Willow Springs were having a pony-themed birthday party, loud laughter, giggles, and joyous shrieks filled the arena in front of the barn. The round pen was right there. Next to the barn. Near the noise.

I can’t always allow the actions of others to determine my purpose.

You’re right Lord, I have to choose to continue in spite of the fear.

Just as I’d anticipated, the excitement and activity just outside the round pen captured the bulk of Reecie’s attention. But I’d already saddled her in the barn and decided to at least continue on with our groundwork. See what happens, how I feel. If I CAN continue.

Agghh another attack of the “what if” thinking — What if she spooked at the bright colors, loud noises? What if she bolted into the fence?

Shut up brain, I have a good horse. Just keep YOUR mind focused.

Even as my heart throbbed with gut-wrenching fear, with anticipation of some unknown disaster, she did everything I asked during our groundwork, although I did have to be a little more assertive when I asked her. To keep her mind on me, instead of out there…with the party. Ah, who was I kidding, it was ME that needed to stay focused and committed to our work.

Shoving down my what if thoughts, I positioned Reecie next to the mounting block, “Well, Reecie let’s give this a try. Stand please.”

When she stood perfectly still for mounting and continued to stand while I turned my stirrup to slide my foot in, after settling in the saddle, I reached forward and hugged her. “Thank you, Reecie.”

Taking a deep breath, I whispered a quiet prayer – Lord, thank You for giving me such an amazing horse.

We rode for about 15 minutes or so, practicing turns, halts, and moving off at a walk again. Staying focused on each other.

Party? What party?

In Reflection ~

The time Reecie and I spent together in the saddle, on the ground, establishing rules, developing a relationship, built our trust and reliance on each other. A dedicated pattern of loving, committed behavior.

Am I committed to God and trusting Him the way I want my horse to trust and commit to me? How is your relationship with Him? Are you committed to Christ? Trusting Him?

“And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time,” 1 Kings 8:61 (NIV).

Building a Firm Foundation

Too fast.

Too much.

Too soon.

My enthusiasm with “doing stuff” with Reecie overrode common sense. I became impatient, rushed, trying to train Reecie to do stuff she wasn’t ready to learn.

Winter passed into spring, she started to become resistant, pushing into me, balky. I became more impatient, not realizing what she needed from me.

Reecie, by her behavior, as well as Tony and a few other barn friends (using words) were suggesting that I needed to slow down, to get back to basics, stop hurrying, quit rushing her.

So, I returned to what we already knew – leading, ground tying, playing games, and build from there. Sometimes with a saddle on, sometimes not. But not skipping over stuff that she needs to know. Instead, I needed to provide her with a fair, kind, leader. To be that leader and teach things in an organized progression.

As part of this return to fill in the chinks, the holes, in her training – we worked on the principle of giving to pressure. Outside, doing groundwork while she wore a saddle, and when I had her in her stall, I placed my fingertips on various parts of her body to signal when to back up, when to move to the right, then to the left with her hips, and then with her shoulder. These tasks were incorporated with grooming in addition to reinforcing them as individual training sessions. She relaxed, became responsive, stopped resisting me.

In Reflection ~

Reecie showed me by her “bad” behavior that I was getting impatient and rushing her. That I needed to get back to the basics.

Often, in my Christian walk, it is vital to go back to the basics as well. Especially if I find myself resisting God, becoming “balky”.

Scripture reading, prayer, and fellowship with other believers, all help set the firm foundation. When we turn away from God, get pushy, or balky. Start over, go back to the basics. Build from there. Let God build from there.

“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock, and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it because it had been well built,” Luke 6:48 (NASB).

In Reflection ~ Walking in Harmony

A valuable skill for a well-mannered horse is to walk beside the handler without pulling ahead or dragging behind. When a horse stops suddenly, or jerks ahead without warning, the person holding the lead rope could be yanked off their feet. At the very least, the painful rope-burn or forceful pull on a shoulder isn’t at all pleasant.

I set up various obstacles such as ground poles, a tarp, and barrels to help teach Reecie to walk with me, in harmony, at my pace. Holding her lead rope near her halter, but not too tightly, I walked over, around, or through these obstacles.

My goal was to have Reecie beside me for each step, or when necessary for tight maneuvers, for her to follow me. I wanted her to follow me closely enough that she remained mentally connected with me, as well as having the physical connection of the rope. But I also didn’t want her to dart ahead, run over me, pull away sideways, or stop suddenly.

As I led Reecie over ground poles, sometimes I would hear a “clack” as her hind foot clipped the pole. To keep her attention on me, I would change direction, speed up, or slow down. When she began to pay attention better our steps became synchronized as she walked beside me. With our focus on forward, and not the pole, she was able to clear it with ease.

We walked throughout the arena, making turns to the left and right, stopping, backing up, moving forward again until she understood where I wanted her to walk in relation to my position.

At another time, at another barn, I watched as my granddaughter, Tiffany, walked in harmonious unity with our other two horses. My heart smiled, if such a thing is possible.

In Reflection:

Reecie needed to learn to adjust to the speed and length of my steps. Pulling ahead, or lagging behind, made for an uncomfortable experience as the lead rope and halter applied pressure to her head. When she stayed in the best positions, either at my side, or following where I led, our walks became more pleasant and we could enjoy each other’s company.

God sets the pace for His followers. He determines the direction, and speed, of the steps of our life as we walk in His ways. His pace is perfectly timed and does not change to match mine. For a more pleasant fellowship with Him, I must adjust myself, to walk beside or follow Him.

How is your walk with Jesus? Are you in step, keeping pace with the Lord?

Let’s position ourselves to walk in harmony with Him. And with each other.

“My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped,” Psalm 17:5 (NASB1995).

In Reflection ~ Please, Stand Still!

Sandy’s ride in early November

It was November 27, 2005, a couple of weeks after Sandy’s ride.

A blustery wind and the farm owners trimming shrubs near their garage presented me with “tummy butterflies.” At first, a bit hesitant about riding, I chose to continue with my plans. Well, mine and Sandy’s … Reecie wasn’t so sure.

We did some grooming and groundwork first. Used this time to check in with Reecie and see how well she listened, responded. With Sandy’s tutelage, I’ve learned to understand the basics of Horse speak and Reecie “told” me that today would be a good day for our first ride since she listened well to all my instructions — from the ground.

I brought a borrowed (trying before buying) western saddle. It was heavier, covered more of her back, and took a different pad than Sandy’s English saddle, so I let Reecie check it out before putting it on. Then I asked Reecie to move while wearing it so she could feel it. She behaved as if she’d worn this saddle all her life. No big deal. Good thing too, because, yes, I did buy the saddle.

The mounting block, however, was a different story. Instead of standing next to it, giving me the chance to put my foot into the stirrup, she turned to face me — more than once. Now her language said, “I’m confused.”

I lined her up, stepped up on the block, she turned, she backed up, she moved sideways.

Each time, I stepped down to sort out our position.

Finally, she stood still long enough for me to step into the stirrup and swing my leg over her back.

I rode Reecie for the first time!

Yes, I was nervous.

Yes, I had trouble trying to manipulate the long lead line with the same finesse that Sandy used. No, I couldn’t quite get it right and ended up slapping myself, and Reecie, with it as I tried to flip it over her neck to change direction.

We were both unbalanced, trying to get used to this new stage of our relationship, and me trying my best to ignore the outside distractions of wind and weed eaters. But the most important thing — I rode Reecie for the first time!

Our Very First Ride Together

Thank you, Sandy, for teaching her the words, “Walk” and “Whoa.”

Thank You, God for giving me this fine little mare.

In Reflection ~

Reecie “danced” around the mounting block, moving, turning, even backing away, instead of standing still.

How many times do I find myself moving, resisting, turning away from God? Am I confused, not trusting God’s intention, not sure of what He’s asking…?

Just as I wanted Reecie to stand still at the mounting block, and trust me, trust my plans, so too God wants us to

“Be still and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10 (NIV).

In Reflection ~ Reecie’s “New Normal”

In recent years, with the pandemic, the words “new normal” developed a negative aspect. But this is about Reecie, her early start under saddle, HER “new normal” as a riding horse.

On the November visit (see In Reflection ~ Listening) Sandy worked Reecie at a walk and trot around the arena first while Reecie was still at liberty (unsaddled and without a rider, or even a leadrope) to determine how well she was listening. The saddle, pad, and mounting block sat in the middle of the arena. Since horses are often fearful of the unknown, or the identified, this gave Reecie the opportunity to see these objects were harmless.

As they worked Sandy explained, “Some of what I’m doing is a classical training approach, but it’s mixed with a more modern style of natural horsemanship. I use this work to communicate with the horse, to get a feel for her attitude and willingness.”

As I watched her work with Reecie, she told me about her way of teaching certain words. Words like walk, trot, canter, and most importantly — whoa. Sandy explained, “These words will reinforce my leg and seat cues until she better understands them. Just as we learn her language, she needs to learn ours.”

Sandy moved Reecie to the pile of equipment (tack) and further explained, “As a riding horse, these become part of her “new normal.” Sandy placed the pad on Reecie’s back, then the saddle, while Reecie stood still, accepting her new normal. Headgear was the rope halter and long lead rope that Reecie was already accustomed to wearing while working. Bridle and bit would come much later.

Stepping onto the mounting block, it took several attempts before Sandy could get mounted. Reecie moved, walked off, or turned her hips away, all of which prevented a safe step up into the saddle. Sandy said, “Since this is all still new to her, I’m allowing her to move so she doesn’t feel trapped.”

After several tries, Reecie stood still long enough to allow Sandy to put her foot in the stirrup and settle into the saddle. Once mounted, they meandered around for a few minutes, with Sandy even allowing Reecie to graze before asking her to move on command, into a walk, then a trot, and even a few strides of canter. After bringing Reecie back down from the canter, Sandy said, “That was too uncontrolled and unbalanced.”

Another person at the barn, also watching, said, “At least she didn’t try to buck.” Sandy replied, “She did tighten her back but that felt more like she was trying to get her balance and find her feet.”

Sandy worked for a few more minutes, riding in large circles, mostly at the walk, before dismounting. After Sandy unsaddled Reecie, she turned the lead rope over to me, and I spent some time brushing her before returning her to the pasture.

In Reflection ~

Reecie’s life changed to include carrying a saddle, a rider, listening to instruction, learning new things, following commands. Her “new normal.”

When we become followers of Christ our lives change too. We listen to the instructions and follow the commands in the Scriptures. We learn new things, we support each other, we have a “new normal.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away, behold new things have come,” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB1995).

In Reflection ~ What are you Thinking?

On another visit with Reecie, during the early months of our relationship, I brought her up to the barn for grooming while we waited for Sandy, the trainer, to arrive for our lesson.

After brushing, I tried, unsuccessfully, to put fly repellant on Reecie. She shied away from the spray and more of it ended up in the air than actually on her. After a couple more fruitless attempts, I set the bottle down and picked up the hoof pick to clean out her hooves. I began with her left front, then left hind, and moved to do her right hind. She had her foot part way up and gave a little thrust with it. Kicking? or helping? it was hard to guess her intentions.

Reecie, what are you thinking?

After Sandy arrived, my task turned to watching her work with Reecie. Sandy moved objects around, touched Reecie with ropes, a flag, and other small items, non-threatening, but potentially scary to a horse.

Sandy, what are you thinking?

As I watched, Sandy explained her teaching methods as well as her expectations of Reecie. Along with gaining Reecie’s trust, a goal of this lesson was to provide me with knowledge to continue Reecie’s training after she became fully mine, and I took her home with me.

Sandy’s expectations were that the activity would help Reecie adjust to carrying riding tack including a blanket, saddle, and bridle, as well as a rider. And to let her know that everything that moves isn’t out to kill her. Horses have a very strong survival instinct, and to them pretty much everything must be identified or is considered deadly. There’s an old joke that says, “Horses are only afraid of two things, those that move, and those that don’t.”

Later, I reflected upon what I learned about Reecie during this visit. And I learned that I need to be patient with her when teaching new skills. Especially if it involves “scary” stuff like spray bottles. I need to be consistent when I ask her to lift her feet. I’ve already learned she does enjoy being brushed, and she’s taught me which spots she enjoys a vigorous scratching. We both need to learn how to get the flyspray on her, instead of just in the air.

During a follow up visit I discovered the little push with her right rear hoof was her way of saying, “here it is, hurry up and clean it.”

Aha! So that’s what you were thinking.

There wasn’t any threat or aggressiveness to this movement with her foot. She’s impatient when she thinks the human isn’t doing things quite right, e.g., her way. I’ve learned this in other ways over the years too.

In Reflection

How many times do I get impatient with God when I think He isn’t doing things in what I consider the right way or isn’t giving immediate answers to prayers?

God, what are You thinking?

Do I “kick out” to hurry Him along, do I move away from fearful situations, like Reecie moved away from the flyspray, or do I respond according to His expectations, the way Reecie responded to the patient instruction that Sandy offered.

We are limited in our thinking, not knowing what comes next. But Sandy knew what she wanted to teach Reecie. She knew what reaction she expected. And this time the goals were to teach Reecie to trust us, me to know how to build on this trust, and for both of us to be patient.

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord,” Isaiah 55:8 (NASB).

Lord, thank you for reminding us that Your ways are far greater than ours. Your patience teaches us to trust You and Your instruction.

What’s in a Name?

I worked in the shipping department of a printing plant. My supervisor, Jeff, lived for football season. Especially college football. Specifically, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. None of that’s really important to Reecie’s story, except for the conversation that followed one day in October of 2005.

Jeff remarked, “Carolina plays Alabama tonight.”

“Crimson Tide Alabama?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s a good name for a horse. But then people might think I’m an Alabama fan.” To set the record straight my heart for college football remains with my home state of Ohio. I’ll always be a Buckeye. I was born to it.

Since my thoughts, even at work, were with Reecie, even though I hadn’t brought her home yet, I pondered my choice of a formal name for Reecie. The rescue organization listed her as an Alabama Racking Horse, so it made sense to incorporate at least part of the Crimson Tide name. Most of her markings are splashes of white.

It clicked in my head, a formal name for her, so “Reecie” around the barn became “Crimson Splash” in the show arena. It didn’t matter to her, after all, she works for cookies. 😉 But I thought it was cool, and “A good name is to be more desired than great wealth…” Proverbs 22:1 (NASB).

In Reflection:

Several days later , my ponderings drifted to how the blood of Christ must have made a crimson splash on the ground beneath the cross. Even my horse’s name keeps me close to my Savior and Lord.

“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out,” John 19:34 (NASB).

COVID-19 and Its Impact on the World

COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus, brings the world to its knees.

Not nuclear war, not an ice age, not an earth blasting meteor, but a microscopic virus halts a large portion of the economy, sending people scurrying to buy stuff they might need. Many businesses and stores close their doors, people out of jobs, finances uncertain…grocery shelves empty.

Social distancing fractures certain relationships yet strengthens others as people adapt to spending time with only a few people, mostly family.

Face masks provide a barrier to transmission of the virus, but also takes away the personal aspect of facial expressions. We can’t see someone smile, or frown. The hearing-impaired who rely on lip reading as an aid to communication are now closed off from conversations.

Are we doomed to become a robotic society? Faceless, communication through electronic devices our only option?

Lord God, I pray this is not so. I pray this will, instead, bring us closer together. As we battle a common enemy, we need to reach out to You and to support each other in this fight. Yet we MUST let common sense prevail. We must maintain our humanness and our relationships.

Relationships built on love, compassion, growth, and doing things together.

I walked with Reecie, my horse, along a grassy lane. When she lowered her head to graze, I gazed at the trees and the pond nearby. After a few moments, I lifted my hand on the lead rope and we walked a few strides before she stopped again to graze. Unhurried, we walked, she grazed, we walked some more.

Part of the fear of COVID-19 is the unfamiliarity of it, how to recognize an infection, how it might impact us, what to do to prevent it.

I walk Reecie on these sections of the farm because I want to make the property familiar to her, to take the “scary” out of it. With the familiarity it will become safer for me to ride this area, after the virus scare is over. She and I can get back to riding and add these trails to the area we travel. I’m inspired by the words of a teenage girl, who commented years ago about Reecie getting a good foundation because we “do stuff” in addition to riding.

Reecie and I built a relationship on the foundation of “doing stuff.” Sure, I do the basics of horse care, things like – feed her, brush her, clean up after her. But often I just relax and spend time with her. Just Reecie and I, going for a walk, challenging ourselves with new areas or new tasks. Building on our foundation and strengthening our relationship.

Let’s use these quarantine, self-isolation, stay home mandates and policies as a way to build our foundation with our families, and with Jesus Christ. Take the time do more than just the basics of survival. Do stuff together wherever we are. Challenge ourselves with learning more about Creator of this universe.

I want to spend time with my Savior. Reading His word, enjoying His creation, sharing my ponderings with others. Let me know if I can help guide you on that path.

What relationships are you building? What ways have you found to do stuff together, yet maintain the required social distancing?

Ponder this—no matter how scary the coronavirus is, God’s power is much greater and the victory is already His!

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans 8:37-9 (NASB).

And THAT is the ultimate relationship.