A little lost… I’ve definitely ridden Cody more than my own horse. You’d think I could say, “Well at least I’m in the saddle” but mentally, it’s not the same. Although having my little shadow with me is a definite plus, it’s not the same. I keep burying myself in work and not even purposely. I can feel myself getting stuck in a rut because of lack of consistency. It sucks and I’m sure I’m not alone in this either. I’d love to blame it on the winter but the weather has been amazing for December and it doesn’t look like it will be getting much colder any time soon.
There’s still a bit of anxiety going to the barn which doesn’t help. Couple that with the building anxiety of just getting on my horse? Definite possibility of disaster. My heart is starting to pound just looking at a mounting block and there’s just no reason for it. I don’t want to go through this again because Brantley is what keeps my head up out of the water so I don’t drown. But there’s no motivation for either of us.
After visiting Grasa, I had to ride my horse. I did my middays and sped to the barn. The BO had just pulled in while I was finishing up tacking and normally I would have invited her to come but I really just needed “Me and B” time, plus, I was on a time crunch and honestly didn’t want to make conversation. Heart pounding, I walked him to the block and just went for it. He was terrified leaving the indoor… and it just got worse walking across the neighbor’s driveway and then he finally had a mini meltdown approaching a stump that apparently hasn’t been there the past… forever. Especially with the giant snakes that were laying on it… Motionless… Ready for attack.
Completely terrifying… Ears were crossed, neck was in giraffe mode, shaking, heart pounding… I egged him on a little but instead of just moving forward, he buckled back and bolted back to the barn. I stopped him, spun him around and asked him to move up again and just try. We made it by, barely, and off we went. Everything was new out in the woods. I just put my hands forward and loosened up my seat, mentally preparing for anything. Lucky for me, he remembered how much he loved being a trail horse and we survived our first ride out since the last hunter pace.
Whoever said the winter was for training… Lies.
Ctrl+hAlt+Del 
Winter is for training?? Bah!! It’s for surviving!
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In our cases… absolutely 😂
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You are not alone! Getting the words out there and sharing are sometimes all you need to get over that hump. I have had some of those moments myself. Sometimes you have to just ‘test your guts’ so to speak and cowgirl up. Other times though are for taking the pressure off and allowing yourself to just be together.
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Thank you for the words or encouragement ♡♡♡
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❤
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“undemanding time”
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Winter is for nothing so far as I can tell.
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I wish I could just throw him out in a field barefoot for the winter and say see ya in the Spring but… we’d both die.
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I mean.. I live somewhere where its possible to train through the winter, but think about all the boogies and ghosts being training for your butt to remain in the saddle lol
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Agreed. I typically spend more time training to sit a buck or a spin than my dressage tests or short combinations.
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Funny its not that cold really in our area, but the horses seem to still get crazies with their winter coats. Admittedly happy to be pregnant and out of the saddle for winter. Its pretty nice coming back in March when its getting warmer. You kept at it, which I’m not sure I would have without someone like my trainer yelling at me to suck it up, buttercup.
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Hahaha. I don’t think mentally I could handle that amount of time off from riding! I give you props for sure. And B had a few months off once and it literally took me the entire spring to get him basically restarted. Damn rescue horses 😂 Maybe one day he’ll be old and gray so he can have the winter off and I’ll live to tell about it. But I’ll be honest… I’ll have my hands on a new project by then… probably a yearling 😂😂😂
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Winter ruts can be difficult to shake! Even with relatively nicer winter days –
– the lack of day light, the unpredictable variants in temperature that leave you wondering if it’s a good day for a ride, or to hunker down inside – – I find it challenging to gain traction with what are typically normal routines.
This is an awesome piece about overcoming resistance. I found it super applicable and relatable (even for a non rider!)
Great read, thanks for sharing!
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Thank you for your input! And I think that’s one of my top 5 things I love about horses. No matter the weather or how crappy I’m feeling… I still have to pull my boots on and get out there. Probably the number one reason I’m still alive today that’s for sure.
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