March

Spring is here – though we’re still waiting for the deluge that El Nino was supposed to bring.  No such luck, and while it’s  made working horses a little easier, we’re going to be pretty dry and hot this summer. And we have a lot of work to do to get ready for our national competition later this year in Nampa ID.  How long does it take to create a beautiful leg yield or an effortless lead change?  As long as it takes.   “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” ~Confucius …. And ‘doing’  means a lot of practice!  We practice doing it the wrong way and aren’t happy with the results, so we get advice and coaching (and sometimes a new saddle!) and go at it again. We experiment with adjusting our aids and try a technique that we’ve heard of.  And we practice some more. Then we actually get that movement just the way we wanted – once – but then can’t repeat it consistently.  But we’re getting closer and patience is rewarded with progress.   That’s what these spring days are for.  Progress…not perfection!