Home with Journey

 It has been a little while since I threw a leg over Journey.  Many weeks in fact.  I've been spending quiet time, working from the ground, working on our communication and trust.  All to our good as I've learned to appreciate "being" with my horse, in the moment...rather than "using" my horse as an end to a means.   I've decided there is a big world of difference between those two things.   Being in the moment, sure beats just hammering along in the distance.  I'm beginning to see that my overall dissatisfaction with the distance sport has little to do with the organization, the rules, the breed, the people, the anything.  It just isn't important to me in the way that it was to chase those miles.  To who's purpose am I running my horse down the trail?  Is it serving her?  Does she love it?  Does it make her a better horse?  Me a better horsewoman?  In some cases horses do indeed seem to love it, and prosper in the sport.  Phebes hated it, it chewed her up and spit her out.   Journey was compliant, but you could tell at about mile fifteen she was over it mentally if not physically.  Counter that yesterday with some round pen exercises, learning to communicate a bit better, my face pressed into her neck while I scratched her itchies (she smells so GOOD), saddling up, and swinging my leg over with a purpose rather than riding for the sake of getting my miles in.  It was perfect.  I felt like I'd come back home.  Quietly working to get a stop off of my seat.  And we were making progress too.  Sometimes progress does not mean moving forward, rather...you find yourself in that quiet place of being still.  It feels good.  It feels REALLY good.
~E.G.