I went to a yoga retreat a few weeks ago. The facilitator asked us to think about our last decade, and what we wished to bring with us into the next one:
That we are changing decades hadn't occurred to me until then, and I struggled to share my thoughts with the group. I'm still thinking about some of these questions since I came home. Meaty stuff. What stands out from the last 10 years?
I remember the last few months of 2009 when I hauled Quinn all the way from our home in Timmins to Belleville for a weekend jumping clinic with Jen Hamilton, and she made us fly! I met dear old Belle in December and simply had to bring her kind soul into my stable.
In 2010 I joined Facebook. I was training in clinics with Cindy Ishoy, Gina Smith and Joanne Bouwhuis. I showed Andy for the last time at Third Level to achieve our Silver Medal, and we sold Quinn to a jumper home in the US after I showed him in 3'6" Trillium Hunter. A lady who bred paint horses started sending them to me to start under saddle. That December I found DiMaggio.
2011 brought Ludi to us, and we sold our mare Robin to a loving home after 7 fun years together. Through the revolving door of young paint horses to be started, a grey Hanoverian I called Rondo came to the yard to be sold. He was 15 years old and had a personality that left an impression on me. He'd been kept as a stallion until he was an adult, and so while he could show aggression briefly in the stall, he also had insecurities I supported him through. Time and time again, I'd bring him out and feel his 'look at me' presence, whether or not he was listening to me! Our stable hosted a group of young autistic children to spend Saturday mornings riding. I treasure my memories of friends coming to volunteer, and our horses connecting to the kids in that special way while we played games in the sunshine.
I made this video at the time to help advertise our stable, and it features many of those horses in my life:
- What are some themes from your last decade? Some dominant emotions?
- What are you being invited to leave behind?
- What do you keep coming back to, even after you think the work has been done?
- What are you holding that doesn't really serve you?
- What has presented itself as a challenge, offering growth?
- What grudges or areas of resentment can you let go of?
- What were your successes?
- What are you grateful for?
- How have you evolved over this past decade?
- What has been healing for you?
- What is your intention?
That we are changing decades hadn't occurred to me until then, and I struggled to share my thoughts with the group. I'm still thinking about some of these questions since I came home. Meaty stuff. What stands out from the last 10 years?
I remember the last few months of 2009 when I hauled Quinn all the way from our home in Timmins to Belleville for a weekend jumping clinic with Jen Hamilton, and she made us fly! I met dear old Belle in December and simply had to bring her kind soul into my stable.
In 2010 I joined Facebook. I was training in clinics with Cindy Ishoy, Gina Smith and Joanne Bouwhuis. I showed Andy for the last time at Third Level to achieve our Silver Medal, and we sold Quinn to a jumper home in the US after I showed him in 3'6" Trillium Hunter. A lady who bred paint horses started sending them to me to start under saddle. That December I found DiMaggio.
2011 brought Ludi to us, and we sold our mare Robin to a loving home after 7 fun years together. Through the revolving door of young paint horses to be started, a grey Hanoverian I called Rondo came to the yard to be sold. He was 15 years old and had a personality that left an impression on me. He'd been kept as a stallion until he was an adult, and so while he could show aggression briefly in the stall, he also had insecurities I supported him through. Time and time again, I'd bring him out and feel his 'look at me' presence, whether or not he was listening to me! Our stable hosted a group of young autistic children to spend Saturday mornings riding. I treasure my memories of friends coming to volunteer, and our horses connecting to the kids in that special way while we played games in the sunshine.
I made this video at the time to help advertise our stable, and it features many of those horses in my life:
Spring of 2012 we brought yearling Ginger home with many dreams for her future. April rocked my world when I sustained a concussion while training a friend's horse. There's no memory of what happened. Rondo had to go home while I recovered. I took DiMaggio (and he took me, like the gentleman he was) around the big dressage shows at Palgrave to achieve his Silver Medal at Fourth Level. That fall I went back to work full time.
2013 was The Big Move. 6 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats and an aquarium rolled a thousand kilometres from Timmins to Pembroke. The rest of that year was a blur of improving the new farm, working and caring for the horses. I started this blog in January 2014 so the rest is here. Happy New Year!
2013 was The Big Move. 6 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats and an aquarium rolled a thousand kilometres from Timmins to Pembroke. The rest of that year was a blur of improving the new farm, working and caring for the horses. I started this blog in January 2014 so the rest is here. Happy New Year!
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