When South Carolina gets snow the world shuts down. Being from Ohio this is always quite incredible to me however, they don't have the ability to clear roads so I am grateful as well. After 2 days cooped up in the house I ventured out into the snow and headed for the stables. D was quite happy in his stall with his blanket on but was glad to get out and walk in it. His thought of snow is that it is there for him to eat (what isn't?) and should be enjoyed most thoroughly.
That first day I just took him around a few times because it was about time for him to eat but the crunching of the ice over the surface of the snow didn't bother him in the least. He's originally from KY so he's dealt with snow before but many things appear to scare him now that he can't see them as well if at all. I sort of wondered if the whiteness helped...
The second day I took him out we spent more time walking (me slipping) and then he eventually figured that me pulling the ice off the snow for him to eat was entirely more effective then his pawing and coming up w/just the arena sand.
The majority of the snow melted away with in the next few days leaving us with a whole lot of MUD... I decided to get on him despite his lack of work this past week, well let's be serious the last 2 months between my schedule and the weather.
Kim had talked to us about setting goals for our rides in the past and I thought of that, that morning. The goal for that Saturday- a decent forward walk w/a relaxed neck despite all the activity of the morning and the funky footing. :) We managed and I found myself feeling not like a scaredy cat rider. I KNOW I am not I am making good choices for my horse. But when there is so much working at just the walk and trot after having been at a higher level my mind tends to deceive me at times.
Yes, D and I were getting slightly more advanced before all this hit... well this is now and so we shift... my horse is requiring me to slow down and re-visit long ago mastered behavior that is now needing to be re-validated. He knows he is mine and as our farrier commented the other day "he's kept his head in and minded his business until you got here." When I am there he is looking, not necessarily needing me, just wondering what I'm up to. He is very aware of the fact that me being there doesn't automatically mean work for him which I guess is good.
I am his person and he is a very happy horse despite not being able to see a whole heck of a lot and so we step back and start over with the cards we've been dealt.
As they say you don't get to pick the cards you're dealt but you do get to pick how you play them (or something like that).
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