I'm asking "Why?"

My mother was rescued from a fancy high-dollar appaloosa breeder. I have to wonder how the humans get to this point before they ask for help? Prayers for the horses and those who are helping them.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Appy Easter

I saw this video and thought it said things so well:


Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug yourDOR!

Fancy digs

Oh man, has my spotty butt landed in some fancy digs! I am at Sun Mountain Lodge for my rehab and therapy. I arrived last night and couldn't see much but it sure smells good. Yep there is not a whiff of Sir Royal Pains pompous self, fresh air.

The DOR is pulling out all the stops to make sure that I can go with her when she rides at the Buck Brannaman clinic this summer. I hate to tell her but in a spot as lovely as this and a butt as lovely as mine, I think it is going to be more like SPRING BREAK!!!!

I hear there is a fully appointed spa.....

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Quote for the week

The honesty I find in my horses' eyes is so raw that it is often overwhelming

The DOR and other horse owners have discovered this truth. She has also learned to be careful of the questions she asks us, knowing that we will show her the truth and it may not be something she really wants to hear.

The one thing about the honesty of a horse is that we make humans better people. We show you your strengths and your weaknesses. We illuminate your fears and your joys. We will lay your soul bare and force you to look at it. We will lead you on a journey of self discovery.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

The first step of a dream

The first steps of a dream are being taken. Humans have been rallied to begin the work. Every horse in the herd stands at the ready to assist any way we can.

The DOR and I are off on another adventure together.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Riding Rules for "Older Horsewomen

Riding Rules for "Older" Horsewomen From the Tackoftheday.com website. Worth sharing, as I too am an "older" horse woman: Some RIDING RULES for the, ahem, Older Horse Woman:

• We DO NOT need to show up with our hair combed, makeup on and wearing a clean shirt.

• Moaning, groaning and complaining about aching muscles is perfectly acceptable, as is taking Motrin (or something stronger) prior to a ride.

• Helping someone on or off the horse does not mean the rider is an invalid. It only means the horse got taller overnight.

• No one will comment about how big someone's butt looks in the saddle.

• When a horse is acting up, we will accept that the horse is just having a bad- hair day and it is not the rider's fault.

• Mentioning it is too hot, too dry, too humid, too wet, too buggy, etc., is considered self expression, not whining.

• We will acknowledge that horses are very strange animals and sometimes for no reason at all we fall off of them. If this happens to any rider, the other riders will ascertain that the person is okay and then not mention the incident to another living soul, especially husbands and significant others.

• We will acknowledge, without apology, that riding more than 6 hours increases our grumpy level far more than any ego benefits we may get from riding longer.

• Looking at my bouncing fat is NOT an acceptable way of determining if I have a good seat. My fat always bounces, thank you. It is cushion I carry in case I fall off. (author of the above rules is unknown)

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Work's purpose

Work's purpose is ultimately to make good things happen for others, and in that process we make good things happen for ourselves. This is a belief that the DOR holds to be true. This is what drives her to work with at-risk and special needs students. It is also part of what keeps her working on her partnership with the horses in her life.

She has been working to improve her skills so that she can address my needs as I recover. She is learning energy therapy and developing her riding skills. She has worked loosing weight and strengthening her body so that she can "carry her own weight" when she rides me. Improving her balance allows her to use a lighter English saddle, rather than the heavy western saddle.

I am doing my share of work too.

The work we both are doing is improving things for both of us.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Girl and the Horse-amazing video

Pretty amazing short clip Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Tail rising

So the DOR decked me out in orange. Orange is the color tied to the chakra that I am having trouble with. First I got a nice Reiki session and then she had to make me look like the Great Pumpkin that Linus is always waiting for. I thought if I raised my tail up like a flag she would be happy and take the outfit off, but nooo she made me wear it for a long time.

The DOR used an orange bath towel under my new orange blanket so that the color would be touching me. Now that wasn't too bad, but the orange footwear was something else. I had to snort at the boots and then when the DOR lead me off I walked a bit silly. I did lift my hinds up really good though, I looked like I was stepping over a three foot obstacle. I did get tired of the boots on my hind feet and tried to kick them off, it didn't work. I want to know how the DOR would like walking with something on her ankles that felt vaguely like a rope?

The DOR took the hind boots off and the mounted up for a ride. Good thing she took those hind boots off or I might have had to hope around with her on. I did decide to trot with her, with my famous Jack-Hammer trot, just to make her pay for torturing me. It ended up being a good session.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Reiki

Last night I had my first Reiki session. It was a bit odd. The DOR had me look at some rocks and then used the one I kept mouthing. I am not sure what that was about, it was just a bit yummy.

She started at my head and worked her way to my rear. I actually enjoyed the work she did on me. By the time she was done my tail was unclamped and not cranked over to the right. My tail stayed centered when I moved, in fact it was actually lifted up a bit.

The DOR checked me today and the effects of yesterday's session were still there. She was a bit under the weather so I didn't get to pick a new rock today. She is planning on giving me another session tomorrow.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!