Meet Crystal. From the moment I was introduced to HER, I felt a connection and deep desire to get to know HER. She resides at the therapeutic riding center where I am working. I asked to work with her, to see if she felt a connection to me. It’s been a couple of months, since I first set “eyes” on HER. It felt important to give her time to settle in and adjust to her new life before asking anything else of HER. Crystal’s stall and paddock face the round pen where I work with clients. I would catch her watching as her stall mate and I worked together and danced at liberty.
Yesterday was the day, our first exploration…getting to know you. As we walked together into the large arena, her energy was high. It felt like an electric charge going through the lead rope. I had this thought, “She thinks I am going to lunge her.” I took a huge breath and dropped the energy into my feet and she stopped in her tracks and looked at me. It was almost as if I could hear her say, “What no lunging?” As I turned to close the gate, she dropped to the ground before I could get the lead rope off and rolled in the dusty pea gravel. She got to her feet and shook herself off, offering up a huge snort. I removed her lead rope, setting her free to wander about.
She walked off slowly sniffing each pile left by horses that had been in the arena before her. As I sat on the rail in the heat of the day, she continued to look over at me seemingly wondering what we were “doing.” It was lovely to witness her questioning mind, all the while sending her the message, “No agenda, I just want to hang out with you.”
I feel blessed to begin exploring the possibility of connection, relationship and partnership with this beautiful horse. As my next client drove up, I took another large breath. I looked at her, she picked her head up and she walked toward me. We walked back to the gate side by side, our first dance complete. The rest of the dance is up to her…
by Heart Light Digital
That sounds like a beautiful connection you have have with her. I’m sure the message you sent her helped enormously. Too often we want things from horses, but to just BE with one can make a great difference x