Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Backhoes and Clinics

What is it about cold weather that just shuts me down?

As some may have noticed, every time I comment on a fellow blogger who is in the midst of snow or freezing temperatures I post (rather unimaginatively) that I can't even imagine living in a place that cold.

This is not completely true. I lived in Chicago for two years and was forever cured of my need to live in a place where snow and freezing temperatures are a three, four, or even five month affair.

So, I confess, I can imagine it, I remember the night in my metallic green Datsun pick up when I couldn't feel my toes, and wondered if this was God's way of telling me to move my little desert rat butt back home.

I could take a hint.

It's been cold, to me anyway, and I've barely made it over to see Cibolo and Lily. Saturday Cibolo and I did some brief carrot work, then decided to visit the big noisy thing which had finally stopped moving around. The noisy thing was working on a Sisyphus level effort to remove the mud from one of the paddocks.

This big noisy thing is our big noisy thing (we have a concrete construction company - just a little one), so my hubby was driving it back down the road at the barn to park it. Cibolo and I followed it, since it had been quite concerning to all the horses.

Then we went all around it.




And, after a while, through it.



Not nearly as scary when it's quiet.




I dropped by the barn tonight, just for cookie distribution. It's going to get into the teens tomorrow which is my definition of uninhabitable. I'm planning on wearing 17 layers of clothes and a hat.

And I drive from garage to garage. I'm such a wimp.

The horses are in the barn - Lily in her stall, Cibolo with an in and out option. He, of course, is in and out. Hopefully he'll have enough sense to come in out of the sleet.


I resisted the urge to fulfill my horse need by shopping (which my budget will not tolerate) and instead wrote out my check to hold a place at this clinic in April with Kathleen Lindley.

Here's a little about Kathleen:
Once the decision was made to improve her horsemanship, she found author and clinician Mark Rashid, with whom she spent the next 10 years studying horsemanship, the last two years as his full-time assistant. During her time with Mark, Kathleen wrote her first book, “In the Company of Horses” and with Mark co-authored “A Life With Horses”.

Since I'll be attending a Mark Rashid clinic in the Summer (Carmon - is there a date yet?), I think this will be a great precursor. I hope to see some friends there, at least auditing if not riding (Mindy? Rudy? how about it?). I considered auditing, but I know if I do that, I won't even go. Escaping my family requires much more of a commitment, and there's no way I'd get away to just 'watch.' I'd end up at the zoo, at a birthday party, running errands...

I've never attended a multi-day clinic. I have been to one despooking clinic, have a handful of lessons under my belt. Now I feel like I'm diving into the deep end. But I know I can swim.

I'm really looking forward to it - excited, nervous, but glad to be taking this step.

Now if it would just warm the heck up.

14 comments:

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Wow! That was cool that Cibolo trusted you enough to walk under the scary tractor. His ears still pointed backwards, but his head was down and relaxed. You guys are coming a long way together.

Good for you making concrete plans to attend the clinic. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun and you'll take away some great tips and idea to work with Cibolo.

I hope to do the same this weekend....if we don't get snowed in. bah!


~Lisa

Leah Fry said...

Where and when is the clinic?

That's a pretty big deal to walk right down the middle of that scary machine. I don't think mine have ever seen anything like that.

jacksonsgrrl said...

YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! I was just coming to comment and tell you that your check had to be in by the end of the month! I am still thinking on it! Should I say: trying to find the cash!! I just read my first Mark Rashid book Horses Never Lie and am REALLY IMPRESSED! A whole new way of thinking for me, and it makes the most sense, fitting in with how I think of Jackson and I anyway. A partnership!
~Mindy

jacksonsgrrl said...

Oh yeah! What dates did you pick to ride? Aren't there two clinics? Let me know so I can get it off...we have to have our requests in months in advance. NURSING , BLLaaaHHHHH!

Gail said...

Wonderful success with a big scary thing.

Grey Horse Matters said...

I guess that's pretty cold for where you live and I can understand that you're not used to it.

The clinics sound like fun. I hope you get to do a few of them and escape going to birthday parties or the zoo. By the way getting the horse around the scary noisy thing was really great.

Michelle said...

The clinic sounds like a great time! I haven't been to one in ages and am getting the itch to attend one. I'm really impressed that Cibolo dealt with the backhoe so calmly. He looks like a cool cat, and he's quite handsome to boot!

Unknown said...

The clinic is in April and I'm going to the one that starts the 15th. There's a link in the post if you want to see more about the trainer. :)

EcoLicious Equestrian said...

good for you for taking your time and walk cibolo under that uber-scary horse eating tractor :o)

Anonymous said...

When I attended clinics with Mark, including week-longs in Colorado - two of those and can't recommend them more highly - Kathleen was Mark's assistant for part of that time. She's very knowledgeable and effective, and has a good eye. You'll enjoy the experience, I expect. I'm thinking about bringing Dawn, or maybe both Dawn and Maisie, to a week-long, although I'm not sure I'm up to the trailer drive - I've done it before twice and I can't say that I enjoyed the trip. If you have the chance to ride with Mark, do it - it's a life-changer for many horsepeople. PS - love the backhoe pictures!

Unknown said...

The high here today is 13! My God-daughter lives in Round Rock and told me it was going to get that cold and I imagine there will be frozen water pipes everywhere.

We know the clinic will be in August and we're hoping they finally have given Mike a reliable schedule so that we can reserve space! We should know this next rotation.
Carmon

jacksonsgrrl said...

Ok...I'll get those days off as will Linda so we'll defintely be there to audit! Wish I had a sugar daddy, but sadly, this soon after Christmas I can't swing it, AND I need my lessons....
Official date for the Triple H Scavenger Hunt ride is 8 May with NO rain date (thank god!). If you want all kinds of fun stuff to challenge you (including an event with tons of that equipment you walked him through!) you NEED to come! There is one we do involving a carousel horse with an umbrella hanging from a tree full of bells. You are supposed to get a bell on horseback. I was SURE Jackson was gonna freak over it, but he didn't bat an eyelash when we walked up to it, even when he heard all the jingling of the bells. I swear. Then he'll jump at his shadow. But there are bears in them thar' woods you know! Anyway, if you come, I will go out on the trails with you and you will LOVE this ride! It pushes you further than you thought you could go, without the pressure! I can't even tell you how much fun it is for the participants (and the volunteers:)!!!
:)

Unknown said...

OMG I'm even more excited now! Ya'll are great!

the7msn said...

Thanks for letting me know about the MR clinic at Carmon's in August. I would probably sign up...were it not for the fact that I'm going to one of his week-long clinics the first week in Sept. in Colorado. Hope he has a backhoe we can practice with.