Dance

On Monday, the horse dentist was back out for re-checks. This is what I love about Loren. Every horse she works on gets a free re-check one month later. And while she checks them, she does little adjustments.

Lily has still been sore in the shoulder, and after working on her mouth a bit (lily has teeth that are growing in toward her tongue and require a little more work) we went out to the driveway. She watched her move and adjusted her hips. Lily licked and chewed, and dropped her head. She gave me exercises to do, then encouraged me to get Lily out into the round pen.

Work her bad side too, she said.

I don't work with Lily much, never felt we had much of a connection. But as we worked in the round pen, keeping it simple, I could feel that shift.

Lily has what I think of as a classic quarter horse personality. Willing, but all business. She would be the woman who would listen to a joke, smile and then ask if there was anything else, because she had some things to get done.

As she moved around, enjoying the soft ground of the round pen, she checked in with me. Usually you have to remind her that yes, you are in charge. Not this time.

Things shifted. We were moving together. I passed the wand to my other hand and she turned in. I lowered my energy, she came down to a walk. At one point she trotted, following me, backed up and spun, all at liberty, all in sync.

Then Smokey and I did the same. I didn't want to ride since we had done a 10 mile training ride the day before, and I wanted to focus on just enjoying the moment with my horse.

So I danced with two horses (not at once), both at liberty, both in sync with my every move.

In writing this I can still feel the peace of it, and marvel at how such a simple, yet improbable thing can be so powerful so as to stop time, and suspend you above all things.