Thank you for this… you’ve given my thought bubbles - which are frightfully similar to yours - permission to float away. May we both bask in the life of love! ❤️
I had a lovely horse that I boarded with a woman who kept and rode horses (and loved them) her entire life. No horse ever left her farm once it got there ♥️ One day, I was whining about my guilt about not riding her "enough". She cut me off mid-sentence by pointing to one of her pastures filled with happily grazing horses and said, "we make that stuff up- With a few memorable exceptions, the vast majority of horses prefer the freedom of the pasture and their shelter to having you saddle them up " 😊 I found that enormously helpful. The horse in the photo looks terrifically content to me ❤️
Thought bubbles are the best! Raising your children on a farm and being there to get them to and from school is wonderful, your words capture the peaceful existence of a well cared for horse and child 💙☮️💙
Oh...and I used to beat myself up a little because I couldn't play with my sons in the action figure stage of their interests. It wasn't until they grew into board games and cards. I just laugh at it now. As adults they thank me for the blessings of their childhood.
Thank you so much for these kind words. And it's really nice to hear from someone else who just didn't jive with kids' play styles — I do the best I can but hand me a Transformer, and forget about it, LOL. Glad to hear your kids remember the good times. 😊
Yes, thought bubbles are just that. And of course it’s a poem. I often find things I’ve written - texts for example - are poems when I look at them later. Which is fine. Let them speak, hey?
You're right. I actually wrote mainly poetry several years ago and then abandoned it, and it's been slowly creeping back in all on its own. The muse wants what the muse wants.
My darling El Niño was perfectly happy being a pasture - ornament, part-time bare-back trail horse, lunch-companion, during his last years. We had done the jumping, then dressage, then baby dressage showing stuff in earlier years. Not sure that was for him, tho' he was in all things willing.
For the last years of his life we mostly did ground work/play in the indoor or outdoor arena. Serpentines with me on foot beside him, no lead line; backing up, with walking with feet on both sides of a pole etc. etc. "Free" trot poles when the barn owner had them set up for lessons. "touch your nose to the thing I tap for a carrot" etc. etc. He enjoyed that play, especially as I laughed at all our 'mistakes'. And frankly I had no goals beyond spending time with him. Great fun in learning body-language communication in 'horse'.
If she has all day turn-out with another horse, she doesn't NEED more: that is pretty much normal life for a horse. Unless she loves work. In which case a horsie friend might like to ride her.
I've met so many horses that love target training! Including Lilly. She'll actually tap a traffic cone with her nose all day long as long as you keep paying her with treats, LOL. Recently my 4-year old has been wanting to ride, so we've actually been doing some little leadline sessions occasionally— which she immediately comes up to the gate for as soon as she sees his tiny little saddle in my hand. That makes me feel a little bit better because it's engagement with us that she enjoys. You're so right — I don't have to ride her, myself, and there are so many other things that we can do. I'm just so used to thinking of me riding her as the only activity that "counts". Thank you for sharing what you did with your horse on the ground, because it makes me feel so much less alone.
You are so right that contact with you is what horses who have ‘their people’ want. Happy for your 4 year old; she will develop the best seat starting this early….
I think we’ve all had those pesky thought bubbles at one time or another. While I don’t have any animals at the moment, i do have a 25-year old son. Love is absolutely the most important thing. 🫶
Flash cards? Who even does flash cards? Nobody I ever knew. You are enough. You are present and love him. You keep him safe and feed him. That is all that is truly required. And reading....every night as much as you are able. It helps with reading skills, will instill a love of learning and imagination, and also gives you shared time just with him.
Believe it or not, I know moms who regularly use flash cards with their kids. They're insanely organized and crafty in that teacher way and I've always felt like I'm not doing enough next to them. But you're right, the reading is probably one of the most important things to be doing. My older son made the highest score on his reading assessment this year and I think it's because we've been reading every night since he was an infant.
Beautiful - thanks for sharing. She looks like our Jaxx, who, with his pals JoJo and Gabby, eat grass, hang out, keep each other company, and owe the world nothing. Yes, loving them is enough.
Just remember, being you is always enough! Especially when you see the joy on your little boy’s face or the happiness in your horses bray you know YOU are enough!!
I live with two mares who are full sisters, in their mid-teens. I raised them. I also raised their dam, and I owned their sire for many years. For reasons that are my own, not once have I ever ridden either one of them. Not once has either one of them ever complained about it.
Thank you for this… you’ve given my thought bubbles - which are frightfully similar to yours - permission to float away. May we both bask in the life of love! ❤️
Hear, hear!
I had a lovely horse that I boarded with a woman who kept and rode horses (and loved them) her entire life. No horse ever left her farm once it got there ♥️ One day, I was whining about my guilt about not riding her "enough". She cut me off mid-sentence by pointing to one of her pastures filled with happily grazing horses and said, "we make that stuff up- With a few memorable exceptions, the vast majority of horses prefer the freedom of the pasture and their shelter to having you saddle them up " 😊 I found that enormously helpful. The horse in the photo looks terrifically content to me ❤️
Thanks, Deb! What that woman said is very validating. Thank you for sharing it!
Beautiful!
Thought bubbles are the best! Raising your children on a farm and being there to get them to and from school is wonderful, your words capture the peaceful existence of a well cared for horse and child 💙☮️💙
Thanks, Stacey ☺️
When you write like this, you inspire me to write from the heart too. Thank you so much for this gift.
Oh...and I used to beat myself up a little because I couldn't play with my sons in the action figure stage of their interests. It wasn't until they grew into board games and cards. I just laugh at it now. As adults they thank me for the blessings of their childhood.
Thank you so much for these kind words. And it's really nice to hear from someone else who just didn't jive with kids' play styles — I do the best I can but hand me a Transformer, and forget about it, LOL. Glad to hear your kids remember the good times. 😊
Buried treasure in sand gives the scene a bright center.
Yes, thought bubbles are just that. And of course it’s a poem. I often find things I’ve written - texts for example - are poems when I look at them later. Which is fine. Let them speak, hey?
You're right. I actually wrote mainly poetry several years ago and then abandoned it, and it's been slowly creeping back in all on its own. The muse wants what the muse wants.
A deeply necessary moment of clarity rooted in love.💜
My darling El Niño was perfectly happy being a pasture - ornament, part-time bare-back trail horse, lunch-companion, during his last years. We had done the jumping, then dressage, then baby dressage showing stuff in earlier years. Not sure that was for him, tho' he was in all things willing.
For the last years of his life we mostly did ground work/play in the indoor or outdoor arena. Serpentines with me on foot beside him, no lead line; backing up, with walking with feet on both sides of a pole etc. etc. "Free" trot poles when the barn owner had them set up for lessons. "touch your nose to the thing I tap for a carrot" etc. etc. He enjoyed that play, especially as I laughed at all our 'mistakes'. And frankly I had no goals beyond spending time with him. Great fun in learning body-language communication in 'horse'.
If she has all day turn-out with another horse, she doesn't NEED more: that is pretty much normal life for a horse. Unless she loves work. In which case a horsie friend might like to ride her.
I've met so many horses that love target training! Including Lilly. She'll actually tap a traffic cone with her nose all day long as long as you keep paying her with treats, LOL. Recently my 4-year old has been wanting to ride, so we've actually been doing some little leadline sessions occasionally— which she immediately comes up to the gate for as soon as she sees his tiny little saddle in my hand. That makes me feel a little bit better because it's engagement with us that she enjoys. You're so right — I don't have to ride her, myself, and there are so many other things that we can do. I'm just so used to thinking of me riding her as the only activity that "counts". Thank you for sharing what you did with your horse on the ground, because it makes me feel so much less alone.
You are so right that contact with you is what horses who have ‘their people’ want. Happy for your 4 year old; she will develop the best seat starting this early….
He's already such a good little horseman! He has great balance and he’s so kind and pays so much attention to Lilly.
I think we’ve all had those pesky thought bubbles at one time or another. While I don’t have any animals at the moment, i do have a 25-year old son. Love is absolutely the most important thing. 🫶
You are beautifully enough in your own unique way!! You are!! Loving them is enough 👌😊🩷🩷🩷🩷
Thank you! 😊🫶
And so is the communication. Your talent.
Thanks, Muhammad. ☺️
Flash cards? Who even does flash cards? Nobody I ever knew. You are enough. You are present and love him. You keep him safe and feed him. That is all that is truly required. And reading....every night as much as you are able. It helps with reading skills, will instill a love of learning and imagination, and also gives you shared time just with him.
Believe it or not, I know moms who regularly use flash cards with their kids. They're insanely organized and crafty in that teacher way and I've always felt like I'm not doing enough next to them. But you're right, the reading is probably one of the most important things to be doing. My older son made the highest score on his reading assessment this year and I think it's because we've been reading every night since he was an infant.
Beautiful - thanks for sharing. She looks like our Jaxx, who, with his pals JoJo and Gabby, eat grass, hang out, keep each other company, and owe the world nothing. Yes, loving them is enough.
💗
Just remember, being you is always enough! Especially when you see the joy on your little boy’s face or the happiness in your horses bray you know YOU are enough!!
Thank you, Lori 🥹
I live with two mares who are full sisters, in their mid-teens. I raised them. I also raised their dam, and I owned their sire for many years. For reasons that are my own, not once have I ever ridden either one of them. Not once has either one of them ever complained about it.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Vicki. It's nice to know I'm not alone.