Rest

Howdy!
glad to have some rain finally. It was dry as toast in this neck of the woods. It was so dry I had to stop working the horses in my round pen because it was literally a powder bowl. The dust would choke you right out of there. However, the was kind of a blessing because it forced me to look for some other place to work with them. I did find a place I call the 'circle' it is on a power line about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile from home. It gives me an opportunity during the ride there to warm up the horses, do some exercises with them that get them to be tuned to me even amid all the distractions of going down the road with cars passing, dogs barking, bags blowing, etc. It also gives me places, once I get on the power line to work on stopping with my seat, sidepassing next to a log, keeping their attention though there is grass stirrup high all over that they want to munch on. I also work on flexion with various exercises so that when I get to the circle, which I made by tracking with the horse dozens of times so that there is a distinct circle worn in the grass, but no dust. It also very peaceful there and the horses seem to like it and are getting used to going there.
Yesterday Sharon and I went on a nice ride. I am teaching her little by little how to be with Jake, flexing, getting her seat in the saddle so that she will have a comfortable ride. She seems to enjoy it. We have rode twice in the last week. That has to be a record for some time now, 'cause she doesn't usually ride. THe horses went nicely too. I was able to easily get Raven bridled up and do leg yields back and forth across the road. I didn't really work with Raven alot I just stayed out of her mouth unless I had to use a rein for something. We just had a nice hour long ride. The funny thing is that the more I ride these horses the less they go fast. They will walk fast, but even on the way back, and they knew were heading back, they didn't really get moving fast and almost out of control like they use to do. I think now they are thinking, 'I better not go faster than he is telling me because I don't know when I will be able to stop or slow down.' We have all seen Amish horses standing harnessed to a wagon in a field just standing there with no one around. Why don't they just run off? Because they have learned to rest when they get an opportunity. They don't know when they will get another rest. The same is starting to occur to my horses. That is a good thing. I think that is a good lesson for us all to learn. We need to take the time to rest when we can. Life can get so busy and we don't know the future anymore than the horse does so when given an opportunity to sit down and relax with family or out on the porch or just take a power nap do it. It is good for the mind, body and soul. That is the purpose of the sabbath rest that God gave us from Creation. Work six days and rest the seventh. It was given for us and our benefit to get back in tune with God and our own bodies and spirit to relax, debrief about the week, plan for the week ahead. Just like an instrument has to be retuned every so often so God has given us an opportunity to retune to Him and to all around us. To put things back into perspective. My horses need the retuning before every ride and I need it everyday and so do you. So before you step out the door each day take time to retune to the Lord, to take the time to relax and breathe deeply, exhale completely then go at the day.
take time to relax today because you don't know what is ahead.