Motivation

Today, here I am. I am trapped at my dad's garage. Waiting for one little lightbulb to get changed on my truck so my license plate once again illuminates itself come dark - which does come obcenely early these days! Sitting here, killing time moseying around the world wide web, shivering everytime someone opened a door I started to ponder about motivvation.

It is a grand total of -13 out today, celcius, not including windchill. Once you factor that in, it becomes somewhat like -20 or so. Even for Canadia that is rather extreme for this time of year. Feels like not even two weeks ago it was +10 out and I was riding in a sweater.... oh wait,... I WAS! Sheesh.

So motivation. When it is this cold and this breezy, my motivation is distinctly lacking in getting myself out to the barn. The ground is froze, the footing is non existant, I have to wear eight hundred layers resembling the Michelin Man with ineffective mitten claws for hands. How can you have feel and timing with those kinds of barriers?? Sure wants to knock all the try out me.... I dont even try to get out there! Well, strictly speaking thats not true. I do go out and do chores regularly, so I get out there, just not always out for actual pony interaction time.

I feel like winter is good for building some rapport though. Its cold, its miserable and almost everytime they see a human we are bringing them some kind of something good - be it hay, grain, treats, warm blankets, letting them into their warm stall.... the list goes on. Seems like a good way to make some good 'bank account deposits', no? A lot of days I feel like I am getting nowhere, doing nothing productive, and then this morning when I went to adjust blankets, my usually aloof Indy made an effort to walk over to me. With a happy face no less. Hmmm.

Now what does that tell me. Maybe in the summer there is just to much going on? To much OH BOY LETS GO..... do whatever. Not enough 'Hi, how are you? Heres a cookie, see you later'. Maybe. Or maybe I am just more interesting than snow but not more interesting than grass. Joy.

Back to motivation. How do I get motivated in the winter. Im tempted to just say I dont. But thats not true. With my florida trip coming up, I am very motivated to at least THINK of things to do. So Ive got my MIND on the job at least. I do a lot of planning this time of year. I watch lots of dvds and make plans for what to do on the days its nice out or when the snow finally melts. Last year, I got really clever and brought a barrel into my basement, tied it to a footstool and then saddled it so I could practice engaging my core and body the way Linda talks about us needing for our Finesse. Get it right before adding the horse and it *should* come easier once the horse is in the equation, right? That was my theory. I think it worked out nicely. At the very least it got me saddle time through the winter, even sans a pony.

A month and a half ish until I get to head to the warmth. Just need to keep motivated until then. Try to keep some form of pony time going on so I dont hit that withdrawl wall. Horses are like my addiction.... withdrawl definatley hits in these dark cold months. I cant wait to get exclusive horsey time come February!

Not to sure if this was a coherent post or not.... My truck still isnt even in the garage... *sigh* Oh well. Maybe Ill head over to Savvy Club and poke around the vault.....

:-)
S

Classy Ponies!

In my seemingly never ending mission to be ready to head to the wonderful and warm South, I got my ponies some excellent outerwear to *hopefully* curb their Canadian Woolies.

Courtesy of my friend and fellow Parelli student S, who co-owns Manely Horses, I found some very awesome purpley and stripey fleecey coolers, and a lovely black and almost lavender rain sheet for Mo, and a wonderful tealy blue one for Indy. They both look so classy and mega-rock-star like in their new swanky gear!

Heres hoping they leave them on and dont let the others rip them to shreds..... !

:-)
S

PS: How nice is it that when I opened the back door BOTH of my ponies came over. Not just Mo, who has formed a nice habit of coming over when I call her, but her darling Aloof Highness herself came over too, and waltzed right into the barn. How excellent is that? Loverly!