I was on my way to Oklahoma for the WDAA World Championships and the Morgan Grand National with Asia in tow when I got a call at 4:00 in the morning that my husband was in the ICU. Fortunately it was only the first of three overnight stays on the trip so it was only one day’s drive home.
I was sad to miss the Championships but glad that my husband made a full recovery and is now healthier than he was before the crisis.
In spite of missing all the points we would hopefully have acquired at the two Championship shows, Asia ended up 8th overall in USEF Horse of the Year for Intro WD, 4th for Morgan Versatility and Reserve Champion in AMHA Open Competition. I am going to go to San Antonio to pick up the Reserve Champion and meet some Morgan folks (remember it’s a new world for me) at the AMHA Annual Convention.
When I look back at my re-rider story it is pretty amazing that Asia and I have come this far and I am so happy about all the changes that have happened to us physically and mentally because of this journey. The ribbons are wonderful but it’s those changes that are really important!
Physically things happen slowly so from a day-to-day perspective it’s sometimes hard to keep track, and I confess to sometimes finding myself frustrated by the slow progress for both me and Asia. Now that there is some time perspective—even on my most negative days—I cannot avoid being proud of the progress when I think back to where we were when we started. Asia not wanting to move and me barely able to, what a pair we were!
Mentally, I’ve got my joy back!! I love teaching and I love watching horses come along under my direction but there is something extra special about building a partnership that you know is long term and that involves many miles traveled and obstacles overcome. Asia is better mentally too. Her anxiety about being in a stall, her resistance to being tacked up and her general demeanor are all much improved. There is no question in my mind that physical and mental health go together, not to mention her relationship with me which I believe brings her as much joy as it does me.
We continue to work on the canter and I am hopeful that it will be good enough to move up to Basic Level for this year’s competition. For her it’s a question of keeping the panic at bay and for me it’s a question of staying patient, and of course the two go together. If I start to worry about time (will we be ready for the first show?) and start to push a little harder I inevitably brace against her. The second that happens Asia knows it and the adrenaline starts to flow. Once that happens there is no course forward except to transition back to trot and walk in order to calm down.
It really is an exercise in Zen mind control. I have to approach it with a totally blank slate, no preconceived notions about how many circles we will do or even quality of the movement. The second I start to mess around it’s all over. So my job is to reward the try and that’s it!! I also have to face the fact that Asia’s canter may never be good enough for competition. I’m not giving up yet but am starting to put together scenarios in my mind to address that fact. This is a good exercise because it allows me the option of not cantering which in a Catch 22 shift allows me to relax about the canter—which of course is the way to win the battle.
