Making Progress

 

On Sunday I watched a front leg and hoof dissection.  I was able to get through it without getting all anxious!  Boy, I am so glad I was able to watch it.  It was so cool seeing how all the ligaments, veins, and blood vessels worked to move the hoof and supply it with blood.  

That evening I was able to discuss holistic feline diets with the wonderful veterinarian who put on the clinic, Tomas Teskey.  I got pretty excited about it...hah.  He is an amazing, calm, and focused individual.  I love what he is doing for animals and the knowledge he is sharing with people.

We finished up the hoof clinic on Sunday, so yesterday was our first day of actual horsemanship training.  Buck is a strong-willed, knuckle headed Appaloosa.  I am actually slightly scared to work with him because A) He is huge B) He turns into a frantic lunatic when he gets separated from his buddies (which is often) and C) He loves NOT respecting my space.  However, yesterday was a success! We had our bumps throughout the day, but overall, he and I did learn a lot about each other and respecting one another's space.  I became pretty discouraged at some points, but the other people at the clinic were great at reminding me I was doing everything right.  When Buck decides to get big and stupid, I have to be four times bigger.  That means if he decides to be 10 feet tall, I have to be 40 feet tall.  If he decided to do his frantic and nervous whinny when he is by himself, I have options and tools to make him move, quiet down, or listen to me.  It is very tiring working with an animal like Buck because he consistently challenges me, but I hope as the days go by it will get easier and more enjoyable.  I hate fighting with him all the time!  Everyone is commenting on how well I am handling him, and it makes me feel so good.  A lot of the time I feel like I'm a failure and am being overly rude to Buck, but in reality, it's exactly what I need to be doing if I want to feel safe and show him it's not okay to act like a blubbering idiot.

I called my doctor yesterday to get the results of my blood test. Her nurse called me back about an hour later and told me I needed to come in to get the results.  I asked her, "Does that mean they aren't normal?" and she responded with, "Most likely not..."  Sooo that leads me to believe if they were normal she would have just said so (that's what all my other doctors have done in the past anyway).  But, I do understand the the HIPA violations associated with released ANY sort of medication information over the phone...so I am going to reserve my anxiety until I go in next Monday.  However, I am pretty nervous about what the results will show.  Who knows, maybe I'm just an anxiety ridden 20 year old!

This morning was incredible!  When I walked into the barn to get Buck he was leaning his head over the panel, staring at me like I was the best thing in the world.  He was obviously waiting for me to take him out.  Three days ago he wouldn't even acknowledge my presence!  As the clinic started I noticed many changes.  Since last night, Buck had thought about and processed yesterday's activities and it had clearly made an impact on his behavior.  There was only one instance when Buck wouldn't give me my space, but it was quickly corrected.  His anxiety is also much lower than it has been as well.  And this is only day two!  I am so excited to see what the next few days bring us.

I am thoroughly enjoying my time in New Mexico.  I was thinking last night how fortunate everyone is to be here.  Even though things in life may not be ideal, such as health, financial problems, relationship issues, etc., the fact that we can be here is incredible.  It is such a unique experience and I am thanking my lucky stars for bringing me to this wonderful place.