Ice Cold Bodies.

I have seen some pretty neat (neat as in weird/interesting) things during my stay in Africa that I didn't have time to mention in my previous blog post.

I saw a semi-truck driving down the interstate, and on the back it said "Ice Cold Bodies" and there were pictures of cut up meat on the side.  I thought it was kind of weird.  I've also seen some "unique" slogans on business vehicles.  For example, one said, "We know how to turn you on."  It was a TV company.  Another one said, "We remove your shorts."  That one was an electrical company.  I found them a little amusing!

Driving in South Africa has been...well, terrifying, to say the least.  Thank God Logan was behind the wheel the whole time because I would have certainly gotten us killed.  The drivers here have no regard for the safety of other people on the road.  They literally cut you off with no warning, weave in and out of traffic, run red lights (nearly got us into an accident), and are just over all rude.  The tour buses and shuttle vehicles are the worst.  You cannot trust anyone either.  Nearly everyone we spoke to told us to never ask a stranger for directions, as they will most likely send us to a place where we would get robbed and have our lives threatened.  Google Maps really disappointed us on this trip.  Nearly all of the maps were inaccurate and we ended up having to ask for directions to most everywhere we went (we were safe about it).

Durban was a really fun city to visit.  People say that all cities are the same, no matter where you go, but I beg to differ.  JoBurg is an incredibly dangerous city and you would be foolish to walk outside alone or without some form of protection.  It is also very dirty.  There is trash everywhere.  Durban, on the other hand, is a very well rounded city and people are actually nice to each other for the most part.  There is still a large amount of poverty and lower class citizens but they tend to keep their distance (besides the occasional begger who stands in the middle of the road asking for money when you stop at a traffic light).  The city is much cleaner and you can see people managing it at all hours.  The Indian Ocean was beautiful.  We stayed in a hotel that was right on the edge of North Beach.  We thought the water was warm, although the locals thought it was freezing (it is winter here, after all).  

The first night we arrived in Durban we ate dinner at Beluga.  We had ostrich and Springbok.  And no, neither of them tasted like chicken.  They were both delicious!  The ostrich is similar to a steak and the Springbok is a unique meat of its own.  Beluga is a very high class restaurant.  The manager came over to our table and spoke to us for a while.  In the end he ended up giving us a white chocolate shot on the house as a welcome from Durban.

 






 The next day we went down to the ocean and took a nice stroll.  We were supposed to go horse riding, but we ended up getting lost (thanks, Google) and then it turned out the wind was too strong to go riding on the beach when we finally got there.  We eventually made it to the people's horse facility and they let me ride a horse called the Basuto Pony bareback.  It is a horse native to South Africa.  Its gaits were so weird, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  We rescheduled for the next morning instead.  That night we went to the huge ass mall they have in Durban.  I got to spend time with some baby African Grey parrots and then Logan and I ate at the Cape Town Fish Market.  We ate deep fried baby squid (SO GOOD), real calamari, amazing fish, and even better endless fresh sushi.  It was worth every penny.

We arrived back at the horse facility a nine and got the horses ready.  Logan's horse was named Moon and I rode Jet.  Jet was a seven year old anglo-arab.  We rode passed a huge oil refinery before we got to the ocean, but once we got there, WOW!  

Talk about a dream come true.  Galloping on the beach so freely made me have to catch my breath.  Jet loved the beach and he seemed to love running just as much.  I think the pictures say it all, however.  I could talk all day about it, but I won't bore you!

We left South Beach in Durban around 1:00 PM to head back to JoBurg.  We didn't want to leave :(  

 





When we got to our "hotel" that changed.  This place is just...incredible.  This is a resort, no doubt about it.  It is also a botanical garden.  The room we are staying in is called a Budget Room, and yet it is better than any five star hotel I've seen in America.  Africans know how to do lodging and food the right way.  We could learn a thing or two from them!  Today we had a splendid breakfast before leaving to the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. 

I was very disappointed with this "nature reserve."  The herbivores (Blue/Black gnu, rhinos, several kinds of gazelle, etc.) were all fed hay right by the road so seeing them was no problem, but they definitely weren't having to take care of themselves.  They had all their carnivores in separate fenced areas as well and were all fed pre-killed meat.  We did see African Wild Dogs, the "rare" white lion (which is total bull shit because in the wild these animals would not survive), and cheetahs (which were penned in separate enclosures in another enclosure.  Basically, there were a ton of fences.  It was far from a reserve.  Logan and I did get to hang out with a giraffe for a good while though.  We got to pet her and look at her with just a small fence separating us (pictures to be posted later!).  

Around 2:00 I took an amazing nap out by the pool on a swinging bed (literally a bed that is hanging from the ceiling).  It was nice to catch up on some sleep.  Tonight we ate at the famous Carnivore restaurant that is located on the Misty Hills Country Hotel property.  Just to give you an idea of this place, the chefs bring exotic meats out to your table on a spear and slice off the meat onto your plate in front of you.  We ate so much meat...so...much...meat.  Crocodile, kudu, impala, pork, chicken, beef, and lamb were a few of the things we tried.  Again, nothing tasted like chicken besides the chicken.  Now we are back in our room.  Logan is "watching" (more like making fun of) rugby and I am writing this blog.  Tomorrow we are going to sleep in, have a late breakfast and check out around 10 AM.  We were going to go to the lion park, but after today's adventure at the Rhino and Lion Reserve we have no desire to go.  We will have the opportunity to pet listless baby lions and see a bunch of adult white lions in a row of cars.  Not something of interest to us.  We gained so much appreciation for the wild animals in Kruger that everything else is just plain sad.  I guess it's a good thing though.

Tomorrow we are leaving JoBurg at 5:30 PM.  We will fly to Washington DC and have a 12 hour layover from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM.  We are going to see the Smithsonian Museum and possibly some of the other attractions in the area.  We should be back in Utah at 8:40 PM...then school the next morning at 9:00 AM.  I am going to be tired I think.  I can't wait to see my kitties though :)

South Africa (Day 1-5)

Greetings from Durban, South Africa!

So there is a lot to write about!  Logan and I have been in Africa for five days now.  To make this easier and less like a novel I'm going to break it down into sections...

Arriving

Holy wow.  I hate flying.  At 5:00 AM we left to the SLC Airport to catch our 7:15 AM flight to Washington DC.  The flight was four hours long, and we had a three hour layover once we got there.  We met a lovely older couple named Polly and Allen.  They live in Florida, but Polly had a relative in Durban they were going to visit for two weeks.  She gave us their contact information in case we got into any trouble or needed help.  It was nice to have a contact in S. Africa.  We boarded the plane at 5:30 PM on Friday.  This is where the fun began!  At first Logan and I were very impressed with everything on the plane.  TV (with good movies playing), excellent food, and awesome customer service.  But that quickly died down after four or five hours of flying over the cloud covered ocean.  It was impossible to get any sort of sleep, I felt pretty nauseous for most of the flight, and Logan had a pretty nasty headache.  Luckily, however, we didn't have to sit next to any stinky or overweight travelers!  The flight was about 18 hours long overall.  By the time we got off the plane it was 5:30 PM in Johannesburg, S. Africa on a Saturday.  
We were driven to our lodge for the night at 7:00 PM.  We were under the impression that we would be staying at MoAfrika, but for some reason we were upgraded to stay at its sister lodge named Safari Club (it was much nicer).  We had a nice dinner and went to bed shorter after.  In the morning we were picked up at 8:00 AM to begin our three day safari in Kruger National Park.

The Safari

We could not have asked for a better safari!  The drive took about five hours to reach Kruger National Park.  We saw a lot of interesting things on the way there such as a huge cactus farm, a lot of poverty, and beautiful scenery.  When we arrived we were again told we would not be staying where we thought we were going to say (Mark's Camp).  Instead we would be upgraded to stay at the resort because they camp did not have room for Logan and I due to a group of 45 that arrived two days prior.  We didn't complain!  The facility was AMAZING!  

That's my hand!!!

At 5:00 PM we went on a sunset game drive.  We saw the following animals: elephants, zebra, giraffe, impala, kudu, a chameleon, a helicopter bird, and...a leopard.  It was really neat :)  We got fortunate to see a leopard.  Not a lot of people get to see one.  

We had an African dinner and went to bed shortly after.  Needless to say we were still recovering from the flight the previous day.

The following morning we left for a full day in Kruger National Park.  We saw so many animals!  It was also really nice because it was just Logan and I, as well as two other people (who really didn't care to be there it seemed).  We saw a pride of lions (with cubs), many elephants (at a very close distance), giraffe, zebra, impala, kudu, water buck, many different species of birds, warthogs, springbok (which taste delicious!), ostrich (also very tasty), hippopotamus, Cape buffalo, Gnu, and crocodile.  I may have missed a few, but you get the point.  We saw A LOT and at an incredibly close range.  One of my favorite moments was when we approached a medium sized elephant herd and a three year old calf started rushing towards our jeep with his ears out and was trumpeting all over the place!  He was trying to be so big but he was still very small and had barely started growing his tusks.  

There was also a bird named the Banana horn bill that is quite common.  They are my new favorite!  I love their personality and how they look.  On our drive out I looked perfection in the face.  The African sun was beginning to set over the umbrella thorn trees.  The sky was blue and orange and dotted with puffy white clouds.  Three birds flew over my view out of the open jeep.  I started smiling and actually laughed at how perfect that moment was.  My description doesn't do it justice, but it is something that will stay with me for a very long time.

We got back to the lodge around 6:00 PM.  That night we had the option of going to Mark's Camp or stay at the resort.  We decided to go the camp because we wanted to experience the tent camping we originally signed up for.  When we got there, we were, yet again, upgraded to sleep in their highest and most highly booked tree house because the tents were not ready.  Again, we didn't argue!  The tree house was flippin' awesome!  Views to die for and a beautiful room were just a few of the fabulous things at this camp.

A male and female Nyala

At 3:00 AM Logan and I got up to make our way to the bathroom which was a short walk down and out from our tree house.  On our way back we saw a Nyala (a small, striped deer).  We got within five feet of it and it didn't even care as it continued eating in front of us.  We woke up at 5:30 AM to go on a nature walk where we learned about the rocks, trees, termites, and anteaters in the area.  It was quite educational :)  We left at 8:00 AM after finishing a light breakfast.  On our way back to Joburg, we stopped at Blyde River Canyon--the third largest canyon in the world, and the greenest!  Unfortunately it was covered in a thick fog and we couldn't see a thing (quite disappointing!).  So instead Logan and I went shopping and I bought a wooden rhino.  He bought a very cool ostrich egg that was painted.

We were dropped off at Safari Club and learned that we were actually having to stay at MoAfrika for that night.  We began getting a bit frustrated because no one had communicated to us, or our driver, that we were staying somewhere else.  So every night that we had been in S. Africa at this point, we had no idea where we were actually going to be sleeping.  We got our luggage back in the vehicle and went to MoAfrika where we had a terrible experience...I had to take the coldest shower of my life because the water heater broke in our room (and they didn't do anything about it even after we complained), they failed to give us directions on how to order dinner, and we needed to confirm a reservation for Thursday by telephone and was so much more difficult than it had to be thanks to the employee working there, not to mention the breakfast sucked.  We were VERY happy to leave this morning!

Although we arrived in Durban today, I'm going to save that part for next time.  It's 1:00 AM here now and we have another full day planned.  It's been a blast, and I really don't want to leave!

Goodnight America!

 

PS)  I do apologize for any typos or errors in this post.  I'm too tired (and lazy) to proofread it a million times before hitting the publish button.

Johannesburg, Kruger, and Durban! Oh My!

I have a few announcements before I dive into talking about going to South Africa:

I got a job this morning :) Yay! It was scheduled for 7:00 AM, but then the interviewer called at 5:30 and asked if I could come in at 6:00...so sure enough, that's exactly what I did.  I was so tired x.x  He said he already knew he was going to hire me when he called to set up an interview, but I'm sure being able to show up an hour early didn't hurt his first impression of me either.  Score? I do think so.  I'll be working Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM.  I think it works really well with my school schedule and will provide me with enough time to focus on my academics, too.  My job position?  Laundry assistant!  Not exactly what I had in mind, but it is a job and the company is outstanding. I guess buying that money tree actually gave me some good financial luck ;)

Freckles killed my beta fish...again.  So now I'm on number three!  I haven't named him yet because I still think that even though I put him on my bookshelf, Freckles will end his life some time within a 30 day period.  If he survives passed that, I'll give him a name.

So, AFRICA!  Logan and I have everything reserved and paid for.  Our agenda is all laid out!

We will arrive in Johannesburg at 5:30 PM and stay at MoAfrika Lodge, then that morning we will be picked up to begin our three day camping safari in Kruger National Park.  During the safari we will go on three game drives (two during the day, one at night) and a bush walk.  I've read reviews that the food they serve is AMAZING.  On the drive back to Joburg we will see the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest (and greenest) canyons on earth.

When we get back from the safari, we will spend another night in MoAfrika Lodge.  The next morning we will go get our rental car and visit The Lion Park!  This park is pretty neat.  You drive through and see all of their lions, and then you get to play with and hold the babies!  We will leave around noon and start our drive to Durban (Six hour drive from JoBurg).  Durban is the largest port in South Africa.

We will stay in the Blue Waters Hotel that night.  It is right along the Indian Ocean.  In the morning we will go to the botanical gardens in Durban where they have plants dating back 2.1 million years.  People say it's like walking into Jurassic Park!  The photography opportunities of plants and birds are going to be exploding out of every crevice! At noon we will leave to do something that I've been wanting to do since I was little girl (besides go to Africa, of course)...riding horses on the beach, and then swimming with them!  It will be a six hour round trip ride.  We will spend 2 1/2 hours riding to the beach through the bush, and then we will have lunch on the shore and swim with the horses.  We will ride back afterwards.  Expect A TON of pictures :)  Poor Logan's butt is going to be killing him!  Hee hee hee ;)

The next day we will spend the majority of the morning shopping in one of South Africa's largest shopping centers (so big it has its own hotel!).  We will have lunch at a Beluga and stuff our faces with fresh caught sushi and ostrich steak before heading back to Johannesburg.  We will get to Joburg around 8:00 PM and will lodge at the Misty Hill Country Hotel.  This place should be called a resort, not a hotel!  We will go to the Lion and Rhino Reserve the following day, take a swim at the hotel and relax, then have dinner at a renown restaurant called Carnivore.  They serve very authentic African food such as zebra, gazelle, giraffe, and more.  They literally stab a piece of meat with a spear, cook it over an open flame in front of you, then slice off pieces on your table.  The day we are scheduled to leave we will go to the Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves which have some of the oldest hominids on the planet.  It is called the Cradle of Mankind because of the numerous important scientific discoveries involving hominid evolution.  I'm pretty excited to see that.  We will head back to the airport around 2:00 PM to drop off the rental car and start the process of heading back to America.  

Going to South Africa will be such an adventure!  I feel safe going with Logan, and I think we will have a fantastic time.  I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for him.  The circumstances may be different as to why we are going, but I'm not worried about it.  It doesn't change the fact we are friends and share this vision.  Expect a lot of pictures and a lot of new stories!

Sooo I was wrong...

On my last blog post I talked about what great progress Buck and I had made.  I said that it would take a lot of work and time to be able to ride brideless in an uncontrollable environment (because that is honestly what I thought).  Tonight, Buck proved me entirely wrong, and then shoved it in my face a little bit!

Today my mom bought me a dressage crop (or training crop, whichever you want to use.  It's a 3 foot long, skinny stick basically).  We thought it may be a good idea to see how Buck would react to a smaller, harder to see object rather than using the carrot stick.  I've been wanting to be "smaller" in my movements when I ask him to do something, and the dressage crop would help make the transition.  I first started out putting Buck through his paces on the ground.  Side passing, rotating on the front and back, and backing up and coming back to me were a piece of cake.  The dressage crop seemed to make no difference, although I could tell he recognized something was different.  I decided to try riding him brideless again in our dry lot area to see if he had processed the idea of it a little more.  He sure did!  I stepped out on the ledge and chose to use the dressage crop instead of two carrot sticks to see how he would respond...even better than with the carrot sticks!  LESS really is MORE!  We were trotting around and weaving in and our of our fruit trees within minutes.  I asked my mom if she would walk around the block with us (for safety seeming how it would be his first time in a situation like that).  She said yes so off we went!  I had my Savvy string around his neck and the crop in one hand.  My mom walked behind us the entire time.

It was amazing.  Cars passing by? No problem!  Sprinklers going off on both sides of the road at one time?  Easy!  Little kids running up to him?  Loved it!  Lighting and three other horses calling for him?  They weren't even there!  Buck had his head dropped and was actually stretching out his neck for the whole ride.  His bottom lip was floppy and his ears were forward.  Talk about a happy horse!

Buck had obviously processed from our first time riding brideless on Friday.  His anxiety has plummeted and he is responding to me better than when I have ridden him in anything else.  The things Buck and I will accomplish in this next year are beyond me.  I have told people that he continues to surprise me every time I work with him.  

I'm actually kind of sad to be leaving for ten days in August.  Going to Africa will be AMAZING, but I'm going to miss Buck and working with him nightly...hopefully he won't be too upset at me...or maybe it will just make him miss me ;)

My Mind Has Been Blown.

I woke up this morning in one of the worst moods I've ever been in due to a horrible night's rest and several days of building stress.  Despite how I was feeling, however, I decided I needed to go see Jenny and Larry and attend at least part of the horse clinic that was being held today.  When we got there my mood improved slowly, and by the time 10:00 came around I had left all my troubles behind and was focusing on what was in store for today--FUN!

Buck and I began the day with a light grooming and then traveled over to Craig's indoor arena that was filled with all sorts of obstacles.  We did everything at liberty, which means I have no direct contact with Buck and I have to use my body language and my carrot stick to direct him through objects.  He was such a good boy.  We squeezed through some things, did several figure eights through barrels, side passed over a big blue ball and a white barrel that had tipped over, and walked over some "scary" objects.  It was a good start to a soon to be great day.


When Jenny began instruction she asked if we wanted to ride.  My confidence in Buck (and myself) has improved immensely since being back from New Mexico, so I was actually quite excited about it.  I got him to side pass over to a fence that I was sitting on so I could mount him easily, and then we did partner riding.  Partner riding is when you ride your horse, but you do not direct them where to go (no touching the rein!).  However, you do control the pace of the horse. That was a great warm up to remind me how my muscles, body position, and speech effect how Buck operates while I'm riding him.  We worked in the round pen for a while doing that, and then we moved on to something different--riding with a carrot stick.  

A carrot stick is a fiber glass stick that is about four or so feet long.  When we ride with just a carrot stick, we direct the horse by putting pressure on the horse's face, which makes it turn.  If we want them to stop, we put the carrot stick on their chest.  If we want them to keep doing whatever it is they are doing, we move to a neutral position which is either resting the carrot stick on our shoulder or putting it down to our side.  Of course, I think that makes it seem a lot simpler than it actually is, but you get the idea.  Buck quickly picked up what I was trying to get him to do and I felt much better about my own performance compared to the brief time in New Mexico that I did it.  We eventually ended up cantering for a bit in the round pen.  At one point he did a small skip/jump type thing because he was so happy.  Talk about amazing!

When we got back from taking a lunch break, a lot of exciting things happened (Well, more exciting things).  I wanted to try cantering Buck with just two carrot sticks outside of the round pen.  I was so excited to see what would happen, and I had a lot of confidence in Buck that he would be great.  And that he was!  We cantered outside the round pen with ease.  He stayed close to the rail for the most part and listened to my directions.  
He tested me at some points, but I didn't let him get away from me and we ended on some great strides.  I really wanted to have someone take a video of it, but maybe next time :)  By the end of it, I was really, really tired.  It took a lot of energy!  Buck could have kept going though, and I think he wanted to in fact.

Before I dismounted we went back into the indoor arena and went through the obstacles one more time (carrot stick riding all the while!.) Not a problem!  I was able to roll the big blue ball underneath his belly with my carrot sticks and put his front and back feet in a hoolahoop (Second time ever Buck has let me put his back feet in something, big deal for a horse!).  I got off and did something I found pretty funny.  I took the blue yoga ball and started bouncing it off of Buck's sides.  Neck, barrel, butt, bouncing it over the top of him, he didn't care!  I eventually ended up picking up his front leg hoof, placing it on the ball, stretching it out, and rubbing it gently.  And what a stretch it was!  He really enjoyed relaxing his leg on the ball.  His eyes closed and everything.  Who would have thunk?!

I feel like I should add in here that I do not ride with a saddle.  I don't think it is necessary!  The feeling of being able to control a 1,200 pound horse at a canter with just two sticks is invigorating.  The fact that Buck chooses to listen to me under these circumstances is amazing.  He could easily throw me or take off running with me, but he chooses not to because he wants to be with me and he wants to do well.  Thank you, Buck!  Of course, at this point in time everything is in a controlled environment.  It will take a lot more work to be able to ride safely in areas that create anxiety for Buck.  But for now, I think we have made a huge step in the right direction.

It is really quite astonishing to see how far Buck (and I) have come since our first clinic.  Buck was a hard, dull horse.  I had only ridden English and Western, and I knew the kind of horse Buck was.  To say the least, I was not looking forward to working with him to any extent.  It felt more like a chore I was doing for my mom.  Buck would not back up without having to push and pull on him.  He would invade your space like you weren't even there.  And he was a nightmare to ride.  
Now, with the natural horsemanship skills I have acquired thanks to several wonderful people (Jenny, Larry, Steve, Craig, John, and my mom), I can get Buck to back up 30 feet with just a flick of a string, I can get him to disengage his hind end with a point of my finger and a look, and I can ride him brideless.  It is amazing how little a horse needs to get it to look at you with excitement, willingness, and love.  For 20 years, Buck's entire life, he has been ridden the wrong way.  Now, he is finally able to feel what it is like to be a horse that has fun and enjoys being ridden!

What I am learning is invaluable.  Every time I work with Buck my life changes a little bit more.  To me, this is the only way to manage a horse.  I look back on how I would get a horse to do things before, and it was completely ineffective and dumb.  This is the right way.  This is the way a horse was meant to be used.

From Pie Town Till Now

Hello everyone.

It's been a little while since I last posted because life has been pretty busy.  I've had time to reflect over my experience in Pie Town, NM and I've gotten more out of it than I originally thought.  Last night I had a conversation with a girl who trained reining horses.  Of course with my new knowledge I respectfully probed as to why she followed that method of training with bits, spurs, shoes, etc. when it could all be done naturally.  When she told me it was the only way to get a two year old horse ready to slide 30 feet by the time they were three, I realized she was a corporate horse trainer and no matter what I said she'd throw it back at me.  She was in it for the money and ego, not for the health or enjoyment of the horse.  She had an agenda, and it wasn't a very positive one.  It made me sad for the horses she trained.  A horse that young isn't physically or mentally ready to participate in such demanding circumstances.  She said it was for the clientele...that's supposed to justify it, right?  Wrong.  I don't understand...

I can't say I blame her though.  I've been there before, too.  I rode and worked with horses the only way I knew how--with saddles, bits, spurs, crops, etc.  But now, I do know better and I will never go back.  I can't feel guilty for how I used to work with horses because I didn't know any better until just a year ago.  It ticks my nerve when I attempt to talk to other horse riders about natural horsemanship and they almost get offended I brought it up, or they simply say it's not possible, or only under special circumstances with a lot of time.  My favorite line is, "It's cool, but it's not realistic."  It's like, there is a better way...but some people choose to not see it because they are afraid of being wrong.  But I think that's human nature.  At least I know better now and I wasn't afraid of taking the right step forward, that's what important.  All I can do is help implant the idea of natural horsemanship into other people's minds, and they can do what they want with it. 

 

On the second to last day at Pie Town, a group of six horses and their riders, including me, went on a four and half hour trail ride.  The ride proved its difficulties for Buck in the way that I wouldn't let him walk by a horse he knew, and he got incredibly anxious and bull headed.

Larry and Bubba

We rode most of the way about thirty feet behind the group with Larry and his horse Bubba.  Bubba kicked Buck twice because he was being so obnoxious.  It brought Buck's mind back to the present and he collected himself for a while.  

 

The ride was mostly flat with desert flora.  We did come up to a huge hill, however.  We had to zigzag our way up it in order to get to the other side and finish the ride.  I was riding Buck bareback, and this was the first time I'd have to be in a vertical position on a horse without anything to grip onto.  I was a bit intimidated, but we did it!  I clinged onto Buck's sides with my legs and held onto my Savvy string and his mane and up we went!  We zigzagged the first half, but then Buck decided going straight up was better, so that's what we did.  Buck had a blast!  It really engaged his mind and challenged him in his own way. I think he needs to be taken on more difficult trails because easy ones bore him.

Near the end of the ride we came across a large dried up lake.  It was our chance to run!  I don't think Buck has actually ever galloped with someone on him.  Even in the pastures he usually only hits a fast canter.  Unfortunately, Buck didn't break a canter when I encouraged him to gallop, but he did get going pretty fast.  His eyes lit up and ears went forward.  He was so happy in that moment and so was I.  I think Buck hasn't had much fun in his life and it's turned him into a dull, hard horse.  He needs to have more moments like that.  He deserves it.

 Oh yeah, and Buck and I also went swimming in the large pond at the ranch.  I didn't get pictures of it, but it was a moment that couldn't be captured on camera anyway.  The enjoyment and thrill was with Buck and I.  A camera would have just caught the motion.

When we came back home we immediately started working on the lawn.  So.much.weeding.  I don't think I've ever weeded so much in my life.  But, it was worth it.  I was able to have a really nice BBQ and fire with about 20 of my friends two nights ago.  Being surrounded with so many people that wanted to enjoy my company really made me realize how blessed I am to be living the life I am.

I worked with Buck this morning for the first time since we got back last Saturday...it was a nightmare.  He's turned back into a dominant asshole that keeps intruding in on my space.  I don't want to say we are starting over from square one, but I'll need to begin working with him every morning and night again if I want to get back to where we were.  I hate demographics...I'm just thankful I have the tools to make progress once more.

As a side note, I think my new thing to photograph is snails.  There are so many in my backyard and I find them intriguing.  They are beautiful in their own and the world should start appreciating them more! 

Oh, and before I forget to mention this.  My blood work came back normal for hyperthyroidism.  My pituitary gland is functioning at the high end of normal and they detected swelling somewhere in my body (led to another blood test but they aren't worried about it), but overall, I'm a pretty healthy person.  The doctor said that I may have an underlying anxiety problem which is causing my weight loss, sleeping problems, and other issues.  She directed me to get a melatonin supplement to get sleeping better (totally works) and to start taking care of my emotional-self better.  If things don't change she wants me go back and talk to her about what's going on in my brain.  I feel good about it and the anxiety does make sense. I guess I'll have to start meditating more regularly again!  Shucks ;)

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.