I was moved, I can tell you, by this partnership plagued by misunderstandings, that had led to a perception of the horse as disrespectful and stubborn. Both were seen for who they really were that day: with the mutual scaffolding of self-doubt and pressure to be correct carefully dismantled, the unguarded try and heart that emerged in horse and owner alike were an inspiration to all of us present.
Small details of feel can reveal that vein of gold and lead directly to an improved ease of connection with the horse. This appy mare offered a real gift that day in a kaleidoscope of opportunity to see from start to finish that our horses are inviting us to reach a little deeper. There would not be any need to mention stubborn, lazy or disrespectful in relation to this little appy mare after this, not in the least. She just needed to know the job had changed, and what the new job took in – a fresh start in which she had time to re-orient herself.
What heart, what heart.