Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Motivation?

The new year is supposed to be full of resolutions and the desire to do more, be better, etc, etc, etc, but I am quickly discovering that the sudden lack of an indoor ring coupled with the frigid temperatures is rapidly sapping my horse motivation. I miss my indoor, much more than I realized I would. I look outside and see things like this:

Apartment windows are frozen
The river is frozen
Streets are (pretty but) frozen
...and then I remember that I have an unworked Thoroughbred waiting for me at the barn and approximately ten good minutes in the cold before I lose feeling in my fingers and toes. So I start thinking of other things I'd much rather be doing than wrangling the wild beast in single digit windchill temps. Yes, I could do groundwork - and I'll probably get out some books and reread articles to get myself back in the mood since that's something I can do inside the barn - but all I really want to do is hop on my horse and go! Have fun! Gallop across the snowy fields! 

I know that I can do it; it's just a matter of getting motivated to put in the time with the boring stuff again so that I can get Charlie back to where he was a month or two ago and we can have fun. He's been on vacation for too long and really needs a refresher course, but when faced with the idea of standing in a barn aisle NOT moving around much (read: slowly freezing) and attempting the uphill climb that is getting Charlie to refocus on me and not on what his buddies are doing outside, cozying up on the couch just sounds so much better!

2 comments:

  1. Nothing wrong with a lighter workload in the winter! Try to plan your horse visits for the warmest part of the day if you can :)

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    1. That's true. If ever I'm out running errands, which is usually in early afternoons when it is warmer, I do stop by the barn to at least say hi. And I've been checking in a couple times a week to brush him, check blankets, and make sure he's fat and happy. He enjoys the attention. I figure even just bringing him into the barn for a quick groom and blanket change is something, a mini lesson in working through this new separation anxiety. Hopefully it is establishing a relaxing pattern of him coming in for a nice brushing and then getting to go out again that will help him calm himself down and learn that he's not going to die when they're out of sight. haha

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