I wanted to apologize to you guys... I made some snitchy replies last week because I was in some sort of weird mood. It wasn't anything anyone did, said, or happened lately, but I've just been having a hard time about riding lately and it's been incredibly frustrating. Totally not fair of me to take my frustrations out on you guys, though.
As of now I'm taking a month off from riding anything except Star and lesson clients horses. No training rides for people, no training Runner... Just bareback halter rides around at a walk, then I've got to make some hard decisions about my horse's futures. I believe a very good friend of mine locally hit the nail on the head tonight. I want my Star. She was my once in a lifetime horse, and while she's serviceably sound at a walk and light trot, and she's teaching people now, I can't enjoy her like I always did. I love the other horses and Runner is a wonderful, kind, sweet, smart horse... The connection I had with her isn't there, and I don't believe many people get once in a lifetime horses more than once. At this point I've been thinking of selling Runner, not sure what mom's thinking of doing with Shogun, and just teaching a few lessons, but taking a year off and seeing if I ever want to ride again. I don't want to make brash decisions, and it's just gotten harder and harder to ride since I retired Star last year. I hope I'm just burnt out with the end of winter blues and in a month I'll be chipper and back riding every night. Thank you guys for putting up with me lately. I don't know how people survive the retirement or death of horses like Star. My friend lost her once in a lifetime mare about the time I retired Star. I'm not happy she lost her, but it is comforting to have someone here locally who's going through some of the same issues. I had hoped and dreamed that since Star was okay walking bareback I might be able to rehab her, and maybe I will, but I believe it would be easier to deal with if it were just a final decision of no rehab instead of the wait and see game. Steph -- "Brutality begins where skill ends." "Correctly understood, work at the lunge line is indispensable for rider and horse from the very beginning through the highest levels." Von Niendorff
