This winter has been an interesting time. We’ve been wildly busy gentling wild horses, getting adopted horses ready to go home and planning for summer.
I got a new German passport (that took a year), applied for the American one (it’s almost here) and got my counseling licence after jumping through all the hoops.
We picked up two loads of lovely Mustangs to gentle at Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy . You’ve seen Rock, Amber, Ruby and Topaz. You haven’t seen the newest additions yet.
Social media turned weird – not solely my opinion – and that’s not something I do well. I was bullied as a kid for being a nerd and instead of fighting back I thought if I just put my head down and ignored them, they’d quit.
I thought we were all just there to learn. I still think we’re all just here to learn. That means struggling and laughing and trying again, the occasional hard won lesson and missed class.
I know that words can hurt worse than hands and I try to be mindful with mine. So instead of engaging, I took a step back and made myself my winter project.
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A client of mine – who was much older and wiser than me – back when I was still riding for people once said to me “You need to take care of #1 or you’ll step in #2.”
I’ve always remembered that. Sometimes it’s easier said than done. This past winter I made time for 8h of sleep for the first time in over 20 years.
Starting right after highschool I went to college and worked two jobs. In my free time I trained dogs, horses, ballroom danced, travelled and spent time with family and friends.
The concept of rest went by the wayside, I slept when I had time. Sometimes 5 hours, other times not at all. Many times falling asleep right where I sat, exhausted.
So these past several months, I’ve been sleeping more, and enjoying my little world for what it is, not through the lens of a post or a reel in the making.
I’ve been amazed at how much less time I have in a day when I’m sleeping a whole 1/3 of it. That took some getting used to.
I’ve been thinking about choices and dreams, friendships and plans. I’ve been watching the horses play and enjoying the dogs’ steadfast company.
A month ago Denali gave me a scare. I took him to the vet with severe back pain. I didn’t know if I’d bring him home that day. After rest and pain meds, he’s happy as ever and we have a plan for future flare-ups.
The here and now, good horses, friends, dogs, cats and sunsets will always be more important than pointless arguments. Life is short and we can control what we focus on.
In other news, look how well Spur was doing on his second ever big outing. Can you hear the cricket roll? And we’re launching retreats this year to share our mountains and Mustangs with you. Care to join us? Reach out!
#mustang#horses#sunset#mountains#winter#joy#wildtowilling#makingmountainmustangmemories
