For everything there is a season…

     …And a time for every matter under heaven. 

-          Ecclesiastes

Rush, rush, rush.  Push, push, push.  If you are a part of a competitive sport.  If you work for a company. Really, if you are at all “connected” to today’s world, you feel the pressure of becoming the biggest and best you can be as soon as possible.  To what end?  Well, that’s a different discussion altogether.  For today, let’s talk about the journey.

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.

You’ll hear two different lines during the winter months in the Midwest, either “Why can’t it be spring so I can get back to competing” or “thank goodness for the winter so I can get back to training.”  I won’t condemn either attitude.  In fact, I’ve been known to say both!  The point is, there is a time to put in the work and do the training and a time to reap the rewards.  When you are in show mode, more than likely your brain is thinking performance more than training.  The winter is a great time to think about training.

A time to break down, and a time to build up.

With that in mind, winter is also a great time to really get back to the basics.  If during the competition season you ran across a piece that was missing from the puzzle or a block missing from your foundation, now is the time to fix it.  If you gave your horse a true vacation after the last competition of the season, starting back to work is the perfect time to check all the basics.  You can use the dressage training pyramid for a guideline.  As a rider, do I understand my position and how it affects the horse?  Do I know what suppleness feels like?  How is my balance, coordination, relaxation and poise?  Will my horse work in a steady rhythm?  Is he relaxed?  Can we communicate freely?  Are we straight?  Can my horse carry himself for one stride, two, three?  If you find a place where either of you are lacking, now is the time to break the problem down and figure out why.  Then you can build back up with all the pieces in place.

A time for war, and a time for peace.

There are multiple camps on how to best train a horse and everyone has an opinion.  Some want to dominate.  Some want to caudal.  I find that somewhere in between works well for me.  There is a time when the horse must listen and must submit and they probably won’t like it.  But there are times when the battle can be avoided if the approach is tweaked a bit.  We also have to keep our emotions in mind.  There is a time when we can safely and effectively tackle a problem and there are times when it’s best to put it off for a different day.

A time to keep, and a time to throw away.

Winter season means Spring Cleaning is right around the corner.  For horse people, that means blanket cleaning!  I have to give props to the blanket manufactures.  They really have done a great job making blankets durable, but there comes a time when it’s time to toss or recycle.  There are many charities that love to get used horse blankets, from animal shelters to elephant rescues.  You can also recycle them yourself by removing any usable straps and hardware.  This is a great time of year to also go through your tack and miscellaneous horse items.  Seems horse people have quite the knack for collecting.  May Hoarders never come to my barn!  Remember that leather which isn’t in use needs to be taken care of or you run the risk of dry rot.    

A time to weep, and a time to laugh.

Horses certainly give us plenty of both!  If you trip up at the second to last fence, you can weep for the victory you may have lost or you can laugh, because that’s life with horses and at least you are still both safe and sound.  I would say there is certainly more to laugh over, but if you live with horses long enough, the times to weep will come.  Why then weep needlessly when you can laugh?

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

It’s a classic in the horse world.  You just galloped around a cross-country course foot perfect.  As you land from the final fence you drop your reins and start patting your horse.  You are thrilled!  Then he trips, you tumble over his ears and the finish line is still twenty feet in front of you.  There are so many things to celebrate, staying in the dressage ring, safe cross country, clear show jumping, a good finish.  Don’t celebrate too soon or too hard.  Remember you still have a job to do.

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

Discernment is the ability to judge well.  It doesn’t mean that you judge everyone around you constantly and you certainly shouldn’t go around spouting your “knowledge.”  There is a high likelihood that your peers are paying a professional for their help.  You might to agree, but use a little discernment.  Unless something is truly dangerous, it’s probably a good idea to keep your mouth shut.

A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

I mentioned earlier that horses will give us our share of heartache.  So will life.  Horses get hurt, people die.  Life changes.  That’s life and it’s okay to mourn.  There’s nothing quite like crying into your horse’s mane.  Mourning, however, looks to the past.  Don’t forget that the future is the only thing you can change.  Get back on your horse and dance, live, enjoy the present.

For everything there is a season… We might not like the season we are in, but there is a reason for it.  Look for the reason.  Find the purpose.  Give this season of your life a Fresh Perspective.