A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency… and Horses
I was cleaning out the inbox of one of my email addys [and forwarding some stuff to another one LOL] when I came across the below. This is from 2018 which in 2020 time-framing is exactly one million years ago. I had started writing about this while away from my desk; I sent it to …
Continue reading "On Replacement Horses and Not Freaking Out"
I began this post on 21st May. I'm leaving it as and adding to it now, in June. *** Horses give out only that which they receive because, as prey, they are prepared to react to changes in their surroundings. They have evolved as a species due to this alertness and preparedness. “Horses have ensured …
Continue reading "Started Talking About Fear in May; In June, Black Lives Matter"
The first time I experienced open order in a lesson, within two minutes I was like, 'Yeah, no, thanks but let's go back to the other way.' The other way was warming up in a group; open order meant we were warming up, but individually. At that stage I wasn't riding very independently, not yet. …
The worst days are the ones when I ought to be up the yard. As a writer and freelancer, I'm good at managing my time. I have stuff to get done and I know how much energy each task takes, and, more likely, how much anxiety I have to be generating around a deadline until …
An experienced horse person might read about my first successful crack at a course and scoff. If I was bothered by that, it might serve to minimise the sheer joy I can still tap into when I think about it. Luckily: not bothered. In the same way, there's a lot of chat on socials about …
I'm going to block quote this, because: yeah. "Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation so difficult that it seems like a long-drawn crisis; we cannot solve it; there is no way to escape. Such a problem will occupy our thoughts continually—round and round it goes and the more we think about it, the more …
Getting back into One Day at a Time is nothing like getting into a warm, welcoming bath (I'd say another Al-Anon day-by-day book, Courage to Change, is more like that). Nope, this is more like sitting down with a friend who is all about the tough love. They have your best at heart but are …
The yard is closed, as is only correct. It's a challenge not to feel > I was going to qualify that, but yeah: it's a challenge not to feel, and as much as I'd like not to feel, if I don't, it's only going to go worse for me. Even though I had gotten myself …
How in the world did I survive One Day At A Time In Al-Anon? Insert craughing emoji here. The page for today talks about acceptance, insofar it does not mean accepting a 'degrading situation' but rather accepting what the facts of the situation are, and making decisions according to the facts. Hahahahaha, facts: facts could …
Oh man. That little blue book absolutely does not pull any punches. Without a breath of hesitation, I shot straight back into victim mode as I read it. It's about silence, and how the Al-Anon partner often uses it as a tool of spite. Hang on, I thought, as I read the text, cautioning the …
MANY BRAVE FOOLS 