After having been sick for a couple weeks, and really just not feeling up to par, I didn't spend much time with the horses. I pulled Tuck out yesterday, and boy did we have fun. He started off looking exactly how I felt, dragging his feet(and head) everywhere. I didn't ask for much, and was very slow but deliberate in whatever I did ask. Awhile later I asked for the circling game...and he certainly gave it to me!! He leaped in the air, and took off like a rocket! It was fabulous to see such exuberant energy! When I he was settled down, I asked him back in, and it hardly took a half of a breath before he came right to me. I loved it, and can't wait to get out there today.
A better a horse goes backwards and sideways, the better he does everything else. And I've been working on those a lot this last week, in hopes to improve our trailer loading...didn't think about how it might improve everything else as well! awesome.

I've been spending lots of time with Rascal too, and that little horse just makes me smile. I love seeing his true colors come out, and can't wait to continue developing his confidence. He's got a heart of gold.

This weeks thought -- Horses have a brain the size of a walnut, and a heart the size of a watermelon. To effect his heart would create greater results than anything else. We've all heard of horses who've run faster and jumped higher out of heart and desire.

I finished the book Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses. It was so inspiring!! I absolutely loved it. It was great to see how people in your life shape who you are, and that divine appointments with each of them falls in perfect timing with our creators plan. Pat also mentioned at the end of the book something about sunday school, and how he remembered a verse about performing for kings and queens. The verse he was talking about turned out to be in Proverbs -- "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings, He will not stand before unknown men". I liked that. I don't need to perform for royalty, but if you take care of your horsemanship, it'll take care of you.

I particularly liked this segment, and thought it really wrapped things up:
"Principles purpose and time are the ingredients in the learning formula and regardless of how effective and efficient you are with horses, as long as you put principles first, the goal second and allow timelines to come naturally, you'll get where you want to go with a horse."