2 Horse Choice

Sesame is my white horse and she and I are connected – been riding together a long while and somehow we’ve come to a place of acceptance. She’s a rough ride, her gait is choppy and she isn’t very rhythmical. I adore her and she picks up cues well, is an easy touch and I see improvements in my riding and communication when I ride her.

Scout is very stout horse. He is short and handsome and moves like a fluid dream. He is also lazy and mischievous and we have not yet had a meeting of the minds. When I ride Scout I am working hard to communicate, I fall short and get frustrated and sometimes feel like the worst rider in the world and ready to give up and do something that doesn’t involve a huge living thing that can kill me.

Scout tests my talents, patience and will power and often times I end my riding with him feeling low.

Both of them need riding and work – and I do my best to ride both about three times a week.

The other day after I saddled them both I casually said to my friend and riding buddy Marianne, “Who should I start with today?”

And she replied, “How do you want to end?”

That pulled me up short? Is it so apparent that with one I end happy and the other I end frustrated? Apparently it was, gauging from that comment.

Steven Covey is his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, suggests that we begin with the end in mind to be effective – great concept – less easy to apply, at least for me.

It occurred to me that I was setting the expectation up when I got these horses ready, that I had already determined that Scout would be more difficult and I was getting exactly what I expected.

So, because of a question from a friend, and a little internal thinking I shifted.

“I’m going to end happy no matter who I ride.” I stated – and that’s exactly what happened.

How do you want to end? When you determine that – the ride of your life will be more joyous and wonderful because it’s always a choice – and choosing joy and happiness regardless of events is a far more fabulous way to live I’ve discovered.

Remember, you create your day by the way you think. Make it magnificent!

Blessings, Shawna

There’s a photo of Sesame here:

www.WesternSpeaker.com