Reaffirming Connections

I rode Tye bareback yesterday. I figured it would be easier on both of us because i can't get my feet in the stirrups and they bang against Tye's sides. Plus, i love the way it feels to have nothing but jeans between your rear end and our horses back. It reminds me how important it is to be a centered rider. When there's no saddle to get in the way, you can truly feel the connection between your seat bones and your horses spine. You can feel how, when you are centered and balanced, your seat bones fit around your horses spine and direct their movements. You can manipulate their movement by changing the pressure and direction of your butt bones. It is a truly wonderful experience to canter a horse bareback, to be fully and completely connected with your horse in a way that isn't quite possible when there is a bunch of leather in the way.

Riding bareback also reaffirms my confidence in my seat and my trust in my horse and my ability to communicate with her. It reminds me that I do know how to stay centered on the slick back of a narrow horse without gripping with my legs or hands. Without the use of stirrups. That's a very nice feeling. I also love that my horse knows what I want often before I totally communicate it too her.

I totally love my horse. She's like to sun in my life, that creature that makes everything ok and real. She makes it ok for me to be me and to love her unconditionally. She tells me she loves me in her very mellow horsey way; snuffling my chest and arms, following me around and resting her big flat head flush against my chest, breathing in my ear and smelling my face and hair. I love the feel of her sweet hot breath against my cheek.

In fact, I love being out at the barn. I love being there in the morning when it's cold and crisp and the birds aren't singing yet. You can see your and your horses breath as you warm up into your work out. The only sounds are of you and your horse. Hooves crunching on cold ground, the chuck chuck sound of a nice even 2 beat jog. I love the smell of the barn; sweet hay, alfalfa molasses, wood shavings, and the musky smell of warm horse bodies.

I hope this is what heaven is like.