nurse maid Yen rarely leaves Sally's side by choice
trying to find someone who can do an ultrasound
waiting for more results
staring at Sally longing for her to be ok - wishing so badly for a magic wand
Friday, December 20, 2013
sleep baby sleep ....
pain meds, antibiotics and home cooking the order of the day here
nurse maid Yen rarely leaves Sally's side by choice
trying to find someone who can do an ultrasound
waiting for more results
staring at Sally longing for her to be ok - wishing so badly for a magic wand
nurse maid Yen rarely leaves Sally's side by choice
trying to find someone who can do an ultrasound
waiting for more results
staring at Sally longing for her to be ok - wishing so badly for a magic wand
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
This. I. Hate.
Think good thoughts. She was terribly ill Friday - but it seemed to be a typical, if a little severe, "episode". She seemed quite recovered today - bright, wagging, counter surfing, eating but tonight whatever has flared right back up again. Episodes don't happen in this pattern - or at least never had until now.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Do you have what it takes?
You want to go far in your chosen sport?
No weekend warrior stuff for you?
Top of the game is your goal?
You are going to need deep pockets (or generous sponsors), lots of time and talent (as well as talented partners in both horse and dog sport land). But without character, work ethic and soundness - ideally in both of you - you might as well stay home and play for fun. Not that I think there is anything wrong with that - it's what I aspire to after all!
Actually understanding your team's character, work ethic and soundness will make even occasional competing and training much more enjoyable for the human partner. (I can but hope, by default, for the animal partner as well.)
More thinking ... I know... apologies
Character
That magical combination of traits and personality that can create a winning team. Or perhaps that magical combo that doesn't quite have what it takes. Tough to realize one of you, or both doesn't have the resilience or ability to work through stress that is needed for the level you aspire to but perhaps better to give it due consideration now and adjust the plan? Find a new definition of success and accomplishment and you may feel better about yourself and have just as much fun.
Work Ethic
Some of us < cough > Sally < cough > have work ethics that are nothing short ofcuckoo admirable. Sore, distracted, unhappy, hungry, thirsty? No problem - the work itself is so intrinsically rewarding that the passion to do it runs rampant. Others of us, and yes I'm looking in a mirror here, are much less motivated. It's too cold. There is other work to do. The trial is in a month or perhaps not even booked yet. Whatever the excuse, things get in the way of the actual work that needs to be done to get where goals were set. Without two partners who want to play work getting ahead is going to be tough. Work Ethic is nearly impossible to learn.
.jpg)
Soundness
Physical of course but also mental - how much stress can your partner take? how much stress can you revel in? If you aren't as sound s absolutely possible reaching for the top is likely to be stressful and frustrating.
A sound body is so important. If you can't keep each other sound enough for local one day competitions it seems implausible that adding major travel and extra days of showing are going to be easy. What are you doing to maintain soundness now? If you are playing in class weekly. trialing every other weekend and need monthly chiro, medication and BoT to stay sound how many more options are there to add to the toolkit to continue maintenance as the demands get more intense?
As we enter the season of goal setting have fun setting your goals, and looking back at your accomplishments but give due consideration to character, work ethic and soundness.
No weekend warrior stuff for you?
Top of the game is your goal?
You are going to need deep pockets (or generous sponsors), lots of time and talent (as well as talented partners in both horse and dog sport land). But without character, work ethic and soundness - ideally in both of you - you might as well stay home and play for fun. Not that I think there is anything wrong with that - it's what I aspire to after all!
Actually understanding your team's character, work ethic and soundness will make even occasional competing and training much more enjoyable for the human partner. (I can but hope, by default, for the animal partner as well.)
More thinking ... I know...
Character
That magical combination of traits and personality that can create a winning team. Or perhaps that magical combo that doesn't quite have what it takes. Tough to realize one of you, or both doesn't have the resilience or ability to work through stress that is needed for the level you aspire to but perhaps better to give it due consideration now and adjust the plan? Find a new definition of success and accomplishment and you may feel better about yourself and have just as much fun.
Work Ethic
Some of us < cough > Sally < cough > have work ethics that are nothing short of
.jpg)
Soundness
Physical of course but also mental - how much stress can your partner take? how much stress can you revel in? If you aren't as sound s absolutely possible reaching for the top is likely to be stressful and frustrating.
A sound body is so important. If you can't keep each other sound enough for local one day competitions it seems implausible that adding major travel and extra days of showing are going to be easy. What are you doing to maintain soundness now? If you are playing in class weekly. trialing every other weekend and need monthly chiro, medication and BoT to stay sound how many more options are there to add to the toolkit to continue maintenance as the demands get more intense?
As we enter the season of goal setting have fun setting your goals, and looking back at your accomplishments but give due consideration to character, work ethic and soundness.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Yay Camera!
Did I mention that the terror terrier puppies ate the button that takes pictures off the new camera?
They did.
(Why does anybody live with house puppies?)
Well the camera is back in business - YAY! Just played a little with it last night ...
puppy loves to chew
Fire helps us all get through the cold
They did.
(Why does anybody live with house puppies?)
Well the camera is back in business - YAY! Just played a little with it last night ...
puppy loves to chew
old dog loves to sleep
Kitty doesn't love winter
Fire helps us all get through the cold
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Virtues matter more than you might think ....
Today is a blog day !
Yay -it means there will be lots of good reading and that's always fun for me. READ THEM ALL: HERE!
This topic is the "mental game" something addressed many times in this blog- search the word "mental" and you'll get a list. Or scroll all the way down to the keyword and click on motivation for a few more. If you want Sally's philosophy and elements for her work ethic you can click here too!
Recently the question of ring nerves came up which forced me to reflect on my lack of them.
Is it that I don't care? No, I care very much about my chosen sports.
Why then can I stand on a start line at Nationals between top competitors who travel globally and do my job without feeling ill? Why can I take a horse into a clinic or show ring and ride just like at home? (In the interest of full disclosure let me admit here that often I find thinking about clinics more stressful than showing or being at a clinic.) A few things influence this perspective.
Practice
I practice. I practice with pressure. I visualize the show set up and practice while that is in my head. I practice when I have a cold, when I am mad, when I am emotional. I also practice for fun because I want to and because I enjoy it!
Practice is something I embrace.
Breathe
I can breathe because I simply wouldn't be there if I didn't know I was capable of doing "it". I may have very different goals than the other people there but I know my goals are in reach. (My goal could be as simple as a start line stay -actually I love it when the goal is that simple and early - makes the rest of the course a breeze!). I can breathe because I know my dogs are fit and healthy enough to do the job - if I had doubts about their condition I would have investigated and made an informed choice about running (or not - and I've made that choice many times).
It's not personal
What's the point of nerves? The only person it's personal to is me. Nobody else particularly cares if that event doesn't go the way I had planned. People might feel badly for me for a minute or chuckle for a day. But, honestly, if I show with integrity and a sense of fun even if there is a problem on course that people notice they leave me in my happy bubble noting the good out loud and the things to work on on my course maps. They don't even have to know I make notes on my course maps because at the risk of repeating myself it isn't about them ... and they really don't mind if things don't go quite the way I planned.
Patience
This is the single biggest thing I wanted to focus on today.
Patience allows people to know that any competitive event is just one moment. It gives information for the next event. By being patient in training, in the development of understanding of the sport, in the work with youngsters and those who have moments of confusion, in taking the time to appreciate each stage of training and competition you are able to be patient in the ring. The building blocks of success will come if you can wait.
You might be thinking to yourself, "I am the least patient person on the planet, how can I do this?" Believe me, patience did not come naturally or easily to me. It is a learned skill. One that I began to appreciate as I began to be grateful for so much else in my life. Watch a plant grow. Rehearse counting to 10 before you do something (anything - I did this waiting to start my car)... teach yourself patience. The rewards are truly immeasurable.
Think then act and avoid reaction as much as possible. If ring stress hits you you will have plenty of experience to draw upon. Count to 10, picture your plant growing, breathe, refocus - perhaps by thinking about your goal for that moment and grabbing the intention that put you in that place at that moment.
I was at a clinic with a young horse last weekend. The clinician paid me an enormous compliment when she noted that my building blocks were solid and being at the clinic didn't change my expectations for that ride. It didn't change the way I rode, it didn't alter the work I wanted to accomplish. Quite literally my only goal was to have a good first off property experience with the baby. After one lap of the ring I had accomplished that. My patient perspective allowed us to have a lot of fun for 45 mins - trying new things and soaking up the clinicians expertise. It would have been easy to push for too much; to be too embarrassed to say I'm just here to get off the farm; to pretend the mare was further along than she was. Any of those things would have resulted in a nerve wracking experience even if all had gone well.
Patience is a virtue we in sports land must learn to exploit for our own benefit!
For more mental management thoughts and very practical advise you should invest in a handy little ebook "Trials Without Tribulations"
you can order it HERE.
and don't forget BLOG DAY - READ THEM ALL: HERE!
Yay -it means there will be lots of good reading and that's always fun for me. READ THEM ALL: HERE!
This topic is the "mental game" something addressed many times in this blog- search the word "mental" and you'll get a list. Or scroll all the way down to the keyword and click on motivation for a few more. If you want Sally's philosophy and elements for her work ethic you can click here too!
Recently the question of ring nerves came up which forced me to reflect on my lack of them.
Is it that I don't care? No, I care very much about my chosen sports.
Why then can I stand on a start line at Nationals between top competitors who travel globally and do my job without feeling ill? Why can I take a horse into a clinic or show ring and ride just like at home? (In the interest of full disclosure let me admit here that often I find thinking about clinics more stressful than showing or being at a clinic.) A few things influence this perspective.
Practice
I practice. I practice with pressure. I visualize the show set up and practice while that is in my head. I practice when I have a cold, when I am mad, when I am emotional. I also practice for fun because I want to and because I enjoy it!
Practice is something I embrace.
Breathe
I can breathe because I simply wouldn't be there if I didn't know I was capable of doing "it". I may have very different goals than the other people there but I know my goals are in reach. (My goal could be as simple as a start line stay -actually I love it when the goal is that simple and early - makes the rest of the course a breeze!). I can breathe because I know my dogs are fit and healthy enough to do the job - if I had doubts about their condition I would have investigated and made an informed choice about running (or not - and I've made that choice many times).
 |
| doing my thing no matter the audience |
It's not personal
What's the point of nerves? The only person it's personal to is me. Nobody else particularly cares if that event doesn't go the way I had planned. People might feel badly for me for a minute or chuckle for a day. But, honestly, if I show with integrity and a sense of fun even if there is a problem on course that people notice they leave me in my happy bubble noting the good out loud and the things to work on on my course maps. They don't even have to know I make notes on my course maps because at the risk of repeating myself it isn't about them ... and they really don't mind if things don't go quite the way I planned.
Patience
This is the single biggest thing I wanted to focus on today.
Patience allows people to know that any competitive event is just one moment. It gives information for the next event. By being patient in training, in the development of understanding of the sport, in the work with youngsters and those who have moments of confusion, in taking the time to appreciate each stage of training and competition you are able to be patient in the ring. The building blocks of success will come if you can wait.
You might be thinking to yourself, "I am the least patient person on the planet, how can I do this?" Believe me, patience did not come naturally or easily to me. It is a learned skill. One that I began to appreciate as I began to be grateful for so much else in my life. Watch a plant grow. Rehearse counting to 10 before you do something (anything - I did this waiting to start my car)... teach yourself patience. The rewards are truly immeasurable.
Think then act and avoid reaction as much as possible. If ring stress hits you you will have plenty of experience to draw upon. Count to 10, picture your plant growing, breathe, refocus - perhaps by thinking about your goal for that moment and grabbing the intention that put you in that place at that moment.
I was at a clinic with a young horse last weekend. The clinician paid me an enormous compliment when she noted that my building blocks were solid and being at the clinic didn't change my expectations for that ride. It didn't change the way I rode, it didn't alter the work I wanted to accomplish. Quite literally my only goal was to have a good first off property experience with the baby. After one lap of the ring I had accomplished that. My patient perspective allowed us to have a lot of fun for 45 mins - trying new things and soaking up the clinicians expertise. It would have been easy to push for too much; to be too embarrassed to say I'm just here to get off the farm; to pretend the mare was further along than she was. Any of those things would have resulted in a nerve wracking experience even if all had gone well.
Patience is a virtue we in sports land must learn to exploit for our own benefit!
 |
| good good Maggi |
For more mental management thoughts and very practical advise you should invest in a handy little ebook "Trials Without Tribulations"
you can order it HERE.
and don't forget BLOG DAY - READ THEM ALL: HERE!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
baby it's cold outside ....
Brody is on my feet. Dora (yes she's still here) is on my hip. The heat is on full force and I'm wondering if I can hibernate until April. I have never loved winter (being a weather weenie and all) but this is the first year I've understood the snow birds at all. I think I'd skip it if possible. The dogs largely seem to be in agreement. They run out grab a frozen apple and race back to the house to eat it on the couch.
Pulled out the scent jar on Friday to introduce the game to Dora -Sally, Brody and Yen were all very insistent they get a turn. Hid the scent on Sally in some weird places -she nailed every single search. Such fun.
The skinny horse continues to improve. He's hosting a Christmas Party to thank his Team.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
shocking this ...
Little boy puppy (Renegade) is now placed in the bestest most fabulous home ever!
Big T wants to keep the little girl and has named her Dora
I had never never thought of living with a terrier (terriers were for my folks -much loved to visit - always welcomed and enjoyed for holidays here but always going home!) but I have to say little shy Dora is rapidly growing on me.
Our house is rapidly heading towards occupancy - looks like Christmas will be there!
Rotten puppies ate the button off my camera that takes pictures (oh the hidden costs of fostering) so videos are possible - photos aren't at the moment but I'm working on it!
Big T wants to keep the little girl and has named her Dora
I had never never thought of living with a terrier (terriers were for my folks -much loved to visit - always welcomed and enjoyed for holidays here but always going home!) but I have to say little shy Dora is rapidly growing on me.
Our house is rapidly heading towards occupancy - looks like Christmas will be there!
Rotten puppies ate the button off my camera that takes pictures (oh the hidden costs of fostering) so videos are possible - photos aren't at the moment but I'm working on it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)