As the Hotwalker Turns: Take a deep breath

Katy Groesbeck is preparing to move up to Advanced at her next event–so she’s been feeling a little, uh, stressed. Little did she realize that what she and her horse needed most was a trail ride.

From Katy:

Don’t you hate it when you lose sight of the things you know and you have to relearn?? I find myself forgetting the most rudimentary concepts sometimes and I always end up kicking myself when I rediscover them.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been dealing with “fit horse, not enough turn-out” syndrome, and on top of that I’m a little (OK, a LOT) keyed up for my next event; I know I have been sending electric vibes to my poor horse on top of his already electric demeanor. I’ve been struggling to find that really relaxed, ride-able horse that I know exists and each day at the barn has admittedly been a little frustrating; I really started to think I should just hang it up and come back next year.

But yesterday, for a much-needed change of pace, we went on a looooong walk on the trail. Then I spent 1/2 an hour talking with the farrier, just standing around. THEN I decided to go for a trot in the ring to stretch his back……..HE WAS SO RELAXED! Lazy, even. I was soooo happy and felt incredibly successful, and all I was doing was trotting along on the buckle.

Who knew this whole time my horse just wanted to go on a trail ride? Now I’m not saying I’ve reached the heart of his tension problems or anything like that, but it sure helps to take a break from work every once in a while. And boy, do I feel like a fool.

What are some of the things you have lost sight of?