Lesson From A Donkey???

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

Live simply and appreciate what you have.

Give more. Expect less.

NOW ............Enough of that crap ....

The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON: When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Dressage in My Dreams.....

Second dressage lesson. It went well, but was executed one hour + in 100 degree heat. I think my learning curve dropped rapidly after the first half hour. Blasted sun. Shorten my reins!! I am now hearing Allison's words in my sleep. My reins are almost always too long, and I tend to freeze my hands and elbows instead of letting them go wiggly and move with my horse. We worked on turning on the forehand and halfpass which are so basic but Jackson has never done any of that in his life. My previous dressage lessons have consisted of riding very learned school horses so how much have I retained? More (and sometimes less) than I thought, but it is much different when you are also teaching your green horse as well as relearning the stuff yourself. Jackson learns it faster than I do though; he is AMAZING! I haven't had lessons in A LONG TIME....

Anyway, I was talking to Allison and asking her questions about herself and was amazed at what I learned. She is very modest about herself, but I did glean that she has performed in front of very renowned European judges here in Texas at the Grand Prix level and her favorite thing to do was--NO FOLKS, NOT DRESSAGE!!!! She was an EVENTER!!!! (For those of you who don't know, dressage is only a piece of what I want to do on Jackson,--an important one--but my ultimate dream is to event). She is 79 years old and from England. Her husband, Alex, was a professional polo player and trainer. She told me that he has that little extra something with the horse when he rides that one doesn't often see. I thought I knew what she meant, I've seen it in certain riders. But then she said something that rendered me COMPLETELY speechless. She said, "You have it too, I see it." OK, folks. I trust her and I think if she says something she really means it. But me? Hard to believe. I can't dance. I'm clumsy. I work really hard to ride well. I'm not sure it exactly comes naturally. Sometimes it feels like we are one, but not often...Of course, I have only just begun with this horse....but still! Anyway, I'll take the compliment and hope it has credence. It would be nice to have an extra little something at something in life! Especially my favorite thing in the world..... AND SHE USED TO BE AN EVENTER!!! Yep, sorry, I know. I already said that. ;) She knows EXACTLY where I want to go, phewwww. So she can also be useful with the fences a little down the road I hope!!!! *I am SO smiling.*

I was talking to Peggy who is the financial officer at Triple H Equitherapy and she told me a story involving Allison and Ray Hunt. For those of you who aren't familiar, Ray Hunt (now deceased) was one of the original horse whisperers and an amazing trainer. I idolize him. Check out his books if you have a chance. Anyway, apparently Allison was giving a dressage lesson right next to a ring where Ray was also teaching a group of students. Allison was giving her instruction so loudly that Ray's students couldn't hear what he was saying. Ray turned to his students and said, "Just listen to the lady next door, she knows what she's talking about." LOL!

I have so much to learn, but I think I have hit on a gem in Allison. She is a tough teacher, but I am LEARNING from her.

Good as!

Wordless Wednesday....In Which Cammie Does Her Thing.....

My cats all fight for the priviledge of sleeping on this little blanket that I have. It is the coveted place to sleep in the house and you always know who is the leader of the pack at any given time by who is on this small blanket......You will NEVER find more than one cat on the blanket although you may find all three cats located on different spots on the bed where the blanket resides. After much study of their behaviors I still can't figure it out!!!! (Well...I guess I'm not too good at being WORDLESS am I?) Ahhhh well.....

The Horse Boy

The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son

by Rupert Isaacson

If any of you have been reading my blog you are probably aware that I work at an Equitherapy facility called Triple H Equitherapy, located in Pipe Creek, Tx. HHH provides nationally accredited therapeutic horseback riding programs for disabled children and adults in a safe and beautiful Hill Country environment. Before I became an RN, I worked with the developmentally disabled population for 12 years. I miss it, but unfortunately it did not pay the bills. Being able to work with this population AND horses is not even volunteer work for me, and I thoroughly enjoy my time there. I get SO much out of it! I am amazed at the bond forged between horse and rider, not to mention the mental and physical improvements exhibited. My friend at work recently brought me the above book, and I was moved beyond words by it. I am going to include the teaser from the dustcover; this was simply an awe inspiring book. Since Rupert lives in Austin, TX (about 1 hr. away) I am hoping to contact him to do a presentation at our facility. I hope you decide to borrow (or purchase) this one, it is incredible....

PS...For those of you who may not know, http://www.half.com/ is an amazing place to purchase books at rock bottom prices, you can get new or used, and they are a sister site to e-bay. Unlike e-bay you do not bid, it is all buy it now.

When his son, Rowan, was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, was devastated. Would he ever be able to communicate with his son, much less share the wonder of horses with him?

Then something extraordinary happened. On a walk near their home one day, Rowan dodged underneath a fence and ran under the hooves of a neighbor's horse, a testy mare named Betsy. Instead of trampling him, the mare dipped her head and stood perfectly still--a moment of profound beauty and revelation. Rupert saw that his distant, unreachable son had a real connection with the horse. Rupert began taking Rowan for rides on Betsy, and soon Rowan started to speak and to improve remarkably.

Rupert then had a crazy, impossible idea: What if there was a place in the world where horses and healing came together? What if Rowan's autism could be the gateway to adventure? The adventure of a lifetime.

The Horse Boy is a heart-wrenching true story of the remarkable journey taken by Rupert, his wife, Kristin, and Rowan through the untamed landscape of Outer Mongolia. They travel halfway around the world to ride horseback across that land together, and to meet the traditional healers there, heirs to centuries of discipline and inspiration. It is an astounding journey, full of challenges, the unexpected, beauty, and extraordinary advances. Perhaps more inspiring than the changes Rowan goes through is the power of this father's love for his son. This is an unforgettable story that shows that even in our darkest moments we can discover joy, that healing can arrive in the most unexpected of ways, and that the magical and the mundane can come together to transform our lives.

For more information about The Horse Boy, visit http://www.horseboythebook.com/ It is also now a 2009 Sundance film with the footage that they taped on their journey and you can view a very cool trailer here...I will add it later tonite....You Tube has decided not to cooperate!