
- Cardio Time: I started personal training with Teresa last week. This has really helped me get going with fitness and body balance, strengthening and stretching. Significant improvements have already been made, one being that I’m 2” closer from being able to touch my toes in less than a week! It has also helped me have empathy for my horses as we begin cardio, and hope as we work through stretching and strengthening that Pippa has instructed us in. Before, it seemed like they would “never” be balanced or we would have to spend “forever” doing these slow movements. But, what I’m realizing by applying it to myself is that the body is amazing and can make changes fast; especially when done in a way that is coherent to it. Things are coming together so well. Pippa and Teresa have never met, but it’s like they went to all of the same trainings; one for horses and one for people. Yah is amazing. This is amazing. I’m hooked.
- Self-Appointed Coach: I’m in awe that I’m surrounded by so many amazing people, gifted in each of their fields, and as mentioned before, totally coherent with each-other. While I’ve “chosen” each of my coaches, there is one that has been self-appointed. She has had very little training, she’s never been a coach before, yet she’s present for every single run, every single ride, and each work out. She’s particularly great at accountability and encouragement. When I want to cheat out of a run segment or a ride, she quickly informs me that I may not do so. You may know by now, this coach is none other than my daughter, Kadima. I absolutely love that she loves to join me in this journey. There has been a distant fear lingering that pursuing a dream like this would distance me from my family and my motherhood, but it has proven to be the opposite. We are a team and she’s a part of something great. She gets to see her Ima (Hebrew for mom) pursuing a dream, making herself better, and totally out of breath struggling to answer her 1,000 questions during our stroller run. If this isn’t the life, what is?
- Flèche Droit (Pronounced: “Fleshy Dwah”): “In this exercise you ask for the horse to have the body completely straight, and the neck bent to the inside from 45 to 90 degrees. This asks the outside neck muscles to fully stretch. Doing this on both sides helps to release any contraction, allowing the horse to be straighter. The fléchi droit is the most extreme bend which can usefully be requested, and practising it makes other movements, which ask for less bend, easier – circles, voltes and all lateral movements. “ -Ecole de Légèreté Perth.
I had my fair share of Flèche Droit’s at the clinic and I thought they were boring and slightly pointless, until, I started “showing” Pippa the barrel pattern. I quickly realized how silly I was assuming such things as I explained to her… well, you approach the barrel and do a… well, you do a Flèche Droit. Haha! The vision of the connections to French Classical Dressage and Barrel Racing is becoming more and more clear and this is another boost of excitement and confirmation that I’m on the right path. Plus, what barrel racer couldn’t use an easier circle? - Time to Teach: With the above connections made after my year and a half long training with Pippa, I’m feeling a shift and am ready to open up to putting this education together for fellow barrel racers who are on a mission to be better. Better in their times, better on their patterns, better in their riding, and all ultimately for the betterment of their horse’s life. I’m still working some of the pieces out, but I’m looking forward to being brought those who are willing to take the journey to better (wholeness) with me.
- Husband for the Win: I was sharing with Uriah about the new blog name desire, and he whipped out “5 Steps at a Time; A Journey to Wholeness.” My jaw dropped. “Why didn’t I just ask you?” I said. He said “I don’t know, why didn’t you ask me?” with a smile. I’ve had lots of lessons lately that prove that I don’t usually need to go far for what I’m seeking. Maybe I’ll start grasping this one soon. Anyway, as you can see, his name won and is now in use!
Note: My subscriber system is still in the works of getting fixed, which is the primary reason why my weekly 5 Steps posts have been delayed. I will be posting directly to my website until this gets worked out and there may be a whole new subscriber list soon. If you don’t hear from me in a while and would like to, please try re-subscribing or sending me an email directly at: nicole@honorinhorses.com to be sure to get on the list.
5 Steps Closer, thank you for coming along.
Nicole & The Team,
Uriah, Kadima, Birdie, Blondie, Dean, Grace, Rocki, Salily, Shasta & Shmini