A recent conversation with a friend got me thinking about the horses in my life, specifically this guy. And while this is a show picture, he meant so much more to me than just a show horse... Exactly the way that my dogs are so much more than agility dogs. I started thinking about how I taught him that different leg positions signaled different things and in showmanship how a move of my hand was a cue to speed up or slow down. It was that training that led to relationship and the feeling of being one when I would go ride. Then, it occurred to me that is the same kind of connection I'm striving for with my dogs, the feeling of one, the subtle cues that make things look effortless on the outside, the need to play together. I know now what is my next, and likely, forever goal. It is to cultivate that connection for my dogs in our lives together. Maybe in some tiny way it will also help us shine a little brighter in the ring too.
