The apostle Paul was a genius when he said the Christian life is a race that needs to be run to the end. I was walking home from the shops today and, thinking about the metaphor, decided that it was difficult to push it too far.
The walk I took begins fairly easily with a down hill bit followed by a foot path with patchy shade, after a while you cross a road and there begins a long, steady uphill walk along desert like dirt and rocks with occasional shade. This part seems endless and each time you look up it feels like you are no closer to the goal. Then Suddenly you are at the top and over the bridge and an interesting, shady can be enjoyed with the end in sight.
Christianity, like the walk, has easy, good bits in it, down hills, shade, footpaths. It also has what feels like never ending boringness, hardship, spiritual dryness, lack of energy, what feels like lack of progress. Both of these are good and particularly the less easy parts make you stronger/fitter.
Christianity, like walking, is easier and more pleasant when shared with company. This is why we go to church and bible study, so we don't get discouraged and tired as much. In saying that both Christianity and walking can (and sometimes should) be done without other people with great personal benefit of self discipline.
The Christian walk, like a physical walk, has a goal and a plan and a direction to take. It is good to keep the goal in mind and not to be distracted by attractively interesting and shady looking paths. This is a particular temptation in the dry, hard bits of both walks. If you get distracted it means at best a detour that wastes time and at worst getting lost altogether.
God is like the father who is taking his children for the walk, holding their hands and guiding them. God doesn't mind if we fall over, have a little tantrum, have a little pity party, sit and sulk for a while, as long as we get up and continue to walk. However as every parent knows, tantrums and hissy fits don't solve much, they only waste energy. What God is less pleased about is giving up the walk altogether and being our own boss and taking what looks like the easy option of a car. Initially our way looks better, quicker, easier, but then we finish up like the space people in Wall-E who can't even walk.
Christian life is a walk, pleasant and hard, hot and cold, wet and dry, thirsty and refreshed. The more you do it and practice the stronger you get. Obviously not a perfect metaphor but it can bee pushed pretty far before it becomes inaccurate.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Baptism
Jesus told people to repent and be baptized. A simple enough instruction. The important part of the instruction is the repentance bit, the response to repenting is baptism.
Over the centuries, baptism has developed into a ritual practice and a "ticket to heaven" Today many people believe they are fine to go to heaven because they are good people and they were baptized. Repentance does not figure into it. I have not yet been baptized because of the ticket to heaven business, I originally wanted to unwind people's thinking that Baptism gets you to heaven. It isn't, it doesn't and it never will, Jesus paid our debt and his grace and forgiveness gets us to heaven when we believe we are sinners and he is God and able to forgive.
Some misconceptions about baptism among people include
Over the centuries, baptism has developed into a ritual practice and a "ticket to heaven" Today many people believe they are fine to go to heaven because they are good people and they were baptized. Repentance does not figure into it. I have not yet been baptized because of the ticket to heaven business, I originally wanted to unwind people's thinking that Baptism gets you to heaven. It isn't, it doesn't and it never will, Jesus paid our debt and his grace and forgiveness gets us to heaven when we believe we are sinners and he is God and able to forgive.
Some misconceptions about baptism among people include
- It is the way to heaven, once you are baptized you are Christian enough to go to heaven, this is an almost entirely non christian view. Nobody who I know to be a Christian by their lives and words believes this as the bible doesn't support it.
- Baptism is a public declaration of what I believe. Many Godly christians think this but unless I missed the right verse the bible doesn't support this. If it is a public declaration, why can't I get up in church and say I believe Jesus is God and has the power to forgive sins and to raise us from the dead on the last day, that with the help of the Holy Spirit I am striving to live with Jesus as king of my life. That is a public declaration of what I believe, why the water?
- Baptism is a visible demonstration of what I believe (I think that could be worded better). This is getting closer I think to the biblical meaning of baptism. However it still gives more credit to it then is due. My christian daily life should be a visible demonstration of what I believe, a baptism is a bit of a one hit wonder so not really going to do this well.
- Baptism is to encourage other Christian. ??? where does it say that in the bible? It may encourage a christian to see a non christian that they have evangelized come to fully understand what it is to be a christian and to be baptized, but that is not a biblical reason (correct me if I am wrong)
In the bible, simply put, baptism signifies the end of the old life of ignoring God and having myself or another God as ruler of my life and the beginning of having Jesus as king of my life. This makes baptism very important to a convert, one who has come to Jesus from a life openly serving other gods including self. It is to show themselves and their families and friends that they belong to Jesus now and their old life is finished.
I grew up always believing Jesus is God and he has a right to be king of my life. As I got older I questioned what I believe and decided for myself that yes, Jesus is still king in my life. At no point has there been a stopping of the old life and beginning of a new one, I have simply (by God's grace) grown into my faith and understanding. All the time I am learning but I have never not believed the gospel of Christ. So, do I need to get baptized? I don't believe so. Is it a salvation issue? no.
Please feel free to POLITELY comment if you have any thoughts or wisdom to add or things I missed.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Pro horse trainer???
After having free access to a horse of my own and practicing all sorts of groundwork tricks on her, I was pretty confident I knew what I was doing regarding groundwork and horses.
Apparently other people thought I knew what I was doing and so I got a phone call to ask if I could teach a pony to go on a float when asked. He had been fine before the people bought him (apparently) but if there was no friend already in the float he would fight energetically to not go on the float. He was pulling the owner all over the place and after 2 hours of effort they decided not to go to pony club.
I agreed and was a bit nervous about trying it on a pony I didn't know WITH PEOPLE WATCHING. Everything went fine and within 1 hour I had had him on and off the float half a dozen times. The first half hour was spent chasing him in the round yard so the actual floating effort only took about 15 minutes. I told the man to try again the next day without me so that if there was going to be a problem it wasn't going to be when they were trying to get somewhere. It went badly so I went and worked with the pony again and showed the man an easier technique to apply discomfort and release accurately regarding obedience and they didn't have a problem again.
I then got invited to pony club to teach some classes to the kids and their ponies about horsemanship and teaching horses new tricks.
Apparently other people thought I knew what I was doing and so I got a phone call to ask if I could teach a pony to go on a float when asked. He had been fine before the people bought him (apparently) but if there was no friend already in the float he would fight energetically to not go on the float. He was pulling the owner all over the place and after 2 hours of effort they decided not to go to pony club.
I agreed and was a bit nervous about trying it on a pony I didn't know WITH PEOPLE WATCHING. Everything went fine and within 1 hour I had had him on and off the float half a dozen times. The first half hour was spent chasing him in the round yard so the actual floating effort only took about 15 minutes. I told the man to try again the next day without me so that if there was going to be a problem it wasn't going to be when they were trying to get somewhere. It went badly so I went and worked with the pony again and showed the man an easier technique to apply discomfort and release accurately regarding obedience and they didn't have a problem again.
I then got invited to pony club to teach some classes to the kids and their ponies about horsemanship and teaching horses new tricks.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
How to clean shower
This is a step by step directional guide for the cleaning of a shower
- Wait until it is dirty enough to see the difference. There is nothing feels more pointless then cleaning something that appears clean. Far more satisfying to see the gunge wipe away to reveal the original white. Waiting till somebody suggests cleaning it is slightly too long, so it is a tricky balance.
- Put on enjoyable music loud enough to sing along too. Bathrooms have good acoustics for singing but maybe do all this when nobody else is around.
- Because you do not feel like you are cleaning anything if a spray of some sort is not involved, dig through the cupboard till you find a shower cleaner (or approximation of that). If you are lucky it will be eco friendly. If none produces water with a bit of soap for bubbles works fine.
- Once the spray is found, spray a little about (if it is a bleach, your bathroom will smell like an indoor pool for a week, also your clothes may turn interesting colours)
- Wipe between the tiles and enjoy watching the cleaning process take effect, a brush is also satisfying with a bit of soap because then you rinse it away leaving it lovely and clean. Wipe the glass door and wall and enjoy watching all the soap, shampoo and conditioner marks come off. Again this only requires water and a sponge. If you can't get the soap off with water and a sponge you have really odd soap. (a good way to do this is while you are having a shower yourself, that way your clothes don't get wet and you get to stay in the shower longer)
- Now that you have cleaned the tiles and glass of visible and easily removed scum, you will notice that there is rough, cloudy, white, droplet-shaped marks on the glass door and wall. The way to get rid of this (and it seems to work) is to sprinkle Bi-carbonate of Soda and White vinegar and allow to soak before rinsing off. Some people advocated for scrubbing with a brush (plastic) some thought just vinegar left on overnight. (Here now comes a problem. How do you sprinkle white powder onto a smooth and vertical surface? None of the posts seemed to think this a problem, I did, so I will now share how to do it. Vinegar is easy, it goes in a squirty bottle)
- Firstly squirt the glass with vinegar so that the soda sticks, then pour some soda into your hand and rub onto the vinegar. Pour some vinegar into the stiff paste now formed in your hand and, while fizzing, smear over the glass. This is a fairly entertaining pass time, also a messy one. Vinegar, soda, vinegar, soda, until bored. By now the glass should be smeared over with a revolting white paste.
- Allowing it to dry did not seem to do any harm and adding more vinegar occasionally and watching it fizz was entertaining.
- Have a shower with hot water (cold is unpleasant) and use your brush to rinse and remove the vinegar/soda solution as well as any softened or dissolved calcium/lime (whichever it is)
- Clean up the massive mess of soda and vinegar before your flatmate comes home, probably mopping the floor is a good plan at this point.
- Satisfied with a job well done, have a rest with a book :)
I did this today and, while not all of the white marks were gone, the glass was noticeably clearer. I will do it again next time I have a free morning this week.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Getting ready
My mother (allergic to anything with four legs, particularly cats) is coming to my house (also the home of a really nice lady and her two cats). I am already beginning to work out how to allow my mother to breathe while she is here. One bedroom is now quarantined, all the sheets, pillow slips and doona cover washed. The bedroom will be vacuumed extensively and then the door will be remaining shut till she arrives. The rest of the house is fairly carpet free so it is ok. The big problem will be the incredibly social cat who walks into, over and onto anyone who sits still for long enough. The cat is currently sitting on my lap making it hard to type.
I had visitors all week and one was allergic to cats (not as much as mum) so she gave me some helpful tips to gets ready for it. vacuuming the window sill and curtain, cushions, pillows etc. There was also one interesting thing to note, the door into her bedroom was shut all the time to prevent cats from welcoming themselves into her bedroom to put fur on her pillow etc. Pickles was eaten up with curiosity about what exciting things were going on behind closed doors that she stalked about outside the bedroom until the door opened then darted in before anyone could stop her. We vacuumed at her and she didn't try again. This is good to know, that there is a cat deterrent and also that it may be a problem
I had visitors all week and one was allergic to cats (not as much as mum) so she gave me some helpful tips to gets ready for it. vacuuming the window sill and curtain, cushions, pillows etc. There was also one interesting thing to note, the door into her bedroom was shut all the time to prevent cats from welcoming themselves into her bedroom to put fur on her pillow etc. Pickles was eaten up with curiosity about what exciting things were going on behind closed doors that she stalked about outside the bedroom until the door opened then darted in before anyone could stop her. We vacuumed at her and she didn't try again. This is good to know, that there is a cat deterrent and also that it may be a problem
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Fathers and Daughters
I have been reading a book called Bringing Up Girls by Dr James Dobson. From it I have found out a lot about myself and about a lot of grown up women that I know. The book says that fathers are important in their daughters lives from the beginning till the end. Mothers are as well, obviously, however I had not realized how important fathers are to girls.
Dobson says that a girls sense of self worth and self value is bound up very tightly with what her father thinks and says about her. Women desire to be thought of as lovely by men, since the first man in her life is her father, it falls to him to show her she is lovely and lovable to men. This also gives a father the opportunity to show his daughter what she can expect from men regarding their behaviour towards her. Mark Driscoll has this right when he says he is his daughters valentine, he takes them on dates doing what his daughters want to do and he teaches them by example what to expect from future men in their lives. This also means that he will have the relationship with his daughters to be able to tell them if a young man is not worthy of them. How will you be able to lovingly prevent her from making a mistake if you take no special interest in your daughter until she is 13 and a young dropkick male comes to the door to collect your daughter for a date.
This lack of affirmation from fathers is a real problem. Dobson says that if fathers do not fill their responsibility then women carry a well of self doubt within them for a long time. Even successful women who appear to have built their own sense of self worth, if you look closely, still harbour anger and a secret desire to get affirmation from their fathers. They maintain that they do not need men and they are perfectly happy making their own life, however there is a lot of bitterness or disappointment when they speak of their fathers lack of care.
A lack of affirmation from fathers, I think, leads to two extremes. Firstly to women who need male praise so badly to feel worth anything that they sell themselves to the first (and every) smooth talking man they meet. The second extreme is feminists so hurt they keep men at arms length to prevent themselves from being disappointed again. This need of daughters to receive love, acceptance and affirmation from their fathers is another reason (as if we needed one) why parent/child abuse (particularly sexual abuse) is so evil and destructive.
There is good news though, because it is never too late to tell your daughters that you love them and especially why. Sincere, thoughtful compliments from men (fathers in particular) go a long way towards healing relationships and building self worth in a woman. If, like in some cases, there is a lot of hurt and damage, then it will take a lot of time and perseverance to win her trust again, however you can man up and take responsibility for the relationship.
Dobson says that a girls sense of self worth and self value is bound up very tightly with what her father thinks and says about her. Women desire to be thought of as lovely by men, since the first man in her life is her father, it falls to him to show her she is lovely and lovable to men. This also gives a father the opportunity to show his daughter what she can expect from men regarding their behaviour towards her. Mark Driscoll has this right when he says he is his daughters valentine, he takes them on dates doing what his daughters want to do and he teaches them by example what to expect from future men in their lives. This also means that he will have the relationship with his daughters to be able to tell them if a young man is not worthy of them. How will you be able to lovingly prevent her from making a mistake if you take no special interest in your daughter until she is 13 and a young dropkick male comes to the door to collect your daughter for a date.
This lack of affirmation from fathers is a real problem. Dobson says that if fathers do not fill their responsibility then women carry a well of self doubt within them for a long time. Even successful women who appear to have built their own sense of self worth, if you look closely, still harbour anger and a secret desire to get affirmation from their fathers. They maintain that they do not need men and they are perfectly happy making their own life, however there is a lot of bitterness or disappointment when they speak of their fathers lack of care.
A lack of affirmation from fathers, I think, leads to two extremes. Firstly to women who need male praise so badly to feel worth anything that they sell themselves to the first (and every) smooth talking man they meet. The second extreme is feminists so hurt they keep men at arms length to prevent themselves from being disappointed again. This need of daughters to receive love, acceptance and affirmation from their fathers is another reason (as if we needed one) why parent/child abuse (particularly sexual abuse) is so evil and destructive.
There is good news though, because it is never too late to tell your daughters that you love them and especially why. Sincere, thoughtful compliments from men (fathers in particular) go a long way towards healing relationships and building self worth in a woman. If, like in some cases, there is a lot of hurt and damage, then it will take a lot of time and perseverance to win her trust again, however you can man up and take responsibility for the relationship.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
New tricks.
I had run out of interesting things to do with Xena, to teach her and to keep us both interested and thinking. Also she was getting energetic and silly and flighty and generally scary to ride. I realized that while her ground manners are now really good (she even comes when she is called) When I am riding her she is confused about who is in charge. She thinks she can make decisions not me. I decided to go back to the cattle yards and try to teach her to obey me without needing reins. I put on her saddle and then just used the halter and lead rope as reins and bridle and rode her at a walk in the cattle yard.
This is teaching her something altogether new and on horseback which I am unfamiliar with. Luckily a lady who has taught people to ride naturally was visiting and decided to help me and gave me a lesson. She encouraged me and told me what to do and we began to teach her to turn left and right and stop and go all from my legs and feet instruction. The lead rope was just to give her a hint and as back up if I needed it.
We also taught her to rein back (walk backwards) and worked on going sideways. The lady was very encouraging and said I was doing the right things to teach her and that she is obviously relaxed and comfortable with me. It is funny that though she comes when I call, apparently she won't come for anyone else. I can't help but feel a little smug about that.
Today I am going to ride her in the cattle yard again, probably bare backed, and we will remember what we learned yesterday and consolidate.
This is teaching her something altogether new and on horseback which I am unfamiliar with. Luckily a lady who has taught people to ride naturally was visiting and decided to help me and gave me a lesson. She encouraged me and told me what to do and we began to teach her to turn left and right and stop and go all from my legs and feet instruction. The lead rope was just to give her a hint and as back up if I needed it.
We also taught her to rein back (walk backwards) and worked on going sideways. The lady was very encouraging and said I was doing the right things to teach her and that she is obviously relaxed and comfortable with me. It is funny that though she comes when I call, apparently she won't come for anyone else. I can't help but feel a little smug about that.
Today I am going to ride her in the cattle yard again, probably bare backed, and we will remember what we learned yesterday and consolidate.
Riding
Shortly after the beach trip, I put on her saddle and paraphernalia in the cattle yard, this was still part of teaching her to keep still while I do things, and follow me when I walk away, therefore she did not have a halter on. I made her follow me around while she was dressed up, then I left her to get used to it all while I began teaching Fairy to follow me (she was much more stubborn then Xena and took longer) My boss asked if she could ride Xena, I said yes and she hopped on and walked her around in the cattle yard for a bit. Then I got on and she told me how to manage the reins so that the instructions were clear, until Xena got used to the bit and everything. I rode her at a walk all around the cattle yards and she was brilliant.
Over the next few days I walked her out to all the different places, the jump area, the flat area, the stables, but we always started and finished in the cattle yards. Interestingly the place I had most difficulty with was the grassy jumping area, she was disobedient and opinionated every time we were on the grass. The best place for her was the bush so I did my trotting and finally cantering in the bush before trying it on the grass.
An example of a massive battle we had on the grass was when we were coming back from the bush and she was sure it was the end of the ride and had a little hissy fit when I turned her away from the stables we did about 10 laps of 20m before she wasn't naughty and we could finish. Now her strategy is to just not walk when I ask her to.
Over the next few days I walked her out to all the different places, the jump area, the flat area, the stables, but we always started and finished in the cattle yards. Interestingly the place I had most difficulty with was the grassy jumping area, she was disobedient and opinionated every time we were on the grass. The best place for her was the bush so I did my trotting and finally cantering in the bush before trying it on the grass.
An example of a massive battle we had on the grass was when we were coming back from the bush and she was sure it was the end of the ride and had a little hissy fit when I turned her away from the stables we did about 10 laps of 20m before she wasn't naughty and we could finish. Now her strategy is to just not walk when I ask her to.
Beach trip
So many weeks on from my last post, sorry about lapse, but Xena is going really well. She very quickly settled and became good friends with the horse she was sharing a paddock with. I now feel it was a good plan to teach her who was boss before she met any other horses.
The next day I went and chased her again and she responded much quicker because she knew what I wanted. Even now, when she begins to get ideas about who is in charge I take her to the cattle yards and remind her.
A few days after we got her we went to the beach with her and two ponies and three children, turned out that it should only be one horse per responsible adult. When we got there I waded into the water with her and scrambled onto her back. She managed to shake me off a few times until I realized what was going on. After that I swam onto her back (no saddle) and stayed on while I made her stand still, then got off. I did this a few more times in the water, then walked her out to the sand for a rest. When we got back from the beach I got on her bare back and got off again a few times just to teach her that she doesn't need to try to get me off, if she is good I will get off myself.
The beach trip was helpful in that it showed me what to teach her next which was standing still when I get on and leading politely instead of so close she stands on my feet all the time. I had a memento the size of a 20c piece on my heel from my riding boot and very sore toes from when Xena kept stepping on my feet.
The next day I went and chased her again and she responded much quicker because she knew what I wanted. Even now, when she begins to get ideas about who is in charge I take her to the cattle yards and remind her.
A few days after we got her we went to the beach with her and two ponies and three children, turned out that it should only be one horse per responsible adult. When we got there I waded into the water with her and scrambled onto her back. She managed to shake me off a few times until I realized what was going on. After that I swam onto her back (no saddle) and stayed on while I made her stand still, then got off. I did this a few more times in the water, then walked her out to the sand for a rest. When we got back from the beach I got on her bare back and got off again a few times just to teach her that she doesn't need to try to get me off, if she is good I will get off myself.
The beach trip was helpful in that it showed me what to teach her next which was standing still when I get on and leading politely instead of so close she stands on my feet all the time. I had a memento the size of a 20c piece on my heel from my riding boot and very sore toes from when Xena kept stepping on my feet.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
There are two ponies belonging to the family I work for, Simba and Fairy. They stay in the same paddock and I have given them the nicnames from Alice in Wonderland. These names suit them perfectly because they are always together and miss each other when one is away. They also fight each other constantly and Fairy
(tweedledum) delights in stealing Simba's food and making him grumpy.
Following the Alice theme of names, The big warmblood is the Queen of Hearts because it is easy to see her yelling "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" about the ponies, dogs, chickens, trees and anything else nearby, particularly at dinner time. Then my horse, Xena, ended up as the Duchess, because both Xena and the Duchess were mental when we first meet them and then completely different the next time we meet in a different location.
(tweedledum) delights in stealing Simba's food and making him grumpy.
Following the Alice theme of names, The big warmblood is the Queen of Hearts because it is easy to see her yelling "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" about the ponies, dogs, chickens, trees and anything else nearby, particularly at dinner time. Then my horse, Xena, ended up as the Duchess, because both Xena and the Duchess were mental when we first meet them and then completely different the next time we meet in a different location.
Friday, March 29, 2013
New project
Once Nick died, my employer began to look for free lease horses for me to borrow for a year. I agreed to go and look at one of them yesterday. She is a mare, 4 yrs old, failed racer, thoroughbred.
We got there and I wasn't impressed with her manners and temperament. She seemed jumpy and rude. We found out she was being fed working horse food when she wasn't being worked. The owner rode her and we were still not encouraged. Eventually the initial prance and disobedience left her and the lady got off.
I figured I would ride her since we had come all this way (an hour and a half) so I hopped on. I walked her round a bit, telling her that a walk was plenty and we don't need to trot everywhere. After I got off, my friend hopped on because the mare had been a lot calmer for me then for the first girl. My friend rode her and realized she is very smart and can be taught things and is a quick learner. We decided to take her home for 2 weeks to see what she turns out like on calmer feed and time and effort.
The first thing we taught her yesterday was that people stopping cars and walking around floats don't mean she is about to be unloaded. She had developed a habit of rushing off the float so we taught her not to expect that to be ok.
Then I took her to a small yard and began to teach her ground manners. I taught her to stand still when I wanted to pick up her feet and I also taught her that I was the leader and the top horse, not her. It took AGES but in the end she followed me.
The way I taught both of these things was to make her trot around me until she stopped and turned or walked towards me, I would step back out of her personal space to reward her. Then I would move closer to her and allow her to stand still while I touched her all over. If she stepped away I would make her run more. In the end I was able to pick up her front feet while she stood there and was working on the back when I was time to go home. This is a useful skill to teach them because there are few things more annoying that having a horse shuffle around while you are trying to pick up their feet.
Today I will work on that more, as well as tacking her up and lunging her.
Her name is Xena and she is a bay (brown body, black legs, mane and tail)
We got there and I wasn't impressed with her manners and temperament. She seemed jumpy and rude. We found out she was being fed working horse food when she wasn't being worked. The owner rode her and we were still not encouraged. Eventually the initial prance and disobedience left her and the lady got off.
I figured I would ride her since we had come all this way (an hour and a half) so I hopped on. I walked her round a bit, telling her that a walk was plenty and we don't need to trot everywhere. After I got off, my friend hopped on because the mare had been a lot calmer for me then for the first girl. My friend rode her and realized she is very smart and can be taught things and is a quick learner. We decided to take her home for 2 weeks to see what she turns out like on calmer feed and time and effort.
The first thing we taught her yesterday was that people stopping cars and walking around floats don't mean she is about to be unloaded. She had developed a habit of rushing off the float so we taught her not to expect that to be ok.
Then I took her to a small yard and began to teach her ground manners. I taught her to stand still when I wanted to pick up her feet and I also taught her that I was the leader and the top horse, not her. It took AGES but in the end she followed me.
The way I taught both of these things was to make her trot around me until she stopped and turned or walked towards me, I would step back out of her personal space to reward her. Then I would move closer to her and allow her to stand still while I touched her all over. If she stepped away I would make her run more. In the end I was able to pick up her front feet while she stood there and was working on the back when I was time to go home. This is a useful skill to teach them because there are few things more annoying that having a horse shuffle around while you are trying to pick up their feet.
Today I will work on that more, as well as tacking her up and lunging her.
Her name is Xena and she is a bay (brown body, black legs, mane and tail)
Sad News
On Friday last week, I had the farrier out o Nick and in the process of trimming his hooves he unearthed an underlying problem we hadn't known about. This was stifle lock, if you want to see youtube clips of what a horse looks like with stifle lock type in "Cowboy Stifle Lock" into youtube and watch the one with the yellow (palomino) horse.
Nick wasn't as severe as Cowboy but he was pretty close. Cowboy was lucky and his owner could afford an operation so he improved and could be used again. I couldn't afford the operation and it was too severe a problem to exercise out and so he couldn't be ridden or sold. Unfortunately this only left one option for me. On Tuesday he was put down, while I wasn't there. On Monday the kids and I said goodbye. I had had him for two weeks and he was a beautiful, gentle, pleasant, dopey horse. I would not have hesitated to put a child on his back.
On Monday afternoon the children said goodbye to him, I tied him to the gate and the little four yr old girl went up and hugged his front leg like it was a tree and he just stood there. He would have been worth the expense if I had had sufficient money to afford the operation and he would have made a perfect riding school horse.
I miss Nick a lot, every time I go out with the kids to ride and feed I am reminded that Nick is no longer there. I have waited for a while so I can write what happened without getting too upset. I cried all day on Monday when I found out, and then I have not cried since.
Nick wasn't as severe as Cowboy but he was pretty close. Cowboy was lucky and his owner could afford an operation so he improved and could be used again. I couldn't afford the operation and it was too severe a problem to exercise out and so he couldn't be ridden or sold. Unfortunately this only left one option for me. On Tuesday he was put down, while I wasn't there. On Monday the kids and I said goodbye. I had had him for two weeks and he was a beautiful, gentle, pleasant, dopey horse. I would not have hesitated to put a child on his back.
On Monday afternoon the children said goodbye to him, I tied him to the gate and the little four yr old girl went up and hugged his front leg like it was a tree and he just stood there. He would have been worth the expense if I had had sufficient money to afford the operation and he would have made a perfect riding school horse.
I miss Nick a lot, every time I go out with the kids to ride and feed I am reminded that Nick is no longer there. I have waited for a while so I can write what happened without getting too upset. I cried all day on Monday when I found out, and then I have not cried since.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Trusted and Trustworthy
I never realized how much easier it is to care for kids when they trust you to do what is best/right and they trust you to love them. I realized the other day that the eldest of the children I care for doesn't trust me to know or do what is best. He goes along with what I say because he feels he has no choice, but he doesn't trust me. The younger two trust me and seem to have an easier time of it. When they are in trouble, the conversation about why and the consequence can be brief, they admit they were in the wrong and say sorry and we make up. The eldest though argues and fights, explains his point, feels unjustly done by about EVERYTHING, complains to his mum about me and even begins defending himself before he gets into trouble (this is especially annoying when it was clearly an accident and I am not going to growl at him.)
I don't think I am so unpredictable that I fly off the handle randomly and with no warning over silly little mistakes. I do get annoyed by mistakes from being silly, or repeated mistakes. Also some mistakes lead to more work on my part which can make it hard to be objective. However the younger two don't feel the need to walk on eggshells.
I used to think it was a manipulation thing, now I think it is a trust thing. He feels like he has to be in charge of himself, his siblings and even his parents and me. Because he is a child he needs to use manipulative strategies to control us all. Being manipulated and played against each other irritates me, it will irritate his siblings and will irritate his friends at school if he is also bossing them around. I think it is stressing him out to feel in charge and to not trust that I am responsible for all the kids well being, including his. I feel that in all his parenting worries, he is forgetting to be a child. He can't relax, if he is happy he is high as a kite. If he is sensible he is serious and anxious to please. Because he is so anxious to please, he gets VERY distressed when he feels that I am not pleased, and especially so when he gets in trouble. Or even just reminded about responsibilities. Or reminded to be sensible.
I am going to work on, in conjunction with his parents, that he is responsible only for his actions, obedience and possessions. He is not responsible for other peoples wellbeing or happiness (not to intentionally make them unhappy, but he doesn't need to please or manipulate others into being happy). When I am disciplining either of the others, I will keep his input out of it. He will be free to tell his parents if something is bothering him but if it is me that is bothering him, he needs to tell me about it. That way it is not dobbing. If his mother needs to talk to me, he does not need to also tell me the same thing. Also the other way around.
This will be a long project and hopefully we see some long term improvement in himself and his confidence and childhood
I don't think I am so unpredictable that I fly off the handle randomly and with no warning over silly little mistakes. I do get annoyed by mistakes from being silly, or repeated mistakes. Also some mistakes lead to more work on my part which can make it hard to be objective. However the younger two don't feel the need to walk on eggshells.
I used to think it was a manipulation thing, now I think it is a trust thing. He feels like he has to be in charge of himself, his siblings and even his parents and me. Because he is a child he needs to use manipulative strategies to control us all. Being manipulated and played against each other irritates me, it will irritate his siblings and will irritate his friends at school if he is also bossing them around. I think it is stressing him out to feel in charge and to not trust that I am responsible for all the kids well being, including his. I feel that in all his parenting worries, he is forgetting to be a child. He can't relax, if he is happy he is high as a kite. If he is sensible he is serious and anxious to please. Because he is so anxious to please, he gets VERY distressed when he feels that I am not pleased, and especially so when he gets in trouble. Or even just reminded about responsibilities. Or reminded to be sensible.
I am going to work on, in conjunction with his parents, that he is responsible only for his actions, obedience and possessions. He is not responsible for other peoples wellbeing or happiness (not to intentionally make them unhappy, but he doesn't need to please or manipulate others into being happy). When I am disciplining either of the others, I will keep his input out of it. He will be free to tell his parents if something is bothering him but if it is me that is bothering him, he needs to tell me about it. That way it is not dobbing. If his mother needs to talk to me, he does not need to also tell me the same thing. Also the other way around.
This will be a long project and hopefully we see some long term improvement in himself and his confidence and childhood
Monday, March 18, 2013
Horse lunging
Yesterday I went to work with Nick again after having the weekend off for church camp and a break. The food thing worked pretty well and we worked out who was the dominant party between us. I was able to chase him away from the food with little or no fuss.
The lunging lesson went pretty well. It needed one person in the middle and one person leading the horse around the outside to give him a hint about what to do. He tried walking and trotting in a circle and then figured he would try pulling back and thrashing about. That didn't work and the most comfortable thing in the end for him to do was to walk in a circle.
Today I will go out and reinforce this lesson and hopefully get him trotting on command.
The lunging lesson went pretty well. It needed one person in the middle and one person leading the horse around the outside to give him a hint about what to do. He tried walking and trotting in a circle and then figured he would try pulling back and thrashing about. That didn't work and the most comfortable thing in the end for him to do was to walk in a circle.
Today I will go out and reinforce this lesson and hopefully get him trotting on command.
Vegetable Juice Fast
After watching a program on TV about the benefits of a Juice Fast, we decided to borrow a juicer.
The thing about a juice fast is it usually increases your vitamin and vegetation intake by a huge amount, often from practically nothing to 100% of your diet. This your body has the time to detox from all the rubbish eaten before hand while it receives the much needed nutrients it has been denied. While it seems to be a myth that some foods help the detox process, it does help not to put more toxic foods into your body while your liver and kidneys are trying to do their job.
I never planned on a full Juice Fast because I am a fairly healthy eater, my breakfast is filling and full of fibre, my lunch includes lots of salad (usually), dinner is the main problem though since I don't provide that for myself. I was noticing an increase in the chips and pastry and take away at mealtimes and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. I am not against junk food, I just like to choose when I eat it rather then have others decide. We figured then that if dinner proved to be unwholesome I could have Juice instead or as well. Therefore we borrowed a juicer.
Here is what I discovered. 1) Vegetable Juice is an acquired taste, I don't really like it. 2) The Juicer is a pain to clean with a vast number of components. 3) It takes about 3 apples to make a small glass of Juice. 4) Stuff that is nice whole tastes like ditchwater when it is juiced (celery and cucumber) 5) All the recipes discount red apples for some reason (they are really nice, like lemonade). 6) when you juice carrots the pulp left over is really good in wraps and sandwiches. It still tastes fine, it does not soggy up the bread, and it is grated up really finely. I very nearly put cheese through the Juicer to see if it also grated up fine. I restrained myself since it is an expensive thing to break.
All in all the Juice fast wouldn't work for me because firstly I don't like enough of the vegetable juice to even nearly maintain a balanced diet and secondly, I like the texture of vegetables and Juice removes all that. However that is not to say it would not work for anyone. Especially if they have diet related health problems I would highly recommend trying it for 10 days.
The thing about a juice fast is it usually increases your vitamin and vegetation intake by a huge amount, often from practically nothing to 100% of your diet. This your body has the time to detox from all the rubbish eaten before hand while it receives the much needed nutrients it has been denied. While it seems to be a myth that some foods help the detox process, it does help not to put more toxic foods into your body while your liver and kidneys are trying to do their job.
I never planned on a full Juice Fast because I am a fairly healthy eater, my breakfast is filling and full of fibre, my lunch includes lots of salad (usually), dinner is the main problem though since I don't provide that for myself. I was noticing an increase in the chips and pastry and take away at mealtimes and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. I am not against junk food, I just like to choose when I eat it rather then have others decide. We figured then that if dinner proved to be unwholesome I could have Juice instead or as well. Therefore we borrowed a juicer.
Here is what I discovered. 1) Vegetable Juice is an acquired taste, I don't really like it. 2) The Juicer is a pain to clean with a vast number of components. 3) It takes about 3 apples to make a small glass of Juice. 4) Stuff that is nice whole tastes like ditchwater when it is juiced (celery and cucumber) 5) All the recipes discount red apples for some reason (they are really nice, like lemonade). 6) when you juice carrots the pulp left over is really good in wraps and sandwiches. It still tastes fine, it does not soggy up the bread, and it is grated up really finely. I very nearly put cheese through the Juicer to see if it also grated up fine. I restrained myself since it is an expensive thing to break.
All in all the Juice fast wouldn't work for me because firstly I don't like enough of the vegetable juice to even nearly maintain a balanced diet and secondly, I like the texture of vegetables and Juice removes all that. However that is not to say it would not work for anyone. Especially if they have diet related health problems I would highly recommend trying it for 10 days.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Horse project
So I have now had my horse for 5 days. It feels like longer and shorter at the same time. I have come to the conclusion that he is very patient and stoic and incredibly STUBBORN. He allows me to muck around with him but if we try something he doesn't think we should do, he has a hissy fit. I discovered this when he got annoyed at me and we played tug of war.
I have done the same things I did with Arakei and he kind of understood but he is so stubborn he would rather run the submit. I am going to try a different method because I need a round yard to chase him in if that strategy is going to work. If I do it in the bigger paddock, he can stop and rest nearly doing the right thing, but not really. We worked on Friday for so long my arm got stiff and he was tripping over he was so tired. I need a smaller space so that we are acting and reacting to each other at closer quarters and he can't prretend he is ignoring me.
A strategy I am going to try is based on the observation that the dominant horse takes food from the lesser horse. This is why feeding treats to horses is not a good training strategy. It works with dogs because they equate getting a treat with pleasing you. Horses see it as a victory. My plan is to give him hay, let him eat some and then chase him away from it and take it back. This is also important to do with dogs, the dominant dog can claim food from lesser dogs, if you can't take a bone off your dog without getting threatened or bitten, you need to work on his obedience. If you watch horses in a paddock, the one who is asserting their dominance will turf the others off their feed buckets and rotate round. Once they sought out their pecking order I don't think they need to do this as much, but initially there is a lot of swapping around.
I will let you know how is goes.
I have done the same things I did with Arakei and he kind of understood but he is so stubborn he would rather run the submit. I am going to try a different method because I need a round yard to chase him in if that strategy is going to work. If I do it in the bigger paddock, he can stop and rest nearly doing the right thing, but not really. We worked on Friday for so long my arm got stiff and he was tripping over he was so tired. I need a smaller space so that we are acting and reacting to each other at closer quarters and he can't prretend he is ignoring me.
A strategy I am going to try is based on the observation that the dominant horse takes food from the lesser horse. This is why feeding treats to horses is not a good training strategy. It works with dogs because they equate getting a treat with pleasing you. Horses see it as a victory. My plan is to give him hay, let him eat some and then chase him away from it and take it back. This is also important to do with dogs, the dominant dog can claim food from lesser dogs, if you can't take a bone off your dog without getting threatened or bitten, you need to work on his obedience. If you watch horses in a paddock, the one who is asserting their dominance will turf the others off their feed buckets and rotate round. Once they sought out their pecking order I don't think they need to do this as much, but initially there is a lot of swapping around.
Perfect timing
I have been having back difficulties for a few years. This is not a constant thing, in fact it is very rare. However it is very odd in how it comes, and it has come 3 times with exceptionally bad timing.
The first time was the worst, it came because I went for a walk to the shops and then when I got back I sat in a chair. When I got up it was hurting. The next day we packed for Summer School, then we went to Summer School to carry stuff round setting up, camping and sleeping on stretchers. The next day my back was so sore I couldn't walk. It was scary and painful. A friend gave me exercises and my back improved over the week.
Therefore the first time it happened was just in time for a week of camping at Summer School.
The second time it happened was 6 months later and I was picking a piece of paper up off the ground. My back gave a massive spasm and it hurt really badly. That was the day I was flying home from QLD for a week. I couldn't walk far, I couldn't do karate, I couldn't play with children. It was very frustrating but not a bad as the first one because I used the stretches and exercises from the beginning.
The third time was Friday morning. I was in the process of going from a standing position to a seated position in a chair. My back gave out and it REALLY hurt. Church camp started on Friday night and I couldn't even walk properly. Luckily the camp site is only 10 minutes away and I was able to sleep in my proper bed rather then a foam mattress.
Besides the fantastic timing of my back problems, I did go to a chiropractor to see if it could be more permanently fixed. It was an interesting if expensive experience, however today, just 2 days after I hurt myself my back is merely stiff and I can walk nearly normally.
The first time was the worst, it came because I went for a walk to the shops and then when I got back I sat in a chair. When I got up it was hurting. The next day we packed for Summer School, then we went to Summer School to carry stuff round setting up, camping and sleeping on stretchers. The next day my back was so sore I couldn't walk. It was scary and painful. A friend gave me exercises and my back improved over the week.
Therefore the first time it happened was just in time for a week of camping at Summer School.
The second time it happened was 6 months later and I was picking a piece of paper up off the ground. My back gave a massive spasm and it hurt really badly. That was the day I was flying home from QLD for a week. I couldn't walk far, I couldn't do karate, I couldn't play with children. It was very frustrating but not a bad as the first one because I used the stretches and exercises from the beginning.
The third time was Friday morning. I was in the process of going from a standing position to a seated position in a chair. My back gave out and it REALLY hurt. Church camp started on Friday night and I couldn't even walk properly. Luckily the camp site is only 10 minutes away and I was able to sleep in my proper bed rather then a foam mattress.
Besides the fantastic timing of my back problems, I did go to a chiropractor to see if it could be more permanently fixed. It was an interesting if expensive experience, however today, just 2 days after I hurt myself my back is merely stiff and I can walk nearly normally.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
New Project
I have a project to fill in hours of my day not currently filled by work.
Because my employer is getting back into horses, I have found myself once more surrounded by equines. Since I came back to WA I have been feeding, changing rugs and teaching 3 children to ride a horse.
On Monday I went riding with T and she told me that she was thinking of buying an unwanted, cheap horse as a project for me to work with. On Tuesday she rang to tell me the lady didn't want to sell the first one we wanted, but this other one was offered for free.
He is a black thoroughbred, nearly 16 hands (about as tall as me) and I have had him for 3 days now. He is about 5 and he has been broken in and then ignored. He knows nothing, not picking up feet, not trotting on the lead, not wearing a rug. I am going to teach him manners, obedience, how to lead nicely (not trampling all over you) and then hopefully the finer points of riding (walk trot canter, listen, stop, start, left, right, pretty, head in, feet up and maybe even jumping.)
So far I have been working on picking up his feet, leading nicely, looking at scary things like stationary tractors, cars, birds, jumps and trees. Then I made him run round a paddock to teach him some manners. This is the same as I did with Arakei in my horse training posts in 2011, the result should be the same, but Arakei was HEAPS quicker at picking it up. The aim is to get the horse to submit and follow you without a lead. It took me 40 minutes of him running today to eventually convince him to follow me.
He is a mainly docile horse, doesn't panic much about anything, tolerates quite a lot of things, but he is stubborn as a teenager when he doesn't want to do something. He doesn't flap around in energetic rebellion, he just pretends not to know what you want. Odds are on he doesn't know, but he won't try to figure it out.
The first thing I want to teach him is to follow me in a paddock. Then I will set up an obstacle course like I did with Arakei and walk him through it.
I will put up photo's what I get some good ones.
Because my employer is getting back into horses, I have found myself once more surrounded by equines. Since I came back to WA I have been feeding, changing rugs and teaching 3 children to ride a horse.
On Monday I went riding with T and she told me that she was thinking of buying an unwanted, cheap horse as a project for me to work with. On Tuesday she rang to tell me the lady didn't want to sell the first one we wanted, but this other one was offered for free.
He is a black thoroughbred, nearly 16 hands (about as tall as me) and I have had him for 3 days now. He is about 5 and he has been broken in and then ignored. He knows nothing, not picking up feet, not trotting on the lead, not wearing a rug. I am going to teach him manners, obedience, how to lead nicely (not trampling all over you) and then hopefully the finer points of riding (walk trot canter, listen, stop, start, left, right, pretty, head in, feet up and maybe even jumping.)
So far I have been working on picking up his feet, leading nicely, looking at scary things like stationary tractors, cars, birds, jumps and trees. Then I made him run round a paddock to teach him some manners. This is the same as I did with Arakei in my horse training posts in 2011, the result should be the same, but Arakei was HEAPS quicker at picking it up. The aim is to get the horse to submit and follow you without a lead. It took me 40 minutes of him running today to eventually convince him to follow me.
He is a mainly docile horse, doesn't panic much about anything, tolerates quite a lot of things, but he is stubborn as a teenager when he doesn't want to do something. He doesn't flap around in energetic rebellion, he just pretends not to know what you want. Odds are on he doesn't know, but he won't try to figure it out.
The first thing I want to teach him is to follow me in a paddock. Then I will set up an obstacle course like I did with Arakei and walk him through it.
I will put up photo's what I get some good ones.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
More cats
You thought the posts had stopped about cats? No, just a little pause while I waited for more cats to come into my life. I have now accumulated a few funny stories about cats sleeping or lying on me.
One day I was lying asleep on a couch and Romeo was asleep lying on top of me with his head on my shoulder. I was so deeply asleep that I forgot he was there at all, feeling like it was a cushion or similar. Anyway suddenly he hits me in the face with his paw. I started awake and thought "That was odd" and went back to sleep again. He hit me about twice more before I realized he was trying to get a fly.
One night Wednesday was in my room and wanted out but I could not be bothered opening the door at that time. She tried giving subtle hints and then came and lay on me. I was lying on my side watching TV (which is why I didn't get up) she came and lay balanced on my arm with her bottom at my elbow and her nose in my ear and proceeded to purr as loudly as possible. There was limited on my tv at the time so it was really hard to hear. Happily she went to sleep after a few minutes, nose still in my ear, and proceeded to dribble gently down my ear canal. Even so I eventually forgot she was there and got a huge fright when she suddenly moved her head.
Today I was lying on my bed and Pickles was lying on my tummy. After much stomping around and checking that it feels the same as it did five minutes ago, she lay down. Her head was at the top of my leg and her tail was in my mouth. I have not yet decided if cats can control there own tails. It felt like Pickles and I were playing a reflex game, she tries to flick my face with her tail and I try to catch it before she does.
I lay there giggling to myself and recalling some of the other odd cats I have been around and thought I might share my recollections.
One day I was lying asleep on a couch and Romeo was asleep lying on top of me with his head on my shoulder. I was so deeply asleep that I forgot he was there at all, feeling like it was a cushion or similar. Anyway suddenly he hits me in the face with his paw. I started awake and thought "That was odd" and went back to sleep again. He hit me about twice more before I realized he was trying to get a fly.
One night Wednesday was in my room and wanted out but I could not be bothered opening the door at that time. She tried giving subtle hints and then came and lay on me. I was lying on my side watching TV (which is why I didn't get up) she came and lay balanced on my arm with her bottom at my elbow and her nose in my ear and proceeded to purr as loudly as possible. There was limited on my tv at the time so it was really hard to hear. Happily she went to sleep after a few minutes, nose still in my ear, and proceeded to dribble gently down my ear canal. Even so I eventually forgot she was there and got a huge fright when she suddenly moved her head.
Today I was lying on my bed and Pickles was lying on my tummy. After much stomping around and checking that it feels the same as it did five minutes ago, she lay down. Her head was at the top of my leg and her tail was in my mouth. I have not yet decided if cats can control there own tails. It felt like Pickles and I were playing a reflex game, she tries to flick my face with her tail and I try to catch it before she does.
I lay there giggling to myself and recalling some of the other odd cats I have been around and thought I might share my recollections.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Scar
That Missy Higgins song Scar is one I extremely didn't like at all when I was younger. I still don't particularly like Missy Higgins now, but I quite like that song. This song is helpful to me because it fits well. I have not made a mess of my life (yet) and God has not thrown any huge challenges at me (yet), but it still fits.
I am a strange person, different and unexpected to what people think I should be like. I am also annoying in some ways and loud and happy and excitable. Some things I am fine with people suggesting changes, selfishness, pride, laziness whatever. They are not positive traits and, while I do not enjoy hearing about them, I do want to change those. The aspects of my character that I get very resentful about people trying to change are the ones that make me me. My laugh, my loud energy, my happiness, skipping, running, the way I dress, my talking, my singing. None of these are bad or wrong in me, I do not dress immodestly, just boringly, and for most of the other things, I work with children, it is good.
A few years ago I had real trouble with being ridiculed into changing who I am. I got mocked and told off for skipping across paddocks, (it was quicker) I got teased for being loud and excitable. I got in trouble for dancing at a concert with the little boy because of what other people would think. I regularly got told, by the parents I worked for and the children, that I was not very grown up. Most of the time I was able to brush these off but occasionally I got upset and felt pressured into changing into someone I did not want to be. At these times, Scar was very helpful for expressing how I felt.
Gladly this is not happening now (much) though I do nothing to discourage it. I suspect my Non Grown Upness is my outer identity at church and with friends. I am very capable and competent at work.
I am a strange person, different and unexpected to what people think I should be like. I am also annoying in some ways and loud and happy and excitable. Some things I am fine with people suggesting changes, selfishness, pride, laziness whatever. They are not positive traits and, while I do not enjoy hearing about them, I do want to change those. The aspects of my character that I get very resentful about people trying to change are the ones that make me me. My laugh, my loud energy, my happiness, skipping, running, the way I dress, my talking, my singing. None of these are bad or wrong in me, I do not dress immodestly, just boringly, and for most of the other things, I work with children, it is good.
A few years ago I had real trouble with being ridiculed into changing who I am. I got mocked and told off for skipping across paddocks, (it was quicker) I got teased for being loud and excitable. I got in trouble for dancing at a concert with the little boy because of what other people would think. I regularly got told, by the parents I worked for and the children, that I was not very grown up. Most of the time I was able to brush these off but occasionally I got upset and felt pressured into changing into someone I did not want to be. At these times, Scar was very helpful for expressing how I felt.
Gladly this is not happening now (much) though I do nothing to discourage it. I suspect my Non Grown Upness is my outer identity at church and with friends. I am very capable and competent at work.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
More horse work!!!
This year a new addition to the family is a big horse and two little ones. The two little ones are for the kids and it is my responsibility and mostly pleasure to take them riding in the afternoons when we have time.
Here are things I have noticed when young children get a pony they can call theirs, it is mainly epic princess mode. "I have a PONY, I get to ride it, it is my pony so you have to let me do the interesting things like leading him. However not any of the uncomfortable or annoying things, like carrying things." I have decided that children who have ponies need to prove their responsibleness by doing extra jobs at home. Sadly they are too young to be given the less pleasant horse jobs, or even the interesting but time consuming jobs like putting on or removing rugs.
Also I had no idea how much easier horse safety is to manage with older children. 7-10 yr old kids have a greater ability to think abstractly about how much it will hurt if that horse kicks them. They also have more ability to listen and comprehend when you explain horse safety. ALSO they have the observational skills to notice the horse they are running up behind.
My 4 and 5 yr olds are HOPELESS. I explain to them not to do something, or I ask them what they need to do and they say "Don't run behind a horse" and then 10 seconds later there they go, dashing about behind horses. Or I say "Stop waving the whip around near the horses" and the complain that they didn't get a long turn at playing with the whip. I am thinking of using actual physical explanations on them. Like suddenly yelling BOO!!! at the kids to scare them and then ask them if they enjoyed that and if not why would they do that to horses.
So far injuries have included a little girl getting trodden twice while she was showing her horse leading prowess. The funny thing was she had a little sulk attack and pout because she wanted to lead HER pony by herself without me holding onto the other end of the lead. She got trodden on, dropped the lead and sat down under the pony screaming. Happily I was holding the lead and took over. He is a gorgeous pony and probably would not have done anything, however better not to test it. To be fair, it really does hurt when a horse steps on you, however none of the kids argue anymore when I insist on them putting on proper shoes to go to the horses.
I suspect that less children or more adults would make this all easier.
Here are things I have noticed when young children get a pony they can call theirs, it is mainly epic princess mode. "I have a PONY, I get to ride it, it is my pony so you have to let me do the interesting things like leading him. However not any of the uncomfortable or annoying things, like carrying things." I have decided that children who have ponies need to prove their responsibleness by doing extra jobs at home. Sadly they are too young to be given the less pleasant horse jobs, or even the interesting but time consuming jobs like putting on or removing rugs.
Also I had no idea how much easier horse safety is to manage with older children. 7-10 yr old kids have a greater ability to think abstractly about how much it will hurt if that horse kicks them. They also have more ability to listen and comprehend when you explain horse safety. ALSO they have the observational skills to notice the horse they are running up behind.
My 4 and 5 yr olds are HOPELESS. I explain to them not to do something, or I ask them what they need to do and they say "Don't run behind a horse" and then 10 seconds later there they go, dashing about behind horses. Or I say "Stop waving the whip around near the horses" and the complain that they didn't get a long turn at playing with the whip. I am thinking of using actual physical explanations on them. Like suddenly yelling BOO!!! at the kids to scare them and then ask them if they enjoyed that and if not why would they do that to horses.
So far injuries have included a little girl getting trodden twice while she was showing her horse leading prowess. The funny thing was she had a little sulk attack and pout because she wanted to lead HER pony by herself without me holding onto the other end of the lead. She got trodden on, dropped the lead and sat down under the pony screaming. Happily I was holding the lead and took over. He is a gorgeous pony and probably would not have done anything, however better not to test it. To be fair, it really does hurt when a horse steps on you, however none of the kids argue anymore when I insist on them putting on proper shoes to go to the horses.
I suspect that less children or more adults would make this all easier.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Power of Suggestion
The power of suggestion is both a positive and a negative thing. It is definitely true though I reckon some people are more susceptible to it. The most obvious example of the power of suggestion is emotional verbal abuse. However there are positive versions like encouragement and compliments.
I have realized that the power of suggestion is quite strong for me. I don't get verbally abused and I have a thick skin for teasing now, thanks to my siblings, however stories affect me.
When a friend of mine explained how in school she had epilepsy but it wasn't picked up because she just silently spaced out then came back a minute or so later. After I heard this story, I started spacing out (kind of to see what it was like). When my stomach pains ended, I would occasionally imagine that I had them again, complete with facial expression and the momentary pause to wait for the pain to lessen. When another friend last year told me about what anxiety attacks like and why she has them, I worked myself into a panic attack about how busy I was going to be for the next week. A few weeks ago, somebody told me what it is like to have depression, not eating, not sleeping, not enjoying things noramlly enjoyed, not filling time well. Then since Sunday I have not been eating properly (regularly) I have not wanted to do anything, I have not done anything to keep myself busy. I was only very mild, I had nothing as strong as full blown depression, it was more an apathetic boredom and self pity. However I did not like it and wanted it to stop. I realized what was happening, that I was imitating the feelings I had heard about and I endeavored to snap out of it.
I am a busy person and I need to stay busy so that home days to read are few and far between and therefore enjoyable.
I have realized that the power of suggestion is quite strong for me. I don't get verbally abused and I have a thick skin for teasing now, thanks to my siblings, however stories affect me.
When a friend of mine explained how in school she had epilepsy but it wasn't picked up because she just silently spaced out then came back a minute or so later. After I heard this story, I started spacing out (kind of to see what it was like). When my stomach pains ended, I would occasionally imagine that I had them again, complete with facial expression and the momentary pause to wait for the pain to lessen. When another friend last year told me about what anxiety attacks like and why she has them, I worked myself into a panic attack about how busy I was going to be for the next week. A few weeks ago, somebody told me what it is like to have depression, not eating, not sleeping, not enjoying things noramlly enjoyed, not filling time well. Then since Sunday I have not been eating properly (regularly) I have not wanted to do anything, I have not done anything to keep myself busy. I was only very mild, I had nothing as strong as full blown depression, it was more an apathetic boredom and self pity. However I did not like it and wanted it to stop. I realized what was happening, that I was imitating the feelings I had heard about and I endeavored to snap out of it.
I am a busy person and I need to stay busy so that home days to read are few and far between and therefore enjoyable.
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