Great sheepherding lesson with Beck today!  Some good outruns, getting the hang of wearing, much more focused on the sheep and less focused on me (which is a good thing, in this case.)  Now he is contentedly napping while I type.  

The horse trailer is all cleaned out and ready for spring.  Too bad spring isn’t ready for us.

The wonders of life-coaching

I was recently asked to give a talk at the University of Vermont on Equine Massage, to a group of pre-vet students. I was flattered, but one of my first thoughts was, “Oh no!  How am I going to get through this?  I hate public speaking!”

See how we can sabotage ourselves?  This was a golden opportunity, gift-wrapped and handed to me on a silver platter, and all I could see were the possible pitfalls.  How did I get through it, and even more, turn it around to be a really positive experience? CEGA, of course!

There are lots of different coping skills we can use in such a situation.  Here’s what I did.  I made a list of all the positive things that could result from this clinic, such as increased business, greater recognition, the chance to share something I really love, and working on an area in which I’d like to improve—public speaking.  Some of these benefits I came up with on my own, some of them were pointed out to me by friends with whom I shared my anxieties, but really, what helped me most was “channeling” Barb Torian, professional life coach and one of the founders of CEGA.  I could hear her, helping me to turn my thoughts around and take control of the situation before it was able to take control of me.  Allowing myself to step back and look at it from a different perspective enabled me to focus on the positive aspects of the UVM talk.  I’m not saying that my days of feeling anxious about public speaking are over, but what if they ARE?  What if I just allow myself to imagine that I really like public speaking, having the chance to talk to a roomful of people about work that I truly love?  Suddenly, that adrenaline rush I’m feeling is excitement, not nerves. Wow!  Thanks, Barb!

Haven’t had a chance to work with Barb yet?  Do yourself a HUGE favor and give her a call, send her an email, and get started!  Your possibilities are endless!

Heading to UVM

I’ve been invited to teach a class at UVM today, on Equine Massage.  So excited!

I have been feeding my horses free-choice second cut hay from lovely, sweet-smelling round bales this winter.  One of the nice things I’ve noticed from this is that when I kiss them on their furry noses, they smell like summer—that gorgeous smell of green grass and fresh air.  Aaaaahhh.....

Acupressure

Spent a fun-filled and most interesting hour this morning with my equine acupressure text.  I love how this dovetails so neatly with my equine massage practice!

Great clinic!

Yes, that’s right—another great CEGA clinic today!  This one was at Dalneich Stables at Hibernia Farm in Cornwall, VT.  Our intrepid participants braved a truly “interesting” day of Vermont weather, for a fun, enlightening afternoon full of learning and connecting with their horses.  Watch our website (CEGAVT.com) for details on upcoming clinics, and reserve your place!

Of dogs and ponies

Those of you who know me, know that my favorite breed of dog is the Border Collie.  I love everything about them—their intelligence, their work ethic, the way they look and move, the close bond they form with their person, and their unbelievable energy. I have a lot in common with Border Collies.  I love to be busy, don’t do well with idle time, and my mind is always going.  This is great for me, and my interactions with my two Border Collies, but can be more challenging for those around me who don’t operate on the same high frequency.  

Take my three horses, for instance.  Sid, my Standardbred, is happiest when he gets worked no more than 3 or 4 days a week.  If I try to work him more than that, he responds by simply walking away from me in the pasture.  Monarch, my Thoroughbred, would love to be worked every day.  He is a lot like a Border Collie—intelligent, sensitive, great work ethic.  And he acts out when he doesn’t get enough work.  

And then there’s Simon.  As we have been struggling with some soundness issues with him, (strained check ligament, abscess, some arthritis issues), I have been struggling with not super-imposing my needs and work ethic on him.  Simon is 22 now, and has had a very active career, mostly with other people.  I asked him yesterday what he wants—does he want to be retired?  He let me know that he isn’t ready to retire yet, but that winters are hard for him in this climate, so her would really like to have winters off.  This will be a hard one for me—I am a firm believer in keeping older horses moving as much as possible, to keep them limber.  Also, riding is something that I really need to help me get through the winter, and I find the prospect of trying to get an older horse back into condition in the spring after a winter off to be daunting.  

But we’ll try it.  Simon will have the rest of this winter off (yes it’s still winter here—below zero this morning), and we’ll see how he does over the summer.  And if he decides that it’s time to retire, that’s what we’ll do.  This old dog is trying to learn a new trick.

CEGA clinic

Only 3 days left until our next clinic, at beautiful Hibernia Farm in Cornwall, VT.  Still a space or two left! Sign up and see why everyone is talking about CEGA!