Ride Like a Man

Between the weather and the madness of the holiday season I haven't been able to ride much this past month. I am hoping that this week I can get back in the saddle and spend some quality time getting Ella (and me) back in to shape. Over the couple months I am going to be working on cleaning up and fine tuning the basics of the foundation we worked so hard to establish last year. Ella has a great stop, she guides well, she is light in the face, I can move her shoulder and hips around, and her transitions are smooth. She has buttons. The problem is Ella has a habit of dogging it, or rather, I've created an environment where she lacks motivation, enthusiasm and try. Picture a child being asked to clean his room- he protests a little but eventually sloughs down the hall, dragging his feet, his hands hanging limply at his sides, a pout on his face and murmured "I dont want to" on his lips. That's Ella right now when I ask her to roll back, bored and uninterested. I think the reason for this is two fold. First, because I haven't given her a job. More than ever I believe a horse needs a job they understand to be happy. A happy horse will do what we ask with try, heart and enthusiasm. Secondly, because I don't ride her like a man.

No offense ladies, but we nag. We say "Don't do that!" ... and when they don't stop we get annoyed and it becomes "I saaaaid DON'T do that!" ... and of course that doesnt work so we go, *yank jerk* "OMG will you stop f-in flippin' flappin' doing that for finangians sake!!" (or something like that). And then finally, after getting more and more frustrated we go *smack* .... and they are like "Ooooh! Why didnt you just say so?".... To make matters worse the next task becomes a fight because we're still pissed off and royally annoyed about what they were doing before. It's a vicious cycle.

Men (okay not all men but hypothetical "men") dont do that. They say... nothing... they just go *slap slap* and merrily on their way. I haven't resolved to slap my horse more. I've just resolved to not bitch and nag. I'm only going to ask once. Then I'm going to make it happen. And then I'm going to calmly and happily move on to the next task like nothing happened. I'm going to ride like a man. Not the type of man who gets mad or mean or overly aggressive. I'm talking about the proverbial man's man, the quiet soft spoken horseman that quietly and unassumingly gets the job done with a firm but kind hand... that dark haired, cool, confident man that knows how to handle horses and woman in kind... the type that will grab a naughty woman hard by the shoulders and crush her to his chest, who kisses her hungrily... his course stubble rough against her velvet lips... he knows what to do... slips a hand behind her neck, knots her hair in to his fist and twists, thrusting her backwards to expose the pale skin of a long and delicate neck. He nips her, gently at first, teeth skimming her collar bone... then harder as he works his way up to the curls behind her ear. His hot breath licks flames beneath her skin. Her flush rises. In to her ear his voice growls his demand, so deep and husky with want...

*cough*

...


I dont know what just happened.

Sorry.