The Three Little Pigs Times Three

Oh. This is so funny.

I don’t know if you can hear it, but some wild pigs might be over in those trees to the left.

We’ve seen them come across our property years ago, but that’s the first time I’ve heard them grunting!

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Oh. This is so funny.

I don’t know if you can hear it, but some wild pigs might be over in those trees to the left.

We’ve seen them come across our property years ago, but that’s the first time I’ve heard them grunting!

I decided to take a little ride this morning.

I want to answer a question I received from a friend.

She has a new four-year-old and is getting tense when it’s time to lope.

She said she’s coming up a bit and out of the saddle when she begins loping.

Here’s my response.

First, whenever there’s a place where we associate tension, we tend to create it ahead of time by dreading it and getting tense. We don’t mean to do that. That’s just what happens with the image we have in our mind.

That causes a sympathetic nervous system response.

Our muscles get tight, our brain wave frequency increases quickly, our heart rate increases quickly, our breathing becomes shallow, and we focus on what we don’t want—which is getting tense.

It helps to reflect on the point right before we get tense – when we’re not.

We know we’re grounded there and can feel our seat in the saddle. We can feel our legs softly on our horse’s sides.

Then, we can gradually alternate going faster and slower at a trot and maintain that relaxed comfort level.

Whenever we start to feel a little tense, we’re not connected to our body (not so much our mind) but to our body.

To relax again, we can consciously bring our attention back to our seat – feeling it in the saddle, breathing, and keeping our eyes up.

Whenever we’re ready, ask for a lope – and if you like, just take a stride or two and then come back to where you’re comfortable, maybe a trot.

Therefore, go to the place where you start to feel the tension—and when you do, just go back to an earlier time when you felt comfortable and keep expanding it.

Be careful not to judge yourself negatively and your ability to ride. Give yourself as much time and grace as you need.

Feel your body and focus on your breathing. Focus on your eyes, keep your shoulders open, and allow yourself to fluctuate and not lope for a longer distance until you gradually work up to it and feel comfortable.

Now… I’m just wondering about those little piggies over there. We haven’t had them in years and years and years.

So, if I have an update on that, I’ll let you know.

Please leave a comment for me.

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