8 weeks and 2 days

I’ve spent a lot of time recently measuring out the passing of time. 58 days for Savvy post surgery. 3 weeks and a day since we arrived back home in Arizona after 10 plus weeks on the road. Even Peppy has joined the time parade as we passed the 5 week mark on her new meds and look ahead to some important follow up blood work we’re scheduled for next week.
My brain is swirling with numbers as I write this (blog #23, 22 days since I last wrote).  For some reason, its been imperative to the obsessive side of my nature to keep careful track of time as I walk this healing journey with Savvy, and this blog has become integral to tracking of that timeline.
So then why the 3 week silence?
Well, I guess just because. As I look back over these 3 weeks, the best description I can come up with is that I’ve been working out the overload – mental, emotional, physical, spiritual.  And so nothing was coming out.  Like everything has to sort and shift and settle before it could become transparent enough to be understood. Even by me. Let alone you. Glory, glory. What a journey.
So what had Savvy been up to in the meantime? Mostly just healing. Some hand walking of course. Hunting for grass. And one very exciting morning escapade when the neighbors’ donkeys pushed through the fence and came visiting.
We’ve been playing too, of course, but mostly short and sweet session with some  strength training and conditioning  from the ground.
I truly believe that a good leader has to have a plan and a good leader has to stay present. So my present to Sav was the agreement that if I couldn’t stay present as I sorted through these last few weeks then I wouldn’t present any ideas to her that required her to be super present and mentally engaged.  And it’s worked well.
But I’m so thankful to report that both yesterday and today I was quite present for some important rights of passage. Turnout. Saddling up. Riding. Sweet bliss.

​Now we’re still taking it easy, and I’m planning out our sessions quite conservatively. After all she’s been through, we’re going slow and right.  I don’t want to take anything for granted, and so I’m tuning in as best I can and allowing her to guide the timeline. Oh wait, isn’t that Parelli principle #8?

But I can tell you the truth, it felt phenomenal to swing up into the saddle. This horse is a gift. As is every ride. Ride #1. And counting.